The Healthy Bee

Lots of people need to lose weight, and lots of people are always on the look out for diet plans that work.  It’s not really hard to find diets that work, but finding a diet a person can stick to is the issue.  The 46.8 billion dollar diet industry (as of 2005) depends not on people staying healthy and staying thin, but rather on people taking an endless roller coaster ride between health and fat.  Because repeat business brings in the cash, the focus is naturally on the up and down reality of un-healthy living followed by short stints of diets and health programs.

So you want a diet that delivers?  Here’s one.  Combine limiting caloric intake to 1000 calories each day with at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week.  It’s a sure bet you’ll lose weight.  But there are two problems.  #1 cravings will likely blow the diet.  1000 calories and all that exercise will eventually lead to big hunger and binge eating.  One piece of cake, or just one bag of chips, or one extra hot dog will soon motivate you to end the diet.  #2 the diet eventually ends.  You soon go back to eating the same old way.  Next beach season, or next time to wear that dress or tuxedo, or next family trip, or simply the next time you glance at a mirror on the way out of the gym  it will be once again be diet time. 

The best diet is a permanent diet.  More and more people now understand that to lose weight it’s best to make a whole lifestyle change, including healthier eating habits and more physical activity.  Connie Guttersen created the Sonoma Diet which, as a base, discusses 10 power foods.  These  are almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes and whole grains, combined with the diet of the Sonoma country, which includes Asian, Latin American and Mediterranean influences.  The diet is full of real food, and real portions, combined into enjoyable dishes to help encourage someone to stay with it .

Want a diet that works?  Shift the focus away from a short term diet to permanent eating habits that go along with an overall healthy and active lifestyle.  That’s the way to not only lose the weight, but to avoid gaining it in the first place.

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By: Beauty, Health And Fitness

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For some of us it might be difficult to pass up that delicious bowl of spaghetti or that piece of chocolate cake. However, many of us are unaware of the healthy food alternatives available out there today. Anything from pasta to desert is available in a healthier form. Taking the first step toward these products will not only result in a healthier lifestyle but it will also aid in losing those unwanted pounds.

The first step is replacing all of your starch and carb infused breads and pastas with one hundred percent whole wheat products. The whole wheat products taste almost the same yet they are infused with healthy vitamins and nutrients. The next step is to replace your lunch meats with healthier alternatives. If you enjoy a strip of bacon every now and then, you don’t have to completely remove that from your diet. All it takes is replacing regular pork bacon with a strip of turkey bacon. This way you are eliminating the fat without losing the taste. When purchasing lunch meats, you should make sure that they are baked, boiled, grilled, lean, or low fat. Even though the products you are buying are low fat, they still taste the same. The same goes for dairy products; fat-free or low-fat yogurt and cheese tastes the same as plain yogurt and contains the same amount of calcium.

As for desert, there are also many options. If you love chocolate, try switching to lower calorie dark chocolate. If you like chips and crackers, try switching to whole wheat, whole grain, or baked snacks. You can also make yourself a healthy smoothie from fresh fruit. Switching your diet to these alternatives will not only make you healthier on the inside, but it will make you feel better on the outside. And remember that changing your eating habits does not necessarily mean giving up what you love, it means trying something that is similar in taste, yet healthier for your body.



By: Lauren B. Wallace

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