Article by Tatianna (c) LovingFit.com - Read full story here.

A friend of mine recently started a high protein diet and asked me how much carbs he should consume. While I gave him a generic answer, here’s a guest post by JC which explains low carb diets and how you should go about it if you wish to try it out to achieve your healthy weight loss goals.

Just as numerous diet plans have emerged in the markets, myths regarding low carb diets have increased also. Those who plan specific dieting techniques tend to ignore some of the essential facts and theories associated with them.

Consider the health of those who prefer egg, steak, bacon, burgers to dominate their diet. Don’t be surprised if they are plagued with lots of health complications. Against popular beliefs, low carbohydrate diets, when not implemented properly, can really be bad for you.

Now, let’s take a little more balanced and sensible look at this type of eating program. Take note: there are two important things that contribute to the success of dieting.

The first step is to discover the capabilities and limitations of your metabolism, while the second step involves monitoring the type of food you eat. However, the effects of low carb dieting might have more to do with your genetic type and body and have less to do with what you consume. If a low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet have left you feeling hungry and bad-tempered, then perhaps low-carb, high protein diet might be more suited for you.

A diet which is low in carb might be unhealthy or healthy, depending on how you practice it. Ignore preconceived ideas like the Atkins Diet, which suggests one to abandon all kinds of fruits and vegetables. It is only a myth.

No recognized low carb eating programs recommend that you live completely on eggs and bacon for a month. The sad truth is that some people are eating lots of unhealthy, refined carbohydrates, filled with refined white flour and sugar. To decrease our overall intakes of these kinds of foods is to start a healthy progress towards lower carb eating.

Let’s presume that you have just discovered your compatibility with the protein category. This does not signify that you should mostly eat highly processed products with little fruit and vegetables and poor quality meat. As much as possible, eat the best quality food.

One who engages in this particular diet should prioritize the purchasing of good, locally supplied organic products. Avoid processed foods. In your cooking, use cold-pressed coconut or olive oil; carbohydrates you consume must be full of flavor and nutrients, not sugar.

The top secret to all eating programs is to properly read about them first. Be sure you recognize how they affect your health; purchase what you want and only then really begin your diet – whether it is a low carb, high carb or that no carb diet myth.

Four years ago for about 3 months, I performed a major cleanse (read: A Safe Enlightening 3 Day Fast, An Easy, Gentle Cleanse for a First-Timer and 5 Steps to Losing 25 lbs in 3 Months) and it felt fantastic! However, when I continued a vegetarian diet, my energy levels were low and I was irritable. I realized for my body type, I need lots of protein in my diet.

If you’re wondering, I suggested to my friend to incorporate at least 35-40% complex carbs in his meals while on his high protein diet. But of course, I’ll be sending him this blog post. Do you know your preferred diet based on your body type?

Related posts: Six All-Round Health, Fitness and Diet Tips Determining the Best Diet for You Which Diet is Best For You? (Free Online Tool!)

Article by Head Health Nutter (c) Live Lighter | Healthy Lifestyle Blog - Read full story here.

Just because you eat gluten free, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a Valentine’s Day dessert. This decadent treat comes from the new cookbook, Straight from the Heart, by Taos chef and owner of Graham’s Grille, Lesley B. Fay.

Her 224-page cookbook includes recipes for appetizers, soups, salads and dressings, sandwiches, entrees and desserts; butters and spices and resources, shortcuts and tips.

Lesley’s flourless cake stands out due to its unique combination of espresso and merlot wine. Make sure to double check that ingredients like baking powder and vanilla are gluten free. The cake is best if it’s made the day before. Since it makes 16 cakes, you can put a few aside for midnight munchies after the fun on Valentine’s Day (hint, hint) or for the kids.

Makes 16 individual cakes.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Makes two cups.

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Picture courtesy of Lesley B. Fay.

Valentine’s Day: Flourless Chocolate Torte with Cr

Article by Anne-Marie Nichols (c) This Mama Cooks! On a Diet™ - Read full story here.

Article by Crabby McSlacker (c) Cranky Fitness - Read full story here.

Article by Tatianna (c) LovingFit.com - Read full story here.

We have been crazy for scones around my house lately. I just can’t get enough of them. I’ve been making a few batches every week. I love them with coffee in the morning, or as a snack in the afternoon. They even make a great snack for my son’s lunchbox. I’ve been making lots of different flavors, and these tangerine and mixed fruit scones are my latest creation.(...)Read the rest of Mixed Berry Tangerine Scones (77 words)

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Article by Angie (c) Eclectic Recipes - Read full story here.

Cycling bikes, like many things, have changed drastically over the years, and for the better. Cycling bikes, like this one here, are a lot more versatile than you may think,and with a realm of benefits, are the perfect tool for the cyclist in the offseason, or the everyday exerciser.

Aerobic Endurance

We all know cycling has it’s benefit in strengthening our legs, but there is of course an aerobic side of cycling as well. With numerous benefits for your cardiovascular health, starting your own cycling program at home can help strengthen your heart and lung capacity.

Weight Loss

When it comes to cardio equipment and burning calories, cycling bikes may take the cake (which is better than you taking the cake.) Part of the reason is that it can be relatively easy to fall into a rhythm on a cycling bike. The important part is to make sure that rhythm is productive. Many cyclers (the people, not the bikes) follow programs that allow you to burn 500 calories or more in 30-40 minutes.

Muscle Building

We touched on this earlier, and it’s no secret. Cycling is a tried and true way to build muscle strength and stamina. On top of that, one of the best things about cycling (compared to other equipment) is that it is a low-to-non impact exercise. That means less stress on your joints, which will really benefit you in the long run.

Convenience Factor

Of course there are more benefits to owning a cycling bike than just improving your health. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the fact that cycling bikes are super convenient. The V350 cycling bike, for example, comes with integrated transport wheels, and with it’s compact design, doesn’t take up too much space.

If you were hesitant about buying a spinner because you thought they were dated, you were right. Spinning is a tool that’s been used for centuries. No wonder. At the end of the day, it’s still one of the best (and easiest) ways to get a quality workout.

Article by Smooth Fitness (c) Smooth Fitness Exercise Blog - Read full story here.

How was your Super Bowl Sunday? Did you watch the game? I’ve never been a Super Bowl fanatic and typically pay more attention to the commercials than the game, but we had a few friends drop by our place yesterday and it was one of my favorite Super Bowls. The game didn’t really excite me, but the company and snacks (including Liz’s Creamy Hummus and Stephanie’s pimento cheese dip) were amazing!

popchips made an appearance! I love these because they’re baked and not greasy, but still crunchy and flavorful like regular chips. Bbq is my favorite flavor, then the salt & vinegar.

I also tried out the Eat Clean Vegetarian Chili. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great It will definitely be my new go-to veggie chili recipe.

We “watched” the Super Bowl, snacked, took shots of Jesse’s homemade kombucha and then had a hot sauce tasting. Totally normal Super Bowl activities.

Moving on, have you seen the new Chobani flavors?

2% Passion Fruit, 0% Blood Orange and 0% Apple Cinnamon. <– All are delicious!

I’ve always loved Chobani but now that they’ve come out with an Apple Cinnamon flavor I love them even more – it’s like appie pie yogurt and it’s definitely my new favorite! As for the other new flavors, the blood orange is next on my list, then the passion fruit. The passion fruit it the most interesting because it has the little seeds in it for a fun crunch.

I’ve been eating the yogurt on it’s own, topped with granola or in recipes like Janetha’s Apple Pie A La Mode Smoothie.

I’ve also been making fruity overnight oats.

This little combo of Apple Pie Overnight Oats is a winner:

I mixed everything together in a bowl and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I topped the oats with a little Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight for a delicious breakfast. Chobani + Love Grown Foods granola = match made in heaven.

I was sent a case of the new flavors to review from Chobani, but per the usual the review is my honest opinion. And, despite being sent the case I’ve already gone to Kroger twice to buy more of the Apple Cinnamon. It’s that good.

The best part is that Chobani has also offered to giveaway a case of the new flavors to one EBF reader. Just leave a comment with which flavor you’re most excited to try to win. I’ll announce the winner this Friday.

Article by Eating Bird Food (c) Eating Bird Food - Read full story here.

Well you’re in luck, because in this post I am going to explain what gluten is, and find out whether this actually matters for the general population (you and me) or whether it is just another form of nonsense and hype.

Alright, let’s start by explaining what exactly Gluten is.

Well, gluten is a protein, composed of two different amino acid sequences called Gliadin and Glutenin.

Gluten is found naturally in certain types of grains, and by far the largest source of gluten in the modern diet is from wheat. Other grains related to wheat also contain it, including rye, barley, spelt, kamut, emmer, einkorn and triticale.

There is one special feature that makes it very popular for baking and as a food additive.

This is the fact that it can form a sticky “cross-linking network”.

Actually, the name gluten is derived from this “glue”-like feature, and you will know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever held wet dough in your hands.

When gluten forms these cross-links, it can bind water and air, allowing bread products to rise during baking.

This protein is often used to give foods a certain stability and texture, and may be found in products like Ketchup and Ice Cream (among others).

Therefore, if you want to avoid gluten then you better start reading ingredient labels.

Other grains, such as oats, do not contain gluten in their natural forms, although they are often contaminated with small amounts of it.

I’m going to guess that you’ve heard of celiac disease at some point. Let me clarify what that is.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when gluten in the diet causes a massive reaction by the immune system, which can lead to a degenerated intestinal lining, impaired nutrient absorption, diarrhea, weight loss, gas, fatigue and many other symptoms.

Basically, the body’s immune system attacks the intestine. Pretty bad stuff. Celiac disease is believed to affect about 1% of the population. Not that common.

However, there is a broader term known as “Gluten Sensitivity“, which encompasses the various symptoms that susceptible individuals experience when consuming gluten. Gluten sensitivity may affect 6-12% of the population. Pretty common.

But what if you don’t have either celiac disease (phew) or gluten sensitivity?

Should you still give a crap about gluten?

Well, unfortunately, I’m going to have to answer that question with a “yes”, because a few scientific studies do in fact show that otherwise healthy people may have adverse reactions to gluten.

In one study, 15 people (that didn’t have celiac disease) were placed on a diet supplemented with 40g of gluten for 6 weeks, and examined before and after.

The gluten supplemented diet caused degeneration of the lining of the small bowel, which is responsible for nutrient absorption in the digestive tract. There was also an increased concentration of lymphocytes (immune system cells).

This study suggests that gluten may cause harmful structural changes in the digestive tract of people that do not have celiac disease.

The second study is a lot more interesting. It is a randomized controlled trial (the gold standard) with 34 non-celiac individuals. Half the group ate a gluten free diet, the other half didn’t.

It turned out that the gluten group experienced worse symptoms of pain, bloating, stool consistency and tiredness. These individuals didn’t show markers for celiac disease, indicating that gluten may cause symptoms in people that are otherwise in good health.

A third study I found indicates that out of 6 healthy individuals tested, 5 of them had an immune reaction in the intestine to gluten.

Do you often feel tired?

Do you ever have problems with digestion?

These are pretty common.

If you have experienced these symptoms before but never associated them with any particular food and your doctor doesn’t have a clue, then you owe it to yourself to check whether you are gluten sensitive or not.

The simplest and most effective way to do that is to go completely gluten free (no cheating) for 30 days, then reintroduce gluten to your diet and see if you experience any adverse effects.

If you do, then perhaps gluten is something you should avoid.

P.S. To download my free weight loss e-book and sign up for email updates:

Article by Kristjan (c) Kris Health Blog - Read full story here.

This week’s featured download for your iPod is Cathe’s entire STS Discount Bundle- $199.97 (Download the entire STS Strength video series, plus the STS Users’ Guide!)…But hurry this special is for a limited time only and will end on Sunday, Feb 12th. Use coupon code “DD30″ when prompted and save 30% off the regular price.

Article by CatheDotCom (c) Cathe Friedrich» STS Discount Bundle | Blog - Read full story here.