Green Diet

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet, also popularly known as the ‘caveman’ diet is a dietary plan roughly based on what our ancestors consumed during the paleolithic era.
The current day diet is not an exact replication of their diet. Just a concept of what their diet would have been like – basically healthy, wholesome food that is not full of additives, preservatives and other harmful substances so often found in our current diet.

The paleo diet has seen a surge in popularity with thousands of people extolling its benefits. Books on the subject such as The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf have becoming bestsellers.
There is no denying that the paleo solution works and it is a healthy way of life.

The diet itself is simple. There is a list of foods you can eat and a list of foods that you can’t eat. The simplicity stops there.
The difficulty arises when one has to strictly adhere to the foods that you can eat.
Most of us grew up on cereal, bread, milk, chocolates, burgers, ice-creams, etc. Foods that we have grown to love. In fact, we love these foods so much that obesity has reached epidemic proportions.

While most normal diets give you a list of foods that are not good for you, the paleo diet goes one step higher and just strikes off ingredients.
For example, a normal diet will state that you should not eat doughnuts. The paleo diet states that you will not consume sugar.

With this one condition, it has just eliminated a huge chunk of foods. Grains are also not allowed.

Really? Yup. That means that bread, pizzas, burgers, etc. are out too. So, are processed meats such as hot dogs, salami, etc.

You are only expected to eat grass fed meats, fish, poultry, fruit, non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, spinach, etc. Eggs and vegetable oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, macadamia oil, etc. are allowed as fats.
You can only consume these foods.

There are a few other foods you can consume while on the paleo diet. It would be best to get a paleo cookbook and learn what you can eat and how to transform these foods into tasty dishes.
Paleo dishes can be tasty too.

Just because the diet is restrictive does not mean that it has to be boring. In fact, it is highly advisable that you have as many paleo recipes as possible at your fingertips.
Since you have sacrificed so many foods that you considered delicious, your body will be craving these forbidden foods.
Tasty paleo dishes will ease the mental torture.

Once you have gotten used to the diet, naturally your cravings will slowly decrease till there are none left.
In fact, even the smell of junk food may turn you off in the future. Your body will be used to healthy food and will be repulsed by food that is not good for it.

You will be leaner, healthier and feel much better. These are the priceless benefits of the paleo diet and worth all the sacrifice.
It would be great to incorporate an exercise program into your daily schedule so that you reap the full benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Then, you will truly be fit and fabulous.

What is Glycemic Index and Should You Even Worry About It

The glycemic index or GI is a tool used to rank carbohydrates according to their effect on the body’s blood glucose levels.
Choosing carbohydrates that rank low on the GI can lead to long term health benefits. Low GI carbs are those that produce minimal fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels.

To understand the importance of the glycemic index it’s critical to learn how the body works. When you eat foods hat contain carbohydrates the sugar from the foods breaks down to give your body energy.
After you have consumed food the speed at which the body’s blood sugar level rises is called the glycemic response. The response is influenced by how much food you eat, what type of food it is and how the food is prepared.

The glycemic index ranks foods that contain carbohydrates according to their glycemic response. Foods that raise your blood glucose level rank high on the glycemic index and are generally worse for you.
A glycemic index of 55 or less is considered a low ranking, 56 to 69 is medium, and 70 or more is considered high.

The average glycemic index value for any given food is based on data collected from at least ten human subjects

Eating foods that rank high on the glycemic index can be harmful to your health.
You should try to stick to mainly low GI carbohydrates to keep energy levels balanced and to feel fuller between meals.
Consuming low GI carbs has many additional health benefits as well.

Sticking to a low glycemic index diet can help people lose and control weight. It can also help you feel fuller for longer, requiring you to eat less.
A low GI diet can also improve diabetes control by making it easy to control blood glucose levels.
A low GI diet can also increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin and lower you risk of developing Type II diabetes.

A diet of low carbohydrates that rank low on the glycemic index can also reduce your risk of heart disease and lower blood cholesterol levels.
It can also prolong physical endurance and help your body refuel its stores of carbohydrates after exercise.

Before the glycemic index was developed in 1981 there were many misconceptions that were widely believed. Experts believed that are bodies easily digested and absorbed simple sugars, which produced a spike in blood glucose levels. They recommended avoiding sugars.
However, now we realize that some complex carbohydrates are now more harmful that simple sugars.

Most experts agree on the importance of the glycemic index when deciding which foods to consume. However there are some critics of the index. These people argue that the glycemic index can be overly complicated when consuming a meal made up of a variety of foods.
Critics also note that the glycemic index varies depending on the type of food, how it is processed, he length of time it was stored, its variety and its ripeness, making it difficult for the average person to truly gage the glycemic ranking.
The American Diabetes Association and critics remain skeptical and do not yet endorse the glycemic index.

Despite those criticisms the use of the glycemic index is a widely accepted practice of doctors and specialists. They offer some simple techniques in switching to a low GI diet.
For example, you should eat breakfast cereals that are based on bran, oats, and barley.
Also try eating bread that consists of whole grains, sough dough, or stone ground flour.
You should also reduce the amount of potatoes you eat.

Experts agree that you can continue to enjoy all types of fruits and vegetables, Basmati and Doongara rice, pasta, and noodles, and lots of salads vegetables with vinaigrette dressing.

Gluten Free diets for Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is the condition in which gluten causes injuries to the small intestine upon contact. It’s thought that about 2 million people in the United States suffer from the disease and not everyone that has it experience symptoms.

Symptoms of Celiac disease include:

• bloating
• diarrhea
• gas
• weight loss
• cramping
• fatigue
• anemia and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

If you have experienced the symptoms it’ll be helpful to know that once you’ve found a way to eliminate grains from your diet your symptoms will subside and your small intestine will have a chance to heal itself. Everybody’s body is different but most people see an improvement in their symptoms in a few weeks to a few months.

Gluten is the protein part of barley, wheat, rye, and other grains. As you can guess, if you have Celiac disease there is a wide variety of foods in which you’ll need to avoid.
But with a change in diet and careful observation there is a way to be successful and live without the symptoms of celiac disease.

Paying special attention to everything that you put into your body is absolutely necessary in order to have a gluten free diet. It’s obvious to look at the ingredient labels of products such as breads, cookies, and other grains-containing foods.
But gluten is used in such a wide variety of products that you have to make sure your health-care professional gives you a detailed list of everything you should avoid or ask about when it comes to the things you eat and the products you use.

A few places in which you may not expect to find gluten are: lipstick, lip gloss, glue, body powder, beer, hot chocolate, ice cream, seafood, soups, bologna, nuts, canned vegetables, potato chips, and malt vinegar.
Many people are surprised to find out that these products often contain gluten and should be avoided.
These items are only a small portion of the products to be aware of, so stay informed about other products as well.

Though there are many restrictions you can still enjoy a wide variety of foods that are gluten free.
Corn, rice, potato, buckwheat, millet, lentils, amaranth, and soy are all naturally gluten free.
You can also enjoy: Plain meat, fish, chicken, eggs, low fat milk, evaporated milk, block cheese, fruit juices, soy flour, lentil flour, rice, potato flour, some rice cakes, cereal (without malt extract), rice crackers, corn tortillas, and much more.
Though many products are naturally gluten free, somewhere along the manufacturing line gluten is added to the product.
This is where you have to be careful.
Though you may think something is gluten free, always check because you never know what has been added to a product.

The bright side of things is that because so many people suffer from celiac disease you can look in many grocery stores and find gluten free products.
There are countless websites online that will share tips, recipes, and products that are helpful in the maintenance of celiac disease.

When seeking help for celiac disease you should contact a licensed dietician. They will be able to steer you in the right direction and give you many more tips for living with the disease.
Remember to ask for other names that gluten may go by in the ingredient label on foods. You want to make sure that you can spot it anywhere.

To date there is no cure for the disease. Maintaining a strict-diet and paying special attention is the only way to protect your body if you have celiac disease. If you just found out that you have the disease it can feel devastating.
But remember that there are others that are dealing with the same thing and they are willing to help.

People all over are living wonderful lives while adhering to their gluten free diet.

Drop Pounds Quick with the Cabbage Soup Diet Plan

Before revealing the essentials of how to go about implementing a cabbage soup diet that will help you lose amazing amounts of weight in a short amount of time, a disclaimer comes first.
The cabbage soup diet is not intended to be permanent; the diet is designed to run for seven days and should not be repeated immediately. Ultimately, it should not be repeated, but can be repeated after two weeks of ‘normal’ eating.

The cabbage soup diet is effective for losing large amounts of weight in seven days; it is not considered a permanent health fix and it is not considered a healthy permanent diet.
This diet is for you if you need/want to lose weight in a week. If you are looking for permanent weight loss, you should look at slower methods of weight loss, which are more likely to stick.

Cabbage soup diet plan is comprised of cabbage soup, in conjunction with a strict diet of other foods, which is stipulated by the diet.
First, let’s talk about the other foods that you can eat on each of the seven days of the diet, and then the recipe for the soup itself will be given. On the first day of the diet, you can eat cabbage soup and as much fruit as you want.
The exception to this is bananas (because one entire day of the diet is devoted to bananas.
So day one is any fruit that you want, and day two is any vegetables that you want, including a baked potato.
On day three you can combine any fruits and vegetables that you’d like, in addition to the soup; once again, bananas are not allowed.
Day four is banana day; on this day, you should eat eight bananas and drink a lot of skin milk, as well as eating as much soup as you’d like.
Day five includes six tomatoes and 20 ounces of meat, plus soup.
Day six is made up of vegetables and the same amount of meat or fish as day five.
The final day of the diet is for unlimited unsweetened fruit juice, vegetables, and brown rice. All of the foods can be eaten until you are satisfied, except for the foods that have weights or quantities with them.

In addition to these daily foods, you’ll have to make your soup. The best solution is to make a giant pot of soup and keep it in the refrigerator, warming it up as you feel the urge to eat it. The soup consists of cabbage, onions, celery, onion soup mix, canned tomatoes, green peppers and water.
For the exact proportions, you can find them on the internet, but the amounts are relative. If you mix the amounts of each ingredient in the soup, you will not be altering your chances for weight loss.

Aside from the precautions mentioned above that referred to the fact that the cabbage soup diet is not a permanent solution to healthy eating, nor a permanent solution to weight control, there have been a lot of complaints about the cabbage soup diet about the unpleasant feeling that the diet gives the dieter, including an excessive amount of gas.

Other common complaints are nausea and lightheadedness.
If you are experiencing mild symptoms, you might choose to go ahead with the diet, but if you’re feeling lightheaded or dizzy, you should definitely discontinue the diet and possibly consult your doctor if you have any reason to believe that something could be wrong besides be missing some carbs.
Keep the diet in perspective and use it for what it is, and then move on; it’s simply not a way of healthy eating.