Copyright (c) 2008 Ruth Tan

Honey and weight loss are often associated. Why is honey a smarter choice than table sugar if you are watching your weight and what you eat?

Refined dietary sugars lack minerals and vitamins and are often called empty calories. They draw upon the body’s nutrients to be metabolized into the system, and when these nutrients are depleted, metabolizing of cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher cholesterol and promoting obesity due to higher fatty acid on the organs and tissues. The good news is that honey, the natural sweetener, on the other hand, contains 22 amino acids and a variety of minerals essential for its metabolism and hence is helpful in preventing obesity. It is believed that drinking lemon juice with a little honey the first thing in the morning is an effective anti cellulite treatment as it helps to increase body metabolism. If you are determined to shed weight and speed up your sluggish metabolism, try this honey and lemon diet tip. Yet another very popular recipe associated with honey and weight loss is a drink that combines honey and cinnamon. Many people have found this home remedy very effective in losing pounds. The steps are easy: mix a teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder (or ground cinnamon) into a paste in a cup and pour a cup of boiling water. Stir and cover for half and hour. Filter away any big particles before consumption. Take it in the morning with an empty stomach about half an hour before breakfast.

For people who tend to overeat or feel discomfort in the stomach after meals, honey can be taken for better digestion. Honey is a simple carbohydrate that one safely take during fasting because it contains easily digested sugars. Foods that are rich in sugars or complexes of sugars are carbohydrates. How the sugars are arranged will determine whether we call a food a source of simple or complex carbohydrates. When sugars are bound into rows, as they are in starches such as whole grains and legumes, they are called complex carbohydrates. It takes the body a much longer while to digest the sugar from a complex carbohydrate.

The latest theory based on the hibernation diet also builds a link between honey and weight loss. It suggests taking a generous spoonful or two of honey at night, either as a warm drink or straight from the jar, and promises to help us sleep and lose weight at the same time by fuelling the liver, speeding up fat-burning metabolism and easing stress hormones.

And if you are considering artificial sugar or sweetener like Aspartame to help you lose weight, you are completely on the wrong track. It might trim you off from a few calories but it gives you a phletora of other serious health problems.

This article gives pertinent information about Dukan Diet and its side-effects

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Pierre Dukan, a French doctor and nutritionist, challenged with the case of obesity started to look for alternative ways in curing the illness. After 20 years of thorough research he published in the year 2000, a book called, “Je ne sais pas maigrir” or translated as, “I don’t know how to get slimmer.” It gained the best-seller in France after a year it has been published.
It was made a hit in UK when Kate Middleton, now the duchess of Cambridge, tried the Dukan Diet before her marriage to the beloved Prince William, she reportedly claimed a loss of two dress sizes. It also allegedly claimed to help five million French. The book is also gaining fame in the US in the year 2011 when actress/singer, Jennifer Lopez, lost pounds after her pregnancy by following this diet.
Dukan Diet: What is it? How does this work?
Dukan Diet is similar to the famous Atkins diet. Atkins and Dukan are much alike in terms of non-intake of carbs initially and do not require portion control or counting calorie consumptions. In Atkins, it requires net carbohydrate intakes and unlike Dukan, it suggests a daily intake of oats, increase water consumption and 20 minutes of everyday brisk walking. Dukan Diet adopts four phases namely: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization.
Four Phases of the Dukan Diet
Attack: In this starter phase, the dieter is only allowed take protein rich foods that are exquisitely low in fat. Dr. Dukan provided 72-item list of foods to be eaten, it excludes pork, lamb, poultry products and cheeses. Food should always be cooked but without adding any fat to it, it best to cook in grilling or roasting. It also requires you to eat 1 ½ tbsp. oat bran & 1.5 liters of water per day. This phase should be followed around 2-7 days or more. Results from this initial phase within 5 days may result in 4-7 lbs. loss. This phase promotes quick loss of weight since it is strictly based on a protein-only diet.
Cruise: Cruise, the second to the fourth phase of the Dukan diet scheme. During this phase dieters who were only allowed to eat protein-only foods can now alternate a 28-items of non-starchy vegetables. They may take attack phase diet for today and take non-starchy veggie diet for tomorrow, and so this phase must go on by alternating these two types of diet each day. This phase may last long enough as much as you want by reaching your desired weight and assuring 2 pounds per week loss.
Consolidation: As one achieves the desired weight, one has to go the next phase called Consolidation, this is the maintenance phase of this diet scheme where you have to prevent putting back excess pounds. The plan in this phase is less strict compared to the first two phases. During this phase you are permitted to eat protein-only and veggie diet along with a piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole grain bread and a portion of hard cheese. In this phase you are allowed to have 1-2 serving of starchy foods and one celebration meal per week. The phase of consolidation does not expect to loss off pounds but rather it is steadily the maintenance process.
Stabilization: Stabilization is the final phase and a life-long phase of the diet scheme. In here maintenance of the life-changing diet may be a challenging and tempting. During this portion of the scheme, one is already permitted to allow any food intake that a person wants and by also sticking to the diet rule in the consolidation phase. As Pierre Dukan suggest, that staying on the phase 1 rule once a week and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week lowers the chances of regaining weight.
Pros and Cons of Dukan Diet
Pros: The fast results of this diet scheme is beneficially rewarding and motivating. It allows you to have protein and veggie meal plan diets and does not require you to count off your calorie intakes.
Cons: It is highly restrictive and can exclude healthy foods. Dieters can experience side-effects such as symptoms of headaches, nausea, lethargy, irritable and loss of concentration. Dieters may acquire halitosis (bad breath), metallic tasting mouth and strong smell in their urines. For those people who have problems with their kidneys and liver are not advised to follow this diet plan. It is not also recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Views and Opinions by Health Experts on the Dukan Diet
There are lots of critics in this diet plan. Due to the restrictive type scheme of this diet, some fruits, grains and nuts which are healthy and have high amounts of vitamins and minerals that are vital to the nutrition of the body are eliminated. Keri Gans of American Dietetic Association, said that the lost amount of multivitamins that should be acquired from those restricted foods are not compensated in the Dukan diet. Experts have also criticized that experiencing such side-effects may not be healthy at all.

Ladies, here is a plan to help you lose weight after pregnancy. As you know, new moms have a difficult time shedding pounds because they have to pull double duty – getting in shape and looking after the new arrival at the same time. With time a limited resource and fatigue at an all-time high, is post-pregnancy weight loss even a realistic goal?

Yes, it is! There are many steps you can use to shed weight after pregnancy without running low on energy.

Make Time for What You Need

We all know that that is much easier said than done, but, you need to take good care of yourself so you can look after your new baby. This includes taking time to get in shape. It can be difficult to fit an hour or so daily, or even a half hour, for physical activity. Try to get your spouse or perhaps a buddy or family member to watch the baby whenever you exercise. Some fitness gyms have babysitting services that provide infant care. If that’s not an option, plan your home physical exercises to correspond with the baby’s naps.

You can break up the hour-long session into four 15-minute workouts each day. The whole period spent exercising is what’s essential; it doesn’t have to be all at once. This is something most new moms can manage.

Eat Healthy Foods

To slim down right after pregnancy, you’re going to need to eat a sufficient number of calories every day. For anybody who is breastfeeding, you’ll need far more. If you don’t take in enough calories, your metabolism will decrease. It could possibly become 20 – 30% slower than usual. This causes you to plateau on your weight lose because the body is storing all the calories you take in. Also, any time you fill up on junk foods, you and your baby won’t get the best possible nourishment, and your energy level will drop quickly.

Eat smaller portions of food several times per day. Never go for a longer period than 2-3 hours without taking in something nutritious. Your body will process the calories if it knows it is getting fed regularly, increasing your metabolism. Get lots of calcium from dark green vegetables and low-fat milk products. Calcium will kick your fat-burning metabolism into high gear. Other foods to include in your diet are fresh fruits, lean protein, and whole grains.

Exercise Together with the Baby

You don’t need to lose weight on your own after having a baby. You are able to drop pounds after pregnancy – and have lots of fun – by bringing your baby along! Meet up with other new moms in your area who may want to join you for stroller walks and also swimming with all infants. Perhaps you can connect with the women you were in prenatal classes – meet their new babies and exercise together. Check out your local recreation center for baby and me classes.
If you want to spend some one-on-one time with your baby, go for long walks pushing them in their stroller. When they get a little older many baby’s enjoy being in a baby backpack when you go for walks. As soon as your baby starts walking, bring them to the park and run and play like they do.

Get Additional Help

Support is very important for first time mothers. Most women who begin to lose pounds after pregnancy know that it’s just too hard to do it alone. By helping with babysitting or perhaps a morale boost, friends and family can play an important role in your own weight loss success.

It’s also important to stay in touch with other new moms that are having exactly the same issues as you. Look for a group of new moms who want to loose weight. Learn about their obstacles and just how they’ve learned to move past them. Then share your own personal tips for success. You’ll be surprised by how good it feels to know you’re not the only one.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This is certainly one of those tips that’s difficult for new mothers to do, but you need to try. Insufficient sleep may cause all kinds of emotional and physical challenges. Nap when the baby is down and get as much rest possible through the day and night.

Pregnancy is very difficult on the entire body, and also the added stress that a newborn brings can leave you feeling exhausted fast. If you can, get a spouse or maybe a friend to take care of the baby three nights a week so you can get 8 – 10 hours of sleep. Use earplugs if you need to. The high-quality sleep will help you in many ways.