What Is Medifast?

I've lost over 65 pounds on this diet, so I feel somewhat qualified to answer this question. I find that there are a lot of misconceptions. I will try to address many of the incorrect assumptions that have come to my attention within the last several months.

To understand what medifast really is, you first have to know what it is not. It is not a starvation or liquid only diet. Nor is it comprised of only bars and shakes. You actually eat quite a lot of real food. You are not required to eat diet food for each and every meal. Additionally, you will never have to leave your own home, meet with a counselor, or visit a clinic.

This is actually a meal replacement program which means that you replace most of what you would eat in a typical day with one of the plan's 70 choices. The meals are prepackaged and pretty convenient. Most taste pretty good. Some examples are: pudding; cappuccino; lattes; soup; stew; chili; eggs; crackers; oatmeal; shakes; fruit drinks; hot chocolate; and protein bars, to name only a few. You can choose whichever of these you like in any order or in any frequency as long as you are eating the recommended amount. The foods are designed to be low carb and low calorie, but fortunately there are a lot of dessert and snack options available.

The plan offers options for men, diabetics, and women, but the vast majority of dieters are on the five plus one plan. This means on any typical day, most people eat five of the plan's meals and then prepare one main, larger meal on their own. This "lean and green" meal generally consists of protein and veggies.

You can also add sugar free syrups, fat free cheese, sour cream and salsa to much of the offerings for more variety. There are also recipes that allow you to make muffins, cookies, and cakes from the prepackaged pudding and oatmeal.

There are a couple of things that make this plan effective. First, you are replacing probable high calorie foods or bad choices with safe, lower calorie options. This frees you up to concentrate on other things like lifestyle changes or exercise. Second, this program puts your body in ketosis, which is a fancy way for saying your body is burning its own fat. This is not as bad as it may sound. In my own experience, I can tell when I am in this state because my cravings diminish or become less intense.

Resources, instructions, and food are available online. The cost of this program is about $8-$10 per day, but there are usually coupons and specials available.

Lindsey Price is the author of the free ebook "Getting The Most Out Of Medifast," which includes coupons, recipies, and tips. To get a free copy (immediate download / no information required), click here You can also visit her diet review website at http://geniefrancisdietreview.blogspot.com/

How a Woman in Her Forties Lost Weight

This is the story of how I lost 15 pounds in my mid 40's. I preach it now, calling it "watch out for the once-in-a-while's".

I'm a registered dietitian: I know how many calories are in virtually every food; I know how many grams of fat there are in a serving, how many grams of carbs are contained, what a reasonable portion size is, and which foods have little nutritional value; I know how many servings a day I should have of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and starches.

I know all of that. So why had I gained 15 pounds over the past 5 years and why wasn't it coming off? I ate reasonably well--I didn't binge, eat fast foods often, have desserts after every meal, or go out for ice cream every night. I was already eating what I thought was a fairly low calorie diet (about 1800 calories daily), so what could I change?

Right now I don't remember when it hit me, but it hit me hard, and I never forgot it: I was thinking about how well I avoided high calorie meals, struggling to figure out where I was going to come up with hundreds of calories a day to eliminate so I could lose a few pounds each month. I hardly ever ate fast food--maybe just every other week or so. I rarely had pizza because I knew that was a high-calorie dinner, so I wouldn't order one unless it had been a couple of weeks since the last time. Ditto with our local buffet restaurant, take-out chinese food, and eating out in any restaurant which served rolls and butter before the main meal. I didn't eat desserts often at lunch, even though they boasted quite a display of them at the cafeteria where I worked, so I would treat myself just once or twice a week. I very occasionally would indulge in a donut or sweet roll for breakfast, so it was especially enjoyable when I would give in every week or so. Sometimes I would be on the road during a trip and I would loosen the 'rules' a bit, allowing for snacks to help pass the time on the drive--but that was only four or five times a year.

Are you seeing what I now see? I was trying to limit each of these indulgences to a reasonable frequency, but there were so many of them I wasn't being smart about all of them; I wasn't getting the meaning of eating the sum of all the foods that provide excessive calories. I was, in fact, ingesting an extra 500 calories from something or other practically every other day: If I hadn't had pizza that week I got the extra calories from chinese and fast food meals; if I didn't have dessert I had already taken the calories earlier in the form of a donut; if I walked off the ice cream cone, I didn't exercise enough to walk off the cake from the office party too!

I thought I was keeping these "once-in-a-while's" down to once a month, but in fact I was "limiting" my choice 15 fattening foods to what amounted to 15 times a month--once a month for each of them--I had just found the hundreds of calories to shave off my diet and let the pounds fall off!

My new plan was to eat a high-calorie meal or food only once a week--total. I could choose one day a week to have pizza or fast food or dessert or a donut. I couldn't rationalize that I hadn't had a cinnabon for six months if I just had a twice-a-year candy bar yesterday--that would never bring me the negative calorie balance I needed that week to lose weight.

I struggled with the idea of giving up pizza when it was so tempting to order one on nights I didn't feel like cooking; giving up my favorite drive through restaurant when I was out and about and got hungry all of a sudden; giving up my favorite donuts--just because I like donuts. But in the long run I realized I wanted to lose 15 pounds more than I wanted to eat donuts. There are plenty of foods I do like, and it's really just as easy to focus on all the delights I can enjoy than it is to pine away for the foods that bring me nothing but immediate and temporary gratification, plus extra weight in the long run.

So I savor my fruits at snack time, munch on carrot sticks instead of potato chips with a sandwich, enjoy finding new and simple recipes to make for dinner, search for low calorie ice cream treats in the freezer section for lighter desserts, and plan ahead for times I don't feel like cooking. We now eat out much less often and declare how much we've saved in money, gas, and calories at the end of our family dinner time. It feels good to eat healthier almost all of the time instead of only half the time. And the bottom line for successful weight loss: It feels much better weighing whatever I want to weigh than it does eating whatever I want to eat.

Laurie Beebe, a registered dietitian certified in adult weight management, has transitioned into diet coaching. Coaching helps dramatically by allowing people to set their own goals and design their own action plans. Please visit Laurie's website, "Shaping Your Future" at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com for diet tips, links to great books and websites, or to sign up for a free monthly newsletter! Visit my new blog at http://lifedietbalance.blogspot.com for this article and more just like it!

The Sacrifice Of Losing Weight

Visions of endless days of tasteless meals and gnawing hunger pangs loom large. Depressing isn't it? But it needn't be.

Slimming pulls no punches. You have to eat less and sensibly if you are to be slim, healthy and vital and we don't hesitate to tell you so, but I offer lots of help. The hardest part is sticking to a diet. This section of the A-Z Household Tips is armed with the facts about food value; you lose weight and learn how to keep it that way. Many of your present attitudes to food were established when you were a child. You may now for example have aversions to certain foods, and when you think back, you may find that these foods were missing in your diet.

The same principle works in reverse, with the foods you particularly like you may associate with happy, sad, joys of all seasons, and friendly dinner parties. Between meals snacking can become damaging to your calorie intake. Some will put on weight if they give up smoking, but this is usually based on the assumption that he will start sucking sweets to replace the oral stimulation supplied by the cigarettes. This attitude is often a clear symptom of a stress situation, periods of boredom and distress, tension and worry are the most common stress situations.

Simply stated, overweight means an excessive accumulation of body fat. Some fat, is essential as a reserve of food for the body, which can be, utilized at any time when the output of energy exceeds the intake.

Prevention: -

There is one other major factor in overweight, and that is age. We all know there is a marked tendency to put on weight as middle-age approaches. But contrary to what people believe, the process is far from inevitable. The chances are that once we reach middle age we will eat well, get little or no exercise and often have a job where expenditure of physical energy is not very high. There is no reason why, the weight that we had when we were 25 should not be the same weight when we reach 40.

The Grapefruit Myth: - Rumours state that the grapefruit has magical properties that burn up fat. Grapefruit is unquestionably an excellent fruit to include in a calorie-controlled diet; it gives fewer calories than most other fruits. The only way that fat gets burned up in the body is when it is used as fuel for energy. This can only be brought about by so reducing the intake of calories that fat stores in the body have to be mobilized to make up the basic needs for energy. Grapefruit helps you to eat fewer calories. The hard fact that all would-be slimmers have to face is that burning up fat comes about only from eating fewer calories. You must plan a diet of food that gives you balance to your energy expenditure.

Bananas and milk are excellent foods and tighter provide a good selection of the nutrients the body requires. But the chances are that you will tire of it long before you reach your target weight.

A reasonable rate at which to lose weight is 1kg a week. There are more likely to be depressing plateaus in the weight-loss graph when nothing seem to happen and that is the point at which many people give up. Just reduce your calorie intake a bit more, until you start to lose again.

There are 2 important things to be said in favour of a slower weight loss.

It is much less likely to cause damage to your health

Is that you have to re-train your appetite to a permanent pattern of eating less.

Once you have lost your surplus weight and settled sown on a maintenance diet, you will be amazed at how little food you really need to maintain that weight and sty healthy.

A well-balanced slimming diet can include bread and potatoes. There are good low-calorie diets including both these foods. No foods is fattening unless you eat too much of it. Eat less high-calorie foods such as sugar, cakes, pastry, rich desserts, fats, fried foods including potato crisps and doughnuts, chocolate and alcohol,

The quantity of food eaten daily has to be reducing enough to allow you to lose weight.

To lose weight over a long tem and holding on to it an average adult woman needs between 1,000 and 1,250 calories per day. And men needs between 1,250 and 1,500 calories per day.

There are no foods, not even grapefruit with magical properties. Slimming requires will power and perseverance, but the rewards in improved heath and looks certainly mike it worthwhile.

Healthy Mind & Body: - Find an exercise plan you enjoy. Feeling good about yourself helps give you the confidence to communicate clearly at home or work Choose a routine:

Fitness Video

Exercise equipment

Work at a Gym, you will benefit from the tailor made program and experts guidance

Aerobic / Aqua Aerobics the goal is 2x60 minute classes a week.

Take up a sport.

Women should aim to reach from 75 to 85% of the average minimum hear rate for their age group in aerobics. You calculate the rate by deducting your age from 220. So if you are 45 your maximum rate should be 195 beats per minute. Start slowly and gradually increase frequently. Do not attempt too much too soon. Always warm up by gentle stretching mussels that are not used to exercise or that can be easily strained or damaged.

· Your body learning and lifestyle will provide a strong base for your future health and achievements.

· Swimming calms the mind as well as toning the body.

· Provide yourself with energy by eating more pasta, rice, bread & cereal foods high in carbohydrates.

To reach and maintain a reasonable body weight you need a balanced diet full of nutrients and assume optional energy and psychological well being.

The Dieticians breakfast rule is based on sound sense from several aspects

The matter of digestion: -

The stomach's part of the digestive process requires from 4-6 hours to cope with an average meal. It will probably not have completed its work of digesting the last meal of the day until a few hours after bedtime.

Eating early in the day, when you are rested and feeling fresh, gives our stomach the best possible chance of digesting food easily and completely, it helps the body to eliminate waste products in the natural way without the aid of laxatives.

If you start the day without a comfortably lined stomach, you are imposing an unnecessary strain upon your nervous system and are making yourself needlessly tired, while there is still the best part of the day to get through.

If the input of energy exactly balances its output, weight will remain constant. It is when calorie intake is greater than energy output that weight increases, and this is something, which everyone should avoid.

Pushing sown half-chewed food with one eye on the clock and nerves on edge simply does not give your digestive system the chance it needs to do its job properly. Yet it only means getting up about 25minutes earlier.

Core Food Groups: - The National Australian Dietary Guidelines to healthy eating has developed the following food groups based on the nutrients they provide.

Ø Bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles

Ø Legumes and vegetables

Ø Fruit

Ø Milk, yoghurt, and cheese.

Ø Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and nuts

Ø Fibre is found in plant products such as wholegrain breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables.

Although fibre is considered to be an extra food type it needs to be included in your diet to prevent bowel disease. Fibre improves bowel function by increasing the bulk of faeces (poo) and reducing transit time in the body, which results in softer, larger stools and more frequent bowel action.

Healthy Eating Guides: -

Enjoy a variety of nutritious foods

Eat plenty of breads and cereals, vegetables, including legumes such as snow peas, green beans and chickpeas, and fruits.

Eat a diet low in fat and in particular, low in saturated fat which predominantly comes from animal fats

Maintain a healthy body weight by balancing physical activity and food intake.

Limit your intake of alcohol

Eat only a moderate amount of sugars and foods containing added sugars.

Choose low-salt foods and use salt sparingly

Eat foods containing calcium- dairy products are the best source. This is particularly important for girls and women

Eat foods containing iron. This is particularly important for girls, women, vegetarians and athletes

How much Caffeine

Most adults can handle up to 300ml of caffeine a day without ill effects, which is equal to

Ø 3 cups of instant coffee,

Ø 2-3 cups Peculated - Espresso coffee

Ø 6-8 cups of tea.

A UK study reported that there would be no problems if one limits their caffeine to 3 cups per day.

1 cup Beverage Caffeine

Coffee: -

Plunger, drip short black, cappuccino, flat white, latte = 100-150mg

Instant-------------------------------------------------------- = 80-100mg

Decaffeinated ----------------------------------------------- = 2-5mg

Tea: - Leaf or bag------------------------------------------- = 10-50mg

Green -------------------------------------------------------- = 30-50mg

Herbal infusions-------------------------------------------- = 0 mg

Hot cocoa---------------------------------------------------- = 2-20mg

Cola soft drink 375ml ------------------------------------- = 30-45mg

Energy drink ------------------------------------------------ = 30-80

Diabetics: -

Having diabetes doesn't mean you need to buy special food. A healthy diet for diabetes is much the same as a healthy diet.

Such a diet would be that is high in: -

Ø Fibre

Ø Wholegrain

Ø Low-GI Carbohydrates

Ø Moderate in salt

Ø Moderate in Sugar

Ø Low in Saturated fats.

Ø A wide range of: Fruit, Vegetables, Nuts, Legumes, Lean meats, Fish and low-fat dairy foods.

Alcohol

Basic guidance for alcohol intake

Ø Limit your intake to 2 standard drinks a day.

Ø Have 2 alcohol-free days each week. Alcohol is high in kilojoules and will slow down your weight-loss efforts

Sugar

Eating modest amounts of sugar in healthy foods such as breakfast cereal, yoghurt, custard and low-fat ice cream should not upset blood glucose levels. The sugar found in baked beans, tomato sauce and other cooing sauces also has little effect on blood glucose levels.

GI

GI stands for glycaemia index, which is a ranking from 0-100 that tells you whether a carbohydrate food will raise blood sugar levels dramatically, moderately or just a little. It gives you a measure of how a carbohydrate will affect your blood sugar.

Oil

Choose poly or mono-unsaturated spreads and wherever possible, look for salt-reduced varieties. If you are trying to loose weight a reduced-fat spread with only 50% fat will help. If you have high cholesterol, consider a sterol spread such as logical or Pro-active. If eaten in the quantity recommended, they can help reduce your cholesterol levels.

Saturated Fats

It is best to avoid these types of fats, which are found in butter, cram, fatty meat, cheese and oils used in fast food. Instead switch to polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oil. Choose from sunflower, safflower, peanut, soybean, and olive or canola oil and avoid saturated oils such as coconut and palm (used in fast food and snack food).

Chick Peas Has low GI value. A good source of Dietary fibre and low in fat

Four Bean Mix Low GI value. Butter beans, and lima beans

Red Kidney Beans: - Low GI value. Rich texture and sweet flavour. Ideal for hearty soups, casseroles & risotto

Low GI Foods contain carbohydrates that gradually release sugar into the bloodstream. This is ideal for those loosing weight and diabetics.

Red Kidney Beans

Low GI value. Rich texture and sweet flavour. Ideal for hearty soups, casseroles & risotto

Tips to help reduce your fat intake

Grilling instead of frying

Use a rack filled with a little water when grilling, roasting or baking meat. Marinate very lean meat in a mixture of soy sauce, wine, herbs, garlic or spices. These will prevent the meat from drying out while grilling.

Steaming

Is an ideal way of cooking most vegetables? The food is quickly cook y the steam and does not need any fat.

Microwave

Microwaving is a great way to cook. The microwave allows foods to keep their flavour and moisture while they cook.

Stir Fry

Use a wok or non-stick pan. Use a spray-on oil, water, wine or stock to fry your vegetables and then quickly mix in your lean cooked meat.

Casserole

Casserole cooking is a slow, gentle moist way of cooking that can also be low fat. Before cooing, trim the fat off the meat or skin off the chicken. Do not add any extra fat to the casserole. Allow the casserole to cool and skin any extra fat off the surface. Casseroles divided into serving sizes and frozen are ready prepared meals for people in a hurry.

Baked Vegetables

First par boil vegetables, spray with vegetable oil, place in a dry pan and cook in an oven on high until crisp.

Gravy

If you use the meat pan juices to make gravy, pour the juice into a cup and place in the freezer, when it is cool but not frozen remove the solid fat layer that forms on top. The remaining juice can be use to flavour your gravy.

Mince

When using mince, brown it first in a dry pan and drain off the excess fat before adding the other ingredients.

Butter

Add low fat yoghurt or cottage or ricotta cheese to vegetables.

Cream

Substitute cream with evaporated skin milk or blend skim milk with ricotta cheese.

Sauces

Creamy sauces can be made with Skim milk powder in double strength that adds a creamy texture without the extra fat.

Mayonnaise

Try low fat natural yoghurt instead of mayonnaise in recipes.

Salad Dressing

Make a mixture of lemon juice, herbs, mustard and vinegar it makes a great and tasty dressing.

Staying Slim

Nothing is more soul-destroying than putting on weight after a concerted effort at losing it. But it can happen and it happens from other factors besides eating

A sigh of relief is the natural reaction at the end of your successful slimming campaign, but do not let your good work evaporate overnight. Achieving your target weight after weeks or months of suffering is certainly something to celebrate, but after losing so much it would be a pity to gain it again over the next 2 weeks.

Eat Regularly: - One of the great secrets of staying slim and healthy is eating small amounts but often. Scientists have shown that people who eat five or more times a day are generally slimmer than others who eat the same amount of food but in fewer meals.

The idea of eating frequently may conflict with all you have learned about not eating between meals, but the danger of eating between meals only arises when you eat sugary foods, such as cakes and chocolate biscuits. On a good maintenance diet you can eat three main meals a day with nutritious snacks as well and still keep your weight steady.

The right Foods: - In the course of planning any diet it is important to ensure that the diet provides not only the right number of calories, but also enough protein, vitamins and minerals. Of course the more food you eat the easier it becomes, but this will not make you any slimmer. One way of making certain of eating properly is to include foods out of each food group in your daily diet.

Each day you should have: -

Ø 2-3 potions from the cereal group

Ø Some from the dairy group 1 pint of milk or some cheese.

Ø 2 portions of meat, fish, or eggs.

Ø 2 portions from the fruit and vegetable group, preferably 1 citrus fruit and 1 portion of

green or yellow vegetables.

The latter group should provide not only vitamin C but also carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the body.

Burning up the Calories: - To keep your weight constant you have to maintain a balance between the energy you consume in food calories and the energy you use up as heat or physical work, so you can help to stabilize your weight not only by dieting but also by making sure you keep active. In warm weather it's a good idea to take an extra ½ walk each day or if you are go swimming instead which is an excellent form of exercise.

The important thing is to increase your level of daily activity. A few minutes of formal exercises each day help to tone your muscles and improve your posture and deportment, but unless you really work quite hard for ½ hour they have no significant effect on your energy balance.

No slimming campaign is complete without the aid of exercise. It tightens up slack muscles, tones the body and leaves you feeling health and vibrant. More important, it helps you maintain that low level of weight you've worked so hard for.

Exercise: - All sporting activities, walks, yoga, even dancing will keep you trim. Choose an activity that you enjoy, and you will be more likely to adhere to it. Let moderation be your guide.

Walking benefits nearly every muscle in the body, it is rapidly disappearing from so many people's lives as a form of relaxation. You will be glad you did and so will your figure.

Fats: -

Excessive amounts of fat in the diet can cause health problems. However it is important to have small amounts of fat in your diet because your body needs essential fatty acids to function properly.

Fats are classified by their chemical structure. They can be saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated and most of the fat that you eat should be monounsaturated

A diet high in saturated fats can cause your body to produce more cholesterol, which may contribute to your risk of developing heart disease and some cancers. Saturated fats are mainly found in fatty meat, butter, full-fat milk products, cream lard and many take-away and processed foods. They are also found in some plant food, such as palm or coconut oil. Choose meat that has been trimmed of and reduced fat dairy products wherever possible, especially if heart disease is common in your family

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are healthier choice. These types of fats are found in plant oils such as sunflower, olive and canola oils.

All types of fat are rich sources of energy. There are approximately 27 kilojoules of energy in each gram of fat that you eat. Your body will store any excess calories consumed as body fat, which can lead to obesity.

Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest that you should aim to have approximately 30% of your total energy intake from fat.

Warning: -

These recommendations do not apply to infants and pre-school children, underweight people.

Breastfeeding women or those engaged in an unusually heavy work. People in these special groups have a greater need for fat in their diet.

Sugars: -

Most people enjoy sweet food and apart from sugar's effect on dental health, it is not nearly as harmful to health as fat. However many foods that are high in sugar are also high in fat, so eating sweet foods can result in high fat intake.

Sugar is added in small amounts to make useful processed foods and these products should not be excluded from your diet. High fibre breakfast cereals and food such as canned baked beans are nutritious, low in fat and high in fibre and are useful foods to include in a healthy diet.

Manufactured foods often have large amounts of sugar added to them during processing. During digestion, sugars such as sucrose and lactose and other carbohydrates, such as starch, break down into simple sugar. These provide energy for body cells and are sometimes stored for future use.

Salt: -

Salt has many purposes and it intensifies the natural flavours, colour and texture of foods. Our body needs small amounts of salt to function because it is an essential nutrient that the body cannot make by itself. However when salt is eaten in excess, it can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure. The National Heath and Medical research Council recommends that adults have an upper limit of 1 teaspoon of salt per day. Even if you don't add salt to your food, you might get this amount of salt from eating manufactured food like potato crisps, pies and sausages.

Caffeine: -

Many people are mildly addicted to caffeine. Tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa and some cola drinks contain caffeine.

Caffeine stimulates your brain and nervous system and the range of physical effects vary from person to person. These effects, which are temporary and reversible, include increased alertness and heartbeat, and need to urinate more often.

Some studies have shown that caffeine can slightly raise blood pressure, whilst other studies have found lower blood pressure in people that consume caffeine. In short, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that caffeine-containing drinks cause particular problems if these are consumed in moderation.

To help maintain an acceptable level of caffeine in your diet, limit your caffeine intake to less than 600mg per day, this would be 2-4 average strength cups

Drinks that help to keep you alert, such as Red Bull and V contain about 2 ½ times the amount of caffeine found in regular cola drinks. Avoid these so-called smart drinks if you are limiting your caffeine intake. There are many caffeine alternatives on the market.

Food Additives: -

Food additives are added to foods for a specific purpose and are not considered to be food themselves. For example, the artificial sweetener aspartame is added to many beverages, yoghurt, chewing gum and other food to keep the calorie content of the product low. Some additives help maintain or improve the quality, colour, taste and texture of food and prevent from spoiling.

Many convenient, nutritious processed foods contain small amounts of artificial colours and preservatives. In Australia, the Australian New Zealand Food Authority regulates food additives through the Food Standard's Code. These compulsory standards specify the quantity and type of food colours and preservatives that can be used in foods. Food additives must be listed on packaged and processed foods.

My Name is Mary C Newton

I was born on the small island of Malta. Found in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Its location is Southern Europe, islands, south of Sicily. Coastline is 140km.

The Capital City is VALLETTA.

Population 394,583 in July 2001 est.

The two official languages are Maltese and English

Malta lay on a sea of clear blue water turning into vivid green were it rimmed the island. No mountain in Malta The highest point is about 800feet No woods and no forests with Winds of different gusts and breezes

I am female, 63 years of age. I am quick minded, versatile, intelligent, and imaginative. Love the ocean and beautiful paintings, sceneries and flowers. I devote a lot of my time writing books. You may say Jack-of-all-trades and master of some. I have three grandchildren I am crazy on computers, and have taught myself to use this magnificent baby.

My passion is ... Computers & writing I am talented in many areas,actually there is very little that I am not capable of doing.

My ambition is ... To be recognised as a writer and for my talents and share my talent

10 Top Tips on Surviving Christmas Without Eating Yourself Into the Christmas Blimp

Christmas comes every year, and every year we hear the panic in our client's voices about how they are going to survive without gaining lots of weight. We thought we could offer some easy ideas to allow you to enjoy Christmas and all the fabulous foods and drinks associated with it.

1. Put weight loss on hold.

Kick back and enjoy Christmas. Instead of focusing on weight loss, turn it around to being a weight maintenance phase, this will allow you to get involved with your friends and family and relish the fabulous foods that are available. It only happens once a year so be gentle on yourself and accept that this is not the time to be focusing on losing weight.

2. Take the foods you love to gatherings or dinners.

If you know that desserts are your area of trouble then take a dessert that you adore and is lighter in kilojoules and saturated fats. Maybe you could take fruit and marshmallow kebabs with a mango drizzle, a huge fresh fruit salad, or cappuccino pancetta. Be inventive there are plenty of fabulous low kilojoule recipes out there that taste great.

For a main, consider taking things like fresh veges with a honey and herb dressing. Thai flavours can be introduced to veges to give them a kick. Consider ginger, fresh coriander, lime (include the lime rind) and honey to pour over vegetable kebabs or stir fries. Or take your favourite salad.

By taking foods that you love and are healthy and lower in kilojoules you know that you can load your plate up with these and enjoy the party without having to eat like a rabbit.

3. Always have a look at all the foods before you begin filling your plate.

This is a great tip for any buffet, barbeque or pot luck dinner. Check out all the foods first. We have all experienced just taking a little of everything as you walk around and then finding you have a huge plateful before you reach the foods that you want. By having a look at the foods first you will be able to identify the foods you want without having to wade your way through all the others that you are less interested in.

4. Choose fewer selections.

We all know that if we go to buffet and have a little of everything that we could just eat more and more. However if we just have the one food on our plate we get a bit bored and are happy to leave some. So that chocolate cake that just tasted so fabulous on the first bite is often just a bit sickly by the last. This works due to our taste bubs getting desensitised to the one flavour. If we put less food options on our plate we are more likely to loose interest in the taste and not have to eat it all, and better yet, then can forgo seconds.

5. Know your serving sizes

Identifying your serving sizes will prevent you from overeating.

If you know that you are going somewhere where seconds are mandatory, save some of your serving size for the second lap around.

6. Use a smaller plate.

We all know this tip. A smaller plate makes your brain think it has had more to eat. Frequently when you go to a gathering there is an assortment of plates to cater for everyone, use this opportunity to grab the smaller one.

7. Use a tall glass.

Again this tricks the brain into thinking it has had more. Use this for your alcoholic drinks. Also add some ice - it provides less room in the glass for the drink.

8. Have a water for every alcoholic drink - or be the driver.

Alcohol is very high in kilojoules. By having a water in between each drink this will keep you hydrated and cut down on your energy intake.

Offer to be the driver, at this time of year with so much alcohol being consumed drivers are needed! You will find you are supported as soon as you say that you are driving and the pressure for another drink will come off.

9. Accept that there will be great foods in huge quantities everywhere you go.

Make a decision before the silly season starts that you will limit yourself to say two chocolates, or one Christmas tart a day. Do this for whatever your favourite foods are. This way you still get the great foods but have some control on how much you are consuming.

10. Say no to the foods you don't love.

If there is nothing on the nibble platter that you absolutely have to have, say no. Then, allow yourself a moment to bask in how fabulous you feel after saying no. Give yourself a pat on the back. Save it for something later that you truly don't want to miss out on.

11. Trade food for exercise.

Allow yourself to have that piece of Christmas pud that you have been hanging out for but trade it for taking the dog for a good long walk the next day.

Step up your exercise plan. Unstick yourself from the couch and get moving.

Above all remember summer and Christmas is a great time to spend quality time with friends and family. Enjoy their company and your holiday. You may well find with being busy that your appetite reduces naturally. So kick back and enjoy. Have a fabulous Christmas and New Year!

2009 Shapeshifters Nutrition Ltd.

Nutritionist and food lover Dr Nicky Francis publishes regular articles on weight loss, nutrition and living life to it's fullest. If you're ready to jump start your weight loss, receive fabulous recipes and tips on healthy living, while enjoying the amazing foods of life - get your FREE subscription at http://www.shapeshifters.co.nz.

Tips For Cooking the Best Crockpot Chicken Meal

Get to know tips to cook a crockpot chicken dish.

Chicken, is one of the most popular poultry item, consumed in every household. You can cook this in a hassle free manner by using a crockpot. The moist interior of this slow cooker lets the meat cook thoroughly and retains all its delicious flavors. Crockpot is a good appliance when you are planning to cook a leisurely meal for your family. You can start your crockpot chicken recipe overnight or early in the morning as it takes a long time (between 6 to 10 hours) to make.

However if you want to simmer that perfect crockpot dish, you have to keep in mind few techniques and tips that are very important. Every appliance has its own characteristic and you need to understand this before using it. This will help your meals turn out to be exactly how you planned it. So, let us discuss these tips for cooking the best crockpot chicken.

Firstly, you should not cook skinless portions of chicken in the crockpot. The skin will help retain the heat and juices inside the chicken while it is being cooked. If the skin is removed then the chicken will become dry and hard. Secondly, you should let the ingredients simmer in the pot for the required amount of time. Lifting off the lid time and again during the process will make the heat and moisture escape. This sets back the cooking time by about 20-30 minutes. Also, since the crockpot uses a low setting to cook, the loss in heat could spoil the dish.

The temperature that you keep the dish at is of utmost importance. The low temperature setting varies between 170 to 200 degrees F and the high setting around 300 degrees F. Whenever you are cooking a crockpot chicken make sure that the heating level goes at least up to 170 degrees, as at this point, any harmful bacteria that is there in the meat will be killed and the dish will be safe for you to eat.

It is ideal to use the leg and thigh portions for cooking a crockpot chicken recipe. These portions come cheap and are very low on any fat. It will serve best as the fat brings about an unpleasant texture in the whole thing. You also need to realize the importance of layering. The layering in a crockpot recipe is the pattern in which you add the ingredients to the pot. Since the vegetables take longer to cook than the chicken, they should be added first. This is to ensure that the vegetables are completely immersed in the liquid, which in turn helps it to cook better. So, when you are making French stew with chicken, add the vegetables first and then the meat pieces.

If you follow all the above tips while cooking your crockpot chicken meal, you will definitely have a finger licking audience for the same. These recipes are very good for your diet and can be combined with different varieties of side dishes like fish fry or grilled prawns, etc. If you want to make this for dinner, then add a rice course with some starters and sugar free dessert (incase anybody in your family has diabetes) to have a complete course!

Glinda Acre loves to make a delicious Crockpot Chicken recipes. Please visit my Low Fat Chicken Recipes site for latest update.

Healthy Cooking Ideas That Will Delight Your Family

Changing the way we cook our food can have a dramatic effect on our health. If we make wiser choices with our food and the way we cook it, we can significantly reduce our risk of contracting cancer and heart disease.

Here are some top tips for healthy cooking:-

1. Invest in non stick pans - With quality non-stick pans you can get away with not using oil at all or by using a low fat cooking spray. You can also 'fry' some foods in a little water to prevent them sticking. If you have to use oil, use olive oil and pat food with kitchen roll after cooking to remove excess oil.

2. Look through your recipes collection for diet recipes and low fat recipes. Cook them in batches and freeze so that you always have a healthy meal option available.

3. Steam or stir-fry vegetables - Cooking them using these methods will help the vegetables to retain their nutrients, colour and taste. Look for healthy recipes like Chinese stir-fries and invest in a wok and steamer. You can buy Chinese bamboo steamers, which just sit on top of a pan of boiling water, or you can buy electric steamers. You can get a good electric steamer for less than the cost of one meal out and the ease of use is a real time saver.

4. Use olive oil - Replace other oils or fats with olive oil which is a mono-unsaturated oil and actually helps to reduce cholesterol. Make your own salad dressings from olive oil and balsamic vinegar to give your salad a Mediterranean taste and this will be lower in fat than commercial salad dressings. Search online for free recipes using olive oil. Some muffin recipes use olive oil or corn oil instead of solid fats.

5. Use fat free milk in cooking and baking to cut the fat content of your healthy recipes.

6. Replace fat in baking - Look for low fat recipes for cakes and biscuits or replace half the fat in recipes with pureed prunes, yogurt or mashed banana. Search for diet recipes for sweet treats.

7. Use fat-free yogurt or creme fraiche instead of using cream for pouring on dessert recipes or fruit.

8. Add more vegetables to casseroles and soups and use fresh or frozen vegetables rather than canned.

9. Don't add salt to food - Season food with herbs, spices, garlic and lemon juice instead of salt.

10. Trim visible fat off meat and use lean meat in your low fat recipes. Cut down on how much red meat you consume and replace with fish and chicken or turkey.

Remember, cooking and eating healthy food is not hard work and definitely not expensive. If you play your cards right you can change you whole family's diet and they won't suspect a thing.

That isn't to say that they won't notice anything though, because they will - they may well notice that they are losing weight, feeling better and getting fewer minor illnesses.

If that isn't reason enough to try out a few of these tips, I don't know what is!

Roger Wakefield is an author and publisher who writes content for for the Recipe File site, which is one of the best established recipe sites online. The Recipe File website includes in excess of 40 thousand recipes ranging from dessert recipes to seafood recipes. Cooking for your family can be simple and pleasurable if you use the right cookbook. The Recipe File guarantees that you will never have trouble finding a scrumptious new recipe in minutes.

Poll: Hugh Jackman May Bulk Up Vegan for Wolverine II

A few weeks ago our weekly poll focused on how a vegan diet almost killed Angelina Jolie.

Now it's been reported that Hugh Jackman is considering using a vegan diet to bulk up for his next movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine II. If a vegan diet almost "killed" Angelina will it produce a ripped, fierce, yet vegetarian wolverine?

In a recent interview with VegNews, Brendan Brazier, (a vegan nutritionist, athlete, author, and founder of vegetarian based Vega), said that he has been working with Jackman to prepare for his up coming movie.

Although the Wolverine bulked up eating a lot of chicken for his previous movie, Jackman has since switched to a mostly vegan diet for environmental and health reasons. Brazier isn't certain if the actor will go completely vegan for his bulk up, but will most likely be primarily vegan.

Will a vegan diet contain enough protein to produce the muscular Wolverine we saw in the first X-Men Origins movie or will we see a punier version in Wolverine II ?

What do you think? Participate in the poll and comments below.

Can a vegan diet be used to produce bulky muscle mass?

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Low Fat Recipes for Your Healthy Diet

Being healthy is not always the easiest thing in the world to do, especially if you love to eat a lot of rich, fatty foods. Unfortunately, these are the foods that are making millions of Americans obese. With more and more fast food joints popping up all over the country and more processed foods available at supermarkets, obesity looks like it is a trend that is going to continue to rise. The best way to fight obesity is to eat a diet that is healthy, meaning that it is low in fat and rich in the nutrients that we need in order to be healthy and happy. This means finding new ways of preparing food and using low fat recipes that are healthy.

Low Fat Recipes for Healthy Meals that Taste Great

Just because something is labeled low fat doesn't mean that it isn't going to taste good. As a matter of fact, there are all kinds of low fat foods that are incredibly delicious and you can find many low fat recipes that taste so great they won't seem like they are low fat recipes at all. If you like to cook at all, you can use low fat recipes to create meals that are healthy and delicious at the same time and that you will feel good serving to your family. And, a lot of these recipes do not take a whole lot of time to prepare, so just because you are doing something different doesn't mean that you are going to be chained to a stove all day long. You can find low fat recipes for every meal of the day and these recipes use ingredients that are healthy and will provide you and your family with plenty of good nutrition.

Where to Find Low-Fat Recipes

You can find low fat recipes anywhere that you can find any cooking recipes. Book stores and libraries always have cooking sections, which are loaded with recipe books of all kinds, even ones that are nothing but low fat recipes. Or, you can look on the Internet, where you will find thousands and thousands of recipes that you will want to try. The problem with low fat recipes is that there are so many out there that are so good, you are going to want to try them all. If this happens, be prepared to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Of course, if you like to cook, you will probably have a lot of fun experimenting with your new low fat recipes.

Turn Your Own Favorite Recipes Into Low Fat Recipes

If you are trying to make your diet one that has a lower amount of fat but you have a lot of recipes that you and your family love, you can still use them. It's alright to have a treat once in a while, just as long as you allow for it in your diet. And, you can take a lot of your favorite recipes and convert them so that they are low fat but still taste delicious. This is a great way to get your family, especially your kids, to eat healthy foods and not even realize it.

One great example of making your recipes low fat recipes is cakes. Everyone loves a delicious piece of cake but this is a dessert that is loaded with fat, because there is usually oil in the recipe. You can omit the oil and use applesauce instead. This is not going to change the taste of the recipe in any way but it will provide the liquid you need to offset the dry ingredients, while omitting a lot of the fat. Or, you can find all kind of low fat recipes for delicious desserts that your entire family will love.

Do you love spaghetti and meatballs but don't like the fat that goes with it? You can turn this into a fat-free meal when you use extra lean meat, or even better, buffalo meat, which is extremely lean and tastes great. Instead of frying the meatballs, place them in a non-stick pan and cook them in the oven. You will not need to have any grease, because you are not frying them and they will contain much less fat than traditional meatballs. Or, if you want to have even less fat, make turkey or chicken meatballs. If you have a food processor, you can buy a boneless, skinless breast and grind it yourself for meatballs that are pretty much fat free. You can do this with beef too, so you can make sure that you are getting the leanest ground beef for your meatballs, or hamburgers, which can also be made in this manner.

Don't Forget to Exercise

If you are looking for low fat recipes, you are probably either looking to lose weight, or you want to start eating healthier. Either way, eating healthy foods that are low in fat are not going to do a whole lot of good if you are not getting enough exercise. No matter what your level of health is, it is so important that you get a certain amount of physical activity every day, even if it is only for 10 or 15 minutes (although it is more beneficial to get at least 20 to 30 minutes or more daily).

There are a lot of people who absolutely hate to exercise and if you are one of these people, there are still things you can do that will get your body moving. Everyone loves to dance, so why not dance around the house, while you are doing housework? Or, you can take the kids to the park and play with them. The harder you play, the more calories you are going to burn. There are all kinds of things you can do that are fun and won't seem like exercise at all.

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

Creamy Grape Dessert

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Fatty Liver Diet Recipes - Will I Have To Give Up The Foods I Love If I Have Fatty Liver Disease?

Healthy fatty liver diet recipes do exist and the good news is you'll have plenty of variety to keep your taste buds from getting bored. The good thing about a diet plan for fatty liver is that it isn't much different from a highly nutritious, healthy diet for the average person.

In most cases, you won't have to completely give up the foods you love. You'll just have to be more conscious about how much you're eating, paying special attention to the amount of fat you're consuming. More fat in your diet leads to more fat congestion in your liver. What you want is a nutritious, vitamin-rich and balanced diet where nothing is eaten in excess.

In her ebook, "The Fatty Liver Diet Guide", veteran liver nurse, Dorothy Spencer, offers up over 30 fatty liver friendly diet recipes. These range from simple appetizers like salmon spread to main courses such as Caribbean shrimp 'n peas. Even mouth-watering dessert recipes are included. Dorothy states, "The goal of this cookbook section is not to present you with gourmet dishes, but with healthful meals that fit within the dietary needs of a fatty liver patient."

So as you can see, there are plenty of fantastic foods you can enjoy while you work on reducing fat in your liver. However, as you create your daily meals, there are some important considerations you should keep in mind in regards to the foods you eat.

Your main goal will be to reduce excess fat consumption. Most medical professionals agree fat should make up no more than 30% of your overall daily caloric intake. This means if you're consuming 1500 calories per day, then no more than 450 of those calories should come from fat.

9 calories is equivalent to 1 gram of fat, so to put it in easier to measure terms, you shouldn't consume more than 50 grams of fat for a 1500 calorie diet. A 1200 to 1500 calorie diet will help you lose weight while reducing fat in the liver.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:

Go for brown rice and whole grains instead of white rice or white bread.
Opt for pasta instead of egg noodles.
If you don't want to give up sweets, then opt for pies over cakes. Try to avoid things like doughnuts, cookies, and other high-fat sweets.
Focus on foods high in complex carbohydrates and avoid foods rich in simple carbohydrates like candy.
Substitute 2% and whole milk with 1% or skim milk.
Go for saturated fats over unsaturated fats, but consume all fats sparingly.
Avoid high fat salad dressings and other condiments. Seek out low-fat and non-fat alternatives.
Choose lean white meats (chicken, turkey, fish) over dark meats (pork, beef). Cut all excess fat off meats before cooking or eating and try to avoid meats from high fat areas such as ribs and wings.
Include foods high in fiber and eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
Avoid alcohol consumption and drink soda, high sugar fruit juices, and energy drinks sparingly.

Next, now is the time to formulate the best diet plan for reducing a fatty liver: Fatty Liver Diet Recipes

If you really want to improve your health and stop FLD from progressing to Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Cirrhosis, or worse, then learn how to reduce liver fat now by visiting: Fatty Liver Diet Plan

Cheat Sheet For Healthy Eating

With so many fad diets going - me, a hungry consumer (pun intended) - is left confused and frustrated. Us fat people are meant to be jolly you know, and it is precisely us that need to lose weight - it just goes against the principles! One diet vouches for 30 pounds in 30 days with some water based diet while the other cuts off every good thing and vouches for 50 pound loss. But what's the point? Depriving myself so will only pave way for my going back to all the favorite foods with a vengeance and get me back exactly to square one.. oh well except a lighter wallet may be - not so much the lighter me.

Instead, I think we should be able to enjoy the good foods sensibly. That way I won't feel deprived and end up attacking the French fries as if I have not eaten for 3 months like a hungry caveman (or woman!) from the Ice Age. Few miniscule changes here and there and voila - welcome to the utopia - guilt free, good eats. The important trick - cheat your mind into believing that you just ate all those calorie rich and appetizing food while in reality you haven't.

So what are the cheat codes which have worked for me? Here goes:

1. Cut out oil in the skillet

Did you know that whenever you need to saute onions in a skillet, you actually don't need oil to do so? Heat the skillet, when hot, add the onions and little bit of salt and give it a quick stir. The salt will bring out the moisture in the onions and will also help it to cook. You can add rest of the vegetables to this mixture and continue cooking as if nothing happened! You just cut out 1 tablespoon of oil (or more) which amounts to approximately 120 calories in one go. There is no loss as such to the good taste.

2. Say NO to yellow (no, I am not talking about lemons)

Any recipe that calls for eggs, you could benefit from a little deviation from the recipe. Instead of a whole egg, just add the egg whites. Have you tried making omelets with just egg whites? Or how about your favorite buttermilk pancakes? Or maybe the all time favorite, good old fashioned corn muffins? There is no reducing the flavor and at the same time you get to enjoy your favorite, day-to-day foods without all that fat and cholesterol from egg yolks.

3. Include lots of protein and fiber in your diet

Not only is it healthy, but it will also fill you up faster - so naturally, you would end up eating less. Lean meats, legumes, tofu, yogurt are some fill-me-up-fast foods. A simple baked Falafel burger for lunch is not only delicious but also immensely healthy. You won't miss your hamburger.

4. DON'T eat healthy - just sneak in healthy

Why do New-Year resolutions never work for me? I set such a lofty goal, I know I am never going to reach it - ever! So in the same vein, don't go all out and decide on eating all healthy things that your mind revolts against, and eventually breaks you. Instead, when you find yourself reaching out for the buttery dinner rolls next time, why don't you reach out for these Quinoa dinner rolls? They taste very buttery though they have no butter! Or go for these mixed bean and quinoa croquettes along with your salad.

5. No need to give up that dessert

Now I would expect the obvious question - what about dessert? Do we cut that out? Not in a million years- I can't think of foregoing my desserts. So how in good God's name are we cutting out calories then? Strawberry and lavender sorbet and Orange givrees make excellent desserts and they have the nutrition from fruits. Baked ricotta berry cakes are my personal favorite - " healthy and lip-smacking good.

These are just few ways of making minor changes without actually having to cut down anything. It's not about depriving fries and ice creams - it's about making these minor changes in day to day eating habits so that eating our favorite foods occasionally don't make us feel guilty or leave us wanting.

So what about you? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve that you use?

Written By DK

For Recipes to any of the dishes mentioned above please visit my site with easy vegetarian recipes

Hypnosis - An appeal to our subconscious

In my blog I have already presented various diets and methods for effective weight loss. Don’t get me wrong I am not someone who always counts calories and abstains from all delicious meals just to lose weight and to stay in shape - Far from it. I enjoy my life but I am interested in topics like healthy nutrition and also, declared, strange nutrition advices from our beloved celebrities. In this context I researched a lot about hypnosis and his effects on weight and body shape. Let us see what I have found out and if a therapist or a CD is advisable.

Hypnosis is a deep relaxation which can operates at your subconscious.

Basically hypnosis is a condition of very deep relaxation, it is also referred as trance. You are not asleep, but your eyes are closed and you have full control over your body and you notice what happens around you. Often it is compared with changed attentiveness because you are concentrated on all inner happenings and you do not pay attention to your surroundings.

Someone who hypnotizes you, is called a hypnotist. He talks to you in a very calming tone and sometimes makes you concentrate on a certain object which will help you to ignore the surroundings. Counting is also used to focus all the concentration. You may have seen that sometimes when the hypnotist says “I count to three, then you are totally relaxed” and the person falls into a trance.

Self hypnosis is also a way to fall into relaxation but it has to be mentioned that self hypnosis causes only light or medium trances but no deep ones. This method is rather intended to relax after an exhausting day a few minutes and to reduce stress. Often you imagine being in another world and sending all problems and sorrows away which causes a very relaxed condition and helps you to deal with everyday life.

Focusing an object helps ignoring the surroundings.

Hypnosis is not a conventional diet because it operates on our subconscious. During the trance we fix a new picture of our body in our mind, we also fix a new type of nutrition and new goals. The trance works at another level of our mind: Suddenly we eat less without being hungry, we eat healthier without having the munchies for sweets or burgers and we lose weight without suffering.  Generally speaking we influence our sensation of satiety and this causes such wonderful results. Sounds a bit too good to be true or? But you are right: There is a catch. Because a hypnotist is very expensive and you will need more than one session; there is an elaborate preliminary talk and then the hypnosis sessions themselves.

Hypnosis Audio CD guide you through the trance.

Concerning the aspect, that professional hypnotists are very expensive, you can try self hypnosis with the help of books and CDs. One of the most popular and successful hypnotists in the area of losing weight is Steven Gurgevich. He is a specialist in mind-body medicine and guides you through different stages of hypnosis and helps you losing weight by influencing the subconscious. Gurgevich published a lot of different books and audio CD’s on this topic and in my opinion it is worth a try and it looks much more serious to me than all these zero-calories and anti-delicious-meal diets. Damien Young is also a specialist in this area and he published some Audio CD’s.

In conclusion I want to mention that I am a bit skeptical if just hypnosis itself can cause weight losing but I really like the aspect of sustaining self-confidence and accepting your body. If any of you had tried out hypnosis to lose weight it would be great if you could talk about it.

Yours, Delilah

         

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Weight Loss Shake Recipes - Lose Weight Faster and Quicker With a Smoothie Or a Delicious Shake

Are you getting bored with the same old diet menu? Have you hit a plateau, and need something fun to keep you motivated? Do you miss delicious, sweet treats because you're dieting? Then get ready for some delicious, nutritious weight loss shake recipes that will help you reach your goal, all without boring you to tears.

Studies have shown that replacing a meal with a healthy weight loss smoothie - especially if that meal is breakfast - will boost your metabolism and fill you up without all the calories from a meal.

But there are some important elements to a true weight loss shake that differ them from, say, a milkshake at your favorite burger joint.

o For instance, using skim milk or soy milk will greatly reduce the calorie and fat content. For an even better alternative, try using skim milk powder with the rest being water. You get all of the creaminess with none of the calories.

o Unless you are on a monitored weight loss plan that involves significant amounts of weight training, it's not recommended to add protein powder to your shake or smoothie. You're going to get enough of your protein form your meals for the day.

o However, additions such as flax seed oil - which gives you a nice dose of Omega 3 acids as well as other benefits - won't change the taste of your shake at all, but will make it healthier. Wheat germ or wheat germ oil is another good one, as it lowers cholesterol and helps overall stamina.

So, are you ready for some delicious weight loss shake recipes?

Great!

Your basic mixture for any smoothie is going to be water. You can use crushed ice for a more dense or frozen concoction.

Use half water and half skim milk or soy milk. Or, use all water and a tablespoon of skim milk powder. Or, you can add yogurt instead for a super-creamy consistency.

Add any other powders or oils that are recommended for your weight loss plan.

Cut up the fruit you want to add into roughly even sizes, so your blender can mix it evenly and it won't be too lumpy. Again, for a frozen shake texture, you can freeze your cut-up fruit chunks and add them whenever you're ready.

Weight loss shake recipe ideas:

o Bananas give you potassium and make any shake extra smooth.

o Blueberries are powerful antioxidants, and give your shake a refreshing bite!

o Add coconut and pineapple for a pina colada that will help you lose weight!

o If you're missing your calorie-laden frappucinos, add a tablespoon of instant coffee before blending.

o Add two teaspoons of honey for a sweeter treat!

o Chocolate addict? Add some carob powder for the taste that won't go to your hips.

o A half a teaspoon of vanilla can give you a dessert shake without having to splurge on cake or sweets.

o If you're looking for a little bit of extra protein that tastes great, add a teaspoon of low-fat peanut butter - or even raw-food peanuts for a crunch!

o Kiwi gives you a fresh new taste that is a bit exotic as well - and you get more potassium and vitamin C than bananas or oranges! And it's a powerful antioxidant, too.

As you can see, weight loss shake recipes are huge time savers, they taste good, and they're just plain fun. Take advantage of this short cut and knock a dress size off of your figure.

Come on!

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Please Help: Ex-nurse, Herbalist, Fat and Confused! [Forum]

Please, read this in its entirety. I am not lacking knowledge by any means. I just think I am missing something and would love some advice to maybe jar my memory.

I am 41, 5'7 weigh 210 look like I'm only about 180. But, Im done with the body builder look, I want to lose weight and tone. I have tried everything. I think there is something wrong that I am not getting. I dont drink any soda, i drink water all day, cup of hot tea at bedtime(no sugar). I dont eat any bread,processed foods,candy and I actually dont like salt. I love spicy foods, take a multi vitamin every day. Do pilates 3 times a week, yoga twice a week. And walk the big doggies 3-5 times a week 3-5 miles every time. I am a very busy, active person. Only sleep maybe 6 hours a night and Im ok with that, hardly ever feel drained or tired. Do not drink any alcohol. Ride bicycle to grocery store and eat mainly fruits and vegetables and nuts. I do eat bison instead of hamburger. And I have a small stomache where I have to eat 4-5 small meals a day, large meals hurt me and will bloat me. I do take fiber daily too.

Not sure if Im forgeting something? Oh-Im sure I eat around 1200-1500 calories a day have kept a diary log-so now what?? I will lose 5 lbs, then gain 7 back? I have eaten this way for years-but it seems that Im actually gaining faster? I have to have something medically wrong? I have tested bloodsugar too just in case and Im pretty darn normal. Stay around 80-112. PLEASE SOMEONE-I beg anyone to show me the light. What am I doing wrong? Or what is wrong? I have had thyroid tested 6 times!! They just say normal levels?? I am so lost. Thank you!!

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Sugar Free Desserts For Diabetics

If you are suffering from the condition of diabetes then you can still be able to eat sweet things like some sugar free deserts, and also if you do not have diabetes and maybe you want to stay in shape then these sugar free cakes would be perfect to help you on your diet. This following recipe is one of the many sugar free desert recipes.

Bread Pudding With Orange And Chocolate

1 tsp. orange zest

? c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 ? c. egg substitute

1 c. low fat milk

? c. semi sweet chocolate chips

2 c. stale bread cut into bite size pieces

Cooking spray

And these recipes contain about 4g. Protein, 13g. Carbohydrate, 100mg. sodium, 2.5g. Fat and 90 calories.

After that process is done then you get your custard dishes and spray them with cooking spray when you get to the part of the inserting it the custard cup make sure everything is spread out evenly.

Then tune your oven to 325*degrees and before putting it in the pan make sure that everything is mixed out properly. Pour the custards evenly and then you put them into a large baking pan, fill the pans with hot water that comes up to about ? the height of the custard pan, then place this in the oven and bake until the custard is properly set which could take up to about 45 minutes to do so. Then you make it cool and remove them out of the warm water and serve.

Colin Scott is a diabetic recipe expert. For more great tips on diabetic frosting visit http://www.DiabeticCake.net/.

60 Tips For Guaranteed Weight Loss

How many times have you tried to lose weight only to lose the motivation to do so in a few days? All those magazines claim they know how to shed those pounds and all those fad diets are making you fatigued. Why don't they work? You ask. Well there is a very simple reason for that. All this is because you do not understand your body. Yes people, your body needs as much sympathy as you do when it is not feeling well. But most people just like to get going on monstrous starvation diets and then beginning to binge eat three days later! How do you think that makes your body feel? Confused, uncared for, and unloved.

But if you are up for some new training, we have the perfect weight loss solutions for you. These are solutions that will work and give you the results that no one has been able to provide. If you can follow these simple weight loss techniques, then we guarantee you will shed those pounds easier than ever before. But all we need from you is a bit of compassion - not for us, but for your own beautiful body. Take a deep breathe and relax - When you are ready to begin, you can start reading further.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BODY

We have said it before and we are saying it again, effective weight loss is all about understanding your body. When you need to get something done from someone, your first step is always to get into their heads, so you can get an insight into finding out what they really want and what triggers them to say yes. This is exactly how you are going to begin your weight loss. Buy knowing what your body needs and what triggers it to binge.

A WORD ABOUT CALORIE COUNTING

Some people emphasize completely on counting calories, and other programs will ask you to ditch it completely. We suggest that you take it into consideration, but don't let it overwhelm you. Knowing what foods have higher calories will help you towards your weight loss goals. But we will tell you how not to let it overcome your diet to ruin it.

EFFECTIVE WEIGHT LOSS VS QUICK WEIGHT LOSS

When it comes to weight loss, quick is never as good as effective. Because quick weight loss will only shed pounds most of you will quickly gain back, and lets face it, if you really are here trying to find a way to lose weight, then those fad diets probably made you sick. Been there done that, right? Well, the good news is now you can move on.

THE 60 TIPS

Yes. Finally, the real deal on effective weight loss. They might seem a little out-there at first but they will work for you.

1. Forget your weight loss goal. Enough has been said about setting goals and then planning to achieve them. But let me tell you something - if you are here reading this then this goal setting has probably done nothing for you. This is because when you set a weight loss goal, it means sticking to a certain routine. And most of us already have so much going on in our lives that it's sometimes impossible to work along that set routine.

2. Why you should keep a realistic approach. When you skip the routine it makes you so depressed you actually feel like you are this big loser who cannot do anything right. That doesn't help now does it? Of course it doesn't! So the first step to successful weight loss - stop thinking about that depressing objective!

3. Set a motivating future objective. Most of us will do nothing for a goal to lose boring 100 pounds, but we will kill to get a pair of those discounted patented lambskins in one size less, or to get into those sexy jeans you bought last Christmas and can't fit into anymore.

4. Get into those jeans. Just take a minute, and imagine yourself in those clothes that are only about a size or two in difference. Visualize how great you look! That is what your new 'goal' is.

5. Love yourself the way you are. No one likes being called 'fat' and 'ugly'. Your body doesn't either!

6. Treat your body well. You have to learn to stop treating it like an unwanted piece of merchandise and begin treating it the way it deserves to be treated - only then will it treat you back the same way.

7. Look at the mirror. Yes, look and reason with your body that you now live in an age of plus sizes.

8. Find the right clothes. There are enough gorgeous clothes out there that can and will accentuate your beauty and hide your little chubby faults. I mean, come on, it's not like you are the only one! Otherwise why would people even make plus size clothes!

9. Get yourself a great new outfit. Most people reserve their shopping for after they have lost the weight. That's utterly ridiculous. Step out of those baggy pants and that preposterous sweat shirt and go get yourself a gorgeous set of clothes and really go out in those new pair of clothes.

10. New clothes, new you. Those clothes represent your new life as someone who understands their body and is on the way to successful weight loss.

11. When you look good, you feel good. Depression is the real factor behind most kinds of weight gain. To get rid of depression will be to get rid of excess weight.

12. Getting rid of depression. You need to find artificial ways to defy depression and be on the way to a new you. Wear nice clothes; invest in some great looking shoes. Buy some cosmetics or hair products that work for you. The secret to success is in your own hands.

13. Water is your new best friend. Water is the most essential drink you will need to incorporate for successful weight loss. It will also give you great skin.

14. Water is the new classy. You need to stop treating water as some second-grade drink which doesn't account for those sugary beverages. Think of water as a sparkling, crystal drink that cools and spreads joy inside your body.

15. Cut down on sugary drinks. Replace with water as much as possible. Sugary drinks give you an awful skin, excess weight and cancer. Think of that before you sip out of that disgusting soda.

16. The drawbacks of sugary beverages. If you are an average American then you are gaining 245 calories a day. Multiplied over a year that makes a total of twenty five pounds! If you had been any wiser you would have been 25 pounds thinner this year.

17. Caffeine affiliation. That said, most people are hooked onto the caffeine of the fizzy drinks, so it will take you some time to get used to a no fizzy drink diet.

18. Stop being guilty. Think of guilt as something that physically adds calories to your physique.

19. Learn to instill confidence in yourself. So what if you had that extra glass of carbonated beverage or that yummy looking truffle at the dinner last night. Give yourself a break! It doesn't mean anything. Move on.

20. Every bit counts. When it comes to weight loss it's the little things that matter. Even if you get rid of a few calories per day, these will multiply to give you an overall cut down of much more than you think.

21. Keep a positive attitude about weight loss. Appreciate yourself whenever you are able to make any cut down or follow any diet tip.

22. Don't get lost in calorie counting. If you are at a romantic dinner, bringing out a calculator to add up dinner calories might make you seem a little crazy. Besides, it quite simply does nothing.

23. Good food and bad food. The idea is to simply divide all food into categories than knowing the actual count. For example fruits "low", sugar "high", yogurt "low" cream "high". Greek yogurt "low", mayonnaise "high".

24. Substitute fish and seafood wherever possible. When you go out to eat, just try to substitute with seafood, like fish, lobster or shrimp wherever possible. Fish is especially effective for women with PMS symptoms.

25. Diet breaks. You can make a great list of home cooked meals and not be able to do it everyday. A colleague might invite you, a friend may lure you or maybe you see a tasty meal in a magazine and you need to have some outdoor food. Well go, and be happy about it.

26. More on diet break. Consider a glitch in your diet program as a break, a vacation and not as something that will or has broken your weight loss dream.

27. Leave out sugars. Cut down on the sugars as much as possible. When you go out, ask for diet desserts. Instead of ice cream try to develop the taste for frozen yogurt.

28. Diet recipes. There are many diet recipe books available online and in book stores. If you are a fan of cooking then you can try them out at home.

29. Cheese can be tackled. If you are a big fan of cheese then cutting down on it might be a little impossible. So apply the tricks. For making foods like lasagna, you should opt for a stronger cheese. That way you get more flavor while the amount of cheese, and hence the amount of calories, is actually less.

30. Do not ban dairy products. In this day of synthetic foods, the few healthy ingredients left on our menu includes dairy products. Although dairy products might look full of calories, recent studies show that they actually aid in weight loss!

31. Daily dairy count. But of course you can't go over the top. Keep your daily dairy count to a minimum; say a glass of milk or a slice of cheese.

32. Yogurt - 'nuff said. If I haven't stressed it enough, then I should say it again - yogurt is the new milk. A cup of yogurt has more proteins and vitamins than double the amount of milk.

33. Substitute dips and dressings. You can also use Greek yogurt as a substitution for mayonnaise or cream based dips and dressings.

34. Grilled is better than fried. Although obvious, this little trick can help you lose a lot of weight. Substitute grilled, smoked or baked for fried wherever possible. Whether its vegetables in Chinese or chicken in a burger.

35. Smoked is also better than fried. Smoked fish is better than fried or even grilled fish. Make these little healthy choices as much as possible and you will see those pounds dropping even when you have been going out a lot.

36. A word about pizza. This is the most difficult binge to controls than any other perhaps because a pizza really isn't a health food. It's a little naïve to think that you will be cutting it completely, because you won't.

37. Pizza problems. But you do have to make sure you eat one not more than once a week. When you do eat, you can make healthier choices by ordering thin crust instead of deep pan.

38. Substitute low-fat or non-fat. Wherever applicable, use low fat milk, cream, cheese and even yogurt. You won't know the difference when you eat but your body will.

39. Cream is the real culprit. It can be so hard to give up on this on your dessert. But the way to trick your body is to use it sparingly, so you don't end up feeling deprived.

40. Use whipped cream. One great tip is that one tablespoon of whipped cream carries only about eight calories. So you can use it on a bowl of fresh fruit and get away with it!

41. Don't make every dairy non fat. Leave one dairy per day or at least every alternate day that is not low fat or non fat. Especially milk. Nutritionists say this actually helps weight loss.

42. When eating out, order salad. This is a must-do for your weight loss program. When you incorporate a salad in your meal, you get filled more quickly and it leaves you no room for more of the main course.

43. Incorporate activity. No diet can help you if you are sitting on your couch and making yourself physically weak and fat. It can be difficult to incorporate exercise and your job may not allow time for gym, but incorporating activity isn't just about making yourself go to the gym for two days and then leaving it because something else came up.

44. More about activity. Activity can be any activity that makes you feel better. I know this guy who told me how he liked to help people carrying groceries to their cars and using this as a workout! It made him feel better because the people seemed to love him and he was burning calories at the same time. Activity can also be dance lessons! Just imagine if you were lose weight while being able to do salsa!

45. Butter walk. If you really need that cream cheese bagel, then you must walk to go get it. Yes, that is the new rule. Need that evening donut? Walk to get it. You have no idea how many calories you can account for by doing this simple walking ritual.

46. Wholegrain vs. white flour. The debate has gone on for years, and still holds true. White flour relates to weight gain, while wholegrain flour is organic and serves good purpose.

47. All is not bad. You must remember grains and carbohydrates are a part of daily diet and cannot be banned from meals, regardless of what those fad diets say.

48. Being classy helps. It looks more classy and fashionable when you go somewhere and make all those healthy food choices - "Can I have a whole wheat, cucumber sandwich, and a glass of orange juice?" as opposed to "Gimme a mayonnaise sandwich and go heavy on the cheese okay?"

49. Weekend attire. Apparently what you wear on a lazy weekend decides what you will eat on this lazy weekend too. Nutritionists and dieticians confirm that wearing a sweat shirt and flip flops will keep you on the couch with that potato chip bag, while adorning formal wear will give you a feeling of being careful with what you eat.

50. Shop till you drop. This is simply another way to incorporate a healthy activity. If you like shopping then just shop and burn enough fat for a couple of days! Even if you can't buy, you should try things on or simply window shop.

51. When you plan to go out. When planning an outing, try to program activities that include exercise rather than a simple eating of popcorn. Anything that includes at least a bit of walking would do.

52. Keep fruits and vegetable handy. You can't keep a diet if you don't have a stocked fridge. Because if you keep going to the grocery store every time, then you risk losing the urge to keep at the fruit snack and you might indulge in something less amusing on the way. With a stocked fridge, whenever the urge to eat strikes, you can simply go pick up the fruits or vegetables and start filling yourself.

53. Do not listen to fashion models. Magazines sell not only stories, but also the models and it is their business to make it seem like everyone out there should look like this. But be intelligent and know that it is not true! No one you know is a runway model and neither are you. So be realistic and love yourself the way you are because that is what you are good at.

54. Appreciate yourself all the way. It is a simple enough thing to do, and yet we don't see many people trying this.

55. Tip on appreciation. Whether you stopped yourself from having a pizza today, or talked on the phone standing up, regard yourself for making the right choice.

56. Enjoy your food. Don't go about chomping away without even really tasting the food. When you fork something into your mouth, let your taste buds appreciate the meal and enjoy it. Think of how elegant that makes you look too. And slowly you will find yourself eating slower and lesser. Remember that food is not about filling, but about enjoying.

57. Learn to eat with chopsticks. Indulge in some classy food etiquette. Be a connoisseur and use chopsticks wherever applicable. It will not only fill you up quicker, but you will find yourself enjoying the experience.

58. Add green tea and lemon to your food routine. There are enough people out there asking you to try green tea and lemon and telling you they assist in fat burn. There is evidence to the contrary as well, so you can't decide whether that is true. But one thing is true - green tea is a great way to give your body some healing potion. If nothing else, it will keep you off sugary drinks because it has a low amount of caffeine which can help you cope. In any case it is much healthier than a colored cancerous soda right?! Lemon may not actually burn fat, but it does help metabolism and gives you great skin.

59. Use honey instead of sugar wherever applicable. The feasibility of non-sugar sweeteners is still under consideration, so when staying off sugar may look a little daunting, you can try to replace honey. Honey is an organic and safe product and some civilizations use it religiously for its enormous health benefits.

60. Think clothes, not calories. There is no harm in checking your weighing scale at times, but when you think about weight loss, don't obsess about counting calories and watching your weighing machine everyday. Sometimes you will lose more and sometimes less. Sometimes your weighing machine won't show you anything but your body will look all toned and great because of exercise. So gauge results by clothes and how they fit, rather than weighing scales and calories.

The reality is that many people are obese and over weight because on the whole they are not happy with themselves. Whether this is because of the sugar coated, fat laden fast food diets we have acquired or whether it is simply because we have given up on ourselves, we all need help at some level.

The minute you learn to accept yourself as who you are and realize a food binge is nothing but a passing fancy, you will find yourself accepting healthy food and being able to enjoy it rather than simply go about eating it.

Focusing on putting a certain kind of food aside is not everyone's piece of cake and can actually do you harm. Most nutritionists will recommend a balanced diet, which includes all food groups in the right portions. Do not take diet pills and patches unless you have discussed it with your doctor.

Remember one fundamental rule: Do not think of a diet plan as being customary for a few days. These techniques mentioned above are not a diet program but a subtle, easy change of life style. You won't drop four sizes in one month, but you will lose a lot of pounds over a longer period of time. This safe effective method will make sure that instead of you gaining weight like always and not being able to fit into the jeans you are wearing this year, you should be able to fit into last years jeans by the end of this year. Some people have changed their entire routines by using these techniques and are not even worried anymore!

This is a healthy life style change which is more constant and successful than a diet program. It works for your entire life.

Cyma Rizwan Khan

URL: http://www.cymarizwankhan.wordpress.com
Email: cyma.ali@gmail.com

Why Saving Money is Like Dieting: Or, Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!

Stop Going for the Rich Things

Sometimes when you buy something, you buy it for the designer label. You buy it simply because it is "rich." Often, there is an alternative that is equally as appropriate. If you must have a certain brand, consider buying secondhand. Why spend extra money that you don't need to spend?

Similarly, when you are cooking, you can often lower the fat in your meals easily without sacrificing any of the taste. Consider substituting yogurt for oil the next time you bake muffins or a cake: this works particularly well with packaged mixes. There are hundreds of low-fat, low-calorie, wonderful tasting meals out there. You can even choose to make a low-fat dessert. Why would you choose the unhealthy option when the healthy option tastes just as good and gives you the benefit of being able to feel good about yourself?

Be Aware

Knowing your spending habits will help you make wiser financial decisions. Knowing your eating habits will allow you to establish where you need to make changes in your diet. Track yourself on anything that you want to change, because it will make it easier for you to change.

Sometimes the act of tracking yourself makes you change, just knowing that you will have to write it down. For instance, if you know that you are going to write down everything you eat for a week, you might find that you eat healthier foods because you don't want to write down that you eat junk food. Similarly, you might not make impulse purchases if you know that you have to write it down at the end of the day.

Track yourself as you begin to make changes, as well. Writing down your budget and your diet as you progress will help you chart your improvements, and keep you motivated to continue.

Avoid Temptation

If you know that every time you go into this certain bakery, you have to buy a piece of cake, simply don't go to that bakery. The same thing goes for shopping: if you know that you can't go into a shoe store or book store without making a purchase, then avoid those places. Although staying on a diet and staying on a budget both require a certain amount of willpower, don't tax yourself. You'll be happier if you don't feel constant urges, so do what you can to suppress these urges by removing the temptation from your life.

Avoiding temptation goes beyond avoiding places where you are tempted. It might also mean reorganizing parts of your life. For instance, you won't be able to pig out on junk food at work if you don't have any junk food in your desk drawer. Similarly, you won't be able to use your emergency credit card for an impulse purchase if your card is not in your wallet, but instead in a shoebox under your bed.

Plan Ahead

It is much easier to eat healthy meals when you have planned your meals ahead. This way, you have the ingredients and the groceries all available when you get home. Instead of eating potato chips while you watch TV, if you have some strawberries cut up you might eat those instead.

The same thing works with budgeting. If you plan your spending ahead of time, you will know how much to spend on different areas of your life. It is easier to not spend money when you know that you are saving for a special object, as well.

Be Realistic

You will probably not lose all of the weight that you want in one month, just like you will probably not pay off all of your loans in one month. Making monthly goals that are attainable will help you see the big picture, and show you how your progress is going.

Don't be disheartened if it seems like you are not making a difference for the first month: both monetary and dietary changes take a while to register. Your body has to get used to the change in diet. You have to wait for your statement to come back to see a change.

Instead of making unrealistic goals, such as never eating a piece of cake again, you can offer yourself little rewards. Regulate these rewards, and work towards earning them. Remember: a reward doesn't have to be a big thing. It might be as small as being able to spend $5 at the dollar store, or being able to have a bowl of frozen yogurt with fruit. If you are trying to lose weight or save money, you will be working hard, and you will deserve an occasional reward.

Move Beyond the Numbers

It's not just the amount of money you spend or the number of calories you consume. When you diet, you also need to exercise. When you are trying to back loans, you might choose to work overtime hours. Both of these require extra effort and planning.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or save money, you will need to use the same skill set. Transfer the skills from one area of your life to another. Tracking your progress and setting goals will help you reach any goal, be they financial, health-related, or otherwise. Learning these skills will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.

Morgan James is a finanical expert who helps people learn to use their money. You can learn how to invest your money and how to find the best loan for you at The Guide To Loans [http://www.theguideto-loans.com/personal_loans]

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Fighting Inflammation One Bite at a Time

In this article I would like to focus on chronic inflammation. Many things contribute to chronic inflammation including a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, smoking, increased stress, lack of sleep. These things, as well as our Standard American Diet, contribute to low levels of inflammation which speeds up the aging process and increases your risk of disease.

Since inflammation is a factor in promoting disease it is important to take steps to neutralize the inflammatory process. Fortunately, nature created many things to help us fight inflammation. Certain foods have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the discomfort of inflammation. Incorporating foods that fight inflammation into your current diet will improve your health and help you to feel better. This natural approach to inflammation can reduce your dependence on prescription drugs and help reduce their side effects.

But first, let's take a look at foods that trigger inflammation. Foods that are fried with trans fats or are made with hydrogenated vegetable oils are big contributors to inflammation. Also food that is high in sugar. These include cakes, cookies, white flour, white sugar, French fries and potato chips to name a few. Reducing sugar intake can bring down inflammation and it will help you to cut calories which will help with weight loss and less joint pain. Most processed foods, red meat, and foods high in sugar and processed carbohydrates can worsen inflammation.

Saturated fats also tend to contribute to inflammation. Trim your saturated fat intake by choosing lean cuts of meat, trimming excess fat and choosing low-fat dairy products. Arachidonic acid, found in red meats, converts to pro-inflammatory chemicals. Cured meats such as bacon have nitrites which also increase the inflammatory process. Another way to decrease saturated fat intake is to limit consumption of red meats.

Being overweight is another problem in the inflammatory process. Fat cells produce inflammatory chemicals in your body. Watch your calorie intake even from the anti-inflammatory foods to be discussed later in this article.

Now, for the foods to eat that fight inflammation!

Antioxidants help to fight inflammation by binding to free radicals. The best source of dietary antioxidants is fruits and vegetables. There is no end to the positive benefit your body receives from eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables gives your body the different antioxidants that can work together to decrease inflammation. A general rule is that the more brightly colored the fruits and vegetables, the higher the antioxidant content. Eating more fruits and vegetables will also increase your fiber intake. People who eat more fiber tend to have less inflammation.

1. Pineapple is a good choice because it contains Bromelain, an enzyme that helps break down proteins. For many people it has a similar pain-relieving effect to over-the-counter pain medications, like NSAIDs (such as aspirin and ibuprofen). Don't like pineapple...try taking the supplement Bromelain. Just remember, Bromelain does thin the blood so if you are on a prescription blood thinner check with your doctor first.

2. Take advantage of the brightly colored berries, such as strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and red grapes. Use them in smoothies and desserts sweetened with Stevia. Cherries are also packed with anti-oxidants. Berries and cherries are high in fiber and low in fat and their natural sweetness is a great replacement for white processed sugar. Cherries are also beneficial to people with gout as cherry juice or cherry capsules helps the body to wash out the uric acid that has crystallized causing pain.

3. Pomegranates have also been shown to help with inflammation. A study in the "Journal of Inflammation" in 2008 showed pomegranate extract helped reduce the production of chemicals that cause inflammation. Drinking about 6 ounces of pomegranate juice a day is equivalent to the dose used in the study.

Vegetables are another great source of nutrition that inhibits the inflammatory process. Many vegetables have high concentrations of carotenoids, another antioxidant. They also have concentrations of calcium and vitamin c.

1. Onions and Garlic. These are bulb vegetables that are high in Quercetin, a chemical that acts as a natural anti-histamine. Garlic also helps to stimulate your immune system to fight disease. There are several other vegetables and fruits that contain Quercetin including black and green tea, capers, apples, citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, cherries, raspberries, cranberries and the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

2. Spinach is also rich in carotenoids and Vitamin E. You can get similar benefits from kale, chard, turnip greens and mustard greens.

3. Sweet Potatoes are tasty, low in calories, have no fat, are rich in health boosting minerals and supply more carotenoids to fight inflammation. All brightly colored vegetables such as winter squash, carrots, red peppers also high in carotenoids.

4. Broccoli is high in vitamin C and calcium and also fights eye inflammation. Lightly steam your broccoli to capture most of its health benefits.

Several spices are beneficial in fighting inflammation. These include garlic, ginger, turmeric and hot chili peppers. You can take the above mentioned spices in capsule form but it is fun to experiment with them in various recipes. The action of these spices is very similar to anti-inflammatory drugs but they are easier on the stomach.

1. Turmeric or Curcumin as long been used in Asian medicine to treat chronic pain and upset stomachs. It can also lower blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.

2. Ginger has similar benefits to turmeric to decrease inflammation and has also been shown to ease arthritis pain. Ginger can also help when taken for car sickness.

3. Other spice that can help to fight inflammation include oregano, basil, cinnamon, parsley, thyme, rosemary. Try a variety of inflammatory reducing spices to reap all the health benefits.

Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the best inflammation fighters we could use. Eating several servings of fish a week, such as cod, sardines, mackerel, tuna and salmon can boost the immune system and fight inflammation. Omega 3's can also be found in green, leafy vegetables and walnuts and almonds. Coconut and flaxseed oil are also great sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega-3's play a role in reducing chronic inflammatory changes in the body and may dull the pain associated with medical conditions such as arthritis. They can also reduce the risk of heart disease if taken on a regular basis. If you don't like fish, you may take a fish oil supplement to reap these health benefits. Fish oil also thins the blood. Please advise your doctor you are taking fish oil prior to any surgeries or consult your doctor before starting fish oil if on Coumadin or an aspirin regimen.

Other oils that are good to fight inflammation include:

1. Olive Oil contains a natural chemical called oleocanthal which inhibits the same enzymes as prescription anti-inflammatory medication. Only premium, extra virgin olive oil contains high enough concentration of this chemical to be beneficial.

2. Hemp Oil also contains Omega 3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation. This is a versatile oil that can be used for cooking or taken by the teaspoonful.

Nuts are another good source of nutrition to fight inflammation.

1. Walnuts are rich in vitamin E which helps the immune system and eating them by the handfuls or adding them to dishes can help to prevent heart disease. They are also high in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Populations which consume the highest amounts of choline and betaine have lower plasma C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor. These are all measures of inflammation in the body. To benefit from Choline-rich foods include beef liver, chicken liver, eggs, wheat germ, and dried soybeans, in your diet. Betaine-rich foods include wheat bran, wheat germ, spinach, shrimp, and wheat bread.

Begin including some of the anti-inflammatory foods or supplements into your diet. You will be doing your cardiovascular system a huge favor as well as reducing soreness associated with exercise. You may notice a decrease in acne, sinusitis, and painful joints. You waste size may also decrease because of the lower calorie consumption.

Tressie Harzman is a Certified Natural Health Professional and offers low cost supplements that have been produced in an FDA approved lab. They also hold the GMP seal for Guaranteed Potency. Find fish oil supplements guaranteed free of mercury, lead and arsenic and other anti-inflammatory supplements at http://www.threefoldhealth.com