Diet

lexi2232 asked:


I have heard that there are some ingredients in diet sodas and diet ice teas that may cause cancer. I forget what the ingredient is, does anyone know?

IGNACIO

buisymom asked:


I need to start a diet and don’t know which way to go. Adkins has been successful in the past, but I love skim milk and fruit and I believe that you can have those on the South Beach diet. Can anyone give me information on this subject?

SAM

The Diet Guy asked:


What Diet Pills Are Out There For Me? The last 20 years have seen people become obsessed with losing weight, Meaning, they have spent billions every year on appetite suppressants, fat burners, and fat binders. With so many out there which one is right for you!

 

Appetite Suppressants

 

Many people think that their weight problem is caused by not knowing when to stop eating. They reason that if they don’t feel hungry, they won’t eat as much and will lose weight. The appetite suppressant was designed to lessen a person’s psychological motivation for food. Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), one of the most widely used appetite suppressants, affects the hypothalamus, a control center in the brain. PPA interrupts the ability of the hypothalamus to tell the body when it’s hungry. This curbs the appetite and the individual wants less food. By eating less, a person loses weight. PPA is found in Dexatrim, Vitaslim, Hungrex and Acutrim. PPA along with diet and exercise promotes weight loss. You must stay on PPA or your hunger will return and you will most likely regain your weight. The most common side effects include thirst, irritability, palpitation, tiredness and jitteriness. Major side effects include cardiac arrhythmias, intracerebral hemorrhage, acute dystonia, myocardial injury, psychosis, cerebral arteritis and hypersensitive crisis.

 

Fat Burners

 

A fat burner does two things. It acts on the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that helps to regulate appetite. It also causes the release of certain brain chemicals that trigger the body’s “fight or flight” mechanism, preparing it to take action. In effect, the body burns extra calories to be able to respond to a physical or emotional attack. To stay ready for the attack that never comes, the body keeps burning calories even when it is at rest. Until 2004, fat burners usually contained ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin as their active ingredients. After the FDA banned the use of ephedrine in diet pills, some manufacturers began using herbal ephedra or Ma huang. Others used Citrus aurantium (CA) and green tea extract (GTE). CA, also known as Bitter Orange, comes from manadarin orange peels, seville orange juice, and certain types of potatoes. One of its primary active ingredients, synephrine, acts similar to ephedrine in the body. Scientists have said that combining synephrine, caffeine and other substances found in weight-loss products, can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Most health professionals agree that the risks of synephrine far outweigh any potential weight loss benefits. GTE is ephedra-free. Recent studies have found that it may play a role in stimulating thermogenesis (fat burning) and increasing calorie expenditure. GTE contains catechins, which increase norepinephrine levels in the brain and prepare the body for “fight or flight.” In high doses, GTE and caffeine may result in heart palpitations, insomnia, and other negative effects.

 

Fat Binders

 

Fat binders are also known as fat magnets. They claim to be able to lower cholesterol and contribute to weight loss. These products usually contain chitosan. It is derived from chitin, a polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of shrimp, lobster, and crabs. Chitosan is supposed to cause weight loss by binding fats in the stomach and preventing them from being digested and absorbed. Although chitosan can decrease fat absorption, the amount in fat burners is too small to have much effect on cholesterol levels. Your doctor can prescribe a number of drugs which can actually lower cholesterol. Both the British Advertising Standards Authority and the FDA have won suits against advertisers of chitosan. As a result, advertisers must make clear in future that the product had not been proven to aid slimming or prevent weight gain.



THURMAN

bowulf asked:

aka how one Iowa guy lost over 200 pounds and gained his life back. I can not say enough about how positively the Atkins Diet and low carb in general has been for me. I went from a 429 pound guy who could barely make it up a flight steps to a guy running half marathons and rejoining the National Guard. My health is fantastic, and my blood work (cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, heart) could not be better.

TYRELL

Jeff Behar asked:


Dr.Robert Atkins addressed his own weight condition from a diet he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  Realizing the benefits of the diet he  followed Atkins later popularized the idea as The Atkins Diet in a series of books, starting with Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution in 1972. The Atkins Diet or just ‘Atkins’ is a well known low carbohydrate diet.

How Atkins Diet Works

The Atkins Diet states we can change our metabolism and lose weight easily simply by eating foods high in protein and fat and limiting foods high in carbohydrate. Consuming a high level of carbohydrates causes overproduction of insulin, leading to increased hunger and weight gain. The diet encourages the consumption of foods rich in protein.

The Four Stages of the Atkins Diet

Induction

The Induction phase is the first, and most restrictive, phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach. It is intended to cause the body to quickly enter a state of ketosis. Carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 net grams per day.

Ongoing Weight Loss

The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase of Atkins consists of an increase in carbohydrate intake, but remaining at levels where weight loss occurs. The target daily carbohydrate intake increases each week by 5 net grams.

Pre-Maintenance

Carbohydrate intake is increased again this time by 10 net carbs a week from the ladder groupings, and the key goal in this phase is to find the “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance”, this is the maximum number of carbohydrates you can eat each day without gaining weight.

Lifetime Maintenance

This phase is intended to carry on the habits acquired in the previous phases, and avoid the common end-of-diet mindset that can return people to their previous habits and previous weight. Whole, unprocessed food choices are emphasized, with the option to drop back to an earlier phase if you begin to gain weight.

Each stage becomes progressively less restrictive and gradually increases carbohydrates allowed.

What Food is Allowed in Atkins Diet

The allowed foods include a liberal amount of all meats, fish, shellfish, fowl, and eggs; up to 4 ounces (113 g) of soft or semi-soft cheese; salad vegetables; other low carbohydrate vegetables; and butter and vegetable oils.

Sample Menu Plan from the Atkins Diet

Breakfast:

Italian sausage frittata

Cup of Herbal Tea

Lunch

Tuna salad with mixed leafy greens topped with bacon bits

Dinner:

Bacon cheeseburger with broccoli and cauliflower

Fresh fruit kebobs

Snacks:

High-protein, low-sugar snack bar

What Food is Not Allowed in Atkins Diet

No bread, alcohol, or carbonated beverages, not even diet soda. Beverages are limited to water, and consumption of caffeine is not allowed. It May be difficult to eliminate breads and cereals, especially in families with children who love these types of foods.

Misconceptions about the Atkins Diet

Many people incorrectly believe that the Atkins Diet promotes eating unlimited amounts of fatty meats and cheeses. This is a key point of clarification that Dr. Atkins addressed in the more recent revisions of his book. Although the Atkins Diet does not impose limits on certain foods, or caloric restriction in general, Dr. Atkins points out in his book that this plan is “not a license to gorge.

Another common misconception arises from confusion between the Induction Phase and rest of the diet. The first two weeks of the Atkins Diet are strict, with only 20g of carbohydrates permitted per day. Atkins states that a dieter can safely stay at the Induction Phase for several months if the person has a lot of weight to lose. Once the weight-loss goal is reached, carbohydrate levels are raised gradually, though still significantly below USDA norms, and still within or slightly above the definition of ketosis.

Known Health Benefits of the Atkins Diet

There are over 50 studies that highlight the positive weight loss results and other health benefits associated with following the Atkins Diet. These benefits include weight loss, improvement in risk factors for heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, inflammation, benefits in treating epilepsy and decreasing obesity in children and adolescents.

Study out of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and Washington University School of Medicine randomly assigned participants to a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet or a low-calorie, high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet.  The low-carbohydrate diet produced a greater weight loss and was associated with a greater improvement in some risk factors for coronary heart disease.

Study out of Stanford University Medical School compared four weight-loss diets representing a spectrum of low to high carbohydrate intake for effects on weight loss and related metabolic variables. Participants assigned to follow the Atkins diet, which had the lowest carbohydrate intake, lost more than twice the weight and experienced favorable overall metabolic effects at 12 months than those assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish, or LEARN diets.

Additional Suggested Health Benefits of the Atkins Diet

Many people like being able to eat as much protein and fat as they wish, because these foods are often restricted in more traditional diet plans.

For people who have tried a low-fat, high-carbohydrate weight loss plan without success, increasing protein in their diet often results in decreased food cravings and more rapid weight loss.

The diet is relatively easy to follow; there are no complicated meal plans.

Potential Risks of the Atkins Diet

Eating unlimited amounts of fat, especially saturated fat found in meat products, can lead to increased risk of heart disease. Extensive research on healthy populations tells us to eat more fruits,vegetables and whole grains. Restricting these foods in the name of weight loss may lead to long-term health problems.

Additionally any diet that limits carbohydrate causes the body to rely on fat or muscle for energy. When our body breaks down stored fat to supply energy, a byproduct called ketones is formed. Ketones suppress appetite, but they also cause fatigue, nausea, and a potentially dangerous fluid loss. Anyone with diabetes, heart, or kidney problems should check with their physician before following a low-carb diet.

Unpleasant side effects include constipation (caused by the low-fiber diet) and bad breath.

Impact of the Atkins Diet on Diet Culture

Since the Atkins Diet made headlines n the late ’90s, there has been an explosion of low carbohydrate versions of traditionally high carbohydrate products, such as bread, pasta and even candy. Thiewed as the “grand daddy” and cause of the explosion of low carrb diets popularity in the nineties to early 2000.

What the Experts are Saying about the  Atkins Diet

Atkins Diet supporters claim it offers faster weight loss and a relatively user-friendly eating plan. Sceptics, including dietitians and nutritionists, maintain that Atkins Diet weight loss is both short-term and possibly a health risk, even though the weight loss itself may have the beneficial effect of lowering cholesterol.

Dr. Foster, one of the researchers involved in studying the Atkins Diet, acknowledged the possible health dangers of the Atkins diet and stated a longer five-year study was planned:

“This larger study of 360 participants will help us more fully assess the benefits and risks of low-carbohydrate diets on bone mass, kidney function, arterial function and exercise tolerance,” he said. “I’m very, very concerned that people will get the message from these studies that the Atkins diet is safe and effective, but I don’t believe we know that yet.”

Brigid McKevith, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), said:

“We welcome the fact that the Atkins diet is being studied scientifically and that randomised controlled studies have been carried out, because it’s very popular with the public. [however] There are several potential problems with the Atkins diet. These include long term bone health, as with a very high protein intake the excretions of calcium increase, so there could be implications for the health of bones,” she explained.

“There could be difficulties for people who have an underlying problem with their kidneys or liver, because it would be putting more strain on those organs, and problems in terms of heart disease too, as it’s a diet very low in fruits and vegetables. Also, it’s very low in fiber, so in terms of digestive health, it’s not in keeping with our fibre and complex carbohydrate recommendations.”

Belinda Linden, head of medical information at the British Heart Foundation, holds similar views.

“The new studies do not indicate a dramatic weight loss for excessively obese people,” she said. “Previous studies have shown that weight loss from the Atkins Diet may involve muscle loss rather than body fat. Another potential problem is that it is so far unclear from studies whether weight loss is sustained over a longer period than six months. One of the studies shows no significant difference at 12 months.” She added that: “With minimal fruit and vegetables included in the diet, it holds serious implications for coronary heart disease and cancer. Diets need to be varied to protect against these conditions – and this one isn’t. This diet requires further long term and larger studies before its effectiveness can be confirmed.”

Volumetrics author Barbara Rolls, PhD, who holds the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Penn State University, offers a very simple explanation as to why people lose weight on Atkins diet:

“They’re cutting calories, even if they don’t realize it. No one has shown, in any studies, that anything magical is going on with Atkins other than calorie restriction. The diet is very prescriptive, very restrictive, and limits half of the foods we normally eat. In the end it’s not fat, it’s not protein, it’s not carbs – it’s calories. You can lose weight on anything that helps you to eat less, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.”

Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Commission for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit research group based in Washington, says:

“Low-carb diets have been linked to increased frequency of colon cancer, formation of kidney stones, kidney disease, and even osteoporosis… The reason for the health worries is in large part due to red meat. People who eat meat every day have three times greater risk of developing colon cancer. And then there is the problem of the kidneys. They aren’t designed to work on an oil slick of fat.”

Susan Barr, registered dietitian in New York City, says:

“There have been reports in the medical literature that say that this low-carb diet may not be as bad as we thought. That makes people interested again in this diet, but until there is more research on what stresses the diet places on the body, there is no way to know what it might be doing besides providing short-term weight loss.”

The Bottom Line

The Atkins Diet is an optimally balanced lifetime eating plan with the flexibility to meet each individual’s unique physical condition addressing factors such as age, gender, level of physical activity, and metabolic rate.

This diet may seem like the tastiest way to lose weight, but don’t be misled by claims of effortless weight loss and unlimited amounts of food. Nothing is that simple!



MOSHE

Jeff Behar asked:


The Three Day Diet is a fad diet dating back to 1985. Followers of the Three Day Diet are promised up to a 10 pound weight loss in three days. The allure of the the Three Day Diet is the promise of up to a 10 pound weight loss in three days. The reality is that most of that weight loss is likely due to fluid loss and not the more desirable fat loss.

How the Three Day Diet Works

As the name suggests, the Three Day Diet lasts only three days, though it’s said that it can be repeated indefinitely, as long as you alternate with 4-5 days of undefined normal eating. The purpose of returning to your usual eating style is to keep your metabolism from slowing, reverting to fat-storing, starvation mode

The Three Day Diet is a regimented plan that must be followed exactly for three days at a time, followed by normal eating for four or five days before opting to resume the plan again.

The Three Day Diet is a very specific food plan that must be followed precisely. Portions must be eaten exactly as specified and dieters are warned not to overeat — otherwise the promised 10 pound weight loss may not be achieved. Likewise, dieters should not under-eat, even if they are not hungry.

The combination of the suggested foods included in this plan is supposed to create a unique metabolic reaction and boost fat burning.

The Three Day Diet Meal Plan

Day 1

Breakfast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal

1/2 grapefruit or juice

1 piece toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch

1/2 cup tuna

1 piece toast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal

Dinner

3 ounces any lean meat or chicken

1 cup green beans

1 cup carrots

1 apple

1 cup regular vanilla ice cream

Day 2

Breakfast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal

1 egg

1/2 banana

1 piece toast

Lunch

1 cup cottage cheese or tuna

8 regular saltine crackers

Dinner

2 beef franks

1 cup broccoli or cabbage

1/2 cup carrots

1/2 banana

1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream

Day 3

Breakfast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal

5 regular saltine crackers

1 ounce cheddar cheese

1 apple

Lunch

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal

1 boiled egg

1 piece toast

Dinner

1 cup tuna

1 cup carrots

1 cup cauliflower

1 cup melon

1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream

What Food is Allowed on the Three Day Diet

The Three Day Diet gives you the freedom to eat a wide variety of foods, as long as you stick to mostly natural foods.n addition to its strict daily food prescription, dieters drink 4 cups of water or noncaloric drinks daily.

The Three Day Diet consists of ordinary foods found in your kitchen. No special expensive recipes or ingredients are required. You don’t have to buy frozen diet meals.

You can add herbs, salt, pepper, lemon, vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard and ketchup to your foods.

What Food is Not Allowed on the Three Day Diet

Processed food such as frozen meals, crackers, ramen soups, cake mixes, chips and candy have to be avoided. No bread, alcohol, or carbonated beverages, not even diet soda. Beverages are limited to water, and unsweetened fruit juice.

Known Benefits of the Three Day Diet

The main advantage of the Three day diet is that it helps you lose weight fast.

Apart from this fast weight loss Three Day Diet is also having other advantages like increasing your body energy, healthy skin, reduces allergies and enhanced sexual drive. Other advantages include:



The Three Day Diet can flush your body of toxins in the process as long as you stick with the program and do not overeat.



The Three Day Diet is simple to follow, reasonably cheap, less time consuming and there is no complicated recipes to follow.





The fasting of the 3 day diet can make the body to heal naturally.

Digestion uses up strength in the form of fat and muscles from our energy store Fasting also appears to release a hormone that stimulates the immune system. It also gives your intestinal system a chance to clean itself and the body time to flush out the waste products of metabolism.

A regular practice of fasting is said to also  help prevent a buildup or backlog of metabolic debris in the body, diminishing the possibility of serious illness.

Potential Risks of the Three Day Diet

Some people feel dizzy, weak, unable to concentrate and complete daily activities.If you are looking for a weight loss program and exercise plan that will help you maintain your health, weight, strength, and more, then this diet is not for you. This diet might only offer you temporary weight loss, and might not have enough nutrients in it to help you workout on a regular basis.

What the Experts Say About 3 Day Diet

“There is no such thing as a Cleveland Clinic diet,” says Cindy Moore, director of nutrition therapy at The Cleveland Clinic. “It is an urban legend that is not nutritionally sound, and the only reason it causes weight loss is because it is so low in calories, not because of any food combinations or metabolic reactions.”

Following a plan with fewer than 1,000 calories a day concerns Moore. “The plan yields about 1,000 calories a day which has the ability to lower metabolism so when you revert back to normal eating, you regain weight even quicker.”

Because the 3 Day Diet is so low in carbohydrates, it’s likely the initial weight loss is primarily water weight, as carbohydrate encourages your body to retain water. As soon as the dieter goes back to consuming a normal amount of carbohydrate, the water weight comes back.

There has been a lot of research to help us understand why weight cycling occurs. When we diet, our body still requires a set number of calories to function each day. If we do not get it from food, our body will break down its own energy stores in fat and muscle to survive. It has long been established that a diet that promotes more than a two-pound per week weight loss will break down muscle tissue for energy at a more rapid rate than it will break down fat stores for energy. Whereas, the slower one loses weight, the less our body uses lean muscle tissue for energy and the more it uses our fat stores. Lean muscle is the last thing a dieter wants to lose. Muscle tissue is the source of our metabolic rate. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn each day. The less you have, the less you burn each day. Thus, even slow weight loss diets will burn some muscle tissue for energy, particularly when unaccompanied by exercise. Choosing to lose weight fast without exercising is a no win combination that is a strong predictor of weight cycling.

Bottom Line About The Three day Diet

The Three Day Diet is a simple a low calorie diet. There is nothing magical no mystical chemical reaction that goes on as some seem to think.

The only reason that a person on this diet would lose weight is due to the severe calorie restriction. Because of the low amount of carbohydrate in the diet, it is also possible that a person on this diet will primarily lose water weight. As soon as the dieter goes back to eating a normal diet and consuming a normal amount of carbohydrate, this water weight will be gained back.

The other demerits of three day diet are:



The Three Day Diet is that never educates the dieter on how to achieve sustainable, healthy weight loss.



The diet is so monotonous, dieters gladly return to their old eating habits.



There is no documentation or scientific explanation of how the Three Day Diet food combination burn fat, increase energy, cleanse the body, or lower cholesterol.





There are numerous alternatives to the Three Day Diet that are much healthier, and will produce better results.

Look for a well-balanced weight loss plan that controls calories every day, includes exercise, and allows a wide variety of healthy foods. To lose weight, it is simply not enough to eat a prescribed diet for three days without addressing eating habits that cause weight gain.

 



WALLY

KEL asked:


I have tried everything to lose weight and I just can’t seem to loose. I’ve been on diet after diet and nothing. I want to try diet pills and see if maybe that will jump start my weight loss. I have been to see my doctor and they have ran tests and can find no reason why I can’t lose weight. I try to limit fat and calories and I do cardio for 45 min every other day. Ideally the diet pill would help curb hunger and give more energy but really any one that’s safe and effective I’m willing to try.

LUIS

Newsong asked:


I read an article that I can no longer find about this diet. You start off at the beginning of each week eating almost no carbs. By the middle of the week you add some fruits and whole grains. On day 7 you can eat whatever you want, but go back to low carb on day one again. What is this diet called?

WILBURN

Sally asked:


I need to lose about 25 pounds this year and I’m planning on starting a new diet program. I’ve been looking around at some of the diets available online and I’m wondering if anyone has had success (or not) with any of them?

MARIANO

quabojones22 asked:

Today Now! talks with a diet book author who reveals that many things are surprisingly edible when you are driven mad by hunger.

REY