Author: Regev Elya, creator and author of FreshBeetle, a website dedicated to sharing my knowledge and passion of nutrition and exercise. I’m deeply interested in the biological sciences, and especially the human body. I’ve been through a 62lbs transformation and literally went from being a poor scrawny guy to the strongest guy among my peers.

These are questions that I get asked all the time. I thought it will be a good idea to write them down and answer them publicly so that everyone can benefit from their answers. If you have any more questions, feel free to drop me an email at regev@freshbeetle.com . I will do my best to answer each and every question that is being thrown on my way. Good luck!

Q: ” Do you need meal replacement shakes ? All of my friends say that because I’m a skinny dude, I can not possibly grow without unnatural intervention, such as these weight gainer shakes. What are your thoughts about it? Thanks in advance – Sean. “

A: First of all, these meal replacement shakes are not more ‘unnatural’ than a bag of cornflakes. This is just processed food, nothing more. You certainly don’t NEED these shakes although they might be useful if your appetite is not high enough. I have gone all the way from 55kg to 83kg without any powdered protein or gainer product. You can certainly do the same. It is just powdered nutrients. If you can get them from natural whole foods – all the better.

Q: How do I gain weight as a skinny guy with fast metabolism? Is it all about the foods as everyone says? Thanks!

A: Well, it’s mostly nutrition. I mean, the best plan in the world will not make you big – it will make you strong. Nutrition helps you get bigger. The exercise portion simply means you will get more muscle relatively to fat with the excess calories from nutrition. Make sure you consume loads of whole foods nutrients, and exercise heavy – squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and other complex multi joint exercise that will help your body to grow as a systematical whole. This is the way monsters have been produced for ages.

How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle for Skinny Guys

Home gyms have been popular for quite some time now because it gives people freedom on their time, rules, regulations, setup, and money. You can purchase the right types of home gym equipments at http://www.nordictrack.com/. Before buying one though, keep in mind that the equipment must fit the house, give the desired benefits, and affordable.

If yo decide to set up a home gym, you will need more than one piece of equipment since you should get the proper workout for the whole body. Prior to buying multiple pieces of equipment, find a convenient spot for your home gym inside your home or apartment. It should be spacious enough to do the exercise routines on and off the equipments. Bigger venues can be beneficial especially if people choose to add mirrors and refreshments inside.

The gym equipments’ sizes should fit the house. There are plenty of compact and foldable fitness equipments that people can try as it also yields the best results. Buying equipments that does not fit in a room would be wasted as it might end up in storage. Choose machine types that will give the maximum benefit by providing every part of the body exercise so that money and space will not be wasted.

Cost is another factor people should look at. Buying a home equipment is generally cheaper than exclusive membership in a gym. However, it is better for an individual to buy machines that give more benefits and exercise the whole body instead of paying for equipments that are restricted when it comes to giving workout routines for different body parts.

People can try fitness machines such as ellipticals, treadmills, bicycle, and stair steppers. These machines have models that possess the space-saver function, which allows people to fold the equipment and store it properly in a closet. Other makes of these equipments also involve a compact and sleek design that will fit a person’s training area or just the living room every time they get to workout.

Buying fitness equpment for home

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post that does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of our editorial team.

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!

So the new year has arrived and with it so have dreams and resolutions to make it the best it can be. One aim that people typically love to go for is sorting out their health and fitness and trading old shoddy diets and lazy fitness regimes for new ones. There is a problem though, most diets just don’t work. Most people can’t stick to them or don’t see results fast enough to warrant the effort and cost that’s involved. Some of them are even problematic and potentially dangerous, such as the “treacle” diet as championed by certain celebrities.

So what are some great and low risk ways to drastically improve your health and diet that are proven to work?

Nutrition 101

Guess what. Our bodies aren’t actually designed to metabolize carbohydrates and grains.

Processed sugars, wheats and grains do us far more harm than good and there is a succinct correlation between countries in which they are eaten and high rates of diabetes and cancers.

This is because our entire digestive systems and energy regulatory systems evolved at a time when these foods simply didn’t exist. The only available food sources were fresh vegetables, meats and nuts. No crisps and chocolate bars. Think more raisins and lamb steaks. This is what we should be eating.

Welcome to the paleo diet.

This is where the Paleo diet comes in. With huge health benefits and an unrivaled history of helping people lose huge amounts of fat with out carving into muscle Paleo is the best way to go in my experience. You basically remove all processed carbs and sugars from your diet and replace them with healthy vegetables and meats. A typical Paleo day might look like:

Breakfast: omelet with peppers, ham and spinach

Snack: nuts and fruit

Lunch: honey and mustard chicken salad with pine nuts

Snack: banana

Dinner: Green Thai curry with broccoli, chicken and mixed vegetables.

It’s actually pretty delicious and you can check out the Paleo diet recipes at Paleo Banquet. Also be sure to read the Primal blueprint and the 100 healthiest foods for great information on what you should be putting into your body in 2012.

Paleo Diet eliminates processed carbohydrates and grains

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post that does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of our editorial team.

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!

Before you rush into the store and get hold of a treadmill you need to get second opinions through treadmill ratings. It’s very easy to get hold of this information and it won’t cost you a single dime.

You can find treadmill ratings in the internet without going through a lot of troubles, for example at www.treadmillreviews.com/exclusivedeals If you already have a treadmill brand in mind, you can just type in the brand and click search, then the results will be provided to you in just a matter of seconds.

Of course you would have to read through the results so you can make comparison. A useful tip when checking reviews is that, make sure you verify different sites. Never rely on one site alone because there also reviews which are not as reliable as you think it is. The more treadmill ratings and reviews you check the better.

If the results for different treadmill reviews with a particular treadmill are more or less the same, then you can conclude that the information you have is accurate. Using the information you have gathered you can know weight your decisions and select which treadmill has all the features you are looking for and at the same time fits your budget.

The proper utilization of treadmill review scan bring you great results. So never underestimate its powers. Do your research now. After all, you can just sit comfortably on your chair while browsing through the internet. When you have already narrowed down your options to just 2 or 3 treadmills you can already go to the store to try each of them before paying.

Spicing up the aerobics class can make a great deal of difference in making your workout more engaging and fun. For dance aerobics, the best way to do it is with music. In a typical dance aerobics session, instructors typically blend exercise and dancing steps to create superb routines that are still straightforward to follow.

Dance aerobics are divided based mostly on the dance styles being followed. Basic routines like low impact exercises combined with jazz, ballet, disco, and even belly dance or burlesque, are fun exercise for both noobs and experts.

It is also possible to create more sophisticated and complex routines that are choreographed by specialists in dance aerobics, for example, routines like hip hop, country line dancing, and salsa.

Recently, Zumba, a mixture of Latin dance movements has changed into a frenzy for dance fans. The rebirth of dance aerobics occurred thru Zumba as fitness fans attempted to learn the Latin movements. There isn’t any question that other dancing steps made into an aerobics session can be attempted by anybody. The abundant selections warrants that those who need to settled on aerobics as an exercise regime regards aerobic sessions as favorable.

One can take a pick from the wide decisions like low impact, heavy impact, step, dance and water aerobics. Before boarding into any exercise, better bear a medical exam to be given a clean health check. There’s a prerequisite for folks with established health issues to be prepared and safe before doing any kind of aerobics. Exercise should augment one’s health, after all. In addition, chasing dance aerobics implies that you know the correct systems of exercising whereby you should expect great results. Also, it’s fun being an element of a bunch of health buffs whose exercise routine has fallen into a rut. The advantages of dance aerobics go miles beyond having a great time. To begin with, anybody with high blood pressure can find exercising as a solution. People with high blood sugar readings can also find exercising advantageous.

In addition, folk who exercise have better moods. Truly, dance aerobics provides pleasure and social advantages to people. On top of those benefits, they also gain good physical conditioning which makes this type of exercise a winner.

Dance Aerobics: Music is a great motivator to get your body moving

About the Author: Steve Patterson is an author for the site 2011 Taxes which offers free online TurboTax preparation options.

Dance Aerobic Video

Check out this fun aerobic workout video:

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? Do you have a favorite dance aerobics routine? I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

Health Trend: Niacin Flushing

One of the greatest trends of this year in the health and fitness world was niacin flushing. Niacin flushing entails that you consciously take in an overdose of niacin dense foods or supplements in order to enhance circulation. This process has several health benefits including but not limited to improved cholesterol, weight loss and growing back hair naturally. This article aims to explain how this is possible, how you can achieve these benefits yourself too and how to avoid side effects people often complain about.

Explanation of the Niacin Flush

When you take in the surplus of vitamin b3 (niacin), your veins will become a little bigger. This process greatly enhances circulation and allows the body to get rid of poisonous waste cluttered in the arteries.

However, niacin flushing can also help with losing a little weight. After good niacin flushing, the body will transform some fat into energy. You could use this extra burst of energy to run a little longer on the tread mill or do a few more exercises at the gym. However, niacin should not be viewed as some sort of magic pill to weight loss; it only helps you indirectly.

Achieving Niacin Flushing Benefits Yourself

In order to cause a niacin flush, you will need to eat a lot of niacin dense foods or take in niacin supplements. Both ways are perfectly fine, but personally I like niacin dense foods best. These foods also contain other highly important micro-nutrients the body needs to function properly. The following list contains my favorite selection of niacin dense foods:

1. Organic chicken| 9.3 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.
2. Sun dried tomatoes | 8.4 mg niacin per 200 grams serving.
3. Wild salmon | 9.3 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.
4. Lima beans | 2.4 mg vitamin b3 per cup.
5. Organic turkey | 5.1 mg niacin per 2 ounces serving.
6. Tamari | 1.3 mg vitamin b3 per tab.

Avoiding Niacin Side Effects

Many people complain about niacin side effects after their first flush. However, these people often have taken in in way too much niacin. Around 60-80 mg is more than enough to enjoy the benefits of niacin flushing. If you exceed 700 mg, you will definitely feel some intense side effects like a red skin, tingling feeling in the chest and diarrhea.

A personal tip I can give is to note down on paper how much niacin you have consumed during the day. Monitor closely the amount you have taken in through supplements and food. Moreover, be sure to drink lots of water during the flushing period.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post that does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of our editorial team.

In addition, you can become undernourished if you are in a low calorie diet while taking weight loss products. Make sure that you are filling up your caloric intake with the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. When you are on weight loss products, supplement your body’s natural needs by eating green leafy vegetables. Iron, calcium and Vitamin B give you proper nutrition and help you prevent osteoporosis in later life.

Intake of folic acid is important for women who are in the childbearing years. Whole wheat products, beans and peas are rich source of this nutrient. So if you are planning pregnancy, make sure you eat a lot of these foods.

Ephedra or Ma Huang is the main ingredient on weight loss products so beware of this component if you are a breastfeeding mother. It can be harmful to your baby if you are taking these products as it can be passed on to them. While nursing your baby, you need to take extra amount of nutrition to meet your body’s needs and the baby as well. You need to have a balanced nutrition because your child is depending on the food that you eat.

Women’s ability to lose weight primarily changes as they age because their metabolism alters as well. So, weight loss products specifically designed for women are best to meet your nutritional needs so you can have a healthy wellbeing.

About the Author: Scott is an expert consultant about physical fitness and weight loss products for women.

Anna Kournikova has left the Biggest Loser ranch. The new Biggest Loser started with only two trainers, Bob and Dolvett.

In a statement regarding her decision she said, “I enjoyed my time on the Biggest Loser ranch. Although I will not be returning as a full time trainer on season 13, I will always be a part of The Biggest Loser family and my commitment to bettering lives through health and fitness will continue.”

While many people were happy to see her go, I miss some female energy from the show. Right now it seems that the competition is more between the trainers than the participants.

Anna Kournikova Leaving the Biggest Loser

First came word that the former tennis phenom, 30, would not return for a second season as the trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser. (Rumors say she was “difficult” to work with and “too harsh” with the contestants.) Some speculate that the reason behind this decision is that Anna Kournikova may be pregnant.

At least one contestant took to Kournikova’s coaching skills. After leaving the NBC series, contestant Joe Mitchell told People that the trainer helped “fix” him. “Anna made me believe that I could [lose weight],” Mitchell said. “She drilled in our heads that the only person you can really rely on is yourself.”

The Hollywood Reporter says Kournikova rubbed some of the contestants the wrong way with her tough-love approach. Tells it like it is and doesn’t coddle people. I’ll bet Bonnie had something to do with it, that witch. People are obese for a reason. You have to be tough, not baby them.

Some say is that what Jillian did was get in their heads and help them understand why they got to be obese in the first place. Anna did not do that, and that’s why she was not successful as a trainer.

Sad to see her go…she really seemed to be coming into her own the past couple of weeks since they switched up the teams. I always thought it was unfair that a brand new trainer was assigned the over 50 crowd with their notoriously sluggish metabolisms. She was still feeling her way through how to approach things with people, and obviously she was never going to get along with Bonnie (is it just me or is Bonnie one of those women who responds best to men?), but I don’t think we have enough info to really judge her impact yet.

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!

When we start taking a product that will supposedly help us lose weight, be it a diet pill, apple cider vinegar, or hoodia gordonii, we can’t help hoping that it will be the magical weight loss treatment that we have all been waiting for, a product that burns off all the stored fat from our bodies without us having to go on a diet or work out every day.

One product that at least promises to give us those results is hoodia gordonii.

Hoodia Gordonii Review

Hoodia gordonii is a plant found in a few countries in Southern Africa. It looks like a cactus and is edible, and in fact legend has it that native African tribes are fond of eating fresh hoodia gordonii to keep them from getting too hungry and thirsty when food and water supplies are low, or when the tribesmen go on long hunting trips to the desert.

Hoodia gordonii is now available and is widely viewed as an appetite suppressant; that is, taking it in the form of hoodia patch, capsules, juice, tea, candies and other ways is said to trick the brain and stomach into feeling full sooner and prevent hunger from being felt, thereby helping one lose weight as eating is minimized.

It is safe to say that taking hoodia gordonii products is a better option for those eager to lose weight than going fasting or looking for outlawed diet pills, but this is not to say that hoodia gordonii is the perfect weight loss product that we have been searching for centuries already.

Although hoodia gordonii is edible, taking extracts of it in the form of tablets and even lollipops won’t give you the same health benefits as a B12 injection or a vitamin and mineral supplement. Hoodia gordonii is already an endangered plant, which means that not all the products out there will contain real hoodia gordonii extract, and you have to be extra cautious not to become a victim of fake hoodia items. To stay safe, get any hoodia product you brought checked by your doctor for authenticity and safety.

There is too little evidence to support hoodia gordonii’s claims as an appetite suppressant product, despite countless producers and advertisements.

Even the P57 substance that is supposedly responsible for suppressing the appetite has proven very difficult to extract and synthesize, and any product claiming to contain real P57 should be treated with skepticism. Hoodia gordonii should not be substituted for a nutritious eating plan and a healthy exercise routine, and expectations regarding fast and permanent weight loss should be managed if you take hoodia products without making healthier changes to your lifestyle.

Hoodia gordonii: Does it work as appetite suppressant?

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post that does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of our editorial team.

In Conclusion: Should you use Hoodia Gordonii for weight loss?

According to the Wikipedia, the use of Hoodia has long been known by the indigenous populations of Southern Africa, who sometimes use these plants for treating indigestion and small infections. However, it is their centuries old use of the meat of the plant to suppress appetite when making long hunting trips in the Kalahari Desert that has stimulated the most interest. However, there is no published scientific evidence that hoodia works as an appetite suppressant in humans.

Jasjit Bindra, lead researcher for hoodia at Pfizer, states there were indications of unwanted hoodia gordonii side effects on the liver caused by other components, which could not be easily removed from the supplement, adding “Clearly, hoodia has a long way to go before it can earn approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Until safer formulations are developed, dieters should be wary of using it.”

Remember, there is no silver bullet when it comes to weight loss. Drugs aren’t silver bullets; over-the-counter pills are not silver bullets; herbs aren’t silver bullets. You can’t sit on the couch all day, eat hamburgers, cookies and drink soda, and just take a supplement to lose weight. It just doesn’t work that way! Healthy diet and physical activity are essential!

Reference: Morris, Joan. “Little research behind claims that hoodia is safe, effective for losing weight”. Seattle Times, March 9, 2006.

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!

There is so much contradicting information about weight loss out there, that it is sometimes hard to find out what’s true and what is just marketing hype. If you have been spending a fortune on recommended supplements and “super foods” (like I once did), but didn’t feel healthy and felt disillusioned, keep reading to discover what’s the healthiest and the fastest way to lose weight and keep it off forever!

But first, let’s get something straight here.

Conventional diets and fad diets do not work for most people. Calorie-counting diets, the detox diets, B-12 Shots, hCG diet, the low-carb high protein diets, diet pills, protein shakes and powders, Sensa system – in my opinion these all will fail you and, even worse, most of them are tedious, pointless and even dangerous to your health.

Sure, you may lose a few pounds in the process, however, in the long run, the majority of people are not able to stick with these dietary regimens and gain the weight back on quite quickly, often putting on even more than they lost in the first place.

A “diet” should not be about starving yourself, or depriving yourself of vital nutrients, but instead, a new lifestyle with plenty of healthy food choices that make sticking to it long term so much easier.

Instead of “quick-and-easy” weight loss that doesn’t work, you want a steady approach. Less time efficient, but better off in the long run. Commit to a lifestyle change, eat well and healthy (grazing like animals do throughout the day), sleep for as close to 8 hours as your schedule permits, and exercise regularly. I know the results aren’t instant, but it’s so much healthier.

If it took you years to get to where you are, you can’t expect immediate results!

Steps To Take If You Want to Lose Weight (Fat) Naturally and Keep It Off Forever

1. Consume at least 60% or more of your daily calories in the form of RAW FRUITS and VEGETABLES.

If you really want to lose weight fast, 70%, 80% or 90% is even better; 100% is best but few people can stay 100% raw diet successfully long term.

The average American diet is roughly 7% fruits and vegetables, even less than that in raw state. We are told to eat 5 or more portions a day, but to get real impact on your weight or health, you need to RADICALLY and DRAMATICALLY increase daily intake, and put a special focus on green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and salad.

High levels of fresh fruits fruits, vegetables, and greens help you lose weight because they are low in calories, high in volume and high in critically important nutrients. There is also a growing body of evidence that shows that plant-based foods help to control food cravings and overeating. They are nutrient dense, which simply means they are packed with all sorts of good things for you, which is something most of us know.

The power of raw foods is not only one of the most well-known “rejuvenation” secrets of celebrities and Hollywood stars (such as Demi Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Sting, Edward Norton, Carol Alt, and many others) it is also a concept that has the potential of giving you what you’re looking for: incredible health, increased energy, and a youthful and slim body.

(Keep in mind, that not all raw-based diets are created equal, some, for example, recommend you limit consumption of fruits, having you consume excessive amounts of fatty foods instead, which is NOT what I’m advocating here).

Weight loss tips: Start your shopping in the fresh produce section

This can certainly seem daunting at first, so to make it easier for yourself, each time you go grocery shopping, start by filling up your basket in the produce section.

2. Drink GREEN SMOOTHIES every day.

Green smoothies are rich in fiber but low in calories so they will you up quickly. They are also DELICIOUS tasting – so they are excellent to combat cravings for unhealthy stuff!

They are easier to make than juices, and take much less time to prepare and to consume than salads. Think about all the chopping and chewing you will need to do in order to eat a big bowl of greens and veggies – if you blend them with some water and drink, it only takes two minutes for the whole process! The blender will do all the chewing for you!

Green Smoothie: Don

It’s important to become creative with blending. Experiment with various greens, fruits and vegetables, trying as many combinations as possible. The possibilities are endless. I discovered so many good combos just by asking, “I wonder how this and that taste together in a smoothie?” I encourage you to do the same.

For example, try apple-celery-spinach, apple-celery-spinach-banana, blueberry-pear-celery-spinach, lettuce-honeydew, Romaine lettuce-strawberries-banana, pears-kale-mint, kiwi-celery-banana, strawberry-apple-spinach, or more savory tomato-celery-onion-pepper-avocado, or other combination.

Try adding various types of greens: lettuces, kale, parsley, spinach, and other. Add some water, blend and drink!

The best blenders to use to make green smoothies are Blendtec blenders and Vitamix. No other brand will produce such smooth results, especially if you add such tough greens as kale, celery, or collard greens. Unfortunately, both of them are quite expensive – although well worth the price if you consider them a long-term investment in your family’s health.

However, if you have a blender already, you may just as well start with what you have.

Green smoothie blender - a valuable addition to your kitchen

3. Include RAW VEGETABLE SALADS in your diet.

Even if you are drinking your smoothies, you can still enjoy your salads.

But, what is a salad, really? It’s any combination of fresh RAW VEGETABLES, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, okra, zucchini and other squashes, cabbage, peppers, eggplant, etc., etc., with possible addition of fresh fruits, and small quantities of nuts and seeds. Vegetables are great because they are lowest calorie foods. The absolute best vegetables to help speed up weight loss are green vegetables – Lettuce, Collard Greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage.

Adding cheese, beans, chicken, tuna, eggs, mayo, commercial dressings and other ingredients, turns a salad into a tossed meal. So if you are one of the people who live only on “salads,” and yet cannot lose weight, take an honest look at the ingredients – and proportions of ingredients – raw veggies versus everything else – of your tossed meals.

Instead of fat-laden commercial dressings, have some fun and experiment. Blend some lemon juice with avocado, or strawberries with parsley, or blend pineapple with tahini as the dressing. Other combinations you may try: pineapple-red pepper, grapefruit-tahini, strawberry-almond, oranges-bell pepper-Brazil nuts, orange-pistachio.

Weight Loss Tips: include salads in your meals

If you are worried that you will not consume enough fats, especially the beneficial omega 3 fats, you should know that everything we eat contains some amount of fat. In fact, a natural diet of fruits and vegetables, along with some seeds and nuts or avocado, provides the body all the essential fatty acids it needs!

4. Eat LOTS OF FRESH, RAW, RIPE FRUITS.

I said before in number 1, but I feel this needs more emphasis and explanation.

Fruit contains three keys to weight loss: fiber, vitamins and water. Fiber creates a feeling of satiety and helps clean the digestive tract. The vitamin content of fruit allows the body to crave less food because it satisfies nutrient requirements. If the body is depleted of nutrients, one becomes hungry to satisfy those deficiencies. Therefore, diets high in foods that contain these nutrients such as fruit keep hunger at bay. Fruits are also rich in water, which keeps the body hydrated.

Many people have misconceptions about sugar found in fruit. Refined sugar is very different from natural sugars. Refined sugars can cause a shock to the body, causing a spike in blood sugar levels that set the pancreas into overdrive. Thanks to the rich fiber content, sugars from fruits are slowly digested and burned at a steady rate. So, even though fruit is high in sugar, such natural sugar should not be avoided. If you compare a soda and a piece of fruit, although they may contain the same amount of sugar, the sugar in each can cause very different reactions in the body. Ditch soda to lose weight, but keep the strawberries.

The human body requires fuel to operate and you must get that fuel, via calories, from somewhere. Fruit is excellent fuel for humans. It is very easy to digest, provides fast energy and is alkaline-forming. Fruit is a way to obtain simple carbohydrates which match our physiological needs. We must stop eating mostly acid diet, and consume more alkaline foods, i.e. raw fruits and veggies.

Eating fruit as the basis of our diet is a new and revolutionary concept for most of us, and often people fail to realize how much fruit it takes to provide energy for an entire day. Forget the saying “an apple a day” – certainly one serving is not enough. Eat enough fruit to meet your calorie needs – which means eating a LOT of fruit by most people’s standards. Allowing lots of fruit in your diet makes succeeding in this weight loss plan easier than any other approach to eating.

To develop the healthiest and sanest relationship with food, and in order to stick with a dietary plan that will work for you for the rest of your life, have all the fruit you care for to eat for breakfast, lunch meals and snacks. Even your vegetable meals should begin with as much fruit as you like, until you are certain that you will not crave sweets at the end of the meal.

Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are at the top of the list when it comes to helping speed up weight loss. You might be worried about the calories in strawberries but you need to realize there are only 74 per cup and those are the calories you want. There are even fewer calories in raspberries. They will give you energy, make you feel great and help burn off fat very quickly. They also help to fight cancer.

The only caveat is that you should not eat lots of fats when eating diet high in fruits. Fats make it difficult for the body to properly digest sugar, possibly leading to some increased blood sugar levels.

Weight Loss Tips: Foods to eat - fresh fruits

If the idea of eating such large quantities of raw fruits and vegetables seems daunting, and you cannot imagine yourself ever getting even close to 60%, let alone 80 or 90%, don’t worry. Start by replacing some of the foods with healthier alternatives.

5. Make water your primary drink

Throughout your day, focus on water instead of soda. Drink lots of it – it’s great for weight loss!

Weight loss tips: drink water with a splash of lemon

5. Make yourself FRESH, RAW VEGETABLE and FRUIT JUICES.

This is another tasty way to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Raw juices, especially green juices, are vital. A juicer separates the juice from the fiber of the fruits and vegetables leaving you with only the pure organic water. This organic water that is extracted from plants contains all of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, that go straight to the cells to do their work, so your body will not waste energy on digestion. By juicing fruits an veggies we can consume much more of the organic water because the fiber doesn’t fill you up. Also, the juices (especially green juices) provide perfect cellular hydration and can take the place of drinking glasses of water.

There are many juicers on the market today, but the Breville juicer is probably the easiest to use when you are juicing lots of greens. Look for a juicer that extracts the pulp, as it will allow you to make more juice without having to stop to empty it. This is important, since you need to be juicing a lot of greens.

Drink Green Juice for Weight Loss

I used to do quite a lot of juicing, however, since I bought my Vitamix and started blending green smoothies, I noticed that I have been juicing less and less. Green smoothies have numerous benefits for human health AND are easy to prepare (especially the cleanup is much faster).

6. Other Foods to Eat

Add beans, whole grains, and nuts to your diet in moderation.
Limit the amount of animal protein in your diet. Eliminate all processed foods from your diet.

However – this is very important – don’t deny yourself any foods that you crave.

Just tell yourself that you can have them as soon as you are finished with your smoothie, salad or other healthy snack. You may find that you don’t crave it any more, or if you still do, have a really small portion.

Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. For example, take a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown.

7. Be active and exercise.

Walk for 45 minutes a day. Walking is great and the reason I’m suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that some studies found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you’re eating.

In addition to walking, if you are up to it, try running, weight lifting, yoga, jumping rope, boxing, or any other exercise program that you like. You don’t need any special equipment or even gym membership to do that. If you don’t want to spend any money, start with walking 20-30 minutes a day. It’s also important to some weight bearing exercises. There are many exercises that you can do that use your own body weight – squats, lunges, presses. Eventually, though, you should add some weights to your routine. If you never worked out with free weights, think you are too old, too young, too fat to start, or whatever, read “No fat chicks” “Old broads: the golden years of pumping iron,” and other articles on the www.stumptous.com blog.

To add variety to your workouts – and make them more fun, you may want to invest in some basic exercise equipment. Get a mini trampoline to keep you moving when watching tv. Get a bike – ride it every day. (If the weather is bad, you might get yourself a bike trainer, such as one of the fancy Kurt Kinetic bike trainers or Minoura bike trainers, or just a cheap, second-hand stationary bike that you may find on craiglist). The important part is to start moving. If you need some motivation, get yourself a Bodybugg or Gowear Fit armband. The point is to start moving. It will get easier with time – I promise.

Weight loss exercise: start with walking

8. Listen to your body.

Whenever possible, eat with other people as much as you can and don’t eat if your are not hungry. Have a piece of fruit, a small raw vegetable salad, a glass of raw juice or a glass of water.

However, don’t put up with hunger pains either. Far too many people place their meal times around the clock. It is much healthier to place your meals around your hunger in the same way that children do, and pay less heed to the clock. Also, don’t feel like you have to finish eating everything on your plate, even after your hunger has been fully satisfied.

8. Keep a Food Diary

Carry a small notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don’t.

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 other readers? I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!