Free Diet Programs - How to Create Diets From Your Food Choices - And is Your Diet "Tricking" You?

One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing people tell each other how much weight they've lost in the last few days on their new diet "kick."

It's not that I don't want people to lose weight; in fact, I'm probably going to be your biggest advocate if you want to lose weight.

The reason why I get frustrated with this extremely quick "weight loss" is because I don't want people to just lose "weight," I want them to lose the RIGHT kind of weight.

And believe me it really matters.

Hear me out for a second...

People who lose a ton of weight right after starting up a new diet are not losing the right kind of weight.

Very low calorie diets and very low carbohydrate diets will cause you to lose lots of water weight and glycogen stores (glycogen stores are just carbohydrates stored in your muscles.)

And for every ounce of glycogen, you store 3 ounces of water.

When you are eating a very low calorie diet, or a diet that totally restricts or severely limits carbohydrates then guess what?

Those glycogen stores and the water surrounding them gets used up very quickly, and all that water, and glycogen weighs quite a bit and it also burns up very quickly.

So the actual weight loss you see on the scale is just this initial flushing of the glycogen and water, and nothing more.

In addition to this loss of glycogen, you will probably lose quite a bit of energy as well, because this glycogen is used to give energy to your muscles.

To make things worse, you can't visibly tell if anyone has lost water and glycogen. No one walks around and says, "Wow it looks like you've lost lots of glycogen lately! How did you do it? What's your secret?"

No one cares, and no one can see it, so why should you care?

And that's the thing, you shouldn't really care, but lots of people are tricked into thinking that a specific diet works "magically" because they see this initial drop of bodyweight is such a short period of time.

And they see this drop in water weight when they step on the scale.

Don't be fooled by these "tricks."

You probably want to lose weight to get healthier, or to look better, or maybe both. And I'll tell you right now that flushing this water weight and glycogen is not going to help you do either.

If you think these diet tricks are bad...

They are only half the problem.

There's an even bigger issue that can really set you back on your quest to lose weight that is rarely brought up in the dieting community.

And that problem is:

After you're done flushing out this "non-visible" weight, often times you begin losing something you really don't want to lose... your muscle.

You really don't want to lose muscle because muscle burns fat, and muscle is what gives you your tone, and lot of your shape.

Also, it's much harder to get back the muscle that you lose.

Unfortunately, most diets are geared towards eliminating muscle.

But why would they want to destroy your muscle?

Simple, it's because muscle weighs more than fat, and muscle is easier to lose than fat because your body wants to hold on to it's reserves.

And your body's reserves are fat.

When you get on a really low calorie diet your body will begin to think it's starving.

And when your body is starving, it really wants to hold on to it's fat stores, but it has to get energy from somewhere... so your body will literally eat away your muscle for energy.

But again, why would diets target muscle loss?

Because it's a quick and easy way to see results on a scale, and if you see results on a scale you'll probably think the diet is working.

But this muscle loss is a problem because just like water weight, losing muscle is not really a "visible" way to lose weight, especially if you have a good deal of fat covering your muscles.

Think about it for a second, if you can't see your muscles right now, if you lose some muscle, will you see that weight loss in the mirror?

Probably not.

Sure, if you lose some of your muscle you will see the scale weight go down, but you'll most likely look in the mirror and wonder why you aren't actually SEEING any results.

And once you get rid of too much muscle, it just gets that much harder to lose fat, or any weight at all, because remember muscle is what burns fat.

And if you're losing your muscle just to make your scale happy, you're really asking for trouble.

What you want to do is to find a way to preserve your muscle while losing fat.

Basically, you want to keep the muscle that will give you your toned shaped body, and burn the fat that is on top of that muscle.

That is really the ultimate goal. Not just blind weight loss.

If you didn't need to know your body weight to find out the best nutritional plan for you, I'd say just throw the scale away.

But that's another story...

People who experience the initial "scale weight" drop from these restrictive diets often get excited and think that the diet is working extremely well...

But the truth is their weight loss will level out quickly and they will either stop losing weight, or just lose weight at a slower rate.

And the really bad part is that the second they start eating more food, or eating more carbohydrates then they will almost always gain all of, or a majority of the weight back in just days.

This is especially true if they've only been on one of these restrictive diets for a month or less.

The weight gain you will experience when you switch back to your normal eating habits will be just as fast, and just as dramatic as the initial weight loss.

And that's no fun.

But why does this sudden weight gain happen?

Remember that when you are on a very low calorie diet, or a diet that is very restrictive on carbohydrates, that the carbohydrates in your muscles (glycogen stores) are extremely low.

As soon as you begin to replenish them you will gain weight at an incredible pace as the glycogen goes back into your muscles, and along with that you will also gain three times as much water as the glycogen you get back.

Because remember, for every ounce of glycogen you have, you store three ounces of water.

And this water and glycogen is really heavy, so it will show up on your scale.

Keep in mind that this weight gain may be shocking, but it is mostly weight that no one can see. So although it's kind of scary, it really does not matter in the mirror.

What does matter is the fact that if you've been on these kinds of diets for any significant length of time, the diet has probably destroyed a good chunk of your muscle tissue.

Remember that muscle burns fat, and now you don't have as much.

What do you think that does to your ability to burn fat?

And what do you think that does to your ability to eat the same amount of food and maintain your weight?

That's right, you have a lower ability to burn fat, and you're likely to gain fat at a faster pace.

Does yo-yo dieting sound familiar?

And in addition to this problem, extremely low calorie diets can severely slow down your metabolism beyond just losing muscle.

Your body adapts very quickly, and when it realizes that you're not giving it enough food it starts to panic and begins to conserve energy as a defense mechanism.

Basically, your body slows down it's metabolism as a direct response to extremely low calorie diets.

Sow now we have an even bigger problem to compound the problems we already had.

To summarize...

-We have a body that didn't have any glycogen stores

-And we've destroyed a lot of our muscle tissue

-And now we have a slowed down metabolism

-Which means we can't eat as much food as we used to or else we'll probably gain weight.

As you can imagine, we've put ourselves in a very bad environment for trying to maintain any type of weight loss. And this is probably one of the biggest reasons why people have so many problems with keeping their weight off.

In summary, extremely low calorie diets or diets that severely limit your carbohydrate intake often do these things:

-Give you rapid weight loss that you can't see in the mirror (glycogen, water)

-Destroy muscle tissue

-Slow your metabolism

And when you go back to your normal eating habits, these things often happen:

-You gain back the weight you lost as quickly as you lost it

-You probably gain back more than you lost because you destroyed muscle and damaged your metabolism.

Now we know what happens when we go on these extremely low calorie diets and carbohydrate restrictive diets, and why the weight loss is "fake."

And we also know that this "fake" weight loss can also cause you to gain back more weight than you lost originally because this "fake" weight loss can slow down your metabolism and destroy your muscle tissue.

Alright... but what can we do to prevent this from happening?

The solution may be simpler than you were expecting...

You can avoid these negative side effects first and foremost by making sure you are eating enough food, so you don't damage your metabolism.

Eating enough calories (food) is the key here.

Food is the key because when you drop too low in calories (food) your metabolism slows down, and you begin to destroy your lean muscle.

Eating the right amount of calories is the most important factor to looking great and losing the right kind of weight.

And if you want to take your weight loss to the next level, you can see even greater results by making sure you have enough protein in your diet.

Protein is the building blocks to muscle, and when you give your body enough protein, it will help your body hang on to as much lean muscle as it can because you are giving your body what it needs to keep your muscle around.

With calories (food), there really is a fine line between being too little and too much. And each person is different.

That's actually another reason why a lot of these "popular" diets are really bad. They simply don't take YOU into account. They just engineer a diet for the average person, and they just assume that you are that "average person."

Because most diets don't tailor their plan around YOU, they simply won't work for YOU, unless you get lucky and fall into the definition of the diet creator's "average person".

There's such a fine line between losing and gaining weight.

You have to make sure you don't eat too little, and make sure you aren't eating way too much.

You really need to find the right number for you. Not the "average person."

So how do we find your number?

First let me say this...

If your diet is not asking you these questions before giving you a recommendation on how to lose weight, then you're probably not going to want to use that diet.

These are the questions that will determine how many calories you need to lose weight that you can actually see in the mirror:

-How old are you?

-How much do you weigh?

-How tall are you?

-What is your gender?

-How active are you?

It seems simple, but I bet you've never been asked those questions before starting a diet... but you really do need that information to recommend anything that will work effectively for you.

"Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice." (Think about that quote for a bit.)

But, really these are really the two biggest factors...

1.) Get your calories right. Make sure you aren't eating too little or too much food.

2.) If you want to turbo charge your visible weight loss, make sure you're eating enough protein.

Finding out your optimum protein level also depends on your goals, what you want to look like, and how much muscle mass you want to retain.

Most diets won't ask you those types of questions.

The fact is that most diets are just trying to be a one size fits all solution.

The only way they can make it appear like their diets work is if they just give you a really low calorie, or really restrictive diet. That way they know they'll at least get that quick "fake" weight loss to trick you and get you hooked.

Even if the diet isn't really working, and you're not seeing any results in the mirror.

Here's something to think about...

Notice that we did not talk about specific foods, such as whole wheat bread, salads, fruits, fast foods, etc?

We didn't talk about them because the truth is, specific foods don't matter as much as you might think.

Even eating "junk food" does not matter in moderation, and yes you can lose weight while eating "junk food" or even candy. (It may not be the healthiest thing to do, but that doesn't mean you can't do it and still lose weight.)

It's probably one of the best kept secrets in the diet industry.

The concepts we talked about in this post were all about eating enough calories, and not restricting carbohydrates.

And now that we've started to understand that you can eat more calories, and don't need to eliminate specific things like carbohydrates, or fat out of your diet.

You may begin to realize that this opens up a lot of possibilities...

-You can eat protein.

-You can eat fat.

-You can eat carbohydrates.

Did you know that these three categories (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) are the building blocks to all foods?

All foods have at least one of these, if not two or all three of them.

What does this mean for you?

Well, it means that all these building blocks are ok for you to eat while losing weight.

And because all foods are made of these building blocks, then that means almost ALL foods are ok for you to eat.

Even while losing fat.

You just have to know how to come up with the right combination of these building blocks to help you lose weight.

I've spent over a year of my life developing a tool that not only helps you figure out how much of each building block you need to lose weight.

But this tool figures out the right numbers for you based on who you are right now and what your goals are.

This tool also lets you pick the foods you want to eat, and it figures out how to create a diet for you using the foods you chose.

Yes you can eat more use it to eat all organic, vegan, raw foods, or even a diet based entirely on fast foods, or candy it's your choice. And I'll be perfectly honest with you, this software program is not for everyone. Some people will love it, and others will choose not to use it. But either way it's at least worth checking out.

I've named this tool OK-Cal.

And OK-Cal actually asks you the right questions, and ensures that you get enough calories, and if you want it will help you get the right amount of protein too.

OK-Cal figures all of this out for you, based on who you are, and what you want to eat.

It's your choice, and you can have a custom tailored weight loss diet created just for you every day based on the foods YOU choose.

100% organic, or 100% fast food, it's your choice. OK-Cal has the technology built right in to handle almost any food preference.

Wishing you great success and happiness in 2008.

For your free diet programs created by OK-Cal just click here. And for more free dit and fitness advice visit YummyFitness.com today.

Diet's Don't Work - 12 Facts Why They Never Do Or Will!

You heard me right! They Never Have! They Never Do! They Never Will!

The Diet Industry is a 40 Billion Dollar Industry filled with misinformation.

96% of people who go on diets can't stay on them to reach their desired goal.

98% of people who go on diets gain the weight they lose back + 5 extra pounds. (National Institute of Health)

50% of Americans are on a diet at any given time yet 70% of Americans are overweight and 30% are obese.

My Story

When I was in my late teens I took up bodybuilding and after a couple of years I began competing. A typical year consisted of me gaining fifty or more pounds in the off season by eating lots of food and then dieting and loosing fifty or so pounds over the next few months as I prepared for the competition. After doing this for six years I stopped competing in bodybuilding. Over the following years I continued to gain fifty or so pounds a year and then go on a diet and lose all or most of it over the following months. I became an expert and gaining weight and loosing weight. I became an expert dieter. I could lose weight on the Atkins, Stillman, Scarsdale or any other diet. I was master of the low calorie, low fat and low carbohydrate diets. The only problem that once I lost the weight I couldn't keep it off and eventually would gain it all back plus some. I eventually ended up gaining and losing almost a thousand pounds. After giving up on dieting I began researching why people gain weight and why diets don't work. After spending over five years researching why diets don't work and discovering what does work when it comes to loosing weight and keeping it off. I began applying the principles I discovered and today I am celebrating over ten years at a body weight that hasn't fluctuated more then five pounds up or down.

Why Diets Don't Work

Fact #1: Diets are downers. People hate to diet. Have you ever met anyone on a diet that liked it? Does anyone like doing anything with the word DIE in it? When I went on diets I hated it. It made me unhappy and depressed.

Fact #2: Dieting slows your metabolism. The longer you diet the slower your metabolism gets causing you to eat less and less until your weight loss stops entirely. Then when you resume normal eating the weight quickly returns + extra pounds due to it taking months for the metabolism to return to normal. Then guess what? You need to go onto another diet.

Dieting simply is a way to create an artificial famine. Your body doesn't know that it's a diet. All it knows is that its in a famine. So it slows the metabolism as much as 40%. If you naturally need 2000 calories a day to sustain your current body weight and go on a diet where you are consuming 1000 calories a day your metabolism will get lower and lower to say 40% or 1200 calories below its natural level of 2000 calories. At that point weight lose is minimal and extremely difficult. Then when you return to eating 2000 calories a day which is what the majority of people do you begin adding 800 extra calories daily. That's 800 calories about 1.75 pounds of fat per week.

When I was on the dieting roller coaster I'd lose 50 pounds in six months and go off it and gain all the weight back over the next six months. One thing I noticed was that as soon as I'd go off the diet the weight would quickly come back due to my metabolism having slowed due to the dieting.

Fact 3: Diets offer a poor temporary fix What's really needed is a lifestyle change. The only people who lose weight and keep it off are the people who change their lifestyle once and for all. Changing your lifestyle is easier then dieting and far more rewarding.

I used to go on diets knowing that they were only a quick fix. After losing hundreds of pounds and gaining it back convinced me that dieting could never able me to sustain the weight lose. Dieting was just a superficial way of treating symptoms instead of the cause of my weight gain.

Fact 4: Since 96% of people who go on diets gain the weight they've lost back plus some the next time they diet it gets a little harder to lose weight. With each never dieting round the body becomes more resilient to giving up the weight and dieting gets tougher and tougher. With each new diet I went on it became more and more difficult to get the weight off. Finally after years of yo-yo dieting It became almost impossible to get the weight off dieting.

Fact 5: Diets fail to deal with the things that cause people to overeat. People overeat due to a number of psychological reasons. Some overeat because they fail to eat consciously. After years of eating on the run, in the front of the television or while stuffing a hot dog into their mouth while driving down the highway; they eat like dogs never stopping to taste, savor and enjoy the food their eating.

Another thing that causes people to overeat is previous conditioning that can go back to their childhood. As a child I was told to clean my plate because children were starving in Africa. I was also told that if I didn't clean my plate I couldn't have desert. The experts in my life conditioned me to eat every scrape on my plate even if I was stuffed. They conditioned me to overeat. Something that took me years to understand and change.

Fact 6: Dieting Causes Eating Disorders. People who get onto the dieting roller coaster can develop eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Dieting serves as a precursor to these illnesses.

During my weight gain and dieting cycles I frequently would binge and after the binge think nothing of purging while standing over the toilet. I eventually got pretty good at it and could down five burgers and a dozen Dunken Donuts and drop them in the toilet only to be back eating fifteen minutes later.

Fact 7: Dieting Causes Obesity. Dieting slows down the metabolism making it harder and harder to lose weight. Eventually the metabolism slows to a crawl and even a well balanced healthy diet causes the person to gain weight. Have you ever seen an obese person who says, "I don't eat a lot and continue to gain weight." They may be telling the truth. After years of dieting their metabolism is running slow and low making it really easy to keep on adding the pounds.

You would think that in America with all the diets, diet pills, and diet centers that we would be the thinnest country on the globe. But instead we are the fattest and getting fatter every year. With all the dieting I was doing and all the expertise on dieting I was gaining I still just kept getting fatter.

Fact 8: Diets cause starvation or semi starvation. Starvation occurs at 900 calories or less that's when you start to die. Most diets are in that range. Starvation plays havoc with the systems of the body and brain and if continued will cause permanent damage. When faced with starvation your body will do everything it can to survive. Things like slowing your metabolism to conserve energy and creating intense hunger to drive you to find food. When I was dieting I has hungry all the time. I didn't know it at the time but I was starving. I was putting my body through what people in famines go through.

Fact 9: Diets damage your body and cause disease. Studies show that ongoing dieting causes heart disease, osteoporosis, gall stones, high blood pressure, anemia, constipation, kidney stones, dry skin, hair lose, depression, anxiety.

When I was on the dieting roller coaster I would frequently get sick. I would get frequent colds, the flu, tonsillitis, sinusitis, and constipation was a daily experience. Over the past ten years I've had two colds.

Fact 10: Dieting Causes Malnutrition. Dieting restricts people from getting the necessary macro and micro nutrients. Not getting these nutrients causes damage to our bodies and results in sickness. I didn't know It back when I was dieting that the main reason why I was getting sick so frequently was that I was suffering from malnutrition. I simply wasn't getting the nutrients that me body needed.

Fact 11: We don't fail at dieting, diets fail us. Diets simply don't work. Every person who ever quit dieting or gained the weight they lost back did so due to the fact that diets are built upon false premises. If you build a house upon a foundation of straw it will crumble. Diets are built upon a foundation of straw.

While on the dieing roller coaster I continuously felt like a failure. I struggled to stick to the diets I would go on and always gained the weight back. I felt like a frustrated failure. I didn't know at the time that I wasn't the failure but that the entire diet industry and everyone of their diets was a failure.

Fact 12: Diets Cause Death. The name Diet fits well. Dieting shortens your life span. Diets cause a number of problems that lead to sickness, disease and eventually death.

Had I not discovered the truth I likely would have dieted myself to death. I am eternally grateful for discovering the truth. For the truth truly set me free.

Why Diets Don't Work

1. Diets treat superficial symptoms instead of causes.

2. Diets cause major deprivation. You deprive yourself of food. Not only food, but food that you like. This drives people crazy. When I used to diet all I did day and night was think about food. When I wasn't dieting I thought about other stuff like the geo-political situations in the world and sex. But while on the diet I just thought about Italian bread, pasta, and cannoli's.

To Your Health!

Frank Bolella

Learn how to lose weight without dieting ever again...Ever! Health & Vitality is the only true way to prevent disease and create a happy healthy long life. Let me reveal to you many of the ways I can help YOU live a Healthier life! By revealing things like the Real Fountain of Youth...and what foods you are eating that could be killing you! What Super Foods could change your life dramatically! I invite you to learn more at http://frankbolella.com

The 5 Most Effective Diets This Decade - A Review

Out of the thousands of diets that have been written over the years 5 really stand out as being the most effective. One of them, Weight Watchers, has been around for over 40 years, while the others have been introduced more recently. One of them, the 9th Law Diet, is only a year old.  Although each diet has philosophical differences on the best way to lose weight, they all are effective and have shown to be safe.

Here is a summary of each diet. Each summary includes information about the general philosophy, type of foods, overall expense of each diet, as well as the most commonly attributed pros and cons. The diets are listed in no particular order. These are just the top five weight loss diets this decade based on the formerly listed criteria.

Skinny Bitch: This diet was written by two fiery and passionate best friends who are proud to call themselves skinny bitches. Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin call Skinny Bitch, a no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous. Skinny Bitch is definitely telling it to you straight.  The way your best girlfriend would tell you over a cocktail.

These girls make no apologies for the attitude, wit, and even the language found in this colorful guide to basically getting your ass in gear once and for all. They refer to sugar as the devil, and themselves as pigs, and encourage you to get a sweet ass. They love food just as much as anyone. But, they have also learned a successful way to enjoy food and enjoy eating without depriving themselves and maintaining sexy little bodies.

The diet lets you eat all the carbohydrate packed goodness you could ever want including bread, potatoes, pasta, cakes, cookies and muffins. Of course, nothing good ever comes for free, so what is the catch? No dairy. No meat. No sugar or artificial sweeteners. Sound a little vegan? That is because it is, and Skinny Bitch is even endorsed by P.E.T.A.

These skinny girls don't like to feel hungry and they don't like to feel like they're being deprived. And they know you're the exact same way. There is plenty to eat when you decide to make the switch to Skinny Bitch. The basic premise is simple: being skinny means being healthy. The two ideas are not independent of one another. They come right out and show the flaws of some of the more popular diets around, probably some you have followed yourself. They say in the end, those diet programs are quick fixes that will never help you get a grip on your overall health and wellness.

Skinny Bitch will educate you about the foods you're eating, how and why they have the effects on your body that they do and where you have been going wrong all along. They release you from the constraints of counting calories, but tell you to start reading all of those food labels. The expense is the cost of the book, Skinny Bitch. The book itself is an entertaining, albeit brash, read. The diet is perfect for vegetarians or vegans. The book can be purchased online and through all major booksellers

South Beach: If you are looking for a diet plan that has grown wildly popular over the past few years, gives your eating habits a dramatic makeover, and shares the name of one of the world's favorite beaches, then the South Beach Diet is for you. Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, created this friendly contrast to other prohibitive weight-loss plans and offers a chance to achieve success where you might have previously failed.

The South Beach Diet differs from its low carbohydrate competitor Atkins, in that it restricts saturated fats, which are linked with health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol. It promises that cravings for sugars, sweets and other carbohydrates will disappear as you go along because the diet is supposed to keep blood sugar levels maintained.

The South Beach Diet has three separate phases in which in each phase, you wean yourself away from certain foods and incorporate other South Beach Diet friendly foods. The diet promises that you will lose 8-12 pounds in the first two weeks as long as you adhere to the guidelines.

The South Beach Diet supports a clean way of eating that is void of refined sugars and trans fats. It also has thousands of satisfied clients, updated research in the 2008 release South Beach Diet: Supercharged, and a maintenance plan after weight loss goals have been achieved.

A problem is the fact that many South Beach Diet food products contain sugar-alcohols, which may cause diarrhea and other GI tract problems. The best recommendation is to adhere to the diet without consuming all the specially made products.

The diet has various phases. The first phase lasts for two weeks and has you remove starches like bread, pasta and rice, potatoes, fruits, milk, yogurt, honey and baked goods. Sugars are completely eliminated. During the first phase of South Beach, you will enjoy three balanced meals and some snacks that should include lean meats and fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, fresh vegetables, beans and nuts.

Phase two of the South Beach Diet will allow you to slowly re-introduce fruits, whole-grain breads and pastas. You will choose just one carbohydrate and include that in one meal each day for one week. Phase two will continue until you meet your goal weight. You will begin the maintenance, or third, phase of South Beach once you have met your goal weight. It is here that you will put to practice all that you learned in phases one and two.

The cost is the price of the book, South Beach, which is available online as well as all major book outlets. There is also a complete line of South Beach Diet foods that can be purchased in your grocery store from cereals to frozen meals. But many of the nutrition bars and snack items contain artificial sweeteners, which have been known to induce gastrointestinal problems.

The 9th Law Diet: This is a relatively new diet that has been sweeping across the country due to its simplicity and overall effectiveness. The 9th Law Diet was created by a physiology professor out of the St. Louis area. He is well known on the web as Professor Jay, but his real name is Jay Snaric.

The diet was formally created after a student of professor Jays lost over 90 pounds following his weight loss guidelines.  The student convinced the professor to get it into the hands of so many people who really need it.  Professor Jay created a website where he gives the diet away for free, as well as offers on-going email support.  The rest is history, as the 9th Law Diet has swept across the country and around the world in record time.  Thousands of people have lost major weight and have changed their lives with the 9th Law Diet.

The 9th Law Diet emphasizes cutting out what he refers to as negative carbohydrates and fats, and incorporating more positive carbohydrates and fats. Its emphasis on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats is an eating plan that is full of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids Support for this diet comes from the science provided by Harvard Medical school and other predominate members of the medical science community. Professor Jay Snaric himself has studied human physiology, nutrition, and health at New York University, The Medical University of South Carolina, and University of Southern Illinois.

The 9th Law Diet does not just promote dieting, but overall behavioral and lifestyle changes. As stated earlier, you can get the 9th Law Diet for free at secretloss.com.  The cost is zero.  At the very least this diet is worth a read, and subscribing to Professor Jays mailing list is well worth your time.  It's not coincidence that this diet has grown is popularity so fast.

Jillian Michaels, The Biggest Loser: The biggest loser background Fitness guru, Jillian Michaels, known for her tough approach for losing weight on NBCs The Biggest Loser, has written a guide on how to drop those pesky last 10 or 15 pounds in 30 days. Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You sets itself apart from the myriad of fitness and weight loss books at your local bookstore because Michaels' program uses the process of oxidizing as a way to determine what kind of a metabolism your body has in order to lose weight effectively.

Michaels takes you through the steps to determine what kind of an oxidizer you are: slow, balanced or fast. Your new body classification then dictates what you will eat supported by Jillian's own menus and recipes. She promises that you will feel comfortable in a bikini if you commit to her disciplined fitness and diet regimen. As part of Making the Cut, you must take a body fat percentage test and a "fit test" before starting the program as a measure to evaluate your pre and post self.

Michaels does not under estimate the power of the mind in the battle to lose weight. She includes helpful tips and advice for how to improve self-esteem and confidence. The book is also full of various exercises to improve strength, flexibility and endurance. Michaels also unveils some well-kept celebrity diet secrets to get your body prepared before a big event.

The diet is Inexpensive and personalized.  The program focuses on the mental aspect of losing weight in addition to the exercise and nutrition components - Jillian Michaels is a popular weight loss coach with nearly 20 years experience

Michaels supplies a list of recipes and menus for each of the three oxidizer classifications. As part of your commitment to the Making the Cut program, you are supposed to adhere to her menu and calorie plan. During Making the Cut, you will take a fit test which is outlined in the book. The test establishes your level of fit-ness and you are then required to exercise about 5 hours each week. Michaels provides you with various exercises to do. She also has her own line of exercise DVDs that can be purchased at an additional cost over the book.

The cost is $14.95 for the book. Many online booksellers sell new and used books for discounted prices.

There is no refuting Michaels knowledge and training expertise when it comes to getting in shape and losing weight. Her 30-day promise, like any similar promise is no guarantee but it packs a three-pronged approach of diet, exercise and mental awareness to help you to lose those lingering pounds. The clinical science behind her oxidizer theory is scanty but her belief that the road to weight loss is a personal journey that begins with changes in behavior, lifestyle and self-motivation is an important component that many diet plans disregard.

Weight Watchers: It has been more than 40 years since Weight Watchers came on the scene and started helping people live healthier lives. Weight Watchers helps members create a foundation to introduce healthier choices and physical activity into their lives.

The original Weight Watchers plan invites members to weekly meetings where they hold group sessions, helping dieters form a network of support with people sharing similar experiences. Upon arrival, each person checks their weight privately. Meetings are conducted by a trained Meeting Leader who motivates and offers the group support through information about nutrition and fitness.

Members are also welcome to join the Weight Watchers community online.  From the comfort of their homes, members can form virtual support groups, monitor progress and access hundreds of approved recipes, like Blue Cheese Muffins, Sweet and Sour Pork, Grilled Beef Fajitas and even delectable treats like Chocolate Mint Brownies. If it's not convenient to prepare the approved meals at home, they offer a wide variety of frozen meals and point-complimenting menu items at Applebees.

Weight Watchers was made popular by a points system called Flex Plan. A point value is assigned to each food on the comprehensive list of more than 27,000 foods. The Flex Plan allows you to eat the foods you like. Just stay within your daily points and you can still enjoy fried chicken and Diet Pepsi. It is an easy plan to follow, offers great flexibility and has proven successful for more than 40 years. Read this full explanation of how Weight Watchers Points work, or use our free Weight Watchers Points Calculator.

Weight Watchers emphasizes eating more wholesome food through its Core Plan. Members don't count points, just choose a balanced combination of whole grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy. Whether you choose the Flex Points or Core Plans, you can find hundreds of delicious, satisfying and good-for-you Weight Watchers recipes right here at Diets In Review. Weight Watchers Online helps its members with 60 workout demonstrations. There are fitness recommendations for all skill levels. As little as $5 a week with their 3-month plan. Weight Watchers is a trusted diet company with 40+ years experience - Programs to suit men, women and all adult ages - Flex Points or Core Plan programs - Choose one-on-one counseling or the online program for anonymity and convenience - Comprehensive Web site membership - Provides exercise guidance - Thousands of recipes and meals to choose from - Partnership with Applebee's to make dining out more healthful. Counting points can be time-consuming - Web membership detracts from the traditional social aspect of Weight Watchers meetings

Weight Watchers is a tried and true veteran of the weight loss industry. With a variety of methods to choose from for both men and women, you're almost certain to find the right path for your weight loss journey. Weight Watchers provides support from every aspect of weight loss- so you're never left without information or support. Food is one of the primary concerns of any dieter and Weight Watchers goes above and beyond most other weight loss programs with thousands of recipes that anyone, dieting or not, will find tempting and delicious. If their style appeals to you, go for it.

Overall, all of these diets have proven to be very successful for many people, and have changed many lives.  The key is finding the diet which works best for you.  Obesity increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.  Obesity is an epidemic.  We need more diets like these to help people get their health back.

Dr. Kimberly Lee has been studying and guiding on health, fitness, and diet for over 15 years. She works as a nutrition expert consultant for several major companies.

You Should Know How Your Diet is Supposed to Work

The vast majority of people start dieting in order to lose weight. Losing weight can be accomplished in a number of ways. A diet is simply a specific method for accomplishing that task.

When one decides that they need to lose weight, the first thing that must be considered is the reason for wanting to lose weight. Is the weight loss going to be directed at a way to gain better health or is it more of a vanity reason? The reason for dieting is as important as the method used to lose the weight.

If attaining a more healthy lifestyle and striving for better health is the reason, it should not be of any concern how long the dieting takes to achieve the weight loss goal, if in fact there is a goal. If good health is the main objective, length of time should not be an issue because the diet should simply be a part of a life-style change in which the dieting change would be a long-term part of the life-style anyway.

If, on the other hand, vanity is the reason and the dieting person is hell bent on losing a significant amount of weight in a short period of time in order to fit into an object of clothing or simply to look great at the class reunion in a month, the method chosen for dieting will be completely different and, most likely, quite unhealthy.

Long term lifestyle type diets are usually of the type that occur in small increments of weight loss and continue as exercise is slowly increased and more healthy food, in smaller portions is consumed. These are usually quite simple diets that don't cause a significant amount of suffering as long as the dieting person is committed to the long-term goals.

The vanity type diet is usually a quick but very self-denying diet in which the dieting person eats very little or eats foods that do not tempt the pallet as far as taste or attractiveness go. Often, very large amounts of water are incorporated into these diets and most people do not drink enough water to begin with. When they are confronted with the need to increase their water intake significantly, they hesitate or they are not very compliant. Water, when one is not thirsty, simply does not taste very good.

The vanity diet also usually requires a substantial increase in activity in the form of exercise and most people have a strong aversion to that form of activity.

There are also diets that are not in either the lifestyle change nor the vanity dieting lists but are really a forced lifestyle change that is completely necessary for the dieting person to continue to live. Once such diet is the diabetic diet. If one ignores their diabetes and continues to eat large amounts of carbohydrates, as most Americans do, they will eventually suffer serious health deterioration. So, the necessary-for-life diets are not the ones we are really concerned with in this article.

There are a number of different diets available for each of the non-necessity diets. The basic lifestyle change diet has already been described though some of the latter day fad diets are also appropriate for long-term dieting if the person doing the dieting is indeed dedicated to the lifestyle change. Some specific fad diets that would work for this person are the Atkins or low-carb diet, The Zone diet or the South Beach diet.

The extreme vanity diet person can also use the low carb diet for fast weight loss or they can try starvation or if they really want to lose weight fast and suffer a bit more but at least retain some type of decent health, they can attempt the Lemonade Diet.

The lemonade diet is highly effective but is more a fast than a diet and a special mixture of water, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and syrup are required. One must be highly dedicated to losing weight for this diet to work as no food is allowed for a period of at least ten days and the Lemonade dieter will feel worse before they feel like a million dollars. The diet is extremely effective for losing ten pounds or more in ten days though. The added benefit of this diet is that it does a thorough job of cleaning the colon.

Each one of the above mentioned diets should be highly suspect and not just accepted for it's reputation or the current fad. One who is considering dieting should, at the very least, buy the book that is written about the diet in order to learn how the diet works with the body and effects the different body systems. Each of the authors has a lot of information included in their book about these concerns.

The main point of this article is to point out to anyone who is considering dieting that they should be very careful and choose a diet that meets their goals and health concerns. Don't blindly go into any diet without knowing how it's supposed to effect you, what you're supposed to eat while on the diet, how much weight you are expected to lose in a specific period of time and what are the benefits and health concerns that attach to that diet.

In fact, it is a very good idea to discuss any diet plans with your health care professional prior to starting or even considering one of the above diets.

Gary Vaughn is a Masters level RN and has studied and written about nutrition and dieting for quite some time. He has been published both professionally and online. He is the owner of Repair My Weight Loss, an information rich website about popular diets, diet myths, diet solutions and diet reality. The website can be found at http://www.repairmyweightloss.com

Let's Talk About Fad Diets

Although the big push for fad diets has died down a little bit, it is still estimated that at least two-thirds of Americans are on some type of diet at any given time. Although research shows the importance of eating from all the major food groups, people are still confused about what type of diet to follow, keeping the window open for more quacky solutions to pop up.

In an effort to help readers determine what makes a diet healthy and when it's time to steer clear, I am going to discuss what makes a diet a 'fad' diet and why these diets are something best to stay away from. Along the way, we will discover what each food group has to offer that can be beneficial to our health.

Our bodies are uniquely designed to take advantage of the proteins, carbohydrates and fats that we eat. In order for the liver to do the best job it can for us, we actually need all of these nutrients, known as macronutrients. Even a 'detoxifying' diet should also include all of these macronutrients!

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. Currently, more than 64% of US adults are either overweight or obese, according to results from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). So, look at the facts: Two thirds of all Americans are on some 'diet', yet we are getting fatter and fatter. Would that perhaps mean that the fad diets don't work? Let's talk about it.

Identifying a fad diet

A 'fad diet' is defined as something temporary. Therefore, it's no surprise that these diets are not successful. Let's begin by looking at how to identify a fad diet.

#1 - Promises a fast weight loss.

This is great, in the short term, but how many readers have or know someone who has followed one of these diets, only to regain the weight back, plus more for added bonus? When people lose weight very quickly, they lose a lot of lean muscle tissue, and the weight that comes back will most likely be more fat and less muscle, making it easier and easier to regain weight each time they drop the last fad diet. A healthy diet to follow will be one that will encourage slow, progressive weight loss over a longer period of time. It will have enough calories to support vigorous exercise, so that you lose fat and not muscle. Diets that are too low for the body's basic needs will result in the body breaking down it's protein stores (muscle) for the fuel it needs. Sort of defeats the whole purpose of the diet!

#2 - Eliminates foods or food groups.

The very first thing that alerts us that a diet is a 'fad' is when a particular food, or entire food group, is considered off-limits. This is a good time to talk about the low carb diets.

What is it that has made carbohydrates a bad nutrient? When you look at other countries, where the intake of carbohydrates is as high as 80%, and see that many of these countries are not suffering even close to the obesity rates we are in America, you have to wonder why they are not having the same problem. So, can it really be the carbs? Probably not. But, maybe it's the type of carbs. Many people who decide to go on one of the popular low carbohydrate diets start to eliminate a lot of food from their diets, including all the snack foods they were eating, particularly at night. Gone are the chips, the cookies, the crackers, the ice cream. Gone are up to 300 to 1,000 calories per day! Anyone would lose weight if they cut out those many calories from their daily diet.

Another problem with eliminating entire food groups, especially on low carb diets, is that they are recommending eliminating or limiting the intake of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. With all the substantial research showing how beneficial these foods are to preventing various diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, it's amazing that anyone involved in healthcare would recommend such a diet. Something to also notice, however, is that none of these fad diet books are written by anyone with a degree in nutrition. Even the medical community is confused, which explains why physicians will fall for some of the hype fad diet authors write.

But let's talk a little more about fruits, vegetables and starches: A diet high in animal protein and animal fat has been linked to various disease and inflammation states. A diet very high in protein puts a great load on our kidneys and can contribute to constipation, gout and bone loss due to calcium depletion from the high protein load.

Combine that with decreased fiber from lack of whole grains and fiber-rich fruit and vegetables, and many people just don't feel well; they feel fatigued, sluggish and their immune system is depressed.

#3 - Starts with a shock or follows a strict plan.

When the diet says you have to start with an extremely restricted diet, or you can only eat certain foods on particular days, you know it's a fad diet. They justify this by saying you have to clean out the body, or only certain foods will help with the weight loss process. Any change in how you currently eat will result in changes on the scale. Very few people can remain on these diets very long, so once they are 'off' the diet, the weight returns. The dieter learned nothing other than the misinformation the author provided them with. This can actually have far-reaching consequences, as then the dieter is more confused than ever and doesn't know what to believe!

Once a person learns what the qualities of a healthy diet consist of, they find that their optimum calorie level is for their own needs, and they are able to achieve their goals, combining their eating plan with exercise. Not only do they start to enjoy life again, but enjoy food AND see weight loss!

Although fad diet authors want you to believe their 'miracle' (and buy their products), there really is no get-thin-quick solution that is permanent.

But what does constitute a healthy diet? A healthy diet is one that is adequate in calories to support healthy weight, low in animal fats and saturated fats, animal protein should be very lean and adequate enough to support a diet high in fruits and vegetables and whole grain starches. Any healthy diet can include foods that are just for enjoyment, however. All foods really do fit, in moderation. A general rule is an 80/20 rule: Eighty percent of the time the diet should be healthy and then 20% of the time it can include foods you would not eat on a regular basis if you were trying to eat for health and weight loss.

#4 - Contradicts what experts say.

Authors of low carb diets say that the carbohydrates are what have made American's fat. But they can't explain why other countries whose diets are very high in carbohydrates don't have the same problems with obesity. You know it's a fad diet when the author says they have the 'inside' or 'hidden' truth about our health or diets. You also know it's a questionable publication when they say there is a hidden agenda among health professionals or the government.

But why is America getting fatter and fatter? America is a country of grab-and-go: The faster, the better. Families seldom sit down to meals, together. There are fewer physical fitness programs in school and many of the school food choices are fast foods. People and entire families eat 2-3 of their daily meals from a drive-through or a restaurant, most of which provide very few of the foods high in nutrients and low in calories. Restaurants add extra fats to their dishes to enhance the taste, so a meal you could make at home without added fats could have up to 60% of it's calories coming from fat to make it taste better! Plus, the serving sizes are much larger than they were 20 years ago, so most of the time the size of the meals could actually feed us for 2 to 3 meals, instead of one! However, many people still feel they must clean their plate rather than let the food 'go to waste'. They really should say, "go to waist"!!

As you read this, think back to the last week. How often did you sit down at home and eat a home-cooked meal? Do you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner each day? How often do you exercise vigorously? In Europe, the meals are much smaller and people walk a great deal more than in America. In some neighborhoods, it's actually impossible to walk to work, even if you live very close! Our road systems are no longer built for riding bikes or walking to work. You take your life into your hands, either from passing traffic or crime.

#5 - Relies on testimonials rather than scientific research.

The fact that Jane lost pounds in a week because she just ate cabbage soup does not mean it's safe, effective, or that it will work for you! What if you don't LIKE cabbage?

An example of testimonials, combined with the research to back it up, is the National Weight Control Registry. In order to join the Registry, a person has to have lost pounds and have kept it off for a year. Currently consisting of over 4500 individuals, the Registry was founded in 1993 as a longitudinal prospective study. Currently, there have been six studies resulting out of the Registry. For more information on the Registry, along with how most of the Registry members have in common, here is the website: http://www.nwcr.ws/.

#6 - Has a gimmick.

The problem with diet plans that have some type of gimmick, is people can't stay on them and they don't learn how to eat for the long-term. It's no secret that all the books must have something to 'catch' the reader. However, hidden among all the hype are books that really DO offer safe and effective solutions to weight loss. A book written by a registered dietitian (RD) is a guarantee that the material is accurate and safe. An RD is someone whose education, training and experience all revolve around the science and practice of nutrition; these truly ARE nutrition experts.

Consider this: If you had heart disease, you would see a cardiologist who specializes in heart health. If your teeth needed work, you would see a dentist. However, many people will buy 'diet' books from people who are not educated in nutrition! People will buy a diet book from a person who found what worked for them, or a movie star or a physician. In many of these books, because the author does not understand nutrition, many facts are distorted or misrepresented. It may not always be on purpose, but the point is these books are written by someone who really does not know nutrition and the science behind it, so either they distort the facts, or they make them fit the gimmick they are trying to sell.

So, the next time a friend mentions this great new diet they're on, or you see a new book that offers 'miracle' weight loss or something that 'health professionals don't really want you to know', take a step back and ask yourself these questions:

1- Does it promise fast weight loss?

2- Does it eliminate any major foods or food groups?

3- Is there a strict plan that must be followed for success?

4- Does it contradict what nutrition experts and science has to say?

5- Does it rely primarily on testimonials and 'before and after' pictures too good to be true?

6- Is there a gimmick?

If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, after you have stepped back, walk away and find a better plan. Isn't today time to get real and make your weight loss plan permanent and realistic?

Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other nutrition professionals start up their own private practice.

To learn more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at http://www.megfit.com or email her at margie@megfit.com.

Is the New "High-protein Low-saturated Fat" Diet the Answer to Weight Loss?

The heated debate, within diet circles, that began a few years ago and continues today is over the effectiveness of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate, type diet versus its counterpart, the high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet.

To the delight of the Atkins diet enthusiasts, recent studies have suggested that a diet high in protein and low in fat has a greater effect on diet induced thermogenesis (calorie burning) than a high carbohydrate low fat diet.

Before we go further we need to familiarize you with a few terms we will be discussing in this article. Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the total energy your body burns in a day. TDEE consists of 3 components: diet induced thermogenesis (DIT), basal metabolism, and physical activity.

DIT is the increase in the body's temperature that is caused by the digestion and absorption of a meal. This rise in temperature results in calorie burning. Yes, we actually burn calories simply by eating and scientists have long believed that DIT may be a factor, in reducing obesity; and that obese people may have defective DITs - although this hasn't been proven yet. Once scientists identify the link between DIT and obesity on a molecular level, it could essentially pave the way for the development of drugs in the treatment of obesity. That's still however, in the future.

In a recent study at the University of Arizona, published by the American College of Nutrition, a group of young healthy women were given 2 sets of diets. (1) One diet was high in protein and low in fat and the other was high in carbohydrate and low in fat. Scientists were trying to compare the thermic effect (DIT) of protein versus carbohydrate during the digestion and absorption of meals. Keep in mind, as the body's temperature increases (by DIT), so does the number of burned calories.

Evidence from this study showed that postprandial (following a meal) thermogenesis increased 100% more with the high-protein low-fat diet versus the high-carb low-fat diet. Although protein had a greater effect on DIT, the study did not evaluate weight loss or the long term effects of this type of diet. The results did suggest that this type of diet may have a positive effect on weight loss.

Scientists concluded that a diet high in protein, moderate in carbohydrate and low in fat contents may promote a higher rate of weight loss compared to the high carbohydrate, low fat diet. On the other hand, they also warn that high protein diets may affect kidney function in those that have kidney conditions, but not in healthy individuals.

Furthermore, they recommend daily protein intake should not exceed 2 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight. The American daily average is 1 gram per 1 kilogram. Further studies are required to assess the long term effects of high protein, low fat dieting.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that DIT or the thermic effect of a meal only represents 3-10% of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). So we must keep things in perspective. Basal or resting metabolism accounts for up to 70% of TDEE and energy expenditure from exercise is responsible for the rest. Logic dictates, therefore that these two take precedence over DIT.

The other big influencing factor in weight loss is the reduction of daily food intake. Let's look at the input/output equation: x (Input) - y (Output) = z. Daily output and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) are the same thing. If you ate fewer calories (x) than your body burned (y), z would have a negative value. If you consumed more calories than your body expended, z would be positive. A negative balance in the equation results in weight loss, a positive value causes weight gain. It's that simple.

In the above study, the high protein low fat type diet involves 2 factors of Input: Food composition and food quantity. In this diet, food composition (food selection) consists of a certain combination of macronutrients (high protein, low fat). Food intake (Input) affects the DIT which causes a certain increase (energy expenditure) on the Output part of the equation. And, as food composition varies so does the DIT. Food composition, though, can only have a limited effect on DIT. Remember DIT only represents 3-10% of the TDEE (Output). And food composition (high-protein, low-fat), accounts for a percentage of DIT, which represents even a smaller value. Food quantity, on the other hand, can have a tremendous effect on the equation - as it increases, the balance becomes more positive. If it surpasses TDEE then you gain weight - quite independently of DIT.

As a result, there can be a downside with respect to DIT involving the high-protein low-fat diet or any diet for that matter. With this diet, as protein intake increases so does the DIT. The problem is, however, that the food quantity (Input) also increases. The point here is that there is a limit to the amount of protein you can ingest before your body starts storing it as fat. Because DIT doesn't account for expending a lot of calories (3-10% of TDEE), and food composition (high-protein, low-fat) accounts for a percentage of DIT, there's only so much protein you can ingest before you start getting a surplus of calories. And excess dietary protein just as excess carbohydrate or fat is stored as fat in the body's adipose tissue. The only other factor that can compensate for the excess of protein intake is an increase in exercise participation. Although, that would defeat the purpose for obvious reasons.

Physical activity, however, can have a large effect on the Output part on TDEE (Output). Not only does it account for a much larger energy expenditure than DIT, countless of studies have shown that regular physical activity actually increases basal metabolism, which accounts for up to 70% of TDEE. As a result, regular exercise participation essentially has a compounding effect on the calorie burning process.

As we can see then, the bulk of weight loss and weight gain comes down to the quantity of calories ingested (Input) and calories burned (output). Furthermore, exercise and metabolism are responsible for approximately 90%-97% of TDEE. Energy expenditure from DIT is almost insignificant in comparison. DIT is just not effective enough to produce a negative caloric balance independently of total caloric intake, energy expenditure from exercise and basal metabolism - especially for most overweight individuals. And it would be unrealistic for overweight or obese people to rely exclusively on DIT to lose weight. These people are either overeating, aren't active enough or have low basal metabolic rates - or a combination of all three factors.

So, it still looks like there's no easy way out - you actually have to work, if you you're going to lose weight. The easiest way to achieve that is with the efficient use of all Input and Output components. That also means you must know your priorities. Most of your efforts should be spent in finding an adequate balance between a reduction of total daily caloric intake and a sufficient level of physical activity. And emphasis on DIT should take on a secondary role.

But wait, before you put on your running shoes and begin another diet plan, you might want to hear some very interesting news. There are certain cultures around the world whose diets contain just as much fat and carbohydrate (if not more) as in the American diet. Yet they are slimmer, and have much fewer occurrences of heart disease and cancer than their American counterparts.

Recent studies have shown that people in certain Mediterranean regions and in France manage to stay healthier and are less obese than those in other western countries. Let's look at the French first.

In a study by Adam Drewnowski of the University of Michigan, scientists examined the eating habits of 1,637 men and 1,576 women in America and compared them to those of 5,000 French adults. They studied their overall diets based on diversity (foods from 5 major food groups), variety (total number of foods consumed daily) and moderation (according to USDA dietary guidelines). (2)

The results were quite surprising. They found that the French ate more foods that were higher in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than their American counterparts. The study also showed that the French diet complied with very few of the USDA dietary recommendations for eating healthy. In addition, the findings showed that 99% of French women's diets had saturated fat contents in excess of 10% of total daily calories. What's shocking is that, on average, the French are thinner and have fewer occurrences of heart disease than Americans.

The possible harmful effects of the high fat content in the French diet, however, were offset by diet diversity and variety. Drewnowski pointed out that "the low fat approach is very good but not if it comes at the expense of dietary variety."

The USDA recommends that diets should consist of a variety of foods. According to the American part of the study, just one in ten men and one in sixteen women consumed food from all five food groups (Meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and grains). The other thing is that the French have more active lifestyles than Americans do. Americans typically drive more, walk less and participate in more sedentary type of leisure activities.

Similarly, a Mediterranean diet study also showed that the diet was high in fat, more diverse and had greater variety than the American diet. According to research, certain Mediterranean people, particularly from the Greek island of Crete, had fewer cases of heart disease and were thinner than Americans.

The difference in this study, however, was a crucial finding that suggested food variety and diversity created a certain dietary ratio. This was a ratio between 2 types of fatty acids present in the Mediterranean diet. These fatty acids are found in plant sources and fall into 2 groups: The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. You have probably heard of the multiple health benefits of these essential fatty acids many times before. They are called essential fatty acids (EFAs) because the body cannot produce them - they can only be obtained from food sources.

Although omega-6 fatty acids are essential to the diet, the omega-3 group has more significant therapeutic properties. Omega-3s contain powerful antioxidants that are known to fight against heart disease, lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, improve mood disorders to name a few.

The other benefit of omega-3s according to research is that they also have an amazing ability to control body fat. Omega-3s control the quantity of adipose (fat) tissue by regulating the amount of fat that goes into fat cells and the amount that is burned up for energy. (3, 4) Omega-3s have also been shown to increase fat oxidation in the body - the process by which fat is broken down and used as fuel for energy. (4) This further promotes a reduction in body weight that consists of fat mass.

According to scientists the key factor in diet composition is that the French diet and more so the Mediterranean diet consist of higher intakes of foods containing omega-3s than the American diet. In other words their diets contain a better (lower) omega-6 to omega-3 ratio than the American diet. And that's the key. One of the main reasons Americans have lower intakes of omega-3s is because of their high intake of processed food. Food processing is largely responsible for removing a lot of the omega-3 content from food.

On the other hand the French and Mediterranean diets are more abundant in whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables. And so their intake of omega-3s is considerably higher. In addition, the people of Crete eat 10 times more fish (rich source of omega-3s) than Americans do. Other important sources of omega-3s in the Mediterranean diet were: fish, purslane (wild plant high in omega-3 content), walnuts, figs and various other unrefined carbohydrates. By the way, the most abundant source of omega-3s is found right here in North America, and that's flax seed oil.

As we can see, two different cultures manage to stay healthier and slimmer than North Americans while eating foods that contain high fat, carbohydrate and protein contents. The key differences are that their diets contain more unrefined foods; they consist of foods from all food groups and have more variety. As a result they have higher intakes of omega-3s (lower omega-6: omega-3 ratio) than other Western cultures. In addition, both these groups of people are more physically active than Americans.

Now, you can put on those sneakers and walk (or jog) to the supermarket for a new supply of fresh wholesome food.

Refernces:

1. http://www.jacn.org, "Postprandial Thermogenesis Is Increased 100% on a High-Protein, Low-Fat Diet versus a High-Carbohydrate, Low-Fat Diet in Healthy, Young Women, retrieved 10 June 2005 from http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/21/1/55

2. http://www.sciencedaily.com, "Healthy diets need fat, according to new study", retrieved 22 June 2005 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980424031929.htm

3. Parrish et al. "Dietary fish oils limit adipose tissue hypertrophy in rats." Metabolism, Mar 1990, 39(3):217-9

4. Parrish et al. "Dietary fish oils modify adipocyte structure and function." J Cell Physiology, Sep 1991, 148(3)

5. Baillie RA, et al. "Coordinate induction of peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase and UCP-3 by dietary fish oil: a mechanism for decreased body fat deposition." Prostaglandins Leukot Essential Fatty Acids, May 1999, 60(5-6)

John Tiniakos helps make weight loss easier through proven weight loss methods using information and analysis from the worlds leading scientists.

For more information and to subscribe to his free monthly newsletter that includes valuable, up to date tips on diet, weight loss and health visit [http://www.nulife-weightloss.com/natural.htm]

Detox Diet Benefits

What to Expect when Detox Dieting

All detox diets are a little bit different. Some restrict food down to almost nothing while others allow for mostly veggies, beans, fruit, and rice. There are a few things that you should expect when beginning a detox diet, so that you can receive the full detox diets benefits.

Your body is significantly used to adjusting to toxins and poisons running through your body. One of the greatest detox diet benefits, naturally, is that you will rid your body of these toxins and poisons. There are side effects of receiving these detox diet benefits. If you are particularly used to that steaming cup of caffeinated beverage in the morning, you will experience caffeine withdrawal. While it may not seem like it while you are experiencing caffeine withdrawal, this is one of the detox diet benefits. Once your body has adjusted to the absence of caffeine, you should find that you have more energy.

Constipation is considered a leading cause of lethargy and fatigue. One of the detox diet benefits is the cleansing of the colon, which can cure even long term constipation. I had a room mate that was on narcotic pain relievers for over a year due to a severe injury. The narcotics kept her chronically constipated. The day she was finally through with her narcotic pain relievers, she went through a detox diet. She found that the detox diet benefits included relieving her body of the narcotic dependency as well as relieved her chronic constipation. She now regularly cleanses and detoxifies her colon when she is having difficulty going to the restroom, with obvious detox diet benefits as she returns from the restroom with a pleased grin on her face instead of the anguish she used to live in.

Even with the detox diet benefits, some people report feeling a bit weak about one week into the detox diet. Most detox diets do reduce food consumption, which can have an effect. The basic key is knowing how to elongate the effects of the foods you do eat. Those who really struggle with the lowered food consumption report that splitting the lunches into 2 meals works better for them than eating just the suggested breakfast and lunch. This still gives them the detox diet benefits but doesn't introduce additional foods into the scenario. Most detox diet experts state that provided you are not adding additional foods to the diet, segregating the meals into smaller snacks is perfectly acceptable.

The excessive water consumption associated with the detox diet is going to encourage your system to flush, which means you will be visiting the rest room much more often. This is a positive detox diet benefit. The more water that flushes your system the more toxins that will exit your body when you excrete it, and excreting it often will enhance the productivity of the entire process.

One of the little known detox diet benefits is the regeneration of the liver that can occur while following a detox diet. Milk thistle is typically recommended as part of the supplementation of the detox diet. Milk thistle aids in the liver's ability to regenerate. It's not a cure for liver disease, however it can help in the prevention of a liver disease, along with other changes to your lifestyle.

What Not to Expect when Detox Dieting

Detox dieting is designed to alleviate the ailments associated with large quantities of toxins that are built up in the human body. Detox dieting is not a "cure" for every disease. While most people experience great relief from every day annoying symptoms, detox dieting does not eliminate diseases that are already in the system. For instance, you can not rid you body of cancer cells by detox dieting. The cancer cells, for starters are not an actual toxin. They may have been caused by toxins, but the cells themselves are not something that can be flushed away.

Most people drop several pounds when detox dieting. There are those who drop a significant amount of weight when detox dieting. This is normal, and while some of it can be contributed to the flushing of fat cells, water weight, and calorie reduction, there is some permanent weight loss happening provided you do not return to eating habits that are probable for weight gain. This means that if you were prone to eating potato chips and cookies prior to detox dieting and you return to eating potato chips and cookies after detox dieting, you will gain the weight back. This may seem obvious, but there are plenty of foods that people believe contain a low calorie and low fat content but in reality they contain quite the opposite. An avocado for example contains nearly three times the amount of fat and calories as a measured serving of enriched white rice. While detox dieting, learn to recognize the foods you are putting into your body and what they actually do once they enter your gullet.

Detox dieting is not a cure for serious emotional or mental conditions, such as clinical depression. While many people admit to feeling less "depressed" during and after detox dieting, there is a difference between situational depression and clinical depression. Clinical depression requires medication. Detox dieting can not take the place of medication that is necessary to function on a day to day basis. Situational depression may be alleviated through detox dieting simply because you are taking control of your body, your health, in essence, your situation. These two depressions are significantly different.

How is Detox Dieting Different from Other Diet Plans?

Diet plans are a dime a dozen. There are grapefruit diet plans and the Atkins diet plan and the green tea diet plan and the national chain diet plans. An individual can spend countless hours and thousands of dollars "trying on" various diet plans. Some will work while others will ultimately fail. Why? Because not all diet plans will work for everyone. Does detox dieting work for everyone? Yes. Why? Because losing weight is a by product of the goal. The goal is to clean the body of the various toxins and wastes which have accumulated over the years. This is a process of ridding the body of the ailing chemicals we introduce it to on a daily basis while eliminating the build up of residual toxins. Weight loss occurs as a result of numerous factors, but weight loss in not the primary goal of a detox diet plan.

Keep in mind that not all detox diet plans are the same. Some detox diet plans are put together by professionals who understand the body's ability to cleanse itself of these harmful chemicals. While diet plans are typically put together by an entrepreneurial spirit, the detox diet plan was actually something that originated by a naturopathist, an individual who studies the various body types and how they process things on their own unique level. Since the detox diet plan was developed, there have been a remarkable number of "knock off" detox diet plans that have shown up on the market. These are all plans that suggest you stop eating and drink only diluted juice for several days (beyond twenty four hours this becomes unhealthy) and then limits food intake so dramatically that people find it impossible to stick to. If you're going to try any diet plan at all, it would simply make sense to start at the beginning. The beginning of healthy weight loss is a healthy body.

The dramatic detox diet benefits is that people who tried to detoxify their bodies using the original detox diet plan found themselves losing weight as a welcome surprise. Detox dieting has grown in popularity due to its dual effect. Detox dieting cleanses the body of the toxins and as a result, weight loss occurs. There simply isn't another diet plan that can match that no matter what they claim.

We live in a cluttered and chemically enriched society. Compare our lifestyles, our food products, and our basic need for heat and eat meals to the lifestyles and foods of people in remote and natural regions such as the Pacific Islands. People in natural regions are healthier overall. They eat natural foods that haven't been laced with chemicals and they live natural lives that don't revolve around the constant breathing of polluted air. Their bodies are not only healthier, but they are naturally thinner. They have fewer health complaints such as headaches and toothaches and stomach cramping.

The detox diet plan can help you jumpstart your body toward a healthier state of being. Naturally, effective detox dieting requires an effective detox diet plan. You really shouldn't just linger out there in cyberspace hoping the right detox diet plan will pop up into your browser. There are very few detox diet plans that I would dare put my stamp of approval on. However, one in particular I have found has excellent reviews by some actual detox dieters. Finding an authentic detox diet plan that is effective, safe, and of course reliable shouldn't be left to luck.

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