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Did you know that more than 34 million Americans are considered to be obese and that more than 20 million of these people have tried many times to lose weight, with little to no success? Most of these people tried fad diets, which are never really a healthy way to lose weight. In fact, there are a lot of fad diets out there that can actually cause a lot more harm than good. And even when people do lose weight while on fad diets, they almost always gain that weight back and then some, once they go back to their normal eating habits. So, is there a healthy way to lose weight and keep it off? Yes. It’s called a healthy lifestyle. Everyone should be following a healthy, well-balanced diet and getting a regular amount of exercise each and every day.

Weight Loss Surgery for Extreme Cases

There are a lot of people who are extremely overweight or obese and have not been able to lose their extra weight the traditional way, through diet and exercise. Many of these people are opting for gastric bypass and other weight loss surgeries to help and as long as they fit into the proper criteria, they will be candidates for one of these surgical procedures. There are cases where some people are so obese that the surgical procedures may actually endanger their lives. In cases like this, most physicians will not perform the surgery until the patient has lost a certain amount of weight. The patients are usually put on diets that are very restricted and often, their diets must be supervised. There are even extreme cases where patients must be hospitalized, so that professionals can continually monitor their dietary progress.

There are a few different types of weight loss surgery, the most common being the Roux en Y gastric bypass, which is only performed on people who have a BMI of around 40. There are other popular weight loss surgical procedures that many people undergo each year. One popular weight loss surgery is the Lap Band System and those who have a BMI of 35 are eligible for this type of surgery. But with this BMI, they must have an underlying medical condition that makes the surgery absolutely necessary. Because weight loss surgeries, like all surgical procedures, are dangerous and the risks may be greater for certain patients, the ultimate decision as to whether or not the weight loss surgery can be safely performed is up to the attending physician.

What You Can Do If Your BMI Is Too High for Traditional Weight Loss Surgery

If you do happen to have a BMI that is too high for most of the weight loss surgeries, there is still a procedure you can have that will help. You may be able to go for the alternative, which is to have two surgeries. The first is called a sleeve gastrectomy, followed by another procedure to convert the first in to a gastric bypass. This is also known as “banana surgery” because the stomach takes the shape of a banana. It is also much safer for people who are too obese for other forms of weight loss surgery.

The After Weight Loss Surgery Diet

Just because you have had, or are considering having, weight loss surgery, doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do any work to lose weight yourself. In fact, you must work just as hard as you did before the surgery. Following surgery, it will be important to make sure that you are getting all of the right nutrients in your diet, in order to make sure that the healing process goes smoothly and quickly and to make sure that you get to a healthy weight and maintain that weight. There are three macronutrients that we all need in order to survive and it is essential that weight loss surgery patients get enough of these macronutrients to help them to lose their weight in a healthy way. The three macronutrients that we all need are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. According to the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and many other health organizations, a healthy diet should consist of 50% carbohydrates, 15% fats, and 35% proteins. These numbers may change for weight loss surgery patients who may require more protein in their diets than the average adult.

There are many healthy dietary sources of protein, but in many cases, those who have had weight loss surgery also use protein supplements to make sure that they are getting all of the right nutrients to help them heal after surgery and lose weight. There are a number of different types of protein supplements available that people can use, from protein powders to snacks to liquid protein shots.

Protein Powders – You can find protein powders that are made from a number of dietary sources of protein. For instance, whey and casein are wonderful protein supplements, but because they are milk derivatives, they may not be the supplement of choice for those who are lactose intolerant. Both are complete proteins and are great for all diets. Whey is quicker to digest than casein and it takes effect quicker, although the effects of casein last longer. Rice protein is another great, choice, because it is hypoallergenic and is popular with vegetarians. Another popular choice is soy, which is a complete protein, containing all of the essential and non-essential amino acids. Soy is the only plant-based protein that is a complete protein.

Protein Snacks – There are a number of different protein snacks available that are ideal for diets following weight loss surgery. These snacks can range from jerky treats to delicious bars, some even made with healthy dark chocolate, which is loaded with antioxidants.

Liquid Protein Shots – These are great because they are small, portable and low calorie. One popular protein shot is Profect by Protica, which only has 100 calories per 2.9 ounce serving. Profect provides 25 grams of protein in each serving, as well as 100% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and 50% of the daily recommended amount of B complex vitamins. Profect also contains no carbohydrates or fats, making it ideal for low calorie diets after weight loss surgery. And it comes in a variety of delicious flavors, including Blue Raspberry, Grapefruit-Mango, and Fresh Citrus Berry.

If you have had, or are having weight loss surgery, the absolute best diet to follow is the one that your surgeon recommends. He or she will know exactly what nutrients you will need in order to be healthy following your surgery and to lose the weight you want to lose.

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein supplements for dialysis patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright

There are literally thousands of diet food plans to choose from, whether you are ready for one or not. You may find one while reading your favorite magazine or while watching your favorite television show. You might find one while you are wandering around on the internet. You might even have one emailed to you by a well meaning friend, whether you asked for it or not. Or you may find yourself being handed a diet food plan from your doctor, especially if he is not happy with all of your test results and numbers. But if you are not careful about the kind of diet food plan that you are starting, you will have zero success and may even cause yourself to gain weight in the long run.

There are several criteria that any diet food plan should meet for the best results. It should be convenient and easy to follow based on your own personal lifestyle and needs. It should take into account any special food needs or beliefs. It should take into account the ever-changing needs of your body- from start to finish. It should be safe and effective and have foods from all food groups represented. Finally, any diet plan that is based on a fad diet should be passed by as they are typically unsafe and ineffective.

Before Starting a Diet Food Plan

Before starting a diet food plan, no matter how highly recommended it is from the blogs or other sources, no matter how many times it is said to be “safe”, it is important to discuss the plan as well as your health and weight loss needs with your doctor. You should discuss the realistic goals that you should set for yourself. From the doctor’s point of view, it will not necessarily be about the weight, although the food plan may be based on getting you to a set weight in the future. Instead, the diet food plan may look to accomplish more important tasks such as lowering the blood pressure, the cholesterol or the blood sugar readings. The doctor may refer you to a nutritionist or dietician so that you can find the right diet food plan to get back to better health.

Diet Food Plans Based on Lifestyle and Personal Food Needs

A diet food plan that has you cooking from scratch every day of the week or sets unreasonable times to be eating every meal is not going to work if you never cook at home or you are out on the run most of the day. You have to be realistic with yourself so that you can make the choices that will help you come up with the right diet food plan. For instance, if you are flying out the door every morning, then you need to find a plan that allows for breakfasts that take mere seconds to plan and make or for trips through the drive through window at the local fast food place- thankfully, there are healthy food choices at most of these places now. If you have the time to cook the foods for the coming week, then do so, freeze them in individual serving sizes and thaw them as needed.

Personal food needs can be difficult in some diet food plans- for instance, not all food plans are written with the vegan or the vegetarian in mind. Many of them do not consider the lactose intolerant or those with any other type of food allergy. It is important then that the food plan be carefully considered. Look for one with a little more flexibility so that you can substitute foods that you do not like or cannot eat, no matter what the reason might be.

Diet Food Plan: No Passport Needed

Being adventurous when choosing foods is one thing; having to virtually scour the town for a single ingredient is another. Any diet food plan that has you pulling out a dictionary or asking a grocer for an explanation of what it is and how to use it may not be the plan for you. That goes for diet food plans that use expensive ingredients or spices that may drive your menu out of your family’s budget. It is better to be able to incorporate foods that the entire family will eat into your food plan rather than trying to make two meals or worse, trying to get your family to eat foods they have never heard of or may just never develop a taste for.

If you are a foodie and want to give new foods a try as part of a diet food plan, then opt for smaller versions of those dishes and have a standby on hand in case the meal gets away from you.

Diet Food Plan: Plateau and Beyond

Once you start losing weight on the diet food plan, you may find yourself needing to adjust the number of calories that you are taking in, especially if you are not exercising at all or are not exercising as much as you could. The calorie count you start with will only remain the right calorie count for a while- if you don’t lower how much you are eating or increase the amount you are moving, your weight loss will stall. The right diet food plan will make small adjustments as you move from week to week.

Diet Food Plan: No Fads Allowed

Finally, the diet food plan has to be one that is based on solid science, not the insane need to meet some trend. Before you go off on a diet food plan that ignores whole food groups or is based on one or two foods only, it is important to consider how safe those food plans are and how well they will work for you. Don’t go to any extremes at all. Think lower carbs, not zero carbs; and increased protein, not high protein. Adding just a little extra protein to your diet can be beneficial for a number of reasons- but you don’t have to go seriously overboard. Profect from Protica can be a good between meal snack in most diet food plans without being an extreme change of any kind.

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein drinks for weight loss surgery patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright

These days, many people who are overweight and not able to lose it the traditional way through diet and exercise are opting for gastric bypass and other weight loss surgeries to help solve their problem. Most people think that if they are overweight, they fit the criteria to have these types of procedures done. However, there are cases where some people are so obese that the surgical procedures may actually endanger their lives. In such cases, most physicians will refuse to perform the surgery until the patient has lost a specific amount of weight. Usually, the diets they must go on are extremely restricted and are rigidly supervised. In fact, in extreme cases, some patients actually are hospitalized so that their diet can be constantly monitored.

There are a few different types of weight loss surgery, the most common being the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This surgery is only performed on those who have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of around 40. Another popular procedure is the Lap Band System, and those who have a BMI of 35 are eligible for this type of surgery, as long as they have an underlying medical condition that makes the surgery absolutely necessary. For these procedures, how high the BMI may be varies from case to case, and it is up to the surgeon to decide if a patient’s BMI is too high and will create a risk during surgery.

But, even if you have a BMI that is too high for most of the weight loss surgeries, don’t despair. You may be able to go for the alternative, which is to have two surgeries. The first is called a sleeve gastrectomy, followed by another procedure to convert the first into a gastric bypass. This is also known as “banana surgery” as the stomach takes the shape of a banana. It is also much safer for people who are too obese for conventional weight loss surgery.

Healthy Diets, Not Fads

Did you know that more than 34 million Americans are considered obese? Of these 34 million, 20 million try one or more of the hundreds of fad diets that are introduced every year, each one claiming to be the ultimate weight loss plan. For the ultimate weight loss plan, you need to exercise regularly, and make sure that you follow a well-balanced diet that is made up of 35% protein, 50% good carbohydrates, and 15% fat.

It is unnecessary to purchase all of the diet books that come out and follow the suggested recipes. You also do not need to go out and get all of the crazy exercise gadgets that are available. You don’t need pills, and you certainly don’t need poorly-made supplements that are actually often more fattening than the foods you eat. If you want to get exercise, it can be as simple as going for a walk each day, adding time and distance to your walks until you are walking about an hour per day. And of course, you need to maintain a well-rounded diet.

If you have tried any fad diets, you have probably noticed that you didn’t lose much weight, and any that you did lose came right back on as soon as you went off the diet. This is just one of the downfalls to fad diets. Another downfall is the fact that many of these diets are actually dangerous and can lead to a number of health issues. At one time, liquid diets were popular, but the original liquid diets were discovered to be dangerous. There are new liquid protein diets today that are much healthier, although they still should not be used in the long-term, as they can lead to gall stones in up to 25% of those who are using them. Protein supplements, however, can be a great addition to any diet as long as they are used properly.

Metabolism and Obesity

One of the factors used to control your weight is the management of metabolism, which is how quickly or slowly your body uses the food that you digest. A combination of genetics and good luck let some people have a fast metabolism, and they seem to be able to eat just about anything they want without gaining weight. Others aren’t quite so lucky, and the less they eat, the more weight they seem to gain. It is essential that anyone who wants to maintain a healthy weight get their metabolism back on the right track, and this can be accomplished by getting the diet on the right track. Remember, extremely low-calorie diets can actually ruin your metabolism, and sometimes, the metabolic changes are permanent.

Get Your Metabolism Back on Track with Protein Supplements

It is essential to have a healthy diet that will promote a healthy metabolism. In order to have a healthy diet, we all need protein. You can get the protein you need through a number of different foods, including milk products, lean meat, soy beans (and just about all beans), nuts, whole grains and a lot more. If you are not getting the protein you need from dietary sources, you may also want to add protein supplements to your diet, which make excellent meal replacements when you are in a hurry but still want to make sure that you get the nutrients you need.

Protein and Weight Loss Surgery

If you have decided to have weight loss surgery, your diet is going to have to change drastically, and you will need to have certain nutrients every day. Of course, you will need protein, which you can easily get in supplement form when there just isn’t enough in your diet. Your diet changes will probably begin before you even have the surgery, and it essential that you have enough protein in your diet during the recovery phase of the procedure. Some of the protein supplements that are ideal for this are protein powders and liquid protein shots.

Protein Powders – There are many different protein powders available, and the one you choose will ultimately depend on your taste, and any food allergies or intolerances you may have. For instance, whey and casein are wonderful protein supplements, but because they are milk derivatives, they may not be the best supplement choice for those who are lactose intolerant. Rice protein is great because it is hypoallergenic and is popular with vegetarians. Another popular choice is soy, which is a complete protein, containing all of the essential and non-essential amino acids.

Liquid Protein Shots – These are great because they are small, portable, and low calorie. One popular protein shot is Profect by Protica, which only has 100 calories per three-ounce serving. It comes in a variety of delicious flavors, including Blue Raspberry, Grapefruit-Mango and Fresh Citrus Berry.

There are many other types of protein supplements available, and if you are unsure which one is best for you following weight loss surgery, it is best to discuss it with a physician, a nutritionist or a dietitian.

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey liquid protein for bariatric surgery patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright

Obesity, the medical term for weight equal to 20% or more over what is deemed to be the ideal weight, is not only a medical condition but is also a risk factor for a number of other health conditions. Being obese can put you at risk for increased aches and pains as well as increasing the risk factors for more serious health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers. There are other conditions that can be caused or made worse by being obese such as liver or gallbladder disease. For women of a certain age group, obesity can also cause or exacerbate problems with fertility, usually because of a condition known as PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).

In the past, the doctors based their judgment of obesity solely on body weight itself; however, more recently, doctors have been using BMI instead. BMI or body mass index is calculated by multiplying weight in pounds by 703 and then divided by height in inches multiplied by itself. There are a number of online BMI calculators that can be used far more simply than doing the math yourself as well as scales that do the math for you as soon as you step up on them. A BMI of 25 or higher is considered to be overweight.

A secondary test, typically only done for women, is the hip to waist ratio which measures the hips and then the waist. The waist measurement in inches is divided by the hip measurement in inches and the ratio is reviewed. A waist to hip ratio that is higher than 0.88 is considered to be the apple shape and is considered dangerous for one’s health. (Source: Christine Ammer, The New A to Z of Women’s Health, Fifth Edition ,Checkmark Books, New York, New York 2005)

There are 34 million adults in the world who are considered to be obese, with around 20 million of them on a diet at any given time of the year. There are literally billions of dollars that are spent on dieting products, plans and advice every year as well and huge amounts are also spent on weight loss surgery by those who feel they have tried and failed every diet up to that point. (www.StanfordUniversity.com)

How Protein Helps Metabolism

All foods that are eaten must be broken down and digested. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins are all broken down at different rates, because of the way they are composed. Fats break down very quickly regardless of their source while carbohydrates break down more slowly, with complex carbs taking the longest period of time to break down. Protein on the other hand takes the longest to break down in the body and can leave you feeling full for a longer period of time. If the body thinks it is empty, that it is starving, it will send a message to the brain so that the brain in turn will send the message back that it is time to eat.

With foods like fats and simple carbohydrates, the belly empties out faster and the message goes out sooner than if it were digesting foods like complex carbohydrates and proteins. This results with you eating far more than you meant to or should, leading to weight gain. In a person who is already overweight, this is more dangerous than in someone who is closer to their suggested weight.

Thermogenesis

The concept of thermogenesis is simple: It means that during the digestive process, the body will create heat. Certain foods cause a higher rise in temperature than others; the higher the rate of thermogenesis, the faster food is burned without being stored in the body as fat. Fats are easily digested by the body and create very little thermogenesis. Proteins raise the rate of this phenomenon more than any other food group with only alcohol causing a higher rate of thermogenesis.

Protein Supplements and Keeping Weight Under Control

In order to lose weight and maintain good health, it is important to set realistic, achievable weight loss goals. It is also important to realize that you cannot simply stop eating and expect that to be helpful; in fact you might find yourself not losing weight at all, as you shut down your metabolism completely. The key is not starvation: It is in making better food choices, learning better portion control and also learning how to space your meals so that your body is getting a constant supply of fresh energy. Using protein supplements along with healthy meals is a good way to accomplish this, by allowing you to use the supplements as a snack that keeps your body both energized and satisfied.

Protein supplements come in a number of varieties including: shakes, powders, bars, puddings, enhanced waters, and protein supplement shots. Of these, the supplement shots are the smallest with Profect from Protica delivering 25 grams of protein in a 100 calorie serving that is less than three ounces in size.

Obesity and Protein Needs: A Case Study

Diane has been overweight all of her life. After a consultation with her doctor, she is told that if she does not do something to get her weight under control she will face dire consequences. At her last appointment, Diane’s doctor was shocked at how bad all of her numbers were including her body mass index, her waist to hip ratio, and her blood lipid profile. After being put on a strict diet and strongly encouraged to start exercising, Diane is also told that she should start using a protein supplement to help keep her metabolism level high and her cravings low. Because it is so convenient to use, Diane has opted for Profect, which allows her to throw her daily needs into a bag so that she can head to the gym or to work without having to worry about mixing powders or refrigeration like other protein supplements.

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein liquid for dialysis patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright

People have never been in more of a rush than they are these days. With wireless communication, the Internet, and increasingly demanding professional and personal lives, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. These time demands can make achieving those goals seem impossible for someone who is trying to eat a healthy diet to lose weight, gain muscle, and get into the best physical shape. After all, to eat a healthy, nutritious diet and work out regularly, you have to set aside some time. It can be difficult to set up the precious exercise time that you need and trying to find time to prepare nutritious meals can sometimes take a back seat. There’s no way around it – if you want to get in shape, you have to eat better. If you’ve struggled with trying to fit healthy habits into your lifestyle, quick healthy meals are what you need to focus you limited time and energy on.

Quick Healthy Meals on the Run – Protein Bars

There are lots of supplements that can be used as quick healthy meals when you are on the go. No one wants to eat a diet that only consists of supplements, so it’s important to have some healthy, whole food alternatives to eat too. The protein bar is one of the most popular meals on the go for people who are trying to eat high protein, nutritious meals. The protein bars from the better nutritional supplement companies are very good. Some of these bars have up to 35 grams of high quality protein and taste like candy bars. While it may be a small meal, the protein bar should be one of your go-to quick healthy meals. To get the most nutrition from protein bars, try to choose a brand that has good amounts of protein along with some carbohydrates and essential fats. The better protein bars are fortified with vitamins and minerals too. When you find a bar that has all of those ingredients, you’ve found some quick healthy meals that you can eat at virtually any time of the day.

Quick Health Meals You Can Drink – Meal Replacements

Some other quick healthy meals that straddle the fence between supplements and whole foods are meal replacements. Don’t think of a meal replacement as a protein powder because these products are much more than protein. A good meal replacement product should live up to its name; it should give you all the nutrients that you would expect to get from a nutritious whole food meal. Meal replacements are quick healthy meals, only when they supply you with proteins, carbohydrates and essential fats. If you are on a low carb diet, protein powders can be quick meals too, but for complete nutrition, meal replacements are more filling and contain more nutrients. Most meal replacements come in powdered or ready-to-drink forms. Powdered meal replacements are usually packaged individually so all you have to do is tear a package open, mix it with some water or milk and then drink it down. Meal replacements shouldn’t make up the majority of your diet, but they can be an easy way to get some quick healthy meals when you are in a rush.

Planning Quick Healthy Meals in Advance

One of the most important things to have in place when trying to lose weight and gain muscle mass is a good plan. Planning is essential for successful dieting. To what level you should plan your meals will ultimately be your own decision, but having a basic structure in place should be a definite consideration. At the beginning of the week, before you go shopping for foods, have a plan of attack. Before you start clipping coupons or head out the door to the store, have all of your meals for the week planned. A simple notebook or spreadsheet can be one of your most powerful tools to plan quick healthy meals in advance.

Spread out your meals so that you are eating 4 to 6 small meals per day. Write down what you plan to eat for each of these meals. Once you have all the meal slots filled in, you are then ready to go shopping. Take each of the meals and figure out how many servings of each food you’ll need from the store. Write all the totals down in your list and get to the store. Don’t splurge and buy any junk foods. Staying disciplined in the grocery store is a step that gets neglected a lot, but having this kind of shopping discipline can be just the thing you need to do to really hit the ground running on your diet. Too many people start off diets with good intentions, but as soon as they get hungry and deviate from their plan, they end up failing. Keep your grocery list lean and mean. Make sure that it only contains foods that you will use to make quick healthy meals and you will be increasing your chances at success.

Preparing Quick Healthy Meals in Advance

Once you’ve planned your quick healthy meals, it’s time to get a leg up on the week by preparing multiple meals at once. If you have chicken breast on your diet plan to eat 3 or 4 times during the week, why not cook it all at once and freeze the individual portions. Taking an organized approach to meal preparation will help you to capitalize on any spare time that you do find. Instead of wasting hours throughout the week cooking, try to aggregate your meals and cook them all at the same time. This method will help you save a lot of cooking time and will keep you prepared to stick to your diet plan.

Make sure that you are including good supplements in your diet plans. Profect by Protica is one of the more popular protein drinks for people looking for quick nutrition. A single serving of Profect contains 25 grams of high quality protein in small, easy to drink containers. You can down one of these protein drinks in just a few seconds to have an easy to digest post workout meal on the go. Keeping organized and doing preparation work will help you to eat a full week’s worth of quick healthy meals without all the fuss.

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein supplements for bariatric surgery patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright

The body needs to be hydrated. In the past, we were all told to drink 8 8-ounce glasses of water every day. However, that one-size-fits-all suggestion is no longer so strenuously encouraged especially because so many of the foods that we eat are high in water anyway (think watermelon and other fruits and vegetables). We know that we need to have the right drinks before, during, and after a workout to be healthy, but there are a number of reasons to make sure that the word “diet drink” is not encouraging us to drink the wrong things.

A number of people drink sodas and overly sugared fruit juices. There have been 6000 additional deaths in the past ten years that can be directly linked to an increase in sodas and fruit drinks (Source: The American Heart Association). There are actually a number of really good beverages that make a good diet drink, and that does not mean that you have to gulp down the energy drinks, either. In fact, it doesn’t mean that you should gulp them down at all. Look at the label on the typical energy drink: There are 16 teaspoons of sugar in addition to more caffeine than might be recommended for a single consumption.

There are actually a lot of good beverages that technically could qualify as a “diet drink” because they can play such a good role in a healthy diet.

Before You Add a Diet Drink to Your Diet

When you start a new diet plan, you tend to go into it with a shiny happy face, looking forward to slipping on a pair of jeans that you have not worn in months (or ever). You map out every meal that you are going to eat, from the time you will eat it to the portion size of every food in that diet. What most people forget are the liquid calories, the beverages that they will consume along with those meals. Sure, every diet allows for unlimited water, coffee, or tea as long as they don’t have sugar or milk added to them, but most people drink other beverages as well. You go out with your pals to celebrate a birthday or a promotion and you have a few mixed drinks or, trying to play it safe, you have a beer instead. And then you forget those calories, and they do add up. A twelve-ounce beer has 146 calories but zero grams of fat. An 8-ounce pina colada or other mixed drink could have as many as 466 calories and nearly five grams of fat per serving! Unless the beverage that you are choosing has five calories or less, it has to be counted into your diet plan. If you are not, then you will never figure out where your added weight is coming from.

Plain Old Water as a Diet Drink

If you drink a big glass of water before you have a meal, you will eat fewer calories during that meal because you just don’t have the room in your stomach for more. If you drink ice cold water, your body has to kick on the metabolism furnace to warm that water back up before it can be used, so you burn more calories. In addition, many people are mistaking thirst signals for hunger signals and eating when they could have been just as happy with a drink of water. Water also helps to plump the skin and keeps everything feeling soft and supple.

Milk Is a Diet Drink

When an athlete or body builder finishes a workout, they instantly grab a power drink to start replenishing the calories they have just spent. They want to make sure that they are restoring the protein that they have expended as well. While some of them have whey protein shakes or similar supplements, many of them are using chocolate milk for the combination of carbohydrates (fast energy) and protein (supports muscle building). In addition, milk is high in calcium and other nutrients. There are even more benefits to milk as well. According to Anne Katherine, author of the book, Lick it! Fix her Appetite Switch!, milk can be a great way to stave off emotional eating triggers. Her suggestion is to drink a 20-ounce glass of fat free milk in the morning, which would allow for a 50 calorie reduction in calories consumed at lunchtime (Source: Amy Capetta. Natural Diet Pills in Your Supermarket. Woman’s World Magazine, September 6, 2010).

Tea Is a Diet Drink

Everyone knows that green tea is high in antioxidants and EGCG, but there are other teas that have benefits as well. EGCG is the abbreviation for epigallocatechin-3-gallate which is the antioxidant powerhouse in green tea that increases the amount of oxygen your body uses, which in turn can allow your body to have increased endurance. The fresher the green tea, the bigger the boost of EGCG you get (Source: Sports and Exercise). Oolong tea has been found to be beneficial to weight loss efforts. Researchers at the US Agricultural Research Service’s Diet and Human Performance Laboratory found that one cup of oolong tea each day led to an increase of 67 calories being burned without effort or dietary changes. It also revved the metabolism by as much as 12%. Like green tea, oolong has a number of polyphenols that help the body to absorb nutrients from the food you are eating, as well as to help block the accumulation of body fat.

Yerba mate tea, popular in South America, has only 15 mg of caffeine but was shown to increase energy and mental alertness by 20% more than coffee which has 120 mg. It is also a popular tea for those who are interested in losing weight, perhaps because of this increased energy (Source: Brenda Kearns, Stay Stroke Free (Woman’s World Magazine, August 16, 2010).

Coffee Is a Diet Drink

Coffee can decrease your risk of stroke by as much as 30% or more, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University. It is the antioxidants in coffee that keep the platelets in the blood from sticking together and later causing blood clots (Source: Kearns, August 2010). Coffee’s antioxidants may also play a role in preventing throat and neck cancers by a little more than 10% as well. Drinking one cup of coffee per day may give a 37% lowered risk of death from all causes while drinking four cups or more per day lowers your chance of developing Type II diabetes by over half. Researchers have also shown that coffee just before a work-out can rev up the energy and allow you to get into your routine and work harder than if you just drank water beforehand.

Profect Is a Diet Drink

Profect is a liquid protein supplement shot from Protica. High in protein and low in calories, it can be consumed in mere seconds and is a great source of energy and nutrition before or after a workout or as a between meal snack. Protein is important to dieters because it plays a vital role in every function of the body, including digestion and metabolism. Protein is harder for the body to break down so it takes more energy to consume. Inadequate protein can also lead to a loss of lean muscle mass in the body.

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein shots for bariatric surgery patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright

If you call food diet food, it becomes almost consequence free in the eyes of some people. They think that low fat equates low calories and they feel free to wolf it all down. The same goes with lower sugar or any of the other confusing labels that are on our favorite diet food, healthy or not. Learning to read a label is probably one of the first steps you have to take toward making sure that you have the right food to add to your diet as well as a better understanding of what we as a nation are consuming.

Diet Food: Healthy or Not? The Stats Don’t Lie

Shakira, the swivel hipped Latin American singer, sings a song called “My Hips don’t Lie.” Sadly, most people’s hips don’t lie, nor do the statistics. The average person in the United States consumes more processed foods than fresh foods: 56% more to be exact. An international study that was completed in conjunction with the USDA showed that the average American consumes just 369 pound of fresh foods per person, per year. That number is broken down into 124 pounds of fruits, 117 pounds of meat, poultry and seafood, 92 pounds of vegetables, 30 pounds of eggs, nuts and peanuts and 6 pounds of legumes. That same study showed that the average American was consuming 576 pounds of processed foods (including healthy options like dairy) per person, per year. That number’s breakdown: 198 pounds of dairy foods, 97 pounds of sweeteners including sugar, corn sweeteners, honey and syrups, 78 pounds of bakery products including bagels, breads, muffins and more, 54 pounds of soup, pasta and other canned goods, 47 pounds of frozen and dried processed foods, 43 pounds of snacks and candy, 43 pounds of chilled food and ready-to-eat meals and 16 pounds of sauces, condiments and dressings (Source: Fitness Magazine, September 2010).

Diet Food Healthy Strategy: Know the Label Meanings

The Food and Drug Administration, more commonly known as the FDA, sets guidelines for what can and cannot be put on a food label for a reason. Without regulation, food makers could put any wild claim they wanted on their labels without having to back any of them up at all. They could also omit the ingredients they would rather you did not focus on. The FDA Regulations on food labeling includes guidelines for words like low fat, low salt, and no sugar added.

- Zero fat or fat free: must contain less than gram of fat per serving

- Lower or reduced fat: must have at least 25% less fat per serving than the regular version of the same food at the same serving size

- Low fat: must have less than three grams of fat per serving

- Lite: must contain 1/3 the calories or the fat per serving of the original version at the same serving size

- Zero calorie or calorie free: must have less than five calories per serving

- Low calories: must have 1/3 the calories of the original version at the same serving size

- Sugar free: must have less than gram of sugar per serving

- Zero preservatives: must have neither chemical or naturally occurring preservatives

- No preservatives added: may have naturally occurring preservative ingredients but none added

- Low sodium: must have less than 140 mgs of sodium per serving

- High fiber: must have 5 grams or more of fiber per serving. These foods must also be low fat or have the total fat grams placed next to the fiber count on the label.

- Good source of fiber: must have between 2.5 to 4.9 grams of fiber per serving

- More or Added Fiber: must have at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving

(Source: The FDA)

The reason that reading labels can be so important is simple: The food makers are not always as honest and open as they should be. Women’s Health magazine author Karen Ansel, a registered dietician, looked at several foods that were labeled as healthy and then looked at their reality. The findings:

A certain green tea with ginseng and honey is sold in a can which according to researchers leads most people to assume it is a single serving item. This particular tea actually contains nearly 3 full servings with 70 calories per serving. While it does have the antioxidant EGCG, this tea also had 12 teaspoons of sugar per 3-serving can.

Crispy apple chips were deceptive for a number of reasons. First, since they are made of dried apples, most people would assume they are diet healthy food, but that is not quite true. The bag itself has more than two servings or the equivalent of 12 of these chips. Each serving has 150 calories, so if you eat the whole bag, you are eating more than 300 calories for a snack. That is just as many calories as a bag of potato chips. And with the chips, you are not getting the sugar that is added. You are also not getting the fiber you would have gotten from eating the apple in the first place.

A packaged container of Mandarin oranges had two servings per small plastic container for 70 calories each. However, the problem is not with the oranges but with what they are soaking in. Most are packaged in pear juice, which is high in sugar.

An ice cream brand labels one of their options as a “personal” container but it is not a single serving container. According to the label, it is actually two servings with 170 calories per serving. Not only does the calorie count get you but the 16 grams of fat from those two servings are killer, too.

The list goes on and on but the point is clear: Make sure that you are reading the labels not only on the front but on the back as well. If something is small, don’t assume it is a single serving food. And don’t blindly pour food into a bowl or onto a plate. Measure it, weigh it, or learn to portion it out by eyeballing so that you don’t consume way more than you need to.

Protica, a liquid protein supplement shot, is already portioned out into small, single serving shots that are consumed in seconds and can keep you energized and your metabolism boosted all day. It is high in protein which is proven to help keep you from feeling hungry and is necessary to keep your lean muscles building and strong.

Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein shots for dialysis patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright