The Truth About High Fiber Diets

Many weight loss programs have touted the idea that a high fiber diet will result in weight loss, regardless of portion control and calorie counting. This high fiber weight loss plan assumes you will feel satiated and stop eating once your belly is distended enough from all that fiber. These programs are also trusting the impact of fiber on unhealthy food consumption, which in part is understandable, since fiber does counteract high sugar foods to one degree or another.

It's true that fiber is excellent for you, especially if you're trying to lose weight. It cleans out your colon, which is good for your overall digestive system. It also does what it is reputed to do, which is make you feel satisfied and full. Fiber helps your body handle high sugar foods without causing super high blood sugar level spikes, which cause your body to release insulin. Fiber, when eaten with high sugar foods, will reduce your blood sugar level, meaning your body will make less insulin, and your steady blood sugar level will result in fewer cravings.

But can you rely on a high fiber diet to help you lose weight?

While fiber is filling and does indeed promote regularity, your stomach will stretch to accept more and more bulk, making it possible for you to eat even more over time. So while it does help you feel full, your capacity to eat more will increase along with your high fiber intake. Eating a high fiber diet also doesn't stop you from packing in the calories through calorie-dense foods such as icing, custard, and ice cream. The bottom line is you can't rely on a high fiber diet to make you lose weight.

The healthy solution? Fill your daily menu with high fiber foods, but pay attention to your other foods choices as well. Use portion control, count calories, and get daily exercise, limiting high calorie foods and relying on calorie-control and exercise to shed pounds.

Tips For Cutting Out Coffee

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People sometimes jokingly say that coffee is the most widely available drug, but even though this is said as a joke, the truth is, coffee is a stimulant much along the lines of a drug; of course, coffee does not have the adverse effects on the body that most drugs have, but if you try to quit drinking coffee, you are likely to find that the withdrawal symptoms you will experience can certainly feel like you are quitting something much harder than coffee - and for this reason, it will be important that you know a few things you can try in order to wean yourself off coffee if you have decided that this will be a good move for you.

When it comes to cutting out coffee, one of the best things you can try is slowly scaling back on the coffee you drink; if you slowly cut back on your coffee intake, you will eventually get to a place where it is no longer necessary for you to have coffee in order to function, so start by figuring out how many milligrams of caffeine you typically consume in a day, and then try cutting back 20% of this original level every week until you are no longer dependent on coffee.

You should also realize that there are lots of alternatives to drinking coffee, but some are actually worse than coffee for your body; rather than switching to energy drinks that are packed with sugar and other unnatural ingredients, start eating some "energy foods" that will help to replace the energy in your body that your body has been used to getting from coffee.

And quite frankly, water is the one thing your body needs more than anything else, and you can help your body make the transition away from coffee by giving it as much water as you can as you cut back on the coffee; water will make it less likely that you will end up having those awful caffeine headaches, and will also help to give you plenty of natural energy.

Although your body will not get ruined by coffee in the same way it would get ruined by a drug, it is certainly nice to be able to have coffee as a treat instead of being dependent on it, and when you follow these tips, you will be that much closer to being able to cut coffee out of your needs completely.

How To Eat Healthy While Traveling For Work

When you are traveling for work, one of the most difficult things can be the fact that it is tough to find healthy food; after all, most restaurants are not especially healthy, and if you are busy during your work week, you could end up stuck eating fast food all throughout your trip! Regardless of whether you are going to be traveling for a couple days or a couple weeks, it is important that you continue to eat healthy during your trip - and there are a few specific things you can keep in mind in order to make this desire a reality.

Firstly, you need to keep in mind the fact that breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, and when you can start out your day with a healthy breakfast, you will be in much better shape moving forward; in order to get this healthy breakfast, you can stock your hotel room with fruit and juice that you can drink before the workday begins.

You should also bring plenty of granola bars (or similar foods - such as granola or trail mix) with you on your trip, as these will be great for you to munch on in between your healthy breakfast and your lunch break - giving you energy and sustenance without putting bad things into your body.

It might take you a bit longer to do lunch if you want to eat healthy (as you will need to avoid fast food), but do some research to find delis or other healthy eating spots around the place where you will be working, and make time to visit these places during your lunch break.

And you should try to eat something light and healthy when it comes to dinnertime; rather than going for the steak and potatoes at a restaurant, consider getting a chicken salad or a hearty soup, and in this way you will be able to round out your day of healthy eating - despite being stuck traveling away from home!

Recipes for Delicious Protein Recovery Drinks

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Have you upped your workout game, and realize you need to be drinking protein recovery drinks after your harder workouts? Your body is screaming for nutrients after resistance training routines or cardio; drink this to fuel your body. You may want to stock up on premade protein recovery drinks for when you workout at the gym or away from home, but these drinks can be whipped up in your kitchen blender.

If you love chocolate and bananas, try this winner. This is a perfect blend of one full scoop chocolate protein powder, one cup of milk, one small banana, and one quarter cup chocolate ice cream. You’ll get protein, which aids your muscles in recovery, potassium, which prevents cramping, and just enough sugar and fat to fuel your body for the rest of your day. You don’t want to be so worn out by your weight lifting routine that you can’t handle your day without a nap!

If you can't stomach drinking that many calories after a workout, blend up the strawberry dream recovery drink. Blend one scoop of vanilla protein powder, a half cup of frozen strawberries, and a cup of Trop 50 juice (half the calories). Slurp down that frosty, sweet-yet-low-cal protein drink, complete with vitamin C and protein. Choose a low sugar protein powder for this recovery drink.

For a jet pack caffeine jolt, make yourself the mocha recovery drink. Combine a couple tablespoons of expresso powder (or instant coffee), a cup of milk, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, and ice chips. If you like a thicker, creamier drink, add in a cup of Greek yogurt (it comes in chocolate)--this will add another big dollop of protein.

Stock up on protein powder, worrying more about ingredients than how they taste. You can always add in yummy ingredients that will blend well with the powder that delivers the best ingredients.

Making Your Breakfast Healthier

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this is true for two reasons: Firstly, it is true because, when it comes time for breakfast, you have been sleeping all night and will literally be "breaking a fast"; Secondly, it is true because your breakfast foods will be the foods you are starting your day with! While many people are "too busy" to eat breakfast (which is certainly a bad thing), many others are "too busy" to eat a healthy breakfast (which is nearly as bad!).

Even though you are likely busy most of the time, you should not start your day eating something like a doughnut or a pastry; because you have not eaten in a while, your body will store the fat from these foods, and furthermore, these foods provide you with nothing but empty calories!

Oats are a great food to start your day with, as oats give you energy and are also good for your body; oatmeal is, of course, a great way to get oats at the start of the day, but if you do not like oatmeal, try eating an oat bar or a bowl of cereal.

Yogurt is another great food to start your day with; rather than purchasing sugar-filled yogurt that is really nothing more than a dessert, however, take the time to shop for some organic yogurt that is actually healthy, as this will be a great way for you to start the morning!

Of course, fruit is a tremendous choice for breakfast, and like most of these other foods, fruit is easy to bring with you on the road - which means you can eat it even if you are "too busy" to make yourself breakfast!

Once you begin to kick off your morning with these foods, you will feel a big difference in your energy throughout the day, and your body will start to be much healthier than it had been before!

Tips For Waking Up On Time

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Some people find that waking up on time every single morning is no problem at all, no matter how late they went to bed the night before (sometimes even waking up on time every morning without setting an alarm!), but while it is painfully true that not everyone is a "morning person" such as those individuals who have no problem getting up on time each morning, it is also true that there are a few things that even those non-morning persons can do to help themselves wake up on time!

If you sometimes have a problem with waking up on time, realizing that it all begins with going to sleep on time; if you have a hard time going to sleep on time, realize that you need to change your body's pattern, and rather than doing this by taking a sleeping pill (or something else that will make you drowsy the next day), try forcing yourself to get less sleep than you need one weekend, and see how much easier this makes it for you to go to bed on time that Sunday night!

Another thing that will help you is understanding that a lot of people feel tired in the morning because their alarm clock ends up waking them when they are at their deepest point of sleep; in order to prevent this happening to you, think about using a sleep cycle alarm clock, which will wake you up when you are at your lightest point of sleep!

Another thing that will help you get up on time is having something you look forward to doing in the morning; instead of waking up and starting to get ready for work immediately, wake up even a little bit earlier and spend some time reading, or drinking coffee in relaxed silence, or doing yoga!

It might still take you a while to switch to become a full-fledged "morning person," but when you take these steps, you will start finding that it is a whole lot easier for you to wake up on time, and to have the energy you need as you move into your day!

Is It Better To Eat Before Or After A Workout?

One of the biggest things that stands in the way of people when they are pursuing good health is that they do not fully understand all the nuances of staying healthy that they should, and because of this, they mess up in little areas that end up making a big difference - and while it might seem like a negligible issue, understanding when you should eat, in regards to your workout, is one of these things that can make a big difference!

In order to understand whether eating before or after your exercise routine is better, you need to understand how your body works in regards to food and exercise: your body typically takes three to four hours to digest a large meal, two to three hours to digest a small meal, and about an hour to digest a light snack - so if you are eating before you exercise, keep these things in mind, or you will be short on energy (and high on cramps!) during your workout.

It will also be important for you to realize that your metabolism will be working at its highest rate right after you have finished working out - which means that eating after a workout will help your body to burn fat and create energy much more quickly!

When it comes right down to it, there is no hard and fast rule as to whether you should eat before or after a workout; quite simply, you should do whatever works best for your schedule (realizing that you are already on the right path if you are eating healthy, regular meals and are exercising regularly as well!). But make sure you understand the ways in which your body works - both in regards to how long it takes to digest meals of various sizes, and in how your metabolism works after a workout - and you will be much better equipped for making the right decision for you!