2tastyfood.com » weight loss tips

GOOD FATS, BAD FATS, AND THE POWER OF OMEGA-3 FATS

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:52:07 +0000

General guidelines for choosing healthy fats

With so many different sources of dietary fat—some good and some bad—the choices can get confusing. But the bottom line is simple: don’t go no-fat, go good fat.

If you are concerned about your weight or heart health, rather than avoiding fat in your diet, try replacing saturated fats and trans fats with good fats. This might mean replacing some of the meat you eat with beans and legumes, or using olive oil rather than butter.

Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. Check food labels for trans fats. Avoiding commercially-baked goods goes a long way. Also limit fast food.
Limit your intake of saturated fats by cutting back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. Try replacing red meat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish whenever possible, and switching from whole milk and other full-fat dairy foods to lower fat versions.
Eat omega-3 fats every day. Good sources include fish, walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.

How much fat is too much?

How much fat is too much depends on your lifestyle, your weight, your age and most importantly the state of your health. The USDA recommends that the average individual:

Keep total fat intake to 20-35% of calories
Limit saturated fats to less than 10% of your calories (200 calories for a 2000 calorie diet)
Limit trans fats to 1% of calories (2 grams per day for a 2000 calorie diet)

Getting more good, unsaturated fats in your diet

Okay, so you realize you need to avoid saturated fat and trans fat… but how do you get the healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats everyone keeps talking about?

The best sources of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fish.

Cook with olive oil. Use olive oil for stovetop cooking, rather than butter, stick margarine, or lard. For baking, try canola or vegetable oil.
Eat more avocados. Try them in sandwiches or salads or make guacamole. Along with being loaded with heart and brain-healthy fats, they make for a filling and satisfying meal.
Reach for the nuts. You can also add nuts to vegetable dishes or use them instead of breadcrumbs on chicken or fish.
Snack on olives. Olives are high in healthy monounsaturated fats. But unlike most other high-fat foods, they make for a low-calorie snack when eaten on their own. Try them plain or make a tapenade for dipping.
Dress your own salad. Commercial salad dressings are often high in saturated fat or made with damaged trans fat oils. Create your own healthy dressings with high-quality, cold-pressed olive oil, flaxseed oil, or sesame oil.

Damaged fat: When good fats go bad

A good fat can become bad if heat, light, or oxygen damages it. Polyunsaturated fats are the most fragile. Oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats (such as flaxseed oil) must be refrigerated and kept in an opaque container. Cooking with these oils also damages the fats. Never use oils, seeds, or nuts after they begin to smell or taste rank or bitter.

Omega-3 fatty acids: Superfats for the brain and heart

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat. While all types of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good for you, omega-3 fats are proving to be especially beneficial.

We’re still learning about the many benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but research has shown that they can:

Prevent and reduce the symptoms of depression
Protect against memory loss and dementia
Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer
Ease arthritis, joint pain, and inflammatory skin conditions
Support a healthy pregnancy

Omega-3 fatty acids and mental health

Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain. Research indicates that they play a vital role in cognitive function (memory, problem-solving abilities, etc.) as well as emotional health.

Getting more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet can help you battle fatigue, sharpen your memory, and balance your mood. Studies have shown that omega-3s can be helpful in the treatment of depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder.

There are several different types of omega-3 fatty acids:

EPA and DHA – Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have the most research to back up their health benefits. Both are found in abundance in cold-water fatty fish.
ALA – Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) comes from plants. Studies suggest that it’s a less potent form of omega-3 than EPA and DHA. The best sources include flaxseed, walnuts, and canola oil.

Fish: The best food source of omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fats are a type of essential fatty acid, meaning they are essential to health, but your body can’t make them. You can only get omega-3 fats from food.

The best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, or sardines, or high-quality cold-water fish oil supplements. Canned albacore tuna and lake trout can also be good sources, depending on how the fish were raised and processed.

Some people avoid seafood because they worry about mercury or other possible toxins in fish. However, most experts agree that the benefits of eating two servings a week of these cold-water fatty fish outweigh the risks.

If you’re a vegetarian or you don’t like fish, you can still get your omega-3 fix by eating algae (which is high in DHA) or taking a fish oil or algae supplement.

Good vs. bad cholesterol

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:51:01 +0000

Saturated fats: Reduce this bad fat

When focusing on healthy fats, a good place to start is reducing your consumption of saturated fats. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as red meat and whole milk dairy products. Poultry and fish also contain saturated fat, but less than red meat. Other sources of saturated fat include tropical vegetable oils such as coconut oil and palm oil.

Simple ways to reduce saturated fat

Eat less red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) and more fish and chicken
Go for lean cuts of meat, and stick to white meat, which has less saturated fat.
Bake, broil, or grill instead of frying.
Remove the skin from chicken and trim as much fat off of meat as possible before cooking.
Avoid breaded meats and vegetables and deep-fried foods.
Choose low-fat milk and lower-fat cheeses like mozzarella whenever possible; enjoy full-fat dairy in moderation.
Use liquid vegetable oils such as olive oil or canola oil instead of lard, shortening, or butter.
Avoid cream and cheese sauces, or have them served on the side.

Sources of Saturated Fats	Healthier Options
Butter	Olive oil
Cheese	Low-fat or reduced-fat cheese
Red meat	White meat chicken or turkey
Cream	Low-fat milk or fat-free creamer
Eggs	Egg whites, an egg substitute (e.g. Eggbeaters), or tofu
Ice cream	Frozen yogurt or reduced fat ice cream
Whole milk	Skim or 1% milk
Sour cream	Plain, non-fat yogurt

Eliminate trans fats from your diet

A trans fat is a normal fat molecule that has been twisted and deformed during a process calledhydrogenation. During this process, liquid vegetable oil is heated and combined with hydrogen gas. Partially hydrogenating vegetable oils makes them more stable and less likely to spoil, which is very good for food manufacturers—and very bad for you.

No amount of trans fats is healthy. Trans fats contribute to major health problems, from heart disease to cancer.

Sources of trans fats

Many people think of margarine when they picture trans fats, and it’s true that some margarines are loaded with them. However, the primary source of trans fats in the Western diet comes from commercially-prepared baked goods and snack foods:

Baked goods – cookies, crackers, cakes, muffins, pie crusts, pizza dough, and some breads like hamburger buns
Fried foods – doughnuts, French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, and hard taco shells
Snack foods – potato, corn, and tortilla chips; candy; packaged or microwave popcorn
Solid fats – stick margarine and semi-solid vegetable shortening
Pre-mixed products – cake mix, pancake mix, and chocolate drink mix

Be a trans fat detective

When shopping, read the labels and watch out for “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredients. Even if the food claims to be trans fat free, this ingredient makes it suspect.
With margarine, choose the soft-tub versions, and make sure the product has zero grams of trans fat and no partially hydrogenated oils.
When eating out, put fried foods, biscuits, and other baked goods on your “skip” list. Avoid these products unless you know that the restaurant has eliminated trans fat.
Avoid fast food. Most states have no labeling regulations for fast food, and it can even be advertised as cholesterol-free when cooked in vegetable oil.
When eating out, ask your server or counter person what type of oil your food will be cooked in. If it’s partially hydrogenated oil, run the other way or ask if your food can be prepared using olive oil, which most restaurants have in stock.

Fish: The best food source of omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fats are a type of essential fatty acid, meaning they are essential to health, but your body can’t make them. You can only get omega-3 fats from food.

If you’re a vegetarian or you don’t like fish, you can still get your omega-3 fix by eating algae (which is high in DHA) or taking a fish oil or algae supplement.

Choosing the best omega-3 supplement

With so many omega-3 and fish oil supplements and fortified foods, making the right choice can be tricky. These guidelines can help.

Avoid products that don’t list the source of their omega-3s. Does the package list the source of omega-3 fatty acids? If not, chances are it’s ALA (sometimes from plain old canola or soybean oil), which most Westerners already get plenty of.
Don’t fall for fortified foods. Many fortified foods (such as margarine, eggs, and milk) claim to be high in omega-3 fatty acids, but often, the real amount of omega-3 is miniscule.
Look for the total amount of EPA and DHA on the label. The bottle may say 1,000 milligrams of fish oil, but it’s the amount of omega-3 that matters. Read the small print. It may show only 300 mg of EPA and DHA (sometimes listed as “omega-3 fatty acids”), which means you’d have to take three capsules to get close to 1,000 milligrams of omega-3.
Choose supplements that are mercury-free, pharmaceutical grade and molecularly distilled. Make sure the supplement contains both DHA and EPA. They may be hard to find, but supplements with higher concentrations of EPA are better.

Fish oil supplements can cause stomach upset and belching, especially when you first start taking them. To reduce these side effects, take them with food. You may also want to start with a low dose and gradually increase it, or divide the dose among your three meals.

How much omega-3 do I need?

The American Heart Association recommends consuming 1–3 grams per day of EPA and DHA (1 gram = 1,000 milligrams). For the treatment of mental health issues, including depression and ADHD, look for supplements that are high in EPA, which has been shown to elevate and stabilize mood. Aim for at least 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids per day.

The truth about dietary fat and cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty, wax-like substance that your body needs to function properly. In and of itself, cholesterol isn’t bad. But when you get too much of it, it can have a negative impact on your health.

Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your body (specifically, the liver) produces some of the cholesterol you need naturally. But you also get cholesterol directly from any animal products you eat, such as eggs, meat, and dairy. Together, these two sources contribute to your blood cholesterol level.

Good vs. bad cholesterol

As with dietary fat, there are good and bad types of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is the “good” kind of cholesterol found in your blood. LDL cholesterol is the “bad” kind. The key is to keep HDL levels high and LDL levels low. High levels of HDL cholesterol help protect against heart disease and stroke, while high levels of LDL cholesterol can clog arteries, increasing your risk.

Research shows that there is only a weak link between the amount of cholesterol you eat and your blood cholesterol levels. The biggest influence on your total and LDL cholesterol is the type of fats you eat—not your dietary cholesterol. So instead of counting cholesterol, simply focus on replacing bad fats with good fats.

Monounsaturated fats lower total and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, while increasing good cholesterol (HDL).
Polyunsaturated fats lower triglycerides and fight inflammation.
Saturated fats raise your blood cholesterol.
Trans fats are even worse than saturated fats, since they not only raise your bad LDL cholesterol, but also lower the good HDL cholesterol.

Benefits of exercising

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:45:54 +0000

The life-changing benefits of exercise
Consider “No Pain, No Gain” the old fashioned way of thinking about exercise. Current health studies prove that exercise doesn’t have to hurt to be incredibly effective. Research indicates that even short low-impact intervals of exercise act as a powerful tool to supercharge your health. If you have time for a 15-minute walk with the dog, your body will thank you in many ways.
How exercise boosts your energy, mood, and brainpower
Relieves stress and anxiety. A twenty-minute bike ride won’t sweep away life’s troubles, but exercising regularly helps you take charge of anxiety and reduce stress. How so? Aerobic exercise releases hormones that relieve stress and give a sense of well-being.
Alleviates depression. Did you know that exercise treats mild to moderate depression as effectively as anti-depression medicine? Experts believe that physical activity increases serotonin, a brain chemical that fights negative thoughts and depression.
Boosts mood. Exercise also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in our brain that energize our spirits and simply make us feel good.
Sharpens brainpower. The same endorphins that make us feel better also help us concentrate and feel mentally sharp for our tasks at hand.
Improves self-esteem. Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body and soul. When it becomes habit, it can help foster a stronger sense of self-worth since you take the time to take care of yourself.
Energy gain. Want less fatigue, improved sleep, and a natural shot of joi de vivre? Get moving in the fresh air. It’s true that increasing your heart rate several times a week will give you more get-up-and-go. Start off with just a few minutes of exercise a day, then after a while, you’ll have the energy to add a few more minutes to your routine.
With so many life-changing benefits, why does exercise often feel like such a chore, something that’s simply unrealistic in your busy life—something for the young or the athletic, not for you? There are a lot of commonly-held myths about exercise that make it seem more arduous and painful than it has to be. Are any of the following myths holding you back? Let’s separate facts from fiction to overcome your barriers to getting active.
If you are even thinking about ways to fit exercise into your bursting-at-the-seams schedule, you are on the right track. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise—even just 15 minutes a day—helps ease depression, enhances self-image, relieves stress, and much more. That’s right, exercise makes you happy, and you don’t have to be a gym rat to do it. By making “start slow” and “have fun” your mottos, you’ll be well on your way to using physical activity as a tool to make you feel better every day.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts

How to Establish regular eating habits

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:58:55 +0000

Steps for Establishing regular eating habits
Regular eating habits are especially important for weight loss. Your body is better able to regulate blood sugar levels—and your weight—when you maintain a regular meal schedule. Aim for moderate and consistent portion sizes for each meal or snack.

Don’t skip breakfast. Start your day off with a good breakfast. Eating breakfast every day will help you have energy as well as steady blood sugar levels.
Eat small meals at regular times. It is helpful to eat 3 small meals plus 3 snacks spread out through the day. People tend to eat larger portions when they are overly hungry, so eating regularly will help you keep your portions in check.
Keep calorie intake the same. Regulating the amount of calories you eat on a day-to-day basis has an impact on the regularity of your blood sugar levels. Try to eat roughly the same amount of calories every day, rather than overeating one day or at one meal, and then skimping on the next.
Listen to your body. It takes a little time for your brain to get the message that you’ve had enough to eat, so stop eating when you feel 80% full. Wait 20 minutes. If you’re still hungry, you can choose to have a little more.
Keep portion sizes under control
Making sure you do not eat too many calories is important in any healthy diet, but it is especially important for diabetics. Controlling your portion sizes is key to controlling calories:

Divide your plate into 3 parts: ½, ¼, ¼. Fill half of your plate with non-starchy veggies (greens, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, turnips, etc.). Split the other half of your plate into two equal parts, filling one with protein and the other with a starchy carbohydrate (rice, potatoes, pasta, whole-grain bread).
Aim for a protein serving of around 3 oz., which is about the size of a deck of cards for meat. Animal protein is more calorie dense, so it is important to really pay attention to how much you are eating.
Keep servings of starchy carbs to ½ cup. One serving of starchy carbohydrate is ½ cup cooked rice or pasta, which is about the size of half of a baseball.
Start your meals with veggies, which will help fill you up and give you lots of nutrients.
Save half of restaurant meals for later. When out at a restaurant, ask the server to put half the meal on your plate and pack the other half to go.
Read labels on foods, so you can understand how many servings and portions are in items.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts

Low fat diet tips

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:57:42 +0000

Choose fats wisely
Fats can be either helpful or harmful in your diet. People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, so it is even more important to be smart about fats. Some fats are unhealthy and others have some health benefits. But all fats are high in calories, so you should always watch your portion sizes.

Unhealthy fats – The two most damaging fats are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products such as red meat, whole milk dairy products, and eggs. Trans fats, also called partially hydrogenated oils, are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid and less likely to spoil—which is very good for food manufacturers, and very bad for you.
Healthy fats – The best fats are unsaturated fats, which come from plant sources and are liquid at room temperature. Primary sources include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and avocados. Also focus on omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation and support brain and heart health. Good sources include salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds.
Ways to reduce unhealthy fats and add healthy fats:
Instead of snacking on cheese, chips or crackers, enjoy a handful of nuts or seeds. Go for variety with sunflower, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts.
Instead of cooking with butter or vegetable oil, use olive oil.
Trim any visible fat off of meat before cooking and remove the skin before cooking chicken and turkey.
Instead of frying, choose to grill, broil, bake, or stir-fry.
Serve fish for 2 or 3 meals each week instead of red meat.
Add avocado to your sandwiches instead of cheese. This will keep the creamy texture, but improve the health factor.
When baking, use canola oil or apple sauce instead of shortening or butter.
Find other ways to make soups creamy instead of using heavy cream. Try blending cooked potatoes in a soup, or adding a little cornstarch (mix with cold water then add to the soup). Then add a little swirl of good olive oil on top.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts

Steps for making your kitchen weight loss diet friendly

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:52:39 +0000

Make your kitchen diet friendly What you keep in your kitchen can either help or hurt your diet efforts. There are some foods that you should keep around and readily available and other foods that are best kept out of sight and out of your cupboards!

Steps for making your kitchen weight loss diet friendly:

Step 1: Out of sight, out of mind. Get rid of all the unhealthy, nutrient-scarce foods in your pantry, refrigerator, and cupboards. This includes cookies, pastries, candies, sugary cereals, high-fat lunch and deli meats, fried foods, chips, cream-based foods, full-fat dairy products, juice, and sodas. When they aren’t readily available, you will eat less of them.

Step 2: Organize your food storage spaces. Stock your kitchen so you can see what you have available to eat and cook with. Keep everything visible and easy to access, so you can better plan your meals and grab healthy snacks quickly.

Step 3: Stock up on healthy, appetizing foods.

Fruit – Keep a large fruit bowl filled and in sight on a table or counter. Fruits are high in fiber and vitamins, plus they are colorful and pretty to look at. You can also keep frozen berries for smoothies or to add to yogurt. They also help curb your sweet tooth!

Vegetables – Cut up vegetables, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, jicama, celery, and carrots, and keep them in plastic bags or containers for easy snack choices. They also taste great with hummus, a dip that has some protein and good fats in it. Also stock your freezer with your favorite veggies. This way you always have easy access to veggies to add to meals.

Nuts and seeds – Keep a variety of nuts and seeds on hand. They stay nice and fresh when kept in the freezer or refrigerator. Add them to your morning cereal or have a little handful for a filling snack. Nut butters are also very satisfying and full of healthy fats.

Grains – It is best to keep only slow release carbohydrates around. This means: grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, and pearled barley. Also stock up on whole grain, high-fiber cereals, breads, and pastas in your kitchen. You can line your shelves with glass jars filled with different varieties of grains.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts

EATING TO PREVENT AND CONTROL DIABETES

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:27:55 +0000

What you need to know about diabetes and diet

Diabetes is on the rise, yet most cases of diabetes are preventable with healthy lifestyle changes. Some can even be reversed. The bottom line is that you have more control over your health than you think. If you’re concerned about diabetes, you can make a difference by eating a healthy diet, keeping your weight in check, and getting exercise.

Eating right for diabetes comes down to three things:

What you eat. Your diet makes a huge difference!! You should eat mostly plant foods, cut back on refined carbs and sugary drinks, and choose healthy fats over unhealthy fats.
When you eat. Diet is part of it, but keeping regular meal and snack times also affects your blood sugar levels and will help to keep them more constant.
How much you eat. Portion sizes matter. Even if you eat very healthy meals, if you eat too much you will gain weight, which is a factor in diabetes.

You do not need to eat special foods, but instead simply emphasize vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. A diabetes diet is simply a healthy eating plan that is high in nutrients, low in fat, and moderate in calories. It is a healthy diet for anyone!

Myths and facts about eating to prevent or control diabetes

MYTH: You must avoid sugar at all costs.

Fact: The good news is that you can enjoy your favorite treats as long as you plan properly. The key when eating dessert or a sweet treat, is to make sure that it is part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise.

MYTH: A high-protein diet is best.

Fact: Studies have shown that eating too much protein, especially animal protein, may actually cause insulin resistance, a key factor in diabetes. A healthy diet includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Our bodies need all three to function properly. The key is a balanced diet.

MYTH: You have to cut way down on carbs.

Fact: Again, the key is to eat a balanced diet. The serving size and the type you eat are especially important for carbohydrates. Focus on whole grain carbs since they are a good source of fiber and they are digested slowly, keeping blood sugar levels more even.

MYTH: You’ll no longer be able to eat normally. You need special diabetic meals.

Fact: The principles of healthy eating are the same—whether or not you’re trying to prevent or control diabetes. Expensive diabetic and “dietetic” foods generally offer no special benefit. You can easily eat with your family and friends if you eat in moderation.

Eating right is a key step to preventing and controlling diabetes. Fortunately, whether you’re trying to reduce your risk of diabetes or manage a pre-existing problem, you can still enjoy your favorite foods and take pleasure from your meals. Your nutritional needs are the same as everyone else—no special foods or complicated diets are necessary. But if the way you eat has been less than healthy, you may need to learn some better eating habits. The key to a diabetes diet is eating in moderation, sticking to regular mealtimes, and eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts

A Balanced Diet plan for men and women of all ages

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 04:18:35 +0000

A balanced diet comprising all these nutrients as well as protein, vitamins and minerals, and calcium should be supplied to the body through the food we eat. This article shares some weight loss diet tips for men and women of all ages.

Starvation diet is definitely not good for our health. Our body needs food to produce energy so we can do our daily activities. The nutrients we get from food including fats and carbohydrates are important in maintaining the physiologic function of the body. However, these nutrients become bad for the body when they are taken in excess. The nutrients, if not converted to energy are stored in the body as fat deposits, thus the appearance of the undesirable belly fat and love handles.

The role of fat in a weight loss diet
Fats are an essential food nutrient because they provide twice the amount of energy than carbohydrates and proteins, and they help in protecting body organs and tissues and maintaining the body temperature.

Fats= 9 calories

Carbohydrates= 4 calories

Protein= 4 calories

CAUTION: Too much fat can be very harmful to the body. Excess fat do not only form the bulges on your body but it could also clog the arteries of the heart causing myocardial infarction or heart attack.

What is a low-fat diet?
Low- Fat diet has been promoted by the US Department of Health since the late 1970’s. But what does low- fat diet really mean?

Basically, there are three types of fat: The Saturated fat which is the Bad fat because it increases the blood cholesterol level, The Polyunsaturated fat that decreases the blood cholesterol level, and the Monounsaturated fat which decreases the Low- density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or the “bad cholesterol”.

Low- fat diet means: decreasing the consumption of food that contains saturated fat while increasing the consumption of food that contains polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Food like most meat and dairy products, butter, and tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm oil should be avoided as they are high in saturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat are usually found in plant food sources such as corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower. Food sources for Monounsaturated fat includes olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, and some fruits like avocado.

Carbohydrates are bad or good?

Carbohydrates provides real-time energy in the body and should account for 50- 60% of the total calories we take in everyday. However, with sedentary lifestyle, the calories you get from carbohydrates that are supposed to be converted to real-time energy are stored as fat deposits, thus you gain weight.

Low –carb diets are among the most popular weight loss diets. There are many variations like:

The Anabolic Diet which alternates low carb and periods of high carb eating

Carbohydrate addicts which serves 2 meals with no carbs and 1 meal of 1/3 carb a day

Ketogenic Diet which eliminates carbohydrate completely and compensates the caloric need with high fat and moderate protein intake.

But as per definition, having less than 50-60% of carb ratio in a serving is low carb diet. If your goal is to maintain your current weight, do take in moderate carb which is about 40-50% carb in your diet. And if you want to lose weight, you may go with low- carb diet which contains 25-39% carb. Lower than this is not really recommended as it could cause conditions like ketosis, presence of ketone bodies in the blood. Very high ketone level can make the blood acidic and may damage organs like the liver and the kidneys.

Some weight loss diet tips that can help eat healthier are:

Instead of eating ice cream, have a low fat yogurt or sherbet.
Use skim milk (fat- free milk) instead of whole milk.
Instead of eating pasta alfredo (white sauce pasta) eat pasta marinara (red sauce pasta).
You may substitute bacon with lean ham.
Since the American Heart Association recommends avoiding coconut oil because it contains 85- 90% saturated fat, use olive oil or canola oil when cooking food.
Chocoholics may eat dark chocolate which is rich in anti-oxidant rather than a milk chocolate.
Use beef loin instead of brisket
Instead of white bread eat whole grain bread such as wheat bread
Snack on Peaches (61 calories/pc.), blackberries (62 calories/serving), and carrot sticks (52 calories/cup) instead of fried chips.

Being overweight or obese doesn’t only place a person at risk from developing diseases like diabetes, respiratory diseases, cancer, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular diseases but it could also affect one’s emotional and social life. People who are overweight and obese could suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and impaired body image. Because of this, more and more people are being conscious of their weight. Losing weight is a tough challenge; you must be really committed as lifestyle changes should be made.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts

Make Your Own Weight Loss Recipes

admin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 04:47:02 +0000

If you are overweight or you really care about maintaining your weight rigorously, you need to follow a well-balanced diet chart. To make a well-balanced diet, you should put a little effort on selecting good recipes that assure you not consuming extra calories in your body. In simple terms, weight loss recipes provide you a healthy fat-free cholesterol-free diet. Let us prepare a simple but delicious healthy recipe for your weight less diet. After finishing this article, you will understand that compromising with fat and cholesterol; you need not really compromise with flavor.
Appetizer
Appetizer refers to the selection of food or drink that enhances the appetite by stimulating it. In simple words, appetite is used to enhance your sense of hunger. There are plenty of weight loss recipes suggested by renowned cook and dietitian around the world. Here, we are discussing a simple recipe called crispy potato skins which is 100 percent fat-free and cholesterol-free. To prepare crispy potato skins, you need 2 medium-sized russet potatoes, butter-flavored cooking spray, 1 tbsp crushed fresh rosemary and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Before you start cooking, you need to preheat the oven at 375°F.
Now you wash these potatoes and prick them using a fork. Place the pierced potatoes in the oven and bake them until the peels become crispy and crunchy. You need to put the potatoes for at least one hour. Now you need to cut the potatoes into halves and scrape out the inside pulp. Leave approximately 1/8 inches pulp with the skins around and keep the pulp for other uses. Now spray the skins with butter-flavored cooking spray. Mix the rosemary and pepper with it and place it to oven once again for another 5 to 10 minutes. It is now ready to serve.
Soup
There is a wide range of weight loss recipes which promise you to feed less fat or less cholesterol, however, pumpkin soup is the one which contains very less amount of cholesterol and a real non-significant amount of fat in it. Here is how to prepare it exclusively for you. To make a one standard soup bowl, you need 1 cup of pure drinking water, 1 finely sliced fresh onion, 1 finely sliced green onion, 1 can of pumpkin puree, 1 cup of vegetable broth, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 cup of fat-free milk, and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Now take a large saucepan and pour ¼ cup of water into it. Mix onion slices in the water and put it to boil until it becomes tender. Be little cautious, drying out of onions is not at all intended. Now add pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining water into the saucepan. Put it in light heat and boil for around 5 minutes. Now add the milk and stir it thoroughly. Cook it to heat. Now garnish it using pepper and green onion and serve it hot. For one serving of this soup, you will get only 1mg of cholesterol and less than 1 gm of total fat. Quite obviously, you can note it down as one of the weight loss recipes.
Meal
Surprisingly, there are so many people around the world who do even fasting so that they can possibly avoid gaining extra fats or cholesterol, but there are so many delicious weight loss recipes around designed with the same purpose. Here is a recipe called broiled white sea bass which is a low-fat low-sodium cooking. You can have it with a bed of sautéed spinach. This is high in vitamin A, iron, calcium, folate, and riboflavin. To make it, you need two White Sea bass fillets of 4 inches each, 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt-free herbed seasoning mix and ground black pepper according to your own preference.
First, you need to preheat the broiler by positioning the rack 4 inches apart from the heat source. Now apply cooking spray on the baking pan and put the fillets into the pan. Then sprinkle the lemon juice on the fillets. Now delicately add garlic, herbed seasoning mix and pepper as well. Broil it for 8 to 10 minutes till it becomes tender and serve hot.
Now, if you take these three weight loss recipes in one of your daily diet, you will consume less than 100mg of cholesterol and less than 5g of fat in total. Isn’t it really a weight loss diet ?

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts

20 superfoods for weight loss

admin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:54:07 +0000

It’s time for a new slim-down mantra: Eat more to weigh less. No joke! The right foods help you drop pounds by revving your calorie burn and curbing cravings. We consulted top experts for the best picks and asked leading chefs for easy, tasty ways to prepare them. Add these eats to your plate today and you’ll be slimmer and healthier in no time!
Steak

Beef has a rep as a diet buster, but eating it may help you peel off pounds. In a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women on a diet that included red meat lost more weight than those eating equal calories but little beef. “The protein in steak helps you retain muscle mass during weight loss,”. Try to consume local organic beef; it’s healthier for you and the environment.

Eat more Grill or broil a 4-ounce serving of top round or sirloin; slice thinly to top a salad, or mix with veggies for fajitas.
Eggs

Dig in to eggs, yolks and all: They won’t harm your heart, but they can help you trim inches. Women on a low-calorie diet who ate an egg with toast and jelly each morning lost twice as many pounds as those who had a bagel breakfast with the same number of calories but no eggs, a study from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge reports. “Egg protein is filling, so you eat less later in the day,” .

Eat more Omelets and scrambles are obvious choices, but if you can’t cook before work, bake a frittata on Sunday; chill it and nuke slices for up to a week. An easy recipe: Vegetable Frittata.
Kale

Long sidelined as a lowly garnish, this green belongs center stage on your plate. One raw chopped cup contains 34 calories and about 1.3 grams of fiber, as well as a hearty helping of iron and calcium. But kale’s earthy flavor might take some getting used to. Spinach, another nutrient powerhouse, is a milder-tasting option.

Eat more Mix chopped raw kale into cooked black beans . Or slice kale into thin strips, sauté it with vegetable broth and top with orange slices. Make it a meal by tossing the mix with quinoa.
Oats

“Oatmeal has the highest satiety ranking of any food,” Grotto says. “Unlike many other carbohydrates, oats—even the instant kind—digest slowly, so they have little impact on your blood sugar.” All oats are healthful, but the steel-cut and rolled varieties (which are minimally processed) have up to 5 grams of fiber per serving, making them the most filling choice. Instant oats contain 3 to 4 grams per serving.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts.

10 Tips For Fast Weight Loss

admin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:26:37 +0000

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. It can be difficult to sift through all the fad diets, and downright dangerous supplements and pills on the market today. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? Whom should you believe?

Here are 10 no-nonsense tips for fast, healthy weight loss :

1) Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day – this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea.
2) Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones – this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.
3) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake – these are packed with vitamins.
4) Decrease your fat intake – try for no more than 20 grams per day.
5) Exercise for 30 minutes each day – take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get moving.
6) Find a hobby – take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.
7) Don’t eat that late night snack – Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Listen to your body – your body will tell you when it is full, hungry, stressed, tired. Learn the signs and obey what your body is telling you.
9) Increase your fiber – choose whole grain pasta and bread.
10) Cleanse and detoxify – this may be the most important. Rid your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, while allowing it to function normally.

Cleansing is an important part of long-term weight loss success. Our bodies are laden with insecticides, pesticides, lead, and dozens of other harmful substances. These chemicals clog our internal organs and our bodies respond by coating these chemicals with layers of fat.

One way to cleanse your body of harmful impurities is by using Acai Berry. This fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and will get your body functioning normally again, so it can fight illness and disease. It will also allow your body to burn calories and fat faster and more efficiently. You will see a faster rate of weight loss, and you will be able to keep it off.

Acai berry has many health benefits as well, including increased circulation, increased metabolism, and increased mental clarity and focus.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts.

Lose Weight by Counting Calories

admin — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 04:58:01 +0000

Calories – knowing how to find them, how to count them and how to cut them, are key to lose weight on your own. Calorie counting is easy and effective. This article will help you understand what you need to know about calories.
The first step to losing weight by counting calories is to understand what a calorie is and how it applies to your weight. A calorie is a unit of measurement that measures the amount of energy contained in a food or beverage.
Your body uses caloric energy to perform everything from basic biological functions to typing on your keyboard or jogging around the block. We all have a certain caloric requirement needed to maintain our current weight; if you eat fewer — or burn more — calories than that, you will eventually lose weight. This is called a caloric deficit. A good rule of thumb is that a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories leads to a weight loss of approximately one pound.
Technically, there is no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight. While most people can lose weight eating around 1,500 calories, you can assess your own personal caloric needs with a little math.
To estimate how many calories you should consume in order to maintain your weight, you’ll need to do a little math. By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your basal metabolic rate — also known as your BMR.
(Then, to lose weight, you’ll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and shoot for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.)
Calculate Your BMR
Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. We use about 60% of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.
More: BMR Defined
Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.
Step one is to calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)

Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)

Please note that this formula applies only to adults.

Calculate Activity
Step two: In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:

* If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent

* If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent

* If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent

* If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent

* If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

Add this number to your BMR.
The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weight. In order to lose weight, you’ll need to take in fewer calories than this result.
As you lose weight, you can re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.
More: Counting Calories, Step by Step To learn more about counting calories and search for the caloric content of many foods, as well as keep an online food diary.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts.

Abdominal Exercises – Best Abdominal Exercises and Core Workouts

admin — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:43:35 +0000

These are some of the best and most effective ab and core workouts for strengthening and firming your abdominal muscles. If you are looking for a new way to work your abs try these ab workouts.
Remember that getting great abs takes more than just ab exercise; you need proper nutrition and a well-balanced exercise routine to go with these ab-focused exercises.

Abdominal Exercise Guidelines
Perform several (3-5) abdominal exercises 3-5 times a week. Start with exercises and repetitions that are comfortable for your fitness level and as you improve increase the number of repetitions. You do not need to do all the exercises; simply select those that work well for you and vary your routine over the months.

1. Bicycle Crunch Exercise

* Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground.
* Put your hands beside your head.
* Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion.
* Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.
* Breath evenly throughout the exercise.

2. Captain’s Chair Exercise
How to Do the Captain’s Chair Exercise

* Start with legs dangling and slowly lift your knees in toward your chest.
* The motion should be controlled and deliberate as you bring your knees up and return them back to the starting position.

3. Ab Crunch on an Exercise Ball

Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor.
Let the ball roll back slowly and lie back until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor.
Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees.
To work the oblique muscles, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet closer together.

4. Vertical Leg Crunch

How to Do it
* Lie on your back and extend the legs up with knees slightly bent.
* Contract your abs and raise up until your shoulder blades leave the floor.
* Keep your chin up; don’t pull on your neck.
* Keep your legs in a fixed position.
* Lift your torso toward your knees.
* Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.

5. Long Arm Crunch
How to Do the Long Arm Crunch

* Lie on your back with your arms over your head with hands clasped and arms close to your ears.
* Keep your knees bent with feet flat on the floor.
* Contract your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor.
* Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.

6. Reverse Crunch
How to Do the Reverse Crunch

* Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor
* Place hands on the floor or behind the head.
* Bring your knees up towards the chest so they bend about 90 degrees
* Contract your abs and lift your hips off the floor in a very small movement.
* Lower and repeat.

7. Plank (Hover) Exercise
Add these core strengthening exercises to your ab workout for a new way to build strength and stability.
The Plank Abdominal Exercise
The basic plank exercise, also called a hover, is the starting place if you want to improve your core strength and stability. Here’s how to do it right.
* Begin in the plank position (see photo 1) with your forearms and toes on the floor.

* Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending.
* Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor.
* Hold this position for 10 seconds to start.
* Over time work up to 30, 45 or 60 seconds.

Plank with Leg Lift
Start in the same plank position (photo 1) as above with your forearms and toes on the floor.

* Slowly raise one leg 5-8 inches off the floor (photo 2)
* Count to two and slowly lower your leg to the floor.
* Switch legs and repeat.
* Do about 2-3 sets of 10 reps.

Plank with Arm Lift

* Start in the same plank position (photo 1) as above.
* Carefully shift your weight to your right forearm.
* Extend your left arm straight out in front of you.
* Hold 3 seconds while keeping your core tight.
* Slowly bring your arm back to starting position.
* Switch arms and repeat.
* Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps.

Modified Plank with Leg Lift
To make this exercise a bit easier, you can perform the movement on your hands, rather than your elbows.

8. Traditional (Basic) Abdominal Crunch

How to Do the Basic Abdominal Crunch
* Lie on your back, bend your knees, placing your hands on the sides of your head.
* Contract your abs and flatten your lower back against the floor.
* Slowly lift your shoulder blades one or two inches off the floor.
* Exhale as you lift, keep your neck straight and chin up.
* Hold for a few seconds (don’t hold your breath).
* Slowly lower while keeping your abs contracted.
* Repeat up to 20 reps this perfect form for each rep.
* To make it more difficult, use an exercise ball.

9. Half Curl

* Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
* Place your palms on your thighs
* Contract your abdominal muscles and curl up until your fingertips reach your knees.
* Breathe out as you curl up.
* Slowly lower to the start position.
* Breathe in as you lower.
* Tip: Don’t tuck your chin to your chest and keep your head up.

10. Crossover Crunch
How to do it:

* Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
* Cross your right leg over your left leg so your right ankle is resting on your left knee.
* Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
* Contract your abdominal muscles as though you are doing a crunch
* Slowly twist your torso and touch your left elbow to your right knee.
* Exhale as you lift up
* Slowly lower to the starting position
* Inhale as you lower
* Repeat for the desired number of repetitions and switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.

11. Seated Oblique Twists with Medicine Ball
How to do it right:

* Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
* Contract your abs and sit at about a 45 degrees angle.
* Hold a medicine with both hands directly in front of you
* Contracting your abs, twist slowly from your torso to your right and touch the medicine ball to the floor beside you.
* Quickly, but smoothly, contract your abs and twist your torso and touch the medicine ball to the other side.
* Repeat for the desired number of reps.

12. Oblique Crunch
How to do it:

* Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
* Slowly drop your legs to the left and let your knees rest near the floor.
* Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
* Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
* Curl up slowly so both your shoulders lift off the floor a few inches.
* Hold for a count of 2 and return to the start position.
* Repeat for the desired number of reps and switch to the other side.

13. Alternating Supermans crunches

* Lie face down on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like superman)
* Raise your right arm and left leg about 5-6 inches off the ground (or as far as you comfortably can).
* Hold for 3 seconds and relax.
* Repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

14. V-Sit Exercise
How to Do It

* Begin in a seated position, contract your abdominal muscles and core, and lift your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
* Reach your arms straight forward or reach up toward your shins as you are able.
* Maintain good core posture and a strong spine.
* Hold this “V” position for several seconds to begin. As you get stronger, hold the position longer.
* Return to your starting position slowly.
* Just before you reach the floor, stop and hold the position for a few seconds.
* Repeat this entire movement several times.

15. Side Bends

* Holding a dumbbell in you right hand, stand with feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.
* Place your left hand behind your head and slowly bend sideways to your right lowering the dumbbell down to your knee.
* Return to an upright position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

16.Medicine Ball Sit Ups

* Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
* Hold a medicine ball (choose a 5 pound ball to begin) to your chest and have a partner stand at your feet (not on them).
* Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
* As you curl up throw the ball to your partner. Hold the crunch as your partner catches the ball and throws it back to you.
* Catch the ball and slowly return to the start position.
* Tip: Don’t sit right the way up as you wait for the return pass. Your shoulders should be no more than 6 inches off the floor.

17.Weighted Curls with Medicine Ball

* Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
* Hold a medicine ball (or weight plate) to your chest (start with 5 pounds).
* Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold.
* Curl up just enough to lift both your shoulders off the floor a few inches.
* Hold for a count of 2 and return to the start position.

18.Cable Crunch

* This exercise requires a triceps pushdown machine with a rope attachment.
* Knee down in font of the machine holding the rope just above your head.
* Slowly crunch down to your right knee and hold for 2 seconds as you breathe out.
* Return to the start position slowly and repeat to the left knee.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts.

Slim Down Thighs

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:20:10 +0000

If you want to get rid of unnecessary, unhealthy, and embarrassing fat, flab or cellulite then you have to get your butt in gear!
Give It Up - Give away all the junk food in your kitchen, car, close, desk or workspace. Out of site, out of mind. It’s easier NOT to be tempted than to try and use willpower.
Cardio – Get to moving and burn up that ugly stored fat on your lower body by doing fat burning cardio 5-6 days a week in 30-60 minute increments. Try power walking, treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, tread walker, step class and low impact aerobics.

Lower Body Toning Exercises – The best lower body exercises are lunges, leg lifts – standing and lying on the floor, plies’.
Eat Low Glycemic – Get the simple carbs out of your diet and learn how to eat and become a fat burning machine. It has now been scientifically proven that eating a low-glycemic diet will help you lose fat, prevent disease and give you amazing energy.
Beauty Sleep- Get 7- 8 hours of sleep every night. It rejuvenates your mind, body and soul, restores your brain, rebuilds your muscles, tissue and restructures your cells.
Water- Drink 4-6 Quarts of water a day to stay hydrated, healthy, detoxed and cleansed and refreshed.
Come on you can do this. Become a strong self-directed and disciplined person. You decide your feelings and directions, not the media.
Start today to doing the simple, but powerful suggestions I listed and you will start to instantly feel more confident and in control.
The Power Is In the Decision.
Decide today that you are going to live the life of your dreams and have the body you want. Then do take immediate action! Once you decide, the answers will flow systematically.
Have a fun time at your family social and let no one move you off your path.

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts.

Home Workout

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:23:06 +0000

Another way to get your metabolic burst is to combine your own muscle training exercises with cardio moves such as power walking, elliptical, jumping rope, stair climbing, lunges, dancing, stationary biking and/or treadmill.

Home Workout
Here are some tools you can use: At home items such as a stair well, front door step, and a soft rug to walk/jog in place to protect your feet and lessen the impact is perfect tools for the cardio portion. For resistance training choose light hand weights 3-5 pounds for upper body training or if you don’t have hand weights you can use soup cans in a pinch.
Power Shaping Guidelines
1. Write it down – Make sure you schedule your workouts and write them down in your journal this week. Sit down right now with your journal and schedule your workouts for the rest of the week and then commit yourself to making those dates with yourself. Shoot for a minimum of five days per week for 20-60 minutes of continuous exercise. This will help to raise your metabolism while reprogramming your muscles. You will shape up and feel great.
Warm up
Make sure you always warm your body up before you start vigorous exercise. You can do this by with walking in place to music, doing some arm swings or just dance to your favorite high energy music. You cans also take it to the streets by walking around the block for five minutes and follow with five minutes of stretching for your calves, lower back, and hamstrings,
2. Train Smart – Cardio & Weight Segment
[ IMPORTANT: If you feel pain, stop consult your healthy physician. Always consult your health physician before undertaking any new exercise regime]
Begin your cardio segment after your stretch. Begin slow and gradually increase your intensity. Start by walking in place to music. After one minute, pick up a set of light hand weights or soup cans and slowly perform 20 repetitions of Biceps curls. Count 2 seconds to curl the weight up and 2 seconds to lower the weight back down. Then do the same with triceps.
After repeating that sequence two times all the way through. Place the weights down and do a set of 40 alternating lunges. Then pick up your weights and move on to other exercises. Then put down the weights and perform 40 repetitions of plie’s. Keep alternating lower body exercises with upper body exercises. At the five-minute mark, take a break from both and walk your stairs, or do step training using a step on your porch. Walk around your block, jump on your treadmill or any other cardio equipment you may have. Perform that cardio for five minutes and start over the entire process from the beginning of the cardio set.
Your goal is 20-45 minutes of cardio/weight training. If you get tired, take a break and come back. Don’t quit! Take it one minute at a time. Just keep moving toward your goal. If you really are unfit, then start with five minute intervals and stop id you get faint or dizzy. You must not quit. This is the beginning of your new life. Fatigue is a sign that your body is feeling the effect of the workout.
You can take as many breaks as you like. The goal over these ten weeks is to become fit enough to finish the entire workout. The more you hurt, the more your body needs to start gradually. The key is to start working on restoring your health and reclaiming your power back from life robbing food, negative people and unfortunate circumstances. Stay focused on your goal and never quit. You can go all the way! If I could do it, so can you.
3. Monitor Your Breathing – Once you start the cardio segment, monitor your intensity by measuring your breathing. To be in a good training range, you should be breathing a little heavy but not out of breath. You should be able to carry on a conversation while you are training. Count out loud, sing along with the music, or sing to your kids as they watch. Do some sort of speaking so that you can measure your intensity. Remember Week 1… Speak your destiny!
4. Journal Your Moods, Foods, & Dreams Ink it! – Write down your thoughts, victories and difficulties. Remember to weigh and measure your body this week so that you have an accurate measurement of what is happening with your body. Become a great steward of your body and your success. Write every thing down, then read it out loud to yourself. Look for clues as to why you did what you did, and make mental notes of what you can do better to improve every single day.
When it comes to food, write down every morsel you put into your mouth. Consider it’s effect on your body and your long term goals. You have to ask yourself if the nutritional fuel that you consumed this will take you closer to your goal or set you back and move you further away? Once you identify what’s going on, if it’s good, keep it up, if it’s bad, change it and plan ahead so that over time you develop a habit of eating what is best for your body and your health.
Your intentions don’t determine your destiny, your habits determine your destiny. You know what works, so do what you know and make success a habit.
5. Track your success – Plan ahead daily. Write out your to do list and make your plans for each day and the entire week every night before you go to bed. Work your plan and plan on succeeding. Don’t allow any one or anything to detour you this week. Consider the thousands of other team members on this journey with you, you are a team and you are connected by the spirit. They need your positive energy and success as much as you need theirs.
It takes a critical mass of people for a global change and we are going to change for the better together. We will improve and be different so that we can make a difference. Let’s get healthy and change the health statistics in the world together. I will be with you in spirit and I will be Power shaping with you this week.

Your assignment this week:
Your journey of success begins with one task. DO one thing this week that you have been putting off that will give you a sense of accomplishment or enhance your life in some way.

Make it an Awesome Week! If each one of us touches one, we can change the world!

Thanks a lot for visiting 2tastyfood.com.Leave your comments and subscribe yourself for daily updates via Email,For more Food recipes and Weight Loss view my older posts.