Diet

Protein is good for body building. Therefore, high-protein diet can be found in many body-building programs. The fact is, protein is not as portable as other convenient foods like carbs, vegetables, and fruits. Protein in meats and fish must be processed and is not just easily there for us to grab and consume. Most of the time, protein foods are fried which means that they are unhealthy.

It is quite explainable why 1/3 of women at the age of 20 until 40 do not get the needed amount of protein. In fact, many studies prove that high-protein diet is good for health. A study by Johns Hopkins University showed that protein diet can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides better than what traditional higher-carb diet promises.

What is the Benefit of Protein?

High-protein diet is good to boost the digestion and metabolism which means that there are more calories needed to process them. You will feel full longer and sooner because the protein also leaves your stomach longer. This is really beneficial for anyone who wants to lose weight.

Dieters who include 30% calorie more on their diet, based on Nutrition Metabolism, will eat 450 fewers calorie a day and can lose weight up to 11 pounds within 12 weeks without taking any other kinds of diet.

Protein is also beneficial to burn fat and not muscle. When you eat protein, the amino acids will be sued by the body to build lean muscle to make you more toned and stronger. Even when you’re not active, the amino acids will still burn your calories. This means that, the metabolism works all the time at high speed to burn any kind of calories you eat.

Have More High-Protein in Your Diet

You should consume protein with the amount of 0.5-1.0 gram protein per pound of your body weight. So if you’re 140 pound, you should eat 70-140 grams a day. If you are active, you can choose the high end, and the low end for losing weight.

Thirty of the total grams will be better if eaten at breakfast. Your body is empty as you are fasting while sleeping all night. And if you do not eat protein at breakfast, you body will eat on your muscle tissue. Another advantage is that you can regulate the all-day appetite by eating protein at breakfast.

However, not all proteins are the same. Protein foods like whole grains, nuts, and veggies don’t contain all nine amino acids needed for building muscle. Proteins can help you build muscle can be found in animal foods. Skinless white chicken or turkey, low-fat dairy, lean beef, seafood, and pork tenderloin are good for you flat belly. Per 50-calorie serving, these foods only contain 3 grams of fat. For vegetarians, they can pair incomplete proteins or nosh on complete proteins.

Sumber: www.womenshealthmag.com

High-fat diet mostly leads to weight gain. However, to lose weight, it’s not only about reducing fats, but also calories. It is because, even when you have consumed low-fat, trans fat-free, or fat-free foods, the extra calories will still be stored as fat. So, replacing high-fat foods with high-calorie foods like sweets can lead to weight gain rather than to weight loss.

How Much Fat We Cat Eat?

It’s recommended that about 20%-35% of adult daily calories are taken from fat. So, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, that amounts to 44-77 grams of fat a day.

Before consuming a product, you can read on the nutrition labels on food packages which state the number of fat and calories per serving. To get the nutrients you need, you can eat a variety of lower-fat foods.

To control fat along with carbs, calories and cholesterol, you can put large amount of fruits, vegetable, and other plant foods and moderate amount low-fat animal-based foods like meat and dairy products. Meat, fish, and poultry are recommended with a maximum of 5-7 ounces per day.

You can also consume low-fat protein, such as tuna, tofu, low-fat or skim milk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and dried beans and pea. Salmon, flaxseed, and other foods rich with omega-3 fatty acid should also be included in your diet for the health of your heart. Salmon can be eaten twice a week.

How to Prepare Low-Fat Diet?

1. Remove the poultry’s skin and cut off all the visible fats

2. Soups, gravies, and stews can be refrigerated and the hardened fat can be removed before eating

3. Frying food is forbidden. Instead, you can try to bake, broil, or grill.

4. Instead of sprinkling the cooked vegetables with cream-based sauces, butter, cheese, you can try herbs, spices, on lemon juice.

5. Instead of sour cream, you can use plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt to bake potatoes. Limit the use of reduced-fat sour cream because it still contains fat.

Source: www.webmd.com

In a low-calorie diet, people usually take between 800-1500 calories a day. But when that’s not enough, as a short cut people choose a very low-calorie diet.

In the very low-calorie diet, people consume the commercially made formulas with the 800 calories or fewer to replace any food they usually eat. And very low diet is different with the substitution of one or two meals per day with over-the-counter meal replacements.

Is Very Low-Calorie Effective?

Very low-calorie diet can help lose about 3 or 5 pounds per week for an obese (with BMI over 30). With this diet, you can lose up to 44 pounds in 12 weeks.

This kind of weight loss can improve your medical condition, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. But in the long term, it is better to have modest diet because this one isn’t more effective. When you stop this very low-calorie diet, you have to commit regular exercise, healthy eating, and lifestyle changes.

Is Very Low-Calorie Diet Safe?

Before taking this diet, you’d better talk to your doctor because very low-calorie diet is not appropriate for everyone. Under proper medical supervision, this type of diet is safe for people with BMI over 30. If you are overweight but not obese (BMI of 27-30), you can only take this type of diet if you have medical problems related to weight and are under medical supervision.

Those who are NOT recommended to take very low-calorie diet are pregnant or breastfeeding women, children and teens who are not in specialized treatment programs, and people over 50 because this diet has possible side effects.

Side Effects of Very Low-Calorie Diet

In 4-16 weeks of very low-calorie diet, some minor side effects are reported, including nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, and constipation. In most cases, these conditions get better within a few weeks and it is very rare that people stop completing the program after experiencing the minor side effects.

However, rarely, it is also reported that very low-diet has a serious side effect, gallstone. This usually happens in rapid weight loss. However, it is not clear if the cause of gallstone is the rapid weight loss of the very low-calorie diet.

Source: www.webmd.com

Many studies prove that Mediterranean Diet is good for our health. It emphasizes on produce, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats. Not only good to help you lose weight, this diet can help decrease the risk of heart disease, dementia, and depression. Here are foods and drinks you have to consume in Mediterranean Diet.

Mediterranean Diet: Fruits and Vegetables

The key of this diet is fresh non-starchy produce. You are required to eat 1 cup of raw or ½ cup of half-cooked produce per servings. In a day, you need to consume 5-10 servings.

Mediterranean Diet: Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are contained in olives or olive oil and avocado. With 5 olives or 1 tsp of olive oil or 1/8 of avocado per serving, you must go for 4-6 servings per day.

Mediterranean Diet: Seeks, Nuts, and Legumes

The fiber and protein are sourced from nuts and seeds which will also provide antioxidants and healthy fats. Per serving, you can eat ½ cup of cooked legumes at least twice a week and 1 tbsp or 10-12 almonds or walnut halves.

Mediterranean Diet: Fish and Eggs

You need to eat fish 2 or 3 times a week (4-oz per serving). On the menu, there is also eggs whipped in vegetables frittata.

Mediterranean Diet: Some Dairy

To help the digestion process, get some dairy from cultured milk (yogurt, kefir, ricotta). With 1 cup of yogurt, milk, or 1-oz of cheese per serving, you must go for 1-3 servings per day.

Mediterranean Diet: Whole Grain

Avoid refined carbs and choose whole grain instead. Eat small portions of whole-wheat bread or quinoa pasta 4 times a day.

Mediterranean Diet: Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices are rich of anti-inflammation and antioxidant agents.

Mediterranean Diet: Water

Water is still the best option. To help digestion, North-African people drink green tea with mint and Mediterranean people drink espresso.

Source: www.health.com

Are you familiar with this term yet? Many people are (through browsing in the Internet) but they don’t exactly know what it is. Here is the explanation of hormone diet.

Natasha Turner as the author of the book of hormone diet believes that hormonal imbalances can lead to overweight. The fluctuation of certain hormone levels can cause weight gain, stubborn belly fat, sluggishness, sugar craving, stress, lagging libido, and health problems.

Consisting of two weeks of detox, hormone diet adopt Mediterranean style plus some uses of supplement.

What We Can Eat in Hormone Diet

Turner creates “Glyci-Med” food plan which mixes foods which can raise sugar slowly (GI—glycemic index) with a traditional Mediterranean diet. The foods we can consume include lean protein (such as wild-caught fish, eggs, and chicken breasts); flaxseeds, chia seeds, and most nuts; vegetables and most fruits; whole grains (such as quinoa, brown rice, and buckwheat); and olive oil and some other unsaturated oils and fats, (such as canola oil).

Some of the foods we should minimize or avoid are alcohol, caffeine, processed meat, fried foods, saturated fats, artificial sweeteners, peanuts, simple high-GI carbs like white bread, and full-fat dairy.

You can eat 3-4 times a day, 80% of which must be healthy foods. The good news is you can have two “cheat meals” within a weak.

What Other Efforts We Should Do in Hormone Diet

First of all, for two weeks, you will quit sugar, alcohol, most oils, gluten, and caffeine. Testing body’s pH balance using pH strips is recommended, as well as checking hormone through blood, urine, or saliva tests. You will also be required to consume supplements, such as calcium-magnesium-vitamin D3, omega-3 fatty acids, and multivitamins.

You need to prepare yourself to cook the whole food by yourself. Prepared meals and snacks are big no! Turner also recommends green tea to replace your love for soda and coffee.

It is good if you consume as much organic food as possible. There are fairly basic recipes and 1-week sample. If you don’t feel comfortable following the diet plan, your options may be limited.

You are also recommended to have 30 minutes of exercise in 6 days within a week by combining cardio, strength training interval training, and yoga.
Source: www.webmd.com