Discover a Secret of Being Unstoppable

Discover the Secrets of Being Unstoppable

Sunday 25 March 2012

Will the Mediterranean Diet Work for Me?

The Mediterranean diet is surely one of the hottest things you can try today as any hardcore dieter can tell you. It seems to be quite easy to follow being a lot less restrictive than other diet plans and wine consumption is actually encouraged (with moderation, of course, what did you think?)

A lot of people both medical professionals, nutritionists and dieters seem to believe that this is the perfect diet if you want to achieve a healthy weight, keep your blood pressure low and reduce the risk of heart disease. Is it really so? And will it work for you?

I would like to point the basics of this diet: fresh fruits and vegetables rule supreme, a huge amount of vegetarian dishes traditionally prepared with fresh produce (no frozen, no canned etc), a lot of fish, some poultry and very little beef or pork. Well, it does sound very healthy. The fact is, they do have fruits and vegetables in season all year round. As we all know, this is not the case in Northern Europe and much of the US. And nor is it likely for anyone living here to find organic produce at reasonable prices.

The true Mediterranean diet can be very, very expensive.

Another thing that bugs me when it comes to Mediterranean diet is that olive oil is considered to be the ultimate source of phenolic compounds, known to help reduce cholesterol and decrease the risk of developing certain types of cancer. It's great to replace as much animal fat with unprocessed vegetable fat, but olive oil it's not the only thing that can help you if you are after more phenolic compounds in your diet.

Phenolic compounds may be found in berries, prunes, red grapes and red grape juice, kiwifruit, currants, apples and apple juice, and tomatoes. Note to any Med diet fan - red wine is not really necessary, red grapes and red grapes juice will do just fine if you are not comfortable with daily alcohol consumption. And the last thing that stands between most of us and this diet is time. This diet takes an awful lot of time.

You have to prepare every single meal from fresh produce. If you've ever traveled in that part of the world, you'll notice that people true to their roots and traditions cook with fresh produce for every single meal, no frozen dinner. Also, it should not be discounted that life on the Mediterranean is generally conducted at a slower pace than life in the United States and Western Europe.

Perhaps another important factor of this diet is not only what they eat, but also how they eat it. After all, many people in the Mediterranean are eating their healthful meals during a long relaxing midday break, as opposed to gobbling down a frozen meal during a quick lunch hour while simultaneously trying to make it to another ten appointments.

Reducing stress can help keep your heart healthy and can certainly cut down on the amount of stress-induced eating that we do, whether or not we eat Mediterranean food.

Friday 16 March 2012

A Diet Buddy Will Help You Lose Weight

One of the best ways to stay consistent with your diet and exercise plan is to team up with a diet buddy. A diet buddy is a friend or co-worker who you partner up with so that the two of you help each other lose weight by staying focused and accountable for your actions. Many fitness experts agree that if you have a friend to rely on then you are much more likely to stick to your program and successfully lose weight.

Choosing a diet buddy is not hard but it can be a challenge to finds someone who you can trust and who will be honest with you. You need someone who will remind you not to eat junk food when you confess that you have fallen off the wagon and who will also be sympathetic to your guilty feelings. Try to find a person who has similar weight loss goals because if you want to lose 20 pounds and your buddy wants to lose 50 then you may not be compatible. Avoid choosing someone you live with, if possible, since the constant interaction will make you feel like your every move is being watched so try to choose a co-worker or close friend to help you out.

You should also choose a diet buddy who you will see on a regular basis. A really great way to stay on track is to meet at the gym every morning and then get something to eat afterward. You can compare notes and talk about what’s going on and how you are progressing. If breakfast doesn’t work then lunch is another good alternative.

You and your diet buddy should set goals and rewards for each other. When you hit a weight goal, you can celebrate by shopping for a new outfit that shows off your weight loss or you can go out together for a healthy dinner at a nice restaurant. You and your buddy are working together to help each other reach your goals so if you lose weight faster than your friend, be supportive and help them realize that everyone has a different body type and some people take longer to lose weight. On the flip side, be prepared for your friend to lose weight quicker than you and if that happens, be sure to cheer them on and reassure yourself that your consistency will pay off for you in the near future.

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Choosing the Right Diet

There are so many different diets around today that it can be intimidating to make a sound decision regarding which one is right for you when you feel it’s time to lose weight. Some diets emphasize low fat while others suggest that low calories are the best way to go. Other diets require you to cut out all forms of carbohydrates. One diet combines factors from at least two other well known diets with claims to produce an optimum fat burning weight loss program. There are also other diets that have circulated around the world for years with numerous success stories such as the cabbage soup diet, the pineapple juice diet and the cider vinegar diet. With all of these choices, how do you know which diet is right for you?

One of the most important factors you must consider is whether you will learn how to eat healthy and nutritionally. A number of different diets that offer incredible results do so through damaging nutritional methods. These fad diets encourage you to indulge in eating habits that can do more harm than good.

Many weight loss programs promise almost instantaneous results and you can achieve them only to come to the realization that you cannot stay on this diet for the rest of your life. You should be looking for a healthy weight loss and maintenance program, not a fast acting diet plan. Even though a low-calorie or liquid diet will allow you to initially lose some weight, you will find that your weight loss problems recur quicker than you would like and you may become depressed and find yourself a little worse off than when you began. To avoid these negative feelings, try to look for a weight loss program that can help you to achieve your long term goals on a permanent basis.

Many weight loss programs promise that you can reach your goals without exercising but it is not possible because a successful weight loss program consists of a healthy diet plan combined with a moderate exercise plan. The trick is to not go into your new routine with too many thoughts about the changes you are attempting to make. It seems that our minds have a way of doing the opposite of what we want when we think about things too much. Instead of thinking about your new diet and exercise routine, just ease into it and get it done. Your mind will adjust and soon your activities will become a new habit.

Please make sure to check with your physician before engaging in any weight loss program and drink plenty of water throughout the day.