Diet Smoothies - Lose Weight the Healthy Way

It is very important to eat the right way when implementing a diet program. This is the difference between long term weight loss achievement and failure. Diet smoothies are an excellent way to provide your body with the nutrients that it needs while enjoying a delicious drink. Here are some tips to follow with diet smoothies and achieving your weight loss goals.

Starving should never be a weight loss tool. It is important to make the right food and snack choices.
The following are some of the reasons that diet smoothies are great for dieters to incorporate into their diet regimens;

1. Fruits and Vegetables
Smoothies are made using fruits, vegetables and natural sweeteners. There are several varieties of natural sweeteners that you can get at natural food stores. Because they incorporate several varieties of fruits, they are delicious without adding extra calories that will ruin your diet. You may also use honey as a natural sweetener while making the smoothie.



2. Meal Replacement
Smoothies can be used as meal replacements. After my morning workout, I usually enjoy a filling smoothie for my breakfast. It can also replace lunch or dinner. A smoothie is a great way to ensure that you do not overeat while fulfilling all your daily nutritional needs.

If you are worried about missing out on protein, you can add tofu or other nutritional supplements such as protein powder to the smoothie.

3. Fiber
Be sure to use the entire fruits and vegetables when making your smoothie because you will be consuming the pulp of the fruit or the vegetable which is an excellent source of fiber for your body.

Making sure that you consume fiber in your diet is important since fiber makes you feel full in addition to helping with the digestion process and supporting the elimination of the body's waste.

By making smoothies using the entire fruits and vegetables, this ensures that you eat more fiber than you normally would if you were to eat the fruit or vegetable by itself since you may end up discarding much of the fiber rich parts of the fruits and vegetables.

4. Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as this helps you kick start the body's metabolism. Do not skip this meal if you want to ensure success with your diet program. Breakfast smoothies which I make every morning, are a great way to make sure that you implement this "no skipping breakfast" rule. Breakfast smoothies work even if you are in a hurry. It usually takes me less than two minutes to prepare this and hit the road!

5. Variety of Smoothies
Because variety is very important in any diet program, incorporating smoothies into the program serves this purpose since there are many varieties of smoothies you can make using a diverse amount of ingredients. Being able to enjoy a variety of flavors is key to staying satisfied and committed to the program.

As you can see, making smoothies a part of your diet and daily routine is one of the best choices you can make to help you meet and maintain your diet goals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jenny_Mays/620157

This Is Why Losing Weight on a High to Full Raw Vegan Diet Is So Easy and Fast!

If you've ever tried going on a raw vegan diet, even for a week, you must have noticed how easy it was to drop pounds. I've had clients lose 40 lbs in one month of just juicing. As well as people who would have an enormously difficult time losing weight, even with caloric restriction and lots of exercise, lose 15 lbs in one month. I'm not saying its easy to be high or full raw, but it gets easier and the benefits are well worth it. There are many reasons why eating a high or full raw vegan diet helps you drop pounds so quickly.

First off, raw foods were designed for your body, so your body knows what to do with them. Your body uses them for energy and nutrition and they are in and out of the body in a short amount of time. All calories are not created equal! Even if you ate the same amount of calories from a raw vegan diet, you would be at an ideal weight, much leaner, and not to mention younger, hotter, more energetic. The old model of calories in vs calories out is outdated and does not take in to account the quality of foods, metabolism, allergies etc.

When you eat foods that are not made in a factory and not designed for the human body, the body often stores these toxins in the body so they don't cause further damage. They are often stored in the midsection and hips (love handles). This is why this trouble spot is so hard to get rid of. Your body stubbornly holds on to these areas for safety reasons. Until the diet changes, all the ab workouts in the world won't help you much.



When you eat a high to full raw vegan diet, you have more energy and due to all the fiber you tend to not overeat. The fiber in nutrients that your body is starving for, help keep your body full. But even if you ate the same amount of calories as your previous diet, you would still lose weight. This is because the food gets used for energy and nutrients instead of stored as fat. I bet you, that you can't think of one person who has been on a raw vegan diet who is overweight or has too much fat on their body. This is because it is simply not possible.

Another reason eating a high to full raw vegan diet helps you lose weight so quickly is that your body starts shedding the toxins stored in the body via detoxification. Detoxification is the body's way of cleaning itself out. The symptoms may not be fun, but it's well worth it. When you start eliminating these toxins stored in the fat and muscle tissues, you will also lose weight.

Not to mention, a raw vegan diet rich in fruits and veggies is high in water content. Most people are dehydrated which actually leads to water retention and bloat. If you stay hydrated you will lose that bloat and those unnecessary pounds.

So there are many reasons why a raw vegan diet helps you drop pounds so quickly. I've seen amazing weight loss stories from all types of people from all different backgrounds and age groups. It's just one of the many benefits of eating high to full raw vegan. For me, it's just a side bonus compared to all the other ones.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nargis_Khestoo/2002088

5 Reasons Why Kettlebell Exercises Will Explode Your Workout

Although kettlebell exercises are a relatively new form of exercise they are quickly becoming one of the most popular form of workouts.

Those of you who have never used a kettlebell routine before may be wondering what all the fuss is about but for those of you who have tried the kettlebell as part of your routine you will know just how powerful and effective their use can be in your fitness regime.

So Why Exactly Are Kettlebell Routines So Good?

1) Shorter Workouts
The beauty of a kettlebell workout is that you can gain the same benefit of a standard 45 minute workout in as little as 20 minutes using a kettlebell.



This is because kettlebell exercises provide a combination of improved muscle mass, increased levels of cardiovascular fitness and reduced fat levels that is unmatched in most other forms of exercise

2) Full Body Workouts
When you perform a kettlebell routine you will be using your entire body. Not only will you employ the major muscle groups in the legs, arms, back, shoulders and chest but you will work out all of the smaller muscles in between. Not many other forms of exercise highlight all of these muscles.

3) No Gym Membership Required
You don't need to join a fancy gym to perform a kettlebell routine. All you need to start is a couple of kettlebells. If you do not own any kettlebells I recommend you grab yourself a couple from the J Fit Kettlebell range.

4) Kettlebell Routines Develop Explosive Power
Most kettlebell routines will work the abs and the back which will develop your quick reactions and allow you to have that explosive reaction that is often necessary in modern sports.

5) Fast Results
Because kettlebell exercises engage so many muscles in your body and give you a great cardio workout simultaneously you will see quick results. If you maintain a good 3-4 sessions a week devoted to this then you will start to see some great results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Andreas_Y_James/45433

Before and After Weight Loss and My Fast Weight Loss Secret

Before and after weight loss you are still the same person. The same dreams, the same desires, the only thing different is that you have much better health and much more energy to do the things you love.

In this article I want to tell you about my fast weight loss secret that can help you to go from where you are right now to where you want to be when you reach your ideal body weight, and once and for all create the body of your dreams.

This secret is really simple. And by the time you finish reading this page you will know exactly what you have to do to start moving toward creating a lean, healthy body that is overflowing with vitality. And once you create this major health goal you will have your own before and after weight loss story that you can share with other people. This is very important, mostly because by spreading our stories that are based on real life experience we can help many people to create irreversible, long term weight loss success.

Anyway, here is my fast weight loss secret: If you want to lose unwanted body fat you have to become aware of the fact that it is almost impossible to lose body fat using a nutrition strategy. What this means is that a low calorie diet, a fad diet, a low fat diet will not produce long term fat loss. Taking diet pills, weight loss pills, or fat burning pills will not help you to burn fat from your fat cells.



If you want to have your own before and after weight loss story, and fast weight loss secret to share with others you will have to do one very important thing.

And this thing is: Move your body! To burn unwanted body fat as an energy source you will have to use physical activity on a daily basis! This is the ultimate fat-burning secret!

Just consume the amount of daily calories that your body can realistically burn, and use simple cardiovascular exercises like fast walking, jogging, bicycling, or anything else that you find enjoyable for long enough to burn the most total amount of calories.

You have to force your body to burn off that unwanted body fat. And this can only be accomplished through aerobic activity and resistance training. There is no way around this fact. Otherwise your body will fight you the whole time of you try to diet off the fat using any kind of nutrition strategy.

My before and after weight loss story can be found on my site. And fast weight loss, by the way, is something that can be accomplished. All you have to do is eat the right food, in the right amount, and use physical activity on a daily basis to help your organism use that "extra-fuel" that has been stored in your fat cells!

Obviously you have to know how to motivate yourself to walk, jog, run or do some other type of aerobic activity on a daily basis. This is something that I cover in my site and also in my fat-burning system.

But in a nutshell, motivation comes from focusing on the vision of your future self, and simultaneously focusing on the present circumstances in your life. And this has to be done all the time, not once a week, and month, or a year!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alex_Platups/379360

Green Tea Weight Loss - Fad Or Fact?

A diet plan utilizing green tea for weight loss is a great idea for those who are not into counting calories or willing to spend hours in the gym. In addition, adding green tea to a weight loss program you are already on will boost the effectiveness of that plan.

Green tea has one major advantage that no other diet product I can think of has: it has a thousand-year history of use with little or no known side effects. Not only is it an all natural, side effect free product but it also has the bonus of being one of nature's greatest health food products as studies have indicated that it reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers bad cholesterol and may even lower the risks of some forms of cancer. Can any diet pill, weight loss shake or other diet supplement those same claims? (That was a rhetorical question as the answer is no).

Green tea, from a scientific standpoint, is not much different than the tea most people make at home or find in a restaurant. The difference comes from the processing. This type of tea is steamed or baked to prevent fermentation (or oxidation) which allows the tea to retain more of the antioxidant known as ECGC. It is the EGCG that is responsible for the majority of the health and weight loss benefits of the tea.



Green tea increases weight loss by causing a rise in thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the process by which heat is produced in the body. Thermogenesis may be the most significant component of the body's metabolism and when you increase thermogenesis, you raise the metabolic rate; when you raise the metabolic rate, your body burns more fat and increases the amount of energy expended even when at rest. Perhaps more importantly to dieters, green tea seems to target fat cells for the additional energy being used as opposed to just a general increase in calories being burned.

Green tea is a proven weight loss product. There are many studies that show a relationship between the consumption of the tea and weight loss. In fact, a well-respected journal, The International Journal of Obesity has concluded that the extract from the tea increases the burning of calories and appears to target fat cells for that increased energy requirement.

Not only is more and more evidence of the effectiveness of green tea for weight loss purposes becoming available every month, but the health advantages of green tea make it a product you should consider even without the weight loss component. The tea has been shown to increase mental alertness; decrease the risk of heart disease; decrease the risk of some cancers; lower bad cholesterol; regulate blood glucose levels (which helps decrease the risk of diabetes); lowers the risks of Alzheimer's and; lowers the blood pressure.

Many diet products have a short-term spike in popularity until the fad wears off. This is usually short-lived as the product usually doesn't work as it is promised to work. Green tea weight loss, on the other hand, continues to grow in popularity simply because it really works. The sheer number of products on the market now indicates that the use of the tea (or its extract) is growing in popularity. Do an internet search and check out how many well-respected sites are singing the praises of the tea's weight loss properties. Even the sites that don't wholeheartedly endorse the product don't have anything negative to say about its use (they just cite a shortage of scientific testing to confirm the product's effectiveness).

The optimum amount of tea is still being debated. Some believe as little as three cups a day is sufficient but many others believe that ten cups is necessary to achieve the best results. Obviously, if ten cups is required, you either have to really like green tea or you will need to take a supplement with a concentration of the tea's extract that equals ten cups. Other than the fact that the supplements cost a good deal more than the tea itself, a supplement is probably the best way to go. Either way, by cup or by capsule, using green tea for weight loss is an idea whose time has come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/James_Dooley/1213860

5 Dumbbell Exercises to Lose Belly Fat

Most people try to burn stomach fat by doing crunches or sit-ups. This is not the way to go. You can burn stomach fat by doing exercises that target other muscle groups as well. In fact, it can be more effective.

This is why I want to share with you the following 5 dumbbell exercise to lose belly fat. They can prove to be an excellent addition to your workouts and help you get awesome results quickly.

Chest presses
Lie on a workout bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells with bent elbows by your chest. With both hands, press the dummbells upward until your arms are completely straight. Exhale during the press. Bring the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position. This is primarily a chest exercise but it will burn fat from your entire body.



Squats
Doing squats is hard with or without dumbbells. The extre weight just makes this exercise that much harder to perform. Make sure to use weight which doesn't force you to break the right form and don't go into squats that are too deep for your own good.

Bicep Curls on a bosu ball
While a bicep curl targets the biceps, an easy way to add a little abdominal strain to it is to stand on a bosu ball while performing the exercise. Standing on a bosu ball requires you to use the stabilizing muscles in your abs so you're getting a double benefit from this exercise. You do the curl in the ordinary way: just curl the dumbbells up with your biceps. Make sure to not tilt your body or use your back to pull the dumbbell.

Crunch with dumbbell
One way to make a stomach exercise harder with dumbbells is to do a crunch with it. There are two ways you can use a dumbbell to make this exercise harder: hold it behind your head or place it on your chest.

I recommend placing the dumbbell on your chest as holding it against your head may cause you to bend it forward, straining your neck. Other than that, you do the crunch regularly.

Stability ball exercises
Similarly to a bosu ball, a stability ball also helps to bring your stabilizing muscles into the action. You lie on the ball and can do a wide range of exercises to target your chest, back, triceps and shoulders. These can include lying tricep extensions, chest flies, and so on.

As you can see, you have many choices. Make the most of them in your workouts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_Davenport/92959

Fat Loss Kettlebell Workout Routines

Kettlebells can be used for several purposes, but here I will present various kettlebell workout routines which are extremely effective for fat loss. One of the primary factors to making an exercise session burn a lot of fat is to bring the heart rate and breathing rate up. Breathing heavily, while not very fun at that moment, is important to burn off fat since the fatty acids inside the blood stream have to be oxidized; thus oxygen usage is extremely important. A lot of heavy breathing leads to a good deal of oxygen being drawn in throughout the workout, and that is exactly what will burn a good deal of fat.

Fat loss kettlebell workout routines don't need to be complicated; there are many straight forward set-ups which can be positively ferocious to complete. For instance:

Fat Loss Workout #1
10 kettlebell swings, 1 push-up, 10 swings, 2 push-ups,... , 10 swings, 10 push-ups
Details

Bear in mind these swings can be done with one bell or two, and if using two, perform the push-ups while gripping the handles of the kettlebells. Executing push-ups that way (with neutral wrist position) is usually easier on the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

Minimum rest ought to be taken at all times, ideally going through all the reps without resting in any way. For individuals who are less mathematically-inclined, that's 100 swings and 55 push-ups, completed in (if possible) less than 15 minutes. That's a great deal of work in addition to a great way to get rid of some body fat.



Although it's unquestionably vital to keep moving during a fat loss kettlebell workout in order to attain the best results, additionally it is imperative that exercises are chosen intelligently. Using an exercise that forces the body to keep moving isn't sufficient: it should present enough of a challenge so the workout acts as an effective strength stimulus simultaneously. A younger and in-shape fitness enthusiast would probably be breathing hard after a set of swings and 12" box step-ups, but will those step-ups pose a decent strength challenge? Probably not. Even though they would keep the person working and breathing more heavily than usual, they wouldn't do much to build additional strength.

Therefore, for the swing and push-up workout earlier on, adding weight for the push-up is advised if the person can complete the entire workout without too much effort.

Swings, being as powerful as they are, ought to be incorporated into just about any fat loss kettlebell workout. It's almost impossible to do "too many" of them, so there's no harm incorporating them since they do such a good job of getting the heart rate up.

Here's another great kettlebell fat loss workout containing swings and push-ups:

Fat Loss Workout #2
Swings for 20 seconds, 5 push-ups, 30 seconds rest. Repeat for 15 minutes.

If after that workout the push-ups remain easy, consider adding weight or reps next time.

Here are two additional powerful fat loss kettlebell combinations:

Fat Loss Workout #3
Using 2 kettlebells:

10 swings, walk 30 steps, 10 goblet squats, walk 30 steps
10 swings, walk 30 steps, 9 goblet squats, walk 30 steps
Continue down to 1 goblet squat.

Fat Loss Workout #4
Using 1 or 2 kettlebells. Start at the top of the minute.
5 swings, 1 push-up, rest the remainder of the minute.
10 swings, 2 push-ups, rest remainder of the minute.
5 swings, 3 push-ups, rest remainder of the minute.
10... , 4... , rest
5... , 5... , rest
The entire way up to 10 swings and 10 push-ups.

For this one, rotating between sets of 5 and 10 swings will provide a small bit of additional rest. Go ahead and make all sets of swings 10 once successfully completing the workout above.

Give these fat loss kettlebell workouts a shot! While including correct nutrition and strength training, they will likely provide all the additional fat burning anybody would need.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jordan_Rosedahl/1895907