This Is The Single Biggest Thing You Can Do If You Want To Lose Weight

By Tony Fahkry                

Thoughts and Emotions Influence Your Health

The Scottish whisky distiller Thomas Dewar once said: "Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open."

I want you to keep an open mind during the next five minutes it will take you to read this piece.

I want to introduce an idea that will prove helpful if you want to lose weight and improve your body composition.

Self-help health experts remind us to refrain from using language such as losing weight due to its symbolic connection to the weight returning. You 'release' unwanted body fat they'll have you know.

However, for the sake of this article I'm referring to it as weight loss so as not to confuse the reader.

Why am I qualified to talk about this topic?

I began my career as a personal trainer many years ago, before transitioning to writing and speaking about health and self-empowerment.

In that capacity, I was fortunate to work with thousands of people who lost weight and kept it off while regaining their health.

How?

I discovered a principle in their journey and my own around the key role thoughts and emotions play in regulating our health.

I wrote a book which was endorsed by the internationally acclaimed author Dr. Eldon Taylor. It equally received praise from Australia's leading sports neuroscientist, Dr. Roy Sugarman.

How Money and Calories Are The Same

It occurred to me during this period that weight loss was like managing money. As someone who occasionally hacks their health, I track my calories and macronutrients in the name of personal observation and knowledge.

I followed a Ketogenic diet for three years, recording my food consumption and calories. I gained a good deal of data and knowledge, which helped me to find the most effective ways to lose weight and keep it off.

This was supported by my program The Power To Navigate Life, in which I studied the role thoughts, beliefs and emotions play in regulating health.

In tracking my calories during this time, I noticed that the process was similar to my money spending habits, insofar as their respective use and expenditure.

What I'm proposing over the coming paragraphs is not a cure, potion or remedy. It is a short-term intervention to make you aware of how you consume calories, so as to develop sound habits to prevent overeating.

However, it is not just about the calories, since being on a Ketogenic diet proved that.

There were periods when I consumed as much as 3, 500+ calories per day and continued to lose fat weight while regaining muscle composition. I took exact body measurements and recorded my blood lipids to highlight the changes, making sure not to leave anything to chance.

I learned the age old myth of calories in, calories out did not apply while I was in ketosis. However, few people are willing to follow a low-carb or ketogenic diet owing to its restrictions.

So, for the rest of us, being mindful of our caloric intake is a way to manage our weight.

The American science writer Gary Taubes asserts in Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It: "The one thing we absolutely have to do if we want to get leaner - if we want to get fat out of our fat tissue and burn it - is to lower our insulin and to secrete less insulin to begin with."

Superfluous Calories to Blame

What I discovered was the following.

In relation to my money habits, if I didn't track my financial spending by the end of the week I was unsure where the money was spent. I had little recollection of the items or services I paid for, since the transactions occurred days ago.

From speaking to people over the years, this was an issue many faced. However, when I tracked my spending, I could see where the money was directed and implemented a budget to curb the frivolous spending.

So far so good.

During this time, I came off the ketogenic diet and gained 3-4 kg (6-8 lbs) during the winter.

What did I do?

I applied the same process to calories that helped me track my spending. It turned out, I was snacking during the winter months on superfluous calories that led to weight gain.

Now, I realise gaining 3-4 kg is not a big deal in the scheme of things. However, it is not the weight gain, but the experience acquired from recording the calories that was valuable.

Money and food have the same relationship, where you are likely to spend money easily and consume food easily.

So, they should be recorded until you can manage both without having to consult an app or meal tracker.

So far, I have not mentioned exercise and movement since I didn't want this article to be an instructional piece on how to lose weight.

Exercise and movement play a role in maintaining healthy weight, but not in the way we've been led to believe. For now, I assume you exercise or are involved in some form of regular movement.

So here's my outline if you want to lose weight, whether big or small, the principles are the same:

1. Track Your Food Consumption And Calories For 30 Days

Thirty days is a reasonable period to gather enough data on how many calories you consume. As the saying goes: "If you don't measure it, you can't manage it."

It's recognising where hidden calories are consumed that's of importance. I suggest using an app or software program to calculate your macronutrient ratios and adhere to them as much as possible. You can see mine in the accompanying image.

A benefit of recording data is that is takes into account the times when you're likely to consume more calories, such as going out to dinner or a birthday party. Avoid worrying about the overall calories consumed for that day, but focus your attention on the total calories and macronutrients for the week.

"We don't get fat because we overeat; we overeat because we're getting fat," states Gary Taubes

The aim is to reduce calories over a four week period in order for weight loss to occur. Again, I suggest you use an app or online program to calculate your minimum and maximum caloric intake per day, rather than guestimate it.

If you continue this same trajectory of consuming your calculated weekly calories, you will continue to lose weight in the ensuing months. You will have also cemented a new habit that lasts beyond that time.

2. Reduce Your Calories Based On What You Track

This is straightforward. Reduce your calories per day depending on your weight loss goal. As a warning, I suggest starting slowly rather than trying to lose weight quickly.

It is my personal experience coaching individuals over a ten year period that what you lose quickly is likely to come back. As the saying goes: The best time to start a new habit is yesterday."

3. Continue The Habit In The Following Months

As outlined in point number one, follow your habit once the 30 day period has lapsed. You will have gathered enough data on what foods you consumed over the past 30 days. If you're unsure of a food, track it and see what effect it has on your caloric intake.

If you experience setbacks related to illness, injury or personal circumstances, record your calories for two days and use that to get back on track.

4. If You Put Weight Back On, Track Your Caloric Intake Again

After coming off the ketogenic diet, I consumed more carbohydrates which I previously omitted from my diet. Naturally, during winter I was drawn to these foods once more, and gained weight.

Instead of being disheartened, I tracked my calories for a few days or sometimes an entire week to help resume my weight loss until I had reached my goal.

"To effectively lose weight and keep it off, you need to strategically alter your body weight set point" explains Gerard E. Mullin in The Gut Balance Revolution: Boost Your Metabolism, Restore Your Inner Ecology, and Lose the Weight for Good!

Remember, this is not a long term solution. Many will find once they lose weight, they will want to stick to the formula because it is successful.

Yet, there are disadvantages to limiting calories over a longer period, including depriving yourself of essential macro and micronutrients. Not to mention the mental and emotional havoc caused by maintaining this way of life.

I was precise in my approach, using FitDay software to track my macro and micronutrient ratios and supplemented where necessary.

"You don't get fat because your metabolism slows; your metabolism slows because you're getting fat," is the reminder from Gary Taubes

It is worth restating: this is not a system. It is a means of checking in to make sure you are not consuming extra calories that lead to weight gain.

Most importantly, it helps you to eat healthier because like spending money, you cannot afford to spend calories frivolously if you want to maintain a lean figure.

The real message from this piece is that your health is your greatest priority.

Weight loss is a means to an end to help you maintain a healthy figure with a higher muscle to fat ratio, whatever body type or composition you are.

Sometimes we need help to move us in the direction of our goals, dreams and highest aspirations. The Self-Improvement Academy provides The Power to Learn and Grow by empowering you with personal development resources. Learn and Grow at the leisure of your own time whether at home, on the bus or waiting for your favourite coffee. The lessons are short, yet packed with detailed wisdom to accelerate your success. https://self-improvement-academy.thinkific.com/

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Type 2 Diabetes and Healthy Eating - Are You Eating One Continuous Daily Meal?

By Beverleigh H Piepers            

Some people say it is best to eat two or three main meals a day. You might agree with them if you don't believe several smaller meals are the way to go. There is an idea going around suggesting breaking up all your main meals into smaller portions. This approach is supposed to be a superior way to manage your food intake because it is implied eating many smaller meals will keep your metabolism active. Eating smaller meals often each day is one of the most mistaken widespread beliefs regarding nutrition in recent memory. But we digress.

Now, what if you are not doing any of the above? What if you are primarily eating one continuous meal every day? Don't take this too literally. If you have been eating so regularly throughout the day, however, and you are unable to count how many separate occasions you have eaten, there is a good chance you are mostly eating one continuous, never-ending meal (so to speak).

On a serious note and to be fair, you may not have realized this is what you were doing. Most people are not aware of their eating behaviors. The majority of eating plans lack any structure these days. The average person...

• does not cook as often as he should,
• doesn't eat the variety of foods he needs, and

is likely nutritionally deprived to some extent.

Since snacking between meals has become the norm, along with the idea we need to eat many smaller portions, it is not uncommon to see people eating what is essentially one continuous meal throughout the day, with short breaks in between. If you are guilty of this in any way, even to a slight extent - stop. This pattern can only harm your health. There are many issues with this type of behavior.

Notably, you should be reminded where the idea of eating three full-sized meals each day stems from. It all began at a time when we needed to eat three daily meals. Back then, the majority of people were involved in manual labor and led a highly active lifestyle as part of their job or natural way of life.

Today, most of us sit for many hours every day, even if we are not in an office. So three meals are unnecessary. Never mind snacking, which just makes it much easier to overeat and gradually become overweight. Two daily meals are enough. You can eat a snack guilt-free, but only before or after physical activity. Otherwise, you will leave yourself vulnerable to a host of problems and complications down the road.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

For nearly 25 years, Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body. Go to http://DrugFreeType2Diabetes.com to learn about some of those secrets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.

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Reducing Inflammation - The Less Inflammation You Have Is Better for Your Health

By Vilmos Bond               

Inflammation is a process within our own bodies which it utilizes to protect us from disease and injury. Like all these things in life, a lot of even a fantastic thing can be bad for all of us. Any nutritionist or health coach will inform you that the typical American diet is filled up with foods which increase inflammation inside our own bodies. These include sugars, processed grains and bad fats which are all so typical in most junk foods. Only a couple of the issues connected with such a diet are muscle or joint pain, asthma or allergies, higher blood pressure and blood sugar issues. This type of diet also saps our energy that you need to make it through daily.

A Healthier Diet to Lower Inflammation

In case you've been eating a diet high in sugars, then you will soon sense a lot of benefits from the adoption of a diet consisting of foods that reduce inflammation. The following types of foods will help you in this regard:

• Fruits
• Nuts
• Leafy green vegetables
• Fatty fish
• Fresh herbs and spices

You may attain tremendous anti-inflammatory advantages from cutting out fried foods, sodas, processed carbohydrates and processed meats and incorporating these healthy foods into your daily diet. The fat in fish and nuts is a healthy form which also can help nourish your mind. Fruits and greens feature lots of essential minerals and vitamins that help keep you healthy in general while also fighting inflammation especially. When coupled with taking spices and herbs, which are full of antioxidants, you provide your body exactly what it requires to feel relief from the aches, aches, lack of energy and other indicators of a poor diet.

You'll Thank Yourself

Adjusting your diet is among the most difficult prospects for many people. Most of us hear about creating New Year's resolutions which are left a couple of weeks after and fitness center memberships of those trying to enhance their health through exercise heading unused after a couple of trips. You want to do anything is required to make this change occur on your own.

Educate yourself on nourishment on the internet and through publications and eBooks, and also combine forums on health-related sites and programs to get in touch with like-minded folks that will assist you to persevere. Should you will need a gym trainer to keep you on course, then that might be the wisest investment you ever make. The anti-inflammatory added benefits of a nutritious diet will provide you the energy and health to handle your daily life with a vigor which you might not have the ability to envision at the moment. When you've got this power to be living the life you always wanted, you will not ever need to return to the way you was.

Let us help you with your wellness and Weight Management goals with personalized coaching. Our Wellness Next Step coaches work closely together with clients by focusing on personal goals through smart decision making. Using personal interactive wellness and weight management assessment tools, http://wellnessnextstep.com/index.php/weight-management/ our coaches engage our clients to take control of their health. http://wellnessnextstep.com/index.php/wellness-coach/

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Nuts Are Protein? The Myth That Won't Die

By Joan Kent                

When will people stop calling nuts protein? Recently, I wrote an article by request for what you might call a high-end crowd: the social and education circle of a doctor-turned-nutrition-educator.

The article topic I suggested was too ordinary for this doctor's group, so we went with how alcohol can sabotage weight management during the holidays. It gave me room to add some science to the article to accommodate the higher standards of the audience. 'Nuff said.

Regarding holiday parties or dinner buffets, I suggested the readers eat before the event, particularly protein. Because the doctor's crowd includes many vegans, I felt compelled to let them know what is and isn't protein.

Not surprisingly, the editor/doctor informed me that nuts are protein, as is quinoa. The good thing is I had my research ready, so I pass it along to you.

The Nut Numbers

Almonds, for example, are over 78% fat, mostly monounsaturated. The remaining 22% of calories are almost evenly split between protein and carbohydrate, with protein only slightly ahead (by 2 grams, or 8 calories, per cup).

Macadamias are over 95% fat, mostly monounsaturated. Out of the 962 calories in 1 cup of macadamias, carbohydrates provide about 76 calories, and protein only 44.

Cashews, another healthful nut, are 70% fat, 19% carbohydrate and 11% protein.

Pistachios are about 72% fat, 19% carb and 14% protein. These values are just approximate.

Nuts are wholesome, but the numbers clearly don't substantiate the myth that they're a protein food. No one calls them a high-carb food because they're not, but the carbs in 3 of the above 4 nuts outshine the protein.

Let's Face Fats

Let's start calling nuts what they are - healthful unsaturated fats. They're good to eat, but not for their protein content. Get protein a better way - and not from quinoa! One cup of quinoa has only about as much protein as a medium-sized potato. Potatoes are not usually considered a protein food(!).

Vegans who won't eat animal products might consider using unsweetened hemp or vegetable protein powders as a viable source of protein.

Also, sugar can cause most of the sabotage alcohol causes, so why not visit http://www.FoodAddictionSolutions.com and grab your free copy of "3 Mistakes People Make When Trying To Quit Sugar"?

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The Dangerous 10 - Top 10 Worst Food Additives

By Carolina Rosini 

Food additives are substances added during the processing or making of a certain food in order to preserve flavors and freshness and enhance taste and appearance.

Although some of them have been used for centuries, the use of certain food additives is becoming really widespread and some of them are extremely dangerous for your health, I would say toxic even.

I'm not talking about the once-in-a-while consumption of a certain processed food containing additives, which can't harm anyone. I am talking about daily use. Statistics show that the average American spends about 90% of his/her budget on this kind of food; which means that if you open an American fridge or look up on the shelves you'll find tons of canned, dehydrated, artificial or processed stuff, which is extremely unhealthy, and its persistent consumption can cause health problems.

Typically these food ingredients are very difficult to identify, both for the variety of names and codes they're labelled with and the very minuscule fonts used to lists them on the ingredient list.

Here is the list of the top 10 toxic ingredients.

Go get your detective glass and start reading labels!

1) HFCS - High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a highly-refined artificial sweetener made from corn starch and found in almost all processed food such as: bread and baked goods, salad dressing, candies, yogurt, soda etc. And according to some studies has become the number one source of calories in the US.

Indeed, its easy handling and cheap cost made it the number one granulated sugar replacement: The amount of refined sugar we consume has declined over the past 40 years, while we're consuming almost 20 times as much HFCS.

HFCS is linked with weight gaining, it increases your LDL ("bad" cholesterol) levels, and contributes to the development of diabetes and tissue damage, among other harmful effects.

Also, recent researches published by the American Association for Cancer Research found that the fructose in HFCS promotes cancer growth, specifically pancreatic cancer.

2) Sodium Nitrate & Sodium Nitrite (NaNO3- NaNO2)

Both of them are chemical compound used as a food additive to preserve and give to cured meats, smoked fish and poultry a nice red pinkish color. Although their purpose seems harmless, these ingredients are highly carcinogen and their consume is linked with gastrointestinal cancer and heart diseases.

In fact, under certain conditions, they can form nitrosamines compounds, molecules that cause cancer in animals and humans.

Also, in massive doses, nitrite - and nitrate, which under some conditions changes to nitrite - can lead to a condition called methemoglobinemia. In our body, nitrites, indeed, have the ability to change the structure of the hemoglobin into methemoglobin: the binding of oxygen to whom results in an increased affinity for oxygen in the remaining heme sites. This leads to an overall reduced ability of the red blood cell to release oxygen to tissue and it may occur in tissue hypoxia.

Can't give up on eating salami, bacon or ham? Choose the uncured ones.

Sodium Nitrate is listed under its INS number 251 or E number E251, Sodium Nitrite has the E number E250.

3) MSG - Monosodium Glutammate

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats. While the Glutamic acid is naturally present in our bodies, and in many foods, such as tomatoes and cheese, the ones exploited by the processed-foods industry is chemically produced through hydrolysis of vegetable proteins with hydrochloric acid to disrupt peptide bonds or by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses.

The substance produced has the ability to excite our taste buds and make everything taste delicious, which wouldn't be a big deal if it hasn't been shown that high levels of MSG can seriously screw with brain chemistry causing damage to areas of the brain unprotected by the blood-brain barrier.

4) Artificial Colors

Food dyes are one of the most common ingredients in processed food used with the purpose to make your meals or drinks more desirable and appealing.

Nothing against that if they wouldn't have been linked to some serious health problems.

Blue #1 and Blue #2 (E133)

Banned in Norway, Finland, and France. May cause chromosomal damage.

Found in candy, cereal, soft drinks, sports drinks and pet foods.

Red dye #3 (also Red #40 - a more current dye) (E124)

Banned in 1990 after 8 years of debate from use in many foods and cosmetics. This dye continues to be on the market until supplies run out! Has been proven to cause thyroid cancer and chromosomal damage in laboratory animals, may also interfere with brain-nerve transmission.

Found in fruit cocktail, maraschino cherries, cherry pie mix, ice cream, candy, bakery products and more!

Yellow #6 (E110) and Yellow Tartrazine (E102)

Banned in Norway and Sweden. Increases the number of kidney and adrenal gland tumors in laboratory animals, may cause chromosomal damage.

Found in American cheese, macaroni and cheese, candy and carbonated beverages, lemonade and more! (source Food Matters website)

The slogan "Eat the Rainbow" is still cool but go natural, please!

5) BHA & BHT

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), also listed with the label of E320, and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are two organic compound widely used by the food industry as preservatives due to their antioxidants proprieties as they can prevent rancidification of food containing fats.

Although declared safe from FDA, The U.S. National Institutes of Health reported that they may form cancer - cause reactive compounds in our body potentially leading to cancer.

Also, they can disturb your hormone and neurological system.

BHA is in tons of food: pick up a bag of chips, a box of cereal, a package of frozen sausages or simply eat a gum, and you have a high probability to find BHA and or BHT (or even worse, both of them) in the ingredients list.

6) Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial Sweeteners are sugar substitute used to give some sweet taste to drinks of food without all the calories of sucrose.

Aspartame, known also as NutraSweet, Equal and codified ad E951, is the most famous one. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar, but its effect on the human body is not as sweet as it tastes: is a neurotoxin and carcinogen.

Some studies claim that is the most dangerous substance on the market, with a wide range of health effects ranging from mild problem such as memory issues, headache and dizziness, to more serious ones, such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, and emotional disorders.

Avoid Acetisulfame K, Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin), and Sucralose (Splenda) too.

7) Sulfur Dioxide

Sulfur Dioxide is a chemical compound with antimicrobial and antioxidants proprieties, used as a preservative for dried fruits such as dried apricot, raisins and prunes and added to fruit juices, cereal bars, breakfast cereal to prevent discoloration, ripening, and rotting.

Checking food labels for it, and for sulfites in general, with numbers in the range E220-228, is helpful; however, companies are required to list it only if there are more than 10 parts per million (ppm) in the finished product.

Whilst harmless to healthy persons when used in recommended concentrations, it can induce asthma and respiratory problem when ingested by sensitive subjects, even in high dilution.

It also destroys vitamins B1 and E.

8) Trans Fats

"Trans fats, or trans-unsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, are a type of unsaturated fat that occur in small amounts in nature, but became widely produced industrially from vegetable fats for use in margarine, snack food, packaged baked goods and frying fast food starting in the 1950s. Trans fat has been shown to consistently be associated, in an intake-dependent way, with increased risk of coronary artery disease, a leading cause of death in Western nations."

As matter of facts, Trans fats have the power to increase LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, while decreasing the amount of HDL (the good one) in our bodies. Trans fat is abundant in fast food restaurants. Here is a list of health issues linked to a high consume of trans fats: Alzheimer's disease, coronary artery disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, liver dysfunctions, infertility, depression, deficit in memory.

Keep them in mind while you're enjoying your fries!

9) Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and it's famous for the anti-fungal proprieties.

Pick up a soda can and you'll surely find it as an ingredient (E211). Indeed, it is heavily used by the soft drink industry, and not only in that. This chemical compound it is primarily added to acidic foods such as prickles, sauces, vinegars in order to enhance their flavor.

When mixed with ascorbic acid (well known as Vitamin C), Sodium Benzoate create an unfortunate side effect: it forms benzene known as a potent carcinogen, which contribute to the formation of many different types of cancer.

10) Potassium Bromate

Last but not least, Potassium Bromate, used in the Unites States, as a flours additive to improve elasticity and strength of the dough and allow it to rise higher.

In 1999, the International Agency on Research for Cancer declared that potassium bromate was a possible human carcinogen. Since that, it has been banned in a number of country including Europe and Canada, but not in the United Stated, where studies have found it in more that 86 baked goods found on supermarket shells.

Check out your bread, rolls, French toast or pastry dough before buying. Please!

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Introduction to Healthy Eating

By Vlad Alyokhin                   

Take a minute to imagine your ideal body in a perfect state of health. How would you look in the mirror? How would you feel when you get out of bed in the morning? If you want to make that vision a reality, you'll have to start eating more healthy foods. One of the most important steps towards prioritizing health & fitness in your everyday routine is being aware of what you're putting in your body.

Benefits of Healthy Eating

You might have heard that losing weight comes from 80% diet and 20% fitness. That's because it's much easier to reduce calories through eating well than it is by exercising and burning off the extra calories from unhealthy food. Even if you are diligently following a workout plan, if you aren't eating well you may not see much progress.

There are so many benefits of healthy eating including preventing illness, feeling great, looking great, increasing strength, and having lots of energy all day long.

The 3 Building Blocks: Protein, Carbs, and Fats

Protein:

Your body uses protein to build tissue such as muscle and it can also use protein as an energy source. Protein assists in muscle growth and recovery which is essential to recover after your intense workouts.

It's pretty hard for your body to turn protein into fat, so if you want to lose fat increase the proportion of protein you consume as part of your diet. If you want to lose weight and gain strength, aim for a high protein diet and simultaneously minimize your carbohydrate intake.

10 Best Sources of Protein

Protein Powder - 80-90 g protein/100g
Lean Beef - 36 g protein/100g
Pork Loin - 32 g protein/100g
Chicken - 31g protein/100g
Tuna - 26 g protein/100g
Lentils - 26 g protein/100g
Almonds - 21 g protein/100g
Black Beans - 21 g protein/100g
Eggs - 13 g protein/100g
Cottage Cheese 11 g protein/100g

Recommendation

Daily, aim for 0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Protein has 4 calories per gram. Note that while protein powder is an excellent source of protein, you shouldn't rely on it alone. You want to ensure that you're getting plenty of protein from whole foods as well, which come packed with a host of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that are essential for good health

Carbohydrates:

There are three main types of carbohydrate: sugars, starches and fiber. Sugar and starches get broken down to produce energy and fiber can feed the bacteria in the digestive system.

Some carbohydrates are better for you than others. Simple or refined carbohydrates have been processed so the fiber is removed. Examples include white sugar, white bread, and fruit juice. Your body processes these refined carbohydrates quickly, which increases your blood glucose levels and spikes insulin. This insulin spike can be useful for muscle growth and recovery after a workout but during the rest of the day focus on eating more complex carbohydrates instead.

Whole or complex carbohydrates take longer to digest so they provide a steadier supply of energy. They also contain many nutrients. These are the carbs that you want to focus on, and only eat others sparingly.

6 Best Sources of Carbs

Oats
Quinoa
Brown rice
Vegetables
Whole fruits (e.g. berries, applies, oranges)
Legumes

Recommendation

Aim for about 1 gram of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight daily. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram.

Fats:

Some people are scared of fats because they are calorie dense (9 calories per gram) but your body needs fat to thrive. Fat is a source of energy and it also helps your body absorb some vitamins and minerals. Fat is used to build cell membranes, clot blood, move muscles and prevent inflammation.

It's important to check your food labels-some types of fats are better for you than others.

Polyunsaturated Fats - Good

These are essential fats because your body needs them and it can't produce them on its own. Sunflower oil and safflower oil contain polyunsaturated fats. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are examples of polyunsaturated fats. Many people get enough omega-6 in their diet so focus on omega-3 fatty acids which you can get from foods such as salmon, sardines, and walnuts.

Monounsaturated Fats - Good

These function as an energy source during tough workouts. Olive oil, avocados and peanut butter are good sources of monounsaturated fats.

Saturated Fats - Okay in Moderation

Your diet should include some saturated fat, especially if you are a following an intense workout plan. Saturated fat is especially important for men because it helps maintain healthy testosterone levels. Whole eggs, red meat, whole milk and coconut oil are sources of saturated fat.

Trans fats - Bad

Avoid these fats at all costs! Trans fats have been altered in a laboratory and your body doesn't recognize them or know what to do with them, which can cause problems. They might even increase the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and memory impairment. If you see any ingredient that is hydrogenated, the food contains trans fats. Don't put it in your body!

6 Best Sources of Fat

Olive oil
Avocado
Nuts
Salmon
Coconut oil
Red meat

Recommendation

Aim for 0.5 grams of fat per pound daily, with a mix of mostly unsaturated and some saturated fats. Fats have 9 calories per gram.

Key Things to Avoid

Here are three key items to avoid, or if you can't cut them out completely, try hard to reduce your intake.

Alcohol
Alcohol is basically empty calories with no nutritional value. It tends to stimulate the appetite and many foods you would typically eat while drinking are full of fat and salt. Alcohol decreases testosterone and lowers your metabolic rate so that means that you will have trouble burning fat, and probably pack on more than you'd like. They call it a "beer belly" for a reason!

Trans fats
We covered this above in the fats section. Just avoid these! They have no nutritional value and are bad for your health.

Refined sugar
Sugar is full of empty calories and if you want to lose weight, cut out sugar! It's bad for your hormones, can lead to obesity or cancer, and is also addictive. Some studies say that sugar addiction should be treated like drug abuse. Stay away from soft drinks and fruit juices that are loaded with sugar and be aware that some sport drinks also contain a lot of sugar, so keep these for post-workout consumption only.

Putting it All Together: The Complete Diet

There is no one-size-fits-all program, but we suggest a higher protein, lower carb diet to drop body fat, increase strength, and sculpt your body. Make sure that the carbs that you eat are mostly complex carbs. Eating the right types of food is more important than counting calories. If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you take in but don't go too far or your body may decide you are starving and pack on fat.

Everyone has different nutritional needs based on their metabolism, level of physical fitness, body type and size. Here's a link to a calculator that you can use as a rough guide to determine how many calories you should aim for per day. It takes your gender, age, weight, height, and activity level into account.

As we mentioned above, a good guide is the following:

Protein: 0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight

Carbs: 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight

Fats: 0.5 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight

So if you weigh 150 pounds, you'd eat 120-150 grams of protein, 150 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of fats everyday, which would give you about 1,755 calories. This is a good starting point if you're trying to burn fat and lose weight. But don't starve yourself! If you find you're constantly hungry and have low energy levels-be sure to eat a bit more. It will take a while to find the right fit for you as you adjust your eating and physical activity levels.

If you aren't sure how many calories you are eating on a daily basis, using an app like MyFitnessPal or Lose It! can help you keep track. Both apps have free versions.

What Else Can I Do?

If you want to boost your results from your workout, why not try some supplements? Here are six to consider.

Protein Powder - the easiest solution to boost your protein intake
Caffeine - helps you push harder during your workout and boost your metabolism to burn more fat
Creatine - scientifically proven to increase muscle strength and size
Fish oil - improves physical performance and helps you maintain healthy joints
Multivitamin - ensures you're getting all the nutrients you need to fully reach your potential
Veggie Greens Powder - a healthy mix of nutrients to help boost your energy

Conclusion

It takes a while to make healthy eating a habit but the rewards are huge so it is a worthwhile investment. If you found this whole article overwhelming, try making one small change at a time. First you can cut out unhealthy foods, such as sodas, candy, and fried foods and then focus on replacing them (one at a time if you have to) with healthier foods. It's taken you a long time to develop your current eating habits so be patient as it will take time to develop new ones. Just keep making small improvements and you will eventually reach your end goal.

A treat from time to time isn't a problem but if you find yourself reverting to eating a lot of foods that aren't good for you, don't beat yourself up over it. Just move on as if nothing happened and try to do better next time. Every day you have the opportunity to choose what goes into your body-so every day you can choose to make the right nutrition choices. If you want the best results from your workouts, make healthy eating a priority. You won't regret it!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Vlad_Alyokhin/2485218

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9832755

What You Need To Know, About The Potential Benefits, Of Vitamins A, B, C, D, And, E?

By Richard Brody                   

We often hear, lots of information, about the potential benefits of specific vitamins, minerals, and other supplements. Although, some, minimize the meaning and benefit, of addressing, many of our health needs, through, using certain supplements, unfortunately, it seems, far too few people, understand and appreciate some of the potential uses and benefits. Perhaps, more people have heard of vitamins, but, that doesn't mean, they really, understand, what that means. With that in mind, this article will attempt to briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, some of the many potential benefits and uses of Vitamins A, B, C, D, and, E. However, it is important to consider, although, using these is often, extremely beneficial, there are specific, contra - indications, which should be understood, and considered, before proceeding.

1. Vitamin A: Although, Vitamin A, is readily available in many foods, there are often, times, when we need, to use supplements, to achieve our needs, etc. This vitamin is fat - soluble, and needed for our vision, enhancing immune system, reproductive organs, etc. There has been much research, indicating the effectiveness, when it comes to maintaining the health and well - being of our teeth, skin, and several essential organs.

2. Vitamin B: Unlike many others, there are several different varieties of B - vitamins, each of which, has health advantages and needs. These are often considered, to be, essential building blocks, for overall health and well - being. They convert foods, to much - needed, energy, and different varieties, are extremely useful, for different needs, goals, and priorities.

3. Vitamin C: Our bodies are consistently, undergoing a variety of stresses, and ascorbic acid, often, is a necessity, for growth, repair, and development of all our body's tissues. Some other areas, which are addressed, include: formation of collagen; absorption of iron; wound - healing; and enhanced maintenance of our teeth, cartilage, and bones.

4. Vitamin D: This supplement is often indicated, and useful, in regulation of calcium, and magnesium, which are essential to maintaining the phosphorous levels, in blood. This, in terms, relates directly, to maintenance of healthy bones!

5. Vitamin E: Used, both, internally, and in topical ointments and creams, Vitamin E, is believed, to help prevent coronary heart disease, immune function, etc. In addition, it is believed, this supplementation might be needed, and necessary, in preventing inflammation, and promote optimal eye health.

Overall health is based on addressing, both, the conventional, and alternative possibilities, which exist, and are available. Help yourself, by proceeding, with an open - mind, and consider the options and alternatives.

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, conducted personal development seminars, and worked in the natural health industry, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for alternative health: http://facebook.com/althealth

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Brody/492539

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