Greek Yogurt and Regular Yogurt - Making the Right Choice

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Greek Yogurt and Regular Yogurt - Making the Right Choice

Greek yogurt is an excellent option for an early or mid-morning snack - especially for those on the go. It has an abundance of protein; and if you stick to the original Fage, lacks any of the additives that the health-conscious take pains to stay away from.

With that said, a lot of people dont quite know the difference between regular yogurt and the Greek kind. For starters, the Greek option is definitely a meal for those trying to become leaner and lose the weight. The more traditional yogurt - the one that dominated supermarket store shelves in the years up to about 1998 (which is when Fage Greek yogurt landed on American shores and started to basically take over) - can be ridiculous cups of processed sugar, with a nutritional value not much better than pure ice cream.

The sugar in regular yogurt is the stuff that extends your belly outwards; its the fat feeder because all of it is added sugar. The Food & Drug Administration doesnt count the sugar from fruits and complex carbs to the recommended value because that kind of predigested sugar is really quite good for your body and can be had in great quantities. Its the processed sugar added to most packaged foods thats a killer over the long term.

How to Distinguish Between the Yogurts

The most obvious thing about Greek yogurt is the amount of protein inside; its a lot more than what youd find in regular yogurt. In fact, its more than double what youd find; a single cup of plain Fage Total or 2% can contain as much as 23 grams of protein. Compare this to the fact that the Daily Recommended Value for protein intake for sedentary women and men is up to about 50 grams - which means a single serving of Greek yogurt gets you more than halfway there.

Now, just because its Greek yogurt doesnt mean it is automatically good for you. As can be expected in a society dominated by competitive marketing, the once fully healthy Greek yogurt market has become saturated with all kinds of silly alterations that fly in the face of its Mediterranean origin. Greek yogurt has benefits, and you shouldn't undermine them by adding all sorts of unhealthy condiments.

Theres cookies n cream, chocolate-covered and other sugar-heavy additives in some brands. This defeats much of the purpose of switching to the Greek variety, which is why you must opt only for the plain kinds - whether you choose Fage, Oikos, Chobani or any of the other brands. Avoid the vanilla, honey and even fruit options, which cater to the American tendency to over-sweeten everything.

Add Your Own Stuff to Plain Greek Yogurt

Dont take the above to mean that Greek yogurt with fruit is a bad thing; its not - not even close. Its just that when the fruit is already added at the production plant, they invariably add processed sugar to it, too - to make sure it tastes better than the competitions so that they dont lose market share.

Fruits and other toppings, when added by you, ratchet up the benefits of the yogurt. From strawberries and mangoes to nuts and oats - even raw honey, which has tremendous digestion benefits - the options are almost limitless. Granola is another one and makes for a quick and essentially self-contained breakfast.

Many bodybuilders and athletes even add protein powder to their Greek yogurt, which increases the overall content of protein even more, and makes for a fuel-packed, muscle-repairing and muscle-building superfood.

So, in sum, get the plain Fage or another kind of Greek yogurt if youre serious about your diet. Then, add the stuff youd like to make it taste better yourself. This rings true even if you like semi-sweet chocolate chips or similar toppings; itll still be a lot better for you than if the store added the stuff.

Grapefruit Is Getting More And More Popular

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Grapefruit Is Getting More And More Popular

The grapefruit dieted mechanism in the midstream-idiom, but does it have any staying intensity? In other language, if your goal is to plummet heaviness rapidly and gain it all back in a month, then go for it. If, however, your goal is to have lasting authority defeat, the grapefruit diet is not for you. Here's why.

The grapefruit dieted has been around for many days. It's been modified faintly over the years, but for the most part, it's the same. The chief dieted plan for the grapefruit diet consists of four meals. Breakfast includes a half a grapefruit, three eggs, and two slices of bacon. Lunch is another half a grapefruit, a folder of meat (any kind), and a salad with any class of dressing. Dinner is again, a half a grapefruit, any slice of meat, salad and then added to that a cup of auburn. The last meal isn't truly a meal, but moreover an 8 oz wineglass of tomato juice or fat-released milk.

Proponents of the grapefruit diet publicize the grapefruit as having a fat-burning enzyme which is why it's added to all but one meal. Grapefruit is a brilliant fruit and a good wholesome choice for fruit; but it's not magical! The grapefruit dieted helps a persona crash import abruptly because it's drastically low in calories. As with most fad diets a trick (here the grapefruit) is worn to promote a severe cut in calories. The grapefruit dieted has a dieter drinking around 800 calories per day which is not an adequate quantity of calories to consume.

A norm-sized female who is moderately active wants around 1800-2000 calories per day for the body to event suitably. When the diet is different and healthful, this 1800-2000 calories brings that woman best diet in language of receiving all the recommended daily allowances of important vitamins, reserves and integrity. The grapefruit dieted is sincerely lacking in filament, calcium, iron and many other important nutrients. Over time, this will origin and contribute to crucial nutritional deficiency linked evils such as anemia and osteoporosis. The ought of yarn will conduct to gastrointestinal evils such as constipation. In addition, yarn has been revealed to promote import beating, slash serum cholesterol and aid in colon tumor prevention.

So, say goodbye to a dilute body that will fit into the mass nought dress, but you might want to prize up some make-up to shield the pale, ailing face you'll be sporting as well! And whoever said a convex stem as seen in osteoporosis wasn't sexy? Healthy mass demise is not achieved with the grapefruit diet, floor line! And more than likely, you should keep the tags on the dimension zero dress because the emphasis will be back as shortly as you launch ingestion routinely again.

Seriously, lasting emphasis pasting consists of gradual, steady mass death resulting from a vigorous, various diet, training and patience. The grapefruit dieted contains nobody of these things. Start by figuring out your daily caloric wishes for mass maintenance. There are many calorie calculators on the internet that develop your height, burden, age, sex and activity direct to establish the quantity of calories needed for emphasis maintenance.

Good reasons not to miss breakfast

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Good reasons not to miss breakfast

Breakfast strengthens the immune system

. Perhaps you've heard that breakfast is the best possible way to start your day, but you ever wondered why? Find out why it is so important and why you should not miss your breakfast.

Choosing the right breakfast

Breakfast will give you strength if you eat the right food. Be careful what you shop and what you cook. Many grains and finished snacks have a high content of sugar, salt and fat, which can lead to diabetes, weight gain, and high blood pressure.

Start your day with a glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice and stick to whole grains (such as oatmeal), fruits, vegetables or healthy sources of lean protein (fish or eggs).

Breakfast strengthens the immune system

Nutrition plays an important role in strengthening the immune system and useful healthy breakfast can be an important source of nutrients. Research at the University of Cardiff in Wales shows that breakfast prevents colds and flu. A cup of tea would be as useful because it contains antioxidants.

In the yogurt, you have probiotics - beneficial bacteria needed to maintain healthy intestinal flora. They protect the intestines from harmful bacteria. Nutrients are important for the white blood cells which can help to strengthen the immune system.

Breakfast helps regulate weight

Some studies have shown that breakfast can affect your weight, although it is not clear yet how. A ten-year study showed that men who skip breakfast picked up more weight than those who regularly eat in the morning.

Researchers believe that breakfast may reduce the risk of overeating later in the day and help to generate the healthy nutrients that protect against weight gain.

If you hurry in the morning, never forget to grab a piece of toast or little nuts to eat on the way to work. This will prevent you buy junk food later in the day.

Breakfast reduces the risk of diabetes

According to a study of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the omission of a breakfast during the week makes it possible to develop diabetes at a later stage. Another study done by a team of Harvard University shows that women who do not eat breakfast are more likely to get diabetes.

A morning meal can help keep a stable blood sugar levels and keep you from changes in hormones. If you skip breakfast, your blood sugar level will drop, and after lunch, it will rise, which can lead to diabetes.

The breakfast helps weight loss

When you eat in the morning some fruits, vegetables, whole-food and protein, it satisfies you for hours. Studies show that people who skip the morning meal obtain those calories later in the day. When breakfast is more quantity than dinner, it is effective for weight loss.

Experts believe that when we take more calories in the morning, they will be spent easier for the rest of the day. So try to become 15 minutes earlier to enjoy a relaxing breakfast.

Good Health Habits - Helps to Stay Healthy

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Good Health Habits - Helps to Stay Healthy

Good health isn't just about feeling good and adding on years to your life. If you consistently evaluate your health and keep up a beneficial lifestyle, you'll save money at the doctor's office, on prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and expensive tests and procedures. Besides long term, life threatening diseases like cancer and heart disease, frequent colds and infections can also put a strain on your wallet.

Eat Breakfast

Breakfast eaters are champions of good health. Research shows people who have a morning meal tend to take in more vitamins and minerals, and less fat and cholesterol. The result is often a leaner body, lower cholesterol count, and less chance of overeating.

Exercise Regularly

Research shows that seniors who exercise frequently are more likely to be in good health, maintain good health over time, and recover more quickly when necessary. If thats not reason enough to maintain a regular exercise schedule, exercise has also been shown to bring higher levels of energy and help with stress relief, and weight bearing exercise can help women avoid osteoporosis by increasing bone density in many cases.

Unhealthy Snacking: Junk food is okay once in a while, but if youre constantly noshing on greasy hamburgers and milkshakes, you will probably gain weight and may even increase your chances of getting diabetes. Unhealthy snackers may also have dental problems and acne issues.

You need to follow healthy and positive habits. Positive thinking is very essential in order to be healthy. You need to clear out your mind and fill it with positive thoughts. You will have to remove all the depressing and negative emotions and thoughts from your mind and replace it with healthy and positive thoughts. These positive thoughts can be extremely energizing and always lead to good things in life. You can get involved in practices such as meditation and yoga to get rid of the negativity and force yourself with positive thoughts.

Stop tanning: Tanning, especially in a tanning bed, is extremely harmful. CBS News reports that women who visit tanning salons more than once a month are 55 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma, and the risk more than doubles for women in their 20s who frequent tanning parlors. If youre desperate for some color, grab a bottle of fake tanner, which is better for your skin and more forgiving on your wallet.

Family mealtime is very important. Have mealtimes at regularly scheduled times whenever possible. Children respond well to predictable schedules and tend to snack less or overeat when meals are served regularly. Create a relaxed and unrushed atmosphere, have meals in the same location - the kitchen, dining room, or any room - where there are no distractions, such as a television. This will help the family to focus on the meal and on each other. Make eating a pleasant and fun experience where family can interact with each other, while learning to eat foods that are healthy for them.

Wear sunscreen: A bottle of sunscreen and a bottle of aloe vera gel may be about the same price, but the damage your skin receives from a sunburn far outweighs the aesthetics of a good tan. Decrease your chances of getting skin cancer and blisters by wearing sunscreen whenever you go out.

Gift Primer for the Motivated to Marry Single Man in a Relationship

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Gift Primer for the Motivated to Marry Single Man in a Relationship

It's always a quandary when you have to buy a gift for the special woman in your life. It's especially hard when you just started dating and you want to make a good impression. For many women, gifts are a make or break situation. I remember getting a very unromantic gift from a boyfriend of 8 months for my birthday. In the end, this did have a part in my decision to break up with this man. Whether it is Valentine's Day, Christmas, or her birthday, an appropriate gift would be expected by the woman in your life. Here are some guidelines to help you make your purchase decisions a bit easier:

Dating exclusively for 3 months or less:

Don't Give:
* A woman a CD player unless specifically requested by the woman
* An IPOD - it's too expensive and what if you break up soon afterwards?
* Expensive jewelry such as diamonds or 14 K gold (See above!)
* Perfume - unless you know her favorite fragrance
* Nothing that works in the kitchen!
* Sexy lingerie - "Is that all you are interested in?" she'll think
* Chocolates if she is on a diet!

Do Give:
* Reasonable jewelry such as sterling silver and semi-precious stones
* A pretty watch for about $50
* An article of clothing you know she likes because she hinted at it several times when you pass the store!
* A CD of her favorite music
* Tickets to her favorite concert or show
* Her favorite flowers with a small gift. (Flowers die and then what is she left with?)

Dating exclusively for over three months:

Don't Give:
* Unromantic gifts such as kitchen appliances!
* Anything that requires assembly unless you can put it together such as a piece of furniture she's been dying for.
* Electronic gifts that she has to figure out on her own to use!
* Anything too expensive. Who knows if the relationship will last!

Do Give:
* Flowers with a gift. (a jewelry box or a book on her favorite hobby)
* A weekend away at a bed and breakfast. Don't forget to bring the candles and massage oil!
* Medium priced jewelry - a gold heart, a Tiffany bracelet- women love the little blue box! ($100- $150 range)
* Something you can do together- rollerblades, a tennis racquet, boot warmers for her ski boots!
* A gift certificate to her favorite store. Make sure it's over $100!

Dating exclusively for over a year:

Do Give: * An engagement ring!

Don't Give: * Nothing will do unless it's the ring!

Copyright (c) 2007 Heartmind Connection, LLC

Getting Great Stomach Muscles-Chiseled 6 Pack Abs- The Facts

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Getting Great Stomach Muscles-Chiseled 6 Pack Abs- The Facts

Absolutely nothing enhances a physique like great stomach muscles and chiseled 6 pack abs.

But what do you really have to do to lose that belly fat and get great stomach muscles ?

Do hundreds and hundreds of crunches and sit ups?

Put yourself through indescribable torture on one of those uncomfortable ab machines in your gym?

Or would you rather waste your hard earned cash on one of those ab-belts that are advertised so frequently on TV?

Over the years, I have seen innumerable people, busting their backsides in the gym doing loads of sit ups, crunches, reverse crunches, hanging leg raises and other torturous ab exercises with little to show for their effort.

These ab isolation exercises are useful, but they are only part of the process that will help you lose that belly fat and gain great stomach muscles and chiseled 6 pack abs.

Three important factors in achieving those chiseled 6 pack abs to die for are Nutrition, Fat Loss and Cardio, together with an understanding of how the abdominal muscles function.

NUTRITION

You have to pay more care and attention to what you eat.

Great physiques are not built on a diet of fast foods or junk foods.

Contrary to what you might think, the wrong type of carbohydrates and not fats are the main culprits. {Although of course you must not eat an excess amount of fats}

The wrong type of carbohydrates, ie. those with a high glycemic index, are mostly responsible for depositing an excess layer of fat on your body, thus stopping you from achieving those great stomach muscles.

High glycemic carbohydrates are carbs that the body metabolizes and assimilates rapidly , i.e cookies, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, foods with a high sugar content, french fries, processed white rice, {ever wondered why you are hungry again within an hour or so of eating a Chinese take away meal} foods made from highly processed white flour, etc.

Sodas and other sugar laden soft drinks and beers are also deadly to your quest to lose belly fat and attain chiseled 6 pack abs.

It is important that your diet is made up primarily of nutritious foods in their natural form and you stay clear or minimize your intake of processed and packaged foods.

Do not be fooled by cleverly packaged foods that claim to be healthy, fat free or fat reduced.

Sure, they may be low on fat but they are equally high in sugar, cheap corn syrup and a host of other ingredients {chemicals} which most of us cannot even pronounce!

You cannot go wrong if you stay with foods that have only one ingredient , i.e oats instead of some gaudily packaged breakfast cereal that claims to be the 'breakfast of champions.'

Whole grain rice instead of some brightly packaged, highly processed flavored rice.

FAT LOSS & CARDIO

Cardio vascular exercise works in conjunction with good and sensible nutrition in helping you lose body fat so the underlying ab muscles can show through.

The amount of cardio work you do should not be excessive especially if you are trying to build muscle.

Excessive cardio is extremely detrimental to building muscle. Hell, you do not want to end up looking like a long distant runner.

The whole idea is to build a lean muscular physique with chiseled 6 pack abs, not to look like an emaciated, stringy muscled marathon runner.

Another reason you do not want to lose muscle is because increased lean muscle tissue helps to permanently elevate your resting metabolic rate, which in turn increases your ability to burn fat. To lose that belly fat and attain chiseled 6 pack abs to die for.

ABDOMINAL EXERCISES

In order to achieve those 6 pack abs to die for, it is important that you have an understanding of the role the abdominal muscles play in the body.

The abs are the main stabilizing muscles in the body and are very important core muscles.

Hence, your abs work and are exercised the best when you do whole body movements or compound exercises, i.e squats, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, push ups, etc

This might seem contrary to everything you have been taught or led to believe over the years. But here is a test for you.....go into a push up position, then reach up with one hand and feel how taut and tight your abdominal muscles get.

If you go into a squat position, you will feel the same tautness.This is your abdominal wall tightening up to stabilize and protect your body whilst you exercise.

Ever wondered how tight your ab muscles get whilst doing a set of tricep pushdowns?

The fact is your ab muscles are worked most times you exercise and during most movements you perform in the gym.

This is further enhanced if your breathing pattern is correct, i.e inhaling on the negative stage and exhaling forcibly on the exertion or positive stage.

There is a place for ab exercises like crunches, etc, but you must treat your abs as just another muscle and remember not to overtrain them. Overtraining leads to muscle loss

SUMMARY

It is important to note that fat is essentially stored energy and the body is designed to carry it's fat stores around the midriff.

The body absolutely loathes to get rid of these stores around the midriff and fat around the belly is always the last to go.

You cannot spot reduce fat, i.e decide to lose fat from selected areas like your belly, so any fat loss you achieve from a healthy nutritious diet and appropriate cardio regime will be all over your body, with the belly being the last to respond.

Remember a lean muscular body is a fat burning machine.

Get Rid of Cellulite Forever!

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Get Rid of Cellulite Forever!

Getting rid of cellulite forever is actually easier than you think. The fact is that cellulite is nothing more than normal fat that overlies connective tissue that has a different structure than other parts of the body that don't have cellulite.

Then, when these fat stores fill with fat, the connective tissue pulls on the fat tissue creating the dimpling effect. It is sort of like overstuffing a sofa. As a result, the best way to get rid of cellulite is to simply lose fat! Cellulite creams, pills and massagers are all a complete waste of money so don't get sucked in by these scams!

If a genie suddenly appeared before you and granted you a wish and that wish allowed you to change something about your body, what would it be? Some women may wish for a few less kilos and others a nice, toned body, but getting rid of cellulite forever is probably the most popular wish!

Well, in this article we're going to show you exactly how to do this. Unfortunately though, it's not going to happen instantly from a genie's wish or even in a few days, but rest assured if you follow the plan exactly as outlined you will be amazed at how quickly you can get rid of cellulite.

In fact, in a matter of weeks you will achieve a dramatic transformation in getting rid of cellulite. Your hips, thighs and butt will be more shapely and toned then ever before. Plus, your natural feminine curves will be further enhanced. All it requires is that you firstly make a decision that you want to get rid of the cellulite on your body. Then make a commitment to do whatever is required, and finally follow through by taking the necessary actions every day.

Let's face it, even if you know exactly what to do to get rid of cellulite, without making a decision and following through with action, the knowledge is useless. Even though we will cover the actions you need to take to achieve the look you desire, it is up to you to make the decision and then perform the required actions.

Getting rid of cellulite forever requires a number of different strategies. The first strategy we need to examine is the area of nutrition. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what type of nutritional habits are needed in order to lose body fat or cellulite.

'Can you just eat healthy?' is a common question. Not exactly. The old saying, 'You are what you eat' holds true when it comes to getting rid of cellulite.

In order to do that you need keep your metabolism elevated or even better, speed it up. The best way to do this is to supply your body with small amounts of high quality protein throughout the day (ideally every 2-3 hours).

The protein provides the building blocks your body needs to maintain (or slightly increase) your muscle mass. If you don't provide your body with frequent doses of protein then it is likely to go into a catabolic state (negative nitrogen balance), whereby your body breaks down more body tissue (protein) than it builds up. Not only does this impact on your ability to lose fat (and cellulite) but it also slows your metabolism, making fat loss more difficult.

Probably the easiest way to ensure you get protein in each of your 5 meals each day is to add some nuts or LSA (linseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds) mix to your cereal or have an egg on toast for breakfast.

For lunch and dinner have about 100 grams (about the size of a deck of cards) of fish, chicken or lean steak with vegetables or salad. For your mid-morning and mid-afternoon meals have a protein shake perhaps with a piece of fruit.

By making this one small change to your diet, a slightly higher protein intake and slightly lower carbohydrate and fat intake, your body composition will automatically change.

The next area you need to consider for getting rid of cellulite is exercise. One of the most overlooked ways to tone up and/ or lose fat is resistance (weight) training. Many people mistakenly believe that weight training will bulk them up. Whilst it is possible to 'bulk up' if you eat too much food, if you control your food intake it will not occur. Plus, it is actually quite difficult for women to increase their muscle mass, for a variety of reasons.

By performing weight training you will maintain or slightly increase your muscle mass, which will not only assist your toning efforts but it will also boost your metabolism dramatically (muscle is the most metabolically-active tissue in the body), which will speed up the fat-burning process in your body. This will help get rid of cellulite.

The other major benefit weight training provides is that it has been proven to prevent osteoporosis by forcing your body to make your bones thicker and stronger.

For best results, select 5 of the following exercises and perform 2-3 sets of high reps (25-30 reps per set) per workout: squat, lunge, step-up, hip extension, leg extension, leg curl, stiff-leg deadlift, leg press, standing calf raise and seated calf raise. Perform the workout twice a week with at least 2 days rest in between each workout. This workout should be done in addition to other exercises for other body parts as well. [NOTE: Always employ the services of a personal trainer to learn how to perform the exercises correctly.]

The other type of exercise that is beneficial for getting rid of cellulite is aerobic (cardiorespiratory) exercise. The main benefit of aerobic exercise is that it increases calorie (energy) expenditure, which means you can burn fat faster. It may have some very mild muscle-stimulating effects as well but no where near as much as weight training.

To get the best fat-burning effects from aerobic exercise, perform at least 20-40 minutes every day. If you can't perform it every day then at least 5 days a week. It is important to select the type of aerobic exercise you enjoy and that you can see yourself performing long term; it must suit you and your lifestyle. The following exercise types are great options: walking, jogging, boxing, swimming, rowing, cycling, aerobic classes, stepping machines and cross trainers.

To enhance the fat-burning benefits even further, take a thermogenic before the session. A thermogenic will give you an energy boost, which will help you work harder during the session. It will also force your body to release stored fat into the bloodstream, which then may be used by your working muscles as fuel.

Other supplements that may enhance the fat-burning effects further are creatine, glucose disposal agents (GDAs) and thyroid-support supplements.

If getting rid of cellulite forever, improving your health, losing weight and having a toned body are important to you, then seriously consider incorporating the above recommendations into your lifestyle. You'll be glad you did!