Healthy Eating For Spring / Summer Weight Loss

Winter has been unforgiving. What better thing to do during the cold season than to sit in a couch and munch on some goodies while keeping yourself cozy and warm? 

It seems like yesterday when you were struggling to lose your winter coat; before you even know it, summer is in its full effect. 

The minute you feel warm enough to wear shorts, you realized something:  The beach is beckoning and you are not prepared for it, physically! You panic and think of stapling your mouth for a week or two, until you look good on your swim wear, as your summer weight loss solution.

It can really be a struggle to shed excess fats and most people fall into a summer weight loss dilemma every year. Wacky diet, starvation, and diet pills are beckoning and giving you hopes of slimming down for that swimming costume.  Summer weight loss doesn’t have to mean starving yourself to look your best in shorts or swimsuit. The secret to weight loss is to eat healthy foods; food choices are actually easy to make during summertime because high calorie dishes are less appealing during the hot season. Take advantage of fresh fruits and vegetables that are at their peak and at their best in summer. Refreshing and light foods are bountiful and keeps you out of the hot kitchen.

Experts say that the best summer weight loss diet is to load up with nature’s produce. Fruits and vegetables are low in calorie but loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, plus antioxidants and fiber to help your body flush those unwanted toxins and fats. Aside from their health benefits, they are delectable, juicy, and satisfy the taste buds. Berries, tomatoes, zucchini, melons, cucumbers, peas and other greens are available at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. Forget portion control and go ahead and eat all the fruits and vegetables you can get your hands on. Summer weight loss with nature’s bounty will do your waistline no damage.

If you are wondering what the healthiest summer weight loss foods are, here is a list of dieticians’ and experts’ food recommendation:

•             Berries are luscious and sweet but there is more to berries that meets the appetite. They are known to boost antioxidant levels and help reduce the effects of aging. Berries are also rich in nutrients that help lower cholesterol level.

•             Watermelons are loved because they are watery, juicy, and crisp, perfect for satisfying thirst during the hot season. If you want a tasty summer weight loss, mix slices of watermelon with milk, water, and ice cubes. Whirl in a blender and your perfect juice is ready in a snap.

•             Garden salads are the best bet for time and cost efficient summer weight loss meal. They are easy to prepare and the perfect way to get vegetables into your diet. Dress your salad with healthy oils like extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil or your choice of other healthy oils. Salads are a great way of letting yourself off the hook from the hot kitchen.

Healthy eating is your best summer weight loss plan. Enjoy a hearty meal and reap the benefits of losing weight, staying fit, and living a healthy lifestyle. Jump start your summer weight loss with fruits and vegetables and get in shape for your favorite swimsuit.

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Master Cleanse: The Lemon Detox 'Diet'

The lemon detox diet, or what is commonly known as the master cleanse, is a form of a detoxification regimen. Several Hollywood stars have tried and tested its efficiency, and this diet did not leave them disappointed. This diet has given hope to millions of people all over the world who want to lose weight and be healthier. But what are there to know about this master cleanse? Is this therapy really beneficial and safe to try?

The lemon detox diet is believed to be very safe because only natural products are used. The process would include the purification of the entire body as the accumulated toxins are flushed out from the system. As the body cleanses itself, its weight will begin to normalize.

Everyone should try to detoxify their bodies, at least twice a year. People who think that they are healthy enough should also try this kind of diet. You should know that toxins build up in our body because of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even the food we eat. Even the emotional and physical stresses that we experience play a role in the accumulation of toxins. Thus, because of this, the body should be given a time to get rid of the harmful compounds that may endanger our health. This is where the detox diet should enter.

Healthy diet, supplemented by herbs and vitamins should be able to assist in the detoxification of our system. As you cleanse our body, you should stay away from substances that may have unfavorable effects to your body and health. Instead of turning to these unhealthy foods, you should try to eat those organically and naturally grown, like lemons, carrots and the likes that motivate the filtration process of the liver. This is why the lemon detox diet is a sure hit in attaining a healthier and better quality of life.

You should understand that the lemon detox diet is a great way to get rid of unwanted toxins, and it is not for weight loss. This is simply a cleanse.  You do lose weight … but that is just a consequence because when you are doing a master cleanse, you eliminate a lot of undigested waste that has accumulated in your system.

Thus, to be clear, you should remember that the primary goal of a lemon detox diet is to let your digestive system take a break, so that your body would have the opportunity to retune itself while you stay energetic at the same time.

If your goal is to lose weight rather than to eliminate toxins from your body, you will find yourself gaining weight right after your detox … because you haven’t changed your eating habits.   As you go back to your regular eating habit, your body will go back to responding as it always has.

In summary, you should consider the lemon detox diet as a detoxification regimen for your body at least twice a year. Purging toxins and unhealthy chemicals from your body should be your ultimate goal and not losing weight. Though losing weight is a byproduct of this ‘diet’, it should not be your main purpose.

If you really want to lose weight, you should try to exercise regularly and eat a balanced healthy meal.

Winter Weight Gain - Why Does It Happen And What Can We Do?

Winter weight gain is a common complaint of many people.  It seems that every winter we add a few pounds, and come summer we don't lose them all again either.  A few of them always stick around, making us a little heavier every year.  Why does this happen and what can we do?

There are many contributing factors. First, it seems likely that we have a genetic disposition to store more fat as winter approaches. Many animals do this and it was probably vital to survival for our ancestors. Extra layers of fat on the body protect us against the cold and then can be used as fuel in the late winter and early spring when food stocks would historically be very low. We probably have a tendency to eat more in the fall, when food is plentiful after harvest time, to help this process along. We may also unconsciously choose foods that are higher in fat content at this time.

Hormone levels can also influence our weight gain. The interaction of hormones and other chemicals in the brain can bring about variations in appetite and cravings. Some neurotransmitters can also influence the way we eat. People who are overweight often have low levels of these neurotransmitters and the results can include excessive appetite, depression and sleep disorders. At the same time, the lack of daylight caused by the shortening days during late fall and winter can bring on seasonally affected disorder or winter depression.

One of the quickest ways to give a boost to the energy levels and emotions is to eat high carbohydrate foods including sugar treats, chips and cereals that give us a fast blood sugar 'fix'. So people who feel low in the winter will tend to overeat or eat the wrong foods, leading to weight gain, more depression and a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

 

So altogether there are many reasons why we eat more high carbohydrate foods such as cookies, pies and chocolate in the winter, and of course most of these foods also contain high levels of fats. The best way to handle this is generally to substitute other foods that are also high in carbohydrate so that we get what our body craves, but which have low fat content and plenty of fiber. This means potatoes, wholegrain bread without butter, wholegrain rice, cereals, and fresh whole fruit.

It is also important to take more exercise. Often our physical activity levels drop in the winter and we have a tendency to want to stay home and eat. This is natural when it is cold outside. But we are not cavemen! We have heating in our homes and can be sure that there will still be plenty of food in the stores come February. We do not need to stow fat the way that they did. 

Transform those carbs into energy now instead of keeping it on the waistline until spring. Winter weight gain is easily avoidable when you become proactive.