How To Lose Weight By Eating Chocolate!
The world of dieting and diets is full of some really strange and wacky ideas! It seems that almost every month some celebrity or another is coming out endorsing yet another spin on the diet theme! Well, I’m no celebrity, but here is one you might not expect – The Chocolate Diet!
I can almost see you falling off your chair in fits of giggles – here comes another of those wacky fad diets from yet another self-proclaimed expert! I’m always very aware of that old definition of an “expert” – “X” is an unknown quantity, and a “spurt” is a drip under pressure!
The Chocolate Diet? Haven’t we’ve been told since we were young that chocolate is BAD for us – a moment on the lips, a life time on the hips! Certainly, if you are talking about highly refined milk chocolate then I would agree with you. But, what if we were talking about something very different?
How To Lose Weight By Eating Chocolate!
e world of dieting and diets is full of some really strange and wacky ideas! It seems that almost every month some celebrity or another is coming out endorsing yet another spin on the diet theme! Well, I’m no celebrity, but here is one you might not expect – The Chocolate Diet!
I can almost see you falling off your chair in fits of giggles – here comes another of those wacky fad diets from yet another self-proclaimed expert! I’m always very aware of that old definition of an “expert” – “X” is an unknown quantity, and a “spurt” is a drip under pressure!
The Chocolate Diet? Haven’t we’ve been told since we were young that chocolate is BAD for us – a moment on the lips, a life time on the hips! Certainly, if you are talking about highly refined milk chocolate then I would agree with you. But, what if we were talking about something very different?
We might be in need of a quick history lesson. Hernan Cortes was the Conquistador who led the “conquest” of the Aztecs. Writing in 1519 he observed:
“The divine drink builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food”! Read more
Green Tea Benefits – A guide to the health benefits of Green Tea
Green tea has enjoyed considerable attention in western countries lately due to its claimed health properties. This attention doesn’t come as a surprise to people living in Asian countries like China and Japan who have been enjoying the benefits of green tea for more than 4000 years.
However many companies have recognised the interest in green tea health benefits and created a range of green tea related supplements. Sometimes these companies make unproven claims about the health benefits of their products.
How is green tea better than other types of tea?
There are 3 main types of tea:
* Black Tea – made by exposing the tea leaves to air, heat, crushing and light
* Green Tea – Leaves are steamed or heated quickly to stop them oxidizing
* Oolong Tea – This is in-between, is not processed for as long as black tea but more than green tea
Because Green Tea hasn’t oxidized as much as other teas and it’s subjected to less fermentation and processing it usually contains higher levels of antioxidants and other health giving properties. However there are different grades of green tea and the levels of antioxidants present in the finished product depend on how, where and when it was picked.
Quick Recipes For Dieting
Like most things today we like it better if it’s quick and easy. The more painless and less stressful the more delightful we find it.
Dealing in recipes is no different. The question is, are quick recipes the way to go when you’re trying to diet? A quick look will give us a quick idea about quick recipes! Ha!
We’ll begin at what is known as our most important meal of the day – good old breakfast. It starts us off by supplying around 30% of our energy resource to make it through our day.
Some dieter start off with a meal similar to this:
An Omelet full of veggies, with sides of fruit, and washed down with skim milk.
If nothing else, that’s quick! The more vegetables in your omelet and sides of fruit the more filling, and the skim milk is less fattening.
Health Advantages of Eating Sugar-free
Because most foods have some form of sugar in them, it is nearly impossible to eat a totally sugar-free diet. However, it is definitely possible to cut out the unnatural, bad forms of sugar, which are found in processed foods, soft drinks, desserts, and other sweet treats. If you do, there are a number of health advantages. While some people only give up sugar after being diagnosed with diabetes or another serious medical condition, this new way of thinking about food can benefit almost anyone.
First and foremost, keep in mind that there are good forms of sugar, even if you are diabetic. Naturally occurring sugars, like those found in fruits or honey, help give the body energy, and in the case of fruit, are packaged in the food with plenty of fiber, which helps slow down the release of sugar during digestion. While some medical conditions demand that even natural forms of sugar be regulated closely, for the average person, these types of sugars are fine in moderation. The problem comes with concentrated sugars, which are usually processed. Corn syrup, glucose, and your common white granulated table sugar are all examples of “bad” sugars. Those are the types of sugars you need to give up! Keep in mind that sometimes foods are filled with bad sugars even if they do not taste sweet. For example, white bread and other refined carbohydrates can really cause your blood-sugar level to spike.
Tips to Eat Sugar-free
If you have decided to eat a sugar-free diet, whether due to medical reasons or personal preferences, you probably need some help getting started. Most foods contain either processed or natural sugars, even if they do not taste particularly sweet. You can use the following tips to make your transition to a sugar-free diet much easier:
Tip #1: Cut back slowly on your sugar consumption – If you currently eat a lot of sugar, it can be hard to stop eating it all of a sudden. Not only is it more of a challenge to find good, healthy foods to eat, but it can also have a negative effect on your body. Someone who goes from eating a lot of sugar to no sugar at all can feel irritable, drowsy, and nauseated. So, step down your sugar consumption slowly. In general, quitting anything cold turkey can have very unpleasant side effects. There are healthier ways to go about things.
Tip #2: Learn to read food labels – It might seem easy enough to choose healthy foods, but did you know that most no-fat and low-fat items are loaded with sugar? That is how they get flavor without fat! Do not assume that “health food” is healthy. Instead, get into the habit of looking at the label and making a healthy choice that way. Keep in mind that comparable food items labeled as “sugar free” may be surprisingly high in fat. By law, the labels have to be correct, and although they are confusing to read at first, learning to look at the nutritional value can really help you cut back on the sugar in your diet.
Baking Secrets for Sugar-free Deserts
If you are used to baking with sugar, it may take a little getting used to stocking your pantry for a low-sugar or sugar-free lifestyle. Once you realize that your sweet life is not over just because you are cutting back on sugar, you will be just fine. Here are some tips to help you stock a pantry with baking supplies needed to make sugar-free desserts.
Sweetening the Pot without Sugar
The most obvious ingredient for baking sugar-free desserts is a substitute for sugar. There are a number of artificial sweeteners that are widely available, including aspartame (Equal), acesulfame-k (Sweet One), saccharin (Sweet ‘n’ Low) and sucralose (Splenda). They can be a little tricky to use in baking because they have different properties than sugar, but there are many sugar-free dessert recipes using each of them. Because each of them differs from the others in the way they react to heat and the amount of sweetening power they have, it is also important to use the artificial sweetener that is called for in the recipe. Aspartame, for instance, loses its sweetness in when it is subjected to high heat for long periods of time as it would be if you use it in cakes or cookies that are baked in the oven. Splenda, on the other hand, is stable in heat and can be used in baked recipes, but may need additional liquid.
The Magic Potion for Weight Loss
Incredible as it seems, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in weight loss. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Although most of us will not believe that water may be the “only true magic potion” for permanent weight loss. The kidneys cannot function properly without enough water. When they do not work to capacity, some of their workload is passed onto the liver. The liver’s primary function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work, it cannot work at optimum efficiency. As a result, it metabolizes less fat and more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.
Drinking enough water is also the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold onto every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces. This shows up as swollen feet, hands and legs. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best as they “force” out stored water along with some essential nutrients. The body will again perceive this as a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give our body what it needs, i.e., plenty of fresh clean water. If one has a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may also be to blame as our body will tolerate sodium only in certain concentrations. The larger the salt intake, the more water our system retains to dilute the salt. But getting rid of unneeded salt is very easy, simply drink more water. As water is forced through the kidneys, it removes the excess sodium and water retention eases.
The Three Keys of Weight Management
While it is generally accepted knowledge that eating less and exercising more will facilitate weight loss, what they fail to mention is that it is a lot easier said than done. I believe two important aspects have been left out, which are accountability and therapy of the mind. I have done the following to incorporate both in my efforts to lose weight.
Exercise: I have joined a gym and started working with their personal trainer. While not cheap, it is worth it to know I am getting a workout that makes me feel good. I have felt the difference when I go horseback riding. I also try and ride my horse 2- 3 times a week.
Nutrition: I have started working with a registered dietitian who can better guide me in getting a handle on my eating habits, such as how to handle the vast amounts of food served at restaurants these days. After looking over a food journal which I had kept for two days, she showed me where I was fine, and where I needed to make improvements. She suggested fresh fruit at every meal, or for a snack, or even a quarter cup of unsalted nuts or low fat string cheese. She gave me suggestions on how to make food better without making it fatter, such as using a few sprays of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” spray instead of a few pats of regular butter or margarine. There are many recipes available online that go towards high taste and few calories. The chefs will walk you through these cooking videos as if they were there with you. There are many different varieties, from vegetarian, to chicken, beef and seafood.
Why Mini Meals Make Smart Snacks ?
No doubt a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit are healthy snacks, but they may be not always the best choices for weight loss, according to recent study. Researchers at the University of Buffalo in New York found that when people have an item they consider a “meal food” (such as thick slices of turkey), they eat leass afterward than those who grab typical noshing items such as chips, crackers or popcorn.
Researchers say that diners perceive the first group of foods as more substantial, so they tend to consume fewer calories at their next meal. As example, try these option : half of peanut butter and jelly sandwich or tuna salad on rye crackers.
3 Expert Ways To Avoid A Binge
Go overbroad on snacks, and you’ll blow your daily calorie budget. Kim Gorman, M.S., R.D., weight management program director at the University of Colorado at Boulder, highlights 3 times when snacking can go awry and discusses how to prevent it.
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