PRITIKIN DIET - Help with your New Years Resolution

The PRITIKIN DIET is a very low-fat, primarily vegetarian diet that is based on whole grains, fruits and vegetables that results in improved cardiovascular health as well as weight loss.

The PRITIKIN DIET was developed as a means to treat heart disease; weight loss is an additional benefit. Processed foods such as pasta and white bread, animal proteins, eggs and most types of fats are eliminated in favor of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The revised PRITIKIN DIET encourages the use of "healthy" fats high in omega-3 fatty acids, in limited amounts.





Upside of the Pritikin Diet

Healthy food combinations of less fats and more fruits, vegetables, grains.
No portion control with these healthy foods.
Good for heart health in addition to weight loss.

Downside of the Pritikin Diet

Low-fat diets may be unsatisfying and can lead to overeating.
Many people cannot cut down on certain food groups as much as the PRITIKIN DIET requires.
The recommended foods are not convenient for people who dine out a lot.
This fiber-rich diet can produce a lot of gas.

Sample Pritikin Menu

A day on the PRITIKIN DIET might look like this:

PRITIKIN DIET Breakfast:

Oatmeal with mango
Nonfat yogurt
Grapefruit
Half a cup of sodium-free vegetable juice

PRITIKIN DIET Lunch:

Barley-bean soup
Tomato stuffed with tuna
Skim milk

PRITIKIN DIET Dinner:

Tofu and mixed vegetables lightly sautéed in a little olive oil
Brown rice or millet
Green salad
Peach

PRITIKIN DIET
Snacks:

Vegetables and fruits
Rye crackers or other whole grains

For more on the PRITIKIN DIET Check out these books

Superfoods to the Rescue

Superfoods to the Rescue
By: Reader's Digest

Luscious strawberries dipped in rich, dark chocolate. Grilled salmon. Mashed sweet potatoes dusted with cinnamon. Spinach salad tossed with cranberries and walnuts.




Superfoods such as the five described below work better than supplements to slash your risk of heart disease. Not only do they entertain your taste buds like a four-star chef, they also battle all six deadly heart attackers at the same time. Specifically, these amazing foods can:

Reduce your risk of artery-clogging atherosclerosis
Whittle away at cholesterol
Lower your blood pressure
Cool inflammation
Neutralize damaging free radicals
Reduce your chances of developing metabolic syndrome by keeping blood sugar lower and steadier
When eaten in healthy portions, help you lose weight
You don't have to go to the health food store to find them; just wheel your cart through the supermarket. (Hint: Most are in the perimeter aisles, including the produce, meat, and dairy departments.) More good news: We've pulled together the quickest, tastiest ways to cook and serve these healing foods, from tried-and-true favorites to fresh, new ideas. Healthy eating doesn't have to take extra time out of your busy day--reaching for an ounce of dark chocolate or a fistful of walnuts is as quick as grabbing a bag of chips. And the taste? Out of this world.

1. Almonds
Super nutrients. Monounsaturated fat, magnesium, calcium, potassium, fiber.
Serving size. 1 ounce (about 24 almonds); 160 calories.
Benefits. A single serving of these crunchy, protein-packed nuggets provides a whopping 9 grams of monounsaturated fat to help slash LDLs ("bad" cholesterol) and boost HDLs ("good" cholesterol). Simply choosing almonds instead of a doughnut, chips, or pretzels for two snacks a day could cut LDLs nearly by 10 percent. Almonds also pack 6 percent of your daily calcium quota and 20 percent of the magnesium you need--two minerals proven to help lower blood pressure. Bonus: You get 35 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, an artery-protecting antioxidant, as well as 3 grams of fiber. Just be sure to stop with one handful at snack time--advice that holds true for all nuts because they're calorie-dense.
Almond Lemon Chicken recipe

Good ideas:

One serving of almonds fits neatly into an empty Altoids mints tin. Fill the tin each morning and slip it into your purse or briefcase.
Toss some almonds into salads, stir-fries, fruit salad, or hot or cold cereal.
Keep slivered and sliced almonds on hand (store them in the freezer for freshness) to add to vegetable dishes, muffins, and cookies.



2. Apples
Super nutrients. Antioxidants, fiber.
Serving size. 1 medium; 80 calories.
Benefits. Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala apples earned spots on the USDA's top-20 list of antioxidant-rich foods thanks to hefty quantities of the flavonoid quercetin (flavonoids are natural chemicals in plants that, when in your bloodstream, remove free radical molecules, fight inflammation, and impede cancer). Bonus: Apples are a rich source of pectin, a soluble fiber. In a recent study at the University of California, Davis, people who ate two apples a day had fewer oxidized, artery-attacking LDLs than non-apple eaters.
Apple Dumpling recipe

Good ideas:

Chop an apple and add to hot cereal.
For a portable snack, cut up an apple and place the slices in a zipper-lock plastic bag with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Carry it with you in an insulated lunch bag (with a freezer pack) to eat at lunch or as a snack. It tastes like apple pie, without the crust or the sugar.
For a quick baked apple, core an apple, pack the center with raisins and walnuts, and dust with cinnamon. Place it in a bowl with 1/4 cup of orange juice, apple juice, or water and microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until done.



3. Carrots

Super nutrients. One of nature's top sources of beta-carotene, an artery-protecting antioxidant.
Serving size. 1 medium; 32 calories.
Benefits. Carrots are color therapy for your cardiovascular system. These veggies' brilliant orange hue is a sign of super-high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that guards against artery-clogging oxidized LDL cholesterol. Only foods like carrots offer this protection--recent studies suggest that antioxidant pills don't help your heart. Cooked carrots have twice the antioxidant power of raw carrots because heat breaks down tough cell walls so that your body can use what's inside. Carrots also provide blood pressure-lowering potassium and magnesium, plus the homocysteine-lowering combination of folate; vitamin B6; and the antioxidants alpha-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Good ideas:


Set out a bowl of baby carrots when you're cooking as a healthy snack that won't fill you up with unwanted calories or wreck your appetite.
Buy sliced and shredded carrots in the produce department; add them to soups, salads, and casseroles.
Instead of chips, serve presliced carrots with dip.
Add finely grated carrots to muffins, tuna or salmon salad, and casseroles.
Microwave baby carrots and stir in a dollop of honey for a sweet side dish.
Roast carrots in the oven with olive oil.



4. Milk


Super nutrients. Great source of blood pressure-lowering calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Serving size. 8 ounces 1% milk;110 calories.
Benefits. Your heart--and your waistline--love it when you have a milk mustache. (So, of course, do your bones!) A growing stack of research proves that calcium and other minerals in milk help lower blood pressure by keeping arteries flexible and helping your kidneys flush pressure-boosting sodium out of your body. A glass of cold moo juice at lunch or a generous splash on your morning cereal could cut your risk of insulin resistance--a potent heart disease risk factor--by 71 percent
and help you lose weight. How? Mayo Clinic researchers suspect that calcium "down-regulates" fat absorption by fat cells and "up-regulates" fat burning.

Good ideas:
A favorite cocoa recipe: Mix 1 cup of fat-free or low-fat milk, two packets of sugar substitute, and cocoa in a small saucepan or microwaveable cup and heat for about 1 minute.
Cook hot cereal and low-sodium instant or canned soups with milk instead of water.
Make milk your drive-through thirst quencher. Most fast-food restaurants offer the low-fat variety in cartons or single-serve bottles.
Order a latte with fat-free milk instead of black or with cream at your favorite coffee shop.
Make sugar-free instant pudding with low-fat or fat-free milk and serve it with berries.
Use fat-free evaporated milk in place of regular milk in baked goods, soups, and sauces. A cup contains 742 milligrams of calcium--more than double the amount in low-fat milk.
Whip partially frozen fat-free evaporated milk for a high-calcium dessert topping that has one-tenth the calories of regular whipped cream.
Puree fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese and fat-free evaporated milk with some lemon juice and rosemary for a light pasta sauce.



5. Kidney Beans
Super nutrients. Soluble fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium.
Serving size. 1/2 cup; 112 calories.
Benefits. Eating beans four times a week--in baked beans, bean dip, chili, or a salad sprinkled with chickpeas or black beans--could cut your risk of coronary heart disease by 20 to 30 percent. Make some of them kidney beans; they're rich in LDL-lowering soluble fiber (2 grams in a 1/2-cup serving) and homocysteine-controlling folate, as well as blood pressure-easing potassium and magnesium.



Bonus: Thanks to healthy doses of fiber and protein, beans give you steady energy, not a sudden rise (and fall) of blood sugar that ups your risk of metabolic syndrome and weight gain.

Good ideas:



Rinse canned kidney beans before using to remove sodium. Toss them into chili, casseroles, and soups.
For a quick tamale pie, serve warm kidney beans over a piece of cornbread and top with grated cheese.
Make a better three-bean salad: Combine kidney, black, and white beans, then mix in chopped tomatoes and scallions. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper.
In a food processor or blender, combine cooked kidney beans with garlic, cumin, and chili peppers for a delicious spread that can be used as a dip for crudités or a sandwich filling.

So Tell Me - How Do You Burn The Fat?

Just an interesting article I found online


Ultimately, the key to steady weight loss is to burn the fat that is stored in various parts of the body at a regular pace. But how do you burn the fat when it seems so rigidly in place?

Fad diets that consist of counting calories in a variety of different ways only last as long as you are "on" them. Once you stop, annoyingly, so too does the weight loss. Even more frustrating, is the fact that many times, a year down the track, not only have you put back the weight you originally lost, but you have added to it as well!





Tasty slimming shakes and specially prepared foods don't burn the bodyfat stores either, they simply reduce your calorie intake. Again, as soon as you stop taking them, your weight loss stops too.

Changing the way you eat can help reduce the calories, contributing to weight loss, but again, don't burn the fat stores that you need to in order to regain the shape you desire. Simply eliminating the fat in foods doesn't necessarily mean that you will eliminate the fat on you. In fact, some fats are good for you - such as those found in fish, nuts, olives, and seeds.

So what is the key to weight loss and looking great? What is the secret to managing not to move, but to burn the fat that you have found so hard to shift until now? I'll tell you. Metabolism.

By speeding up your metabolism, your body will automatically burn the fat stores gradually and evenly all over your body, resulting in a steady weight loss and returning it to the state it once was.

Since it is not possible to choose one particular place on your body with extra fat such as the hips, thighs, stomach, or bum and just burn the bodyfat from the stores in those areas, it's necessary for you to do an overall job , on the whole body.

In order to speed up your metabolism, and lose weight, you need to exercise. Although there are two types of exercise - anaerobic and aerobic, the latter has the advantage that it will continue to burn the fat stores even after you stop exercising.

The longer and harder you have been exercising, the longer your body will continue to burn the fatstores for, adding to your weight loss even if you are doing nothing but watching TV! You do aerobic exercise when you walk, swim, or cycle.

Weightlifting falls into a slightly different category. Although it does not increase your metabolism, it is an activity that will burn the fat through increasing your lean muscle. In fact, for every extra pound of muscle you put on, you will burn 40-50 more calories, so it's an excellent exercise for weightloss!

Ironically, eat! To aid weight loss and burn the bodyfat stores on your body, you need to kick-start your metabolism, which slows down when you don't eat, particularly overnight. So a big breakfast is very important.

Eating little and often - around 6 times a day - will also help to maintain a higher metabolism helping your body burn calories, resulting in weight loss.

That said, it's also important to watch what you eat. weight loss never occurs when you eat loads of deep-fried, sugary, and convenience foods which are high in fat and low in nutrition. Try instead to go for foods that are high in fibre , such as spinach or bran , and limit toxins such as alcohol, sweets, and caffeine. Also, drink lots of water, around 8 glasses each day.

Apart from the weight loss and shaping of your body, an increased metabolism also provides you with more energy.

So what are you waiting for? Burn the fat, lose weight and feel great the natural way!

Get in touch with the industry experts at http://www.weightlossfatburnersecrets.com for more help. Steve Magill has written several articles with regard to the weightloss business. As a Fellow in the (FBAE) he is considered an expert consultant when it comes to helping people to lose weight.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Magill

Agave sweetener - the new sugar

I just stumbled on some info about Agave nectar as a sweetener. Unlike Aspartame and all the other crap, this is natural. Actually made from the Agave cactus (Same as tequila) and is quite abit sweeter than refined sugar. Here is some info I dug up.


Only recently has Agave come into use as a sweetener, north of Mexico. It has a low glycemic index level and is a delicious and safe alternative to table sugar. To learn about the Glycemic Index Level CLICK HERE. Unlike the crystalline form of fructose, which is refined primarily from corn, Agave Nectar is sweet in its natural form and is therefore much easier for the body to process and use.





This nectar does not contain processing chemicals. Even better, because it is sweeter than table sugar, less is needed in your recipes and meals.

It can be most useful for people who are diabetic, have insulin resistance (Type II, non-insulin dependant) or are simply watching their carbohydrate intake.



What is the Glycemic Index?
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or (GI) describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.

Glycemic Rating of SUGARS (G.I)

Agave Nectar 27
Safe For Diabetics <55
Honey 83
High fructose corn syrup 89
Sucrose 92
Glucose 137
Glucose tablets 146
Maltodextrin 150
Maltose 150

What are the Benefits of the Glycemic Index?


Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.

Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise


How to Switch to a Low GI Diet?

You don't need to count numbers or do any sort of mental arithmetic to make sure you are eating a healthy, low GI diet.

The basic technique for eating the low GI way is simply a "this for that" approach - ie, swapping high GI carbs for low GI carbs.

Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
Use breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
Reduce refined sugars and artificial sweeteners
Enjoy all other types of fruit and vegetables
Use Basmati or Doongara rice
Enjoy pasta, noodles, etc Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing

Weight Loss Program – Is It Beneficial

Just a little thing I found which may be helpful.

Love

Michelle

If you are reading this article, then most probably you are overweight and planning to start a weight loss program. There are many weight loss programs out there that have been beneficial for many and there are many that have caused more problems than benefits. So, when you embark on a weight loss program, consult experts and make sure that the program will suit your body.

The best part about most weight loss programs is that you will most certainly lose weight if you follow the regimen to the ‘T’. However, the difficult part is maintaining the weight, as people tend to put on weight fast after discontinuing a weight loss program.




It is advised that you consult a health expert or dietician before you start a weight loss program. A weight loss program that is beneficial for one person may not be suitable for another. The metabolism of each individual varies. Do not jump at weight loss programs that advertise fast weight loss as it could prove to be harmful. The right weight loss program will assist you in losing 2-3 pounds a week and not more. If you are able to consistently lose 2 pounds a week for a few weeks, you will not only be a lot thinner and fit, you will most certainly stay that way.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1636.html

Weider Hoodia - cut the crap

OK, so maybe the title is a little brazen. Thing is, I got up a little earlier this morning and found myself fairly hungry before breakfast. So I figured this was the perfect opportunity to try one of the Hoodia pills everyone was talking about.




I should preface this by saying my weight issue has more to do with a lack of activity. I generally do not over-eat I just need to get out to keep my metabolism up.
I took the pill a 2 1/2 hours ago with a glass of water. So far, I am still as hungry as I was before. I looked at the bottle and it states guaranteed pure from South Africa, however nothing about a quality guarantee. Interesting.

exercising in the winter

Now that the rain is here (for 10 more months) the thought of going for a morning walk has become less appealing. Good news is, there is a local community centre with a pool and exercise bikes right around the corner. I also picked up one of these exercise bikes and love it.





I also joined a Kundalini Yoga class and love it



This is a great way to beat the winter Seasonally adjusted disorder (SAD) blahs that are so common in the rainy climates. So how does everyone else cope?

Should Employers Be Able to Charge You for Being Overweight

Something I found online.

Any thoughts?


Overweight? Prepare to Pay Up

Should Employers Be Able to Charge You for Being Overweight?
By TORY JOHNSON
Aug. 10, 2007




With health-care costs rising, some large employers are taking radical new steps to cut corners: They're charging overweight employees a fee if they don't slim down.
It's a strategy companies have used for years with smokers, which has many people wondering whether these heavy-handed employer tactics are a sign of things to come.
It's not necessarily the wave of the future. While controlling costs is paramount for any business, the happiness and morale of its work force are also quite relevant. There are many people who believe that when employers start requiring weigh-ins and cholesterol checks, they've gone way too far.
So the issues of employee loyalty/satisfaction and privacy concerns, combined with some serious legal challenges, given the protection afforded to employees in the Americans with Disabilities Act  which says that employers can't discriminate on the basis of health  will be cause for concern among employers before they rush out to adopt this stance.
It's no secret that skyrocketing health-care costs are of concern to employers and employees alike. Each of us is paying for it, and our bosses are too. We'd all like to save money. But it's more than just obesity and smoking that contribute to those enormous premiums, which leads to several questions.
How far can  or should  an employer go? Do you penalize an employee with breast cancer because her treatment costs are astronomical? What about someone with a brain tumor or a skin disorder? Do you monitor alcohol intake to determine whether employees are showing up hungover and therefore aren't as productive as sober people?
Reward Versus Punishment
In theory, anything an employer can do to help its work force to be healthy is great and should be perceived as great  often a blessing in disguise  even if it is motivated by business needs, not necessarily the health and welfare of its people.
That said, there are many critics who say punishment through financial penalties is not a sound solution  and that rewards are often much more successful. Not only do incentives boost morale, but they achieve the desired results. Not long ago we focused on companies that were investing in health and wellness programs and challenges  and the management was thrilled with the results.
In fact, a recent survey found that when major corporations took the time to measure their return on investment for health and wellness incentive programs, more than 75 percent said it was greater than breaking even.
Slippery Slope?
Many critics worry that employers could get too familiar with our private lives and our personal relationships. And indeed many already are. Last month we introduced "Good Morning America" viewers to the growing trend of workplace chaplains  on-site clergy who minister to employees, mainly about personal issues that range from marital woes to coping with a family member's illness.
There are other companies that are now introducing forms of marriage counseling. The theory is that when your home life is a wreck or you're worried that your spouse is cheating, you bring those fears to work and it impacts your performance. So it behooves an employer to offer on-site seminars on improving relationships and maintaining healthy marriages  because happy individuals make happy employees.
But in the end, most people say the buck's got to stop somewhere with a healthy balance between controlling costs while allowing employees to maintain their personal privacy as well.
Tory Johnson is the workplace contributor on "Good Morning America" and the CEO of Women for Hire. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

Diet Pills... The good the bad and the Ugly...

I know I have my opinions but of course there may be others. Any experiences anyone would like to share?

Michelle

Good Morning

It is just after 6AM and I am up. I just finished taking a walk around the block. Since loosing all this weight I have been feeling so much better about myself. I know I still have a ways to go and this battle with obesity is far from over but I do feel good and that is what is important.





Since this is such a new Blog, I figured I needed to promote it a little bit so after talking to a web person I know I decided to post a few free ads on Craigslist. After all a community isn't a community without people in it. If you have just stumble upon this, welcome and thank you for coming. Please feel free to contribute, and tell others. The more the merrier.

Love

Michelle

Welcome

Good Morning,

My name is Michelle and I was fat.... OK so I still struggle with weight issues, however I am over the biggest hump of it all.
Aside from the effect my weight had on my mobility and of course the social stigma us plus sized women go through, the part I really hated the most was all the Bullsh!t advertising and false hope mongering of these psuedo professionals. So many drugs, so many diets, From Atkins, Weightwatchers, Jenny Craig, LA Weightloss, Hoodia, and various other forms of speed - Come on people, the weight problem is not in my wallet... in fact it is rather Anorexic as far as wallets go - My purse on the other hand :)




So now onto the purpose of my rambling. Since overcoming the largest part if my weight loss I realised there needs to be some community support out there. Not the false kind which offer drug store solutions to lifestyle issues or those who pretent to care - so long as you pay for a membership. I'm talking about real support, support that comes from the heart without expectations of pecuinary reward. Yes I have a weight problem, yes I am dealing with it, no I don't want to empty my wallet any further for some false profit.

So let's talk. This is a blog to share experiences, successes and shortfalls. What has worked for you and what hasn't. Come on men and women together, lets unite and fight the battle of the bulge together.

Michelle

PS I always hate it when programs and people state statistics. Yes I have lost a substantial amount of weight. I will not go into the exact figure because it is all relative. All humans are unique, as are their metabolism's. A number is just a number, how you feel is the important part and I FEEL GREAT!!!