A Low Fat Diet Can Lead To A Healthier Lifestyle

There are many different kinds of diet but one of the most successful, effective and healthiest is a low fat diet. There are many advantages to a diet of this type besides helping you to lose weight. Those individuals who suffer from high cholesterol can benefit from eating a diet that is low in fat as can those who are considered to be obese. You do not have to change your diet very much other than be aware of the foods that you are eating. To do this all that you need to do is check the labels on the foods that you buy in the supermarket. You should also be wary of foods that proclaim to be very low in fat and are aimed specifically at dieters. Some foods often have contents which are much higher than normal brands. High fat content can also be hidden in some processed foods with cookies and crackers being the worst and also the oil used when cooking foods. When it comes to cutting down on the amount of fat and eating a low fat diet then you should consider taking care when choosing food. If you do not want to give up meat then go for the leaner cuts of beef for example. Cutting the skin off chicken and grilling it is another excellent example on how you can cut down on the amount of fat in your diet. Also increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet with the recommended being 5 portions at least per day and increase the amount of fish. You should also aim to include plenty of whole grains, beans and lentils in your diet. Grains and beans are known to be rich in complex carbohydrates and should become the main meal with a small amount of red meat included. There are many ways that you can move over to a low fat diet without leaving out all the foods you enjoy. For example if you enjoy ice-cream then choose a sorbet or sherbet. Baking, broiling or roasting lean red meat and draining off the juices will allow you to enjoy red meat without adding too much fat to your diet and for a touch of flavour add lemon juice. If you like milk on your cereal and in tea and coffee then switch to 1% milk and then drop down to skimmed milk. After a while you will not notice the difference especially when in a hot drink. When it comes to shopping read the labels in the products before buying, you should avoid foods which contain pal, palm kernel and coconut oils. Also avoid buying products with egg-yolk solids, whole-milk solids or unidentified shortening. A low fat diet is one of the easiest types of diet to get accustomed to and the transition can be made very slowly. As with any type of diet it is imperative that you make changes slowly over a period of time to allow your body to get used to them and so not miss them.
Jason Hulott is Director at UK Diets Online, a service that provides information about all the major diet systems available, healthy eating and diet information. Visit now and take advantage of our special deals with Weightwatchers.

Best Abdominal Exercises to Get the Sexy Six Pack You Deserve

The key to getting those sexy abdominals lies mainly on what abdominal exercises you choose to perform.
Here are the best yoga Exercises for Removing Abdominal Fat Permanently!
1)Dhanurasana-Bow Posture
Technique: 1.Begin lying down on the stomach, reach back and grasp the ankles. Inhale. 2.Lifting legs, head and chest, arch the back into a bow. Retain breath, then exhale and lie flat. 3.Repeat three or four times.
More advanced:
While in the Bow position, rock back and forth, then from side to side. Slowly release and exhale.
Benefits:
1.Massages abdominal muscles and organs. 2.Good for gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, upset stomach, sluggish liver. 3.Reduces abdominal fat.
Warning:
Not for persons suffering from peptic ulcer, hernia, or cases of thyroid or endocrine gland disorders.
2)Naukasana-Boat Posture:
Position: Lie on the back as in Shavasana position, stretch the legs with your feet together and raise them about 10" to 12" above the ground. Stretch the arms around the head on the ground and raise the arms along with the chest upwards after taking a deep breath, while balancing on the buttocks at the same time.
Now, let both the arms lie horizontally to the ground with fingers pointing towards the knees. The body in this position looks like a floating boat.
Breathe normally in this position and return to Shavasana position slowly after 10 to 30 seconds. Perform Naukasana at least 8 to 10 times per session.
Benefits:
It helps strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, neck and shoulder. It also relieves constipation.
Caution:
Severe backache and hip joint disorders are contra-indication for this asana.
3)Kapalbhati:
This is one of the best abdominal exercises for removing abdominal fat.
How to do it.: Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position.Breathe normally for about a minute. Once composed, you can begin.
First, Exercise the diaphragm by exhaling suddenly and quickly through both nostrils, producing a "puffing" sound. Don't focus on inhalation. It will be automatic and passive.
The air is exhaled completely from the lungs with a sudden, vigorous stroke while simultaneously drawing inwards the abdominal muscles.
The breath should be expelled fully. Inhaling is automatic - the abdominal muscles will relax automatically.
This abdominal exercise should be done in three rounds, each consisting of 10 strokes (for the beginner). Each round should take about a minute.
A little rest can be taken in between the rounds as convenient. Throughout the exercise, the chest should be kept still without expansion or contraction. Only the diaphragm is used for breathing and not the upper chest.
Over a month, the number of strokes per minute can be gradually increased from 10 to about 30.
Benefits:
Clears toxins from your body and lungs.Tones the abdominal muscles and burns fat.

Calories in Egg !

Egg Yolks

The yolk is extremely high in cholesterol, containing more than two-thirds of the recommended daily limit of 300 mg! However, the yolk has many health strengths necessary for immunity, healthy skin, nerves and vision. The yolk contains good amounts of B Vitamins, Vitamin A, iron and riboflavin.

Interesting Yolk: Many tempera paints, which artists have used for centuries, contain an egg yolk base.

Egg Whites

Egg whites are very low in calories, have no fat, no cholesterol, and are loaded with protein. The egg white is less likely than the yolk to harbor dangerous salmonella, but due to the health risks that raw eggs present, consumption is highly discouraged by medical experts.

Many athletes drink raw egg concoctions, and other than being unsafe, it is not for the 'weak at stomach' individuals.

Based on one large egg:

Egg White 17 calories

Egg Yolk 59 calories

Fried Egg 92 calories

Hard-Boiled Egg 76 calories

Poached Egg 76 calories

Scrambled Egg 100 calories (includes addition of milk in recipe)

Diet Tip

For those on a very restrictive diet, there are some wonderful health-smart egg products on the market that aid in reducing unhealthy cholesterol levels. EggBeaters is a wonderful egg substitute and if you are watching your waistline, you could reap very good results by incorporating this product into your diet.

Even though the egg is a relatively low calorie food, when one is dieting they want to cut every calorie possible to achieve maximum weight loss. To cut back on the calorie of your eggs, try using one yolk and two whites. For less than 100 calories, you've got a luscious and light meal.

Why You Should You Burn Body Fat ?

Are you overweight? Then you probably want to lose some weight. It is obvious that youll burn body fat by increasing your metabolism. But be sure that what you burn is fat, not muscles.

Some statistics

• After age 25, the average person in America gains one pound or more a year, which means at the age of 50 an average person is 25 pounds or more heavier than he or she was 25 years ago.
  
  
• As you age your metabolism is slowing down, causing your body to burn less fat.
  
  
• Without exercising regularly, the average American loses a pound of muscle each year.
  
  
• A minority of Americans exercise in a significant way, which means less than 50 minutes of exercise per week. Two out of five Americans do not exercise at all.

Motivations for weight loss

• Most people's primary motivation for weight loss is to improve their appearance.
  
  
• Other motivational factors are the many health benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Why obesity is dangerous

Reduction of excess body fat plays a vital role in maintaining good health and avoiding disease. Medical evidence shows that obesity poses a significant threat to health as well as to longevity:. Excess body fat is connected to

• heart disease
  
  
• cancer
  
  
• diabetes
  
  
• gall bladder disease
  
  
• gastro-intestinal disease
  
  
• sexual dysfunction
  
  
• osteoarthritis
  
  
• stroke

Why is excess body fat linked to heart disease?

• About 4/5s of deaths caused by heart disease and cancer, are linked to life-style factors, inactivity included.
  
  
• Your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the lungs and to the extra fat throughout your body. Therefore it takes more energy for you to breathe. This extra workload might cause your heart to become enlarged and high blood pressure and life-threatening erratic heartbeats might be the consequences.
  
  
• Overweight people often also have high cholesterol levels, making them more likely to develop arteriosclerosis. When blood vessels are so narrow that vital organs like the heart, kidneys or brain dont get enough blood, this becomes life-threatening.
  
  
• It might go without saying, but the narrower the blood vessels become, the harder your heart has to pump, which results in increased blood pressure. High blood pressure itself poses several health risks, like heart attack, stroke and kidney problems.

Does excess body fat cause cancer?

• In general, research has linked cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) to excess, actually as a storage place for these.
  
  
• Excess fat has been linked to a higher rate of breast and uterine cancer for women
  
  
• Excess fat has been linked to colon and prostate cancer for men.

How is excess body fat related to diabetes?

• There is a delicate balance between the relative amount of body fat, the level of blood sugar and the hormone we call insulin.
  
  
• Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs, and converted to fat as soon as these organs have got what they need of it.
  
  
• The pancreas of overweight people often produces more and more insulin. The problem is however, that the body is not able to utilize this to regulate its blood sugar levels.
  
  
• This poor regulation of blood sugar and insulin causes an inbalance in the system, which results in diabetes. This disease may in its turn cause heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death.

How Reducing Body Fat Reduces Disease Risk

At an American University, researchers studied a sample of people following a certain weight management program. This study showed

• decreased HDL cholesterol levels
  
  
• decreased triglyceride levels
  
  
• decreased blood pressure
  
  
• increased waist-to-hip ratio
  
  
• an active lifestyle can slow or stop the disease process for most people, even those with a history of heart disease in the family.

Other studies have shown that programs that includes

• regular physical activity
  
  
• low-fat diets
  
  
• stress reduction
  
  
• reverse heart disease processes.

while other studies shows that reducing body fat through an active lifestyle and low fat diets mean reduced risk for

• prostate cancers for men
  
  
• breast and uterine cancers for women
  
  
• non-insulin dependent diabetes for both genders.

So, what shall I do?

You have to change to a new lifestyle, by committing yourself to a long term process that gradually will lead you to a healthier life. This process requires persistence and patience, especially in the beginning. If you stay persistent, your new lifestyle will automatically take over, and it will become natural for you. This process will contain

• moderate, long term fat loss
  
  
• aerobic exercise
  
  
• strength exercise

Here is the benefits 90 percent of overweight people following this advice has gained:

• improved heart function
  
  
• improved blood pressure
  
  
• improved glucose tolerance
  
  
• improved cholesterol levels
  
  
• lowering requirements for medication
  
  
• eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit
  
  
• 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases than the unfit
  
  
• eight times less likely to die from heart disease than the unfit people.

But, how can I get started?

The first phase in such a process has shown to be the hardest it is here most people drop out. The longer you stay in the process, the more likely you are to succeed. And trust me; after you - by means of persistency and patience - have passed this critical start phase, the fun and excitement you gradually will experience will make the change well worth the effort.

• You must make the decision to commit to this lifestyle changing process
  
  
• If you ever feel tempted to skip it for a day or even give up, confront yourself with your commitment, and go on.

By Terje Brooks Ellingsen