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What you eat and what you do can influence your hormones dramatically. When this happens you can either gain weight or lose weight. Avoid these key areas to make sure you lose weight with your healthy weight loss diet. Don’t take for granted just how powerful hormones like these are in determining your weight loss success.

This one hormone that can cause so many problems is called Cortisol. Excess cortisol will stimulate your appetite and prompt more calories to be stored as fat, so it is very influential in your weight loss plan. These are 2 things you don’t want when trying to follow a healthy weight loss diet. Cortisol also increases protein breakdown within the muscle, which means a slower metabolism and less calories burned. A key to successful weight loss is keeping your metabolism running at a fast rate so that you are always burning calories.

It decreases glucose utilization and increased insulin resistance, which means the glucose or sugars in your body are not used for energy as much as they should be. Instead they float around and eventually get stored as fat. This is strike two against your healthy weight loss diet and healthy eating plans.

One thing that directly increases cortisol is stress. Stress is the culprit in increasing cortisol levels and resistance to insulin and leptin. Stress can come from work issues, family issues, medical problems and even unhealthy foods. Higher cortisol levels come from stress-induced insulin resistance and increased leptin. Well, when you have higher cortisol levels your leptin and insulin resistance get worse. It is a vicious cycle that keeps feeding on itself until you are overweight or obese. Despite all your healthy eating plans and healthy diet plans if stress is dominating your life then your healthy weight loss diet may be for nothing.

Those with extra fat in your belly, a round face, high blood sugars or high blood pressure most likely have elevated cortisol levels. These are tips for how to lower your cortisol levels.

Eat every few hours. When you wait longer than five hours between meals your body may start to release extra cortisol, which then increases your appetite. By eating every few hours not only are you going to keep your cortisol levels low you are going to stimulate other hormones that help you feel full for a longer period of time and reduce that urge to keep eating. Also, eat lean protein at every feeding opportunity to trigger certain hormones that will help you to eat less food and burn more calories.

Of course you need to make sure that you also control your stress as I have discussed how important this is to controlling your cortisol levels. Reduce stressors in your life, set a regular sleeping schedule, and get plenty of exercise to maximize the benefits of your healthy weight loss diet.

Jayson Hunter is a Registered Dietitian with more than 10 years of experience helping people breakthrough and discover a healthier life. Learn more powerful nutrition tips at healthy eating guidelines.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/why-cortisol-destroys-your-healthy-weight-loss-diet-1768404.html

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Though we most often hear about protein with regards to people who want to build muscles, the truth off the matter is that protein is important to you no matter what your fitness goals are! As a matter of fact, we hear so much about the important of protein to the process of “bulking up” that we often find that we forget about how important it is to the process of losing weight and getting healthy as well. Take some time to make sure that you know what you need to know about this important food component.

The first thing that you need to know is the fact that protein is made of amino acids. While our bodies do produce amino acids, there are amino acids that our bodies do not produce and therefore must get from other sources. Protein that comes from animal sources like meat, milk and eggs are known as complete proteins because they have all the amino acids that we need. The proteins that come from plants are incomplete, but vegetarians can get a full complement of the protein that they need by eating a number of different vegetables.

What does protein do and why do you need it? Essentially, protein is what your body needs to repair tissues that have been damaged and to build new cells. When you are not getting the protein that you need, you will find that you constantly feel fatigued or you might notice that injuries take a longer amount of time to heal. If you are someone who is doing something strenuous, you will find that you are tearing your muscles on a regular basis, even if the tears are small. Protein will help you repair those tears and help you build muscle as well.

The truth is that there are many ways that protein can help you lose weight. In the first place, it will improve the functionality of your muscles, allowing you exercise more efficiently. Similarly, good amounts of protein in your diet will improve your antioxidant function as well as improve your immune system. One of the most powerful ways in which protein can be used to help you lose weight is because it helps you feel full. When someone eats enough protein, they actually dispel hunger pains.

The best sources of protein include milk, eggs, and lean meats, but you can also get protein through things like rice, almonds, lima beans and peanut butter. Even if you end up putting on more muscle, you are going to be losing a fair amount of fat as you work out, making for a slimmer silhouette.

Take some time and consider how protein is entering your life and what you can do to get a balanced amount of it! Try to add a palm sized portion of lean protein to each meal throughout the day. This will help keep the hunger away and will help optimize hormonal balance that will stabilize blood sugar and keep you burning fat!

Monty is a personal trainer in Wilmington NC specializing in Wilmington NC fitness training.Wilmington NC personal training.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/protein-just-may-be-the-missing-link-to-your-fitness-and-weight-loss-success-1534549.html

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A healthy diet menu is something that most people know they SHOULD be incorporating. More than likely you know what sort of items comprise a healthy diet menu, too. The problem is putting it all together and consistently eating healthy the majority of the time. I say “the majority of the time” because you do need to live a little. Everyone should have an occasional indulgence. I’m not the diet dictator. Even I’ve been known to scarf down a handful of potato chips to squelch a PMS-induced salty craving. Hey, I’m only human!

3 Simple Steps to Organize A Healthy Diet Menu

These are some really easy ways to follow a healthy diet menu:

Step 1: Sit down and map out what you’ve got in the fridge or what you need to buy to plan out your meals for the whole week. You plan so many other things in your life. Spending 15 minutes to sit down and create your menu for the week is no big deal. This is the start of a healthy lifestyle. There’s even a show on the Food Network that helps you plan out easy healthy meals for a week with minimal time and ingredient preparations. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of it. I think it might be Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller. She has a recipe book, too.

Step 2: Avoid processed and packaged foods. You’ve got to realize that while a lot of these “items” (I can’t really classify them as food) are tasty, they have ingredients which actually work against your weight loss success. Even the ones that are low fat or low calories. I know they now have these little bags in 100 calorie servings. The problem is that it’s still 100 calories of crap that you don’t need. Your body gets nothing beneficial. I used to use the Rice-a-Roni(mmm, chicken “flavored”) out of the box. Then when I discovered that it was filled with preservatives and junk (duh! Of course it is) I made the switch to buying a nice, pure rice. Plus, it’s cheaper. For convenience, look for one that doesn’t take an hour to cook. And no, minute rice does not count. NO enriched white rice. Jasmine or basmati varieties are healthful and taste good. I’ve found some that take only 15 minutes to prepare.

Step 3: Incorporate variety! A wide array of brightly colored fruits and vegetables can make following a healthy diet menu, fun, pretty, and tasty. Blueberries and broccoli are considered “super foods” because of all their wonderful health benefits.

The goal of a successful healthy diet menu is to be well balanced and increase your intake of vital minerals, vitamins, and other necessary nutrients. You’ll feel more energized and start looking trimmer in no time. Plus, it’s just a great thing to do for yourself and your family.

Jennifer is a caring, real-world weight loss coach, specializing in assisting busy women with quick and easy weight loss. If you have tried every diet gimmick and exercise program with little to no lasting success, check out the $176 gift certificate at http://www.quick-weight-loss-success.com

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The fuel that you put into your body is important. In fact, it’s the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. Without nutritious and healthful foods, you can exercise for hours on end each day without making a bit of progress. The right foods are crucial to your weight loss success. Consider for a moment that your body is much like a car. You’d never fill the gas tank with water or some other liquid, right? Your car, of course, wouldn’t run properly if you did. Why is your body any different? Well, it isn’t, and this is why you must also fill your body with proper fuel to ensure that it functions well. If you fill your body’s tank with cookies, cakes, and ice cream, you’ll be building up gunk in your body’s engine. Instead, you should eat clean burning fuel to help your body function best. This means you’ll want to consume quality sources of lean protein, good carbohydrates, and plentiful green veggies. Healthy weight loss requires that your engine run smoothly. In order to achieve this, you’ll have to eat the right kinds of foods at the right times. Healthful lean proteins include lead red meats, skinless chicken breast meat, fish, and egg white or whole-egg substitutes. Carbohydrates have a bad reputation, but you should eat the good, fibrous ones instead of the processed, sugar laden kind. Good carbs include whole grain cereals, breads, pastas, brown rice, oatmeal, and potatoes, among many others. Green veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, spinach, and many others round out a nutritious diet. Now that we’ve covered what to eat, let’s talk about proportions. Eating these different macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) in the right proportions is important for weight loss. There are a couple of different approaches to take. Depending on your appetite and your need to sate your hunger, you could eat three equal fist-size servings of lean protein, good carbs, and green veggies. Or, for faster weight loss, half of your plate can be green veggies with protein and carbs making up one-fourth each. Not only do you need to know what to eat and in what proportions, but knowing when to eat them is just as crucial for weight loss. The ideal is to eat 6 meals spread evenly throughout the day every 2 to 3 hours. This provides your body’s engine with a consistent supply of nutrients for optimal functioning and fat burning. It promotes a feeling of well being, and helps you lose weight more easily. Finally, don’t overlook the importance of drinking water. Drink a large 12 ounce glass of water with each meal. This is important to keep food moving through your digestive tract. As a precaution, check with your doctor before you begin a new weight loss or fitness regimen.

Dan Clay is a renowned Sydney personal trainer, boot camp instructor & real world fat loss expert. For more information on his boot camp CBD, boot camp Coogee Beach or boot camp Coogee visit our website.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/healthy-weight-loss-a-whole-body-tune-up-956463.html

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No matter how peaceful your nature, when it comes to the battle of the bulge, you have to put up a good fight. In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized world, maintaining a healthy weight can be hard enough, and healthy weight loss can be a real struggle. The abundance of fad diets and “quick-fix” plans that tempt and confuse us and ultimately usually do not work.

Weight management not only makes you look and feel better, it influences your future health. A healthy weight decreases your chances of developing serious health risks such as heart disease or diabetes.

If your last diet attempt wasn’t a success, or life events have caused you to gain weight, don’t be discouraged. The key is to find a plan that works with your body’s individual needs so that you can avoid common diet pitfalls and instead make lasting lifestyle changes that can help you find long-term, healthy weight loss success.

Lifestyle Change – Permanent weight loss is not something that a “quick-fix” diet can achieve. Instead, think about weight loss as a permanent lifestyle change. You are making a commitment to your health for life. Various popular diets can help to jump-start your healthy weight loss, but permanent changes in your lifestyle and food choices are what will work long term.

Find a cheering section – Social support means a lot. Programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers use group support to impact weight loss and lifelong healthy eating. Seek out support, whether in the form of family, friends, or a support group, so that you can get the encouragement you need.

Mercy Maranga Reports on Health and Fitness issues. Visit Her Site here for more information on weight loss and its management Weight Loss Plan

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/healthy-weight-loss-886172.html

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