Weight Loss Programs: A Few Unconventional and (Often) Controversial Tips For Choosing Best Weight Loss Program

Aug 30 by Joanna

Weight loss programs can now be counted in hundreds, if not thousands. You see them everywhere – in magazines, newspapers, TV advertising, and – of course – on the Internet.

Are you confused about which diet to chose for to lose weight fast? You are certainly not alone.

Low-fat, high-fat; low-carb, high-carb; low-protein and high-protein; etc. The choices are overwhelming!

How do you decide which approach to choose?

How do you know which weight loss program to follow?

Trying to choose between Low Carb diet, High-Protein diets, Low Fat Diet, high Fat diet, Atkins diet, Paleo diet, and dozens or perhaps hundreds different diets can be a true challenge, and a major headache.

In fact, it may be so confusing that some people will just do nothing at all, which is very unfortunate.

So, what is the best weight loss program for you?

If you are confused, the best place to start – in my opinion – is researching first – what is the best type of diet for the human body.

Why?

Because you want a weight loss program that will work for you long term.

You don’t want JUST to lose 10 or 20 pounds and then go back to your old habits – because you will likely gain that weight BACK very quickly.

What you want is to lose 10 or 20 pounds AND KEEP that weight OFF forever, so you stay at that new weight level, or even keep losing weight – if that’s your goal.

So, what’s the optimal diet for the human body – to keep it at ideal weight and health?

Ideal Weight Loss Program Selection Criteria

Here are my criteria that I use to determine whether a diet is optimal or not:

1. Diet that keeps our bodies at their ideal weight AND keeps them in optimal health.

While there are many dieting programs and quick weight-loss solutions out there that may help you lose weight, most of them fail this checkpoint, because they are not good for your body in the long run.

2. Diet that allows you to eat as much as you can and still keep your weight at the optimal level.

You don’t want a diet that will make you count calories or limit the amount of food that you eat, leaving you constantly hungry.

3. Diet that is gentle on your wallet.

There are many programs that require you to purchase expensive meals or supplements regularly.

If you can afford that and if this gives you more motivation to stick with it – fine.

But for many people it’s just not an option. They either cannot afford it or don’t want to be spending money on something they don’t really need. (Because, the truth is – you don’t need all this stuff.)

The truth is weight loss is a huge industry, and lots of people are going to try to convince you to spend money with them.

4. Diet that is good for the environment.

I saved this one for last, even though it’s probably one of the most important ones. You may be thinking…

“What does weight loss and diet have to do with the environment?”

or

“But I don’t care about the environment, I just want to lose weight.”

or
“But I do care about the environment. I recycle. I switched all bulbs in my house to super-economical ones. Plus I hang my laundry out to dry and … (insert here what you did last month for the environment).

Healthy life and healthy body is only possible in an environment that is thriving.

Clean air, water and fertile soil are a prerequisite to healthy human race.

Pollution, deforestation, wasteful water management, destruction of biodiversity, changing climate, overpopulation, soil depletion – these are NOT good things for the Earth and for the humans.

Let’s face it: we are part of the environment, and if we keep destroying it at the rate that we are doing it right now – the consequences will be tragic for the entire human race.

So, you may not care what happens on earth when you are gone, but even in our life time, or in our children’s or grand-children’s lifetime we may see changes on Earth that will make it a difficult place to live for many people.

Choices we make every day – and that includes choices of WHAT WE EAT – influence our future on Earth more than most people realize.

OK, so get to the point already, I want to know what is that ideal diet that is good for my body, wallet and environment?!

I realize that what I’m going to say next is not going to be popular with a lot of people.

In fact, many of you may stop reading right there – because – even though it’s true – it’s not a comfortable subject for many people.

But, here it goes.

Ideal Diet for Healthy Weight Loss

The best diet is the one that consists of MOSTLY or ENTIRELY of fresh fruits, vegetables and greens eaten RAW or lightly steamed or cooked (like in soups, stews). Other foods you can eat include whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. You need to eliminate or drastically reduce the amount of processed foods (especially white flour – so no white-flour pasta or bread, white sugar – no cookies, etc.), animal products (meat, fish, dairy), all kinds of sodas, soft drinks, energy drinks, etc.

I realize that this may not be what you wanted or expected to hear.

This may sound like a diet that ‘s too hard to follow, impractical, or just plain boring. For most people, a meat-centered diet is still the easiest, least-complicated choice.

However, the benefits of eating plant-based diet (or vegetarian diet) are well documented.

I didn’t want to even use that word – vegetarian – because it has become a dirty word for a lot of people. Besides, some of the vegetarian diets that are promoted are not really all that healthy – because it’s not just about eliminating animal products, its also about eliminating or limiting processed foods – and that includes pasta dishes, breads, etc. So keep in mind, that not all vegetarian recipes will work for you – but I will write more about that separately.

Why don’t more people know about this?

Because they not widely publicized. There are many interests at stake here. (One example is how the meat industry jumped on Oprah Winfrey back in the 90’s when she questioned meat industry health and safety standards.)

Most of us believe we need our proteins and milk for strong bones – and every day we see commercials everywhere that make sure we don’t forget these so-called “truths”. “So, while for many this will be a revelation, it shouldn’t be: our mothers were conned! The idea that the milk of another species is an appropriate and necessary source of calcium is a serious thinking error that has led to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and autoimmune disease in epic numbers. Ask yourself why the U.S. consumes more than double the amount of milk and dairy than the #2 milk-drinking country—and yet has the highest rate of osteoporosis (and massive dental decay, despite the best dental-care system) in the world. Clearly drinking milk is not leading to strong bones and teeth.” Source: Green Smoothie Girl site.

Despite our fixation on animal products – meats, diary, and fats – there are countless studies that show that this type of diet causes all kinds of chronic problems for humans, including diabetes, heart disease, and many others.

The fact remains that populations that have eaten only plant-based, unprocessed foods their entire lives do not suffer from obesity, adult onset diabetes, triple bypass heart surgery, or colon cancer.

Are you a person that cares about the environment?

Obviously you are concerned about your weight, and perhaps your health, and – understandably – this should be your highest concern at the moment, especially if you are suffering with weight-related health problems.

However, aside from that – do you also care what result your day-to-day choices have on your environment, the air we all breathe, water we drink, soil, etc.?

If so, you may be surprised to learn that our current food choices detrimentally affect climate change and global warming more so than do all the cars, planes, trucks, buses and trains used worldwide. That’s according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Report.

These food choices I’m talking about are the meat, dairy, and fish that we choose to eat every day. You may not be aware of that but the meat, dairy, and fishing industries are the major contributing force in global depletion – and the eventual loss of our drinking water, air quality, land, biodiversity and other resources. Source United Nations

Animals raised for food are responsible for nearly 20 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions; global transportation, on the other hand accounts for 13 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. In other words what you decide to eat each day creates more global warning than all vehicles used for transportation in the world combined.

Livestock produce huge amounts of these detrimental gases in different ways and nearly every step in raising the billions of animals for food each year results in some form of degradation of our environment. The three primary ways this happens is via greenhouse gas emissions, by pollutions and by changing water cycle processes and oxygen-carbon respiration through vegetation loss.

It takes over 5,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat, while it only takes 10-20 gallons water to produce one pound of vegetables, fruit, soybeans or grain.

And yet one pound of vegetables, fruit, or grains is much healthier for you to eat than one pound of meat.

According to a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimate, over 70% of the world’s fish species are either fully exploited or depleted. The dramatic increase of destructive fishing techniques worldwide destroys marine mammals and entire ecosystems.

I understand that these arguments may not convince some of you.

I understand that not all of you are ready to even consider switching to vegetarian diet or even limiting the amount of meat, fish and dairy you consume.

After all, you need to lose weight, and you may be willing to use whatever method works – and often these high-protein diets produce surprisingly fast results for a lot of people.

However, ask yourself these questions: Do you care about your health in the long term, or are you just interested in a quick-fix solution?

Do you care about the consequences of your actions in the larger scheme of things, or you could care less about the future of the environment for our children and grandchildren?

The choice is yours.

Questions? Comments? Weight Loss Tips?

Why not add to the conversation in the comment section below! Are you trying to lose weight? What type of diet are you following? What are you struggling with?

Want to share some weight loss tips with fellow readers? I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

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Green Smoothies For Natural Weight Loss: Why drink green smoothies and my favorite recipes for weight loss smoothies

Oct 16 by Joanna

If you want to lose weight fast by following a healthy diet and eating loads of fresh raw fruits and vegetables, you need to use some serious tricks to make it easier for yourself. I mean, come on, everybody KNOWS they should be eating fewer calories and more healthy foods, but how many people are actually able to DO it consistently on a daily basis?

The fact is, few people are able to actually incorporate the big amounts of greens and veggies into their diets that are required for optimum health and healthy weight loss. That’s one of the reasons why drinking green smoothies have been growing in popularity so quickly among the healthy weight loss enthusiasts – they are SUPER HEALTHY, SUPER EASY to make, and SUPER TASTY too!

And they will help you lose weight fast!

So, forget the diet drinks, protein shakes, and the like. Just grab your blender and make yourself a green smoothie. Your spouse and your kids will love them, too – I promise!

So what is a green smoothie?

A green smoothie is simply a fruit smoothie with your favorite greens and veggies added in! Greens such as kale, collards, spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, bok choy, and other edible weeds. I realize the green color of this lovely, tremendously beneficial drink might have you saying “No Way” to even tasting this concoction… but, you shouldn’t let the “greenness” of this smoothie keep you from all of the health benefits you will get from it!

Some of the most delicious fruits for green smoothies are: bananas, pears, peaches, nectarines, mangoes, strawberries, blueberries, and apples. You may also try less sweet combinations with adding some non-sweet fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, beets and carrots.

The need for more greens

Did you know that our ancient ancestors ate up to six pounds of leaves per day? They spent their days going from one place to another, picking and eating leaves on their way. Now, we all know that eating a large salad is good for us, but how many of you could eat such amount of greens each and every day?

And yet on the nutrition front, dark leafy greens, are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition available. They deliver a multitude of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, Omega-3 fats, protein, calcium, and of course fiber. The darker the leaves, the more nutrients they have.

Let’s talk a little more about the nutrients that green smoothies deliver. One of the common questions that is asked is “Shouldn’t I add some protein and healthy fats to the smoothie? For example, milk, yogurt, whey protein powder, soy milk, flax oil,  etc?”

Well, I do NOT recommend to add any additional protein, animal products or fats (even the so-called “good” fats)  to the green smoothie and that’s because – contrary to the popular belief that greens are a poor source of these nutrients – they already contain OPTIMAL amount of protein and fats for human needs!

Really, if you think about it…where do plant eating animals get their protein and fats? That’s right…green leafy sources, not other animals! So why aren’t we doing the same? Amino acids are what our bodies need to create protein and where do we get amino acids? From GREENS!

If you have read my post about sugar cravings and how to stop craving food that is bad for you, then you already know why food cravings occur. Either you body is craving nutrients, or it is addicted to the chemicals found in cooked foods.  Green smoothies can help you stop these cravings that keep sabotaging your weight loss plans.

Green Smoothies or Drinkable Salads

You can call them green smoothies, drinkable salads or salads straight from your blender. The fact remains that it’s MUCH faster to drink the same amount of greens that it would take to eat (and properly chew) the same amount of greens, fruits and vegetables. Smoothies only take about a minute to prepare (with a good blender, such as Blendtec or Vitamix), and a minute or two to drink.

There is really no excuse not to have them!

Some fruit and green combinations you may want to try:

■ Spinach with bananas and strawberries
■ Spinach with apples, bananas, and some lemon or lime juice
■ Spinach, bananas peaches, mango
■ Romaine lettuce with bananas
■ Romaine lettuce with cucumber and bananas
■ Romaine and celery with blueberries
■ Parsley and ripe pears
■ Parsley, celery, apple and pears

Add 1-2 cups of water and blend until smooth. Adjust proportions to your liking. Try to experiment with different greens and fruits. Start with small amount of greens and keep adding more as you progress.  For maximum benefit – use a variety of greens and rotate them – have a different kind every day.

Fruits are added for sweetness, so make sure they are really RIPE, especially bananas.

Why Drink A Green Smoothie?

Start drink the smoothies 2-3 times a day, and you will experience so much more energy and wellbeing that it will soon become your second nature. And you will start losing weight really quickly too, because you will be eating less of the fattening foods that you normally crave.

• Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable nutrients in these fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into such small particles that it becomes easy for the body to assimilate these nutrients, the green smoothies literally start to get absorbed in your mouth.
• Green smoothies, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber.
• Green smoothies belong to the most palatable dishes for people of all ages. With a ratio of fruits to veggies as 60:40 the fruit taste dominates the flavor, yet at the same time the green vegetables balance out the sweetness of the fruit, adding nice zest to it. Green smoothies are simply the best tasting dishes for the majority of adults and children.
• By consuming two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough of greens for the day to nourish your body, and they will be well assimilated. Many people do not consume enough of greens, even those who stay on a raw food diet.
• Green smoothies are easy to make, and quick to clean up after. Many people told me that they do not consume green juices on a regular basis because it is time consuming to prepare green juices and clean the equipment after juicing, or to drive to the juice bar.
• Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after mother´s milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.
• When you consume your greens in the form of green smoothies, you can greatly reduce the consumption of oils and salt in your diet.
• Regular consumption of green smoothies forms a good habit of eating greens. After a few of weeks of drinking green smoothies, you may find yourself craving and enjoying greens. Eating enough of green leafy vegetables is often a problem with many people, especially children.

More Benefits of Drinking Green Smoothies

• Increased energy and clear thinking.
• Beautiful skin, bright eyes, and shiny hair.
• No cooking or washing pots and pans required!
• In one drink you will be consuming more nutrients than you have in a week if you live on cooked foods!
• You will be supplying your body with amazing nutrition: amino acids needed for protein, omega-3 fats, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron and countless other ingredients, including those with cancer and disease fighting properties.
• Plenty of FIBER for much better digestion – so forget about those colon cleansing supplements!
• Experience overall improved health.
• Weight loss.

Great Ingredients For Your Green Smoothies

• Greens: kale, bok choy, chard, spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, mint, basil, cilantro, beet tops, carrot tops, and anything else you can find in your local farmer’s market or garden!
• Veggies: cucumber (with the skin on) – amazing for your skin!, celery, tomato, avocado (small amount only)
• Fruits: bananas, pears, apples, mango, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, melon, papaya, watermelon, grapes, cranberries, lemon, orange.

Here are more ideas for your delicious green smoothie creations.

•1 head of spinach
•1 apple
•1 banana
•1-2 cups of water
Blend well.

•1/2 head of spinach
•1/4 cup of raspberries
•2 cups of water
•1/2 cup of strawberries
Blend until smooth! Makes a full pitcher.

• 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 mango, peeled, cored, and chopped
• ½ head romaine lettuce
• 1 tiny piece of fresh ginger
Blend all ingredients in blender. You may add some water. Serves 3-4

• 10 tips of Douglas Fir
• 2 cups spinach or your favorite green
• 2 bananas
• 2 cups of water
Blend well (Yields one quart of smoothie).

• 5 cups of fresh Miner’s Lettuce (or other lettuce)
• 1 ripe mango
• 1 apple
• 2 cups of water
Blend well. Yields one quart of smoothie.

The bottom line is to just get your greens in every day. There is really no right or wrong way to do this – if the recipes above do not suit you, simply add or take out until your taste buds are delighted!

Why green smoothies are the best way to lose weight!

I want to look like this when I’m 67!

Questions? Comments? Weight Loss Tips?

Why not add to the conversation in the comment section below! Are you trying to lose weight? What type of diet are you following? What are you struggling with?

Want to share some weight loss tips with fellow readers? I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

read more