Zone Diet
September 14, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The Zone diet, developed by Dr. Barry Sears, is one of the very few scientific weight loss diets that actually works by making sure your body gets the exact right combo of foods to get into the “fat burning zone”. It’s an extremely healthy way of eating and balances your proteins, carbohydrates and fats in a ratio that your body can use precisely for good health. Eating these foods will also help you to lose weight and stay slim because once you get into the zone you will lose the hunger cravings that plague most overweight people, you will have no desire overeat, and your body will actually process your food and burn your fat easier and far easier than ever before.
This clinically proven dieting plan not only helps you lose weight but can help reduce your risk of chronic disease, has anti-aging effects, and help improve both your mental aptitude and physical performance.
Foods You Can Eat With The Zone Diet
You can eat most anything you desire on this diet, but there are some foods that are favored and will work better than others. For example, starchy foods like pasta and bread and high sugar foods like cookies or cakes and even some fruits like bananas need to be eaten sparingly and carefully balanced with your protein intake otherwise they will elevate your insulin levels to a counteractive level which will in turn cause your body to store increased amounts of fat.
The way the diet works is you create your meals by balancing a certain amount of protein with a certain amount of low glycemic index carbohydrates with a certain amount of good or healthy fats. It’s pretty similar to any of the low-carb diets like the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet, but it works more on the lines of getting the right ratios of the foods themselves.
So, with the Zone Diet you would be consuming a lot of lean protein items like fish, tofu, turkey and chicken without the skin along with “good” carbohydrates like vegetables and whole grains as well as the healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados and almonds.
Pros
This study can actually help you look and feel great and is extremely healthy for you, not only to help slim you down but also to help boost your immune system and fight off disease and the ravages of aging.
There are all kinds of supplements, nutritional bars and even pasta and cereals that will get you in the zone.
Cons
It can be pretty difficult to balance your meals correctly every time, especially when starting out. This diet works best when you get the right amounts of proteins, carbs and fat in each and every meal and snack. When you don’t get the right amount, you get knocked out of the zone and are then subject to your usual cravings.
While you don’t have to measure or weight your food - you can do this diet by effectively eyeballing the foods - it can take a while and a bit of experimentation before you come up with the ratios that get your specific body into the zone. Once you do, however, it isn’t that difficult to keep eating in that fashion and be able to stay in the zone most of the time.
South Beach Diet
September 14, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
One of the most popular of the “good carb” diets is the South Beach diet invented by Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D, a cardiologist who actually started the diet as way to help in fighting heart disease. Besides it being a healthy diet that can help your heart, it is also a great way to lose weight!
The South Beach diet is a nutritional way of eating healthy and delicious foods. It focuses on eating good carbs which help keep your blood sugar stabilized so you don’t get those peeks that cause cravings. These foods also help you feel full longer. In addition, it focuses on good fats like olive oil and emphasizes combining the proteins, fats and good carbs to make healthy and nutritious meals.
Foods On This Diet
The foods you eat on this diet include nutritious, low glycemic index foods that will not only help you lose weight but will improve almost all aspects of your health. Instead of white bread, you’ll be eating whole wheat but less of it. Love spaghetti? You can still have it but you might need to switch to the whole-wheat version as well.
Don’t worry, though, you really won’t have to give up your favorite foods, but you need to acquire a taste for some different versions of these foods that are just as delicious. Using olive oil instead of vegetable oil for cooking and avoiding trans fats are all part of the diet.
You’ll eat plenty of vegetables; especially the leafy green kind. With the South Beach diet, you might develop a whole new appreciation for beans and legumes.
If trying to prepare and cook these balanced meals seems like a lot of work, you can get the South Beach diet frozen TV dinners in just about any grocery store that will give you the exact amount of nutrients, carbs, fats and proteins that you’ll need to stick to this plan.
Pros
Of course, one of the big benefits of this diet is that it is extremely healthy. Not only will it help you lose weight it will cut down your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. You will also be getting a ton of vitamins and nutrients in the foods you eat.
There are websites that have all the tools you need to succeed. Some feature over 1000’s of recipes, weight loss strategies and hundreds of new plans that you can customize to the foods that you like provide you with a large variety of things to eat. When you make your customized menus, they can automatically generate a shopping list for you to take with you to the grocery store.
Cons
The South Beach diet works by eliminating “bad” carbs from your diet. Carbs not only pack on the pounds, but they also have an adverse effect on your blood sugar level and your overall health. One of the drawbacks to this, however, is that it needs to be done in three phases with the first phase being the most restrictive. It’s important to follow these phases strictly because the first phase is what gets your body out of the mode that it is in and into a healthier mode that actually burns more fat. This initial phase is what causes the most dislike among dieters. However, knowing that it only lasts a short while and that you will soon be able to add more foods into your eating regimen after you complete it is somewhat of a saving grace.
Nutrisystem
September 14, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The Nutrisystem diet consists of prepackaged foods that have the perfect amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat and fiber for your daily needs. If you stick to eating just the prepackaged meals you’ll get just enough calories to keep your body running at optimal caloric intake, but only enough that your body burns the excess fat that you have stored up.
The meals use low glycemic index carbohydrates which help you feel full longer (faux full). These types of carbohydrates keep your blood sugar levels from spiking which is important because a spike in blood sugar can make your body want to store more fat and also contributes to those carbohydrate cravings you get for things like candy bars and potato chips.
The meals are very healthy and now include Omega-3 and soluble fiber which contribute to your heart health as well as helping you feel full. You can select from over 120 different available meals for this diet plan.
Foods On This Diet
You can choose from breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Almost anything you could imagine from egg frittatas to cheese tortellini to burgers to brownies. You add in your own fruits, vegetables and dairy products to make healthy meals.
You pick out the particular meals that you want and a month’s worth of food is delivered to your home. These aren’t frozen foods so you don’t have to worry about having a huge freezer to store them all in. While they look like frozen foods they are actually sealed using a soft canning process and they can be stored at room temperature making them very convenient and easy to carry with you if you are on the go. Just heat them up on the stove or pop them in the microwave depending on the meal and you’re good to go.
Pros
Nutrisystem meals are formulated to be healthy so you know you’re getting a lot of nutrients as well as the right amount of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. If you’re one that can stick to just eating the meals then you’ll know that you’re getting the right amount calories for your weight loss goals. If portion control has been a problem for you in the past, then these prepackaged meals can really help because there’s nothing for you to measure - just heat up the meal and eat it.
Cons
While the prepackaged meals can be convenient when it comes to portion control, they can be pretty inconvenient when it comes to real life. You have to be pretty dedicated to bring your prepackaged Nutrisystem meal with you when you go out to dinner or eat a friend’s house. Of course, eating a regular meal a few times isn’t going to kill you and if you can stick to the Nutrisystem foods 90% of the time I think you’ll still be doing pretty good.