Diet and Nutrition

The Raw Food Diet: Healthy, or Are Benefits Cooked-Up?

Raw Food Since when was getting a raw deal a good thing? When you decide to try the Raw Food Diet, apparently. Proponents of this natural food diet stick to unprocessed uncooked plant foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, dried fruit, and seaweed.

Most adherents are vegetarian, while some eat raw fish and even fewer eat (gulp!) raw meat. Either way, you may as well say bye-bye to that new stainless steel stove of yours. That’s because raw food proponents believe that heating any food above 116 degrees Fahrenheit destroys important enzymes that help in digestion and absorption of the essential nourishment you get from your meals.

Critics claim that even if enzymes are inactivated when food is heated, the body uses its own enzymes for digestion. They also point out that cooking makes some phytochemicals easier to absorb into your system.

Regardless of which side you stand on, the emphasis on natural, non-processed food sources, is undeniably a good place to start.

So, are you still interested in trying the raw eating lifestyle? Since this is a pretty drastic change in your eating habits, you may experience some withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and nausea when you first give up sugar and caffeine. But don’t fret; it should only last a couple days. You may also risk some nutritional deficiencies such as protein, calcium and iron, so consider consulting your doctor first.

Also Read:

Juice Press Founder Spills on the Benefits of Raw Foods

Information on the Best Life Diet Program

The Best Life Diet is the only diet system endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, and the only program that helped her get her excess weight off and keep it off. It was developed by Bob Greene as a way to free people from the vicious cycle of weight loss and weight gain. Bob wants people who struggle with their weight to figure out exactly what they want out of their lives and confront the real reasons that they can’t shed those extra pounds. It isn’t so much a diet as it is a lifestyle change and lifelong commitment to your health.

The Best Life Diet is a full lifestyle program that you can access through his book and online. It is supported by an online community of people with common goals and struggles. The foundations of this program are the two only proven methods of weight loss—a sensible diet and a consistent exercise program. Online, participants can access meal plans, work-outs, video and article archives, and message boards fll of support.

There are three phases to the diet portion of The Best Life. You slowly phase in healthy food choices like vegetables and fruits and phase out poor choices like fried foods, pasta, and sugary drinks. The phases let you make small steps towards success, but they aren’t so strict that they set you up for failure. Each phase builds on the previous phase so that by phase three, you have made the full conversion to healthy eating but are still allowed small amounts of your favorite treats. Online, participants can make use of Bob’s meal plans. With different options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks posted everyday, there is plenty of variety to keep this diet from getting boring.

In addition to eating well, The Best Life program requires participants to commit to consistent workouts including cardio and strength training. Varying workouts helps keep exercise fresh and fun. Bob has also developed different phases of workouts to correspond to the different diet phases. Using the phases, even the most out of shape can get started exercising and build towards a more active lifestyle. And once you’ve reached a more active level, you can afford to eat a little more of the not-so-good-for-you things you love.

The Best Life Program is a true lifestyle change that is a safe, effective way to lose weight and keep it off. Unlike fad diets or quick-fixes it doesn’t promise miracles unless you put in the work, but if you do, the results will amaze you!

More on Bob Greene’s Best Life Program

Jillian Michaels: the Triple Threat

The Jillian Michaels Weight Loss Program is a life-changing program developed by Jillian Michaels, one of the trainers from NBC’s The Biggest Loser. She has a revolutionary online plan to help anyone lose weight and keep it off by changing their lifestyle using her triple threat approach to success: self, science, and sweat.

In the self portion of the plan, you learn how to change your behaviors to finally reach your goals. Online, dieters can check message boards for daily motivation, chat with weight-loss buddies, get advice and inspiration from Jillian herself, and use the interactive weight tracker. Since this weight loss plan is about changing your lifestyle, not just your diet, it’s important that you develop clear goals for yourself and really commit to those goals in this portion of the plan.

The science portion of the plan is all about learning to eat right for your metabolism. Jillian provides hundreds of slimming recipes, meal plans and menus based on body types, special food guides to help keep you on track, and customized information about your metabolic rate and how it is affected by the foods you eat.

Last, but not least, is the sweat portion of the program. Jillian firmly believes that diet is not enough; to lose weight and keep it off, you have to workout. Her program is designed to help you train your body for serious weight loss. It has hundreds of printable exercises you can do from home, complete cardio workouts that are fun, a complete muscle manual to help you understand how the exercises you are doing affect your body, and an online fitness diary to help you keep track of your work-outs.

Jillian has a great track record—and we’ve all seen the serious success of contestants on The Biggest Loser. This could be the perfect plan for you.

Find more information about the Jillian Michaels Weight Loss Plan.

Hoodia XPF Information

Getting over the mental anxiety and stress of weight loss is something nearly all dieters struggle with. Hunger pangs and feeling empty often lead to extra snacking or over eating. Feeling satisfied or full allows you to curb cravings and successfully overcome the mental obstacles that are part of losing weight.

Hoodia XPF actually makes you feel full. This natural product tricks your brain into thinking you have already eaten and suppresses your appetite. With your brain convinced you are full, the dieter loses interest in eating more food and the cravings are eliminated. Available without a prescription, Hoodia XPF is convenient and effective in reaching weight loss goals.

Hoodia is a natural cactus indigenous to South African. Tribal people began using the plant to suppress their appetites and quench their thirst during long hunting trips. Hoodia XPF contains a molecule that sends a signal to the brain that the body is no longer hungry. This product contains the Hoodia cactus as well as additional nutritional supplements to provide maximum results.

Hoodia XPF has been clinically tested and proven safe. It is not a stimulant but rather an appetite suppressant. Studies shown that taking Hoodia XPF can reduce food intake by 30-40%. It is recommended to take two capsules in the morning and two in the afternoon/evening. To be most effective, the capsules should be ingested at least one hour before eating. It is also recommended to drink one 8 oz glass of water with each serving of Hoodia XPF.

By following the instructions for taking Hoodia XPF and combining it with a diet/exercise plan, weight loss results will follow. It is considered a 100% all natural dietary supplement with no damaging additives. Hoodia XPF can provide you with the extra boost you need to see your weight loss goal quicker.

Learn more about Hoodia XPF

Ephedrine Information

Ephedrine 57 is a revolutionary over the counter weight loss pill that combines two of the most exciting and effective weight loss ingredients—Ephedrine and Hoodia. These ingredients work together to boost your metabolism and suppress your appetite, so you get a double whammy of weight-loss assistance.

Ephedrine is a metabolism booster that you can really feel working. By boosting your metabolism, you burn more calories and fat during every workout. And its not just good for workouts, while taking ephedrine your metabolism will also be working overtime while you go about your regular day. You’ll burn extra calories going to the grocery, taking the dog for a walk, and doing the laundry!
Hoodia is an appetite suppressant that contains P-57. P-57 is a special molecule that tells your brain that you are full so that your brain stops telling you your hungry. Without hunger pangs constantly testing your willpower, its much easier to eat less and lose weight. This is the first time Hoodia has been available in the US, and the Hoodia in this pill is the only form of Hoodia that has been clinically tested in America.

Ephedrine 57, combined with diet and exercise, can really make a difference in losing significant amounts of weight and keeping those pounds off.

Find out more about Ephedrine

Nuphedrine, the new Ephedrine?

At times, many of us feel that losing weight is more mentally taxing than physical. Getting into the weight loss mindset and schedule is often what proves most difficult. Even with a routine of steady exercise and a low calorie diet, dieters can quickly become frustrated with lack of results and a dragging metabolism. The fear of diet pills and the onset of possible symptoms or health risks can deter dieters from seeking an added boost to their weight loss goals.

NuPhedrine eases those fears by using natural ingredients and eliminating harmful side effects. By combining two popular and potent natural ingredients – Advantra and real South African Hoodia, this pill can help you burn 500 more calories per day than with other diet pills or supplements. NuPhedrine is clinically tested, all natural, and available without a prescription.

The two effective ingredients in NuPhedrine – Advantra and South African Hoodia are popular weight loss herbs commonly sold in their own pill form. By pairing these two natural ingredients, you receive the calorie burning benefits of Advantra along with the P-57 found in Hoodia that makes you feel full. NuPhedrine contains no chemical caffeine, ephedrine, or taurine thus avoiding any negative side effects associated with these stimulants.

Benefits include increased metabolism, P-57 to kill your appetite, increased lean muscle mass, boost in energy levels, and less cravings. The NuPhedrine formula will block your appetite leading to less snacking and overeating. By taking the edge off hunger pains, dieters can overcome the mental obstacles of weight loss.

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Dieting Made Simple – NutriSystem

NutriSystem is a wildly successful weight loss program that uses the Glycemic index to help you lose weight while still eating foods you love. Prepackaged meal options and a healthy approach to hunger and snacking can help even the most difficult dieter achieve success.

The NutriSystem program includes a meal plan with 120 delicious pre-packed options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts! You select the foods you want online or over the phone and they are shipped right to your door, no cooking involved. All you have to do is add a few ingredients like fresh vegetables and fruits. After all, who has time to hunt down special ingredients for low-fat cooking, or to prepare one diet meal for yourself and something else for the rest of your family? All of the meals are perfectly portioned so there is no weighing, measuring, or counting calories or points. And if you have any questions, a counselor, nutritionist, and dietitian are a phone call or e-mail away.

The foods in the NutriSystem program are designed based on the Glycemic Index. They are low in fat and include the right amounts of protein, fiber, and good carbohydrates. This balance of ingredients makes each of the meals easy for your body to digest and turn into energy, without spikes in your blood sugar that can lead to energy crashes. Instead, you get to eat tasty meals five times a day that help you stay full and provide constant energy levels so that you have plenty of motivation to workout. Best of all, the meals aren’t standard diet fare. You get to have burgers, lasagna, pizza, and even chocolate desserts! It’s much easier to stick to a diet when you get to eat the things you love without feeling guilty.

More about NutriSystem

The War on Childhood Obesity – Shaq’s Family Challenge

Shaq’s Big Family Challenge is a weight loss program designed specifically to fight childhood obesity. This program is the perfect plan to help entire families work together to make healthier choices, lose weight, and have fun while doing it! As you have seen on the TV Show Shaq’s Big Challenge, Shaq took six obese kids and helped them turn their lives around. Now, using Shaq’s online diet plan, you can put his secrets to work for your family.

Shaq’s Big Family Challenge combines fun workouts, sensible diets, and delicious alternatives to junk food to help families learn to live healthier lives. On the website, Shaq’s daily drill provide exercises plus the science behind them so kids know why they are working out. You can also access the guidelines for the President’s Physical Fitness Test, so you can see where you stack up compared to families across the country.

Shaq also provides healthy eating guidelines for every situation in Shaq’s Snack Attack. From picking healthy options in the school cafeteria, to navigating vending machines full of sugar, to ordering more sensible meals from fast food restraints, Shaq has guidelines for it all. This weight-loss program is different in that it doesn’t pretend that you have time to cook healthy meals from scratch every day. Families today are busy with everyone on different schedules and with different tastes. Sometimes eating fast food is unavoidable, getting kids off the couch and into the gym can be almost impossible, and having kids buy lunch as school is a real time-saver. This diet takes all of that into consideration. Shaq’s Big Family Challenge offers real families real solutions for achieving healthier lifestyles while still having fun.

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Is it a Miracle? You decide – MiracleBurn

MiracleBurn is a new dietary supplement that, combined with a sensible diet and exercise, can help you lose weight and keep it off. It combines Hoodia, a revolutionary appetite-suppressant, with Advantra-Z, a patented herbal supplement that boosts metabolism.

Advantra-Z stimulates your metabolism so that you burn extra calories. It also gives you extra energy so that it isn’t such a struggle to exercise. Hoodia is an all-natural supplement containing P-57. P-57 is a special molecule that tells your brain that you are full—even when you aren’t! By tricking your body into thinking you are full, the hunger pangs stop and you can get on with your day and your diet without being tempted to over-eat.
MiracleBurn is meant to be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. It’s not a miracle pill—it’s a tool to help you lose weight steadily, but at a healthy rate. Losing weight too quickly can be very dangerous, and it’s harder to keep the weight off when you lose it too quickly in an unhealthy way. You want to lose weight the right way, and this pill can really help!

Once you have reached your desired weight, it’s easy to keep your new, slim figure. Just lower your daily dosage of MiracleBurn, stick to a sensible diet, and get a reasonable amount of exercise. Think this sounds like the right plan for you?

Learn more about Miracle Burn

Lose weight fast? Medifast?

Medifast is a lifestyle diet program that can help you lose two-five pounds a week without counting calories, carbs, or points. It was developed by a physician over twenty-five years ago and has been helping people love their bodies again ever since. It’s an easy way to integrate healthy eating into your life without totally interrupting your busy schedule. The Transition, Maintenance, and Exercise plans pick-up where the original diet ends for long-term results.

The basis of the Medifast program is the 5&1 Plan. You eat six meals a day, so you are eating every three hours. Eating that often keeps you from getting hungry and provides you with consistent energy levels. It’s much easier to be motivated to exercise and stick to the plan when you are full and energized! You eat five regular meals each day plus one Lean & Green meal. The Lean & Green meal balances lean protein, such as chicken, beef, or fish, with salad and vegetables. The other five meals are portion-controlled versions of favorite foods like soups, scrambled eggs, puddings, and even shakes. The program offers over sixty different meal options, so there is plenty of variety.

The meals are nutritionally complete, low calorie, and low fat. They contain a medically designed balance of protein and carbohydrates plus essential vitamins and minerals. Most of the meals contain soy protein, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, but whey protein meals are available if you are allergic to soy. The meals meet all of your daily nutritional requirements while still helping you lose weight and feel great!

Learn more about Medifast

Warm or Cold? South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a revolutionary way of looking at weight loss. It isn’t low carb or low fat—it’s all about balance and learning to choose good fats and good carbs instead of foods that don’t help your body. This diet was developed by Miami cardiologist Arthur Agaston as a way for heart patients to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off, but it was so successful that soon everyone wanted to try it.

During the first two weeks on the South Beach Diet you’ll begin the process of learning to eat in a new way. You’ll eat three balanced meals a day with normal size portions of meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts. You won’t be hungry and you’ll learn how to ignore cravings and avoid wanting to overeat. You get to have snacks twice a day, drink diet soda, and eat out, but there are a few things you can’t eat in the first two weeks. You can’t have bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, candy, ice cream, sugar, or fruit. You also can’t have beer or alcohol. But it’s only for two weeks. After that, you get to add these foods back into your diet in a healthy way.

After the first two weeks, the next phase of the South Beach Diet begins. You’ll still eat plenty of lean protein, vegetables, eggs, cheeses, and nuts, but you also get to add in some of your favorite carbohydrates and sugars. You’ll learn the difference between good carbs and bad carbs and learn to balance foods so that you stay full and have plenty of energy! You stick to this phase of the diet until you reach your target weight. Then you can add in even more carbs and sugars while still maintaining your new weight. Once you know how to balance healthy options with not-as-healthy favorites, it’s easy to eat what you love and still keep the weight off.

The South Beach Diet is less of a diet and more of a way of life. It teaches you how to eat so that it isn’t such a struggle to be healthy. The foods emphasized are universally considered to be healthy choices rich in vitamins, minerals, omega-3 oils, and good fats. There are even prepackaged South Beach meal options that can be purchased online or in grocery stores, which makes it even easier to stay on track.

More information on the South Beach Diet.