Less sugar = rapid weight loss

By sugar, we mean white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, sucrose or whatever different names it is called. Consumption of sugar should be limited for a healthier as well as happier life. In fact, for those who want to lose weight fast must limit their sugar intake. This will help them immensely to reach their target weight. Also, limiting your sugar intake will help you to avoid diseases like diabetes, stroke, obesity, heart attacks, and teeth cavities.
What is sugar?
Sugar is a carbohydrate and a major source of calories for your body. This is because half of your calories are from carbohydrates. Carbohydrate is important for your body overdose of it is not at all good for your health. Carbohydrates that come from whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good. However, carbohydrates from sugars like table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or honey are not at all healthy.
Extra sugars are just empty calories with no extra nutritional benefit. Well, it is not easy to avoid sugar sugars completely, but you can definitely limit their consumption. According to The United States Department of Agriculture you should have some sugar in your diet to allow a few calories in your body.
Well, the answer to the question ‘How many grams of sugar per day to lose weight?’ is pretty tricky. We know that for any weight loss diet you need to restrict your sugar intake. But how much?
Well, as a rule of thumb, the amount of sugar you consume should not exceed 30% of your daily caloric intake.
Amount of calories in sugar:
• 1 cube of sugar is approximately 10 calories • 1 teaspoon of sugar is approximately 15 calories. • 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar is approximately 25 calories. • 1 tablespoon of sugar is approximately 45 calories.
According to the American Heart Association:
For women: Limit added sugar to 100 calories (25 grams) per day. This is equivalent to 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men: Limit added sugar to 150 calories (37.5 grams) per day. This is equivalent to 9 teaspoons of sugar.
Note: This figure mostly depends on how many calories you need to fulfill your daily nutritional requirements for vitamins, minerals and fiber. Also if you’re diabetic, you should be consulting a licensed physician about your recommended sugar intake per day which is usually less than 10% of your daily caloric count.
Excessive consumption of sugar is bad for your health as it:
• Suppress the immune system. • Upset the body’s mineral balance. • Contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety and depression. • Contribute to a weakened defense against bacterial infection. • Cause kidney damage. • Increase the risk of coronary heart disease. • Interfere with the absorption of calcium and magnesium. • Contribute to diabetes. • Contribute to osteoporosis. • Cause food allergies. • Increase fluid retention.
Within the past six decades, sugar consumption has actually grown by more than 40 pounds for each individual. Sources report that at present, average intake of sugars in the USA is 87 grams per day and according to a recent review, the average child ingests 91 grams of sugar each and every day. This is why obesity rates have increased in kids and adults and people are looking for ways to lose weight fast. Many nutrition and health professionals recommend decreasing sugar. Many of us don’t use much sugar while cooking, but still we end consuming more sugar than necessary. This is because sugar is one of the main ingredients of processed foods that we enjoy every day.
Here is a list of common foods that have added sugar:
• Regular soda, energy drinks, sports drinks • Grain-based desserts such as cakes, cookies and pies • Fruit punches and other sugar-sweetened fruit drinks • Dairy-based desserts such as ice cream, sweetened yogurt and sweetened milk • Candy and chocolate • Refined breads • Different types of cereals • All types of desserts
If you have been wondering how much sugar per day, you should note that sugars naturally occur in foods such as fruits in the form of fructose, and in milk products in the form of lactose. While these sugars are fine for your overall health, it is the added sugars that you should be wary about. Added sugars do not provide any benefits to your overall health as they contain no nutrients and instead add excess calories to your diet.
In order to know how much sugar per day, you will need to check your packaged foods and carefully read their labels. If the packaged food contains the ingredients such as: corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, glucose, lactose, maltose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, fruit juice concentrates, malt syrup, sucrose, molasses, sugar, raw sugar and syrup.
If you are serious about how to reduce your sugar intake, here are some valuable tips:
Drink plain water:
Many of us have the habit of drinking sweet drinks like carbonated drinks, syrups and cordials. As a matter of fact, these drinks have added sugar and are also high in calories. This is why sweet drinks are a big NO for those who want to lose weight fast. Instead of sweet drinks you can always drink plain water. Water has no calories and is good for your overall health.
Use less sugar:
For every cup of sugar indicated in a recipe only use 2/3 to 3/4 of a cup and replace omitted sugar with an equal amount of non-fat dry milk to increase the nutritional value. You could also use brown sugar instead of white sugar.
Reduce sugar in cooking:
Avoid adding sugar or other sweet ingredients in cooking. Make homemade sauces and toppings with less sugar. Use sugar substitutes in recipes and hot drinks instead of sugar.
Eat Smartly:
Avoid eating snacks and sweet food between main meals and before bedtime. Instead, eat food that is high in nutritional value like oat biscuits. Try limiting dessert to once or twice a week. When you eat foods that contain added sugars, choose foods that also contain nutrients like vitamins, minerals or fiber.
Eat healthy:
Choose fruits instead of sweet cakes and ‘junk’ food or sweet snacks. Be mindful that fats and sugars are often found together in foods like chocolate, biscuits and cakes making them particularly bad for those of us with weight loss goals. Be careful not to replace foods high in sugar with foods high in fat and sodium.
Know what you are buying:
Read the ingredients on the food label and avoid food or beverage products where sugar is listed first or if there is a high percentage of sugar content in that particular food. When reading “Nutrition Facts” labels remember that 7 grams of sugar is equal to around 1 tablespoon of sugar. Choose food and beverages that are labeled ‘less sugar’ or ‘sugar free’. Be a smart consumer.
Conclusion:
For those who are on weight loss mission must consider the role that refined sugar plays in our diets and should be reduce the consumption of sugar as much as they can. With less sugar in your diet you can lose weight fast and lead a happier and healthier life. (www.howmuchcaloriestoloseweight.net)
Paul Gustafson, R.N., C.H. has been featured on WBZ radio, hosts TV show Healthy Hypnosis, is an Angie’s List ‘Super Service’ provider. Check out his in-office Gastric Band weight loss program. Also available as MP3 download.
Contact Paul for free consultation: 888-290-3972 or info@burlingtonhypnosis.com and visit Burlington Hypnosis.
 

Three habits supporting weight loss success

1. Daily Food Diary Women who were more consistent with keeping a food journal lost about 6 more pounds.

If you’ve already logged your meals for the day, kudos to you. If not, get back on the wagon. Staying on the wagon means making logging easy. Try to log all your meals at one time. If you plan at least one meal a day, say dinner, logging at lunch time will help you stay accountable to stick to what you planned.

Be sure to create meals instead of having to key in each item in your meal. After you have a month or two of data, go back and favorite certain foods. You can also replicate entries by searching by date range. Look for your A meals and make sure you incorporate these at lease once a day.

If your work week is easy on your log, but weekends have you lagging, log what you intend to eat on Friday, and make changes through the mobile app as needed. You can also log during a cool down from working out or after taking a leisurely walk. Try to track your progress at eating better every few weeks and that will reinforce the one thing that will help you stay on top of counting calories.

2. Don’t Skip Meals Women who reported skipping meals lost almost 8 fewer pounds than women who did not.

Skipping meals increases food cravings and deadens your mood. A Spanish study found healthy women reported an increased negative mood after fasting. The study also found that food cravings was significantly associated with the number of calories eaten after fasting.

Another study by Cornell University researchers found after fasting, we intuitively reach for high-calorie foods. Instead of testing your willpower to resits, avoid intense food cravings by staying satisfied. That means eating breakfast every morning as well as snacking reasonably when you’re hungry.

Planning meals is the easiest way to go, but plans are made to be broken. You might consider having a small number of go to meals lined up or even eat a standard breakfast to avoid skipping meals on certain days. Oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs are quick morning eats. By always having these on hand, and adding fruit, nuts, or raw vegetables to them, you can make a meal despite any changes in your meal plan.

3. Avoid Eating Out–Especially at Lunchtime Women who ate out for lunch at least once a week lost on average 5 fewer pounds than those who ate out less frequently.

If you skipped breakfast, your lunch break might be a calorie disaster. While many Americans skip lunch all together, for others, it’s the one meal you have to yourself. If you don’t bring your lunch from home, or have a salad bar right outside of your workplace, lunchtime can be a battleground against excess calories that you can’t afford to lose.

Americans on average eat out 5 times a week, and with the hour-long lunch break disappearing, and many Americans commute further than 15 miles from home, chances are you have limited access to healthy food choices. If brown-bagging it isn’t your style, find a grocery store with a deli close to you and pair fresh options with deli fare.

Take note of the food scale and cup size to keep portions under control. If a grocery store is out of reach, stock up a workplace fridge with some options so that you’re not stuck if you forget your lunch from home. You can also avoid eating out at lunch, by building in physical activity. Some alternative options include starting a workplace food delivery.

Delegate online grocery shopping or have a variety of produce sent. Share the cost with health-conscious co-workers. If fast food is all you have, make a list of meals from close restaurants that are under 500 calories and stick the list. Going off-list should be a planned event.

Caloriecount.com

 

Stress – obesity connection

Chronic stress has powerful effects on the body’s production and storage of fat. High levels of cortisol induced by stress can lead to increase in body fat and obesity. This adds to all the other ways that stress promotes obesity.

There are various ways stress can lead to increase in body fat and obesity. Most people are aware of behavioral and emotional aspects of stress-related obesity. People who are often stressed out have trouble maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

They may eat often even when they’re not hungry — this is called stress eating or emotional eating — or they may eat high-calorie fast foods because they don’t have time to prepare something healthy. Additionally, they may be too exhausted to exercise regularly when they’re under a lot of stress.

Physiological factors — specifically, cortisol and cortisol-induced insulin — are the main reasons why stress can lead to increase in body fat and obesity. When faced with a stressful situation, the body triggers the stress response or fight-or-flight response. This leads to the secretion of cortisol, adrenaline and other stress hormones along with an increase of blood pressure, breathing and heart rate.

The normal stress response causes the rapid increase of heart rate and respiratory rate as well as blood pressure. Available energy is increased while digestion and other non-essential processes are decreased. So, the body is primed to fight or take flight and escape, whichever is needed.

The natural stress response is usually short-term and self-regulating. When the threat is gone, the body returns to normal. As cortisol and adrenaline levels drop, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure as well as energy levels return to their baseline levels. Other systems inhibited by the stress response return to their regular activities.

The natural stress response goes awry when stress is constant and excessive. In today’s society, most people are inundated with overwhelming stress.  For those constantly dealing with excessive and chronic stress, the body’s fight-or-flight response is constantly on. In turn, the resulting stress hormones released are chronically high.

Chronically high levels of cortisol plays a big role in the development of obesity.

  • Cortisol helps the body handle stress; so, when stress goes up, cortisol also goes up. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism during stressful situations. This leads to increased blood sugar levels required for fast energy. In turn, this stimulates insulin release which can lead to an increase in appetite.
  • Adrenaline increases alertness and metabolism by helping fat cells release energy.

When the immediate stress is over, the adrenaline levels return to normal. But, cortisol lingers to help bring the body back into balance after stress. One of the ways it gets things back to balance is by increasing appetite to replace the carbohydrate and fat used for the flight or fight response.

The problem is that in today’s society, stress-causing situations — such as, traffic jams or computer malfunctions — do not really require the body to use up a lot of energy. So, cortisol ends up causing the body to refuel after stress even when it doesn’t really need to refuel. This excess fuel or glucose is converted into fat resulting in increased storage of fat.

What makes matters worse is that cortisol-induced high levels of insulin also leads to increased production and storage of fat. So, exposure to chronically high levels of cortisol and cortisol-induced insulin are the main reasons why stress can lead to increase in body fat and obesity.

By: Allie Mendoza

Restrict calories- take 20 yrs off the age of your heart

Nutrition scientists have been closely following the health modifying and life extension benefits of calorie restriction (CR) for decades, as reducing caloric intake by 25 to 40 percent each day is shown to dramatically improve quality of life and add years to lifespan in virtually every animal and mammal species.

Not only is CR an important element to control overweight and obesity, but the practice is also shown to positively influence the expression of longevity genes known as SIRT, an evolved method of ensuring reproductive abilities among species.

Publishing in the journal Aging Cell, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that people who restrict their caloric intake in an effort to live longer have hearts that function more like those in people who are 20 years younger.

As heart disease is the leading cause of death in western cultures, this is a finding of critical importance. Would you be willing to cut calories by 400 to 600 each day to dramatically lower your risk of dying from heart disease or a heart attack?

People consuming a high-calorie diet typically follow a very predictive curve where the heart’s ability to adapt to physical activity, stress, sleep and other factors that influence the rate at which the heart pumps blood slowly declines, ultimately leading to heart failure and cardiovascular disease.

People who have significantly restricted their caloric intake for an average of seven years do not exhibit the same rate of decline and maintain heart function similar to those twenty years younger.
Researchers studied 22 CR participants by connecting them to portable heart monitors and comparing them to a second group that did not follow a CR regimen. With an average age just over 51, the CR group ate nutritionally-optimized healthy diets but consumed 30 percent fewer calories than normal.

The study team found heart rates were significantly lower in the CR group, while their heart rate variability was significantly higher. The findings were consistent with a group aged in their early thirties.

Lead study author, Dr. Luigi Fontana, noted “We looked at normal levels of heart rate variability among people at different ages, and we found that those who practice CR have hearts that look and function like they are years younger.” Dr. Fontana concluded “heart rate variability is better in people who practice CR and that means more than just their cardiovascular systems are flexible… the better ratio suggests improved health in general.”

To practice calorie restriction, begin by cutting 10 to 15 percent of calories daily, and slowly work to reduce calorie intake by as much as 25 percent to optimize heart health and extend natural lifespan.
more about what is referred to as the global industrial diet, how the media and corporate economic interests dictate how food is manufactured and how our healthy wellbeing is not a priority.

This animated 1998 Saturday Night Live video, created by Robert Smigel, was aired only once before being banned because of its scathing critique of corporate media ownership, including NBC’s ownership by General Electric/Westinghouse.

By: John Phillip

52 healthy foods to consider

1. Eggs Each egg has 6 grams of protein but just 72 calories. No wonder researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, found that eating eggs for breakfast (as part of a low-cal diet) helps you slim down.
2. Tomato sauce It’s loaded with lycopene, which makes your skin look younger and keeps your heart healthy. In fact, a Harvard study found that women with the most lycopene in their blood reduced their risk of a heart attack by 34%.
3. Dried plums(prunes) They’re packed with polyphenols, plant chemicals that have been shown to boost bone density by stimulating your bone-building cells.
4. Walnuts Just 14 walnut halves provide more than twice your daily dose of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that’s been shown to improve memory and coordination.
5. Brussels sprouts They have more glucosinolates (compounds that combat cancer and detoxify our bodies) than any other vegetable. For a side dish that will make you wonder why you’ve been avoiding them, slice each one into quarters, then sauté in olive oil with chopped sweet Vidalia onions.
6. Acai juice A glass or two of this anthocyanin-rich berry juice can dramatically boost the amount of antioxidants in your blood, say Texas A&M University researchers.
7. Apples They contain quercetin, an antioxidant that may reduce your risk of lung cancer.
8. Bok choy This calcium-rich veggie can protect your bones and may even ward off PMS symptoms.
9. Steel-cut oats Because they’re less processed than traditional oats, they’re digested more slowly—keeping you full all morning long.
10. Salmon You’ll get all the heart-smart omega-3s you need in a day from just 3 oz.
11. Avocados Their healthy fat keeps you satisfied and helps you absorb other nutrients. For a new u twist, brush a halved avocado (pit removed) with olive oil and grill 1 minute. Serve with red onion, sliced grapefruit and balsamic vinegar.
12. Spinach A half-cup provides more than five times your daily dose of vitamin K, which helps blood clot and builds strong bones.
13. Canned pumpkin It’s filled with natural cancer fighters alpha- and beta-carotene.
14. Cauliflower White foods can be good for you! This one is packed with cancer-fighting glucosinolates.
15. Scallops A 3-oz serving has 14 grams of protein but just 75 calories.
16. Collard greens They’re exploding with nutrients like vitamin A, zeaxanthin and lutein, which keep your eyes healthy.
17. Olives They deliver the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat you get in olive oil, but for just 7 calories per jumbo olive!
18. Brown rice It’s a top source of magnesium, a mineral your body uses for more than 300 chemical reactions (such as building bones and converting food to energy).
19. Oysters These keep your immune system strong. A 3-oz serving (about 6 oysters) dishes up a quarter of your daily iron, plus nearly twice the zinc and all the selenium you need in a day.
20. Edamame One cup has a whopping 22 grams of plant protein, as well as lots of fiber, folate and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.
21. Strawberries They’re loaded with ellagitannins, phytochemicals that may halt the growth of cervical and colon cancers.
22. Lentils A great source of meat-free protein, a half-cup of cooked lentils also gives you nearly half your daily folate, a B vitamin that protects a woman’s unborn baby from neural tube defects.
23. Bran flakes Their whole grains keep your heart in tip-top shape by reducing inflammation and melting away belly fat.
24. Kiwi Italian researchers found that it reduces asthma-related wheezing, thanks to its high vitamin C content (one kiwi has 110% of your daily requirement).
25. Black beans They’re loaded with protein, fiber, and flavonoids—antioxidants that help your arteries stay relaxed and pliable.
26. Sunflower seeds A quarter-cup delivers half your day’s vitamin E, which keeps your heart healthy and fights infection.
27. Sardines 3 oz provide more than 100% of your daily vitamin D. Sardines are also a top source of omega-3 fats. Try adding mashed canned sardines to marinara sauce and serving over whole-wheat pasta.
28. Asparagus A half-cup supplies 50% of your daily bone-building vitamin K and a third of your day’s folate, it’s a natural diuretic so it banishes bloating, too.
29. Bananas They’re loaded with several kinds of good-for-you fiber, including resistant starch (which helps you slim down).
30. Broccoli sprouts They have 10 times more of the cancer-preventing compound glucoraphanin than regular broccoli.
31. Fat-free milk With a third of the calcium and half the vitamin D you need in a day, plus 8 grams u of muscle-building protein, it’s the ultimate energy drink.
32. Baked potatoes Each one packs a megadose of blood-pressure–lowering potassium—even more than a banana.
33. Sweet potatoes Half of a large baked sweet potato delivers more than 450% of your daily dose of vitamin A, which protects your vision and your immune system.
34. Flaxseed Not only is flaxseed loaded with plant omega-3s, it also has more lignans (compounds that may prevent endometrial and ovarian cancer) than any other food. Store ground flaxseed in your refrigerator and sprinkle on yogurt, cold cereal or oatmeal.
35. Greek yogurt It has twice the protein of regular yogurt.
36. Dried tart cherries Researchers at Michigan State University found their potent anthocyanins help control blood sugar, reduce insulin and lower cholesterol.
37. Wheat germ A quarter-cup gives you more than 40% of your daily vitamin E and immune-boosting selenium.
38. Whole-wheat english muffins You get 4 ½ grams of fiber for only 134 calories.
39. Tea Both green and black tea prevent hardening of the arteries, according to researchers at the University of Scranton.
40. Peanut butter This smart spread has arginine, an amino acid that helps keep blood vessels healthy.
41. Blackberries The king of the berry family boasts more antioxidants than strawberries, cranberries or blueberries.
42. Mustard greens These “greens” (actually a cruciferous veggie) are a top source of vitamin K. For a tasty pesto, chop them in a food processor with garlic, walnuts, Parmesan and olive oil.
43. Grapes They’re a leading source of resveratrol, the plant chemical responsible for the heart-healthy benefits of red wine.
44. Soy milk A good source of vegetable protein, calcium-enriched soy milk has as much calcium and vitamin D as cow’s milk.
45. Brazil nuts They have more selenium than any other food. One nut delivers your entire day’s worth!
46. Canola oil A Tbsp of this heart-healthy oil has all the alpha-linolenic acid you need in a day, plus two different forms of vitamin E.
47. Blueberries They improve memory by protecting your brain from inflammation and boosting communication between brain cells.
48. Oranges One orange supplies more than 100% of the vitamin C you need in a day. It’s also a good source of calcium and folate.
49. Watercress With just 4 calories per cup, this cruciferous veggie delivers a hefty dose of vitamin K, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
50. Turkey breast It has 20 grams of satisfying protein but just 90 calories per 3-oz serving.
51. Barley A top source of beta-glucan, a fiber that lowers cholesterol and helps control blood sugar.
52. Shiitake mushrooms One serving (about ¼ lb) provides as much vitamin D as you’d get from a glass of milk.