Even more delicious Teas for you…

A lot of people wrote in and were thrilled to hear that green tea and Wu-long tea had wonderful fat burning properties, but what about white tea and rooibos tea?

White Tea

As with all the other teas we’ve already discussed, white tea also comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, as almost all teas do. The main difference between white tea and the other teas is that the white tea leaves are picked and harvested at a younger age than the other tea leaves. Whereas black tea is fully fermented and green tea is partly fermented, white tea is not fermented at all, helping it to retain more of its beneficial antioxidants.

Some studies have shown that because of this “no fermentation”, white tea has a concentration of antioxidants that is 3 x’s higher than green tea, making it an incredibly healthy choice for drinking as part of any healthy eating plan. Not only that, it is a wise choice for those who are sensitive to caffeine. It only contains 15 mg of caffeine per cup, much lower than the 20-30 mg you get from green tea, and 40-60 mg you get from black tea.

But what about fat loss? Does it contain the same fat burning properties as green tea and wu-long tea?

White tea has been shown to promote fat burning in the body by preventing cells from storing body fat. White tea’s caffeine content also does help to stimulate the metabolism (without causing any jitters). But I will reiterate that white tea’s greatest claim to fame is still its extremely high antioxidant content, making its fat burning properties secondary and not as powerful as the fat burning properties found in Wu-long tea .

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea (pronounced “roy-boss) is a perfect choice for those looking for NO caffeine at all. Rooibos, also known as “red bush”, does not come from the Camellia sinensis tea plant as all the other previously mentioned teas do. Instead, it comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant which is native only to South Africa.

Rooibos tea has been found to contain some incredible health benefits without ANY caffeine. It has been shown to boost the immune system, treat hay fever, asthma and eczema, relieve stomach cramps and colic in infants and greatly help those individuals who suffer from heartburn.

As with white tea, including a cup or two of rooibos tea into your healthy eating plan will bring you some incredible benefits, but it is not widely known or used for fat burning and weight loss. So enjoy your rooibos tea for its immune boosting properties, not for accelerating fat burning.

Oh, and did I mention it also happens to be absolutely delicious?

I highly encourage you to experiment and try all the varieties of teas we’ve covered and find which one suits you best. A little raw honey, stevia or xylitol added to sweeten your tea will help make it a healthy alternative to any sugar filled drinks or those calorie laden “fancy coffee drinks” that so many people are currently addicted to (and spending WAY TOO much money on every day).

By http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/blog

Squeezing Healthy Meal Plans into a Hectic Life

Just like a lot of you guys, I’m super busy. There are things I just don’t have time to do. However, no matter how hectic my life gets, I always make time for healthy meal plans. Is it easy? Not always. But good health is something I value; so the extra time I put into planning and preparing wholesome meals is well worth it. No matter how rushed life gets, you too can find time for good nutrition.

Plan Your Menus Ahead of Time

Instead of playing mealtimes by ear, plan your menu a week in advance. Weekly menu planning only takes a few minutes, but it can make working healthy meals into your life a lot easier. You can create a simple menu template on your computer or you can take a blank sheet of paper, divide it into sections and write down your meals and snacks for the week.

Some of you might find it more convenient to use a dry erase board for menu planning. There’s no right or wrong way to create a menu. It’s all about what works best for you. The only stipulation is that the meals you plan must be nutritious (no processed foods allowed). Once you finish making your menu, stick it on the refrigerator or somewhere else that’s visible.

Get Your Grocery Shopping Done in One Swoop

Preparing for Healthy Meal Plans. Plan a Menu, and Impulse Buys Will Be Thwarted.

You’re more likely to stick with a nutritious meal plan if you don’t have to make a mad dash to the grocery store everyday. Use your preplanned menu to make a list of all the foods you need to prepare your meals. Designate one day a week for grocery shopping so you can get it over with.

Take your list with you to the store so you won’t forget anything. No more running back and forth to the market because you forgot important ingredients. Using a list also helps you stay on track and reduces the temptation to fill your buggy with cookies, chips and other junk.

Prepare Extra Food and Keep Meals Simple

Prepare more food than you need for one meal so you can have leftovers for the next day. For instance, instead of preparing half of a chicken for dinner, go ahead and pop the whole thing into the oven. When you get ready to eat the leftovers, simply heat them up. Cooking enough for more than one meal reduces your time in the kitchen and makes mealtimes less taxing (take it from the queen of leftovers).

Gourmet meals are nice (and yummy), but they’re overrated. Unless you’re throwing a fancy dinner party, the meals you prepare don’t have to bear any resemblance to a gourmet meal. If you enjoy cooking this way, it’s perfectly fine. But if you’re short on time, quick dishes like salads topped with boiled eggs or salmon work for any meal.

When you live life at record speed, sticking to a nutritious meal plan can be tough. However, if you want to lose weight and improve your health, squeezing time out of your busy day to plan and prepare wholesome meals is important. Give the tips above a try – they just might work for you.

By thedietsolutionprogram.com

Diet Plans to Lose Weight Need Not Be Complicated

With all of the conflicting information about nutrition, it’s no wonder people give up on their diet plans to lose weight after only a few days. Dropping weight can feel like an uphill climb, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Don’t let others make the process more complicated than it actually is.

Don’t get me wrong, losing flab certainly has it challenges (trust me, I’ve been there). I’m simply saying if you’re armed with the right information, slimming down is not as hard as it seems. If you boot all the processed foods out of your diet and replace them with nutrient-dense, natural foods, you’ll lose weight and feel healthier before you know it.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Adding a variety of fresh fruits and veggies to your daily diet can help you get the vitamins and minerals you need to support important functions of the body. For instance, calcium helps support bone health. Vitamin C helps the immune system thrive. B vitamins work to ease stress, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. And vitamin A supports healthy vision and skin.

Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of complex carbohydrates and fiber. Carbs are important because they provide fuel for the body. Fiber regulates the bowels and expands in your stomach to help you stay full longer. The longer you stay full, the less you eat, and the more likely you are to drop body fat.

I have always been a supporter of free roaming chicken, grass fed meets, and whole organic eggs. It just makes sense.

Poultry and Beans

When you make beans and poultry a part of your regular diet, you are giving your body the protein it needs to maintain good health. Protein is referred to as the building block of the body for a reason. This nutrient is found almost everywhere in the body. Without it, you’ll face problems like fatigue, skin ulcers, sleeping difficulties, weakness and organ damage.

Skimping on the protein can also cause crankiness, depression, anxiety and other mental issues. Also, when you add this compound to your diet, you are less likely to overeat because it makes meals more satiating and helps control your appetite.

Lean Meats, Fish and Raw Nuts

Adding lean meats to your diet will ensure you get the iron you need to build hemoglobin and transport oxygen to the cells in your body. When you don’t get enough iron in your diet, your chances of suffering with iron deficient anemia increases. Symptoms of anemia can include fatigue, problems regulating the body temperature, headaches, dizziness and weakness.

The importance of fat in the diet is underrated. When you avoid eating healthy fats, you do your body a huge disservice. Healthy fats build the brain, provide the body with energy, help produce hormones, and provide cushion for your internal organs.

Fats also enable the body use vitamins more efficiently. Make fish and raw nuts staples in your diet so you can get some of the fats you need for good health.

If you rid your diet of processed junk and replace them with the foods listed above, you can shed unwanted pounds without frustration. The weight isn’t going to come off overnight, but it will eventually come off. Oh, and remember. No diet plan is complete or 100 percent successful without exercise.

By thedietsolutionprogram.com

Try a Wheat-Free Diet for Better Health

The gluten contained in wheat products can cause or contribute to digestive disorders and joint problems. If you suffer with these conditions, a wheat-free diet may be just what you need to relieve your uncomfortable symptoms. Need another reason to consider going wheatless? Kicking this food out of your eating plan can also help you drop those unwanted pounds (I thought that might get your attention).

Millet is commonly used as a wheat substitute for both gluten free and wheat free diets, as well as quinoa, brown rice, and sprouted grains.

A wheat-free diet is often confused with a gluten-free diet. Although wheat products contain gluten, these two types of diets are not the same thing. When you’re on a wheat-free diet, you simply eliminate all foods that contain wheat. When you follow a gluten-free diet, you not only give up wheat, you also eliminate barley and rye.

Digestive Problems and Wheat

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause abdominal pain, bloating, gas, changes in bowel movements and cramping. People with IBS may be constipated one minute and have diarrhea the next. The urge to have a bowel movement can get so intense sometimes that it’s hard to control. Can you imagine being stuck in traffic feeling like this?

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome vary from person to person, and they can come and go. Gluten intolerance has been shown to produce or pronounce IBS symptoms. Since gluten is found in wheat, eliminating it from your diet can help reduce the symptoms.

You don’t have to have irritable bowel syndrome for wheat to cause digestive problems. When you eat wheat, it can clog up the intestines and make digestion difficult. A wheat-free diet can promote a healthy digestive tract by allowing food to flow through easier.

Go Wheatless and Drop a Few Pounds

Wheat is found in bread, pasta, baked goods, cereal, ice cream, gravies and other processed foods. These types of foods have no nutritional value and they make it hard for you to lose weight. On top of the empty calories you get when you load up on processed wheat products, you ingest all kinds of unhealthy chemical additives.

When you boot wheat out of your diet, there’s nothing left to eat but lean meats, fish, poultry, fruits, beans, nuts, legumes and vegetables. These foods are nutrient-dense and lower in calories than processed foods. When you opt for healthier foods, you automatically reduce your caloric intake, so you have an easier time slimming down.

Lose the Wheat to Reduce Joint Pain

Gluten can hinder your body’s natural defenses against joint pain caused by osteoporosis or osteoarthritis. If you have either of these conditions, a wheat-free diet may help reduce discomfort. Also, when you suffer from joint conditions, being overweight will amplify the pain. The weight loss you experience from a wheat-free diet will take some of the pressure off of your joints and help ease pain.

When you’ve been eating wheat all of your life, the thought of eliminating it from your diet can be scary. If going wheat-free is difficult for you, take small steps. Start off by cutting your intake by half. After you do this for a while, continue to reduce the amount of wheat you eat. Before you know it, you’ll be wheat-free and on the path to better health.

By thedietsolutionprogram.com

I Need to Lose Weight and Fast – Should I Join a Gym?

Anytime a person comes to me and says, “Isabel, I need to lose weight and fast. Will joining a gym help me achieve my goals?” I simply tell them that no two people are alike. It’s all about what works for you. There are a lot of good reasons to join a gym, but there are also some drawbacks.

Reasons You May Want to Join a Gym

• Motivation. Everyone at the gym is there for one reason—to exercise. Being around people who share the same objective can motivate you to dig your heels in and get your workouts done. If going to the gym will encourage you to exercise regularly, then I say go for it!

• No Distractions at Home. There is always something to do or someone who needs you at home. These distractions can easily take priority (in your mind) over exercising. When you do most of your workouts at the gym, the dishes, dinner, phone calls, laundry and anything else you “need” to do will just have to wait.

• Access to Exercise Equipment and Fitness Classes. You don’t need much exercise equipment to get a good workout. However, doing the same old exercise videos and running on the same old treadmill can bore you to pieces. When you opt to workout in a gym, you have access to tons of equipment and a variety of fitness classes, so you rarely get bored.

Reasons You May Not Want to Join a Gym

• You May Get Stuck in a Contract. Plenty of people join a gym and use their memberships religiously. Others start off with a boom and then fade away. If you are one of the faders and you sign a 12 month contract, you’ll be stuck paying for a year long membership that you never use. Basically, it will be a waste of money.

• Fees are Continuous. Most contracted gym membership fees are collected via automatic bank draft. If you lose your job or run into financial hardships, there is no way to stop the gym from pulling money out of your account until your contract expires. If your finances are really messed up, the money the gym takes out of your account can cause overdraft charges and other financial hardships.

• Overcrowding. Gyms are in the business of making money. The more members they have, the more money they make. These facilities can be pretty crowded during peak hours. If you hate crowds or are uncomfortable exercising around others, the gym atmosphere may not be for you.

• Germy Equipment. Sweaty bodies and dirty hands—it’s no secret that the exercise equipment and locker rooms at gyms are stomping grounds for germs. Anytime you come into contact with germy equipment, you become vulnerable to illnesses and infections. If you are a germaphobe or slack about hand washing, you may be better off exercising at home.

Some Ways to Combat Gym Drawbacks

While it’s not necessary to join a gym to lose weight, some people thrive in this type of setting. If you’re not sure if a gym is right for you, go to a nearby facility and ask for a free trial membership. This will give you a chance to use the facility for a couple of weeks to see if joining is something you really want to do.

If you feel like a gym membership is what you need to get off your hump and exercise, negotiate with the fitness club to save a little cash. Some gyms will waive their registration fees or offer as much as 30 percent off membership prices–all you gotta’ do is ask.

If you detest the idea of being trapped in a contract, ask for a month to month membership. Most gyms don’t advertise the month to month thing because it eats into their profits. With this type of membership, you simply pay as you go. When you get sick of going, you can quit without paying any additional fees.

Your dream of losing weight is only a reach away. Watch this video to find out how the Diet Solution Program has helped me when I need to lose weight and fast.

by http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com

How Will Proper Nutrition Help Me Lose Weight?

If you’ve tried diet after diet and you’re still hollering, “Please!Help me lose weight!” It’s because diets don’t work (obviously). Sure, they may help you drop a few pounds in the beginning, but the results are often short lived. Most diets require you to restrict your caloric intake to the point where your body is literally starving.

Not getting enough calories slows your metabolism down, causes the loss of lean muscle tissue, deprives you of the fuel you need to perform, and causes your body to hold on to stored fat for energy. In addition, diets are miserable, depressing, frustrating and not sustainable over the long term. Seriously, how long do you think you can survive off of grapefruits and cabbage?

Take it from a gal who has tried almost every diet on the market. Proper nutrition will give you better weight loss results than simply going on a diet. Here are three good reasons why.

Healthy Foods Are Naturally Low in Calories

Unlike processed junk, healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans naturally raised meats, organic poultry, raw nuts, seeds and organic eggs are naturally low in calories. When you eat reasonable portions of these foods, you automatically reduce your caloric intake and lose weight without feeling hungry, deprived or bitter.

There is so much nonsense in processed foods. When you eat them, your body doesn’t have a clue what to do with the calories; so they just get stored as fat. When you eat nutritious foods instead of processed junk, your body actually benefits from the calories so they are less likely to get stored as blubber.

Proper Nutrition Helps Fuel Your Body

All nutritious (and I mean truly nutritious) eating plans will allow plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits and beans in the diet. These foods provide the healthy carbohydrates you need to fuel your body and keep your metabolism performing properly.

If you come across a diet that tells you not to eat healthy carbohydrates, run away from it as fast as you can. Your body absolutely has to have healthy carbohydrates (healthy being the operative word) to survive.

Eating Healthy to Burn Fat

Here’s some great news. Healthy diets that include protein can help you build lean muscle tissue, which can kick your metabolism into high gear. This is definitely a plus if you want to send that double chin packing.

When you eat protein rich foods, your body releases a hormone that helps you burn fat. Protein also helps make meals more satiating so you eat less (bring on the protein, baby). Some nutritious protein sources include naturally raised lean meats, organic poultry, beans, raw nuts and whole organic eggs.

Why put yourself through the drama of dieting just to be disappointed with the end results? Healthy eating is a much better option for dropping unwanted pounds. Remember though,nutritious eating is just one part of the weight loss puzzle. If you want to keep those results coming, get plenty of exercise and drink lots of water.

If you are serious about losing weight, watch this video to learn some of the things that help me lose weight and keep it off.

By http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com

This is the Best Way to get toned legs, abs, and arms

I’m going to get right to the point today because I’ve got so much great information to share with you in this newsletter, I want to get right to it.

Almost daily I receive hundreds of emails from readers asking me,

“Isabel, I am following such and such workout. Here’s exactly what I do.”

That’s usually followed by every full detail of their current workout program. The exercise program given may each be different, but the ultimate question is always the same…

“Is this workout going to give me maximum fat burning results?” or better yet, in their own words

“Is this workout going to get rid of my fat?!”

The information I’m about to give you (and yes there is a ton of it) is going to be specifically targeted to the ladies. So fellas, if you’re reading this, please, please, pass this on to any woman in your life that is currently frustrated with their current workout program. Trust me, they will thank you!

Ladies, below I am going to give you an easy, step by step guide that you can follow to be sure you are getting the best results from your workout program.

I know, I know…there’s so much information out there. How do you decipher through it all? I promise the sequence below will help tremendously.

First and foremost, I have to say that the biggest mistake I see most women making in their exercise programming is jumping from one thing to another without any rhyme or reason to why they’re doing what they’re doing. The second biggest mistake is following a “bodybuilder” type program that will only make you big and bulky, not sexy and lean (NO big and bulky for me, thanks!)

Every woman’s starting point is not the same, so use the guide below to figure out exactly where you are and how you should be training at this point in time.

Most workout programs are broken down into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. I particularly hate these classifications because they are very relative and what is advanced to one person, may be intermediate to someone else. I like to use the following stages instead.

Stage 1 – “Building the Foundation”

You are in the “Building the Foundation” stage if you are new to exercising. Where should you begin? Should you just pick up the weights and go for it? Definitely NOT! This will just lead to frustration and injury and will cause you to abandon your program before you can even experience results.

If you are new to the exercising game, especially weight training, here are the movements I want you to master:

Squat, Lunge, Pushing, Pulling and Twisting

Sound basic? Well that is the point…mastering the basics! A perfect example of a building the foundation exercise program would be…

Perform all exercises back to back with minimal rest. Rest 1-2 minutes after the entire circuit and then repeat 2 more times

1. Bodyweight Squats – 15-20 reps
2. Bodyweight Lunges – 8 each leg
3. Modified Pushups (on knees) – 10-15 reps
4. Assisted Pullups – 10 reps
5. Medicine ball or Dumbbell Woodchop – 10 reps each side (keep the weight light)

The workout above is absolutely perfect for building a strong foundation to work from and will ensure that you do not jump into a more complex workout that may cause you injury without being prepared.

Stage 2 – “Achieving Fitness”

This is where you build upon the basics and begin to perform more complex movements, using the same exercises in your Stage 1 plan, but now you are making modifications in reps, weight and complexity of the movements.

Here’s an example plan (follow the same instructions as your stage 1 program):

1. Dumbbell Squats – 15 reps
2. Walking Lunges – 10 each leg
3. Pushups on your toes – work up to 10 total
4. Assisted Pullups – 15-20 reps
5. Woodchop using a cable machine – 10 reps each side at a challenging weight

Although both programs look very similar, the intensity is significantly different and you will be able to achieve a greater level of fitness with the complexity and increased reps of the second program.

Stage 3 – “Getting Ripped”

I hate to say this, but most people, especially women, will never achieve this level. No, no I’m not trying to be mean or condescending here, but the reality is many people are just not willing to put in the work that it takes to see their six pack, see ripped lines in their legs and see cuts in their arms.

Is it possible? Yes, of course it is. Is it possible for you? Yes, most definitely! And I don’t ever want to hear anyone say it isn’t possible for them because I have seen obese people, mothers with several children and ex-couch potatoes get bodies they never dreamed were possible.

Exactly what does it take to get there?

It takes a real dedication to your workout program. It takes a commitment to exercise at least 4 or 5 times each week. And it takes a real WANTING to see that lean and toned body in the mirror.

What does a sample workout look like? Well, I am going to let my good friend Flavia DelMonte tell you exactly what it takes and how she achieved the incredible physique she has today. I have to say, Flavia has really got this figured out and if you want to get that head turning body that only very few women are able to achieve, Flavia has got the formula for that.

Formula for a head turning body

Flavia’s story is absolutely fantastic and the way she came up with this “no fail” approach is nothing less than incredible. She shares all of that with you plus and most importantly, how you can achieve the same results.

No Fail approach to toned abs, legs and arms

Stay tuned tomorrow for a detailed look into a sample workout that is definitely a “Stage 3 – Getting Ripped” workout.

By the http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/blog/!

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #6: Take charge of your food environment

Your weight loss efforts will succeed or fail based largely on your food environment. Set yourself up for success by taking charge of your food environment: when you eat, how much you eat, and what foods are available.

• Start the day with breakfast. People who eat breakfast tend to be thinner than those who don’t. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast will jumpstart your metabolism, plus, it will help keep you from binging later in the day.
• Serve yourself smaller portions. One easy way to control portion size is by using small plates, bowls, and cups. This will make your portions appear larger. Don’t eat out of large bowls or directly from the food container or package, which makes it difficult to assess how much you’ve eaten.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. You will be more inclined to eat in moderation if you have thought out healthy meals and snacks in advance. You can buy or create your own small portion snacks in plastic bags or containers. Eating on a schedule will also help you avoid eating when you aren’t truly hungry.
• Cook your own meals. Cooking meals at home allows you to control both portion size and what goes in to the food. Restaurant and packaged foods generally contain a lot more sodium, fat, and calories than food cooked at home—plus the portions sizes tend to be larger.
• Don’t shop for groceries when you’re hungry. Create a shopping list and stick to it. Be especially careful to avoid foods at the ends of the aisles and along the perimeter, where grocers tend to sell high-calorie snack and convenience foods.
• Out of sight, out of mind. Limit the amount of tempting foods you have at home. If you share a kitchen with non-dieters, store snack foods and other high-calorie indulgences in cabinets or drawers out of your sight.

Soda: The Secret Diet Saboteur

Soft drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the average American diet. One can of soda contains between 10-12 teaspoons of sugar and around 150 calories, so a few soft drinks can quickly add up to a good portion of your daily calorie intake.

Switching to diet soda isn’t the answer either, as studies suggest that it triggers sugar cravings and contributes to weight gain. Instead, try switching to water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, or carbonated water with a splash of juice.

By Helpguide.org

Healthy Weight Loss & Dieting Tips

How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough—and losing weight, even tougher. Adding to the difficulty is the abundance of fad diets and “quick-fix” plans that tempt and confuse us, and ultimately fail. If you’ve tried and failed to lose weight before, you may believe that it’s just too difficult or that diets don’t work for you. And in one sense, you may be right: traditional diets don’t work—at least not in the long term.
But there are plenty of small but powerful, changes you can make that do add up to lasting weight loss success. The key is to create a plan that provides plenty of enjoyable choices, avoid common dieting pitfalls, and learn how to develop a healthier, more satisfying relationship with food.

The key to successful, healthy weight loss

Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple: If you eat more calories than you burn then you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight.
Since 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat, if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'll lose approximately 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Simple, right? So why is weight loss so hard?
All too often, we make weight loss much more difficult then it needs to be with extreme diets that leave us cranky and starving, unhealthy lifestyle choices that undermine our dieting efforts, and emotional eating habits that stop us before we get started. But there’s a better way! You can lose weight without feeling miserable. By making smart choices every day, you can develop new eating habits and preferences that will leave you feeling satisfied—and all while winning the battle of the bulge.

TO BE CONTINUED....

By HELPGUIDE.ORG