Archive for June, 2008

The Perfect Low Carb Diet Food

June 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Dieting | No Comments »
low sugar diet


Whatever diet you choose, low carb, low fat, low sugar, all of the best tasting foods are always the villains! All the comfort foods are high in carbohydrates, high in calories, and are highly processed. All three of these things are to be avoided when trying to lose weight and/or gain health.

Carbohydrates are literally in just about everything. There are simple and complex forms of carbohydrates. We need a certain amount of carbohydrates to function. We just need LESS of a good thing. So the phrase low carb diet food, simply connotes those foods that are lower in carbohydrates.

Simple forms of carbohydrates burn faster, so you are hungry again sooner, and for one thing, this leads to cravings and binges. Simple carbohydrates are for instance those that contain sugar. While refined sugar (sucrose) is the worst enemy, there is also fruit sugar (fructose) and milk sugar (lactose).

A low carb diet food would be those that limit all carbohydrates, but especially the simple carbohydrates. Of the simple carbohydrates the only one we really don’t need much of to be healthy is sucrose. Particularly, refined white sugar. We would not be wise to eliminate milk (as long as it is skim or low fat), and certainly fruit is always associated with a healthy diet.

Complex carbohydrates are those that are more healthful, such as whole grains and vegetables, which are less processed. It seems the processing is what removes the nutritional value of the foods. Complex carbs take longer to digest and are therefore available to generate energy for a longer period. However, these whole grain foods would also need to be limited due to them being considered high in carbohydrates. In that they are healthy foods, however, small amounts would provide more nutrition than a large amount of processed foods.

The only foods that don’t have carbohydrates are meat and fat. Both of these, if eaten in excess can be detrimental to your health. If I eat only meat and fat, I will indeed be on a low carb diet and may lose weight. However, while I may look better, I may die of clogged arteries or a number of other diseases caused by too much meat or fat. No use being a svelte corpse. I’m vain, but not that vain

Pastries are usually made from processed flour, and refined sugar is their main ingredient. Almost as tragic as a life without pastry, is a life without pasta or rice. However, this wonderful food is also one of the main foods that would not ever be considered a low carb food! Eat these very sparingly.

So besides avoiding these major villains, the operable concepts in describing the low carb diet food are limiting or reducing, (not omitting) most carbohydrates; and choosing natural or unprocessed forms of carbohydrates, rather than processed or refined; moderation, as in all things, is key to a low carb diet plan.


Your Pregnancy Test Shows Negative? Test Again!

June 18th, 2008 -- Posted in Pregnancy | No Comments »
urine pregnancy test


Had a romp with your hubby on bed last night? Then it’s time for pregnancy test! Ya, we know you’re desperate to hear the good news. That’s why we’re here to tell you about home pregnancy tests, and more. Continue reading…

 

Facts About Home Pregnancy Tests

 

These kits are 99% effective, if used as per instructions. Even a urine pregnancy test conducted by your doctor has the same level of accuracy. You can easily get a test kit over-the-counter. The biggest advantage of conducting tests at home is privacy.

 

Testing for pregnancy at home is easy. You just need to collect urine in a clean bottle. Put 1-2 drops of urine on the chemical strip provided in the kit through a dropper. The strip detects the presence human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is a pregnancy hormone.

 

When you’re pregnant, hCG hormone is released in the urine by your placenta. Many of the early pregnancy symptoms like sore breasts and morning sickness are due to this hormone. Pregnancy kits work by detecting this hormone in your urine, which shows traces about 10 days after fertilization. Therefore, a kit may give an incorrect result, if you take the test 10 days before conception. You might be pregnant, but the test may show negative.

 

Hence, it’s best to wait for 5-10 days after you miss your period before taking a pregnancy test. If the test shows negative, take it again after a few days. If it’s still negative, wait for some more days and call on your doctor for advice. You should not be content with testing just once. Test 2-3 times at intervals, and if it stills shows negative, you’re NOT pregnant.

 

In some cases, the fertilized egg doesn’t get implanted in the uterus, but makes its home in the fallopian tube. This condition is called ectopic pregnancy. In this situation, your pregnancy kit may not be able to detect hCG levels in the urine, as it might be low. Therefore, if you THINK you’re pregnant, even if the test shows negative, consult your doctor. This is the time to go by your gut feeling! And yes, ectopic pregnancy is dangerous. Ask your doctor more about it.

 

3 Things To Remember While Taking A Test

 

*Collect the first morning urine (it’s easy to detect hCG levels in such sample). If it is not possible, collect urine that was present in your bladder for 4 hours or more.

*Avoid drinking excess water or fluids before taking the test. Increasing the amount of urine may dilute hCG levels.

*Read and follow every instruction given in the kit carefully. Only then can you expect accuracy in the result.

*There are certain medications and fertility drugs that may meddle with pregnancy test results. For more information, check the labeling on kit or consult your doctor.

 

There are also highly sensitive pregnancy tests available in the market. They detect your pregnancy just 6-8 days after ovulation. But, their accuracy is low. Most of the women get accurate results only on testing 9-10 days after ovulation. Therefore, patience pays in case of pregnancy tests. Till then, arrange for the party!


Low Carb Diet Weight Loss

June 14th, 2008 -- Posted in Dieting | No Comments »
low sugar diet


There are endless number of different diets and weight loss methods. All the “gurus” tell you that you will lose weight with a certain diet, what ever it is. Although there is some truth in nearly all diets, there is no one diet fits all. The same is with low carb protein diets. Some people may lose weight very successfully with these diets but some don´t. Low carb protein diets don´t work for everyone and there are many reason why it is so.

The whole assumption with low carb diets like The Atkin’s Diet, Protein Power, The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, Sugar Busters, The Ketogenic diet, The Anabolic Diet and others, is that carbohydrates increase the production of insulin. And insulin in return stores fat. So reducing carbs will keep insulin under control and you will lose weight.

But low carb diets are extreme measures and most people can lose weight without low carb protein diets. Although some believe carbohydrates are fattening, in reality they are not. Most people can easily lose weight by increasing their activity level or eating a little less and more healthier foods. There are much easier and better methods to lose weight: eating small frequent meals, controlling portion sizes, cutting down on saturated fats, avoiding sugar, drinking plenty of water and eating lean protein at every meal.

Bodybuilders for example use a low carb high protein diets prior to competitions. It is very hard to stay on low carbohydrate protein diets for a long periods because you get your energy from carbs. The less you eat carbs the less energy you will have. If you have been on low carbohydrate diets for a long time and then suddenly start eating more carbs then your body has no idea what to do with them and they are stored as fat. These kind of diets should be your last choice, after other methods have failed. If you do use low carb protein diets then use it only for short periods to avoid negative effects.


Let Beverly Hills Cosmetic Dental Surgery Brighten Your Smile!

June 11th, 2008 -- Posted in Surgery | No Comments »
dental surgery


Are you shy about smiling because of missing, stained, or broken teeth? Do you only wish that your smile were perfect enough to make you feel more self- confident? If you are struggling with self-esteem because of these problems, let Beverly Hills cosmetic dental surgery help you smile again!

Cosmetic dentists are groups of dental professionals whose goal is to help their clients smile look as beautiful as they have always hoped. They perform many dental procedures that help to increase the self-confidence and improve the self-image of their customers. Many dentists located in and around Beverly Hills practice with just this goal in mind.

Teeth whitening is one of the most popular types of cosmetic dental surgery. Dental professionals make molds of a person’s teeth, and then use these to form plastic trays. These trays are filled with a peroxide-based gel and applied to the teeth. The dentist then applies a laser light to the teeth, activating the gel and whitening the teeth.

Some people have experienced severe damage to their teeth because of health conditions such as bulimia or antibiotic therapy. If the enamel of the teeth is destroyed beyond easy reparation, a porcelain veneer can be applied to the visible surfaces of the teeth. This improves the teeth’s appearance, and prevents further breakdown of the enamel.

A crown is another type of cosmetic dentistry that works much the same way. A cap, or porcelain coating, can be placed over individual teeth that have broken or chipped. They can also be used to seal failed fillings or root canals. These crowns are recommended when there is no abscess and the tooth has not decayed too much to be salvageable.

Another way cosmetic dental professionals can help people to smile again is by using appliances such as bridges. Bridges are used to close the gap between existing teeth. These items are very useful when people have teeth missing because of injury or trauma.

While bridges are very useful for people who have missing teeth, sometimes people have only a small gap between their teeth. If no teeth are missing, the dentist might opt instead to use composite bonding. This procedure is also useful if a tooth is cracked or only slightly chipped.

Seeking a Beverly Hills cosmetic dental surgery professional allows you to find highly qualified individuals to brighten your smile. Their top clients are Hollywood stars; for what higher recommendation can you hope?


Liquid Vitamins are Nutrition for Your Body

June 11th, 2008 -- Posted in Supplements | No Comments »
liquid vitamins


Foremost,absorption & digestion of liquid vitamins are 50-60% more efficient and contain other elements for a healthy individual.A chief selling point is the claim that liquid vitamins are better absorbed by the body because large, hard pills may pass through the digestive tract and be excreted intact. The main reason why liquid vitamins are more effective than pills and tablets is due to the nature of their liquid base.Unlike vitamins in pill form, which are usually synthetic, liquid vitamins are commonly derived from plants, and they very often contain far more trace elements and minerals, which are required by the body only in very small amounts, but which are very difficult to get from foods or vitamin supplements in pill form.

We try to eat healthy, and maintain a good diet, but the truth is that it still isn’t good enough. The fast paced world we live in and the desire to eat unhealthy food is at an all time high. We know that replenishing the body’s mineral supply is essential for vibrant health. Most people, healthy or not, STILL don’t get the proper nutrition they need to stay healthy. Common knowledge is to take vitamins and minerals to keep yourself healthy. Liquid vitamin supplementation of liquid vitamin nutrition is the secret to protecting you and your family against disease, staying healthy and looking and feeling youthful. Having a healthy immune system is important for anybody, and simply ensuring a low level of basic vitamin intake can help bolster your immune system and better allow you to resist diseases and fight infections. Powerful preventative measures against disease and the aging process are your vitamins and are critical in life.

Combined with other nutrients that make them a versatile source, liquid vitamins are nutrition. In reality, most of us fall short of these health goals resulting in an unhealthy diet often critically lacking in even the basic nutrients required to sustain proper health. The production of basic nutrients stall and supplementation becomes even more critical,as the human body ages, it processes vitamins slower.The diets of seniors frequently lack basic vitamin levels in the first place. For proper health, you need to take a multi-nutrient formula that contains nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, whole food extracts, plant enzymes, and herbal extracts all in a single easy to take dose instead. With pills or chewable vitamins, the majority of the nutrients and minerals that are contained in the vitamins aren’t normally broken down in the digestive system. With these types of vitamins being in hard form, they are harder for the body to pass at the most crucial moments, where the body needs to have nutrients and minerals.

Slightly more expensive but natural vitamins, on the other hand offer in some cases work hundreds of times better. Natural vitamins in a liquid form means a lesser amount of ingredients are needed to achieve the same results and is the most efficient and healthiest way to balanced nutrition. With so many vitamin products on the market today boasting their formulas are the best, no other vitamin product comes close to the vast array of extremely bio-available, naturally occurring nutrients in our Pro Vitamin Complete. Increased energy levels Decreased stress levels B-complex helps increase energy levels, naturally No stimulants. Your supplements should be as ‘natural’ as possible for better absorption and nutritional potency.

There are several factors affecting today’s health,improper balance of vitamins and minerals: Winner of two Nobel Prizes,Professor Linus Pauling,proved that over 60 diseases can be traced to mineral deficiencies alone. Many people don’t eat a healthy well-balanced diet all the time. A balance between dietary habits and and a quality liquid supplement are acceptable standards for healthy living. Your body has the tremendous capacity to heal itself and bring itself back into balance. In order to live life to the fullest we need to do that with a healthy heart and mind. To be able to do this, we all need to take a high quality liquid vitamin for optimum health and enjoyment of life.


10 Foods to Buy On Low Carbohydrate Diet

June 9th, 2008 -- Posted in Dieting | No Comments »
low sugar diet


Foods to buy on low carbohydrate diet are not as simple as it looks to be. Diet is often a scary word, because it usually means withdrawal of certain foods. But there is a healthier and easier alternative that helps you to eat foods you love, yes, and the low carbohydrate diet.

The only diet that strikes at the real cause of obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2-diabetes is the low carbohydrate way of life. Plus, there are plenty of low carbohydrate alternatives that taste just like foods you aren’t allowed to eat. So, now you can eat everything not anything!

Now, you have made up your mind and eager to know the foods to buy on low carbohydrate diet. Well, searching for all natural low carbohydrate foods is like searching for fresh air in this polluted world. Many of the products available are not natural, so here is a list of fresh natural foods that you can experience for overall health and fitness.

(1) Lets start shopping, first of all if you like eating non-vegetarian foods buy meats, poultry, eggs, fish and most shellfish as they contains practically no carbohydrates. Avoid processed meats as they are often cured with sugar. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known as carcinogens.

(2) Lettuce, spinach, mushrooms; cucumber, peppers, celery and other leafy greens are the best in my list because they offer some of the highest quality nutrition for a more natural low carbohydrate diet. These leafy green vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber.

(3) Green beans are among the good foods to buy on low carbohydrate diet. While black beans, red bean, and Lima beans pack almost 30 grams of carbohydrates into a serving, green beans weigh only 5 grams of carbohydrates.

(4) Breads, pasta, and other starchy foods made with white flour are banned on a low carbohydrate diet. But, still you can buy a slice of low carbohydrate Atkins bread or Joseph’s lavish bread and enjoy the taste of bread. These breads are healthy with no cholesterol and contain 3 healthy ingredients; flax, oat bran and whole wheat, which may help, protect your heart, while losing weight.

(5) Broccoli and tomatoes are other healthy members of my natural, low carbohydrate food list. Both tomatoes and broccoli are very much known for their cancer fighting qualities. Add to that broccoli sprouts may cut the risk of stroke, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

(6) Green peas, snow peas, and sugar snap peas are relatively low in carbohydrates with so many flavors. You can enjoy peas and stay in your diet plan with only 10 grams of carbohydrates per serving, plus it contains fiber, which is also important.

(7) Everyone likes to eat cheese, so you can consume 3-4 ounces daily of firm, soft and semi soft aged cheeses including cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, Gouda, and cow, sheep and goat cheese. Imitation cheese products are not allowed; so don’t buy these cheese products. One of my favorite foods is a smoked salmon filled with brie cheese and cucumber slices.

(8) Don’t be surprised if I ask you to buy coconut oil as it has been proved that coconut oil when consumed on a daily basis can speed up metabolism and can make a difference in weight loss success. Though you can buy olive oil or other good vegetable oil I recommend you to buy coconut oil as it will benefit you in many ways.

(9) Foods to buy on low carbohydrate diet must be low Glycemic index foods such as high-fiber grains and most fruits and vegetables. These foods keep your blood sugar and insulin levels steady and may help people trying to control their weight because steady blood sugar can delay hunger.

(10) You cannot forget to buy bean sprouts, as they are perfect for salads in Chinese food. Even a low carbohydrate diet will allow you to eat bean sprouts as they provide vitamins A, B, C and E, as well as iron, calcium and phosphorus.

Well, these are the 10 foods to buy on low carbohydrate diet. Anybody can be successful by eating these foods and the greatest thing of all is you’re not required to exercise. Many people switch to a low carbohydrate diet simply because they don’t have enough time to exercise. Still, I recommend you to add some simple activities like walking, swimming, etc. Have confidence in me; you’re about to make a positive change in your life.


How Low Carb Diets Work

June 5th, 2008 -- Posted in Dieting | No Comments »
low sugar diet


Many people are confused about how low carb diets work. It doesn’t make sense to them that you can eat more fat and protein than is traditionally called for and still lose weight.

A low carb diet plan greatly restricts the amount of carbohydrates you consume, as compared with a traditional North American diet, or even compared with a low fat diet. While our bodies would usually burn stored carbohydrates for energy, low carb eating forces the body to burn more stored fat instead. When this happens, your body produces chemicals called “ketones”. Ketones result when your kidneys convert fat to soluble waste. Getting your body to reach this point is one of the goals of a low carbohydrate diet.

There is a scientific reason behind the development of this diet. Dr. Robert Atkins first introduced the concept of eating a low carbohydrate diet in the 1970s. He noticed that primitive people consumed a diet of mostly meat, vegetables and some fruit.

Because this diet was in existence for thousands of years before the development of agriculture, Atkins concluded that the reason most people had difficulty losing weight and keeping it off is that we are eating contrary to the way our digestive system is set up. In other words, our bodies do not support eating wheat, barley and other grains and sugars.

In the 1990s the diet seemed to be rediscovered and became known as the Atkins New Diet Revolution. Since the reemergence of the Atkins diet, other low carb diets have been developed that are variations of it. The Zone Diet, the Stillman Diet, the Hollywood Diet, the Ketogenic Diet and the South Beach Diet are all based on the idea of eating fewer carbohydrates. They all advise eating more protein and limited carbs and inducing the body to burn its own fat.

Low carb diet plans differ somewhat in the amount of carbohydrates they allow, but all advise cutting out all white or starchy foods. The most strict is the 20 gram per day carb limit of the initial stage of Atkins, plus some of the other diet plans. The 20 grams is generally derived from salads and non-starchy vegetables, plus the trace amounts of carbs in sauces, dressings and cheeses.

In the first stages of a low carbohydrate diet, dieters are not allowed to have any milk, fruits, grains, cereals, pasta, breads or “high glycemic index” vegetables such as potatoes, peas, corn and carrots. The missing carbs are replaced with ample amounts of protein.

This is a very low amount of carbohydrate when compared with the large amounts of pasta and grains advised by traditional low fat diet recommendations, so this diet has become quite controversial. Butter is also included, which is another reason for the controversy over low carbohydrate eating plans. The butter is recommended because fat slows down the absorption of carbohydrates into the body and helps to maintain an even blood sugar level.

The whole idea behind Dr. Atkins original principal is that it we gain weight in our Western world because our blood sugar levels are allowed to go too high by eating too much high starch food. Control the carbohydrate levels and you control weight much more easily. Much research has shown this to be true. Of course opposing research has been done too, so the controversy continues to some extent, although it is generally acknowledged by all now that the high carb recommendations of the past were incorrect.

The great difficulty of any severely restricted diet is that most people can end up regaining much of their lost weight because of difficulty adhering to the restrictions over the long-term. This can ultimately result in rebound weight gain and is the reason that the modified versions of Atkins diet have evolved.

The Atkins diet itself though, does gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates you consume as you complete your weight loss, to avoid the extremes of losing then regaining weight. Is it right for you?