What's Up With The 500 Calorie Diet?

Do you go a bit overboard when you want to lose weight fast? If you do, then chances are you may have tried a 500 calorie diet. Cutting your calories to 500 is considered an extreme form of dieting; but it is highly popular.

A diet is considered low calorie if it involves ingesting no more than 1200 calories a day. The idea of a low calorie diet is to lose weight quickly. If not administered correctly it can be dangerous and as such it is important to plan your 500 calorie diet with a professional dietician or nutritionist before starting. But is it right for you?

It is well known that the way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in. However, a very low calorie diet can actually do more harm than good. When your body is craving more calories (energy) it can affect your metabolic rate. This means your body can actually start to eat away at your muscle mass.

It will do this for the purpose of converting the muscle mass to energy since there are no food reserves to take from. Because gaining muscle is the path to losing fat, this can have a highly detrimental effect on your body.

500 calories per day can possibly be sufficient for some people depending on:
- gender
- activity level
- height- body type
- overall health

For other people though, particularly overweight people, consuming only 500 calories a day is almost like starving themselves. Their body is more than likely used to taking in over 2000 calories per day and up to 5000 or more. If they all of a sudden drop to 500 calories or less their body moves into starvation mode. Metabolism then slows down to conserve energy.

If you are on a 500 calorie diet your body eventually learns to live with fewer calories. That means if you go back to your old high calorie habits (and it happens) you will have a sudden gain in weight - more than what would have occurred, had you not gone on your low calorie diet.

The only real way to determine your ideal daily calorie intake is by using a bmr/amr calculator. You will then know how many calories you need to be healthy and to support your lifestyle. If you take 500 calories away from this number then you have the ideal number of calories, to take in per day to help you get your weight down.

As men and women are different, their ideal calorie intake is also different. This means while the average woman may need only 1200 to 1300 calories a day to survive, her male counterpart may need from 1500 to 1600. It is so important for you to consult with your physician before starting any diet.

In conclusion, a 500 calorie diet can be dangerous. However, if proper precautions are taken, such as the okay from your doctor and spending only a short time at 500 calories, you can lose weight quickly.

How to Keep a Weight Training Log

For anyone who has ever kept a journal of any kind, what I'm going to tell you might seem like a no-brainer. Keeping a weight-training log is a good idea! The benefits of keeping a weight-training log are numerous.

First, a log can act as inspiration and motivation. When you can look at your log and see where you started and where you are now, it will inspire you to continue with this healthy habit.

Next, a weight training log will help you to track times when you were procrastinating or skipping workouts, or when you had an injury that kept you from working out. The details of these instances can really help you avoid problems in the future.

Keeping a weight training log is also useful for creating a good understanding of which workouts and exercises seem to work for you – what gets the best results. And of course, when you have a weight training log, you have a plan of action in written form. You know exactly what you need to do to move forward. Once you know why you should keep a weight-training log, you want to know how.

It's best to keep your log in a notebook or binder because you want to have all of your information for the past weeks, months and years available so you can easily look at your progress and see where you need to go. You can format it in any way that works for you, but making columns works well for most people.

Write your fitness goals on the top of the pages, or on the front page, or however you like, just as long as your goals are always where you can see them. Then write the exercises and machines you do, how many sets, how many repetitions and weight for each in your columns. You can also have a column for the date and to give yourself a gold star if the workout is successful. This is a basic way to track your weight training.

Your workout log should have some space for you to add comments, too. Such comments might include information about injuries, pain, how you felt, how intense the workout was, etc. You may even want to note what you ate that day and if it helped or hindered your workout, how much sleep you got, your mood, the time of the day, and so on. This information can help you find out what your optimal workout conditions are, and how workouts affect your mood, sleep, and more.

Keeping a weight-training log is a great way to gauge your progress and keep yourself motivated. It will also help you avoid pitfalls like injury and just plain slacking off. You'll learn about the ways you can make your weight training sessions more productive and how you can optimize them. If you've never kept a log before, now is the time to start. You'll find that the knowledge it gives you about yourself is a great motivator and a fantastic way to see where you've been and how far you've come!

Effective Diets - How To Choose One

Are you fighting the diet battle again this year, worried that once more, your willpower will leave you unarmed and you’ll give it up before you achieve your weight loss goals? There are many effective diets, but which one will work for you?

Whether you’re a first time dieter or one who has been going around and around the track for years, you’ll be happy to know that it is possible to pick a plan and stick to it until you get to the weight you want to be.

The first tip is to try to choose a diet plan that’s not too strict for you. You know the kind – some have special limits on carbs, protein, or anything that’s the color white. People who lose weight long-term have to learn to live in a world where nothing is off-limits, but moderation is key.

Other diets plans have you start and stop, start and stop, until the weight comes off. This can get tedious and send you on extreme highs and lows emotionally and physically as your body is forced to adjust to the new circumstances.

Instead, try to find a plan that shows you how to eat healthy for a lifetime. If you know it’s okay to sometimes have a special treat, or indulge in a glass of wine, then you won’t have to go from one end of the spectrum to the other – you’ll be on a balanced course that’s safe for your body and easy on your emotions.

Fasting and binging (even on healthy foods) is a sure way to develop poor eating habits and it can confuse your body with the mixed messages. One minute you’re devouring pound after pound of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean protein, and carbs – and the next you’re surviving on nothing but hot water with honey and red pepper mixed in.

Before you choose any diet, evaluate it's effectiveness as a lifetime plan. Could you exist without ever eating another morsel of sugar again in this lifetime? Could you turn away bread at every meal for the next thirty years?

Some diets make it seem like their rigid plan is one you could adhere to forever, but caving in could cause you to regain more weight if you get discouraged and give up for good.

No diet plan is 100% comfortable when you’re used to being able to eat with freedom. Still, there are many plans that offer sensible ways to eat where you never have to leave an entire food group off your plate. Don’t follow a fad – instead, follow your heart and make up your mind to choose one of the effective diets you feel comfortable implementing and that can become a way of life.

Weight Loss For Women

Here's a success story that I found particularly motivating, especially since she's like the rest of us... one woman working fulltime and raising kids, yet losing weight and getting a trim bod:

Weight Loss for Women At Home

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

A woman's workout should consist of leg raises, biceps curls with
soup cans, and triceps kickbacks with water bottles.

Can you believe that silliness?

Neither can I, but that is what passes for "professional fitness
advice for women" these days.

I could see this info being accepted in the 1930's (maybe?), but in the year 2008? Please...

Does anyone really believe that biceps curls with water bottles is going to prepare women to carry their children to bed, a bag of heavy groceries in from the car, or swing a sledgehammer during home reno's?

No way. You need real-world workouts and fat loss advice. Not fluff.

Am I the only one that finds those types of recommendations
disrespectful to the physical capabilities of women? You'd think
that Linda Hamilton's chin-up scene in Terminator 2 would have turned the tide of female fitness, or perhaps Demi Moore's GI Jane.

I've watched women get fit fast at almost any age with Turbulence Training. In fact, we've had girls from 18 to 82 years young kickin' butt with Turbulence Training.

Today, I want to share the story of a classic "supermom", you know the mom with 3 active kids that has to drive them everywhere, eat on the run, and still find room for workouts. Her name is Brandy Kirton, and she'll show you how real women train, eat, and find the time to do it all with proper planning.

CB: Brandy, tell us about your past exercise and nutrition experiences. At what point did you find out about Turbulence Training and what persuaded you to start using it?

BK:
I started working out back on high school. I'm 30 now.

I became a personal trainer for a few years in my early 20's. So I learned a lot about nutrition and weight training. I have been in great shape and not so great shape in the last 10 years. I think I found Turbulence Training just surfing the web and decided to give it a try. I was desperate to lose weight after my 3rd kid.

CB: And how was this a change from what you had done in the past?

BK:
I was doing 30 minutes of cardio and then lifted for 30 mins
3 to 4 times a week. That was if I actually could make time.

I would not work out if I knew I couldnt get it all in. I would
think, "What's the point of 20 mins?".

CB: What kind of results have you achieved with Turbulence Training? And is there anything else, besides the results, you love about the Turbulence Training programs?

BK:
I love how it changes every month so I never get bored. I also love that I have no excuse about not having time to fit it in.

My results have been great. I am getting toned up and consistently loosing inches. I also have a lot more energy.

CB: Do you workout at home or in a gym?

BK:
I have to work out at home. No time to get to a gym.

CB: Has Turbulence Training had a positive impact on your lifestyle?

BK:
Turbulence Training has made a huge impact on me. I dont feel like it takes up my whole day or get bored of the same thing day in and day out.

I feel strong and love the daily emails. It helps me stay motivated.

I work full time, have three kids 9, 5, and 11 months, and a
husband. My older two kids play every sports so there really
is no extra time.

I have to get up at 5:30 to work out before they wake up but its
worth it. I feel great after I am done and no matter what happens that day I have already got my work out in which feels great.

CB: Do you have any social support? If so, how has this helped
you?

BK:
My mom comes over in the mornings to work out with me. I need that accountability so that I don't sleep instead. Its hard to get up but I always feel so much better when I do.

CB: What are your daily obstacles and temptations that you have to avoid with respect to nutrition and training? And what
strategies do you use?

BK:
With all the practices, games and running around I have to do its hard not to grab McDonald's with the kids.

I try to either bring food with me or wait until I get home. If I
have to eat out I do try and find grilled chicken or subway.

CB: How do you plan your nutrition?

BK:
I have to go shopping on Sunday to stock up on all my healthy
food. Otherwise I will eat whatever I can find which usually is not good for me.

CB: Thanks Brandy, keep up the great work.

****
The message is clear. Plan, prepare, commit, and be consistent.
Brandy didn't use any magic pills or potions to succeed, she simply found a great workout plan, and did what she had to do.

As a supermom, Brandy practically has to create time out of thin air in order to do her workout, but again, she knows what she has to do and she does it. She's committed. She has social support. She knows the correct options for eating on the run.

She has made the effort to plan for the obstacles (lack of time,
workout motivation) that we all come across. And by doing that,
she's cleared a simple path to success.

And she doesn't waste time in the gym with slow, boring cardio
workouts. Instead, she sculpts her body in half the time with the
Turbulence Training workouts.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training


About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

5 Easy Ways to Up Your Metabolism

Your metabolism - you hate it or you love it. For those who hate it, try these 5 ideas to increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories.

1. Eat fish
Go for the gold, the omega-3s, in fish like sardines, herring, tuna, mackerel, trout, and salmon. Studies have showed that if you consume fish you can boost your calorie burn by as much as 400 calories a day.

2. Eat dark green leafy vegetables
Arugula, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, chard, and spinach are classified as dark leafy greens. They're full of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, and lots of fiber. They're also packed with loads of antioxidants, but what really helps you increase your metabolism is the fiber content in these vegetables. Your body is going to burn a lot more calories because of the work it takes to digest the fiber in these foods.

3. Eat more tomatoes
Tomatoes have lycopene, which is the antioxidant that has been found to have natural cancer fighting qualities. Tomatoes are also a good source of fiber. The key ingredient for eliminating fat, however, are the acids in tomatoes that help your body get rid of fat from your system.

4. Eat more fruit
Whole fresh fruits are thought to have "negative calories", meaning your body will burn more calories digesting the food than it stores from eating the food. Try adding fresh fruits like blueberries, strawberries, or bananas to boost your metabolism.

5. Eat spicy foods, chiles, and curry
The capsaicin in many hot peppers increases your metabolism due to the "fire" it creates inside your body. It is even believed that there is a 50% increase in metabolism after eating a spicy meal that contains capsaicin. So keep that bottle of hot sauce handy and use it liberally!

Try these five ways to boost your metabolism and burn more calories. Here's a perfect menu for dinner tonite: Cajun blackened salmon, a salad made with spinach and tomatoes, and a fresh fruit salad for dessert.

Can You Use Visualization To Lose Weight?

Would you believe it? Weight loss, as well as many other conditions can be improved by visualization. Close your eyes and imagine what you want your body to look like. Don't just look at yourself in your imaginative picture - be that body in the picture. Move around in your mind, practice walking in that sexy skinny way you want to walk. Be that person going through the smaller sizes on the clothing racks, and see yourself running that 5K race.

If you keep visualizing in your mind how you want your body to look, subconsciously you will begin acting in a way that will go in that direction. You will become more positive about your body, and you will reach your weight goals more quickly and easily. That doesn't sound too hard, does it?

Effecting change through visualizing desired outcomes has become more and more acceptable in recent years. Psychologists do not understand exactly how it works but clearly the mind and body are not as separate as we have believed. Visualization helps us to truly want to lose weight by creating a clear and happy picture of our fitter bodies. Without this we can often put psychological traps in our own path.

Many people who are overweight believe they cannot lose weight. Sometimes you may say it out loud, or hear friends say it about themselves. For other people this belief stays in the subconscious. This influences our behavior.

Someone who believes it is impossible to lose weight will prove themselves right. The mind will be constantly telling them there is no point dieting as they won't lose weight and should just go ahead and eat everything they want. Visualization is the strongest technique that we can use to overcome these negative thoughts and impulses.

If you are plagued by negativity either from your own mind or from the reactions of friends and family to your diet, go ahead and visualize yourself at your desired weight as often as you can. It works on the same level as all those negative voices and can annihilate their influence like nothing else can.

It is important to practice every day - morning and evening if you can. If you have a photograph of yourself at your ideal weight in the past, you may find it easier to look at that. Or use a photo from a magazine but cut off the person's face. You need to visualize your own body, but thinner.

As you go about your work or daily chores, think of yourself as already at your ideal weight. Create your own affirmations and repeat them often, always in the present tense ("I am glad to be flexible, fit and slim", not "I will ..."). Enjoy the feeling of having a positive self-image. Over time, this will help you to keep to your weight loss plan. You will find that fatty foods are less attractive and exercise is more enjoyable.

While your weight loss will be gradual, the wonderful thing about visualization is that it gives you a new body image right away.

Weight Gain Over The Winter? Yikes!

Every winter it happens. Somehow, without even knowing it, you've put on weight. Now that summer is coming and it's time to get into more revealing clothes you can sure see the extra pounds! Why does this happen and is there anything you can do about it?

The weight gain is not caused by just one thing. First of all, we are genetically disposed to store fat as winter approaches. Our ancestors probably had to do this for survival through the winter as winter was when food was scarce. The reason they stored up extra layers of fat was to use as fuel in late winter and also to protect us from the cold. They didn't have central heat in their caves so staying warm was vital for survival.

There is also a reason why so many types of the food we know come ripe in the fall; this is when we traditionally needed to start fueling our bodies for winter. If you think back to fall, you might even notice that you ate foods that had a higher fat content.

Another issue in winter is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as the winter blues. More and more people are realizing that they suffer from this and are taking steps to deal positively with it. The use of full spectrum light bulbs or light boxes addresses the problem of less daylight in winter.

If people have untreated seasonal affective disorder, they tend to reach for the high carb foods such as sugar snacks, cookies, and chips. Naturally, eating too much of these foods can lead to weight gain. Instead of reaching for high fat and high carb foods when you need a carb fix, eat the better carbs such as whole grains, potatoes, and whole fruit.

Just being aware of your body's tendency to want to eat more food and higher fat food in the fall can help you make healthier food choices. Another positive step is to exercise in the winter. There are plenty of options for exercise, inside and out, in these modern times. Even if you're stuck inside because of foul weather, you can still exercise to an exercise tape or exercise program on TV.

We are way past the time of needing to store fat for the winter. Our homes are heated and the stocked grocery store is just around the corner! Keep on top of your winter eating habits and you may be pleasantly surprised when you put your shorts on in the spring.

Are You Eating These 4 Top Fatty Foods?

Top 4 Fatty Foods to Avoid at All Costs

To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cells throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will function properly. On the other hand, if you eat heavily processed fats that are found in most of today's processed foods, your cellular function will be damaged as these bad fats become part of your body. And as a result, your body will have to work harder to operate normally, and diseases can develop.

On top of this, healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone production and balance within the body. Therefore, healthy fats are essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, and enzyme regulation. All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body.

Knowing this, there are good fats, and there are bad fats. In my other article titled "All Fat is Not Bad - Top 5 Healthy Fatty Foods to Include in Your Diet" I cover the good fats. But here, I want to point the bad fats that you should avoid at all costs!

The Deadly Fatty Foods:

1. Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents.....and somehow the FDA still allows this stuff to pass as food. These oils aren't even worthy of your car, much less your body! They've been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else. The FDA has mandated that all food manufacturers are required to show the quantity of trans fat on all labels by January 2006.

2. Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called "healthy" canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.

3. Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. Sorry, these all probably taste good, but all of this junk shouldn't even pass as real food in my opinion!

4. Homogenized milk fat: Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Check out http://www.realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it's available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won't find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan Metcalf is a workout and health fanatic. He believes in living a healthy lifestyle, and strives to help others do the same. Stan preaches about the health benefits of proper exercise and nutrition whenever he can. In fact, just for reading this article, he wants to give you a FREE e-book titled, "Training & Nutrition: Insider Secrets For a Lean Body". You can get the FREE e-book at http://www.TopSecretBellyFatLoss.com/FREEebook.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stan_Metcalf

Let's face it, many of us lead sedentary lifestyles these days. Each week we spend hours commuting to work, hours in front of the computer, and hours in front of the TV. This lifestyle can lead to weight gain, posture problems, and lethargy.

The way out of this is to add exercise to the mix. Exercise should be seen as a necessity in helping our bodies and minds function properly, not as something to do someday when we can find the time.

To pull exercise to the forefront of our busy lives we need to find an exercise that we will stick with, and that is enjoyable and motivational. The choice of exercise should also suit our lifestyle and help us achieve our weight goals.

Walking fits the bill for a lot of people. Not only is it something that we can naturally do, without having to have a special talent, but it can work our heart and your muscles. Walking is a free form of exercise and the only cost is a good pair of walking shoes and some comfortable clothes.

The best type of walking is power walking and here are some of the benefits:
* Improved mental well-being with a reduction in stress and anxiety.
* Helps manage body weight and can lead to a reduction in body fat.
* Toned and strengthened muscles.
* Energy boost and improved self-esteem.
* Improved cardiovascular fitness.

So grab a friend and start power walking every day. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel, physically and mentally. If you're new to walking, start with short distances at first, then work your way up. You can also have a goal, like doing the 3 Day Walk For the Cure, to speed you on your way to being fit.

The Dreaded Dieting Plateau

So, you've been losing weight steadily since you started your new weight loss regimen. You're several weeks into it and feeling pretty confident that you'll be reaching your goal pretty soon and... you hit the dreaded dieting plateau. Then it seems like no matter how strict you are with your eating, nothing happens. Your scale must be broken because it's been stuck on that same number for too long now. Sound familiar?

Plateaus are tricky and you can look at them in different ways. You can whine and carry on about how you've failed your diet, or you can feel good about what you've already lost and the fact that you even made it to the plateau level.

It's normal to lose more weight in the beginning, when you have more to lose. You should not really expect to keep losing the same amount of weight week after week. It's important to remember that even if the scale doesn't seem to currently be helping you out, you are still going in the right direction. You may be losing inches or you may be losing fat and gaining muscle. Just remember, the scale doesn't tell the whole story. This is the time to keep on going, not to try drastic unhealthy measures or chuck it all in and start binging.

It helps to have a mental picture; first you climbed down a hill, next you hit a plateau and you have to walk across it before you get to the next downhill. You will get across it! Another helpful visualization is to keep picturing how you will look and feel when you've accomplished your goal. Picture it as if it has already happened.

If you feel you could tighten up your eating habits a bit, then go for it, but only if you can do so without feeling deprived or doing something drastic. Perhaps you want to step up your exercise routine during this time of plateau. This is a great idea if your health permits and, again, you're not doing anything too drastic.

Keep at it and you'll find you've crossed the plateau (and some are wider than others) and started dropping more weight. What a thrill to know you can overcome the temporary hard spots in your life. This isn't just about weight loss but about any areas of your life where you will have plateaus.

Should I Try a Fad Diet?

Lots of people look at fad diets as a quick answer for weight loss. You've seen the many ads on the internet and in magazines that say that you can lose lots of weight in only a few days time. These ads are very enticing!

Is this type of weight loss really possible? Yes, but... in many instances the weight loss from a fad diet is temporary and usually due to loss of water weight. The body is made up of a large percentage of water so as soon as the body rehydrates itself, the weight that was lost so quickly will go back on just as quickly.

There are also reasons why a fad diet is not good for you.

1. Many times a fad diet will tell you to focus on a single food type and avoid all others. This means you miss out on all the nutritients your body needs. For good health you need a more balanced diet approach.

Quite often these fad diets will even tell you to take vitamins and supplements to make up for all the nutritional deficiencies you experience while on the fad diet. However, your body may not be able to absorb all the nutrients from the recommended supplements. Plus, many of the foods that help you absorb nutrients are banned on fad diets.

2. Fad diets are usually so restrictive or unappetizing that after a short time you begin having overwhelming cravings for other foods. This leads to binging on the wrong foods and stopping the diet. This quitting can also wreak havoc on your self esteem as you beat yourself up for not having enough willpower to stick to the diet.

3. Fad diets are temporary solutions to weight issues. Even if you do follow through to the end with a fad diet you have not made permanent healthy changes in the way you handle food. Fad dieters tend to be yo-yo dieters who gain and lose the same pounds (and maybe some extra) again and again.

No matter what you see in the media about quick weight loss diets, realize that these diets will never work as a long term solution. Weight loss done correctly will be a lifestyle change; one that you can live with. Combine eating a sensible amount of a variety of healthy foods with regular exercise and you're going to be the winner at losing!

Healthy Eating Is For Kids Too

I have asked Diana Walker, author of Craving Secrets, to give us some healthy eating tips for our kids. I felt that Diana, with her 30 years of experience in the Health and Wellness field, could give us some excellent information. Her field of interest is cravings for common foods like sugar, salt, fast food, coffee, soda, fried foods, and carbs.

7 Healthy Eating Tips for Kids
By Diana Walker

A lot of people ask me questions about how they can eat healthy.

A very high priority is the impact that their eating habits have on their children. As a parent, you're responsible for the health and well-being of your child. Nowhere is that more important than in the area of their eating. Healthy eating habits established in childhood can increase your child's chances for a long and healthy life.

These tips will help you improve your kids' eating habits, and also eat healthier yourself. If you set a good example for your kids with healthy cooking and eating, you are going to make a big impact on their life.

1. Eat Whole and Raw Foods

The first tip I'd like to share with parents is that they need to focus their diets as close to nature as possible. I know it can seem like it's hard to take time to prepare healthy meals when you are balancing work, school and other activities. But raw and whole foods are very easy to prepare, and something that your kids will love to do. Unprocessed foods are free of chemicals, additives and other things that your kids shouldn't be eating.

2. Eat lots of Fiber

Fiber is very important to eating right and keeping your system balanced. Adding fiber into your child's diet is easy if you focus on fresh whole foods. Fruits and vegetables have an abundance of natural fiber. You can also substitute white flour products with whole grain products. If you aren't already, make the switch to whole grain bread and pasta and brown rice. Also start to incorporate some of the ancient grains like quinoa, amaranth, spelt, and kamut.

3. Eliminate Sugar

Sugar is a big problem in the average American diet, and it can definitely be a problem in children's diets. You can introduce healthy sugar substitutes into your home to satisfy sweet cravings without all of the side effects. You can cook with agave nectar and stevia to create baked good and other sweet treats. Read the labels on packaged foods to make sure you're not giving your kids extra sugar.

4. Avoid Artificial Sugar Substitutes

If you think aspartame, Splenda and other sugar substitutes are safe, think again. All major artificial sweeteners have been linked to neurological problems, metabolism problems and a whole host of other troubles. Don't feed your kids these harmful chemicals. There are many other natural sweeteners that you can use, like honey, agave necter and stevia, that don't have the side-effects of chemical sweeteners.

5. Provide Lots of Water

Giving your kids plenty of water to drink is important to their overall health. There are a lot of negative effects associated with dehydration, and it's easier to get dehydrated than you might think. Dehydration can cause headaches, muscle weakness, mood imbalances and food cravings. Offer water first before any other beverage, and serve it with silly straws to make it more fun.

6. Plan Ahead

Serving healthy foods gets a lot easier when you plan ahead. The number one reason people feed their children fast food is because of lack of planning. Schedule meals and stock your pantry with quick, healthy alternatives. Don't rely on fast food, pizza and other unhealthy alternatives. Learn how to prepare three to five “emergency” quick meals. Stock up on healthy snack alternatives for your kids, and they'll learn to make the right food choices.

7. Get your kids involved in the kitchen...at any age.

Healthy eating habits are strengthened when your children grow up knowing how to prepare good, quality food. No matter what your child's age, he or she can be a big help in the kitchen. Younger kids can wash, mix and pour. Older children can help measure and learn basic cooking skills. Your teenager can prepare entire meals. Learning how to eat healthy as a family will help you instill good eating habits that will last a lifetime.


Diana Walker, Cravings Coach
www.thecravingscoach.com/blog
Author - Craving Secrets

Why Should I Eat Organic?

Are you concerned about the growing levels of chemicals that may be in your food? Current farming practice is to use pesticides and chemical fertilizers to control insects and weeds, and to help grow bigger, prettier products that ship better. But these pesticides and chemicals end up in and on the food that we buy fresh, canned, and frozen at our local grocery store as well as in the food we eat when dining out.

Sure, we wash our produce but is that enough? Some will say it's not and encourage you to go to organic food as an alternative. If you read any book about detoxifying your body you’ll find it's recommended that you choose organic food whenever possible. Some analysts claim that organic foods have higher nutritional values than the same foods grown with pesticides.

So what does organic mean?

When a food claims to be organic, it has been grown free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, growth hormones (where animals are concerned) and other genetically engineered substances. A food grower has to submit to a lengthy certification process in order to claim that foods are organic.

Some foods are being labeled Certified Naturally Grown but this is not the same as being certified organic. Look for the USDA Organic label in the US. Sometimes food is labeled Made with Organic Ingredients. This is not the same thing. You need to read the small print to learn exactly what you're getting. It can be very misleading.

Organic food is generally more expensive and can gouge into the family food budget, but prices continue to come down as more people choose organic. Pursuing a more natural diet can lead to better long term health, and this is ultimately better for you and your wallet.

Where can I find organic foods?

Most grocery stores now have an organic area in their produce departments. Even large stores like Costco and Wal-Mart are offering more and more organic choices. You will probably find the best deals on organic fruits and vegetables at a farmer’s market. The key is to buy what's in season locally.

Be sure to wash all of your produce, organic or not, just before serving by rinsing them under strong running water and scrubbing the skin gently to remove dirt or residue. Use a vegetable brush if needed. You can also use one of the commercial vegetable and fruit cleaners now on the market.
Eating organic is not an all or nothing thing. It's not so easy to go totally organic, but if you can incorporate more and more of it into your daily diet, you're on the right track

Healthy Eating vs. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Congratulations. You've made the decision to eat healthy and get some exercise. You're not only going to feel better but also have a better quality of life because of your decision. You're leaving behind lots of fat, sugar, and caffeine, and your body is going to like that.

There's more to the story of longevity and good health in our lives. What we eat is only part of our health; attitude, mental health, background, family history, environmental exposures, physical activity, and other factors play into it too.

It's all about balance. You don't have to be perfect with your food all the time. Having a chocolate chip cookie or a morning mocha now and then isn't going to cause you to kick the bucket early. Remember moderation and balance in all aspects of your life.

Changing your lifestyle and eating habits can be tough. If you immediately say no to everything you've previously enjoyed, you can end up feeling deprived. This negative feeling can lead you to say "All is lost, I give up" when you slip up and have one cookie. Or it can have you thinking "This is too hard, I can't live this way, I give up". Feeling deprived is the downfall of many dieters.

The lesson here is to make lifestyle changes gradually. Try changing just one thing at a time and don't move on until that change has stuck. For instance, cut back gradually on your soda until you're totally on water. Gradually doing this helps you to not feel deprived and also helps with the withdrawal from caffeine and sugar. It's harder to stay with something if you're having serious withdrawal headaches and grumpiness.

Instead of dwelling on what you can't have, concentrate on adding things to your life to make it healthier and more satisfying. Add walking the dog around the park or playing hide and seek with your kids to your daily routine. Instead of thinking about that double cheeseburger you can't have, go to the movies or dancing with a loved one.

Remember balance. It is your life and you are free to make choices. You can choose to occasionally have your favorite treat, and when you do so, really enjoy it without guilt. Keep the big picture in mind - your good health - and you'll do just fine.

Every now and then I find a food book that's worthy of mentioning to you. It has to be a book that's not the same old stuff about dieting. It has to be a book that makes me take a fresh look at healthy eating.

I've found one such book lately called Craving Secrets, by Diana Walker. It's like a mini encyclopedia ebook about cravings.

• Do you know why you crave chocolate?
• Do you know what may be missing from your diet that could lead to that craving?
• Do you know what you can eat or drink or do to help you with the craving?

We all know that cravings can screw up the best weight loss intentions. How many times have you started out gung ho and ended up eating a whole bag of chips? This book explains why you have these cravings and what to do about them.

Along with the ebook is a very informative Q&A audio. When I listened to the audio I realized that this author really knows her stuff! I can see why she's called the Cravings Coach.

Check this out - after you read the book, Diana will answer any of your email questions for the next month. Wow, think of the possibilities when you have your own personal cravings coach!

The book is laid out in an easy to read format, and what she says makes perfect sense. My favorite thing about the book is the Conquer the Craving section after each topic.

So if you're trying to get yourself off sugar, chocolate, bread or any other craving then this book, Craving Secrets, is a good buy in the right direction. Just think about how great you're going to feel when you stop putting so much crap into your personal machine - your body. It would be nice to have more energy, wouldn't it? Make this your year.

Coffee, Tea or... Water?

Stop right now and think about what you've had to drink over the last week. Are you living on coffee and soda? How's your water intake? Are you squirming as you think of your answers?

You're not alone. Many people drink caffeinated beverages for their "pick me up" benefit, but what they may not realize is that they're trading off their long term health for the short term buzz. Yes, caffeine is a stimulant, but it's also a diuretic which means it takes away water from the body instead of replacing it. Caffeine is also addictive and you may well find yourself needing more and more of it to get the same buzz. Drinking too much caffeine can possibly lead to headaches and anxiety.

Soda is a double whammy. Not only does it have caffeine, but it packs lots of refined sugar. Yes, you get short bursts of energy but you're soon feeling tired as the sugar burns off. You crave more sugar, and the cycle keeps repeating itself.

The very best beverage for our body is water. It depends on your size, but an average adult should drink about 8 (8 oz) glasses of water a day. There are so many health benefits linked to drinking water that I can't list them all here. There have been many instances when common ailments, such as headaches, have been improved when more water was consumed. Our bodies need water to function smoothly.

Your best bet for better health is to wean yourself slowly from caffeinated and sugary drinks and replace these with water. If you go cold turkey you might get a severe headache and be extremely grumpy. It may be better to slowly go from "fully loaded" coffee to "half caff" coffee and then to decaf.

Some people don't like water, but its a taste that can be acquired. The more you drink it, the better you will like it. Try it different ways like with ice or with a slice of lemon. Try drinking it through a straw.

If you like tea then try green tea. It has less caffeine than regular tea or coffee, and it has high amounts of EGCG, which is an antioxidant. You can also drink herbal teas in small quantities and these may help your sweet tooth.

Whatever you put in your mouth has an affect on your body. This is also true with the beverages you drink. Do yourself a favor - cut back on the coffee and pop, and drink your water!