If you want to lose the kilos you’ve put on over Christmas, you may be interested in knowing that the hormones related to appetite play an important role in your likelihood of regaining weight after dieting. A new study confirms that people with the highest levels of leptin and lowest levels of ghrelin are more likely to put the centimetres they lost back on again.

Doctors often have to deal with patients who, after sticking to a slimming diet, have regained the kilos lost in just a short time or weigh even more than they did before they started the diet. This is called the ‘yo-yo’ effect, and it is noted in some people who follow such weight-loss programmes.

“There are patients who are susceptible to and others who are resistant to the benefits of a diet”, Ana Belén Crujeiras, lead author of the study and a doctor at the University Hospital Complex of Santiago (CHUS), tells SINC. “It seems that the way each patient responds to treatment is predetermined by their own characteristics”.

The researchers analysed the role of the plasma levels of hormones such as ghrelin, leptin and insulin on weight recovery in 104 overweight people following a hypocaloric diet. After eight weeks, the group that had regained more than 10% of the weight lost was found to have higher levels of leptin and lower levels of ghrelin. No differences were observed in their insulin levels.

The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, also show that ghrelin has a specific impact on men and leptin on women.

“Some obese or overweight patients who gain more weight following a diet could even be identified before they embark on their weight-loss therapy, just by looking at their plasma levels of these hormones”, Crujeiras stresses.

A very useful dietary weapon

According to the authors, this study opens the door to more exhaustive studies on appetite-related hormones as tools for developing individually-tailored weight-loss programmes that would guarantee success for obese and overweight patients in keeping the weight lost off.

“Endocrinologists and nutritionists should design a special programme for patients with the highest plasma levels of leptin and the lowest ghrelin levels before they start on a hypocaloric diet, knowing that these patients are the most likely to regain the weight they have lost over the short term”, concludes the expert.

Sources: Plataforma SINC, AlphaGalileo Foundation.

Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/213415.php

To mark the start of the new year, thousands of Australian women give fad diets a go to try and shift unwanted Christmas kilos. But according to dietitians, fad diets are not only unhealthy, but often dangerous.

According to the Dietitians Association of Australia, there are plenty of fad diets to choose from: lemon detox, Atkins, cabbage soup. But the ‘best’ diet is one that is sustainable, flexible and results in long-term weight loss.

Associate Professor Tim Crowe, from the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University, said many fad dieters diet themselves fatter over time.

‘People who go on gimmicky quick-fix diets often regain the weight quickly and many end up heavier than they were to start with. Fad diets are a sure path to disappointment, so avoid them like the plague,’ said Associate Professor Crowe, an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Associate Professor Crowe said a large US study, which began in 1994, has been tracking the success of more than 5,000 people who have lost at least 13kg and kept it off for more than 12 months1.

In this study, traits of successful weight losers include reducing fat intake, eating breakfast every day, weighting in at least weekly, limiting television time to less than 10 hours per week, and exercising for around an hour each day.

‘Losing weight is ‘easy’ compared with keeping it off long-term. So get expert advice and the right support to give yourself the best chance of sticking to your weight loss goals,’ said Associate Professor Crowe.

Associate Professor Crowe said common short-tem problems with fad diets include constipation, bad breath and fatigue, and longer term, some fad diets can be harmful to heart health.

He said Australia’s Healthy Weight Week (January 23 to 30), which falls after the holiday period, is an ideal time to start eating well and commit to a healthy weight for the long haul.

‘If you’re carrying too much weight, shedding a few kilograms will make a huge difference to your health, and will boost your energy levels. Studies show that dropping 5-10 per cent in body weight can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce the risk of diabetes,’ said Associate Professor Crowe.

Associate Professor Crowe’s tips for spotting a fad diet:

• Promotes or bans certain foods or food groups
• Pushes a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach
• Promises quick, dramatic or miraculous results
• Focuses on short-term changes to eating and exercise habits
• Encourages ‘miracle’ pills, potions or supplements – often promoted as ‘fat burners’ and ‘metabolism boosters’
• Contradicts the advice of trusted health professionals
• Makes claims based on a single study or testimonials.

Background

• Australia’s report card on weight is one of the worst in the world, with 61 per cent of Australian adults and 25 per cent of children overweight or obese.
• Eighty eight per cent of Australians who are trying to lose weight are not getting expert dietary advice from a dietitian2. And almost one in five Australians (16%) who are trying to lose weight follow a potentially dangerous diet from a book or magazine.
• According to IBIS World research, in 2010-11, Australians will spend around $789 million on counselling services, low-calorie foods and shakes, diet cookbooks, weight loss guides, dietary supplements and even surgery in a quest to slim down3.

About Australia’s Healthy Weight Week

Australia’s Healthy Weight Week (AHWW) is an initiative of the Dietitians Association of Australia and is running from 23-30 January 2011. The theme is ‘Live your life: Weight matters’.

AHWW encourages Australians to get the right support for weight management. And when it comes to nutrition, an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) can tailor an eating plan to an individual’s lifestyle, and support and motivate them to make changes for life.

1. US National Weight Control Registry. Available here.
2. Newspoll: ‘The Australia’s Healthy Weight Week Report’, commissioned by the Dietitians Association of Australia. The Newspoll telephone survey was conducted nationally from 3-5 December among 1,200 respondents aged 18 years and over.
3. IBIS World. Weight loss centres in Australia – Australian Industry Report. Available here.

Source:
Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA)

Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/212840.php

In only one month, volunteers following the plan reduced their cholesterol levels by 15 percent to 20 percent and dropped blood pressure 2 points. That’s a big, fast change.

Most studies of diet and heart disease show it takes more time, up to 12 weeks, to see the full effect on cholesterol and blood pressure.

And unlike the traditional meat-based Atkins diet, which increased dangerous LDL cholesterol in previous studies, the Eco-Atkins diet reduced LDL.

The Eco-Atkins diet scores better from an environmental perspective, too. High-protein diets emphasizing red meat, dairy and eggs are not environmentally friendly, said Dr. David Jenkins, a physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and University of Toronto in Canada and one of the researchers.

That’s because it takes more energy and produces more greenhouse gases to raise beef and poultry than it does to grow grains, beans, fruits or vegetables.

A Vegan Twist
Jenkins and colleagues recruited 50 overweight, middle-aged people from Toronto for their study. Half the volunteers received the Eco-Atkins diet: ready-made meals of low-carbohydrate, high-protein foods.

The twist: the meals were strictly vegan – no meat, poultry, fish or dairy products. (The original Atkins was low-carb and high-protein, but with lots of meat.)

If a vegan diet sounds extreme to you, keep reading. There are simple ways to incorporate some vegan meals into your diet, and non-vegan vegetarian meals can be helpful, too.

Jenkins and his colleagues picked a vegan diet because they thought it “would be the most ecologically, environmentally and other-species friendly diet that we could mount,” Jenkins said.

“But we didn’t set it up against a diet that was ecologically catastrophic,” such as the traditional Atkins diet.

Instead, the remaining volunteers followed a vegetarian diet including low-fat dairy products and egg substitutes so it would be a fair match, equally low in cholesterol as the Eco-Atkins diet.

Both groups of volunteers reported feeling satisfied and full, although they ate only 1,500 calories a day and lost about 8 pounds in the month.

As expected with any weight loss experience, both groups had improvements in cholesterol and blood pressure. But the Eco-Atkins group had bigger changes–an 8 percent greater drop in cholesterol.

As a dietitian, I don’t recommend vegan diets for everyone. Without serious planning and dedication, vegan plans can be inadequate. However, we can all reap benefits from moving toward a more plant-based diet.

Even having a few vegan meals a week can be helpful. Vegan foods are useful because they have less artery-clogging fats than meats. And they can be simple to prepare–bet you didn’t realize a peanut butter sandwich was vegan!

Lots of Fiber
The eating plans in the study were very different. The Eco-Atkins diet provided only 130 grams of carbohydrates per day, the minimum level currently recommended by scientists.

It eliminated common starchy foods such as baked goods, potatoes and rice. Instead of wheat bread, the plan included flour-less high-protein bread made from ground almonds, ground hazelnuts and wheat gluten.

Eco-Atkins menus emphasized foods rich in soluble fiber, which is known to lower cholesterol. Such foods include oats, barley, okra and eggplant, along with other fruits and vegetables.

The plan also included wheat protein, known as seitan, and soy protein in veggie burgers, veggie bacon, veggie deli slices, veggie breakfast sausages, tofu and soy drinks.

Also, the eco-friendly plan featured heart-healthy fats, such as that found in almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, vegetable oils and avocados.

To make up for nutrients found in dairy products not allowed on the Eco-Atkins diet, people received supplements of vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium and magnesium.

Like the Eco-Atkins plan, the comparison plan – a more traditional vegetarian diet–was meat-free. But it included low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese, as well as egg whites. The more traditional diet had twice as many carbohydrates as the high-protein Eco-Atkins diet.

Not All-or-Nothing
Even if the Eco-Atkins plan is too dramatic a change for most people, Jenkins encourages people to move toward a more plant-based diet.

You don’t have to take an all-or-nothing approach.

As a dietitian, I agree that switching to plant proteins like beans, peas and lentils instead of meat is better for your heart and your waistline. Legumes are lower in calories and saturated fat than meat and better for the environment. You might start by eating one vegetarian meal a week.

Jenkins’ crew used many vegetarian versions of meat. If you don’t enjoy faux foods or feel they are too costly, try traditional vegetarian treats.

Some of my favorites are:

• Cajun red beans and rice
• Bean chili with corn bread
• Split-pea soup with whole-grain crackers
• Curried lentils with vegetables and rice
• Take-out Chinese bean curd with broccoli, rice and garlic sauce.

Beans do have more carbohydrates than the modern meat substitutes used in the Eco-Atkins plan. However, beans are still a good source of protein, and arguably even more eco-friendly because they are less processed.

The list of yummy vegetarian foods is nearly endless.

Jennifer Motl welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.

Scientists for years have been studying the relationship between a persons genetic make-up and their ability to gain and lose weight.

As the research progresses it won’t be too far off that you will be able to obtain a genetic profile and then have a dietary plan personally designed for optimal health and weight loss to fit your profile.

Geneticist Jose Ordovas says that current research is uncovering the complex interactions between diet and a person’s DNA, which could in future lead to “more personalised advice about what to eat and drink to stave off heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions”.

While some nutritionists have been quick to label the theory “another gimmick”, two recent landmark studies have found that an individual’s genes do have a lot to do with how their bodies react to certain foods.

One study of 32,000 people by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometic Traits, discovered six genes that were linked to appetite control and obesity, five of which are active in the brain.

Dr. Peter D’Adamo a naturopathic physician (aka diet guru), is already practising this method and is gaining a loyal following, even from perpetual dieter Opray Winfrey.

Dr. D’Adamo explained that an individual’s DNA is unique, and that is why a “one size fits all diet” is ineffective.

In Dr. D’Adamo’s latest book, The GenoType Diet (Broadway), loosely based on his bestseller, Eat Right For Your (blood) Type (Putnam Adult), he suggests that eating certain foods based on your genetic make-up is the key to staying trim and healthy and living a long life.

He has identified six basic gene types and provides a customised food plan for each one, emphasising the foods and supplements that “will work best” for weight loss and health.

“Most significantly, it decides which foods will help you lose weight and achieve vitality, and which illnesses you’re most at risk of,” Dr D’Adamo says.

So which genotype are you?

The Hunter
Tall and thin, full of nervous energy and prone to allergies and asthma.
Eat: Meat-rich, low-gluten foods.
Superfoods: Beef, lamb, salmon, hard cheese, wild/brownrice, artichokes, broccoli, grapefruit.
Avoid: Nuts, grains, wheat, sugary foods, soft cheese.

The Teacher
Strong and sinewy, with great stamina.
Eat: White meat and fish.
Superfoods: Turkey, white fish, black beans, peanuts, peas, tofu, flaxseeds, .
Avoid: Sugary food, white carbohydrates, red meat.

The Explorer
Muscular, broad shoulders, narrow hips and low body fat.
Eat: Legumes, liver, beans, cheese and meat.
Superfoods: Liver, lamb, ricotta, mozzarella, lentils, parsnips, ginger, raspberries.
Avoid: Alcohol and caffeine.

The Gatherer
Full-figured, gains weight easily, has trouble processing alcohol and caffeine.
Eat: High-protein, low-GI.
Superfoods: Liver, lamb, ricotta, mozzarella, lentils, parsnips, ginger, raspberries.
Avoid: Fried and microwaved food.

Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle was created by Tom Venuto, a respected fat loss expert, natural bodybuilder, and personal trainer. He hasn’t just pumped out yet another “fad diet program” into an already over-saturated and over-hyped market, he has simply put together one of the most complete, detailed, and precise guides to fat loss you will ever read.

What makes it so different from other weight loss publications on the market?
First and foremost, it’s not a “weight loss” program – it’s a “fat loss” program. This may seem like semantics, but once you’ve read the first three chapters, you will have no doubts that pursuing “weight loss” is not only wrong, but may be the reason that you’ve failed to reach and maintain your ideal body weight in the past. Burn The Fat explains exactly why it’s fat you must lose, not “weight” (which includes muscle, lean tissue and water) and then goes on to show you exactly how to do it.

Secondly, what makes Burn The Fat different from most of the other weight loss programs is the attention to detail paid to each and every element of successful, healthy, permanent fat loss. Burn The Fat cuts through all the lies, myths and fallacies surrounding what can be a very confusing subject, and is one of the most detailed books about fat loss ever written. When you read through Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, (or better yet, “studying it”), you will learn more about fat loss than you could ever imagine.

“Is this a low carb diet? A high protein diet? A high fat diet? what type of program IS it???” The truth is that Burn the Fat is none of these – with the information in this book, you will be able to:

• easily determine your own ideal protein, carb and fat ratios.
• analyze your body type (are you an endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph?)
• determine your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, or the amount of “maintenance” calories your body requires every day), and
• find out whether you are carb tolerant or carb intolerant.

This personalized or individualized approach makes perfect sense because each and every one of us is a unique individual and no two people are exactly alike in terms of body physiology and personal goals.

If there is any drawback to the Burn The Fat eBook, it’s that it contains so much information (340 pages), that some readers may find it a bit overwhelming. However, even though you might be a bit intimidated at first, the good part is that it will be worth the effort, because this will probably be the last book that you ever have to buy on the subject.

Who will benefit most from Burn the Fat?
In the broadest sense, anyone and everyone who needs to lose weight will benefit from Burn The Fat. Although it was written by a bodybuilder, this book is certainly NOT just for bodybuilders.

You won’t find any “30 lbs. in 30 days” miracles claims here. It’s all about intelligent eating choices, planning, hard work and lifestyle change. As Burn The Fat author Tom Venuto says,… “Burn the Fat is simple, but it’s not easy.”

Initially, some people thought that Burn the Fat was priced a little on the high side because $39.95 might seem like a fair chunk of money for an eBook download. However, after they saw the amount of information contained within Burn The Fat’s 340 pages, along with the special bonus eBooks and reports that come with it, they said it was not only worth the $39.95, but many times that amount.

If you are looking for a quick fix solution to fat loss or a “magic bullet” offered by the likes of body wraps, fat burning pills, diet shakes, or “fat-burning” creams and gels then Burn the Fat is probably not for you.

On the other hand, if you are tired of “spinning your wheels” and going nowhere, want the truth about fat loss and are ready and willing to put in the hard work and discipline and make the lifestyle changes necessary to get a fat free body, then Burn The Fat will be one of the best investments you have ever made.

Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle sells for $39.95, which is very reasonable for the information contained within Burn The Fat’s 340 pages, along with the special bonus eBooks and reports that come with it. There is a secure page from which to make your purchase and your credit card information is fully encrypted and secure. Tom Venuto also offers an 8-WEEK, NO-RISK, UNCONDITIONAL 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!, which is good if you were to buy this book and decided after a few weeks that it is not something you want to follow then you can get a refund – however I believe that is very unlikely.

I originally purchased Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle in February 2005 and to be honest, it is the one book that I always use and refer to and for this reason I highly recommend Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle to anyone wanting to lose fat. Click here to learn more about Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle.

It’s the stuff that weight(fat) loss dreams are made of — shedding kilos while tucked up in bed and waking up the next day refreshed and ready for the day ahead.

The new Hibernation Diet claims we can all do all that, by following some simple rules and enjoying a few spoonfuls of honey before bed!

The diet, created by British pharmacist Mike McInnes and his son Stuart, a nutrition expert, promises to help us sleep and lose weight (fat) at the same time by taking advantage of our biological makeup and working with it, rather than against it.

“The Hibernation Diet is about recruiting your own natural recovery system for weight control,” Mike says. “You don’t have to fight your body every step of the way to get a healthy weight. You need to learn how to make it work for you.”

The key is to kick-start our body’s recovery mechanism at night – speeding up our fat burning metabolism, easing stress hormones and helping us get a better night’s sleep. Which is where honey comes in.

But are you a candidate for the Hibernation Diet? Ask yourself these questions …

Do you wake up regularly during the night?
Do you experience night sweats?
Do you experience acid reflux during the night?
Do you get up to go to the bathroom during the night?
Do you feel nauseous in the early morning?
Do you wake up exhausted?
Do you have a dry throat in the morning?
Do you get night cramps?
Do you feel weak in the early morning?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, it could mean you haven’t fuelled up your liver for the night ahead. Instead of burning fat and repairing muscles, your body has produced a tidal wave of stress hormones while you’ve slept.

How does the Hibernation Diet work?
The diet’s creators say there are three keys to burning more fat while we sleep:

Honey
Honey has long been prized for its therapeutic properties. The Hibernation Diet creators claim the fructose and glucose in honey provides a fuelling mechanism for the body at night – keeping blood sugar levels balanced and letting your recovery hormones get on with burning fat stores.

They disagree with the idea that you shouldn’t eat late at night, insisting that a spoonful or two of honey will actually help you lose weight.

“We’re not going to give you carte blanche to stuff yourself with takeaways every night,” Mike says. “We’re talking here about nutrition – giving your body the right fuel to work with.”

How much honey should you eat? The Hibernation Diet recommends taking a generous spoonful or two of honey at night — either as a warm drink, a smoothie or straight from the jar.

Healthy eating
The Hibernation Diet isn’t just about honey. Mike and Stuart also advocate a healthy, balanced diet void of highly refined, processed foods – that means no white bread, pizza, burgers, chips, beer and sugar. They suggest eating foods that provide the nutrients our body needs, without excess additives.

Resistance Training
The Hibernation Diet also recommends two to three sessions of resistance training per week. You don’t need to go to the gym to do these – use light hand weights or packs of sugar, rice or dried beans. Some Swiss Ball or Exercise Ball DVDs have resistance exercises included.

But now things have changed – those in the know have given up on the starvation-and-deprivation diets and waved goodbye to the complicated, percentage-based or calorie counting eating plans.

Carbs are back in favour and, surprisingly, so is eating. In fact, now the most popular way to stay in shape in Hollywood and elsewhere is to eat all day long.

Some of the high-profile A-listers who have opted out of dieting hell include Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Penélope Cruz, Lucy Liu, Kate Beckinsale, Jennifer Garner, Uma Thurman, Cindy Crawford, Jessica Biel, Halle Berry. and etc..

This is great news for everyone who has ever found it difficult to stick to a diet (is there anyone who hasn’t?) and for all those who actually enjoy eating. The new way to slim down is to never to get hungry, ie. snack between meals, and enjoy the foods we have previously been denied and therefore craved.

Basically, it is all about speeding up your metabolism, explains Dan Benardot, PhD, professor of nutrition, kinesiology and health at Georgia State University.

“Blood sugar fluxes every three hours, so if you don’t eat something to raise the blood sugar, metabolic rate can slow down,” he says.

‘By eating every three hours, you’re never hungry and constantly reset your metabolism’.

“One of the stimulants to hunger is low blood sugar,” he says. “If you let yourself get really hungry and find a bag of unpeeled carrots and a ready-to-eat cake in the refrigerator, which would you choose?”

We are programmed to eat for energy – but if we don’t listen to that programming, we can easily upset the natural balance of our bodies. Our body thinks it is in starvation mode and automatically slows down your metabolism, which leads to a vicious cycle of binge/starve and weight gain.

On top of all that, our moods will suffer, making us even more prone to pigging out on the wrong foods.

“By eating every three hours, you’re never hungry and constantly reset your metabolism,” confirms Jorge Cruise, fitness guru and author of The 3-Hour Diet. “My three-hour diet is about uncovering the buried concept of timing – the fact that when we eat is critical to weight loss.”

Jorge believes that a little of what you fancy also does you good. “I never advocate deprivation,” he says. “If you want something sweet, you’ve got to indulge or you’ll just end up bingeing and regretting it. You can be smart about how you enjoy dessert. There are no bad foods, just bad portions.”

“But it’s not rocket science,” he quickly adds. “Forget the fad diets and pills. The most potent weight-management drug on the market is in your market – it’s food!”

The golden rules
Eat six times a day 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.
Start every day with a healthy protein breakfast.
Include around 90g of protein in your diet each day.
Include around 30g of fibre each day.
Do not eat any concentrated sugars.
Any bread, pasta or rice should be wholegrain.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine.

Sample menu
Breakfast: A boiled egg with wholemeal toast and a piece of fruit.
Snack: Two slices of lean ham and a piece of fruit.
Lunch: Chicken breast and salad.
Snack: Low-fat yoghurt with handful of unsalted nuts such as almonds, or fruit.
Dinner: Lean roast lamb, with green vegies, carrots and ½ a jacket potato.
Snack: Wholewheat crispbreads with tuna and tomato. Or a glass of skimmed milk and a banana.

Tip
You can easily turn your normal three meals into six by dividing them in half, and eating the second half three hours after the first. As long as you keep the portions smaller than you would have if you’d lumped it all together in three meals, then you won’t overload your system and will keep your metabolism revved up. This will improve energy, help you lose weight and give you a much better mood.

Exactly what is the Mediterranean diet and can it help you lose weight? There actually is no ‘Mediterranean’ diet – it’s a compilation of the way that people in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea eat. Despite the differences in actual specifics, all of those studied based their diets on the same proportions of food groups and calories, and all included olive oil as their main source of fat. In fact, their diets contained far more than the recommendations made by the USDA – 40% rather than the 30% recommended for most healthy Americans. Still, the evidence was irrefutable. Therefore, it must have been the KIND of carbohydrates and fats that make the difference.

The typical Mediterranean day includes walking rather than driving, physical activity in the fields or the home and recreationThe Mediterranean diet consists of the following guidelines:

60% Of Total Carbohydrates From Grains, Fruits And Vegetables

Those include whole rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain breads and cereals, polenta, pasta (made with whole grain, not refined white flour)

Sparing Use of Red Meat, Fish And Poultry
The typical adult Mediterranean consumes about 15 ounces of red meat and poultry per week. Another 5-15 ounces of fish per week account for the bulk of their meat protein intake. Compare that to the typical American diet which might include a 1 pound steak for dinner one night, a 1/2 pound chicken breast the next, and on and on.

Olive Oil
Olive oil is not a miracle oil. It is, however, mono-unsaturated – a good fat. Mono-unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol rather than raising it, and are healthy ways to add fats to your diet (and yes, even though we think of fat as a dirty word, your body does need some, or it can’t use many of the vitamins you feed it!)

The other important component of the Mediterranean lifestyle was activity. The typical Mediterranean day includes walking rather than driving, physical activity in the fields or the home and recreation. Physical activity is vital in helping the body to lose weight, and to maintain your new weight once you reach it.

The secret to losing weight with the Mediterranean diet is to base your meals on healthy carbohydrates – leafy green vegetables, brightly colored vegetables, whole grains and meals. Use meat sparingly – no more than 3-6 ounces per day. Derive dietary fat from vegetable sources – or from fish oil. Exercise regularly to rev up your metabolism. The Mediterranean diet isn’t a weight loss regimen. It’s a new way of eating that will help you reach your goal weight and stay there when you get there.

In fact, Dr. Barry Sears is endorsing a new product called Smart Zone which is a meal supplement bar produced by Hersheys. There have been several lawsuits regarding the use of the Dr. Sears implied endorsement of ZonePerfect products. Dr. Sears is very clear that he does not endorse these products despite the fact that they use the ZonePerfect name.

What is the issue?

Dr. Barry Sears now operates a company called Zone Labs. They have the only Zone Diet products that Dr. Sears endorses at this time. The Hershey SmartZone bars will also carry Dr. Sears stamp of approval as soon as they are marketed.

The concern with the non-endorsed products is that while they appear to be the Zone products, they are not correctly chemically balanced to control insulin. Since the whole premise of the Zone Diet is to eat foods that will help your body control the hormones that produce and regular insulin it is very important that the chemical composition of the food is exactly correct.

Dr. Sears explains that a diet bar can be a prime example of how things can appear to be Zone foods but are not chemically balanced to work with the program. There are many nutrition bars that are composed of a 40/30/30 balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fat. The fat in Zone bars comes from a patented fish oil product that actually helps the body slow down the production of insulin and prevents hunger and cravings. Other bars marketed as Zone products have the 40/30/30 ratio but they use flaxseed or soybean oils that don’t have the same chemical composition. This oil does nothing to help the body with insulin control and will result in hunger and cravings.

What does Dr. Sears endorse?

Currently Dr. Sears endorses his own line of supplements that include:

• OmegaRx® Fish Oil Concentrates that act to optimize heart, brain and immune system functions as well as help with the hormonal control of insulin production.
• Zone Bars and Shakes that are available for on-the-go meals and snacks. These bars and shakes follow the 40/30/30 ratio and have the added benefit of the omega fish oil for insulin control.
• Zone Ribose is another supplement that is used to increase energy and decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise.
• SeaHealth Plus is a liquid supplement that provides the vitamins and minerals found in 2-3 servings of fruit and vegetables. It is high in anti-oxidants that rid the body of free radicals.
• An additional line of supplements for body and skeletal health that includes cardio support, bone supplement, hepatic support for detoxification and Zone foundation and micro nutritional support.

[relatedposts]The only meal that is endorsed by Dr. Sears as a Zone diet product is the new line of frozen dinners he has developed with Cedarlane, a producer of organic and natural frozen dinners. These Zone endorsed meals include pizza, omelets, enchiladas and burritos. They are designed to be cooked in a microwave and enjoyed.

Dr. Sears continues to develop more supplements and meals that fit into the Zone Diet. Be careful to check that the product you’re buying does have Dr. Sear’s endorsement to ensure that you are truly staying in the Zone.

So does this diet actually work? Can you shed 9 pounds in 11 days?

Personally I believe this diet to be great! I think this one diet among several that really advertises the truth. Yes you can shed 9 pounds in just 11 days. Why am I so confident about this diet? I myself have done it.

Why does this diet work? How is it different from other diets?

This diet is based on the principle of shifting calories. This diet recognizes that our body has an amazing adjusting capacity. Our metabolism adjusts really quickly to the quantity of food we eat and hence speeds up or slows down accordingly. Our body builds a certain tolerance to certain foods and prioritizes what needs to be burned first and what can be burnt slower. Normally calories are first burned before the fat.

Most diets don’t work because they are aware of the fact that calories are burnt before fats and hence advice lower calorie intake. But what they do not realize is that our body is extremely clever. If you reduce your intake of calories even for a month, your body adjusts to it and your metabolism will not reduce too much fat.

The fat loss 4 idiots diet is not focused on the calories you consume but works on a special calorie eating system.

This diet encourages you to have not 3 but 4 meals everyday for the 11 days. It does not restrict you from many foods. It encourages you to eat a certain type of food one week and eat a different type of food the next week. It basically aims at tricking our metabolism which indeed is a quick and clever learner. If we eat different types of food every week, our body will not have room to adjust to any type. Thus our metabolism will be high and hence causing the burning of fats. Remember the higher your metabolism, the more fats will be burned. Say for example we eat about 2,500 calories and suddenly switch to 200 calories, our body may still read it as 2500 calories and thus burn fat in the bargain.

If you are overweight or obese, and you want to lose weight, give this diet a try. It is only an 11 day diet. You can also resume the diet after 3 days. And on those 3 days you can eat whatever you care to eat. This diet is fairly easy to follow. It allows you to eat fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and proteins. Believe you me, this is a very easy diet to follow and what is more, the results actually show at the end of the diet.