Posts Tagged ‘recommended daily allowance’

If you’ve been dieting, the terms, “protein” and “carbohydrate” are probably very familiar to you. A few short months ago many new diets such as Atkins and South Beach became popular. These diets are typically very high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Foods such as bread, cereal, pasta and fruit are usually eliminated. These diets may result in temporary weight loss, but are often not nutritionally sound. They are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and have the potential to cause other health problems. These “do it yourself ” diets have no medical monitoring to take care of problems if they arise, and offer nothing to change the eating habits that led to the weight problem in the first place.

If you don’t eat carbohydrates your body will not produce adequate levels of insulin. Likewise, if you eat a lot of protein your body will produce too much glucagon. Eating a balanced diet helps keep your body’s blood sugar levels constant and will increase the sue of stored fat as fuel. Eating too many carbohydrates may cause your insulin levels to increase and store excess carbohydrates as fat, instead of using them as fuel.

Let’s look at protein and carbohydrates more closely. Most Americans get more protein in their diets than necessary. The recommended Daily Allowance is 8 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight. This means that a woman with an ideal weight of 132 pounds would require 48 grams of protein per day. This could be supplied by eating the following foods in one day: four ounces of meat, one cup of milk, four slices of bread, and two servings of vegetables. A man with an ideal weight of 176 pounds requires 64 grams of protein per day. Five ounces of meat, two cups of milk, five slices of bread and two servings of vegetables would meet a mans daily needs. Many people greatly exceed their protein needs with intakes of over 100 grams per day. Since the body doesn’t store excess protein, this extra amount is converted to energy and may end up stored as fat.

Now we come to carbohydrates. If you’ve been avoiding these, it’s going to take you awhile to get used to the idea that they’re “OK”. They even play a crucial role in weight loss. What are the functions of carbohydrates? Besides being the body’s primary and preferred source of energy at only 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates also do the following:

* Protein sparing – When carbohydrates are provided, the body won’t break down muscle tissue for energy.

* Fat Metabolism – Carbohydrates assist in the chemical reactions that break down fat for energy. Biochemists have a saying, “fat burns in a flame of carbohydrate.”

Despite all the hype, research confirms that low-carb diets do not perform better in the long term when compared to diets that incorporate essential carbohydrates. Leading nutrition and medical groups caution against the use of low-carb diets because of the increased risk for such serious health problems such as kidney and liver disorders, gout, coronary heat disease, diabetes, stoke and several types of cancer. Although weight loss is an important goal, choosing a healthy way to lose the weight is what really matters.

Glenn Freiboth is a Certified Health Advisor lives in Illinois and has helped many overweight and obese people lose weight and keep it off.
Get the Medifast weight loss product balanced with carbohydrates and protein at http://www.GetYouHealth.com

If you’ve been looking for sound advice on weight loss programs and diet plans, we have some good news for you. We’ve compiled a top ten list of weight loss tips for women. These tips on losing weight are powerful and proven to get results. Best of all, you won’t find any gimmicks or fads here. Only the best, most accurate and scientifically proven health advice made the cut and has been included in this fitness advice guide.

1) Our first weight loss tip for women is simply to exercise consistently. That may seem like common sense, but only 45 percent of adults are actually following their doctor’s advice and getting the recommended minimum: 30 minutes a day, at least four days a week. After only four weeks of inactivity the body begins to shed muscle mass, and aerobic fitness levels start to diminish after missing only two weeks of workouts. That’s why regular, consistent exercise is our first and most important weight loss tip.

2) Don’t focus so much on fast weight loss. Instead, concentrate your efforts on achieving permanent weight loss. While it may be tempting to try the latest fad diet or prescription diet pill, keep in mind that quick weight loss doesn’t always equate to healthy weight loss. As a matter of fact, when you diet without exercising, up to half of the weight you lose could be from muscle mass. Losing muscle is the absolute worst thing you can do when you’re trying to acquire permanent fat loss, so don’t be tempted by the gimmicks promising rapid weight loss. Focus on permanent weight loss through a sensible diet and exercise program, and you’ll be pleased with the long-term results.

3) This weight loss tip is perhaps the best free medical advice you’ll ever receive: Eat your recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables before indulging in any treats. This diet tip is so potent because it will help you realize better health in so many different ways. First and foremost, consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day will help us lose weight because fiber moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed. High fiber foods also make us feel full sooner and stay in our stomach longer, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Following this health tip will also lower your risk of several cancers and heart disease.

4) As much as possible, eliminate ‘white’ foods from your diet. High sugar and high carbohydrate foods create an insulin spike that tells our body to start storing fat. They also trigger a blood sugar high, which is inevitably followed by a low. This drop in insulin levels leaves us feeling hungry, tired, and wanting to eat more. Specifically, at the bottom of an insulin crash the body craves more sugar and carbohydrates, setting us up for a vicious weight gain cycle. With this in mind, it’s good advice to simply avoid ‘white’ foods whenever possible. Choose brown rice instead of white, whole wheat bread instead of white, and cut back on goodies made with white processed flour.

5) Actively seek out all the expert advice on health, diet and nutrition that you can find. There are many reputable sources of online medical advice available, and much of it is free. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about weight loss, the more likely it is that you’ll be successful in your efforts. Look for free advice and fitness tips from qualified sources like health club owners, physicians, and certified personal trainers. In short, learn all you can.

6) Get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Research has shown that people who sleep only four hours a night have an 18 percent reduction in leptin, a hormone that tells the brain there is no need for more food, and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin, which triggers hunger. This is one weight loss tip that should be easy for anyone to follow.

7) Drink water. Drink LOTS of water. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies show that a decrease in water will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water can actually reduce fat deposits. Why? The kidneys can’t function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don’t function to capacity, some of the work load is taken on by the liver. The liver’s primary function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy. If the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work, it can’t function at its optimal capacity. As a result, it metabolizes less fat. More fat remains stored and weight loss / fat loss stops.

Although it’s not a workout tip or an exercise tip, staying motivated is probably the most effective weight loss advice you’ll ever receive. Since each person in different, motivational techniques will vary. However, many have found that charting fat loss progress to be very encouraging. Others maintain that the single most motivating action is to find a friend and commit to exercise together. Whatever method you choose, find a way to stay motivated if you want to write your own weight loss success story.

9) Essential weight loss advice for a woman is to not exercise like a man. That may sound strange at first, but the fact of the matter is that there are several separate and distinct exercise methods available, and not all are proper for women. In fact, some types of exercise could possibly cause women to gain weight (although any weight gain would be from added muscle, not from fat). For maximum fat loss, women should be engaging in not only aerobic exercise but also in light resistance training.

10) Our final weight loss tip is to carefully select vitamins and supplements to help you attain your fat loss goals. There are a million diet pills and weight loss pills on the market, but the vast majority of them may not be appropriate for you and your personal needs. Instead of buying what you see on the infomercials, take the time to research what’s effective and what’s not. Most importantly, speak with your doctor before beginning any supplement program. Medical research has given us many breakthroughs in the last few decades, and vitamins and supplements can certainly be a valuable tool in your weight loss toolbox. Take the time to investigate the options and choose wisely.

Although there’s a mountain of health advice available today, our Top 10 Weight Loss Tips for Women are the best, most accurate and scientifically proven recommendations at hand. Take them to heart, and you’ll be well on your way towards fat loss success.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.