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There are many types of eating plans or "diets" which most people like to call them. Whats the best eating plan for you ?  Knowing how the body works will help you choose the best way of eating for you, assisting you in your health and weight loss goals. 

Activity level and way of eating must become permanent and a lifestyle change. Most people are not willing to totally committ their selves to this, and any weight loss plans fail. It is up to the individual as to whether or not they are successful in their health and fitness goals. Here we will look at some factors which play into different eating plans that are seen, along with general guidelines for healthy eating. This should help you determine the best eating plan for you.

Types of nutrition programs

General Nutrition:

Your average everyday eating plan usually consists of many processed foods and fast foods. Although many fast food places have tried to turn to making some healthy choices, many times it is still hard to follow a strict eating plan when eating out. This is one reason why so many people fail at their weight loss goals, since it is more practical to use food services instead of taking you own meals.

Many things which should be avoided such as simple sugars like soft drinks, candy, some breads, and other simple sugars is almost impossible to do so. On average, the majority of calories comes from carbohydrates. This is not good since the majority of these carbohydrates come in the form of simple sugars. The only foods that are made of complex carbohydrates which are good for you are whole grains, as well as vegetables. All other forms are that of simple sugars which is what packs on the pounds when you eat to many of them.

Overall, weight loss or weight gain comes down to the simple calculation of if you eat more calories than you burn, weight gain will occur, while if you burn more calories than you consume, weight loss will happen.

Although this is true, the percentage of calories which comes from carbohydrates, protein, or fat is also important. The bodies first choice of calories is carbohydrates. When no carbohydrates are left, the body goes into a process which turns fats and proteins into the form of glucose or carbohydrates. This is were weight loss occurs. Because fats and even proteins are used for fuel, you want to be sure that you have at least enough protein to maintain the amount of lean mass that you have while losing fat mass.

As mentioned before, since most carbohydrates come in the form of simple sugars that are found in soft drinks and candy which are unhealthy, the majority of carbohydrates should come from other sources such as vegetables or grains. Since it is hard if not almost impossible to get many carbohydrates from these sources only, the overall percentage of carbohydrates in your eating plan is going to be low.

At one point it was even thought that the fat in foods made a person fat. Although a gram of fat does have the highest number of calories in it when compared to carbohydrates or protein, this is not true. It is more so the high dose of simple carbohydrates which make a person gain weight. Since only a specific amount of glucose can be stored in the muscle, when this limit is exceeded, the body converts what is not needed into body fat for later use.

Vegetarian

One type of eating plan or lifestyle that many people choose is that of being a vegetarian. There are different forms of being a vegetarian. This includes a vegan in which nothing but vegetables are consumed, as well as forms were either eggs or dairy products are used.

Vegan: This type of eating requires that different sources of protein be consumed in order to get your daily amount of protein needed. The majority of proteins consumed by a vegan must be a combination of more than one source. This is true because the only complete proteins come in the form of meats or dairy products. The proteins consumed here are more incomplete proteins and must be combined with other sources in order to make a complete protein.

Ovo Vegetarian: This type of vegetarian does not only eat vegetables, but in order to get protein easier, things such as eggs are consumed. Although protein is consumed easier this way, there are still specific amino acids which make up complete proteins that should be considered.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: This type of vegetarian not only has an intake of eggs with vegetables, but dairy products as well. Concerning your total protein intake, this is the best form of vegetarian to be since it makes getting the amount of protein needed much easier.

Complete Proteins:

Protein is made up of what are called amino acids. A complete protein has all of what are known as essential amino acids. A complete protein has all the essential amino acids needed to make it complete, while an incomplete protein still needs specific amino acids. Although it is possible to make complete proteins through combining different sources of vegetable proteins, it is much easier if other sources such as dairy and eggs are used. When using only vegetable sources, precise measuring must be done in order to get the correct amount of specific amino acids. Here is a general description of complete and incomplete proteins and what can be done to make an incomplete protein complete.

Calories Consumed

Many times people think that calorie counting is needed in order to lose weight. This may be true to a certain extent, but at the same time, only using the portion size should help as well. If you are not losing weight, just decrease the portion size. Most of the time, it is thought that three square meals a day is the best option. This is what has been taught to most people, but consuming smaller meals throughout the day is actually more healthy. It means having a small snack between meals such as a shake or protein bar. It is best if you consume either 5 or 6 smaller meals a day, eating them 3 to 4 hours apart. This will also assist in keeping your blood sugar levels normal. Here is a general description of a good eating plan, including percentages of calories from each source, as well as an example of a meal plan for one day.

When you are designing your meal plan and calculating the grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrates needed each meal, you should remember the following:

Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories

Carbs: 1 gram = 4 calories

Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories

Carbohydrates: 20%

Proteins: 40%

Fats: 40%

Average meal planning (3 meals/day)

Total Calories 2,400                         

Meal 1        800 calories                                       

Meal 2       800 calories                                           

Meal 3       800 calories                   

Smaller meals throughout the day

Meal 1   400 calories                      

Meal 2   400 calories                     

Meal 3   400 calories                    

Meal 4   400 calories                   

Meal 5   400 calories                  

Meal 6   400 calories                  

These are some general guidelines on healthy eating habits, whether it is through a normal eating plan of general foods consumed, or if it is through the use of only specific foods such as with a type of vegetarian eating plan, or other diets such as Atkins, paleo, or south beach.

Any of these eating plans are healthy, but as stated before, it should not be a diet which is only temporary, but more of a lifestyle change. This includes changing both eating habits along with activity levels. When put together these two factors should assist you in losing the weight needed and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

You hear a lot about how having eating habits of consuming low carbohydrates is good for you and can help you lose weight. While this may be true, at least to a point, it's not so much the amount of carbohydrates that are consumed as it is the type of carbohydrates. Are carbohydrates good for you ?  Here we cover the basics concerning types of carbohydrates, how the body uses them, which carbohydrates to avoid, as well as ones that are good for you.

So how are carbohydrates good for you ? There are two types of carbohydrates, simple, and complex. Glucose is the form of sugar the body uses as carbohydrates for fuel. You should try to avoid simple carbohydrates as much as possible. These are made from simple sugars and consist of mainly processed foods such as sweets, sodas, candy bars, ice cream, and all the other delicious sweet and tasty foods. While you don't have to totally avoid these all together, you want to consume them in moderation.

When you consume simple sugars such as these, you get what is called a sugar high. This is where your level of blood glucose rises quickly, and then drops after a short time. This rise in blood glucose levels comes from increased insulin levels which are responsible for transporting glucose to the cells. In comparison to this, when you consume complex carbohydrates, they break down at a slower rate than do simple carbohydrates. This gives you a more stable glucose level. The type of carbohydrates consumed, as well as the timing are both important. This is especially true if you have diabetes which is explained here.

There are two types of diabetes, types one and two. Type one diabetes (1) is where your body is not able to produce enough insulin to transport glucose from the blood to the cells for use. This type of diabetes is usually treated by taking a shot of insulin. Type two diabetes is where your body is not able to accept insulin due to an increased adaptation to sugars that are consumed. This will lead to what is known as insulin resistance where your cells resistance to the use of insulin increases. A decrease in what is known as insulin sensitivity, making your body less sensitive to levels of insulin also occurs. Due to over consumption of simple sugars, the body becomes used to insulin. If you decrease the amount of simple sugars that are consumed the insulin resistance will decrease, while increasing the bodies' sensitivity to insulin. This allows the body to become more efficient at using insulin. It can be done through adjusting your diet to consuming more complex carbohydrate and less simple carbohydrates. This type of diabetes does not require more insulin production, but only for the insulin to be working more efficiently.

Why are carbohydrates good for you ?  Consuming more complex carbohydrates from things such as vegetables, as well as whole wheat grains and breads are the best way to maintain blood sugar levels. Vegetables are also very fibrous as well which assists your digestive system. Complex carbohydrates, unlike simple carbohydrates take much longer to digest into your system. This is why it is good to have a meal that has these carbohydrates a few hours before an active event like a sporting event. If you are consuming a diet that is more than forty percent in carbohydrates, it is near impossible to consume enough without some being simple sugars. This is one reason why a low carbohydrate diet is good. As mentioned before, vegetables, as well as whole grains and pastas are your main sources of complex carbohydrates. All others come in forms of simple sugars such as sodas and candy. There is also the option of using meal replacements in between meals as a snack in order to assist in consuming the total number of calories in a day that you need. You should only make sure that it is low in the total amount of sugar it contains.

In actuality your body is much more efficient in producing and using energy if smaller meals are consumed throughout the day. The timing of intake of carbohydrates is also important. When are carbohydrates good for you ? If you consume carbohydrates at the right time, mainly prior to and after activity, while consuming less when not active, it will assist you in health and weight loss.  It is when you get up in the morning, and prior to the most active part of the day that the largest amount of carbohydrates should be consumed. Here is a general example of a meal plan that someone may follow and the difference between consuming fewer or more meals during a day.

Sinerio 1: Three meals a day: 3000 calories total

Meal 1: 7:00 AM Meal 2 1:00 PM Meal 3 7:00 PM

1,000 calories 1,000 calories 1,000 calories

Sinerio 2: Six meals a day:

Meal 1: 7:00 AM Meal 2: 10:00 AM Meal 3 1:00 PM Meal 4 4:00 PM Meal 5: 7:00 PM Meal 6: 10:00 PM

400 calories 500 calories 600 calories 600 calories 500 calories 400 calories

In both cases, the same total number of calories consumed in a day are the same. In the first case, the same amount of calories are consumed each meal. Doing this will cause more of a rapid increase in your blood sugar. If you consume smaller meals throughout the day such as in the second case, your blood sugar will remain much more stable. When consuming a larger number of meals, this also allows you to distribute your calories more equally. Also, when consuming smaller meals, three of them should be in the form of a healthy snack, or meal replacement bars or powder.

Concerning the percentage of calories from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, a good combination is no more than 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. Consuming a diet low in carbohydrates may also be good for those with diabetes. (2) You should first speak with a doctor or nutritionist before adjusting your eating habits if you have any medical condition. Consuming the minimum amount of carbs needed, along with an appropriate amount of proteins and fats will assist you in weight loss when combined with physical activity.  When consuming carbohydrates, your body can only use so many of them, and what it doesn't used is stored as fat. This is why eating a smaller number of carbohydrates may be effective at weight loss. When your body has used up the carbohydrates that it has stored, it goes into a state of what is called ketosis. This is where the body uses other sources such as fats and proteins for fuel. This can be, and is effective in the process of losing weight. (3)

So are carbohydrates good for you ? Since carbohydrates are the bodies' main source of fuel, they are good and should not be totally eliminated from your diet. What should be done is to decrease the amount of simple sugars consumed, while focusing more on complex forms of carbohydrates while consuming smaller meals throughout the day. This helps in maintaince of blood sugar throughout the day, and when combined with daily activity can assist in weight loss. I hope that this has given you a good understanding on the different types of carbohydrates there are, as well as the best way to consume them so that you use them more efficiently for fuel.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6108809/#
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115411/#
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6038311/#

There are a number of different protein supplements to take for pre and post workouts. Here we  look at the timing of  protein supplements, as well as which type of  supplement that is best for you. This may depend on your goals concerning your health. 

Supplementation is usually used as a replacement meal.  This is a good thing to do, and  the timing of your meals is also an important factor. Regardless of your health or fitness goals, timing of meals is important. This includes eating once every three hours or so with some between meal snacks. This can include protein supplements.

Eating six instead of three meals a day will increase your metabolism. The highest amount of calories you should consume is just prior to and after the busiest part of your day. This means things like going to the gym or just for a walk. The remaining amount of calories consumed should be spaced throughout the day.

 A  shake along with some form of carbohydrate between meals should be part of your daily calorie intake. This will help maintain  or increase your metabolic rate  giving you more energy.  Consuming enough protein and increasing your activity level each day becomes more important as we get older mainly due to oxidative stress (1). One of the main amino acids that helps in assisting with this stress is leucine.  This comes in the highest amount in the form of whey protein and can be more effective in assisting in recovery after a workout (5). Because of having more leucine, it may be the best type of supplement to use pre and posts workout. In one study though, this proved not to be the case.

Groups were compared  concerning increases in strength and lean body mass. One group took whey, while the other used soy  replacement. These results showed no significant results concerning differences in strength or size gain between the two groups. This showed soy to have just as much of an effect as does whey on ones' size and strength. (8).

Timing of supplement Intake

Not only is the type of protein important, but the timing of your meals is also an important factor. Whether your working out or not, the timing of meal consumption is an important factor. This helps you maintain your blood sugar levels, along with a healthy metabolic rate.  As stated before, you should consume the majority of calories prior to the busiest part of the day like a workout.

It has been shown that the ingestion of a supplement both pre and post exercise helped at increasing size and strength (2). Just prior to a workout, it may be best for the majority of calories consumed be from carbohydrates along with some protein or essential amino acids (6) This is because carbohydrates are your bodies' first choice of calories used. Whey protein also assists in how fast carbohydrate are used allowing the body to use them faster. Therefore, consumption of a supplement along with some form of simple carbohydrate may be best (7).

In one study, the timed ingestion was looked at both before and after exercise. The cross-sectional area of the muscle was measured both before and after twenty-one weeks of resistance training. It turned out that protein intake increased the cross-sectional area of the muscle and that taking a supplement close to a resistance training program may be more advantageous for an increase in muscle size as opposed to other times throughout the day.(3)

Level of experience

Concerning your level of health and activity, a supplement won't have the same effect if your inactive.  If you are active and your body is used to stress , the body may react differently when time is taken off for a break between training sessions. It has been shown though that strength and lean mass can be maintained during a time of down training regardless of the supplement taken post exercise (4)

What are the best protein supplements ?  Whey protein may be your best choice when compared to other protein sources such as soy or casein.

Soy has been shown to be as effective as other proteins, but unless it is natural, I would avoid taking it. It has been said that soy could possibly have a negative effect on the neurological system. This may effect those with different neurological disorders such as autism, Alzheimer, epilepsy, or other disorders.(9) Overall, whether it is for a general purpose, or for increasing your strength or size, whey is probably the best type of protein supplement to use.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23239011#

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17095924#

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18661258#

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28328712#

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29200982#

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23241341#

7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28530448#

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29722584#

9  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((%22Frontiers%20in%20neurology%22%5BJournal%5D)%20AND%20(%222014%2F09%22%5BDate%20-%20Publication%5D%20%3A%20%223000%22%5BDate%20-%20Publication%5D))%20AND%20Westmark%20CJ%5BAuthor%5D#

There are many "weight loss" supplements on the market that claim you will lose weight if you take it. Although this may have some truth to it, most of the supplements that are being sold will help more with losing water weight instead of body fat. There are a few that may supposedly work, but more research is still needed. Instead of using pills for weight loss, losing weight naturally is possible through watching the foods you consume. Here are some factors about weight loss which will help you lose weight in a more natural and healthy way.

As everyone knows, the main factor in weight loss has to do with the type of foods that you consume. This means doing the best you can at staying away from foods restaurants serve that are fried and high in cholesterol and sodium. Many of the foods served at restaurants are unhealthy, but there are also some healthy choices available. Just make sure you consume more natural foods with proteins that are low in fat.

Losing weight naturally involves consumption of healthy foods concerning the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins they contain. Although carbohydrates are being publicized as being unhealthy and you should avoid them, this is not totally true. It is not the overall amount, but the type of carbohydrates that are consumed. These are broken down into two types, complex carbohydrates, which are absorbed slower into your system, and simple carbohydrates which are absorbed at a faster rate. In losing weight naturally, it is much healthier to stay away from the simple carbohydrates which include substances like soft drinks, candy, and most processed foods that are on the market. It is much healthier to consume complex carbohydrates which consist of things such as grains and vegetables.

Since this is true, it is only possible to have a healthy diet low in carbohydrates because grains and vegetables have fewer carbohydrates and consist more of fiber. This makes it nearly impossible to consume a high amount of carbohydrates. This means that the majority of carbohydrates that one consumes during a day probably comes from simple sugars.

One thing that assists you in losing weight naturally includes staying on a schedule. This includes both times that you eat during the day, and when you are active and workout. This allows the body to stay on a general schedule and almost know when these meals are going to be consumed, while maintaining a more constant level of blood sugar.

When most people think of meals during a day, you think of having three meals. Although this may seem normal, if you want to lose weight, this is not the way to do it. Your body has a higher rate of digestion and use of food if you consume smaller meals throughout the day. This means having around five or six meals a day instead of three. These meals do not all have to all be foods, but can be in the form of a nutritional supplement and should be thought more of as a small snack in between meals. Using a protein supplement that is low in sugar and uses a good protein source such as casein, whey, or egg whites is the best thing to use.

Consuming smaller meals will allow you to burn more calories at a higher rate than you would if you only had three meals a day. This assists in losing weight naturally because six meals a day allows your body to have a more steady level of blood sugar during the day, and while you sleep. A smaller meal closer to bedtime will allow your blood sugar not to drop as much during sleep. Here is a general example of this for a person that is consuming a total of 1800 calories a day concerning calories per meal.

3 Meals: 600 calories/meal

6 meals: 300 calories/meal

You can also change the amount of calories consumed each meal depending on the activity level during the day instead of consuming the same number of calories each meal. Here you would want to consume more of the calories just prior to and after the busiest part of your day. This should assist you in losing weight naturally.

Concerning other nutrients such as proteins and fats, you should stay away from proteins that are high in fats such as pork or beef, consuming these sparingly. Even if you are a certain type of vegetarian, there are good protein sources available. Some other sources of protein include poultry, turkey, fish, eggs, and dairy products. These proteins are healthy when they are low in fat. Although some fats are not good for you, there are also healthy fats that you should consume. These come in different forms including mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fats. These can come from sources such as nuts, fish, avocado, and different oils. These types of fats and proteins are healthy and will help you in losing weight naturally.

When using different types of oils though, you should read the label and make sure that it does not go through a process called partial or total hydrogenation. This process is where hydrogen is added. This makes it more of a saturated fat, which only means that the fat is saturated with hydrogen. This is only a general list of different foods that are healthy concerning both fats and proteins.

Also, another main concern when following a healthy eating plan and losing weight naturally is that you are consuming enough vitamins and minerals. This means having enough vegetables and green substances such as spinach and lettuce, and fruits. Although these foods do have vitamins in them, it may still be a good idea to take a vitamin supplement. When you are consuming more meals throughout the day, it may also help if you are able to prepare your meals ahead of time. Although this process may take time, it will help you stay on a good diet, eating healthier meals as opposed to consuming fast food.

Just to review, factors concerning losing weight naturally without depriving yourself of foods that you enjoy include: Consuming healthy fats, carbs, and proteins, staying away from simple sugars, using less processed foods, staying on a set eating and activity schedule, consuming smaller meals throughout the day, using good supplements concerning proteins, and fixing meals ahead of time. Overall, these are only some variables of eating and following a good nutrition plan. If you are able to start these habits concerning your nutritional plan, along with a routine for activity or working out, you should be able in losing weight naturally without having to pay for some magic weight loss pill.