Archive for the ‘Diet’ Category
GM Diet Review – Does it Work?
The GM Diet is a strange sort of weight loss plan. On the one hand it’s called after one of the founding companies of the US economy, General Motors. On the other, it seems that the diet is not really connected to General Motors at all. Whatever rumors stated that this diet plan was created for the employees of General Motors seems like a myth that has become entrenched in people’s perception.
Regardless, the GM Diet has remained popular to a degree for over 20 years. The main question is does it work and should you use it?
The GM Diet is a 7 day eating plan that is focused on a severe calorie restriction and some unorthodox food choices. The way you lose weight with this fad diet is by cutting down your calories tremendously. The food you eat is also designed to help you get rid of some unwanted pounds fast.
Indeed, the diet does help people to lose weight according to various reviews but the food choices and combinations may not be what you expect.
For instance: on day 4, you get to eat as many bananas as you like (and you’re expected to eat up to
and drink up to 3 tall glasses of milk. Why these two foods were combined is unclear. By the way, on days 1–3 you’re not allowed to eat bananas at all.
Another example is day 5 in which you should eat 6 whole tomatoes and 20 oz. of beef. Again, there is no explanation as to why these foods were chosen.
Other days are less strange but can be quite restrictive such as the whole food day on day 1, and day 2 which is all veggies.
This is why the GM Diet may not be so easy to stick to for a long time. This is something you need to consider.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t lose weight with it. Indeed, you can achieve a very fast weight loss with the General Motors diet. The problem is that because this is a crash diet, you may find that you lose weight only to gain it back later on.
If you have an event coming up and you need to lose weight fast and worry about maintaining it afterward, this may indeed work for you. However, realize that it may be difficult to pursue regardless of the results you may achieve.
Alkaline Diet Plan
Have you ever wondered about the differences between diets today and those of thousands of years ago and how this could affect human health? Practitioners of the alkaline diet plan have thought about it and researched these differences with some startling ideas as an outcome. In the past humans subsisted on a diet that balanced the acidic with the alkaline. It was not until the invention of agriculture and grinding mechanisms for grains that people began to eat more processed and acidic foods. Add to this the discovery of salt, milk and sugar and you have a recipe for a health disaster.
Diseases of an Acidic Diet
Many people are convinced that highly acidic diets lead to many critical diseases including cancer, diabetes and obesity. It must be said that the research to back up these claims are not without detractors, however there is some evidence that cancer cells will grow more rapidly in an acidic environment. People who have tried the alkaline diet plan swear by its effectiveness. In addition, these types of diets have been proposed for years by different physicians, such as William Howard Hay and Robert Young.
Diet Foods
The alkaline diet plan is really a simple one, citrus fruits, tubers, vegetables, nuts and legumes. The key to an alkaline diet is as much about what you do not eat as what you do. To successfully follow the diet you will need to eliminate things like sugar, starches, heavily processed foods, alcohol and caffeine just to name a few.
Benefits
Once you have been on the diet for a while, you will notice some definite improvements in the way you feel. Dieters often say they have more energy than they have had in years and report clearer skin, fewer aches or pains and weight loss. The human body is a wondrous thing and when it is fed properly, you can avoid things like cancer and other serious illnesses.
Conclusion
The medical community does not have much faith in the alkaline diet plan. Doctors often dismiss the benefits claimed by proponents, however if you have no medical reason for avoiding the alkaline diet they will not advise against it. Alkaline diet plans are easy to follow as they go back to a simpler time, therefore there are no complicated recipes to follow or weird foods to purchase. You will not find much on the suggested food list that is not available at your local grocers; the hardest part will be foregoing the convenient foods we have all become accustomed to eating.
Xtreme Fat Loss Diet Program Reviews
The Xtreme Fat Loss Diet Program by Joel Marion has just recently been released but has become widely popular. As with any new program, a lot of people have questions regarding this plan, how it works, and the possible results it may deliver. In this article I hope to answer some of these questions to the best of my knowledge…
Question: Does the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet program require a gym membership?
Answer: No, you can do all the workouts at home with minimal equipment. You don’t need to pay for a gym membership. However, going to a gym regularly does make it easier to stay in shape regardless of which program you’re using.
Question: How long will I need to follow this program?
Answer: The length of the Extreme Fat Loss Diet is 25 days. You can do the diet over once every 7-8 weeks. The reason why you need a break in between is that this is a fast fat loss program so you need to let your body rest in between cycles.
Question: How much weight can you lose with this plan?
Answer: Joel Marion states that you can lose up to 25 pounds in 25 days with his program. I wouldn’t go that far. While individual weight loss will vary from person to person, you can lose a lot of fat with this plan if you follow it correctly and do all the workouts.
Question: How hard is this plan?
Answer: This is not an easy plan to follow. You need to put in a lot of effort into the workouts. The intensive workouts are part of why you may lose a lot of fat with this plan. Contrary to what some shady infomercials may suggest, you can’t really burn fat fast without putting in some effort.
Question: Who shouldn’t do this program?
Answer: If you have just 5 lbs or so to lose, this program may be a bit too much. In addition, if for some reason, medical or otherwise, you can’t workout hard during the next 25 days, don’t do this plan.
Question: Is there support for this program?
Answer: Joel Marion provides support for the Xtreme Fat Loss Program. You can have all your questions answered by him or his staff.
Question: What if I feel that this program is not for me?
Answer: You have a 60 day money back guarantee with this plan. You can get a refund if you feel that the diet is not for you.
How Does Nutrisystem Work?
I recently received correspondence from someone who asked me several questions about life on the nutrisystem diet. Examples of the questions asked were things like: “How exactly does nutrisystem work? Do I have to count calories and carbs? What types of foods will I get to eat? How much will I get to eat? How hungry will I be? How much willpower will I need? And, how much weight can I lose?”
I will try to address all of these questions in the following article. And, I’ll try to give you some idea of what your life would be like should you chose this diet, as well as what to expect once you get started on it.
The Basics On The Nutrisystem Meal Replacement Diet: At it’s core, this is a meal replacement diet. This means that the company provides you with foods which you will use to “replace” what you would normally eat with the more preferable and safe diet meals. The good news about all of this is that it makes the diet very convenient. The meals are very easy to prepare and some only require that you remove the wrapper.
And, you aren’t responsible for counting calories or carbs either. This has been done for you by the company. They do ask for you to add a fresh side item in with each meal, but they offer suggestions that make this very easy. And most of the time, this is just a piece of fruit, a prepackaged or bagged salad, or a cup of yogurt, cottage cheese, or pudding.
They have you eating six times per day. Most of the time, this breaks down as a breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snack. However, you can work out the timing of this however you like. Most people find that it’s just easier (and helps with hunger) to eat every couple of hours or so. This also can help with ketosis and with keeping your metabolism steady also, which I’ll discuss more below.
Nutrisystem Works With A Calorie Deficit Combined With Ketosis: Before I started researching this diet, I assumed that it worked by saving you a lot of calories each day. And, this is part of how it works. But, there’s another mechanism at play also and it’s called ketosis. See, the diet’s food are low in both carbohydrates and calories. They are also high in protein and fiber. These things work together to put your body in fat burning mode or ketosis. This where your body no longer has those excess carbs to burn so it must use your own fat for fuel. And, as gross as this sounds, it’s a good thing in terms of weight loss and how long this whole process takes.
The Foods That You’ll Be Eating On The Nutrisystem Diet: I believe that the biggest strength of this diet is the foods. There are well over 150 food choices and there are a lot of foods included that you don’t typically associate with diets. Examples are things like pizza, fajitas, ravioli, macaroni and cheese, wraps and paninis, nachos, chocolate cake, and sundaes.
And, the diet includes many different program choices depending upon your preferences and objectives. There are programs for both women and men. There is a part time program. And, there are programs for people with diabetes, for vegetarians, and for people who are above 60 years of age. So, some of the foods are omitted in some of these programs for obvious reasons. (For example, the hot dog would not be offered in the vegetarian program.) But, all of the programs have a lot of decent tasting choices.
The Cost Of Nutrisystem: First of all, I have to tell you that there is no monthly fees or membership costs for this diet. You only have to pay for your food. And, there’s no premium for the specialty plans (like the vegetarian and diabetic programs.) Most people opt for one of the monthly packages because it works out to be cheaper. Generally speaking, these packages start at around $299 for the whole month. There are also usually coupons available that will bring these costs down.
Does The Nutrisystem Diet Really Work? Will I Really Lose Weight?: Of course, I can’t predict any outcome without knowing more details. And, common sense will tell you that results will vary. But, there have been some promising clinical studies which show favorable results. And, the company literature indicates that a loss or 2 – 5 pounds per week approaches what is typical or what is approaching the norm. Of course, moving a bit more and being careful to keep your sides low on the glycemic index can all help to ensure that you end up with the results that you want.
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Is the GM Diet Plan For You?
The GM Diet plan has remained popular since the 1980s in an unofficial sort of way. To this day, no one has been credited with creating this diet plan and its source remains a mystery despite persistent rumors that claim that it was created by General Motors itself.
The GM Diet program is a 7 day eating plan that focuses on calorie restriction in order to get you to shed weight. This can indeed work as creating a calorie deficit does lead to weight loss. However, this plan is not for everyone. In this article I hope to help you see whether or not it’s indeed for you.
Goals
The purpose of the GM Diet is to get you to lose weight fast. It is not a fat loss diet, it doesn’t help you get flat abs or build lean muscles. It is just a diet to get some pounds off you, even if most of these pounds will be just water weight.
If your goals are anything other than to simply shed some weight, then you may need to find another diet program to pursue. This may not be right for you. If you just want to lose some pounds fast before a big event or something like that, then it may very well be what you’re seeking.
Long term vs, short term
The GM Diet plan does not involve making any lasting lifestyle changes. It is a crash diet designed to get results fast. You don’t exercise while on it, or learn how to eat for years to come. You just follow it for 7 days and lose weight.
If you have a deadline by which you need to lose some weight then this can work for you. However, for long term results this diet program may not be enough.
Restriction
The way the General Motors Diet plan works is by restricting what you eat in terms of calories and food choices. You need to be ready for that. For instance, there’s a fruit day and a vegetable day on which you can’t eat anything else really (other than soup). These days can be challenging to stick to. You need to be ready for that.
As it’s only for 7 days, I believe you can handle a little deprivation. However, you need to be the judge of that yourself, not me.
Take some time and figure out if this plan is for you. I wish you the best of luck in losing weight.
Diet Tips to Lower Cholesterol Without Prescription Drugs
I just found I have high cholesterol. I don’t now what to do or how I can lower it without prescription drugs. My doctor advised me to eat healthy. How can I do it Are there any diet tips to lower cholesterol without prescription drugs? How will diet work for me to lower the cholesterol? These questions gave me sleepless nights until I found the diet solution that helped me to reduce cholesterol naturally. Researchers have proven conclusively that high cholesterol can lead to strokes for women in their 50′s and even younger.
Diet tips to lower cholesterol without prescription drugs
Use a good meal plan to lower cholesterol. If you have been struggling with high cholesterol or you have a family history of high cholesterol, you have to make a lifestyle change immediately. This meal plan is proven and time-tested to help anyone to reduce the intake of foods high in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol by encouraging you to add low fat alternatives such as fish, lean meats and low fat dairy products.
You have to lay aside every food that tends to increase your cholesterol. Start by buying fresh fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and vegetable juice.
Eat more high fibre foods known to help lower LDL (the ‘bad’) cholesterol, including whole grains, vegetables, cereals, fruit and legumes.
Include fats such as canola oil, avocados, olive oil, and nuts in your meal plan since they contain heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Have oatmeal every day for breakfast. Experts agree this is one of the best known super foods for lowering cholesterol. Change totally to a diet rich in healthy fats like vegetable oils and fish. Avoid foods high in saturated fats and trans fats.
It may shock you to know that an estimated 120 million Americans have high cholesterol. And despite the wonderful advances in the medical field, heart disease remains the number one killer of Americans. Is it possible to lower cholesterol without resorting to prescription drugs?
Does the Dukan Diet Work Or is it Just a Fad Diet?
The Dukan Diet has been a popular program in France for some years now and it is slowly but surely spreading to other countries in Europe and elsewhere. The diet was created by Pierre Dukan and has been reportedly been used by over 1 million people in France alone.
But does the Dukan Diet work or is this just another fad diet that becomes popular for a time and then evaporates from public view?
There are many positive testimonials from people who have used the Dukan Diet and lost weight with it, including some celebrities such as Gisele Bundchen and Jennifer Lopez. It seems that this diet can help you lose weight, at least in the short term. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s right for you. You need to take a look at how the Dukan Diet works to answer that…
The Dukan Diet is a high protein diet. This is the one main principle of the program. In various stages of the program you will eat more protein than in other stages but the overall focus on protein remains.
The Dukan Diet has 4 stages:
1. The Attack phase – In this initial phase, you’re allowed to eat only protein such as eggs, meat, low fat dairy and so on. This phase, the hardest portion of the diet, lasts from 1 — 10 days in total (depending on how much weight you have to lose). This can be a few quite challenging days on the diet.
2. Cruise phase – During this phase you can also eat vegetables every other day so you have one all-protein day followed by a protein and veggies day. As you can see, this is much easier than the attack phase but it is still somewhat restrictive. This phase is followed until you lose all your excess weight.
3. Consolidation phase – This, I believe, is the most important phase of the entire diet. Here, you’re supposed to start the process of eating normally again without gaining any more weight. Maintaining your weight is a challenge with any diet, making this phase ultra-important. On these phase you can eat pasta, bread, fruit, and even enjoy two free meals each week with practically any food you like.
4. Stabilization phase – This is what you’re supposed to do all your life. You have one protein day each week and the rest of the days have more freedom.
The Dukan Diet can help you lose weight. However, it can be quite restrictive, at least in the first two phases which may make it difficult to stick to.
The Dukan Diet
The Dukan diet is a method in 4 phases with the aim of returning to a diet based on natural foods. A diet for weight loss can sometimes be hazardous according to the method advocated. But in the case plan Dukan diet is effective and natural. It is very well structured and divided into a progressive course in 4 stages:
Regime Dukan # 1 – Phase Attack
Regime Dukan # 2 – Phase Alternative
Regime Dukan #: 3 – Consolidation Phase
Regime Dukan #: 4 – Stabilization Phase
The attack phase of Dukan diet is to eat only animal protein for 5 to 10 days. This means eating fatty fish raw or cooked seafood, lean meats like veal, poultry (except ducks).
To make arrangements under the regime Dukan, the 2nd step is to integrate raw vegetables or cooked food supplements in Phase 1. During this 2nd phase of the scheme Dukan must alternate days with animal protein and only days with animal protein and vegetables until the ideal weight.
Be careful when talking about weight, it does not just mean the number on the scales but also the body mass index of an indicator that shows whether you are overweight.
Once you successfully reach your ideal weight, it goes to the 3rd stage of the plan to consolidate Dukan. For this there are 10 days lost per kg. So if you have lost 2 pounds, the stabilization phase lasts 20 days. The meals include foods allowed in Phase 1 and 2 you can add 1 serving of fruit and 2 slices of bread (wholemeal bread only) each day. You also take up to 2 servings of starchy but a week. Caution is essential in 1 day each week where you eat only animal protein (feed phase 1). You can also allow normal 2 meals per week.
Finally the last step plan Dukan, stabilization. You can eat normally, but keep the habit of having only 1 day with animal protein (again the list of foods allowed in step 1).
Analyzing the Pineapple Diet
The pineapple diet is a popular fad diet that involves a strict short term (no more than 3 to 7 days) of eating a diet that consists primarily of pineapple, tuna, water, and vitamin supplements. The diet was developed by Joann Metzger, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the Joann Metzger pineapple diet. This eating plan is designed to harness the protein and omega-3 fats of tuna, reduce unnatural sugars and white carbs out of the diet, and take advantage of the many positive weight loss attributes of pineapple to ensure weight loss success.
Basically, one of the theories behind pineapple is that aside from being high in vitamins and having natural sugars to help kill cravings for sweets, is that pineapple has a fat burning enzyme that helps burn away the fat in the body and makes pineapple harder for the body to break down – meaning he body burns more calories naturally just trying to process the food.
There is a lot of controversy over this theory, and while supplements such as “pineapple pills” have sprung up claiming to be a part of the eating plan, in reality this is not the case at all. The only supplements for this diet are normal multi-vitamins.
Eating a lot of pineapple, drinking ice water, and eating some tuna on a consistent basis will help to drop weight in the short term, and these gains can often be extended into long term losses. Anyone interested in the pineapple diet should definitely do more research to see if it might be right for them.