Healthy Alternatives

You should try to incorporate some lean protein into each of your meals. Eating protein makes you feel fuller longer and provides your body with a steady release of energy throughout the day.

Wild salmon is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, high in protein, and low fat.

Salmon is also rich in selenium, B6, B12, niacin, magnesium, and phosphorus; vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial to a healthy lifestyle and weight-loss plan.

Protein repairs body tissues, builds lean muscles, and can increase your metabolic rate; which is necessary for healthy weight-loss.

Some great lean protein options for meat eaters are: skinless chicken breast, turkey, fish and shrimp.

For vegetarian and vegans good protein choices are: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, lima beans, nuts, yogurt, and reduced fat milk or whole milk.

Eat nuts in moderation; they are high in protein, but are also very high in fat.

If you enjoy Mexican foods like cheese enchiladas, you can replace a large portion of the high fat cheeses with reduced fat cheese, use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas, replace the regular sour cream for light sour cream, and use reduced fat cream cheese; these small changes make a huge difference that will pay off in the long-term.

Fried chicken can be replaced with crispy, juicy oven-baked chicken dredged in panko bread crumbs seasoned to perfection using a spice blend of the following: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary and lemon pepper.

Replace frying your French fries with potatoes coated in extra virgin olive oil, and seasoned with chili powder, cumin and oregano.

Eating healthy can be delicious with a few thoughtful changes and some creativity.

Weight Loss Tips

If you are trying to get in shape and lose weight, you may be looking for a weight loss program that will work for you.  Many people have tried going on fad diets or diets like the South Beach diet.  While some of these diets will work for weight loss, you should stick to tried and true methods that will enable you to lose weight without being unhealthy to you.

Fad diets will only offer a temporary measure and in the long, you will probably gain more weight than you will lose.  You may also have health issues that are caused by trying to lose weight too fast or in an unhealthy manner.

The weight loss program is to simply eat less more frequently.  Instead of having three huge meals in a day, you should stick to eating six smaller meals.  There a couple of reasons for this.  First of all, when you eat, your metabolism kicks in.  Eating six small meals means that your metabolism will be working the entire day while you are awake instead of resting when you are not eating.

Your metabolism only needs to rest when you are asleep so you should not eat right before bed either.  It is better to eat your last meal a few hours before bed time so that your body can process those calories.  This will also help you to sleep better which is an added benefit.

You should make your six meals healthy by eating lots of green vegetables and lean meats such as chicken breast or fish.  These foods are full of protein which helps to build strong muscles.  While the proteins are building muscle, your body will be

burning fat at the same time.  You should stay away from fast food and foods that are fatty such as fried foods.  You do not have to give them up entirely, but limit these types of foods to once every other week or so.  If you allow yourself a treat once in a while, you will be more likely to stick with eating healthy during the other meals you are having.

Lose Weight Naturally

There are many plans, programs and weight loss pills on the market that claim to work miracles when it comes to losing weight.  While many of these types of weight loss ideas may work in the short term, but when it comes to weight loss, losing weight naturally is your best bet.

There are many ways you can lose weight naturally.  Instead of taking a weight loss pill and sticking to your bad eating habits, drop the money you are spending on those pills and buy healthier foods.

When you want a snack, instead of grabbing a bag of chips, have some air popped pop corn that will add fiber to your diet and that is healthy as well.  This will take care of your munchies and will also be incredibly healthy.  If you have a sweet tooth, a piece of fruit with natural sugars will cure that as well as being healthy.

It is not hard to be healthy.  We tend to eat as we are programmed to as children.  If your parents had poor eating habits, chances are you will as well.  You need to rethink the way you eat in order to obtain maximum weight loss that will be natural and healthy.

When you strip down the way you eat and expose all the unhealthy foods that you have been used to eating all your life, you will see that there are some serious but easy changes that can be made.

If you love fried chicken and have been eating it as a child, you may use this as a comfort for you.  To change it up to make your favorite comfort food of fried chicken healthier, you can broil skinless boneless chicken breasts with some extra virgin olive oil and herbs.

This will enable you to obtain weight loss while still enjoying the foods that are familiar but healthier. While chicken broiled in extra virgin olive oil will not taste exactly like fried chicken, it is a much healthier alternative.  Making these types of changes is paramount to weight loss and more importantly to losing weight naturally.

South Beach Diet

The South Beach diet has been around for many years and has helped many people with their weight loss plans.  The South Beach diet is similar to the Atkins diet with the exception of the amount of carbohydrates that are allowed with the plan.

The Atkins diet will allow for a few carbs while the South Beach diet does not allow for any at first.  You will need to give up carbs entirely and you will be allowed to eat proteins only.  Proteins are included in fresh meat, fish and poultry.  You will also need to eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits on the South Beach diet.

Before embarking on the South Beach diet, you should consult your family physician to make sure you do not have any health issues that would make this diet dangerous to you.  The reason this can be dangerous is because a high protein diet can be harmful to the heart in many ways.  If you are not careful and eat too much of the proteins that contain large amounts of cholesterol, you will definitely have issues with your heart.  By speaking to your family doctor first, they can set you up with the foods that will work in conjunction with the South Beach diet.

This will make weight loss with the South Beach diet a healthier option of those who may have heart issues.  If you are not having any health issues, then the South Beach diet will be a good choice for you if you can stick to it.  The South Beach diet is really not a diet but a change of lifestyle.

This starts with your eating habits and then progresses to exercise which you are probably not getting if you are over weight.  By changing the way you look at food, you will be in more control of what and how much you eat.  When you add exercise to the mix, you will optimize your likelihood for healthy weight loss and the South Beach diet will help with that if you follow it correctly.

Healthy Dinner Ideas

Quick Tuna Salad

2 can tuna, drained
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sugar free sweet pickle relish

Mix all ingredients together and serve over lettuce.

Quick Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sugar free sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. onion, finely minced
½ stalk celery, finely chopped, optional

Mix all ingredients together and serve over lettuce.

Quick Egg Salad

6 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sugar free sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. onion, finely minced

Mix all ingredients together and serve over lettuce.

Deviled Eggs

6 boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sugar free sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. onion, finely minced
celery salt and paprika for flavor garnish

Scoop egg yolks out of egg white halves and into a small mixing bowl.  Mash yolks with mayonnaise.  Add relish and onion and whip with a fork until smooth and fluffy.  Spoon or pipe yolk mixture back into egg whites.  Sprinkle with celery salt and paprika for flavor and garnish.

Fake-a-Roni

1 head cauliflower
butter
salt and pepper to taste

Cut florets off of cauliflower head.  Remove as much stem as possible.  Pulse raw cauliflower in a food processor until it’s the consistency of rice.  Sautee briefly in butter until slightly softened but still firm, like grains of rice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Quick Start Recipes

Easy Omelets

4 eggs
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
meat (ham, bacon, chicken, turkey, pot roast, shrimp, etc)
cheese (cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, etc.)
vegetables (sautéed mushrooms, sautéed onions, tomatoes, sautéed peppers, etc.)
herbs (parsley, chives, dill, etc.)

Beat the eggs and cream together until the eggs start to turn a pale golden color.  Pour the mixture into a frying pan greased lightly with butter.  Cook over medium low heat until the eggs start to look cooked at the edges.  Don’t stir or flip!

Place the remaining ingredients in the center of the omelet and then fold one side carefully over the other to form a half moon.  Continue cooking until the eggs have cooked completely and the cheese has melted.

Low Carb Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, minced
1 green pepper, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
6 cups pork skins, crushed finely
4 eggs
1-2 Tbsp. Hot pepper sauce, if desired
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, if desired

Mix all ingredients together.  Place in a loaf pan and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Check to see that the inside is no longer pink.  Serve topped with low carb ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, or another low carb sauce of your choice.

Low Carb Chicken Soup

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken from soup and allow to cool enough to handle.  Dice chicken and return to soup.  Serve hot.

Sausage Gravy

6 patties breakfast sausage
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Fry sausage until done.  Drain all but 1-2 Tbsp. of sausage grease from the pan and add the cream.  Simmer cream until slightly thickened.  Crumble sausage and add to cream.  Add salt and plenty of black pepper.  Serve over scrambled eggs.

Pork Chops with Gravy

2-4 boneless pork chops
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee pork chops until thoroughly cooked in mixture of butter and oil.  Drain all but 1-2 Tbsp. of grease from the pan and add cream.  Simmer until slightly thickened.  Add salt and plenty of black pepper.  Serve gravy over pork chops.

Low Carb Diets

Carbohydrates are a main cause of weight gain for most people who over indulge in eating foods that contain carbs.  If you are looking for a way to lose weight, you may want to try a low carb or no carb diet such as the South Beach diet.

The South Beach diet works in steps to lower your carb intake and help you to lose weight.  When you start off with a weight loss program that includes the South Beach diet, you will at first cut out all of the carbs from your diet and eat protein rich foods.  This includes meats, poultry and fish, fresh vegetables and fruits along with some types of nuts.

One problem with no or low carb diets is that for those who have heart problems, a diet high in protein can actually be damaging to the heart due to the high cholesterol levels in many of the fresh meats that will be consumed.  It is important to understand what good proteins are and which will be heart healthy.  Lean meats and poultry are healthy.  The innards such as liver or kidneys contain higher amounts of cholesterol that would be damaging to the heart if not eaten in moderation.

You can eat all of the healthy fruits and vegetables in a low carb diet such as the South Beach diet and this is a good thing.  Many who decide to go on such drastic weight loss plans prefer to go completely vegetarian.  They feel that the risks associated with high cholesterol are too dangerous.  By sticking to fruits and vegetables there is no risk of heart disease due to fatty meats that are cholesterol laden.

There is no need to get rid of meats all together to maintain a healthy low carb diet.  You can simply choose to eat the leanest beef and pork and stick to skinless chicken breasts, instead of the more fatty legs and thighs.  You should also stay away from meats like sausages, hot dogs and bacon.   These contain a high amount of cholesterol and are bad for your heart.

Proper Eating

Many people feel that in order to achieve maximum weight loss that they need to starve themselves.  The feelings of hunger actually make some imagine that they are losing weight.  This is a common mistake made by many who are new at trying to get fit through weight loss.  While you certainly do not want to eat huge meals, you don’t have to starve yourself either to maximize your weight loss.

When you force yourself to go hungry, you will actually be doing more harm to your body than if you simply ate normally but added exercise to your plan.  The reason for this is that when the body is starving, it will start getting the nutrients it needs from your muscles.  You will be losing fat yes, but you will also lose muscle mass as well.  The body is a living organism that wants to survive and it will do what it has to when it feels threatened by hunger including feeding on itself.  This is why many starvation diets are so dangerous to the dieter.

To increase your chances at successful weight loss, you should actually be eating more meals in a day.  This may sound silly.  You should eat less to lose weight, right?  Wrong, you will actually be eating less, but you will space these meals out during the day.

When you eat six small meals, you will do more to increase your metabolic rate than eating three large meals a day.  Your body will not feel hungry and will not feel the need to find sustenance elsewhere and you will burn more calories.

You should eat six small and healthy meals to maximize weight loss because when you force yourself to eat three times a day, you will have a tendency to eat more at each of these meals or gorge yourself.  Gorging yourself is not good for weight loss as you will not be able to lose those pounds as effectively as when you spread them out over an entire day.  Plus, you will feel more comfortable and have more energy to work out when you are not feeling starved.

Fat Burning Tips

There are many ways that people can have successful weight loss.  If you are trying to lose weight fast, you may wonder how you can burn your fat at a higher rate.

The best way to do this is to start exercising more.  There are many pills and fad diets that offer fast fat burning for weight loss, but these are fly by night tricks and over the long run, they are either unhealthy or do not work over a long period of time.  You end up gaining back more weight than you had before you went on a weight loss plan in the first place.  It is important to change your eating habits and not rely on fad diets or diet pills that offer more than they can actually do.

If you start eating six small meals a day instead of eating three large meals, you will burn fat faster as your metabolism will increase.  An increase in metabolism means that your body is burning the fat quicker and processing the food faster so you do not gain as much weight from the foods you consume.  These meals should be healthy.

You should never eat foods that are bad for you like fried foods or fatty foods.  Stick with lean meats, poultry with the skin removed and fish.  Add a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet as well.  Many of the common fresh vegetables contain proteins that help to burn fat and add muscle mass to your body.

Finally, you need to make sure that you are exercising along with your diet for weight loss at least three times a week in order to burn fat.  You can work out more, but you must at least have a half an hour of aerobic or weight lifting workouts in the week for fast fat burning.

Not only is this good for burning fat, but it is also great for building muscle and help to strengthen your heart.   Your heart is, after all, a muscle and needs to be taken care of more than any other part of your body.

Tasty Healthy Eating

If you are trying to get started on a weight loss program, you may think that you are going to have to eat all sorts of foods that are tasteless. You can try a diet such as the South Beach diet that will offer you a good selection of healthy foods that are tasteful, filling and that will aid in weight loss.  Gone are the days of starving yourself in order to get maximum weight loss.  It is now known that a starvation diet will only harm your body and will not help you to lose weight in healthy manner.

You can certainly use a weight loss supplement or weight loss pills.  Many of these types of products work well at helping you lose weight, but you need to watch out for the ones that are caffeine based as they will only make you jittery and while they will curb your appetite, they may not be good for you.  Eating more small healthy meals that contain fresh vegetables and meats is much better for weight loss than simply popping a weight loss pill and starving yourself.

You should eat six healthy meals that include fresh fruit, vegetables and a small portion of lean meat such as broiled chicken breast or fish.  The vegetables and meats will offer you protein that your body needs to build muscle and help increase your body’s natural metabolism.  This will help your body speed up the amount of calories it is burning.  While you will not be able to eat the sweets and fast foods you may love when you are on a weight loss diet, you can still eat well and have tasty and fun meals that will satisfy you.

Also, it is within reason to have a treat once in a while.  If you enjoy chocolate, you may want to switch high calorie milk chocolate with a healthier dark chocolate that will not do as much damage to your weight loss routine and that actually has some properties that are healthy for you.  Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants that will help to keep the free radicals from destroying your body.

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