I am going to reply to some of the questions that I have seen.
Does afternoon nap make you fatter?
It depends. If you eat a lot and then you sleep, yes it does. If you sleep right away or have some fruits before the nap - no, it doesn't. Actually, afternoon nap will keep you looking young. It will also help you lose weight because a fast metabvolism can happen only when you are not 'exhausted'.
How can I lose weight without giving up chocolate?
Well, you don't have to give up chocolate entirely. I suppose you can buy chocolate which uses artificial sweetner, not sugar. Anyway, be careful because: one, artifical sweetner is not healthy; two, chocolate has a lot of calories also due to the high content of cocoa. Cocoa does have a lot of calories.
Can you lose weight without eating any wheat, dairy, or sugar?
I would suggest for a healthy diet less sugar, oil, and wheat. Keep the dairies in. They can actually contribute to weight loss.
Is it bad drinking Dr Pepper when you starve yourself?
Yes, yes, yes!!! I cannot stress that enough. It's bad for your stomach; it's bad because in increases your appetite because of the sugar and the caffeine. One can of Dr Pepper has 160 calories. What is worse? In USA they use high fructose corn syrup, not sugar.
Mindell's theory was that we crave food because we lack certain nutritional elements. The other reasons include stress and hormonal factors.
What makes cravings a lot worse? Sugar and salt. Remeber I have told you before about the foods that increase your appetite - like some cereals in the morning and foods high in sugar and bad carbs? Well, keep that in mind.
Dieting is very bad for your body, especially if you are on a restrictive diet that cuts down proteins or carbs completely.
Caffeine is also a poor choice. And artificial sweetners found in Coke, or Pepsi, or Sprite, or any light drink or food are no better. I will write later on why they are so bad.
Have green tea or lemon tea if your stomach can stand it. Mine, for example, cannot handle lemon tea or any other fruit tea. I am ok, however, with tea coming from flowers, like chamomile or jasmine. Or from leaves.
Eat a few times a day and never miss breakfast! The more energy you consume before your first meal, the bigger the craving gets, the bigger the mistake when you buy your meal or the candy bar.
Also, never reduce your calories below 1,000. Honestly, 1,200-1,400 can be a very safe level is you exercise a little bit.
Eat more fiber and less processed food. Take out the white flour and replace it with whole grains and rye or oats. Try to have potatoes instead of bread, or basmati rice.
The key to keeping your weight under control and stopping the cravings is eating all day through, small portions. And try not to get bored and eat without paying attention, like popcorns when watching a movie.
There are two foods - let's say - that should be avoided at any cost: refined white sugar and white flour.
According to Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Dietary Wellness, "One in twenty of the world's adult population now has some form of diabetes, a disease associated with obesity, poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. More than half of American adults are overweight. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relates that the incidence of Type 2 diabetes has risen by 33 percent in the past decade and three out of every 50 American adults currently have this diet-related condition. Complications related to diabetes are the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States."
According to Bruce Fife ND, "Diabetes is all about sugar".
If you must have sugar, then have at least brown sugar. However, the best sugar you can have is found in fruits and is called fructose. Nowadays, many products - especially the diet ones - replaced sugar with fructose. Look at the label before you buy. However, keep in mind that high levels of fructose can be as bad for the body as sugar. Even worse. If you have large quantities of fructose, you will get fat quite fast. The best thing is to normally reduce sweets of any kind. And stop eating the high-fructose corn-syrup (HFCS)!
According to a review by Alan R. Gaby, "HFCS is now used extensively in carbonated beverages and other sweetened drinks, baked goods, candies, canned fruits, jams, jellies, and dairy products. Processed-food manufacturers often prefer HFCS to sucrose because it is inexpensive to produce and mixes well in many foods." Be careful what you buy. And be careful how much you have of any kind of sugar.
Sugar will provide the body the energy it needs NOW, mostly. Fructose, on the other hand, being processed by the liver, will supply energy for a longer amount of time. Some people can be allergic to fructose, so you might want to find out that first. If you never had problems with fruits, you might be fine.
On the other hand, honey is another natural sweetner, containing anti-oxidants. It has been used for a very long time for medical purposes of any kind. It contains fructose.
Reference:
Fraser, J., July, 2005, Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and type II diabetes, from http://www.newstarget.com/009333.html, retrieved March 2, 2007;
Gaby, A.R., December, 2005, Dietary Fructose - Adverse Effects of Dietary Fructose, in Alternative Medicine Review, Volume 10, Number 4, from http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/10/4/294.pdf, retrieved March 2, 2007.
There are certain foods that will make you hungry even after you eat them.
Some foods have a high glycemic "index" that causes a high increase in blood sugar, which causes the body to produce insulin, leading to drop in blood sugar. And that's when you feel hungry again.
As an example, take a chocolate bar, eat it, and a bit later you will not only need something to help you get rid of hunger, but also something sweet again. It's a vicious circle. So, if you want to lose weight and not feel hungry, try to start your mornings with good food that won't increase your hunger. However, do not skip breakfast!
Examples of foods with high glycemic "index" are white bread, cereals, white rice, bananas, baked potatoes, etc. They release glucose fast in your blood. On the other hand, beans, lentils, and whole-grains will do it slower.
On the other hand, you have to look at the satiety level after eating. Some food makes you feel full so you won't want to eat again in two hours. Potatoes are one of these foods. Even though they increase the blood sugar, the feeling of fullness they give will stop you from eating again too soon. Other similar foods are those having high fiber and nutrients:
baked potatoes;
corn flour;
brown rice;
whole grain cereals;
who grains;
fruits;
vegetables.
To give you an example: don't you feel fuller after a very large salad than after rice and meat?
Losing weight and staying healthy is easy, when you care. Forget famishing yourself: there are other ways.
Since I was 15 I've been obsessed with healthy diets, losing weight, sports, and everything included. I read books after books and I collected articles on staying fit and healthy. Even now, 12 years later, I am still reading everything I find on the subject.
I will share with you, step by step, everything I know. Free advice.
About Me
Name: Andreea Home: Bucharest, Romania About Me: Post graduate student, happily married, who has found the perfect job in a perfect company. :) See my complete profile
