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Importance of Vitamins in a Diet Plan to Lose Weight

With the changed life style, obesity has become a curse for most of the people. Obesity is the cause of many diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis etc. and people are looking for various ways to shed weight and become healthy and fit. A properly planned diet and set of exercises should be followed on regular basis to have effective weight loss. A diet plan to lose weight should have-
Less of carbohydrates and more of lean protein such as poultry products, nuts etc
Foods which are rich in omega-3 fats such as fish
Include green tea which is very effective in controlling the weight of the body
Drink honey and lemon juice
Spice up your foods with mint, black pepper, cinnamon which are very good at reducing weight
Carrot juice and bitter gourd juice if taken regularly are very effective in losing weight
Include fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet so that the body gets enough vitamins and minerals
Vitamins are needed in small amount to remain healthy. These are responsible to increase the body metabolism rate and because of which many people use vitamins for weight loss.

Here you will get to know about the vitamins for weight loss which could be included in the diet plan to lose weight.

Egg yolks, wheat germ and peanuts have choline which is useful in metabolizing fat
Include iodine which stimulates the thyroid gland and keeps a person healthier
Soy , eggs and nuts have Inositol which works with Choline to metabolize fat
A diet which has Chromium is a very helpful vitamin to lose weight as it processes carbohydrates and reduces the hunger in a person
You have to consume vitamins B2, B3, B5 and B6 as these are also helpful in body metabolism and can reduce body weight effectively. The good source are wheat bran, oats and eggs
Include those fruits in your diet plan to lose weight which is rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is helpful in converting the body glucose into energy and reduces the storage of body glucose. The good sources are broccoli, oranges, blackcurrants and strawberries.
Apart from all the foods mentioned above, one should also include food items which are rich in omega 3 and omega 6. A diet plan with all the weight loss foods and regular exercises could reduce weight effectively.

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What is Dukan Diet and its side-effects?

This article gives pertinent information about Dukan Diet and its side-effects

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Pierre Dukan, a French doctor and nutritionist, challenged with the case of obesity started to look for alternative ways in curing the illness. After 20 years of thorough research he published in the year 2000, a book called, “Je ne sais pas maigrir” or translated as, “I don’t know how to get slimmer.” It gained the best-seller in France after a year it has been published.
It was made a hit in UK when Kate Middleton, now the duchess of Cambridge, tried the Dukan Diet before her marriage to the beloved Prince William, she reportedly claimed a loss of two dress sizes. It also allegedly claimed to help five million French. The book is also gaining fame in the US in the year 2011 when actress/singer, Jennifer Lopez, lost pounds after her pregnancy by following this diet.
Dukan Diet: What is it? How does this work?
Dukan Diet is similar to the famous Atkins diet. Atkins and Dukan are much alike in terms of non-intake of carbs initially and do not require portion control or counting calorie consumptions. In Atkins, it requires net carbohydrate intakes and unlike Dukan, it suggests a daily intake of oats, increase water consumption and 20 minutes of everyday brisk walking. Dukan Diet adopts four phases namely: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization.
Four Phases of the Dukan Diet
Attack: In this starter phase, the dieter is only allowed take protein rich foods that are exquisitely low in fat. Dr. Dukan provided 72-item list of foods to be eaten, it excludes pork, lamb, poultry products and cheeses. Food should always be cooked but without adding any fat to it, it best to cook in grilling or roasting. It also requires you to eat 1 ½ tbsp. oat bran & 1.5 liters of water per day. This phase should be followed around 2-7 days or more. Results from this initial phase within 5 days may result in 4-7 lbs. loss. This phase promotes quick loss of weight since it is strictly based on a protein-only diet.
Cruise: Cruise, the second to the fourth phase of the Dukan diet scheme. During this phase dieters who were only allowed to eat protein-only foods can now alternate a 28-items of non-starchy vegetables. They may take attack phase diet for today and take non-starchy veggie diet for tomorrow, and so this phase must go on by alternating these two types of diet each day. This phase may last long enough as much as you want by reaching your desired weight and assuring 2 pounds per week loss.
Consolidation: As one achieves the desired weight, one has to go the next phase called Consolidation, this is the maintenance phase of this diet scheme where you have to prevent putting back excess pounds. The plan in this phase is less strict compared to the first two phases. During this phase you are permitted to eat protein-only and veggie diet along with a piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole grain bread and a portion of hard cheese. In this phase you are allowed to have 1-2 serving of starchy foods and one celebration meal per week. The phase of consolidation does not expect to loss off pounds but rather it is steadily the maintenance process.
Stabilization: Stabilization is the final phase and a life-long phase of the diet scheme. In here maintenance of the life-changing diet may be a challenging and tempting. During this portion of the scheme, one is already permitted to allow any food intake that a person wants and by also sticking to the diet rule in the consolidation phase. As Pierre Dukan suggest, that staying on the phase 1 rule once a week and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week lowers the chances of regaining weight.
Pros and Cons of Dukan Diet
Pros: The fast results of this diet scheme is beneficially rewarding and motivating. It allows you to have protein and veggie meal plan diets and does not require you to count off your calorie intakes.
Cons: It is highly restrictive and can exclude healthy foods. Dieters can experience side-effects such as symptoms of headaches, nausea, lethargy, irritable and loss of concentration. Dieters may acquire halitosis (bad breath), metallic tasting mouth and strong smell in their urines. For those people who have problems with their kidneys and liver are not advised to follow this diet plan. It is not also recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Views and Opinions by Health Experts on the Dukan Diet
There are lots of critics in this diet plan. Due to the restrictive type scheme of this diet, some fruits, grains and nuts which are healthy and have high amounts of vitamins and minerals that are vital to the nutrition of the body are eliminated. Keri Gans of American Dietetic Association, said that the lost amount of multivitamins that should be acquired from those restricted foods are not compensated in the Dukan diet. Experts have also criticized that experiencing such side-effects may not be healthy at all.

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Try These Easy Weight Loss Tips

Whether you have a little or a lot of weight to lose, it can seem daunting. Nowadays, we are inundated with stories of people who lose weight and gain it back again, or who find it difficult to lose weight at all. Over time, it’s easy to become convinced that weight loss just isn’t going to happen for you, or that it will require a total change of lifestyle. This just isn’t true, as these easy weight loss tips will prove.

Weight loss tip #1: Keeping in mind that society is geared toward large portion size and getting more for your money, simply divide all the portions you’ve been eating (especially those you eat out) in half. See how it feels to just eat half a restaurant meal, then stop. Have the rest packed up for lunch the next day. Chances are, you won’t be hungry after eating half the meal, but if you are, eat another quarter. Then have the rest packed up. You’re not depriving yourself – a generation ago, the half- or three-quarter meal you end up eating is more or less the same amount of food as a full meal you would have been served a generation ago. Even cookies and muffins that you buy to go have been supersized – again, eat half.

Weight loss tip #2: Walk as much as possible. Get in the habit. It’s great to go to the gym and work out, but in its own way, ‘built-in’ exercise is even better. It requires no special equipment, you don’t have to schedule time for it – you just do it as a matter of course. Remember, until cars became commonplace, walking is how most people got around most of the time. In many European cities, they still do. And people who do this are seldom overweight – go figure!

Weight loss tip #3: Eat real food. In other words, avoid boxes and cans, and eat things that are in their natural form – or as close to it as possible. In the supermarket, shop around the edges – the meat and produce – and avoid the inside aisles. Preparing ‘real’ food might be a bit more work, but it’s very rewarding, and much healthier.

These are not very ‘high powered’ weight loss tips – you won’t lose a pound a day, or whatever the leading programs claim. These are healthy, enjoyable changes that are meant to last a lifetime – and over time, you will lose weight. What’s more, your weight loss will be gradual and safe, and you’ll keep the weight off permanently.

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