Here are the top two meals to a healthier you:

Most Important Start to Your Day: Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It can set the tone for your mood throughout the rest of the day, so it’s a good idea to start it off right! A great recipe for this meal is the Portobello Mushroom Benedict with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. First, bake mushroom caps on an oiled baking sheet for 10-12 minutes on 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, sauté garlic and spinach in olive oil for 3-5 minutes, then add lemon juice, lemon zest, and nutmeg. In a blender combine roasted red peppers (finely chopped), capers, parsley, and reduced fat mayonnaise (optional). Distribute the spinach onto the mushrooms, then a poached egg, the roasted red pepper sauce, and finally some Parmesan cheese. While calories are not important, this sums up at about 253, not bad for a filling meal!

Lunch/Dinner

Lunch and dinner are two meals that people expect to be big and filling. If you want something to fill you up, be sure to try this healthy version of a classic Chinese food, Sesame Peanut Noodles.

Use whole wheat spaghetti as the pasta and cook according to package instructions. For dressing, combine rice vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, peanut butter, grated ginger, dark sesame oil, brown juice, lime, and hot water in a bowl and whisk. Stir in noodles, and then add coleslaw mix, rep pepper, cilantro, apple, jicama, sesame seeds, scallions, and mix. Refrigerate for one hour. This delicious meal can serve as either a lunch or dinner, and weighs in at just 308 calories per serving.

Portion Control

Other than cooking healthy you must remember to always follow portion sizes given on recipes. For example, a serving size of pasta for the Sesame Peanut Noodles is ½ cup. This may seem like a small amount to you, but it’s just the right amount of pasta your body needs. If you cook healthy meals but consume more than necessary, you will not be making any major differences to your health.

Fiber Diets

The trend for high fiber diets has steadily increased over the last few years. The health benefits include increasing the bulk in the colon so that excretion passes smoothly. However, the other health benefit is that dietary fiber, the part of the plant that goes undigested in the stomach and small intestine, provides nourishment to the good bacteria found in the colon.  Due to its health benefits, it is important to consume a diet high in fiber. Generally, 23-35 grams, is considered an adequate daily consumption of dietary fiber.

So why is fiber so important to the colon? Well, the colon functions to complete the digestive process. One way it accomplishes this is by removing excess water that was not absorbed in the small intestine. Thus, it helps prevent diarrhea.  The bacteria found in the colon is responsible for helping prevent this as well as producing vitamins and enzymes, enhancing the immune system, controlling cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and preventing certain cancers. The bacteria in the colon also produce a preventative effect to the development of colon cancer. Thus, it follows that by consuming good dietary fiber and increasing the number of good bacteria in the colon, you can decrease your risk for colon cancer.

Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet offers a different approach to weight loss, limiting certain carbohydrates from one’s diet in an effort to improve metabolism and minimize fat storage.

The way that the Atkins diet is set up, is that it reduces the number of carbohydrates that you intake as carbohydrates are often converted into fat storage. When simple carbohydrates-cakes, biscuits, candy, soft drinks, etc.-are consumed, they release an insulin response that converts calories to fat more quickly. The plan requires that simple carbohydrates be eliminated from a diet to reduce fat gain. Instead of focusing on carbohydrates and grains as a source of vitamins and minerals, the diet focuses on meat protein and vitamin supplementation.

Conclusion

The best diet possible is a lifestyle change that will last forever and not just for a certain period. It is recommended to consume 60% of calories as carbohydrates, optimally grains, 25% from protein, and 15% from fat. Maintaining a well-balanced diet is crucial to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Regardless of the diet plan you chose, you need to ensure that it is the right diet plan for you and your lifestyle. The best way to ensure that you engage in the right diet is to discuss your plans with a health professional.

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In reality, losing weight, no matter how much or how little really does a lot for changing your life. However, it’s important to realize that in order to build confidence, weight must be lost through a healthy method.

The only way to lose weight is the right way. This means slowly reducing your caloric intake week by week.

Completing cutting down your caloric intake from one day to the next will only shock your body and not allow you the time necessary to adjust to the decrease in calories.

By not adjusting, your body will fight the decrease in calories and will send messages to your mind full of cravings for unhealthy food choices.

The other factor necessary for proper weight loss is the consumption of plenty of water. You need at least 8 cups of water a day for proper body functioning. Plenty of water will also help ward off hunger.

In thinking of other ways to lose weight other than food intake you first think of physical activity. To prevent injuries during exercise, your body needs to stay hydrated.

By lowering your caloric intake and increasing water consumption and physical activity you are sure to lose weight. It will not be easy but the hard will pay off. Ultimately, you will feel that you have more energy, will feel better about yourself, and will then make healthier choices to maintain the positive feeling.

Losing weight is more than losing weight. It leads to a lifestyle change not just with behavior but on a psychological and emotional level as well.

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When carbohydrates are consumed the body uses it immediately as energy. However, the body can only digest and process a certain amount of carbohydrates at a given time.

When too many carbohydrates are consumed, instead of using it for energy, the body stores the excess as fat. Since excess carbs result in weight gain, it is logical to assume that less carbs can result in weight loss.

The reason why decreasing ones carbs results in weight loss is the simple fact that restricting carbs is a form of restricting kilojoules/calories, as long as there is not an overcompensation of calories from another fuel source (i.e. fat or protein).

For some people, seeing the results of weight loss when going on a low-carb diet is that the restriction becomes excessive. Restricting the body of this vital energy source means depriving the body nutrients needed to function and can result in metabolic disturbances.

While too many restriction will hurt your body, it’s important to note that you can properly lower the intake of carbs in a way in which weight loss is achieved but the body’s overall health is not compromised.

The first step is to identify good and bad carbs. Good complex carbs, natural carbs, are slowly processed and provide essential nutrients, allowing you to stay energized longer.

Good carbs include:

• Whole grain foods
• Oat bran
• Oatmeal
• Wild rice, brown rice
• Barley
• Sweet potatoes
• Vegetables
• Fresh fruits.

Bad carbohydrates choices include food made with white flour, white sugar, or artificial ingredients and sweeteners.

Try avoiding eating the following items:

• Sugary cereals
• Desserts
• White bread
• White pasta
• Potato chips

The next step is to realize that portion control is crucial to successful weight loss. When cooking with pastas, hot cereals, and other dry carbs, measure the portion size prior to cooking to obtain accurate measures of caloric intake. One serving of fruits or vegetables is equivalent to .5 cup to 1 cup.

The last aspect that is crucial to consider is what other energy sources are consumed in conjunction with carbohydrates. It is important to have a protein source when eating carbs. This will help steady blood glucose levels, meaning that energy will be sustained for longer and cravings for unhealthy foods and snacks are held off longer.

Overall, it’s important to completely understand how the body operates and will react to changes in food intake prior to making a change.

It is also important to consult with your doctor or trained health professional on the steps necessary to achieve successful weight loss for your body’s specific requirements.

Minimizing the intake of bad carbs is a great start, however, restricting all types of carbs without understanding each contribution to the body could be more harmful than beneficial.

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The popularity of high fiber diets has steadily increased over the last few years. The health benefits of a high-fiber diet include increasing the bulk in the colon so that excretion passes smoothly. However, the other health benefit is that dietary fiber, the part of the plant that goes undigested in the stomach and small intestine, provides nourishment to the good bacteria found in the colon.  Due to its health benefits, it is important to consume a diet high in fiber. Generally, 23-35 grams, is considered an adequate daily consumption of dietary fiber.

So why is fiber so important to the colon? Well, the colon functions to complete the digestive process. One way it accomplishes this is by removing excess water that was not absorbed in the small intestine. Thus, it helps prevent diarrhea.  The bacteria found in the colon is responsible for helping prevent this as well as producing vitamins and enzymes, enhancing the immune system, controlling cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and preventing certain cancers.

Fiber can help increase the number of bacteria found in the colon, which in turn helps to prevent colon cancer, a major health problem in the United States. Starting out as a colon-polyp, it grows over time until it becomes detected as cancerous. One of the theories as to why colon cancer is more prevalent in the Western countries is that many foods and grains are processed and contain carcinogens that attach to the colon wall. After extended exposure to this carcinogen, the colon becomes prone to colon cancer. Good fiber that is not processed with a high amount of fiber helps create bulkier and softer stool. Stools of greater size help to clear out the carcinogens along the colon wall.

The bacteria in the colon also produce a preventative effect to the development of colon cancer. Thus, it follows that by consuming good dietary fiber and increasing the number of good bacteria in the colon, you can decrease your risk for colon cancer.

Colon cancer is found to be partly genetic. However, this does not mean that you cannot make a dietary change that will increase your health benefit. The power to change your diet lies within you; it is up to you to decide what kinds of food to eat. Always remember, that when it comes down to it, the saying “you are what you eat” really is true.

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Here is a look at some of the top healthy online diets for August 2010.

• MediFast – With MediFast plans for men and women – with and without diabetes – MediFast has healthy diets for everyone. They also offer help and support – as little or as much as you might need.

The Medifast product changes lives by producing results. Our programs of support change lives by making sure you succeed… Because everyone has different goals and ways of learning, we offer you several support programs as you choose health with Medifast:

You may join our online MyMedifast community, and get connected with thousands of successful clients through discussions groups, blogs, and videos, plus free guides and tools to help you succeed.

You may enroll in Take Shape for Life, a Medifast support program that offers free Health Coaches who teach you the habits of a healthy lifestyle based on their own experiences with Medifast.

You may visit your local Medifast Weight Control Center for one-on-one counseling, a medical review, and tailored programs to reach your goals.

And, you may opt to work with your own medical practitioner and get support from someone who knows you and your medical history.

• NutriSystem – This is another healthy diet online that has been around since before the Internet became super popular. They have a lot of great resources available online for those looking to lose weight.

Nutrisystem, Inc. has been helping America get thin and healthy for over 35 years. Through its comprehensive weight loss program, Nutrisystem developed into a leader in the weight loss industry, and became a publicly traded company in October of 1999 (NASDAQ: NTRI).

In that same year, in conjunction with its network marketing division of nationwide consultants and direct sales, known as Nutrisystem Direct, the company launched its innovative website – www.nutrisystem.com – and paved the way for a new breed of weight loss company.

Live counseling, both online and via telephone, replaced traditional customer visits to brick-and-mortar centers, and created a new and extremely private way for people to deal with oftentimes difficult weight loss issues. Additionally, by way of online ordering, Nutrisystem could now deliver its quality food and meal programs directly to consumer doorsteps, providing them with a convenient and streamlined way to learn better eating habits and lose weight. Clients just log-on, decide on a recommended meal plan, order their food, and once it arrives, they’re ready to go. Nutrisystem also offers vitamins and dietary supplements to clients, to ensure that their customers receive proper nutrition while focusing on weight loss.

These are just two of the many healthy online diet programs available these days. If we missed your favorite, leave a comment below and let us know. If you have questions about online diets, we will do our best to answer it. When it comes to healthy online diets, there is a lot of bad information out there. Going with trusted brands that don’t make outrageous claims is one of the best ways to stay safe – and lose weight.

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Calorie Counting

Sometimes it is as simple as calories in versus calories out, but you need the right approach. The Volumetrics diet focuses on foods that are less dense in calories but take up a lot of space, so you feel full. You: On A Diet was co-written by Dr. Oz and takes a light hearted approach to simply explain how to reduce calories, while The Spectrum and Eating Well diets include by the numbers calorie patterns that you can chart and follow.

Mental Motivation

For those that have tried many diets and have had trouble sticking to them, there could be some deeper issues involving the relationship with food. The classic approach of Weight Watchers works off of support from others, offers a flexible points system, and keeps dieters accountable to a buddy. The Solution bills not as a diet, but as a way to find the root causes of emotional and behavioral overeating, while The Sonoma Diet trains people how to savor food, eat less, and have a healthier outlook on food in general. Another frequent guest from the Oprah show, Bob Greene, wrote The Best Life Diet which takes a realistic approach to making lasting lifestyle changes slowly so that they stick.

Exercise Focused

No matter how good your diet is, it is always important to include exercise in your plan. The Step Diet does this by helping dieters set walking goals in terms of number of steps per day and gives them techniques and tools to do this, such as the use of pedometers. The Structure House Diet actually was the highest rated diet, and it came from a weight loss clinic before it was a book. Its focus is filling your life with activities and enrichment that get you moving and take the focus off of food.

All of these top diets were selected because they have a well rounded approach, but each one excels in a different area. To be successful with them, the first step is being honest with yourself about what you can and cannot follow. Once you know that, you can choose a plan that fits those traits for a higher chance of success.

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