Tips to Eating Healthy on the Run

Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Lisa Burzdack who offers a great selection of cookware at her website CookwareEssentials.co.uk. If you are in need of some new pots and pans or just looking to purchase some great value cookware I highly recommend you check out Lisa’s store after reading her excellent guest article.

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I think most of us are familiar with the age old advice you get from parents and doctors time and time again, more fruits and vegetables. The truth is, you aren’t being misled. Let me throw one more in there for fun, exercise and maintain a balanced diet. Whew, I know it is tough to hear, but let’s be honest no one ever accomplished anything good without a little persistence and hard work. Just like everything else in your life, if you want to succeed then you will have to work at it. I am not saying you have to sweat over your cookware night after night and never eat out to accomplish this. Seriously though, if you are going to invest all that hard work at the gym, then you may as well accompany it with a healthy diet and reap the ultimate benefits. I know it can be hard with the hustle and bustle of life, so I have provided some tips to eating healthy on the run to make a healthy diet that much easier to maintain.

1) Make Time To Grocery Shop:- When there, pick up snacks that can be easily thrown in your purse, gym bag, car, and desk drawer. May I suggest almonds or mixed nuts, granola bars or whole grain fruit bars, and fresh fruit, apples and bananas being good on the go choices. I am a huge fan of nuts, high in protein so they help curb your appetite unlike anything loaded with sugar that will actually make you hungrier. They are also packed with loads of energy to get you through your day and ready for your next workout. Doing this will prevent you from stopping into the quick mart and snacking on potato chips or candy bars.

2) Drink Water:- Whenever given the choice between water and soda or juices, choose water! It is a fact that people do not get enough water each day and guess what, your body is made up of 60% water, so stop depriving it! I won’t lecture you on coffee or teas as I personally understand the importance of these commodities. However I will tell you to try drinking tea over coffee. Don’t drink more then one cup of coffee a day, and if you do try weaning yourself off of those extra cups, baby steps. Eventually try to only drink coffee a few times a week. If you are a complete coffee addict and what I am saying is bringing tears to your eyes, just remember that coffee dehydrates you, so you will need to drink extra amounts of water to make up for it. Keep water handy, invest in a Sigg bottle or similar, I swear by them. They are easy to maintain and the water always tastes great. Unlike plastic bottles you won’t get any funny tasting water.

3) When Eating Out Substitute a House Salad or Vegetable of the Day instead of Chips:- If you have already opted for a baked potato and don’t want to skip the carbohydrates then order a tasty salad to split as the starter instead of anything fried or heavy. When choosing your main course look for things that are grilled or baked over sautéed and fried. If you are fancying some fish see if they can cook it differently, hold the breading, grilled instead of fried. Any restaurant using fresh ingredients should be able to accommodate your request. Stay away from mains that contain heavy cream, opt for oil and tomato based dishes instead.

Now that you have your tips for eating on the go, incorporate this into your daily routine. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste and don’t let your busy lifestyle affect your diet!

500 Delicious Diabetic Recipes

My last few posts have discussed diabetes in detail so I thought today I would give you all a relevant freebie which is not quite so information intensive.  Plus, my last post was 8 Ways to Manage Diabetes with a Healthy Diet so I thought that now would be the perfect time to give this freebie away.  The freebie is an ebook that I put together entitled 500 Delicious Diabetic Recipes.  The ebook does exactly what it says, providing readers with 500 (well 515 actually) diabetic recipes.  Whatever you want to eat there should be a recipe for you here, whether it be beef, chicken, pasta, rice, cookies or cakes.

Here’s a few sample recipes from 500 Delicious Diabetic Recipes:

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1) MEATLOAF

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 beaten egg
2 tbsp. chopped onions
1 c. allspice
1 c. corn flakes
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. garlic

Mix egg, water and corn flakes; let set for 10 minutes.  Mix with meat and remaining ingredients.  Pack into an oiled loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Yields 9 servings.  Exchanges: 1 serving = 3 lean meat and 1 fat.  Calories per serving = 186.  Carbohydrate = 2.6 grams.  Fat = 14.8 grams.  Protein = 21.4 grams.  Sodium = 45 milligrams.  Cholesterol = 86 milligrams.

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2) CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/4 c. margarine
1 tbsp. granulated fructose
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream together margarine and fructose, beat in egg, water and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in sifter.  Sift dry ingredients into creamed mixture, stirring to blend thoroughly.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by teaspoonsful onto lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  Makes 30 cookies.

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3) CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CARROT AND ZUCCHINI STUFFING

2  small (whole) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 c. carrots, shredded (about 2 sm.)
1 c. zucchini, shredded (about 1 med.)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 envelope chicken-flavored bouillon
1/4 c. water

In medium bowl, combine carrots, zucchini, salt and poultry seasoning.  Spoon about 1/2 cup mixture into each pocket (each breast should open similar to a butterfly); secure with toothpicks.  In place chicken in a Med size skillet, sprinkle with bouillon.

Add water to skillet and cook over medium high heat, heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 40 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.  Remove toothpicks.  Makes 4 servings, 180 calories per serving.

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4) MOLTED VEGETABLE SALAD

1 pkg. sugar-free lemon Jello
2 c. boiling water
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2/3 c. cabbage, chopped
2/3 c. green pepper, chopped
2 slices pimiento
Lettuce leaves

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.  Add lemon juice, add chopped vegetables and chill.  Slice when firm and serve on lettuce leaves with low-calorie dressing.  This recipe may be a free food.  It is 20 calories and has large amounts of vitamins A and C.

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5) LO-CAL CHEESE CAKE

12 oz. low fat Ricotta cheese
4 eggs, separated
3/4 c. Fruit Sweet
Grated peel of 1 lemon
3 graham crackers, finely crushed
12 oz. low fat cottage cheese
2/3 c. non-instant milk powder
5 tbsp. lemon juice or to taste
2 tsp. pure vanilla
Butter or oleo for pan

Put cheese in process with egg yolks and Fruit Sweet and blend.  Add milk, powder and process until smooth.  Add vanilla, lemon juice and peel to cheese mixture.  Blend until smooth.  Beat egg whites until frothy, then add to the processor and blend for about 2 seconds, until mixed.  Butter the bottom and 1/2 way up the sides of a 9″ springform pan.

Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the pan and shake until buttered area is coated.  Leave any extra on the bottom.  Pour cheesecake mixture into pan and bake at 350 degrees with a pan of water in the oven to prevent drying.    Bake for 45 minutes or until inserted knife emerges clean.  Cool.  May serve with Wax Orchards All-Fruit Fanciful preserve of your choice.  Variations:  All cottage or all ricotta cheese may be used.  For standard cream cheese cake, substitute 24 ounces cream cheese, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup powdered milk and 2/3 cup Fruit Sweet.  Adjust lemon.

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Some tasty stuff I’m sure you’ll agree.  If you want to download all 515 tasty diabetic recipes then click the link below.  Also don’t forget that the ebook comes with full giveaway rights so if you want to pass it on to your friends, family or website visitors please do so.

Click Here to Download 500 Delicious Diabetic Recipes!

8 Ways to Manage Diabetes with a Healthy Diet

This is yet another article I wrote when the Free Fitness Tips blog was just a baby. It is also another article which I have decided needs a rewrite. Partly, because I feel it could be written with a lot more detail and partly because some of the statements were just plain wrong. In particular, this one sticks out;

“Specifically, diabetics need to avoid refined sugar which is found in candy, cookies, cake, chocolate and donuts. Refined sugars enter the bloodstream and release insulin, which causes your glucose levels to go sky-high. Unfortunately, if you are diabetic then these foods will be on your list of things to avoid. ”

At the time I thought this was true because (as I discussed in my previous article on the causes of diabetes) a common misconception is that sugar can cause diabetes. Being a beginner I failed to do my research properly and did not check if this rumour was true. Now I am a little more experienced at blogging and I have properly researched the topic I know that diabetics can have sugar and in fact sometimes need it if they are experiencing hypoglycaemia. Anyway, the article has now been rewritten and should not contain any more blatant, factual errors (fingers crossed). Please read on and enjoy the new, improved version of ‘Managing Diabetes with a Healthy Diet’…

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One of the most effective ways to manage your diabetes (whatever the type) is through a healthy eating plan. The food you eat can have a major influence on your blood sugar levels and because of this diet is a key way to keep your diabetes under control. A common misconception regarding diabetes diets is that they have to be restrictive and complicated. However, the reality is that you can eat a variety of foods as part of a diabetes diet, so long as they are eaten in moderation and regular meal times are adhered to. In fact most parts of a diabetes diet are identical to a normal healthy eating plan. In this article I am going to explain the key role food can have in controlling your diabetes and help you create a healthy diabetes diet.

As I mentioned in the above paragraph, what you eat can have a large impact on your diabetes both in the short term and the long term. Eating too much food at once can cause your blood sugar levels to rise and potentially cause hyperglycaemia (higher than normal blood sugar levels). Contrastingly, going too long without food can make your blood sugar levels drop dramatically causing hypoglycaemia (lower than normal blood sugar levels) (for more information on hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia you can read my article on diabetes symptoms). In the long term, what you eat also has an impact on your overall body fat levels. Controlling your weight is a key part of controlling your diabetes (particularly type 2 diabetes) because fatty tissue increases your body’s resistance to insulin. So to summarise, by eating poorly you can potentially cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate massively, aggravating your diabetes in the short term and further increase your body’s resistance to insulin in the long term. However, by eating more healthily you can stabilise your blood sugar levels, reduce your body fat levels, (allowing your body to become more receptive to insulin) and keep your diabetes under control in both the short term and the long term.

So you are now probably wondering what exactly constitutes a healthy diabetes diet? Well to be honest there is no exact answer to this question. A common belief used to be that controlling your intake of carbohydrates was the key to controlling your diabetes. However, this idea neglected the fact that protein and fats can be converted into glucose and therefore have an impact on blood sugar levels too. It is now believed that eating a healthy, well balanced diet is the best way to combat diabetes and you can do this by sticking to the following guidelines:

1) EAT SMALLER MEALS MORE FREQUENTLY:- Just as eating mini meals frequently can boost your metabolism it can also help control your blood sugar levels. When we eat food it is converted into glucose which is then released into the blood stream. Eating a lot of food in one sitting causes a surge in blood sugar levels. Non-diabetics can get away with this surge because their bodies can produce additional insulin (a hormone which helps the body convert glucose into energy) to cope. However, diabetics do not have this safety mechanism. By eating smaller meals you can avoid any rapid increases in blood sugar levels and by eating more frequently you can stop your blood sugar levels getting too low (because the food will give your body a regular supply of glucose). The combination of these factors means that blood sugar levels remain much more stable when eating small, regular meals instead of less frequent, large meals.

2) CONTROL YOUR DAILY CALORIES:- Apart from controlling your blood sugar levels it is also important to keep your weight under control if you have diabetes. According to Dlife excess body fat can aggravate your condition further because fat cells have fewer insulin receptors than muscle, fat cells interfere with the breaking down of blood sugar and the more fat cells you have the greater number of cells your pancreas has to supply with the limited amount of insulin available. Therefore, minimising your body fat levels can greatly reduce the severity of your diabetes.

To begin this process you first need to see your doctor and ask him what the ideal weight is for your condition. Once you have your ideal weight you then need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) (which you can do using this BMR calculator). Your BMR will tell you approximately how many calories are required to maintain this ideal weight.

Once you have this information you then need to formulate your daily eating plans around it. Now you do not have to count every single calorie that goes into every single meal. However, you do need to have a general understanding of the calories contained in the food you are eating. In the beginning it will be quite tough and you will probably have to keep a check on your calories BUT in a few weeks you will develop an understanding of how many calories are in everything you eat and you will start to know how much food you can eat each day.

3) EAT A BALANCED DIET:- This phrase is bounced around the weight loss community quite a lot and there are a number of different interpretations. In this instance I am referring to a balanced diet in the sense that it incorporates all of the three major food groups; carbohydrates, proteins and fats. According to Mayo Clinic a balanced diabetes diet should include:

- Carbohydrates: 45%-65% of your daily calories.
- Proteins: 15%-20% of your daily calories.
- Fats: 20%-35% of your daily calories.

So for a person who has a BMR of 2000 calories it is recommended that 900-1300 of these calories come from carbohydrates, 300-400 of these calories come from proteins and 400-700 of these calories come from fats.

4) MODERATE YOUR INTAKE OF SUGAR AND SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES:- For a long time it was believed that sugar could cause diabetes and that diabetics should avoid sugar completely. However, research has shown that this is not the case. Even so diabetics still need to moderate their intake of sugars.  This is because they usually have a very low nutritional value and could be better replaced with more nutritious complex carbohydrates.  Futhermore, simple sugars are a much more concentrated carbohydrate source and therefore cause a sharper increase in blood glucose levels.  Whilst there are exceptions to this rule (a diabetic may be suffering from hypoglycaemia and require some simple sugars) in most cases you should choose natural, nutrient rich carbohydrate sources such as fruits and vegetables.

5) INCREASE YOUR FIBRE INTAKE:- Fibre makes your bodies digestive system work harder which burns more calories and makes it easier to keep your weight under control. Furthermore, according to this study from the Internet Health Library a diet which is high in fibre can actually help control blood sugar levels. Participants in the study were put on a diet which contained a moderate amount of fibre (24 grams daily) for 6 weeks and then put on a high fibre diet (50 grams daily) for 6 weeks. The results showed that the high fibre diet reduced blood sugar levels by 8.9% more than the moderate fibre diet. Fibre also has many other benefits for your body so increasing your intake makes sense. Dietary sources of fibre include; wholegrain cereals, fruits, nuts and vegetables.

6) EAT AT LEAST FIVE PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EACH DAY:- A number of the above points have mentioned that you should try to make sure the majority of your carbohydrates have a high nutritional value. Well fruits and vegetables fit the bill perfectly here. Most varieties are packed with nutrients and they are also usually high in dietary fibre. By eating at least five different varieties of fruit and vegetable every day you will provide your body with lots of essential nutrients and find it much easier to keep your body fat levels under control.

Furthermore, new research suggests that fruit and vegetables may actually prevent diabetes. According to this study the Mediterranean diet (which includes a high number of fruits and vegetables) could be linked with the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Although, the results of the study were not conclusive it is highly likely that the fruit and vegetable component of the Mediterranean diet had an impact on the results and further suggests that fruit and vegetables are a valuable part of a diabetes diet.

7) CUT DOWN ON THE SALT:- According to the American Diabetes Association a high intake of salt is linked with hypertension (high blood pressure). Unfortunately, people with diabetes also have a greater chance of developing hypertension than non-diabetics. Putting the two together further increases the risk of high blood pressure developing. High blood pressure seriously increases your chances of heart disease and stroke, plus it can cause significant damage to all your major organs. Therefore, if you want to reduce your chances of developing this condition you need to cut back on the salt. The recommended intake is about 6g per day so you should try and stick to this.

MODERATE YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE:- Alcohol is OK in moderation with some research even suggesting that moderate consumption can have a positive impact on your health. However, excessive consumption of alcohol can be damaging to your health and aggravate your diabetes. Most alcoholic beverages are full of sugar and simple carbohydrates and provide little nutritional value. Furthermore, alcohol reduces the level of glucose in your blood and can cause hypoglycaemia when consumed excessively. Men should try to limit their intake to 3 units per day or 21 units per week whilst women should stick to 2 units per day or 14 units per week.

Although the exact causes of diabetes are not fully known, it is universally agreed that diet has a large impact on both the development and management of the disease. A diabetes diet does not have to be restrictive, complicated and boring. In fact most of the suggested changes in this article are standard parts of a healthy diet. By making these changes to your diet you can take control of your diabetes and hopefully start to notice significant improvements.

Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Diabetes is a medical condition and this article is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your doctor or a qualified medical practitioner. Before making any changes to your diet you should always seek your doctors advice. If you have any concerns regarding any form of diabetes then you should speak to your doctor right away.

Sources:
Blood Sugar/Glucose Information
BMR Calculator
Diabetes Diet Information
Diabetes Diet Basics
Fat and Diabetes Information
Fibre and Diabetes Information
Hyperglycaemia Information
Hypertension Information
Hypoglycaemia Information
Insulin Information
Managing Diabetes with your Diet
Mediterranean Diet reduces Type 2 Diabetes
Salt and Diabetes Information
Sugar and Diabetes Information 1
Sugar and DIabetes Information 2
What Causes Diabetes?

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If you are looking for additional information on controlling your diabetes with diet you may be interested in Toma’s Diabetic Diet. This 144 page ebook explains how to select proper glycemic foods, which foods can lower your blood glucose and much more.

5 Food Groups that can slow down your Metabolism…@Wellness Junction

Hey Everyone. Just letting you know that my second guest blog post is now live at Wellness Junction (well actually it went live on 9th May but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to mention it). This post is entitled ‘5 Food Groups that can slow down your Metabolism’ and I have included a brief exert below (the full version is available from Wellness Junction). If you have any comments, feedback or know of any additional foods that can slow down your metabolism please let me know by leaving a comment on either this page or the full article.

5 food groups that can slow down your Meabolism

“In my last Wellness Junction article I discussed four food groups that can help you boost your metabolic rate. Diet is a very important aspect of keeping your metabolism high and eating the right food is a big step in the right direction. However, you also have to make sure that you are avoiding foods which may hinder your success. In this article I will be discussing five food groups that can seriously slow down your metabolic rate.

1) SUGAR:- Eating too much sugar overloads your body and causes your blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. This in turn makes your body go into conservation mode meaning that you will store extra fat and burn less calories. To make sure this does not happen you need to reduce your intake of refined sugars as much as possible. That means cutting down on the candy, chocolate, cakes and cookies as much as possible. If you still want something sweet try eating some fruit. Unlike refined sugars, most fruits contain fructose which does not cause your blood sugar levels to rise…”

Read the full version of 5 food groups that can slow down your metabolism by Clicking Here

4 food groups that can boost your metabolism…@Wellness Junction

Hey Everyone. Hope you are enjoying all the information on the blog so far. I’m just making a quick post to let you know about a guest blogging spot that I have been offered by Kavit Haria of Wellness Junction. He got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I would be interested in contributing to his blog on a regular basis. I jumped at the chance and we came to the agreement that I would write a guest post at Wellness Junction every couple of weeks. Hopefully, this will give more exposure to the Free Fitness Tips Blog, improve my writing skills and turn Wellness Junction into another fantastic free fitness resource that everyone can enjoy.

Anyway, the reason I am posting about this now is because I wanted to wait for my first guest article to go live before I told you guys. My first article is now live and it is entitled ‘4 food groups that can boost your metabolism’. I have published an exert below (the full version is available from Wellness Junction). As always any comments, suggestions or descriptions of other foods which can boost your metabolism are welcome. If you want to leave any feedback at all please leave a post either on this page or the actual article itself.

4 food groups that can boost your metabolism

“Many people claim that they struggle to lose weight because they have a slow metabolism. Others are always looking for ways to boost their metabolic rate. But what do these people mean when they refer to metabolism and their metabolic rate?

In simple terms your metabolism or metabolic rate is the number of calories required by your body to maintain itself. The general calculation for working out your metabolism is to multiply your weight in pounds by 10 or your weight in kilograms by 22. So if you weigh 250 pounds then your metabolic rate will be around 2500 calories per day. However, this figure can be affected by a number of factors including age, genetics and lifestyle.

In this article I will be discussing how you can increase your metabolic rate by incorporating four different food groups into your diet...”

Read the full version of 4 food groups that can boost your metabolism by Clicking Here

3 Key Criteria for a Successful Diet Plan

There are many effective and ineffective diet plans around. As I have covered previously on this blog fad diets do not work and I believe the best way to lose weight is to exercise regularly and eat more healthily. I do not think you need to follow a pre-determined diet plan as long as you stick to relatively healthy foods most of the time. However, I understand that some people do not have the self discipline to eat healthy all the time and for these people a structured diet plan can be the answer. In this article I discuss three criteria your chosen diet plan MUST contain if you want it to succeed.

1) NO FORBIDDEN FOODS:- Many diet plans do not allow you to eat your favourite foods. However, by creating ‘forbidden foods’ these diet plans simply makes you want them even more. Ultimately, you are likely to give in to these ‘forbidden foods’ which can lead to over eating and make you gain weight.

The best diet plans will restrict your food intake, reduce the number of calories you consume and make you eat more healthily BUT it will not ban any foods outright. To lose weight you will have to change your eating habits in the long term but you should still be able to enjoy your favourite foods from time to time.

2) NO CALORIE COUNTING:- Whilst it is important to have a general understanding of your daily caloric intake, any diet plan which requires you to count the exact calories in every piece of food you consume is likely to end in disaster. Having to count the calories in every individual meal, snack and drink you consume is frustrating and very inconvenient. For example, every time you go out for a restaurant meal you will have to calculate the calories in whatever you order. Usually, all this calorie counting will lead to you becoming discouraged with your diet plan and giving up.

A good diet plan will recommend that you eat healthy foods most of the time and give you a good understanding of the general amount of calories in the various types of food. In doing this it should educate you and allow you to reduce your daily caloric intake in the long term. However, it should not be so rigid and inflexible that you have to count the calories for every single thing you eat in order to stick to an exact number of daily calories.

3) IT IS AFFORDABLE:- It is all well and good if you find a diet plan which does not ban your favourite foods and which does not require you to count calories religiously. However, if you cannot afford the diet plan all these benefits are lost.

With the huge variety of diet plans now available affordability should not be an issue. If you are really struggling to find a diet plan within your price range do some research online, ask friends or colleagues who have used diet plans in the past, take advantage of a dietitian’s services or even consult your doctor. Remember, a good diet plan should burn calories, not your wallet.

The best diet plan should be flexible and affordable. It should not impose direct restrictions on the foods you eat and the calories you take in. Instead, it should teach you how to eat healthily so that you can improve your overall diet in the long term. As I stated at the beginning of this article I do not think that you need to follow a diet plan to lose weight but if you decide to do so make sure it fulfills the three criteria outlined in this article.

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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If you enjoyed this article and are interested in losing more weight you should try Fat Loss For Idiots, which reveals the 10 secret rules of fat loss:

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.

Nutrition and Fitness Centres

Hi Everyone. Today’s video is the last of the current batch. It covers four fitness plans; ‘Jenny Craig’, ‘Nutrisystem’, ‘Curves for Women’ and ‘Weight Watchers’.

Which Diet Plan is Right for You?

Hi Everyone. I hope you enjoyed the last two videos. Today’s video looks at four diet plans; ‘The Atkins Nutritional Approach’, ‘The Zone Diet Plan’, ‘The Raw Food Diet’ and ‘The South Beach Diet’.

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