#when will i just give into being like 95% of other americans and eat corn-containing foods guiltlessly all day every day

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hahahaha, every time i’m at the grocery store i’m like “i’m gonna buy these terra sweet potato chips so i can have some chips that aren’t tortilla chips!” and every time i actually eat them i’m plunged into deep despair over how mediocre-to-gross they are.

[howtoloseweightfastsafely]

Two Critical Hormones That Are Quietly Making Americans Sicker and Heavier Than Ever Before

Did you know that "nutrient transportation" in the body is handled almost exclusively by two hormones? (At least in relation to fat loss/fat gain.)

Yep -- just two hormones control the significant amount of commands and questions that your brain dishes out to the rest of your body.

Things like:

1. Have the cells had enough food today?

2. What should we do if the cell can't handle any more of carbs?

3. Does the body need more insulin?

4. Has this person had enough to eat, or is he still hungry?

5. Should we send this food to build up lean muscle or should we store it as fat?

These two all-important hormones are insulin and leptin.

They are "mission critical" in that the body NEEDS them to function properly. Without them, nutrients can't move around internally to refuel your body AND the body can't give our "full" or "hungry" signals to your brain (causing uncontrollable eating).

On this note, these hormones can also run rampant and quickly spiral out of control, setting us up for the horror that we see today: over 70% of the population overweight and/or obese, and dying from various diseases.

Two of the main causes, in addition to chronic inflammation, are insulin resistance (a.k.a. Syndrome X/Metabolic Syndrome), and leptin resistance.

 Let's start with insulin:

Insulin is our primary "movement" hormone, in that it moves/shuttles nutrients (like carbs) from our bloodstream into our individual cells. The cells then break down this food into glucose which is the body's main energy source.

Without insulin (as is the case with diabetes to who do not make or use insulin), your body actually end up in a state of starvation since the cells cannot access the food you eat.

So, insulin is great in many cases. BUT, not always.

Insulin becomes a major problem when "insulin resistance" builds up in the cells. Essentially, insulin resistance refers to the fact that over years of eating high carb foods (as a result of people being told to "run away" from fat, and instead eat high-sugar, low fat, processed grains), our cells have become overwhelmed by the constant insulin output.

Overwhelmed to the point that they literally "reject" and "resist" any incoming nutrients.

As a result, you get insulin resistant.

You see, the cells would generally break down the food into glucose, and then would store the nutrients as "glycogen" (carb-based energy).

And in an ideal world, people would move around frequently and exercise, using up these glycogen stores. Except, this is far from the case these days, when most of us are stuck spending long hours at the office, followed by a (sometimes dreadful) commute home (while sitting down of course), and a high-carb/insulin spiking meal to end the day.

With the cells overwhelmed by insulin, and their constant "rejection" process, the excess food has nowhere to go.

Except for one not-so-friendly place.

---> As a result of insulin resistance, we directly store ANY excess nutrients as fat. This also starts a host of problems, in addition to a seemingly never-ending "feedback loop" of insulin resistance = fat = more insulin resistance.

The process is as follows:

1) Our insulin-resistant cells will not tolerate any amount of carbohydrates.

2) Since we're continuing to pump out insulin any time we eat carbs, though, our cells decide to fight back, and store the excess as fat.

3) As body fat increases, insulin resistance increases even more.

4) Insulin resistance combined with various toxins from our meals, plus environmental toxins, causes system-wide chronic inflammation. This inflammation leads to even more fat storage and weight retention.

5) Even worse, with less nutrients being shuttled into your cells, you stay hungry and/or get hungry soon after a meal.

6) Since you're hungry, you eat even more carbs (that your cells still will not tolerate) and end up causing further fat gain. (If you also eat fat with these carbs, there is a chance that both will be stored as fat.)

7) This process continues to repeat itself, and thereby claims its spot as one of the primary yet underrated causes of obesity and disease in America.

(Note: Protein is known to raise insulin as high as carbs, BUT protein also causes the output of a hormone called glucagon. Glucagon is the opposite of insulin, and it mitigates much of the "spike" and movement that would occur otherwise.)

Extra Tip ---> A very similar process occurs within our liver.

Many carb sources these days are loaded with sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup.

Fructose is a special type of sugar that the body converts into liver glycogen (as opposed to muscle glycogen). The problem here arises when our liver glycogen stores overflow, and we're again not moving around enough to use up the glycogen.

What ends up happening is, the excess fructose cannot be stored in our already-full liver glycogen stores. And since it has nowhere else to go, it's converted into liver fat, which is known to lead to fatty liver disease and various other health problems.

For this reason, it's very important to remove foods with high levels of fructose from your diet.

The only exceptions are if you eat them as a part of "10% junk allotment" for the week OR if you're eating fructose from pieces of whole fruit (dried fruit or fruit juices do NOT count.)

----

These insulin-related fat storage cycles are vicious, to say the least.

The onset of these issues, along with chronic inflammation, are the primary causes of both obesity and various major modern diseases.

But there's more.

Remember the other hormone I mentioned in the beginning?

Well, that "other hormone" is leptin.

And many prominent researchers are actually linking leptin DIRECTLY to obesity, and are pinpointing leptin resistance to be causing more damage than we ever thought possible.

You see, in addition to your cells becoming very resistant to insulin due to constant high

carb/sugar intake, we often have to deal with fluctuations in the output of the hormone leptin.

Leptin is a hormone that is created by your fat cells and "sent out" to tell your brain that you're full. Along with saying "you're full", it goes even further and tells the brain that you need to get rid of body fat. (It just may be the best fat-burning hormone in your body).

The problem is, similar to too much insulin causing insulin resistance, too much leptin causes leptin resistance. The typical American diet bombards the hypothalamus (which is the body's control center) with leptin due to constant "you're full" and "lose some fat" signals.

After a while of these constant signals, the body simply says "enough is enough". It shuts down leptin receptors completely. And going further, it stops telling your brain that you're full and that it's time to burn fat.

This is not good.

By this point, the hypothalamus is also too tired and overworked to regulate or control food intake, which makes dieting and weight loss more difficult than it needs to be.

In any case, as we start eating a healthier, reduced-calorie nutritional profile, this leptin

resistance will finally start to fade away. When the resistance fades away (and you become more leptin sensitive), things start to change big time.

For a while, leptin stays high and the body starts receiving the signals to stop eating and burn fat; and so you start burning fat like nobody's business.

Soon, though, leptin levels start to decrease a lot. What's happening is your body fat is dropping quickly and you're eating less than the body is used to. This confuses the body tremendously, and it actually starts to resist the change.

Remember that your body wants to be fat - and in an effort to hold on to that extra fat, the hypothalamus stops burning extra fat. Basically, if you eat too much, you don't make enough leptin, and if you eat too little, you don't make enough leptin. It's all about the balance.

To better understand this, let's look at various scenarios that can impact leptin levels.

Leptin is at its highest (meaning you're getting the "full" signal, but are also resistant to the signal at the same time)...when:

1. We are overweight

2. We eat too much in general without offsetting food intake via strenuous activity

3. We eat too many lectin-containing foods (especially wheat, barley and rye foods)

4. We eat too many high fructose foods (think sugary drinks and fake foods), since fructose and leptin resistance may go hand in hand.

Leptin is at its lowest when:

1. We start losing weight, and throw the body off the "balance" it's used to

2. We restrict calories, and the body is not used to the drastic change in food intake

Unfortunately, restricting calories is an integral part of weight loss. So we can't just say "well if leptin goes down when I restrict calories, I might as well not cut calories!". Relax now. We have ways around this.

Essentially, we have to find a way "around" these issues so that we can cut calories enough to drop weight, without letting leptin drop so low that the body forces itself to stop burning fat.

We'll get into some real-life strategies in the next chapter.

Interested in losing weight? Then click below to see the exact steps I took to lose weight and keep it off for good...

Read the previous article about "Why Red Meat May Be Good For You And Eggs Won't Kill You"

Read the next article about "Everything Popular Is Wrong: The Real Key To Long-Term Weight Loss"

Moving forward, there are several other articles/topics I'll share so you can lose weight even faster and feel great doing it.

Below is a list of these topics and you can use this Table of Contents to jump to the part that interests you the most.

Topic 1: How I Lost 30 Pounds In 90 Days - And How You Can Too

Topic 2: How I Lost Weight By Not Following The Mainstream Media And Health Guru's Advice - Why The Health Industry Is Broken And How We Can Fix It

Topic 3: The #1 Ridiculous Diet Myth Pushed By 95% Of Doctors And "experts" That Is Keeping You From The Body Of Your Dreams

Topic 4: The Dangers of Low-Carb and Other "No Calorie Counting" Diets

Topic 5: Why Red Meat May Be Good For You And Eggs Won't Kill You

Topic 6: Two Critical Hormones That Are Quietly Making Americans Sicker and Heavier Than Ever Before

Topic 7: Everything Popular Is Wrong: The Real Key To Long-Term Weight Loss

Topic 8: Why That New Miracle Diet Isn't So Much of a Miracle After All (And Why You're Guaranteed To Hate Yourself On It Sooner or Later)

Topic 9: A Nutrition Crash Course To Build A Healthy Body and Happy Mind

Topic 10: How Much You Really Need To Eat For Steady Fat Loss (The Truth About Calories and Macronutrients)

Topic 11: The Easy Way To Determining Your Calorie Intake

Topic 12: Calculating A Weight Loss Deficit

Topic 13: How To Determine Your Optimal "Macros" (And How The Skinny On The 3-Phase Extreme Fat Loss Formula)

Topic 14: Two Dangerous "Invisible Thorn" Foods Masquerading as "Heart Healthy Super Nutrients"

Topic 15: The Truth About Whole Grains And Beans: What Traditional Cultures Know About These So-called "Healthy Foods" That Most Americans Don't

Topic 16: The Inflammation-Reducing, Immune-Fortifying Secret of All Long-Living Cultures (This 3-Step Process Can Reduce Chronic Pain and Heal Your Gut in Less Than 24 Hours)

Topic 17: The Foolproof Immune-enhancing Plan That Cleanses And Purifies Your Body, While "patching Up" Holes, Gaps, And Inefficiencies In Your Digestive System (And How To Do It Without Wasting $10+ Per "meal" On Ridiculous Juice Cleanses)

Topic 18: The Great Soy Myth (and The Truth About Soy in Eastern Asia)

Topic 19: How Chemicals In Food Make Us Fat (Plus 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply)

Topic 20: 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply

Topic 21: How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")

Topic 22: The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Topic 23: Choosing High Quality Foods

Topic 24: A Recipe For Rapid Aging: The "Hidden" Compounds Stealing Your Youth, Minute by Minute

Topic 25: 7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging

Topic 26: The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries, But The Pharmaceutical Industry Would Be Up In Arms If More Modern-day Americans Knew About It)

Topic 27: How To Clean Up Your Liver and Vital Organs

Topic 28: The Simple Detox 'Cheat Sheet': How To Easily and Properly Cleanse, Nourish, and Rid Your Body of Dangerous Toxins (and Build a Lean Well-Oiled "Machine" in the Process)

Topic 29: How To Deal With the "Stress Hormone" Before It Deals With You

Topic 30: 7 Common Sense Ways to Have Uncommon Peace of Mind (or How To Stop Your "Stress Hormone" In Its Tracks)

Topic 31: How To Sleep Like A Baby (And Wake Up Feeling Like A Boss)

Topic 32: The 8-step Formula That Finally "fixes" Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested (If You Ever Find Yourself Hitting The Snooze Every Morning Or Dozing Off At Work, These Steps Will Change Your Life Forever)

Topic 33: For Even Better Leg Up And/or See Faster Results In Fixing Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested, Do The Following:

Topic 34: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 35: Part 1 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 36: Part 2 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 37: Part 3 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 38: Part 4 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 39: How To Beat Your Mental Roadblocks And Why It Can Be The Difference Between A Happy, Satisfying Life And A Sad, Fearful Existence (These Strategies Will Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity And Show You How To Fulfill All Your Dreams)

Topic 40: Maximum Fat Loss in Minimum Time: The Body Type Solution To Quick, Lasting Results

Topic 41: If You Want Maximum Results In Minimum Time You're Going To Have To Work Out (And Workout Hard, At That)

Topic 42: Food Planning For Maximum Fat Loss In Minimum Time

Topic 43: How To Lose Weight Fast If You're in Chronic Pain

Topic 44: Nutrition Basics for Fast Pain Relief (and Weight Loss)

Topic 45: How To Track Results (And Not Fall Into the Trap That Ruins 95% of Well-Thought Out Diets)

Topic 46: Advanced Fat Loss - Calorie Cycling, Carb Cycling and Intermittent Fasting

Topic 47: Advanced Fat Loss - Part I: Calorie Cycling

Topic 48: Advanced Fat Loss - Part II: Carb Cycling

Topic 49: Advanced Fat Loss - Part III: Intermittent Fasting

Topic 50: Putting It All Together

Learn more by visiting our website here: invigoratenow.com

[stayfitadultsandkidz-blog1]

Nutrition

It is time to take control of our physical and mental health. Diseases in our children continue to rise. Did you know that there are more than 7 million over weight/obese children in the USA.

This means our children are not eating properly and not exercising enough, which absolutely leads to childhood and adulthood diseases and low self esteem.

How many more antibiotics and vaccines are we going to create to fight off childhood diseases. 93 % of our healthcare dollars are spent on treatment and only 7 % is spent on the prevention. My 27 years of being a Pediatrician has made it very clear to me how important it is to fuel our body with the correct nutrients (proper diet, vitamins and supplements) along with proper exercise in order to live a life that is full and one of quality.

What is a vitamin/mineral?

They are key nutrients in specific concentration based on age that are essential for our bodies, organs and immune system to function properly, especially our brains. Children, adolescents and adults do not get enough of these in their diets. There are so many vitamins that one can choose, but after years of research I recommend the ones produced by Nutrametrix (a 17 yr old company). Because of its unique isotonic delivering system, these liquid vitamins/minerals rapidly bypass the stomach, which results in 95%-98% absorption by the small intestine. There are no other products that I know of that have this ability. There are ones made for children, adolescents and adults.

What is an antioxidant (IE: OPC)?

Throughout the day our body regretfully produces substances called free radicals. If not eliminated by the body these free radicals over time (starting in childhood) cause severe damage to our blood vessels, skin and body organs resulting in diabetes, heart disease, cancer, childhood/adult asthma/allergies, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, visual disturbance, premature aging and arthritis this is just to name a few. Antioxidants are critical in controlling and preventing these diseases. Our bodies do not produce enough antioxidants to control these free radicals. I strongly believe everyone should be on an antioxidant starting from the age of 2. This will give our body the best chance of preventing many of the above diseases and promotes optimal health.

What is Omega 3?

These are essential fatty acids. (good fats: poly and monounsaturated fats) that promote overall cardiovascular  health, healthy blood pressure levels, healthy cholesterol levels, bone and joint flexibility, enhance ones  mood, control allergy and asthma symptoms and most importantly enhances weight loss efforts.

Foods high in Omega 3 are wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herring, flaxseed, walnuts, olive and canola oils.

Most Americans cannot eat enough of the necessary foods to maintain adequate levels of Omega 3. The most effective way to achieve optimal levels of Omega 3 is through supplementation with high quality fish oil/Omega 3.

When choosing an Omega 3 supplement it is important to contain the proper levels of EPA/DHA. We should be getting between 1.5 – 3 grams EPA/DHA a day from our high quality oil.

For more information on the above or other important natural supplements like a natural sleep medication, green vegetables in a powder form, vitamin C, digestive enzyme supplement for children with bowel issues and special vitamins for children with ADHD and Autism, please either speak to one of our Doctor’s or ask our staff for written material . These products are available for purchase through our offices or you can order them from the web site and they will be shipped directly to your home.

What is a Calorie?

What is a calorie? This question is far to overlooked. If you do not know what a calorie is it is going to be extremely difficult to lose weight so let’s first define it. A calorie is simply a unit of energy. Yes, when you are eating a fruit containing 100 calories you are consuming 100 units of energy. If you eat two slices of pizza containing 1200 calories you are consuming 1200 units of energy. So, lets say on a given day you consumed 3200 calories or units of energy and through your daily activities and exercise ( and you better be exercising) you burned 2700 calories or units of energy. That will leave you with a difference of 500 calories, agreed? Good! Note: Energy cannot be created nor destroyed it can only be transformed from one form to another. Knowing this, what do you think happens to the excess 500 calories that you consumed for that day. It is plain and simple people-It gets stored as fat. Note: One pound of fat is made up of 3500 calories. Knowing this –if you are in excess of 500 calories everyday for an entire week what did you just do? You just gained a pound of fat. (500 excess calories per day multiplied by 7 days in a week equals 3500 calories equals a pound of fat). Are you getting the idea yet? Let me break it down in more of a long term scenario. Let’s say, you on average are in excess of 100 calories per day. Which is extremely easy thing to do. Over the course of a year that amounts to an excess of 36,500 calories (100 calories per day multiplied by 365 days in a year).  Divide that number 36,500 by 3500 calories contained in each pound of fat and you just gained 10 and ½ pounds of fat simply by going over your recommended calorie allotment 100 calories per day. That is how sensitive the human body is! 100 calories a day-that’s 10 ounces of soda, an apple, or a low fat yogurt. That is how simple it is to gain fat. And it does not matter where that excess 100 calories come from. It can come from any of the macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) once you go over calorie allotment for the day those excess calories will be stored as fat!!!  In addition, trying to eat healthy and watch what you eat isn’t always easy. Labels are misleading and confusing. Some foods labels with health claims like reduced fat, and reduce sodium, or good source of fiber may actually be unhealthy for you. Next time you are in the canned food isle look at a can of reduce sodium chicken noodle soup, the amount of sodium may shock you.  And now about those 100 calorie packs snacks? If it is only a 100 calories of crackers, or cookies how could it be bad for me? Many times these 100 calorie packs are empty calories and contain high amounts of sugar and processed white flower. Not all calories and carbohydrates are created equally.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are caloric nutrients containing four calories per gram. They are the body’s # 1 source of energy, especially during exercise. They also help regulate digestion and utilization of proteins and fats. Good Carbohydrates versus bad Carbohydrates. Stay away from white flour (donuts, wonder bread, pastas, and white rice), processed foods (Kraft Mac and Cheese, kid’s t TV dinners, Twinkies, and foods without an expiration date), white sugar, high fructose corn syrup (which used to be only found in soft drinks and now is everywhere). Since processed grain (i.e.: wonder bread) and sugars are refined they are absorbed by the body very quickly and tend to spike blood sugar levels, resulting in weight gain and likely energy crashes. Instead, look for natural unprocessed foods with high amounts of fiber. For example, dark green leafy veggies, kidney beans, apples, pecans, blueberry, barley, whole oats, whole grains are high in fiber. If you enjoy oatmeal in the mornings make sure it’s steel cut whole oats (from a can) and not the instant stuff you find in a bag. If you are eating grains, remember whole grains are usually better than white, but be careful that your whole grains don’t have added sugars or high fructose corn syrup (you will be surprised how many do). Whole grains, vegetables, lean meats and many kinds of fruits have low to moderate impact on blood sugar levels. These types of food are low on the Glycemic index.

Glycemic Index and Its Importance

The Glycemic Index is a number rating between 1 and 100 that measures the impact of food on blood sugar levels. The Glycemic index measures how long it takes for the body to convert carbohydrates into glucose. The quicker the food is converted into glucose the higher the ranking on the Glycemic index. The impact on blood sugar levels is defined by the time and duration of the foods increase on blood sugar. The foods you choose will directly impact your health and weight. Choosing foods that are low on the Glycemic index will provide your body with a steady of energy, increase mental focus, and a healthy weight. Some examples of foods that are low Glycemic are dark green leafy vegetables, yams, sweet potatoes, oranges, berries, grapefruit, whole grains, whole oats, lentils, beans and natural almonds just to name a few.

On the other hand, when you consume a food that is considered high Glycemic, glucose enters the blood stream very quickly triggering the production of insulin. Define Insulin. Insulin escorts glucose and protein to the cell where it can be used to produce energy. Over time, when insulin has to continually be produced quickly in large amounts, the quality of the insulin produced decreases. The lower quality insulin and the glucose it is carrying is rejected by the muscle and is not used as energy. Instead the glucose is stored as fat. The high blood glucose levels are directly correlated to what is considered “fat storage mode” where the body stores the energy as fat.

What are proteins?

Protein is a calorie nutrient containing= 4 calories per gram.

Protein contains the major building blocks of the body, amino acids. There are two types of amino acids, essential and non essential amino acids. Essential elements, in this case amino acids, cannot be produced by the body and must be consumed through the diet. Being the building blocks of the body protein is necessary for building and maintaining cell membranes, muscles and other tissues. Proteins provide energy and help maintain a quality immune system. There are many different sources of food that contain protein, the most common source in the typical American diets are meats. Other sources to consider are nuts, lentils and beans. Animal proteins should be eaten in moderation because of their tendency to cause inflammation and the presence of saturated fats. When choosing your animal proteins avoid boxed luncheon meats, processed meats, such as salami, pepperoni, and bacon. One should also eat red meats in moderation (less than 1-2 times a week). For healthier sources of proteins consider some nuts, lentils, beans, tuna, salmon, lean meats (turkey and skinless chicken breast). Make sure you get your protein from lean sources, (remove visible fat).

What is fat?

Fat is a caloric nutrient containing nine calories per gram as opposed to carbohydrates and proteins which yield only four.  Fats get a lot of bad press and most people are unsure as to why. They are blamed for being the main contributor to excess weight gain and much of the negative publicity should be directed at certain types of fats. The truth of the matter is that fats, also called lipids, play a vital role for maintaining healthy skin, hair, insulating organs, maintaining body temperature and promoting healthy functioning of cells. Fats also act as a transport vehicle for important vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E and k.

Fats contain essential fatty acids that perform a variety of the functions mentioned earlier. When considering the dietary sources of fat it is important to note the four different types of fats. The four different types of fates are saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fats. Both saturated and trans fats are the ones that should be avoided. Your diet should contain 0 grams of trans fats also known as hydrogenated oil. Trans fats or hydrogenated oil as its found in the ingredient label, are chemically manufactured by food producers to keep foods moist and fresh as they sit on the shelves and do not occur in nature. Much of the research conducted on trans fatty acids concluded they contribute to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and hypertension by lowering HDL (good cholesterol levels) and block a very important anti-inflammatory pathway. The amount of saturated fats in ones diets should also be limited. Less that 33% of fat in your diet should be from saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in meats, dairy and processed foods. Saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. These types of fats raise blood cholesterol and have been linked to increase your risk for both heart disease and stroke.

That leaves us with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are both liquid at room temperature and are found in vegetable oils, avocado and nuts. These sources should be where the majority of your fats come from. Some fish such as salmon, sardines, and anchovies also contain good essential fatty acids called Omega 3’s. Omega 3’s will be discussed further in the next section. Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can lower LDL (bad cholesterol). However, while monounsaturated fats maintain good HDL cholesterol too many polyunsaturated fats can actually lower the protective HDL cholesterol. Sources of unsaturated fats include olive oil, soybean, canola, sunflower, sesame, cottonseed and soybean oils.

Overeating any of these macronutrients will result in weight gain. They all play a huge role in human body functions that is why they are called MACRO nutrients. Macro meaning large, of large importance to the body. You need them all and a good place to start is 60% of food coming from carbohydrates, 25% coming from protein and 15% coming from fat.

Fundamental of healthy eating/weight reduction:

Low Glycemic index (GI) foods which maintain optimal blood glucose levels.

Balance of healthy carbs (65%), proteins (25%) and fats (15%)

Choosing the right fats. (i.e.: fish, nuts, oils)

Eating more frequently; 4-6 smaller healthy meals

Plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, berries and other natural foods.

Decrease consumption of junk foods, candy, processed foods, white breads, rice, potatoes.

20-30 grams of fiber per day

A reasonable amount of weight to lose is 1 pound per week.

No more than 16 ounces of skim milk per day.

No more than 8 ounces of fruit juices a day.(Berry Juices with no added sugars)

Baked, broiled or steam your foods.

Salad dressings: olive oil mixed with herbs and spices.

Snacks: raw vegetables, fruits, butter free popcorn

IS DIET SODA SAFE JUST BECAUSE IT IS CALORIE FREE?

Its summer time the temperature is rising and you just got done mowing the lawn. As you walk into the house to get a drink, you open up the refrigerator door, and there you have, Diet Soda, Soda, and Gatorade.

Which one should you drink?

Diet Soda and Soda are loaded with sodium, which will make you even thirstier.  So you will have to drink more to quench your thirst. Soda and Diet Soda also contains Phosphoric Acid.  Phosphoric Acid has a sour taste. To combat the sour taste, a lot of sugar is added, or sugar substitute. The Phosphoric Acid strips the body calcium and eats away the enamel on your teeth. So when your parent use to tell you that candy (liquid candy) rots your teeth they were right. In some U.S State, the police carry around 2 gallons of Soda with them.  They use Soda to clean blood off the road after deadly car accidents. Why? The Phosphoric Acid in the Soda is safe to the touch, but will eat a way the blood over 2-3 day period. Another good use of Soda is it can clean the corrosion from a car battery. Thirsty yet!!!!

So you tell me you Drink Diet Soda because it is better, or calorie free. Diet Soda does have fewer calories, but still contains sodium and sodium helps your body hold on to water. Any easy way to drop a few pounds is to stop drinking diet Soda. The reduction of sodium will help get rid of a few unwanted water weight pounds. Now, drinking Diet Soda may just be worst then the real thing.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese is:

26% for up to 1/2 can each day

30.4% for ½ to one can each day

32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day

47.2% for more than 2 cans each day

For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

36.5% for up to ½ can each day

37.5% for ½ to one can each day

54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day

57.1% for more than 2 cans each day

The reasons behind, the higher percentages, is with Soda you are getting calories that are satisfying a craving. With Diet Soda you are having something that is sweet but without the calories. Your body is still looking for those calories, so you will still feel the need to fulfill the craving (eating food).

The Diet in Diet Soda

The word “diet” means what constitutes the usual food and drink of a person. The most important part of that sentence is “usual” – not “diet.” To sustain a healthy weight and a healthy body, you need to support your body’s natural balance. Chemicals and caffeine don’t do this, no matter what the soda manufacturers tell you.

“Gatorade- is it in you”

Says the ads on TV. On doing research for this article I found nothing that will tell you that Gatorade is bad for you. I will tell you that Gatorade is not great for you. If I ran 10 miles a day or bike 30 miles a day Gatorade is good for you. You need to replace all that was lost during the time of extreme exercising. Gatorade is an easy way to do that. On the other hand if I’m a couch potato Gatorade is the devil, all those extra calories you’re putting into your body that you don’t need. If you’re watching what you eat and trying to follow a healthy meal plan Gatorade will not be in there simply because of the extra calories. Giving your children Gatorade while watching TV will only help to increase there waist line. Am I saying not to drink Gatorade, no Gatorade is a sports drink and should only be taken when a person has been active.

Water just rocks and nothing can beat water. Water is a giver and will take nothing away from you. So if you want to live a healthier better life try to increase your water intake, make sure you’re getting 6-8 glasses a day, especially before meals.

PRACTICE OF MINDFUL EATING

Appreciate the food

Engage all six senses

Serve in Modest Portions

Savor small bites and chew thoroughly (goal: 20 chews/swallow)

Eat slowly

Don’t skip meals

Eat foods that are healthy for your body and the planet

Eat till 80% full