Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body
“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”

~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter is good for your health
Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

The Benefits of Laughter

Physical Health Benefits:
Boosts immunity
Lowers stress hormones
Decreases pain
Relaxes your muscles
Prevents heart disease

Mental Health Benefits:
Adds joy and zest to life
Eases anxiety and fear
Relieves stress
Improves mood
Enhances resilience
Social Benefits:
Strengthens relationships
Attracts others to us
Enhances teamwork
Helps defuse conflict
Promotes group bonding

Don’t drink your calories. Beverages are bottomless these days — you can’t order a soft drink or iced tea at a restaurant without being provided quick, free refills, or having the freedom to get them yourself. To keep from drinking a day’s worth of calories, choose herbal tea, unsweetened iced tea with Splenda (or another artificial, no-cal sweetener), diet flavored-water, bottled or tap water with a spritz of lemon or lime, or diet soda. If none of those better choices suits you, allow yourself one glass of the “real thing” and drink only water thereafter. (Tip: Ask for extra ice in that first glass of soda and you will drink less.) By stopping at one glass, you will save yourself hundreds — or even thousands — of calories.
Always eat breakfast. Taking the time to eat could prevent costly mistakes as the day progresses; skipping this important morning meal can lead to an out of control afternoon appetite, oversized portions, poor food choices, and overeating, even later on into the night. Plus, going too long without eating may cause your metabolism to slow down. If you can’t eat first thing in the morning, a healthful, mid-morning snack is a good idea. If you are not hungry in the morning, it could be a sign that you are eating too close to bedtime. Set a cut-off time for evening eating (such as 7 p.m.) and you will probably feel more like eating in the a.m.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. You hear it all the time, but you really do need to work in those recommended six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Thirst can easily be mistaken for hunger, so you could be reaching for food when you are actually thirsty. Eating water-rich foods like fruit will help you stay well-hydrated, too. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink; try sipping water throughout the day and you may be surprised to find that your appetite seems much tamer.

Add at least one more serving of produce to as many meals as possible. Veggies and fruit are all nutrient-rich, low-cal and filling — just be careful of creamy dips or dressings, butter, cheese sauce, and fried vegetables. Salsa, soups, and pasta sauce are easy ways to work in even more vegetable servings. Keep the skin on fresh produce, such as apples, whenever possible as it contains more fiber. Remember, fiber takes a while to digest so you feel fuller longer after eating it, which will help you eat less in the long run.

Make a salad your starter. Having a salad before your meal will almost certainly prevent you from overeating. Load up all the veggies you like, but just be careful about adding high-fat extras such as pasta salads, shredded cheese or cream-based dressings. (Tip: Spray dressings are excellent for cutting calories as most only have about 10 calories per spritz). Prepackaged, washed salads make it easy to add a salad to any meal without extra effort. Most fast food restaurants offer a reasonably-priced side salad, or some menus offer the option to substitute salad for another side item when purchasing a “combo” or “value” meal.

Be a better baker. Start baking immediately following a meal so you will be less likely to sample. Chew flavorful gum like peppermint or spearmint so your mouth will be otherwise occupied. Healthier baking ingredient substitutions help cut fat and calories.

Go for grains. Whole grains will help you feel full longer than refined carbohydrates. In the morning, fiber-rich cereal like Kellog’s All-Bran, is a good choice, as is oatmeal. Brown rice, whole grain bread, and whole wheat crackers, are all good ways to include grains in your day: A slice of whole wheat bread goes well with a salad; microwavable, single-serving brown rice is easy to add to lunch at the office; keep wheat crackers stored in your desk drawer for when the afternoon munchies strike.

Always keep healthy frozen meals on hand. They will be a backup plan for nights when you don’t have time to prepare and cook a healthy meal. Try to choose meals with around 300 to 350 calories. (Tip: Even some of the healthier frozen meal choices are skimpy on veggies, so be sure to add a packaged salad or a microwavable, single-serving frozen vegetable to your “instant meal” to better round it out.

Choose foods that will help you feel satisfied longer. While both protein and fat help you feel sated longer than simple carbohydrates, protein naturally contains fewer calories per ounce than fat. Eggs, lean meats, skinless poultry, and reduced-fat dairy products are ideal protein sources. A snack like yogurt, a boiled egg, string cheese or turkey slices will give you an energy boost and quell hunger pangs. Whole grains also contain protein, so you may find combining an animal or dairy protein with a complex carb such as whole wheat crackers or whole grain bread to be even more effective at keeping your energy up and hunger down. If you don’t eat meat or dairy, there are also several other sources of protein, such as beans, legumes, and nuts.

Catch some “Zs.” Did you know getting enough rest can have a direct impact on your ability to lose weight? Not getting enough sleep can cause you to eat more often or make poor choices (In an effort to compensate for feeling groggy, we tend to naturally reach for higher-calorie, high-fat foods.). Getting enough sleep also ensures that you feel energized enough to exercise and that you work out to your fullest capacity when you do. Even if you can’t add additional sleeping hours, take some time to simply do nothing, practice deep breathing, read, or listen to some calming music every day. Making a point to relax more can keep emotional eating — particularly stress-eating — at bay.

1 – Create a plan.

2 – If you plan on joining a gym, go on the way home from work. It may be more difficult to motivate yourself to go once you are home and settled in.

3 – Enlist a friend. Working out with someone can help motivate you to keep going, even if you don’t want to.

4 – Make it fun! Change up your cardio to include some fun activities such as hiking, swimming or biking.

5 – Set realistic goals along the way and give yourself a reward as you reach each one! There is nothing like working towards something and finally accomplishing it.

6 – Recognize the benefits, and remember why you started exercising. Write down the health benefits and refer to it when you feel like slacking.

7 – Keep track of your workouts, including how much weight you’re lifting in a small journal that you can take with you. Periodically looking back to see far how you’ve come will encourage you to keep going.

8 – Vary your routine. Sticking to the same old plan can quickly lead to boredom and becoming stagnant.

9 – Join an adult sports team. Whether you enjoy softball or soccer, playing on a regular basis will keep you moving, and motivate you to stay at the top of your game.

10 – Get the help of a personal trainer. They can help you get the most out of your workout, as well as force you to be accountable to someone.

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Overeating - Overeating is indicated by the huge levels of obesity. It is physically unhealthy, because it increases physical risks such as the risk of a heart attack or heart disease. It is emotionally damaging, because obesity decreases self-confidence. The main cause is that people look to food for comfort and pleasure. People frequently overeat and indulge in unhealthy food to make themselves feel better. For some people, eating is their main hobby. Try to give overeating up completely. Teach yourself to eat to live, rather than live to eat. Find other healthy ways to get pleasure. For example, you could join a club, or go play games or sports, such as bowling or pool. Stop yourself from turning to food when feeling bad, and find a different way to cheer yourself up.

Needless Shopping - Materialism and needless shopping are major problems for many people, and are one of the main reasons most Americans live in debt. Unfortunately, corporate America uses commercialism to increase consumerism. With credit cards in their pockets, people buy a bunch of useless material goods and novelty items. They buy overpriced clothes. They buy extra-fancy cars that they can’t afford. In line with so many other short-sighted and impulsive decisions, people put themselves into debt buy overspending on things that will make them a little happy now, resulting in bills that will cause much trouble later. Consider giving up your credit cards, and adopting a more simplistic lifestyle. Consider only buying things that you need. Beyond food, clothes, shelter, healthcare, and education, consider spending as little as possible. At the very least, before buying anything, ask yourself if you can really afford it.

You can change your life today. Imagine how different a person you would be, and how different your life would be, if you gave up television, overeating, and needless shopping. You can do it, so why not? Give up unhealthy, short-sighted, addictive, and self-destructive habits, and instead engage in wiser and healthier desires. Whatever you do, good luck!

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Pair an activity you enjoy with your exercise

There are numerous activities that qualify as exercise. The trick is to find something you enjoy that forces you to be active. Pairing exercise with another activity makes it easier and more fun. Simple examples include:

Taking a dance or yoga class.
Blasting some favorite music and dancing with your kids.
Making a deal with yourself to watch your favorite TV shows while on the treadmill or stationary bike
Workout with a buddy, and afterwards enjoy coffee or a movie
Enjoying outdoor activities such as golf, playing frisbee or even yard work or gardening

Make exercise a social activity
Exercise can be a fun time to socialize with friends. For those who enjoy company but dislike competition, a running club, water aerobics, or dance class may be the perfect thing. Others may find that a little healthy competition keeps the workout fun and exciting. If this is your case, you might seek out tennis partners, join an adult soccer league, regular pickup basketball game or a volleyball team.
Getting the whole family involved

If you have a family, there are many ways to exercise together. The best part is that kids learn by example, and if you exercise as a family you are setting a great example for their future. Also, since physical activity promotes mental health by reducing stress, boosting self-esteem, and relieving anxiety, an active family is a happy family! Family activities might include:

Family walks in the evening if weather permits. Infants or young children can ride in a stroller.
Walking the dog together
Seasonal activities, like skiing or ice-skating in the winter and hiking, swimming or bicycling in the summer can both make fun family memories and provide healthy exercise.

Tips for staying motivated

The miracle of exercise is that if you ask your body to do a little bit more work, your body will respond. And if you continue to ask more of your body over an extended period of time, you’ll vastly increase your ability to perform physical activities. Walking around the block becomes walking half a mile, and then a mile, and perhaps even several miles.
Find a few activities that will keep you healthy and strong, and stay with them for as long as they are enjoyable. If they lose their interest, it’s time to shake up your routine. Add other activities or alter the way you pursue the ones that have worked so far. Relying on workout buddies for encouragement and support can also keep you going.
Make exercise a team effort
For many, a workout partner is a great motivator. For example, if you won’t get out of bed to swim yourself, but you would never cancel on a friend, find a swim buddy. Even if you prefer more solitary activities, exercising with a friend, in a class, or in a group helps keep you motivated and can provide positive feedback if you are getting frustrated. You might also have an easier time getting started if you participate in a more structured activity.
Other tips for keeping your exercise program going

Set goals. Set some achievable goals that have to do with participation and effort, not necessarily how much weight you can lift, miles you can bike or pounds you’ve lost. If you stumble in your efforts, regroup and immediately begin again. Decide how you’ll celebrate when you arrive at your goals.
Be consistent. Make your workouts habitual by exercising at the same time every day, if possible. Eventually you will get to the point where you feel worse if you don’t exercise. That dull, sluggish feeling fitness buffs get when they don’t work out is a strong incentive to get up and go.
Record your progress. Try keeping an exercise journal of your workouts. In a matter of months, it will be fun to look back at where you began. Keeping a log also holds you accountable to your routine.
Keep it interesting. Think of your exercise session as time to yourself. Enjoy that time by listening to music, chatting with friends, and varying locations. Exercise around natural beauty, new neighborhoods, and special parks. Above all, avoid workout boredom by mixing it up and trying new routines.
Spread the word. Talking to others about your fitness routines will help keep motivation strong and hold you accountable to your exercise program. You’ll be delighted and inspired hearing ways your friends and colleagues stay active and on track. Who knows, you might even convince someone else to try to be more active.
Get inspired. Read a health and fitness magazine or visit an exercise website and get inspired with photos of people being active. Sometimes reading about and looking at images of people who are healthy and fit can motivate you to move your body.

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Reaping the benefits of exercise: Tips for getting started

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Food is the best source of calcium

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Calcium: The key to strong bones and lifelong bone health

Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, among many other important functions. Because calcium has so many important jobs, it’s important to get enough of it in your diet.
The amount of calcium you need depends on a number of different factors, including your age. But no matter who you are, one thing’s true for everyone: you and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job.

The life-changing benefits of exercise

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Steps for Establishing regular eating habits

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.

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Choose fats wisely

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.

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Make your kitchen diet friendly

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.

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Be smart about sweets

How to include sweets in a diabetes-friendly diet
Eating sweets at a meal adds extra carbohydrates. Because of this it is best to cut back on the other carb-containing foods at the same meal. Carbohydrate-rich foods include all flour products (i.e. bread, tortillas, crackers), rice, cereal, fruit, juice, potatoes, corn, etc. This will help you keep your blood glucose levels on track. Just keep in mind that these carbohydrate-rich foods have many nutrients your body needs, so don’t substitute too often.

Tricks for cutting down on sugar
There are many ways to reduce your sugar consumption. Here are a few suggestions:

Make healthy substitutions. Substitute sparkling water for soda, a bowl of frozen fruit instead of ice cream, one slice of your favorite cheese instead of cake, a piece of fruit instead of pie.
Clear your kitchen of sweets and don’t purchase them. Instead, you can enjoy a dessert when you are away from home.
Split dessert with a friend when out and enjoying a treat.
Slowly savor each bite when you do eat a treat.
Reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar called for in recipes.
Your definition of sweet may change
As your eating habits become healthier, and you eat fewer sweets, your taste buds may shift. Foods that you used to love may seem too sweet. Instead healthier foods may become what you crave.

Balance your carbs
Carbohydrates have a big impact on your blood sugar levels, but you don’t have to avoid them. You just need to be smart about what types of carbs you eat and how you balance them in the rest of your diet.

Simple vs. complex carbs
Carbohydrates include simple sugars and complex starches and fibers. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), which is the fuel for your cells.

Simple carbohydrates: Includes fruits and some vegetables, which in their natural form offer vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Simple carbs also include processed and refined foods, or “empty carbs,” with little nutritional value, such as soda, candy, snack foods, and white products such as white flour and white rice.
Choosing healthy carbs
Click here to download and print a guide to the glycemic index, a tool that helps you choose healthy carbs.
Complex carbohydrates (also called slow-release carbs): Found in starchy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains such as whole grain brown rice, millet, quinoa and steel cut or rolled oats. Complex carbs take longer to digest, which helps you stay full longer and keeps your blood sugar level more even.
Tips for balancing carbohydrates
Eat brown rice instead of white rice, steel-cut oats instead of processed cereals or instant oatmeal, or whole-grain bread instead of white bread.
Balance your meals with all the food groups and make veggies the largest part of the meal. Eating carbs along with protein or a little fat helps reduce the impact on your blood sugar levels.
Reduce how much soda and juice you drink. Switch to water or mineral water with a little juice mixed in instead.
Eat sweet potatoes or winter squash instead of white potatoes.
Choose a bran muffin over a croissant or pastry.
Why fiber matters
Fiber, also called roughage or bulk, is the part of plants that your body can’t digest. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber.
Fiber’s role in preventing and controlling diabetes:
Improves your blood sugar control and thus may reduce the risk of diabetes.
Fiber intake is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
Fiber helps you feel full, so may even promote weight loss.

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.

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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.

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