Can Diet Pills really help?

Diet Pills don't perform weight loss on their own. You can't take a diet pill and just carry on eating anything you want and doing no exercise. It just doesn't work like that.

There are two types of diet pills available.

Herbal and diet pills that are recommended by your Doctor

Herbal diet pills tend not to make a massive difference to how much weight you can lose, but rather help you by providing that little bit of extra psychological motivation and taking the edge off your appetite. If you are going to buy these types of diet pills, make sure that you read the label carefully and that you are fully aware of the listed side effects and ingredients. Never take more than the recommended dose.   Be aware that there are many that make unfounded claims too, because the herbal diet pill market place isn't regulated, so do make sure that you research exactly what you're buying to avoid disappointment. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. A useful site we found that compares many of these diet pills and their suppliers can be found here.

Doctor recommended diet pills are far more effective, because their active ingredients are stronger and they have been thoroughly tested. They are, however, not guaranteed to help and like all diet pills, they need to be taken together with a proper diet and exercise plan. These diet pills are only offered to those that are obese, with a minimum BMI requirement of 27. If you only need to lose a few pounds, they are not for you. The fact that these diet pills require a doctor visit shows that they are more powerful than herbal diet pills.

You can find more information on http://www.1is2fat.com

What do labels "fat-free" and "low calorie" mean?

Terms like these are on many food packages. Here are some definitions based on one serving of a food. If you eat more than one serving, you will go over these levels of calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Calorie-free: fewer than 5 calories
Low calorie: 40 calories or fewer
Reduced calorie: at least 25% fewer calories than the regular food item has
Fat free: less than ? gram of fat
Low fat: 3 grams of fat or fewer
Reduced fat: at least 25% less fat than the regular food item has
Cholesterol free: fewer than 2 milligrams cholesterol and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat
Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or fewer cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat
Sodium free: fewer than 5 milligrams sodium
Very low sodium: fewer than 35 milligrams sodium
Low sodium: fewer than 140 milligrams sodium
High fiber: 5 grams or more fiber

How can you follow a healthy diet if you eat out a lot?

 

The American Heart Association gives these tips for a healthy diet, even when you aren't cooking at home:

• Ask the server to make substitutions, like having steamed vegetables instead of fries.
• Pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken.
• Make sure your entr?is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached instead of fried.
• Ask for baked, boiled, or roasted potatoes instead of fried.
• Order lots of vegetable side dishes and ask that any sauces or butter be left off.
• Ask for low-calorie salad dressing or a lemon to squeeze on your salad instead of dressing.
• Order fresh fruit or fruit sorbet in place of cake, pie, or ice cream desserts.

Healthy Diet

Different kinds of fats. Which one you should avoid?

There are different kinds of fats in our foods. Some can hurt our health, while others aren't so bad – some are even good for you! Here's what you need to know:

• Monounsaturated fats (canola, olive and peanut oils, and avocados) and polyunsaturated fats (safflower, sesame, sunflower seeds, and many other nuts and seeds) don't raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels but can raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. To keep healthy, it is best to choose foods with these fats.

• Saturated fat, trans fatty acids, and dietary cholesterol raise your LDL ("bad") blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease. Saturated fat is found mostly in food from animals, like beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, whole milk dairy products, cheeses, and from some plants, such as tropical oils. Tropical oils include coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils that are found in commercial cakes, cookies, and salty snack foods. Unlike other plant oils, these oils have a lot of saturated fatty acids. Some processed foods (such as frozen dinners and canned foods) can be quite high in saturated fat — it' s best to check package labels before purchasing these types of foods.

• Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are formed during the process of making cooking oils, margarine, and shortening and are in commercially fried foods, baked goods, cookies, and crackers. Some are naturally found in small amounts in some animal products, such as beef, pork, lamb, and the butterfat in butter and milk. In studies, TFAs tend to raise our total blood cholesterol. TFAs also tend to raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol. One study found that the four main sources of trans fatty acids in women's diets come from margarine, meat (beef, pork, or lamb), cookies, and white bread. At this time, TFAs are not listed on nutrition labels, but that will soon change. Although it might take a couple of years to begin seeing it, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now asking food manufacturers to begin labeling TFA content. And some food manufacturers are announcing they are taking TFAs out of their food.

How can you start planning a healthy diet for you and your family?

The best way to give your body the balanced nutrition it needs is by eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day. Just be sure to stay within your daily calorie needs. 

Focus on fruits. Eat a variety of fruits – whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried – rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. For a 2,000 calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit each day (for example, 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots or peaches).

Vary your veggies. Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweetpotatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils.

Get your calcium-rich foods. Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk – or an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese (1 1/2 ounces of cheese equals one cup of milk) – every day. For kids aged 2 to 8, it's 2 cups of milk. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and beverages.

Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as 'whole' in the list of ingredients.

Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, boil it, or grill it. And vary your protein choices – with more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

 Know the limits on fats, salt and sugars. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Chose and prepare foods and beverages with a little salt (sodium) and/or sugars (caloric sweeteners)

Why you should try to keep to a healthy diet?

Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to help your overall health. Along with physical activity, your diet is the key factor that affects your weight.

Having a healthy weight for your height is important. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers.

You can find out if you're overweight or obese by figuring out your body mass index (BMI). Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, whereas women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All adults (aged 18 years or older) who have a BMI of 25 or more are considered at risk for premature death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase as the BMI rises.

Having a healthy diet is sometimes easier said than done. It is tempting to eat less healthy foods because they might be easier to get or prepare, or they satisfy a craving. Between family and work or school, you are probably balancing a hundred things at once.

Taking time to buy the ingredients for and cooking a healthy meal sometimes falls last on your list. But you should know that it isn't hard to make simple changes to improve your diet. And you can make sense of the mounds of nutrition information out there.

A little learning and planning can help you find a diet to fit your lifestyle, and maybe you can have some fun in the process!

Can Diet Pills perform a miracle?

Diet Pills don't perform miracle weight loss on their own. You can't pop a diet pill and just carry on eating anything you want and doing no exercise. It just doesn't work like that.

There are two types of diet pills available.

Over the counter or non prescription diet pills and prescription diet pills

Non prescription diet pills tend not to make a massive difference to how much weight you can lose, but rather help you by providing that little bit of extra psychological motivation and taking the edge off your appetite. If you are going to buy non prescription diet pills, make sure that you read the label carefully and that you are fully aware of the listed side effects and ingredients. Never take more than the recommended dose.   Be aware that there are many scams around too, because the non prescription diet pill market place is not regulated, so do make sure that you research exactly what you're buying to avoid disappointment. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. A useful site we found that compares many of the non prescription diet pills and their suppliers can be found here.

Prescription diet pills are far more effective than non prescription diet pills, because their active ingredients are stronger classified drugs that have been tested by the regulatory bodies, ie the FDA and or the NHS. They are, however, not guaranteed to help and like all diet pills, they need to be taken together with a proper diet and exercise plan. Prescription diet pills are only prescribed for those that are obese, with a minimum BMI requirement of 27. If you only need to lose a few pounds, prescription diet pills are not for you. The fact that these diet pills require a prescription shows that they are a more powerful drug than over the counter diet pills and that they have been approved for use by the appropriate regulatory body. They are available to buy online via an online prescription, which is perfectly legal. US law allows online consultation and prescribing for various obesity and other conditions. You are asked to complete an online medical questionnaire which is then passed to a licensed physician who will review your information and prescribe the appropriate diet pills. No physical examination is made and the prescription diet pills are delivered by an overnight Fed ex courier. There are essentially 8 different prescription diet pills available, with the most commonly used prescription diet pills being the Phentermines. These are sold as Phentermine, Adipex and Ionamin. Other prescription diet pills include Xenical, Meridia, Bontril, Tenuate and Didrex. Generally the phentermines are the cheapest and the most widely used. If you are going to use them, you must follow the instructions carefully.

Before using any diet pills we recommend that, you should do the research and find out exactly what is involved. You should also consider consulting your doctor or a registered dietician who is capable of assessing you on a personal basis.

 

Are diet Pills Dangerous?

Diet pills have a great potential to help you lose weight and this can be very appealing, especially if you are someone who has struggled to lose weight in the past and who is obese, with a BMI of over 27.

But these advantages should be weighed against the possible dangers of diet pills including some dangerous side effects.

Before take any diet pill, you should understand what some of the dangers of diet pills can be.

What are some of the dangers of diet pills?

diet pills dangerous side effects
Prescription diet pills are very strong drugs, and each has the potential for dangerous side effects. Some of the side effects from taking prescription diet pills can be dangerous.

Each diet pill has its own set of potential side effects, so instead of listing every possible side effect here, please visit the pages on this site that correspond to the diet pill you are interested in.

harmful effects of diet pills
Potential for dependence
Some diet pills, especially the stimulant-based diet pills, are habit-forming and as such can be abused. Abuse of these drugs may lead to dependence. Check with your doctor before taking any prescription diet pill to find out if they are habit-forming and what signs you should look out for to alert you to this problem.

Metabolism disruption
Most prescription diet pills suppress the appetite, which causes you to consume fewer calories. On the surface, this seems like the ultimate solution for losing weight. However, as you reduce your caloric intake, your metabolism also slows down. As your metabolism slows, the amount of weight you lose also slows down. This is why it is common for people to lose only a certain amount of weight while taking diet pills alone. The solution, of course, is to combine lifestyle changes to your diet regimen. Lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, dietary changes, and regular health checkups can greatly increase your weight loss success.

The dangers of diet pills should always be considered before you decide to take them.

Diabetic diet. Introduction

The proper diet is critical to diabetes treatment. It can help someone with diabetes:

• Achieve and maintain desirable weight. Many people with diabetes can control their blood glucose by losing weight and keeping it off.
• Maintain normal blood glucose levels.
• Prevent heart and blood vessel diseases, conditions that tend to occur in people with diabetes.

A doctor will usually prescribe diet as part of diabetes treatment. A dietitian or nutritionist can recommend a diet that is healthy, but also interesting and easy to follow. No one has to be limited to a preprinted, standard diet. Someone with diabetes can get assistance in the following ways:

• A doctor can recommend a local nutritionist or dietitian.
• The local American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and American Dietetic Association can provide names of qualified dietitians or nutritionists and information about diet planning.
• Local diabetes centers at large medical clinics, hospitals, or medical universities usually have dietitians and nutritionists on staff.

The guidelines for diabetes diet planning include the following:

• Many experts, including the American Diabetes Association, recommend that 50 to 60 percent of daily calories come from carbohydrates, 12 to 20 percent from protein, and no more than 30 percent from fat.
• Spacing meals throughout the day, instead of eating heavy meals once or twice a day, can help a person avoid extremely high or low blood glucose levels.
• With few exceptions, the best way to lose weight is gradually: one or two pounds a week. Strict diets must never be undertaken without the supervision of a doctor.
• People with diabetes have twice the risk of developing heart disease as those without diabetes, and high blood cholesterol levels raise the risk of heart disease. Losing weight and reducing intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, in favor of unsaturated and monounsaturated fats, can help lower blood cholesterol.

For example, meats and dairy products are major sources of saturated fats, which should be avoided; most vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fats, which are fine in limited amounts; and olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fat, the healthiest type of fat. Liver and other organ meats and egg yolks are particularly high in cholesterol. A doctor or nutritionist can advise someone on this aspect of diet.

Studies show that foods with fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, and whole-grain breads and cereals may help lower blood glucose. However, it seems that a person must eat much more fiber than the average American now consumes to get this benefit. A doctor or nutritionist can advise someone about adding fiber to a diet.

Exchange lists are useful in planning a diabetes diet. They place foods with similar nutrients and calories into groups. With the help of a nutritionist, the person plans the number of servings from each exchange list that he or she should eat throughout the day. Diets that use exchange lists offer more choices than preprinted diets. More information on exchange lists is available from nutritionists and from the American Diabetes Association.

Continuing research may lead to new approaches to diabetes diets. Because one goal of a diabetes diet is to maintain normal blood glucose levels, it would be helpful to have reliable information on the effects of foods on blood glucose. For example, foods that are rich in carbohydrates, like breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables break down into glucose during digestion, causing blood glucose to rise. However, scientists don't know how each of these carbohydrates affect blood glucose levels. Research is also under way to learn whether foods with sugar raise blood glucose higher than foods with starch. Experts do know that cooked foods raise blood glucose higher than raw, unpeeled foods. A person with diabetes can ask a doctor or nutritionist about using this kind of information in diet planning.

What does South Beach Diet really mean?

The South Beach diet, developed by Miami, Florida-area cardiologist Arthur Agatston, emphasizes the consumption of "good carbs" and "good fats." Dr. Agatston developed this diet for his cardiac patients based upon his study of scientific dieting research. The diet first appeared in a book of the same name published by Rodale Press.

The South Beach diet is often incorrectly compared to the Atkins diet which is predominantly a low-carbohydrate diet.

Dr. Agatston believes that excess consumption of so-called "bad carbohydrates", such as the rapidly-absorbed carbohydrates found in foods with a high glycemic index, creates an insulin resistance syndrome—an impairment of the hormone insulin’s ability to properly process fat or sugar. In addition, he believes along with most physicians that excess consumption of "bad fats", such as saturated fat and trans fat, contributes to an increase in cardiovascular disease. To prevent these two conditions, Agatston's diet minimizes consumption of bad fats and bad carbs and encourages increased consumption of good fats and good carbs.

The diet has three phases. In all phases of the diet, Dr. Agatston recommends minimizing consumption of bad fats.

In Phase I, lasting two weeks, dieters attempt to eliminate insulin resistance by avoiding high or moderately high-glycemic carbs, such as sugar, candy, bread, potatoes, fruit, cereals, and grains. During this phase, Dr. Agatston says the body will lose its insulin resistance, and begin to use excess body fat, causing the dieter to lose between 8 and 13 pounds.

After two weeks, Phase II begins. Whole grain foods and fruits are gradually returned to the diet, although in smaller amounts than were likely eaten before beginning the diet, and with a continued emphasis on foods with a low glycemic index.

When the dieter reaches the desired weight, Phase III begins. In Phase III the diet expands to include three servings of whole grains and three servings of fruit a day.

The diet distinguishes between good and bad carbohydrates, and good and bad fats.

• Good carbs are high in fiber or high in good fats, and have a low glycemic index, that is, they are digested and absorbed slowly. Other preferred carbohydrates are those with more nutritional value than the alternatives. For instance, brown rice is allowed in moderation, but white rice is discouraged. When eating any carbohydrates, Dr. Agatston recommends also eating fiber or fat to slow digestion of the carbohydrates.
• Good fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, especially those with omega-3 fatty acids. Saturated and trans fats are bad fats.

The diet emphasizes (1) a permanent change in one's way of eating, (2) a variety of foods, and (3) ease and flexibility. Eating whole grains and large amounts of vegetables is encouraged, along with adequate amounts of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, such as are contained in fish. It discourages the eating of overly refined processed foods (particularly refined flours and sugars), high-fat meats, and saturated fats in general.

The diet does not require counting calories or limiting servings -- Agatston suggests you eat until you are satisfied. Dieters are told to eat 6 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with small snacks between each meal.

In 2004, Kraft Foods licensed the South Beach Diet trademark for use on a line of packaged foods that would be designed to meet the requirements of the diet.

A 2004 study of the South Beach Diet by Agatston, et al., reviewed a 1998-1999 trial completed by 54 participants over the course of a year. A 2005 study of the South Beach Diet conducted by Kraft Foods was completed by 69 subjects over the course of just under three months. Both studies showed favorable results for the groups using The South Beach diet.

You can find many interesting facts about different types of diet on en.wikipedia.org