HEALTH, DIET AND NUTRITION FAQ’s

Vienna Miller asked:


Diet food delivery is one of the hottest trends in the weight loss industry. Getting your meals specially prepared for you by dietitians and chefs, then delivered to your door makes losing weight a pampered, luxurious experience (instead of what it used to be – struggle, deprivation, feelings of starvation).

And with many plans under $20 a day, it’s affordable for most people.

One of the most popular diet delivery services today is Diet To Go. Diet To Go offers freshly prepared diet meals delivered all over the United States including Hawaii and Alaska. This is a major advantage since most diet delivery plans only ship to the continental U.S. and most use preservatives in their food.

Is Diet to Go the right diet delivery plan for your needs? Here’s a review of the Diet To Go service, pros and cons, to help you decide:

General Overview:

Diet To Go menu plans are customized based on your goals (i.e. to lose weight, to maintain a healthy lifestyle, etc.) and you can choose your preferences for low fat, low carb or vegetarian options.

Meals are freshly prepared and then packed in dry ice, and shipped in a styrofoam cooler. Your food for an entire week will be shipped on the first Monday or Tuesday after you place your order. You should receive it in 2 to 3 days after.

If you’re in the Washington, DC or San Francisco area you can also pick up your food personally from a Diet-To-Go Centre.

How It Works:

You fill out a quick diet profile, choosing your preference for low carb, low fat or vegetarian fare.

You then get a plan telling you how many calories a day are recommended (1200 or 1600), price per plan, and a sample menu of what you’ll get with each plan. You then choose your plan and you’re off and running.

If you’re a type 2 diabetic, Diet-to-Go meals meet the standards of the American Diabetic Association, and are well balanced with an adequate amount of carbohydrates and protein with each meal. However, there’s also the low-carb plan for even tighter carb/sugar control.

Menu variety is quite good and menus change every four weeks. You can also substitute a meal for a small fee if you don’t like an item on that weeks menu.

Prices vary based on how many meals you want per day (2 or 3), type of plan (low fat, low carb or vegetarian), how many days you want food delivered (5 or 7), how many weeks you order at one time (a longer order will save you some money), and how many calories a day your plan offers (1200 or 1600).

Generally prices range from $15 to $20 per day.

Diet To Go offers lots of inspiring testimonials of real people who have used the Diet To Go service to lose weight. Most clients lose about 2-3 pounds a week.

Menu Examples:

Waffles with Apples and Peaches in Light Syrup

Chicken Parmesan Dinner, Roll, Broccoli

Western Omelet with Fajita Veggies, Sausage Links

Baked Turkey Cutlet in Curry Sauce, Onions & Peppers, Cauliflower

Pros of Diet To Go:

If you are concerned about preservatives, Diet To Go is one of the few delivery services that make meals fresh. They ship all over the U.S. plus to Hawaii and Alaska. They’ve been in the business for over 15 years so they know what they’re doing.

Diet To Go also offers some of the lowest prices for freshly prepared meals on the market, which is impressive. The meal variety isn’t bad and the low carb and vegetarian options give dieters more control and choice.

Cons of Diet to Go:

Unlike several other services, Diet To Go does not have online group support. However you can email the dietitian your questions. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter you’ll get free health articles sent to your e-mail address.

The number of choices available may also be confusing for those new to diet delivery.

Summary:

Overall, Diet To Go offers you freshly prepared diet meals delivered to your door. You can choose from several plans including low fat and low carb options.

Costs per day depend on your type of plan, number of meals and number of days you want meals delivered however average prices run around $15-$20 per day. While there is little online support, menu variety is good and food is nutritionally balanced. Overall, this is a great value for most people

For more on Diet To Go Visit: Diet To Go Review

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Vitaliy Gershfeld asked:


This article explains how to calorie shifting. Calorie shifting is a dieting technique that has become one of the most popular ways to lose weight. It is fast, safe and dosen’t require hard work. In addition you can most of your favorite meals when calorie shifting (fast foods are not recommended). If done correctly, you can lose up to 10 or more pounds in less than 2 weeks without actually doing much! And this article explains just how to accomplish it.

The most important part of calorie shifting is that you have to eat meals up to 4 or more times a day. No snacks or tiny meals are allowed in between. Every meal should again have different calorie values, but must be a full meal. It is also very much recommended that you drink up to 10 glasses of water a day (you can also drink sodas, coffee and juices in addition to this).

Drinking lots of water during calorie shifting helps speed up the process and increase the weight loss effect because the water will flush out the food and help keep metabolism high. Now most people make the common mistake of disregarding the calorie shifting diet altogether and just drinking water. This will help you lose weight but not as quickly.

Because you are eating meals in different calorie values, you will cause a unique reflex in your body which will raise metabolism and fat burning and keep it high for as long as you keep doing calorie shifting so you can lose weight while you sleep! The combination of eating 4 or more meals a day with different calorie values in each meal, combined with drinking plenty of water is the main idea behind how to calorie shift.

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Brandon Walsh asked:


Everyday people are looking for new get thin quick diets. They see the commercials and hear about these new diets that promise results in very short periods of time. The real question on everyone’s mind is, do they really work?

I have investigated a few popular fad diets to find out for myself. The information below might help you to decide if any of these are right for you!

In Just Two Weeks, Diet – South Beach – This diet has 3 basic phases that you have to follow in order to maintain weight loss and healthy eating habits. The first phase lasts around 2 weeks and is designed to eliminate cravings for sugary food. After you’ve completed the first phase you will go on to the next phase, which introduces more carbs, etc. Finally, you will begin the third phase and you can now eat more of the basic food groups minus the sugars and bad fats. (the occasional indulgence is okay)

In Just Two Weeks, Diet – Special K – According to the Special K diet, you can lose up to 6 pounds in two weeks if you follow the plan. You should substitute a bowl of Special K cereal or a Special K bar for breakfast and lunch, and then eat dinner as you normally do. If you do this for 2 weeks you should be able to shed a couple pounds.

In Just Two Weeks, Diet – Slim-Fast – Slim-fast has been around for a while now, but how many people are really benefiting from it? According to this diet, you should replace your normal breakfast with a Slim-fast shake or bar. You have something small for lunch along with another shake or bar. For dinner you should eat approximately 500 calories, your plate should consist of half veggies, quarter lean meat, and a quarter of starch (preferably whole-grain.) You are also allowed one snack that may be something small such as an apple or a slim-fast bar. Exercise is encouraged with this diet.

These are just a few of the many diets that people have tried and will continue to try in order to lose weight. Seems like everyone has a hard time keeping up with these diets and most of the time you get sick of the same old food every day.

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Jennifer Jolan asked:


Revealed… flat belly diet rules that are easy to follow. Most diets people go on are restrictive type of diets.

These diet rules won’t go that route… instead these rules will give you more choices without restricting your favorite foods.

Flat Belly Diet Rules

1. Don’t drink your calories.

The average American drinks over 25% of his or her calories. This is a useless endeavor. Most of those calories are empty and pointless… just sugar.

It would actually be better to just get a 64 ounce water bottle and add 5 teaspoons of sugar to it. Shake it up and sip throughout the morning. Then repeat later again in the afternoon.

Ten teaspoons of sugar is only 150 calories… so you get your sugar fix, but still are drinking a lot of pure water… 128 ounces. Try it… or try some sort of version of it. It’s definitely way better than simply drinking sodas and other high calorie drinks. You could easily save yourself 200 or more calories a day… or about 2 pounds a month.

2. High protein and high fiber is the way to go

You probably already know this, but you’re having a hard time implementing it. Well, here’s a start for you. Black beans… each can has no sugar in it, few calories, 25 grams of protein, and 25 grams of fiber. For 48 cents, a can a day would be perfect to get a flat belly and lose weight. You can cook black beans in 5 minutes.

3. 5-6 small meals are better than 2-3 big meals

The reason why more meals is better is because each time you eat, the digestive process increases your metabolism to digest the foods. So the more often you eat, the faster your metabolism is. Now, be reasonable here. This isn’t a license to just keep eating and eating… especially bad foods such as potato chips, cookies, etc. Although eating often speeds up the metabolism, it can’t totally cover up your dietary mistakes such as those.

4. Eat breakfast no matter what

Breakfast is the key to your day as far as weight loss goes. You just woke up from starving during your sleep. Your body needs foods for energy as well as to jumpstart your metabolism. Even if you’re not hungry, eat something. Eggs are by far the best choice.

So if you follow those 4 diet rules, you will be on your way to getting a flat belly. I can’t guarantee that you’ll get a flat belly following those diet rules, but you’ll be moving in that direction.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Ben Wood asked:


It is absolutely vital that you stick with a south beach diet recipe when you are on the south beach diet. It is often easy to replace certain ingredients for more handy ones or maybe you like the taste of more but this is just defeating the object of being on the diet in the first place!

Just like any of the other popular diets such as the Atkins diet or Weight Watchers diet, you must try to stick to the plans that are laid out for you. They are done for a reason and have been proven to work, as long as you stick to them. Not only may you prevent weight loss from occuring if you deviate from the diet but you may be putting your health at risk also. Often diets are nutritionally balanced and if you miss certain meals or ingredients then you may suffer in the long run.

So how do you find a south beach diet recipe? Well, it’s quite easy. Just visit your favourite search search engine and type it in. You’ll then be presented with lots of usefull, free websites that will give you more than enough recipes for you to choose from. Most will be simple to prepare using basic ingredients. Other will be more complex but well worth the effort to make them.

Here’s a quick south beach diet recipe to wet your appetite:

Chinese Beef And Pepper Salad

Ingredients required:

Soy Sauce Olive Oil (2 tablespoons)

Sherry (1 tablespoon)

Ground Ginger (1 tablespoon)

Garlic Clove Beef (1 pound of broil beef)

Red Pepper 2

Scallions Sugar

Preparation:

Mix the sherry, oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger together in a bowl. Then you add the beef and mix it all together making sure the beef is well covered. Then cover the bowl and refrigerate until needed. Then once you are ready to serve, add the bowl ingredients to the chopped pepper and the scallions. Then serve.

This is one really simple south beach diet recipe to follow, as there is no cooking involved. It is also very tasty to eat and well worth the small amount of time it takes to prepare. Enjoy!

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Lee John asked:


Do you want to lose 10 pounds in just 3 days? Birmingham hospital at Alabama may have the answer for you. The Birmingham 3 day cardiac diet is designed to help patients to lose weight fast without surgery and weight loss pills. In 3 days you may lose as much as 10 pounds! You may have heard about this diet before, as it carries various names, including 3 Day Tuna Diet, Alabama Diet, Tuna Diet and so on. Before you start the Birmingham 3 day cardiac diet, you really need to find out: does this diet work? Will the weight loss be permanent?

Firstly, let us look at the menu of Birmingham 3 day cardiac diet. During the 3 days, you have to follow the menu very strictly to achieve maximum results. The foods are designed based on the concept of chemical breakdown to help you burn fat. Thus, you are not allowed to vary the amounts or make substitution of the menu. After 3 days, you can resume your regular meals. Then, after 4 days of regular meals, start the Birmingham 3 day cardiac diet all over again if you wish to lose more weight.

Now, the problem with this 3 day diet is: it is extremely low in calories. I added the calories and got this number (rough estimation):

Day 1: 1035
Day 2: 1020
Day 3: 1040

In reality, you may lose weight. However, much of your loss may be water and muscle loss instead of fat loss! As soon as you resume your regular meals, you may gain all the weight back. In addition, low calories diet may hurt your metabolism. In addition, you may feel hungry with this diet as it is low in energy and calories. Unless you have rock solid will power, it is unlikely you will stick through the diet. In the following section you may refer to some of the users’ experience.

User’s Review
Dove from About.com Health: “Seriously, anyone thinking of doing this diet, take it from me, don’t do it! You will feel like hell, and probably won’t make it the 3 days.  It is just horrible!”

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Danny Brown asked:


Tired of going to the gym daily and not seeing any results? Desire to get on the high-speed track with your diet but scared of any dangerous side effects? Fine, have we got the right product for you. Introducing the Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pill, it’s your one-way ticket to achieving a healthier, slimmer you.

Two Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills is all you need. Take one Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pill after midmorning meals and another Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pill in the afternoon and you’re all set to start shedding those extra pounds.

And what’s more? Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills are safe to use! Not like ephedra, Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills contain only a small amount of caffeine. Caffeine is a known substance that causes heart palpitations, and irregular heart beats. Since there is less caffeine in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills, there is less danger for you to develop any cardiovascular complications.

The high quantity of green tea extract in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills curbs your hunger and increases your metabolism at the same time. Studies have showed the antioxidants present in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills can successfully repress the release of noradrenaline, the appetite-stimulating hormone of the body. Without noradrenaline, you can rest assured that you will no longer have to experience the torment of craving foods that are not good for your weight loss diet program.

The antioxidants found in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills also have large thermogenic properties. Thermogenesis is when the body uses its fats to produce heat energy for the muscles. When working out, fat burning occurs simultaneously with thermogenesis. Since Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills cause thermogenesis, you can lose all the fat that you desire without using very much effort.

For a long time green tea, found in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills has been used as an herbal drink and a health supplement. Studies have revealed that green tea in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills can enhance the immune system and cure various ailments like headaches, depression, indigestion, and even cancer. With Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills, you lose weight the fastest, healthiest way possible.

Other ingredients included in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pill are Bladderwack. Fo Ti, and Gotu Kola. These three ingredients of Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills are important diuretic substances. Excess water in the body contributes to flabby waists and bloated stomachs. By helping you decrease water in your body, Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills let you keep your weight down and make you feel all the better for it!

Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills contain Guarana, a known energy-booster. Guarana in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills will provide you the energy you require to carry out all your weight loss routines. And if that isn’t enough, Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills also include Siberian Ginseng among its many ingredients. Apart from increasing your stamina, the Siberian Ginseng found in Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills has many health benefits that match those of traditional Chinese green tea. Mega-T Green Tea Diet Pills are said to promote mental alertness and physical performance because of its Ginseng content. More vigor means more power to do exercises and gym workouts.

Fit Yummy Mummy!

Philip Hixonn asked:


Dr. Ian Smith is the same person who started the famous 50,000,000 lb. challenge. He is now back with what he calls the 4 day diet. Its aim is to reprogram you to eat better. In this diet you go through 7 phases where you modify the types of food you eat in each one. In this article we will highlight each phase to answer the question does the 4 day diet work?

Each of these phases last 4 days each

Phase 1: This is the first and hardest most restrictive phase that requires the most discipline. You are DRASTICALLY changing your eating and this is pretty much a cleaning out detox phase. The idea behind it is that you are starting from a clean slate and cleaning out your whole system to start fresh. It requires much discipline but you can lose some good weight in this phase.

Phase 2: This is when you begin to learn new eating habits. You eat healthy unprocessed whole grain foods and veggies. This phase also takes some getting used to and you can sometimes feel deprived. You learn to eat healthier and still feel full.

Phase 3: This is where it becomes a little easier because you get to add in protein. Meats that are lean and fish, milk and eggs are on the list.

Phase 4: This is where it gets fun and MUCH more relaxed. Although you aren’t supposed to go crazy you are allowed to eat pretty much what you want. You are allowed to eat bad foods and not be so strict on yourself for the full 4 days. Be careful not to put the weight you lost back on.

Phase 5: In this phase you go back to a restrictive diet and food menu.

Phase 6: This is another more calm phase where you are allowed to eat more foods and is less restrictive.

Phase 7: In this phase you again go strict to lose those last few pounds.

The biggest benefit to this diet is its lack of repetitiveness. You are constantly changing your foods and strictness with each phase. This can also be a disadvantage as you are always doing a yo yo between foods, phases and strictness!

This diet is recommended if you have a tough time following a set routine. It is NOT for someone that wants or does well with schedules.

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Chad Bin Kimball asked:


Dieting is not all about losing weight, dieting is also to maintain weight and help with prevention of heart attacks and strokes with improving cardiac health. Eating healthily is a one step forward to a healthier lifestyle. The American Heart Association Diet has some good guidelines that anyone can follow to stay healthy or get back to being healthy.

Variety of foods including favorite foods, when taken in moderate portions over a period of time is important; however, a person with a good diet plan over a period of time will see results in a healthier lifestyle.

When shopping, the American Heart Association has approved foods that are good for the health and heart. This is marked with a red heart on the product item with a white check mark. When shopping for foods look for lean meats, skinless chicken, and fish high in fat for a good diet. Salmon and tuna are a good high fat fish. Fish is good health food and should be included in a good diet twice a week. Fresh vegetables and fruits are a great food for the heart. High fiber also is a great choice. Try to limit dairy products to low fat and limit salt intake. Salt is a mineral a body needs. Some people are able to take in salt with no advert effects while others have to limit the salt intake. Salt will retain water in the body. As a person gets older or less active, the body can retain more fluids then when younger people.

Some people with chronic heart conditions will have to take salt completely out of their diet. When the heart does not work properly, sometimes the lungs will start filling with fluid. By taking salt out of the diet, water will not retain in the system. On this type of diet plan a person with a heart condition will less apt to get congestive heart fail or heart fail.

Following a good health plan will help risk factor for poor heart health and other conditions such as diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and other conditions with obesity.

Along with the American Heart Association Diet as with any diet, a good exercise routine should be implemented. Walking briskly, at least 30 minutes a day will help with losing weight; help the heart to continue to pump. Not only does a person need to exercise the body, the heart also needs some exercise. Cardio exercises will help the heart to pump and allow the heart to work harder when needed.

The American Heart Association Diet has been revised gearing towards basic food needs instead of calories. A person should still watch the intake of calories to the mount they burn in a day, however choosing the right foods can make a difference in a person’s health.

Good health and a strong heart does not come over night. A person with heart problems or health problems should consult a doctor first then get a good healthy diet and exercise program to get back the health for a healthy life.

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Janine Michaels asked:


There are lots of diet plans out there, and some are better than others. However, when you are trying to lose weight, it’s best that you follow a seven day diet plan that lays out exactly what foods you’ll be eating on a daily basis.

This type of plan usually gives you a menu that tells you what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some diets will give you a bunch of recipes to try out then leave you on your own to plan the meals. However, if you have really struggled in the past to lose weight, it may be better to know exactly what to prepare for each meal.

Dieting is a major commitment and many people fall by the wayside when left to their own devices when it comes time to actually preparing meals. If it’s perceived as too much of a chore, then this could be one more reason to abandon the diet. Trying to figure out how many calories each type of food has and then fixing the right portions can be a hassle.

There are lots of great calorie based diet plans that do all the work for you, so all you have to do is buy the ingredients and prepare them, which usually doesn’t take long. Some diet menu plans will even let you order meals already prepared, so all you have to do is heat them up in your microwave.

Here’s an example of a daily diet menu:

Breakfast – 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup cherries, 2 tablespoons nuts

Lunch – 3 oz. grilled chicken, 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta w/olive oil, 1 cup grape tomatoes

Dinner – Shrimp salad with fresh lettuce, fresh fruit

When you go to choose a diet plan, be sure to pick one that rotates calories, and includes enough protein, carbs and good fat. Yes, fat is okay to eat as long as you don’t overindulge. In fact, recent studies have shown that a strict low fat diet eating plan doesn’t produce significant weight loss gains, and in fact, may cause people to gain weight.

A calorie rotation diet plan is the best choice because it includes a variety of healthy foods and you won’t feel like you’re starving in order to lose weight. In fact, on this type of plan you’ll have plenty of energy and feel great.

Fit Yummy Mummy!