All The Lies About Rapid Weight Loss Diets

Paleo Diet:

Ok, I admit. It really is impossible to put ALL the lies about rapid weight loss diets in one article. There is just too much bogus nutrition information around to gather them all. But here are some of the main dieting myths to watch out for...

All The Lies About Rapid Weight Loss Diets

Like you, I wish there really were a miracle diet. "Eliminate body fat and get a great shape without effort! Never be hungry! Be healthy the whole time!" Sounds great. I'd also like to resemble [your favorite movie star] without plastic surgery.

Unfortunately, reality refuses to cater to my fantasies. Rapid weight loss diets don't have to be miserable. But there are always tradeoffs.

Some fad diets tell you to eat nothing but fruit for days, then meats and grains later. Bad idea. Lots of carbs and no protein almost guarantees weight gain.

Yeah, the advocates always have some fancy theory about why it will work, along with some questionable anecdotal evidence. Skepticism is a very good idea here.

Then there are ultra low-carb, ultra-high-protein diets like Atkins or the Paleo diet. They're not harmful, but don't go to extremes. You might see rapid weight loss at first, but it won't last. And, you may suffer other problems (like potential kidney damage).

There are even some way out suggestions, like huge amounts of chocolate. Sure, chocolate does have some good things like antioxidants. But, in most cases, the form they come in also comes with high amounts of sugar and fat.

The basic error of all these rapid weight loss diets is lack of balance. You may lose weight fast, but will you keep it off? Will you damage your health in the process?

You need a certain amount of carbohydrates. They're the body's main source of free energy. Reducing your normal intake (usually more than you need) forces the body to go after fat stored in cells to compensate. You lose body fat.

Good.

But don't go overboard. Starving yourself of carbs slows your body's metabolism down. It becomes harder to lose those subsequent pounds. Also, excess protein can cause a fluid imbalance (making it hard to flush toxins, which build up in the kidneys).

Remember, rapid weight loss, per se, isn't your goal. Gaining 10 lbs of muscle wouldn't necessarily be bad. You want to reduce pounds and keep them off. You want to keep your health while you're doing it. And, even weight loss isn't your primary goal. You want to reduce your body fat percentage, again while optimizing health.

There are plenty of ways to do that. Consume the right amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates - and no more. Get the right balance of vitamins and minerals. Don't use food to compensate for anxiety. Exercise moderately.

You'll shed pounds fast, reduce body fat, and get healthy before you know it.

For almost every dieter but the most sedentary, a balanced diet totaling about 1200-1600 calories per day will lead to healthy rapid weight loss.

Instead of sugary juice drinks, have an orange or apple or banana - better still, strawberries or blueberries. (The latter are rich in phytonutrients.) Keep protein in the lead (about 100 g daily), but get some good fats, too (44-78 grams or so).

That's a sensible rapid weight loss diet. No miracle diet needed. And that's no lie.

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Paleo Diet For Weight Loss - Eat and Exercise Like a Caveman

Paleo Diet:

The Paleo diet originated from a collection of extensive research and writings about the diet of human being in ancient history. Although admittedly, most of the writings do not coincide to the nature of the Paleo diet, some themes remain common.

Paleo Diet For Weight Loss - Eat and Exercise Like a Caveman

The Paleo diet comes from the word Paleolithic, but from the modern perspective. This diet was founded on the concept that people and their ancestral families are continually evolving for millions of years before finally reaching the Neolithic age. During the Neolithic era, farming and other advancements altered the human's diet, which became mostly detrimental to health. In the last century, further changes have aggravated the damage of diets to people's health.

This diet bears several names, such as Cave Man diet, Paleolithic diet, Stone Age diet, Neaderthin, Pre-agricultural diet, Hunter-Gatherer diet, and Evolutionary diet. Most foods today, those which are unheard of during the pre-historical times, are prohibited. This includes processed and canned goods, food with added sugars and preservatives, certain legumes and grains, dairy products, food additives, artificial sweeteners, and tubers. Even potatoes that need to be cooked are not allowed.

The only allowed foods on this diet are meat, fish, eggs, almost all vegetables, nuts, and fruits. Honey served the purpose of our sugar today. With the Paleo diet, organic foods are encouraged, even meats. Animals should be fed with organic feeds or foods such as grass instead of grains. Ancient people were healthy and did not have problems associated with saturated fats.

During their time, our ancestors did not have difficulty losing weight. As a matter of fact, obesity was almost absent in the Paleolithic age, hence, weight loss was not so much given the attention that it is given today.

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The 1,200 Calorie Diet - Fast Weight Loss For Women

Paleo Diet:

If you are a woman and want to lose weight fast, then you will love this article about the popular 1200 calorie diet for women. The 1200 calorie diet is becoming a more popular diet for women everyday. Why? Because it's the fastest diet that is healthy and safe to lose weight that's out there today.

The 1,200 Calorie Diet - Fast Weight Loss For Women

Why? Because 1200 calories is the absolute bare minimum amount of calories that a woman can take in consistently and still maintain good health. Therefore, as far as dieting is concerned, you cannot lose any more weight than with using this diet safely.

The 1200 Calorie Diet

1. Eat at least 90 grams of carbs.
2. Most of the rest of your calories should be from lean protein sources.
3. Food should be broken up into 3 meals and 1-2 snacks.
4. Have a cheat day every 7th day.
5. Don't eat less than 1200 calories, and you should eat within 100 calories or so of 1200.

1200 Calorie Diet Tips

1. Don't drink your calories. High calorie drinks can totally ruin your diet - even if it's healthy, like juice, it is high in calories.
2. This works best when mixed with at least 3 days of workouts. (2 days of aerobic, and 1 day of weights)
3. Stay hydrated! It takes up to 2 days to get re-hydrated once dehydrated.
4. If you eat veggies and fresh fruit, along with lean protein for every meal, you should easily stay near 1200 calories.
5. Condiments, nuts, and oils (even cooking oils) are super high in calories. Use a non-stick cooking spray until you reach your desired weight.

I know this diet will help you lose weight as fast as possible. You can expect to lose any where from 3-7 pounds or more every week when combined with some physical activity. The 1200 calorie diet is by far the fastest weight loss diet for women there is.

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10 Healthy Snacks For Weight Loss and Wellness

Paleo Diet:

Contrary to popular belief, snacking is actually very beneficial. It helps to refuel your body, maintain blood sugar and energy levels and control your appetite.

10 Healthy Snacks For Weight Loss and Wellness

Healthy snacking will help your body get the nutrients it needs and help you avoid overeating at meal times.

Indulge in these guilt-free snacks. Remember we encourage an anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic, paleo-style diet for weight loss and wellness. A body must get healthy before it can lose weight.

1. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait.Organic plain yogurt is best. Yogurts with added flavors are higher in sugar. Instead, flavor your yogurt with fruit. Blueberries are an excellent choice as they have a lower glycemic content that will help balance blood glucose and insulin levels.

2. Romaine Lettuce Wrap With Organic Turkey and a Slice of Raw-Milk or Skim Mozzarella Cheese.

Romaine lettuce contains the highest nutritional and fiber content of all lettuce. Turkey is 94% protein which helps you to lose weight by boosting your metabolism and decreasing hunger. Adding raw milk grass-fed cheese not only adds flavor but also adds calcium without any harmful hormones or preservatives. A great source for grass-fed wild meat, game and poultry is at U.S. Wellness Meats.

3. Veggie Sticks With Cottage Cheese Dip. Non-starchy vegetables contain almost eight times the amount of fiber found in whole grains. Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system. Fat-free organic cottage cheese makes an excellent low calorie snack.

4. Shrimp Cocktail Shrimp is 90% protein. Try dipping it in some cocktail sauce for a low calorie, high protein snack.

5. A Handful of Nuts. Walnuts are the best choice as they're rich in protein and fiber but they also contain a high dose of omega 3 fatty acids (good fats) as compared to other nuts. Healthy fats help lower your risk of disease. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, meaning they help prevent inflammatory diseases such as stroke or heart disease. People who are overweight are actually suffering from an inflammatory condition.

6. Celery Sticks and Almond Butter. This is a great combination of protein, monounsaturated fat and energy. Almond butter is a healthier alternative to peanut butter as it contains no added ingredients or preservatives and better fats. (peanuts are a legume not a nut)

7. Deviled Eggs. Eggs are very high in protein which makes them a great snack. My Guacamole Deviled Eggs are a great high-protein healthy snack with good fats.

8. Herring Wraps. Buy a few tinned containers in a few different flavored sauces such as tomato or tangy mustard, herring fillets are high in omega 3 fish oils. Don't but if they are in soybean oil. Try wrapping them in a few leaves of romaine lettuce.

9. Banana Nut Pop. Dip a banana in plain organic yogurt and roll in walnuts or coconut. Freeze. Yummy!

Bananas are a great source of fiber and potassium. They do have a high sugar content so eat in moderation. Coconuts have anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and are one of the best sources in the world for MCFA (medium-chain triglyceride fatty acids)

10. Lemon Tuna Avocado Snack. Halve an avocado and scoop out the flesh. Mix with lemon juice and tuna. Serve in the shells. Good protein, good fat.

Avocado's are high in monounsaturated fat and potassium. Tuna is a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acid and is very nutrient-dense. Protein builds muscle which in turn burns more calories to help you lose weight.

And here's your BONUS snack idea....

***Smoked salmon.

Don't get salmon that's been smothered in brown sugar. Salmon is one of the best sources of protein and healthy fats on earth. Always try to buy wild-caught and not farmed raised (fed grains).

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How to Cut Weight for a Competition or Fight

Paleo Diet:

When it comes to cutting weight, many martial artists swear by it. The idea behind it is that if I can weigh in at 150 pounds, then gain weight back before the fight, and be fighting while weighing 165 pounds, then I'll have a size advantage on my opponent. This concept is most popular in western martial arts; wrestlers and Brazilian jiu jitsu fighters are so big on it, in fact, that you basically have to cut weight, just so you can be EQUAL in size to your opponent. I cut weight pretty successfully in my tournaments and I get people asking me for advice on how to do it safe and easy, so I thought I would share with every body. Be warned: cutting weight is not easy, but it is worth it on fight night.

How to Cut Weight for a Competition or Fight

First off, before your cut you should be lean. You need to prepare your body for competition. I try to get with in 12 pounds of my target weight before I even begin my true cut. For good healthy ways to lose weight I recommend the Paleo Diet, aka the caveman diet. A simple Google search can get you some good free info on that. You need to be at 8-12 pounds by 5 days before your weigh-ins. Now, a common misconception is that people think they will gain back the weight they lost while dieting before they fight. You will not, you will regain 2 to 3 pounds of your diet loss max by the time you fight. This is important to know because if you diet to 12 pounds short of your goal, and then cut the 12 pounds, will only be 15 whole pounds heavier on fight night. If you diet to 8 pounds short of your goal, you will probably only gain 11 pounds back by the time you fight. So the more weight you actually cut, the harder it will be, but the more you will get out of it. In martial arts, and especially in grappling, every pound counts!

So! Now your body is lean and ready to fight. Now comes the part that will test your dedication. We will begin the cut 5 days before the weigh-in. On days 5,4, and 3 before the weigh in, you should be drinking 2 gallons of water each day. DO NOT DRINK DISTILLED WATER. That amount of distilled water will wash out all minerals from your body, leaving your skin flaking and your head aching. Drink regular purified water. I carry around a gallon jug with me, so it is easier to remember how much I have drank. At this point there shouldn't any changes to your diet, just eat healthy and keep off the fat that you have lost in your dieting. You will be going to the bathroom like crazy! This is what we want. What we are doing is slowly washing out some of the minerals in your body (temporarily) this will help you retain less water in the later stages of the cut.

Once you have done this, for three days you can cut back on the water. 2 days before the weigh-in you want to drink one gallon of water. However, on this day, we must cut out all sodium from our diet. This means plain, raw, and green veggies. You can eat fruit for carbs/energy. Also, lean meats are good. Chicken or fish, but no sodium based seasonings. This means no stake sauce, no teriyaki sauce, no salt. I usually season my fish with lemon juice. Not the best tasting, but it's just for today. This is going to help us release water wait on the next day.

Now, you're one day from weigh-ins. Today is the hardest day, but don't worry, tomorrow will be the pay off. Today we drink no water at all. Because of all of the preparation we did the preceding days, we don't need to sauna or do any ridiculous work outs. Just do your regular work out. The amount that you sweat because of our preparation will be sufficient. Also, through out the day, and especially at night your body will release the water weight on its own. As far as food goes; your food will be minimal. Go to your local grocery store and pick up Balance Bars or some form of energy bar that his relatively high in calories but low in actual weight. Heavy bars like protein bars, will be too hydrated, and will put water weight in your body. I highly recommend Balance bars. They weigh next to nothing and they give you the calories you need to get through your work out. It usually eat 3 of these throughout the day. Eat nothing else besides those 3 bars.

When you wake up in the morning you should be with in 1-3 pounds of your goal weight. Your going to be thirsty and hungry, but your almost there. Take an all natural supplement called Triphala. You should be able to find it at a health food store or on the internet. So you may need to order this ahead of time. Take a dose of this (don't worry it is completely natural and you cannot overdose on them). What this will do is empty your bowels. You will lose a few pounds and should be on target at this point. Weigh in as early as you can so you have maximum recovery time.

Once you have weighed in you have to start the most important stage: the recovery. You should have 24 hours to recover. After your weigh ins your probably going to feel a little run down, but food and water will have never tasted so good. Start your recovery with Pedialite, you can get this at any grocery store. The original flavor tastes terrible but they have some good fruit flavors now. You want to drink one sip at a time. Chugging fluids will cause them to go right through you and you wont hold on to the nutrients. Take sip after sip and drink the whole thing. Then switch to water. If it is available to you, drink high PH water. 9.5 water if you can find it. Depending on where you live this might be easy to find or impossible. I have a filter on my sink that allows me to obtain it. If you don't have it, drink Arrowhead. As far as bottled water goes, it is the highest on the PH scale; 7.0. You may need to drink up to 2.5 gallons. Still continuing to drink one sip at a time. Don't depend on your thirst response to tell you when you are hydrated. Drink until your urine is clear.

A few supplements that will help you recover, if you want to spend the money on them, is Ionic Minerals, and spirulina chlorella. Both of these can be found online. They are all natural, and REALLY help you absorb the water you drink, this way you have to spend your entire day drinking gallons of water.

A FEW TIPS TO HELP YOU IF YOUR COMING IN SHORT:

If you are coming down to the wire and are not making weight, there are a few things you can do to lose an extra pound or so. Spitting helps, suck on jolly ranchers and fill a water bottle up. One water bottle = about one pound.

I do not recommend using the Sauna, but if you a pound short and you have 30 minutes until your weigh in, use it, but only in an emergency.

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High Fat Raw Paleo Diet to Lose Weight - Gain Health and Gain Beauty

Paleo Diet:

A high fat raw paleolithic diet is the hardest diet to get into because of cultural conditioning against eating raw meat, against consumption of large amounts of fat and having to give up your favorite starches. The results of your efforts will be the most rewarding as you gain health and beauty at the same time, losing weight merely becomes a secondary issue and is guaranteed to lead to an ideal set weight.

High Fat Raw Paleo Diet to Lose Weight - Gain Health and Gain Beauty

From fossil records, a raw paleolithic diet can be seen as the original human diet even before cooking started, one could infer that this is the original diet of humans. Raw paleo diet is composed of these foods:

(1) Animal meat with their organs including prized fatty parts like back fat, bone marrow and brains; these could be aquatic or land based animals.

(2) Then there are ripe or unripe fruit.

(3) Then there are edible when raw vegetables.

The theory is, nature cannot possibly be wrong. Going back to the original, natural fuel for humans and humans are transformed into the naturally self repairing healthy, beautiful, athletic beings we were meant to be.

Raw fat is the preferred fuel of the body which is concentrated and gives steady clean energy, avoiding the sugar highs and lows in high carbohydrate diet. Raw fat is cleansing and lubricating at the same time.

Raw proteins are the preferred form of protein by the body as this is natural, clean, pure and muscle building, even without gym exercises you can maintain a lean muscular physique.

A small amount of carbohydrates in hydrating fruit and vegetables gives you extra vitamins and minerals.

Multivitamins are usually raw organs like raw liver, kidneys and other internal organs from such animals as oysters and small fish you eat whole.

When you begin a high fat raw paleo diet, you may get an initial detox phase for a few days, but on the first month you should be on your way to feel an enormous healthy feeling that only gets better and better. In many more months you will notice you may have stopped getting sick. After about a year, friends and family who you may not have seen for a long time will comment how beautiful you have become and will ask you, no plead with you to tell them what your secret is.

A high fat raw paleo diet involves consuming a majority raw animal foods diet with fruits and vegetables playing a smaller but important part of the diet.

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Losing a Pound a Day With the Mono Diet - How to Eat Only One Type of Food to Lose Weight

Paleo Diet:

Losing a pound a day with the Mono Diet may seem difficult to many, but this article will tell you how. More importantly, we will tell you how to eat only one type of food to lose weight so make sure to read the entire article.

Losing a Pound a Day With the Mono Diet - How to Eat Only One Type of Food to Lose Weight

One of the classics when it comes to being healthy and slim is losing a pound a day with the Mono Diet. Most people cannot keep up with this strategy while in fact it is so easy to follow. It is not like those complicated programs wherein they will ask you to eat various foods with specific measurements leaving you puzzled. The reason that most people do not want to try this program is that they think that they would be eating a single kind of food every day for the rest of their lives. Losing a pound a day with the Mono Diet is eating a single kind of food every meal. It does not mean that you have to eat the same foodstuff in all three meals daily. Some people suggest that raw chow will make the best choice for this kind of weight-loss program because of its higher nutritional value.

As we all know, there are three groups of foods. There are foods that are high in carbohydrates, high in protein, and those with starches. Examples of those that have high protein are eggs, cheese, eggs, meat, and fish. On the other hand, those with high carbohydrates, which are healthy, are fruits and vegetables. Lastly, those with starches are potatoes, pasta, bread, and pasta. Below is a concrete example of this program:

1. For breakfast, you can eat an apple and two bananas to give you the needed energy to last for as much as 24 hours.

2. You can eat a half-roasted chicken without the skin. Roast is better than frying chicken to avoid fattening oils sticking to the chicken.

3. Three baked potatoes will suit your evening appetite. Frying potatoes is not a good choice so it should either be roasted or baked.

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How To Lose Weight, The Straight Facts

Paleo Diet:

How To Lose Weight - Why is there so much confusion? It seems like every single day, the next BIG diet comes out. At the same time, the next "scientific breakthrough" fitness machine comes out. Enough is enough. Here are the simple facts.

How To Lose Weight, The Straight Facts

There are 2 major components that you need to keep in mind when it comes to losing weight. They are calories in, and calories out. If you take in more calories then you are burning, you will gain weight. If you are burning more calories than you are taking in, you will lose weight. Simple enough? OK, now let's look at how to lose weight, focusing on these 2 aspects or our lives.

When it comes to calories that you are taking in, that obviously has to do with the nutritional aspect of fitness. On the other hand, when you are talking about burning calories, now we are looking at your physical activity level, mainly your exercise. While changing one of these should impact your weight, the key to getting real results is combining the 2.

How To Lose Weight - Nutrition
I have never been one for counting calories. I think that is a tedious task, and I always felt bad for people that had to do it. As I have gained experience in fitness field, I have developed my own philosophy on this topic. I think that when a person decides that they are ready to lose weight, they need to really look at the calories that they are taking in now, before they start to change their diet. By having an idea how many calories you are consuming now, you can make the right changes to help you reach your goals. Once you have that number, set a "goal" calorie count. Do not just cut your calories in half, or suddenly eliminate everything bad from your diet. 99% of the time that people try this, they get frustrated, and before you know it, they are right back to eating fatty, high calorie, heavily processed foods, and their weight is going no place but up. If you really want to know how to lose weight, do it in stages. If you are taking in 3,000 calories a day right now, cut down to 2500 for a few days, and then 2,000 in a week or so. The following week, cut it down to 1500, and so on. Some people get dangerously low with their calorie intake, and end up not getting the key nutrients that their body needs to stay healthy. Do not make that mistake.

Food To Eat To Lose Weight
Here is a basic guide of what to eat, and what to avoid. There is no magic ingredients, just basic rules to follow. Avoid foods that heavily processed, high in sugar and fat, and that lack nutritional value. When it comes to breads and pasta, pick whole wheat over white. When it comes to milk, stay away from whole. If its fried, don't eat it!

Eat your greens! Vegetables are not only low in calories, but they are high in nutrients, and most are low on the glycemic index (which means that they keep you feeling full longer, keep your blood sugar level, and many more benefits). If you can, eat a salad a day. Drink water, lots of water. Eat lean meats, such as fish, chicken and turkey. Keep the red meat to a minimal, but if you love it, do not totally eliminate from your diet. A lot of vegetarians will tell you that the secret is no meat. Well, try telling that to the paleo's, who's diet is mainly meat, and they insist it is the best. The truth is, the reason both work is that they cut the garbage out of their diets. In short, use your head. If you think it might be bad for you, it probably is.

Exercise To Lose Weight
People can argue day and night about which kind if exercise is best. People use this as an excuse to not exercise, saying that they don't want to do the wrong thing. The key is to get out there and get moving. When you look at the scientific evidence, you are going to burn the most calories by doing total body moves, preferably with resistance, or doing intervals with your cardio. If you do not know where to begin, start jogging! Can't jog yet, walk, swim, ride a bike, do something. The more that you do, the more calories that you will burn.

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The Grape Diet - Cleanse Your Body and Lose Weight

Paleo Diet:

The grape diet is a safe, natural way to lose between 5-10 pounds in 5 or 6 days.

The Grape Diet - Cleanse Your Body and Lose Weight

This is not just another of those fad diets that keep cropping up, it's about the grape diet which is a proven and exceptional way of losing weight quickly and getting healthy. You may already be familiar with this method of losing weight because it has been around for quite some time now.

Basil Shackleton wrote about The Grape Cure after suffering from kidney failure. In pain for the best part of 40 years, he discovered that simply by eating nothing but grapes, his deteriorating kidney was restored.

So where does the weight loss come in?

Well, really it was a side effect of his "grape treatment." Skackleton wrote that he ate nothing but grapes for three weeks, and never felt better in his life. He proclaimed that if you eat only grapes for five days, you will lose at least 5lbs.

The world got to know of the amazing health benefits of grapes by Johanna Brandt, who publicised The Grape Cure in 1926 in the United States, after spending some time in South Africa. Her publication highlighted the nutritional and healing qualities of grapes, which She used to treat her own cancer.

Since then the grape diet has been used in many countries around the world, not only as a natural way to lose weight fast, but for detoxing the body as well. The success of the grape cure diet is mainly due to the grape skins and seeds.

The skins contain Resveratrol, a natural aid for weight loss, and the grape seed extract contains nutrients that help clean the blood and kidneys, fight cancer, arthritis, and are good for the heart. Modern science supports these claims, and people who have tried the grape diet reported weight loss, feeling better, having more energy, and needing less sleep.

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Lose Weight With a Paleo Diet

Paleo Diet:

It's no secret that American waistlines continue to expand, despite regular headlines about the dire health consequences of excess body fat. We eat too much sugar, refined carbohydrates, junk food, fast food and hydrogenated trans fats. Compare our modern diet to that of our evolutionary ancestors and you'll quickly see why we're putting our lives in peril every time we eat.

Lose Weight With a Paleo Diet

Cave Men Set Our Dietary Genes in Stone

The food we eat every day sends powerful chemical messages throughout our body which directly influence our genes. This happens with every meal, as we switch our genes either toward health or disease with every bite of food. We were never intended to eat massive quantities of processed foods laced with sugar, salt and fat that many people consume throughout the day.

Like it or not, we are a product of evolution and our genes are switched toward health and natural weight loss when we eat a diet similar to our Paleolithic brethren. Information reported in the Chicago Tribune reveals the importance of eating closer to the way nature intended to significantly reduce the risk of disease and drop the excess weight which packs on as a consequence of our poor culinary habits.

It's important to understand the reasons behind the obesity epidemic which keep us from losing weight. Once we understand the powerful genetic influence our diet exerts over fat storage and mobilization in our body, we can make simple dietary changes to achieve our healthy weight loss goal.

Reason 1 - Too Much Sugar and Fructose

As the genes we carry today were being coded thousands of generations ago, sugar was virtually nonexistent, and fructose from fruit was a rare treat which bore little resemblance to the highly cultivated sweet fruit we buy on store shelves today. From a metabolic perspective, our body has difficulty processing the great amounts of sugar we consume, and most is converted into triglycerides (blood fat) and then stored as fat.

Research demonstrates that fructose, and especially high fructose corn syrup used in so many sweetened beverages, has an even more disruptive effect on fat metabolism. Reading nutritional labels is the best way to avoid added sugar. Cut out desserts, sugary soft drinks and sweet snacks, and be mindful of condiments like ketchup which are loaded with sugar.

Reason 2 - Refined Carbohydrates and Wheat

In between meal snacks and junk food can account for up to 40% of our daily calories, and these are typically high calorie foods with no nutritional value. Chips, fries and breads are immediately broken down by our efficient digestive system into glucose which hits our blood stream hard, and ultimately leads to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and diabetes. Wheat has only been in our food supply for the last 5,000 years, and genetically we haven't yet evolved to eat wheat based foods.

Wheat is foreign to the body, and causes our immune system to spring into action every time we dine on breads or pasta, resulting in systemic inflammation which leads to heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Replace wheat with fresh vegetables, nuts and healthy monounsaturated fats which promote health and natural weight loss.

Reason 3 - Hydrogenated and Trans Fats

Hydrogenated and trans fats are artificially produced substances designed to boost the shelf life of many foods and appeal to our natural taste for fat. Fat is essential to our health, and one of the biggest mistakes many people make is trying to eliminate it from their diet. Our cells use fat to construct membranes which allow nutrients and oxygen to pass freely. Fake fats don't have the same properties, and encourage disease and weight gain.

Avoid synthesized fats by reading all ingredient labels carefully, and don't fry anything, as this cooking method produces trans fats from overheated oil. Use healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil and flax seed sources, adding them onto your food after cooking to preserve their natural qualities.

Following our evolutionary counterparts may provide an important insight into how we have evolved to eat, and why our present day diet is largely responsible for our declining health and excess weight gain. Our food has a significant impact on our genes, and by cutting unhealthy dietary options we can regain control of our health destiny and lose weight as a natural consequence.

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How to Lose Weight With the God-Given Plan

Paleo Diet:

I've struggled with my weight since I was about 14 years old. At 14, I was 5 feet 7 inches tall (the height I am now) and when I weighed in at the varsity sports physical (held in the library in front of everyone), I was 150 lbs. I've never been a skinny waif, but I was never considered "fat" either. I was athletic and muscular and well, big-boned! Nevertheless, the shock on the athletic director's face when she saw how much I weighed was enough to make me cry!

How to Lose Weight With the God-Given Plan

Since then, I've dieted and exercised and over-dieted and over-exercised. I've had seven babies and been pregnant with two others (for a brief shining moment), and so have had the hormonal and weight changes that go along with that. I've never been extremely happy with my body, but I've never been so unhappy either that I'm willing to starve or have some kind of eating disorder.

I've recently lost two pants sizes. I have no idea how much weight I've lost because I don't own a scale. But I definitely needed to lose some, because I was wearing a pants size that I've never had to wear before! Rather than starve myself and sign up for a gym (I hate to spend money on stuff like that), I decided to take a more God-given approach.

First, I really hate to exercise. I don't mean that I like to sit around all day, but I like my exercise to have a purpose. When we lived in Vermont, I used to stack wood and carry wood into the house and haul water down to animals. I lived on the side of the hill, so even getting to the mailbox was exercise. I live in the city now and still have a large garden that needs hoeing and weeding, but the other activity simply isn't there. So I had to adjust.

Since I'm still not going to join a gym and I still hate taking a walk just for the point of taking a walk, I've tried to add activity and exercise to everything (well, not everything) I do. Since we live in the middle of a wonderful downtown area, we walk everywhere. I love to walk with a purpose. We walk to Jack's soccer games. We walk to one of the three playgrounds near us. We walk to the pool. We walk along the trail to the bike shop, the boat launch or the ice cream shop (where I very patiently only eat the last couple of bites of Kiara or Seamus' ice cream and forego a treat for myself!).

I've also started instituting a little exercise routine into more boring parts of my day. I still dry my hair with a blow dryer. No, it's not very frugal or green. I know that. But I'm growing it out and until it grows out, I have to dry it or I'm frizz central. Which I just hate. So there. You caught me! But while I'm drying my hair and brushing my teeth, I raise up and down on my toes 30 times. Sounds silly, I know. But I haven't had a defined calf muscle in probably ten years and after doing this for two months, I do. I also do 20 leg lifts on both sides while I'm blow drying. Silly? Sure. But something has to account for those pant size drops because I still eat ice cream before bed two or three times a week!

If I'm feeling really energetic, I'll lay down and do a bunch of stomach crunches and weight lift with some 8 lb weights that came with our house for about 10 minutes. I probably do this 3-4 times a week. And while I'm waiting for the coffee to brew in the morning, if Seamus isn't too grouchy, I'll do 20-30 deep squats right there in the kitchen. It's usually about 5 am so no one else sees me.

I try to do these things in little spurts because the idea of "working out" for 30 or 60 minutes at a time not only sounds mind-numbingly boring to me, but is virtually impossible because someone is always needing something!

I've also changed the way I look at food. I was always a pleasure and comfort eater. Now I try and look at things in a more centered way. I figure that God and Mother Nature came up with a plan for what humans should eat and they provided us with it - as well as the tools and knowledge to grow more. If it doesn't grow in the ground or doesn't eat what grows in the ground, I try not to eat it. By looking at our food as what it is, simple fuel, and not as a reward, punishment, comfort or anything else, I have found that I eat a lot less and eat much more of the things that are good for me.

I eat much less refined sugar now than I used to. I used to not be able to pass by a plate of cookies or brownies and now I have no trouble. By simple changing my perception of food and being happy with what is provided, I find that I have fewer cravings and fewer "needs" for what really are "bad" foods.

I also found that my nature is to not be wasteful. I was hollered at forever as a child to "clear my plate" and "eat all I take." What I started doing as a grown-up was eating everything my kids left on their plates too, so it wouldn't go to waste! Ugh! They were perfectly healthy, eating what they needed, and here was their vacuum cleaner mom, still trying to please her parents with perfect plates. Once I realized just how many crusts of PB&J I was eating, I realized that it's OK to be a little wasteful sometimes.

Now, I am not perfect! I do not eat salad three times a day! But I've cut out all refined flour from our diets except for pasta once a week and I've tried to eliminate refined sugar from everything I eat and drink. I only drink coffee and water during the day - no more soda (especially diet soda which I'm convinced makes you fatter) and I have a glass of wine or two with my hubby on a date night once a month or on a weekend. I do put lemon juice in my water occasionally, just for something different.

Why do I call this a God-Given diet? Because I believe God has given us all the tools we need to be healthy and the weight we need to be. We just have to embrace real food and take our exercise opportunities when we can, as often as we can.

"For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living" - 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

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The Paleo Diet - How to Lose Weight Eating Like a Caveman

Paleo Diet:

Throughout the evolution of man, our diet has changed as we encountered new foods and migrated to new areas. However, not all changes are good. In recent years we've changed our diet to be heavy in grains, sugar and processed foods. Paleo diet proponents suggest that we've deviated from the diet we were eating. Proof of our deviation shows up in ill health, food allergies ans intolerances, and the numerous health conditions that plague many people today. Perhaps the most notable proof of all is the rising rate of obese and overweight individuals.

The Paleo Diet - How to Lose Weight Eating Like a Caveman

One of the most significant changes in our diet occurred around 10,000 years ago. It was around this time that we began transitioning from a hunter-gatherer diet, to one that reflected our movement into agriculture. Agriculture brought a variety of grains and legumes, as well as dairy products. Today, these foods are widely consumed, and are even staple foods for many.

Before our switch to agriculture, we lived on a hunter-gatherer diet for around 2.5 million years. For 2.5 million years we foraged and hunted for a variety of wild plants and animals. Our diets consisted of animals, nuts, seeds and plants. It's only been in the last 10,000 years that we have begun to eat grains, legumes, and dairy. Paleo diet experts argue that 10,000 years hasn't been enough time for our digestive systems to adapt to these foods.

Over the 2.5 million year time period when we ate a hunter-gatherer diet, not only did our bodies adapt to the lifestyle, but our digestive system adapted to the foods we predominately ate. The Paleo solution is to eat foods that our ancestors ate during the Paleolithic era.

To eat the Paleolithic way, you must stop eating all grains, dairy, legumes, salt, refined sugar, processed oils and processed foods in general. If it's not something you can catch or pick in the wild, you can't eat it.

The foods that can be eaten include lean meats, plants, nuts, and seeds. For protein, fish and other lean meats can be consumed. Many purists suggest eating grass fed beef, wild game and additive-free meats. Grass fed beef is promoted because grass is the natural food source for cattle, instead of the grains that cows are fattened on today. Nuts and seeds serve as an additional source of protein. Eggs can also be eaten for protein.

A variety of plants can be eaten. Vegetables and fruits provide sources of vitamins and carbohydrates. Other foods that could have been gathered by a hunter-gatherer include mushrooms, and all sorts of herbs and spices. Healthy oils such as extra virgin olive oil, and unrefined olive oil are allowed.

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