the typical American diet

Unfortunately the typical American diet consists largely of toxic and acid-forming foods like refined grains, processed sugars, artificial sweeteners, pasteurized juices, fried foods, meat and dairy -the list goes on. Combine all of this food with a lack of sleep, stress and pharmaceutical drugs to top it all off and its no wonder that people are being diagnosed with various diseases at an alarming rate.

It is important to maintain a proper pH balance. All foods in nature contain both acid and alkaline-forming elements and according to the Conscious Living Center, balance can be either achieved or prevented as a direct result from the food that we are eating. When we eat too many acidic foods it can lead to major health complications, such as “acidosis” this is a common diagnosis in people with diabetes. When nutrients required to maintain this slightly alkaline state cannot be obtained from the foods that we are eating, the body will then draw from its own stores, from the bones or other vital tissues, this damages the body’s ability to repair itself and detoxify heavy metals.

Again, the ultimate goal is balance. Although it is important to maintain this slightly alkaline state, eating too many or primarily alkaline foods only can have its own set of complications; although the risk of this happening is a lot less likely than the risk of the body becoming too acidic. Here are the top 6 alkaline foods to incorporate into your diet daily.

1. Lemons!

Most people assume that lemons are an acidic fruit, maybe it is because of the sour taste, or the citric acid, but in actuality lemons are very alkaline. Lemons have a pH level of 9.0, they actually produce an alkaline ash after digestion. Lemons are also rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and electrolytes. They couldn’t be easier to add to your daily intake, try squeezing a lemon into your water throughout the day or spritzing the juice over your salad at lunch.

2. Apples

Apples have a pH level of 8.0 and contain a variety of minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, which help to keep the body and immune system working optimally. Apples also contain enzymes, which assist in maintaining the body’s natural hormonal balance. I think you know how to eat an apple, but if you don’t they can be eaten raw, or even in a pie or a crumble!

3. Root Vegetables

Root vegetables have an extremely high mineral content; you actually can’t get enough of them. Beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, there are many different root vegetables. You can steam them, roast them, or even eat them raw, grated in salads.

4. Alfalfa Sprouts

Sprouts are amazing little nutrient packed nutrient powerhouses that are highly alkaline and contain a lot of essential vitamins and minerals. The best thing about sprouts is that you can easily and economically sprout your own seeds and have them on hand all throughout the year. Click for more information and how to grow your own sprouts here.

5. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens include vegetables such as kale, swiss chard, collard greens and spinach, which is probably the best pick. Spinach has an extremely high content of vitamin K and folate, and other vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fiber. You can easily add spinach to your morning smoothie, or in a soup or stew, or just as is in a salad. You can even lightly steam it with two other alkaline foods: garlic and lemon.

6. Watermelon

Not only is watermelon a high alkalizing food, with a pH of 9.0 it is extremely tasty as well. It is also an excellent source of fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C and lycopene. Watermelon consists of 92% water, and is extremely thirst quenching. It also has a variety of other amazing health benefits click here to read more.

Read More

Weight Watchers Dieting

When it comes to dieting there are very few organizations that have achieved the lasting success of Weight Watchers. They have been around quite a while and show no signs of stopping. More importantly, their success stories speak volumes for those who join and stick with the program. So what makes this program so successful when many others come and go?

Community
Believe it or not, one of the most important things about Weight Watchers secret to success, so to speak, is the sense of community that is forged between the men and women who are trying to lose weight. There is something humbling and exciting about standing in front of the scale week after week and sharing not only your personal successes and failures but also the failures and successes of others.

Far too often we those who are dieting simply do not have an adequate support system at home. The bonding that is done during the Weight Watchers meeting is a strong bond of men and women who may come from different backgrounds and walks of life but who share a common goal for their futures—weight loss and better health. That is not a bond to be taken lightly particularly when they laugh and cry together. They are in their own way going through the trenches together and the success of this type of program for motivating and encouraging is nothing short of phenomenal.

Evolution
Weight Watchers has a pattern for success but they are not beyond evolving with the needs of the time. While they will be the first to state that the most successful participants typically attend the meetings, Weight Watchers also offers alternatives for those with busy schedules and even those that are simply too afraid to go to the meetings. For these people there is the anonymity of online forums, message boards, and support groups.

Weight Watchers hasn’t limited its evolutionary process to this alone, they’ve also in recent years added a points system that allows dieters participating in their program to more easily gauge how well they are doing by their dietary standards and requirements without needing to count every single calorie or weighing their food. We live in a world of busy people and it is often more hassle than many dieters find to be worth the effort to count every single calorie (particularly when dining out).

The Weight Watchers website is another example of their commitment to evolve and accommodate the diverse needs of the men and women participating in their program. If you haven’t checked it out in a while you really should take a look and see what amazing insights and information they have to offer.

Commitment to Fitness
Weight Watchers knows that it isn’t just diet that gets results. When you combine diet with exercise the results are much more immediate and more profound. The fact that Weight Watchers stresses the importance of exercise and physical fitness in addition to proper nutrition and changing your way of thinking when it comes to food is yet another reason for their widely known success.

Weight Watchers is just one of many different

weight loss and dieting programs in the market today. The fact that they have made a name for themselves and stand out above the rest in many ways is nothing to take lightly. It seems that there is a new weight loss program cropping up every other month or so and yet Weight Watchers continues to achieve visible and sustainable results in those who really work the program. Very few programs can make that claim for as long as Weight Watchers has been able to.

When you combine all of the things mentioned above with the pre packaged foods that are offered by Weight Watchers, the extensive recipes that are available for Weight Watcher’s participants, and a solid track record for success you would be robbing yourself of the potential for lasting success if you didn’t at least see what the plan has to offer you.

Read More

An Introduction To Weight Loss Programs

Weight loss programs offer a process to safely and effectively loose weight according to a plan. Weight loss is achieved when the calorie intake is less than the calories burnt. Weight gain or loss largely depends on the lifestyle of an individual. An effective weight loss program is required to attain weight loss. A person with a sedentary life style needs lot of efforts to lose weight as compared to a person with an active lifestyle.

An Introduction To Weight Loss Programs

Ideally, weight loss programs should aim at weight loss as well as waist inch loss. A person with proportionate weight but a big tummy will also require a specific program to attain the right balance. It is advisable to have smaller attainable targets initially. The chosen weight loss program should be safe and consistent. It must be carried out under professional guidance. People with ailments like diabetes, heart problem and high blood pressure should consult their physician.

There are a multitude of weight loss programs to choose from. Some programs can be carried out with friends who have the same goal. Some people depend on websites, diet books and videotapes that contain various exercises. They set goals for themselves and use their own instincts while selecting a program. Non-clinical programs are the ones devised by fitness experts and gyms. These are usually customized programs. Clinical programs are carried out in a medical setup like a clinic under the supervision of health experts. These are usually a combination of therapy, massage, exercise and diet. These programs are very helpful for severely obese people.

A weight maintenance program should follow a structured weight loss program. When a person loses weight, the fat cells are only temporarily compressed. When the person resumes normal routine, these fat cells start expanding again. This would prove to be a wasted effort. Hence, weight management steps should be inculcated in daily life. Weight management is a lifelong process. One of the ways to maintain weight is by increasing the physical activity in an individual's daily routine.

Read More

Ways to Lose Weight Without Surgery

There are all kinds of ways that people can lose weight. If you want to lose weight without surgery, keep these three tips for weight loss in mind. They will help you to lose more weight faster, keep the weight off, and also help keep you healthy in the process.

Eat more whole grains

The low-carb diet has been getting a lot of good press. For many people it is effective at aiding in initial weight loss. Unfortunately very few are able to sustain those results for any length of time. The body needs carbs and there are plenty of carbohydrates that are actually good for the body.

Foods that are made with whole grains rather than enriched ingredients deliver much better weight loss results, help you feel less "hungry" all the time, and deliver some fairly powerful flavors that many people actually prefer over the flavor of products made with enriched flour.

Include low-fat dairy products in your daily diet

Obviously you don't want to go with dairy products that are filled with fat and sugar. It has been proven though that three helpings of low fat dairy products per day can greatly assist in any and all weigh loss efforts.

If your goal is to lose weight without surgery this is one secret weapon you need to utilize. Low fat natural yogurt is especially beneficial so make sure you stock up on this "super food" that will help you lose weight super fast.

Cardio workouts

Oddly enough all the stomach crunches and sit ups in the world will not match a great cardio workout for calorie burning and weight loss fuel. Cardiovascular exercises offer so many benefits to weight loss that it's difficult to know where to begin.

One of the most important though is that they kick the metabolism into high gear so your body is rapidly converting calories to energy. The more calories your body burns in the exercise process the fewer calories are hanging around and turning into fat.

The good news about cardio exercises is that there are plenty to choose from and many of them (swimming, salsa dancing, and the like) are easily disguised as fun so you won't even feel like you're exercising to do them.

You can get the results you want from weight loss without resorting to surgery. Most of us can't afford the financial or recovery costs that surgery for weight loss requires in the first place.

Read More

6 Easy Changes to Lose Weight

If you would like to slim down you do not need to press on some extremely restrictive diet plan to knock off the pounds. you do not got to exercise till you slip from exhaustion, and you do not got to continue to exist celery sticks and water. you'll be able to really slim down by simply creating a couple of tiny changes in your existence.

Change Your Plate Size
It's a indisputable fact that if you employ a smaller plate rather than a daily plate to eat off of you may slim down. this is often as a result of after you use a smaller plate to eat your meals, you trick your mind into thinking you are intake a lot of as a result of the plate is full once surely you are simply intake a smaller portion. you may be stunned to search out that when doing this a couple of times, you may be glad with the smaller portion that you just square measure intake.

Park Farther Away
When you are going grocery searching, to work, or anyplace else, park your automotive toward the rear of the heap thus you have got to run an additional distance to succeed in your destination. you may burn calories, get a bit little bit of exercise to induce your blood pumping, and slim down as a result. Obviously, you will not see lots of weight loss from this methodology, however combining it with different strategies can facilitate to shed those pounds.

Place Fruits in Plain Sight
Instead of shopping for fruit and shoving it to the rear of your refrigerator, pull the fruits to the front thus they are the primary factor you see after you open the refrigerator searching for a snack. you'll be able to additionally place a fruit bowl on your room counter or table crammed with bananas, apples, pears, and different fruits wherever you may see them and be a lot of inclined to grab one for a snack.

Never Skip Breakfast
Skipping breakfast will leave you feeling esurient at lunch time inflicting you to pig out or snack all day. intake breakfast, albeit it's simply a banana and alittle cup of dairy product, will leave you feeling energized and can keep your metabolism going thus you do not become sluggish-feeling and tired halfway through the day.

Drink ample Water
You need water to remain hydrous, however drinkable throughout the day will really avert hunger. The suggested quantity of water you ought to drink daily is six to eight 8-ounce glasses. If you do not assume you'll be able to drink that abundant water, do your best to drink the maximum amount as you'll be able to.

Increase Your supermolecule
Eating a lot of protein-rich foods can facilitate to stay you feeling full longer thus you may eat less throughout the day. Snacking on bats, intake associate degree egg for breakfast, lean meats and poultry for lunch or dinner square measure wonderful ways that to sneak in some additional supermolecule to stay you energized, feeling full, and intake less.

Read More

Best Way To Lose Weight

We all get to the point where we wake up one day, look in the mirror it is time to lose the extra weight. One of the first things we do is start searching for the best way to lose weight quick and generally it ends up being a huge mistake because we should also be looking for a diet program that will allow us to keep the weight off for good.

This is the biggest catch to the whole dieting industry because many programs are designed for us to lose weight at a rapid pace but very few of them are something any normal person could stick with long term and keep the weight off. This is how a billion dollar industry is born. You pick a plan, drop the pounds, get off the plan and put the pounds back on again. A little while later what are we doing? Looking for the best way to lose weight quick yet again.

Companies love the fact that they really do not supply us with the information necessary to actually stay at our ideal weight and actually bank on the fact that we will be back over and over again.

What we really need is a way to lose the weight fast and keep it off by putting in place a program that actually helps us change our eating lifestyle without feeling hungry, miserable and tired all of the time. This is the real reason we stop and put the weight back on again, we are tired of feeling just plain horrible.

Some of the new calorie shifting diet plans are helping people see they can pick one of the best ways to lose weight quick, keep it off and not have to feel like they are starving themselves in the process.

Read More

Get motivated to lose weight

If you've been trying to lose weight for some time you know how hard it can sometimes be to simply get motivated to lose weight and more importantly to keep it off.

I've been there myself. For years I struggled with "trying to lose weight" and lack of motivation.

I knew I needed to lose weight. I wanted to lose weight but after a long day's work I simply wanted to relax on the couch and order some take out food.

Getting some exercise or even having a healthy meal was just so hard to do. I'd then feel guilty and ashamed of myself for lacking any motivation or will-power.

I struggled with how to get motivated to lose weight until I discovered a few simple ways that got me off that couch, that stopped me from eating the wrong foods and got me to do the "simple things" I needed to do to lose weight and keep it from coming back.

1. I clearly identified "Why" I wanted to lose weight in the first place.

So, to follow in my foot steps ask yourself "Why do I want to lose weight?" Then write down the reasons "Why" you want to lose weight on a piece of paper or better yet in a journal. Go...do it now. And make this the first day that you absolutely start your weight loss process.

1. Be very specefic about your reasons.

2. Talk about it in the "present tense" like it is already happening.

The more specefic you get, the more real it will be for you. Relate your reasons to your present life rather than in the distant future. What do you want now and exactly why do you want it?

You should be able to picture your reasons "Why?" visually.

For example:

I'm losing weight so I can have a slimmer face, clear and glowing skin.

Versus: I want to lose weight so I can look better.

My husband or my boyfriend or my crush notice and complement me for how great I look.

Versus: I want people to notice and pay attention to me.

I'm more confident when I talk to my boss at work and I can see how he appreciates the great work I'm doing.

Versus: I can be more confident about myself

See what's happening here?... The more specefic you're getting to "Why?" you want to lose weight and the more your reasons relate to your present life, the more you get motivated to lose weight and actually making it happen right now.

2. Surround yourself with the right people that keep you motivated to lose weight.

Being around the right people all the time is critical to getting and staying motivated to lose weight.

You know there's a saying that goes like.... "tell me who your 5 closest friends are and I'll tell you who you are"

Who you spend time with and surround yourself with makes a huge difference in the actions you take and the habits you form.

Just hang out with slim people long enough and you'll positively see the difference in yourself.

If your 5 best friends are slim and fit and you surround yourself with slim people, then there's only 1 of 2 things that can happen.

1. They develop the habits to put on weight or 2. You get influenced to lose weight and become more "like them".

You will subconsciously do the things you need to lose weight from just surrounding yourself with the right people.

Be around positive, reinforcing people. People that support and re-assure you. Stay away from negative people even if they are your current best friends and family!

Negativity can pull you down. But positive vibrations from positive people will lift you up and keep you on track and motivated to keep losing weight and staying healthy.

Start today by associating yourself with the right people online. Your Facebook friends, YouTube friends and even weight loss support groups and communities online will help you with how to get motivated to lose weight and stay motivated.

3. Put together your 2 "What If?...." sheets now.

What if I do...? And What if I don't...? On your What if I do...? sheet write down at the top...

"These are great changes that are going to happen to me starting 1) tomorrow, 2) within 2 months and 3) in 1 to 2 years."

Then write down every single good change you can imagine that will happen to you in the immediate, short term and long term time frames....if you start taking action now to lose weight.

So for example:

On the What if I do...? sheet you could be writing things like....

- Tomorrow I will feel great about having started to take the actions to lose weight. I will stop feeling guilty. Instead I'm more empowered since I'm on the right track.

- Tomorrow I will simply wake up feeling better and more energetic since I'm going to eat right tonight.

- Within 2 months from today I will have lost XXX (enter your specific goal) pounds or kilos.

- Within 2 months from today, my boyfriend/ my husband will be telling me how I'm losing weight and looking great!

- Within 1 year I'll be shopping for those new clothes that perfectly fit my hourglass figure.

- Within 1 year, I'll be talking about my own weight loss success story and inspiring so many others to follow in my foot steps.

- Within 1 year I'll have so much more energy to play with my kids, spend more quality time with my husband and do so many more fun activities.

Now on your 2nd sheet, write down all the things you can imagine that will happen if you don't take action now to lose weight...

At the end of each sentence also write..... I will not let this happen.

So for example:

On the What if I don't...? sheet you could be writing things like....

- Tomorrow I will feel guilty again for not doing anything to start losing weight. I will not feel good knowing that I'm not on the right track. I will not let this happen.

- Tomorrow I will wake up feeling tired and lethargic again! I'll have a hard time getting out of bed and feel low energy. I will not let this happen.

- In 2 months from today I will be the same. Worse, I could have gained more weight. I'll be scared to stand on the scale and embarrassed with myself. I will not let this happen.

- In 2 months from today my husband will still not see any changes in me and I'll be the same weight and have the same body. I'll feel like I'm letting him down and myself down again. I will not let this happen.

- In 1 year's time I'll still be wearing clothes to "try" to hide my weight and appear thin. I'll be self conscious about going in public and meeting new people because of my weight. I will not let this happen.

- In 1 year's time my boyfriend may not find me physically attractive anymore and may want to leave me. I may have a hard time finding a "significant other" that thinks I'm attractive and wants to be with me. I will not let this happen.

Now that you've written down all the things you can imagine, you have a vivid and clear picture for getting motivated to lose weight. Be aware of your 2 "What If..." lists. Read your lists 3 times a week.

See what's happening? Yes, you're getting motivated to lose weight now even as you're reading your lists.

Keep doing this and you'll find yourself taking action. Then your habits are changing quickly. Then you start seeing results.

As soon as you see results, you reinforce your actions and that in turn motivates you to take more action. And this is a powerful positive cycle to be in.

Read More

Weight Loss Surgery Options

With almost a third of the American adult population classified as obese, it's clear that if you're overweight, you certainly aren't alone. Obesity is a growing health epidemic, and it affects the emotional and physical well-being of those who suffer from it.

Some of the many health risks that are associated with obesity include the following:

• Increased risk for many types of cancer
• Increased chance of having type II diabetes
• Higher risk of developing heart disease
• Increased likelihood of having high blood pressure and stroke
• Higher chance of having joint ailments like arthritis
• Increased likelihood of having breathing problems

How Can Obesity Be Controlled?
Traditionally, obesity has been considered a result of overindulgence in food and lack of exercise. For some people, this is the case. Diet and exercise play an important role in controlling obesity, but in some cases, the extra weight gets in the way to starting a good diet and exercise program.

For those people, weight loss surgery, including lap band surgery, may be an effective option in getting excess weight under control. When the weight is gone, it's possible to implement a good exercise plan.

Types of Weight Loss Surgery
Weight loss surgery may be a good option for people who have not had weight loss success with non-surgical methods. Weight loss surgery can provide the best results for these individuals, including longer-term loss of weight.

The two most common types of weight loss surgery are lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery. There are significant differences between these two weight loss surgery options, and it's important that those considering weight loss surgery understand the risks and benefits of both options.

What is Gastric Bypass?
Gastric bypass is a weight loss surgery option that involves several steps, including the following:

• Stapling the stomach to reduce its size 
• Bypassing much of the stomach and some of the intestines 
• Surgically attaching the intestines to the smaller stomach pouch

This procedure makes it impossible for the patient to eat as much food as they normally would. The shortened intestine also means that the body cannot absorb as many nutrients from the food.

There are some advantages to this weight loss surgery option. They include a rapid loss of weight and a long history of successful use in the United States. Gastric bypass sometimes results in a higher total average loss of weight than is found in patients who have undergone a lap band procedure.

The disadvantages of gastric bypass surgery are significant. The procedure is extremely invasive. Gastric bypass surgery results in more complications than lap band surgery, and patients who have undergone gastric bypass procedures have a difficult time absorbing essential nutrients from their food.

In addition, there are several negative side effects associated with the gastric bypass procedure, including "dumping syndrome" and medical complications. Reversal of gastric bypass surgery is very difficult, and gastric bypass surgery has a mortality rate that is ten times higher than lap band surgery.

What is Lap Band Surgery?
Lap band surgery is a weight loss surgery option that involves placing an adjustable gastric band around the upper portion of a patient's stomach. This procedure restricts the amount of food the stomach can contain, because it restricts the size of the stomach. It also increases the amount of time it takes for food to pass to the intestines.

The lap band procedure works because it limits the amount of food a patient can eat, slows digestion, and reduces the patient's appetite. This procedure does not interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Lap band surgery has many advantages, including being minimally invasive, adjustable, and reversible. There is a much lower risk for malnutrition. The short-term mortality rate for lap band surgery is one tenth the mortality rate for gastric bypass, making it a much safer weight loss surgery option.

The disadvantages of lap band surgery are that it results in slower weight loss than gastric bypass surgery, requires follow-up medical visits, and has a small risk of leaking or slipping.

Read More