Seven Very Simple And Common Sense Ways To Get The Weight Off And Stay Healthy

Even if you follow just one of these seven steps towards healthy weight loss, you are guaranteed to lose weight naturally and keep it off. Best of all your health will dramatically improve and the cost will be next to nothing!

It's a sad but true fact that the number of overweight and obese people in our society has almost doubled in the past fifteen years ? with a staggering 50% (and climbing) of the U.S. adult population (as an example) being classified as obese. The figure for children is even worse at 60% and growing much faster - and many other countries (emerging and industrialized alike) are not far off these figures.

People who are overweight, including our children, are at increased risk in all the major categories of diseases ? particularly coronary heart disease, adult type two diabetes, arthritis and cancer. With much confusion surrounding diets and 'lose weight fast? programs it's not surprising that many are confused and are turning to simple and effective natural nutrition along with a good source of vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss.

Diets Don't Work!

It is estimated that the failure rate of people on all types of diets is over 90% - this is quite simply because they are restrictive ? particularly of fats - and they leave you feeling hungry.

Another important factor is that if you restrict calories, you are also restricting your nutrition, depleting your immune system and making you more prone to suffer disease:- another reason to include vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss.

A great deal of publicity surrounds a number of diets ? more recently the Atkins Diet. This diet advocates an intake of increased protein, increased fat and very little carbohydrate. The idea is that the more at you take in, the more efficient the body gets in breaking it down. However, while this is pretty close to the mark, you also need a supply of fresh fruit and vegetables as a source of fiber, nutrition and plant chemicals called phyto-nutriuents which are largely undiscovered and play a role in the prevention of cancer and many diseases ? Lycopene is an example.

The Pritikin diet was another popular diet that advised to do the opposite from the Atkins diet ? no fat, use margarine, eat very little protein and consume lots of carbohydrates from vegetables. It advocated a mind and body approach and people did lose weight ? they also suffered a high rate of cancer from the intake of damaging fats. This is why it's highly advisable to take in plenty of vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss.

The two diets are at either end of the scale, with Atkins closer to what is now commonly considered to be the best approach to a healthy weight. To read more about obesity and how to overcome feelings of guilt and restore the balance to your life, then you should take a look at: 'Your Fat is Not Your Fault' by Carol Simmontacchi - it's not your fault and you can do something to change it.

If you're after a balanced approach to losing weight, I would recommend: 'Weight Success for a Lifetime' also by Carol Simontacchi. The researchers use a common sense lifestyle approach to losing weight and more importantly, it's something you can do every day of your life.

So What Does Work?

A long-term, sustainable, healthy eating and nutritional supplement program - including vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss - and lifestyle change.

1. Eat the right, healthy foods

2. Avoid the bad foods

3. The right eating plan ? large breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner

4. Supplement with a broad range of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids ? all of the 90 essential nutrients

5. Exercise

6. Don't use scales, measure yourself around the waist, arms and thighs

7. Drink plenty of water every day

The key here is to use a balanced approach that has you eating good food, leaves you feeling well nourished and ensures that you are also getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss and sustain your health for the long term.

Above all, the weight loss program has to be something that is easy and enjoyable for you to do, every day, for the long term. Weight loss should happen slowly and steadily and you shouldn't lose more than 3-4lbs a week. If you give your body the optimum amount of nutrients through good food and health supplements your body will find its own optimum weight.

1. Eat foods high in vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss

These include

? Green leafy vegetables ? as much as you like at every meal.

? Fresh fruit ? at least two serves per day. (Dark berries are rich in phyto-nutriuents).

? Protein ? a higher level of protein keeps insulin levels low and prevents sugar being stored as fat. It also contains essential amino acids needed for good health. Make sure you don't overcook your meat. The best sources of protein are meat, fish and soy.

? Moderate amounts of complex carbohydrates ? about three to four serves per day ? these include grains, nuts and many types of vegetables and are a source of good nutrition and fibre. In regard to vegetables generally, a good rule is to pick vegetables with bright colours.

? Fresh, filtered water instead of soft drinks.

2. Things to avoid

? Caffeine ? not very good for healthy weight loss as it increases your rate of loss of essential minerals and will cause a drop in blood sugar and an attack of the 'munchies?.

? Refined carbohydrates and sugar ? this will be turned very quickly into fat. Examples are white bread, white rice (in fact most processed white food), biscuits, cakes etc.

? Soft drinks and fizzy or carbonated drinks - high in sugar and phosphorus and raise your risk of a number of diseases such as osteoporosis and diabetes and reduce your absorption of minerals.

? Fried food and margarine ? ?bad fats? which damage your cells and increase your risk of disease.

3. Your Eating Plan?Make Breakfast and Lunch your biggest meals

Most people do the opposite; however, as the saying goes, you should have ?breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.? It's logical really, we should take in most of our energy at the start of the day ? so breakfast should be our most important meal. You can still have a family dinner in the evenings but it can be just a light, nutritious meal, such as a chicken salad or nutritious soup, for example.

Add small protein meals during the day ? such as turkey breast, chicken, cheese, cottage cheese and celery, protein shakes - preferably Whey Protein containing a good mix of vitamins and minerals - with a small amount of fruit ? when you feel hungry. This approach ensures that you are getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss as part of your plan. Ideally add low fat milk or water - or both 50/50.

4. Supplement with vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss

Supplementation with essential nutrients such as essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss is central to your weight loss plan. Without adequate nutrition people develop signs of nutritional deficiencies and turn to binge eating or 'the munchies? to try and replace the essential nutrients they are lacking.

Examples of the 'munchies? and cravings along with their nutritional deficiency are:

? Alcohol ? can be an indicator of an amino acid deficiency and a blood sugar problem. Supplementing with B group vitamins and amino acids is suggested

? Chocolate ? in many cases can be a sign of a magnesium deficiency

? Sugar ? indicates a chromium, vanadium and magnesium deficiency

? Salty food ? normally a potassium deficiency (oranges are a good source of potassium)

When you supplement with a good source of nutrition, (such as a good and highly absorbable liquid mineral supplement along with other multivitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids) it makes it easier to lose weight because the body is no longer looking for the ?bad stuff? to satisfy its cravings ? allowing you to lose weight in a natural way. Vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss are best obtained from supplements - which are the most bioavailable form of nutrition. To get the most out of them it is advisable to take them three times per day with meals.

5. Exercise

Any type of exercise is good exercise ? the main thing is to make it enjoyable, safe, regular and stay with it for the long term! You can walk, run, swim, cycle, dance, salsa, play golf, badminton, bowls . . . anything goes! Get together with friends or form a walking group or network of people you can exercise with so that you can encourage each other and of course, have fun!

Yoga is an excellent form of total body training that you can do at home. If you're not used to exercising, or have been injured or ill then always start slowly and gently - within your limitations - and gradually build up the distance or amount of time you exercise for. A good rule is 'little and often? rather than a huge exertion infrequently.

Exercise together with a good eating plan and supplementation with vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss, will help you reach your goal of a healthy body too.

6. Don't Use Weight Scales!

Instead use a measuring tape and once a week measure around the neck, upper arms, chest/bust, waist, hips, thighs and calves. This is a far better way to document your progress. When you start on your health program you may lose fat and gain muscle which weighs more ? so let the measuring tape tell the story and not the scales!

7. Drink Lots of Water - Here's How It Works . . .

In addition to vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss - remember to always drink plenty of water - perhaps one of the easiest, simplest and most healthy way to actually lose weight.

When you drink a lot of water - at least 10 glasses per day and double that if you live in a hot/humid climate - your body begins to function more efficiently. The kidneys work better and when the kidneys are working optimally, then the liver also functions more efficiently - and one of the BIG jobs of the liver is to make glucose from stored fat.

That's right - drinking more water can help you lose that fat around the midsection - so what are you waiting for?

Some of the other amazing health benefits of water are:

? Suppresses appetite naturally

? Helps maintain muscle tone

? Helps rid the body of waste and gives you better bowel function

? Boosts your metabolism and helps to burn fat and lessen cravings

? Reduces fatigue

? Improves short term memory

? Reduces your risk of colon, breast and bladder cancer

Medical Problems that can Inhibit Weight Loss

Thyroid Problems ? an under active Thyroid gland (hypothyroid) will cause you to put on weight around the waist (carbohydrates will do this too). You can check this by measuring your temperature first thing in the morning. Place a thermometer under your arm and measure your temperature. Normal is 97.8 ? 98.2 degrees C and anything less indicates your thyroid isn't working properly.

Measure this over a period of a month to ascertain an average temperature. Consult your health care provider. Nutrients which can help are iodine and selenium and the amino acid Tyrosine.

Women on Hormone Replacement Therapy ? estrogen can make you gain weight ? look for a natural alternative such as a natural progesterone treatment. Food Allergies ? when you clean up your diet and have good nutrition, you also eliminate many sources of food allergies ? especially wheat and dairy. Food allergies can result in weight gain ? a good reason to clean up your diet. You may want to have a food allergy test ? consult a health care provider.

Here's a quick summary of the major points in this article:

* Diets don't work and you should adopt an approach that is long term and uses a good source of essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss and keep you healthy.

*Eat your main meal in the morning, a medium lunch and light supper with small snacks during the day if needed.

* Eat plenty of protein, green leafy vegetables and complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and whole grains.

* Avoid sugar, caffeine, fried foods, soft drinks and margarine.

* Supplement with a good source of nutrients - essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals to promote weight loss.

* Exercise and use a measuring tape to measure your progress.

* Drink plenty of water every day.

* Make long term changes that you can stay with and develop a healthy attitude to eating.

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