You and I are going to be brave and we are finally going to get to know this word “Fats” and everything it entails, or at least we are going to find out more about it and take the fear out of FATS.

Every time I hear the word “fats”, I picture an obese person. Of coarse when we eat irresponsibly that is the extra weight that millions of Americans carry around and that millions of others constantly strive to either keep off or take off. It’s estimated that 30 million Americans from the ages of 20 to 75 are overweight with child obesity on the rise, particularly in those cases where children are constantly watching the boob-tube (television)or playing video games.

The diet industry in the United States has grown to over a billion (that’s with a “b”-billion)dollars and when you take ALL the diet plans, exercise clubs, books, magazines, exercise equipment, etc. into account, Americans spend nearly 10 billion dollars a year in unsuccessful efforts to permanently lose the weight. At any given time around 20 million persons are on some sort of weight loss program, and more than half will regain what they lost.

When I came across some of the statistics I was speechless. I learned that in the early part of the 20th century, the amount of fat in the average American diet totaled roughly 30 percent of the daily calories consumed, whereas now it has increased to about 45 percent. The average American now consumes about 155gms of fat every day and that’s too much.

Most all authorities on nutrition are advocating a diet with only 30 percent in fats in total calories consumed. So a person on a 2000 calorie per day diet would ingest about 67 gm of fats.  In China, the amount of fats in the diet is only 1/4 that of the American counter part which is a contributing factor to heart and colon diseases in the U.S.

Our dietary fat intake consists of foods that are high in fat content. Such things as saturated butters, creams, cooking oils and fatty meats. We also have the ‘hidden fats’ such as mixed in our foods like whole milk, luncheon meats, avocado, olives, nuts, cheeses, and chocolates.

Fats, like carbohydrates, are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but the amount of oxygen in the fat is much less than the amount of hydrogen and carbon. This is what makes fats a concentrated source of energy, providing more than twice the number of calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein.

Fats are made up of fatty acids and glycerol. The most common form of fat we store in over 90 percent of our bodies is called triglyceride.  These types of fats consists of three fatty acids connected to one molecule of glycerol. The predominant type of fatty acid contained in the fats determine its tastes and consistency, solid or liquid. There are approximately 20 different fatty acids in the foods we eat. Each fatty acid contains a long chain of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached to them.

When all the spaces in the chain are filled with hydrogen that is called a saturated fatty acid. When there are two spaces in the chain that can be filled with hydrogen that is called monounsaturated and if there’s more than two spaces in the chain that can be filled it’s called polyunsaturated fats.

Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature whereas monounsaturated fats are a more heavier oil consistency and polyunsaturated fats are usually liquid.

Logically when you think of each one of those different fats coarsening through your veins the more liquid the better, right? Because if it’s more solid it can clog up the arteries, and that’s not healthy.

And now that we know a little bit MORE about FATS.  I think it’s a little less intimidating, and knowing more about fats usually will take the fear out of fats, and start the next steps to a healthier you.

Jasmine Beaupre, author

So it is no surprise that these stars have their own secrets when it comes to staying fit and gorgeous. Their health agenda can range from extreme workouts to well-planned meals. Who doesn’t want to know their secrets in staying absolutely sexy? Here are some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.

1. Jennifer Aniston
The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers. To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:

40% Low glycemic carbohydrates
-Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes

30% lean proteins
-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products

30% essential fats
-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils

It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.

2. Kate Hudson
The gorgeous daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.

3. Oprah Winfrey
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the threadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are lowfat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah’s, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.

5. Madonna
The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.

6. Claudia Schiffer
The bodacious German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.

7. Christie Brinkley
Long-time supermodel maintains her all-American good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.

Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They need to maintain their figures just like anyone else, and there is more pressure on their part since they are constantly in the public eye. Ordinary folks can have celebrity-like bodies, too, and by following these diet and fitness plans, they can also look like red-carpet worthy.

Resources:

The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life

The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook

The South Beach Diet Cookbook: More than 200 Delicious Recipes That Fit the Nation’s Top Diet

In fact, it could even be described “outlandish” and
it’s pretty evident the weight loss and dieting
industry is never going to be quite the same again
after people have got their hands on this.

Karin Cooper, the author, has put together a
revolutionary fat loss system that only involves
natural foods and more importantly eliminates the need
to get bogged down with pills, drugs, ‘fad’ diets or
any of that nonsense.

She lost precisely 28 Pounds in 30 days using this
very formula and has laid out the exact steps you
need to follow, the exact food you need to eat and
how you can take advantage and achieve the same
results in an astonishingly short period of time.

I’ve read through everything (it’s powerful stuff)
and even though the plan is broken down into the finest
detail, this really is so simple to follow that even a
child could succeed with it.

The book is split into two separate sections.

The first is the methodology behind the diet which
explains what foods are included, the major problems with
other diets and a range of other essential and interesting
facts. This section comprises 12 very well written
chapters that taught me a heck of a lot about fat loss
and dieting. Stuff I’ve never heard of before.
(some of it extremely alarming!)

The second part of the book is the actual diet. I must
say, I’ve purchased and reviewed many weightloss products
in the past five years but nothing could have prepared me
for this. I have simply never seen a diet plan laid out
in such a brilliant way.

Each of the 8 days has food plans, instructions, timings
and is set out in such a way that it would actually be
extremely difficult to fail. I obviously can’t tell you
too many precise details about the plan, but after talking
to a number of different success stories, it is absolutely
evident that this really does deliver.

So overall, this is an astonishing piece of work and
something that everyone should get their hands on no matter
how much weight and fat they need to lose.

If you want to become noticeably slimmer in the next
72 hours, drastically thinner in the next week and then
achieve your optimum weight after just 30 days then go
there immediately.

Here’s the link

Fat Free Fast

269/365

I hit the 100lbs lost mark today! The photo on the left is from July 2007, and the photo on the right is from today, June 18, 2008. I started eating healthy and working out in October 2007 (see day 44) The difference is quite evident both physically and in the way I feel. I have ten pounds until I reach my overall goal, but I’m quite happy with hitting this milestone!

Author:dothezonk

Weight Loss Motivation

www.AndreaAlbright.com – Discover the motivation to lose weight.

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