A Low Fat Diet Can Lead To A Healthier Lifestyle

There are many different kinds of diet but one of the most successful, effective and healthiest is a low fat diet. There are many advantages to a diet of this type besides helping you to lose weight. Those individuals who suffer from high cholesterol can benefit from eating a diet that is low in fat as can those who are considered to be obese.

You do not have to change your diet very much other than be aware of the foods that you are eating. To do this all that you need to do is check the labels on the foods that you buy in the supermarket. You should also be wary of foods that proclaim to be very low in fat and are aimed specifically at dieters. Some foods often have contents which are much higher than normal brands. High fat content can also be hidden in some processed foods with cookies and crackers being the worst and also the oil used when cooking foods.

When it comes to cutting down on the amount of fat and eating a low fat diet then you should consider taking care when choosing food. If you do not want to give up meat then go for the leaner cuts of beef for example. Cutting the skin off chicken and grilling it is another excellent example on how you can cut down on the amount of fat in your diet. Also increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet with the recommended being 5 portions at least per day and increase the amount of fish. You should also aim to include plenty of whole grains, beans and lentils in your diet. Grains and beans are known to be rich in complex carbohydrates and should become the main meal with a small amount of red meat included.

There are many ways that you can move over to a low fat diet without leaving out all the foods you enjoy. For example if you enjoy ice-cream then choose a sorbet or sherbet. Baking, broiling or roasting lean red meat and draining off the juices will allow you to enjoy red meat without adding too much fat to your diet and for a touch of flavour add lemon juice.

If you like milk on your cereal and in tea and coffee then switch to 1% milk and then drop down to skimmed milk. After a while you will not notice the difference especially when in a hot drink. When it comes to shopping read the labels in the products before buying, you should avoid foods which contain pal, palm kernel and coconut oils. Also avoid buying products with egg-yolk solids, whole-milk solids or unidentified shortening.

A low fat diet is one of the easiest types of diet to get accustomed to and the transition can be made very slowly. As with any type of diet it is imperative that you make changes slowly over a period of time to allow your body to get used to them and so not miss them.



Jason Hulott is Director at UK Diets Online, a service that provides information about all the major diet systems available, healthy eating and diet information. Visit now and take advantage of our special deals with Weightwatchers.

Nutrition, Fitness, Relaxation And Sleep - The Recipe For A Healthy Lifestyle

I can honestly say I felt at my best when I was in my thirties. I was physically, mentally and emotionally at my peak and firing on all cylinders.

Since then, it's definitely gone down hill and I've lost plenty of brain cells and lean muscle. I haven't lost weight though as muscle has been replaced by fat - plenty of it.

Over the years it's crept on. I've gained a pound here, a pound there, but regrettably haven't taken action to get rid of it straight away. Now over the past twenty years those pounds have turned into stones, so no prizes for guessing what my New Year's resolution was.

I watched a programme on tv over the festive period which was probably cleverly scheduled to prevent people from eating too much over the Christmas break. It was about a poor man who had to lose 30 stone or risk dying. He had reached the point where he couldn't even get out of bed and his whole life was spent in the confines of his four walls.

He'd lost all self-esteem, and was physically incapable of doing any activity without getting out of breath. He'd been the butt of jokes and ridicule so had stopped venturing outside. He ate for comfort.

It seems he's not alone. Obesity is common and the numbers of morbidly obese are growing. People often turn to food as a substitute for something missing from their lives.

We all do things for a reason and apparently this poor chap had a cruel father and an unhappy childhood. He'd been forced to eat everything on his plate or suffer a beating. Even after the death of his father he continued to eat everything put in front of him. It became a vicious circle. He got depressed because of the name calling, being unfit, unhealthy and not finding clothes to wear, so to comfort himself he ate. Consequently, he got bigger, and even unhappier.

It doesn't matter what size you are as long as you are healthy and have self-confidence. This poor chap didn't. Self-confidence is a wonderful thing. When you feel good about yourself, life is wonderful and you can achieve so much.

In my thirties I felt elated, engaged, excited and focused. I want that feeling back again so I am not going to "diet" but focus on four areas in my life - Nutrition, Fitness, Relaxation and Sleep.

I've neglected them all lately. My excuse is I've been very busy and this is true. However, if I want to get the most out of every day and live a lot longer I need to address them all. Excess weight carries lots of health issues and if you are morbidly obese, can reduce your life span by several years. Thankfully, I'm not in that category, but the thirty stone that man had to lose wasn't put on over night. It creeps up gradually as I've discovered and it's about time I reversed the situation. Hence the New Year's resolution - no diet, just a healthier lifestyle.

Nutrition is what, when and how much I eat; Fitness is sensible exercise and improving my recovery rate; and Relaxation and Sleep are the times during the day and night when I switch of and just rest, not only my body but my brain.

Friends and family say I'm doing "too much", but if I want to be more productive and expend more energy I have to become more efficient at renewing it.

Wish me luck!


Jean Shaw writes articles and is the author of three non fictional books on Autism and Mercury Poisoning Sign up for updates on her articles and other useful information

Relieving Headaches Through Lifestyle Changes

Tension is the most common cause of headaches and other pains that we feel within our body. Usually, what people do to relieve this tension induced headache is to take anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives. These drugs are fast acting and seem to be the best remedy for headaches. However, the use of these drugs can not give us a lifelong relief from headaches. These drugs can even lead to a more serious problem since anti-convulsive and sedative drugs may cause dependence in the part of the individual after long term use. The curative effect of these drugs are just temporary which means that you need to pop a pill each time you feel tensed and anxious.

We need a better way to address tension headaches; there is no other route to take other than a drastic lifestyle change. If you wish to suffer no more without the use of prescription pills, here are some of the changes that you need to follow.

Exercise Daily. Exercising is a good way to avoid muscle tension. By doing regular exercise, our muscles get toned and relaxed. We can gain control over our muscles that gets uptight in times of distress and anxiety. Through exercise techniques, we will find ourselves being able to handle moments of anxiety or stress. Any tension is dispersed and thus prevents the onset of headaches. If you are suffering from regular headaches, try to exercise daily and see the difference.

Avoid Caffeine. If you are a strong coffee drinker with regular bouts of headache, read on. We all know that caffeine contributes to the increase in muscle tension. It is said that continuous intake of caffeine actually triggers flight response. High caffeine dosage can increases our cardiac rate which further increases the chance for tension headaches. In this case, it is recommended that we just limit our caffeine intake so as to balance its effects.

Maintain Good Posture. Good posture is a determinant whether or not a person is likely to experience tension headaches. You can see people shrinking when in distress; a lifelong habit of bad posture can mean that you are not living life well. Happy people are full of zest and walk confident and straight. Start to examine the way you sit, if you see yourself sitting like an old man then straighten up. A good posture can mean better circulation for your body. There are so many ways were posture affects the overall health. Be aware and start changing your ways.

The best thing one could do in order to relieve tension naturally is through modifying your lifestyle and reshaping your routine and attitude. Although it may take longer to relieve tension through natural ways, these subtle lifestyle changes will help you avoid dependence on drugs that will later get you to a far worse situation.


For more life changing tips on how to relieve headaches naturally and without drugs or chemicals, visit http://www.relieve-headaches.com/.