Making the Right Choice For High Protein and Low Carb Foods

By Kim Tanady

Expert Author Kim Tanady

When it comes to food, most people prefer it to be tasty rather than nutritious. Healthy food is a very important need for body, but people usually choose taste over health. The idea of nutritious and low carbohydrate food is not appealing because they usually don't taste so good. But High Nutritious and Low carbohydrate Foods are the best for a perfect diet because health comes first.

A Plan of Action

High Protein and Low Carbohydrate Food is healthier and more nutritious than low protein and high Carbohydrate food in many ways. By making High Protein and Low Carb Foods your daily diet, you can eat freely without worrying about carbohydrates that causes your body harm. 

This will help you maintain a well balanced diet. When you eat the high Carb food you get tired easily because they are more fattening and less nutritious and less energetic. High Protein and Low Carb Foods will give you the energy that you need to go out play and perform your daily jobs actively.

Low Calorie-Substitutions to Make Those Fat Recipes Into Skinny Recipes

By Tina Schwartz-Miller

Expert Author Tina Schwartz-Miller

D-I-E-T is a 4-letter word that so many of us wish didn't have to exist. But, since it is a necessary part of life, regardless of your metabolic make up, it would really be convenient to know what to substitute when cooking or preparing foods that will make them more wholesome with fewer calories, less sugar and more fiber. Diet is not only defined as that "thing" that you must endure in order to lose weight, but as your daily intake of foods, which if done in moderation and with a few simple substitutions can make either your maintenance of, or your achievement of your weight loss goals a reality.

The goal here is to lower your fat, sugar and salt intake while also lowering your calories and increasing your fiber, without sacrificing taste, which so many diet foods lack.

The following ingredients or foods are things you can either consume in place of or utilize in recipes as a substitution for the "fatter" alternative:

All-purpose flour-Whole-wheat flour. In baked goods you can substitute half of the flour with whole-wheat flour. You might want to use whole-wheat pastry flour in cakes and muffins as it is less dense and will produce a 'lighter' product.

Bacon-Canadian Bacon, Turkey Bacon, Smoked Turkey or lean Proscuitto

Butter, Shortening or Oil-Use Applesauce or Prune Puree for half of the butter, shortening or oil that is called for in a recipe. Oil is not an adequate substitution for butter or shortening though. If using it to prevent sticking, use a cooking spray and/or a non-stick pan instead

Creamed Soups-Fat-Free Milk-Based Soups, Mashed Potato Flakes, Pureed Carrots, Potatoes or Tofu. 

Creamed soups are usually used as a thickening agent, so consider one of the substitutions, maybe adding a bit of low-fat, low-sodium liquid with the mashed potato flakes and adding fresh ingredients such as broccoli, chicken or cheese when those flavors are called for.

Dry Bread Crumbs-Rolled Oats or crushed Bran Cereal. You can use these substitutions measure for measure.

Eggs-Two Egg-whites per egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute for one whole egg.

Enriched Pasta-Whole-wheat Pasta

Evaporated Milk-Evaporated Skim Milk

Fruit-Flavored Yogurt-Plain Yogurt with Fresh Fruit Slices.

Cream Cheese-Low-Fat or Fat-Free Cream Cheese; Low-Fat Cottage Cheese or Neufchatel pureed until smooth.

Sour Cream-Low-Fat or Fat-Free Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt.

Ground Beef-Ground Chicken, Ground Turkey or Extra Lean or Lean Ground Beef.

Main Ingredient Meat-Three times as many vegetables as what meat is called for can be used on pizzas or in casseroles, stews and soups.

Margarine in Baked Goods-Butter Spreads or Shortenings that are Trans Fat-Free and formulated especially for baking or you can also experiment with the same substitutions used for Butter above.

Oil-Based Marinades-Wine, Fruit Juice, Balsamic Vinegar or Fat-Free Broth.

Garlic, Celery or Onion Salts-Garlic Powder, Celery Seed, Onion Powder or Finely Chopped Garlic, 

Celery or Onions.

Soy Sauce-Hot Mustard Sauce, Low-Sodium Soy Sauce or Sweet-and-Sour Sauce.

Further options are to always opt for the low-sodium or reduced sodium versions of your favorites and stop cooking with additional salt, especially if it is an "option" in a recipe. The taste difference is negligible when compared to the health benefits. Sea salt is also an option as it has less sodium, but you need the iodine in salt to some degree in your diet. You can use sea salt in a grinder on your table and iodized sea salt in your cooking if you wish. You can also easily cut calories and fat by using low-fat, reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products and whole-wheat to replace plain old white bread. Rice is also a preferred option to pasta and can fill out or extend a recipe, but use wild rice, brown rice, bulgur rice or pearl barley instead.

Now, isn't that easy? These are the most common "healthier" substitutions, but any time you are looking to cut fat, calories, sugar or salt, look closely at your recipe first and then think what you may be able to substitute instead. You may just like the new recipe much better and your family doesn't even have to know.

Weight Loss Tips

We live in a nation of growing obesity. Statistics indicate that obesity has doubled since 1980. A 2008 report showed that 1.5 billion adults were clinically obese and over 45 million children were obese. There are complications connected to being obese. Approximately 3 million people die yearly from disease brought on or made worse from obesity. These diseases include diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Practice Prevention: There are many things you can do to control your weight and prevent obesity. It is fundamentally a shift in how you think. You must realize that you have a great deal of power over your own health. Consider the fact that you in part, can control how you age and how you can maintain good health throughout your lifetime. Of course disease can occur to any of us. However you can greatly reduce your risks with a healthy lifestyle.

Physical Activity: Exercise is a very important part of any healthy lifestyle. Exercise will strengthen your body and you will begin to build muscle. Your metabolism will increase because muscle has a higher metabolic rate than fat. So add some strength training routines to your exercise program. You can incorporate 2-3 strength training routines weekly. Only 15-20 sessions can have a huge impact on your physical strength and health. You will begin burning fat and therefore lose weight.

Good Fats versus Bad Fats: There are healthy fats to add to your diet. These include omega fatty acids such as those found in fresh fish. Salmon is has one of the highest levels of good omega fatty acids. 2-3 servings weekly could be very healthy and helpful to your weight loss. Research has shown that monounsatured fats are very effective for weight loss. A good food to add to your diet is avocados. Although not the lowest in calories, avocadoes are extremely nutritious and high in monosaturated fats. Try adding some avocado to a salad or make a guacamole dip to eat with veggie sticks such as celery and carrots. Other healthy food choices for good fats include grass fed beef and extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil has numerous health benefits. It has been shown to increase the fat burning response in the body as well as lower inflammation levels.

Sugar: Sugar is something you definitely want to eliminate from your diet, particularly if you are trying to lose weight. When you consume too much sugar, this signals your body to use insulin to begin burning it off. As a result, your insulin will spike. Whatever isn't used will be converted by your body into fat. Try to limit your sugar intake to no more than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake. So for example if you consume 1500 calories daily, sugar should comprise only 150 of those calories. Always be on the lookout for hidden sources of sugar such as those found in soda and juices.

A Healthy Breakfast: When you are sleeping your metabolism goes into more of a resting state. This is referred to as "catabolism". In order to turn it on as efficiently as possible, you need to eat a good breakfast. Having a protein with breakfast is helpful along with whole grains. A good breakfast choice might be a veggie omelet with whole wheat bread. Or some oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and a protein bar. And remember to start the day with drinking some fresh pure water to hydrate your body.

Eating Styles: Eating smaller "mini meals" is a very effective way to help you lose weight. Eating your meals at consistent times is helpful. Eating every three hours during the day is a good way to keep your body consistently fueled with energy. This will also keep you from overeating. Many people overeat because they starve themselves all day and then they binge on a huge dinner. The whole key to keeping weight off is to keep your metabolic rate as high as you can. Skipping meals actually lowers your metabolism.

Reward System: Everyone once in a while you really need to just reward yourself. If you are too regimented in your eating habits and never allow yourself a little indulgence now and then, one of two things will happen. Either you will end up binging or you will quit and begin to go back to your old habits. It is well known that when you are too restrictive in your diet you will usually binge within a month and potentially gain even more weight.

Supportive Relationships: Being with like minded people who take care of themselves will really help you. If you are with peers who are overweight and have no motivation to get in shape you will probably do the same. We tend to mirror those we associate with. So if this is your situation, why not look to broaden your horizons and meet new and interesting people. You could join a gym, or a local meet up group that does walking, hiking, swimming, dance, etc. This will change your outlook on yourself. Before you know it, you will incorporate new and healthy habits into your own life and be on your way to successful weight loss.

Eliminate Junk Foods: Go through your kitchen and eliminate all of the unhealthy junk foods and processed foods you have around. You will benefit yourself and your family by doing so. If you have easy access to junk foods, the odds are you will eat it. Anytime you feel rushed or upset about something you will reach out to these types of foods. Focus instead on filling your pantry with healthy, wholesome foods. Keep snacks such as fresh fruit and no sugar yogurts in your home.

Water: Water is very important to your good health. You need to stay hydrated. If it is hard for you to drink water, add fresh lemon or lime. Try drinking 4 to 6 glasses per day of water. Drinking water is helpful to weight loss because it keeps you feeling full. An easy way to get your water intake is to bring a few bottles with you to work to have readily available to you. This will lessen the temptation to consume soda or fruit juices that are high in calories and filled with sugar. Remember, whenever beginning any dietary or lifestyle changes, always consult with a medical professional, particularly if you are taking prescription drugs or suffer from any disease or ailment.

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