It is generally assumed that fats are potentially harmful elements as part of your diet. Which is true if consumed in great amounts. Like all the other food groups if used in moderation or as prescribed by the food pyramid (see previous article for information about the food pyramid) there are benefits by including fats in your diet. In fact fats are necessary to maintain proper health. Fats are stored by the body and are a major form of energy. If food becomes unavailable the stored fat is used as a secondary source by the body to provide energy and help prevent starvation.

Glycogen is the dominant form of the bodies carbohydrates supply but it cannot be stored in large amounts because it also holds lots of water, which is very bulky. This limits the supply of carbohydrates that are needed for energy. Fats, since there is no water can be packed together tightly and store more energy than glycogen in a less space.

Fat rich foods can be invaluable in many situations. Since one gram of fat supplies twice the calories of one gram of carbohydrates it supplies twice the energy or in such cases as hard physical labor or and when traveling in cold climates fats are transformed into energy in the form of heat. The major problem with fatty foods is the temptation to over indulge. The aroma and taste is normally enough to make you eat more than you should and your body stores the extra calories in the form of fat.

When should you stop eating? There’s what you might consider a grapevine running through the body, when something happens at one point a message is sent ahead saying what the next process should be. There are certain fats in food that slow digestion and send out a signal through the grapevine to the brain saying it’s time to quit eating. Fatty foods give a fuller feeling of satisfaction and when the stop-eating signal is ignored everything eaten beyond that point will again be stored as fat.

We cannot survive without some fat in our diet, a cushion of fat protects the vital organs of our body, and it acts like a shock absorber to prevent damage from knocks and bumps.
We are also protected from extremes in temperature by a layer of fat beneath the skin.

Many people are actually in fear of eating too much fat. Eating disorders such as gaining weight and anorexia are often associated with this fear. You have to realize that fat is a requirement of the body and in moderate amounts will keep it happy and healthy and rather than eliminating fat from your diet you should be choosing the type of fats you eat. Stay away from fast food, it is known for the notorious amounts of fats in the food. Concentrate more on the good fats such as those found in olive oil.

As with everything in your diet fats are a requirement of your body. Moderation is the key. A small amount of good fats each day will help you stay healthy.

7 Of The Best Diet Secrets Of The Stars

You see them in movies, television, Oscar nomination ceremonies and walking down the red carpet whenever a new movie makes it's debut. They always look sleek, well manicured and the picture of health with their perfect bodies and you probably wonder how can they always look so perfect. Well in most cases they don't look that way naturally, it takes a whole lot of effort to get and keep that appearance. Imagine if you were in the public eye everyday, wouldn't you be willing to do what it takes to look good, to be a larger than life presence? They have a following, a group of fans and they can't afford to let themselves go. It's their livelihood at stake. They wear nice clothes, have fabulous hairdo’s and makeup and most importantly they take good care of their bodies.

Looking good does take work; sitting in front of the TV with a pizza in one hand and a bag of candy in the other isn't the ideal situation for staying fit and trim. A lot of stars have actually developed their own little secret methods for looking good. Each has their own style for staying gorgeous. It could be a finely tuned diet or a specifically designed workout program. So if you want to start yourself on the road to a new sexy you I've compiled a list of seven women celebrates diet secrets to get you started.

1) This is the secret diet plan used by actress Jennifer Anniston: One of the stars of the very popular TV sitcom "Friends" her comic sense and her famous hairstyles mesmerize the viewers each time the program airs. She's a girl that everyone loves, she's appeared on numerous magazine covers and is also believed to have one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood. How does she keep that gorgeous body in shape? She uses the 40:30:30 diet method, which is:

1) 40% Low glycemic carbohydrates.
Such foods as fruits and vegetables, legumes, and
beans.
2) 30% Essential fats.
Fish, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
3) 30% Lean proteins.
Chicken, turkey, tofu, beef, low fat dairy products
and fish.

To obtain the balance of hormones and achieve maximum weight loss it is imperative that each meal should contain macro nutrients.

2) The beautiful daughter of Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson used a combination of diet and an exercise program. During her pregnancy she gained an incredible 60 pounds. She had to shed this weight in order to do her next film. Using this revised plan she lost all of the baby weight in just 4 months and developed abdominal muscles that were the envy of many people in Hollywood. She switched from her regular eating plan to a high protein plan. She ate high protein meals in smaller portions combined with an exercise plan including weight training and cardiovascular workouts.

3) Supermodel Christie Brinkley maintains a lifestyle that insures she keeps her all-American good looks and sumptuous figure. She is a full time vegetarian. She doesn't eat junk food; she doesn't keep any junk food in the house. By living this way she is never tempted to cheat and to satisfy any craving for sweets, she snacks on sweet potatoes instead of candy bars. If she ever has to drop a few pounds fast she simply goes on a strict liquid juice diet.

4) The material girl Madonna. The pop star with a body to die for. She is a true fitness paragon. She keeps that gorgeous body in great shape by practicing Ashtanga yoga, following a strict diet and adopted a macrobiotic eating plan which includes organic foods rich in lean protein, and of course avoids junk food almost totally.

5) You may find this hard to believe but the slim award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow actually needs to diet to keep off the extra weight. She follows a diet plan very similar to Oprah Winfrey's. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, avoiding sugar and white flour, eating foods such as vegetables, lean meat, and brown rice. She doesn't eat dairy products and her favorite exercise is yoga which she practices daily.

6) The beautiful and bodacious German model Claudia Schiffer eats only fruit from morning through the afternoon. For dinner she feasts on delicious steamed vegetables and salads. When away from home on location the delicacy she thrives on are black grapes and her choice of beverage is tomato juice or herbal tea.

7) We can't leave without bringing the secret diet tactics of one of the most well known ladies of today. Oprah Winfrey. Oprah fights a constant battle to maintain her weight. Millions of people watch Oprah almost every day and for this reason alone she needs to maintain her physical appearance. It's a hard battle; Oprah is known to be one of those celebrates who have a constant battle with weight gain. Now in her early fifties she recently toned up her figure by combining a regular exercise program and diet plan. She works out five times a week using free weights and a half hour trek on the treadmill. Her diet includes fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, low fat chicken and dairy products, and limited amounts of white sugar and flour. She also doesn't eat anything after seven in the evening. All this has worked really well for Oprah. She has never looked finer

Well as you can see there's no miracle cure. It takes hard work and determination to get that drop-dead gorgeous body. There is more pressure on celebrates because of who they are and what they do. But just because ordinary people are not in the spotlight doesn't mean they can't have celebrity type bodies. By using these diet plans combined with an exercise plan and determination they can have a body that is the envy of others.

What the heck is a Food Pyramid?

What the heck is a Food Pyramid?

The variety of both natural and highly processed foods available at the market is overwhelming so the US Department of agriculture designed what is known as the food pyramid. Why was this name chosen? Because that’s exactly what it is. It’s shaped in the form of a pyramid with labeled illustrations and it demonstrates the different groups of essential food types and how much should be consumed by a normal individual.

Food types that serve as a ready source of energy and are rich in starch and low in fat, which include pasta, bread, cereals and different types of grain form the base of the pyramid. As specified by the food pyramid a normal adult individual requires between six and eleven servings of these items every day. Of all the foods in this group whole grain are considered the best and the healthiest. As an example, a cup of cereal flakes, a slice of bread, one ounce of rice or pasta and one flat tortilla would be considered a single serving.

Vegetables and fruits are required in less quantity than carbohydrates according to the food pyramid. It specifies that a normal adult only requires three to five servings of vegetables and only two to four servings of fruits each day. Vegetables and fruits have high fiber content so this food group is a great help in keeping bowel movements regular.
They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, which helps boost immunity and overall health in general. Although fruit juice is acceptable, fresh fruit has many more benefits and should be chosen whenever possible and when it comes to vegetables go for the darker green vegetables.

Proteins and dairy products are the next step up the pyramid. The recommendation for a normal adult is two to three servings each day. Some sources of protein are eggs, beans, fish, lean meat and nuts. Whenever meat is used any visible fat should be removed. This will cut down the calories and you don’t want pure fat entering you body. Nuts also contain fat so they should be used moderately. Milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream fall into the dairy category. Without saying, Ice scream and cheese should not be eaten in high quantity since they both contain high fat content. Milk contains vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus and could be considered almost a complete diet all alone.

At the peak of the food pyramid are the fats, oils, and sweets. Any of these foods should be used sparingly. Other foods that fall into this category are cream, butter, margarine, candies, etc; the body has a hard time digesting any of these items so usage should be in moderation. They should not however be eliminated.. As with all the other foods in the pyramid they are an important part of ones diet.

Are Fad Diets For You

Most people suffering from weight problems sooner or later
are attracted to fad diets. The promise of quick weight loss
promised by these programs is directed at the emotions of
these people. They point out how a shapely physique will
gain the admiration of family and friends.


What do most fad diets promise? Loss of Weight in an
extremely short time, build up of self esteem, health
problems caused by excess weight and how you can feel
better by shedding the pounds and the impression that
your spouse and children will love you more. Fad diets
may give fast results but normally they aren't lasting
results. The fats remain and once the fad diet is given
up the body starts to renew its water storage and the
body quickly regains the weight that was lost.. Even
worse most of these fad diets can be really harmful to
your health.


Although you may think that fad diets are relatively
new they actually date back to the mid 19th century.
Such diets were prescribed to obese Londoners on an
experimental basis. Today there are more and more fad
diets being created and they are very popular with Teens,
young adults, and anyone else feeling they have a weight
problem.


Most fad diets stress the intake of carbohydrates should
be limited or completely eliminated from ones diet while
the intake of either fats or proteins should be increased.
The weight loss is achieved by the lack of carbohydrates.
In fact the rapid loss is due to the loss of water that
glycogen has stored. As glycogen levels diminish large
amounts of water stored in it are also lost causing the
impression of weight loss. The fats remain and once the
fad diet is given up the body starts to renew its water
storage and the body quickly regains the weight that was
lost.


Under normal conditions carbohydrates remain the source
of energy for work. When the carbohydrates are removed
as required by most fad diets the body starts to use the
bodies’ stored fat, breaking it down. Although this may
seem beneficial it really isn't. Fats cannot be completely
oxidized and put to work with a shortage of carbohydrates.
Under these circumstances the body begins to feel weak and
tired. Also, due to the fat breakdown ketone molecules
accumulate in the blood; these are then ejected from the
body in the urine which can lead to dehydration.


There are certain warning signs one should be aware of
since the effects of fad diets on the health can be
degrading. Beware and watch out for diets that:

1) Show before and after pictures
2) Offer weight loss testimonials
3) Limit or delete natural food choices
4) Require large sums of money
5) Offer quick weight loss


Fad diets are popular, they promise immediate results but
they can cause damage to your body. So pay attention to the
this warning:

Before beginning any weight loss or exercise program consult your doctor

He can tell you if its safe. Do this and it might just save
you a lot of grief later on.