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Thursday, December 27, 2007

Dieting Will Never Be the Same! A Review of "How to Make Your Diet Work"

According to the American Obesity Association, an astounding 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as obese or overweight. According to the website's statistics, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths and is responsible for 100 million dollars in healthcare costs each year for obese and overweight Americans. A very real and often devastating problem for so many, obesity should be considered a healthcare crisis and given the utmost attention.

And one would think that with all the fad diets and personal weight loss programs promoting quick and easy weight loss that those numbers would be much lower or at least in decline. The problem is that Americans are fat. And we are getting fatter. Diet after diet comes along and yet we can't seem to lose the weight and keep it off. Is there a solution, finally , to the crisis?

According to Dr. Michael Smith there is, and it has to do with focus. Perhaps everyone has been attacking the wrong problem.

In his ebook entitled, How to Make Your Diet Work, Dr. Smith, a graduate of UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas, believes that the challenge facing the overweight person is not losing weight. Rather, the problem is in gaining weight. He states adamantly that for too long we have focused research and product development on the "how to lose weight problem" when we should have been focusing on the factors that make people gain weight in the first place.
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

According to Dr. Smith, the typical overweight person tries the latest fad diet. Most fad dietsl promote quick weight loss through an initial, drastic reduction in calories, carbohydrates, or fat. There is some initial success, but the drastic change in food intake causes the body to go into a state that Smith calls Diet Shock.
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

Diet Shock is when the body has suddenly been deprived of it's usual intake of food (calories, carbohydrates, etc.) and then begins to store energy as fat at a higher rate to compensate for the loss. In other words, the body thinks it is starving, so it goes to work to turn what is left as well as future intake into fat so the body won't be lacking.

This is what Smith believes to be the crucial problem. For example, in a typical fad diet a dieter drastically reduces her intake of carbohydrates for two weeks or some period of time . They see initial success by losing a few pounds, but then usually hit a weight loss barrier. They then give up and go back to their old ways. They then cycle back to their former weight. Then at some point in the future, they try another diet and repeat the process over and over again.

This cycle, often called yo-yo dieting, is not only an ineffective way to lose weight and keep it off, but it is also hazardous to the health of those who are on and off the diets. Unfortunately, the fad diets are responsible, albeit unintentionally, for the yo-yo dieting which leads to frustration, a sense of failure, and continued obesity.

Dr. Smith has been working in the field of diet and nutrition for several years. He wrote Make Your Diet Work to reveal a revolutionary way of thinking based on his years of interaction with his patients and his research. The main idea of his work is that anyone can lose weight and actually keep it off no matter which diet program you use.

In other words, whether you use a low carb, or low cal, or low fat approach, Make Your Diet Work will show you how to make that diet work for you by maximizing the diet's strengths and minimizing its weaknesses. He will help you lose weight using the diet you choose, and the principles illustrated in Make Your Diet Work will also help you keep weight off... for good.

Make Your Diet Work accomplishes this through what Dr. Smith calls Five Simple Science Solutions. Implement these solutions and use them with the diet of your choice, and you will be successful he says. And each solution helps prevent weight regain. What are they?

First, to make your diet work and prevent weight regain, you must stabilize an active metabolic rate. Simply put, Dr. Smith shows the dieter how to increase your metabolic rate and as a result increase the rate your body burns fat.

Second, the dieter must sustain a negative energy balance. This solution gives the dieter ways to create and sustain a negative energy balance. Weight regain will occur as long as you have a positive energy balance (when you aren't burning more calories than you are taking in).

The third solution attacks the problem of false or faux weight loss. Most diets today lead to your body burning more protein (muscle) than fat. So those initial pounds that come off do not constitute healthy weight loss. You are losing muscle and not fat (or perhaps volume depletion is occurring). In any event losing muscle is unhealthy. This solution will help you sustain and even increase your muscle mass while burning fat.

Fourth, Dr. Smith effectively and succinctly attacks the problem of food cravings. He asserts that people do not fail diets because they do not lose weight. They fail diets because they regain the weight they lost. By curbing cravings, especially those that occur in the middle of the day, a major contributing factor in weight regain has it's legs cut out from underneath it and is rendered ineffective.

Lastly, the fifth solution gives the dieter the know how to implement a weight maintenance program. Without a weight maintenance plan, which is where most diets fail according to Dr. Smith, the dieter will not keep the weight off. Solution five leads the dieter to an ongoing diet of 40% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 30% fat.

One thing that permeates Make Your Diet Work is Dr. Smith's firm belief that all weight loss should be healthy weight loss and should occur without inducing Diet Shock. There is NOTHING drastic, unhealthy, or expensive in Make Your Diet Work. It should give the dieter a sense of comfort and confidence in knowing that a medical doctor, trained at one of the most highly respected medical schools in the world, designed this plan with the reader's overall health in mind, not just producing fast weight loss results.

When you purchase Make Your Diet Work, you will notice quickly that this is not just another fad diet program. Far from it. The Five Simple Science Solutions can be used with the diet of your choice. So Smith is not trying to decry any diet on the market. Instead, he gives very clear action steps that enable you to modify easily your diet of choice, making it safer and far more successful in the long run.

And don't think you're going to have to do lots of study and conversions and extrapolations to figure out how to do this. Nor will you need to purchase memberships, special foods, nor additional books. Dr. Smith has included easy-to-read charts which tell you exactly what you need to do to make your diet work.

In addition, Dr. Smith has included a Diet Mentor, a sort of interactive diet coach. The Diet Mentor summarizes key principles, reduces some of the more difficult ideas to easy-to-understand action steps, easily links back to the main volume by simply pointing and clicking on topic you want to review, and provides some encouragement along the way. The Mentor can be used as a sort of quick reference help as well.

There is another powerful and user friendly tool Dr. Smith has developed for you that comes with Make Your Diet Work. Suppose you haven't chosen one of the popular diets or you don't even know where to begin. Then you can use the step-by-step, point and click guide that so easily assists you in setting up your own diet plan instead of using one of the fad diets on the market today. Again, Dr. Smith has provided you with the tool you need.

Just click on whether you want a Three Week or Five Week initial startup plan. Then you will be guided to click on either a low carb, low cal, or low fat plan. Then choose the method of how you will work on establishing a higher metabolic rate. Do you want to use resistance training or a walking program? You continue to point and click along these lines until you have set up your own customized diet plan.

And you can rest assured that it is a plan that is designed to help you lose weight, avoid Diet Shock, prevent Weight Regain, and do it all in a manner that is safe and effective.

Now, when you purchase and download Make Your Diet Work, you will have to wade through a minimal amount of scientific jargon. But no more that you would normally expect from a physician. After all, they aren't always known for their bedside manner. But in my opinion, working through these sections that attempt to illustrate the scientific underpinnings of what Smith is trying to say is more than worth the effort. You don't have to understand the jargon. All you have to do is follow the Five Simple Solutions!

The only other thing Dr. Smith could have added to Make Your Diet Work is an expanded list of resources for the dieter. Specifically, obese and overweight people who have tried diet after diet could use a guide that leads them to different forums and support groups which are often crucial to long term weight loss success.

But those are minor deficiencies in a work that, in my opinion, constitutes a welcome paradigm shift in the way we should think about and approach dieting and the obesity problem. It's not about losing weight. It's about a healthy diet and lifestyle that keeps the weight off!

Make Your Diet Work is listed at www.weight-loss-professional.com/make-your-diet-work.html for $24.99 with a 30-day, money-back-guarantee. Keep in mind that what the dieter gets includes the main volume (which includes sound recordings throughout by Dr. Smith himself), the Diet Mentor, the Diet Planner (which helps you set up your own customized low cal, low carb, or low fat plan), and two other ebooks which are definitely must reads.

One, entitled Diet Deception, deals with deceptive internet marketing in the health, diet, fitness, and nutrition world. The other ebook, entitled Double Down, gives the reader concrete and specific ways to develop better and more consistent sleep patterns which will exponentially improve your chances of losing weight and keeping it off.

In addition the buyer will get the benefit of future upgrades and additions, as well as a year's worth of Medical Alerts and Cooking and Recipe tips sent directly to his or her email inbox each week.

As always, consult your physician before beginning any diet program. If you or someone you know needs to get serious about losing weight, I unreservedly recommend Make Your Diet Work. Dieting will never be the same again, and I am glad!

Mark A. Fuqua http://www.weight-loss-professional.com With 3 earned degrees and more than 16 years of experience as spiritual leader, pastor, director of marketing and investment banker, Mark Fuqua brings to the discussion table a breadth and depth of unique experience coupled with academic acumen. He is Consultant and Chief Editor of Diet Basics, a website dedicated to healthy weight loss success.

Diet Program Review: Slim Fast

Slim Fast is the most common diet shake available on the market today. Its plan allows for a shake at breakfast, lunch, and then a normal dinner. It also allows two pieces of fruit and a Slim Fast bar as a snack. According to nutrition experts, the Slim Fast plan does have healthy aspects. It is an easy plan to follow and promotes healthy exercise and drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

Slim Fast centers its weight loss program on products made by their own company. Traditional shakes and nutrition bars are what the diet mostly consists of, making it obvious that the one meal you eat for dinner must consist of nutritious and wholesome foods since your shakes only add vitamins and minerals. The goal for dieters on Slim Fast is to stay away from high-fat, calorie dense foods, and eat a diet that is high in fiber and vitamins instead.
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

The problem with the Slim Fast plan is that the caloric limit is set so low that it can be bad for any long-term goal of weight loss. Each shake only contains around 250 calories, add in the shakes and regular meal, and you are likely to be only consuming 1,300 calories a day. It seems reasonable that reducing calories is the key to weight loss, but when you reduce too many, you are experiencing one of Slim Fast`s biggest problems!

The only good thing that Slim Fast had ever done was that it introduced meal replacement shakes to the consumer. Slim Fast may have been good when it first same out, but with today`s diet choices, there are much better diet programs available. I simply do not recommend the Slim Fast dieting program if you are looking for long-term weight loss results. With that being said, I still feel that Slim Fast shakes and nutritional bars are a good complement to one`s diet. If Slim Fast would change their "2 shakes a day" plan to one shake a day, I would reconsider my opinion of them. But until they change it, I`m going to stay away from it.
Tip! Vienna Miller is a contributing writer to Diet and Weight Loss Reviews - a website offering the latest diet reviews and weight loss plans that actually work.

*http://www.ediets.com/slim-fast/diet/ *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Fast *http://www.thedietchannel.com/Slim-Fast-Plan.htm *http://www.ultimatefatburner.com/reviews/slim-fast-diet.html *http://diets.aol.com/a-z/slimfast_diet_main *http://www.chasefreedom.com/slimfast.html

Product Review-- The New Power Diet Patches

When I first heard about the new Power Diet Patches, I was skeptical. I don't believe in miracle weight loss cures and short-cuts. I believe in healthy weight loss by lifestyle changes. And I know that there are lots of diet scams and useless diet aid out there, giving false hope and wasting people's time and hard earned money.

But people all around me who had tried unsucessfully to lose weight and change to a healthier lifestyle and diet, were suddenly losing weight. Not only were they dropping several pounds a week, but they had extra energy (without being jittery) and were even sleeping better. What was going on? I began to do some research. (I don't recommend a product without a lot of thought and research!)
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

Here is what I found...

First I was skeptical that a transdermal patch would even work to get a substance through the skin and into the body. But I learned that the skin is actually a permeable organ that allows some things to enter the body, while blocking other. Some substances that the skin especially likes to pass on to the body are fat-soluble substances such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as steroid hormones such as estrogen. Pharmaceutical companies use this knowledge to find ways to make patches that will deliver medication into the body through the skin. The substances enter the bloodstream through the capillary networks in the skin, and spread throughout the body.
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

The medical community is becoming excited about patches, since they give a constant amount of medication, instead of dumping in too much and letting it wear off, then doing it again, the way oral medication works. Patches are now being used to deliver a number of therapeutic drugs. These include estrogen, scopolamine (motion sickness), nitroglycerin (heart problems), and nicotine (for those trying to quit smoking).

I became convinced that patches, in general, can and do work. So the question is now whether the substances the patch is sending into the body are effective or not. This is the reason that most diet patches do not work. They are using inferior or useless ingredients. Some diet patch companies have even been prosecuted for running scams.

What about the ingredients in the Power Diet Patches?

These patches have safe and natural ingredients including:

* an effective, natural form of the essential trace mineral, chromium poly-nicotinate. Chromium promotes fat and weight loss by helping the body to burn fat and calories, and preserves the lean muscle. Chromium is also known for keeping the appetite in check.

* the herb Guarana (Paullina cupana) which has many traditional healing uses, but also includes some of the fat fighting properties of caffeine (about as much as you would find in an average cup of tea). Guarana helps boost metabolism and calorie burning, and is a rich source of the antioxidant epicathechin as well.

* forskolin, which comes from an extract of the herb Coleus Forskohlii. Forskolin helps stimulate the thyroid and restore the fat burning metabolism in the body, without adding any nervousness or "the jitters." It also helps preserve lean muscle mass, and that is great because we want to burn the fat, not the muscles.

* the active ingredients of black pepper and long pepper to help with transdermal uptake, so our patches have increased delivery and patch performance, while maintaining gentleness and avoiding skin irritation.

All these dynamic ingredients are absorbed slowly through the skin to stimulate your body’s metabolism. The result is a safe and easy way for you to increase your energy levels and, with proper diet and exercise, achieve a whole new level of wellness!

Well, after going through all this research, it didn't take me long to sign up as a Distributor and share the good news with everyone I can (although you don't need to sign up as a distributor to get the products.) And as the pounds begin to come off, I haven't regretted a minute of it.

If you would like more information about the Power Diet Patches or would like to purchase them, go to http://powerdietpatch.com now!

If you would like to find out more about living a healthy lifestyle that promotes weight loss go to http://coconut-oil-diet.com now.

By Dianne Ronnow, © 2006 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved.

This article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

South Beach Diet "The Review Diaries"

The Review Diaries She Unlimited Magazine

There are masses of carbohydrate diets like the Atkins Diet and The Zone. Now Hamptons diet meets South Beach. I think most of us know the reason for it's creative principle of lowering cholesterol for Dr A`s patients and those with diabetes.

The diets regimen is based on the consumption of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean fats and proteins. It eliminates simple carbohydrates almost entirely (sweets, pasta, most bread, etc.) and aggressively restricts carbohydrate consumption during the weight loss phase of the diet, similar to Atkins.

This type of diet is simply going to lower caloric intake for those who follow it, consequently weight loss. I still think calories count, although you can eat what you want from the allowed foods list, if you overtake in calories....well, some experience no weight loss. However over time you're hunger will subside and you will then naturally take in a less amount of food.

The book does focus on decreased carbohydrate consumption in a healthier manner, but the book falls into the trap of marketing itself in a similar manner as all fad diets.

They clearly know what appeals to desperate, overweight people and they use the common buzzwords in this business such as, "lose weight fast", "13 Pounds in 2 weeks", "cravings were gone", "never unsatisfied." Overly optimistic claims are certainly dubious when lasting weight loss is difficult, as we all know.

It is essential. And this diet makes diet sense. It is easy to follow; some find it hard finding the low fat ricotta cheese, but other than that it is a simple plan for regular people and not geared toward the fitness enthusiastic of sorts.
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

Keep in mind once you reach your goal you can have your loved wanted sweet foods (not so healthy foods) in moderation. At that point once you reach your goal, only then should you dibble into the cakes, etc, remember moderation is key.

It takes dedication and adding some source of exercise into the program just helps to build you metabolism.
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

Veronica Marie Kettler is Editor-in-Chief for She Unlimited Magazine. http://www.sheunlimited.com and heads up the community at http://www.sheunlimited.com/forums.

Marie is committed to making a difference. Making a difference in the Women sectors online, media and print.

Marie believes that individual style is a form of self-expression. Marie knows the trends and where to find them. Her expertise and knowledge give consumers everywhere the insight they need to get the latest styles and products that fit everyone and every budget, both online and off.

For More information or how to become and editor for She Unlimited Magazine please e-mail: admin@sheunlimited.com

Atkins Diet Review: The Truth About The Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet plan has made an impact in the market for many years. No other diet plan has become as successful as this low carb diet plan. The Atkins diet has helped many people to reduce the weight and minimize the health related problems associated with obesity. It has assisted many people to regain the strength and shape up the body. It has gained popularity with people from all walks of life. However there are some not so good things to consider before going for it.

Some Facts About The Atkins Diet:

Atkins diet plan has gained this popularity mainly because you get the desired results without starving, you can eat significant quantities of the right foods. This diet plan suggests low carbs and high protein diet. Also many think that it is useful for mainly non-vegetarian people as it directs the use of animal proteins. But with some modifications and care, the vegetarian people can also use this diet and get the desired results.
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

Though this plan has caused the biggest weight loss, there are controversies involved also. To some people, it has worked like magic and is the most useful diet plan. But some people think it to be too good to real diet plan. They think of it as impractical and dangerous diet plan.

As this diet relies on a high protein diet, it is claimed that the high intake of protein can seriously harms the kidney function. But it can not be proved through well documented studies that effects such as these have been noted. Also, long term caloric limitations can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Even Dr Atkins ended up developing a whole line of supplements to balance the nutrition of long term dieters. This is the one of the bad points of this diet plan. But if you carefully follow the Akins diet plan, you will get to know that intake of carbohydrates are restricted only in the first phase and then gradually the carbs intake increases. Also it is highly recommended to take vitamin and mineral supplements with this diet plan.
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

Some also states that high fat intake may lead to heart attack. But as the carbohydrate intake is limited, the main energy source of body becomes fats so fat intake will not harm as you are balancing it with carbohydrate intake.

Also some wonders that though it is a weight reducing diet plan, how it allows to it almost everything. The main reason of it is, Atkins diet plan insist the wholesome food. As reducing weight by starving is a wrong approach, it will not starve you but make you eat balanced food.

It provides many recipe books which has some really delicious and easy to prepare recipes which will capture your taste buds and heart too. Though many people are following this diet plan, there are some good as well as bad points of it.

There are some very good points about this diet and some bad points but you can get around those points with some care. When all is said and done remember this diet has worked for millions of people, Now you have to think and take right decision.

The author, Bill Urell, reviews only the best diet and fitness plans, tips, and articles that promote healthier lifestyles. Visit us and claim your FREE ebook, 101 Romantic Ideas as a welcome gift ==>http://www.online-weight-loss-resources.com

Ephedra Diet Pill Product Information - Smacker with Hoodia Review

Smacker Ephedra boasts that the ephedra product will SMACK THAT FAT, but can this 25mg ephedra product really delivery the extra energy and fat burning we have come to expect from ephedra? The short answer is YES. Smacker ephedra, now with the appetite suppressant Hoodia, really does increase energy, and burns fat just like the old ephedra products used to.

What Is In Smacker Ephedra

* 25mg ephedra
* 200mg caffeine from Kola Nut
* 105mg White Willow Extract
* Vitamin B5
* Hoodia Extract
* Serving Size: 1 caplet

As you can see, Smacker has the full ECA stack (ephedra, caffeine, aspirin), as well as the phenominal appetite suppressant of Hoodia! Ephedra itself is an appetite suppressant, but many find they need a little bit more appetite suppressant than what ephedra can delivery, and Hoodia really adds that extra appetite suppressant.

Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

What's New With Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia? The nice thing about the new Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia is that it now comes in caplet form. This way, if 25mg of ephedra per caplet is too much for you, you can just break the caplet in 2 (or more) pieces and control your serving. Diet Fuel with ephedra was a 3 capsule per serving ephedra product, which was good for people who didn't want to take full dosages, while others complained about having to take 3 capsules for full strength servings. Smacker, much like products like Stacker2 with ephedra has 25mg ephedra per serving but unlike Stacker2, it can be taken at half dosage. Stacker2 came in capsule form, which makes it very difficult to take half dosages.
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

Where to buy Smacker Ephedra Smacker Ephedra is now being sold through a few distributors to many retailers and online stores. The most popular place to buy Smacker is at Bing Products.

Smacker with ephedra, bottom line Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia delivers exactly what it says, it really does SMACK THAT FAT! Whether you are looking for the extra energy, appetite suppression or a strong fat burner, you should really take a look at Smacker Ephedra with Hoodia.

Joe Rodriguez owns a website EphedraTalk which provides valuable free information for anyone interested in information relating to ephedra, for example Ephedra Diet Pill Product - Smacker with Hoodia Review. Check out Smacker Ephedra now.

Does An Alkaline Diet Help You Lose Weight? A Review Of The Evidence

Probably the first scientific studies on digestion were done by Ivan Pavlov who became famous for his 'salivating dogs'. Pavlov showed that the digestive enzymes released and the amount of acid secreted depends on the type of food.

His experiments with rats showed that starches are digested in about two hours, proteins are digested in about four hours but a protein-starch mixture could still be digesting 13 hours later. With dogs, again the protein-starch mixture took over twice as long compared to the same food consumed separately.

Pavlov also showed that food taken on top (i.e. before digestion has completed) can lead to fermentation. This happens when you eat fruit after a meal; many people say that it gives them gas.

What could account for Pavlov's results?

The enzymes essential for digestion only function at specific pH levels; proteins and carbohydrate enzymes require opposite pH levels. If you mix them together in the same bag, you won't be able to digest either food properly.

"Most fruits go straight through the stomach into the duodenum for digestion, which means if you put fresh fruit on top of a big meal, it has to sit and wait in the top of the stomach until the other food is digested, during which delay bacteria attack the fruit and ferment it, gobbling up all the nutrients and leaving you with gas and metabolic wastes." Daneil Reid, Trophology: The Science of Food Combining, "The Tao of Health".
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

In 1908 Dr Howard Hay after practicing medicine for 16 years developed High Blood Pressure, Brights Disease and a dilated heart. As there was no treatment available, Dr Hay decided to find a cure for his own symptoms. He looked at his food intake and the chemical process of digestion, the enzymes that are essential for this process and whether the food has an overall acidifying or alkalizing effect on the body.
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

To the amazement of his colleagues, he had a complete remission of his symptoms in 3 months of changing his diet. He also reduced his weight by 20kg's. In 1911 he introduced his Food Combining guidelines and gave lectures till his death about the need to combine foods properly and reducing acidifying foods from the diet.

If you think there's nothing to acid-alkaline food combining, try this: one day for lunch eat a steak with chips, and monitor how you feel after an hour or so. Next day eat the same steak, but with a large vegetable salad. Which day did you feel more tired, drowsy?

Try feeding your dog meat and biscuits for a while, see how he feels!

Try an acidifying McDonald's diet for a month.

If you're still alive, try an alkaline diet of alkaline water, fruits, vegetables, juices and super greens for a month. You're guaranteed to lose weight from this diet - it's over 95% water!

Some doctors maintain that all food is acid in the stomach and becomes alkaline in the intestines from the pancreas secretions. The blood pH range is so narrow that any measurable change would cause death. Even a bottle of ant-acids won't affect the acidity of the stomach for long.

These scientific facts don't mean that an alkaline diet is useless or that the body can magically process food in any old combination!

Remember Pavlov's results? Why are so many people that eat at McDonald's fat and why did Spurlock nearly die? The fat content is not that high - a Big Mac apparently is 100% grilled beef, the chips are fried in vegetable oil and there's no fat in the cola! Could it be the acid, the high glycemic load and the bad combinations?

Such foods play havoc on our blood sugar and pH levels. As Daniel Reid explains the sugary 'soft drink' is an 'acid bomb': "A 350 ml serving of Coke, Pepsi or similar drink delivers a sugar fix equivalent to about 9 teaspoons of sugar straight into the blood stream. This instantly acidifies the bloodstream to the extreme point that without an immediate emergency response from the body, it would kill you in a mater of minutes…you'd have to drink 32 glasses of alkaline water to neutralize the blood pH…to prevent death by acidosis, the body reacts swiftly by drawing huge amounts of organic calcium from the bones and teeth and pouring it into the bloodstream to neutralize the excess acid and quickly restore alkaline balance. Calcium is the body's most potent alkalizing agent"

Are there any clinical studies to settle this issue?

A study called "Cola beverage consumption induces bone mineralization reduction in ovariectomized rats" (the rats were fed cola - acid, pH 2.5 - and the effects on bone density measured) suggests that "heavy intake of cola soft drinks has the potential of reducing femoral mineral density".

Dr L. Frassetto's team at the University of California discovered that as we age, starting around age 45, we lose the alkaline buffer bicarbonates in our blood:

"Our group has shown that contemporary net acid-producing diets do indeed characteristically produce a low-grade systemic metabolic acidosis in otherwise healthy adult subjects, and that the degree of acidosis increases with age, in relation to the normally occurring age-related decline in renal functional capacity."

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that alkalizing diets improve bone density and serum growth hormone concentrations; the acidosis resulting from acidic diets contributes to bone and muscle loss.

Sang Whang in his book "Reverse Aging" proposed a Theory of Aging: we age because we gradually accumulate organic acid wastes. These wastes show up as uric acid, urate, sulfate, phosphate, kidney stones and other organic wastes often surrounded by cholesterol. Cellulite is a gel-like substance made up of fat in which are trapped acid wastes in pockets below the skin.

Dr Robert Young, author of "The pH Miracle" has been saying this for years - "Obesity is an acid problem, the fat is saving our lives."

Should I eat alkaline foods and stop eating acidifying things like red meats?

Yes eat plenty of water-rich alkaline foods; but there's no need to avoid any food that contains good nutrients in it like my favorites lamb kebabs and sashimi. As Patrick Holford, author of ‘The Optimum Nutrition Bible' says "moderation in everything, including moderation"'!

Acid-alkaline diet food charts come from the pH of the ash that results from burning food; it's caused by the unburned minerals. However, just as burning petrol creates exhausts, over 97% of any food metabolized creates acid wastes. At less than 1%, alkaline minerals are a fraction of the nutritional content of food and the overall acidity produced.

Clinical studies show that alkaline mineral water is the best way to obtain alkaline minerals and acid waters like colas are the best way to quickly deplete them!

The most nourishing alkaline foods are nature's super greens - spirulina, barley and wheat grass powders. Mix half a tea spoon in alkaline water daily. This will give you more nutrients then a basket full of vegetables. Other super foods are EFA oils and bee pollen.

So eat a nutritionally balanced diet of natural whole foods and combine them sensibly. Most of all drink lots of alkaline mineral water.

Your weight will take care of itself.

James Khan is the editor of detoxifnow.com a mind-body health resource. He has been detoxifying, fasting and cleansing himself for over 15 years, and has been practicing Yogic, Tibetan and Taoist traditions for 30+ years.

Email: james@detoxifynow.com

Diet Program Review: Atkins

The Atkins diet is a popular diet that emphasizes a high fat, high protein, and low carbohydrate approach. The diet promises that you will not be hungry, you will lose weight, and have better health and wellness benefits that are in no other diet. The Atkins diet is based on the opinion that overweight people consume too many carbohydrates and by reducing these carbs and eating more protein and fats, our bodies will burn fat more effectively.

The Atkins dieting plan allows you to eat foods that most dieters have only dreamed about eating. This diet allows you to eat eggs, meat, cheese, bacon, cheddar cheese omelets, and even steaks. However, you cannot eat carb rich foods on Atkins because of the effect it will have on fat`s digestion, making you fat. On Atkins, traditional carb sources such as white flour, white rice, sugar, and even milk must be avoided if the diet is to be done correctly. Atkins sets a "twenty grams of carbs daily" rule which can only come from fibrous rich food sources such as vegetables.

As for short term weight loss results, the low-carb option is the way to go. Atkins is the perfect diet for people who favor the low carb method over any other diet. However, if one is looking for long term results and want to keep themselves sane by eating carbs, then Atkins should be avoided. Studies have shown that increased protein consumption without an adequate amount of carbs can cause severe kidney problems. Another problem with the Atkins diet is that an increased fat intake can lead to high cholesterol levels, leaving you with an increased risk of a heart attack

There are so many different good/bad reviews for the Atkins diet that it is impossible to tell you if Atkins is right for you. My suggestion would be to give the diet a try and track how your body responds to a low-carb diet. Track how you feel, what you eat, how well you sleep, how your social life is improving or declining because of the diet. If you don`t like it, then simply switch to a diet more suited for you. Until next time, later!
Tip! Vienna Miller is a contributing writer to Diet and Weight Loss Reviews - a website offering the latest diet reviews and weight loss plans that actually work.

*http://www.cuy.net/atkins/ *http://www.lowcarb.ca/ *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkins_diet *http://www.atkinsexposed.org/ *http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/7/3220_136.htm

MY SITE: http://www.mightybody.com

Diet Program Review: Zone Diet

Many people opt to lose weight by using the Zone diet. This diet is different from diets such as Atkins and South Beach Diet because of the fact that Zone emphasizes a ratio which consists of the three main nutrients (carbs, proteins, fats). Is this diet the one you want to follow or is it just another fad diet that will disappear after another year or so?

The basis for the Zone diet is that if a person eats the right amount of carbs, proteins, and fats, then the person will improve their health drastically. This diet calls for a ratio of 40/30/30 (carbs, proteins, fats) because certain hormones will be balanced to give you the body of your dreams. The founder of this diet, Ph.D Barry Sears states, "The American public is overweight due to a high intake of carbohydrates, and that this style of eating causes an overproduction of insulin. The solution is to eat a lower carb, higher protein, and moderate fat diet to balance these hormones within the preferred zone."
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

So how does the Zone diet compare with other diets? The Zone diet is quick to point out that this diet works primarily because of its low calories, not their magic ratio of macronutrients. This diet does not prohibit any foods, but restricts foods that are high in fat and carbs such as starches, grains, and pastas. Other diets either emphasize a low carb or low fat option, the Zone diet simply uses both nutrients, just in a smaller percentage.

This diet is actually not bad compared to some of the lower carb diets available. The Zone diet does have its weak areas considering some of the recipes are full of nutritional misinformation. Another problem Zone has is that it suggests impractical food combinations such as beer and cottage cheese in one meal. Despite these prolems, go ahead and try Zone for yourself and find out if it works for you. Until next time, later.
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

*http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0924.html *http://onhealth.webmd.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52012&page=2 *http://www.bestdietforme.com/TR/ZoneDiet.htm *http://www.mhhe.com/hper/nutrition/nutriquest/phys4.mhtml *http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/lighter_life_diet.htm

My site: http://www.mightybody.com

Frozen Diet Meals - A Simple Review!

Eating nutritional meals while dieting and leading a busy life can be hard. I have recently gotten into the habit of buying a bunch of "diet" frozen dinners and taking them to work. A quick microwave and I am back at my desk with something that is good for me and filling. So I thought I would review a couple of the ones that I have been munching on in case you have been thinking about doing the same. So let's start with the Weight Watchers Smart Ones. Honestly I tried these because they were the cheapest brand on average I could find. They have a good selection under $2 at my location and then some around $2.50. So I could spend about $10 for a full week when at a restaurant I would be lucky to get a single meal and a fast food restaurant I could stretch that to two days if I worked at it a little. So I have tried all of the cheaper ones and some of the next level.

On the cheap I would have to say I am addicted to the Smart Ones Creamy Rigatoni with Broccoli & Chicken. Something about the sauce has me licking the bowl when I am done. It has 290 calories, only 8 grams of fat, and a Points value of 6. I don't know about the Weight Watcher's Point system, so not sure if 6 is good or bad. Something just doesn't seem right when pasta is part of my diet, but I would eat this even if not worried about the calories and fat.

They offer three meals with turkey, but my favorite is Turkey Medallions with Mushroom Gravy. It has only 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, and a Points value of 4. Mostly because I like the green beans as a side, the turkey is the same in all three meals. If you like mashed potatoes with a little kick, the Slow-Roasted Turkey Breast has garlic-herb potatoes.
Tip! We have made a research to find the most effective diets. Find the results only on the Atkins diets and other diet reviews source .

Finally I would recommend any of the meals with macaroni and cheese, my favorite being the Salisbury Steak. It has 250 calories, only 4.5 grams of fat, and a Points value of 5. Something about Salisbury steak that says frozen dinner. It has really great gravy and I repeat the macaroni and cheese alone is worth the purchase. I think I have pasta issues.
Tip! Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology.

If I had to recommend against any of the meals I would suggest you steer away from the Tuna Noodle Gratin. It has 260 calories, only 7 grams of fat, and a Points value of 5. This is actually a great tasting and filling meal. The problem is that when it is microwaved the whole office will smell like tuna fish. In a way that it will not go unnoticed by your colleagues. I say keep this one at home.

In summary, I would not let the low prices fool you. Weight Watchers Smart Ones food is delicious, filling, and economical. I have tried some other more expensive diet meals, but to me none are so much better that they demand a higher price. Let me know what you think and check the ingredients before trying any of these meals if you have any food allergies.

Simon Volk has been a contributing author for websites and is an acknowledged expert in the field of health and fitness. He can be found on the internet at the website: http://www.healthfitnessarticle.com

Mediterranean Diet Cook Book

The Mediterranean diet has been identified as one of the best health diets for a longer life expectancy. Researchers have identified the menu of vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes, beans, olive oil preparations and seafood and low consumption of poultry, eggs and red meat as the most suitable way to check diet and evade chronic diseases -- especially heart diseases. In fact, it is the availability and right combination of these food products that has made the Mediterranean diet healthy and balanced.

Many Americans and Europeans suffer from heart ailments, obesity, gallstones, diabetes and cancer caused by excessive intake of animal fat, faulty diet and low exercise regimes. The Mediterranean diet matches set diet guidelines, and was popularized through studies and research conducted on Mediterranean people.

With this came a series of cookbooks to lead a healthy diet. The Mediterranean diet cookbook is a compilation of information on the three continents of the Mediterranean region, their recipes and relished food. These books provide various methods of food preparation such as appetizers, salads, desserts and main course meals. These methods are practiced by the population in the Mediterranean region. Even though most of the cookbooks fail to explain the typical traditional Mediterranean diet, they contain modified or variations of the recipes.

The Mediterranean diet cookbook does not promote any kind of weight loss. Instead, it promotes a healthy diet through filling and tasty food that help reduce weight naturally. Most books come with an introduction to the island, relevant information on Mediterranean diet food and their nutritional value and lots of delicious recipes.

The recipes suggested in the cookbooks are a collection of food prepared in the different states that form the Mediterranean region. The common point in all promote olive oil as the best form of fat to lowers cholesterol and work as an anti-oxidant. The preparations include vegetables, fruit, nuts and cereals, preferably unprocessed food. It also makes use of low to moderate amounts of wine, yogurt, milk and cheese. The cookbook also recommends limited amounts of fish, chicken, eggs and meat. As such, the Mediterranean diet cookbook provides the necessary guidelines for a healthy diet low in fat, salt, sugar and starch.

Mediterranean Diets provides detailed information about Mediterranean diets, Mediterranean diet benefits, Mediterranean diet cook books and more. Mediterranean Diets is affiliated with Mangosteen Fruit.

3 Secrets Your Diet Book Won't Tell You

Are you wondering why you're not losing weight? If you're like me, you've tried every fad diet imaginable, and nothing seems to work - at least not long-term. I've personally tried Weight Watchers (that worked great until my schedule changed and I was no longer able to attend meetings), Atkins (not easy to follow for someone who travels a lot and loves to dine out), and crazy fad diets like the cabbage soup diet, the grapefruit diet, juice fasts, and countless others. I was hungry all the time, and I wasn't able to sustain any substantial weight loss because there are three secrets that NONE of those diets told me.

First, diets don't work, PERIOD. Any plan that's highly restrictive, structured or specialized is unrealistic for long-term maintenance. Plus, any diet that requires you to totally eliminate foods from your diet is a recipe for disaster. Personally, I don't care for chocolate. However, when someone tells me I can't or shouldn't have chocolate, it's amazing how I suddenly crave it! When someone takes away a choice, the average person wants that choice back - even if it didn't mean much when the option was available in the first place. Additionally, most diets don't work for everyone, and you won't know if a diet works unless you try it. Trying many diets without seeing results can lead to "dieter's frustration" which, in many cases, just packs on more pounds.

The second point that most diets fail to mention is that you must eat frequently to regulate your metabolism and burn fat. Extreme low-calorie and tiny "portion-control" diets put your body into starvation mode, which means your body clings to food because it doesn't know when its next meal is coming. This explains how you can actually eat less food and consume less calories, and still not lose any weight. If your diet makes you feel hungry all the time, that's definitely not a good sign. The best nutrition plans require that you eat five or six small meals per day, no more than four hours apart.

Finally, diets are lying to you when they say you must be "patient" and expect to lose only one to two pounds per week. For someone like me, who had fifty pounds to lose, this information was devastating. If you have a lot of weight to lose (50 pounds or more), it is not unhealthy to drop three to five pounds per week, particularly in the beginning. In my experience, the greatest motivator is early results. When you can see the fruit of your efforts, you are much more likely to press onward when the going gets tough. Early results can help you maintain focus and keep your determination alive. An excellent all-natural supplement such as NiteTrim (www.NiteTrimDirect.com) can jump-start your results from other weight-loss efforts. Supplements such as NiteTrim can also help you break through the dreaded "plateaus."
Tip! South beach diet book claims that you won't feel hungry while on this diet. This is impossible considering the fact that some of the menus average only 1200 calories, which is too low not to feel hungry.

Once I discovered these three secrets, I realized that the best way to get in shape and maintain a healthy body is through proper nutrition, regular exercise and appropriate supplementation. By far the best program I've found is a combination of Bill Phillips' Body for LIFE (www.BodyForLife.com) and NiteTrim (www.NiteTrimDirect.com). Bill Phillips has truly made nutrition simple, effective, and easy to follow. Additionally, the Body for LIFE book provides step-by-step exercise and fitness guidance suitable for anyone, regardless of experience or current fitness level. NiteTrim is an all-natural supplement that effectively burns fat, and the company offers a 30-day free trial supply, as well as a money-back guarantee at www.NiteTrimDirect.com

Amy Grant is an avid fitness enthusiast who enjoys SCUBA diving, photography, and empowering people to achieve their goals.

The Magic Diet Book

A glut of new diet books hit the shelves every year and we buy them in our millions.

Every book is full of promises that this will be the only diet book you'll ever need, the answer to your prayers. But there you are again, just a few weeks or months later buying another diet book, hoping that this one has the true magic formula that will help you lose weight and stay slim forever.

But actually there is no magic formula in any of those books, there never will be. You are the only one that has the magic formula - the desire, the determination and the ability to take action.

Many of those diet books would work if you could bring yourself to follow the "easy" food plans in them. Many of the exercise programs would tone and slim your body if you could drag yourself to the gym to do the routines or even get yourself out of bed in the morning early enough for a toning session at home.

But that is so very hard to do. They ask too much, too suddenly for ordinary mortals. We know in our heart of hearts that those diets work, and that it is we who do not. But we continue to buy the books because we are buying not just a book but hope when we hand over our cash.

Instead of pretending that you have a will of iron and are likely to turn your life upside down this time (despite evidence to the contrary from the past goodness-know-how-many attempts) why not just select any of the books you already have from your shelves and work out what you can do to make a start towards implementing the plan.

Success does not have to happen in a day. But making small changes one after the other brings about huge success. It gives you the chance to adapt bit by bit to a healthier lifestyle.

On the other hand, if the lifestyles in the books do not appeal as a way of living forever then that's another story. Diet books generally offer a quick fix rather than an attractive way of life (quick fixes are what give us the hope and sell the book after all).

In that case, why not design your own healthier lifestyle - one you're prepared to live with forever and put that in place step by step? Create your very own magic diet and exercise plan that will work for you for life and keep you slim permanently.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Monday, October 29, 2007

The Charlotte Mason Method Increases The Effectiveness

When it comes to home schooling, parents need all of the resources they can muster. Designing curricula, scheduling field trips, and tailoring lesson plans to children in different grade levels can be challenging. Using children's literature to enrich the curriculum you teach in the home learning environment can be rewarding to both you and your children.

Charlotte Mason, a British educator whose life spanned the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century, fervently advocated the use of literature in children's education. Often referred to as the founder of home schooling, Mason pioneered a liberal arts approach to children's education. In contrast to the rigid memorization required of students during her time, Mason's educational theories embraced the concept of instilling a love of learning in children and exposing them to a wide variety of subjects.

Today, many parents use the Charlotte Mason method as a home school resource. Several of Mason's key concepts relate to reading in the home learning environment. The first is the avoidance of what she termed "twaddle," or books that today could be called "junk food for the mind." You're probably familiar with the type, such as chapter books based on TV shows that use overly simplistic sentences and rely on illustrations, rather than words, to engage a child. Instead, the Mason method opts for children's literature that is well written and captivates the child's imagination with words.

Another of Mason's key concepts that relates to reading is that of "whole books." She advocated that a child read a book in its entirety, rather than simply reading book excerpts. Any parent of a child educated in the public school system knows that language arts textbooks are typically anthologies of book excerpts. Mason felt that a work should be read as it was written, as opposed to reading only a portion of the complete book.

Narration is a third concept advocated by Mason. In contrast to rote memorization and recitation, or testing that focuses on what a child doesn't know, Mason felt that children should have the opportunity to explain what they do know. After reading a book, for example, a child could talk about what he or she learned, could write about the book in a journal, or could paint or sculpt a depiction of what he or she learned.

Charlotte Mason's teaching methods are easy and inexpensive to integrate into home education. Developing an effective avoiding "twaddle," by reading the whole book, and by incorporating narration as a measure of comprehension - is an integral component to the Mason method. Utilizing children's book reviews will help in this effort, as will broadening the reading experience by incorporating related individual and family activities.

About the author:
Brent Sitton is the founder of http://www.DiscoveryJourney.com,with home school resources, including children’s book reviews containing 5 educational activities. http://www.discoveryjourney.com/homeschool.htm- http://www.discoveryjourney.com/childrensbookreviews.htm

4 Questions to Answer Before Contacting a Book Agent

Obtaining agency representation is your first step toward getting profitably published. Most publishers won’t even look at unsolicited manuscripts.

But, before approaching an agent to represent you, you should finalize the presentation of your book.

Agents don’t have time to waste dealing with publishing ‘wannabees’ who don’t have, and may never have, a concrete project to represent. To busy agents, dreams don’t make it.

If you approach an agent before you’re prepared, you may never be able to contact them again. They’ll consider you a ‘dreamer’ and disregard you emails and phone calls.

Elevator Speech

Before approaching an agent, prepare an ‘elevator speech’ describing your project in the less than thirty-seconds it takes for an average elevator ride. If you can’t, your project probably isn’t ready for prime time.

Your elevator speech must answer four major questions:

- What is your book about?

- Who is going to buy it?

- How does it differ from existing books on the subject?

- How are you going to promote it?

1. What is your book about?

Finalize your book’s title and contents before contacting an agent.

The title is crucial to your book’s success. It must attract the attention of acquisition editors, book reviewers, bookstore managers, web surfers and readers. The title is often your one – and only – chance to make a sale.

Finalize your book’s table of contents and prepare a brief description of the contents of each chapter. You should also know how long your book is going to be and the number of illustrations, graphics or worksheet

Prepare two – three, if you’re a first-time author – sample chapters and hire a professional editor to fine-tune them. It’s better to show three perfect chapters than a finished manuscript filled with spelling errors.

You don’t have to write your whole book before approaching agents. And your sample chapters don’t have to begin with the first chapter, nor do they have to be in sequence. But, they must represent your writing at its best.

2. Who’s going to buy your book?

Next, show that there is a reachable market for your book.

Strive for urgency. Describe the market intrigued by, or frustrated by, your book’s topic. What symptoms does your book help solve? How many people share the problem? What are the consequences of the problem your book addresses?

Quantify your book’s market in terms of buying power, willingness to buy books and ability to be reached through associations or publications.

3. How will your book be different?

Next, position your book relative to existing books on the topic. Existing books on the same topic are a plus, not a minus. They prove there is a market for books on the subject.

-What are the strengths and weaknesses of existing books?
-Why will readers choose your book over existing books?

This section offers you an opportunity to describe your background and how it contributes to your book.

4. How will you promote your book?

Promotion is your responsibility, not the publisher’s. Your ability to promote your book is as important as your ability to write your book.

Start by identifying book reviewers and editorial contacts who can help promote your book. List publications that might run an extract from your book. Research producers who book guests for radio and TV interviews.

Discuss your speaking experience and willingness to travel to support your book. Describe how you will promote your book on your web site.

List authorities in your field who have offered to write a foreword or provide you with cover testimonials.

Agents are busy. To the extent you can sell your book idea as a realistic possibility in thirty seconds and can support your answers with research and strong sample chapters, you are well on your way to success.

After you’ve been successfully published, you may be able to sell a book on just the basis of an email. But for now, you must be fully prepared.

About the Author

Roger C. Parker is the $32,000,000 author with over 1.6 million copies in print. Do you make these marketing and design mistakes? Find out at www.gmarketing-design.com