How to live a healthy life is a lot easier then people imagine it to be. When you say the word “healthy” people automatically think rules and regulations and change. But what most don’t realize is that while change does need to take place for a healthy life it can be easy. It begins with the basics of living. The question is how do we fit it into a everyday life with an eight or twelve hour daily routine of work. After all we all got to work don’t we? Whatever the shift is you can think health. And that is where it begins in our thoughts. Changing our perception is the key and our thoughts have power over us. I suggest beginning with one thing at a time. Our bodies need at least sixty four ounces of water a day. So drink the water everyday and think of the benefits you will receive from it. Like water helps you loose weight. Water makes your tummy feel fuller at dinner time so you don’t eat as much. Water even helps your complexion and keeps you from getting the wrinkles sooner then you should. Water helps your kidneys flush out free radicals in your urinary tract. Water is essential so you drink it and don’t hesitate. Because before you know it your body will get use to it and when you don’t get it; your body will tell you that you are dehydrated when before you did drank it you might not have had any clue. If you know to drink your water be responsible for what you know. I strongly believe that a person can eat whatever they want. That sounds crazy right? But it’s true i believe it. Just don’t eat anything four to five hours before you go to bed. You see your body can only burn fat in three ways. While you are doing aerobic activity, while you have a high fever or when you are sleeping. Well we all know that we sleep longer then we can exercise. So why not go to bed hungry and wake up a little liter knowing that you’ve just got through burning fat while you were a sleep. It works I do it all the time. You see with no food in your blood stream or in your tummy your body has no choice but to go to your stored energy to receive it’s energy to repair itself while you are a sleep. If you like sweets like I do try eating them in the morning so you’re not deprived and you have all day to burn them off. Take a twenty minute walk three times a week and you can feel the stress of everyday roll off your back in no time and off your unwanted spare tire around your mid-section. If you don’t like to walk alone pair up with a friend and talk

Have you wondered what exactly the process of gaining fat is? If “yes”, then keep reading.

There are two main reasons for getting fat:

* Consuming calories in excess

* Consuming high-glycemic carbohydrates

Calories in excess can come from fats, carbohydrates and proteins. The human body has two ways of getting fats into the blood stream. Here is how that happens and how the actual process of storing fat occurs.

The first way: Dietary fats pass through the lining of the intestines in the form of chylomicrons (long chain fatty acids) and are subsequently converted to triglycerides. This is the main form, in which they travel in the blood stream.

If the fats are in excess they are readily stored in the fat cells. The process is called lipogenesis.

The second way: Fats are also manufactured in the liver in the form of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and again are converted to triglycerides.

The liver has the ability to convert carbohydrates and proteins to fats as well, if they are eaten in excess and the body doesn’t need so much of them for recovery and tissue repair.

The chylomicrons (fats, coming from the intestines) and the lipoproteins (the fats, made in the liver) have the ability to stimulate the synthesis of Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL). LPL is an enzyme, manufactured in the fat cells, for the conversion of the triglycerides to free fatty acids and glycerol.

Fats can enter the adipocites (fat cells) only in the form of free fatty acids.

Once inside the fat cell the free fatty acids need glycerol to be converted back into triglycerides (re-esterification), in which state they are stored.

Here is where insulin comes to play. Insulin, other than lowering the blood sugar levels, acts also as a stimulus for the fat cells to produce more LPL. It also decreases the ability of the fat cells to give out the fat, stored in them.

Another property of insulin is to carry glucose over to the fat cells. This glucose is the main source of glycerol for the conversion of the free fatty acids to triglycerides.

And yet another role of insulin in the body is to facilitate the conversion of carbohydrates to fat in the liver through the activation of enzymes, needed for this process.

In other words insulin is a main contributor for the process of storing adipose tissue (fat).

Why the consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates makes us fat? Because it stimulates the release of larger quantities of insulin for a short period of time.

Conclusion: In order to prevent all of the above from happening we must:

1. Ingest total daily calories at or below maintenance level in order to avoid the conversion of carbohydrates and proteins to fat, as well as the introduction of large amounts of triglycerides from dietary fats in the blood stream.

2. Eat lower-glycemic carbohydrates and eat them in moderation in order to avoid spiking the insulin levels.

When doctors discuss lowering high cholesterol, a major topic is a heart healthy diet. Patients need to concentrate on eliminating the bad fats, and understanding good fats.

How confusing! The average person is not a dietician. Although food labels are supposedly chocked full of the necessary information, deciphering the nutritional values, and understanding the good from the bad, can be totally frustrating. For example, what is the difference between good and bad fats?

Essentially, good fats increase high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which help lower high cholesterol. Conversely, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) affect the increase of high cholesterol. Even simplified, the answer is still confusing.

Previously, low fat diets have suggested eliminating fats altogether. Now, medical science has discovered the need for good fats. Why are good fats necessary?

When an individual suffers from high cholesterol, bad fat content in the blood stream is slowly forming plaque on the artery walls. As the plaque builds, less blood is allowed to the heart. Deprived, the heart will eventually cease to function properly. Blood flow to the brain is also slowed, or stopped by a blood clot.

Now, an individual is likely to suffer a debilitating heart attack, stroke, or sudden death. Before disaster strikes, enter the good fats.

The body actually needs the good fats, as well as some cholesterol. First, what is cholesterol?

“Cholesterol is a wax-like substance. The liver makes it and links it to carrier proteins called lipoproteins that let it dissolve in blood and be transported to all parts of the body.

Why? Cholesterol plays essential roles in the formation of cell membranes, some hormones, and vitamin D” (Fats & Cholesterol). So, humans need cholesterol. Problems develop, if cholesterol builds, and the liver is still producing natural cholesterol. Now, the good fats take action to absorb the bad fats and help eliminate the problem, before the bad fats can turn into plaque on the artery walls.

Over time, the good fats will also help wear away, and carry off the buildup of plaque. Thus, people needing to control rising cholesterol levels, or lose the unwanted pounds, are encouraged to replace bad fats like trans saturated fats with good fats, unsaturated fats–polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. The question remains: exactly what are the good fats?

Unsaturated fats are found in products derived from plant sources, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. There are two main categories: polyunsaturated fats (which are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils) and monounsaturated fats (which are found in high concentrations in canola, peanut, and olive oils).

In studies in which polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats were eaten in place of carbohydrates, these good fats decreased LDL levels and increased HDL levels (Fats & Cholesterol).

Thus, the best advice: read the label! Although grocery shopping is generally not the favorite weekly chore, and most people want to rush through and get the job done, reading the labels can truly become a life-saving practice.

The extra time may help consumers have a longer lifespan, which means extra time to enjoy family, friends, hobbies, etc. Eventually, individuals will recognize the foods worth eating, and not have to peruse the labels so diligently. However, below are some general guidelines to consider, when learning to replace the bad fats with the good:

Tips for lowering trans fat intake:

* Choose liquid vegetable oils, or choose a soft tub margarine that contains little or no trans fats.

* Reduce intake of commercially prepared baked goods, snack foods, and processed foods, including fast foods. To be on the safe side, assume that all such products contain trans fats unless they are labeled otherwise.

* When foods containing partially hydrogenated oils can’t be avoided, choose products that list the partially hydrogenated oils near the end of the ingredient list.

*To avoid trans fats in restaurants, one strategy is to avoid deep-fried foods, since many restaurants continue to use partially hydrogenated oils in their fryers. You may be able to help change this cooking practice by asking your server, the chef, or manager if the establishment uses trans-free oils (Fats & Cholesterol).

Unfortunately, many foods people are accustomed to eating are actually bad for cholesterol levels. For instance, red meats are notorious for containing high levels of bad fat; ice cream is taboo. Chocolate is also on the bad list.

However, most people can occasionally indulge in a bad fat, rarely and in strict moderation, unless a doctor feels the problem is too severe, then never means never. A bite of chocolate or a bowl of ice cream is not worth dying prematurely.

In summary, lowering high cholesterol levels is essential to good cardiovascular health. In addition, knowing the difference between good and bad fats can help prevent blockage of the arteries, and increase the development of good (HDL) cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes associated with bad cholesterol (LDL). Taking the time to become educated in the consumption of good fats, can result in more time to appreciate life and loved ones.

Well we are all looking for that magical food that will help us in loosing our weight fast and efficiently. However, to disappoint us, there are no few selected magical foods that will cause weight loss when eaten. But by making some simple change to your eating life style, you can loose weight and keep it that way.

Our pancreas produces 2 hormones namely, glucagen and insulin. These two hormones determine how our body uses carbohydrates as the proportions of these two hormones in your body are critical for the usage of sugar in our body.

Glucagon instructs the liver to release sugars into the blood stream and increase the blood sugar level to a level that is needed for the brain and the rest of the body. Glucagon also signals the cells to release protein and fats for energy production. Insulin on the other hand, is responsible for supplying nutrients to cells. Insulin takes care of keeping the blood sugar levels in check by regulating the transfer of fats protein and sugars from and to the blood stream. If the sugar levels are more insulin instructs the liver to stop releasing sugar and start releasing fat.

When you take in proteins, glucagon is released. When you take in carbs insulin is released. None of them are released when you eat neither proteins nor carbs. if you just take in carbohydrates , the insulin to glucagon ratio shoots up. If only protein is eaten, the insulin to glucagon ratio falls. Hence it is extremely important for you to have a balanced diet with protein, fats, nonstarchy vegetables and carbohydrates which will give you balanced insulin to glucagons ratio which in turn will help you burn fat effectively.

Having a balanced diet will not lead to fat production; in fact, it could might as well lead to fat loss. Theres more to it, balanced diet will prevent you from loosing muscle again it might just help you build more muscle.

Here are 15 fat burning food ideas.

1. Coconut oil the fat from coconut oil isnt usually stored as fat in out bodies.

2. Salmon have a balanced diet with protein, carbohydrates and fats for balanced insulin and glucagon levels.

3. Whole grain breads whole grains have a slow sugar release when compared to processed grains. This means slow insulin response.

4. Asparagus This is known for its non-starchy ness and is even helpful with cheese sauce.

5. Cabbage – use it in as many different ways as possible this is especially helpful in soup as a filler.

6. Kale its high on calcium and is also easy to grow.

7. Chicken you can use chicken to balance a meal on a salad.

8. Garlic You can use this in whichever way you want.

9. Green beans this can fill you up and control your hunger but is non starchy and has no effect on glucagons or insulin.

10. Cod liver oil This is a very important source for vitamin A and vitamin D.

11. Bitters – like Swedish Bitters these help immensely in digesting fats.

12. Bell peppers this is another great tasting non starchy vegetable which has several advantages.

13. Summer squash this is great with light cheese sauces.

14. Cheese cheese is recommended in limited amounts, preferably fresh. Aged cheese is not always preferred as the fats in aged cheese are damaged.

15. Eggs contain a blend of proteins and fats that satisfy hunger and combine well with carbs.

Not only these there are many other fat burning foods if you realize the real keys to healthy eating and weight loss. Include all the non starchy vegetables to your eating plan.