Junk Food Equals Junk Skin

Junk food is not the be all and end all when it comes to taste. It is food that has been processed to the extreme and is now an American way of life. It is a common term used for any food item that is perceived to be unhealthy and has low or poor nutritional value.
Generally, a junk food is given a very attractive appearance by adding food additives and colors to enhance flavor, texture, appearance, and increasing long self life. Of course, it is also readily available at restaurant chains across the country in the form of French fries, chicken nuggets, shakes, soda, etc.
However there is an organization called "Parents Against Junk Food" which is a nonprofit organization with a simple mission: Stop the Sale of Junk Food in America's Schools.
It is widely believed that junk food does not contain the essential fatty acids that the body requires to keep its largest organ, the skin, healthy. It is recommended that food supplements in the form of vitamins should be taken daily if the habit cannot be broken.
The body will also be lacking in proteins, fiber and other nutrients required for a healthy diet, and the consumption of products considered junk food has been associated with many health problems including obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and dental cavities.
Similarly, breakfast cereals are often regarded as healthy but may have high levels of sugar, salt and fat. The offspring of rats fed fatty, processed food had high levels of fat in their bloodstream and around major organs even after adolescence.
Nutritionists, doctors, and other health advocates often work to educate people about junk food, encouraging them to eat well balanced diets which contain a high proportion of healthy foods. These professionals almost unanimously hold the view that there are no good foods and bad foods, only good diets and bad diets.
The number of obese or overweight children in Britain aged between two and 15 has risen to about 30% in recent years. Changing your diet and taking exercise is a step in the right direction and as you replace fat with muscle, your clothes will become looser and your body firmer, but your weight may not change (muscle weighs more). In fact, the needle on the weight scale might not turn at all, but the heads of friends probably will. To lose weight, you've got to junk that junk food.
We all know that junk food is cheap and easy compared to quality raw materials (fresh veggies, organic meat, milk, fruit). For better or for worse (mostly worse), junk food is now available all over the world.
Apart for obesity, the other huge effect that bad eating habits bring on is skin rashes, eczema and psoriasis. It is reported that 25% of children under the age of five now suffer from eczema compared with less than 3% 50 years ago before junk food was so prevalent.
To combat these skin problems one of the latest discoveries is that the natural oil found in crocodile fat heals most forms of eczema in children within a few weeks. However is it not easy to get hold of and few pharmacies stock it.
The answer of course is to change your diet as junk food equals junk skin.

Dieting for Dummies

Winter sucks, but luckily it doesn't last forever. Soon, the glaciers will recede, the wooly mammoths and yaks will migrate north to frostier climes, and we can all emerge from our caves, blinking into the spring sunlight. But wait, what's that underneath our fur pelts? Uh oh... looks like we've put on a few extra pounds of flab this winter. Did I say a few? I know some people who put away enough pie, cookies, cake, and pastry over the holidays to see them through any African famine with ease. Then when the spring thaw arrives, the panic sets in. Eek! I've got to lose this weight fast! After all, none of us wants one of those paparazzi types to catch us looking flabby in a swimsuit and plaster it all over the cover of the National Enquirer.

Confusion quickly follows panic. What type of diet should I use? Which infomercial gadget should I buy, maybe the electro-stim pads that stick to my tummy and work the same as doing ten million sit-ups a day? The fact is that the average American, as smart as they may be about their career or how many questions they can answer right on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, is clueless as to how to go about losing fat. For their edification, I have compiled a brief list of basic facts to put them on the right path and melt the fat away. I call it Dieting for Dummies.

Starving is not the answer.

This is a particularly difficult concept for women to comprehend, because their main role models for "weight management" are anorexic/bulemic models and actresses with sunken eyes and ribs you could play the xylophone on. As I've attempted to hammer home many times in the past, going too long without eating only slows down the metabolism further. On top of that, most people can only starve so long before they break down and eat everything in the house. It's usually at night, too, so that means they'll be going straight to bed to let all that food turn into more fat. Athletes and bodybuilders have been doing it the right way for years, eating moderate meals every two to three hours. They also eat an amount of calories that the average person would think excessive, yet amazingly they are lean and muscular. If you want to rev up a sluggish metabolism, eating is the answer, not starving.

Find your fine line of caloric intake
The most simple mathematical equation possible for understanding fat loss is: you must burn more calories than you take in. But you must be careful not to have the balance too lopsided. Without enough calories, you will lose muscle tissue, and your metabolism will slow down in an attempt to keep you ticking just a little longer. Parrillo's Diet Trac sheets and software can help you find out how many calories you take in, and by using the Bodystat calipers, you can easily monitor how much fat and muscle you are losing or gaining. Remember, scale weight is not a reliable indication of what is really happening. You need to know how much lean mass versus fat you have as your fat loss journey progresses to adjust your calories accordingly.

Don't skimp on cardio.

For too many of us, the only cardio we get these days is lifting up the sofa cushions looking for the remote to the DVD player. We are also bombarded with commercials for Jenny Craig and Slim Fast that delude us into thinking dieting is all we need to do to lose fat. Sorry, but it just ain't that easy. You have to do cardio, and do it faithfully. John Parrillo pioneered the concept of doing cardio on an empty stomach for best fat-loss results, which is now universally accepted. You need to get your heart rate elevated to the point where holding a conversation would be very difficult, and keep it there for at least thirty minutes. Do this 3-6 times a week along with a clean diet, and the lipolysis really kicks in.

Lifting weights isn't just for getting big muscles.

Try telling the average soccer mom with too much junk in her trunk that weight training is going to help her lose bodyfat, and she'll chuckle until her butt cheeks and roll of belly fat shake like Jello. How preposterous! The fact is, weight training and adding a little muscle mass not only improves any woman's overall shape and curves, but muscle is very metabolically demanding. It burns calories just sitting there. This is partly why bodybuilders with extreme amounts of muscle mass can get away with eating more than their share of junk (follow the Mr. Olympia competitors to the post-contest banquet sometime and you'll see what I mean) and still not gain much bodyfat. As for the silly fear that they might wake up one morning accidentally looking like Dorian Yates, get real girls - not in your wildest dreams.

Don't go nuts on "fat-free" and "sugar-free" items.

Wow! Those Wow! Chips only have a third of the fat as regular potato chips! I guess it's okay to eat ten times as many, then. Sure, it's okay if you want to get even fatter. Another common mistake is that people don't read the food labels very closely. If they did, they'd be horrified to discover that often fat-free foods are loaded with sugar, and sugar-free foods are full of fat. Think about it. A bucket full of fat trimmings from pork chops is sugar free. A bucket full of table sugar is fat free. Do you think you'll get lean chowing down on those, sparky?

Forget about "cheat meals".

"I deserve this, I ate good all week." Famous last words. It's what someone usually says before putting away a pizza or parking at the dessert section of the local Hometown Buffet. If you're going to indulge in something that tastes like junk, at least make it something like Parrillo's new Hi-Protein pudding that is sugar-free and nearly devoid of carbs. Having your weekly (or in some folk's cases, daily) cheat meal will make your fat loss goals not much more than a faraway dream. This isn't to say, you can never enjoy another treat again, but keep them rare and in moderation.

Use supplements wisely, not as a crutch.

Ever since fat-burning themrogenic products hit the supplement market ten years ago, dieters began relying on them to burn the fat while they slacked off on cardio and didn't eat the way they knew they should. Never think for a minute that any pill is going to take the place of dedication and willpower. Use them if you must, because they can also be a very effective way to boost your concentration and energy levels while training. But the hard work is up to you. No Genie is popping out of those bottles any time soon to grant you three physique wishes. If there were, don't you think I would have asked for arms like Lee Priest's by now?

Patience is a virtue.

You didn't put all that lard on in one day, and you won't take it off in one day either. Don't get discouraged. Burning just a little bit of fat every day will add up over the weeks and months. In today's world we want everything right this second, but you can't rush dieting unless you want to end up losing all your muscle and looking and feeling sickly and weak. You'll get there if you keep doing the right things. Any dummy can lose fat if they understand these few principles. Now get moving! I think I just saw what looked like the sun starting to burn through those gray winter clouds.

How to Curb Late Night Snack Cravings

I don't know about you but sticking to a diet is always hardest at night! Things are done for the day and I'd love to do nothing more than reward myself for another day done with treats from the kitchen. Resist the urge! Try these suggestions on for size!

1. Healthier Alternatives Celery, small handful of almonds, small glass of skim milk, cup of non buttered popcorn, herbal tea (wegmans has a whole selection of flavored herbal teas - even chocolate strawberry), vitamin shoppe's protein pudding (see my other articles for more suggestions)

2. Take your mind off of it If you can't sleep yet than do something else that you enjoy. Read a good book, write a blog, seduce your lover ;), take a warm bath, paint your toenails, put on the radio and dance!

3. Groom Brush your teeth and wash your face. Feeling fresh will make you less likely to eat again

4. Anticipate Breakfast Try to relax and go to the sleep and know the sooner you go to bed the sooner you will be able to eat breakfast

Knowledge is Power

As you constantly try to improve yourself and make progress towards the goals you have set, you try to educate your mind and are bombarded with endless and endless amounts of "raw" data on how to reach those goals. What you want to find is a source where it's all tied together and it makes sense. There is so much to learn and sometimes knowing the basics or fundamentals makes it so much easier to digest. The knowledge you acquire empowers you in so many ways. You learn to avoid the pitfalls that have stifled you and prevented you from realizing the things you want to achieve. In this article, I hope to ease some of the painful learning process and pull together some of the meaningful details you have probably seen yet not fully understood how to use. To begin, we all must first decide what goal we are pursuing. For the moment, I will generalize and say that I want to lose weight. The weight I wish to lose is body fat and not lean muscle. Sounds tough? It should and even more so if you don't understand the basics. What are the basics?
The basics to losing fat/gaining muscle:
We all know that in order to lose weight, you must place yourself in a caloric deficit. That means, the number of calories taken in must be less than the calories burned. The calories burned are what is referred to as "basal metabolic rate" (BMR). To determine your basal metabolic rate is extremely difficult. One way to find this is to weigh yourself at the start of a week. Monitor the number of calories taken in for the week. If your weight does not change, the total calories for the week is probably your basal metabolic rate. Of course you may want to repeat this process to nail down an average. Divide this weekly total by 7 and you will know your basal metabolic rate per day! Simple? Knowing your daily basal metabolic rate opens a wealth of knowledge. How you ask? Well say you find that your BMR is 2500 calories per day.
Now, you have decided that you want to lose weight. However, you want to maintain lean muscle in the process. To accomplish this you next need to determine your body type. The three scientific body types are: ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph. An ectomorph has very long limbs, very low body fat, and has a hard time packing on mass. A mesomorph is muscular, has a thick and lean build and has a moderate amount of body fat. An endomorph is heavy set and carries a high amount of body fat that is difficult to reduce. Some of us actually may fall in between these types. Myself, I am an ecto-mesomorph. This is because I have some areas that are muscular and others that have been and are difficult to build. Knowing your body type and your BMR provides several significant things. In the following table, based on your body type and perceived metabolism, a value can be derived:

Metabolism	Slow	Moderate	Fast
	(Endomorph)	(mesomorph)	(Ectomorph)
Lost Fat/ Maintain Muscle	10	11	12
Lose Fat/ Gain Muscle	13	14	15
Gain Muscle	16	17	18

To interpret the table, assume you weigh 180 lbs., and have a fast metabolism. Using the table above, to lose body fat, you would simply multiply your body weight by 12. The result, 2160, is the number of total calories per day that you would consume to reduce body fat. This number has very little meaning without knowing that each gram of carbohydrate or protein equals 4 calories and each gram of fat equals 9. A 180 lbs. bodybuilder in a pre-contest 2160 calories diet who has been instructed to achieve a dietary 10-30-60 fat/carbs/protein ratio, would need to consume 24 grams of fat (2160 * .10 / 9), 162 grams of carbs (2160 * .30 / 4), and 324 grams of protein (2160 * .60 / 4).
Each nutritional component multiplied by the recommended daily percentage and divided by the number of calories per gram, provides its total grams per day. Once you have mastered these formulations, you can easily adjust your daily consumption percentages with ease! Now, having realized that your BMR was 2500 calories per day and to achieve you goal, you must adhere to a 2160 calorie diet, means you will incur a 340 calorie per day, 2380 per week deficit.
This allows you to know how much cardio to incorporate when you exceed your daily goals due to unexpected binges! To find success in any dietary scheme, you need to know "what" your consuming and how much to consume. The calculations above give you all the information you need. However, it can be confusing when deciding what foods to include and what to avoid. Personally, I feel it is important to eat healthy foods for the most part. Quality or nutritionally fulfilling food groups provide larger portioning. Eating things like, pizza, pie, cake, etc. can quickly result in exceeding your daily totals. Next time you get the opportunity, check out: http://www.fatcalories.com. This site provides the nutritional values of several fast food menus. You will surely be surprised when you see the high numbers of saturated fat in most fast food! Also, the USDA provides an interface to a database containing detailed nutritional values of just about any food you can think of. The address is: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! How to Avoid Fad Diets Like The Cabbage Soup Diet

The American Heart Association recommends adopting healthy eating habits permanently, rather than impatiently pursuing quick diets in hopes of losing unwanted pounds in a few days through fad quick weight loss plans. Many of these fad diets, such as the notorious and outright silly Cabbage Soup Diet, will undermine your health, cause physical discomfort, abdominal discomfort and flatulence (gas), and lead to the ping-pong effect of gaining weight soon after losing it. In other words the risks aren't worth the rewards.

1. First, one food or one type of food is generally overemphasized with fad quick weight loss diets. They violate the first principle of good nutrition which is to eat a balanced diet including a variety of foods.

2. Also, because no one food has all the nutrients needed for good health, these diets can result in a lot of health problems. One such diet is the Cabbage Soup Diet. This so-called fat-burning soup is eaten mostly with fruits and vegetables. The diet supposedly helps heart patients lose 10-17 pounds in seven days before surgery. Even if the weight loss claim were true, all the damage due to a lack of many essential nutrients would far outweigh (pun intended) the benefits of losing the weight. Pixies, elves and fairies, or even cabbages, can't create magical weight loss. That's why you should eat moderate amounts from each of the food groups rather than cutting out everything but a cabbage and water.

3. These crazy diets also ignore another important principle of good nutrition which is that eating should be enjoyable.. These diets are so monotonous and boring that it's almost impossible to stay on them for long periods. Consider a week on the Cabbage Soup Diet. By mid week crawling bugs would look good. If you make it to Sunday you might die of a heart attack before you ever again tasted real food.

4. Boredom isn't the only reason fad diets aren't good ones. Most don't talk about exercise, such as aerobics for 30 minutes a day every day. While doing nothing can lead to heart problems, exercise is a major element of maintaining proper weight. When a diet includes no need for a workout, run the other way. Quick weight loss is possible. But if a program sounds too good to be true, it is.

How to Follow Michael Phelps 12,000 calorie diet

Shortly after the Olympics , news of swimming star Michael Phelps Diet was released . It had been reported that the swimmer maintains a 12,000 calorie / per day diet. It is perfectly healthy to eat this many calories per day as long you spend the time to work them off. Phelps spends hours a day conditioning his body. It is estimated that he burns 1000 - 2000 calories per hour in the pool. To put it short Michael Phelps is a calorie burning machine.

1. BREAKFAST Breakfast fuels your day and is definitely the most important meal . You will need to consume 4,000 calories to be like Mike during breakfast time .Reportedly Michael's breakfast consists of two cups of coffee , three fried egg sandwiches , 1 5-egg omelet , 3 slices of french toast , 1 bowl of grits and 3 chocolate chip pancakes. You will need to follow this up with at least 1 hour of swimming or running.

2. LUNCH Lunch consists of another 4,000 calories . For lunch Phelps drinks 1,000 calories in energy drinks , 1 pound of pasta , and two ham/cheese sandwiches. As you can see so far Phelps consumers huge quantities of food per meal . It is very important that he follows up his meals with exercise. Following this meal you will need to swim , run or lift weights for about 1.5 - 2 hours.

3. DINNER For the final 4,000 calories of the day . Phelps will consume 8 slices of pizza , another pound of pasta and 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks. This meal should be followed up by another 1.5 - 2 hours of physical exercise.

Foods that Help you Stay Healthy

If is important to keep your system built up during the flu season. It may be only a matter of making sure you are eating nutrient-packed meals. It has been proven that certain foods protect they body against illness. Best of all these foods taste great.

Fresh fruits and vegetable are filled with life giving nutrients and healing vitamins. The less cooking that is done to fresh vegetables, the better the nutrients are preserves. Eat fresh fruit instead of sugar filled junk foods.

Butternut squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach and broccoli are filled with beta-carotene.

Spinach legumes, peanuts, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, eggs and milk are filled with vitamins, folate and b12.

Oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, green peppers and cabbage are filled with vitamin C.

Peanuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, spinach, whole grains, vegetable oils, and poultry are filled with vitamin E.

Fish, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, cheese, milk, peanut butter and whole grains are filled with zinc.

Achieve Lasting Success with Diet and Exercise

As I hammer out these words, it's year end and so everyone is once again mulling over their New Year's resolutions. For many, those resolutions will include a renewed focus on health. Many will want to lose weight. And given the obesity trends throughout the world, there is a lot of weight to be lost. For others, the goal may include becoming more fit, perhaps stronger or leaner. And others may just want to reshape their eating habits, or perhaps eliminate one or more negative aspects of their diet (caffeine, sugar, carbs, etc.). Unfortunately, if history repeats itself (and it will), nearly all of these enthusiastic resolutions will be lost to memory by March or April of the New Year. The new treadmills and the latest fad Ab-busters will be collecting dust or sitting idle in the corners of bonus rooms and spare bedrooms. And those new aerobics and yoga DVDs will be pushed to the back of the shelf. So what becomes of what was once very sincere enthusiasm about health and fitness? Why do we see these same trends every year? And why is it so very difficult to adopt a healthy lifestyle that is lasting? In this article, I’ll offer the benefit of my own experience with health and fitness, and I’ll include ideas to help you bring about lasting change in your own life. You don’t have to settle for less, and you don’t have to join the ranks of the majority that will once again make resolutions that inevitably fail. And perhaps best of all, you don’t have to be miserable along the journey. Read on and learn just how simple it can be to take a healthier path. You CAN do this. You CAN change.

If you want to adopt a more healthy lifestyle that is lasting, why wait until January 1? …or until the 1st of next month? …or until next Monday? Why not begin today? The idea of putting it off implies that you perceive it to be a negative or difficult experience. And the stronger that perception, the greater the chances you will either not begin at all, or quit soon after. And if your plan is so very harsh or punishing that you dread it that much, then perhaps you need to revisit the plan. It’s much better to adopt a less strict plan that you can live with, than to be over-the-top aggressive and give up after a month or two (or worse yet, never even begin).

Step2

Visualize the positive outcome that you desire for your body and your life. This is never easy when you first take on a change because you have yet to actually see or feel the results. But if you find ways to visualize those results, and if you are positive about your journey, then you will see and feel the results so much sooner, and your success will be sooner achieved and lasting. Be positive not only in your mental outlook, but in how you speak and carry yourself. Do not berate yourself or speak in negative ways about your body or your fitness. Instead, focus on the positive steps you are taking today. Write down your values, ideals, and objectives in a short list, and re-read it each morning. Make a vision board and fill with pictures that help you visualize the body and the life you want, then post it where you will see it every day.

Step3

Live in the present moment. Do not be miserable today, waiting on the weight loss or exercise results you anticipate for tomorrow. Your life is happening right now, and you will never have another today. Don’t set aside your moments in this day, waiting for the promise of tomorrow. It’s fine to look forward to a healthier you; that’s part of positive visualization discussed in step 2. But don’t miss all the joys and opportunities for happiness now, thinking that somehow the real joy awaits in the future when you are thinner or healthier. Embrace your own journey and know that you can be happy right now, and on every step of the journey to a thinner, healthier, and stronger you.

Step4

Diets. We’ve all been there, done that. How many diets must you experience before it occurs to you that perhaps diets just don’t work? There are many good reasons why they don’t work. Yet millions of people every year will enthusiastically embrace yet another diet, and nearly all will be unsuccessful (will not lose weight or become healthier, or will soon re-gain what was lost). This is not to suggest that all diets are bad. The idea of monitoring your food intake and making more healthy choices is most certainly very good. But adopting a punishing dietary restriction that by design is only a temporary detour from the very lifestyle that created the problem is almost certain to fail. Sooner or later, the diet will end. You’ll resume eating sugar, or carbs, or whatever it is that you were so bitterly deprived for the duration of your diet. And so what happens then? (you already know)

Step5

Exercise. Must we? Well… yes. But whether it’s a chore or a rewarding experience to which you look forward is really a matter of your perspective and your expectations. There are many benefits of exercise (stronger and leaner body, agility, stamina, and more). Exercise even prompts the release of chemicals in the brain that alleviate pain, improve memory, and even help prevent depression. Best of all, once you establish a pattern of exercise in your life, you actually look forward to the experience. Be creative and seek out new ways to exercise. Challenge yourself, but make it fun. Make sure your expectations are reasonable. Most of all, be consistent. Even during times you just don’t feel up to it, spend just a small amount of time doing something you enjoy, and you’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel. Your body is the most amazing machine you’ll ever own, so don’t let another year pass by without reaching for all the wonderful potential inside of you.

Step6

Moderation. Whether it’s diet or exercise, moderation is essential. Do not try to adopt a plan that is so very strict or aggressive that it’s impossible to sustain. If you are miserable with your diet or exercise routine, then you’ll sooner than later return to the old habits. Be gentle with yourself, and remember that your objective is a new path, a new lifestyle, and so there is no time constraint. You may have set reasonable goals for weight loss or fitness levels, but in the end it’s just participation in the journey that is a measure of your success. The tortoise outran the hare because he just slowly proceeded on his path, without quitting. You will achieve your own optimal health, just as assuredly. And even better, you can smile and enjoy every step of the way.

Step7

Lean about foods and exercise. Knowledge is such a wonderful thing. And the more you know about foods, healthy eating, exercise, and healthy lifestyles, then the more you can apply that knowledge to further your own progress towards being the best you can be. The Internet is a wonderful resource. But of course, always be a bit of a skeptic with what you read. Check it against other sources. And keep asking “why” and “how”. Above all, just keep learning. You’ll find wonderful new foods to eat more healthy, great ideas and programs to enhance exercise or make it more fun, and countless other ways to enrich your life.

Step8

Scales are the enemy! Our bathroom scales are really not the enemy. But our attitude (or response) towards the scales are so very often self-destructive. How many times have you cautiously eased onto the scales, only to read a number that left you feeling horrible about yourself for the remainder of the day? Rather than toss the scales out the window, hang on to them and try a slightly different approach to how you use them. First, do not weigh every day. Weigh yourself no more often than once each week. And even so, remember that the long term trend is so much more important than whatever number you see today. Weight can fluctuate for a number of reasons on a day by day (or week by week) basis. Stay positive, remembering all the steps above, and just keep steadfast on your journey. The numbers will follow, sooner or later. In the mean time, don’t let those scales pull you from your path.

Step9

Are you a Compulsive Eater? Compulsive eating is a disorder, in much the same as many obsessive personality disorders. But when it comes to food, it’s a cruel and self-defeating disorder. Do you binge? Do you sometimes purge or induce vomiting? Are you preoccupied with body weight, to the point of being depressed? Do you eat even when you are not hungry? Do you hide what/when you eat? If you have tendencies that suggest you may suffer with compulsive eating, take the time to get informed and address the problem today. See the Resources section below for a wonderful resource that may change your life.

Step10

Why try again? What’s the point, even? Another diet? Another New Year's resolution? Another swing of the pendulum, a few steps forward, only to fall back again later. Why, you ask? Because your life doesn’t have to be this way. You can change. You don’t have to be yet another failure statistic. No matter how many times you’ve failed in years past, and no matter how many pounds you’ve lost and regained. By beginning today, and by starting with just the simple steps above, you can transform the journey of your own life. You can have the thin body in your mind’s eye. You can have the strength, the agility, and the grace for which you have longed. And perhaps best of all, you can enjoy a happy, hopeful, and purposeful existence along the journey to this wonderful new you.

Compare NutriSystem With the South Beach Diet

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Nutrisystem is a diet plan that uses a healthy balance of good carbohydrates, proteins and fats so you can eat a variety of foods and lose weight. The South Beach diet, a plan created by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, restricts carbohydrates, bans unhealthy fats and suggests healthy ones. Comparing the two plans can help you to make an informed decision on the best particular plan for your lifestyle.

The NutriSystem Plan

Choose the NutriSystem plan for ease. Meals are prepared for you and shipped to your door, and the plan includes free online or phone counseling to help you reach your goals. There are programs designed for men and women of all ages and for vegetarians and Type II diabetics.

Look at the rules of the plan. With NutriSystem, all prepared meals offer the correct calories and nutrients. You add fresh fruits and vegetables and don't have to think about the rest of the preparation.

Compare the work involved. Everything is already done for you with NutriSystem so there is almost no work involved except making sure you stick with the plan.

Check the cost of the plan. NutriSystem charges for meals and snacks and shipping, but it often offers discounts and free meals for signing up. You can also save by signing up for the Auto Ship plan.

See the results. NutriSystem allows you to follow plans losing less than or more than 10 lb. You can lose a lot initially, but you can expect to lose 1 to 2 lb. per week if you follow the program exactly.

Weigh the risks. Participants may gain weight back after going off this program since they don't learn how to prepare healthy food themselves.

South Beach Diet Plan

Choose the South Beach Diet Plan if you don't want to completely cut out food groups and want a lifestyle change, not just a quick fix.

Look at the rules of the plan. The South Beach Diet plan doesn't count carbs, but looks at how much sugar is in each carb, choosing those with a low glycemic index. The plan works in 3 phases with the first phase being the most restrictive, taking away all carbs. The second phase reintroduces the carbs in moderation and lasts until you hit your target weight. The third phase allows you to continue to eat normal foods in normal portions following the guidelines for life.

Compare the work involved. Instead of counting calories or maintaining strict portion sizes, you eat normal portions and snack strategically throughout the day, using suggested recipes and food combinations for the various phases.

Check the cost of the plan. There is no sign-up fee or meal cost. You buy the book and companion guide and visit the website for information. Then you buy and prepare the food yourself.

See the results. Weight loss may be dramatic in phase I of the South Beach Diet plan, and then continues at 1 to 2 lb. per week until you hit your weight loss goals. Staying on the plan for life means you keep your target weight and adjust as necessary with the tools provided.

Weigh the risks. Much of the weight lost in the induction phase is water weight, which can throw off your balance of electrolytes.

Under Eye Bags - 5 Tips to Eliminate Them Forever

Do you have unsightly under eye bags? They make you look much older than your years, but you can get rid of them permanently, without surgery. Discover five tips in this article which will help.
In addition to making you look as if you're totally exhausted, dark marks and bags under your eyes are an indication that your health isn't up to par. Yes, you can get rid of your bags temporarily with surgery, but taking care of your health will remove the bags for good.
Here's how to take care of yourself so that your under eye bags gradually disappear.
1. Eat for Your Skin -- B Vitamins Help You Glow
Few people get sufficient B vitamins in their daily diet. One of the most important B vitamins when it comes to your skin is biotin, which is essential for the health of your skin, hair and nails. Eat more bananas and oatmeal to increase the quantity of biotin, so your body can repair skin damage.
Many creams are available which contain B vitamins: they add a glow to your skin, and they're good for you too -- but do remember that the best source of B vitamins is a good diet.
2. Less Alcohol, More Water
Alcohol dries out your skin. A night on the town and not enough water: result, instant under eye bags.
Water is vital to help your body to function efficiently, and it's easy to forget to drink plenty of water when you're out and about. Drink plenty of water so that toxins are flushed from your system: a bruised look under your eyes is a sign that your kidneys and liver need help.
3. Get More Sleep -- There's a Reason They Call It Beauty Sleep
Lack of sleep can also cause discoloring and bags under your eyes. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night. Your body conducts needed repairs as you sleep. If you don't get enough rest, more than your appearance will suffer.
4. Miracle Cure -- Green Tea Bags
Good food and plenty of rest will erase your under eye bags. But what if you want an instant fix? Here's one which works: green tea bags.
Save your green tea bags in the fridge. Before a night out, lie down for ten minutes with the cooled tea bags as a compress.
5. Is It Your Cosmetics? Go Fragrance-Free
The labels on many cosmetics read like a chemical factory's inventory. Who knows what those chemicals do to your skin, not to mention your health?
When you have under eye bags, your motto for cosmetics and skin care products should be: chemical and fragrance-free. Use natural skin care products until your bags have vanished!

Is Acai Berry Safe For Teenagers?

If you are a teenager, or a concerned parent, who is considering taking Acai berry, then you might be wondering; "Is Acai berry safe for teenagers?" It is good to ask this question before taking any new type of health supplement, especially when the person taking the supplement is still growing up.
Luckily, you have nothing to fear when it comes to Acai berries. Asking if Acai berries are safe for teenagers is just like asking if apples, bananas, or grapes are safe for teenagers. Acai is a natural fruit, just like those mentioned above, so it is completely safe for anyone to take. It could be possible that someone could have an allergy to Acai, but that is no more likely than someone being allergic to an apple.
Many teens are guzzling sodas, coffee, and energy drinks at an alarming rate. While these drinks can give teens a temporary boost of energy, they are known to stunt growth and promote obesity. Acai berry juice can be a great tasting and healthy replacement for these drinks. In fact, most people report that the energy they get from Acai blows both coffee and Redbull out of the water. There is no better way for a student to start off a day of school than with a glass of Acai juice.
One of the benefits that is most relevant for teens is its high Omega fatty acid content. Teenage years are full of mental ups and downs, and these essential fatty acids help improve mood and fight depression. They also help improve general brain function (they make you smarter) which will help a teen do better in school and get into a better college.
Acai is one of the most powerful antioxidant foods on earth, which will help with many teens' #1 problem: Acne. Antioxidants help repair damaged skin and hair, and are one of the keys to fight off acne.
Acai is an all natural health supplement that can help teens reach their full potential as adults. Since it's a fruit you do not need to worry if the Acai berry is safe for teenagers.

Atkins Vs. Pritikin: The Debate Rages On!

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The battle lines have been drawn and everyone has taken sides. This vicious battle has pitted brother against brother and husband against wife. It is by far the most heated subject in nutrition, and self-proclaimed gurus have crawled out of the woodwork to weigh in with their opinions on the high carb diet vs. low carb diet debate.

As a fitness enthusiast, you no doubt have been in a few discussions, some of them probably a little heated, about how much of your daily calories should consist of carbohydrates. Both sides have compelling arguments, so who's right? They both are, to a point.

Appetizers

First, you have to realize that no diet, no matter how compelling the evidence, is going to work for everyone all of the time. In other words, you have to take your individual differences into account when deciding which approach will work best for you. It is not high carb vs. low carb, it is which one will work best for you, based on your metabolism and training goals. This fact has been missed by most, and this has led to a lot of confusion and frustration among fitness enthusiasts.

The low carbs diet work, and work well, but only for some selected purposes. The proponents of the low carb diets claim that by eating less carbs and more fat you switch your body's metabolism from one that favors carbs to one that favors fat for fuel. This has obvious benefits for someone looking to lose fat. In addition, these diets tend to be very low in total calories and help to control hunger with the addition of protein and fat to each meal. That has probably been the number one positive impact of these diets on the fitness community - getting people to eat less calories, and adequate amounts of protein and good fats.

Some of these low carb diets tend to be a little extreme, namely the ketogenic carbs where carbs are virtually eliminated from the diet to force your body into a state of ketosis, where body fat is burned in the form of ketones for fuel. These diets can be very dangerous if not used properly. If you are a bodybuilder who already has low levels of bodyfat and you want to get extremely cut up, then the ketogenic diet - or better yet, its close cousin the cyclical-ketogenic diet - is perfect for you.

However, if you are overweight, and have several pounds of fat to lose to get to a healthy range, then a more moderate approach to the low carb diets, like The Zone Diet, will work best. Ketosis is not a natural state for your body to be in. It lowers the blood pH, leading to a more acidic internal environment, and long-term exposure to such an environment will cause damage to your internal organs.

Pass The Bread

The advantage of a higher carb diet - and disadvantage of the low carb approach - is that you will not get big and strong without eating an adequate amount of carbs and calories. This does not mean an extremely high carb intake, as total carb intake should still be no more than 50- 60% of your total calories. But this extra amount of carbs will go a long way in your strength and muscle-gaining goals.

Carbs fuel the anaerobic (literally meaning "without oxygen") pathways of muscular energetics. These two energetic pathways, named the ATP/ CP and glycolitic pathways, are the major suppliers of energy for activities that take less than 90-120 seconds to complete, depending on your fitness level. As I'm sure most of you have realized, the vast majority of activities in the weight room when pumping iron take less than 2 minutes to complete. In fact, most sets take less than 1 minute to complete, falling well within the anaerobic pathways of muscular energetics.

Main Course

What's my point? Well, if most of your weightlifting activities run off of stored glycogen - i.e. carbs - then why do you want your body to favor fat for energy? You don't. Several studies have shown that carbs increase performance. Cutting carbs from a mass and strength diet program is just as bad as not including protein or creatine. No one in their right mind would try to add strength and mass without those two nutrients. However, most of these same individuals will not hesitate to eat a Meal Replacement - which was designed for fat loss - in water three times a day, obtaining miniscule amounts of carbs in the process.

In addition, since intense weightlifting burns up blood sugar and stored glycogen, you will have to replace them. This can not be done optimally if you are following a carb-restricted diet. This means that you will have to allow longer recovery periods, or suffer a performance decrease, which does not help when trying to add pounds to your squat, or inches to your chest and biceps.

Most fitness enthusiasts get themselves in trouble when they become married to one concept. Frustration is brought on when they get stuck in a rut, afraid to try something radically different. Nutrition and dieting is no exception to this. Instead of debating which diet is the best, we need to look at which diet is the best for what circumstances. Eating for your specific goals, and not someone else's, is the key to figuring out which approach is best suited for you.

3 Biggest Nutritional Mistakes to Lose Body Fat

When it comes to fitness, there are certain things many people just can't seem to get it right, one of it being nutrition. Many people are so obsessed with shedding that extra body fat, they often go too far in their efforts and stall their progress or, worse, start to backslide into the awful realm of being "skinny fat" (the result of lost muscle mass without a marked loss of fat). As hard as you may workout in the gym, you still need to cozy up to the fact that your work in the kitchen and at the dinner table is just as important. The following three are the biggest nutritional mistakes people make when trying to lose their body fat.

1. Aggressively Cutting Calories - You're ready to lose body fat at all costs. No sacrifice is too great. As a result, you decide to slash your caloric intake in half, expecting to transform your body in just a couple of weeks. Big mistake - not only is this completely unhealthy, but your body also isn't likely to reciprocate with the same dramatics. The reality is that aggressive cuts in calories can backfire, causing metabolism, your calorie-burning engine, to downshift into a lower gear. The better approach is to create a mild deficit, eating 15%-20% fewer calories on a daily basis.

2. Completely Eliminating Fat - Remember that moderation is the key to steady gains. Zero anything is dangerous in the nutrition world: Zero-carb, zero-fat, and zero-cholesterol diets are all fads that should be avoided. Controlling calories by slashing bad dietary fats such as butter, gristly meats, chicken skin and fried foods is one option. Taking a good thing too far, however, many eliminate nearly all dietary fat and try to chisel their bodies with fat-free sources of protein such as white fish, egg whites and protein powder. Since there's barely any fat in most carbohydrate foods and vegetables, where you'd pick up the remainder of your calories, these types of diets are essentially "fat-free." The big pitfall is that zero-fat diets compromise testosterone levels, which can disrupt the body's ability to retain metabolic-boosting muscle while dieting. In short, when testosterone levels fall, the metabolism slides right along with it.

3. Abandoning Carbs - While lower-carb diets certainly aid in the shedding of body fat, you don't want to cut out carbs completely. It's better to watch the selection and manipulation of your carbohydrate consumption. One of the best ways to do this is to slash carbs at all meals - outside of breakfast and your post-workout meal, that is. Those are the two times of day when carbs are critical to muscle growth. At breakfast you need carbs to reverse the catabolic state you fall into from fasting while you sleep, and after training you need carbs to spike insulin levels to drive muscle growth and restock muscle glycogen (the storage form of carbs) that was depleted during the workout.

Avoid these 3 biggest nutritional mistakes while continuing with your workout routines and you'll be able to lose your body fat fast and easily.