The Best Diet Of All - The Balanced Diet

The Balanced Diet

A healthiest diet of all is one that is balanced. This means eating the right amount of food for how active the you are, and eating a range of food from the five main food groups.

Including:

• carbohydrates, which contain lots of energy and nutrients and are found in starchy foods, such as bread, pasta and potatoes.

• protein, which helps the body to grow and repair itself, is found in meat, fish, beans and eggs

• fruit and vegetables

• milk and dairy foods

• foods that contain fat and sugar

Carbohydrates should make up about one-third of the daily diet as should fruit and vegetables. The rest of the diet may be split between protein and milk and dairy. Only a small amount of what is eaten every day should come from foods that are high in fat and sugar. 

Eating well is an important part of maintaining good health. Here's some practical tips how to cover the basics of healthy eating to help you make healthier choices:

TUCK INTO THE VEGGIES

Fruit and vegetables must be eaten, at least five portions of different types daily.

STARCHED 

Include some starchy foods in your meals as these provide energy.

HELLO LITTLE FISHY 

Include two portions of oily fish every week such as mackerel or sardines.

FAT ALERT

Avoid the sugars and fats, these are often found in snacks and processed foods.

SALT OVERLOAD

Salt should avoided as an condiment as it is naturally in most foods.

GET UP AND GET MOVING

Undertake active pursuits to achieve a healthy weight.

KEEP IT WATERED

Drink plenty of water, about six to eight glasses every day.

BREKKI IS A MUST 

breakfast should always be eaten as this provides the start-up energy for the day.

Remember what you put inside reflects on the outside,  food is our forgotten medicine.

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Diets in Fashion 2013 - The Morning banana diet

The Morning Banana Diet

This diet developed as a group-developed diet program, and there are many

theories about why it has proven to be effective to many. Physicians who have

tried the diet, or who have been consulted in connection with the books,

magazine articles, and television reports about the diet, have also offered their

theories. 

As the diet enters the Western dietary mainstream, various theories

have been put forth by researchers, and (of course) banana promoters.

The Morning Banana diet was developed by Hitoshi Watanabe, who studied

preventive medicine in Tokyo, and his pharmacist wife, Sumiko. The diet has

since gained popularity by word of mouth, web sites, TV shows, magazine

articles, and a book written by the Watanabes.

The diet plan is, in its essence, is a very simple plan. For breakfast, one has only bananas and room-temperature water. Then, one can eat whatever one likes for lunch, dinner, and snacks, so long as one does not eat after 8 p.m.

There are some minor restrictions:

• no ice cream

• no dairy products

• no alcohol

• no dessert after dinner

• the only beverage you may have with meals is room-temperature water

• only one sweet snack is allowed during the afternoon

You will note that in this philosophy the number of calories is not controlled so

although it may help with digestion it may well lead to weight increase. This

diet swept through Japan as the latest dietary fad – I think that says it all.

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The Diets in Fashion in 2013 - Part 3 - The Paleolithic Diet

The Paleolithic Diet or Caveman Diet

The basic principles of this 'cave man diet' are so simple.  

This diet insists that one should only eat foods that were available to our Paleolithic ancestors. All major dietary components are covered- (i.e. vitamins, fats, protein, fats, carbohydrates, antioxidants and phytosterols etc). This is for the simple reason that it is the only diet that is coded for in our genes - it contains only those foods that were "on the table" during our long evolution, and discards those which were not. 

The diet includes meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, low-starch vegetables, root vegetables, herbs, spices and some fruit and nuts. It should be noted, however, that our Paleolithic ancestors did not pollute the water supplies or add chemicals to naturally growing foodstuffs.

The theory is that our early ancestors limited themselves to this diet because that was what their bodies (and therefore our bodies) had evolved to need. This is of course not entirely true. The main reason that Paleolithic man limited himself (apparently) to the above food types was not that their bodies had evolved to need only a limited diet, but that there was nothing else available. 

Foods to AVOID on this diet:

Grains- including bread, pasta, noodles

· Beans- including string beans, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, 

   snow-peas and peas

· Potatoes

· Dairy products

· Sugar

· Salt

Foods to EAT on this diet:

· Meat, chicken and fish

· Fruit

· Vegetables (especially root vegetables, but definitely not including potatoes or sweet potatoes)

· Nuts, eg. walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia, almond. Do not eat peanuts (a bean) or cashews (a family of their own)

· Berries- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc.

 Try to increase your intake of:

· Root vegetables- carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, Swedes

It will take some time for your body to adjust to the changes you may experience on this diet. There is a huge surge in your vitamin intake. There is 

a huge decrease in your toxin intake. So take it easy whilst your body adjusts, but int he long term you could feel healthier.

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The Diets in Fashion in 2013 - Part 2 - The Fasting Diet

The Fasting Diet

The premiss of the fasting diet is to fast for short periods of time, such as 2 days of the week and then eat a healthy balanced diet for the other 5 days. I myself have tried fasting and it certainly work for me, I lost 5lbs and felt I had much more energy the days following.

Though it may not be the most practical diet, fasting can help the body to lose weight and to detox. How fasting is used for weight loss varies by diet. Some fasting diets involve drinking nothing but water or eating only raw foods for a period of one or more days, while others restrict food on alternate days. The fasting diet getting the headlines lately is the 5:2 approach as described above, so 5 days normal diet 2 days fasting - allowing yourself 500 calories on a fast day, for a women and 600 for a guy. When you fast, your body is forced to dip into energy stores to get the fuel it needs to keep going, so you will lose weight.

As you fast, your body will adjust by reducing your appetite, so you will initially feel less hungry. But once you have stopped fasting, your appetite hormones will kick back into gear and you may actually feel hungrier so the key is too eat one healthy balanced meal on fast days such as a lentil and squash salad and a glass of milk.

Fasting as a detox process.

Your body is naturally designed to remove toxins through the skin (by sweating), liver, colon, and kidneys. Although with today's environment and chemical, fat based diet our bodies are overloaded with toxins. Toxins from sugary drinks and processed food make out livers and kidneys work to the max but by fasting it gives our body a break from the digestion process and forces it into the healing and detox process. Clearing our bodies of toxins and giving us more energy and want for life.

Fasting For a longer life

Studies of fasting in both rodents and humans have indicated a connection between calorie restriction and length of lifespan. It is thought that by fasting and allowing the body to heal rather than process and digest, it can delay the onset of age related diseases such as stoke, cancer and heart disease.

Fasting is certainly the pop star of the diet world just now and information is widely available about the pros and cons of the diet. Check out the Michael Mosley documentary on BBC at www.thefastdiet.co.uk

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The Diets in Fashion in 2013 - Part 1 - The Alkaline Diet

The Alkaline Diet

Almost all foods that we eat, after being digested, absorbed and metabolised,

release either an acid or an alkaline base (bicarbonate) into blood. Grains, fish, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, milk, and salt, all produce acid, so the introduction, and dramatic rise in our consumption, of these foods has meant thatthe typical Western diet has became more acid-producing. 

Our blood is, normally, slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between

7.35 and 7.45. The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our diet should reflect

this pH level and be slightly alkaline. The proponents of

alkaline diets believe that a diet high in acid-producing foods disrupts this

balance and promotes the loss of essential minerals such as potassium,

magnesium, calcium, and sodium, as the body tries to restore equilibrium. This

imbalance is thought to make people prone to illness.

Some practicing nutritionists recommend the alkaline diet if the patient has the following symptoms;

• lack of energy

• excessive mucus production

• nasal congestion

• frequent colds and influenza

• anxiety, nervousness, irritability

• ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries, benign breast cysts

• headaches

The theory of the alkaline diet is that eating certain foods can help maintain the body's ideal pH balance to improve overall health.  The alkaline diet is mostly vegetarian. In addition to fresh vegetables and some fresh fruits, alkaline-promoting foods include soy products and some nuts, grains, and legumes. eating a diet rich in vegetables, as with an alkaline diet, can raise urine pH and lower the risk for kidney stones, colon cancer and other disease.

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3 Great Tips to detox your Kidneys

In order to detox your body, you need to focus on detoxing your kidneys.

Your kidneys need to be healthy and working to maximum efficiency to detox your body of any harmful toxins ingested in food or from chemicals in the environment.

So how can you take care of your kidneys? 

1. Head for the fruit aisle.  

Eat natural, organic, healthy fruit and veg. Fresh fruits and vegetables are key, in addition to low-sodium foods. Try  a healthy papaya and melon smoothie with a great big chunk of ginger. Or start your day with a hot water and lemon detox drink. This will kick start your metabolism and get the kidneys working early on in the day.

2. Make it fresh - kick the salt.

Avoid deli meats and store bought soups, which are laden with salt. Salt will dehydrate the cells of the body and cause the kidneys to have to work harder to eliminate toxins.

3. Drink enough water.

This clears the mind, refreshes the body and helps flush any toxins out of the body.

It's  key to drink fresh filtered water slowly throughout the day, try to aim for at least 6-8 glasses daily.

4. Avoid high phosphorus foods.

Weakened kidneys may struggle to remove phosphorus from the blood. High blood phosphorus levels in turn can lead to calcium loss. Eating fewer phosphorous-high foods, such as the following, may be helpful:

• Dairy products such as cheese, milk, puddings, and yogurt
• Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, and split peas
• Nuts and peanut butter
• Beer, cocoa, and cola soft drinks

5. Give your body some help - add a supplement.

Most often, B complex and vitamin C are recommended, along with calcium and vitamin D3. Iron tablets are sometimes desirable, but only if your health care provider has suggested it.

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