Soft Drink Alert: Dangers of Benzene

Losing weight is a real major health concern for at least two-thirds of the American population. Many adults and children drink themselves into being overweight or obesity. Beyond those nutritionally empty calories that soft drinks have and the number one source of calories in a typical American diet, a long known about threat in soft drinks, benzene, has health officials concerned again.

Benzene is a known human carcinogen (cancer causing agent) that has been linked to leukemia. It can form in soft drinks that contain both vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and either or, sodium benzoate, or potassium benzoate. Many soft drinks use sodium benzoate to stop bacteria growth and spoilage. Vitamin C can be present because the manufacturer added it or it can occur naturally from fruit concentrates used in the beverage. Soft drink manufacturers do not add benzene to the drinks directly, rather the compound is formed by a reaction to (ascorbic acid) and the preservatives that are added to the drink, in the presence of heat and light.

Believe it or not the FDA has known about this carcinogen threat for over fifteen years, and let the soft drink industry to voluntarily police themselves on how to best lower the benzene levels in their soft drinks. Presently the FDA is still hiding benzene data that they feel would be “confusing” to the consumers of soft drinks. I wonder if they think people will be “confused” as to why the FDA did not blow the whistle on this threat a decade and a half ago?

Because children may be especially sensitive to benzene, as their bone marrow cells are highly active, all soft drinks should be eliminated in schools immediately until they can be proven safe and free of all their harmful effects.

Being overweight or obese is just the first stage for many, of life long battles with so many other related ill health issues. Drinking yourself into a state of disease is a physical choice that you can have control over! If you are a parent, you can be the most important role model for your children. Surveys have found that parents are more of an influence on how their children eat and drink, than their peers.

While making the decision to eat more healthier foods is a wonderful thing, people are seriously underestimating the most powerful disease control weapon in their diet is in choosing more wisely on what to drink, and what to avoid.

Your body substance is made up mostly of 75% water. As a safe thirst quencher, water is hard to beat! Shelf-stable juices and single serve milks can be added as some healthy alternatives to break up the daily routine of consuming water. Try adding a squirt of real lemon or lime juice to water for an added citrus flavor.

From my perspective one of the most important and easiest changes you can make to improve your health, is to eliminate soft drinks from your daily diet. While an occasional soda is not going to harm anyone, daily consumption of them is simply a disease just waiting to happen.

About the Author:

Brenda Skidmore has spent the last three years researching natural health care alternatives. She can attest to the many benefits of natural practical cures and preventive strategies for human health. Along with the many medical professionals whose published works she has studied. It is her sincere desire to bring forth this knowledge for the betterment of mankind. To improve your life today visit mywater4life.com
Article Submitted On: July 12, 2006
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Zone Diet - Criticism

The Zone Diet does not only calcuslate fat and protein match but relates calorie burn as well. It considers the significance of other ingredients as well to maintain a balanced diet. The Zone Diet will highlight the use and side effects of fats proteins, and unlike others, of carbohydrates as well. Carbohydrates affect the hormonal activities and the level of insulin in a human body. A disturbance in these internal systems leads to heart diseases and cancers. This is what the Zone Diet takes concern of.

A Zone Diet will suit every being as it keeps a balance between fats, proteins, carbohydrates and all other healthy ingredients. This balancing gives a healthy development of hormonal activities along with a loss in weight.

Despite the fact that The Zone Diet stresses on the consequence of carbohydrates for affective hormonal activities involving the hormones like Eicosanoids that relates to different metabolic courses but its shortage is also related to chubbiness and many other diseases. Nevertheless, there is no scientific confirmation for the remarks suggested by the Zone Diet plan.

Other than being not confirmed scientifically, it does not also lay any kind of emphasis on the importance of intake of vegetables. Every body knows that vegetables give a lot of health and serve as a good prevention from heart attacks, blood pressures, fat storage and fatness.

About the Author:
Mark Lewis
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Phentermine Diet Medication Should Be Used Or Not

The average weight of an individual all over the world is increasing at an alarming rate. The main culprit is the western world. They have the financial muscles and they are the ones who take junk foods and live a life style which does not require any major physical activity. But does that mean that too much modernisation of the world has led to it?

It is astonishing to see that the rate of increase in the number of obese children is also increasing. Obesity is increasing and so is the increase in the number of obesity related diseases. Diseases like heart failure, hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, paralysis, prostrate cancer are some of the diseases which are closely related to obesity.

There are various methods to get out of obesity but introduction of a diet pill is a way to go forward towards the goal of weight reduction. Phentermine is one such diet pill which was approved for sale as a weight loss pill by FDA in 1959. Earlier Phentermine diet pill was prescribed as a combination viz. Fen-Phen or Phen-Pro but now a family of Phentermine related drugs are being introduced in the market with various names.

To have Phentermine diet medication one needs to have prescription from a doctor as it is a prescription drug. Children, pregnant women, breast feeding mothers, persons with allergy, diabetes, heart ailments, hypertension, high blood pressure etc. should take proper advice from a doctor before taking Phentermine diet medication’s dosage.

Side effects like – increase in blood pressure, nervousness, anxiety, dry mouth, and upset stomach may occur during the initial phase of its intake. But these ceases once the body adjusts to the changes it does to the metabolism. In the event the side effects are prolonged than the expected tenure one should consult a doctor.

Usual dosage of Phentermine diet pills intake is a pill or two a day. But a doctor is the best person to decide its dosage. As this weight loss drug induces insomnia it is not advisable to take it before going to sleep. In case of missed dose one should not double up its intake in the next dose. But he can take the missed dose if the time elapsed for the normal dose is not much.

Diet medication like Phentermine has proven to be a boon for the mankind. It has helped many individuals to lose weight. But it is to be noted that Phentermine Diet Pills alone cannot get someone away from obesity. To lose weight, one needs to have determination, patience, do regular exercises and have a controlled diet regimen. Without all these things the effect of Phentermine would not be of much use in reducing obesity.

However extreme the case of obesity is, one can reduce obesity but to do it one needs extra effort, time and patience. If you are one of those having all these you can rest assured that your dream of getting out of obesity will finally be realised.

About the Author:
Joseph Jones received training as a healthcare scientist. He has been working in the same field and writes informative articles for weight loss subject. To find Phentermine, Phentermine diet medication, phentermine diet pills visit www.onlinephentermine.net
Article Source: ArticleToGo.com

Weight Watchers And Soda

How many weight-watchers use 20+ TABLESPOONS of sugar in their coffee or tea? I guess the answer to that is zero. Why? Because all weight-watchers know that sugar has a high calorific value and is therefore detrimental to weight loss. Also using that amount of sugar will create liver problems eventually. So my question is: ‘If high levels of sugar are bad for us, and we all seem to know that is true, why do we drink soda that contains 20+ TABLESPOONS of sugar in each can?’

It is hard to assess how many people ruin their weight control program by drinking soda (carbonated water, fizzy drinks or soft drinks, depending upon which country you live in, are all forms of what I refer to as soda), judging by the sales of these drinks I guess the answer is most weight-watchers fall into this trap.

A young man that I know was heading down the road to obesity in his early twenties and being an accountant he was aware that his job didn’t include physical exercise that help burn off calories. Like most twenty something people he didn’t like the idea of going on a diet so he decided to cut soda and fast foods from his diet. Result, in less than six-months he was 26 pounds lighter, feeling healthier and looking trim. That was eleven years ago and he still remains trim today, he eats well but adamantly refuses to go back to fast foods or soda.

It doesn’t matter what brand of soda you drink, or whether it is labeled “light” or “diet” they all contain massive amounts of sugar and are unhealthy.

Finally we should not leave this article without taking a look at hyper-activity in children. There is little doubt that high sugar dosage is often the cause of children becoming hyperactive, it also leads the behavioral problems. Consequently it is advisable to take a long, hard, look at what your child’s sugar intake is particularly including soda.

The healthiest drink is water; it will also quench your thirst better and for longer than soda, and it is also rated at zero calories, which should make it the weight-watchers drink of choice. For your children you may find it beneficial to make them smoothies using fresh fruit as an alternative to soda.

This article is copyright © David McCarthy 2006. It may be reproduced in its entirety with no additions providing it contains a link back to www.recipesmania.com

About the Author:
David McCarthy is a prolific article writer on the subject of food and health and is webmaster of www.recipesmania.com a site dedicated to freely sharing knowledge about all things food from recipes to health to weight loss program.
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Dangerous Weight Loss Methods

We're all looking for the magic bullet. You know - the one that we can take and lose weight without really trying! What would you give up to be skinny? How about your health? Some of these methods of weight loss just may cost you exactly that. Before you decide that the way to lose weight is to follow one of the below regimens, take a second look. Do your research and be sure that you understand the risks.

Prescription diet pills

Amphetamines are available only by prescription, and most doctors are leery of handing them out these days. While they do suppress appetite, you learn nothing about healthy eating, don't change your eating habits and are likely to gain the weight back the moment you stop taking them. In addition, they can be habit forming. The side effects include high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, sleeplessness, hallucinations and delusions

Ephedra

This all natural Asian herb is found in many herbal remedies and weight loss powders. It has a powerful appetite suppressant effect, but has been implicated in over 70 deaths.

Phentermine Fenfluramine-phentermine (fen-phen)

Fen-phen was a popular weight loss supplement in the 90s until it was implicated in deaths due to heart-valve damage. Phentermine alone is still sold in many weight loss aids. The side effects include headaches, dizziness, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure and insomnia

Laxatives

One of those popular home remedies, used for purging. Regular use and abuse of laxatives can result in low potassium’s, arrhythmia and pancreatic damage

Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame, the most commonly used artificial sweetener, has been implicated in multiple lawsuits alleging damages that include blindness, seizures and brain damage

Smoking

Afraid you'll gain weight if you quit smoking? The National Institute of Diabetes says that you'd have to gain 100-150 pounds to match the health risks you invoke by smoking. Instead, set up healthy strategies to help you deal with food cravings and put down the cigarettes.

Purging

Like laxatives, purging by forcing oneself to vomit or taking emetics can have very damaging effects on health. Depletion of nutrients like potassium and vitamins, damage to the esophagus from stomach acids, and esophageal rupture are all possible side effects

Diuretics

Taking diuretics encourages your body to rid itself of fluids - including vital electrolytes. The depletion can lead to dehydration, and cause your body to start retaining water, starting a vicious cycle. Repeated or prolonged use of diuretics can lead to kidney damage and serious electrolyte imbalances, which may result in kidney or heart failure.

Herbal Remedies

We have a tendency to equate 'herbal' with 'harmless', but say nutritionists, this isn't always the case. Remember that many medications are derived from herbs, and because of the lack of regulation, dosages of active ingredients can vary widely from one manufacturer to another. Below is a list of some of the most common ingredients found in herbal weight loss powders, along with cautions about their effects in certain conditions.

Ephedra (ma huang, ephedrine, ephedra extract, epitonin, ephdra sinica and sida cordifolia) should not be taken by people with heart, thyroid or kidney disease, or with hypertension

Cascara and Senna should not be taken by people taking diuretics (both are often found in herbal weight loss teas)

Selenium and Capsaicin should not be taken by people with bowel or digestive disorders

Kava should be avoided by people with mood disorders who are taking mood altering medication, and people with Parkinson's disease.

Gingko biloba, licorice root, and dong quay should not be taken by people who are taking blood thinners or anti-coagulants.

While weight loss is a worthwhile goal, guarding your health is an even more important one. Be sure that whatever weight loss method you choose won’t lead to other serious medical conditions.

Hoodia Cactus Diet Pills: Help from Nature to Cure Obesity

Just for the sake of becoming slim, obese people find no other way than taking diet pill which cause them various serious side effects. Obese people are, thus, always in need of such medicine which can help them in becoming slim without having any bad side effect. And, Hoodia cactus diet pills are now to solve all problems of obese people in helping them in losing their weight without any side effect.

Hoodia cactus diet pills have come up with plenty of advantages to cure obese people of fat very effectively without causing any side effect. Hoodia diet pills are appetite suppressing herbal drug. It is extracted from Hoodia plant which is in the plant family of Apocynaceae. This plant is a form of cactus which was used earlier by nomad people who went on hunting in desert. There are various kinds of Hoodia species. Hoodia Gordonii is foremost among them. This herb is found in the Kalahari desert. South African government recognizes this plant not as a medicine but as a food.

Hoodia cactus diet pill is a natural way to help obese people feel less hungry. It is a wonderful diet pill which is 10,000 times faster than glucose in telling one’s brain to stop eating. This pill fools the brain into thinking that one’s stomach is full, so one eats less. This is done naturally by tricking the part of the brain that controls appetite, and convinces the brain that one has already eaten.

The normal dose for Hoodia cactus pill is around 1200 mg a day, but it depends upon an individual’s diet, weight, lifestyle and metabolism. The best feature of Hoodia cactus diet pill is its no side effect as it is made of natural herbs. Hoodia cactus diet pills are sold in the form of tablet, capsule or health drink form. The best place to buy Hoodia cactus pill is through online, which along with saving a lot of time, also makes this pill available easily at one’s doorstep.

About the Author:
Clarence Carter received training as a healthcare scientist. She has been working in the same field and writes informative articles, weight loss being her pet subject. To find Hoodia cactus diet pills, Acomplia rimonabant, Xenical(Orlistat), Weight loss drug Tips, Childhood obesity, Rimonabant, Phentermine, Reductil visit http://www.weight-loss-drug.co.uk/www.weight-loss-drug.co.uk

Article Source: ArticleToGo.com

Safe Use of Diet Pills

Prescription Diet Pills can reduce body weight within a short period of time but there are some established side effects like insomnia, irritation for using the medicine.

The medicine may not be suitable for everyone and can not be Safe Diet Pills for the overweight person who may have gained the excess weight temporarily due to sudden change in life style, say, during his vacation or so.

In these cases, simple exercise coupled with balanced and controlled quantity of food will relieve him from the extra pounds he gathered during his vacation or leisure period.

In the event you are overweight, the best thing will be for you to get checked by an experienced doctor. The doctor will understand your system and suitability of the medicine on you and will recommend accordingly a course of Prescription Diet Pills if you require them at all.

Generally, a course of Prescription Diet Pills will be necessitated when the obesity of the person reaches alarming level and endangers the life of the overweight person.

In these case should immediately be referred to an experienced doctor and follow the recommendations of the doctor which will include a course of Prescription Diet Pills along with balanced and controlled diet and simple exercise. This will immediately reduce some body weight to the body weight and ultimately lead him to a healthier, happy and extended life.

You can term these Prescription Diet Pills as Safe Diet Pills as it is beneficial to the users.

But if the weight gain is sudden and not to the danger level you may not require the diet pills. The weight loss pills may not be safe in these cases; rather it will invite complications to the user.

As it will do more harm to you by its side effects and also there is chance that as quickly you will lose weight, the weight regain will be even quicker.

Actually the diet pills will not at all be required against short time weight gain up to certain level So always get checked by an experienced doctor in case of obesity but don't get panicked for it.

A positive thinking towards life, hard work, happiness in mind and always desire to do good for others will lead a person to eternal peace in mind and there is no scope of any disease to attack him / her. You will be healthier day by day.

Forget about your obesity or overweight, if required, get checked by a doctor, use medicine if required but always think positive that you are the happiest person with no disease in your body and mind and always willing to do some thing for the society.

The positive thinking will motivate you to do hard work, your mind will be clean and the body will be sound and free from disease.

You will not require any diet pills for your body weight reduction.

About the Author:
"Kim Parker" is an associate editor to the website www.hateweight.com. It is committed to provide visitors with complete information on weight loss, diet pills, obesity and phentermine. We also provide articles on health related topics.
Added: 18 Aug 2006
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/34396.html

Top 10 Most Surprising Diet Busters

Beware of those so-called “health-conscious” food products you’re buying – they may be disguised as low-calorie, but these culprits could put a dent in your diet goals. Just when you think you’re getting a low-fat muffin, you’re snacking on tons of extra calories. And the ones that seem to be obviously good for you, well, that isn’t always the case!

Soups: certain soups can be packed full of calories and fat, especially favorites like New England clam chowder or cream of broccoli.

Sugar-Free Cookies: It's not uncommon for a fat-free or even sugar-free food to have nearly the same number of calories as its regular counterpart, and taste- wise, there's no comparison to the real deal.

Pork: Depending on the cut, the piece of pork in front of you can be comparable to low-fat, low-calorie chicken, or as high in fat as a hot dog. And adding sauces can de-lean it!

Coffee: Coffee drinks can be astronomically high in calories depending on the ingredients and size of the drink one selects

Salads: Throw on a creamy dressing, cheese, croutons, and bacon bits, and your lunch is starting to look less healthy, more calorie packed, and detrimental to your diet.

Breakfast Bars: Some breakfast bars look healthy and even have healthy looking pictures on the box - look at the actual calories and extra sugars in its ingredients.

Dried Fruits and Granola: Granola sounds great, but it's very rich in fat, so you have to watch how much you eat.

Juice and Soda: You have a juice midmorning, and a soda midafternoon, and next thing you know, you've consumed an extra 400 calories in liquids – they add up.

Low-Fat/Low-Cal Foods: Low calorie does not mean no calorie.

Nuts: Nuts are high in fat so they are only healthy if you can eat just one serving.

Before your diet goes south, consider the effects of the above diet busters. And before you pat yourself on the back for eating soup and salad for lunch, make sure you read the label.

About the Author:
Chester Ku-Lea is a health nutrition consultant and is the owner of AstroNutrition - a provider of premium health nutrition and sports supplements. Check out our Health and Fitness Blog!
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Common Diet Mistakes Made By Everyone

In the large and confusing world of dieting, there are many mistakes to be made, but for simplicity I have narrowed down the field to five. These five are the primary reason that most individuals incurr issues with dieting.

Many people start a diet very motivated to do well. They have a plan and know what they are going to do. The problem comes when a mistake is made. Will the wheels come off or will the dieter be able to get back on track? Being inflexible and not counting on mistakes can lead to diet failure. When making a plan for a diet, you must include what will happen when you don’t exactly follow the plan. Being too hard on yourself is a sure way to diet failure.

Allowing oneself to become too hungry is another common mistake. You must include enough low fat and low calorie protein to keep hunger pangs away. If you are famished and still have two hours before dinner, you are in for trouble. Some good examples of protein are a tablespoon of peanut butter, low fat yogurt, and low fat cheese sticks.

A third diet mistake is denying yourself a specific category of food. If you love sweets and vow never to eat them again, you are setting yourself up for failure. One key to diet success is moderation. You must develop a diet that you can live with for the rest of your life if you want to be successful. Allowing yourself wonderful food in moderation will allow you to have a long-term successful diet.

Another mistake is depending on diet alone. In order to burn calories and therefore lose weight, it is imperative that your metabolism be charged up. In order for your metabolism to be working at peek performance, you must increase your heart rate through exercise for forty minutes a day.

Finally, remember to set realistic goals. If you vow to lose ten pounds in one week, you will be very disappointed. If you did manage to move the scale to that degree in one week, it would be water weight that would be lost. And it would simply reappear quickly.

In all, remember to follow these simple steps for weight loss success. If you can keep these things in mind, you should be able to successfully lose two to three pounds per week.

Pepper Montero

About the Author:
Pepper Montero is an avid excerciser. She loves to stay in shape and tell others about her adventures. This article may be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active. www.bridalblog.info www.travelblogger.info www.thewebllama.com www.healthydietmagazine.com www.technologyblog.biz
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How To Reduce Weight Fast And Lose Fat Forever Fast Weight Reducing Tip

So you have tried dieting to reduce weight. You have also popped all kinds of weight reducing pills you can get your hands on. To your delight your effort seemed to work as you begin to lose body fat steadily. Then one day, before you reach your desired weight, you begin to notice that your weight seemed to stay the same even though you are still on the diet and popping those weight reducing slimming pills. To your horror, you discover that the weight you had lost is beginning to pile up once again. Instead of reducing weight, you are now gaining weight. Sounds familiar?

What happened? Simply put, slimming pills and fad diets are only short term strategy to reduce weight and keeping body fat at bay. To reduce weight and lose fat forever, your caloric expenditure must surpass your caloric consumption. Aren’t you doing that in your diet? Yes you are. But when you are on a diet, you go hungry and your body will signal to your brain to conserve fat for energy because your body is built with a mechanism to conserve fat during famine and it will not know whether it is famine season or that you are on a diet. In this instance, your body will consume your muscle for energy instead of your body fat and this spells trouble because your muscle is a great calorie gobbler. So with less muscle, your fat burning capability grinds to a screeching halt.

What about those weight reducing pills you are taking? If you are popping appetite control pills, your body will react like you are on a diet, so the same thing happened. What about pills that help to increase metabolism or reducing starch intake? Sure, they will help to burn a few calories or restrict some calories from turning into body fat, but are enough calories burnt or restricted to reduce weight permanently or are you going to take those unhealthy weight reduction pills forever? Obviously not, isn’t it?

So to reduce weight and lose fat forever, we need to do 3 things.

• Cardio exercises – Do cardio exercises at 65-85% of your maximum heart rate to burn tons of calories

• Lift weight – Train with weights to grow muscle or at least prevent muscle loss. The more muscle you have, the higher will be your natural fat burning capability. You will burn fat even when sleeping. In other words, you lose fat permanently.

• Eat small frequent meals – This will signal to your brain that food is in abundance and that your body need not conserve fat in case of famine. So eat 5- 6 meals at 3 hourly intervals. However, do make sure that your meals are small and that your caloric intake do not surpass your caloric expenditure.

When you incorporate these 3 elements into your lifestyle, you will not only reduce weight and lose body fat, you will also keep the weight from creeping back. That means, you will reduce weight and able to maintain your ideal weight forever.

About the Author:
Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of actors, fashion models and male pageant winners. Check out his free articles at :- Reduce weight build muscle Fitness Tips

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Are You Confused By All The Different Diets? Here's A Quick Diet Comparison

It would not be surprising to hear your answer is "yes, I'm confused by all these so called diets." You may read from one expert that low carbohydrate (low carb) and high protein is the way to lose weight. Another will try to convince you that low fat, lots of carbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, is the right way to go. Yet another will try to convince you that you need to count the amount of sugar; or another that main culprit for your being overweight is white flour. So, if you are serious about losing weight, who should you listen to?

The brief summaries below give a quick overview of the pros and cons of each of the popular types of diet plans.

1. Weight Loss Programmes

There are quite a few well known weight loss programmes, for example SlimFast, Jenny Craig, and NutriSystem. These and a number of other weight loss programmes rely heavily on pre-packaged 'diet' foods. However, they incorporate professional coaching into the programme; plus, they also offer some sort of social structure and support to reinforce the diet programme.

Advantages of Weight Loss Programmes

The professional coaching and nutritional benefits of such diet programmes are a big positive factor, as are the reinforcement and support aspect of the diets. Meals and supplements are prepackaged in the right proportions, and if you stick to the diets and exercise as directed you should lose weight.

Disadvantages of Weight Loss Programmes

You will normally have to pay weekly charges for this type of programme, plus the cost of the meals can be expensive. Furthermore, if you rely totally on the packaged foods, you will miss out on your re-education as far as your eating habits go. That could be important to maintaining any weight loss in the long term.

2. Low Carb & Hi Protein Diets

Diets like the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, and the Zone Diet all recommend restricted intake of carbohydrates, but allow liberal amounts of protein, including protein derived from animal sources. Generally, these diets limit the overall amount of carbohydrates, and/or teach you to tell the difference between "good" and "bad" carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates, which are forbidden, include white flour, white bread, and white sugar. The diets all encourage learning healthy eating as part of losing weight. Deriving most of your daily calories from high fiber sources of carbs like leafy green vegetables and grains is generally considered the best diet for nutrition by the established medical community. The popularity of the diets makes it easy to find low-carb foods.

Advantages Of Low Carb Diets

These low carbohydrate diets do encourage you to learn healthy eating as part of losing weight. That will have long term benefits for you. A diet in which you derive most of your daily calories from high fibre sources of carbohydrates, such as leafy green vegetables and grains, is often recommended by the established medical community for good nutrition. Because these diets are popular, it is easy to find low-carb foods.

Disadvantages Of Low Carb Diets

The allowance for eating all the protein and fats you like does go against conventional medical wisdom. it is thought that a diet high in saturated fats could lead to heart disease, diabetes, gout and other chronic health conditions. These diets are accompanied by cautions and advice, which suggest you keep portions reasonable. Follow that advice and that concern may be allayed somewhat; but if in doubt, consult your doctor.

3. The Real Mayo Clinic Diet

This diet is not the one which has circulated for the past thirty or more years and purported to have originated at the Mayo Clinic! The true Mayo Clinic's nutrition and diet centre recommends a healthy eating weight loss plan that is based on limiting fats, proteins and carbohydrates, counting calories and deriving most of the daily nutrition from vegetables, grains and fruit.

Advantages Of The Real Mayo Clinic Diet

Really, there is no 'diet' as such, in the sense we often use the word when we are talking about losing weight. Instead, you are encouraged to take control of your own eating. By doing so, you aim to achieve portion control, and a sensible balance of nutrients. These are the pillars of a weight loss plan that takes weight off gradually, but then helps you keep your weight down permanently.

Disadvantages Of The Real Mayo Clinic Diet

This may be a difficult diet to maintain. Counting calories and portions can be difficult if you are eating out or on the run living an active and busy life, and often away from home.

There are many diets claiming to take weight off quickly and painlessly, without exercise or changing your eating habits. Most doctors believe the optimum way to lose weight, for long lasting results, is to lose 1-2 pounds per week. The variations of the three major diets above are all capable of helping you do just that.

About the Author:
This diet comparison article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner of the Routes To Self Improvement website: http://www.routes-to-self-improvement.com Visit the website for many more weight loss and other self improvement articles.
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5 Tips To Keep Your Mental Health In Shape As You Diet

Losing weight and going on a diet can be quite challenging! As someone who has lost over 50 pounds, I will share a bit of my dieting wisdom with you.

1. Throw Out that Scale! Of course we all want to keep track of our progress, but stepping on that scale everyday isn't the way to do it. In fact, it can keep us from focusing on what we really should be focusing on. A preoccupation with what the scale reads can cause us to become dependent and depressed. Instead, keep close attention to how you feel--lack of energy and tiredness could be an indication that you are failing to loose weight in the healthiest way. On the other hand, increased energy could be a sign that you are becoming healthier. Focus on what your body tells you--monitor how clothes are fitting you. This is a much more positive way of monitoring your weight loss. Save the scale for regular doctor's checkups or occuasional, periodic use.

2. Set Realistic Goals. Trying to "lose weight fast" is often times not only impractical, but also dangerous. Set goals that you know can be feasibly integrated into your daily routine. Not only are quick weight loss attempts often difficult to maintain, but they can also be hazardous to your health--causing you to ruin your metabolism and rapidly regain the weight as soon as you stop your diet.

3. Expect Fallbacks. We all have our bad days. Being hard on yourself for breaking your diet and falling back on your weight goals is part of the process! Frustration can make it even harder to get back on track. Instead, look forward and decide ways in which you can be more dedicated to your goals. Keeping a journal can help.

4. Praise Yourself Often. Remember, attaining your weight goals is just as much a mental process as it is a physical one. For this reason, it is important to keep yourself motivated. Think of ways to positively reward yourself. For example: get your nails done or have a guys-only night out. There are all kinds of ways to pamper yourself without spending too much money. Be creative!

5. Be Open with your Doctor. If you are struggling in acheiving your goals, don't keep trying to do it alone! Contact your doctor. He/she may be able to help you customize your goals or refer you to a nutritionist or other professional trained to help patients mentally and physically stay on track when loosing weight.

Above all, remember that losing weight does not mean foregoing fun and ignoring what your mind and emotions tell you. In fact, paying attention to your mental state can ultimately mean far better results. Forget about the scale, be realistic, reward yourself, and, if needed, seek professional assistance. With the right mindset, you will already be well on your way to reaching your weight loss goals!

About the Author:
Amie Grelowski writes for Weight Loss Guide ( http://www.weightlossguide.com ). Learn about Hoodia diet pills and more at http://www.weightlossguide.com/hoodiagordonii-dietpills.htm .
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How The Protein Diet Works

Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health. In its basic form protein consists of amino acid chains. Of the 22 amino acids that are capable of creating protein, 8 of these can only be obtained through a protein diet. Because these amino acids are utilized by the body a low protein diet can affect a host of very important functions. The building of our skin, hair, nails and internals organs all depend on amino acids and are maintained trough a protein diet.

Muscle tissue as well as new tissue growth need protein for their activities and can receive adequate levels with a protein diet. Protein intake from a high protein diet helps to transport nutrients and oxygen to our cells. The valuable protein diet aids and maintains antibody production.

The protein sources available to us for inclusion in a high protein diet include animal and plant based proteins. Animal proteins are found in meat, fish, cheese eggs and milk. Plant protein sources include soy, spirulina and organic whey protein diet products. While it is certainly important that we include a balanced intake of protein in our diet, many people eat too much animal based protein.

This type of high protein diet could have adverse health effects, which appear as disease and obesity. Many individuals who follow an excessively high animal based protein diet are overweight and often unhealthy. People on an animal based high protein diet often have elevated bad cholesterol levels.

Heart disease, strokes and osteoporosis are often the result of an excessive animal based high protein diet. It is therefore important that a well-balanced protein diet is maintained. By replacing part or all of our animal protein diet with plant proteins we can be assured that our body requirements are being met. A plant protein diet can help us to avoid the health problems associated with an excessive animal protein diet.

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats when on a plant protein diet can improve health tremendously. This plant protein diet can also aid with weight control. A plant protein diet does away with the saturated fat accumulation thus limiting unwanted weight gain. Regular exercise combined with a high protein diet including plant proteins will be beneficial to individuals wanting a healthier lifestyle.

Plant proteins have many benefits of their own when included in the high protein diet. These protein diet improvements include the ability to raise good cholesterol levels while reducing bad cholesterol. This important protein diet function aids in preventing the arterial plaque build up, which could cause artery hardening and blockages.

Protein from plant sources like soy and spirulina, when included in a protein diet, are able to reduce the risk of strokes, heart attacks and heart disease. A vegetable high protein diet improves the ability to retain calcium in the body.

Because less calcium is excreted in the urine while on a plant protein diet, problems such as kidney stones are lessened. Therefore it is important to consider exactly which type of high protein diet you are currently following. Due to the high levels of saturated fats and additives found in red meat, a plant protein diet is superior to an animal protein diet and is the healthier alternative.

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Hamoon Arbabi - For more information about Whey proteins, Multivitamins, Antioxidants and Ceatines go to : http://homebusiness.nexuswebs.net/wheyprotein.htm

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