simpleeasydiets.com

Dieting at a Party

Sarah — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:52:01 +0000

Who doesn’t love the summer holidays? You get to see your family, friends, or even coworkers, and take some time to relax. For many though, holiday get-togethers create a major temptation to overeat, especially among less disciplined dieters. Never fear though! You can still go to that party and not have to worry about missing out. We have some great tips for dieters to resist the allure of the less than healthy party foods on the holidays.

Most importantly, make sure that you don’t arrive at the party hungry. People have a tendency to just skip meals by telling themselves, “Oh I’ll just wait. I’m sure there will be plenty of food at the party.” By the time the party comes around, you’ll be ravenous and will have trouble making good food choices.

Grab a smaller plate if possible. Even grab a bowl if you need to. By using a smaller plate, the portions will look relatively bigger, tricking your body into thinking your eating more than you really are. This also prevents you from filling up the plate with more than you can or need to eat.

If your planning on bringing food, take control and bring something that you know is healthy. Instead of using fatty dressings, like mayo or ranch, consider using yogurt, ricotta, or hummus. Include plenty of vegetables and avoid bringing foods that are traditional but notoriously bad, like chips or cheeses.

Look for foods that take a ‘commitment’ to eat. Essentially, don’t go for snack foods, or foods that you can eat with your hands. Get a piece of chicken breast, or some casserole. Using a fork and knife will slow you down, giving your body time to tell you if you need more to eat. Also try to avoid many of the traditional grilling foods like burgers and hotdogs. These are delicious but most are full of fat. Consider using turkey or vegetable versions. Roasted vegetables are also a great and delicious choice.

Make sure you don’t overdo it with the alcohol. It’s easy to get carried away in a social setting, especially when your having fun. Not only does alcohol reduce your ability to make proper food choices, the calories are empty. Many fruity drinks are also full of sugar to mask the taste of alcohol, and are therefore high in simple carbohydrates

Just follow these easy dieting tips and I’m sure you’ll make the right choices, but still have a blast! Happy fourth!

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Let’s Talk About Carbs…

Sarah — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 16:28:28 +0000

by Laara Hays

Everyone who has tried any diet knows that cutting carbs can be one of the most effective means of losing weight. However there is often a misconception that all carbs should be abhorred. In fact there a different types of carbohydrates that all have various benefits on consequences on your body. It is important to be able to distinguish these differences, so that you can eat the carbs that will actually work with you to lose weight, rather than hold you back.

In essence, carbohydrates can be broken down into two categories. There are simple carbs, which are often found in refined sugar, enriched flour, and other processed foods. Then there are complex carbs, which are found in whole grains, or beans. The simple or complex label refers to the structure of the sugar molecule – complex carbs take more time to digest, providing a more healthy and lasting boost of energy. With simple sugars on the other hand, your body quickly uses up the potential energy in the food, giving you that sugar high that everyone knows about. The difference between these carbs is often referred to as the glycemic load, which is essentially how the energy in the food is distributed in your body. The longer and more sustained the release is, the better it is for your health since it reduces spikes and falls in blood sugar.

Working good carbs into your diet isn’t as hard as you would think! In fact it is a relatively simple change in lifestyle over most other dieting techniques. Most simple carbohydrates can be substituted for a equally tasty complex carb counterpart. For instance, when given the option, always pick whole wheat, or whole grain breads over white bread. Avoid anything that contains the highly misleading ‘enriched’ modifier. Enriched white rice or enriched wheat flour is actually just a grain that has been dehulled or dehusked, leaving only a starchy sugary grain with empty calories. Good alternatives would be brown rice, or whole wheat pasta.

Lastly, some foods will, inevitably, have no substitute. Soda drinkers will need to either give it up entirely or switch to the diet equivalent. For me, I replaced my soda with home brewed ‘sun tea’, which I drink unsweetened. This is a great way to cut the simple sugars from soda out of your diet. Simply throw a few teabags in an clear covered pitcher and set it in the sun for an hour or two. This makes delicious iced tea, that isn’t bitter and a good refreshing substitute to soda.

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Beer and a Diet

Sarah — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:41:15 +0000

by Mark Heitermann

For many, alcohol is one of the first things to go when they start a diet. This is not necessarily a bad decision – ethanol provides no real benefit to the body, and are truly empty calories. That being said, I love my beer far too much to every completely abstain from drinking it, even if I have to compensate by eating less. I also don’t totally agree that all alcohol is necessarily bad. Having your favorite brew can actually be beneficial in other ways that many people don’t realize. Just like anything else in a easy diet, you just need to assess the value of your beer, and decide the healthiest way to enjoy it. Remember, a diet is very easy if your still able to enjoy your favorites.

Beer can actually be highly nutritious. Unfiltered beers are high in vitamin B and have respectable amounts of protein. This protein is mainly due to the yeast that is still suspended in the beer. The protein in these beers can help curb hunger, especially if you have a drink before a meal. In fact, beer has historically been an important
means of getting nutrients. Unfiltered beers, which are far more common, lose some of this nutritional benefit, but they still shouldn’t be completely shunned.

My best advice though, is to stay as far away from light beers as you can. No only are beers like bud light or miller light horrible excuses for beer – tasteless, sulfury, overly carbonated – they are effectively watered down alcohol with no nutritional benefit. Their trademarked ‘drinkability’ is exactly what you want don’t want. They achieve their drinkability by essentially brewing a beer with minimal flavoring components. However the alcohol is still there, and that’s the part that contains most of the calories. Most light beers have around 100 calories. Anything less and it normally means the beer has much less alcohol, such as MGD 64 which is 2.9% abv. You may as well have a much better, more delicious, beer that hovers between 150-200 calories. These extra calories are certainly worth it, but if you don’t agree, just drink alcohol free beer since the calories from the alcohol are inevitable.

Again the emphasis is the same for beer as with any other diet food – quality over quantity and you’ll see results. Cheers!

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Best Types of Easy Diets

Sarah — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:22:05 +0000

by Jessica Heart

Just as every person is unique, there are tons of unique easy diets to choose from. Unfortunately, many dieters are constantly switching to the latest fad diets, without really taking the time to find a diet that really will help them lost weight easily. If you are truly committed to finding an easy diet, there are a number of very effective possibilities that you can choose from.

The first, and arguably the most popular, is called a Set Meal program. This is characterized by the fact that it provides a strict list of foods that can be eaten, or even defines the exact meals you should eat in a day. This is definitely an easy diet since it takes little effort to follow. The biggest problem with this type is that it isn’t very sustainable. You can’t live the rest of your life choosing from a list of 15 foods! However, this is a great option for those in need of a rigid yet easy diet plan.

Another familiar diet is Exchange diets. These allow you to select your own foods and meals under certain caloric and portion restrictions. In essence, you’ll be allowed to pick a few foods from each food group enabling you to create balanced and healthy meals. While the flexibility of these types of diets is nice, it requires some extra oversight to ensure you select foods that are nutritious. That being said, these easy diets are best for developing a long term change in lifestyle and encouraging good eating habits.

Lastly, many people resort to prepackaged foods and meal plans for their weight loss. This is perhaps, one of the least effective ways to losing weight. Not only is it expensive in the long-term, but the foods are often bland, boring, and offer little in the way of nutrition. Unless absolutely necessary, try to avoid these.

Realize that the best diets are those which suit your needs. Most diets will help you lose weight, and while some are more effective than others, its all about finding easy diets that you believe you can follow.

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Best Metabolism Boosting Foods

Sarah — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:48:40 +0000

by Laurie Twiggs

Do you remember when you were young and could eat anything you wanted and still would never gain weight?

Even when I was in my late teens, I was eating huge portions of unhealthy food full of fats and cholesterol and never really had to worry about packing on pounds. However, after years of following that lifestyle, I was surprised to see myself ‘ballooning’ when I was in my early twenties. After a lot of time at the gym and discouragingly little progress, I realized that it was my metabolism that had changed and I was no longer burning calories as quickly as I used to. I decided to make a change in the types of foods I ate to boost my metabolism. Sure enough, after only a few weeks of eating these new foods, I started to burn fat without changing any other parts of my diet, and have lost almost 20 pounds to date.

Here are the 6 foods that I found were best to boost my metabolism and I couldn’t live without!

Grapefruit is one of my secret foods that I always tell my friends about. Just eating half a grapefruit a day helps you get loads of vitamins without the extra calories. The small amounts of fructose sugar jump-start your day and help curb your hunger and help prevent your body from absorbing fat. They are also really delicious!
Yogurt, especially low fat varieties are phenomenal for encouraging weight loss. That being said, you should try to get plenty of dairy servings in general per day, but yogurt is by far the easiest and most beneficial choice. It is low in calories, generally under 100, and provides large amounts of protein and calcium. There are even claims that it contains ‘probiotics’ which help regulate your digestive system.
Turkey, specifically white meat turkey is both a healthy and great choice for a meal. It is, obviously, a rich protein source and is quite low in fats as far as meats go. Turkey can be useful in boosting metabolism as it takes much more effort for your digestive system to break it down.
Oatmeal can be one of the best carbs that you can eat. It has many colestorol reducing properties and is very high in fiber, thus buring calories as you eat it.
Last, and a little more obvious; water! Water is exceptional at keeping your body in order. It help flush salts toxins from your system, and even burns calories along the way. Water simply makes you feel good, and you should always plan to drink at least 4 generous glasses a day.

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Exercise Doesn’t Have to Suck

Sarah — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:45:24 +0000

by Kim Crawford

Many people who try to lose weight are daunted by the notion that they have to exercise frequently in order for their dieting to be effective. Often people who are overweight tend to get little exercise and workouts and weight training are entirely new things to them. However it is absolutely essential to get 30-60 minutes of committed exercise to ensure weight loss success. It is very difficult to rely only on a diet and expect tremendous lasting results.

Exercise isn’t all that bad fortunately! The problems a majority of dieters have with exercising concern things like having to go to the gym all the time, or running mindlessly on a treadmill. Luckily, exercise doesn’t need to be that way. The key to success involves finding something that you love to do that will get you outside and moving. I know it sounds cliché, but it really is true. For instance, a great way to get some exercise is to go play catch with you children, or walk the dog around a few blocks. If all else fails, go on a walk to bike ride with a friend. What’s important is that there is someone else depending on you to keep you motivated; your dog, children, friend.

Another great approach is to incorporate exercise in things that you already have to do. Mowing the lawn or gardening for example can be tedious but are a great reason to get outside. Knowing that you are actually losing a little weight while doing something that needs to be done helps keep you driven towards your goal.

Just realize that exercising isn’t all about working out necessarily; you just need to get moving! Almost everyone can find something that they love to do and apply it to their dieting regime, and it work doing so. If you can get outside and exercise, you will undoubtedly lose much more weigh and be successful on your weight loss journey.

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Know your Food!

Sarah — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:12:17 +0000

by Greg Walker

While it would be difficult to fully understand everything that is on the labels of the foods you eat, it is an essential step to understanding how to eat healthily and properly. Dieters often neglect to check labels themselves and eat based solely on their intuition or what their dieting books claim is acceptable to eat. In order to lose weight you need to take control of your diet and fully understand what you are putting into your body. While this may be a daunting task for those who have never done it before, its not as hard as you might think.

Perhaps the most important thing that you can see on the nutrition label is the appropriate portion that you should be eating. Many people will eat two or three times the recommended portion of a food without fully realizing it. This contributes greatly to weight gain, as you eat a large amount of unnecessary calories which are eventually converted into fat. Try to literally measure out everything that you eat with a measuring cup, tablespoons, etc. This will allow you keep track of everything you eat – an essential step in an easy diet.

Another important thing to observe on the nutrition facts label is the amount of fat and the number of calories that fat contributes. Food which are high in fat tend to contain ‘empty calories’ which have little nutritional value. Also look at the types of fats in the food. Saturated and trans fats are extremely unhealthy and should be avoided wherever possible.

Look at the other nutrients as well to ensure that the food you are eating has nutritional value. There is a huge difference for eating to fill up and eating to be healthy. Meals that are high in carbs and sugars can cause indirect weight gain and should be eaten sparingly. Try to find foods which have high amounts of vitamins and minerals along with good amounts of fiber. These nutrients are essential for a healthy body and fiber can actually burn calories thus reducing your net calorie intake.

Lastly, do your best to stay away from processed foods. There have been links to weight gain, diabetes, and even cancer from consuming overly-processed foods. But how will you know if a food is highly processed? Some foods will say right on their packaging that they are minimally processed. If they don’t say this, check the ingredients that they use. Do you recognize them? A good rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t be eating food with ingredients that you can’t identify. The more obscure chemicals that are in the the food, the less you should be eating it!

All the best, be happy and healthy.

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Easy Diets and Nutrients

Sarah — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:40:49 +0000

by Norma Kingston

When your busy and constantly on the run, it can be pretty difficult to get all of the nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy and productive. Many of us mistakenly think that just eating vegetables will ensure that we get everything that we need, but in actuality you must take a holistic approach to your diet to be enough. All easy diets must be effective yet healthy!

For starters, most of us rarely get enough vitamin D in a day. Foods that are dark green such as spinach and brocolli are rich in vitamin D, but other foods, such as dairy and soy are often overlooked. Soy can also be beneficial as it contains many essential amino acids that your body needs to survive.

Copper is also commonly neglected in many diets. Meats from animal organs, such as livers or kidneys are often high in copper as well as shellfish, whole wheat products and many nuts. Consider replacing penut butter with sunflower butter to get the proper amount of copper in a day.

Potassium is also essential for your body to function as it helps regulate body fluids. Many fruits and most vegetables contain traces of potassium but most do not contain enough to make sure you receive your daily value. However by focusing on eating specific foods, mainly bananas, tomatoes, or unpeeled potatoes you can help satisfy your needs.

One of the last ‘metal nutrients’, zinc, is also often largely ignored in diets. Zinc is heavily utilized in the nervous and immune systems and is a must for all easy diets. Eating modest portions of red meats, or eggs is normally sufficient.

Lastly, as dieters often totally remove meats from their diets, they are substantially reducing the amount and variety of essential fatty acids in their body. There are 9 specific kinds of acids which your body needs every day, and often by eating only vegetables you are getting all of them. Emerging research has shown that lack of these acids can actually contribute to weight gain and can be a precursor to various diseases. Therefore, always try to eat foods such as soy, nuts, seaweed and fish which have all 9 of these acids. This will keep you energized and healthy while on an easy diet.

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Secrets to Fast Weight Loss

Sarah — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:19:09 +0000

By Nancy Mosquawain

More than 120 million people in the United Sates were considered obese in 2009. It has truly become an epidemic in America, with many obese people becoming at risk for major health complications. If you are considering losing weight, now is a better time to start than ever; people who lose weight can greatly reduce their risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, or stroke.

However, it is often difficult to find an appropriate diet and exercise program that will help reach a lower body weight. Luckily is doesn’t have to be as hard as you think. SimpleEasyDiets has created a list of secrets to fast weight loss that you can apply to help you start burning fat and gain a healthy body weight:

Here are some secrets to fast weight loss:

Divide the large 3 meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner into 6 smaller meals. These can include small snacks to hold you over in the day such as a piece of fruit or veggies. This helps to keep your blood sugar constant throughout the day and is a secret to fast weight loss.
Make sure that you never opt out of eating breakfast. Breakfast is an essential secret to fast weight loss as it helps get your metabolism rolling. This will aid in burning fat when you eat later in the day.
Another secret to fast weight loss it by eating smaller portions. By doing this it will allow your body time to process the food and determine if you are still hungry. You can even wait 20 minutes after eating to ensure that you still need more food.
Be sure to drink more water to flush your body of salts and toxins. This will help reduce your water retention and encourage healthy eating.
Set realistic weight loss goals so that you don’t become discouraged. If you set large goals, such as losing 90 pounds, your destined to fail! Setting smaller benchmarks is a east secret to fast weight loss.

Finally, the ultimate secret to fast weight loss is to exercise. Exercising will help burn unnecessary calories, and will help adjust eating habits to properly meet your body’s needs.

Also you must realize that the real secrets to fast weight loss are entirely personal. Everyone will have different things that work or don’t work for them. Only by trying different techniques and diets will you really understand how your body reacts and can find the best way to lose weight for yourself.

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Quick Effective Weight Loss Programs

Sarah — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:06:37 +0000

by Debra A. Miller

People’s motivations to lose weight can vary drastically. While many individuals obviously would like to lose weight to alter and improve their physical appearance, others do so to improve their overall quality of life, their self esteem, or to deal with the inherent depression and health risks associated with being obese. Regardless, there are numerous benefits to losing weight and eating healthy so it is undoubtedly important to find the right weight loss program for you for quick effective weight loss.

Of course, before you start a weight loss routine you should consult your doctor so that they can properly assess your physical capabilities and determine if you are healthy enough to lose weight. Once you start looking for a program for quick effective weight loss, make sure that it addresses the appropriate aspects needed for an efficacious diet. SimpleEasyDiets.com has created a checklist of four things a great diet designed for quick effective weight loss should have.

A dieting program should involve comprehensive exercise. While many diets overlook the importance of exercise, the most effective ones encourage its users to get outside and become active. 30 minutes of exercise a day, even if it’s just a walk around the block, will do wonders and keep you on track.
Be sure to set goals that are both challenging but realistic. Many diets claim that you will lose 10 pounds in the first week. Realize that quick effective weight loss is earned, and there is no simple fix to weight loss. By setting realistic goals, it will prevent you from being discouraged and keep you motivated.
Make sure that your diet is flexible and can adhere to your needs, not the other way around. People and their weight loss needs vary tremendously. You can’t expect any single diet to work for everyone. Therefore it is necessary to find a diet that you can change to meet your unique needs, such as eating habits, time constraints, and dietary needs.
Find a diet that recognizes the important of proper eating. Often times, new dieters will find a program that promises quick effective weight loss, but end up starving themselves. Diets are not fasts! You should be satisfied when you eat, otherwise your body will be thrown into a ‘starvation mode’ where any additional food you eat will be converted to fat. A proper diet program will ensure that you are eating an appropriate amount of healthy food.

One final note: A diet is only as good as the person who is following it. You can’t expect a diet to work if you never give it a chance, or you are constantly violating its rules. The trick to quick effective weight loss is just committing and adhering to a diet and exercise program. Losing weight is truly a lifestyle change and must be treated and recognized accordingly!