Drinking Your Way To A Healthy Body

While dieting it is important to watch what you drink just as much as you watch what you eat. A great number of beverages and “healthy” fruit juices are packed with high amounts of sugar and will cause weight gain if not properly burned off. This actually defeats the purpose of dieting because by drinking all these beverages full of sugar, you are actually working against your goal. Here are a couple of rules when it comes to what to drink while dieting.

Rule # 1:
Drink plenty of water. I know, you've probably heard this a million times but it's true, this is a key ingredient of a healthy lifestyle.

If you are the kind of person who just can't stand drinking water because it doesn't taste like anything, try adding a lemon wedge to give it a little twist in flavor.

Rule # 2:
Lay off the booze. We all know about the beer bellies but what many don't know is that it has been proven that alcohol has elements which actually make it more difficult to burn off fat.

This isn't to say you can never drink again but you shouldn't exceed 1-2 drinks if you are looking to be healthy. Our liver is one of the organs mainly responsible for
metabolizing fat. Since alcohol seriously impinges on proper liver function, too much alcohol means your body isn't being able to metabolize fat and therefore, you're not burning fat like you should. Drinking alcohol also dehydrates the body which completely defeats the whole idea of drinking enough water. Not to mention the fact that alcohol contains almost as many calories per gram as fat.

The fact is that if you are serious about getting in shape and losing the extra pounds, you have to lay off the serious drinking. If you must drink, try light beer or a small glass of wine.

Rule # 3:
Try not to drink too much coffee. Although coffee is very controversial, the truth is that a couple of cups a day isn't going to do too much harm. Coffee does, however, dehydrate the body as well and extra water should be consumed if you want to keep hydrated. If you are looking to lose weight quicker, then stay away from the creamy latte's that are packed with fat milk and creams and loaded with too much sugar.

Rule # 4:
Don't over due low-fat drinks. The fact is that diet beverages, be it tea, soda, sports drinks, etc., often bring a lot of sugar which, as we all know, is completely detrimental to losing weight. Again, the best way to hydrate is water.

Anyhow, diet drinks haven't been proven to help you lose weight and sometimes they may even cause cravings for real sugar which can work against you.

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Some Fitness Tips

Fitness tip # 1 - Drink plenty of water. Two thirds of the human body consists of water, which makes it our most vital nutrient. Water is necessary for the transportation of essential vitamins and minerals as well as carbohydrates. If your water intake is low you lose the ability to transport nutrients through your body and substances such as urea, uric acid, ammonia and other nasty matter begin to accumulate, leaving you feeling lethargic. If you don’t drink enough water your body will actually store more water because it’s not sure how long it will have to wait for you to drink again. So by drinking more water it’s actually possible to lose 1-2 kg of bodyweight of stored fluid. Drinking a glass of water before your meal can also help control your appetite and stop you from overeating.

Fitness tip # 2 - Eat 5-6 meals times a day. Eating at regular intervals will keep your metabolism burning strong throughout the day. You’re also less likely to binge eat, will have stable energy levels and will burn more calories through increased meal consumption (digestion burns calories). If you have trouble eating 5-6 meals a day, try adding a meal replacement to your diet, make sure its ‘whole food based’ so it has genuine nutritional value.

Fitness tip # 3 - Eat more fiber. A diet that is high in fiber will aid in fat loss whether you’re eating less calories or not. Fiber assists weight loss by releasing sugar into the bloodstream slowly. High levels of sugar in the bloodstream cause an insulin spike which will slow fat burning. Good sources of fiber are found in whole grains, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables. Avoid refined and overcooked foods.

Fitness tip # 4 - Calorie deficit. Through proper diet and regular exercise create a calorie deficit. This simply means burning more calories than you’re consuming. Keep a journal and get a calorie counter, you can record your diet for free at www.fitday.com. How are you supposed to know how many calories you’re putting into your body if you’re not keeping track of what you’re eating and drinking? By creating a calorie deficit you’ll be using energy from your energy stores (body fat). The trick is not to create a calorie deficit that’s too high or your body will think its starving and will begin too slow your metabolism down, your focus should be on losing fat, not necessarily weight. A too high calorie deficit can also cause a reduction in lean muscle mass making it harder for you to lose weight.

Fitness tip # 5 – Weight training. Muscle is the only tissue that is metabolically expensive. Therefore increasing muscle mass will elevate your metabolism at rest, you’ll burn more calories sitting behind your desk and whilst you’re asleep, you will also burn a considerable more amount of energy whilst you’re exercising through greater energy demand from the increase in lean muscle. Perform exercises that will give you the biggest return, compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats, pushing and pulling exercises and use a variety of combination lifts and circuits. Use drop sets and superset’s and keep the rest period in between exercises to a minimum.

Fitness tip # 6 - Consume more protein. Eating protein will keep you fuller for longer, meaning you’ll consume less overall calories in a day. Eating protein also makes your digestive system work twice as hard as eating carbohydrates and fat, so by eating more protein you’ll be burning more calories through digestion (this is known as the thermic effect). One of the biggest mistakes people make when dieting is that they lose muscle as well as fat, which will in turn slow down their metabolism. By eating plenty of protein and following a suitable weights program this will ensure you maintain your muscle tissue. If you have trouble consuming adequate amounts of protein, try supplementing with a ‘whole food based’ protein drink.

Fitness tip # 7 - Interval Training. Interval training is the #1 cardiovascular exercise for weight loss. It includes high intensity exercise (for10-60 seconds) broken up with periods of low intensity exercise. The good thing with interval training is that you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. So there’s no need to spend hrs pounding away on a treadmill, you can be done in 20-25 mins and that's including your warm up and cool down! This form of training will keep your metabolism elevated for up to 24 hrs after you’ve finished training, through E.P.O.C (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), so you’ll be burning calories even while you’re sleeping.


Reading this report will mean nothing to you if you don’t take action and begin to implement some changes into your everyday life, without taking action you’ll be stuck in a vicious circle of fad diets and magic pills only to find yourself back where you started, frustrated and confused. It’s up to you to make things happen and to take control of your own health, don’t you think you’re worth it?.

Fat Loss Secrets You Can Use Today!

If you’re like the majority of people that are trying to lose weight, tone up and get fit, you’ve probably read countless weight loss books and tried all the fad diets. As you probably know by now those fad diets don’t work, do they? And if you are one of the lucky ones to lose some weight while on the diet, how long do you manage to keep it off? As long as you stay on the diet right? As soon as you come off the diet you’ll put it all back on, and then some.

And then there’s the fat loss supplement industry, how many miracle pills have you popped? How many weight loss shakes have you already drank? When you fail on these as most people do you feel it’s your fault, right? In reality it’s not your fault. The weight loss industry is making a fortune at your expense by feeding you rubbish and misleading you, they know how much you want to change the way you look and feel.

The truth is the majority of people just don’t know how to eat properly. We all know we should eat 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday but how many people do? 95% of Australians are undernourished and you are probably one of them.

When you think of someone being undernourished you immediately see images of people starving in Africa, but in reality if your overweight you’re actually undernourished. Because you keep putting the wrong foods into your body, you’re body keeps sending you signal’s that you’re still hungry. If you ate foods that are high in nutritional content your body will stop craving the vital nutrients it needs, and you’ll be closer to your perfect weight!

Now, you may be asking yourself why I am giving away all of these fat loss secrets for free. It’s because I’m a firm believer of you reap what you sow and hopefully this will go towards helping you reach some of your fitness and weight loss goals.

Below I have listed some guidelines that will help kick start your weight loss regimen and put you on the road to living a healthier life. Obviously these are just are a few of the many things that you can do to help you lose weight, but if you apply and make these changes to your daily lifestyle, you can be free from the hype and propaganda and on your way to a new you.

Fitness tip # 1 – Eat low GI foods. Eat foods that are low on the GI index. Put Simply, The Glycemic Impact Index (GI) of a food tells you whether the carbohydrate in the food is fast or slow releasing. Eating foods that have a high GI rating causes your insulin levels to rise, it’s a known scientific fact that your body has trouble burning fat when your insulin levels are elevated. Foods that are low GI will give you longer lasting energy whereas high GI foods will give you a short burst of energy, leaving you feeling hungry shortly afterwards. Avoid simple sugars which are found in sweets, soft drinks, cakes, bread, bagels, white pasta/rice and juices. Limit alcohol consumption. Instead get the majority of your carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, beans and brown rice.

Fitness tip # 2 – Healthy Fats. Not all fats are bad for you, the right kind of fats are essential for optimal health and help reduce the risk cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and a host of other illnesses. Foods that are high in saturated fat, which are found in animal based foods and Trans fats which are in processed foods should be kept to minimum. Totally eliminate fatty meats from your diet (bacon, sausages etc). If you do eat meat, make sure it’s a lean cut. Make sure you eat plenty of seeds, nuts, avocado’s and fish and be sure to take an omega 3 supplement.

Sport Drinks And Energy Drinks For Bodybuilding

There are a vast number of supplements available for bodybuilders, and it's no wonder that they become confused by what they should use and what they shouldn't. Some manufacturer's make wild claims about their products ability to increase muscle and bulk, but you should be aware that there are no regulations in place to guarantee the safety or purity of a product sold as a supplement. Supplements are not required to meet the same safety standards of a prescription drug for instance and no requirement is needed to prove the effectiveness of any health claims the product makes.

One of the most misunderstood concepts in the world of muscle building is the protein drink. I remember when I first started supplementing my diet with protein shakes. Some of my friends asked if I had noticed any differences in my training like I was on steroids or something. If that was the only time I had been asked similar questions, I wouldn't worry as much, but since it is so common, I've decided to address the point and even show you a couple of my favourite muscle building drinks.

First of all, realize that a muscle building drink is just a substitute for food. It doesn't have any magical properties, its the nutritional equivalent of grabbing a chicken breast and putting it in the blender. While your protein drink should taste a helluva lot better than a blended chicken, it's essentially delivering the same thing. Now, lets look into making the best muscle building drinks out there. What you want to put in these will depend on what you personally like and what you are drinking it for.

However, if you want to have a shake after your training session, you will still want plenty of protein, but you will want faster energy releasing carbs, so you can repair your muscles as quickly as possible. Make sense Don't worry if it doesn't, just accept it for the time being.

If you want to personalize your power drink or if you want to make sure what ingredients are in the power drinks you take in, you can make your own blend to meet what your body needs for a specific bodybuilding training set. There are many protein power drinks that you can blend and mix. Protein power drinks add muscle to the drink and it also contains carbohydrates, calcium, riboflavin and of course, protein.

Energy drinks are soft drinks advertised as being specifically designed to provide energy. Generally they include a combination of methylxanthines (including caffeine), B vitamins, and herbal ingredients. Other ingredients commonly include guarana (extracts from the guarana plant) or taurine plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of sugar, while most brands also offer an artificially sweetened version. The central ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine the same stimulant found in coffee or tea, often in the form of guarana (as in Josta, for example) or yerba mate.

Energy drinks are also used as mixers with alcohol. This combination carries a number of dangers:

Since energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant, the combination of effects may be dangerous. The stimulant effects can mask how intoxicated you are and prevent you from realizing how much alcohol you have consumed. Fatigue is one of the ways the body normally tells someone that they've had enough to drink.

The verdict on energy drinks

Evidence is beginning to emerge that energy drinks may be harmful to some members of our community. It may be best to avoid giving these drinks to children under the age of ten. With older children and young people, watch closely the amount of energy drinks they consume as well as any effects on their mood or behaviour. If you are unsure or would like further advice, consult your doctor or other health professional.

Water, Diet Sodas And Weight Loss

What on earth does water have to do with weight loss? Actually, a lot more than you previously imagined.

Are you aware that some studies have shown that your brain cannot distinguish between hunger and thirst? Sometimes when your body is telling you that you are thirsty, your brain may be hearing that you are hungry. So what do you do? You put food in your mouth when a glass of water might have been sufficient. Most food has calories, most water doesn't. Simple equation. 'Nuff said on that topic.

By the way, ever wake up in the middle of the night and crave a snack? Nine times out of ten, a glass of water will do the trick. I know, I didn't believe it either until I tried it. It really works!

Tissue, muscle, cells, even blood are all comprised to a large per cent of water. When your brain starts getting signals that water is needed...well, remember the confusion factor mentioned above? We eat something instead of giving our body what it really craves and needs! Your entire body works much better, by the way, when the fluid levels are kept up where they need to be.

BUT I DRINK LOTS OF LIQUID AND STILL GAIN WEIGHT!

Sure you do, but what KIND of liquid. I won't even talk about sodas, coffee, or tea sweetened with sugar. I'm going to assume that you already know that sugar is not the way to go if you want to lose weight, but what about the artificially sweetened drinks?

Did you know...

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS CAN CAUSE YOU TO GAIN WEIGHT?

Some studies have shown that using artificial sweeteners can contribute to weight gain in at least two ways.

First, there is the confusion factor. When you use artificial sweeteners, you, and your brain, become confused about the calorie content of the food you eat. You may actually find yourself eating more in an effort to satisfy an internal urge or interpretation, and this urge may be related to the assumed "fact" that the sweet soda you just drank didn't have that many calories, so neither does this cinnamon roll. Actually, before artificial sweeteners, our bodies and brains were pretty good at relating calorie content to food based on the sweetness.

A WORD FOR PARENTS!

Our bodies' understanding of "sweetness" and the development of the internal calorie estimating apparatus mentioned above apparently occurs in childhood. Early use of artificial sweeteners could cause the grown-up years later to ingest more of sweet foods than they should.

The second way in which artificial sweeteners may contribute to weight gain is what could be called...

THE SUGAR TRAP!

Your body is a complicated device which has developed a huge number of inter-related, synergistic, stimulus sensing and automatic response mechanisms. It has learned to begin things happening inside when something sweet is detected. The digestive system is prepared to receive a certain type of fuel...which it welcomes! When you ingest food or drink which has been artificially sweetened, all your little hormones, glands, cells, and systems begin asking, "What's going on?" Like prisoners in an old movie, they start rattling their tin cups and yelling out, "FEED ME!" Oh yeah, that was the plant in "Little Shop Of Horrors", wasn't it?

Anyway, your internal messengers are now not very happy, nor will they be until you send down some calories for them to munch on. See the trap? It reminds me of when I managed a restaurant when people would order a salad and diet drink and then smother the salad in high-calorie, high-fat dressing and have ice cream for dessert. Get the picture.

6 Weight Loss Busters You Shouldn't Eat

1. Fried Foods That Are Frightening
2. Steakhouse Stories That Scare
3 Manufacturers Mislead Many
4. Burgers That Are Bigger and Biggest
5. Awful Appetisers
6. Cakes and Cookies That Are Calorie Clogged

1. Fried Foods That Are Frightening

Deep fried foods are nutritionally bad for you. If you enjoy going to fairs and carnivals, you may well be tempted to eat the strangest of concoctions. It's amazing just what has been thrown into the deep fryer in the name of creativity.

But the only thing you are going to create is havoc with your weight loss diet.

2. Steakhouse Stories That Scare

Your local neighbourhood restaurant or steakhouse may be a Nutritional Nightmare. Fried onions that are considered a Starter Dish are so full of Calories, Fat, Saturated Fat and with a high Salt content. And to go from bad to worse, the onions are usually served with a sauce that has even more Calories, Fat and Salt. For the sake of your health, be sure you know your onions.

3. Manufacturers Mislead Many

Foods that are often labeled as healthy are just the opposite. Marion Nestle PhD, MPH a New York University Nutritional Professor in her book ‘What To Eat,' talks of ‘Fruit Snacks' that have absolutely no fruit in them but were just laden with sugar. Don't believe the adverts, read the labels carefully then decide for yourself if it's right for you.

4. Burgers That Are Bigger and Biggest

Burgers are getting bigger and bigger. Burger King and others are taking a bun and piling on as many as four burgers, plus slices of cheese and strips of bacon. Just one of these burgers will give you more Calories than you should eat if having three meals a day. If you really do want a burger, try ordering a plain burger. It could be served with a sauce, but it should be on the side not on top. That will save you eating more Calories than you need.

5. Awful Appetisers

How about a Fundido as a snack before the main meal?

A Fundido is made up of a combination of cheese, pepperoni, bacon and sausage served with bread sticks. If you are on a weight loss diet, a Fundido is a nutritional no-no.

6. Cakes and Cookies That Are Calorie Clogged

You are tempted to have a square of Starbucks Old Fashioned Crumb Cake to go with your coffee but that little square has 670 Calories in it. And a piece of Cheesecake has enough Calories in it to make a mess of your weight loss diet, but the Cheesecake Factory adds Chocolate Candy, Mousse etc. Nice for a treat once a year, but for the rest of the year … DON'T.

If you want to keep to your weight loss diet, learn what foods are best for you and avoid the ones that sabotage it.