Tag - weight loss

Addicted To Food? Here Are Important Points To Know

September 9, 2014

Addicted To Food?

Do you ever feel like eating unhealthy foods isn’t a choice? Do you sometimes feel powerless, like you eat them without much conscious thought? Or perhaps you know you’re eating foods you should not be, but yet, you just cannot seem to stop yourself no matter how hard you try?

Food addiction is a very real thing and something that gets overlooked far too often. If you are not aware of what’s happening in your mind and body when you eat these foods, it may easy to get yourself down over it, chalking it up to you having no will power to stick to a diet plan.

But, it’s much more than that. If you are currently suffering from food addiction, it’s going to take some hard work to break free, but the great news is that with the right approach, you can definitely do so.

Let’s go over what you must know about food addiction.

The Cause Of Food Addiction

So what causes food addiction in the first place? If you think it’s simply the fact that your taste buds have a strong preference for sweet or salty foods, you’re not quite correct in that thinking pattern.

While there’s no doubt that your personal preferences on taste do play a role in the foods you choose, there are other responses going on when you eat certain types of foods.

The most problematic perhaps is consumption of carbohydrates – namely simple carbohydrates. This includes foods like cake, cookies, ice cream, crackers, granola bars, cereals, bagels – basically anything that is not wholesome and coming straight from nature.

Essentially, all the foods you should be aiming to avoid.

When you eat these foods, they do two things. First, they spike blood glucose levels. This initially makes you feel very good as you suddenly have a high surge of energy going through your body. Who doesn’t love that?

But more importantly, these simple carbohydrates also cause a high release of the neurotransmitter in the body called serotonin, which has extremely strong impacts on your overall well-being.

It makes you feel calm, relaxed, and at peace. It helps to reduce stress and can even help you feel closer to others. To put this into perspective, this is the same neurotransmitter that is released during hard drug use. It is that powerful – and that addictive. There’s no question how addictive hard drugs can be. Well, carbohydrates can actually have a similar effect. You aren’t getting addicted to the carbohydrate itself, but rather, the feeling that those carbohydrates create in your body due to the response you get.

Why do you think so many people turn to ice cream, cake, and cookies when they are highly stressed out? It is this response that’s soothing them – not just the sweet taste these foods offer.

The bad news however is after you get this initial high from these foods, you are also going to crash, feeling worse than before. Especially as your blood glucose level comes crashing down, you are going to feel irritable, lacking energy, and your overall mood will also take a tumble. So while you found relief, it was only temporary and now, you have just worsened the situation.

Not to mention the fact that with this spike than crash of blood glucose, your pancreas will be working overtime, releasing insulin to control all that sugar, and eventually leading you to a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Those who put their body through this on a regular basis – sugar highs and then lows will also be at a much greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity due to the excess weight that will accumulate.

Even more is the fact that upon reaching this blood sugar low, now your body is going to want to prompt you to consume more simple sugar in order to bring it back up again, a cycle that just continually perpetuates itself.

Getting Help

So if you find yourself in a situation of food addiction, how can you get past it? How can break free so that you are not longer controlled by your food and carbohydrate cravings?

First, realize that it isn’t going to be easy. Accepting this is key to ongoing success. You are going to feel miserable for the first while and you will have to push through those feelings. Just like a drug addict goes through withdrawal, so will you.

Mentally preparing for this will help get you ready. Just remember that with each day you stay sugar/simple carb free, it will get easier. Eventually those strong cravings will subside.

Next, turn to your family and close friends for support. Explain to them what you’re doing so they are also prepared to support you through those difficult times. Talking to them instead of reaching for that cookie jar will keep you on track.

Sometimes the simple distraction of another person can be enough to help you stay on track and prevent a slip-up.

Finally, make sure that you enlist the help of a personal trainer who has assisted others with this same problem you are now going through. A personal trainer will be a great ally to help you work through realistic goals to achieve as far as both your diet and workouts go. They’ll also be able to give you nutritional tips to help you avoid feeling so fatigued so you don’t need to reach for simple carbs as often as you have in the past. A great phoenix personal trainer who also does online personal training is Seth Thurston. He has helped 1000+ just like you get control of their weight and reach their dream body by developing a healthy lifestyle.

If you’ve set yourself up a proper diet plan, you’ll find it far easier to break free from the food cravings you have because you are constantly fueled with nutrient dense foods. Lack of a proper nutrition program is what gets many people in this situation in the first place, therefore taking steps to resolve this is a good place to begin.

So next time you feel like food is calling your name and you are too weak to disobey, keep these facts in mind. Something stronger than just willpower is at work here, but with conscious effort and the right protocol, you can overcome this problem. A great location for lots of information and support is www.Carbaholicsanonymous.

Sex And Weight Loss, Have A Better Sex By Losing Fat?

September 9, 2014

Kevin Angileri

health tips

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Sex And Weight Loss

It is natural that a man would love to have sex with a beautiful and elegant woman who arouses him in every way, satisfies him and her very appearance gives him pleasure. This is possible only when she is slim and sexy. So if you want to enjoy your life to the fullest with your dearest one, shed off the extra pounds.

Another great reason behind the fact that weight loss conduces to better sex is that most women who are heavy and are suffering from obesity problem have some or the other ailments like type 2 diabetes and such others. Researchers have found out that there is high rate of sexual dysfunction in women who have type 1 or 2 diabetes. What happens is such women have problems of both enjoying sex themselves and making others happy. They have problems of being aroused or sex related pain and even achieving orgasm. And all problems and quarrels rise to heights when sex life is not smooth especially at young age.

But if you are a knowledgeable person and are aware of these over-weight related issues, then why do you want to bring in trouble when your life can be the happiest ever? Various experiments have been carried out to ascertain the real cause of such sex-related issues and every time it has been proved that it is excess weight that is the root of all mischief. Women who are health conscious always try to control their weight not only to look attractive and stay healthy, but it is for this very big cause that they do their workouts regularly and reduce any extra pound that they put in.

Women, who want to lose weight considerably, adhere to a strict low-calorie and fat-free diet. They do their regular exercises without fail and even go to gyms to shed off the extra pounds. When such a regime is followed a woman is sure to get over all her sex related problems and her life will become much better.

Most women exercising for weight loss to improve sex life have reported that after reducing nearly 17 pounds, there was remission of sexual dysfunction and they were better off in life. If you are one of those women who is heavy and is not happy in bed, do not think twice but pack your gym equipments and start a fun-filled weight loss routine for better sex. If you enjoy what you do, your purposes are easily fulfilled.

Examples Of Good Carb Foods To Add To Your Diet

August 24, 2014

Kevin Angileri

Healthy Tips

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Have you been avoiding carbs like the bubonic plague? Well, guess what? You don’t have to. Various weight loss programs have been demonizing carbohydrates for years. Yet the truth is that not all carbs are bad for your dieting efforts. Want some examples of good carb foods to add to your diet? Check out the highlighted options below!

Fruits Full of Antioxidants

Vibrant fruits are full of vitamins and healthy antioxidants. So it’s a real shame to hear that some people actually go out of their way to avoid eating them—especially when there’s no real reason to justify doing so. Fruits eaten in its raw form won’t do you any harm. It’s only when you start juicing the fruits that you will encounter a great spike to your blood sugar level. Therefore, steer clear of over the counter fruit juices and smoothies. But feel free to treat yourself to some fresh fruit. They are the healthiest dessert options.

Green Leafy Vegetables

When it comes to vegetables, just about anything green is good for you. Spinach and kale are especially known for their nutritious properties. Therefore, don’t be afraid to eat your veggies! They’re part of a healthy diet for preventing diabetes. Remember, Greens are great, eat lots.

Fresh Veggies in all Colors

Forget about eating rainbow Skittles. If you really want to “taste the rainbow”, then you should sample different types of vegetables. The roughage found in veggies help to keep you full and regular. Hence, they should be a part of your healthy diet. Try this for a month. Every week, try a different kind of vegetable. One, you have never eaten before. You may find a few new favorites.

Satiating Beans

Looking for the ultimate example of good carbs to add to your diet? Look no further than the dried beans aisle of your local supermarket. Beans are low glycemic. Therefore, they don’t affect your insulin level. Plus they are full of protein. They’ll keep you feeling satiated for hours after you have finished eating. Besides, bean are so versatile, you can eat them with almost anything.

Fluffy Brown Rice

Beans are mighty good on their own, but they’re even better with a bowl of brown rice. Unlike white rice, brown rice is full of fiber. So there’s no reason for you to fear eating this filling carbohydrate. When you eat beans and brown rice together, they form the perfect protein.

Whole Grain Pasta

Being a healthy eater doesn’t mean you have to give up on eating spaghetti and other tasty pasta dishes. It only means you need to opt for the whole grain variety. And with the right sauce, whole grain pasta can be just as good as the not-so-healthy kind you might have grown up eating. Pasta Primavera(pasta with slightly cooked fresh vegetables) is a wonderful and lo-cal dinner.

Again, Carbaholics Anonymous would like to take the time to thank everyone for there support. As you know Carbaholics Anonymous is fighting against Obesity, and Diabetes. We believe we can win this fight with everyones help. Carbaholics Anonymous would also like to thank everyone for asking great questions. We promise to get to everyones email in due time.

How To Motivate Yourself Into Healthy Eating Habits

August 18, 2014

Kevin Angileri

Healthy Tips

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motivate yourself for healthy eating habits

People often ask me how to get started with a weight loss program by developing healthy eating habits and keep at it so they continue to eat nutritious food. From my own experience, I can tell you that no matter how health-conscious one may be, it is always difficult to remain on an entirely nutritious diet all the time, without variation. Despite that, I still can give you some tips that actually work (and you can take my word on this!) if you have difficulty in getting motivated to begin eating healthy food. So, here it is..

Make a large and comprehensive goal and break it down to smaller and measurable ones.This will help you achieve your daily motivational levels. For instance, you may want to eat a salad and soup for lunch every day, and eat five bowls of fruit through the day. Space it out so that you want to reach out for it, and yes, don’t forget to drink plenty of water each day too.

Ensure that your goals are realistic and achievable: Set your goals right and you will reach your success milestone soon enough. Any unattainable goals will only make you fail at your plan miserably. So, don’t make weight loss your focus, for instance, but think in the long term by creating sensible eating patterns which you will continue with lifelong.

Success doesn’t happen overnight: Understand and accept that you can’t achieve your goals overnight. However, working at it honestly will get you there. By making some changes in your day-to-day routine, you can become fit in the weeks to come.

Maintain a food diary. By maintaining a food diary, you can track just what you eat and when you see that you’ve eaten some of the forbidden stuff, you can knock it out completely. Writing down your goals and assessing them regularly is motivational for you.

Don’t eat processed food. Whether you’re looking for a meal or a snack, choose a healthy option like fruit, hummus, cottage cheese or non-fat Greek yogurt. You can also try baked tofu or look up cook books for something new and nutritious.

Find a food buddy. Team up with a close friend and tell him or her whatever you’ve eaten through the day. Hold each other responsible for eating healthy food without straying into junk food. When you find someone with a similar goal, it can improve your chances of reaching success. Whenever you feel down and out or think it’s not working out, your buddy will provide that extra support you need to pick yourself up and continue.

Snack every three hours. This keeps your metabolism running and also makes sure you don’t get ravenous and end up eating whatever is in sight when you get home from work. Instead, eat nutritious food like nuts, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables and granola bars. These foods help you stay committed to your goals.

Throw out all foods that tempt you to overeat. Cakes, pastries, junk food and pre-packaged snacks should be kept miles away from you. So, if you have some of these in your home, give them to someone or put them away in a cupboard that’s difficult for you to access. If you can’t reach it, you can’t eat it.

Take a healthy snack with you. If you’re going to be out of your home for more than a couple of hours, take a healthy snack along. This could be an apple or a couple of bananas, tomatoes or carrots or nut bars. If you must eat tempting foods, go slow on them. If you completely knock out your favorite foods from your diet, you’re going to cheat on yourself and eat it anyway. Instead, if you do feel like eating some of these favorites, do so, but in small quantities.

If you’re dining out, check the menu. Before you go out to dine, check out the menu of the restaurant in question. Decide on a few healthy options so that you aren’t tempted to eat anything else. Be persistent and patient. If you do eat a heavy meal, sure you need to feel guilty about it.

However, be practical and ensure that your next few meals are healthy. You also need to learn patience. You might be losing weight consistently for some time, and then you reach a plateau. Don’t give up when this happens, but persevere. Do something different, if you like. Perhaps a little walking might help with fitness if not weight loss.

Set up a maintenance strategy. You may be successful in eating healthy and actually losing weight. But the problem you encounter now is to keep the weight off. How do you do it? First of all, remember that eating nutritious food isn’t a short-term measure, it’s a lifelong habit. However, if you cannot keep the weight off, speak to a dietician to create a diet chart for you. This will help you continue to eat healthy even after you knock off the desired weight.

Lastly, give yourself a reward: Only dieters know just how hard it is to achieve the smallest of weight loss. So, when you do lose some weight, you need to reward yourself. Such rewards give you the urge to keep at it. Gift yourself a pair of jeans, a new hair cut or a massage.

These few tips are sure to give you some tips on being motivated enough to develop healthy eating habits by eating healthy foods and keeping the habit. As I said at the outset, there may be days when you don’t want to eat nutritious food but something tasty, even if it isn’t healthy. Don’t worry about those odd moments. It’s what you do for the most of the time that matters because that’s what gives you results.