My interests, in case you hadn't yet noticed, lie in medicine and health. So, my field for the ProU news page is health and medicine articles. In choosing the articles I bring you, I search through about 70 articles a day, many of which are on the same topic. The most common of the ones I don't share right now, that I still have tagged are relating to three topics: stem cell research, diet, and the plans for universal health coverage in the United States. In time, I hope to bring several blogs on each of those topics.
For now, though, I'm going to deal with diet. In this particular blog, I'm going to look at the connotation that most everyone thinks about when they hear the word 'diet'... as a means to weight loss. Note now that I am not an expert in this field, and I do not pretend to be. I am simply bringing you what I have learned.
The basic idea behind 'going on a diet' is eating less calories than you burn off. Pretty simple, hmm? If you burn off 2000 calories, and you only eat 1200, you're going to eventually lose weight (a pound is equal to about 3500 calories, if I remember correctly, so you should lose about a pound a week on a diet). But it turns out that things can be a whole lot more complicated than that.
First off, all diets do not work for all people. Why? Because we all have a different body chemistry, as determined by our genetic makeup. Some people produce insulin more slowly than others, some do not have good absorption, and some turn sugar into fat more easily than others. So do not assume that because a diet worked for one person that it will work for you. A diet that works for other members of your family will likely work for you as well, though.
Of course, genes can also affect your activity. Fidgeting has just been shown to be controlled by genes, and people who fidget are more likely to be thin than the rest of the population. Notice that that does not mean that if you fidget you are thin. I'm at the upper end of the 'healthy' weight range, and I fidget constantly.
But I'm sure you're all very interested in actual tips for dieting. As I mentioned in my last blog on the subject, dieting is not a quick fix. So don't expect to lose 30 pounds in your first month. That being said, I have seen it proven that eating more low calorie density foods is likely to help you lose weight. That is, instead of cutting calories, you cut the high calorie foods, and eat more low calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables. By doing this, you are more likely to be satisfied when you are eating, and as a result, are likely to cut calories overall without the need to count all the calories you are consuming.
Other ways of dieting include reducing your appetite. It has been shown that by having a high-fat appetizer before dinner, such as a heavy soup, you will consume less food during the meal. The problem with this is, of course, that your appetizer is high in fat. Drinking tea also helps with weight loss, as well as absorption of nutrients after a meal. So even changing a few of your habits can lead to weight loss over time.
A few other tidbits I have... cut the amount of soda you drink, and replace it with water. Soda is filled with high fructose corn syrup, which isn't all that good for you to begin with, and it dehydrates you. So cutting down will greatly reduce the calories you intake, and help with your overall health. This, of course, doesn't really apply to diet sodas, but I'd still try to steer away from them. More than one 12-oz can a day is entirely too much. Also, make sure you eat breakfast. Starving yourself is not the way to lose weight, and eating first thing in the morning will give your metabolism a nice kick start for when you do eat again.
But of course, you should talk to your doctor before making any drastic changes in your diet, as you may be risking your health by taking supplements or radically changing your diet.
If anyone copies this onto their site, do be kind and e-mail me at mvenus929@progressiveu.org first and ask permission. I really don't like finding my blogs posted everywhere without so much as a note.
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Yerba mate curbs my appettite, gives me energy(promoting physical activity), and speeds my metabolism up. I accidently stumbled onto this tea and have become totally hooked on it. I even gave up drinking a pot or two of coffee in the morning in favor of this tea. I never would have believed the results(loosing weight, increased energy & vitality, and much less of an appetite). It has even helped my moods to become normal and seems to have helped with the hypoglycemia that made me irritable and tired all the time.