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The Mediterranean diet gets a lot of popularity for a number of reasons: Weight loss potential, health benefits & exotic foods, among other things. This basic guide will help you understand and find out if this diet plan is ideal for you.

Mediterranean Diet Summary:

For the most part you are going to be eating in a way that resembles what people in the eastern Mediterranean areas eat. This will involve foods and drinks that are not very common in western culture. In this diet plan there isn’t much focus on weight loss as much as it is on changing your eating habits to adopt this plan’s style.

This is said to lead to health benefits and regulation of weight. In it’s basic form, this plan shouldn’t be used as a diet, but rather a healthy way of eating which will indirectly lead to weight loss.

Additionally as you experience the many health benefits of this plan, the weight will start to come off by itself. But even though it isn’t going to be fast, it will be gradual and long term. 

Foods you will eat with this plan: 

Mostly white meat (very limited red meat), fish, vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, cereals, red wine & using mono saturated fats when frying foods. These are basically oils which turn to liquid under warmer temperatures and become solid when under cooler temperatures. Also you should limit and even completely get rid of salt in your food.

Ideally you’d want to stick to anything organic to get the most benefits. Though there is a lot of variety when you get into it, there is a food pyramid for the Mediterranean diet which places each of the above foods in a certain area. For example, vegetables and fruits can be eaten in basically unlimited proportions and are at the bottom of the pyramid whereas at the top is wine, which is recommended, but in limited proportions. 

This basic guide is meant to give you an overall idea of the plan so if you need specifics, there are a number of books available on the subject which contain tons of recipes and guidelines you can use if you wish to try this plan. 

Health benefits:

There are a number of them with this diet, but overall a lower…

• Cholesterol.
• Risk of heart disease.
• Risk of cancer.
• Parkinsons.
• Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Type II Diabetes. 

Certainly these benefits are more than enough to get someone to start adopting a Mediterranean way of eating.

But what about weight loss?

Results vary. You can certainly use this plan for that, but if you follow it in the traditional way, you’ll likely see gradual results. This isn’t a short term fix plan. In many ways it has a lot of similarities to the DASH diet, which is also very healthy, but not so much focused on weight loss. Like it was mentioned before, the Mediterranean diet is really a a way of life plan, not a diet, at least not in the traditional sense.  

Pros:

• Good solid diet.
• Focuses on healthy eating.
• Reduces risks of many diseases.
• Provides long term results.
• Lots of exotic food choices.

Cons:

• Not a short term fix. 

Mediterranean Diet Score:

3.5 stars out of 5. Great, healthy diet, although it will require commitment. See #1 rated diet.

Conclusions on the Mediterranean diet:

There’s really no major complaints against this plan. In fact there really isn’t much you can nitpick at either. This plan is great and because it provides a lot of health benefits and reduces the risks of major diseases makes it that much better.

The only thing that may cause a problem for western cultures is getting used to this way of life in the long while. It’s difficult to maintain such a diet with all the bad foods surrounding us. Ultimately your will power is what will determine your results with this plan and if you can stick to it, you should see great results overall. 

As for fast weight loss, you can add important techniques from the get started section that will boost results greatly, or you can also try the #1 rated diet for diversity if you’re in a hurry. But overall if you’re seeking long term results and to live a healthy life, the Mediterranean diet is one of those plans that’s worth trying. 

I’m not a big fan of football, but when I heard that one former player not only lost over a 100 pounds, but also finished a marathon run, I had to learn more! Enter Alan Faneca’s story and how he did it.

Before he retired in 2011, Alan was a VERY big individual. He weighted over 300 pounds and consumed foods which to the average person would seem unmanageable, but for football players, it’s just the way it is. But when he finished playing the game, he said he could no longer maintain the same eating habits as when he played, so he had to change things up.

How he lost over 100 pounds:

When asked how he did it, Alan said he would focus on cardio workouts nearly all week and ate less than 2,000 calories a day. Though he didn’t go into specifics as to which food/s he ate, it’s not exactly rocket science to figure out that he focused on eating healthier.

More specifically if he was doing cardio workouts so often, he would probably have to consume a combination of healthy carbs and protein before and after each workout. Though there is debate on what you should/shouldn’t eat if you workout, an almost certain consensus is that these foods are GREAT for pre/post workout meals:

Fruits, nuts, lean meat, ham, vegetables, fruit juices, honey, eggs, whole grains.

Speaking from personal experience, I do martial arts several times a week. Each session is anywhere from 2-3 hours of basically non-stop work. Needless to say, it can get VERY exhausting. So at least 2 hours before a workout, I’ll make myself an omelet mixed with french fries (not the fast food type!) and ham. I will also eat whole bread at the same time. 

This meal gives me an immense amount of energy that fully fuels me for the entire workout session. Afterwards, I’ll drink a freshly squeezed juice and eat walnuts. This regiment has GREATLY helped supplement my results.

Obviously I’ve moved away from the main subject of Alan, but this was just to give you an example of what he may have also done. Note: He did complete an entire marathon so when he did cardio workouts, it’s safe to say it was jogging for the most part and a jogger’s diet mostly consists of the foods I’ve indicated above.

As with many lifestyle changes, results do NOT come quickly. In Alan’s case, this process took about 3 years to do. Certainly there are much faster ways to lose weight, if that’s the only thing you’re going for, but stable, gradual weight loss is probably the best weight loss. Alan’s focus from I’ve gathered was to maintain an athletic life and a diet that supplemented it. Well ladies and gentlemen, he’s certainly shown us what can be done!

A recent celebrity who also was on the spotlight for losing a lot of weight was Tom Arnold, a famous comedian/movie star. He lost almost a 100 pounds in a nearly a year by sticking to some very basic things as well as eating chia seeds.

What to take from these cases:

Though it doesn’t happen as often as we like, Alan and Tom’s cases are examples of what people can do if they just put their will power to a goal and stick to it. It can be VERY difficult for many people to do the kinds of things these celebs do and surprisingly a lot of it has to do with “quick fix” diets. 

Above all if you’re looking to change your ways, stick to the typical eat healthy & exercise advice. It’s a cliche, but it’s still the most accurate way to get results. If your goal is to change your life and lose weight permanently, stick to this. More importantly:

• Eat lower calorie foods. Try high satiety meals as they’ll help you feel fuller while having less calories.
• Eat whole and organic foods.
• Avoid processed/fast foods. 
• Get at least some exercise on a daily basis. Even walking is great!

There certainly are extra ways you can improve results or even get a head start. One such way is to follow 5 very simple, yet unusual rules in the get started section. Either way, if you should take anything from this story, it’s that Alan Faneca is an inspiration to dieters and athletes everywhere. Well done sir! You are the man!

For many years Slim Fast has produced some great products to help people lose weight. From drinks to energy bars and a number of other products all aimed at helping people shed the pounds. Their drinks are the most popular. But do they really work?

The answer is yes, but the truth is these drinks on their own are not enough to provide significant weight loss results. A lot of people who try Slim Fast drinks do so without actually making any changes to their current diet/s. In those scenarios, the Slim Fast drinks which contain protein and a number of other ingredients will do very little and in some cases nothing to aid in weight loss.

What is good about the drinks is that they are also meant to be meal replacements and are very satisfying when you eat/drink them. They also contain a low amount of calories, which sounds contradictory because most people will believe they’ll go hungry. However this is not always true since Slim Fast products contain high satiety ingredients which basically have few calories but a high satisfaction value meaning you’ll feel full for longer.

Should you try Slim Fast drinks?

I believe Slim Fast drinks, though good, are not really worth investing too much time & money into if you’re looking to lose a lot of weight because again unless you plan on making drastic changes to your current diet/lifestyle, you won’t do much but scratch the surface of the problem.

However, if you live a busy lifestyle and don’t really have time to plan meals, you can certainly substitute a few daily meals for these drinks and odds are you’ll see some results. Around 1-2 pounds a week.

Additionally if you workout, Slim Fast drinks can also be beneficial as a post workout meal/drink since they carry protein which is absolutely essential to muscle building. I honestly wouldn’t do it. For me a post workout meal should be walnuts and an organic fruit juice. As for meals, instead of a protein shake or Slim Fast (which are almost the same), a meal high in protein such as salmon is perfect.

Is Slim Fast good for those who need to lose weight quickly?

Probably not. Weight loss results with Slim Fast if everything else stays the same are minimal. If you make changes to your diet, it’ll help supplement results, but even then the majority of weight loss will come from the dieting changes itself, not the drink/product.

If you’re seeking to lose weight quickly, you can make some immediate and simple changes through the methods listed here. This will start you off on the right foot.

As for any type of specific diets you can try for faster results, I would recommend the #1 rated diet on this website due to it’s speedy results and massive flexibility.

To conclude on Slim Fast, they work, but the price tag of using them will add up so in that sense I wouldn’t recommend it unless you can afford it.

Chia seeds are the new craze. They said are to not only help provide weight loss, but also massive health benefits. But is it true and do they really work or is it all hype? 

Chia Seeds explained:

Chia Seeds can be found in southern Mexico. Typically they are used in combination with foods and drinks, but you can also eat them on their own. Personally if I am in a hurry, I eat a few teaspoons and it’s enough to make me feel I’ve eaten a full breakfast.

Chia seeds carry a lot of beneficial properties which is what makes the very popular. They can be used to help those looking to lose weight and provide a lot of health benefits (listed below).

Benefits:

• It’s a high satiety, low calorie food. 
• They expand several times their size when eaten. This means you can eat less, feel fuller and lose weight.
• They help lower cholesterol.
• Excellent source of fiber. An ounce of chia seeds carries over 10 grams of fiber. 
• Contain antioxidants. 
• Contain omega 3’s which help with circulation. 

How Chia Seeds can be used:

There are many ways you eat chia seeds. You can:

• Sprinkle them on your food. They make great additions to salads.
• You can make smoothies and sprinkle them on it. 
• You can eat it in combination with drinks and pretty much any food you wish. 

As for specific recipes, you may want to look at the Aztec diet which provides specific recipes on this, although you can do without it. My advice is to just add them into your current diet and see what happens. 

Where to buy chia seeds?

Many places like Wal-Mart, Amazon, local stores and Costco carry them. If you live in an area where you can’t find them, you can look them up online. I’d recommend Amazon. Search for the most highly rated chia seeds.

I usually buy mine in Costco. If you live near one, you can get them there for a pretty cheap price. I purchased about 2 pounds for $11. It seems like a lot, but this is will likely last you at least half a year and I eat chia seeds more than the average person. 

What to expect from chia seeds:

If you’re looking to lose weight, you can certainly try this product. I would recommend eating less of what you’re currently consuming and supplementing that difference with a teaspoon of chia seeds.

For example: 

If I usually eat a 3 egg omelet for breakfast, I would change it up, eat 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of omelet.

Usually when you eat chia seeds, you’ll likely experience:

• Fullness rather quickly. This is because chia seeds are again a high satiety food.
• You feel fuller for longer. Many foods leave you hungry after a few hours.

Chia seeds are also used by celebs. Recently Tom Arnold reported losing 90 pounds in 9 pounds after following a very strict diet and adding chia seeds to the mix. Full story. 

Pros:

• High satiety food.
• Carry a lot of health benefits.
• Last pretty long.

Cons:

• Can be expensive depending on where you buy them from.

Chia Seeds Score:

4 out of 5 stars. Great food for weight loss/health improvement. See #1 rated diet.

How diets are rated.

Conclusions on Chia Seeds:

Whether or not you want to use them for weight loss purposes, chia seeds are still a great addition to your current lifestyle. The benefits they carry make them worth trying at least once. 

I personally use chia seeds on an almost daily basis and I like them a lot. If I have no time to eat, I just eat a few spoon fulls and I’m off. Since they expand in the stomach several times, this makes me feel very full and provides me with energy. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gluten Free Diet is a very popular approach to treating celiac disease as well as losing weight. If you’re considering this diet, here are the basics of the plan you should know before you try it. 

The Basic Idea:

The Gluten Free diet is primarily designed to help get rid of celiac disease, a condition in which too much gluten prevents the intestines from absorbing nutrients from food. Additionally too much gluten has been associated with weight gain and negative health conditions because the blocking of absorption of nutrients can lead to inflammation which if left unchecked can cause a host of other problems and illnesses to arise. 

The primary focus of the gluten free diet is just as the name states: Avoid eating anything with gluten. Doing so will help provide weight loss, in some cases rather quickly, an improvement in energy and more stamina. To complete a gluten free diet, one must basically eat foods with no gluten. Usually labels with gluten free are the best indication of which foods you can eat and nowadays more and more foods are becoming gluten free, allowing for more leeway to dieters. 

What is gluten? 

Gluten is a type of protein you can find in ingredients like wheat. It is found and used in many foods and even cosmetic products.  

Gluten free doesn’t always = good for you

Just so we’re clear, there’s a lot of gluten free foods which are unhealthy for you. The point being is just because a food is labeled gluten free doesn’t automatically make it good for you. Ideally, if you’re going to do this plan, you’ll want to stick to foods that are traditionally associated with the diet, although there are flexible variations available if you already don’t have conditions for which the gluten free diet is designed for.

A List Of Gluten Free Foods:

Meat, fish, poultry (clean, not marinated, or coated with ingredients to spice up the taste).

• Fruits.
• Vegetables.
• Beans.
• Nuts.
• Dairy products (not all, check labeling).
• Eggs (organic preferably).
• Quinoa (a type of rice).
• Flaxseeds.

Although this is broad, you’ll find a lot more foods within each group once you delve into it. Additionally…

A List of Gluten Foods you should avoid (unless labeled gluten free)

Anything with wheat typically. A recent diet called Wheat Belly really went in-depth into this approach to dieting and basically summarized it’s main point that if you wanted to get healthy and lose weight, just get rid of wheat in your diet entirely. Though it has some cons, the overall point was correct.

However if you’re looking to do a traditional gluten free diet, just cutting out wheat isn’t going to do it. There’s a lot more things you need to avoid. Here are the most important:

• Ingredients with wheat, barley, rye. 
• Anything with white flour. We’re talking cakes, cookies, candy, crackers, chips, bread.
• French fries.
• Cereal.
• Dressing (for salad).
• Sauces & most condiments.
• Pasta.
• Beer. 

A lot of products including flour carry these ingredients. Your best bet is to read the labeling on each product. If the ingredients mentioned above are not there, or the term gluten free is used, you’re good to go. Again just because something is gluten free doesn’t mean it’s automatically healthy. For example, eating gluten free cake doesn’t mean, it’s not loaded with sugar and other ingredients that aren’t good for you. 

Is the Gluten Free Diet For Everyone? 

For most people this type of diet, although effective is not easy to do. You’re going to have to give up a lot of common foods you’re used to and sustaining this sort of lifestyle can be difficult, but it’s still an excellent way to improve health and lose weight. As a rule of thumb, if you get rid of wheat in your diet, you should see/feel some very noticeable and positive changes within a few weeks.

Pros:

• Great way to lose weight.
• Improves overall health.
• Advocates eating foods that are healthy for you.

Cons:

• Not easy to do.
• Easy to mix up foods which are/aren’t gluten free.

Gluten Free Diet Score:

3.5 out of 5 stars. Very solid diet and worth trying, though not easy to do. Health & wight loss benefits. See #1 rated diet.

How diets are rated.

Conclusions on the Gluten Free Diet:

If you have celiac disease, this diet will help you a lot. This diet has also been noted to help people with yeast infections as yeast absolutely loves gluten. In those scenarios, this diet is ideal. It’s also great for weight loss and improving health.

Although it isn’t easy to do, the foundations on which it’s based on are pretty solid and worth giving it a shot. If you don’t have any of the major conditions above for which this diet is ideal, you may find this diet to be difficult to do at times in which case you can try to be more flexible about it. Like I said before, as a rule of thumb, avoid products with wheat and you’ll be off to a good start.

As demanding as this diet can be, it has moments and flexible variations you can try if need be. If you’re not a long term planner or feel this isn’t a diet you can do, you can also do what’s known as a Master cleanse, which will greatly help improve health & get you great weight loss results in a short time, though the process isn’t simple.

My final word on the subject is basically this:

If you have a yeast infection of the celiac disease, you should do the gluten free diet. 

If you don’t have those conditions but are looking to lose weight faster, I would instead recommend this diet as a better alternative. It is the #1 rated diet on this website because of it’s speed and flexibility. 

Overall the gluten free diet is great, but like every diet, it has holes and isn’t ideal for certain groups of people. For those situations you already know which alternatives are better suited.