Archive for May, 2008

Weight Loss Diets - A Review Of 4 Popular Diets

May 31st 2008

1000 calorie diet

Trying the 1000 calorie diet is only advisable for one week, due to your body entering starvation mode and conserving fat. Overdoing the 1000 calorie diet is counterproductive to your body so try to stay on it for only 1 week. After 1 week you will lose between 3-5 pounds. The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. After 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down. Here is a simple 1000 calorie daily menu.

Breakfast

Banana sandwich made with 2 slices of wholemeal bread and a small banana

Small glass of orange juice

Snack

1 pot of low fat yoghurt (preferably fruit)

Lunch

1 wholemeal roll filled with tuna and low fat mayonnaise (use tin tuna in spring water)

Mixed lettuce salad, red or yellow sweet peppers, spring onions

Snack

1 bag of lower fat crisps

Dinner

Roast chicken breast (without skin)

Potatoes, mashed with 30ml semi-skimmed milk

Broccoli (all vegetables steamed or boiled)

Carrots

Gravy (made from granules)

Evening

1 low calorie hot chocolate drink made with powder and water

Drinks throughout the day

Diet coke, water, black coffee or tea without sugar

The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. Remember after 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down.

Vegetarian Diet

A well balanced vegetarian diet provides many benefits for the body. Some of those benefits include a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as:

Obesity

Coronary artery disease

Hypertension

High blood pressure

Diabetes

Some types of cancer and more

Your vegetarian diet, must be planned well. If not your body could end up in need of some vital nutrients. Some of these nutrients essential for the body are:

Protein

Minerals (zinc, calcium, iron)

Vitamin b12

Vitamin d

Protein sources include, tofu and other soy-based products, legumes, seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables

Experts say that in order for a balanced vegetarian diet, you should eat nuts and whole grain cereals for good sources amino acids.

Greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli are a good source of calcium.

For sources of vitamin b12 which comes from animals, can be substituted with fortified breakfast cereals and fortified soy drinks.

Sources of iron are red meats, liver and egg yolks which are all high in cholesterol. Spinach, dried beans and dried fruits are all good vegetarian sources of iron.

A vegetarian diet is healthier than a meat diet. However this does not mean that you have the right to stuff your face with crisps, chocolate and chips everyday. Your balanced diet should include all of the above, i.e. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, dairy produce and soy. Below is a table of some calorie controls in a vegetarian diet:

Food Group 1200 Calorie 1500 Calorie 1800 Calorie

Vegetables 5 servings 6 servings 8 servings

Fruits 3 servings 3 servings 5 servings

Grains 2 servings 3 servings 4 servings

Dairy 2 servings 2-3 servings 2-3 servings

Beans, Nuts and Seeds 5oz 6oz 7oz

Total Fat 30-35g 40-50g 50-60g

You can find a massive rage of diets on the internet free of charge! A vegetarian diet is an all round healthier option, and can go a long way to helping you on the road to losing weight.

Abs Diet

The Abs Diet works on the theory that every 1lb of muscle gained, your body intern burns an extra 50 calories per day. So if you can build an extra 10lb of muscle your body will then burn an extra 500 calories per day. Using the Abs Diet your body will burn more energy by eating the correct foods and exercising the correct way. Losing 500 calories per day will loose you 1lb of weight per week. Expect to loose up to 12lb in the first two weeks followed by 5-8lb in the forth coming two.

The Abs Diet allows you to eat 6 meals per day which consist of 12 power foods, such as: chicken, turkey and other lean meat, olive oil, beans and pulses, almonds, low fat dairy products, green vegetables, oats, eggs, wholegrain bread, whole grain cereals, berries, and protein powder. All other food is a not allowed.

For 6 weeks you will eat a series of 12 power foods, which provide the body with all the fibre and minerals you need to stay healthy and build muscle. Along with the diet you will do a 20 min workout three times per week, which will aid in the fat burning.

The Abs diet is mainly aimed at men, however women are encouraged to participate. The range of foods you can eat is still good and you do get an exercise program out of it. Also some very good looking Abs, health and sex life. The full diet book is: The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko from all good on-line book stores.

The Kellogg’s Cereal Diet

One of the simplest diets around at the moment is the Kellogg’s Cereal Diet. It is not a crash weight loss diet which will lose you pounds upon pounds; however it will allow you to get into those jeans that are 1 size to small.

To start the Kellogg’s Diet all you have to do is, eat one bowl of Kellogg’s Special K or Cornflakes for breakfast, and also one for a replacement lunch or dinner. That’s all! Carry this on for two weeks then you will see the results. Expect to lose around 3-6lb.

Whist on your diet, Kellogg’s allow you to have the same drinks and snacks as you usually would, but recommend that you eat a well balanced meal every day, with more fruit and vegetables. Another tip from Kellogg’s, is to keep a food diary to monitor and keep you aware of your current eating habits.

Article supplied by Michael Aldridge.
For a complete and extensive guide to losing weight, please visit our web site at http://www.onlineguidetoweightloss.com

Tags: 1000 calorie, , , , , , , , , abs, cereal, diet, dieting, diets, losing weight, vegetarian, weight loss

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White Sun on Health - Vegetarian Fast Food

May 30th 2008

The first commercial canning factory was established in England in 1813. It was pioneered by a French man by the name of Nicholas Appert in the 18th century. The raw food is packed into a can which is then cooked at high temperature and pressure to get rid of all bacterial spores and fungi so that the food is commercially sterilized. This enables canned food to be shelf stable over a long period. The high temperature kills all bacterial spores but unfortunately it also destroys the texture, natural taste, color and the nutritional values of the food.

Canned food has always been meant for emergencies and convenience and is always perceived as low quality. In the early 1960s, an improvement called the “retort pouches” was introduced in the market. Instead of metallic cans, special plastic laminates are used to hold food products. However, the cooking process for retort pouches is still the same as for cans which results in the same over-processed food products.

Recently there was an invention where there is a modified retort process where the food is not subject to the same high temperature and pressure as in canning process. They are able to cook and preserve almost all types of food products in retort pouches and retort trays without sacrificing quality. Food that is processed according to this technique keep its organoleptic qualities and it tastes close to freshly cooked meals. This modified process won three major awards in Australia in year 2002 and 2003. Today United Kingdom imports 40,000 bags of lamb shank per week from Australia.

In 2003, the largest rice cooperative in Australia, took up a processing license for the technology to produce pre-cooked rice of different flavors for the Australian market. Having ready-meals in the house which are good in quality in terms of nutrition, taste and value for money would be a trend to come and will catch on in the 21st century. When the kids moved out, many elderly people would probably live in apartments with a small kitchen. They will eat out more often and would probably have lost the desire to cook meals. Many live alone and may not find it easy to go out for their daily meals. By just pressing the button on the microwave, food can be served like freshly cooked.

The young generation and those in their mid-20’s to mid-40’s are occupying middle to senior level management positions and spend more time in office than in the kitchen. Many apartments are designed without a kitchen but are replaced by just a microwave oven for reheating. The women of this generation are more assertive and ambitious than their mothers and demand equal rights with men. Many do not know how to cook a good meal. Divorce rates soar and marriage is delayed or even put off altogether and there are many single mothers. Living together without marriage is a norm and same sex couples are rife. This generation would have forgotten how to cook or had not been taught how to cook.

Those born in the late 20th century can be classified the internet generation and is one of the most medicated generations in history with many prescribed anti-depressants and other behavior-altering drugs. Childhood obesity is another health problem due to the proliferation of “junk food” and reduced physical activities except for their movements of their fingers due to computer games, iPod, text messages etc. This generation does not eat proper meals but grew up snacking and this is especially so in the newly developed and developing Asian countries. Fast food outlets are packed with children taking along their parents to have meals there. Just look at the intense advertisements capturing the hearts of the children unlike in the past, the meals were very natural, home-cooked.

With the invention where ready meal products can still maintain its highly nutritious low fat, low sugar, low salt, no artificial additives and yet taste good, they are bound to capture the market and give convenience to millions of people in the modern world. Wide range of varieties can be found even in the frozen food under the vegetarian section. If vegetarian food is processed in the same manner, then it will give convenience to millions of vegetarians worldwide as well as those health conscious people who seldom take meat. White Sun is studying this possibility to provide nutritious vegetarian food using the modified retort process without sacrificing quality.

Man by nature is composed of physical body and mind. The organic body which is of material form needs to rely on material things such as food to nourish its growth whereas the mind requires a serene order in order to live. Confucius said, “The object of the superior man is Truth. Food is not his object.” After the three inches down the throat, there is no more taste but man by nature craves for good taste. In order to encourage vegetarianism, we still have to ensure good taste and nutrition intact without preservative as in the modified retort process to serve as vegetarian fast food.

A vegetarian diet, with its emphasis on pulses, legs of mushrooms and grains to provide essential vitamins, is regarded by many medical experts as much healthier. Medical evidence from around the world suggests that diets rich in animal fats lead to heart disease and cancer. It is also encouraging to note that vegetarians have significantly lower incidences of cancers of the lung, breast, rectum and colon because the diet of a vegetarian is usually higher in fiber.

Dr William Bruce, a researcher at the Ontario Cancer Institute at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital found that people who cut their animal fat intake from 150 mg a day to 50 mg a day (in essence, decreasing their meat consumption) could reduce the presence of detectable cancer-causing (N-nitroso) compounds by 50%. In addition, the addition of bran to the diet and a daily intake of 2 gm of vitamin C per day were also found to reduce the presence of cancer-causing compounds. Vegetarian fast food definitely will help the same at the same time cutting off the bad karma between human and animal.

Author: T.A Chew

T.A Chew has the opportunity to team up with the awards winning inventor of the modified retort process to produce shelf stable vegetarian food products without the need of refrigeration but yet able to retain its freshness without preservatives. It is with great hope that the venture will take off to a good start to give convenience to vegetarians worldwide soon. Website: http://www.white-sun.com

Tag: White Sun Health

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Cooking — What You Need To Know

May 29th 2008

From ancient times till the nineteenth century cooking was basically a survival skill. The nineteenth century marked the division of cooking into two main categories.

The two branches were defined by the French, were there is ‘normale cuisine’ which means home cooking, and ‘haute cuisine’, which is cooking conceived like an artform. The major difference between the two branches is that one form should be considered as practical cooking while the other is more like cooking with a view to demonstrating skill.

The boundary between ~normale cuisine~ and ~haute cuisine~ gets thinner and thinner over time. New professional kitchen equipment and more information about cooking allow people to perform like chefs at home.

Haute cuisine cooking gathers different techniques and ingredients together in an artform. Haute cuisine thrives to gather as many aromas and subtle variations as possible to let our taste buds discover the variations of even the most ordinarily food. Color is also an important factor in this type of cooking.

While cooking was mainly a means to survive, food cooking techniques were simple ~ roasting by the fire, or wrapping in leaves to steam. The first revolution in cooking took place twelve thousand years ago, when pottery was invented.

Pottery opened the door to new cooking techniques like stewing, boiling, and frying. Actually, the heart of modern cooking is the combination of these simple techniques.

Historically, the three most important cooking styles are Italian, Chinese, and French. The oldest is Chinese. Its most popular equipment is the wok, which is a special frying pan, where food is prepared fast and effectively. Food ingredients circulate permanently inside the wok. Its design also allows to fully utilize the heat.

Chinese cuisine chops ingredients in small pieces. On one hand, this saves fuel, which is a scarce commodity, and on the other ~ since maximum surface of the ingredient is exposed to heat, dishes are prepared in no time at all.

Chinese food is considered light and fresh. Sauces and various flavors and aromas help to fine-tune the taste of Chinese food. Chinese dishes are light and fresh and Chinese restaurants are very popular internationally.

Because fuel was also a rare resource in Italy, Italian cooking, similarly to Chinese, relies on the fast and efficient exposure of ingredients to heat. The main ingredient of Italian cuisine is pasta, to which small pieces of meat, rice, corn, and tomatoes are added.

In the beginning, French cuisine involved too many spices and was heavy. This was changed by Catherine de M~dici, a French Queen, born in Italy. In 1534 she came to France, together with a crowd of Florentine chefs and bakers. They introduced new equipment that revolutionized French cooking and set new standards all over Western Europe.

Today it is very different. We can expect to find everything mentioned above and much more besides in most cities in the developed world. When next you find yourself spoilt for choice, think of those earlier gourmets who would be amazed at your good fortune!

David Owenforth is the Operator of
U Love Cooking. This site has an array of info especially for the cooking enthusiast. You will find great articles and resources.
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Tags: barbecue, , , , , , , , , , , , Cake, cooking, Fish, food, Frying, healthy, meat, Oven, recipes, Stir Fry, vegetarian

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