HEALTH, DIET AND NUTRITION FAQ’s

Vanessa Smith asked:


Dieting may seem like something that you will not be able to succeed at. Despite that negative attitude, you can succeed on a diet plan and lose those extra pounds you have always wanted to shed off yourself!

Many of the most successful diet plans are simple. You do not need to have a plan that will keep you eating only certain types of foods, or avoiding a certain group of foods all together. Not only does this put a lot more work on the individual dieter, but it requires that the person who is on the diet be much more disciplined than many individuals can be.

Once you have decided that you want to diet, you need to pick a diet plan that you can stick to. One of the best types of plans that you can choose is one that relates to your weight loss goals. In order to determine your weight loss goals, you need to look at how much weight you want to lose. Are you trying to get rid of ten pounds or fifty? The more aggressive you want to diet, the more strict of a diet plan you will end up needing. Sometimes, a planned diet may just not work, know your limits, or you may regret beginning to diet at all.

One of the most popular type of diet plans is the Jenny Craig plan. Most people on this type of weight loss plan are trying to lose only a small amount of weight. People who are trying to lose a large amount of weigh and try the plan are usually disappointed, because even over time, the plan is simply not successful.

Another popular type of plan for people trying to lose weight is the Weight Watchers plan. Many people on this plan love to use it as they say that they can lose as much weight as they want by eating only specially prepared meals and exercising. However, what ends up happening in most cases is that the people do eat the specially prepared food, at least for a while. Then, they either begin to add in old food, or stop exercising as much as they are supposed to. This can cause their weight to continue to stay steady, or even go up even while they remain on a diet plan.

When you are looking for a diet plan that will allow you to lose the weight that you truly need to lose, you need to look for a plan that will look at your goals. You need a plan that is dealing in the amount of weight loss that you want, not that someone else wants. Make sure that you are ready to deal with any potential problems, and are dedicated to your goal of weight loss. If you are not determined, you will end up failing at your weight loss goal. People often think that they can lose weight by just eating special food and not exercising, this is not true. A diet plan must include both a diet and exercise, otherwise you will not lose the weight that you want to lose.

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John Davenport asked:


The most important thing you need to do in order to flatten your stomach is to follow a flat belly diet. Of course, exercise is also recommended, but when it comes to weight loss, nutrition is the key. This article reviews the major elements of a flat stomach diet which you can start following today. Read this article without skipping a word so you won’t miss out on anything.

Before I start relating exactly which foods should and should not be included in a flat belly diet, I want to dispel one myth: a flat abs diet doesn’t have to be a fat free diet. This may shock you, but there are some fats which are very healthy to eat. In fact, fat is as important to our body as protein and carbs. You just need to know the healthy fats from the dangerous ones.

Here are some foods which can be included in a flat belly diet:

Fruit and vegetables – These are great snacks and also contain vitamins and other healthy ingredients. Lean protein – Protein is a must have macronutrient, but in order to get a flatter stomach get it from lean sources such as turkey, chicken breast, egg whites, and fish. Healthy fats – These are fats which are actually good for you: virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flax seeds, almonds, and other nuts are good sources of healthy fat. Complex carbs – wild rice, whole flour pasta, whole wheat bread, and other whole grain foods are excellent sources of carbs.Here are some foods which should never be included in a flat tummy diet:

Trans fats – these are unhealthy fats which you should stay clear of. Check out the label on the products you buy to see that they’re trans fat free. Processed food – Eating fresh is usually eating healthy. If you eat processed food expect to find a dozen chemicals inside. All of these just make it harder for you to flatten your belly. Sugar – natural sugar from fruit and vegetables is ok, but processed sugar is very bad for you since it’ll quickly be converted to fat. Avoid all the sugary sodas and useless candy. Alcohol should also be cut down. If you follow these flat belly diet guidelines you will not only reduce your stomach fat, you will also feel better.

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William Brister asked:


In today’s world, diets have become a way of life. Popular diets have become the focus of talk shows, magazines and entertainment news where celebrities and their spokes-persons are continuously endorsing one diet or another. Whether it is to shed a few pounds, put on extra muscle mass or just simply to stay in shape, every individual is looking for a diet that is most suited for his or her body type.

Contrary to popular belief, a ‘diet’ is not eating only celery sticks, digestive crackers and drinking carrot juice all day long. In fact a healthy meal combining of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, cereals and lean meats, all in moderation would be considered an ideal diet as well as a good dietary habit. People lose weight over a few months time only to gain it back in no time at all. It has been established that the true secret of losing weight and to maintain that loss is to make some permanent changes to your eating and lifestyle habits.

The meal you eat is influenced by several factors that include how hungry you are, how long it has been since you have eaten your last meal, smell and taste of food as well as the genetics that shape your appetite. Perhaps, the most important is the feel of satisfaction that one derives after eating. You only feel full when the stomach sends the requisite signals to your brain. Satisfaction however, does not depend only on how much you eat but what kind of foods you choose to eat.

Although most people tend to overlook it, a healthy diet is a matter of common sense. When one is really looking to shed a few pounds, besides sacrificing excessive fried foods and desserts, all one needs to do is eat few calories per ounce of food ingested. Fruits, vegetables, soups, stews or whole grain cereals are some instances of such foods. They are full of fibre and have high water content which not only provide you your share of nutrients but leave you feeling satisfied without having broken the calorie bank.

There are several different kinds of diets to suit individual needs. The most popular are:

Atkins – The Atkins Diet, although extremely popular, is a move away from the conventional. Instead of an emphasis on the inclusion of a combination of different food types that typically make up a healthy, balanced diet, the Atkins approach is towards eating more of protein, fat and cutting down on carbohydrates. Although it represents a drastic lifestyle change, you can eat as much as you want as long as you keep to the restricted food groups. The diet has proven very effective and helped people achieve their weight loss goals, but whether, it is an healthy option in the long run, remains to be determined.

Jenny Craig - The Jenny Craig diet offers much more than just a weight loss program by including exercise, healthy meals and lifestyle change. With a great deal of support it inculcates counselling and prepared meals within your diet regimen. Moreover, along with prepared meals delivered home, it also offers vegetarian options. It may not however, be suitable for people who travel constantly and those who are cost conscious, because buying prepared meals on a daily basis may prove expensive. It however advocates the moving away from the prepared meal option after acquiring the weight loss results initially aimed at.

The Zone is similar to the Atkins Diet in that it emphasizes on increased protein intake and less carbohydrates. However, as compared to Atkins, you can eat greater amounts of carbohydrates with smaller portions. It is a more balanced approach and even allows the intake of vegetables. However, for people who like larger portions, variety and flexibility in their diets, the Zone can be restricting.

NutriSystems- The NutriSystems is an easy to follow plan which concentrates on low Glycemic index, good carbohydrates and optimal amounts of protein to keep your sugar levels stable as well as aims to keep you satisfied. The plan offers a NutriSystem meal, pre packaged and delivered on order which you supplement with different food items like fresh fruits, salads, dairy etc.

Weight Watchers- The Weight Watchers Diet believes that dieting is one part of long-term weight management. It does not tell people what they can or can’t eat. The goal is to help people make healthy eating decisions and encourage them to enjoy more physical activity, thereby losing weight safely and sensibly — and keeping it off. It gives information on food choices, recipes and meals as well as exercise plans. It has an online support network and weight loss tracker and progress chart to keep you motivated.

South Beach- The South Beach Diet is more like the Atkins Diet and restricts carbohydrates except for some good carbs which are allowed. What is an absolute no-no are food types like potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots and corn. Again it discourages fats but promotes the healthy ones. It is a diet for life. Eat normal foods in portions.

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Kurt Lehman asked:


You may have heard about it on Good Morning America. Or, a friend may already be raving about it. It’s the amazing new diet called the “Flat Belly Diet”. The reason you’ve heard about it is because … it works! Even better, it’s simple and easy to follow. What better way to lose the extra pounds you gained over the Holidays?

The diet was created by the folks at Prevention Magazine. It was created by Prevention magazine’s Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello and Nutrition Editor Cynthia Sass. Mary Anne Speshok, a resident of Bethlehem, NJ, was selected along with several other dieters to be featured on a segment of Good Morning America on Wednesday. Speshok claims she lost a whopping 46 pounds after following the instructions of the Flat Belly Diet! book and speed walking six days a week. She dropped from a size 16 to a size 8.

Here’s a brief overview of what the diet involves:

-Start with a Four-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart, and add

-A daily dose of Sassy Water and

-A Mind Trick at every meal plus

-A Four-Week Eating Plan, comprised of

-Three 400-calorie meals a day of your choice and

-One 400-calorie Snack Pack of your choice and

-One daily Core Confidence reflection

-An Optional Exercise Program, plus


The foundation for a way of life you can continue for decades.

Here’s the best part — you don’t feel like you are on a diet. You get to eat a wide variety of foods and can eat enough throughout the day to not feel hungry. You can have yummy snacks like chocolate pudding with bananas and graham crackers as well as eating real food like grilled mushroom and roasted pepper burgers.

The theory behind the diet is that a moderate fat diet is better for losing weight then a low fat diet. The weight not only comes off easier it also stays off better. The trick is to eat foods that have “good” fats, also known as “mono unsaturated fatty acids” (or MUFA — pronounced like “MOO-fa”).

The Flat Belly diet centers around five foods that have these good fats in them naturally and those five food groups are oils, chocolate, nuts and seeds, olives, and avocados. You simply need to eat one serving from any of these groups at a meal. All meals should be around 400 calories, enough to curb your hunger but not to stuff yourself. This diet will give you energy and will melt off the stubborn belly fat.

A key feature of the Flat Belly diet is its focus on health and energy. Who wouldn’t lose weight on one of those 1200 calorie a day diets? But who is going to stick with it? Featuring healthy, wholesome foods and a 1,600-calorie-a-day guideline, the Flat Belly Diet is as healthy as they come.

Even better, the diet recognizes that people don’t want to give up flavor in their foods. This plan offers more taste than you can imagine.

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Donna Becker asked:


The Lap-Band surgery has become a very popular weight loss surgery due to the shorter recovery time and that the Lap-Band can be adjusted after surgery. Another factor is that the surgery is invasive meaning there is no visible scars because the Lap-Band surgery involves no cutting of the stomach. Although many people choose to have the Lap-Band instead of gastric bypass, there are still pre-op procedures that must be followed so your surgeon can perform without any complications.

Before any surgery many patients are given instructions to follow so that surgeons can assure that no problems will arise during surgery. A strict plan must be followed, do not deviate, your surgeon needs your full compliance. The Lap-Band surgery is no different, since your surgeon will be operating on your stomach you’ll want to make sure that the diet you are given to follow before your surgery is taken seriously. If you don’t your surgery may be delayed until you meet the necessary requirements.

The Lap-Band pre-op surgery diet is designed to lower the fat content in your liver, this organ is the main keeper of your fat and allowing for a faster recovery time is what makes the Lap-Band surgery so successful. The diet will begin two weeks before your surgery, during that time its best to stay away from foods such as rice, potatoes, and bread; they have too many carbohydrates to break down. You want to build your protein level higher than you’re used to so recovery will stay at a minimum. Stay away from sugars too, they cushion the liver with fat and the surgery will not be as successful if you don’t follow this diet.

For the pre-op diet you’ll be primarily consuming liquids mixed with Myocel, it’s a protein powder and it’s designed to lower the fat content in your liver. Your doctor will give you the recommended amount because each person’s weight will be different before surgery. The Lap-Band pre-op diet should be followed as closely as possible, different doctors will give supplemental foods and since each doctor knows how much fat is needed around the liver you should adhere to their advice. The liquid diet, although difficult for some is a pre-quill to the post-op diet that you’ll be on once the surgery is complete.

Your BMI, body mass index, will be measured by your doctor; this will give them the information needed to prescribe the Lap-Band pre-op diet guidelines that will benefit you and minimize complications during surgery. Since fat around the liver is going to be reduced it will allow the surgeon a more comfortable working area. The liver expands top to bottom and up and down, if the surgeon doesn’t have enough room to place the Lap-Band they may have to reschedule until the fat content is lowered and more access can be given to make the placement of the Lap-Band a success.

Another main reason of the Lap-Band pre-op diet is to reduce bleeding during surgery. You’ll need to loose body fat around your stomach and liver area, bleeding is normal during surgery but the Lap-Band pre-op diet is designed to minimize bleeding due to the fatty tissue around the stomach wall. If you are considering the Lap-Band surgery talk with your doctor about the Lab-Band pre-op diet and general recovery times.

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