Numerous sources of information will tell you that fats are potentially harmful elements of your diet.  While this is true in general, it does not imply that fats are not valuable from a nutritional point of view.  In fact, fats are absolutely necessary for maintaining proper health.  Fats are the chief form of energy stored in the body.  During times of unavailability of food, the fats stored in the body provide energy to prevent starvation. 

There is good scientific reason behind why fats, and not carbohydrates, remain the chief form of stored energy in the body.  The body cannot store glycogen (the dominant form of the body’s carbohydrates) in great amounts because glycogen holds a great deal of water and is very bulky.  Fats, on the other hand, can be packed tightly together without water.  They can store much more energy than glycogen in a small space.

Foods rich in fats are valuable in many situations.  One gram of fat (or oil) provides twice as many calories as obtained from one gram of carbohydrates.  People doing hard physical labor and those traveling in cold climates require ample supply of fats to provide energy in the form of heat.  Fatty foods usually carry tempting aromas and flavors that cause you to eat these foods in excess, getting unneeded calories.

How do you know when to stop eating?  Well, there are certain fats in the food that slow digestion and give the brain a signal to stop eating.  That is why fatty foods give a fuller feeling of satisfaction.  

The vital organs of the body are surrounded by and cushioned in fat pads that function as shock absorbers.  Also, the layer of fat beneath the skin prevents the body from extremes of temperature conditions.  Fats also dissolve some essential nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Without some fat in our diet, we cannot survive.  The fear of eating too much fat and gaining weight is often associated with anorexia and other eating disorders, but fat, in moderate amounts, is actually healthy for your body.  Look for fats that are good for your body, such as those found in olive oil, and reduce the fats that are bad for your body, such as the ones found in fast food.  Remember to eat a small amount of good fats every day so that you can maintain good health.

Tags: Body Fat, Fat, Fatty Foods

Fad diets are diet plans or aids that aim at losing weight, usually in a relatively short time.  Fad diets attract a large number of people who suffer from weight problems and are helplessly looking for a way of arriving at a shapely physique.  The problem with fad diets is that their fat-reducing effect is temporary and results in quick regain of weight.  What is worse is that most of these diets are harmful to health.

Fad diets are not as new as they might seem at first.  These diets date back to the mid 19^th century when an obese Londoner was prescribed such a diet on

experimental basis.  Now, after a century and a half, fad diets have become popular among people with weight problems.  Teens and young adults especially flock to fad diets for answers to weight problems.

Fad diets are usually centered on a higher consumption of fats or proteins while stressing to go easy on or, in some cases, completely cut out carbohydrates.  It is the low intake of carbohydrates that brings about rapid weight loss.  In fact, this rapid loss is the loss of water that glycogen has stored.  With loss of glycogen, the large amount of water stored in it is also lost and body weight drops.  The fats are still there and as the fad diets are given up, the body regains its proportion of water lost.  Weight is put back on as fast as it was lost.  

Carbohydrates are the source of energy.  With fad diets, the carbs are no longer there so the body starts using the stored fat, breaking it down.  In the absence of carbs, fats cannot be completely oxidized and put to work.  Hence, the body feels fatigued and weak.  In addition, the ketone molecules resulting from the fat-breakdown accumulate in the blood and are excreted out via urine, causing dehydration.

Given the harmful health effects of fad diets, it is important for us, especially the weight-conscious people, to recognize and beware of these diet plans.  Watch out for diets that:

·       Promise quick weight loss

·       Publicize before and after pictures

·       Present weight-loss testimonials

·       Tend to limit natural food choices

·       Require a large sum of money 

Fad diets may be popular, but they can greatly hurt your body.  Be careful with any diet or exercise program and ask your doctor to be sure it is safe.

Tags: Fad Diets

Carbohydrates have been put into the spotlight ever since the Atkin’s and the South Beach Diets have recommended cutting carbohydrates out of your meals as much as possible.  Before you make any drastic decisions about what foods to include and not include, it is crucial to learn about carbohydrates and what they do for your body.

In short, carbohydrates can be good or bad for your body.  It is necessary to eat enough good carbohydrates, because that is how our body has enough energy for low-intensity activities during the day.  Carbohydrates are famously found in breads and grains, but actually they are also found in a number of other foods as well, such as fruits and vegetables.  When keeping an eye on your intake of carbohydrates it is important to distinguish the good from the bad.

All carbohydrates are basically sugars.  Complex carbohydrates are the good carbohydrates for your body.  These strings of sugar are very difficult to break down and trap other nutrients like vitamins and minerals in the sugar strings.  As they slowly break down, the other nutrients are also released into your body, and you are provided with fuel for a number of hours.

Bad carbohydrates, on the other hand, are simple sugars.  Because their structure is not complex, it is easy to break down and holds little nutrients for your body other than the sugars from which it is made.  Your body breaks down these carbohydrates rather quickly and what it cannot use is converted to fat and stored in the body.  Staying away from simple carbohydrates is what most diets recommend, since they have little nutritional value.

More importantly than how carbohydrates work in the body and the difference between good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates is how you can actually eat these carbohydrates!  First, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.  These foods include carbohydrates, but also a variety of other nutrients needed by your body.  Another great tip is to cut the white bread and bread products out of your diet and replace then with whole wheat or 12-grain breads instead.  Look at the packaging.  Foods rich in fiber are probably a source of good carbohydrates.

Learning the difference between good and bad carbohydrates is very important if you wish to have a healthy diet.  It is not good for your body to cut out carbohydrates completely—in fact, that is very difficult to do unless you only eat meat!  Eating a healthy and balanced diet means including good carbohydrates into your meals.

Tags: bad carbohydrates, good carbohydrates

If you are interested in eating a healthy diet compared to your current diet, I have good news or you—you don’t have to be rich to do so.  It is fully possible to involve yourself in healthy eating, even if you are on a very tight budget.  This may require a little bit of extra time and effort to plan your meals, but you can make good and inexpensive food choices in order to provide your body with excellent nutrition.

First, it is important to plan for your healthy diet.  When you go shopping, take a list with you of the healthy foods you need to purchase instead of walking up and down the aisles without a plan.  When you have a shopping list, you are less likely to purchase random junk food that you do not need.  Planning ahead with a list also allows you to look through store sales fliers in order to choose healthy foods that are offered at discount prices.  When you do go shopping, make sure that it is not on an empty stomach, when you will be craving fatting foods and will be more likely to overspend and waste money on unhealthy products.

You should also consider purchasing items in bulk.  Many club stores have a membership fee, but you can save a lot of money if you have an adequate amount of freezer and pantry space.  Look at the healthy foods you need, and then head to the bulk-food supply store in order to grab enough for the next month.  Remember to choose foods that are both healthy and freeze readily.

Eat at home as much as possible.  When you go out to eat or stop at a fast food restaurant   you will pay extra money for the convenience of someone else preparing the food.  These foods are also usually high in calories and low in nutrients.  Instead, calculate the money you would normally spend to eat out and then use it to buy more expensive healthy ingredients at the supermarket.  You can make breakfast and dinner and also pack a lunch to carry to work or school.

Purchase foods that are in season.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually very high in nutrients, but when you want strawberries in January, you’ll end up paying the extra price.  Learn when fruits come into season in your climate and purchase them at those times of year.  You can learn to can or otherwise preserve these fruits and vegetables if you want to have them all year round!  Of course, heading to your local farmer’s market is a great way to purchase these items and save money.  Healthy eating on a budget is all about being creative with the money you do have.

Tags: Healthy Eating, On a budget

By now, I’m sure you have heard people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  However, that doesn’t stop millions of Americans, and people around the world from skipping breakfast or opting for only a drink of coffee.  The truth is, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.  You will have a much more healthy diet if you include breakfast in your daily life.

When you sleep, you are not eating for 6 to 9 hours, more if you haven’t eaten since dinner the night before.  Therefore, breakfast is the first time you’ll be eating anything for a very long period of time.  Some nutrients, like proteins, cannot be stored in the body and are therefore not present, so the body needs you to replenish the “low” levels of such nutrients.  Breakfast is like the match that lights the fire.  It truly is a very important source of energy for your body in the morning.

Eating breakfast in the morning also helps you avoid some illnesses and disease.  For example, your sugar levels are probably out of whack from not eating for many hours, so having breakfast levels out the amount of sugars in your body, helping to prevent diabetes.  Eating a healthy breakfast also helps you to provide food to your stomach so that you don’t overeat at lunch because you are so hungry.  As we all know, overeating leads to obesity.

Healthy breakfast foods, like eggs, fruit, or bran cereal are also a good source of many of the vitamins and minerals a person needs during the day.  If you don’t eat these foods in the morning, it will be hard to make up for that loss later in the day.  Remember that without the proper amounts of nutrients, your body will not function correctly. When you eat a healthy breakfast, it also helps you choose healthier foods during the rest of the day.

Setting aside 15 minutes in the morning to eat breakfast can truly make a great different in your diet.  In the best case, your breakfast will include foods from at least three different food groups.  For example, you can have whole grain toast (bread food group) with peanut butter (protein food group) and a banana (fruit food group).  Top that off with a glass of milk, and you’ve even hit a fourth food group.  Breakfast does not have to include a heavy pancakes and sausage meal every day to be healthy and even grabbing a single piece of fruit or a muffin is better than skipping the meal completely.  Breakfast is important to your health!

Tags: Add new tag, breakfast, healthy breakfast

If you’re working on a weight loss plan, one of the most difficult times of the year can be the holidays.  Around Christmas and New Years, the parties and meals you’ll attend will include foods that are high in fat and calories and low in nutrition.  Fortunately, by following these five tips you can stick to your weight loss plan even as visions of sugarplums dance in your head.

First, avoid the alcohol.  Cocktails and beer are usually served at holiday parties, but they can be full of calories. When you drink, you also have a decreased will power when it comes to saying no to other holiday foods and your appetite will be stimulate, so you’ll eat even more than you normally would eat at a party.  Having one drink on a special occasion may be fine, but don’t overdo it every time you head out to celebrate the season.

Another great tip to stick to your plan during the holiday season is to show up fashionably late after you’ve already eaten a meal.  If you do this, you won’t feel pressured to eat an entire meal of junk food or snacks. Of course, showing up late may be insulting at smaller parties, so make sure you are not rude to the party host.

Use the holidays to get outside as well.  You can play in the snow if the weather allows, which actually burns tons of calories. Walking up the hill to sled and having a snowball fight are great ways to get your heart pumping as well as work off those candy canes.

 If the weather isn’t cold or snowy, use your time to head to the mall.  When gift shopping, make a number of laps around the mall and take the stairs instead of the escalator.  Keep this in mind at parties as well—get up and move around as much as possible. Christmas caroling is also a great way to stay off of your rear.  This will allow you to do some walking while spreading the holiday cheer.

Lastly, avoid gifts of food.  Of course, you can’t tell people what to buy for you, but if you find yourself with a bunch of brownies or boxes chocolates, why not share the love?  You can take these products into work or even donate unopened items to your local food bank.  These tips keep you staying slim, every as you’re surrounded by goodies.

Tags: holiday weight gain, lose weight

READING FOOD LABLES

 When you head to the grocery store, shopping for products like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce it can be very tricky. Signs are posted everywhere labeling food as natural, organic, and a number of other things—but what’s the difference, really? Learning what specific names mean can help you decide if you should shell out extra money on a product or is it simply a marketing ploy.

 Natural is a term associated with a number of fruit and vegetable product. Typically, this is simply a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product. After all, fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. What you really want is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore they are healthy foods. However, organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget, skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. Instead, opt for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, make sure you rinse off the food when you get home.

 Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal (even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and function. All meat products have hormones. What the labels really mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, the milk and meat is safe for a person and not a violation of an animal’s rights.

 Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged or penned. This does not make a difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These products may be a bit more expensive.

 Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make the best choices for you diet.

Tags: reading food lables