How Does Diet Affect Blood Pressure?

What Is Blood Pressure?
    One of the first things your doctor is likely going to prescribe if you are diagnosed with high blood pressure is a change in your diet. Many patients can control their blood pressure problems almost completely with dietary restrictions. However, many do not know why they need to make these changes. Sometimes this lack of knowledge can cause them to be unmotivated to make the necessary changes. Understanding how the food you eat affects your blood pressure starts with understanding what blood pressure is. Blood pressure is a measure of the force of the blood in your body as it pushes against the walls of the blood vessels. When this pressure is too high, it puts stress on the blood vessels, arteries and heart. Few people know what actually causes high blood pressure, but it can be treated with dietary changes.

The Effect of Salt on Blood Pressure
    Salt is the main culprit when it comes to foods that increase blood pressure. Foods that are high in salt are also high in sodium. When you eat too much sodium, the body knows that it needs to flush out some of this mineral, and therefore it retains water to clean itself out. When you are already suffering from high blood pressure, this water retention can make it rise even higher. On the other hand, reducing your salt and sodium intake can help your body release some of this water, and this may help lower your blood pressure.

The Effect of Fat and Calories on Blood Pressure
    A heart-healthy diet is also one that is low in fat and calories. Fat and calories do not directly affect blood pressure, but they indirectly affect it. A diet that is high in fat and calories will cause most people to gain weight. Being overweight is one risk factor for high blood pressure. Blood pressure will rise and fall with your weight, and the amount of fat in your diet will contribute to this. Studies have shown that losing even 10 pounds will lower blood pressure dramatically for those who have been diagnosed with hypertension.

Other Foods That Effect Blood Pressure
    Alcohol and caffeine also affect blood pressure. No one knows exactly why, but increased alcohol consumption causes blood pressure to rise. Those who are working to control their blood pressure should only consume one or two alcoholic beverages a day. Of course, alcohol also contains empty calories that can increase weight gain. Caffeine is another food that causes increases in blood pressure, even for those who do not have problems with hypertension. This spike in blood pressure is particularly dangerous for people who rarely consume caffeine, as the blood pressure spikes can be quite high for these people. Soft drinks seem to be the most dangerous sources of caffeine for those watching their blood pressure, but research has not yet been able to prove why.

How to Reduce Fat in Your Diet

1- Decrease or eliminate animal products that are high in fat. This includes red meat, poultry and some dairy products, such as whole milk, cream and butter. If you do eat meat, choose the leanest cuts of meat, poultry and fish available.

2- Check healthy cookbooks for tasty new recipe ideas.

3- Increase the amount of fresh vegetables and fruit in your diet. Eat them raw whenever possible.

4- Change your method of cooking. Broil, bake, steam or poach rather than fry.

5- Use vegetable cooking sprays rather than fat or oils when you cook.

6- Select low-fat or nonfat alternatives when they're available. Choose nonfat yogurt over regular, for example.

7- Eat low-fat cheese and drink skim milk.

8- Remove the skin from chicken or turkey.

9- Reduce the amount of nuts, nut butters and olives that you eat. All are high in fat.

10- Snack on fresh fruit, chips that are baked rather than fried, or air-popped popcorn.

11- Watch labels. Low-calorie does not always mean low-fat.

* You need to have some fat in your diet. The ones that are best for you are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which come from plant sources like peanuts and olives.

* If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

How to Lose Weight With a High Alkaline Diet

1- Maintain a healthy pH balance in the body. Ideally, you should consume 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic foods. Your body achieves optimum benefits when you eat high alkaline food such as fruits and vegetables.

2- Make a list of high alkaline fruits and concentrate on eating them. Lemons, limes and grapefruit are acidic but turn alkaline in the body.

3- List out high alkaline vegetables and concentrate on eating just them. Spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, snap peas, celery, parsley and cabbage are some high alkaline vegetables.

4- Limit the amount of salt intake, or use Celtic Sea Salt, available in most health food stores, as it is higher in alkaline compared to regular table salt.

5-Eat high alkaline grains. Barley, millet, brown rice, buckwheat and spelt are excellent choices. Sprouted grain bread and tortillas add variety to a high alkaline meal.

* To check our body's pH balance use pH strips, available at pharmacies and health food stores.

* Even though limes, lemons and grapefruit are acidic fruits when digested by the body, they leave an alkaline ash.

* Try to avoid fruit with high levels of sugar like pineapple.

* If you are too busy to take the time to make a salad at every meal, try making a salad that lasts for three days in the refrigerator. Each time you are hungry, dish out a nice salad in a bowl, using a dressing of olive oil with lemon juice.

* Red meats, chicken and turkey are acidic. Try eating moderate amounts of fish. Even try eating tofu.

* Sugar is a big no-no for a high-alkaline diet. It feeds the yeast in your body which thrives in an acidic body. Cutting sugar out of your diet helps increase your body's metabolism as well.

* Green juices or green powders infuse the body with all sorts of vitamins, minerals and amino acids while being high in alkaline.

* Drink lots of pure filtered water.

How to Eat the BRAT Diet

1- When someone is sick and needs diarrhea treatment, begin introducing fluids first before solid foods. Sips of water and Gatorade and similar drinks are good choices. Stay away from citrus juices or milk. Citrus contains acid and can further upset the stomach. Milk causes mucus and is not well tolerated when nausea is present.

   For vomiting diarrhea, introduce foods a little at a time. As an enticement for children to eat a bit, cut the food into small, fun shapes.

2- B--BANANAS
Eat bananas. Bananas are a bland fruit that can be constipating, a good thing when symptoms include diarrhea.

3- R--RICE
Eat rice. Rice is well tolerated and is likely to not cause further nausea.

4- A--APPLESAUCE
Eat applesauce. The creamy consistency of applesauce goes down easily, and the cold soothes a dry throat.

5-T--TOAST
Eat toast. Toast has been a staple of "sick diets" for years. Almost everyone likes toast, and with a bit of jelly, it adds needed calories for the patient to gain strength.

* Try the BRATTY diet too: add Tea and Yogurt. Tea adds liquids that are necessary so the patient stays hydrated. Yogurt provides good cultures/bacteria that are lost during bouts of diarrhea and vomiting.

* A good diarrhea diet includes bland foods that sit well. Try small portions at first.

* Avoid citrus (oranges, grapefruit) and juices with citrus. They can irritate the stomach.

* Avoid spicy foods.

Learn How to Correctly Do The Banana Diet

1- Avoid sugar, alcohol, and diet drinks which can create sugar cravings and stall weight loss.

2- Breakfast:
For breakfast you can have 1 banana with a glass of water. This can then be followed with a small healthy breakfast, that preferably contains protein.

3- Lunch:
Start off with 1 banana with a glass of water. Then you can have a small healthy lunch that includes some type of protein.

4- Dinner:
Have a banana along with a glass of water. You can then follow this with a small healthy dinner that includes protein.

5- Portion control:
For this weight loss plan to work you do need to practice portion control. But the banana that you eat before each meal does make it easier by taking the edge off your hunger.

6- Exercise:
The original diet doesn't call for exercise, but to achieve more effective weight loss you should always strive for at least thirty minutes of some type of exercise each day.

* You are allowed one small snack each day in the afternoon.

* Be sure to take a multi vitamin to make sure that you're receiving the proper nutrients.

Learn How to Create a Pregnancy Diet

1- Plan to eat from each food group every day. Your pregnancy diet should consist of at least six servings from the bread group, five servings of vegetables, four servings of fruit and three servings from the protein group, which are foods like beans, meat and fish. Three servings of dairy should also be included in your daily diet. This may seem like a lot of food, but keep in mind that one serving usually equals half a cup. The food pyramid found in the resource section of this article is a helpful reminder of which foods you must include in your diet.

2- Plan ahead to satisfy cravings without blowing your diet. The best way to deal with cravings is to occasionally allow yourself to have a small amount of what you are craving. Snacking on nuts, fruit, crackers or popcorn instead can help you handle those late night cravings in a healthy way.

3- Eliminate junk food and dangerous foods from your diet plan. Regardless of whether or not you are used to eating healthy, your pregnancy will most likely require you to adjust your diet and eliminate some foods. There are several foods that you should avoid eating during your pregnancy, including fish with high levels of mercury and unpasteurized cheeses. It is also important to avoid greasy food or sweets during your pregnancy. Junk food has no nutritional value and by eating it you will just be getting empty calories that may cause you to gain too much weight during your pregnancy.

4- Plan to include foods containing iron, calcium and folic acid in your diet. Foods like broccoli and spinach are a good source of folic acid which is needed in the early stages of pregnancy for the baby's cell and tissue development. Additional servings of iron and calcium-rich foods like eggs and yogurt are needed throughout the pregnancy to promote the development of healthy blood cells and bones. Fruit juices and citrus fruits like oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C which helps your body better absorb the iron in foods. It is helpful to post a list of these foods on your refrigerator to use as a reference when you prepare your meals.

5- Plan out small meals and snacks throughout the day to help you minimize nausea and heartburn. If you suffer from morning sickness, you can try drinking lemonade, eating pretzels or crackers to help alleviate nausea.

6- Stock your refrigerator with healthy snacks and meals that you've prepared ahead of time. Plan ahead and put together your menu plan each week to make sure that you have enough time to buy and prepare your food.

7- Drink plenty of water---six to eight glasses per day---to stay hydrated throughout your pregnancy. Drink at least two glasses of water with every meal and in between meals. Add a slice of lemon or lime to your water to improve the taste. Replace any teas or sodas in your diet with water.

Learn How to Add Vitamin C Into Your Diet Without Supplements

1- Eat a breakfast made up of grapefruit and fresh orange juice. This is a filling breakfast that is full of vitamin C.

2- Have some mango as a snack between breakfast and lunch. This is healthier than a normal snack as mango is an excellent source of vitamin C.

3- At lunchtime, have some cantaloupe as a dessert instead of a sweet. Cantaloupe is a very good source of vitamin C and can be a great treat as well.

4- If you eat a salad during lunch or dinner, place plenty of tomatoes on the salad. You may be surprised with the amount of vitamin C found in tomatoes. They are a great way to add vitamin C to what could be a regular part of your meal.

5- Eat raspberries as a snack in between your dinner and bedtime. Not only are raspberries full of vitamin C, they are also a healthier alternative to other snacks that you may normally have before going to sleep.

6-Drink a glass of orange juice before going to sleep. An 8-ounce glass of fresh orange juice can actually give you the daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Finishing your day with a glass of orange juice will keep your body full of vitamin C until you eat another meal.

Learn How to Improve a Child's Diet

1- Limit sweets to fruit choices. This will help your child acquire a taste for natural healthy foods. Offer a wide variety of fruits so that your child doesn't become bored. Find fun ways to serve fruit as well. Toddlers will have fun eating small, finger-friendly pieces, while older children might enjoy a fancy fruit salad served in a sundae dish, or a selection of fruit pieces on a long skewer like a shish-kabob.

2- Cut down on fast food. When you serve your child more fresh, wholesome meals at home, your child will begin to acquire a taste to those types of meals over unhealthy, greasy drive thru fare. If time is an issue, use shortcuts such as doubling up recipes on the weekend and keeping extras in the freezer for busy weeknights.

3- Make it a presentation. Foods that are fun to look at will appear more fun to eat. A few drops of red food color and milk becomes "Mars Juice". Cookie cutters can be used to make fun-looking sandwiches. Or make everything in miniature, such as: baby carrots; new potatoes; and mini-meatloaves.

4- Get your child involved. Even a toddler can help out with meal preparation. Assign age-appropriate tasks, from adding pre-measured ingredients, to mixing, to reading you a recipe while you prepare the meal. When kids help out they are more likely to partake.

5- Start small, and don't give up. You don't want to overwhelm your child with a truckload of new food items. Add two or three foods into your current rotation at a time, until they become "normal". Expose your child to a new food several times before you give up as well. Studies show it can take up to ten times of a child trying a new food before their taste buds become accustomed to the food.

How Does a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Burn Fat?

How Does a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Burn Fat?
In the early 1990s, nutrition and diet went through a "you are what you eat" period in the media. "Fat breeds fat!" they told us simply. We were encouraged to eat without abandon; as long as, it wasn't a lipid. Simple and complex carbohydrates were deemed safe for the pound conscious. The problem was, with all of the talk about eliminating fat, dieters were getting fatter. Researchers have since discovered that the formula isn't so simple. Body fat doesn't just come from our fat intake but is based on other factors such as our overall caloric intake and our insulin levels. As a result, our relationship with carbs, once again, came into question. We wondered if our breads and our baked potatoes and pasta were actually betraying us. Nutrition authors and physicians were now promoting a low-carbohydrate diet as a way to burn fat.

Processing Glucose
Carbohydrates, scientifically named saccharides, are starch and sugar substances. They are also found in plant form as cellulose. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple (the sugar in fruits, bread, pasta and refined-sugar products) and complex (those found in veggies and brown rice). They are used in our diet to give us energy and are a fundamentally positive source of nutrition. However, there exists two factors which cause fat gain. The first is that carbohydrates tend to be higher in calories and the second is the way in which our bodies process them. Once simple and complex carbs reach our liver and are turned into glucose, our pancreas begins to produce insulin to absorb the carbohydrates. When this happens, our bodies stop burning fat for energy and start burning glucose: thus, ending the fat-burning process.

Limiting Glucose
A low-carb diet entails limiting the amount of carbohydrates of any kind to less than 30 grams per day. With this low level of sugars, less insulin is produced and less glucose is available to burn for energy. With its source of fuel diminished, the body will enter a phase called ketosis. Meaning, it will begin to produce ketones which burn stored-body fat. The jury is still out when it comes to the total overall healthfulness of a diet that condones fat and restricts carbohydrates at an extreme level. A healthy diet consists of many elements. Body fat is most certainly one of these elements but there is also heart health, muscular composition and digestive condition to consider. With that said, dieters concerned solely with the burning of fat may find that a low-carb diet can be ultimately successful.

Learning How to Follow the Baby Food Diet

1- Eat one to two jars of baby food as a replacement for breakfast. Baby food varieties include carrots, apples, peas, green beans, bananas and prunes.

2- Have one to two jars of baby food for lunch. To add variety, you may want to mix the flavors together.

3-Replace snacks with baby food. On average, you will consume 14 jars of baby food daily as meal replacements, according to WebMed. Each jar of baby food has an average of 15 to 100 calories, depending on the size and type.

4-Make a healthy dinner. For dinner on the Baby Food Diet, have a well-balanced and nutritious meal. Include foods high in protein, fiber, calcium and vitamin D, because baby food can lack these nutrients. A sample dinner is fish, whole-grain rice, green leafy vegetables and a glass of low-fat milk.

5- Exercise regularly. Although exercise guidelines are not included as part of the diet, you should make time for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exercise keeps you healthy and helps burn calories.

* A variation on the diet can involve eating normal low-fat meals and replacing high-calorie snacks with jars of baby food.

Learn How to Do the Lemon Diet

1- Clear your schedule if possible. The Lemon Diet isn't the type of plan you want to follow on vacation or during a hectic period. Instead, choose a time when you'll be relaxed, preferably at home or close to home.

2- Mix 12-14 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 12-14 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper into two liters of spring water. This mixture will last you all day.

3- Drink your 2-liter mixture during the day whenever you feel hunger pangs. It's better to sip small amounts at a time rather than chug a large amount, especially because the two liters have to last a full day. You can follow the lemon mixture with plain water if needed.

4- Make a salt water flush. Mix 1 tablespoon sea salt into one liter of water. Drink it all down. It may be difficult to drink it all at once, but the quicker you can drink it, the better. The reason it's best to follow this diet at home is because within an hour of drinking the salt water flush, you will have a bowel movement. The time can range from 30 to 60 minutes. You will probably want to stay close to the bathroom for a while to make sure you're finished. You may find it easier to make a salt water flush in the evening.

5- Follow the diet for 3 to 10 days. Drink the same amount of lemon mixture and salt water flush each day you're on the diet.

6- This diet leads to weight loss but is mainly water, not fat. You'll likely regain at least half of the amount you lose once you finish the diet. This is primarily a detoxification diet, not fat loss plan. Gradually wean yourself off of caffeine before you begin the Lemon Diet so that you don't begin it with unpleasant withdrawal effects.

7- Do not follow this diet for longer than 2 weeks (10 days is generally considered the maximum); anyone with health issues shouldn't follow it more than a few days with their doctor's permission. If you have any health concerns at all, consult with your doctor before following this diet.

 

Tips to Start the 17 Day Diet

1- Read "The 17 Day Diet" book in its entirety before beginning this diet. This will help you understand the different cycles of the diet and what to expect. While reading the book, take notes or bookmark the foods you can eat and different recipes to try.

2- Make a date to start losing weight. "The 17 Day Diet" encourages a lifestyle change that begins with the decision to lose weight. Choose a date that gives you enough time to make a list and grocery shop.

3- Create a grocery list of the allowed foods on Cycle 1 of the diet. You should purchase enough food to last for a week if you have enough storage room. Buying healthy foods can be more expensive than unhealthy food. Look for coupons on foods you will use daily. For instance, you could get a coupon for yogurt and go to a grocery store that already has it on sale to save additional money.

4- Write out a daily meal plan for The 17 Day Diet for easier preparation. When you know what you are going to eat, you can cook what you need on one or two days and have it ready for the rest of the week. This helps on days when you may not feel like cooking. It also keeps you from grabbing the first thing you see to eat and falling off the diet.

5- Start an exercise program 17 minutes at a time. "The 17 Day Diet" recommends starting off with walking 17 minutes a day. There is no need to try to start off exercising for longer periods. As you lose weight and progress, you may add more minutes or use The 17 Minute Workout DVD that goes along with the diet.

6- Keep on going. If you go off the diet during the day or for a day, get back on. Do not accept this as a reason to not continue losing weight. If you do, you may continue to make unhealthy decisions and the weight will start adding up again.

Tips to Do the Atkins Diet

1- Enter the Induction phase. The Induction phase of the diet is the first 2 weeks that you are on the Atkins diet. It consists of cutting out all but 20 grams of carbs and "shocks" your body into a fat-burning state due to a lack of carbohydrates. During this stage, eat only meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheeses, butter, vegetable oil and salad greens. Drink eight glasses of water per day, refrain from alcohol and start taking a multivitamin.

2- Begin eating the Induction-acceptable vegetables from Step 1 in greater quantities after the initial 2 weeks. This new phase is known as the Ongoing Weight Loss phase, or OWL phase. In this phase, which lasts 9 weeks, you add a different food or food group each week. The stages of the OWL phase are as follows:

        * Induction acceptable vegetables in larger quantities--week 3
        * Fresh cheese--week 4
        * Nuts and seeds--week 5
        * Berries--week 6
        * Alcohol--week 7 (can skip if need be)
        * Legumes--week 8
        * Other fruits--week 9
        * Starchy vegetables--week 10
        * Whole grains--week 11

3- Start the Pre-Maintenance phase during week 12. During this phase, increase the amount of carbohydrate you take in by about 100 calories per week until you notice a weight change, then back off by 100 calories. You are looking for "the tipping point" or the amount of carbohydrates that you can ingest and still maintain your weight. This phase can last several weeks until you find your tipping point.

4- Begin the Lifetime Maintenance phase following the discovery of your "tipping point." Continue making healthy food choices and maintaining the carbohydrates you eat (according to the Pre-Maintenance amount you determined) on a week-to-week basis. This phase continues the rest of your life as you continue to use the Atkins way of eating to maintain your healthy weight.

Tips

* Purchasing the book series written by Dr. Robert Atkins can not only provide more insight into the eating habits of the Atkins diet, but can help provide guidance on improving other aspects of your health as well.

* Always consult your doctor before starting any diet program.

Tips to Diet Effectively

1- You must be realistic and assess you current health situation. You have to list your current situation which will include your lifestyle, eating habits, sickness, and vices.

2- Talk honestly and openly with friends and families regarding your perceptions and your expectations. They can honestly tell you if your thoughts are realistic and make a goal with you.

3- You have to set long term goals and short term goals. A loss of 2lb a week and 8 lbs a month is considered the maximum. Make these goals into affirmative statements and place them in areas wherein you regularly use such s the mirrors, faucet, and the refrigerator and read them out aloud if you pass through them.

4- You have to combine exercise with diet to effectively and healthily lose weight. You should definitely inform your friends and family about your new plans so you can gain support from them. You can also enlist their support to do the grocery with you so you will not buy unhealthily, friends may also go to the gym or jog with you, and real friends actually invite you out and eat healthily with you just so you won't get discouraged.

5- Lastly, this is dedicated to the most important person which is you! No amount of diet and exercise books or videos can help you, if you yourself are not resolved to fight your own battle. You are your best weapon and your worst enemy as well. It is up to you to decide which one you'd rather be.

* Always consult a doctor before starting any diet plan.

Tips to Motivate Yourself to Diet

1- Write down all the reasons you want to lose weight. If you are feeling discouraged, refer to the list for support.

2- Make a list of your weight loss goals. It is important to be realistic and include time frames for accomplishing each task.

3- Reward yourself when you reach incremental goals. The reward can be a special purchase or fun activity.

4- Start a diet journal to keep track of your meals and activities. You can then refer to the journal as a way to remind yourself of past accomplishments.

5- Give yourself a day off each week that will allow you to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. Absolute denial of foods you love can result in abandonment of the diet.

6- Join a weight loss support group. Meeting frequently or chatting online with others facing similar challenges will provide you with motivation and accountability.

7- Place a photo of yourself at an ideal weight on the refrigerator to remind you of your goal during weak times when you may be considering breaking the diet. The photo is also effective when placed in your car if you are easily tempted by fast food. A photo from a magazine of someone with your desired figure will also work.

8- Tell friends, family members and coworkers about your weight loss goal. They can help motivate and encourage you during times when you may be tempted to stray from your diet.

9-Find a dieting partner who can help motivate you during times of frustration.

Tips to Eat a Balanced Diet

1- Talk to your doctor and see if he has any specific recommendations. Some doctors may actually recommend a nutritionist to help you make more responsible food choices and learn how to prepare foods in a healthy manner.

2- Learn the food pyramid. For many of us, this is something that hasn't been reviewed since grade school health class. There is a reason that it appears on so many food labels. The information is important to healthy eating and establishing a well-balanced diet.

3- Prepare food ahead of time. One of the pathways to poor eating is lack of preparation. It is much easier to eat foods that will make your arteries groan in fear when you do not have convenient healthy choices at home. Even a frozen casserole is a better choice than calling the pizza delivery guy or stopping by the nearest drive-thru window.

4- Plan ahead. It is much easier to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet if you plan the meals for the week, buy the ingredients, and have everything scheduled for preparation well ahead of time.

5-Make healthier choices. This is simple in print, but not so simple when you're faced with a slice of double chocolate cheesecake. Find something healthy to satisfy those cravings, and avoid packing on the pounds and negative health consequences that go along with them.

Tips to Follow the Mediterranean Diet Mea

1- Consume generous helpings of antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies each day. Mediterranean people traditionally eat an average of nine servings a day of fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep apples, bananas, grapes and baby carrots on hand for a satisfying, fast snack. Enjoy plenty of fresh pasta sauce as well. Tomatoes might help prevent prostate cancer.

2- Enjoy whole grain products. While bread is an important part of the Mediterranean diet meal plan, you should stick to whole grain varieties. Dip your whole wheat bread in flavored olive oil instead of slathering it with butter.

3- Eat fish at least twice a week. Choose fatty fish high in omega-3 fatty acids to improve blood vessel health while lowering your triglyceride levels. Wild salmon, mackerel and herring are heart-healthy choices.

4- Grab some nuts. Walnuts, almonds, hazel nuts and pecans are all low in saturated fat but high in healthy monounsaturated fats. The high content of healthy fat tends to make nuts high in calories, however, so limit yourself to one handful.

5-Use heart-healthy olive oil or canola oil when cooking. Look for "virgin" and "extra-virgin" varieties for the least-processed forms of these oils.

6- Use fresh herbs and spices. Sprinkle oregano, rosemary or thyme on your foods instead of salting your meal. Don't be afraid of garlic. Fresh garlic works as an antioxidant when cooked and as an antibiotic when raw.

7- Raise a toast to your good health. The Mediterranean diet plan allows followers to enjoy a small amount of red wine, which is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease. Men should consume no more than 10 ounces a day; women can enjoy up to 5 ounces a day.


Tips

* Get plenty of exercise. Supplement your healthy meal plan with a regular exercise plan. Take a brisk walk or swim a few laps every day to be in even better health.

* Eat very little red meat. Red meats are notoriously high in fats. Fill up on fatty fish instead.

* Use very little butter and margarine. Both of these food items are full of trans and saturated fats.

* Limit your intake of high-fat dairy products. You are allowed small amounts of fat-free or low-fat yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese or milk.

Tips to Make a Diet Plan

Creating Your Diet Plan

1- Determine how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. There are many calculators available on the Internet to help you determine this number (see resource section below). For a basic estimate of your healthy caloric intake, multiply your weight by 10. If you weigh 160 pounds, that would be 1,600. This is the approximate minimum number of calories your body would need per day if you were completely inactive. Next, add more calories based on your activity level. A person who spends time both moving around and sitting at a desk would need to add about another 30 percent to the minimum.

2- Create a 500-calorie deficit in order to lose one pound per week. By cutting out 500 calories per day, you can expect to lose about one pound per week. The Surgeon General of the United States recommends a steady weight loss of no more than two pounds per week.

3- Make a list of the calorie counts of your favorite foods. Use a spreadsheet to make a list that is easy to access. Include foods you eat every day; don't forget that slice of cheese on your sandwich or the tablespoon of ketchup.Websites such as CalorieKing.com and NutritionData.com list calorie counts for thousands of different foods.

4- Evaluate your list, and swap high-calorie and empty-calorie foods out for healthier choices. If you love bacon, try switching to turkey bacon. Instead of greasy deep-dish pizza, try homemade pizza with olive oil, tomato sauce and veggies with no cheese. Do not give up all the foods you love: Just find or make healthier versions. The book Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko has thousands of suggestions for swapping favorite foods for healthier versions.

5- Write out a meal plan for the week using your calorie lists. Include breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. You want your total calories for the day to be the amount you calculated in step one minus 500.

6- Make a backup plan. Some days you will feel more hungry than other days. Keep quick and healthy snacks available such as bananas, carrot sticks, protein bars and low-fat yogurt to help you stay on track.

7- Add exercise to your plan. Exercise for 30 minutes three times per week to start. Track how many calories you burn, and replace only half of them. For example, if you burn 100 calories, eat a 50-calorie snack. By eating back half the calories you burn, you will be making sure that your body is getting enough energy to support your workouts.

Tips to Lower Cholesterol Through Diet

1- Get total fat under control: You'll want to keep your total fat intake at 20-35% of your daily calories. If your fat is too low your "good" cholesterol (HDL) may decrease. For a 2000-calorie diet that is 44-78 grams per day. Also keep your intake of saturated fat (mostly in animal products and full-fat dairy) to 7% of calories or less. For a 2000-calorie diet that is 16 grams per day.

2- Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats: There is a direct link between too much saturated fat in the diet and high cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends 7% calories from saturated fat or less. For a 2000-calorie diet, that is 16 grams a day. Studies show that if you replace saturated fats in the diet with monounsaturated fats like olive oil, avocados and nuts, you'll see your bad cholesterol decrease (LDL) and HDL increase. Skim fat from animal products by choosing lean meats, non- or low-fat dairy products and cooking with less or no butter.

3- Aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day to help your heart: That means plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Make sure to include viscous, soluble fibers like oats and barley, which have been shown to lower cholesterol, by starting your day off with a bowl of oatmeal or high-fiber cold cereal. Check the nutrition labels on cereals, breads and other products to find out which ones have the most fiber.

4- Eat fatty fish at least twice a week: Salmon, herring, trout and tuna are all great source of omega-3 fats which can help reduce the plaque buildup that occurs in heart disease. If you can't enjoy fish twice a week, ask your doctor about fish oil supplements.

5- Limit cholesterol and get rid of trans fats: If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, keep cholesterol to 200 grams or less per day (if not, 300mg or less is fine). To give you an idea, one egg yolk has just over 200 mg of cholesterol. So either enjoy one egg and watch what you eat the rest of the day, eat the egg white only or try an egg substitute like Eggbeaters. While most food products are phasing out trans fats, check your labels. Companies are allowed to say "trans-fat free" for products with .5g or less per serving. When you see ingredients such as "partially hydrogenated oils," skip it.

Tips to Diet Properly

1- Discuss a diet plan with a registered dietician. These are different animals than nutritionists. Nutritionists tend push vitamins, supplements and miracle programs. A dietician has a professional science education and will prescribe a safe diet program.

2- Consider joining one of the bigger diet centers if you think it will help. The ones that have been around a while have a good success rate.

3- Set reasonable goals. If you expect to lose too much too fast you may fail, gain it back, or make yourself ill. A diet should be about long-term results, not a quick fix.

4- Create a calorie deficit. A pound of fat is worth 3,500 calories. Divide that by seven and that means you should aim to remove 500 calories a day from your life in order to lose a pound a week.

5- Move your body more. This can be by exercising or just dancing in the living room. Do sit ups while watching TV or go for a walk around the building during your coffee break. Every little bit helps.

6- Get your five a day. If you make sure you get 5 to 7 fruit and vegetable servings a day (like the food pyramid recommends), you might find you are not so hungry after all.