The Atkins Diet: Hype?

The Atkins has been around for a while now. Atkins first appeared in the late 1970s and has grown very popular these recent years in response to the low-fat diet fad. As people on a diet had trouble with low-fat diets, they searched for a new solution and Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution book found a new audience.

A lot of people have turned to the Atkins diet and there has been a lot of hype as a result. But what are the basic principles of the Atkins diet?

The Atkins diet is guided around the question "why we get fat". According to Dr. Atkins, the over-consumption of carbohydrates and simple sugars leads to weight gain. The way your body burns the carbohydrates you eat have more to do with your waist than the amount of fat or calories that you eat. In his book, Atkins outlines a phenomenon called “insulin resistance.” He theorizes that many overweight people have cells that do not work correctly.

When you consume excess carbohydrates and sugar, your body notices your sugar levels are raised. The body produces insulin from the pancreas in order to retain sugar as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells for extra energy later on. However, your body can only retain so much glycogen at once. AWhen your body reaches this limit, this causes the body to store the excess as fat. This will happen to everyone who eats too many carbohydrates.

However, people who are insulin resistant have an even harder time of storing and burning of Carbohydrates. The more insulin you produce your body starts to become resistant to the insulin. Overtime, the pancreas pumps more insulin and cells become resistant to insulin. The body does this to protect itself from the toxic effects of high insulin. They create less glycogen and more fat.

As a result, people who are insulin resistant gain lots more weight. The carbohydrates that we consume get stored as fat instead of being stored as energy. Some of the side effects are fatigue, the inability to focus, lack of memory, loss of creativity, very low blood sugar (which could turn into hypoglycemia),bloating of the intestins, sleepiness, depression and increased blood sugar. When you are insulin resistant you have more worries than just extra weight.

The cure for people who have an insulin resistant body is a low-carb diet. The focus of the Atkins diet is a reduction of carbohydrates. The foods that are not allowed on the Atkins diet include simple sugars (like cookies, sodas and sweets) and complex carbohydrates (like bread, rice and grains). Even the Carbohydrates that we are taught will make us healthy are restricted in the Atkins diet such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread, are restricted on this diet.

On this diet you must reduce your carbohydrate consumption to less than 40 grams a day. This will put your body in a state of ketosis. Ketosis allows your body to burn fat as fuel. According to Dr. Atkins’ research, the ketosis state will also affect insulin production and it will stop more fat from being formed. You begin to use stored fat as fuel and in return begin to lose weight.One of the major benefits of ketosis is that your body will not crave carbohydrates as it did before. If you’ve been consuming lots of carbs, you may have found that you can never have enough carbs. With carbohydrate restriction and ketosis comes a reduction in carbohydrate cravings. People who have been on the Atkins diet for long period of time report that they do not crave carbohydrates as they once did.

Tips for healthy eating while at restaurants

It seems that with all of our "to do" and "honey do" lists, there seems like there is not enough time in the day to eat a relaxing and healthy meal. Between business lunches and dining out for recreation, you may obtain yourself at a restuarant several times a week. While eating out you must remember that in you can still eat healthy foods and not worry about sabotaging your diet plan.

Here are some things that you can do to make the right eating decisions the next time you are out, for business or pleasure.

* If you plan on drinking alcohol, avoid creamy drinks like White
Russians, since they contain calorie laden ingredients like burdensome cream. If you are planning on having more than one drink, alternate with a glass of water.

* Ask your server to serve bread with your entree. This will a remedy avoid seconds of bread.

* Keep in mind that appetizers are packed with calories. Starting a meal with deep fried mozzarella sticks, potato skins or boneless buffalo wings will quickly add several hundred extra calories to your meal. If you must have something before your entree is served, muse a side salad or cottage cheese (if accessible).

* Ask your server to put half of your entree in a "to-go" box prior
to serving it. Restauarant portions have a tendancy towards being massive, so you have an painless lunch for the following day.

* Split your entree with your partner. If you have likeminded tastes you can split the cost of dinner and still walk away full. Some places may charge a inadequate fee for splitting entrees (usually anywhere from 2-6 dollars) while others do it for free.

* Ask for toppings and condiments served on the side or plain. If you are ordering a baked potato, avoid the "loaded" version, since things like cheese, bacon, sour cream and butter will add a scant hundred calories to your meal.

* Avoid menu items that are described as creamy, rich or deep fried. Choose steamed, broiled or baked items instead. These methods of cooking tend to add fewer calories.

* Eat slowly. Make an effort to chew each mouthful of food 15-20 times before swallowing. This is a stupendous rule to follow when eating out or dining at home.

* Drink a glass of water prior to your meal. This will assistance to fill you up and you'll be inferior likely to overeat. This is another tactic that you can use to assistance combat against hunger any time during the day. A lot of times people mistake thirst for water for feeling hungry. If you are still feeling hungry after 10 minutes, eat until you feel full. Don't eat until you feel uncomfortable.

*Try "Black Chicken" as it is currently being hailed as a unique form of "superfood" coming out of China. (Source: http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_21286385.shtml) This black-bone silky fowl, which have black skin, meat and bones but snow-white feathers, has been used as a "folk invigorant" in China for a thousand years. Now Chinese food scientists have confirmed they subsume expensive levels of a substance called carnosine. This is a powerful antioxidant and is taken in supplement form in the west to improve muscle fortitude and alleviate the effects of aging and autism. Be on the lookout as it will take the restaurant world by storm!

Making the right choices when dining out will help all of your weight loss efforts. There are so innumerable distinctive places to eat out, you will never run out of dining options. It's totally up to you to make the right decisions. Making sensible decisions at mealtime is a lot easier if you are armed with recognition.

Binge Eating Disorder - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Binge eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder. Binge eating also occurs in another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control over their eating. This disorder is different from binge-purge syndrome (bulimia nervosa) because people with binge eating disorder usually do not purge afterward by vomiting or using laxatives. Binge eating disorder is a little more common in women than in men; three women for every two men have it. The disorder affects blacks as often as whites. About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. About 10 to 15 percent of people who are mildly obese. People with binge eating disorder often eat an unusually large amount of food and feel out of control during the binges. Binge eating involves more than just eating a lot.

Binge eating, Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are all considered eating disorders because they involve unhealthy patterns of eating. People with bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) binge on food and then vomit or use laxatives to avoid gaining weight. They may also fast (stop eating for a while) or compulsively exercise after an eating binge. All three of these eating disorders involve unhealthy eating patterns that begin gradually and build to the point where a person feels unable to control them. All eating disorders can lead to serious health consequences, and all involve emotional distress. Bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) is different from binge eating disorder because people with bulimia vomit or use laxatives to try to keep themselves from gaining weight after eating.

Causes of Binge Eating Disorder

1.Depression

2.Anger.

3.Sadness.

4.Boredom.

5.Anxiety.

6.Certain other emotional problems.

Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

1. Eating much more food during a binge episode than during a normal meal or snack

2. Frequent dieting without weight loss.

3. Hoarding food.

4. Hiding empty food containers.

5. Feeling depressed, disgusted or upset over the amount eaten.

Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder

Several methods are being used to treat binge eating disorder. Drug therapy, such as antidepressants, may be helpful for some people. Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches patients techniques to monitor and change their eating habits as well as to change the way they respond to difficult situations. Interpersonal psychotherapy helps people examine their relationships with friends and family and to make changes in problem areas. Self-help groups also may be a source of support. Researchers are still trying to determine which method or combination of methods is the most effective in controlling binge eating disorder.

A Balanced Diet Is A No Brainer

What you put into your body determines just how you live or how long you live. Food takes in vital nutrients, giving you energy for life and aiding in all bodily functions. You receive nutrients from food for maturation and health. There candidly isn't one food has all the nutrients that you need, hence the four basic food groups comes to the rescue. Eating from the four basic food groups enables you to acquire the nutrients you need from eating a balanced diet.

What Are the Basic Nutrients Found in Food?

Fats and carbohydrates are also vital to splendid health. They will give you the energy you need. Multitudinous foods comprise of fat and carbohydrates. Milk, cheese, and butter are rich in fat and foods from the bread and cereal group such as pasta is rich in carbohydrates. Fruits also incorporate a fair amount of carbs. It is advised that you should use fats in your diet sparingly as it can purpose heart malady and unwanted weight gain in some people.

Proteins are an considerable nutrient. Proteins can be found in a wide potpourri of foods. Meat, fish, eggs and poultry are very rich in proteins. Your body utilizes proteins to form advanced cells.

Bounteous people take a daily vitamin supplement. Did you know that you can also get an adequate amount of vitamins from food you eat? Vitamins help your body to grow and maintain stupendous health. The origin of the term vitamin surfaced in the early 1900s. The general consensus was that vitamins contained nitrogen and was consequently spelled “viatmine”. After it was discovered that all vitamins do not emcompass nitrogen, the “e” was dropped.

Vitamins can be found in foodstuffs or can be obtained as an over the counter pharmaceutical. Sometimes when foods containing life-giving vitamins are cooked, a immense deal of those vitamins are lost, so taking supplements may be helpful. If one does not get the required amount of vitamins in his or her diet the metabolic balance can be disrupted and deliberate health problems could arise. Some of the vitamins you will obtain in foods are:

Vitamin A

This is found in carrots, sweet potatoes, melons and green leafy vegetables to name a scattering. Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin and positive eye function.

Vitamin C

This is found in citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons. Broccoli and other dark green leafy vegetables also consist of vitamin C. This vitamin is probably most well known for the effects it has on the cold virus. Taken in additional amounts it has been proven to ward off the cold virus or lessen the effects of it. Vitamin C also gives you healthy bone and blood cells.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D can be found in milk, eggs, and saltwater fish. It will give you strong bones and teeth and help you grow. You can also get vitamin D from the sun.

Thiamin and Niacin

These vitamins help you to digest food and aid in nervous system functions. Foods containing these vitamins include eggs, peas, liver and some meat.

Minerals are another vital nutrient that helps the distinctive parts of the body work as they are meant to. Some of the augmented significant minerals are calcium, iron, potassium, and sodium.

Calcium helps with the growth of teeth and bones as well as the functions of your heart and muscles. Some foods rich in calcium are milk, cheese, yogurt and some vegetables.

Iron is found in liver, beans cereals, some dried fruit and some vegetables. This mineral helps blood carry oxygen to your cells.

Potassium and sodium both help to maintain the function of your muscles and nerves. Foods containing these vital minerals include cereals, salt, and some vegetables to name a scattering.

Understanding the nutrients found in food is just the basic step to eating right. All the foods are divided into four basic food groups. The food groups relief you decide just what you should eat. In each group there are opposed foods with incomparable nutrients. You should eat from the four basic food groups at each meal for a balanced diet.

The four food groups include the milk and dairy group, the meat group, the bread and cereal group and the fruit and vegetable group. You should eat a certain amount of food from each group everyday in order to get all the nutrients you need. Everyday you should have three to four servings of the milk and dairy group; one or two servings form the meat group, three or four servings from the bread and cereal group and three to four servings from the fruit and vegetable group. If you eat the right amount of servings from each group every day you will be eating a balanced diet.

Although water is not considered a nutrient or a food group, it is vital for life. You get water from multitudinous foods, but will get most of your water from by clearly drinking it. Water keeps your body hydrated and aid in blood formation as well as digestion. Drink eight to ten glasses a day for stupendous health.

In summary, schooling to eat right can take some time. Basic awareness of what the food groups consist of as well as what nutrients are and their function is key. A healthy body depends on your eating the right foods along with the right servings of each food.