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Think proper nutrition is complicated? It doesn’t have to be.
Follow these simple principles and you’ll never go wrong.

I would bet that without even thinking, you could name 4 or 5 diets or eating plans that are in the popular media…Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Atkins, South Beach, etc. Every time you turn around, there’s a fantastic “new” approach to eating. It’s enough to make your head spin!

But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. I’ve got some easy-to-follow nutritional principles that will help keep you on the right track. Beginner or advanced, these will work for you!

1. Focus your eating on natural, unprocessed foods as much as possible.

While I know it’s not always possible to get fresh fruit and veggies and other unprocessed foods everywhere you go, your body will always respond best when you feed it foods that are not altered through processing. Your body has evolved over thousands and thousands of years to process foods in their natural state – it’s only relatively recently that processed foods have appeared on the scene.

Your body has the digestive mechanisms for efficiently processing foods in their natural state. When you add in the fats, salt, sugar, additives, etc., your body starts having a hard time digesting and coping. Think of it like trying to put regular gas into a vehicle that runs on diesel. It may run, but it’s not going to be very efficient with the fuel and it could cause problems down the road (no pun intended!)

Bottom Line: Eating foods that are not processed allows your body to function more efficiently. You’ll lose fat without even trying.

2. Get plenty of good quality, lean protein sources in your diet

When you’re training, your body has a much greater need for protein. During weight training and endurance training especially, your body is constantly breaking down muscle tissue. Protein is required to rebuild it. By regularly feeding your body good protein sources, you’ll be able to hold onto and build muscle mass easier.

Good sources of lean protein include meats (look for leaner cuts like sirloin), poultry, eggs (while not lean, eggs will not shoot up your cholesterol as many worry), fish, low-fat dairy, soybeans, and various legumes (beans).

As far as how much protein your body needs, this will vary according to how much you weigh and your activity level. A level of around 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight is a good guideline (we don’t count total bodyweight because fat is not metabolically active and doesn’t require protein to sustain it).

3. Don’t be afraid of “good” fats

Fats can be extremely beneficial, even when you’re trying to lose weight! Fats are important in a tremendous variety of bodily processes including hormone production, immunity, joint and organ protection, and even burning bodyfat. Without the “good” fats, your body will not function as well as it could.

“Good” fats include sources such as fish, nuts, flax oil, borage oil, and olive oil (there are many other good sources as well). Increasing your intake of these good fats can help keep you feeling good and burning your own bodyfat more efficiently.

Your total fat intake should be around 30% of your daily calories. A good way to go about getting this is to try and keep your focus primarily on low-fat foods while purposefully adding the “good” fats into your diet (like eating a few almonds every day or taking fish oil or flax oil capsules).

4. Carbs are fine

Despite all the talk about carbs being the enemy, it’s important to note that carbs and foods that contain carbs can actually be quite good for you! It’s generally the refined sugar added to foods that is the problem, not the carbohydrate as a nutrient on its own.

5. Non-nutritious foods should be minimized

This is an easy one. More than likely, you already know that you shouldn’t be eating Cheesy-Poofs or chocolate bars 3 meals a day. The calories you get from these foods don’t come with any actual nutrients. When your body is missing nutrients, it craves more food (not to mention the insulin response to the sugar in many of these foods) and you tend to eat more of the poor food that doesn’t have nutrients in it.

It’s ironic to think that many overweight people are actually malnourished! When you eat nutrient-dense foods, your body gets the nutrients it needs and functions much better.

5. Salads, fruits and vegetables will give you lots of fiber, roughage and nutrition

Eat plenty of salds, fruits and veggies every day. This is usually one that everybody already knows yet doesn’t normally focus on. The fiber in the foods helps keep you from getting too hungry and helps keep your digestive system clean.

6. Just do the best you can

It’s not always easy or convenient to follow good eating principles. There are plenty of tasty temptations to be found every time you turn around.

The REAL key to proper nutrition is to focus on trying to do well MOST of the time, not all of the time. It’s what you do most of the time that will give you the long-term results you’re looking for. Determining that you MUST be perfect all of the time is a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment when the time comes that you don’t eat a perfectly healthy food choice.

Sometimes, you just have to eat those Cheesy Poofs and not worry about it.

——————

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss,” “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” “Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!” and “The Best Abdominal Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” all available at (Betteru). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

An essential element of good health is regular exercise. Aerobic exercises, such as walking and jogging, are excellent ways to bum calories. Always begin with a warm-up period of 3-5 minutes, gradually reaching your target heart rate. (Me is 60 to So percent of your maximal heart, which is estimated at 220-age. For example. if you are 60 yrs. old your target heart would be 96 beats per minute through 128 beats per minute.) Always start at the low end of your target heart rate. Exercising in this range for 15 through 20 minutes will allow for fat reduction to occur. A cool down of 3 to 5 minutes is recommended as this allow* for your heart rate to gradually return to normal.

In order to shape and tone our bodies we need to do body shaping exercises. This will add muscle and firmness to our physiques. Many women tend to deposit fat around their thighs and buttocks, while males tend to put fat around their stomachs. Here are a few exercises that can help tighten these areas.

Outer thigh lift: Lying on your right side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulders, slowly lift your left leg as high as possible, hold, then return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions and switch sides.

Inner thigh lift: Lying on your left side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulder. right knee is bent to 90* angle. Slowly lift your left leg as high as possible. hold, then return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions and switch sides.

Abdominal crunches: Lying on your back with knees bent and hand behind your head, slowly curl your shoulders up. pause, slowly lower to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions.

You will notice that you will be much more conscience of the foods you’re eating when you exercise. Since you’ll be taking care of your body you won’t want to fill it up with junk foods.

It is best to eat three well balanced meals and two nutritious snacks in between. This will help eliminate the binge eating that often happens when meals are skipped. Try to drink plenty of water and eat high fiber foods since this will give you a full feeling without adding extra calories.

The key to any exercise program is to get proper instruction. A competent personal trainer will make all the difference.

The Atkins Diet – Separating Fact From Fiction

By Nick Nilsson

Have you ever wished for a diet where you ate bacon, eggs,
red meat, butter and sausage all day? Surprise!
It’s not the Atkins Diet.

The Atkins Diet has been in existence for over 30 years and has enjoyed a surge in popularity over the last few years.

Pioneered by Dr. Robert Atkins, the theory behind the Atkins Diet is simple. Your body prefers to utilize carbohydrates (such as in grains, cereals, breads, etc.) for energy and will burn them first prior to body fat. By cutting down dramatically on carbohydrates in your diet, you force your body to burn fat for energy.

Reducing the carbohydrates in your diet puts your body into a state called “ketosis.” This word is derived from the “ketones” that are used by your body for energy when sugars/carbs aren’t available. When you are in this state of ketosis, your body is producing ketones from your fat that is being burned for energy. Ketones are essentially the leftovers from this process and are used in place of sugar in the body.

One of the major misconceptions about the Atkins Diet that has been widely reported is that you can or should eat extremely unhealthy, fatty foods all the time. This is not actually true. Dr. Atkins recommends that you limit your intake of these types of foods (e.g. butter, sausage, bacon, etc.) and instead focus on healthy fats such as olive oil, fish oil, nuts, etc.

The Atkins Diet has many positives and negatives that have been associated with it. Some of the positives include:

• Rapid Weight Loss – though the first couple of days the majority of weight lost is water, your body does become more efficient at fat burning and you do lose fat. 

• Reduced Mood or Energy Swings – eating carbohydrates (especially sugary ones) can lead to mood and energy swings. This is often seen as the post-lunchtime or afternoon energy crash. When you eliminate the carbs, you eliminate the source of this problem. 

• Reduced Consumption of Refined Foods – highly refined foods are the source of many health problems. The more processed a food is, the less nutrients are generally in it. The Atkins Diet encourages a focus on the consumption of more natural state foods such as vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs and healthy oils.

Some of the negatives that have been associated with the Atkins Diet include:

• Rapid Regaining of Lost Weight – this can happen when a person comes off the Atkins Diet. They regain all the weight they lost. One of the major reasons for this is that when you eliminate the carbs from your diet for a long period of time, your body becomes more sensitive to them. When you go back to your regular eating habits (which may not have been great to begin with), your body reacts more strongly to the sugar and carbs in foods, leading to weight gain. This weight gain can be reduced by easing off the Atkins Diet gradually rather than by feasting on carbohydrates. 

• Lack of Food Choices – it can be difficult to find things to eat that are low carb. Most grocery stores are primarily stocked with carbohydrate-laden foods and it can get boring eating the same things over and over again. Luckily, with the popularity of the Atkins diet and other low carb diets, there are many delicious recipes available to help alleviate this boredom.

The Atkins Diet may not be for you but by incorporating some of the principles in it, such as lowering your carbohydrate intake and eating more natural-state foods, you may find that you can achieve great results without ever having to restrict yourself. It may take a little longer but the results will be more permanent as it is more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

——————

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss,” “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” “Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!” and “The Best Abdominal Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” all available at (BetterU). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Day Off Diet Plan

The body is always compared to a finely-tuned car. It needs food as its fuel and lifestyle, exercise and mental attitude as its regular maintenance for it to achieve its health potential. This explains the relation between health and nutrition. Putting in the wrong fuel or letting go of the right fuel without regular use, there is no way that your body can deliver its power and best performance. Nothing is more important than proper nutrition because without it, the body engine will splutter, cough and eventually stall. However, when proper nutrition and balanced diet is maintained, you can benefit from:

• Added vitality and energy
• Obtaining the weight that’s ideal for you
• Stronger and more powerful immune system
• Improved overall body performance
• Delayed effects of aging
• Being fit and active
• Lessened fatigue and tiredness
• Healthy teeth and gums
• Enhanced ability for concentration
• Total health which means less risks for diseases

How can you achieve proper nutrition?

Basically, proper nutrition can be achieved from maintaining a well-balanced diet. A well-balanced diet includes:

·         Low fat

Almost all nutritionists and health experts agree that cutting down on fats from butter, cream, fried foods, oils and margarine is the best way to reduce weight and make your modern diet healthier. This is also particularly important and healthy for the heart.

·         High Carbohydrates

Because many people have gone weight-conscious, they have forgotten the importance of rice, potatoes, pasta, cereals and bread to their health. Carbohydrates are important for vitality and energy so if you want to energize your body, take in foods that are rich in carbohydrates.

·         High Fiber

Fiber is the large indigestible part of the food that you take in everyday. It doesn’t only get you chewing, it also keeps the inner part of your body move smoothly, helps prevent bowel cancer and gallstones, helps lower cholesterol, and keeps your weight in check. Grain breads and whole meals are good sources of fiber.

·         Vitamins and Minerals

Fruits, vegetables and grains are abundant in vitamins and minerals as well as with other natural substances that functions as antioxidants. These foods help the body fight the free radicals that you get from bad foods and pollutants that could damage ones membranes, cells and DNA.

·         Eat Variety of Foods

Eating variety of foods will help you get all the nutrients your body needs. Try having a meal with foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and you get all the good nutrients your body deserves.

·         Take Sugar and Sweets Moderately

Sugar, when taken moderately can help you stay active and on the go however, when taken excessively, adds those kilojoules in your body and can displace and dispose other important foods especially for kids. Excessive intake of sugar and sweets may also cause tooth decay or dental caries.

·         Stay Away from Salt

The usual diet nowadays is laden with salt. While most people think that salt is a good flavoring for all foods, it actually masks the real flavor of the food you are eating. Not only that! It is also bad for ones health so it is very important that you buy no-added-salts or foods with reduced amount of salt.

·         Add Intake of Fluid

Two liters or eight glasses of fluid (water and fruit juices) is needed to keep your body hydrated as well as to keep your kidneys and other organs working efficiently. Don’t ever think that coffee and alcohol count! They are not considered helpful fluid because they act as diuretics that force your kidneys to excrete more fluid.

Proper nutrition is rather easy to achieve. Just incorporate the above mentioned foods in your diet, relax and take your time to appreciate them and for sure, you’ll be healthier than ever!

Losing excess weight is a great concern for people nowadays. And while various people have the idea of performing it in a tough way, that is, dieting and exercising on a standard basis, others consider it as a different thing. People who are weight conscious utilized those fad diet pills that claim best outcome. But most of the time, these fad pills can be harmful and fatal particularly if they are never established in an accurate way. So instead of comprehending more regarding the risks losing weight the accessible way, why not concentrate your awareness on how to lose overload weight at the safest and healthiest way?

Read through!

·         Perform Cardio Exercises. A lot of people frequently have this misapprehension that the exercise called cardio is not intended to get rid of those excess baggages. Absolutely, they are incorrect. The cardio exercises may in fact provide assistance in burning fats, particularly in the middle section portion of the human body.

When it comes to cardio exercises, you have a lot more of choices. The most standard methods are brisk walking and jogging. It is perfect that you walk or jog at approximately five times weekly. In spite of how much weight you want to lose, these kinds of exercises are ideal to be part of your morning habit. However, if you are not happy by means of jogging or walking around your vicinity, you can always decide for a substitute. A lot of women today have a preference in performing dance and aerobics. The great thing about cardio exercise is that you could achieve to lose excess pounds right at your own vicinity.

·         Foods Rich in Protein are Best for Losing Weight

Foods rich in high protein consider having carbohydrates in a low level, which happens to be perfect in losing weight. These foods comprise of fish, red meat, ostrich, turkey, eggs and chicken. Also, to break your intake of fat, make certain that you consume only lean cuts of meat and that you eradicate the chicken prior to eating them. Some foods that are rich in protein include tofu, soy milk, soy yogurt, soy burger, and soy powder.

·         Consumption of Green Leafy Vegetables.

Consumption of green and leafy vegetables provides assistance in reducing weight since they contain carbohydrates which are low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Keep in mind that when ingesting vegetables which are raw, it’s merely composed of small index of glycemic, therefore, it offers more higher antioxidants and vitamins.

·         Pastas and Breads.

When ingesting pastas and breads; consider those with approximately six to eight grams of fiber contents for each serving. Also, make sure that it never contains honey, sugar and refined flour. Make sure also to avoid bagels, tortillas, white bread, and pita bread.