What dietary considerations should I make while on HRT, hormone replacement therapy?

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Hormone Replacement Therapy

Nutrition and Weight Management

A good diet is not intended to make you feel starved or food deprived.In fact, most diets that hit the market are simply fads that are not very effective. We are here to help people learn healthy ways to manage your weight and keep your eating habits under wraps without taking the simple pleasures out of your life.

Creating a diet plan that is healthy and beneficial doesn't need to be a complicated process nor should it be so complex that you need a degree just to understand it. There are simple ways to learn how to give your body the nutrients it requires, while still allowing yourself the freedom to enjoy the food you like, and try new food in the process.

Your goal shouldn't be to look like a person in a magazine, but instead, you should seek to have a good weight for your age and gender, and to be healthy overall. Being active has to be part of that plan.

Before you can get started in refining your weight loss, you have to build a strong base to assist you a long the way. The pyramid of nutritional food choices is not something that was intended for school children only; it is a chart you should follow all your life to help you choose the right amount of whole grains, vegetables and fruits to eat on a daily basis.

Instead of thinking about the foods you can't eat, focus on the types of food you should eat. A healthy diet is one that has limited saturated fats and low amounts of cholesterol-rich foods. As long as soda has been around it has been a regular part of most consumers' daily fare, it's time to move away from these high sugar, high carb drinks that have a negative effect on our bodies. Drinking pure water and other natural, freshly-squeezed fruit juices are not only better for your figure and body composition, but increase your vitamin intake in a flavorful way. Enjoying time with family or friends during some holidays often encourages people to drink more alcoholic drinks than is necessary, curb your inhibitions and choose natural low sugar wines (dry), over beer, or hard liquor.

Eating Smarter and Shopping Wiser

There are so many options for food out there in the public that its often hard to make choices that are heart and body healthy. Understanding food labels is yet another helpful tool for healthy eating. There are a few simple rules you can live by to help you and your family lead a healthy lifestyle.

When most moms get off from work at the end of the day, they have to rush home and prepare dinner. There is often little time, so a well-thought-out meal isn't an option. A typical mom who considers herself to be a healthy cook may prepare a dinner like this for her two children, husband and self:

A box of flat spaghetti noodles (empty carb overload)

4 cups of healthy green beans (healthy if bought naturally)

A roll of frozen garlic bread (empty carbs)

A medium jar of spaghetti sauce (often too much salt or sugar)

A salad made from a half head of lettuce, some other common vegetables, and a light dressing (depending on the dressing this is the healthiest part of the meal so far)

A dessert with scoops of frozen yogurt for each person and a few cookies

This sounds like a good meal that doesn't have extra fat or carbs. Granted, this homemade meal is ten times better than grabbing a pizza or eating at a fast-food joint, but it is also enough food for a family two times the size! This meal is overloaded with low nutrient-dense carbs.

This simple meal also has several nutritional traps that not only can make you gain weight, but also increase the family's risk of diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and heart disease.

To help you better understand the dangers of these types of simple meals, keep reading.

Salad Dressing Dangers

The majority of light salad dressing sold in the stores these days has a heavy amount of salt and extra servings of sugar. Just because you can't taste it, doesn't mean it isn't there. It just means the company that produced the salad dressing has perfected its recipe to create the best taste.

A better option for your salad topping would be a homemade dressing that consists of real olive oil and a splash of real red wine vinegar. There are calories in this type too, but the dressing is full of good calories that come from healthy non-saturated fats. The fats in olive oils are actually mono fatty acids that are needed to help your body function optimally.

Processed Foods Big Danger

Another trap is that you are giving your family food that is over-processed. The problem with processed food is that although it is faster to prepare, it doesn't give the body the same amount of satisfaction that lesser processed or non-processed food gives. The end result is that your family will be full and happy right after the meal, but feel hungry again an hour or two later. This additional hunger leads to snacking and other poor food choices. Those snacks at a snail's pace cause you to accumulate weight.

Cookies

Cookies are almost never healthy, but that doesn't mean you have to eliminate them from your diet. Everything in moderation is the best way to stick to a healthy lifestyle. When you offer a lot of cookie choices in the package, it's easy to eat more than you should without thinking about the content of each piece. Instead, opt for figure-friendly Fig Newtons or give each person the exact serving of cookies to avoid overstuffing.

Fun tip:

One of the best weight loss tips is to eat until you feel 80% full.

Portion Control

Pay close attention to portion sizes. People have become used to large portions of everything thanks to commercial companies pushing the idea that bigger is better. It may take a little bit of time, but measure out each person's meal to assure they have one serving. The average person who eats the meal mentioned above consumes four servings, equal to about 1,600 calories per person; that's almost the whole intake recommended for the day, not one meal.

Beware of high salts hidden in foods that you can't taste

This is not taking into account the fact that some of the ingredients in the whole meal are better served differently for higher nutritional content, and the number of fats and salt contained (for example) with the garlic bread and spaghetti sauce. This simply serves as an example, that the average person who may be health-minded really doesn't know how to serve a healthy dish to their family from the options available in the market today.

Share a meal to get portion control right

Everyone knows that you should eat a large amount of fruit and vegetables to increase your quality of health, and that when you do eat out, you should choose healthy food options and split your plate with another person to have the appropriate serving size.

Climb a flight of stairs

Exercise can't be stressed enough and elevators and escalators should be avoided at all cost.

If you look at the current health statistics in the United States, the facts are clear that the majority of the country's inhabitants are not aware of how to translate the warning signs into use in their daily lives and modify the way they eat.

Diabetic Explosion

The instances of diabetes in children have risen to such alarming numbers that it has become commonplace for pediatricians to test all children during their regular checkups. Two-thirds of all Americans are obese, and the lives that were saved by all of the anti-smoking campaigns are being claimed by heart disease caused from poor eating habits. Experts have released so much contradictory information about controlling these effects, that the average person is both confused at best and disinterested at worst.

Disputes

There are a number of experts that say the consumption of red meat will lead you to an early grave, while an equal expert will extol the virtues of trimmed red meat in your diet. In some camps, the skin from potatoes and other root vegetables are supposed to have great benefits, while other camps tell you to skip them completely. Talk about bacon and you will get hundreds of different theories all backed by scientific evidence supporting each side. Many areas of diet are disputed, which is why reading all sides, and doing your own research is important.

All of this shocking information helps to sell books to dieters and magazines to the casual reader. After all, without sensationalism, why would people be bothered? After all, it's in the best interest of many businesses to tell us that we are wrong about everything in our life we thought was right. It might be hard to navigate health disputes, this is why we recommend all our patients always get a second and third opinion from other doctors before starting a hormone replacement and optimization protocol.

Labels on products

Some Labels and labeling that are required by the FDA, are intended to help consumers make better food choices, through requiring companies to clearly inform their buyers about the calories and other contents in the item. Unfortunately, these labels don't give a very clear picture and the majority of people don't even bother to read them. Those that do read the labels find themselves confounded by the complicated chemical terms listed.

There are serving size suggestions on every label that the law dictates must be there, however, the average American doesn't follow the serving suggestion when placing food on the plate or when consuming the food.

Trans fat is a bad word these days, but there are other types of fat that are just as damaging to the heart and unhealthy that are not brought to the public's attention. The government is in the process of revamping the pyramid of food to reflect new information and new human consumption requirements, but that change won't come for several more years. Even after the chart is updated, it will take at least five years for most schools and lesser-known institutions to get it, let alone implement the adjustments.

The public now has the feeling of what it's like to be a bouncing ball, noted Yale representative Dr. Katz states. The public population is being pushed in one way only to be turned around once they get there. There hasn't been a huge outcry since any type of dietary restriction is hard, if you are perplexed, it simply is another excuse not to eat properly.

In truth, there is a very simple formula that equates to what you should eat to have optimal health results. This formula is well known by most nutritionists. The formula is aloe supported by many scientific tests to prove that the formula is accurate and healthy. In general, you should pack your daily diet full of fresh vegetables and fruits. Opt for nutrient-rich whole grains and shun high processed cereal products. You should eat red meat, after all, it is an essential protein, but not on a regular basis, once a week would suffice. If you are full, there is no reason to force yourself to eat more, even if your plate is half full, instead start with even smaller portions to avoid food wastage.

The issue for most people is that there is a basic assumption about what is healthy and what isn't. All vegetables are good for you, but there are some that are even more beneficial than others. Fish is better than red meat and has a lot of healthy fats and oils that your body needs, but there are numerous fish that are not very healthy for regular consumption. Eating right can be an art, instead of thinking that you are eating well, do a little bit of research to assure that you are eating the right foods, and preparing them in the most beneficial manner.

Learning to prepare your food properly will help you lose weight, look better, live longer and stay more satisfied overall with your healthy lifestyle. By paying attention to your eating habits, you can reduce your overall risk for heart disease and diabetes by over 80%.

According to leading doctors and nutritionists, a lifestyle that is rich in vegetables and fruit as well as low in dairy and nuts has the ability to reduce the overall blood pressure of a person to very healthy levels. If you don't have high blood pressure, then such a diet will help you to avoid getting sick from complications of alternating blood pressure. Bad cholesterol can also be controlled via a healthy diet. There are plenty of medications to help control these illnesses, but over time they have a negative affect on the body and create a sort of chemical dependence. By eating right, you can avoid costly medication and costly treatment for easily avoidable diseases. Adding high amounts of natural fiber and lowering the amount of refined sugar you eat can also reduce the risk of contracting diabetes drastically.

Cutting back on unhealthy food doesn't mean you have to live the rest of your life eating bland meals or starving from tiny child-sized portions. Having an attitude that you have to give up everything can make your lifestyle change much harder than it needs to be. In fact, all you have to do is dedicate more time to shopping smarter and preparing your meals better to change your fat-filled foods into meals that support a good immune system and help you live longer. There are so many nutrition traps that are easy to fall into, arming yourself with information is the best way to assure that you cook in a way that is not only appetizing, but also health-conscious.

Humans don't really need the amount of food that we consume every day. Moderation is the key to a healthy diet. When we say moderation, that doesn't mean that what you think is less is ok, each person has a variety of ideas about what they feel is moderate, but calories and fat are finite. Using a firm measurement system will allow you to be truly moderate while still eating the food you love. If you are looking to drop a few extra pounds or simply maintain your current weight, then chances are you will have to understand a few things about calories in order to be successful.

On paper, losing weight is very easy, if you eat a smaller number of calories than you burn every day, you should lose pounds right?

While that's right in theory, it is much harder in practice. Your body isn't a computer, in fact, it is a very clever different type of organic machine. It doesn't care how you look on the outside, it only cares that it has the right amount of proteins and sugars to allow its systems to function in the proper manner. If you try to drastically cut the number of calories you eat all at once, your body will assume that there is a lack of food available and lower your metabolism accordingly, this is meant to save energy for the long haul so that your brain, heart, liver and other organs can function with a decreased amount of input.

Of course, that also means that you will lose weight much more slowly and regain weight quickly if your calorie intake increases. Any good diet that calls for a reduction in calories will also call for an increase in activity, a solid workout plan that is fun and easy to stick to is the best way to boost your weight loss without causing a drop in metabolism.

Simple Routines to Help You Drop Weight Easily

There are many easy ways of weight loss you can do to help lose weight without really even trying. These easy ways of losing weight are mostly ideas of things you can just work into your daily routine and do not require any fitness equipment, so there is no excuse for not having time to exercise, or not having the workout equipment. Sitting completely still is the worst thing you can possibly do when you want to drop weight fast. Any kind of movement, even some type of fidgeting, can burn a few calories. If you do several of the things listed below throughout the day, you can burn quite a few extra calories with very little extra effort, and without taking time out of your regular schedule for exercise.

One easy thing to incorporate into your day is to move around during commercial breaks. If you watch an hour of television every night (and be honest, many of us watch more than that), then you likely sit through at least 20 minutes of commercials. Instead of just sitting there watching the commercials, get up and move around. Simply walking in place, or around the room, or doing some stretching exercises, will get the blood pumping through your veins and burn a few calories.

Another simple (and fun!) way to burn some calories is to dance. Just turn on your stereo and put on some sort of music that you enjoy and go crazy. Music that makes you get up and move, such as music you danced to as a teenager, can be an excellent motivator. When you are dancing around and just being silly and having fun, you can burn calories without even realizing it. If you have children, get them involved. Kids are a great inspiration for silly dancing.

Another way to burn calories easily is to walk when you can. Instead of looking for the nearest parking spot available, park further away so you can walk more. Also, when you ride the subway or bus, get off a stop or two earlier than your destination and walk the remainder of the way. Instead of emailing a co-worker in your office, walk over and actually talk to them. Use the bathroom farthest away from your desk. You may be thinking these things cannot possibly help me lose weight, but every bit of extra exercise you fit in will make a difference.

One great way to burn calories is to walk upstairs. Instead of taking the elevator or escalator at work, the mall, etc., always take the stairs. And if you already are taking the stairs, then try to take them two at a time, or try jogging or even running up the stairs. Make it your goal to always do the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

Finally, if you have a dog, make the most of walking it. If your dog starts pulling at the leash, wanting to run - run with it! Also, switch up your route so that you do not get bored. Anytime you can be outside (with or without your dog) for exercise, you are less likely to lose interest because the fresh air and ever-changing scenery help relieve boredom. Have fun with these simple routines to help you drop weight easily.

Why is organic better than regular processed or bulk foods?

With the onset of widespread obesity in recent years, many people have decided to opt for a healthier lifestyle. Eating only unprocessed food and vegetables is not always as good as you think, they also have negative risk. Like any other industry, the food industry is also focused on their bottom line more than the health of the consumer.

When choosing organic food, keep in mind it is not the perfect option and it has its share of problems but is a very good start towards good health and food quality. The industry can best be affected to change their unhealthy policies by you choosing what not to put on your plate.

A few reasons it is best to opt "organic" while shopping is that there are no chemical toxins in organic food. Your body runs on cells, in order to function optimally, they must have the proper clean fuel. A lot of pesticides and chemicals used in mass-produced food can cause your cells to malfunction or even kill them altogether. These toxins also cause weight gain. When your body is unable to filter them out, it will store them in fat cells to keep them out of your circulation, of course, the more toxins the more fat is created to lock them away.

Organic Pesticide Free

Organic produce has higher nutrition content than most commercially farmed varieties. The more crops you grow in a short amount of time depletes the soil's natural saturation of vital nutrients. Organically grown produce is sown in smaller quantities and in different variations to assure the soil is able to replenish itself. This results in a better crop with a richer content of vitamins. There are natural organisms in soil that keep it healthy, and the chemicals used in commercial farming not only kill some or all of them but deplete the soil's nutrients and actually make the farmland unusable over time. This is one of the reasons American companies have started purchasing land overseas.

A lot of food in the market today has been genetically altered to grow faster, be disease resistant, and even taste better. Soy is one of the most modified although most fruits and vegetables are also altered. You have no way to determine on the shelves if it has been altered because there is no law to state that a company must disclose this information. When you eat these things, you are introducing millions of new DNA to your system, most of which has never been seen or processed by the human race before, even most top scientists will not touch that type of product as they have not been proved safe.

These are only a few of many reasons to buy organic food. Yes it is a bit more expensive right now, but you can't put a dollar amount on your health. The money you save on junk food can be better put towards organic, and you will save in later years on doctor's bills.

Exercise is an important part of controlling your weight, but it also has it limitations. If you allow yourself to give it some thought, you can understand the reasoning behind the statement. The availability of food is one of the major causes of increased weight gain, back when man used to have to hunt for food and fight over the scarce quantities, weight gain wasn't an issue. Forget about having to exercise to get your food now, in a lot of places you don't even have to leave the house!

The ready availability and the sheer amount available is a mixture that assures you will eat more than you burn. Compared to the amount of calories the average person used in the seventies, people today eat on average 600 more calories than before. To simply burn away the extra average a person would have to spend at least two and a half hours walking every day. Avoiding extra calories is not the only way to improve your health and lose weight; you also have to give an equal amount of attention to exercise and activity levels.

Research has proven that detoxifying the body has many positive effects on an individual's health. Detoxification boosts energy, slows down the aging process, reduces the symptoms of asthma and other bronchial illnesses, improves the functioning of the digestive system, and even reduces symptoms of diabetes patients. However, one of the best known and most talked about advantages of detoxifying the body is losing weight.

Thorough body detoxification can remove waste that has built up in our bodies from eating unhealthy foods, and from inefficient organ function. When waste is built up in our blood, digestive tracts, colon, and liver, our bodies cannot effectively digest the nutrients from the foods we eat. When we do not get the nutrients we need, our bodies tend to crave heavier foods in an attempt to receive the nutrients. Eating unhealthy, heavier foods causes more waste to buildup. Waste accumulation causes weight gain, anxiety, and depression, and has been linked to several other health problems.

There are many approaches to detoxing. There are products taken orally that are designed to cleanse the colon, such as herbal dietary supplements, fiber supplements, and drinks such as detoxifying laxative tea. Alfalfa supplements work as a general body and organ cleanser. Milk thistle is a liver cleanser.

Another alternative is to get colonic irrigation, also known as a colon cleanse or colon therapy. This is a process where water is injected rectally into the colon. Colonic irrigation is said to remove built-up waste such as putrefied feces that line the intestinal walls and can harbor parasites and cause weight gain and health problems. Occasional reports claim some people have been to lose up to 5-10 pounds in a colon cleansing session, though results of less than 1 lbs are more common.

Researchers have found that high levels of toxins in the body cause more fat to be produced. Studies show that the body makes fat cells to act as a defense system against impurities and toxins. Therefore, gaining weight can be a symptom of built-up toxins in the body. Detoxification removes the toxins, which in turn compels the body to release those defensive cells of extra fat, fueling and stimulating weight loss.

There are also certain foods that are said to help detoxify the body. Cherries, raspberries, and strawberries contain an acid that helps fight toxins such as alcoholic beverages. Citrus fruits and many berries contain vitamins C and E, which are proven to detox the liver, helping the liver to function fully. Prunes and fiber stimulate the expulsion of waste and help to cleanse the colon.

Apricots are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C, both of this help to repair lung tissue that has been damaged by smoking. Cranberries and cranberry juice contain an antioxidant called proanthocyanidin, which helps to cleanse the kidneys. All these foods assist the organs - especially the kidneys and liver - to work more completely in the removal of toxins from the body. You may choose one of these concepts, or several of them simultaneously for losing weight quickly through detox.

There are not many who can truly say they understand the importance of calorie control in their daily lives. Of course, the more food you eat, the more calories you consume, and larger portions mean more calories. On the same note, there are plenty of small food portions that are packed with calories such as a popular mall item, the Cinnamon. One cinnamon roll from this popular store has enough calories to last a person two days. Whereas if you eat four apples in one sitting, which is technically more food, you will only have consumed 9% of the calories of the cinnamon roll.

As we age, our body uses calories less effectively. If you are blessed with good metabolism and have been able to maintain a good figure, you should still pay attention to the type and amount of food you consume. Teenagers and children need a higher amount of calories because their bodies are growing and adding new cells, when you pass a certain age, your body naturally needs much fewer calories to function since it's not adding as many new cells. Eating the way you did as a youth will only increase your waistline and decrease your energy levels.

One way to help increase the number of calories your body burns is to take classes that build muscle-heavy weight training. Classes like Bikram yoga, Pilates, or weight training are great options that help create new cells in your body, build muscle and burn calories. You will still have to pay close attention to what you eat regardless of the training program you are in.

There are a lot of foods that can help boost weight loss and improve your overall health, ones that are rich in fiber and antioxidants are great metabolism boosters.

Top Foods that Offer Antioxidants Benefits

Heart disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's can all be battled by using the benefits of antioxidants. Foods that are rich in antioxidants help to cut the number of free radicals in the body and repair the damage caused by them. Finding food with the most antioxidants benefits is as easy as opting for food that naturally have bright colors. There is no type of food you should eat since there are many types of antioxidants that target different cells. It is always best to eat a wide range to gain the greatest possible benefit. In addition to eating a range, how your body is able to break them down for absorption also will decide the amount of success you will have from their properties.

Food with the most antioxidants benefits

There are four categories of food that offer the benefits of antioxidants, of those four main groups, there are a few of that group that offer high antioxidants benefits when prepared properly. Of the Vegetable group, the hearts of artichokes, russet potatoes and beans are the best options. Of the nut group, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans are the best choices. Fruit of course is the easiest source, and of them, cranberries, blackberries, and blueberries have the highest concentration of antioxidants. Not to be left out are spices, oregano, ground cloves, and cinnamon have very high amounts of antioxidants. The benefits of antioxidants provided by these can be obtained by eating them raw or using them as cooking ingredients in your everyday meals. Even the issue of antioxidants, as to their health benefits is now disputed, so this is another area where DYOR, do your own research matters.

How to assure you get the most antioxidant benefits from your food

Eating fruit is a great way to get a fair amount of "antioxidants" in your system, but you should keep in mind that fruit also has natural sugar, if you limit the amount of refined sugar you eat and substitute it for fruit, not only will you increase your antioxidant intake, but you might also trim your waistline. Avoiding sugary fruit juices, and making your own natural fruit juice with a juicer is the healthier approach.

If you have diabetes, you should be careful about the amount of sweet fruit you consume to avoid rising your insulin level to dangerous levels. Another of the benefits of antioxidants is that you can get more fresh vegetables in your diet. Green leafy vegetables don't only mean salads or other monotonous options, there are plenty of fresh vegetables that can be added to daily meals as sides or incorporated into your meat dishes. If you don't have time to cook, super green food products are great supplements that allow you to get a similar result. Organic fruit and vegetables have the highest amount of beneficial vitamins; however, you may need to buy regular ones depending on the availability of organic products in your area. Be sure to properly wash away pesticides from non organic items prior to consumption.

More Antioxidant Benefits of Food

Raw chocolate and goji berries are two foods that have a lot of antioxidant benefits, raw chocolate can be found in most stores, however, Goji berries are a little more uncommon. While blueberries are the most commonly seen food associated with antioxidants, the vegetables listed above have an equal concentration and can be more easily added to your existing menu. Red beans have been proven to contain more antioxidants that every type of blueberry and double as a healthy protein as well.

Portion control plays a big part in your weight loss regime. The feeling of deprivation is the main cause of diets failing. There are some easy ways to trick yourself that you don't suffer the feelings of deprivation.

The easiest way to make yourself feel that you are eating more even when you are eating less, is by serving your food on smaller plates. Never underestimate the power your eyes have on your stomach. Letting your eyes see a small plate full of food sends a signal to your brain that you have a full plate abundantly filled with food. Your brain doesn't register the size of the plate, only the amount of food on it.

Before you start to eat, always have a full glass of water. Appetizers are another way to fill your stomach before your meal. Not fried appetizers, but watery soup or a piece of fruit ten of fifteen minutes before your eat to help partially fill your stomach. Fruit,on top of adding to your daily nutrient requirement, has very few calories and doubles as a good source of fiber. The more fiber that you have in your diet, the longer your stomach will feel full. Avoid juices and sodas because they have a lot of sugar calories, and don't actually help curb your appetite prior to your meal.

Pay close attention to the portions when you eat, the portions provided on the pyramid of food are vastly different than the ones that are on food labels. If you are eating totally unprocessed food, there is no labeling at all, and you should seek a food chart to understand the proper serving size per person.

There should be no limit to the types of vegetables and fruit you personally eat and serve your family. You should however, be very limited in other types of foods such as snacks and desserts. Studies show that among all species, the wider the assortment of options available, the more that one will consume. For example, if you offer two or three types of biscuit for a person to eat, they usually will try one of each instead of one.

Learning the caloric content of food you eat on a regular basis is another key to success in changing from a fat filled lifestyle, to a healthy one. A few days practice is usually all you need to see the amount of calories and food you currently eat, and how much you should be eating. Following a calorie counting and food weighing regimen isn't something that has to last forever, once you are able to adapt your appetite and habits to smaller portions, you will be able to tell naturally the general amount of food you should eat at each sitting.

Frozen food isn't the best thing to eat, but there is a lot of benefit to be gained by using them to start your diet on smaller portions. The calories for the whole meal are already calculated so you don't have to worry about estimates or overeating. There are a lot of companies that offer dinners for every type of diet, whether it is vegetarian, halal, or gluten free. The amount of calories you eat every day of course depends on the amount of weight you are trying to lose overall. But a good way to estimate the amount you should eat is to multiply your current weight by thirteen and reduce it by 350calories for weight loss.

A good way to jump start your weight loss, is to go on a grapefruit diet, not only will it allow you to easily reduce your portions, but it will also detox your system and set you on the right path to a healthy lifestyle.

The grapefruit is a hybrid of citrus maxima (pomelo) and citrus sinensis (sweet orange) which was first bred in Barbados. It has been famous for its sour fruit that the early people call the forbidden fruit. Originally, it was grown just to be an ornamental plant but these dark green-leafed trees usually can grow up to 5 or 6 meters(16-20 ft) high.

Grape fruit comes in different varieties but the most popular is the reddish pink flesh inside. The fruit is a very good source of vitamin A, vital for skin development and eyesight. It is also a rich source of Vitamin C just like the parents of this hybrid fruit. It is full of other nutrients like vitamin B, thiamin and potassium and is also very helpful in dissolving inorganic calcium. The seeds have an antioxidant property that is an effective anti-cancer agent.

With these benefits that the grapefruit brings, it is just proper to have a grapefruit diet. Aside from the jam-packed nutritional value that you will get, it is also an effective quick weight loss diet. This magical fruit triggers fat burning enzymes when paired with protein, thus, causing fast weight loss. This 12-day diet plan has been around for almost eight decades, and has been very popular especially among celebrities because of the miraculously fast results. That's why it is also known now as Hollywood's Diet. Most people who already have tried the diet would confirm that there would be a10-pound loss of weight after the 12-day plan. But if you are willing to extend the 12-day diet, you must wait two more days before starting another cycle.

You just have to keep in mind that you have to avoid starchy vegetables like peas, beans, corn, sweet potatoes and other vegetables like white onions and celery. People love this meal plan because, as you can see, there's no starvation. Just drink plenty of water everyday and stick with the approved foods only.

Effective as it may seem, your safety is still of the essence, so just like other types of diet, you still need to consult your doctor before starting it. It is extremely necessary to talk to a health expert first because the Grapefruit Diet might interact or bring some untoward reactions to your medications or other treatments. If you already have a go signal from your doctor, by all means, start the diet now for you to prove its effectiveness for yourself.

Fat is an essential part of your body and your diet, it is true that you don't want too much fat in your diet, but you can't eliminate all of them. In fact, there are several types of fat you must have in order to lose weight. Over the past 40 years, the majority of doctors and researchers agreed that calorie reduction is the key to weight loss. They also pushed that fat is where most calories come from.

A certain amount of calories can be attributed to fat, but just like there are both positive and negative types of cholesterol, there are also positive and negative types of fat.

Good fat comes from several sources such as olive oils, certain fish, some types of nuts and avocados among other foods. These good fats help lower bad cholesterol and lower your chance of heart attack. The same researchers thought that only saturated fat is bad, but in fact, there is more than just one type of bad fat.

Most saturated fat is found in fatty red meat, ice cream, butter, whole milk and other dairy products. These are the main sources of artery clogging fats found in people with heart disease and high blood pressure. Trans fats are also bad forms of fat that can be found in food that are highly processed, fried food, and commercially baked goods.

Healthy fat helps keep your heart safe and strong against bad fat, it is also known to help reduce feelings of hunger. Many people who stick to diets that are low in fat, but high in starch find themselves very hungry not long after every meal. These same people would do much better for their body and their diet if they were to eat a green salad with good nuts, or a green salad with a salad dressing that has full fat. This comment originated from Dr. Willett, he is a highly educated doctor and also the chairmen of Harvard's nutrition department. Studies also show that people who choose to stick to a moderate fat diet are able to lose more weight and control their eating over the long run as opposed to people who opt for low fat or no fat diet.

Aside from the health benefits, fat is flavorful. If the food you are eating doesn't appeal to your taste buds, eventually you will stop eating it and opt for something more appealing, even if it's not good for you. The popular magazine, Cooking Light understands this and if you notice, the majority of their pages have some amount of butter listed in the preparations.

The editor states that the key is adding fat into your food in a smartway as opposed to unhealthy ways. Always remember that good fats have more calories, but those calories burn faster than bad fats. You still have to limit your calories by eating less of other foods to compensate.

Every human has a different chemistry, those with certain blood types are able to digest some foods easier than others. If you eat the food that is best suited to your blood type, not only will you reduce the number of reactions to the food you eat, you will also process that food more efficiently and allow your body to better utilize the nutrients within. This will lead to fewer incidences of illness and infection. Of course, if you don't often become sick, you will naturally lead a happy and healthier life.

Human stomachs have widely varying amount of digestive juices or enzymes as well as varying amounts of stomach acidity. This is another factor when it comes to losing weight. These levels are said to be controlled by your blood type so if you eat the foods assigned to your type, it will give your body a chance to attain optimal digestion, which will increase your metabolism and allow you to easily lose weight.

A few simple examples to lose weight by following food for your blood type for those with B type blood opt for higher red meat content in your diet. A larger amount of all types of dairy products are also required, but you should also abstain from chicken and pork. For those with O type blood opt for High amounts of fish, seafoods as well as meat. This type should eat the minimum of dairy products, get a larger amount of exercise and avoid orange and avocados. For those with a type blood A should opt for the diet of a vegetarian. All types of Fish should be consumed on a regular basis. Red meat should be avoided at all cost. Light exercise should be utilized as well.For those with AB type bloods opt for all types of fish, plenty red meat, dairy, and vegetables.

The Mediterranean diet is one that's been around the block a few times, these diets were almost half fat but were very heart healthy.Experts warn people that what worked in the sixties for them would not work for most people today. After all, back then, they ate at least one pound of fruit, almost no red meat, and obtained vast amounts of physical exercise in their farms fields. In the States,very few people still work in the field, and red meat is a staple of our diet.

Trans fats are another story, there is no way to avoid them completely, after all they can be found even in whole milk. When children are growing, especially during their early years, there is an increased need for fat in their diet to help their brains grow and mature.After the toddler years, the amount should be reduced greatly.

All this talk about trans- fat brings us to the issue of potatoes. These root vegetables are common in every home in all countries, not only America. They have a bad name mainly due to how they are prepared.Heck, if you deep fry a carrot and cover it in cheese, it's not going to be very healthy anymore either.

Potatoes are rich in potassium, the skin being the most nutrient rich part.They are also great as a natural thickening base for all sorts of healthy soups. Yes they have carbs, and yes, there are much better vegetables out there, such as the ones that have color. But they are still a good part of a healthy diet. One of the main reasons that spuds have such a bad name is when nutritionist suggested people eat more complex carbs, people chose French fries or pasta. What they had in mind was more a long the lines of beans, starchy fruit, and whole grain. While spuds are complex and they do offer carbohydrates, they are much easier to overindulge on than the other options.

Food makers were very happy to jump on the bandwagon and offer as mattering of low fat choices for health conscious consumers. The experts in their zeal to try to curb the increased weight of the population failed to explain the added dangers of overeating refined and over-processed food. People assumed that a low fat label meant you could eat without worry, only to find out that not only is it easier to gain weight from this type of food, but also that certain members of the population have a strong reaction to these refinements.

No matter how it enters the body, carbohydrates are eventually broken down and converted to glucose. Your body needs glucose to fuel its various functions, but there is a large part of the populace that has problems with glucose regulation. This problem results in metabolic conditions and increased size around the waist. Along with the increased weight, the risk for diabetes increases as well as the instance of high blood pressure.

There is still no answer for why people have this reaction, other than a genetic disposition that has no known corrector. Being inactive worsens the symptoms so exercise and muscle building are recommended for anyone affected. A reduction or total avoidance of refined carbs is also suggested to limit and reverse the effect on the body.

Proteins are extremely important to your body's function and overall health.Protein can be found from many different sources so your dietary options are quite diverse. Understanding the amount you should eat of each type of source is often the most complex part of forming a healthy lifestyle.

In America, the amount of red meat the population eats is alarming.There is a lot of protein in red meat, but there is also an equal amount of saturated fat. Fish is a great source of protein, but eating too much can cause a high amount of mercury to accumulate in your blood, posing a different sort of health risk. If your choice is between another steak and another fish filet, the fish is still a healthier choice.

The most popular diets on the market are those that are rich in proteins.Despite the popularity, no one has conducted studies on the effects of mass protein consumption over a long period of time. Many medical professionals warn that excessive protein consumption can lead to permanent liver and kidney damage.

The minimum you need to keep your muscles from eating themselves is around 75 grams of protein daily. There is little risk for protein deficiency in the United States thanks to the wide abundance of easily affordable food, plus the governmental food programs for the ultra-poor. There is talk in some circles of high amounts of protein being linked to a higher risk of heart disease and cancer, but these are still unproven theories.

What has been proven so far is that after a certain threshold, the amount of animal protein in your body can start to suck calcium out of your bones. There should never be more than a thirty per cent intake of protein or you will be putting yourself at risk for a host of other undesirable health problems.

Many people find that higher-protein diets are easier to stick to, and more weight can be lost on them due to the higher follow-through rate. In the short term, this is true since people will follow a program they enjoy more faithfully than one that doesn't offer anything comfortable. The problem with these types of diets is that they only focus on one part and that's weight loss. The diets don't have any provisions for improving overall health, bone health, or even cardiovascular health.

It isn't necessary to have protein at every meal, or even every day.When you do choose to eat meats, opt for lean cuts, fish or chicken is a healthier option that will also go toward your overall health.

Eating smart is very simple; limit your calories but eat a couple hundred less than your personal daily requirement. Make sure that you are active enough to burn more calories than you consume every day. Make sure that your food choices are something that you can stick with long-term, not just a few months, but for your entire life.