Good Fats vs Bad Fats

Conventional wisdom on dietary fats has changed. Once, all fats were deemed unhealthy, and responsible for all manner of diseases, from cardiovascular disease to diabetes. But years of research have changed our thinking. We now start with the premise that all fats are not created equal—that there are good fats, bad fats, possibly-not-so-bad fats, and very bad fats. Let's take a closer look:

The Good: Unsaturated Fats

 

Even today, some people need convincing that the term good fats is not an oxymoron. These unsaturated fats help fight the very diseases that consuming excess fat was said to cause. Unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, and both types are thought to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol while also boosting HDL (good) cholesterol.


Polyunsaturated fats are also thought to help lower total and bad cholesterol. But monounsaturated fats tend to be favored over polyunsaturated fats because some research suggests that polyunsaturated fats are less stable, and can reduce levels of good cholesterol as well as bad.


But let's not ignore polyunsaturated fats. These are often a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and some vegetable oils. One kind of omega-3 fatty acid is an "essential fatty acid," which cannot be manufactured by our bodies, so eating these foods is the only way to get them. Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to lower blood pressure, combat LDL (bad) cholesterol, fight inflammation and protect the brain and nervous system.


Most cooking oils are made up primarily of unsaturated fats. When it comes to choosing cooking oils, each type of cooking oil varies in its ratio of monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fats. Two oils stand out for their high levels of monounsaturated fats: canola oil and olive oil. Other than nonstick cooking spray, these two oils should be in your pantry.At the end of the day, a good fat is still a fat in terms of calories. Any labels on cooking oil that describe the oil as "light," are referring to the taste or color, not the fat or calorie content. All oils are 100 percent fat and are worth around 120 calories per tablespoon.

 

The Bad: Saturated Fats

Then there are the so-called bad fats—those apparently artery-clogging saturated fats from meat and dairy products. These fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats have been shown to directly raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Conventional advice has been to avoid them as much as possible. However, a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in early 2010 found no link between saturated-fat intake and increased risk of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease. Still, the Harvard School of Public Health, in a study published in March 2010, found that replacing saturated fats with an equal amount of polyunsaturated fats did indeed reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 19 percent.

Perhaps, then, saturated fats may not be so bad after all, and they are certainly an important source of vitamins and minerals. Plus, some argue that coconut oil and palm fruit oil, which are plant-based sources of saturated fats, may actually be beneficial because their particular fatty-acid make-up means they are metabolized differently in the body. Stearic acid, found in animal products and in some foods such as chocolate, gets a pass because much of it is converted by the body into oleic acid, a monunosaturated fat. Thus, saturated fats may be more beneficial, or at least more neutral, than we think. Yet although there are more and more scientific studies suggesting this is the case, there is, paradoxically, no broad consensus on this yet, especially among those designing dietary guidelines. The advisory committee for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests a reduction of saturated-fat intake to no more than seven percent of daily intake, and little recognition that a high intake of carbohydrates, which tend to replace saturated fats in people's diets, are a factor in rising obesity rates and associated health problems.



-Fiona Haynes

Exercise of the Month- Medicine Ball Pullovers

Easy Diet Plans to Follow
Following a diet can be quite a difficult task. If you are on a weight loss mission, then the following list of easy diets to follow, can aid you. These easy diets that work fast are flexible and convenient.

Calorie-shifting Diet
Calorie shifting diet is the easiest and one of the most effective diets among the easy diets to follow. It is popularly heralded as the world's easiest diet to follow. The calorie shifting diet plan works on the premise that it confuses the metabolism in a way, that you burn more calories. If this diet is followed properly, then one can shed around 10 pounds in a period of 2 weeks.

One needs to keep an eye on calorie intake, when abiding by this easy to follow diet plan. Eat at least 4 or more full meals everyday, and most important of all, ensure that the meals have different caloric values. However, no snacks are allowed in this diet. Drink at least 3 liters of water, as drinking a lot of water, will keep the body detoxified, help in quick digestion and maintain a high metabolic rate. By eating meals with different caloric values, the body will start a unique reflex, where the body will increase its metabolic rate, which will aid in burning the fat quickly. You can follow this diet on your own, or seek the help of a guide.

Atkins Diet
This is very popular diet, among the easy to follow diet plans for weight loss. The body requires carbohydrates for energy. In atkins diet, there is no intake of carbs and therefore, the body starts to utilize the fats stored in the body for energy. Thus, one start to lose weight. Atkins diet has four phases; induction phase, ongoing weight loss phase, pre-maintenance phase and lifetime phase.

Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet is extremely popular amongst people aiming at weight loss and is followed for a period of 7 days. The diet, along with the obvious cabbage soup, includes a lot of fruits in it. If you are following the cabbage soup diet, then you would be expected to eat fruits like, watermelons on the first day and bananas on the fourth day, along with cabbage soup.

Low Glycemic Index Diet
This diet is especially beneficial for pregnant women and people suffering from diabetes. This diet helps to reduce weight in a safe and easy manner. Women having trouble with fat in the thighs and abdomen, can easily get rid of this fat, by following the glycemic index diet. The diet provides around 1100 calories everyday and causes a reduction in hunger by combining lean protein and low glycemic carbohydrates.

Zone Diet
Zone diet is a healthy diet that does not prescribe particular food items, while restricting intake of other foodstuff. The rule to follow this diet is to consume 30% of proteins, 30% of fats and 40% of carbs. This diet maintains the normal hormonal level in the body and helps greatly to lose weight.

South Beach Diet
This diet is great for people who are looking for quick weight loss solutions. In this diet fats and carbohydrates are categorized as good and bad. If you are following the south beach diet, then you will be required to discard unhealthy fats and carbs from your diet, and increase intake of healthy carbs and fats.

Acai Berry Detox Diet
This is a detox diet, which has recently become very popular. Acai berry contains many antioxidants, amino acids, essential fatty acids and fibers. This is one of the easy diet plans, which anybody can follow. This diet improves the functioning of the digestive system of the body and has very few side effects. However, this diet is not for long term weight loss solution.

This was all about some free easy diet plans to follow. Regardless of the diet plan you select from the easy diets to follow, make sure you drink plenty of water. The weight loss will be easier and faster if along with the diet, you also exercise regularly and give your body the required amount of sleep.
By Pragya T

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Fibromyalgia Diet

By Lisa Weber,

Fibromyalgia patients often complain that they "ache all over." Other common symptoms include interrupted sleep and severe fatigue. Some patients report chronic headaches, painful periods (in women), swollen extremities and a dry mouth. While there's no cure for fibromyalgia, many patients report that maintaining a strict, healthy diet helps to ease their symptoms.

1. Discover "Light" Carbohydrates

   • Filling up on "light" carbohydrates will keep insulin levels from rising, which often causes increased fibromyalgia symptoms. Light carbs include blueberries, strawberries, string beans, zucchini, bell peppers and mushrooms.

   Keep Protein Healthy

   • The best sources of protein for people with fibromyalgia are low in cholesterol and saturated fats. This includes white chicken meat, turkey breast and egg whites, as well as soy hot dogs, burgers and sausages.

   Avoid Foods that Cause Fatigue

   • Many common convenience foods and beverages aggravate fibromyalgia symptoms, and should therefore be avoided. These include food and drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, soda and chocolate, as well as processed and fried foods, foods with added preservatives and red meats.

   Stick With "Healthy Fats"

   • Fibromyalgia patients should get most of their dietary fat from monounsaturated fats, or "healthy fats." You can find them in olive and canola oils, as well as macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds and cashews.

   Keep a Food Diary

   • Keep a diary that tracks everything you eat each day, and how you feel on that day. Different fibromyalgia patients react to food in different ways. Look for any correlation between the foods you consumed and your fibromyalgia symptoms. Use your diary as a guide to regulating your diet.

Sabrina M. Before Weight Loss Challenge

Sabrina M. 44.6 lbs Lost in Just 8 Weeks

"For the first time I LOVE how I look. I love every single inche of me and love how I feel comfortable in my own skin for once. It's an amazing feeling and I wouldn't have gotten there without your help. For once I feel like if I lose another inch it's for me and no one else."

Danelle

Circuit Training Basics and Benefits

Circuit training is a method of resistance training, or weight training, that maximizes the volume of work done in a short period of time. Circuit training is a great tool to use for people who are interested in weight loss, muscle gain and overall strength increases.

Circuit training squashes common excuses that people use for not exercising because it takes little time, is action packed, does not need to be done everyday, and it can be personalized.

Circuit Training Basics

Circuit training consists of performing multiple exercises on multiple body parts in a row with little rest in between exertions. The two most basic types of circuit training are horizontal training and vertical training. In horizontal training, all sets of one exercise are performed before a person moves on to the next exercise. In vertical training, one set of every different type of exercise is performed before returning to an exercise for the second time.

The amount of weight that a person lifts during a circuit training session can vary between sets. A person can start with light weights and work up to heavier weights (increasing pyramid) or can start with heavy weights and regress to lighter weights (decreasing pyramid). The most important component of circuit training is to take little rest in between sets, whether of the same or different exercises.

Circuit Training Benefits

Due to the lack of rest that circuit training demands, exercisers maintain elevated heart rates for the entire period of exercise. The combination of weight training and increased cardiovascular effort makes circuit training a beneficial type of cross training. The exerciser gains muscle through the resistance training. The exerciser increases his/her cardiovascular endurance during the slightly elevated heart rate that is maintained in between sets and throughout the overall program. The exerciser burns high amounts of calories during the high exertion periods of his/her sets.

Circuit training is also a convenient way to exercise. It maximizes the total exercise volume (number of sets, repetitions, and amount of weight) completed in a period of time. Exercises are completed in a row, and therefore, the time spent exercising is condensed. Separate cardiovascular training is not necessary. All body parts are trained in one session, and therefore, exercisers do not need to work out everyday.

Long Run Benefits

Circuit training is a type of interval training. Interval training is a great way to increase the body's ability to burn calories when it is at rest. The exerciser's heart rate goes up very high, returns to a lower, but still elevated, state, and then goes up very high again. At no point during circuit training does the heart rate return to its resting rate. Circuit training, and interval training overall, increases the amount of oxygen that a person consumes post exercise, and therefore, increases the number of calories that a person burns throughout the day.

It can be used to achieve an increase in lean body mass and a decrease in weight.

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Samantha Kopf – National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-building/circuit-training-basics-and-benefits.html