South Beach Diet & Other Weight Loss

George Black asked:


In recent years, ultra low carb diets have hained a lot of popularity. But, are they really all they are cracked up to be?

First of all, let’s see some of the philosophy behind these diets:

Carbs make your body secrete a lot of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that carries nutrients from the blood to the different parts of the body. Some insulin is good (we would die without it – diabetics need to take insulin shots for example). But too much insulin is not good because it tends to make us gain more fat (no need to analyse the biological process – just trust me, this happens).

Fat on the other hand tends to be absorbed much slower. This means that if you add fat to a food, the food will be absorbed more slowly and not that much insulin will be secreted.

So, eating more fat and less carbs helps keep your insulin levels steady throughout the day (eating 6 small meals instead of 3 big ones does the same thing). This means that you will not have so many “crashes” (like those afternoon urges for food). By the way, when you exercise (and especially when you weight train) your body becomes that much more efficient at dealing with insulin and tries to “push” the nutrients to your muscles – and not your fat reserves.

Now, in practical terms, does the “high-fat, low-carb” type of nutrition work? It depends on what we mean by “high” and “low”. If you ask me, the name of the game is moderation. Do that and you should be fine. As I mentioned earlier, a typical diet, may look like this:

Carbohydrates: 60%

Protein: 10%

Fat: 30%

And I recommend something like:

Carbohydrates: 45%

Protein: 35%

Fat: 20%

So, should we take it to the extreme and do something like:

Carbohydrates: 10%

Protein: 35%

Fat: 55%

In my opinion, no. Although some people can respond well to this type of nutrition, most people won’t. The main reason is that very low carb diets will tend to cannibalise your muscle tissue – because carb molecules and water molecules are stored in the muscle (again, no need to get technical – just show some blind faith here).

You lose the carbs, you lose the water – and you lose the muscle. And then you can’t lose fat because your metabolism drops. Stick to the ratios I recommend (don’t obsess over them – just try to approximate them) and you should be fine (more than fine actually).

Finally, let me say that an ultra low-carb diet is BRUTAL and no “normal person” will be able to stick with it and see results from. Unless they are a masochist of course. In order to succeed, you need to enjoy your program so you stick with it. This is crucial…

Debby Smith asked:


Cellulite is a major problem from which many women suffer. Constant accumulation of fat and other toxins below the skin layer causes the formation of dimple on the skin and this is called cellulite. About 90% of the women have cellulite particularly in thighs, butt and stomach. Fat gets accumulated in these areas easily and hence give an ugly look. Even slim women are having problems with cellulite and they are trying to combat this problem.

Basically, cellulite occurs due to the accumulation of fat. The logical way to treat cellulite is to reduce fat content in the body. This is possible with proper diet and exercises. You need to take low carb diets that are rich in all nutrition. These diets lack fat, the essential enemy for cellulite reduction. Carbohydrates provide energy for the body but white carbohydrates are stored as fat if you don’t have enough muscles to burn the carbs. People who are interested in getting rid of cellulite should switch to low carb diets that have little or no fat. With these diets, you will get all the energy you want and reduce cellulite at the same time.

Low carb diet does not mean that it is tasteless. You can find many low carb diet recipes on the net that help you reduce your cellulite. You want to burn out that extra dimple that spoils your look but you need not compromise your taste buds when you choose low carb diets. Eating these foods for some period of time will definitely help you fight cellulite. Apart from eating these diets, you should also drink a lot of water. Water is the secret of beauty and all toxins will be removed from your body when you drink water in plenty. In addition, it keeps your body hydrated and you will always feel fresh.

The low carb diets do not mean that they have no carbohydrates at all. Rather than supplying you with bad white carbs, these diets utilize brown carbs that are healthy for the body. A lot of low carb diet plans for reducing cellulite are available on internet and you have to choose the best plan for you if you want to get rid of cellulite. Many people have found success in eliminating cellulite when they switch to low carb diets. These diets encourage eating small frequent meals because it improves your metabolism. Apart from taking these diets, you have to follow cellulite reduction exercises for reducing cellulite in your body.

Don Alexander asked:


I was introduced to the health drink Fruta Vida through an e-mail that I didn’t request (spam) but that really caught my attention. It said that if I was to drink this drink called “Fruta Vida” that it would be a kind of a fountain of youth and that it had enough vitamins and minerals in it to really give me the energy I needed to face my 20 students a day at the public school where I teach.

The e-mail was so-well orchestrated I had to investigate further. I started to read through the testimonials. “I’ve lost 20 pounds without diet or exercise. I feel better than I have for twenty years. The hair on my head has actually got it’s color again.”

And on and on and on…

At this point I’ve got to try it. Hey, I’m reaching 40 years of age, and I want all of my internal parts to continue to receive the nutrients they so much need, and I want to stay looking young and fit!

Needless to say, a week later, a small box arrived at my front door, via UPS, and I popped open my first bottle of Fruta Vida! The directions say I can take one to two onces, so I take one, and within a few days, I notice barely anything. I did notice though that some of the aches and pains of muscles and body aches were lessening.

So, I said to myself, “Why not try taking 2.5 ounces? The bottle says I can try up to 3! So, I’m not kidding, starting that night or the following day, I was impressed with the positive effects. I had more energy during the day, I had almost no aches and pains from muscles and body aches, and then one other awesome thing happened.

In the morning, when it usually took forever for my eyes to open and have the feeling that I’ve woken up. You know that feeling? Well, believe it or not, it’s true. After taking the 2.5 ounces in the morning, followed up by a small glass of O.J. my eyes literally opened and my vision was clear within fifteen seconds.

Sounds unbelievable, I know, but it’s true. Then I started doing more research about Fruta Vida and I found out that the World War II fighter pilots used to use the ACAI berry to improve their vision on the night flights so that they could see the enemy and hit their targets!

Hey, if it’s good enough for the U.S. Military, it’s good enough for me, that much is sure! Well, without ever failing me, this precious and tasty (so many health drinks out their taste like castor-oil) drink is tasty.

It’s worth trying and I’m very pleased with my evaulation of the all natural rain forest Amazon Fruit Drink Fruta Vida. I love the impact it’s had on my vision and on my health as a man.

Perhaps someone else out there will give it a try, and maybe, just maybe, they will prolong their life and even see a major improvement in their health.

If that happens, every word I’ve just written will be worth it. As Spock said on Star Trek, “For the good of the one, and not the many…”