South Beach Diet & Other Weight Loss

Ron Richardson asked:


There are dozens that can help, but each food and its qualities will have different effects on different bodies.

Each of these foods posess unique properties that help your body speed up the fat burning process, as well as suppress your appetite. They fill you up, and keep full so you won’t need to snack on junk food all day long. Not only fill you up, but they are also very nutrient dense, to give your body the fuel it needs to maintain optimal health.

1) Apples. They help to increase your blood sugar levels in a natural, safe, gentle fashion and the effects are long lasting. They keep your body satisfied over a longer period of time. As opposed to foods that raise your blood sugar levels with a huge spike, then usually followed by a crash, or energy loss.

Very rich source of soluble fiber, important in preventing your body from going from large blood sugar level drops or decreases. They contain no sodium, cholesterol or saturated fat.

2) Berries. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and the newest sensation the Acai (ah-sigh-EE) berry. Berries provide antioxidants to help fight the ravages of Free Radicals. The Acai berry has scored the highest among any fruit (as measured by the ORAC scale).

You won’t find the Acai berry in your local supermarket. They come from the towering palms located in the Amazon Rain Forrest. You can benefit form their amazing qualities in, juices, smoothies, capsules(freeze dried) as well as others.

Considered one of the top ten superfoods in the world, the Acai berry is a supplement that is worth looking into. Learn more about a Premium Acai Berry Supplement

3) Grapefruit. Grapefruits special qualities include the ability to dissolve fat and lower cholesterol. They do this with a specialized fiber called ‘Pectin’. An average sized grapefruit contains about 15 grams. They also help prevent ‘hardening of the arteries’, heart disease, and are high in Vitamin ‘C’ and potassium.

4) Spinach. Yep, Popeyes secret weapon should be part of everyone’s diet. Very rich in beta carotene and vitamins ‘C’ and ‘E’. These help speed up your metabolism and burn fat at a

greater rate. Also proven to lower cholesterol.

5) Broccoli. Broccoli is considered to be one of the number one cancer fighting foods, containing ‘indoles carotene’. Also containing lots of fiber, and about 20 times the ‘Reccommended Daily Allowance’ of vitamin ‘C’ and calcium.

Again, these are only 5 foods that are proven to help you lose weight, and keep it off. But that’s just part of their amazing benefits that anyone can receive.

Do your research and find the foods that you enjoy eating in different dishes. If you actually like the foods that your diet contains, well you’ll have not trouble getting om, and more importantly, staying on a healthy daily diet.

Wesley Atkins asked:


The low glycemic index diet is based on a theory that eating foods which score lower on the glycemic index will help you to not only lose weight but also manage diabetes if you suffer from that disease and possibly stave off other related health conditions such as heart disease.

The glycemic index came out in the 1980’s originally as a way to help diabetics better manage their diets. The index was designed to rank foods according to how fast they cause the blood sugar levels in the body to rise within a few hours of eating them. Because the pancreas must release insulin in order to help return excess levels of blood glucose, or blood sugar, to normal it was conceived that the ranking of foods could help diabetics better gauge the effects specific foods would have on their bodies.

If they were able to know which foods would raise their blood sugar levels they would then be able to avoid or eat little of those foods and therefore keep their blood sugar levels in check. After awhile it was discovered that the low glycemic index diet could also help individuals to lose weight as well. Today, it has become one of the most popular diets around and many famous diets, including the South Beach diet are based on the idea of a low glycemic index diet.

According to the low glycemic index diet foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 110. Foods that rank with a score of 55 or lower on the scale are considered to be low on the glycemic index. Those foods which rank from 56 to 69 fall in the moderate category while those foods that are scored at 70 or above are considered to be ‘high’ glycemic index foods. High GI foods are believed to raise blood sugar levels the highest after consuming them and should therefore be avoided are eaten in small amounts.

Foods which are allowed on the low glycemic index diet include nuts and seds, yogurt, milk, vegetables, fruits, etc. The types of foods which commonly rank highest on the glycemic index include caffeinated beverages such as coffee and sodas, desserts and candy.

Beyond managing weight loss and blood sugar levels for the purpose of diabetes the low glycemic index diet also has many other advantages as well such as an increased alertness and energy level. Individuals who find they are frequently tired and lethargic in the afternoon may notice they no longer feel that way when on the low glycemic index diet. This is because it has been shown that diets which are high in high carbohydrates frequently result in a lack of energy in the afternoon.

Individuals on the diet have also noticed thy tend to feel less stressed out on this diet and also have a general improvement in their mood. Unlike other diets the body is also frequently able to retain more muscle with the low glycemic index diet. This is especially important when you are dieting and trying to lose weight. Many people find that while on this diet their bodies begin to feel trimmer even before they have actually lost a significant amount of weight. This is due to the body storing fat more efficiently, resulting in a retention of muscle over fat. Since muscle weighs more than fat you may feel trimmer and notice your clothes fitting looser without losing as much weight as you might expect.

Finally, individuals who have found they have difficulty losing weight in the stomach area are often delighted with the results of the low glycemic diet because it enables them to tone of their tummy area more quickly than with other diets.

Charles Amith asked:


The low carb diet revolution may have slowed down a bit, but the fact is that there are so many people that have just starting this style of diet plan. With all of the yoyo diets around, people are looking for a true diet plan that will aid in shedding off the pounds quickly. The biggest question when it comes to low carb eating is how healthy is it?

Traditionally, calories were what dieters counted. They had charts and scales to insure that they were eating the right amounts of food at a certain caloric level each day. Although trimming calories can result in weight loss, it is not the goal for a person following the low carb way of eating.

So what is it that low carb eaters count? Just as the name implies, it is the amount of carbohydrates that is the significant part of the plan. What many people don’t understand is how it works.

When you keep your carbohydrates down to a certain level, your body looks for a source for energy. Since there is a reduced level of carbohydrates, your body then goes down to the next step…burning fat. Yes, fat can be used as an energy source. Keep in mind that you are still eating the minimal amount of carbohydrates, not eliminating them from your diet.

In a traditional diet, people stay away from fatty foods. If you are using the low carb diet plan, you will be eating fatty foods. Whether you are eating a steak, some fish, or even nuts, there are oils and fats that you’ll be consuming. What you must consider are the types of fat that you’re eating…as there are bats that are bad for you such as the ones in margarine. These are often referred to as trans-fats.

So will your health improve or go down the hill while following the low carb diet plan? While following this diet, your insulin levels will decrease, your cholesterol will lower, your blood pressure will lower, and your blood sugar levels will stabilize. This are all moving you into a healthier position.

Another thing to consider is your nutrition. While eating low carb foods, you may be reducing nutrient rich foods which can be high in carbohydrates. So it’s important that your body gets all of the vitamins, minerals and fiber so that your body gets the recommended daily levels. The easiest thing to do is take nutritional supplements.

Just remember, everybody is different. Remember to ask a diet professional about any diet advice, especially if you have pre-existing health problems. This diet does change your chemistry to burn fat, so it’s important that you do it in the correct way.

Wesley Atkins asked:


The Low Glycemic Index Diet has become quite popular because it provides numerous advantages. While the diet was first developed as a way for individuals who with diabetes to better manage their condition it quickly evolved into a weight to lose weight and even as a lifestyle change to effectively maintain weight loss.

One of the main reasons why people switch to a low GI diet is that they want to lose weight and this diet has proven to be effective in helping people to lose weight. There are also many other advantages; however. For example, research indicates that diets that are based on low GI foods can also help to reduce the risk of developing many health conditions such as diabetes and cancer as well as heart disease. Some research suggests that you can even cut the risk of developing these diseases in half by following the Low Glycemic Index Diet. Another major benefit is the ability to lower blood pressure as well as lower cholesterol levels.

Additionally, individuals who have followed the diet have been found to have their body’s ability to fight disease boosted. This is accomplished by strengthening the immune system, providing numerous other overall health benefits.

The Low Glycemic Index Diet is able to bring about these benefits because it is based on consuming foods that are relatively low on the glycemic index and restriction consumption or avoiding foods that are high on the index. The glycemic index itself ranks foods according to how fast the body is able to digest them. Those foods which are digest more slowly by the body and therefore do not raise the body’s blood sugar levels as high rank low on the scale and are acceptable. Other foods are digested slightly more quickly and dieters are therefore advised to proceed with caution regarding those foods; however, they are not restricted. These foods rank from 56 to 69 on the glycemic index. The final category consists of foods that are digested very quickly by the body, rapidly raising the body’s blood sugar levels. These foods score between 70 and 110 on the glycemic index. For the most part, these foods consist of highly processed and refined foods such as sugary foods.

Most vegetables, as long as they are not starchy vegetables, are quite allowable on the Low Glycemic Index Diet. Fruits are also encouraged, unlike may other diets which warn against the consumption of too much fruit because they are considered to be high in natural sugars.

While the advantages of this diet are quite obvious it should be understood that this is not a diet which can be followed for a short period of time and then abandoned with the expectation of keeping the weight off. One of the important considerations of this diet is that it is more of a lifestyle change rather than a short term diet. Individuals following the diet can expect to remain in the first phase of the diet for three to six months depending on how much weight they wish to lose. A

fter that, they can move on to the second phase of the diet for weight maintenance purposes. Moderate exercise is required of both phases of the Low Glycemic Index Diet in order to assure weight loss and continued weight loss maintenance. Failure to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle can result in failure to lose weight or gaining weight back.

If you’re ready to take advantage of a healthier lifestyle, reduce your chance of developing serious health conditions and lose weigh the Low Glycemic Index Diet may be just right for you.