Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Seven Super Diet Trends

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Anyone anxious to lose weight will be excited about these seven super diet trends. Each one is safe, practical, and if you are willing to follow them, you will lose weight. A well-balanced diet is always the best choice, but be careful of added ingredients that can add more calories than you are burning off daily. Never sacrifice your health in order to lose a few pounds.

1. The Clean Eating Diet focuses on eating clean with no added sugars, salts or chemicals. This diet may be difficult for some to adhere to. Transition slowly, eating less salt, sugar and processed foods. The diet abstains from processed foods and encourages lots of vegetables, fruits, water, and lean meats.

2. Dash Diet is a very good diet that focuses on healthy foods, particularly, heart-healthy foods. It’s a plant-focused diet—rich in fruits and vegetables, nuts, low-fat and non-fat dairy, lean meats, fish and poultry. Developed as a diet to help lower blood pressure, it’s also a diet that will help you lose weight.

3. Fitness4Her Diet the no-calorie counting diet that will help you love healthy food in a whole new way. You get to indulge in 5 meals per day. Smaller portions are the key to losing weight, but you’re never hungry because your next meal is only a couple of hours away. Based on the Fitness4Her principles of healthy eating, this diet encourages lots of vegetables and fruits, lean meats, and low fat and non-fat dairy. It discourages alcohol, caffeine, added sugars and salts. Processed foods are replaced with fresh, nutritious foods. This diet plan comes in 3 parts, diet, exercise and journaling. Keeping a fitness journal instills accountability and is more likely to help you succeed than dieting and exercise alone.

4. Flexitarian Diet for vegetarians who eat meat occasionally, the Flexitarian adds flexibility to your diet. It claims to be healthier for you than a strictly vegetarian diet because eating small amounts of meat will supply the protein needed for a more nutritionally-balanced diet.

5. Mediterranean Diet is popular for those who enjoy healthy, flavorful food. Emphasis is given to replacing fats like butter with healthy olive oil. A diet that consists mostly of vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains with smaller portions of lean meats and very little red meat. Replacing table salt with fresh herbs and spices to season your food.

6. New Nordic Diet isn’t really new, but it is a diet that offers a wide variety of foods. It’s based on whole foods that are filling and keep you satisfied from meal to meal. The diet includes foods that are rich in fiber and protein and while the Mediterranean diet is based on olive oil, the New Nordic diet is built around heart-healthy canola oil. Limited salt and sugar is key to this diet that has been proven to improve cardiovascular health.

7. Weight Watchers Diet is one of the oldest and most successful diets, and offers wonderful support. Working with a nutrition-point system, rather than calorie counting, it gives members a sensible and healthful eating plan with a variety of recipes that can be made at home and pre-portioned foods that can be purchased.

Every year there are a dozens of claims from celebrities and spokespeople, exclaiming the success they have had with the latest diet that is trending. It’s sometimes difficult to know what to believe. Some diets are extreme and should be avoided. Be sure that the diet you choose includes the proper nutrition you need for a healthy body.

Love Food Lose Weight

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Lose weight and manage your weight for the rest of your life when you learn to love food and give it the respect it deserves. Food sustains us and keeps us healthy. It comforts us and instills memories that time cannot erase. Food is life.

Food is not the enemy when it comes to losing weight. One the contrary, food is the answer to losing weight. As a matter of fact, eating 5 times a day may help you to lose more weight than the traditional 3 meal a day spread. Of course, the portions will be smaller, but if you give yourself a few minutes for your stomach and brain to get in-sync, you may find that you are satisfied without the desire to go back for seconds. When food tastes delicious we naturally want to eat more, but that extra helping can be the difference between feeling well satisfied and bloated. When you overeat, you cause your body to spend time trying to digest and adjust to all the extra gas produced by the digestion process. Eating less gives the body the nutrients it needs and allows it to easily digest the meals you eat, thereby ridding the body quickly of waste and excess calories. Smaller meals and shorter waits between mealtimes means there is less chance of your body storing extra fat and calories.

Every meal you eat should be enjoyable and satisfying. Never feel guilty about eating. If you happen to overeat or succumb to temptation of some sweet confection, don’t let feelings of disappointment cause you to feel guilty. Instead, take time to enjoy what you are eating. More often than not, your craving of that particular treat will be diminished once you have given in, eaten it, and enjoyed it, thereby conquering the nagging feeling that you have somehow deprived yourself.

Dress up your meals with seasonings and herbs, colorful fruits and vegetables and garnishes. Use pretty plates and place settings so your meals never feel rushed. Avoid watching television or reading when you eat. These distractions can mask how much and how fast you are eating. Slow down and chew your food, especially meat and vegetables so that they have a better chance of digesting completely.

As often as possible, promote family gatherings and share your meals together. Although you shouldn’t have to be reminded to get together with family and friends, dining with loved ones creates a pleasant surrounding that makes mealtime enjoyable. Eating with others helps you to slow down, chew your food and really enjoy the flavors of a finely cooked meal.

Reduce, Replenish and Recharge Your Diet

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If you want to lose weight and manage it for the rest of your life, then you’ve got to be willing to make changes to the way you are living. Reduce, replenish and recharge your diet by reducing some foods, replenishing your diet with good, healthy foods and recharging your metabolism with foods that energize your body.

Foods that are high in sugar not only add pounds, studies indicate that too much sugar interferes with the body’s ability to get rid of toxins. Sugar has inflammatory properties, too. Sugar robs the body of vitamin B, causing your body to take vitamin B from your liver, kidneys and heart.

Eating foods high in carbohydrates puts a tremendous amount of stress on the heart. Because the kidneys have to work extra hard to metabolize sugar, this in turn makes the heart work harder. Eating sugar late at night or before going to bed puts additional stress on your heart and kidneys when they should be at rest.

Foods with a high level of refined and processed carbohydrates raise sugar levels very quickly, and this includes most breads. White bread and white rice are both culprits. Reduce the amount of these foods in your diet for the best results with your weight loss program.

Reduce the amounts of oil that you use, even when using olive or canola oil. Minimize or avoid entirely fried foods, red meat, creams, fatty salad dressings, cheese, and high fat desserts like ice cream. Indulging in fat-rich foods will cause unwanted weight gain. Saturated fats initiate LDL, or “bad cholesterol” which in turn increases the risk of heart disease.

Replenish your diet with loads of fresh produce, whole grains, and beans. Eat fresh fish. Studies show that Americans who eat a plant based diet and include a small portion of fish once a day, live longer than those who do not. Plant based diets will balance your hormones and help you to lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life.

Eating healthy foods high in vitamins and nutrients and low in sodium, sugar and saturated fat will give you more energy and improve your overall health. Choose whole grains for their high levels of nutrients and fiber and snack on a couple of handfuls of nuts each day to keep the doctor away. Nuts satisfy hunger, give you more energy and reduce cholesterol.

Reduce the bad foods, replenish your body with lots of good healthy foods and get energized with a whole new diet and a new attitude.

Get Nutty About Your Diet

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Almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts and walnuts are just a few of the nuts that should be part of your daily diet. It is suggested that a couple of handfuls each day will help to lower cholesterol and attribute to your longevity. Nuts are tasty and a fantastic way to satisfy the need to munch without adding a load of empty calories. Remember to pack a sack of nuts to take with you as you go on errands, family outings or even for a pedicure. Add nuts to salads, cereal, desserts and main dishes. Crushed nuts are wonderful on fish and chicken or used as the crust for your favorite pie. There are numerous ways to include nuts in your diet and with the benefits they provide you will want to make them a staple in your diet.

Almonds are high in fiber and rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. Almonds help to lower blood sugar and reduce weight. Studies have shown almonds raise levels of good bacteria in the gut that boosts the body’s immune system.

Cashews can make you smarter. Cashews are rich in magnesium, which helps improve memory function. These nuts also contain high amounts of zinc and iron essential to the body’s immune system. Eating cashews can also improve eyesight.

Pecans are high in oleic acid, antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are great crushed, halved or whole. Pecans promote digestive health, improve heart functions and build healthy bones and teeth. High in calcium, magnesium, copper and iron and helps to reduce inflammation and reduce blood pressure.

Pine Nuts give you energy. Pine nuts are a very good source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They are a heart healthy snack that helps to reduce cholesterol and help you lose weight when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. They are higher in calories than many nuts but are high in vitamin E and are gluten free. Pine nuts are an excellent source of vitamin B-complex, which helps to improve the body’s metabolism.

Walnuts contain a large amount of antioxidants and rich in Omega-3s, which fight inflammation. Eating walnuts may help to reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. The skin in particular is high in phenolic acids, tannins and flavonoids. Add these to your fruit salad, chicken salad or munch on a handful as a snack. Nuts are high in calories but the benefits make them a must for a healthy, well-balanced diet.

10 Top Tips For Weight Management

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It’s not just about how great you look that makes losing weight so wonderful. Learning to manage your weight is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. The scary thing is that carrying around excess weight could be doing more damage than you know. Your back, knees and feet undergo serious strain for every 10 pounds of extra weight. Starting today, make the decision to begin losing the excess pounds. It won’t be easy in the beginning but if you fully support your efforts, you can learn to manage your weight and keep those pounds off.

1. Eat often, but eat in small portions. Plan your meals about 3 hours apart keeping portions about the size of the palm of your hand.

2. Don’t skip meals. This is one of the biggest mistakes dieters make. Skipping meals will not help you to manage your weight.

3. Don’t forget your fiber. Fiber reduces body weight and body fat. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals. For optimum colon health, 25-35 grams of fiber is recommended each day. Fiber helps to stabilize your blood sugar and helps to stave off hunger cravings.

4. Eat plenty of protein, but get it from lean sources. Lean meats, egg whites, vegetables, nuts, yogurt and skim milk are all healthy low calorie choices that are rich in protein.

5. Within reason, eat as many servings of fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. The USDA suggests 5 to 7 servings each day, but you don’t have to limit yourself to those numbers. Vegetables especially are low in calories and fat so you can eat plenty and still manage your weight.

6. Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates. Limit or avoid soda drinks, cereals that are high in sugar, candy, cookies, cakes and donuts. Go easy on dishes like pasta and bread.

7. Reduce dietary fat generally, and particularly reduce unhealthy saturated fat. Use minimal amounts of oil when cooking and try to use oils such as Olive and Canola. Avoid fried foods, creams, and fatty salad dressings. Squeeze a lemon over a salad in place of salad dressing.

8. Reduce your intake of salt and sugar. Check nutritional labels and pay attention to how much salt and sugar has been added. Gradually decrease the amount of salt and sugar you add to the foods you prepare. If you like coffee, begin cutting back on the sugar and cream.

9. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories and slows metabolism. A glass of red wine can be beneficial to the heart but so can grape juice.

10. Drink plenty of water. About 8 glasses a day is suggested to keep you well hydrated. Of course, if you are active you will probably drink more. Strive to replace your higher calorie beverages with water, especially during meals. Water removes toxins from the body and it’s calorie-free!