Tips For Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you
eat to keep your body in great health.  With healthy
eating, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins
 and minerals you need, stay strong for activities
you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you'll find tips designed to help you with healthy eating.

1.  Don't skip any meals
Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal
way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight.
When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more
 than likely to choose foods that aren't very good
for you. If you are eating away from home, take food with
you or know where you can buy healthy food from.


2.  Learn about how to prepare foods
Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying,
microwaving, baking, and even boiling.  You should
 also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to
add flavor to your food.  Before you eat any type
of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off it.

3.  Avoid a lot of sugar
 Drinks that contain sugar they are a major source of
empty energy.  What this means, is that the drinks
contain a lot of energy that your body may not
need, and it doesn't contain any vitamins or
minerals.  If you plan to drink sugary drinks,
don't go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.


4.  Avoid thinking about diets
 There are no good food nor any bad foods.  All
food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten
in moderation.  You don't need to buy any low
carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods
 normally have lots of other added ingredients
to replace the carbohydrates or fat.

Water - Your Diet And your Body

Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just way to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter. This it self will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all.

Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. It’s a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your breakfast drink after that. A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of lubricates the insides of your body. You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a glass of water. It is good for you.

 Drink a glass of water before you start the meal. Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.

Have another glass of water while you are having the meal. Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.

SIDENOTE: Water is such a remarkable thing, but seldom do we give it the credit that it deserves. Did you know that over 66% of your body weight is nothing but water? It’s amazing!

Water  plays a vital role in weight control, 

Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet sodas.

  

Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons. These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. They fill you up without adding to the pounds.   

Weight loss and Your Thyroid

Your thyroid dictates much of your metabolism, any malfunction or disease afflicting this area may cause you to have problems in metabolism leading to a drastic problem with your weight – you may either gain weight, lose weight, or may find that losing weight is harder than usual.

Those that plan diets do not take into consideration how their thyroids and metabolism may affect their weight loss program. Most experts and even the media pitch in and recommend that the best way to lose weight is cut calories. 

Those with a condition called hyperthyroidism suffer from an overactive thyroid leading to one having his or her metabolism skyrocket. If this is the case, then you will probably lose weight fast. This is a nice proposition for some who wish to lose weight. However, this is actually hazardous to the health. 

Aside from the medical difficulties such a disease brings, one will also notice weight problems as a result. These people have trouble keeping on weight and may notice weakness and bulging of the eyes. This disease may need special treatment from doctors.

Hypothyroidism on the other hand works in the other direction – slowing metabolism until the body gains weight at an incredible rate. Like hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism causes a general weakness in the body. It too may need special treatment and may cause serious health problems if left unattended.

While cutting calories in itself can be very hard for most people – imagine, the people involved in life and death struggles at the supermarket regarding whether to buy that extra box of sweets, some have exactly the opposite problem. 

Instead of eating too much calories – which is a problem in itself, they eat too little calories instead. 

Problem? What Problem
The problem with some is that they believe that since the experts say that they have to cut calories, cutting calories to an inordinate amount will reap greater results. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. While cutting calories helps diets, consuming too little calories pushed the body into a hoard mode, the body’s metabolism slow to adapt to the lesser amount of available energy. 

If your body enters this mode, your body will work at such slow metabolism that losing weight becomes impossible.  The technique here should be to reduce calories without the body slowing its metabolism. Only then can losing weight become easier.

Another problem that can arise from decreased metabolism is that when your metabolism slows due to a drastic reduction in metabolism, and then you suddenly eat a good, hearty, calorie-filled meal, you are bound to gain more weight owing to the increased surplus of energy.

This is why an imbalanced meal is highly discouraged among those that seek to lose weight. The sudden loss and increase of calories will cause an imbalance in one’s energy consumption directly affecting fat deposit.

Here is a simple computation to help you get to the right amount of calories you will need per day so that you get your nutrients in the right balance.

First of all, multiply your weight in kilograms by 30. If you only know your weight in pounds, divide it by 2.2 to get to its English equivalent. We divide this number by 30 because that is the number of calories you need to maintain your weight per pound of weight. 

For example if your weight in pounds is 150, divide it by 2.2. That will give you a figure of 68.18. This is your weight in kilograms. Multiply this by 30 and you will arrive at the amount of calories you will need per day to maintain 150 lbs. 

You may consult a nutritionist to help you come lose weight. In the end it all comes down to math. If you consume more that your body needs, it stores it as fat. Now is probably a good time to start studying the back of those grocery cartons. 

Try to keep your diet at a 40% protein, 25% fat, and 35% carbohydrate meals at 300 calories per meal. Spread out these meals in a day for optimum results.

While it may be simple computation to get at numbers, do not forget the earlier mentioned fact that the body adapts to its condition. Expose it to extreme ones and you may find yourself getting results you never wanted. Consult a nutritionist for more advice.

Dieting for Success Making it Happen

Dieting is far too often approached from the mindset of impending failure. Too many people have tried and failed so many diets in their past that they try the next new diet with the absolute knowledge that they will fail in this attempt as well. Guess what? They will.

Henry Ford once said, "If you think you can or think you can't you will always be right." If you think you are going to fail at this diet you are dooming yourself to failure before you even deprive yourself of the first bite. Think about that before you begin because only a true masochist could find pleasure in perpetuating this vicious cycle without ever stopping to wonder why none of the other diets have worked for you. Henry Ford also said, "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently". In case you were wondering I would say his words are quite profound. Seriously though, if you do not examine the reasons for your failures you are certainly dooming yourself to repeat them and if you are already planning to fail why on earth would you even try?

You are the only person who can take control of your need to eat. You are the only one who can pay attention and notice when you are eating for emotional fulfillment and when you are eating from necessity. You and you alone can get yourself out of your chair and on your feet. You are the only one that can take the responsibility for the condition in which you find yourself. There are medical exceptions but even in these situations if you are trying diet after diet and failing over and over again then you must at some point in time realize that it is quite likely not the diets that aren't working.

We must all be accountable for our successes and failures in life. It is no different when it comes to dieting. There are few better feelings in the world than for someone to notice and compliment your efforts. If you are very obese unfortunately, it may take a little more time for people to actually notice the weight you've lost. Too many men and women give up simply because no one noticed and that is an incredible shame. Give your dieting practices an opportunity to work before you decide they are a failure and you just might surprise yourself with a roaring success.

The truth is far too few people hold themselves accountable to their dieting and weight loss goals. This means that far too many people are giving up without really ever bothering to give it an effort. If you have an issue holding yourself accountable to your dieting plans, perhaps you would do well to diet with a partner. This helps you not only set goals but also to meet and exceed challenges along the way. A partner can also benefit from the partnership as he or she will be challenged and feel the need to perform better than if he or she were dieting alone.

You must hold yourself accountable to your stated dieting and weight loss goals in order to achieve any lasting results. If you have not had dieting success in the past, then perhaps it is time to bring some degree of accountability into the picture and make it happen.

Healthy Diet - A Guide to Weight Loss

Here are some weight loss diet tips that can be followed anywhere, everyday:


1. Make a delicious low fat mayonnaise by combining one teaspoon of Dijon mustard or satay sauce with a low fat yogurt.

2. Do not skip meals. Skipping meals slicks the body into slowing down the metabolism, attempting to conserve calories during a period where limited fats and fuel are available. Remember that eating increases the metabolism.

3. Stuff vegetables like capsicum and zucchini with flavored fillings or minced chicken, white meat or fish. These are healthy and contain low fat.

4. Take pita bread roll ups or wraps with salad fillings.

5. Eight hours after waking up, our metabolism slows down that is why 30 minutes of exercise before dinner will increase the metabolism for about two to three hours.  This produces an increase in burned fat even hours after the work out is over.

6. Add alfalfa or mung beans to salad to get extra iron. 

7. Good cooking and healthy eating begins with learning about nutrition and how to prepare healthy recipes.

8. Learn how to make the family favorite recipes and make sure that fats, salt, and sugar are cut out. Substitute non-fat yogurt for cream, stir-fry without oil and use herbs and spices instead of salt to taste.

9. Consult the doctor before beginning an exercise or weight loss program.

10. Slowly eat and chew each bite during meals as this would decrease one's appetite.

11. Complete three small meals and two snacks everyday instead of one or two huge meals. 

12. Use chicken stock when stir-frying.  This will cut down on hidden fat.

13. Buy non-toasted muesli instead of the toasted ones.  A plate of toasted muesli contains more fat than a plate of bacon and eggs.

14. As much as possible do not remove the skins of fruits and vegetables since most of the nutrients are concentrated under the skin.

15. Warm water with just a squeeze of lemon juice before breakfast get the metabolism going for the day, this also help preventing constipation and is excellent for the skin.

16. One of the best sources of vegetable protein is from soya beans or tofu. All legumes provide some protein, so include lentils, lima beans etc into casseroles and soups.

17. Look for a weight loss "buddy," club, or support mates. This will motivate you to stay and enjoy your weight loss program.

18. Though it's hard at first, try not eating 3 hours or more before bedtime.

19. Make pasta a fast food choice - preparing a pasta meal or salad will only take 10-12 minutes.

20. Chilli helps to speed up metabolism - even the milder varieties.

21. Try making omelettes without adding the yolks! A dramatic decrease in fat.

22. Substitute baking soda, baking powder, MSG and soya sauce in cooking.

23. Remove fat by dropping ice cubes into the baking tray. Fat will stick to the ice cubes.

24. Drinking hot water instead of cold water in the morning can increase the speed of your metabolism and burn more calories.

25. Eat before you go food shopping and always prepare a shopping list. Only buy food which relates to your weekly menu plan and don't be tempted to buy goodies. 

Make sure that the right discipline is still practiced to promote consistency on the diet plan.  This will lead eventually to a healthy life-style and a more fruitful living without the extra fat and extra pounds on the side.

Colour Your Way To Daily Health

It’s important that we eat plenty of different fruits and vegetables every day. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.

You’ve probably heard about the 5 A Day for Better Health program.  It provides easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables into your daily eating patterns. It’s vital that we eat a wide variety of colorful orange/yellow, red, green, white, and blue/purple vegetables and fruit every day. By eating vegetables and fruit from each color group, you will benefit from the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that each color group has to offer alone and in combination.
There’s several different yet simple ways to start incorporating vegetables and fruit into your familiar and favorite meals. You can begin your day with 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, slice bananas or strawberries on top of your cereal, or have a salad with lunch and an apple for an afternoon snack. Include a vegetable with dinner and you already have about 5 cups of fruits and vegetables. You may even try adding a piece of fruit for a snack or an extra vegetable at dinner.
Don’t be afraid to try something new to increase your vegetable and fruit intake. There are so many choices when selecting fruits and vegetables. Kiwifruit, asparagus, and mango may become your new favorite. Keep things fresh and interesting by combining fruits and vegetables of different flavors and colors, like red grapes with pineapple chunks, or cucumbers and red peppers.
Get in the habit of keeping fruits and vegetables visible and easily accessible – you’ll tend to eat them more. Store cut and cleaned produce at eye-level in the refrigerator, or keep a big colorful bowl of fruit on the table.

Healthy Food Choices

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do,
although it can be hard.  In order to eat healthy, you
 must first make the right food choices.  Eating healthy
is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very
crucial to your results.

Grains:-
You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day.  To do this,
 you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice,
crackers,or pasta.  You can get an ounce of grains in
a single slice of bread, or 1 cup of cereal.

Vegetables:-
These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of
 them each day.  You should start eating more of the dark
vegetables, such as broccili and spinach.  Carrots and
sweet potatoes are good as well.  You should also eat
more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney
beans.

Fruits:-
Fruits are very important.  You should try to eat 2 cups
of them each day.  Focus on eating a variety, such as
fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit.  You can
drink fruit juices as well, although you should use
moderation when doing so.

Milk:-
Milk is your calcium rich friend.  For adults, 3 cups
 is the ideal goal. 2 cups is where you
 want to be.  When choosing milk products or yogurt, you
should go for fat-free or low-fat.  Those of you who
don't like milk or can't have it, should go for lactose
 free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified
foods and beverages.

Meat and beans:-
Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go
 lean with your protein.  When eating meat, always bake it,
grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from
adding to the equation.  You should vary your protein
as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats
 such as butter,margarine,and lard. These
foods may add flavor to your dishes, but they can
also help raise your cholesterol as well. To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low,
you can check the nutrition facts label.  This label can
be found on the food package and will tell you all the
information you need to know about the food item.

 By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat,
you'll help control your lifestyle.  Exercise is great as
well as it this more than anything which will help burn the calories faster than any diet.
No matter what your age may be, eating healthy and exercise
will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and
years - even help you and your health in the long run.

Pointers on Losing Weight Safely

People who want to lose weight commonly, and first of all, think about reducing the amount of food they eat. This may be quite a solution but not exactly the best there is. In fact, depending on the amount you reduce in your food intake, it may even be dangerous to your health.

So how do you lose weight effectively and safely? Here are some points you should consider when trying to lose weight:

Beware of the Crash Diets

Most people think that trimming down the calories can alone shed off their unwanted excess. Probably this is because of the fad there is in advertising about low-calorie food products and beverages. What people don't know is that this could be dangerous because when they decrease their calorie intake way to below the required levels, the body begins to digest the fats. Sounds good but it doesn't actually. Burning fat requires a lot of energy. Since there is not much energy in the body to facilitate metabolism of fat, it will run at a very slow pace resulting to fatigue, illness and weak immune system.

A Low-calorie diet is also compensated for by the body by burning muscle. People on this type of diet who revert back to their old eating habits end up gaining back some, if not all the weight they have lost. This would consist mainly of fats. And since fats have more volume per mass than muscle, they end up having the same weight as before but more bulkier.

In losing weight, you should keep in mind that you should lose excess body fats only.

 However, you can try eating small meals at more frequent intervals. This way the body will not think that it is being starved and will not store food as fat.

Eat Properly

 you may have considered the crash diet option but you should also not forget to watch what your eating.   Variety must always be considered so that you may be able to get the necessary nutrients from your diet.It is also healthier to eat food which is roasted, steamed or broiled rather than fried. It is also important to include a lot of fibre in the diet. Frequent rehydration is also necessary.

Pump Up lean Muscle, Mass Muscles burn calories when they work; they even do so at rest. Unlike fats which just lie around. Muscles burn calories all-day round. With this fact, you can start weight loss by increasing muscle mass. The more muscles, the less fat will be left. This is attainable starting with working out with resistance exercises.

Aerobic exercises are not only good for the heart by increasing cardio-vascular endurance, they also help in increasing lean muscle mass while simultaneously decreasing excess body fat, aerobics make the metabolic process more efficient and its rate high, even after a long while. Imagine burning fat efficiently while driving,or even while watching television.

Losing weight does not have to mean sacrifice and suffering. It actually means opening up to a more full and healthy life which means a little adjustments plus the discomforts, but as the old saying goes, "no pain, no gain." Besides fat, what have you got to lose anyway?

Dieting Without Sacrifice

Dieting Without Sacrifice

So many people view dieting as some sort of cosmic punishment for not having the perfect body. They believe that enjoying food is somehow bad for them, which couldn't be further from the truth. If you want to be completely honest with yourself, when it comes to dieting, it isn't about giving up food or flavor; it's about discovering new foods and flavors. At least that is what it is for those who truly love food as well as adventure.

There are many spices out there that can make even the blandest of foods a little exciting. Fish and chicken are popular diet foods because they are lean meats. However, adding a little blackening seasoning is a great way to put a little punch in your meal that will make it taste great without packing on the calories of dressing marinades or soaking in butter before broiling. You do not have to stop there. Italian seasoning can also add a little flavor to your kitchen without adding the extra calories that you are working so hard to avoid.

There are all kinds of seasonings that will work well in this instance. Many great seasonings for chicken also make great additions to chicken that will be included in salads for healthier lunches or salad wraps. Grains are good for you when you concentrate on whole grains. They are quite often the primary source of fiber in a diet and you need fiber almost as much as you need water. At any rate, simple things that spice up the same old lunch can have a huge impact on your enjoyment of food.

You can even enjoy the occasional treat when dieting as long as you do so sparingly. The key when dieting is to learn about proper portions and moderate indulgence. You can find all kinds of low sugar or low carb desserts on the market that you can enjoy sparingly. You can even find sugar free or low calorie candy in some cases though you should keep in mind that calories, particularly when it comes to candy you eat unconsciously add up quickly and you must pay close attention to those things you put into your mouth.

My point in all this though is that you do not have to sacrifice flavor in order to diet. You can live without butter; there are many substitutions on the market that are quite remarkable. But seasonings are a great way to add a lot of flavor for a tiny bit of effort on your part. Desserts are also great and you can find many dips and sauces that can be made with fat free or low fat mayonnaise or sour cream in order to cut a few more calories during your dieting process.

These dips and sauces can often make a great substitution, when paired with vegetables, for those chips and dips we love so much and often miss when dieting. Cucumbers, green, red, and yellow peppers, broccoli, and carrot sticks all have a nice little crunch to them that when combined with a good low fat dip can help cure the crave beast for greasy chips that often rears its head when dieting.

If you watch your calories carefully during meals you should be delighted to know that there are many little snack treats that are prepackaged in 100 calorie packs for your enjoyment. This means that you can indulge on occasion in those treats that you love most without sacrificing all your dieting efforts in the process. These snack packs have become one of the best marketing ploys since the invention of diet colas. We all want the benefits of losing weight and will readily admit that if it were a simple process we'd all be thin. However, having something like these hundred calorie snack packs to carry you through the worst of your cravings can mean the difference between dieting success and failure. They are definitely the difference in the old way of dieting and the new way of dieting without sacrificing flavor.

You Really Are What You Eat

Recent dietary research has uncovered 14 different nutrient-dense foods that time and again promote good overall health.  Coined “superfoods,” they tend to have fewer calories, higher levels of vitamins and minerals, and many disease-fighting antioxidants.
Beans (legumes), berries (especially blueberries), broccoli, green tea, nuts (especially walnuts), oranges, pumpkin, salmon. soy, spinach, tomatoes, turkey, whole grains and oats, and yogurt can all help stop and even reverse diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and some forms of cancer. And where one might have an effect on a certain part of the body, it can also affect the health of other body functions and performance, since the whole body is connected.  With these 14 foods as the base of a balanced, solid diet, weight loss gimmicks and other fly-by-night programs can become a thing of the past in your life. 
Conversely, the ill-effects of an unbalanced diet are several and varied. Low energy levels, mood swings, tired all the time, weight change, uncomfortable with body are just a few signs that your diet is unbalanced.  An unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance of body tissues, growth and development, brain and nervous system function, as well as problems with bone and muscle systems.
Symptoms of malnutrition include lack of energy, irritability, a weakened immune system leading to frequent colds or allergies, and mineral depletion that can trigger a variety of health concerns including anemia.  
And since the body is connected, realizing that an unhealthy body will result in an unhealthy spirit only makes sense.  When we nourish our body with these super foods and complement them with other nutrient-dense and healthy fresh foods, our spirit will be vitalized and healthy as a direct result.
Many modern diets based on prepackaged convenience foods are sorely lacking in many vitamins and minerals, which can affect our mental capacities as well, and cause irritability, confusion, and the feeling of ‘being in a fog’ all the time. 
Superfoods can be the basis of a sound, healthy, nutritious solution to curing many of these ailments and more.  

Changing How You Eat

Changing How You Eat

As you may know, not fueling up with the right
nutrients can affect how well your body performs
and your overall fitness benefits.  Even though
healthy eating is important, there are myths that
hinder your performance if you listen to them.
Below, you'll find some myth busters on healthy
eating.

1.  Working out on an empty stomach.
If you hear a rumbling noise in your stomach, the
rumbling is trying to tell you something.  Without
listening to them, you are forcing your body to
run without any fuel.  Before you exercise or do
any physical activity, always eat a light snack
such as an apple.

2.  Relying on energy bars and drinks.
Although they are fine every once in a while, they
don't deliver the antioxidants you need.  Fruits and vegetables are your best bets,
as they are loaded in vitamins, minerals, fluid,
and fibre.

3.  Skipping breakfast.
Skipping breakfast is never a good idea,as
breakfast starts the day.Your body needs fuel
as soon as possible, and without it, you'll be
hungry throughout the day.

4.  Low carb diets.
Your body needs carbohydrates for your muscles and
the storing of energy. 

5.  Eating what you want.
Eating healthy and exercising doesn't give you an
all access pass to eat anything you want. Everyone
needs the same nutrients whether they exercise or
not, as well as fruits and vegetables.

6.  Not enough calories.
Although losing weight involves calories, losing
it too quickly is never safe.  What you should do,
is aim for 1 - 2 pounds a week.  Always make sure
that you are getting enough calories to keep your
body operating smoothly.  If you start dropping
weight too fast, eat a bit more food.

7.  Skip soda and alcohol.
Water, milk,and juice is the best to drink for
active people.  You should drink often, and not
rely on thirst to be an indicator.  By the time
you get thirsty, your body is already running a
bit too low.
 
Changing how you eat is always a great step
towards healthy eating and it will affect how your
body performs.  The healthier you eat, you better
you'll feel.  No matter how old you may be, healthy
eating is something you should strive for.
Once you give it a try, you'll see in no time just how much it can change your life - for the
better.

Experience Healthy Weight Loss By Eating Slower

"How in the world can I experience healthy weight loss by eating slower?" you just asked yourself. Right? If you didn't maybe you should have. In this article I will tell you how this works and tell you how this can benefit you health wise and weight loss wise.

Believe it or not you can lose weight, get healthy and stay that way, by following this fat shedding advice. It is literally one of the best pieces of advice I can give you. And it is something you can start today! Drum roll please! Eat your food more slowly. It can take your brain as much as 20 minutes or more to process that you are full.

Hunger actually happens in your brain, not your stomach. When it is full, your stomach sends a signal to your brain to stop eating. However, it takes time for that signal to get to your brain. Meanwhile, you are continuing to plow food into your body, before that signal reaches your brain.

The Chinese have a saying “eat until you are two thirds full.” This is good advice because even after you stop eating, you will continue to feel more full as the brain processes the food you have eaten. In fact, studies have shown that people routinely eat 100 to 200 more calories than they need each sitting just because they don’t stop when they ought to. So, slowing down your food consumption will actually allow your brain to process the signals that you are getting full.

People who eat slower tend to weigh less in general.

In one study, women were monitored at two meals. In the first meal, they were given a large plate of pasta and told to eat quickly. In the second meal, they were told to chew each bite at least 20 times. In the first meal, they ate an average of 646 calories in 9 minutes. In the second meal, they ate 579 calories in 29 minutes before they felt full.

In addition to losing weight, when you eat food slowly, you will enjoy it more. You can eat a small amount of an indulgent food rather than a big hunk of cake. But, you will experience a higher level of satisfaction with the smaller amount.

You will also be better able to digest your food. Digestion starts in the mouth. The more work you do there, the less work you will have to do in the stomach. Paying attention to your eating can also reduce the amount of stress in your life. Meal time will become a time of relaxation and rejuvenation rather than one more harried activity in the day.

You will also be able to really enjoy the company of the people with whom you eat. Our fast lives lead to fast food. Fast food makes you fat. Instead, slow down, prepare your own food, and eat it leisurely.

The Healthiest Foods You Can Get

The Healthiest Foods You Can Get

The following is a list of the healthiest foods that
you can get.  This will help you get an idea as
to what foods are the best for your body.


Fruits

Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to
prevent radical damage and also helps to protect
the eyes.  A single apricot contains 17 calories,
0 fat, and one gram of fibre.  You can eat them
dried or soft.


Mango
 A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C,
which is nearly your entire daily dose.  This
 antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also
boost your immune system.


Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes contain 117 GG of vitamin C, which is
 almost twice the recommended dose.

Half a melon
 contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly
twice as much as a banana, which helps to lower
blood pressure.  Half a melon contains 97 calories,
1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fibre.


Tomato
A tomato can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach,
and colon cancers in half if you eat one daily.
A tomato contains 26 calories, 0 fat, and only
1 gram of fibre.



Vegetables


Onions
An onion can help to protect against cancer.  A
cup of onions offers 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3
 grams of fibre.


Broccoli can help protect against breast cancer,
and it also contains a lot of vitamin C and beta-
carotene.  One cup of chopped broccoli contains
25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fibre.


Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend
 off macular degeneration, which is a major cause
of blindness in older people.  One cup contains
7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fibre.


Grains, beans, and nuts
Peanuts and other nuts can lower your risk of
heart disease by 20 percent.  One ounce contains
166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and over 2 grams of
fibre.


Pinto beans
 A half cup of pinto beans offers more than 25
percent of your daily folate requirement, which
protects you against heart disease.  Half a cup
contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams
of fibre.


Skimmed milk
offers vitamin B2, which is important for
good vision and along with Vitamin A could improve
 allergies.  You also get calcium and vitamin D as
well.  One cup contains 86 calories,0 fat, and 0
fibre.


Seafood

All cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel,and
tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids,
which help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.
A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories,
4 grams of fat, and 0 fibre.
Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and immunity
boosting zinc.  A 3 ounce serving of crab offers
84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fibre.

Becoming A Healthy Eater

Becoming A Healthy Eater

And staying a healthy eater requires you to become both
educated and smart about what healthy eating
actually is.  Being food smart isn't about
learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it
about studying labels and counting calories.

Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate
eating, consisting of healthy meals at least
three times per day.  Healthy eaters eat many
 different types of foods, not limiting themselves
 to one specific food type or food group.

Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway.  You
might eat too much or not enough, consume
foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious.
However, you should always fuel your body and
your brain regularly with enough food to keep
both your mind and body strong and alert.

A healthy eater is a good problem solver.  Healthy
eaters have learned to take care of themselves
and their eating with sound judgement and making
wise decisions.  Healthy eaters are always aware
of what they eat, and know the effect that it
will have on their bodies.

You should always remember that restricting food
in any way is always a bad thing.  Healthy eating
 is a way of life, something that you do to
 enhance your body or your lifestyle.  If you've
 thought about making your life better, healthy
eating is just the place to start.

Tips For Healthy Eating 

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you
eat to keep your body in great health.  With healthy
eating, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins
and minerals you need, stay strong for activities
you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you'll find tips designed to help you with
healthy eating.


1.  Don't skip any meals Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal
way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight.
When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more
than likely to choose foods that aren't very good
for you.If you are eating away from home, take food with you
or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2.  Learn about how to prepare foods
Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying,
microwaving, baking, and even boiling.  You should
also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to
add flavor to your food.  Before you eat any type
of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off  it.

3.  Avoid a lot of sugar
Drinks that contain sugar are a major source of
empty energy. This means, the drinks
contain a lot of energy that your body may not
 need, and it doesn't contain any vitamins or
minerals.  If you plan to drink sugary drinks,
don't go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.

4.  Avoid thinking about diets
 There are no good food nor any bad foods.  All
food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten
 in moderation.  You don't need to buy any low
carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods
normally have lots of other added ingredients
to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.

Changes for Life - Not Dieting

It's that time of year again when many of us regret the lovely meals we enjoyed over the Christmas period as we realize our jeans are too tight! The all-inclusive holiday, trips to the beach and pool is calling us and we want to look good when we slip into our bikini. Now is the time to make  eating choices and get ready to slip into your skinny jeans.

When you’re trying to remove excess weight, you’re probably keen to see, and feel, a difference quickly.
It can be tempting to put your trust in one of the countless schemes that promise rapid, easy ways to shed the fat. Unfortunately, even if these fad diets do help you to reach your ideal weight, you’re unlikely to maintain a decent weight in the months and years afterwards. Remember,  shedding pounds very quickly is unlikely to help you to maintain a healthy weight long-term. And it comes with health risks. Also, if you lose a lot of weight very quickly, it may not be fat that you're losing. It might be water weight or even lean tissue, since it's hard to burn that many fat calories in a short period.
If you’re visualizing a future in which you've shed your excess weight, the best choice is to make healthy changes to your diet and levels of physical activity that lead to a safe, steady rate of shifting the weight, that will last a lifetime.
Trying to reach your ideal weight and being healthy does not mean going on the latest diet craze which may help you shift the excess pounds but as soon as you stop the "Diet" normal service resumes and the weight piles back on. The most important thing for your bodies is to maintain optimum health with a variety of choices from all of the food groups and regular exercise. Your weight will naturally fall with this new routine.

A nutritional diet by definition is a diet that consists of the right nutrients in the right quantities. Generally speaking, we all need fruit and veg, starchy foods, sugars, salt, protein, dairy and even fats! The idea is to work out how much of each food group we need daily/ weekly. By doing this you will completely change the way you look at food and educate you on how to listen to what your body needs and how best to maintain a healthy and varied diet whilst still removing fat. You can even have treats!
Eat the right number of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you’ll remove excess weight. The average man needs around 2,500 calories a day. The average woman needs 2,000 calories. Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.
Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you’re getting a good variety of the foods to ensure your body is receiving all the nutrients it also needs.

If you’re trying to rid yourself of the extra pounds, the safe weekly rate of loss is between 0.5kg and 1kg. That’s between around 1lb and 2lb a week. Although that may seem like a slow pace,  it's more likely to help you maintain your ideal weight for the long term. Remember that 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat contains 3,500 calories. So to lose 1 pound a week, you need to burn 500 more calories than you eat each day (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).
Shedding weight faster than this, and you are at risk of health problems that include malnutrition and gallstones, as well as feeling tired and unwell.
Fad diets (that involve simply changing your diet for a few weeks)  are also unlikely to lead you to your ideal weight in the long-term.

1. Eat protein at every meal. Eating enough protein will help you stay satisfied and resist the temptation to snack excessively between meals. Aim to eat approximately .7 grams of protein for each pound of your body weight. Just multiply your body weight, in pounds, by .7 to determine the number of protein grams to eat each day.  Protein also helps boost your metabolism, since it takes more calories to metabolize compared to fat and carbohydrates. Some high-quality protein sources include: lean beef, chicken breast, fish, lentils, beans, and Greek yogurt.

2. Don't drink your calories. You've heard it many times before, but drinking your calories, with sugary drinks, juice, or alcohol, is an easy way to sabotage your diet. Dehydration, though, is an underlying cause of food cravings, so do drink plenty of water! Water helps to keep you full and is a key way to detox your body. To calculate your water needs, take your body weight and divide by two. This is the number of ounces of water you need to drink every day. If plain water sounds boring to you, flavor it with fruit or veggie slices for a fun twist.

3. Just log it. Writing down your food and beverage intake is critical to weight-loss success, because it keeps you accountable.  Many great apps, such as My Fitness Pal, can help you keep track of your diet.

4. No eating after dinner. Late-night snacking is a problem for many people, especially when it's done mindlessly while watching TV or browsing the Internet. When you snack after dinner, your body will be busy digesting your food while you sleep instead of burning the fat. You want your body to be burning fat while you sleep so stop eating after dinner. This is a key to burning off excess weight quicker!
5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you get rid of excess weight.

Ways to Lose Fat Fast—And Fit Into Your Skinny Jeans!  By MITZI DULAN
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2012/09/24/7-ways-to-lose-fat-fastand-fit-into-your-skinny-jeans.

Switching from unhealthy to healthy foods on a small scale is far easier than you may think. By making a few slight alterations to your diet you can make a huge difference to your health and physical fitness levels.
The easiest way to go about doing this is with little switches and changes here and there. By swapping your usual foods and drinks for those that are slightly healthier, you can make a huge difference.
You can, for example, swap your whole milk to semi-skimmed or even skimmed milk, when making breakfast or having a cup of tea. While on the topic of breakfast, you could also swap your sugar-coated cereals for a whole grain version such as porridge. Throughout the day you should also work hard to swap white bread for the whole grain variety, as again this is far healthier.
When cooking curries or pastas it is always a good idea to swap creamy or cheesy sauces for tomato or vegetable based sauces. When eating meats you should always aim to choose leaner cuts of meat that have less fat, so for example, swap streaky bacon for back bacon. If you make these simple swaps then you really will start to notice the difference that they make to the way you look and feel.

Here are some great and healthy ways to reduce your caloric intake:

Eat a healthy diet filled with lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products.
Reduce or eliminate alcoholic drinks
Consume low-fat products.
Reduce your portion sizes and don't eat second helpings of food.
Reduce high-calorie foods, including sugary and fried foods.
Eat more grilled, broiled, and roasted foods.
Try not to pick at foods between meals.

Exercise
Physical exercise is an essential part of any healthy eating plan. Exercise will help you burn excess calories and fat, and will also help to tone and build muscle. When trying to move excess weight, it is a good idea to exercise daily. Be sure to speak to your doctor before engaging in any type of physical exercise. Here are some tips to effective fat burning exercise:

Find an activity that is easily accessible and that you like doing. This will make it easier for you to stick with.
Start slowly. Start with 20 minutes of exercise, three times a week and build from there.
Add in exercise everyday: try climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or get off the bus a stop early and walk to work. When you are on the phone if possible get up and walk around. If you feel you need something a little more regimented you could join a gym. I personally have a wii which has a wii fit programme that I can do in the privacy of my bedroom!!
Try to combine all types of exercise into your routine, including strength-building, aerobic, and flexibility exercises.

Diet Don'ts
When it comes to dieting, there is a lot of bad advice out there. Never resort to any of the methods listed below to help you.

Pills:  pills are usually ineffective for fat loss and are often dangerous and unregulated. Some of these pills contain addictive and harmful ingredients and should never be used without a doctor's supervision. If you are interested in  medication, speak with your doctor

Laxatives: Many people use laxatives to try to get rid of the weight quickly. Never use laxatives to try to do this, they only cause water-weight loss and can seriously dehydrate you. When seriously abused, laxatives can become life-threatening.

Fasting: While fasting plays a major part in some diets, it is generally not recommended  as a safe way to remove excess weight. Fasting can seriously impair your body's metabolism, making it more difficult to get your body back on an even keel. Fasting can also dangerously affect nutrient and water levels in the body.

To help keep a steady weight, eating sensibly, and burnng off the calories we take in by regular steady exercise will help to keep us on an even keel and rid us of the need for diets which in the long term do more to harm our bodies than help them.