While that’s true, sugar is much more harmful than you realize, and I’m going to reveal the truth about sugar in this article.

The truth is, sugar is making you sicker and fatter than ever!

Is a little sugar really that bad?

No, however the average American eats 100 pounds of excess sugars every year!

This number is two-and-a-half times what it was 25 years ago!! We’re eating an extra 500 calories of pure sugar every day – and this is on top of the natural sugars (fructose) found in fruits and veggies. That’s 33 teaspoons of added sugars!

Our bodies aren’t designed to handle this much excess sugar, and it’s making us toxic and sick.

While our sugar intake increased, these devastating health problems have spiraled out of control:

• Since 1980 the obesity rate has more than doubled,  from one in 7 to one in 3.
• Diabetes has skyrocketed — from 6 million to 17 million!
• Metabolic Syndrome, which was almost unheard of, has risen to 75 million Americans. Metabolic Syndrome usually manifests as an expanding waistline, and is the key factor for diabetes and heart disease.
• Cancers in children has increased by 20%. And cancer impacts 1 in 3 people, with this rate moving closer to 1 in 2.
• Other disorders such as gout and arthritis continue to grow at alarming rates.

Why does sugar get a bad rap? What about high fructose corn syrup, isn’t it worse?

Good question. Lately high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is depicted as nothing short of arsenic.

But this NY Times article, Is Sugar Toxic? says no. The article’s a long read, but it states that there’s ZERO difference between sugar and HFCS…and that this media hype against HFCS is politically motivated.

Someone’s got to take the fall for our obesity, and this time it’s HFCS’ turn. It’s that simple.

All this news about sugar isn’t new.  It’s been around for 30 years!

It’s simply time that we listen, since our consumption has gotten out of control.

The newest champion against sugar is the engaging speaker, Robert Lustig. According to The Times, Lustig is a “specialist on pediatric hormone disorders and the leading expert in childhood obesity at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, which is one of the best medical schools in the country.” If you’ve got the time, he goes into convincing detail on the topic in the following video:

Wait a minute….isn’t dietary fat consumption the real problem?

The health statistics say NO!

Back in the 1960′s and early ’70s, there were two scientists, each who had a theory about how we get fat. One scientist said it was excess sugar intake, and the other scientist claimed it was dietary fat intake.

Anyway, The U.S. Department of Agriculture decided that dietary fat was the culprit, and strongly advised that we decrease our fat consumption — a message we still hear today.

That was groundbreaking information 20 years ago, and we did what we were told. According to Lustic, we’ve decreased our fat consumption significantly. Poultry and fish are today’s mainstays at the dinner table, with fat-laden steaks taking a major back seat.

So, since fat intake has been down for years, and all these obesity and health problems are increasing, scientists have been forced to look at the truth.

Dietary fat is NOT the problem.

To make matters worse, we’ve replaced those fat calories with sugars and processed foods. And the food industry has helped us go down this path. Most processed foods include hidden HFCS and sugars. Everything from breads, to pasta, sauces, condiments, processed meats, you name it!  And don’t get me started on the fast food industry.

And this doesn’t even talk about the soda, fruit juice and sports drinks. These products sales have exploded in the past 50 years. (Think orange juice for your kids.)  And of course the snack and dessert marketplace is laden with sugar, too.

Why do food producers add this sugar?

Because sugar tastes good, and they’re in business to sell their products.

So here’s why sugar is making you fat: Your body metabolizes sugar into fat!!

The metabolic process is super complicated and scientific, but the bottom line is that the liver’s function is to break down sugars. Guess what it does with those sugary byproducts? They’re stored as FAT. This condition eventually leads to a fatty liver, obesity, and illness.

The next time you drink a large soft drink, picture yourself scooping into a jar of mayonnaise!

Here’s what can you do about this #1 health problem right away:

If you and your loved ones are overweight, or suffering from any health challenges, you can bet sugar is a key ingredient to your problems.

What can you do? Cut your sugar consumption as much as possible. One way to do this is to eat more whole foods, which keeps out a bunch of those hidden sugars.

How much sugar should you consume?

The American Heart Association has just come out with new guidelines. They recommend sugar intake for adult women is 5-6 teaspoons (100 calories) of sugar per day; for adult men, it’s 9-10 teaspoons (150) daily, and for children, it’s 3 teaspoons (40-50) a day.

Other guidelines call for no more than 10% of your caloric intake.

One way to change your sugar habit, is to follow a healthy diet plan, such as The Diet Solution Program. This plan is loaded with healthy foods — and has tons of great health information from motivational author, Isabel De Los Rios.

Take a step for your waistline, your health and your life. You might inspire your family, too!

Original post: Is Sugar the Reason You Can’t Lose Weight?

In order to eliminate any potential fear you may have about a slow carb diet being super restrictive, let’s take a look at what’s traditionally allowed in it:

• The largest portion of foods includes raw and veggies, cooked in healthy oils; also most slow carb advocates also include a few servings of fruits per day.
• The next level of focus includes healthy, lean proteins, eggs, beans, legumes and nuts.

In addition to these foods, here are some foods that are consumed in smaller quantities.*

• Whole and sprouted grains, oats, ancient grains, spelt, brown rice and pasta.
• A limited amount of fermented dairy (like Greek yogurt) or low-fat dairy (cottage cheese or soft cheese).

Click to View on Amazon.com

It’s important to note that some slow carb advocates, like Tim Ferriss in his best seller, 4 Hour Body, go to the more extreme side, and eliminate these foods* for faster weight loss. It’s up to you how far you want to take it. More on your options later.

What’s Not Allowed on the Slow Carb Diet?

The major group is simple carbohydrates and processed foods, including sugar. You also want to stay away from sweet beverages like fruit juices and too much alcohol.

Finally, most slow carb diet advocates recommend eliminating 50-90% of your dairy, if dairy prevents you from losing weight quickly. (This can happen with some people because even though dairy’s glycemic index is moderate, their bodies react as if it were higher on the index.)

As with the grains, you can experiment for a week with dairy and see how much of it you can eat and still lose the weight you want.

Here’s some evidence that the slow carb diet works:

1. Look at people with diabetes – whose insulin levels and a healthy weight is important. They are asked to count their daily carb intake, and adhere to some of the principles of slow carb eating.
2. Natural bodybuilders and diet and fitness experts have advocated a slow carb lifestyle for years. It may not have been called that, but that’s what it is. Ask any of these athletes, you’ll see they’ve followed this lifestyle successfully for years.

You see, the slow carb diet relies on updated information about the body chemistry. Some experts say that Dr. Atkins had half the formula right, in that he knew too many carbs spikes insulin levels in the body. Today we recognize that he probably just took his theory too far. This is understandable, given the vast quantities of refined foods and carbohydrates that most people consume today.

3 Top Tips to Use a Slow Carb Diet Plan to Help You Lose 10 Pounds Fast:

• Become familiarized with the Glycemix Index. This is your guideline to eating a slow carb lifestyle. You generally want to consume most foods in the low glycemic range, which is under a 55 according to the point system.
• Focus on healthy foods that are outlined above. You don’t need to buy a plan, but a book might be a good way to get and stay on track. Again, while diet advocates agree that veggies and lean proteins as the centerpiece of this plan, they do differ in their limitation of whole grains, dairy and even fruit. The key is to select a plan and stick with it. (On the more food-restricting plans, diet creators like Tim Ferriss offer a ‘cheat day’ where you can enjoy your favorite cheeses, breads and anything you like.)
• Get support: As with any diet plan, consult your doctor first to be sure you’re in good health. Enlist support from your family, join a group online or anything that will help you reach your goals.

Sometimes science takes a quantum leap. Like when we developed the know-how and technology to fly to the moon. The same holds true for nutrition and diet! The slow carb diet has evolved as we learned more about modern nutrition.

Slow carb eating is really more of a lifestyle than a ‘diet’. When you eat slow carb you may be pleasantly surprised at your ability to not only lose 10 pounds fast, but also to adopt a powerful and effective eating plan that you’ll enjoy long term!

Where to go from here

If you’re looking to lose weight it really helps to have a weight-loss blueprint. The one diet program we’ve reviewed on this site that sticks closely to the slow carb lifestyle is Fat Loss 4 Idiots.

> Click Here to Check Out Fat Loss 4 Idiots Now

Original post: A Slow Carb Diet Can Help You Lose 10 Pounds Fast

In this post we’ll give you an overview of the Alkaline Diet, how it’s different than most traditional diets, and why it will provide you with faster and easier results! Plus you’ll learn how -when followed correctly- this plan will help you feel younger and better than you have in years!

What’s the matter with your current diet?

If you’re eating like most Americans, there’s a better question….what ISN”T the matter with with it?

70% of Americans are either overweight or obese! If you’re overweight, you probably experience other symptoms like fatigue, swelling, sore joints, and a host of other signs of poor health.

You probably feel like giving up on ever enjoying the body you want and deserve. Perhaps you’ve been told that you’re just getting older, but that simply isn’t the truth. Don’t buy into that lie. Other cultures have healthy, lean seniors who enjoy great health into their 80′s and 90′s!

In fact, your body is a brilliantly-designed machine and if you have any symptoms of ill-health this is a sure sign  that your body’s chemistry is too acidic. Your symptoms are just a cry for help. This is because the body doesn’t just break down one day. Instead, your health erodes slowly over time.

The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) focuses on refined carbohydrates, sugars, alcohol, meats and dairy. These foods are all highly acid-forming. Meanwhile, despite pleas from the nutritional experts, we simply don’t eat enough of the alkalizing foods such as  fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and legumes.

In short, our S.A.D. lifestyle upsets the natural acid-alkaline balance our bodies need. This condition causes obesity,  low-level aches and pains, colds and flu, and eventually disease sets in.

What is this alkaline-acid balance that the Alkaline Diet promotes?

• Most of us are familiar with the term pH.  pH refers to the level of acidity or alkalinity contained in something. Alkalinity is measured on a scale. You can take a simple and inexpensive test at home to see where your alkalinity level falls, as well as to monitor it regularly.

• Medical researchers and scientists have known for at least 70 years this lesser-known fact….your body requires a certain pH level, or  delicate balance of your body’s acid-alkaline levels – for optimal health and vitality.

This concept may seem far fetched or irrelevant, so let’s see why alkaline balance and an alkaline diet matters to you?

Why does the proper pH balance and alkalinity matter to you?

To best answer this question we’ll use two examples of how acid and alkalinity plays a role in your body.

Example #1: We all know that our stomach has acid in it. Along with enzymes, this acid is essential for breaking food into basic elements that can be absorbed by the digestive tract. What if we didn’t have any acid in our stomachs? We would die from malnutrition in no time because the body couldn’t utilize a whole piece of meat or a whole piece of anything, for that matter! Make sense?

Example #2: Different parts of our body require different levels of acidity or alkalinity. For example, your blood requires a slightly more alkaline level than your stomach acids. What if your blood was too acidic? It would virtually eat through your veins and arteries, causing a massive internal hemorrhage!

While these examples demonstrate that the various parts or systems in the body need different pH levels,  we don’t need to worry about that.

Our problem is simple  and it’s this…..we are simply to acidic overall, period.

Let’s be super clear. Being acidic means that our body’s pH level is less than optimal (optimal pH level is around 7.35-7.45, slightly alkaline). When our blood level is acidic, our cells and immune system aren’t able to rebuild its tissues efficiently. And when this acidic condition persists for a long time, it leads to many diseases like obesity, arthritis, bone density loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and many other common diseases.

Is an alkaline diet different from other diets?

Yes. Many diets focus on the same foods that cause you to be overweight or sick in the first place! They simply ask you to eat less of those things, to eat more time per day, or to combine them differently.

In fairness to these diet’s creators, they know that many of us don’t want to make the bigger changes for our health. We like a diet that’s focused on processed and refined foods, our meat, our sugar, alcohols and such. The diet creators are simply trying to help us make easier changes.

Meanwhile we’ve gotten used to eating this way, and it’s not ALL our fault! Greedy food processing giants have a vested interest in keeping us eating this way. Profits are much higher in this sector of the food industry than in the production of your more basic foods like fruits and veggies.

So, again, YES…this diet is different.

If you want massive change, you have to make at least a moderate change. What you’re doing now is NOT working.

If you were feeling lean, healthy and vital you wouldn’t need to read this article. You wouldn’t need a diet change at all!

What kinds of foods are included in an Alkaline Diet?

On an alkaline diet, many of the foods you eat today are still allowed and encouraged!

• Fresh fruits and freshly made juices*
• Fresh veggies and juices*
• Cooked veggies*
• Some legumes and soy
• Lean proteins and some eggs
• Certain grains
• Healthy fats and nuts

*You may be surprised to learn that some veggies and fruits are better for you than others!

You can consume some of these foods and beverages, but they should be minimized:

• Dairy
• Many common grains
• Refined foods and sugars
• Alcohol and caffeine

What can you expect from an alkaline diet?

Like any change in diet or lifestyle, you’ll have an adjustment period when you begin the alkaline diet. Yet because you’re burning the cleanest fuel, which your body craves, so unlike many diet plans, you won’t ever need to feel hungry!

Plus, you can eat all you like until you’re satisfied! You also won’t need to count calories, ever! And you’ll enjoy plenty of variety, so you’ll never get bored with eating.

Why will an alkaline diet work better for you and how much weight can you expect to lose?

Think of an alkaline diet as a type of ‘juice fast’ for the body. Only it’s not so extreme. You’re eating nutrient rich, easily digestible foods that your body craves. When you provide all the cells of the body that it so desperately needs, your hunger goes away. And there are tons of delicious recipes available, so you don’t need to feel annoyed with your meals. No boring veggies here.

Here’s the best part about following an Alkaline Diet:

When followed properly, you can expect to melt the fat away easily and quickly! Many people report losing 2-3 pounds or more per week – a number that wouldn’t be safe in most traditional diet programs. (Normally, the only diets that produce this much weight loss are fad diets, where you regain the weight and then some once you start eating like you did before.)

The difference with an alkaline diet is this…

You fully support your body’s needs by eating an alkaline-based diet, so all those fats, toxins and ‘sludge’ will drop from your body without you having to think  about it!  This is because fats are kind of a buffer for our sensitive tissues and organs, protecting them from an overly-acidic diet. Once you make it ‘safe’ for your body to shed this fat, it will do so automatically!

The alkaline diet does two important things that traditional diets don’t.

1. It provides a superior quantity and quality of nourishment  to your body’s cells.

2. AND it naturally helps to detoxify and cleanse the trillions of cells in your body!

These two facts are behind the reason why the Alkaline Diet work so quickly and safely.

Will you need to follow an Alkaline Diet for the rest of your life?

That’s really up to you. It’s certainly advisable to continue as many of the principles as you can once you have lost all your weight. But it doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Anything you do to adopt a healthier diet will greatly increase your chances for keeping the weight off for good.

One diet program, called The Diet Solution Program, naturally focuses on the foods that support proper pH balance, without going to an extreme. In this way, it gives you an opportunity to most easily try out these alkaline principles.

You’ll be the best judge of what works for you! Once you follow an alkaline diet for a month or two, you can determine how much of it you want to adopt as part of your long-term health strategy.

Learn more about the Acid Alkaline Balanced Diet Here.

Original post: Overweight and Feeling Sluggish? Try an Alkaline Diet!

Isabel De Los Rios recommends walking as an excellent way to lose weight combined with her excellent weight-loss diet – The Diet Solution Program. (Check out our Diet Solution Program Review.)

If you’re like many people, you may be so busy that it’s hard to make time for a walk. Let’s look at a few facts about walking, and then explore a few simple steps you can take to help you walk your way to a leaner you!

Facts about Walking to Lose Weight:

1. When walking to lose weight, how much is enough? Most weight loss experts recommend 30-60 minutes of walking each day, six days a week. Another way to approach it is to shoot for 10,000 steps per day, or about 5 miles. It takes the average person about 60 minutes to walk 5 miles. (The number of steps includes those you take in your normal life, so about 45 minutes of walking should get you to your goal.)

2. How many calories does an hour of walking burn? According to the Mayo Clinic, this depends on your weight. A person who weighs about 160 pounds will burn 200 calories per hour. If you walk for an hour a day you’d burn an extra 6,000 calories monthly, and would lose just under 2 pounds per month. This fact is why many popular diet plans advocate walking as a part of their program.

3. Do you need to ‘Power Walk’ in order to lose weight? Absolutely not. While moving faster or moving your arms will obviously burn more calories, you can realize excellent weight loss benefits as noted above – simply by staying consistent with your walking.

What other health benefits do you get from walking?

Like other exercise, walking to lose weight can help you achieve a number of important health benefits:

• Lowered blood pressure, increases your heart rate
• Remain strong and fit and tones your body
• Greatly reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes (or manage it better)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Improve your mood and reduce risk for depression

Simple steps to take when walking to lose weight:

• Start slowly if your time is limited. Even 15 minutes will help, and will get you get in the habit of walking.
• Make it fun! If you don’t enjoy it you won’t do it long-term. I like to use my walks as a time to commune with nature, so I make sure to walk on a path.
• Find a walking partner. If you enjoy company while walking to lose weight, he or she will help you with accountability. Plus you get the benefit of connecting and catching up.
• Try and create a special time when you walk every day. I enjoy walking in the evening when it’s quiet and many people are in bed. Listen to your intuition, and do what works for your lifestyle.
• Be present – Focus on your breathing, and think about how your body is toning and getting healthier. Visualization works!
• Multi-task if you must. A friend of mine has her social calendar full. She uses her hour long walks as a time to call friends, whereas she would otherwise wouldn’t get her walking in.

Here are a few, final tips:  Always remember to hydrate, and to stay in a safe, well-lit area when walking.

As you can see, walking to lose weight provides a number of other health and fitness benefits. Personally, walking is my favorite way to stay fit – it beats grinding away in the gym. Plus, it’s about as beneficial as jogging, with much less potential for injury.

The best way to lose weight and keep it off for good is to follow a healthy, proven diet plan – combined with an exercise plan. Again, it’s super important that you like your exercise program enough to stay with it, and walking to lose weight can be relaxing and energizing at the same time!

Top Weight-Loss Diets You Might Be Interested In:

• The Diet Solution Program
• The Truth About Six Pack Abs
• Fat Burning Furnace

Original post: Walking to Lose Weight

Find the right Fast Weight Loss Diets

Most diet programs claim to be fast weight loss diets, however very few diets live up to the fast weight loss diets promise. When you need to lose weight fast, how do you know what diet program will work for you?

We’ve found that the best fast weight loss diets put their money where their mouth is. What better way to know if a diet can really help you lose fat fast than a diet program that offers a full 60-day money back guarantee?

All of the fast weight loss diets that we review on our website have tried and true programs, hundreds of testimonials, and a full guarantee! Not only that, but all our top fast weight loss diets were used by the creators to lose weight themselves!

We figure that any diet program that has reviews, support, testimonials, and a no-questions asked guarantee is worth a look, right?

What to look for in Fast Weight Loss Diets

For a diet to have a lasting impact, there are a few things that the diet program needs to accomplish:

• A diet should help you burn fat – not just lose water weight
• A diet should help you build long, lean muscles as these are key to burning fat and looking good!
• A diet needs to fit into your daily schedule.
• A good diet can be used long term.

What Fast Weight Loss Diets should you avoid?

Some diet programs sound too good to be true – and they are! These are the tell-tale signs of scams and bad diets that will waste your time and money:

• Diet Pills – If you really could lose weight by taking a pill, we’d all have done it a long time ago!! There are no pills that can help you lose fat fast, sorry.
• Magic Diet Fruits – Acai, Goji, and other fruits are probably good for you, but they’re not going to help you lose fat – no matter what they say on the package or in the commercial.
• Diet Powders – Again, if sprinkling a powder on your food could really help you lose weight, no-one would be fat!
• Diet Shakes – These have been around forever, but they simply don’t work! It’s a bunch of sugar, artificial flavor, and protein powder. These create an insulin reaction that leads to fat gain – not fat loss. Don’t waste your money!
• Diet Meal Delivery – Most of these foods are no different than what you buy at the grocery store – except that they cost more. They have very little nutrition, and you’ll be hungry 30 seconds after you eat them.

Where to go from here

Now that you know what to look for and what to avoid, it’s time to find the right fast weight loss diets for you! We’ve reviewed many diet programs on this site, and you can read all of our diet reviews here. However, to save time here’s our 2 favorite diet programs:

#1. The Diet Solution Program by Isabel De Los Rios. Isabel teaches you how to match your meals to your metabolic type so that you can lose weight effortlessly!

> Click Here to Learn More about The Diet Solution

#2. Fat Burning Furnace by Rob Poulos. The fbf diet focuses on 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise 3 times a week to rev up your fat burning.

> Click Here to Visit Fat Burning Furnace

We hope one of these fast weight loss diets works for you, and good luck!

Original post: Fast Weight Loss Diets – How to Lose Fat Fast!

Myths and Truth about Belly Fat:

Myth #1: If you’re an apple shape, you’re stuck with belly fat.

Truth: Visceral fat is the fat that is deep under the skin, tucked around the organs. Since it’s often found largely around the belly, yet is metabolically active, you’ll lose more fat from this area as you lose weight! This is true with 98% of people, regardless of their shape.

Myth #2: Doing crunches will target belly fat and slim your waist.

Truth: Unfortunately, crunches won’t touch that belly fat or give you six pack abs by themselves. In order to slim your waistline, you need to reduce your body fat percentage. This can be accomplished by controlling your diet.

Myth #3: If you want to lose weight you need to eliminate or reduce your carb intake.

Truth: To lose fat, reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates. Continue to eat your veggies and fruits, as well as sprouted grains or other complex carbohydrates. Studies show that people who ate a diet of refined carbs, plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, and low fat fish, poultry and healthy yogurts lost more weight than those who ate no carbs.

Myth #4: All fats are created equal and must be largely eliminated in order to lose fat.

Truth:  Monosaturated fats are healthier than saturated or polyunsaturated fats. Avocados, nuts, olive oils and canola oils are on the list of healthy fats that can help you lose weight, as long as they are moderated.

What’s the bottom line on belly fat? Their is a lot of controversy about how you can best tell if you have too much, but the best way is to measure your waist with a soft tape measure. A woman with a 35″ and a man with 40″ waist is carrying too much belly fat. The solution is to eat a diet containing lots of veggies, fruits and whole grain, along with some nuts, seeds, lean proteins and to lose weight slowly. Combine this diet with at least 45 minutes of daily exercise and you can melt that fat away with some patience and time!

One popular diet and exercise program that incorporates these principles is The Truth About Six Pack Abs. You might be surprised by what you learn in this program- I know I was!

Original post: Debunking Myths About Belly Fat

The top 6 complications from being overweight during pregnancy:

1. The prevalence of varicose and spider veins. Because the body strains to carry blood to all its vital organs, the veins become enlarged and painful, sometimes necessitating full or partial bed rest. Sometimes these veins require surgery or laser treatment after the baby is born. To complicate matters, excess fluid leads to swelling, discomfort and lack of mobility, as well. One woman I know was confined to bed rest for the last 3 months of her pregnancy because of varicose veins.
2. Liver and kidney problems. Weakness in critical organs such as the kidneys or the liver can negatively impact the health of the fetus, since all fluids between mother and baby are shared directly.
3. Gestational diabetes. Diabetes is never exciting, but when you become pregnant, it’s a bigger problem. The dilemma is that when you’re pregnant, you may need to be induced prior to your due date. This is simply because these babies are often a bigger than the normal weight range, which stems from overinsulin production in the mom. One mom I know was informed that her child would be the size of a normal 3 month old if she waited until her due date.
4. Obesity increases the odds that a C-section will be encouraged over a vaginal delivery.  The more overweight you are, the higher these chances – ranging from 2-6 times higher than a pregnant woman who is not overweight. Even though C-sections are typically safe, many babies in this scenario fall into weight extremes, in that they are either notably underweight or overweight. This condition results in a higher risk for them.
5. High blood pressure is another concern. When you have a pregnancy that is compounded with obesity, the body has to perform double or triple the amount of work. High blood pressure strains the heart and circulatory sytem and carries a series of risks.
6. A shocking truth is that infant mortality rates are 2-3 times higher than for the rate of a normal, pregnancy. Today health care professionals are searching for solutions to our modern obesity problems. This is a shame, given that medicine has overcome so many issues of past generations like disease and infection, that prompted high rates of infant mortality in the past. In any case,  the system of overweight moms is strained much more than it normally would be, which in turn places this strain on the baby’s system.

So what are some of your options to ensure a safer pregnancy?

The single most important action you can take is to begin your pregnancy as close to your ideal weight as possible. If you’re already pregnant you can still make a positive impact, by talking to your doctor and devising a safe and healthy eating plan.

If you’re on the market for a diet plan, the options are countless. Simply put, the most cost-effective plans include books, eBooks and online diet communities. On the other end of the range, there are many excellent choices such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Lindora if you prefer the support of a diet professional.

As always, a moderate exercise program will help, as well. Whether you choose to adhere to a program or to lose weight on your own, we always recommend that you talk it over with your doctor, to ensure that your strategy will provide both you and your baby with the important nutrition you need, and a safe and comfortable exercise plan, if you like. Losing excess weight prior to your pregnancy is the best investment you can make for you and your child, and will make the post-delivery process much easier, too.

When you’re ready to start a weight loss plan after your pregnancy, take a look at our Diet Reviews page, which will help you select from the top online plans available.

Our current favorite diet is The Diet Solution Program by Isabel De Los Rios.

Original post: Pregnancy and Complications from Excess Weight

]]> http://www.4dietreview.com/pregnancy-and-complications-from-excess-weight/feed/ 0 http://www.4dietreview.com/the-problem-with-weight-loss-pills/ http://www.4dietreview.com/the-problem-with-weight-loss-pills/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:38:52 +0000 Rich http://www.4dietreview.com/?p=924 Every few years the drug companies release a new weight-loss pill that promises to help people lose weight effortlessly. The latest pill - Qnexa by Vivus - actually does work. So what's the problem? Why didn't the advisory committee to the FDA give Qnexa their stamp of approval?

Original post: The Problem With Weight-Loss Pills

]]> Every few years the drug companies release a new weight-loss pill that promises to help people lose weight effortlessly. The latest pill – Qnexa by Vivus – actually does work. During clinical trials, the average user lost 10.6 percent of their body weight. So what’s the problem? Why didn’t the advisory committee to the FDA give Qnexa their stamp of approval?

I’ll take a quote from the New York Times article:

“The F.D.A. had five safety concerns that the panel spent most of the day addressing: possible psychiatric problems like depression and suicidal thinking, impaired memory and concentration, acid buildup in bodily fluids that could increase the risk of kidney stones, an increase in heart rate that could portend cardiac problems and possible birth defects.”

While plenty of us need to lose weight, I think the potential suicide and heart attack risks outweigh the benefit of losing a few pounds. Unfortunately all diet pills that actually help you lose weight have negative potential side effects of some kind. It was only last year that Hydroxycut was recalled due to the potential to cause liver damage and even death.

Of course the drug companies will keep trying to get the FDA to approve their pills, and people will keep taking pills hoping to lose weight. Based on the current batch of pills and their long lists of side effects I think it’s time to find a better plan.

Proper diet and exercise are always the safest and most effective way to lose weight. If you’ve had a hard time losing weight through diet and exercise in the past, you should consider starting a formal diet program. The structure provided by diet programs can help you stick to the plan and see results – without the risks associated with diet pills.

We like Fat Burning Furnace by Rob Poulos because the program is designed to help you lose weight without having to count calories and while spending only 15 minutes in the gym, 3 times a week. The best part is, if the FBF program doesn’t work for you Rob will refund your money no questions asked. Read our Fat Burning Furnace Review to learn more.

Whichever way you decide to go, we wish you the best of luck in your weight-loss efforts. If you do decide to try diet pills make sure you read about the potential side effects and take them seriously. If you start to experience side-effect symptoms stop taking the pills immediately and talk to your doctor. Losing a few pounds is never worth psychiatric problems, heart problems, or liver damage!

Original post: The Problem With Weight-Loss Pills

]]> http://www.4dietreview.com/the-problem-with-weight-loss-pills/feed/ 0 http://www.4dietreview.com/a-nutrient-rich-diet-plan-can-help-you-lose-weight/ http://www.4dietreview.com/a-nutrient-rich-diet-plan-can-help-you-lose-weight/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:10:12 +0000 Rich http://www.4dietreview.com/?p=830 There's great news in the diet community that shows if we eat a nutrient-rich diet plan, we will support our health and weight reduction results at the same time! We realize that natural foods are beneficial for us, but research demonstrate that all calories aren't created the same. Natural foods offer a much better quality of calorie and support natural fat reduction. Within this write-up I'll examine which foods to concentrate on, to establish a powerful fat loss plan.

Original post: A Nutrient Rich Diet Plan Can Help You Lose Weight!

]]> There’s great news in the diet community that shows if we eat a nutrient-rich diet plan, we will support our health and weight reduction results at the same time! We realize that natural foods are beneficial for us, but research demonstrate that all calories aren’t created the same. Natural foods offer a much better quality of calorie and support natural fat reduction. Within this write-up I’ll examine which foods to concentrate on, to establish a powerful fat loss plan.

Why eat a nutrient-rich diet plan?

Current research proves that whole ingredients are less difficult to absorb, which in turn stimulates excess weight loss. When you eat a diet which concentrates on nutrient-rich meals you can eat more, while naturally keeping the calorie count lower. Furthermore, organic foods consist of a range of absorbable micro and macro nutrients, which deliver the dual purpose of helping to prevent certain forms of cancer and other disease while helping you to lose fat.

What are the top nutrient-rich foods?

Your eating habits should be based mostly around raw and lightly-cooked organically grown or pesticide-free veggies and fruit, which in turn will provide a strong dietary foundation. Make sure to eat a wide assortment of colorful produce such as broccoli, carrots, beets, blueberries, pineapple, spinach, squash and such. By simply selecting organic and natural food anytime possible, that is naturally in season you can obtain the best nutritional return for your effort. Regarding other carbs, look for live grains found in the Ezekiel or sprouted bread. You can subsequently round out your carbohydrate consumption with high-quality grains such as amaranth, brown rice and such. A lot of vegetables and grains deliver the extra bonus of furnishing protein, as well.

Where should you get your protein requirements met? Almost all nutrition experts concur that cage-free, organic eggs are a great source of complete protein. Hemp is another complete protein, and legumes, beans, raw nuts and non-gmo soy can round out your meals . Whenever it comes to meats, try and obtain more organic, lean, grass-fed products because these cuts will provide a more alkaline PH balance in the body, which is a critical component to energy, health and fat loss. If you like dairy, try to stay with yogurt as your first choice, supported by soft cheeses, since the hard cheeses like cheddar are challenging on your digestive system.

Fats that are nutrient-rich includeavocados, coconut and coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and flax oil. Research has proved that these foods can actually help you shed weight since they satisfy your cravings for food while assisting your body in eliminating fat! You can round out these fats with several of those found in protein, such as leaner cuts of meat or yogurt. Plus, it’s fine to use butter in moderation, since it’s much more healthy than the trans-fat laden margarines. As always, choose organic choices whenever possible, for best weight loss .

Let’s see exactly what foods you should avoid anytime possible:

First, remember to focus on nutrient-rich foods! Most processed meals contain very little or no nutritional value. Therefore they tax the body and reduce your ability to lose weight. Prepared meals and other processed foods are a bad deal – even those that are branded as ‘diet’ or healthy. The list is limitless, but most of the items in the center aisles of your grocery store consist of chips, pretzels, crackers, cookies and frozen foods. It’s also obvious that you will need to reduce your consumption of refined sugar – another reason to stay away from processed food. It’s fine to eat an occasional serving of dessert, but keep in mind that Americans eat 30 times the amount of sugars that is proposed. Eliminate soft drinks and diet soda completely, as well as other sugar free-products. These chemicals are difficult for your body to absorb; therefore they actually encourage weight retention and weight gain. Avoid purchasing anything that contains hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and various other fillers. By focusing on natural, nutrient-rich foods, you’ll avoid this nasty group.

In Conclusion:

By following a healthy, diet program which is packed with nutrient-rich foods, you will naturally lose fat. No need to follow this plan all of the time, either,since research shows if you stick to your diet 80-90 percent of the time, you can get the same success. This allows you to enjoy some of your favorite foods, while delivering fantastic results inside a flexible lifestyle! Isabel De Los Rios’ Diet Solution Program is a great short and long-term diet that uses nutrient-rich eating and offers great results for many .

Original post: A Nutrient Rich Diet Plan Can Help You Lose Weight!

]]> http://www.4dietreview.com/a-nutrient-rich-diet-plan-can-help-you-lose-weight/feed/ 0 http://www.4dietreview.com/how-to-lose-belly-fat-enjoy-a-slimmer-waistline/ http://www.4dietreview.com/how-to-lose-belly-fat-enjoy-a-slimmer-waistline/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:17:54 +0000 Kathy http://www.4dietreview.com/?p=372 If you want to know how to lose belly fat, you're not alone. Belly fat is not only unsightly, but it's also become one of the top medical concerns. Doctors warn us that excess belly fat is hazardous to our health, and according to WebMD, “extra weight around the midsection is associated with inflammation and a higher risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and more.”

Original post: How to Lose Belly Fat & Enjoy a Slimmer Waistline

]]> If you want to know how to lose belly fat, you’re not alone. Belly fat is not only unsightly, but it’s also become one of the top medical concerns. Doctors warn us that excess belly fat is hazardous to our health, and according to WebMD, “extra weight around the midsection is associated with inflammation and a higher risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and more.”

Whether your reason for losing belly fat is for your health, your looks, or both, it’s important to learn the top tips that can help you reach your goal. In this article we’ve reviewed the latest diet and fitness news, and condensed our findings to give you these 7 tips for losing stomach fat.

7 Tips to Help You Lose Stomach or Abdominal Fat:

1. Eat your fruits and veggies! – Be sure to eat 5+ servings per day, as fruits and veggies provide the best nutrition for the least calories. While losing belly fat you may want to limit bananas and avocados, in favor of citrus fruits, such as grapefruits and fresh pineapple. Great vegetable choices include leafy greens, broccoli, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
2. Eat enough of the right fats – Focus most of your fats on the olive oils, nuts, and seeds, with limited coconut oil or butter. Small servings of dark chocolate can be a good fat when eaten in moderation. Absolutely stay away from fats that are hydrogenated, and contain trans fats, as these mess with your metabolism and can harm your body and your weight loss efforts!
3. Go easy on the dairy – There’s been a good deal of controversy about how good dairy is for us, but updated unbiased recommendations are available. The consensus is that it’s best to limit dairy – especially whole milk and hard cheeses. Dairy is easy to replace with soy, rice, almond, or hemp milk and other products like nut or soy cheese. Better dairy includes soft cheeses like goat, feta, cottage, and mozzarella, as well as plain yogurt. If you must drink milk, drink 1% or skim.
4. Eat low glycemic grains such as whole grains – The fiber will help keep your insulin from spiking and storing grains as fat on your belly, while also keeping you from feeling hungry longer. Whole wheat isn’t necessarily better than white flour, so go for Ezekiel or sprouted, high protein breads and pastas whenever you can.
5. Drink enough water – All the fat you’re losing must be flushed out of the body in order to register on the scale. Drink at least the recommended eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
6. Eat smaller meals 4-6 times a day and focus on unprocessed foods – Fitness models and experts have been using this trick for years, because eating less food more often helps you keep the metabolism and insulin levels steady. Focus 80% of your diet on unprocessed foods for an extra boost to your weight loss results.
7. Exercise! – Experts agree that 30-60 minutes of exercise, 3-5 times per week is important when it comes to losing belly fat. Additionally, exercise helps you tone up and keep you motivated while you lose the weight. Recent fitness industry findings show that high intensity cardio routines that incorporate weight lifting, is the best way to get into shape and lose weight quickly. High intensity cross training routines are also efficient and can be done in 30 minutes or less, three times a week. Combine this routine with  2-4 vigorous, 40 minute weekly walks and you’ll definitely see your clothes fitting you better – which is likely one of your main weight loss goals!

These top 7 tips give you a great foundation on how to lose belly or stomach fat. If you follow these tips you could lose fat without following an organized diet plan.  However if you’re like many people, following a diet plan can help to keep you motivated and accountable and tends to give you faster results than going it on your own. Please read our diet reviews for more info on weight loss programs we recommend.

Original post: How to Lose Belly Fat & Enjoy a Slimmer Waistline

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