From this point of view our body also produces a lot of waste matter which can be termed as toxin; fortunately our biological system is so programmed that it gets rid of these toxins as a normal function.

A detox diet, then, is a dietary system that involves introduction or elimination of certain items of food or drink for the purpose of assisting the body to “purify” itself, or cleanse itself, of toxins, the poisonous substance(s). Detoxing is believed to improve health, resistance to diseases, energy, and aid in natural weight loss.

However, many dieticians and doctors regard “detoxing” as no more effective than drinking a glass of water and as such regard detoxing as a fad.

Usually “Detox” diets suggest that majority of your food intake should be restricted to fruits and vegetables, and water. Alcohol is totally eliminated. There are many variants of detox diet plans including juice fasting, water fasting, lemonade diet, etc. There are many advocates of these various detox diets and plans. However, most of them are a little harsh for a common man.

The following 7 day detox plan follows the basic tenets of detox but is safer, more flexible and hence sensible and will ensure sufficient nutrients to the body while still aiding to lose weight.

Your diet may include:
Fruits: Apples, bananas, pears, oranges, etc. either fresh, frozen or dried, or canned in natural fruit juice;
Fruit juice: Homemade fresh fruit juices or smoothies – not sweetened;
Vegetables: Almost any vegetable such as carrots, turnip, sprouts, cabbage, onions, peppers, sweet corn, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, etc. – fresh or frozen.
Beans and lentils: Any beans such as haricot, cannelloni, red kidney, black eye, red lentils, green lentils, etc fresh, or dried or canned in water;
Potatoes – all types
Brown rice and rice noodles
Fresh fish: Any fresh fish cod, salmon, lobster, plaice, mackerel, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, Dover sole, red mullet, prawns, etc;
Unsalted nuts: Brazil, cashew, hazel nuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans, pine nuts, macadamia, walnuts, pistachio, etc;
Live natural yoghurt;
Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs;
Honey;
Water: Tap or mineral water at least 2 liters a day;
Herbal or fruit teas

Avoid the following:
Chicken, turkey, Red meat, and meat products such as burgers, sausages, etc;
Milk and milk products such as cheese, cream and butter;
Eggs;
Bread, etc. that contains wheat;
Salted snacks, salted nuts;
Sweets, jam, chocolate, sugar;
Alcohol;
Coffee, tea;
Fizzy drinks and squashes;
Processed foods, Sauces, salad dressing, pickles, mayonnaise;
Salt.

The detox diet suggested here is easy to follow, and will permit enjoyable meals without violating the requirements of detoxing.

Unfortunately with over sixty-five percent of U.S adults being either overweight or obese, majority of the people confuse weight control with weight loss. The confusion is worse confounded because the considerations by which you achieve weight control are the same as those by which you achieve weight loss.

A healthy American woman of medium build and a height of 5’ 4” would weigh about 125 lbs. If she is doing a little or no exercise, she needs 1500 calories per day to maintain that weight. If she were to follow some dietary restriction and reduce her calorie intake by 500 calories per day, she will lose weight at the rate of about 1 lb per week.

If the woman in our example above were to start exercising for 3 days per week, she will be burning off about 200 calories per day more and to maintain the weight i.e. to control the weight in spite of starting on the exercise regimen she needs to eat 200 calories more per day.

So as you see from the above, it is not difficult to choose your lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight gain or healthy weight loss. You choose the weight you want to scale at; that tells you how long you need to adjust your lifestyle to reach the target at the safe rate of 1-2 lbs. per week (of course, keeping in mind general health considerations). Next determine what is your present calorie intake (there are so many websites that can help you find your actual intake if you feed in the details of your diet). Knowing that one pound of body weight is equivalent to about 3500 calories, you can decide how much change you need to make in your calorie intake. Choose any of the safe natural diet plans to implement the changes in diet required. Just remember less fat, less calories, lose weight; more fat, more calories, gain weight!

If you are at a healthy comfortable weight you can easily maintain the same weight even in face of changes in your activity levels, etc. by keeping in mind underlying concept. If you are increasing your activities (including exercise you may be doing) increase your calorie intake correspondingly or vice versa. Remember the effects of calorie intake or burn out are on a cumulative basis; for effective weight control you don’t have to strictly maintain a daily balance sheet!

Cabbage Soup Diet

This diet caught the fancy of many when it was proposed due to its utter simplicity. Proponents of Cabbage soup diet claim that by consuming low-calorie cabbage soup for a period of seven days you can lose 10 lbs of weight. It is only a short term program for weight loss.

In the opinion of nutritional experts it is not possible for body to lose 10 lbs of fat in a week; what you will lose by following this plan is body water, and it will be highly detrimental to health. This diet is considered a fad diet. However, there are many who believe in it and there are many variants of this plan still in circulation.

Fat Smash Diet

The Fat Smash Diet of Dr. Smith is an approach to weight loss not as a quick fix solution but as a lifestyle approach. It gained prominence because of the Celebrity Fit Club TV program on which people could see it being put in practice. It focuses on healthful diet, filling foods, and lot of exercise as a necessary accompaniment. This plan focuses on low calorie content of the diet which is easy to follow. This plan does not make tempting claims of fast weight loss; it can be followed whether you are looking for a small or a heavy weight loss.

This is a 4 phase plan; first three phases extending to about 8 weeks and the fourth phase being a lifetime phase. This plan lays as much stress on regular exercises as on proper diet control.

Atkins Diet

Dr. Atkins diet is based on the premise that the main cause of obesity is eating refined carbohydrates, particularly sugar, flour, and high-fructose corn syrups; and secondly, that the fats from hydrogenated oils and not the saturated fats are a problem. Atkins diet plans were based on very low carbohydrates.

Medical opinion however has been vehemently critical of this approach condemning it as “the most dangerous to the public if followed for any length of time.” Atkins diet now is looked at more as a fad diet.

South Beach Diet

South Beach diet plan was initially evolved by Dr. Agatston for his heart patients and its launch for weight loss was only as a spin-off. This plan emphasizes the consumption of “good carbohydrates” and “good fats”. “Good carbohydrates” are high in fiber and they are digested and absorbed slowly. “Good fats” are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, especially those with omega-3 fatty acids. Saturated and trans fats are bad fats.

This diet has generally been perceived as a successful weight loss diet.

DASH Diet

This diet is primarily proposed for patients suffering from high blood pressure. It consists in following a diet which is low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and is rich in low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables. The plan is rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber. Since it uses the same concepts in choice of diet as are used in case of weight loss diets, it is successful for weight loss also. This diet is supported by many health organisations such as NHLBI, etc.

Healthy diet will protect your body from illnesses by providing appropriate nutrients. At the same time you would be able to shed the excess fat gradually in a safe way by maintaining proper balance of the essential constituents; that’s the trick of natural weight loss.

There are many websites that will help you determine what should be your calorie intake, based on your personal details and based on your diet they can also tell you what your present intake is..

A Well-Balanced Diet should include nutrient rich carbohydrates, high-quality protein, and healthy fats.

Carbohydrates

About 40-60% of your calorie intake should come from carbohydrates. That means if you’re on a 1500 calories a day diet, you should be striving to get about 800 calories a day from “good” carbs. Restrict or avoid white flour, desserts and ice creams. Cut out soda-pop and candy. They contribute to weight gain and add nothing to health. Use oatmeal or whole grain cereal instead. Include whole grain breads, fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, whole grain cereals. You will be getting sufficient vitamins, amino acids and fiber too; you will feel fuller longer.

Proteins

About 20-30% of your calories i.e. about 375 calories should come from “wild” (not processed or farm raised) animal sources such as fish, meat, poultry, yogurt and eggs and from vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and seeds.

Fats

The balance calorie intake, about 325 in our example, shall come from “good” fats such as “wild” cold-water fish, flaxseed, walnuts, etc. They give Omega 3 essential fatty acid that is very essential for your overall health. Avoid or at least limit use of hydrogenated oils.

A few general comments:

Fish: Fish is low in fat, high in protein (as red meat), and provides omega 3 fatty acids which few other proteins would. Also as a general rule fish has fewer calories. Try to eat at least 2-3 servings of fish per week as replacement to meat.
Spinach: This is the cheapest source of nutrition for your body. It is rich in folic acid, minerals, and vitamins. You can prepare it in a variety of ways. Use it often in your diet.

Olive Oil: It is a “good” fat with loads of benefits to the body. This is a basic source of fat in the Mediterranean diet.

Follow these simple suggestions, and happy dieting!

There is a 5-Factor Diet, Atkins Diet, Bob Greene’s Best Life Diet, South Beach Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet, Anne Collin’s diet and now you have DASH diet and Fat Smash Diet and Size Zero Diet and …. it goes on!

Proponents of each of these diet plans make claims of how much weight you will lose and how rapidly you will lose weight. Some go to the extent of claiming that you will lose up to 10-12 lbs in a week whereas medical experts warn that such claims are ridiculous and weight loss of such proportions can come about only by losing water which is detrimental to the system. Moreover there is always the danger of gaining weight just as rapidly when you stop working on the plan.

Essentially all these plans boil down to a few basics! The body weight is contributed by fat, muscles, bones and water. Excess calorie intake is responsible for increased weight and so cut down the excess intake of calories. Increase metabolism so that stored fat can be burnt off; burn off the fat that is stored in the body by exercises and fat burning food. But do not starve the body of the essential nutrients.

Basically diet plans fall into three broad categories: the “fad diets”, those that are based on specially processed food and those that can be called as “natural diet” plans.

There is no clear definition of “fad diet”; it is very subjective. Fad diet is popularly believed to be a poor weight loss diet. A fad diet generally becomes very popular very quickly and falls out of favor just as quickly. Fad diets quite often claim very quick weight loss. Their claims for efficacy are generally not confirmed by any legitimate scientific studies. Often promoted by parties that publish books about the diet or those that sell some supplements or ingredients that are part of the fad diet, a fad diet may not achieve anything at all or at times may have an adverse effect on health.

The natural diet plan is based on use of food constituents that are normally in your diet; it recommends some of the constituents as being helpful and some others as being harmful from the point of view of weight loss. For example, it may recommend certain fish such as Sardines, herrings, etc as providing beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids or may recommend use of lean meat but not others such as pork; it may recommend low-fat skimmed milk but not the normal fresh milk. Natural diet is based on very clearly understood and recognized scientific knowledge.

The third category of diet plans mentioned above are based on use of specially processed food ingredients or supplements; this category is so highly commercialized that even if it has scientific basis at times lies on the boundary of fad diet plans.

Still don’t despair! Summer weight loss is still possible. Remember that losing weight is influenced to the extent of 70% to 80% by what and how you eat and the balance by the physical activities and exercises. Cut down intake of excess calories which increase fat in the body and exercise the body which will help in to burn body fat and to lose weight.

The following simple natural weight loss suggestions if implemented can help you with summer weight loss and shape up your body to face summer with confidence in a matter of three to four weeks.

#Tip 1

Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. Water plays very important role in our body functions. Body fat and bones account for 20% of water each, lean muscle tissues are 75% water and over 80% of our blood is water. Water helps kidneys remove toxins allowing liver to metabolize more fat. It works as a natural suppressant of appetite.

Tip #2

Put alcohol on highly restricted list if you are serious on losing weight. Alcohol helps body in storing fat by slowing down metabolism.

Tip #3

Main culprits causing excess weight are saturated fats. Saturated fats and sugar are strictly no-no for weight watchers. Avoid desserts, ice creams, etc.

Tip #4

Include low fat milk products such as yogurt, skimmed milk, cottage cheese in diet; they contain “good proteins” which help suppress cravings for food. They are essential in building muscles.

#Tip 5

Vegetables, beans, whole grains and fruits contain “good” carbohydrates which are moderate on calories and fats, they are consumed slowly by the body and thus they help suppress hunger naturally.

Tip #6

Omega 3 fatty acids increase metabolism and energy levels of the body. Eat fish such as Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines and Herrings; they are rich Omega 3 fatty acids which help prevent blood clotting, regulate blood pressure, and lower risk of heart failure. They are helpful in weight loss.

Tip #7

Eat four or five meals of smaller portions instead of the normal three meals. Smaller meals at shorter intervals help metabolism and burn fat; it helps to lose weight.

Tip #8

Eat adequate fiber food. Fiber food is more filling and it suppresses hunger. It takes longer in digestion and passing through the body it attaches to some fats and proteins in our food and thus keeps them from being digested. Whole grains, brown rice, figs, Apples, broccoli, peas, lentils, beans, fresh vegetables and fruits and nuts are high on fiber content.

Tip #9

Spices such as ginger, mustard, pepper, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, etc decrease sugar cravings and are helpful in weight loss.

Tip #10

Avoid late night meals within the two to three hours before going to bed. Allow time for digestion of the meal before going to bed.

Cortisol is one of the hormones that regulates appetite. It is secreted by the adrenal gland. Both adrenaline and cortisol are released by the body as a normal daily hormonal cycle. Adrenaline increases your metabolism and makes you alert and energetic, Adrenaline helps release of energy by fat cells. Cortisol boosts effectiveness of your body at producing glucose from proteins; thus in times of stress, it helps quickly increase the body’s energy.

In times of stress – whether physical or emotional – the body may trigger the adrenal gland to release adrenaline as well as cortisol. This will affect your metabolism by making you feel hungry when you really are not. Lack of sleep could start such an action which will result in weight gain.

It is also observed that when you do not get enough sleep, you are depressed and you do not move around much; consequently you do not burn enough fat. This also causes you to gain weight and not lose weight.

The mechanism of adrenal fatigue also may be partly responsible for weight gain when you have not had restful sleep. In case of Adrenal Fatigue the brain receives the pick-me-up signal, causing a craving for sugar or carbohydrate snacks, resulting in causing excess of calories to the body.

A good restful sleep has the ability to de-stress the mind and body. On the contrary lack of sleep tends to cause a constant state of stress. This will cause production of excess cortisol. Cortisol stimulates glucose production which due to its being in excess is converted into fat.

When you are trying to lose weight, getting enough sleep is very essential. Poor sleep affects you physically as well as mentally. You tend to be confused, short tempered and depressed when you lack proper sleep.

Follow a natural weight loss routine, treat going to bed at the same time each night as a priority item in your activity schedule. Try to get about 7 to 8 hours sleep. Bed time routines such as washing your face, removing makeup, applying a face mask or some routines of this nature will help you unwind before going to bed. A calm, pleasant frame of mind is very essential for getting good, restful sleep.

The problem with a balanced diet arises when you tend to eat some kinds of foods more than others probably because one is your favorite food. With this a healthy balanced diet becomes unhealthy though still balanced. So a balanced diet may be bad for you simply because of your peculiar need at the time, which could be due to health problem. For instance if you are diabetic, hypertensive, or do have a heart disease, a balanced diet may be unhealthy for you due to some kind of foods in the diet that makes it balance. Yes it is balanced but not for you.

The same is applicable if you are weighing 400 pounds and a BMI of 41. You are in the malignant obesity group and while you must eat to stay alive, you need to avoid fatty and sugary foods as much as possible. Ironically, an unbalanced diet or healthy diet is what you need.

You will find people who make mistakes like this as they set out to loss weight-people who haven’t done enough research before they begin.

When they run into problems later on, they are like, “dieting comes with so much confusion. I’m told I have to keep the cholesterol low by taking off fat from my meals. But I thought that will mean eating an unbalanced diet. So I kept eating what I was eating except that I reduced the quantity significantly to help me loss weight. I lost 70 pounds in 6 months but then I got ill the next month. I had this flu that just kept coming back for about a month. The doctor asked if I was on steroids that my immunity was depressed. I’m glad I decided to tell him about my dieting.

That was the only way the doctor nailed it. I was deficient in so many nutrients because I have not been eating enough. How can I ever loss weight if I still eat like before?”

Are you in a similar situation? You can loss weight while maintaining a balance but healthy diet. You need to get to know what and how to eat to achieve that.

It is not confusion if you get the right help and guidance. Healthy and balanced diet plan provides variety in the diet and keeps you excited about your meals as before. You only need to reduce the harmful food stuffs that caused the problem in the first place. If you do not have the expertise, to stay healthy while losing weight you should seek the advice of an expert.

A healthy diet will help you health. Do not load yourself with unhealthy food in the name of eating a balanced diet.

It is known that diet does influence conditions of hypertension and certain diet plans can help in lowering the elevated blood pressure. This dietary approach to controlling hypertension is called “DASH”, short for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”.

Is It Really Effective

Studies, supported by NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute), were conducted to evaluate effects of nutrients, as they occur together in food, on blood pressure. This study was the basis for DASH. The study showed that a diet which was low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol and rich in low-fat dairy products, vegetables and fruits dramatically reduced the elevated blood pressures. Incidentally this diet is rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as fiber and protein.

In the clinical tests, the DASH diet, which is rich in vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods but low in amounts of saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, brought down systolic blood pressure on an average by about 6 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure by about 3 mm Hg. In case of patients with high blood pressure the diet worked even better –11 mm Hg drop in the systolic and about 6 mm Hg in the diastolic. Significantly these reductions came about within 2 weeks of starting the DASH diet!

What Is Permitted In DASH

The DASH diet plan is rich in many nutrients. It is beneficial not only in condition of high blood pressure but for general good health also. If you follow the recommended 2000 calories a day diet plan, your body will be getting 500 mg of magnesium, 1240 mg of calcium and 4700 mg of potassium; these amounts are 200% to 300% of what most Americans get in their normal diet.

Relation between high blood pressure and being overweight has been known for long. It is quite natural, therefore, to find that the diet suggested for reducing blood pressure has shades of a diet normally associated with natural cure for weight loss. Many components of the DASH diet plan such as low saturated fat, total fat and use of a large amount of low-fat dairy products, vegetables and fruits which include fiber and proteins are similar to a natural weight loss diet plan.

The DASH plan gives detailed diet plans corresponding to different levels of calorie intake intended. It is quite easy to adapt the DASH plan for weight loss or fast weight loss by selecting the suggested DASH diet for calorie intake which is less than what one is already taking.

Please note, however, that if you are taking medication for high blood pressure condition, do not stop the therapeutic treatment you are receiving when you start on DASH diet plan; consult your physician about the drug treatment.

Natural weight loss is a much safer and healthier way to lose weight for your wedding day, or any day. Losing weight does not take all types of new drugs or expensive equipment. In fact, being dependent on such things can actually be a hindrance for long-term weight loss success.

Here are a few ways to make your wedding day weight loss goals happen naturally:

1. Don’t use drugs to lose weight.

Instead of harmful drugs, try to start with a natural body cleanse, which you can do by drinking more water and/or herbal teas. Tea can work as a diuretic and antioxidant, which promotes frequent urination which can help to rid your body of certain unwanted free radicals. Eating more roughage such as dark green vegetables and fiber can help you to eliminate more waste from your body, allowing the body to cleanse itself naturally. With a fairly clean inside, you will lose some weight and your body will be prepped for a more healthier regimen.

2. Be honest about your goal.

Don’t make yourself think that you have to lose enough weight to be the skinniest person at the wedding. Consider the ultimate purpose and goal of your weight loss, your body type, and the rewards of a real plan to lose weight for the long haul. Doing it too fast can definitely cause much more harm than good. The faster you lose it, the faster you may gain it back. Utilize a plan that works consistently over a specified period of time.

3. Find support.

Whether it is for motivation for with sticking to an exercise program or for encouragement to eat better, if you feel that you cannot go it alone, get help. There are many organizations that foster positive, natural weight loss ideals that you can live by. These groups will give be there for you emotionally during this time as you make a personal commitment to lose the weight. If you need more assistance with developing or incorporating an effective exercise plan into your life, then you should seek out a personal trainer. Some gyms offer them free of charge, while others charge an hourly fee. Don’t let the cost scare you away from utilizing a personal trainer. The results of that added support will be priceless.

Whenever we prepare for life changes, we sometimes want a quick fix to make the transition go smoother. The same holds true with wedding day weight loss. However, a quick fix is not always the best solution. So, as you prepare for an awesome wedding day, and hopefully, and even more fantastic wedding night, take the same care and planning for your weight loss. Looking good can be a natural thing.