Category - Weightloss

The Survivor Diet by Kevin Angileri

brown-rice-and-beans

If you have watched the tv show “Survivor”, You have seen how much weight a person can lose in a very short time.  It is sometimes very amazing to see men and women lose 1 to 2 1/2 pounds per day.  Obviously, that is not a diet, in any shape or form.  They are literally starving.  The odd thing, though, is what they are given to eat.  They receive beans and rice.  Sure, they may catch some fish or even some type of meat.  But, their main diet is beans and rice.  Not very appetizing, is it?  None the less, they survive on beans and rice.

About 25 or 30 years ago, I read an article, somewhere, that combining these two carbohydrates, when eaten together form a perfect protein.  I was perpetually on a diet and still am.  I saw something in that article, that made me take notice and then action.  I thought, maybe this would be a good diet to get on .  I did not intend to eat it every day at every meal, but decided to eat a cup or so, before lunch and dinner.  It’s healthy and very filling.  Almost immediately, I began to lose weight.  Not a pound a day, but like 3 to 4 pounds per week.

Beans and rice have been my mainstay for all these years.  I generally eat a cup or so about 6 times per week.  I sometimes, make it my entire course.  That is a lot of beans and rice.  I used a 10 bean dry soup mix, that I buy in bulk.  $1.69 per pound.  I always have beans and rice in my fridge or freezer.  Generally, I just add water and a few spices.

I have made many changes to the first recipe.  Sometime, I will add a hambone and little ham for taste.  Mostly, I add green vegetables, lots of vegetables.  I think the biggest change is that I only use brown rice.  I’m sure, you all know, how much healthier brown rice is over white rice.  This may sound boring to you at first, but trust me, you will soon learn to love it.  It is healthy and very inexpensive and very good for you.  Try it, you’ll like it.   FYI, if you are worried about getting the “toot”, add juice of 1/2 lemon and you will solve that problem.

By Kevin Angileri

Is Weight Loss For Diabetes Prevention Important by Kevin Angileri

Importance of Weight Loss For Diabetes Prevention

Obesity is a serious problem that lies at the bottom of various diseases even cancer. So if you are trying to control diabetes or prevent it, losing weight is very important. Simple lifestyle changes can bring down the levels of glucose to a normal level so that an individual with diabetes can lead a normal life.
Among the various methods of controlling diabetes, losing weight is one of the most effective remedies and is good for health too. Losing weight however does not imply that you need to become lean and skinny. It is just the extra pounds that you need to lose to start reaping the benefits. According to experts, by reducing just about 5% to 10% of your total weight, you can bring down the sugar level considerably and along with it manage blood pressure and cholesterol level also.
If you are a diabetic and over-weight as well, it is not too late to start on a weight loss diet along with the right workouts that will help to reduce weight and side by side lower blood glucose level. Simply losing weight to control diabetes is not enough to get results. There is something more than that. You need to shed the extra pounds from the right places. Let us see what the right places are according to experts.

Losing Weight In The Correct Places

One of the biggest enemies of diabetes is extra weight. But all body fats are not responsible for it. When extra fat is stored around the mid-section of your body which is the abdomen area is the source of all troubles. If your hips and thighs seem to have extra fat, it does not affect blood sugar level. There are different shapes of the body like the apple shape, pear shape and others. It has been found that apple-shaped people are more at risk than pear-shaped individuals.
In a pear-shaped body the extra fat is stored close below the skin as opposed to apple-shaped body. Here the weight settles around the middle, much of it deep inside the belly surrounding the different organs lying around the abdomen and liver. This type of fat is linked to diabetes and insulin resistance. Most experts are of the opinion that waist size often predicts the presence of diabetes in a person more than the body mass index (BMI).

Right Way To Lose Weight & Control Diabetes

It is very important to find out the right way to lose weight and control diabetes. Create a safe diabetes weight loss plan with the help of your doctor and fitness expert. Once you start on your weight-lose routine, as your blood glucose level gradually drops, you have to be very careful. Take the suggestions of your physician whether you need to stop your medication or insulin injection to maintain balance. If double pressure is created on the glucose level, you may feel too weak and exhausted. So never do anything on your own. Experts are there to give you advice on diabetes care and weight-loss

Effects of Losing Weight on Diabetes

Losing weight has amazing effects on diabetes that is beyond imagination. Diabetes is caused not only because you cannot utilize insulin to help sugar turn into energy, but for many other reasons. There are psychological causes also. When you are extremely worried about something at home or office, when you feel depressed and low because someone has said something and taunted you because you are over-weight or any mishaps and misunderstandings, sugar level will surely go high. It is for these reasons a diabetic has to be cared of especially so that he is not hurt in any way or anything that might create tension in the mind. So many problems can be reduced if weight is reduced.

Here is another practical example how losing weight controls diabetes. When you are slim and healthy, don’t you feel confident and happy? This feeling of happiness and energy creates a mysterious level of energy in the mind and that soothes the tensed nerves and helps to control diabetes. You will feel healthier and happier when your weight is under control and that will in turn reduce your diabetes problems too.

Striking The Right Balance Is Important

Maintaining balance in whatever you do is very crucial. Whether you are planning to join the gym to reduce diabetes or cutting back on calories to reduce weight to control blood glucose, there must be a balance. Keep an eye on the level of glucose while you lose weight. It should neither get high nor too low while you change your food habits and lifestyle. This is the reason why a dietician must be consulted when you start on a weight lose diet or exercises to reduce weight.
Experts are of the opinion that cutting 500 calories a day is generally safe for an individual with diabetes. It however depends largely on the glucose level and how much you need to lower it. It is best to reduce calorie-intake from proteins, carbohydrates and fats in order. An adult increases weight when there are excess carbohydrates in the body that are not used up because of diabetes. So selecting the right carbs to maintain health without adding extra pounds to the body is of major importance.

What Your Diet Should Consist Of

Since carbs are the biggest effect on blood glucose, you have choose carbs that have more of fiber and less of sugar and starch in them. The fibers in what are called the good carbs are absorbed more slowly into the blood stream that reduces the risk of blood sugar spikes. Watch the carbs is the main advice of doctors when you start on a weight loss plan.
Your diet should consist of complex carbs like whole-grain bread, dark green vegetables and fruits with more of fibers and less of calories. Sugary carbs should be avoided for the greatest reason that they are broken down fast in early digestion process and if not used immediately are stored as fat around the abdomen. So avoid having the sliced white bread. Rather enjoy the whole wheat bread with peanut butter which will not harm a diabetic. However, remember cutting down lots of carbs can be dangerous. When the body lacks the carbs to burn fuel, metabolism changes into ketosis wherein the fat that is consumed is burned in its place. You may feel less hungry and eat less but such a situation is harmful for health in the long-term. Hence maintaining balance in your weight-loss diet is absolutely crucial to stay healthy. A nutritionist can offer maximum help regarding your meal plan.

Other Ways To Lose Weight For Controlling Diabetes

It has often been found that all diabetics do not have a lot of carbs or eat a lot that increases their weights. There may be other factors that cause weight gain. So exercises can be of great help in such instances. Consulting the doctor about the glucose level and the exercises that are suitable for reducing weight, you can start on a regular fitness routine. Take the advice of an experienced physical instructor who can design the perfect exercises suitable for you. You need to reduce the extra pounds around the belly specifically to control diabetes and your blood glucose level.