Saturday, May 1, 2010

How To Lose Weight With A Diet For Gout

Have you ever slammed a car door on your fingers? Have you experienced the hot, searing, excruciating pain that shoots through your hand, which radiates through out your whole body, when you do this? If you have then you have a small idea of what gout suffers go through for hours at a time. 

If you are overweight you are a prime candidate to get hit with a sever case of gout. This article will explain how to lose weight with a diet for gout.

By the way the information contained in this article is not medical advice, nor should it be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. As always with a physical illness you should consult your personal physician right away. Please! read on.

Gout is a type of arthritic illness which occurs in your body’s extremities such as the fingers, elbows, knees and toes. Uric acid is the cause of gout and when there is excessive uric acid in the bloodstream, crystal deposits form in your joints which causes swelling, redness and excruciating pain.

You may be one of the thousands upon thousands of people who thought gout was a thing of the past. However, it is alive and well in today's overweight society. Obesity is one of the primary contributors which can cause this painful attack on your joints.

In the old days gout sufferers used to have to drastically modify their diet to relieve and prevent gout symptoms. However modern day medicine has eliminated this requirement. Regardless of medications however, it will help you to undergo some diet restrictions so as to reduce your weight and the severity of the gout attacks.

Do you eat a lot of meat, especially red meat? If you do it will help you to shed those extra pounds by restricting yourself to 6 ounces of meat per day (preferably chicken or fish). In addition it will reduce the chances of a gout attack occurring. This is due to the purines found in meats. If gout sufferers eat a lot of food containing purines (a chemical) then uric acid can form, leading to gout.

Other foods that are particularly high in purines are:
• Mackerel
• Herring
• dried beans
• dried peas
• liver
• kidney
• anchovies

Where possible these foods should be avoided when following a diet for gout.

There are many other diet tips that can help to minimize the occurrence of gout and help you lose weight while doing so. These are just a couple of suggestion which may help you. Again check with your doctor to make sure it's ok to use these tips.

The avoidance of alcohol is an important factor for you to keep in mind. Excess alcohol affects the removal of uric acid from your body. A gout attack supplemented with alcohol can go bad very quickly, as hyperuricemia can occur. Ideally alcohol should be completely eliminated by all gout sufferers.

Drinking a lot of water can have a positive effect on gout as water helps in the removal of uric acid which is what gout sufferers need. Furthermore, as you know water will help you to digest your food more thoroughly and help too flush the excess from your body.

Weight is an issue that needs to be addressed. Excess weight puts extra stress on the joints and drastically increases the chance of gout and hyperuricemia. Sensible weight loss which avoids excess purines is the correct way for gout sufferers to lose weight without increasing the risk of illness. High protein diets can be dangerous as most protein comes from meat and fish. Also avoid low carbohydrate diets; instead maintaining a balance of various nutrients.

There are many low purine foods that can make up the majority of the diet for gout sufferers and the overweight. These include:

1. Low fibre breads and cereals
2. Vegetables
3. Fruit juice
4. Low fat cheese
5. Nuts
6. Peanut butter
7. Soups (without meat)
8. Strawberries
9. Dark berries

If you are an avid meat eater you may find it hard to adjust to a virtually meat free diet. Consider tofu as a meat alternative. It has a rough texture and is filling like meat.

As you can see a diet for gout is a healthy diet, which can also help you to lose weight.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Why and How Does The Atkins Diet Work?

There is a large controversy about whether the effects of the Atkins diet are positive or negative. There seem to be effects that lean towards being positive or negative in different experiences, and is some cases a person will have positive and negative effects that both affect them equally. People will have positive effects such as weight gain and being able to eat smaller amounts without cravings but may also have negative effects such as muscular problems or making a person feel very faint or extremely weak. 

The reason for both the negative and positive experiences is the same, the way that Atkins diets work. The main point of an Atkins diet is to remove carbohydrates, which is sugar in its simplest form, so that the body will be forced to use another energy source. The nest energy source that your body turns to is your fat, which in turn causes you to loose weight. This can cause you to lose lean muscle, which can not only make you feel weaker but can also make you physically weaker.

Many people feel that their weight is more important then their health, this can be very hard on them and can mean that they without realizing it could hurt their body. Dr. Robert Atkins created this diet for himself so that he would be able to lose weight and this diet was so successful for himself that he let others try and in turn, it was successful for them in many cases. There have not been a lot of research conducted that had to do with the long term effects of the Atkins diet, but some individuals have proven that for them it was a very hard diet and left them with negative effects that outnumbered the positive gain.

There are many advances in diets and research every year, meaning that these side effects could be a worry that is in vain or could also simply be eliminated in the future by small differences in diet. Currently, there are still many positive sides to the Atkins diet such as the recipes that are offered. With the Atkins diet you are completely carbohydrate free for a period of week then you have to gradually find your way back to eating in a balanced matter so that any side effects can hopefully be reversed while you still get to keep the figure that you worked so hard to acquire.

The recipes that are offered are very appealing to many people, and after being carbohydrate free the return trip to a healthy balanced diet can be very enjoyable. Steadily but in steps carbohydrates are added back into your meals, this can help to reverse negative effects if such is possible but is mostly used to make sure that you can then stay constant without further damaging your muscles. Many people have found this diet to be successful for themselves and others who they may have suggested it to.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Find The Hidden Reasons Why You Cant Lose Weight

Are you finding that you can't lose weight, no matter how much you diet or exercise? For some people, there are legitimate medical conditions like thyroid problems causing this to happen. Others may simply need to make lifestyle changes to exercise more or eat different foods. Here are a few things to look for if you are having trouble losing weight.

The first thing you should do is consult your doctor for a full physical to rule out any obvious medical issues. Thyroid problems are the most common reason for the inability to lose weight, but there are a number of other less frequent conditions that can also cause the problem. A lack of iodine in the diet may be the source of some thyroid problems. Your physician can perform a urine test to check this if it appears to be a problem for you. Some signs of iodine deficiency include physical and mental sluggishness, skin or hair problems, and increased sensitivity to temperature.

If your doctor gives you a clean bill of health and cannot find any medical problem for why you can't lose weight, your lifestyle is the next place to look. Many people fall into habits with their consumption and will eat unhealthy foods without realizing it or even intending to do so. Make sure you are eating enough protein and not too many carbohydrates. Excessive sugars and grains are easily converted to fat in the body and should be restricted to a small portion of your overall diet.

Simply writing down the foods you eat and the time you ate them will help you analyze your daily routine and see if there are any obvious problem areas. For example, you may find that you frequently eat an unhealthy fast food lunch at work because you are busy or it is more convenient. This can easily be fixed by spending some time in the morning preparing your own healthy lunch for the day, but may slip by unnoticed if you are eating healthy dinners and exercising after work.

Your body composition may also be the reason you can't lose weight. Muscle cells burn far more energy while at rest than fat cells. If you do not have much muscle, your body may be able to maintain its current weight even when you do not eat very many calories. This leads to starvation diets, which only make the problem worse as the body compensates for the lack of nourishment. Many people get stuck in this cycle and do not realize that the only way out is to eat more food, not less.

In times of famine, the body is designed to slow its metabolism and conserve the few calories that are available. This means more fat is stored, even though you may be eating as little as half of your previous food intake. The easiest way to boost your resting metabolism is to add some strength training into your exercise routine. Building muscle will make your body burn more calories even while sitting at rest, which may eliminate the reasons you currently can't lose weight.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Weight Watchers Can Help

There may be thousands of diets on the market today but not all of them work. As a matter of fact, studies suggest most don’t which means if you are looking for a way to lose weight you should discover weight wachers. The best diet in the world is not the best diet for you if you do not lose the weight. Even more importantly, the diet that helps you get to a certain size but doesn’t remove body fat is not the diet for you either. The bottom line of dieting is to lose body fat.

If you’ve ever been on a diet before, you know that deciding on the wrong diet can mean weeks or months of deprivation that end up resulting in minimal weight loss and possibly binging from deprivation of so many of the foods you normally enjoy. The beauty of dieting the right way, such as when you discover weight wachers, is that you don’t have to suffer while you diet. When you discover weight wachers, you discover a way to eat the foods you love sensibly so that you can enjoy eating and lose weight at the same time.

Realistically speaking, many people don’t have time to prepare a meal every time they want to eat. Many lifestyles, families, and job commitments place significant demands on our daily living. We simply don’t have time or access to the good home cooked meals we would like to eat. Sometimes the best we can do is to grab a quick bite on the way to a meeting or soccer practice or other obligations. For this reason, to discover weight wachers means providing yourself with a reasonable way to begin losing weight and to maintain that type of eating regimen until your ideal weight is reached.

When you discover weight wachers, you are giving yourself the weight loss advantage that you need. Your daily routines can be stressful enough without adding a diet plan that stresses you further. Eating is a fact of life. We have to eat to live. You shouldn’t have to practice a eating routine that is a big ordeal and difficult to maintain because if you do, chances are you aren’t going to stick with the routine or see any significant weight loss because it’s too much trouble to maintain and too much of a hassle to be involved with.

Knowing that there’s a weight loss plan that will let you continue with your life just as it is right now is important and can be the key to getting started with your weight loss right away. More importantly, when you discover weight wachers you are making an investment in yourself which shows others that you care about your body and want to be around for those that you are about also. So it doesn’t really matter at all whether you want to lose 5 pounds or 100 pounds, you can discover weight wachers and start losing the weight today.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Save Your Life

Did you know you could be committing suicide and didn't even know it? "You're crazy! I'm not committing suicide." You say. You are if you're eating foods loaded with cholesterol. It's a proven fact that high cholesterol foods can shorten your life span by years. When you continue to eat these high cholesterol foods, you kill yourself a little more each day. For you and your family, it’s important to get your bad cholesterol levels to a safe and life sustaining level. 

Eating foods low in cholesterol, with a well balanced meal plan, is essential to lowering your cholesterol levels. The problem that most people face is that they lead busy lives. This leads to many of us grabbing junk food when hunger strikes. It’s important to choose healthy low cholesterol foods over fast food. It will help if you make sure to pack healthy snacks when on the go. Perhaps most of all it is imperative for you to prepare low cholesterol foods at home.

When you eat low cholesterol foods, such as lean red meat, chicken and fish; you will start to see your bad cholesterol levels drop. You can balance your meals out with fresh vegetables and fruits. Often times when you follow a diet, which is low in cholesterol, you may begin to lose weight. Along with the weight loss you may also experience a higher energy level, mental alertness and less stress with the balanced diet.

Not all low cholesterol foods require preparation. If you are not sure how to cook low cholesterol meals, you can easily look up various menus online. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are both good examples of foods that can help lower cholesterol and require little or no preparation. Since many of these types of food require no cooking, it's quite easy to pack them for snacks throughout your day. In addition instead of grabbing, fries and burger for lunch, you can carry a fresh chicken salad, balanced out with yogurt and fruit.

Another way to help lower your cholesterol is to make sure you drink plenty of water. Not only will the water help keep you hydrated, it will help to flush the excess cholesterol from your body along with other impurities. In addition the water helps to keep all of your bodily functions working at peak efficiency. Which means your body will tend to produce more of the good cholesterol (LDL) instead of the bad (HDL).

When you eat a diet with plenty of low cholesterol foods you also build up your immune system. This makes it easier to fight off disease. In fact eating a diet rich in low cholesterol foods is good for you all around. Plus when you lower your overall cholesterol levels you are less likely to develop heart disease, atherosclerosis (fatty deposits in artery walls) or to have a stroke.

Eating foods like oats and fiber are excellent for a good balanced diet. These foods are great to keep you looking young and feeling great. While you are learning to eat properly make sure that you include your family. Children learn their eating habits from their parents. Lead by example and show your kids how great it is to enjoy healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, rather then cookies and ice cream.

Eating low cholesterol foods as an overall diet is a great way to lower your cholesterol. That’s not the only benefit however. You will also feel more energized and healthy. Due to low cholesterol food being healthy you will look better and feel younger.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Calorie Reduction Diet Lose 5 10 15 Lbs

No matter how hard we all try to lose weight, no matter how many gimmicks we buy into, no matter how many miracle foods or super foods claim all kinds of weight loss guarantees, just about any family physician will say the same thing when you ask him how to shed a few pounds. Exercise more and eat less. That translates into getting off your butt and move, and following a calorie reduction diet.

The only thing you really need to be concerned about when deciding how you are going to attack your calorie reduction diet plan, is to reduce the number of calories you getting sufficiently enough to make weight loss happen while at the same time getting enough calories (and nutrients) to keep your body from going into “starvation mode.”

We have long known that calories must be cut from most people’s diets if they are going to lose weight, but if you are one of those people who already has a very limited calorie intake and you still find yourself unable to lose weight, you may actually need to eat more calories! This is what happens: Your body is designed to survive at all costs.

That means that, according to your bodily system, if you go eating 800 calories a day all of a sudden, your body system begins to think some tragedy has befallen you and you are unable to find food. So, your body goes into ultra drive to protect you and conserves its consumption of calories so you don’t starve to death. If you have long been eating carefully-counted food as part of a long-term calorie reduction diet and you have stopped losing weight, consult your physician for advice about whether or not to add more calories to your eating plan.

Even though many people find themselves in the above category, most of us still eat more than we can burn off, so we need to follow a calorie reduction diet. The easiest way to do that is to cut out anything we know is “fattening.” It really isn’t all that complicated. If food is naturally occurring, it is likely to be the best for you and most likely to be a good part of a calorie reduction diet.

That means you should be spending ninety percent of your grocery shopping time in the produce and meat sections. Eat lots of raw or steamed vegetables, consume a moderate amount of lean protein, and avoid man-made food as much as possible. Before you put it in your buggy, ask yourself, “Did nature provide this or did man?” If the answer is “man,” leave it in the store.

Examples of man-made items include: bread, pastries, canned vegetables, pretzels, potato chips, cakes, pasta, egg noodles, and so on.

Examples of nature-provided items include: broccoli, green beans, carrots, fruits, lean meats, nuts, and so on.

Along with counting calories, look for God or nature-created foods when choosing how to eat on your calorie reduction diet.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

South Beach Diet Phase 1: Hype or Hope?

Have you been hearing about the south beach diet phase 1? If you are known to frequent health forums or are a member of a dieting or health organization, than you have likely head of this before. The basic idea of the South Beach Diet is too maintain a healthy diet of average food staples while using a progressive form of phases to help phase out the cravings that your body experiences from a unhealthy diet. This has proven to very successful in getting people to shed weight and keep it off. The following guide will walk you through some of the benefits of the south beach diet and more specifically the first phase of the diet.

The benefits of the south beach diet phase 1 are extraordinary. The best part of this phase is that it trains your body without you even realizing it. How it works is by almost tricking your body into having cravings for healthy foods that are good for and at the same time gets rid of some of the cravings that are commonly associated with an unhealthy diet. This is the key to long term weight loss success. The South Beach Diet and specifically phase 1 of the diet have proven to be very successful in doing this. 

Phase #1: The part of the phase is of course the food. The good thing about this diet opposed to others is that it is very easy for most people to make the transition from their old diets. This is because the foods that are recommended during the south beach diet phase 1 are foods that most people already enjoy. Some of these foods that you should consume during the first phase include chicken, beef, fish, turkey, nuts, eggs, cheese, and vegetables. If is also recommended to eat garden salad with only 100% olive oil as a dressing. The diet recommends that during this phase you should consume three meals a day and completely stop eating sugary foods or any other foods other than the recommendations set out by the first phase of the diet.

Perhaps the most important part of this diet is the fact that you are slowly beginning to teach your body to stop having craving for sugary foods and other unhealthy foods. Other diets commonly only cause you to lose weight by depriving the body of food. With the south beach diet phase 1 you are actually doing quite the opposite. During phase 1 you will consume three meals a day as well as a snack in between meals. This is crucial to the success of the diet. You can also drink coffee and tea during this phase.

The big changes that you will making during this phase is cutting out foods such as potatoes, bread, rice, fruit, baked goods, candy, cookies, ice cream, and other foods that contain a high concentration of sugar. As long as you make sure that you follow the south beach diet phase 1 you are guaranteed to be on the path to success and reach all of your weight loss goals.