HEALTH, DIET AND NUTRITION FAQ’s

Cary Bergeron asked:


The Lemonade Diet or as many call it the Master Cleanse diet. This lemonade diet recipe consists of a lemonade drink, tea and a salt water flush. The basic ingredients are freshly squeezed organic lemon juice, all natural grade e maple syrup, mixed with water and Cayenne Pepper to taste. This mixture of ingredients will give you all the nutrients you need to sustain yourself throughout the ten day diet. You will drink the lemonade mixture at least three times a day or more if you need it.

During the diet which you are to follow for at least ten days you cannot eat any foods or drink anything else besides the lemonade, herbal (laxative) tea or water.

Stanley Burroughs is the author of this diet and it is intended to cleanse the body of all its toxins. You can tell you are clear of toxins once your tongue is completely pink and there is no more white film on it. The diet goes for ten days but sometimes your tongue is not completely pink at this time and it is necessary to continue the cleanse until it is.

While many people lose weight during this diet there are many people who haven’t. This lemonade diet is in fact a cleansing diet and should be approached as such. If you find yourself willing to try this easy and fun diet please remember going into it that you might not lose any weight at all. However take comfort in knowing that once you have completed this diet/cleanse that you will have rid yourself or years of toxic buildup. You will feel more refreshed and healthier then you have in many years.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Sacha Tarkovsky asked:


Today, there are several diets publicized in books and on the internet, it is difficult to choose. Here we are not going to look at foods to eat but foods to avoid on any diet.

A common sense way to understand which diet is best is to see which one fits your own personal choices for life-style and natural (we stress the word, “natural” not synthetic) tastes.

We all have our likes and dislikes…many of which from a child passes with us all our lives.

Today’s commercial world, and international food and beverage business is about as responsible for the obesity problem as the tobacco company’s are for lung cancer. When you are on a diet, or if you wish to be your ideal weight, you must avoid the general choices below.

•Any “processed” food. ANY…this means food that has been treated in an industrial way. These foods contain additives and chemicals that disturb your natural processes of digestion and elimination. In this category, you can think of any food from a can, or one that can stay on a supermarket shelf more than one month.

•Any and all fast foods. These are perhaps the worst offenders, as they somehow taste great when you are hungry, you eat them quickly, and they contain all the ingredients you don’t need or your body wants; such as transfats, incorrect food combinations (cola drinks with proteins and carbohydrates), and an excess of calories.

An average fast food meal is about 1,000 or more calories. It is often more, and leaves you hungry in about 2 hours.

•Any “deep-fried” foods. This includes the famous potato, but can also include fried meats (such as fried chicken), and some sweets, such as the donut or many oriental-type sweets. These kill your diet, raise insulin levels in the blood, and there is no way to lose weight.

•All polysaturated and animal fat. We do not say to you to eliminate fat, just eat the correct ones. These are found in fish, some vegetables and some dairy products (where omega-3 oils have been incorporated to the dairy animal’s feed).

•White Flour. There is nothing in it good for you, nothing. Whole wheat or other whole grains are another story. Eat them as you wish, but NO white flour.

It is a dead food itself, and only causes unbalances in your digestive system. White flour was invented as it does not spoil, where whole grains do. The bugs know which is best to eat. They eat the whole grains and not bleached processed white flour.

•White Sugar. As its carbohydrate cousin above, white sugar also has very little or no nutritional value.

There are so many healthy alternatives to it, and although sweet, these natural sugars are easily digested in your system as they are natural as you are natural.

•Mayonnaise and its Derivates. Although very tasty, and makes the food you eat it with so as well, the mayonnaise is heavily processed, usually with the cheapest oils, mostly transfatty ones, and full of preservatives.

Also mayonnaise is made from eggs, and commercially treated to withstand the age process on the supermarket shelf. It will not help you diet, and in fact, it is not good for you at all. If you make it yourself however, and eat it sparingly, that is another matter.

• Caffeinated Drinks. This includes coffee, dark tea, the cola drinks, chocolate, and the new power drinks that are appearing in nightclubs, supermarkets and gyms.

The caffeine (or similar chemical found in tea and chocolate) disturbs your metabolism, and will prevent the natural slimming process when you are dieting.

There are many other foods to both avoid and enjoy, but the above list is generally agreed to by most dieticians.

When you are NOT dieting, you can certainly eat these foods, but it is advised to do so sparingly as to remember you had dieted, lost weight, and now, why gain it back.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Alison Cassar asked:


Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) can remain undetected for years. People commonly have the symptoms of hypothyroidism even though their blood tests indicate that their thyroid function is ‘normal’. This is because standard pathology tests for thyroid function can have difficulty detecting ‘sub clinical’ cases of hypothyroidism. The most common symptoms of hypothyroidism are chronic tiredness, constipation, feeling the cold and dry skin. If you are in a high risk category for thyroid dysfunction – have a family member with a thyroid condition (especially your mother); are at the menopausal age; have experienced lots of stress in the past two-three years; or have hormonal imbalances – then it’s important that you support your thyroid, even if the tests tell that your thyroid is ‘normal’. One of the best ways to support thyroid function is with diet.

Certain foods improve hypothyroidism by supplying the essential minerals that the thyroid needs to function and produce hormones.

These include:

1. Tyrosine-rich foods. The amino acid tyrosine combines with iodine to make the hormone thyroxine. These foods include meat, fish, turkey and chicken breast, low fat milk and yogurt, almonds, avocado, bananas, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, lentils. Supplements of tyrosine should be taken on an empty stomach so that it doesn’t have to compete with other amino acids.

2. Iodine-rich foods. Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones. Ideal food sources include Celtic sea salt, seaweed (sushi, nori rolls), salt water fish and sea food. Iodized salt is available but should be used in small amounts once or twice a week along with a good quality Celtic sea salt. Iodine supplements are usually in the form of kelp tablets. Consult your health practitioner before using these, because the wrong dose can unbalance your thyroid.

3. High quality protein. All of our body’s glands and hormones are made from protein. Try to eat high quality lean protein at every meal.

4. Selenium-rich foods – meat, chicken, salmon, tuna, seafood, whole unrefined grains, brazil nuts, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, dairy products, garlic, onions and black strap molasses.

5. Supplements of Vitamin B complex and essential fatty acids because they help to balance the entire hormonal system.

6. Sunlight – while not a food, its important to get a daily dose of safe sun. Light stimulates the pineal gland, which in turn positively affects the thyroid as well as all the other endocrine glands.

Certain foods are detrimental for hypothyroidism because they can inhibit the production of thyroid hormones.

1. Soy products. Isoflavones are hormone-like substances found in soy products. High consumption of soy products have been found to suppress thyroid function in some people and can even cause or worsen hypothyroidism. In particular, an isoflavone called genistein, appears to reduce thyroid hormone output by blocking the activity of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase. This enzyme is responsible for adding iodine onto the thyroid hormones.

How much is too much soy? Each person can tolerate a different amount and unfortunately soy is hidden in many processed and refined foods. If you have a family history of thyroid disease or a diet low in the minerals iodine and selenium, you need to be careful of your soy intake. Reduce your consumption of soy products (soy milk, tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce) to a maximum of two or three times per week. If you have already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, or you display the common symptoms, then reduce your intake to less than twice in a week.

2. Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, mustard, rutabagas, kohlrabi, and turnips. Isothiocyanates are the category of substances in cruciferous vegetables that have been associated with decreased thyroid function. They appear to reduce thyroid function by blocking thyroid peroxidase, and also by disrupting messages that are sent across the membranes of thyroid cells. Cooking these vegetables does make the isothiocyanates less available. Also, because they are so good for us in other ways, only restrict this group if you have been actually diagnosed with hypothyroidism or have strong symptoms.

3. Low progesterone goes hand in hand with low thyroid, so avoid foods that promote oestrogen dominance. This includes any animal product that has not been produced organically (chicken, eggs, dairy, beef, lamb, pork, etc.). All of these foods are available organic.

4. It is believed by some researchers that chlorine and fluoride (found in most tap water) block iodine receptors in the thyroid gland, eventually leading to hypothyroidism.

5. Gluten is linked to thyroid dysfunction (both hyper and hypo thyroid) so if you have any digestive problems or any one in your family with a gluten sensitivity, it would be worth dramatically reducing your gluten intake.

Please note: The information in this article is not intended to take the place of a personal relationship with a qualified health practitioner nor is it intended as medical advice.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Marcus Ryan asked:


If you decide to go on the Zone Diet, one thing you can probably be sure of is that you won’t be hungry.

Unlike diets that restrict calories or fat, this diet allows both and encourages you to eat regular snacks to keep your insulin level consistent and to keep hunger at bay.

The basic premise of the diet requires that you eat proteins, carbohydrates and fats in a 40:30:30 ratio. If you eat this way, says Dr. Barry Sears, a biochemist who created the diet, you will control your insulin levels, have more energy, feel full and – best of all – lose weight.

To control insulin levels, the diet requires that you eat at regular intervals. You are to eat within an hour of getting up in the morning and consume regular snacks. A meal should keep you “in the zone” for 4-5 hours, while regular snacks are good for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Snacks are essential, Sears argues, because they keep your insulin levels regular, which helps to control hunger. You are to eat snacks even when you don’t feel hungry.

So what exactly do you eat on the Zone diet? It’s important to know that when you begin the diet, you’ll figure out how much of each nutrient you need; for example, men usually require 4 “blocks” of protein a day while women need 3. But we can still get an idea of the plan by considering this sample menu:

Breakfast – 6 egg whites scrambled with 1 ounce Canadian bacon (protein); add 1 slice whole-grain bread, ½ c. strawberries and a small wedge of melon (carbohydrate); finish with ¼ cup slivered toasted almonds (fat).

Lunch – Chicken salad: Mix 4 ounces cooked chicken breast with 1 c. grapes, 1 slice tomato, unlimited lettuce and celery and add a piece of whole-grain bread (carbohydrate); blend it all with 4 teas. light mayonnaise (fat).

Snack – 1 ounce of deli turkey breast (protein), 1 c. strawberries (carbohydrate) and 6-8 peanuts (fat).

Dinner – 6 ounces of deli turkey or chicken meat (protein); 1 c. boiled onions, 1 ½ to 2 c. steamed broccoli and ½ cup fresh cranberries (carbohydrate); 4 teas. slivered toasted almonds (fat).

Snack – 1 ounce of cheese (protein); ½ sliced apple (carbohydrate).

As you can see, all of the meals should have this 40:30:30 mix. Men can have the same protein/carb/fat combo at all snacks as well, while women should cut out one of the fats from snacks each day.

Sugar is not an item that’s OK on the Zone diet, but many dieters save their fruit item from their meal to eat as a dessert. Some will add artificial sweetener to their berries, for example, to create more of a dessert feel.

So there you go.

Although it can be a fair amount of work (you must plan meals so you don’t go too far off track), the Zone diet is a successful diet plan that many people find gives them not only the benefit of weight loss but also increased energy and vitality.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Julia Denham asked:


You’ve heard of the many “soup” diets which promise to help you to lose weight quickly, and you’re intrigued. It sounds simple: drink soup for a few days and lose weight.

The soup diets are simple, and they certainly can help you to lose weight. However, they’re not a miracle dieting solution. You can’t live on soup forever. They help you to lose weight in two ways: they can kick-start your diet, and they can help you to get off a diet plateau.

Let’s start by looking at a couple of recipes which I like and use myself.


The Popular Cabbage Diet Soup – Vegetables With A Dried Soup Base


This diet has as its base packet onion soup mix, or any other dry packet soup which appeals to you.

Here’s how to make it. Shred one CABBAGE into a large pot. Thinly slice other vegetables you have on hand: ONION, CARROTS, GREEN BEANS, and TOMATOES and add those to the pot too. Add the dry soup mix (one packet or two) and a tin of CANNED TOMATOES. Add water. Stir, and bring to the boil; boil for five to ten minutes.

Turkey Taco Diet Soup – Hot, Spicy, And Satisfying


The base of this diet is taco seasoning mix. You can add half a pound of minced turkey or chicken if you wish. The main ingredients are three large tins of kidney beans (drained and rinsed), two large tins of diced canned tomatoes (added as-is), and a diced onion. Add everything to a large pot with a cup of water, and stir. Heat to boiling, then simmer for around 40 minutes.

Feel Full And Lose Weight – You’re Never Hungry


The main benefit of the diets soups is that they fill you up for minimal calories. You can eat as much of the soups as you want for your main meal of the day; if you feel hungry between meals, have a cup of the soup. You can also take the soups to work with you.

As we’ve said, the soups are not a quick fix. They will help you to lose weight if you use them sensibly: to get started on a weight loss program, or to get off a diet plateau. Don’t use them as a mainstay of your diet for more than five days. You can however make them up and keep them in the fridge and the freezer so that if you’re very hungry you’ve always got a meal handy.

Enjoy your diet soups.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Sean Cavanaugh asked:


Over your lifetime you have been bombarded with diet ads, solutions and tips. With all the contradictory information how are you to answer the key questions to developing hot sexy abs? You crave abs that will make you proud, but how do you need to eat to get the results you are searching for? What is the best ab building diet to follow?

Once you know how to train your abdominal muscles in the gym. Once you know how to burn the fat off of your stomach by raising your metabolic rate. You can really increase your success rate to six pack abs with the proper diet.

Eating properly doesn’t have to be this complex mathematical formula. A proper balance of protein, carbs, and fat in nutrient rich forms is the key to a lean body diet. So before you order the latest diet program to hit the market take some time to learn the basics. Then maybe the next time your friends try and get you on the latest fad diet you will be able to teach them a thing or two.

Eating a proper diet is not as easy as getting your daily allowance of fruits and vegetables. The way our foods are grown, and made have made it difficult to eat right. Foods have been chemically altered for taste, shelf life, and growth. That has left us with potential adverse health effects which are still unfolding. You are much better off sticking with unprocessed nutrient rich foods.

Here are four keys to a healthy abdominal diet.

* Make sure you take in a large amount of quality protein. Protein is the key to building lean muscle. The body requires a certain number of calories daily to maintain lean muscle tissue. So the more muscle you can build the great amount of calories your body will burn. Our bodies require more energy to consume and process protein enriched foods. In addition the more times a day you eat the more calories you burn. So 5 or 6 small meals versus 3 meals is advantageous to fat loss. Protein also fills you up more and lowers your chances of eating junk food. So as you can see just by eating protein correctly you will burn calories before you even step foot in the gym.

* Consume high fiber foods. Carbohydrates that are rich in fiber help satisfy your food cravings. Try and stay within 2 or 3 grams of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrates you consume. Remember that foods that are rich in sugar are poor in fiber. They may taste good, but have little nutritional value. You want to try and get your fiber from unrefinded foods like organic vegetables, fruits, and grains.

* Not all fat is bad. Don’t be afraid to eat fat! When you eat too little fat your body is deprived of many of the vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive. Healthy skin, nails, and hair are all a result of proper fat intake. In addition good fat is used in cell construction, cell repair, and for storing energy. Sources of good fats come from fish, egg yolks, nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocados, olives, olive oil, organic meats, virgin coconut oil, coconuts, durians, and unrefined oils. Your local health food store will have many of these.

* Avoid these items at all cost. Sweetened food items which are high in fructose corn syrup. Artificial trans fats which the body does not need. Trans fats are primarily man made food additives found in margarines, shortening, and hydrogenated oils. The easiest way to avoid these damaging substances is to stay away from processed foods.

By following the four keys to a healthy abdominal diet you will take control of your body. As a result of following these points, fitness expert Mike Geary says you will gain control of your appetite, hormone and blood sugar levels, and more. Your lean body will be in reach and those tight toned abs will begin to show themselves.

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Chess McDoogle asked:


A vegetable soup diet is an incredible way to both lose weight and pack your body full of nutrients. There’s different approaches you can take to a vegetable soup diet. You can go all out and do an exclusive vegetable soup diet, or you can simply replace it with a few of your meals, which will cut down your overall caloric intake, while adding a horde of new nutrients to your diet you normally wouldn’t get. Whichever way you go about your vegetable soup diet, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

Just buying canned vegetable soup from the store is not the way to go for a true vegetable soup diet. The sodium content is through the roof and the vegetable content is often weak. This can easily lead to bloating and a false sense of nourishment and nutrition.

Standard vegetable soup diet recipes tend to involve adding a lot of salt to the mix causing the broth to once again contain a high level of sodium. And many vegetable soup diet recipes call for potato’s which have a relatively high glycemic index count which one may not want when their goal is to lose weight with the vegetable soup diet.

So whats the answer to going about creating the easiest, healthiest vegetable soup diet? Use a food processor and/or juicer. A good inexpensive option I’ve come across is the juicer put out by the fitness guru Jack Lalanne. This isn’t a plug, it’s just a relatively cheap machine that i’ve found kills two birds with one stone. And it’s easy as you don’t have to stand around and peel all your vegetables. Most of them you can just stick right in the machine. What happens is you get a puree juice from the vegetables, and you also get the left over “pulp” as well in a separate container. This makes it perfect for a vegetable soup diet. You get both the broth and leftover vegetable chunks at the same time. Now of course for your vegetable soup diet you can also add your own cut up fresh vegetables. I make a tomato soup this way and then throw in fresh broccoli and bits of green pepper. This is not only good, but amazingly filling for a vegetable soup diet! You can also add in some fresh herbs or spices and you have a very unique, tasty, and filling vegetable soup diet that you’d never find in a can.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Jessica Bradbury asked:


Each person is different, but there are a few general guidelines to follow on a diet for irritable bowel syndrome. Anyone who suffers from IBS can recall one or two foods that make their IBS symptoms worse. There may be several other unidentifiable foods that may also trigger IBS symptoms.

Try eating several smaller meals throughout the day rather than having three large ones. This may help to reduce IBS symptoms. Some IBS sufferers note that after a large meal they may develop cramping and diarrhea.

Many people also find that it help to keep their meals high in carbohydrates such as pasta, fruits, cereals, whole-grain breads, rice and vegetables. They also want to eat low-fat meals. A high protein, low-fat diet may also help reduce the pain that is experienced after eating.

These are some foods that can trigger attacks of IBS:

• Alcohol

• Artificial fats

• Coconut milk

• Dairy products

• Fried foods

• Dark meat and poultry skin

• Shortening

• Artificial sweeteners

• Carbonated beverages

• Coffee- even decaf

• Egg yolks

• Oils

• Red meat

• Solid chocolate

Fiber

Soluble fiber has various benefits that may help to reduce IBS symptoms. Because fiber seems to keep the colon slightly distended, spasms may be prevented. Fiber absorbs water. This helps the stools from getting too hard so that you may have difficulty in passing them. You should add just enough fiber to your IBS diet so that stools remain soft and are easy to pass. When first going to a high fiber diet, you may notice an increase in bloating and gas. However, these symptoms should subside as your body adjusts which could take a few weeks.

Sources of Soluble Fiber

Here are some sources of soluble fiber that you should consume on your IBS diet:

• Barley

• Currants

• Figs

• Fresh peas

• Citrucel

• Oatmeal

• Prunes

• Raisins

• Sourdough bread

• Brown rice

• Dried beans

• French bread

• Oat bran

• Pasta

• Metamucil

• Rice

• Soy

These are some foods that may cause excessive gas so you want to try to avoid these on an IBS diet at first. You may then add them slowly back into your diet, one by one, to see if any one is the reason for your symptoms:

• Beans

• Brussels sprouts

• Cauliflower

• Leeks

• Onions

• Bananas

• Broccoli

• Cabbage

• Garlic

• Nuts

• Raisins

Lactose Intolerance

When a body is unable to digest milk sugar, or lactose, the condition is known as lactose intolerance. Some of the symptoms include bloating, gas and even pain. If you suspect that you may be lactose intolerant, then you should avoid milk and all dairy products and see if your symptoms improve. You must be sure that your body receives enough calcium in other ways – through calcium supplements or eating other calcium rich foods.

Probiotics

Consuming lactobacillus acidophilus or “friendly bacteria” may also be an aid in digestion. This helps to maintain the “good” bacteria in your intestines. You can easily find these “good” bacteria in yogurt. Yogurt is also a good source of calcium, and is better tolerated than some of the other milk products.

Food Diary

You may be up against a big challenge when it comes down to figuring out what food will either harm or help IBS. When you are on a diet for irritable bowel syndrome, the best thing for you to do is to keep a food journal. You will be able to easily tell which foods are safe to eat and which foods may trigger your IBS symptoms.

Remember to try and stick to your diet for irritable bowel syndrome. You may just be pleasantly surprised at how your symptoms are relieved with the proper diet.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Dawn Woods asked:


Having access to an online diet generator is a great way to take the guesswork out of what you should eat. The diet generator is already programmed to put together a meal plan that works within the structure and constraints of the diet program, while at the same time taking your personal preferences into consideration.

Most diets fail because they lack the willpower to commit to a diet plan. They have been given certain guidelines and are expected to follow it. However, if you are given an actual meal plan to follow, then there is no room for you to deviate from the diet. As long as you follow the meal plan to the letter, you will lose weight.

The online diet generator for the Calorie Shifting Diet is a good example of this. This diet program allows you to generate a customized meal plan that integrates your personal preferences into a diet structure that you will be following for eleven consecutive days. The way it works is that you will be presented with a list of foods from each of the four food groups, from which you must choose a certain amount.

Your food selections will be grouped together into forty-four meals, in sets of four meals per day over the course of the eleven-day diet period called for by the diet. You will not have any control over this grouping. You must eat the meals as they are formulated. However, you do have the flexibility to arrange the four meals of any given day, in any order that you choose, for that day only.

The calorie shifting diet allows you to eat as much as you want of each food at each meal, until you are satisfied but not too full. However, you must leave a gap of at least a minimum of two and a half to three hours between each meal.

The online diet generator is programmed to take your food selections and group them together according to the rules governing the diet’s principles. This diet is based on the science of, as the name implies, calorie-shifting. The principle behind the calorie-shifting diet is that the choice of what foods you eat when can trigger a metabolic response that releases fat burning hormones in your body that will induce the accelerated burning of fat.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Jenny Myers asked:


You must have noticed Oprah Winfrey on the cover of the January2009 issue of the O Magazine, weighing 200 pounds. The reasons are many, but more importantly she has resolved to get back in shape. Her guides are some of her old friends & acquaintances who happen to be the masters of their field – Dr. Oz, Dr. Perricone & Mr. Bob Greene.

Just a brief on these famous titles, Mr. Bob Greene is the personal trainer of Oprah, Dr. Oz is a known heart surgeon and Dr. Perricone is famous dermatologist. As recommended by all 3 of them, Oprah is following an interesting diet chart, the key content of which is acai berry. Dr. Perricone has put this berry on the top in his list of the 10 Super Foods for Anti-Aging. The primary reason is that this fruit is full of anti-oxidants, fiber & minerals. Besides anti-aging & weight reduction, this super food serves many more health functions for our body. Some of these are as follows:

1. It rejuvenates us with a new found energy.
2. It cleanses the metabolic system of the body.
3. It cleanses the colon of our body.
4. It ensures you a healthy heart with the reduced levels of cholesterol.
5. It prevents us from having many severe ailments one of which is the colon cancer.
6. It clears all the toxins from our body.

Besides acai berry, other secrets of the diet followed by Winfrey in the year 2009 are as follows:

1. She has stopped the intake of sugar any which ways.
2. She plans to regularly go for complete detox & colon cleansing.
3. She avoids all white stuff. Some of these are potatoes & white flour.
4. She now does not take any caffeine in her diet. To ensure the same she has replaced coffee & tea with ‘green tea.’

Fit Yummy Mummy!