Dr. Atkins' Diet

The basis of this diet - almost totally avoidance of carbohydrates. It is their surplus, according to Atkins, raises the level of insulin in the blood and causes a feeling of hunger.

Robert Atkins, still the most odious figure in the diets world. He began to propagate his scheme for reducing and controlling weight more than 30 years ago, but it still raises many disputes about its benefits and harms.

Respecting a diet and the elimination of carbohydrates from the body leads to the generation of ketone bodies - chemicals that accelerate the burning of fat in the body.

The Plan: in the first phase of the diet (14 days) the body adjusts to the fat burning scheme; in the second phase occurs the decline in weight to the desired (with the recommended control of the ketone bodies number in the urine through special strip-tests); in the third phase - the result maintenance.
Advantages: getting rid of "sweet" dependency, there is no restriction on the total amount of food and its caloric value.
Difficulties: you need to have good health, not to have chronic diseases, especially diabetes; in the active phase of the diet is not recommended to take drugs. The diet can not be applied when pregnant, lactation period, elevated cholesterol level. There should be an accurate counting of the carbohydrates. To maintain the result, it is recommended to follow the diet all your life.

The first phase: The consumption of carbohydrates - not more than 20 grams a day. Eating is permitted only when hungry, stop as soon as saturation will occur.
Unrestricted: meat, fish, poultry, cheeses, seafood, eggs, vegetables and fresh herbs, mushrooms; vegetable oil: natural, better- untreated cold juices, animal fats: butter subsistence oil, fish fat.
Beverages: water - simple and mineral, tea without sugar (preferably green or herbaceous), various drinks with no carbohydrates.
In small quantities, counting the number of carbohydrates contained in these products, you can eat: tomatoes, cabbage, eggplants, green peas, onions, spinach, asparagus, sour cream.
Strictly forbidden: sugar and sweets, bread and other flour products, fruits, amylaceous vegetables, margarine and light butter, cooking fats and alcohol.

Second phase: You can gradually increase the consumption of carbohydrates to empirically find their individual level. Weight should decline gradually, and symptoms of hypoglycemia - weakness, somnolence, the constant feeling of hunger- disappear. When you will reach the desired weight, the number of carbohydrates in the diet needs to be a little increased, it would help to stabilize the weight.

Third phase: Result maintenance.

How Water Can Help You Lose Weight Naturally

It may be surprising but water makes up 2/3 of your body mass. You need water to maintain an optimum level of hydration, flush away harmful toxins, cleanse the body, cool off, help joints work and to aid food digestion. You need 2 liters of water daily for all these bodily functions.

Wow, isn't that a whole mouthful? But wait, water is also important in helping you lose weight.

Yes, drinking sufficient water can actually help you lose weight. On the contrary, not drinking enough water can make you put on weight, besides putting your health at risk.

But how does water help you lose weight? Here's how and why:-

1. Your body's metabolism depends on water to continue functioning properly. Not having enought water will significantly slow down the process of breaking food down and converting it into energy. This will lead to unnecessary weight gain for you.

So, if you are dieting and you seem to have hit the dreaded plateau, then you are probably not drinking enough water. Drink more water to correct the situaion.

2. Your body's process of digestion and elimination of residues is also dependent on water. Not drinking enough water? Get ready for an uncomfortable case of constipation and a host of other problems in the intestines.

Poor digestion leads the body to seek out more food since the body "thinks" that it is not eating enough. This is usually the first sign of trouble for you.. A dehydrated or water-deprived body feels hungry, thus tempting you to eat more food than you should.

3. Water also acts as a good food filler or substitute. A big cup or glass of water before a meal can fill your belly and reduce your hunger pangs. That's why dietitians and weight loss experts advise us to drink lots of water to fill up our tummy first. Now you know why!

You should drink water gradually and steady throughout the day. Never drink a larger gulp all at once because your body can only absorb so much at one time. It will discard the rest as waste so that that's bad for you.

You can also take fruit juices, weak tea and coffee instead of plain water for hydration purposes.

And for the ladies, drinking a lot of water will not make you retain it. Dehydration forces your body to hang on to what it has, not abundance of water.

If you need help losing weight, besides drinking lots of water, it may be a good idea to also look for some weight loss supplements.

By: Gary Toh

Article Source: http://www.articlestoreprint.com/

Fast And Simple Ways To Drop One Dress Size In A Week

Weight loss is one of the most important ideas in American society today. People are constantly searching for a way to lose weight very quickly. Whether you want to fit into that dress for your date on Saturday night, or you just want to look good for your upcoming class reunion, there are a number of ways that you can lose weight rather quickly.

One good way to drop that dress size by next week is to add some water to your diet. This is a fairly good tip for any dieters, but losing weight fast means you should drink more water than you ever thought you could handle. The body retains four to six pounds of water on any given day. The body is, essentially, hoarding the water for some future use.

Should you ever become incapacitated and not give your body the water it needs to survive, your body would have some reserves to live on. If, however, you give your body the water it needs on a regular basis, you will lose your water weight quite quickly. This will give you at least four pounds less on the scale when you get up to put your new dress on.

Another good way to lose that dress size by next Saturday night is to be sure to take in enough protein. Your body needs protein so it does not feel like it is starving. If your body feels like it is starving, it will begin hoarding pounds. All of these pounds will be converted into fat, no matter what you are eating. As a result, if you allow your body enough protein, you will not have that problem.

You should consume protein every three hours. You should certainly try to get several ounces of protein before you go to sleep each night. There are several ways you can get the protein you need. Meat is an excellent source of protein. You should try to only purchase and eat lean cuts of meat. Poultry works well too. Beans and legumes are another great source of protein to add to your diet. Eggs are also a good source of protein.

The chances of you getting sick of the traditional protein sources, though, are quite good during your week of intensive weight loss. As a result, it might be necessary to visit a nutritional supplement store or the supplement aisle of your local mega mart. A protein supplement of any kind, whether it be in bar, pill, or powder form, will help you out.

Another important quick weight loss tip is to eat lots of smaller meals during the day. If your normal day is structured around three meals each day, you should try to refocus it around five to six much smaller meals during the day. This will help you to take in fewer calories during the course of the day. Moreover, taking in fewer calories at any given time will help to stimulate your metabolism and help you burn off the calories you actually consume.

Be sure to exercise for at least thirty minutes each day. If you want to lose weight quickly, you should increase your time to a minimum of two hours each day. The only real way to lose weight is to burn the calories you take in. As a result, two hours of hard exercise each day should help to nullify the calories you have consumed during the course of the day.

One final way to lose weight quickly is to cut your carbs as much as possible. Carbohydrates are empty calories. You have to consume far more calories in carbohydrates than you do in other sources of nutrition like proteins to help your body feel full. As a result, you simply cannot process the calories you take in when your diet is based around carbohydrates. Change your diet to a protein base, and you will lose weight rather quickly.

You should be cautious with each of these methods listed here. It is important to remember that long lasting weight loss can only be achieved through hard work and true changes to your diet and lifestyle. The chances are quite good that if you lose a dress size within a single week, you will regain your weight within three weeks. As a result, if you truly want to keep the weight off, you have some serious changes to make in your life.

Article Source: http://www.articlestoreprint.com

Healthy Diet Plans-Finding The Right Diet To Help You Achieve Your Health Goals

Many, many people today suffer from poor health. Often times, you hear that they must be the victims of either poor genetics or just bad luck. You might be surprised to learn that the vast majority of health problems and diseases in our world today are simply a result of a lack of healthy diet plans. They are not subject to chance as many would have you believe.

You can actually improve your health dramatically by simply making a few changes in the way you eat. Here are some tips to help you when first embarking on a diet plan.

First of all, healthy diet plans must consist of each of these essential elements:

Calories. A person needs a sufficient amount of calories to maintain their metabolic needs. However, if it results in greater than 12% body fat, you are most likely eating too many calories.

Sufficient quantities of fat: this can include monounsaturated fast, polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat. One of the big myths out there is that all fat is bad, and that is why there are so many low fat diets. Actually, your body needs a certain amount of fat in order to function properly; if you deprive yourself of this, you will experience worse health.

-Avoid trans-fat.
-Enough amino acids (complete protein).
-A sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.

All healthy diet plans must be well balanced and provide you with all these essential elements. Without them, you cannot hope to maintain good health.

That is why low carb and low calorie or fat diets or so dangerous, because they often times only allow you to eat certain types of foods. You don’t get all the essential elements that your body needs, and you actually end up with worse health than before the diet.

Also, try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and avoid meat and dairy products whenever possible. The reason that raw foods such as fruits and vegetables are so good for you is that they are very rich in enzymes, the life-blood of the body.

When your body doesn’t receive enzymes naturally through its’ food, it must manufacture them itself. This is why you often feel exhausted after consuming a cooked meal; the food contained no enzymes, and your body got worn down attempting to reproduce them itself.

These are a few tips to get you started on a lifetime of health and vitality. Of course, it’s not possible to change a lifetime of poor health and eating habits overnight; however, you need to start somewhere. Follow these healthy diet plans, and you will soon begin feeling much healthier and energetic throughout the day.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com