Sunday, 12 February 2012

The Mediterranean Diet Full Flavored Foods Help You Lose Weight

For everyone who's been on a diet themselves or knows someone who's been on a diet, you know how bland the food can be sometimes. With foods like rice cakes its no secret why you lose weight, if the foods taste like carboard.
For everyone who's had this experience there is hope. You should look at the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet isn't a new fad or quick weight loss scheme, in fact its been around for hundreds of years. However, it's taken science that long to fugure out what it was and why it works. The Mediterranean is a diverse region that is made up of 16 countries along the Mediterranean Sea. Countries like Spain, Southern Italy and Greece have diverse and different cultures. While the foods are different on a nutritional level, they share many similarities. They contain lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Wine is consumed in moderate amounts daily. Eggs are consumed in moderate amounts, and foods like poultry, fish and dairy are consumed on a limited basis.
However, as many nutritionists and scientists are discovering one of the keys to the Mediterranean Diet is the oils. Plant based oils are extensively used throughout the region, with olive oil being the most popular. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, which means it's good for the body and does things like lower your cholesterol. Due to the rich fats in the foods and those used in the cooking the foods of the region are known for the full rich textures and flavors that they have. In fact it's these fats which give the foods a luxurious 'mouth feel'. However, eating foods rich in fats is not without some sacrifices, as fats have more than double the amount of calories of similarly sized portions of protein or carbohydrates. Learning to manage and control your portions is a key aspect of anybody who wants to follow the Mediterranean Diet.
This article was written by Allison Preston. Fitness-Web brings you information and reviews about infomercials, diets, and exercise equipment from different products across the internet. Here's were you can see download my eBook and several free bonuses.

Saturday, 11 February 2012

Improving Your Weight Loss Motivation with NLP

In all areas of life, the most successful people are the ones who stay motivated. Whether trying to excel in business, careers, or sports, motivation is the key factor that separates the successful people from the non-successful.
Weight loss is no different. If you want to lose weight successfully and stay healthy, you need to be motivated to eat wisely, exercise regularly, and carry out the right actions that will improve your prospects of achieving your goals.
Losing weight isn’t always an easy task. Giving up your favourite foods or sticking to an exercise plan takes a lot of commitment, so you need to give yourself a good reason to stay on track.
There’s no doubt that there will be many moments when you feel tempted to give up on your diet or exercise plan and go back to your old ways. That’s where hypnosis and NLP can have a huge affect. The use of Neuro Linguistic Programming can help you stay motivated to achieve your weight loss goals on a subconscious level.
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

NLP is a form of hypnosis that helps you reprogram you subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is a powerful driving force that works with our conscious mind to control our actions. Destructive thought patterns can have an adverse effect on the subconscious and result in you acting out negative behaviours.
Reprogramming your subconscious mind helps you to reverse negative and fearful thought patterns that prevent you from staying motivated to achieve your goals.
NLP Techniques
Here is an NLP technique that can help you stay motivated to achieve your weight loss ambitions.
First of all, take some time to get yourself into a relaxed state. Once you are relaxed, imagine how you would look in 5 years time if you still haven’t lost any weight. Make the image clear and detailed. Imagine your quality of life. Imagine how your body would feel. Fully experience the pain of living unhealthily.
Next, picture yourself with the perfect body. Imagine how great it feels to be fit and healthy. Make the image clear and vivid. Perhaps you can picture yourself on a long distance run, or wowing people on the middle of the dance-floor. Just imagine all the wonderful things you’d be able to enjoy doing if you had reached the perfect body weight.
When doing this exercise, feel the pain of being overweight and the pleasure of being healthy as strongly as possible.
The association of pain with staying overweight, and the association of pleasure with being healthy sends a powerful message to your subconscious mind.
Motivation is one of the biggest factors when it comes to weight loss, and the power of the mind is something you must not forget. Using your mind wisely can send the right message to your subconscious which in return will help you act in alignment with you objectives.
Having the subconscious on your side is like having your own internal personal trainer. Keep your motivation levels high on a deep level, and your dream of shedding your excess weight will be become much easier.
There’s a fantastic FREE Video with sneaky mind tricks to help you lose weight using NLP / Hypnosis...

Thursday, 9 February 2012

How to Lose Belly Fat in 4 Simple Steps

Embarrassment is not the worst part of having a flabby midsection. That spare tire around you tummy can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes (yikes!). Thankfully, you don’t need a complicated diet plan to learn how to lose belly fat. Stomach flab may be stubborn, but it’s no match for proper nutrition, hydration, exercise, and a can-do attitude.

Believe in Yourself


The way you feel about your ability to lose weight will play a major role in your success. If you’re plagued with self-doubt and negativity, you won’t see the point of sticking it out when things get tough. In order to achieve your weight loss goal, you must truly believe you have what it takes.
Losing weight is not just about vanity; it’s also about living healthy and feeling your best everyday. One thing that will help keep you in the right frame of mind is to think of your fat burning journey as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. If you focus on healthy living instead of dieting, you’ll maintain momentum and it will be easier to shut down those negative feelings.

Eat Nutritiously


Eating a healthy diet will keep your metabolism operating properly so you burn stomach fat more effectively. If your eating plan lacks essential carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat, vitamins and minerals, it’s not nutritious. To ensure you get adequate amounts of all of these nutrients, incorporate a variety of healthy, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, poultry, lean meats, raw nuts, legumes, beans, seeds and whole eggs into your diet.
As for counting calories to lose weight, I don’t do it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very conscious about what I put into my body. However, I refuse to spend my life keeping tabs on every crumb I swallow. When I get hungry, I’m going to eat—and trust me, I won’t be thinking about calories while I’m doing it.
I’m living proof that if you eat the right foods, and stick to reasonable portion sizes, you can lose belly fat without counting a single calorie.

Drink Plenty of Water


Water is often overlooked in nutrition plans. But this element is crucial for burning fat and maintaining proper health. Water helps metabolize stored fat and rids the body of excess fat and toxins. Water also prevent bloating and constipation, and helps curb your appetite.
Most people underestimate how much water they need, so they don’t stay properly hydrated. For optimum health, drink half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink at least 100 ounces of water per day.

Get Up and Exercise

When you start your healthy eating plan, you’ll automatically reduce your caloric intake and start to shed some weight. However, unless you add exercise into the mix, your metabolism will eventually slow down and ultimately reduce your ability to burn stomach fat.
There’s no way to target specific areas for fat loss. Crunches, sit-ups and other ab-specific exercises only work to tone the muscles. The only way to get the svelte tummy of your dreams is to burn the fat off. If you don’t, any muscle tone you achieve via abdominal exercises will be buried under the flab.
If you combine 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to intense cardiovascular activity with proper nutrition, the fat around your belly will melt like butter. If you’re out of shape, doing a 30 to 60 minute workout may be too much at first. It’s okay if you start off exercising for 5 or 10 minutes. Simply work your way up as your fitness level improves.
Don’t try to change your lifestyle overnight; Start by making small tweaks. In the beginning, you might try drinking more water, increasing your fresh vegetable intake and exercising three days a week. Once you get used to these adjustments, gradually build on them. Remember, small steps can lead to big results.
Sitting and wishing won’t help you get the trim tummy you’ve always wanted. Let the Diet Solution Program teach you how to lose belly fat and improve your overall health.

Monday, 6 February 2012

The Dirty Secret About the World’s Most Popular “Health Food”

The main benefit of convenience foods is… well, their convenience. But a stroll through your supermarket in search for healthy convenience foods is likely to leave you hungry for better options.
And with good reason. Convenience foods are packed with dietary pitfalls that can sabotage your waistline and harm your health.
Even “natural” and organic convenience foods that have shorter ingredient lists and contain no additives or preservatives can pose dietary dilemmas.
And one reason is soy.
This so-called “healthy” ingredient is packed into everything from pizza and pastas… to burritos and bran cereals… to protein bars and baby foods. Why? Because it is inexpensive and versatile, taking on any shape or flavor the manufacturer chooses.
And since we’ve been led to believe that soy is a healthy alternative to animal protein, food companies are happy to keep using this inexpensive protein source. But the real cost could be your health.
Now, I’m not talking about traditional fermented soy foods – like tempeh, tamari and miso. I’m talking about “rendered” soy including soy protein isolate, textured vegetable protein and hydrolyzed plant protein to name a few. Here’s why…
Soybeans & Gasoline
It takes a lot of processing to transform a fresh green soybean into mock-meat “vegetable protein”. And the process relies on a “secret ingredient”.
Hexane.
Hexane is a byproduct of gasoline. It is used as an industrial solvent and degreaser. And it’s also used to extract edible oils from seed and vegetable crops – primarily soybeans.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), short-term exposure to hexane at high doses can affect the central nervous system. But even small exposures can be harmful.
So how much is too much?
Recent studies conducted by The Cornucopia Institute found hexane residues in common soy food products ten times higher than what is considered “normal” by the FDA.
While the use of hexane is strictly forbidden in organic products, “natural” products containing soy proteins are almost always extracted with this dangerous solvent.
But beaner beware!
Industry insiders estimate that as much as 50% of the “organic” soybeans consumed in the United States are imported from China – where such lax standards allowed pet food and even baby food to be tainted with melamine – a chemical that can cause kidney failure and death.
In fact, in November 2008, a farm cooperative found melamine levels up to 30 times the maximum level allowed by authorities in 300 tons of organic soy meal imported from China.
As part of our Dirty Little Secrets of Soy series, you’ll learn more about the hazards of eating soy including: how genetically modified soy (80% of all soy produced!) could be affecting your health… the strong hormonal activity of soy which can contribute to weight gain, “man boobs”, and certain cancers… eight good reasons to never let soy formula pass your baby’s lips… and the ways you could be introducing contaminated soy into your body without even knowing it.
But unfortunately, soy isn’t our only culinary concern. In the Your Plate, Your Fate health transformation series, you’ll learn hundreds of ways to protect yourself and separate health fact from health fiction including:
  • The common additive that hides in thousands of packaged foods and was found to TRIPLE the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas in animal studies (In fact, this additive is such an effective “fat fertilizer” that it has been used to fatten animals for study purposes)
  • The “healthy” oils that may be increasing your risk for every chronic disease
  • The “toxic twelve” chemical contaminants found in everyday foods that you need to toss – NOW!
  • The additive that literally “zaps” your energy by damaging your mitochondria – the powerhouse of your cells (It’s even found in many “antioxidant” drinks)
  • The sweet-tasting ingredient that stifles the activity of your white blood cells… suppressing your immune defense against colds and cancer!
The ten-part Your Plate, Your Fate series covers everything you need to know to protect your health and optimize your weight.
And it comes with a 60-day, unconditional, “improve your health and lose the weight or pay nothing” guarantee!

Week 4: RESET Transform Phase

Monday: Going on the scale both excited & nervous at the same time... lost another 300g, that is a total of 2.4kgs in 3 weeks! I am very happy with my consistent & safe weight loss! I had too much on for the day, so that was my excuse for not working out! Shocking I know...

Tuesday: Felt very energised and went jogging for 40 mins and finished the day with over 13,000 steps counted on my pedometer.

Wednesday: Another excuse for not enough time to workout! I am feeling guilty, but can’t help it!

Thursday: Felt so guilty for missing out 2 days exercise this week, that I challenged myself to run for longer today. Success: 15,163 steps or 2.86 mile and burnt 361 kcal.

Friday: Had a bad start with my 4-year-old Saskia not wanting to listen and making us late for the school run. I felt so angry & stressed that I couldn’t relax and breathe properly during my job: only managed to do about 3,000 steps... went back home instead and did 20 minutes yoga to calm me down: Yoga for Beginners Stress Relief with Suzanne Deason (LivingYoga)


Saturday is my day off workout, I am too busy taking my girls from Gymnastics, Trampoline & Ballet Classes. Today, there is also a birthday party to drive Saskia too!

Sunday: we had heavy snow overnight...no chance to jog outside. Only managed to do some toning exercises while watching TV in the evening: it was quite fun, the girls did join in and we obliged dad to do 20 press-ups (it was quite funny to watch!)

I am a bit nervuous for tomorrow morning weigh in, because I feel I didn't do as much exercise as I should have...

Sunday, 5 February 2012

A Look At The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid

We are most familiar with the food pyramid which is based on portion size and does not take into account the different qualities of food sources. It assumes that everyone knows that all processing done to food serves to make it more harmful. Unfortunately common knowledge and common practice often do not go hand in hand. As people do learn that whole food choices offer health benefits over the more typical processed food choices, they are seeking out suggestions for what foods to put together into a dietary plan.
The Mediterranean diet is increasing in popularity because it is not based on popularized fads but rather a model which comes from literally thousands of years of use. The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of the Mediterranean area, particularly Italy, Greece, and Spain. Understanding how the Mediterranean Diet differs from the typical American diet can help us to improve our eating habits and enjoy improved health through enjoyable dietary changes.
A Mediterranean diet pyramid would start with red meat at the top as the source of animal protein which is consumed the least in a Mediterranean diet. Under that we find eggs, poultry and fish and the common sources of animal protein. Next, we find cheese, yogurt and other milk products. Extra virgin olive oil is the most common source of fat in the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Not only does it give the diet a distinctive, and full, flavor, olive oil is also an excellent source of antioxidants.
On the next level of the Mediterranean diet pyramid, we find fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and nuts. These are eaten in great variety and raw or lightly cooked. Pickled foods are eaten for flavorful variety in a Mediterranean diet, but not as a staple as is commonly with the highly processed intake of the typical American diet.
At the last level, we find bread, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta and other whole grains and potatoes. Again, where this differs from the typical America diet is that these sources are whole grain and not filled with the levels of preservatives. The lower amount of processing also improves fiber density.
In any diet, the general proportions of intake are such that the calories are split between 20% protein, 30% fat and 50% carbs. The Mediterranean diet pyramid isnt much different in this mix, but rather in the quality and variety of foods eaten. The lesson to be learned from the Mediterranean diet is that fresh, whole foods provide a dietary benefit over the highly processed foods that make up the most of the typical American diet. Eliminating processed foods entirely is probably not necessary, but they should not be the majority of what we eat, but rather the occasional variance.
Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and certified nutritional educator. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find out more about new discoveries in health and nutrition at www.glycoboy.com. Here's were you can see download my eBook and several free bonuses.

Saturday, 4 February 2012

Hypnosis Helped Pop Star Lily Allen Drop 2 Dress Sizes

Hypnosis is used widely over the world to help with weight loss. UK pop star Lily Allen is one of many people who have reaped the benefits from hypnotherapy. With the assistance of hypnotherapy, she was able to drop two dress sizes and go from a size 12 to a size 8.
Before losing her weight, Lily posted a depressing message on her social media page describing herself as “fat and ugly”. After going through hypnotherapy for weight loss however, the 22 year old found herself 2 dress sizes slimmer, and said: “After the hypnotism, I want to go to the gym every day, otherwise I feel really bad.”
Lily Allen is just one of thousands of people from across the world who have successfully lost weight after using hypnosis. Some studies of hypnotherapy have shown us that hypnosis can increase the chances of losing weight by up to 90%.
How Does Hypnosis Work?

Hypnosis works by deprogramming the brain and implanting thoughts into the subconscious mind at a deep level. In Lily Allen’s case, this would have involved messages being delivered to her subconscious mind while she was in a state of deep relaxation.  These messages would have been along of the lines of :”You will do everything you can to reach your desired weight”, “you feel a lot of motivation to exercise”.
Hypnosis for weight loss can be very effective and is also a very realistic method for helping you to lose weight. It makes controlling your food intake a lot easier because it works closely with your body’s natural desires.
To be clear, hypnosis cannot work if it is not used in conjunction with a healthy, balanced diet. What it can do though is prevent you from having the urge to eat junk food and give you the subconscious motivation to want to exercise.
A big part of losing weight is changing behavioural patterns. Making drastic eating adjustments and adopting a new exercise plan is always difficult because it is not something you are used to.
When you try to change a habit, you will always get resistance from your subconscious mind because it is so used to your usual behaviours. Hypnosis communicates with your subconscious to let it know that it’s OK for you to behave in new ways. This takes the struggle and stress out of trying to lose weight.
Luckily, hypnosis is not something that is only reserved for rich celebrities. Anybody can learn about hypnosis affordably without having to shell out masses of money. If you need to gain the motivation and will-power to aid your weigh loss quest, you should strongly consider learning about the powers of hypnosis.
There’s a fantastic FREE Video with sneaky mind tricks to help you lose weight using NLP / Hypnosis...