South Beach Diet Basics

Hello everyone.  I’ve not given a free ebook away in a while and since I have just finished my vitamin articles I thought now would be a good time for today’s offering.  The free ebook on offer today is South Beach Diet Basics.

Now as regular readers of this blog probably know I am not a huge fan of diet plans.  This is still true.  I do not feel that the best way to improve your eating habits is to follow a restrictive diet plan.  However, the South Beach diet does contain a lot of good nutritional advice which I feel readers of this blog can benefit from.  For example, it advises you to cut down on processed foods and increase your consumption of fibre.  Whilst I don’t advise you to stop your current eating plan in favour of the South Beach Diet I do advise you to have a read of South Beach Diet Basics so that you can take on board some of the fundamental health lessons it contains.  You can download a copy of South Beach Diet Basics using the link below.

Click Here to Download South Beach Diet Basics!

4 Highly Recommended Wholemeal Substitutes

In my last article I discussed four benefits of consuming wholemeal products.  Today I’m going to be discussing the areas of your diet where you can make effective wholemeal substitutes.

1) BREAD:- Bread is a staple of many people’s diets and really it’s no surprise.  Sandwiches are quick to prepare, portable, practical and can be eaten on the go.  Whether you are walking somewhere, you are on a bus or train or even if you are at your desk, a sandwich can provide you with a quick, convenient mini meal.  Unfortunately, a lot of people choose to make their sandwiches with white bread instead of the healthier wholemeal version.

Most people say this is because of the taste.  For many years, I convinced myself that I didn’t like the taste of wholemeal bread and that is why I ate white bread.  However, about a year ago I forced myself to make the switch.  I’ll admit for the first week I did notice the difference in taste and wanted to go back to white bread BUT after this first week I got used to the taste and actually started to enjoy eating wholemeal bread.  When I try white bread now I don’t mind it but I find wholemeal bread has a much richer, more satisfying flavour.

If (like I did) you are struggling to cope with the difference in taste between white bread and wholemeal bread I recommend you force yourself to change for one week.  I think you will be surprised at how much your tastes will alter during this period.

2) PASTA:- Pasta is another favourite amongst many people.  Like bread it’s quick and convenient to prepare and can also be eaten hot or cold making it another practical choice.  However, many people choose to eat white pasta.  I don’t think this is so much of a taste issue as I don’t think white pasta and wholemeal pasta taste massively different.  I just think most people aren’t aware of wholemeal pasta as an alternative.  However, I highly recommend next time you buy some pasta you go for the wholemeal version.

3) RICE:- Rice is another popular choice for evening meals as it goes perfectly with casseroles, curries and stews.  However, once again white rice is the dominant choice for many people.  Wholemeal rice does taste different to white rice - it’s got a thicker, crunchier texture BUT like with wholemeal bread it is a taste that grows on you.  Give it a try and I think you will quickly start to enjoy the richer taste.

4) CRACKERS:- I find that crackers are a really great wholemeal substitute for biscuits.  They taste great on their own or with cheese.  Plus, they’re a lot better for you than biscuits too.  I highly recommend that next time you fancy a biscuit substitute it with a wholemeal cracker.

If you want to get more wholemeal products into your diet then the above recommendations should help you massively.  People are naturally resistant to change and I think that’s half the battle with wholemeal products.  However, give them a chance and I firmly believe that you will learn to love them and start getting the full nutritional value from your food.

What do you guys think?  Have any of you struggled making the switch over to wholemeal products?  Do you have any further tips for those who want to make the change?

4 Benefits of Consuming Wholemeal Products

One of the best ways to get enough fibre in your diet is to start eating more wholemeal (also known as wholegrain and wholewheat) products.  Apart from being rich in fibre these products also have a number of additional health benefits.  In this article I will be discussing why wholemeal products are good for you and list four of the top benefits.

So what is so great about wholemeal?  Well it is all down to the production process.  Natural wheat is packed with nutrients, containing high levels of manganese, dietary fibre, tryptophan and magnesium to name just a few.  However, as the wheat is refined (modified during production) parts of it are removed.  In the case of white flour this often means that up to 40% of the wheat is removed including the nutrient rich bran and germ.  White flour is used to make many of the foods that we eat every day including bread, cereal, pasta and rice, meaning that they have a very low nutritional value.  By choosing wholemeal versions of these products you will be getting much more nutritional value from them and realising greater health benefits for your body which include:

1) EXTRA FIBRE:- Wheat is naturally rich in dietary fibre but as I have already discussed white flour generally has the bran and germ removed.  These are the two most fibre rich parts of the wheat and so by consuming wholemeal products you can add a significant amount of fibre to your diet.  Fibre has a number of benefits which include reduced constipation, better absorption of the nutrients from your food, better blood sugar control and reduced risk of cancer and other diseases.

2) EXTRA NUTRIENTS:- Wheat is also naturally full of nutrients.  However, most of these nutrients are removed in the production of white flour.  By going wholemeal you can ensure that you are not missing out on these essential nutrients.  This has countless health benefits but most importantly the various nutrients ensure that all areas of your body are functioning properly.

3) EXTRA B VITAMINS:- Wheat contains lots of B vitamins and guess what?  By consuming wholemeal products you can get these extra B vitamins too.  There are eight B vitamins in total which include:

- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine).
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin).
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin).
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid).
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine).
- Vitamin B7 (Biotin).
- Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid).
- Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin).

B vitamins assist in the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins and also help keep your skin, hair and eyes healthy.  Because of this many doctors and nutritionists agree that adequate consumption of B vitamins is essential for good overall health.

4) LESS CHEMICALS:- Not only do wholemeal products have a high nutritional value but they also contain less chemicals.  Refined flour is not naturally white – it is chemically bleached to look this way.  Now whilst these chemicals have been passed as safe I think it’s generally better to not put chemical bleach into your body and by consuming wholemeal products you can do just that.

So there you have it.  Four convincing reasons to switch over to wholemeal products if you have not done so already.  Whilst wholemeal products are still refined and not as healthy as completely natural foods, they are much healthier than non-wholemeal alternatives.  Where possible I highly recommend that you choose the wholemeal option.  In doing so you will be putting more of the good stuff (fibre, nutrients and vitamins) into your body than the refined white flour versions will ever provide.

In my next post I will be discussing the wholemeal food substitutes that I think everyone should be making.  Until then I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post.  Have you made the switch to wholemeal?  Do you know of any further health benefits associated with wholemeal products?  If so please leave me a comment.

Sources:
B Vitamin Information (How Stuff Works)
Magnesium Information (Eat Well)
Manganese Information (Eat Well)
Tryptophan Information (WHFoods)
Wholemeal Health Benefits (Wholemeal Health)
Whole Wheat Information (WHFoods)
Ugly Truths about White Flour (Women’s Fitness)

Can Milk help you Lose Weight?

Consumption of milk is a very controversial subject. On the one hand research suggests that milk is a rich source of calcium which has been linked with the reduced risk of osteoporosis (reduced bone density), diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. However, critics suggest that the above benefits are untrue and that consuming milk can also lead to diabetes and obesity. As a result of these criticisms many people who want to lose weight avoid dairy products. In this article I will discuss both sides of the argument and analyse whether milk really needs to be avoided as part of a weight loss plan.

There is a lot of positive evidence to support regular consumption of milk. Milk is full of calcium which is a very important mineral. This article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that even lactose intolerant patients should try to drink a little milk with meals because of the calcium and also because it is rich in Vitamin D which helps the body utilise calcium. Milk also contains 7 other essential nutrients including potassium, protein and riboflavin all of which are very important for the proper functioning of your body. Furthermore, milk has been linked with reducing the risk of contracting a number of diseases. This study published in Diabetes Care looked at the link between type 2 diabetes and consumption of calcium & dairy products in 37,183 women who had no previous previous history of the disease. The conclusions found that consuming milk and dairy products could reduce the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes by as much as 21%. Finally, milk could actually help you lose weight according to this article suggesting that it definitely should not be avoided.

So with all this positive evidence why do people continue to criticise and avoid milk? Well critics suggest that milk is not all it’s cracked up to be. Many campaigns such as Not Milk suggest that the health benefits associated with milk are actually the result of highly effective marketing from the dairy industry. These critics even go as far as suggesting that milk can be damaging to your health. This article cites research to support claims that milk can actually increase the risk of osteoporosis, cause cardiovascular disease, lead to cancer and that it can also be responsible for a number of other health ailments. Furthermore, a number of studies such as this one suggest that consuming more milk makes you gain weight. Participants who drank more than 3 servings of milk per day were found to be 35% more likely to become overweight than people who drank 2 servings or less per day.

After reading the above information the pressing issue is should milk be avoided as part of a weight loss plan? In my opinion NO it should not. There are new studies coming out all the time promoting or criticising the consumption of milk. For every study that criticises milk you can find another that supports it. After reading this article you can probably see there are a lot of conflicting claims, opinions and studies out there. A product as popular and accepted as milk is always going to be scrutinised and there is always going to be too much evidence to come up with a definitive conclusion. However, the facts are that milk is rich in a number of important nutrients which help your body stay healthy and no study can change this.

I have drank milk for as long as I can remember and I have never suffered any adverse effects and it has definitely not made me fat. There are much more damaging foods out there including processed foods, heavily fried foods, fast foods, carbonated & sugary drinks etc. Plus, all of these foods will lead to much greater weight gain than one or two glasses of milk each day. Obviously, consuming too much milk can be bad for you just as too much protein, too many carbs, too many vitamins or too much of anything can. As long as you stick to a sensible daily amount you should have no problems and could even make a positive contribution to your health. If you are really that worried about milk making you fat then get a low fat or skimmed variety which comes in at a minimal 100 calories per glass . I for one will not be giving up milk anytime soon.

What do you guys think? Do you agree that we should carry on drinking milk? Have you given up milk? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this controversial topic.

*****

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Can Meat help you Lose Weight?

A number of diets recommend that you should increase your intake of meats to lose weight. Certain more extreme diets, such as the Atkins diet suggest that to lose weight you should seriously reduce your intake of carbohydrates and compensate by eating more meat. In this article I will be discussing whether eating more meat really can help you lose weight.

First, let’s look at the reasoning behind eating more meat to lose weight. By consuming more meat and less carbohydrates you force your body into a state of ketosis where it burns fat for energy instead of the usual carbohydrates. This turns your fat stores into your main source of energy.

So now you know the theory you are probably wondering whether high meat diets actually work? A number of studies suggest that they do. This particular study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) involved 311 premenopausal, nondiabetic women, aged between 25 and 50. It looked to compare four weight loss diets including; the Atkins diet, the Zone diet, LEARN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Relationships, Attitude, Relationships and Nutrition) and the Ornish diet. It found that the women who were on the high meat Atkins diet lost a greater amount of weight and realised more favourable metabolic effects after 12 months than the women on the other diets.

However, the problem with this and other scientific studies is that (at the time of writing this article) none have studied the effects of the Atkins diet for a period of greater than one year. Furthermore, a number of criticisms have been leveled at diets such as Atkins which recommend the increased consumption of meat. It has been suggested that the diet can promote heart disease, that it can be dangerous to reduce your carbohydrates to such a low level, that it does not meet nutritional needs and that such diets are too high in fat.

So what conclusions can be drawn about eating more meat to lose weight? In two of my previous articles I have recommended eating more protein to boost your metabolism and control your hunger. I believe that meat has a place in any weight loss plan and the ideas behind the Atkins diet are sensible. However, until more scientific evidence is available regarding the safety and effectiveness of low carbohydrate, high protein diets I would advise you to keep eating a good level of carbohydrates too. Ketosis is not the only weight loss method out there. By participating in regular exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet with a little additional meat thrown in you can lose weight gradually without forcing your body to change its energy source.

3 Ways to Effectively Incorporate Super Foods into your Diet

Many people are sceptical regarding the idea that there are super foods out there which burn fat and boost your metabolism. On the one hand these sceptics have a point because a diet consisting of a single food is not good for you and will not boost your metabolism. On the other hand it is true that a combination of these super foods can assist you with weight loss, increase your metabolic rate, lower your cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and improve your mood.

So which foods fall into the category of super foods? The list below provides just a few:

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Celery
• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Yoghurt

Before you rush out and buy any of these super foods it is important to understand that they are not a magical solution that will instantly improve your metabolism and burn the fat. Switching to a diet which consists solely of super foods will not yield many benefits. However, incorporating super foods into an overall fitness program will maximise the benefits you gain. To effectively introduce super foods with an overall fitness program, follow the advice below.

1) EAT SMARTER:- Try to eat smaller portions of food more frequently throughout the day. Instead of the traditional three meals a day, break it down to five or six mini-meals. This will help reduce your metabolism. In each of these small meals include some super foods but make sure they do not consist entirely of super foods. Balance is the key when preparing your meals.

2) INCREASE CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE:- Increasing the amount of cardiovascular exercise you do will help increase your metabolism. This does not mean you have to participate in a ten mile run every day. Try walking to places you would normally drive, playing with your kids or doing some gardening. Anything that makes you a little more active will improve your metabolism.

3) BUILD MUSCLE:- The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn each day and the higher your metabolic rate will become. Again, you do not have to do anything substantial but incorporating some weight lifting into your weekly routine will help boost your metabolism.

Overall, super foods can boost the effects of leading a healthy lifestyle but they cannot make you healthy on their own. A diet consisting of just super foods is damaging in the long term. However, if you consume super foods as part of an overall fitness program, they will improve your results. If you are thinking about incorporating super foods into your routine seek advice from a dietician. They will be able to formulate a plan that is right for you.