The Youth Fountain Blog – Health, Beauty, Wellness, Weight Loss, Weight Gain, Anti Aging
4Nov/090

A Low-Carb Diet Plan — Does It Help in Your Weight Loss Program?

A low carb diet plan can be a great way to help you in your weight-loss journey, but it is important to keep in mind that your dreams of meals filled with T-bones and bacon can cause more harm than good. If you have recently jumped on the low carb bandwagon, there are a few things you will need to consider before banning carbs from your life.

We all know that refined carbohydrates are bad for us. They cause insulin levels in our bodies to raise and fall too quickly, leaving us feeling tired and lethargic. These over processed foods have many health dangers and should be avoided or eaten very sparingly. However, there is such a thing as a good carb when you are on a low carb diet plan. Whole grain carbohydrates are what supplies our bodies with the energy we need to function properly. Complex carbohydrates metabolize slower than processed carbs, giving you energy without the dramatic highs and lows that processed carbohydrates cause. Eating whole grain carbohydrates in moderation is not only healthy, it will help with the energy slump that most low carb diets cause.

Fruits and veggies are also commonly forbidden on many low carb diet plan menus. While fruits can be high in sugar, the sugar is natural and metabolizes in the body much differently than refined sugars. Fruit also supplies much needed vitamins, minerals and fiber to the body. With such a small amount of complex carbs entering the digestive system, the body has to have fiber in order to work properly. When eaten in moderation, fruits and vegetables are a must have no matter what type of diet you are on.

Fat can be another concern when following a low carb diet plan. Many low carb diets urge the dieters to eat as much meat and fats as they like. While this may seem like a dream come true, this way of eating can cause many health problems. Red meat is hard for the body to digest and should be eaten in moderation. If you are low carbing it, choose proteins such as chicken, fish, and legumes that are low in fat rather than the tempting high fat foods that these diets say you can enjoy in unlimited quantities.

There is also no real need to add extra fat to your diet in the form of butter and cream. Too much fat in a diet can lead to high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and other deadly diseases. The calories that excess fats bring to a diet are not only bad for your health, eating too many can create bad habits that will be hard to break if for some reason you decide that the low carb diet plan is not a good fit for your lifestyle.

With a little tweaking, a low carb diet can be a healthy diet plan to follow. The trick is to use common sense when making food choices and to listen to your body.

20Jul/090

Weight Gain Over 40 – Why Plus 40 Women Gain Weight and How to Prevent It?




Weight gain over 40 is a regular occurrence. Due to menopause most women gain weight. There are various reasons for weight gain at this stage. Slowdown in the metabolism rate due to aging is the main factor for obtaining that extra flab in their body.

Usually the stress levels of women over 40 are quite high. They have more responsibilities. Lack of physical activities at this age also causes weight gain. One should be extra cautious about the diet and lifestyle after 40. Due to aging, most women undergo hormonal imbalances, which further increases their chances to gain weight.

Weight gain over 40 can be prevented as well as reversed. In order to look younger than your age, you should have proper diets and exercises. A healthy lifestyle is very necessary to shed those extra pounds. In order to prevent weight gain, you should do regular cardio workouts such as running, swimming, hiking, and brisk walking. These processes help your body to engender metabolism that consequently stimulates fat burning. Brisk walking is the most preferred workout for women over 40. It is also extremely necessary for you to drink plenty of water. You should drink at least 10-12 glasses of water daily.

You can also consume Acai berry diet for preventing weight gain over 40. Its unique mood enhancing properties can make you feel good. You should combine this diet plan with colon cleansing which will remove all the harmful toxins from your body easily. It can effortlessly remove those stubborn belly fats also.

You should eat more fruits and green colored vegetables. It is always advisable to avoid red meat because they contain saturated fats. You should maintain a low carbohydrate and low fat diet in order to look healthy after 40.

12Jul/090

Health and Wellness – Vitamin D is More Important For Your Health Than You Think!




For years we have been told to get an adequate amount of vitamins. We ate lots of dairy (eggs, cheese and full glasses of milk - for calcium and Vitamin D), lots of red meat for protein, and then added some fruits and vegetables to obtain our C and B vitamins and smaller amounts of other vitamins. However, during the past 20 years, we have begun to doubt the old wisdom. We are drinking much less milk (replacing it often with soymilk) and we are using a lot of highly protective sunscreen to avoid the "dangerous" rays that cause skin cancer.
 
Problem is, researchers have been finding greater and greater deficiencies of vitamin D among American adults. The number of men and women getting adequate quantities of vitamin D was reduced almost 50% between 2001 and 2004 and between 1988 and 1994. It has been suggested that this huge reduction in vitamin D may be the result of people spending more time indoors, avoiding direct sunlight, and using too much high protection suntan lotion.
 
Previous research linked low vitamin D to the rare disease, Rickets, in children, and to lower bone density and teeth problems in adults. Recent research reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, however, has begun to link inadequate vitamin D to some major health problems, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, infection, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity and weight gain, parathyroid problems, immune function, and overall health and well being.
                                                                                                          
Why is vitamin D so important and what does it do for your body? Dietary vitamin D is actually a building block for a steroid hormone in your body called calcitrol. Vitamin D works with other nutrients and hormones to enhance the ongoing process of bone renewal. Calcitrol also becomes part of healthy cells, assisting the process of tissue renewal.  Your body cannot create vitamin D. The two main sources of vitamin D direct sunlight with strong enough UVB rays, only a few hours per week, or eating foods that are high in vitamin D, such as fatty fish (wild salmon, sardines) or foods fortified with vitamin D.
 
How much vitamin D should you be taking daily? The U.S. Food and Nutrition Board suggests that we need 2000 IU per day, but some studies suggest that adults may need as much as 3000-5000 IU per day, or even as much as 10,000 IU per day.

How might you know that you have a vitamin D deficiency? Symptoms can range from simple muscle pains, low energy, fatigue, depression, mood swings and sleep problems to weak bones, fractures and lowered immunity. People with kidney or intestinal problems may also have vitamin D deficiency because they are unable to absorb or convert the nutrient into calcitrol to function properly in the body.
                                        
What can you do now to prevent or overcome vitamin D deficiency?

Get adequate sun exposure, preferably early morning or late afternoon Eat fatty fish, eggs including the yolks, milk and other dairy, and even some meats, e.g., liver Take a multivitamin daily Add a vitamin D supplemtn Receive yearly blood tests which include a test of your vitamin D blood level

2Jul/090

Gain Weight, Build Muscle? Follow These 3 Tips and Your Skinny Days Are Over!




If you're struggling to gain some weight and build muscle mass even though you've been eating large meals of healthy foods, then it's time to shake things up. I'll show some simple ways to get your calorie intake up to the point where, with some sensible weight training, your body will be forced to pack on a lot of good weight - and fast too.

The following 3 tips will have you gaining weight in no time flat:

1. Re-evaluate what 'healthy foods' really means

To someone with your bodytype, is what I mean. If you're eating a lot of high fiber, low-GI and high protein foods, then good for you. You're on the right track. However, if your diet has mostly low fat options, then you're never going to get enough calories to beat your fast metabolism. Even worse, your testosterone production is not going to be optimal to support weight gain in the form of dense muscle.

What to do? Eat more whole eggs, red meat, dark meat poultry portions, etc. When you eat salads, use a dressing that contains olive oil. Use butter on your warm veggies. You get the picture...

2. Supercharge your liquid meals.

Your big-boned comrade that can afford to lose some fat should mix his protein shakes with water or skim milk. Not you. You should use whole milk. And if that doesn't help, add whipping cream in place of some of the milk. Not only will your shakes taste a whole lot better, you'll also get a ton more calories. Much more than if you tried to forcefeed yourself more solid food, which is not always possible.

3. Minimize cardiovascular exercise

If you must do cardio, then do very little - and choose the right type. Long, slow cardio will just make you more catabolic than you naturally are. Bye bye muscle. Rather do interval training, and then only very short sessions - 15 minutes max. You don't need cardio if you're hitting the weights as hard as you should be.

4. Choose an appropriate mass building system

Those workouts in the bodybuilding mags? Trash. As are most books and ebooks on the market. And so are the diets they recommend. Those 'diets' are just built around selling you 'magic' supplements that don't work.

25Jun/090

Weight Loss Obstacles – How to Avoid Weight Loss Burnout




Have you ever woke up one day, usually a Monday, and told yourself that this was the day you were going to start living a healthier lifestyle. The extra weight you are carrying is coming off and for good this time. You're going to eat all the right foods and go to the gym loyally. You are feeling highly motivated and you're ready to roll! How long did it last? Was it a month or two, a week or two, a day? You are not alone!

This is a very common problem, people don't live up to their own expectations and then they dismiss it, usually by saying 'I don't have any will power'. So that's it, you tell yourself you don't have any will power and you let that excuse you from what you need to do to get it. The beginning stages of any exercise program are always the toughest. This is when people have the greatest fall off rate. Why? There are a few reasons. The biggest reason is that people do too much too soon. You want to lose weight and you want to lose it now! Well, if one day you're eating pizza and ice cream and sitting on the couch and the next day you're eating bean sprouts and working out for an hour and a half, a red flag should be going up. This is not going to last! These are examples of two extremes and going to the extreme in either direction is not healthy and not necessary.

I cannot emphasize enough how important small lifestyle changes can be if you want to lose weight. With diet, that may mean adding more fruits and vegetables instead of fatty snacks, avoiding red meat and fried food, avoid nighttime eating, if you eat because you are bored, do something so that you are not bored, just to name a few.

With exercise, that may mean going for a walk after dinner or at lunch, exercising 3-5 days a week for 30 minutes, actively playing with the kids, finding an exercise class that you enjoy, just to name a few.

Another top reason that people give up on themselves and their weight loss is impatience. When people start eating better and exercising they tend to think that the results should come very fast. There is a lot wrong with this way of thinking. First of all, it is very unhealthy to lose weight fast. In order to do that you must deprive your body of many calories and therefore vital nutrients as well. This also slows down your metabolism so you will have a greater tendency to gain the weight back. Secondly, you did not get out of shape overnight, it is wrong to expect it come right back to you overnight as well.

On average, a weight loss of two pounds a week is considered healthy. The key is to enjoy the process and all the great things that happen along the way to your goal. It has to be about more than losing weight. You will have more energy and that feels good, you will be in better spirits as well. You may start to feel more confident and strong. These important changes come a lot faster than the final goal, so savor them. Let them act as motivation to keep you going. Remind yourself that when you were eating junk and not exercising that you felt lethargic, out of control, possibly even depressed.

Everyone hits bumps in the road to health and fitness. When you hit one of these inevitable bumps, you have two choices. You can either persevere and continue on your journey or take yourself back to where you started. Obviously, you were not happy at your starting point or else you never would have started at all. We all want to feel good, be healthy and active, have more energy, and be strong and confident. So, the next time you come to a fork in the road, remember this, tell yourself you are worth the effort, and choose the right way, the way towards health and happiness.

18Jun/090

How Can Men Lose Weight Fast?




95% of men diet the wrong way. They starve themselves, they work out too hard, and they don't rest. Find out how men can lose weight fast. Do you have a big reunion coming up? Do you need to get ready for the summer months? Either way you are a man and you need to lose weight fast, so what do you do?

Most Importantly, Remember to Eat!

This is the most important item to remember. Your body needs fuel. The difference is your body needs lean, effective fuel, so it can burn fat, and build muscle. So, you have to remember to eat first thing in the morning, and 5 other times during the day - in small portions.

ip #1: Lots of Water

Water is your metabolism's life juice. Your body thrives on having the proper hydration to metabolize food into energy. Moreover, if you're drinking water, that means there is a good chance you're not drinking soda or other highly caloric drinks. Drink lots of water and stay away from empty calories, if you want any shot in losing weight fast.

Tip #2: No Bad Fat

Sounds kind of paradoxical doesn't it? Not really. There are good fats and there are bad fats. If our question is, "Can Men Lose Weight Fast?" we have to be prepared to cut out our most favorite food: red meat! Instead of red meat we need to concentrate on good fats which are available in kalamata olives, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and avocados. These good fats have been scientifically proven to reduce body fat, particularly in the stomach!

Tip #3: More Fiber

Your diet must consist of at least 100% of the daily recommended allowance if you have serious hopes of shedding any pounds soon. Fiber in your diet has an incredible ability to detoxify your system and rid your digestive tract of any unwanted matter. Did you know John Wayne is believed to have had over 50 pounds of matter in his colon upon his death? As men, looking to lose weight fast, step one should be ensuring that we get a good dose of fiber at breakfast time.

1Jun/090

Wellness and Recovery




As you may be aware you are not the only one who has ever hid empty wine or liquor bottles in cupboards you know your spouse doesn't go in. Maybe you missed a job opportunity because you failed a drug test. In The United States, as far back as 2004, it was estimated that five to ten percent of the population were addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs.

That is also believed to be a conservative figure because of the staggering prescription drug abuse that often goes unreported. That's 30 million people driving on our roads, working in all kinds of positions, some of them sensitive in nature. It's a little frightening. I used to be one of them. Perhaps it's better said "I am one of them, however, I have chosen not to engage in that activity anymore." I'm in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction (chemical dependency, substance abuse, or whichever synergistic label applies today.)

It is not my intention to fill your mind with endless blather about psycho-babble; but rather to point out the obvious, drugs are bad... OK? One aspect of the detrimental effects of prolonged addiction (yes, this is how I talk and write) is the myriad of physical consequences brought upon the human body by abuse. I won't lay out the laundry list in its entirety, but just to be reasonably informative, on the off chance there is a reader who has been locked in a closet wearing a blindfold, earplugs, and in a state of absolute delusion, it is extremely likely that your liver is damaged.

Ahh... the liver. What a wonderful organ! Next to my penis it's my favorite. Come to think of it, I made a career abusing that one also. But that's a bit off topic. Oh yes the liver, even more than the lungs, it is the organ which has the most ability to repair itself. It also is the one organ in the body that performs more functions than almost any other, except for the brain. The brain, that marvelous computer that is so intelligent it controls the automatic functions of the body, because the conscious mind would screw it up. There's a dichotomy for you.

Given the premise that drug abuse damages the most important organs in the body, and that while we were doing this permanent harm to ourselves, we were in complete denial of the fact that we were truly killing ourselves, it is safe to assume there is a real mental illness at work here.

Ahh... Mental illness, finally we get to the crux of the matter. Physical wellness begins with mental wellness. Now, I don't advocate that you run out and get a prescription to combat the mental illness we just pointed out that you have... There are other avenues available. Things you can do on a daily basis to repair the damage to your brain, and liver. Start with a really good nutritious diet. Eat lots of raw food (vegetables and fruit not red meat you animal!) and high protein (cooked lean red meat) low carbohydrate, whole grain dark bread, rice etc. It takes time, but you will feel better, and don't forget to laugh once in a while. Now take off your Chihuahua's sweater and act NORMAL!

14May/090

Foods to Gain Weight and Build Muscle




While many people are concerned about losing weight, there are also people who are looking for ways to gain weight naturally and in a healthy way. Healthy weight gain may help increase energy levels and endurance. It may also help you build muscle and strength. For some people, healthy weight gain may help make them look more attractive. There are certain foods that you can eat to gain weight in a healthy and natural way without building up excess body fat.

When choosing foods for weight gain, avoid eating high-fat and high-sugar foods. Using this type of food to gain weight can lead to increased blood cholesterol. High cholesterol levels have been known to lead to heart disease. Using weight gain supplements as food to gain weight is also not a good idea because such supplements do not build muscle. They also tend to be very expensive.

The best way to gain weight is to eat foods that promote a healthy diet and to also engage in regular strength training to build muscle. Most health professionals recommend that you aim to gain about one pound each week. Slow weight gain is recommended in order to avoid too much body fat. Another point to remember is that the amount of weight you gain will depend on your calorie intake. If being thin runs in your family, you may find it harder to gain weight. Make fats, carbohydrates and protein an important part of your weight gain diet. Fats provide the energy and the vitamins that you need while carbohydrates are the main source of energy that your body needs during exercise. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Proteins are important for building and repairing muscle, producing hormones, replacing blood cells and boosting your immune system.

Some healthy foods that are higher in calories include bread, cereals, fruits, starchy vegetables, meats, beans and legumes.

1. Foods to gain weight - Cereals

Add whole grain cereals to your diet. Whole grains are a very good source of fiber and nutrients. The USDA recommends that you regularly eat between six and eleven servings of foods from the bread and cereal group.

2. Foods to gain weight - Fruits

   

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