3 Reasons Why You're Probably Not Losing Weight

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Many of us have battled with the age old conundrum of "Why when I'm doing everything right, am I still not losing weight?" It can be one of the most frustrating obstacles in life for many, often sufficient to cause some to completely give up on their weight loss goals due to not seeing results.

3 Reasons Why You're Probably Not Losing Weight

To use a common phrase; "barking up the wrong tree" may help shine light on the bigger picture. Basically it doesn't matter how much effort you're putting in if you're focusing on the controlling or reducing the wrong things. Hopefully the following pointers will help to keep you heading in the right direction:

1. You're probably focusing on the wrong thing!

Ever since the 1980's the word FAT has been viewed as a swear word, something to be feared and loathed. Everybody from Richard Simmons to Rosemary Conley has espoused the "Eat less fat and you'll be less fat" dogma.

After 20 odd years of people reducing fats and still getting fatter we've finally cottoned on to the fact that (largely in part to individuals such as Dr Atkins of the Atkins diet and Barry Sears of the Zone diet) fats are innocent and it's actually carbohydrates (aka "carbs") that are the villains who are wrapping all of this extra insulation around our ever expanding waistlines.

2. You probably don't understand exactly what a "Carb" is!

During my time as a fitness professional this is probably in the top 3 most common misconceptions I regularly come across. I'm going to set the record straight here and now; FRUIT & VEGETABLES ARE CARBS!

A large number of people think that these are food groups all of their own, but fruit and vegetables are carbohydrates.

If you look into the works of authors such as Loren Cordain (The Paleo Diet) and Robb Wolf ( http://robbwolf.com/ ) you will notice that these are the main types of carbs that our ancestors ate and that we have evolved to eat. That was until the mass production of grains (wheat etc) began with the advent of the agricultural revolution. Which also neatly coincides with the onset of many health-related diseases.

From the current research it's looking as if processed grains play a clear part in many of our health-related illnesses. The problem is that their availability is very widespread, as process grains such as wheat are in everything from cakes, biscuits and bread to pasta and pizzas.

3. You probably don't understand the effects of insulin on weight loss!

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas and is essentially a storage hormone. Every time your body metabolises foods and releases among other things glucose into your bloodstream the pancreas secretes insulin to bring those sugar levels back down to normal. The greater the sugar release the more insulin needs to be secreted. To give an example a few biscuits would cause a significant spike in your blood sugar as opposed to an apple which would illicit a much more modest response (see the glycemic index)

The greater the spike in sugar levels the lower are brought back down, actually to below where they were initially. This will then result in your brain telling you to eat again to bring them back up again, thus setting off a chain of you feeling a desire to eat fast release types of foods (bread, cakes etc)

The double whammy is that as insulin is a storage hormone, whilst high levels of it are present your body not only will your system aim to extract and store as much fat as possible from the high GI food you have just eaten but your body will also not release any from it's fat stores.

In a nutshell, eating these high GI foods not only makes you fat, but it also makes sure you stay that way.

To conclude, try to do the following:

Aim to get the majority of your carbs from vegetables (especially lots of the leafy green alkalising ones)
Supplement your veg intake with limited amounts of fruits.
Steer clear of the bloodsugar-spiking carbs such as bread, pasta, cakes, sweets, fruit juices, soft drinks and sweets etc and you'll notice the pounds start to come off.
Don't worry about eating fats, they're essential to the body and actually help you lose fat. Just avoid the high omega-6 ones like processed vegetable oils and the trans-fats found in most junk foods.

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Gluten Free?

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What is Gluten? Gluten is a combination of two substances, gliadin and glutenin, and is produced in some grasses. Wheat, Barley and Rye are all types of grass and most of us have been raised to eat the products of these grasses, namely flour and flour-based foods such as bread and cakes.

Gluten Free?

Gluten is also used as a stabilizing agent in many other foods, and you will often see it as one of the ingredients in canned or bottled food, but is sometimes listed as "Amp Isostearoyl Hydolized Wheat Protein". Because you know what to look for on food labels, you'd think that you can easily avoid it, however, many foods contain small amounts of gluten, and according to many countries food laws, if the amount is under a certain percentage, the food manufacturers don't have to list it.

This means that you have to start learning what foods have gluten in naturally. Lots of very healthy foods don't contain gluten such as quinoa, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds and millet. Other grasses such as buckwheat, corn and rice don't have any in them naturally.

Some people simply cannot eat gluten and have developed celiac disease, whereby their bodies cannot digest gluten. They often suffer a multitude of symptoms including, painful abdominal bloating, chronic diarrhea or the opposite, constipation, and sometimes even migraine headaches. They may also have to endure chronic fatigue, joint pain, numbness in fingers and toes, depression or anxiety and some people seem to develop osteoporosis at a very young age.

A way of eating known as the Paleolithic diet (often referred to as simply "the Paleo Diet") has been suggested as an excellent way to eat. The Paleo Diet works because of the assumption that humans have evolved over many years to eat certain types of food. As Humming birds have evolved to eat nectar from flowers and Eagles have evolved to eat meat from prey, so too have humans evolved to eat food that they have either hunted (meat) or gathered (berries, roots etc.).

As the agricultural revolution began a few thousand years ago in response to increasingly large populations around the world, people began to develop farming techniques that would make it possible to feed all of these hundreds of thousands of humans. Though many foods can keep us alive, such as sugar and alcohol, it isn't necessarily healthy for us, and consuming too much of the wrong foods can and does cause many harmful, and sometimes fatal, effects.

For example, many North American Indian tribes suffer from diabetes to a degree that is three or four times what is currently considered the norm. Perhaps this is due to their relatively new introduction to the foods considered normal by some western civilizations?

The worldwide increase in allergies and food intolerances could possibly also be attributed to diet. The fact is, we don't know if our Paleolithic ancestors suffered from these things the way that we do today, but we do have a very good idea what they ate, based on where they lived, what they had access to and the tools that they used (spears, bows and arrows etc.)

They ate quite differently from the things that we take for granted as normal. Perhaps it would make sense for all of us to try to eat the way our recent ancestors did, or at least to try it and see what health benefits might be easily available to us?

If you were to try this type of diet, maybe you'll find that your migraines would ease-up or disappear completely. Perhaps you'll lose some of that weight you've been promising yourself you'll shed for years? How about that ongoing fatigue that seems to get the better of you every day? You may simply get much nicer skin, acne free and smooth as the day you were born? Perhaps you'll get ALL of these benefits?

I'm certainly not suggesting that you go out and start hunting for your meat, though many expert nutritionists would suggest that you DO eat more fish. Hey, fishing is a KIND of hunting isn't it?

Okay, for everyday meals, you can't be expected to go out and hunt or gather food such as berries and roots, and even if you could, turning these ingredients into a healthy meal isn't something that would come naturally to you. But then cooking ANYTHING may not come naturally to you either; I certainly have to use a recipe book whenever I cook anything more complicated than a grilled-cheese sandwich!

There are plenty of gluten-free recipes available nowadays, as more and more people are trying this gluten-free diet. Many people are reporting substantially improved health and feelings of well-being; perhaps it's time YOU gave it a try?

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Baking Gluten Free Desserts

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Dessert lovers are absolutely crushed when they find out that they have celiac disease. Finding out that you have a disease is bad enough, but learning that you can no longer have the sweet desserts you love can make that feeling even worse. Changing your lifestyle to take on a gluten free diet is never an easy task, especially when it means you have to give up many of the foods you love.

Baking Gluten Free Desserts

However, what if I told you that gluten free desserts were a possibility? They are, you just need to substitute gluten based ingredients for gluten free ingredients. Some existing gluten based recipes will not work with gluten free ingredients. This is why cookbooks such as Paleo Cookbook are so helpful. There are many options for gluten free desserts available.

Gluten is a food protein, which is commonly found in wheat, rye, and barley. This means that sweet foods such as cake or cookies are not allowed when you are on a gluten free diet, unless you get creative that is. Normal wheat flour can often be easily substituted with potato flour or rice flour. Yeast is a big no-no for baking so how do you get bread to rise? Another substitute! Agar-agar or whipped egg whites can have the same effect of trapping air inside the food in the same way that yeast allows baked foods to rise.

Although it is difficult to start a gluten free diet, it is not impossible. With the right food knowledge, and knowing what to substitute in your dessert foods, you will be able to be healthier and happier in your life. With substituting ingredients, your favorite baked goodies can still taste great.

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How to Battle Out Sugar Addiction

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Experiencing sugar cravings doesn't mean that you are feeble. Health care experts suggest that there are some actual biological reasons behind sugar addiction. When it comes to weight loss, sugar and sweets are definitely detrimental. Excessive amount of sugar in body can weaken the immune system, contributes to weight gain, tooth decay, depletion of nutrients, and acidification of body plus enhances the risk of cancer. Sugar is carbohydrate. It is a quick source of serotonin which is known to be a 'feel good' chemical messenger of body. When it comes to the question how to stop craving sugar, it is strongly recommended to follow a healthy diet full of nutrients and devoid of sugar.

How to Battle Out Sugar Addiction

Everyone has a sweet tooth. It is quite natural. When the taste of sugar touches your tongue, it tends to send nerve impulses to the brain. This hits the pleasure center helps you to feel good. Many people like sweets to lighten up their mood. Anything in excess is not good for health, be it drug or sugar. It can cause obesity, diabetes or heart diseases. Thus, it is very essential to battle out the sugar addiction with right eating plans. Learn how to curb your desire to have sweets.

You can continue with your current eating habits with the first two approaches of reducing sugar cravings. When it comes to follow the third approach to get over the sugar addiction, you need to keep the scientifically developed low calorie diet plan in mind. According to reliable surveys, it has been noticed that cold turkey reduction of sugar consumption brings forth more powerful results in a short time span as compared to the gradual way. All you need to do is cut out sugar intake in all forms such as cookies, candy, or cupcakes. Plus, you are required to control the high carbohydrate temptations like bread, chips, crackers, croutons etc. following Low Carb Diet Menu Plans is certainly not a cake walk. You need to be determined with your persistent efforts.

High Cal food is said to be a dieter's worst enemy. In such a scenario, Paleo diet can be the finest preferences to lead a healthier life without sugar addiction. It is basically a diet of natural foods. This kind of diet is considered to possess equal amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. This is the reason why they serve the purpose to reduce the sugar cravings. Nowadays, there is umpteen numbers of Paleo Cookbooks available to get well-versed with the cooking methods. You can find the most popular Paleo recopies over such informative websites.

In the gradual approach to reduce sugar cravings, some healthier foods are incorporated in the diet plan. It helps you to get an improved lifestyle. The planned low Carb diet involves combination of nutrition and low calorie food. Paleo diet is the best answer to your sweet or sugar addiction. What are you waiting for then? Find out the best Paleo Diet Cookbooks over internet and make your way for a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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Quick and Easy Raw Food Recipes, With 5 Ingredients Or Less!

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Are you looking for easy raw food recipes? Well here are a few really quick and easy raw food recipes with 5 ingredients or less for the raw food beginner.

Quick and Easy Raw Food Recipes, With 5 Ingredients Or Less!

The raw food diet is a type of diet where people eat the majority of their foods in their natural whole state without cooking them. Many people are adopting this lifestyle to eat a natural whole foods diet and to get the benefits of all the nutrients available in fresh raw fruits and vegetables.

Most raw food recipes available on the web or in recipe books are complicated, time consuming, and require a lot of fancy kitchen equipment. This unfortunately turns a lot of people off to the diet because they think it is too hard and time consuming to fit into their busy lifestyle. In this article I'm going to offer a few easy recipes that don't require any fancy equipment or exotic ingredients.

*Most people already have a blender so some of these recipes require a blender.

Easy Green Smoothie Recipe

2 bananas 4 kale leaves chopped with stems removed 1/2 of an apple 1 cup water

Blend in a blender until smooth. This nutritious green smoothie can be eaten for breakfast or as a mid afternoon snack. By blending the kale you are making all the nutrients in the kale leaves such as A,K,C, Iron and calcium easy for your body to absorb and digest. The sweetness from the bananas makes the kale leaves palatable, you'll be surprised by how good it tastes! Serves 2.

Easy Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers chopped 2 ripe tomatoes chopped 1 red bell pepper chopped 1 bunch cilantro chopped 1 avocado chopped pinch sea salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy as a simple and delicious side salad. The juices of the tomato and bell pepper will marinate with the cilantro to dress the cucumbers. The flesh of a cucumber is a very good source of vitamins A, C, and folic acid. The hard skin is rich in fiber and a variety of minerals including magnesium, silica, molybdenum, and potassium. Serves 4.

Easy Avocado Salad Dressing

1/2 an avocado 1 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon chives pinch cayenne pepper pinch salt

Blend all ingredients except for the chives in the blender until smooth and then mix in the chives. If you don't have a blender mash the avocado and then whisk the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. Serves 2-4.

Easy Mango Pudding

2 mangoes peeled and diced 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 cup raspberries 1/4 cup water

Blend all ingredients except for the raspberries in the blender. Put the mango pudding in a bowl and then garnish with the raspberries or layer the mango pudding with the raspberries in little dessert dishes to make a healthy parfait. Serves 2.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes and are encouraged to try making them at home. For more free easy raw food recipes please check out the resources below:

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Nutrisystem Sample Menu - A Typical Day's Worth of Food on This Diet

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I get a lot of emails asking me about the food offerings, taste, and variety of the Nutrisystem foods.  I understand this because when I was researching this diet, the food was what I was most interested in also.  After all, you're going to be eating this food at almost every meal (unless you go with the flex program) so it's important that you'll actually find it enjoyable or at least tolerable.  Because if you don't, it's just not going to be a positive experience that you'll want to repeat or stick with. So, in the following article, I'll list what would be a sample or typical menu for me so that you can see what a day might be like should you chose this diet.

Nutrisystem Sample Menu - A Typical Day's Worth of Food on This Diet

Decent Amounts Of Variety, Decent Taste: Before I get into the actual meals, I want to take a minute to assure you that the food really is not that bad.  Most of it is not only edible, but actually pretty good. And the choices are pretty plentiful on Nutrisystem. There are over 170 foods to chose from, and much of them are comfort foods, snacks and desserts.  You really do get to eat pizza, burgers, tacos, and cake on this plan.  And while this fare doesn't exactly taste like junk food, it's decent enough and you have to appreciate being able to eat these things because not all diets would allow this.

Sample Nutrisystem Breakfast:  I think that breakfast is really composed of the best that this diet has to offer.  There are so many decent choices here.  I love the blueberry muffins and scones. The pancakes are decent too.  I don't like oatmeal as a general rule, but the diet oatmeal tastes a lot like Quaker brand, and the cereal is a nice option to have, as this is technically a low carb diet.  I suppose the only option that I steer clear of for breakfast is the eggs, but I don't like non diet eggs either.

Nutrisystem Mid Morning Snack Offerings:  The premise of this diet consists of three meals, one snack, and dessert.  I like to have my snack mid morning, but you could have it at any time.  I know a lot of people who have it at around 3 o'clock when they begin to get hungry for dinner.  I like to have the pretzels or the chips here.  You can also have some of the dessert foods as your snack, and although I will do this sometimes, I often try and stick to the salt for my snack rather than the sweet.

Nutrisystem Lunch Sample Menu: If there is a weakness of the  diet, the lunch is it, in my opinion.  There are just too many soup options and I don't like soup.  I finally wised up and learned to just order more dinners with my package.  This doesn't cost anymore and the company allows you to hand pick your foods.  However, if I did have to chose from the lunch foods, I'd go with the cheese tortellini or the fudge bar. The chicken salad isn't too bad either.

Typical Nutrisystem Dinner: The offerings become much better here.  There's a lot to like.  I find the pizza to be pretty good (I like the flat bread variety.) The macaroni and cheese and lasagna are also good.  The tacos require a little dressing up, but they can be made to be tasty.  The mushroom risotto is addictive and I would eat this even if I were not on a diet.  The texture on this is wonderful and very creamy.

Nutrisystem Dessert Choices: This too is where the diet shines.  There is not one option that I don't like in this category, but I'd have to say that my favorites are the almond biscotti and the chocolate cake. If I had to pick my least favorite, it would probably be the strawberry short cake bar as this really isn't like your traditional dessert, but this one is still pretty tasty. I just would rather they have made it an actual cake or muffin rather than a bar.

You would have the same menu if you you went with the flex plan.  The foods offered aren't any different. What's different is that you're only eating the foods five days out of the week rather than every day.  You get any two days off on the flex plan so it's the cheapest option out there.

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Supermodel Diet Secrets - Stay in Shape Like They Do

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What woman hasn't dreamed of looking like a supermodel? From the walk, to the talk, to the travel, the wardrobe, and most importantly, the body. There are always excuses as to why us (regular folk) don't look like them.

Supermodel Diet Secrets - Stay in Shape Like They Do

-Bearing multiple children
-Husbands with big appetites
-No time for the gym
-Sweet tooth (teeth, actually)
-Exercising is boring

So how do they do it? What are the supermodel diet secrets every woman wants to implement into her life so she, too, can feel like a supermodel?

Diets vary greatly, from person to person, and some nutritionists say that not every diet is right for every person. Different body types, blood types even personality types might make a difference in how well the body accepts the diet.

Jennifer Aniston follows a 40/30/30 diet method. This consists of 40% low carbs such as fruits and vegetables, legumes and beans. 30% proteins in the form of lean meats like chicken, turkey and fish as well as dairy products that are low in fat. The last 30% is made up of what is called "essential fats" and those are seeds, nuts and olive oils and omega 3 (fish oil).

Supermodel diet secrets also include the ideas that exercise should be for fun. Since exercise is so difficult already, you are already getting behind if you force yourself to do something you don't like. Therefore, you should stick with something you enjoy. It will make it easier, and a lot more fun.

Don't bother cutting every bad thing out of your diet. Why not? You'll only splurge on it, eventually. Your body will be so angry with you for denying it even one small piece of chocolate, that the next time the chocolate cake comes around, you might end up eating the entire thing. Everything in moderation is the key, take half a piece, this is certainly enough to get the taste in your mouth and allow yourself to enjoy the texture of it on your tongue. And eating half will put only half as many calories on your hips.

And believe it or not, once you start eating healthily, your body comes to want the healthy foods and none other. Healthy foods produce a brain chemical called serotonin, which makes the body feel good. Low levels are commonly associated with depression and obesity, as well as cravings.

Supermodel diet secrets might not have you looking exactly like a supermodel, but they might have you feeling like one. Once you feed your body natural and healthy, you will be more alert, more active, more creative and more balanced. It is possible to deal with the cravings each woman gets during times of PMS, depression and even boredom. Stress is a huge factor with cravings. Learn to occupy yourself other than giving in to your craving. Take a bubble bath and read a book, call a friend, brush your teeth or do something else you enjoy for distraction. Women don't have to be slaves to their cravings or their moods. Once you've mastered the art of distraction, there won't be anything in your way to stop you from feeling like a supermodel.

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