Diets

The Cookie Diet

The words ‘cookie’ and ‘diet’ does not seem to go well together, right? How come the cookie diet is becoming very popular not just among Hollywood celebrities but also for professional trainers for weight loss?

The cookie diet is a program that a lot of people have been doing for more almost four decades. The first dietary cookies were made by Dr. Sanford Siegal in 1975 by working on amino acid blend that he uses for baking. This gave rise to cookies with reduced calories but can control hunger. Originally, he made these cookies for his patients in Siegal Medical Group in Miami, Florida. Up until 2002, only doctors can prescribe this diet method to their patients. It was in 2006 when this became available in the market for people who intend to lose weight.

Because of Dr. Siegal’s diet, you can eat an all-time favorite snack while achieving the weight that you are dreaming of. It lowers daily calorie intake. This diet involves regularly eating specially created dietary cookies and a single meal each day. This means that the calorie intake will drop down to 800 calories per day. Aside from creating the cookies to be tasty and low in calories, this dietary food is also formulated with the essential nutrients and vitamins that are needed to sustain the daily activities.

The cookies also have high amount of fiber. This makes it easier to feel full and prevent cravings. Aside from that, it helps in cleansing the body too which leads to better digestion and more effective weight loss.

Some people are worried that the cookie diet will not work for them because it means eating the same thing every single day. The plus side is that since this diet is becoming more and more popular these days, there are different flavors of cookies that are readily available in the market. Some of the more common ones include oatmeal, coconut, blueberry, banana and chocolate.

Going through this diet also means sticking to a meal plan. You can eat up to six cookies per day. Eating each cookie has to be done with three to four hours of interval. During dinner time, you would be allowed to eat a regulated meal.

When preparing your dinner, keep in mind that it has to have high content of protein. A single cup of vegetables can be combined with 6 ounces of fish, turkey, chicken or seafood. These types of meat will provide you with the protein that your body needs. Because red meat has high amount of fat, you have to skip this.

Ideally, the total amount should only be around 300 calories per meal during dinner time. So per day, you will be able to limit your intake to only 800 calories which results to weight loss. Once you have reached your targeted weight, continue eating six cookies within the day. Just eat a meal at night with gradually higher amount of calories.

You would need to drink 8 glasses or more to flush out the toxins in the body too. One important aspect when doing the cookie diet is that alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

The Gastric Bypass Diet

Gastric bypass is a medical procedure which is performed for people who need drastic solution to obesity. Because of the changes with the digestive system, it is imperative to go through gastric bypass diet. That way, the body is still able to get sufficient nutrition without negating the supposed effects of the procedure.

With the gastric bypass diet, a person is able to perform normal physical functions, have sufficient amount of energy, while reducing the quantity of food that he or she eats. This type of diet involves healthy changes which results to weight loss and long term maintenance of the ideal physique. The best part is that doing this will also resolve a lot of other health problems like sleep apnea, high blood pressure, escalated cholesterol level and others.

Right after the procedure, patients are only allowed to consume clear liquids. It is also important to drink without using straw. Carbonated drinks are not allowed too. That way, there would not be extra gas which can make its way to the stomach. When gas reaches the stomach, it could lead to discomfort and pain.

Some people assume that gastric bypass diet will limit them to drinking only water. Truth is, there are other more delicious options like broth, fresh apple or grape juice and other translucent beverages. A few days after the surgery, it is recommended to drink protein liquids too. The good thing about protein drink is that this will help you feel full and enable you to build lean muscles while losing fat.

To take your gastric bypass diet to the next level, it is necessary to ask permission from your surgeon first. Usually, patients are allowed to eat pureed food once allowed by the physician. It is important to puree the food because the digestive system would not be strong enough to break them down. The more popular options include cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, pudding, yogurt, oatmeal and grits. Some patients easily lose their desire to eat those pureed options. So, they simply use the power of the blender to process other food like chicken or tuna to add variety to their diet.

The important thing is to allow the dietician or attending physician to specify the type of food to eat and the amount which can be ingested at a time. The doctor will provide the specifics depending on the body type of the patient and the size of the stomach pouch. Generally, the diet involves high protein diet with less fat and cholesterol. Eating pureed food will usually last for about 4 to 8 weeks. After this phase, the patient will be allowed to eat other types of food so long as this is done with proper regulation.

With this type of diet, it has to be kept in mind that the stomach would no longer be able to hold the same amount of food and water as it used to. When drinking during meals, the food intake may no longer be sufficient which could lead to malnourishment. On the other hand, forcing to hold both water and food might stretch the pouch size which leads to weight gain in the long run. Hence, the gastric bypass diet which will be prescribed by the physician should be followed accordingly, including the time and frequency of eating and drinking.

Cholesterol Lowering Diets

Engaging in cholesterol lowering diets is a good solution for people who are knotty about the high level of cholesterol in their body. Without a doubt, escalated cholesterol level can lead to a lot of health concerns. Instead of shoving-in too many meds in your body on a daily basis, the best thing to do is to make minimal alterations with the way you eat. In effect, your body will be able to naturally regulate the cholesterol level without the need to be too dependent on pills and meds.

Target: Reduce Bad Cholesterol

When planning for cholesterol lowering diets, the main target is to reduce the bad cholesterol or LDL in your system. To be able to ensure that your health remains in top condition, you need to opt for nutritious and low fat foods.

If you are the type of person who habitually snacks between meals, you do not really need to starve yourself just to lower your cholesterol levels. Instead of munching on chips and sweets, the best option is to choose fruits and vegetables. These will effectively reduce your cholesterol level because of the high amount of fiber that they contain. Fiber effectively flushes out toxins in the body. At the same time, fruits and vegetables do not contain LDL and your body gets the vitamins and nutrients that it needs.

Starting the Day

A good way to start up each day is to have a bowl of oatmeal. This is an effective method to automatically lower the amount of bad cholesterol in the body while satisfying your hunger. It will also provide you with the boost of energy that you need for the day.

If you would like to substitute oatmeal in the morning, whole grain cereals is the best option. Just make sure that you will use fat-free or low-fat milk with it. Make your breakfast a bit healthier and tastier by adding almonds, beans, lentils or peanuts.

Food options

People who are used to eating meat are apprehensive about cholesterol lowering diets because they think that they would be deprived of their favorite meal. It is okay to eat meat so long as you stay away from red meat. The best options are fish, chicken and turkey. These have high amount of protein which contributes in building leaner and stronger muscles. Fish meat like salmon and tuna have high amount of Omega 3 too which improves the performance of your heart. When preparing your doze of meat, make sure to use less or no oil by baking, grilling or broiling them. Remove the skin too.

If there are types of food that you should eat more, of course there are also those which you should stay away from. Alcoholic beverages, especially beer, should be completely avoided. Aside from the whopping amount of carbohydrates that these contain, these could also slow down the body’s metabolism. Deep frying is not good too so forget about chips and other food with immeasurable amount of fats and cholesterol. If necessary, use margarine without hydrogenated oil instead of butter.

When opting for cholesterol lowering diets, you do not really have to feel too deprived of good food. You simply need to be a little more careful when preparing your meals and be choosy with what you eat.

The Belly Fat Diet

Most of the people who would like to go on a diet are primarily concerned about their belly fat. Interestingly, losing those love handles and extra flab in the belly area does not only result to achieving the figure that you have always wanted. There are studies which have also shown that people who manage to lose belly fat are able to stay away from other health concerns like high blood pressure, heart attack and diabetes. The good news is that belly fat diet can also do the necessary trimming.

Belly-Fat-Diet

For most people, the easiest belly fat diet is to increase the frequency of eating while dramatically cutting down the amount of food to ingest. Yes, this may sound like a crazy idea because you would need to eat about 6 to 8 times a day. However, the key in effectively doing this is in eating much smaller portions. By going through this method, your metabolism will sky-rocket which allows your body to burn more fat without causing starvation. Of course, it is important to be picky with what you eat too. Meals should be limited to lean meat and high protein food. When snacking, it is best to opt for fruits or raw vegetables instead of bread and chips. Peanuts are great too since this have whopping amount of protein and can easily make you feel full.

You do not have to opt for drastic dietary changes or extreme workouts when trying to lose that muffin top. Yes, working out would help a lot, but proper belly fat diet will already enable you to achieve your goal. One important aspect that you should pay attention to is the amount of calories that you take in each day. The total amount should only be within 800 to 1500 calories a day, depending on your body type.

Foods which have high amount of carbohydrates is a big no no! Forget about pasta, pizza, bread and rice for a while. Instead, substitute this with whole grain food which has lower amount of carbohydrates. Soda and alcoholic beverages also have high amount of calories so it is best to switch to fresh fruit juices or water. Keep in mind that your body will automatically store excess carbohydrates as fat because it instinctively reserves it as future source of energy. When you lower your intake of carbohydrates per day, there will be no additional fat to store and those which have accumulated in the past will also be burned and used up.

Eating food with high amount of fiber helps a lot in belly fat diet. The best ones are vegetables and fruits. This will keep you feeling full for hours. Even if you eat only a small amount, you will feel that your tummy has already had enough. The best part is that fruits and vegetables would not add more fat in your body.

Do not forget about drinking plenty of water. The belly fat diet works much better when the digestive tract has sufficient amount of water to use up. Eight glasses of water daily might not be enough. It should be raised to at least ten glasses or more. That way, toxins and excessive sodium will also be flushed out much easier.

The PCOS Diet

Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS is a serious matter that a lot of women have to deal with. This may be a common disorder for women’s endocrine system but finding a solution for it should not be set aside. The PCOS may be initially noticed because of irregular menstruation period but its effects can also be as serious as amenorrhea, difficulty in ovulating resulting to infertility, polycystic ovaries, resistance to insulin causing type 2 diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol levels.

There are numerous medications available for women but one key in resolving this health disorder is to switch to PCOS diet. Since PCOS is a hormonal imbalance, there are ways on how this can be alleviated or even corrected, by simply changing the usual diet.

The main aspects that PCOS diet targets are problems like insulin resistance and high blood pressure. By eating the right types of food, these health problems may be avoided. Aside from that, the diet also consists of all natural and healthy foods. These will enhance women’s fertility by regulating the hormones and resolving imbalances. Best of all, since hormonal imbalance can lead to obesity, the diet will also aid you in preventing fat storage.

Basics of the PCOS diet

The primary aspect that has to be seriously considered when going through the PCOS diet is the amount and type of carbohydrates that is in the food that you eat. Typically, an average person could take in as much as 2000 calories per day. However, this might be significantly reduced to about 1500 calories when dealing with PCOS. Less calories mean less fat for the body to store. Aside from that, it also hinders the development of type 2 diabetes.

It also has to be noted that there are 2 types of carbohydrates—complex and simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided because these are known to cause harmful health effects. The body finds it difficult to burn and use these so it contributes to weight gain and cardiovascular problems. Stay away from white wheat, pasta and polished grain products. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates will enable you to sustain energy and allows your metabolism to speed up. Whole wheat bread and pasta is a good substitute. You can also get complex carbohydrates from root crops like potato. However, intake of complex carbohydrates should be limited too.

To avoid binging on calorie-packed foods, make sure to incorporate fruits and vegetables in your PCOS diet. These are perfect for dessert, snacks or even as substitute for a meal. It is recommended to take at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Eating organically grown fruits and vegetable will also avoid intake of too much sugar. Aside from that, your body will benefit a lot from the impressive amount of fiber from these foods which will aid in detoxification.

Foods that have excessive amount of cholesterol, sugar, preservatives and artificial flavouring can certainly make PCOS become worse. These foods have to be avoided and that includes staying away from fast food, preserved meals and soda.

Disadvantages of the Food Lovers Diet

For every diet program, there will always be risks and disadvantages. You can’t really be completely satisfied especially during the beginning of every program because starting a diet means you need to relinquish several of your comfort zones when it comes to food and exercise. You also need to get used to a new routine and some restrictions imposed on you by your diet program of your own choosing. So, let’s take a look at the new Food Lovers Diet and see what disadvantages there are, if there are any.

One of the main attractions for those who follow and who are interested to follow the Food Lovers Diet is that you can eat anything you want with this program. That in itself is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It’s an advantage because it doesn’t curtail your choices for food which is the number one reason why ultimately several diet programs fail. You become depressed and angry when you can’t eat what you want or when you feel like you’re being deprived or starved for food that you love. It becomes a disadvantage when you can’t learn to control what you eat despite having the guide and the information presented to you.

Sometimes, the problem with people is that they immediately expect results to happen as soon as they open the material and start the program. Sometimes, they don’t even take the time to read through the informational package which tells them how to proceed with the Food Lovers plan. If they believe that you can really eat anything and start to do so without any moderation and without any guide, you can’t expect to lose weight. That’s why some of them think that the program is a scam or a fake. They didn’t take into consideration the planning and preparation needed to get you on your way with deciding on your new meal plans.

Another disadvantage that can also result from not reading the material is that people will not understand how to apportion their meals. They may fall under the misconception that when they’re encouraged to eat more times in a day, they can eat huge servings of their favorite food every time. What the Food Lovers Diet program encourages is eating in smaller portions with the right combination of nutrients to make a balanced meal.

It will take some time to get used to the kind of discipline the Food Lovers Diet program teaches especially when you’re used to eating three huge meals in a day. Learning to eat smaller portions even with your favorite foods can make people impatient and cranky because they have to adjust and eve their stomachs have to get used to it. But in the long run, you should view it as a move to a healthier lifestyle in which you can eat what you want, just a taste really to satisfy your cravings, and still manage to lose weight and keep it off.

Diverticulitis Diet

The diverticulitis diet is a meal plan which is particularly designed for people who are suffering from a digestive disease called diverticulitis. This disease involves formation of pouches in the large intestine which get inflamed. Once this occurs, the person can suffer from abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and cramps.

For acute cases of diverticulitis, going through a diverticulitis diet could help in alleviating the pain. This may be accompanied by medications like antibiotics but to effectively beat the discomfort and pain, it is best to do changes in the diet. If you are suffering from this problem, then it is time for you know more about the proper foods to eat.

This illness requires clearing up the infection and curing the inflammation. The colon has to be rested too. That is why, diverticulitis diet involves intake of high amount of liquid. Chicken broth that is liquidized can help a lot. You also need to increase the amount of water that you drink everyday. Since eight glasses is the recommended amount for an average person, you would need to take it up a notch and drink at least ten to twelve glasses per day. This will enable you to do cleansing much faster. Aside from water, green herbal teas and fruit or vegetable juices are recommended too.

Fiber from the right types of food should do positive effects on your body. However, you should do the fiber increase gradually. It is not recommended to suddenly bombard your digestive system with whopping amount of fiber from fruits and vegetable as this may make it harder for your digestive tract to function. This could also make things worse because you may experience cramping, bloating or having too much gas. You can start by eating cooked vegetables, green salads, steamed fruits without the skin and low fiber cereals.

As you progress with the diverticulitis diet, you have to carefully elevate the amount of fiber that you ingest. According to the American Dietetic Association, the recommended amount is about 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day along with 6 to 8 grams of soluble fiber. This should promote enhanced stool formation and excretion so that the pressure on the colon would be reduced. It is still ideal to ingest more fruits and vegetables because these have high amount of fiber. Focus on eating more apricot, blackberry, blueberry, grapefruit, prune, asparagus, broccoli, spinach and cabbage. Along with these, you can also add whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, oat bran and grits.

It is important to be a little cautious when eating foods with high amount of acidity as these may cause heart burn and high amount of acid within the digestive tract. It would be best to eat in little proportions too so that it would be easier to digest the food. There should be less food residue to enable the system to cleanse properly.

As part of the diverticulitis diet, you should also avoid food and drinks that have high amount of sodium because these can lead to dehydration and makes it harder for your digestive system to perform its work.

What is Scarsdale Diet?

The scarsdale diet is one type of weight loss program that is making a big buzz in the health and fitness world these days. Is this the right diet for you? Before you even venture into doing it just because your friend went through the process or your sister recommended it to you, it is better to know more about this diet first. That way, you can identify if this will also be beneficial for you.

In a nutshell, the scarsdale diet is a low-fat and low-calorie diet program that is developed by Dr. Herman Tarnower. This diet is accompanied by a book that was first published in 1978. The book contains the essential details about the program.

This diet is based on a seven-day diet program which can be repeated for another week. Then, after the two-week diet, there will be a couple of weeks to rest before starting over again, if desired. The meal plan for this diet is structured because the food which can be eaten in every meal is specified. However, the good thing is that there is no limitation in portion so you can eat until you are satisfied so long as you are not overstuffed.

Does the scarsdale diet work?

Two weeks may seem like such a short time to shed off those extra pounds but the truth is that, for over 20 years, this diet has made people become slimmer.

What this diet primarily does is that it pumps up your metabolism so that you would continuously burn fat. The specific foods included in the diet does not contain high amount of fat. Hence, the tendency is that your body will use up the stored fat. With increased metabolism and efficient fat burning, two weeks is more than enough to see significant weight loss.

One concern with scarsdale diet is that this may lead to vitamin deficiency if the program is followed for more than 2 weeks. That is why, there has to be a rest in between cycles so that the body has time to replenish its nutrients. Besides, the body will also reach a plateau if the diet program is followed for more than 2 weeks straight. This means that your system will adjust to the limited amount of food that you eat. Because of that, weight loss might not be as efficient anymore.

This is not a long-term diet program because of the rigidity of the menu plan. However, it is effective in preventing obesity, enabling you to avoid a lot of health complications.

Here is a sample of the food that you can eat while on scarsdale diet.

Breakfast—This remains the same everyday. You have to consume ½ grapefruit or if this is unavailable, substitute this with other fruits that are in season. You can also have a slice of protein bread without spread. For drink, have a cup of tea or coffee without sugar, cream, milk or honey.

Lunch—Indulge on fruit salad until you are satisfied. Coffee, tea, diet soda, or water can go with the salad too.

Dinner—Feast on broiled, lean hamburger. Add tomatoes, 4 olives, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, celery and lettuce. You can also drink diet soda, water, coffee or tea.

With this diet, you do not have to starve yourself just to lose weight. Just be a little choosier when it comes to the types of food that you will munch on.

Gestational Diabetes Diet

Gestational diabetes is a condition wherein women who never experienced any type of diabetes suddenly acquire this health problem because of pregnancy. This illness is also referred to as Gestational Diabetes Mellitus or GDM. This is actually a problem that almost 5% of pregnant women encounter. It does not really pose any serious threat to the baby nor does it lead to harmful delivery, unless the case is severe. However, deliberate action has to be done to be able to control the blood sugar level.

Proper gestational diabetes diet will do a lot of benefits. When a woman is pregnant, it is important to have optimum health to ensure that she and the baby would be fine. Problem is, since pregnant women are in a sensitive situation, they could not just take any type of medication since this may cause side effects, not just on her but the fetus too.

So long as the GDM is not yet a severe case, gestational diabetes diet can easily resolve it. The primary aspect that has to be dealt with is the level of insulin in the body. If you are suffering from GDM, you should switch your diet so that your body can produce enough amount of insulin that would sustain the cells.

It has to be noted though that gestational diabetes diet is not something that you can just resort to on your own. Being pregnant also entails getting enough vitamins and minerals that should nourish your body and the growing fetus. Hence, it is best to consult a physician or a nutritionist so that the proper meal plan can be created, depending on your specific needs.

Important Aspects of Gestational Diabetes Diet

The meal plan may vary from one person to another since pregnant women have particular needs when it comes to the amount of vitamins and minerals. However, there are certain basic regulations that are usually followed when it comes to gestational diabetes diet.

Carbohydrates will help in keeping your insulin level regulated. Problem is, the type of carbohydrate has to be chosen properly. Simple carbohydrates from pasta, pizza, white bread and polished grains would not be beneficial for your health. Opt for complex carbs from potato and other root crops because this can be easily converted as energy source that the body can use up. Complex carbohydrates would not promote fat storage too.

Gestational Diabetes Diet — Photo Credit: o5com

Fiber from fruits and vegetable is also important. Eating a lot of fruits even in between meals will help you avoid feeling hungry. The fiber will make you feel full without stuffing too much food in your body. This prevents fluctuation of blood sugar levels. Aside from that, when you have high amount of fiber in your diet, this prevents toxins to get transported through your blood stream.

Drinks with high amount of sugar are not recommended too. This will make your blood sugar level go haywire. Instead of opting for soda, artificial juices or coffee, drink lots of water instead. You can add lemon for some flavour but in moderation too.

In gestational diabetes diet, eating 2 to 3 full meals and 3 to 4 snacks in between is recommended. Just make sure to eat only in small proportions so that your body can digest it well.

High Fiber Diet Can Reduce the Risk of Colon Cancer

Colon or colorectal cancer is a disease that involves growth of cancer cells in the colon rectum and appendix. The intensity and effect of this ailment may vary, depending on the exact location of the tumor. What happens is that the tumor growth starts on the lining of the colon. As the disease worsens, this could then metastasize in the underlying muscle layers. Common symptoms involve bad case of constipation, presence of blood in the stool, weight loss and vomiting. To avoid this health issue, switching to high fiber diet would help a lot.

This disease can be caused by genetics in some people. However, a big factor which triggers the start of this health problem is the type of diet. Indulging on unhealthy food like those which have high amount of fat and cholesterol increases the tendency of having this problem. Drinking alcohol and smoking are primary culprits too. Whether it is genetics or lifestyle, high fiber diet will help you prevent this.

Eating Fiber Rich Food

High Fiber Diet — Photo Credit: DannySan

Increasing the amount of fiber in the food you eat is the key in preventing colon cancer. Fiber helps a lot in promoting better digestion. This also cleanses your digestive tract so that you can eliminate toxins that could trigger health problems, particularly colon cancer.

Fruits and vegetables have always been known to have high amount of fiber. These are actually excellent sources because they are natural and unprocessed. However, it has been observed that the amount of fiber that can be obtained from these is lower compared to other foods. This does not mean that you have to exclude them in your high fiber diet. You simply need to eat more than just fruits and vegetables.

To effectively increase fiber intake, you have to eat food like whole wheat bread, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and bran cereal. These should provide you with adequate fiber that could help in prevention of cancer in the colon area.

Typical diet consists of about 10 to 13 grams of fiber per day. Boosting your intake means consuming up about 30 to 40 grams to ensure good health.

Efficiency for Colon Cancer Prevention

The expectations from high fiber diet have to be set realistically. Truth is, there are certain factors that come into play when it comes to colon cancer. This disease usually strikes around the age of 50 as a result of various causes like genetics, lifestyle, eating habits and a lot of environmental aspects. Opting for high fiber diet is a precautionary measure which can prevent the onset of this disease.

In your goal to prevent this disease, you also need to ensure not just the condition of your digestive system but also your overall health. So, keep in mind that aside from increasing your fiber intake, you also have to focus on getting all other nutrients that the body needs. Aside from avoiding high-cholesterol foods or those with artificial ingredients, you also need to stop drinking alcohol. With improved overall health, there should be less tendency of contracting colon cancer, as well as other illnesses.