The Best Foods That Burn Belly Fat

Because of all of the conflicting diet information out there, it can be tough to learn what foods are best at burning belly fat and which ones won't help you get a flat belly at all.

It's no wonder many people give up on their plan to try and lose stomach fat because they just don't know what to do. They don't know who to listen to, what to try, and what foods they should be eating in order to lose that belly.

But with a little bit of advice and some healthy meal choices, you don't have to make the process of losing belly fat harder than it actually is. With the right information and certain foods that burn belly fat naturally, losing stomach fat is not as hard as it seems.

If you get rid of the processed foods in your diet and replace them with nutrient-filled, all-natural foods, you'll lose belly fat and feel better than ever.

A lot of processed foods, foods high in sugar, and foods high in saturated fats are usually the main culprit when it comes to packing on unwanted pounds.

By adding a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables to your daily meals... it can help you get the vitamins and minerals you need to support losing belly fat.

After all, you're only as healthy as your nutrient intake. If you eat plenty of nutrient-rich fruits and veggies, you give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to be its best. So many of your body's metabolic and physical processes require vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

It can be hard to get these if you're eating a lot of junk food. By eating foods that DON'T help you burn belly fat, things like processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats... getting a flat belly will be a lot tougher.

Fruits and vegetables are great sources of complex carbs and fiber. Carbs are important because they provide energy for your body. Carbs are broken down by the body into blood sugar, which provides energy to your brain and other parts of the body.

The best carbs to get are complex carbs... which are broken down by your body at a slower pace, so you can get a gradual release of blood sugar and a timed release of energy.

Processed foods with a lot of sugar will cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar levels, which can then cause an energy crash a little while after. Also, too much sugar will cause your body to release chemicals that can actually cause you to stop burning belly fat.

Most complex carbs also have a healthy dose of fiber. Fiber helps you to feel full longer. The longer you feel full, the less you're likely to eat and the more likely you'll lose belly fat.

When you make lean meats, wild fish, and organic poultry a part of your meals, you're giving your body the protein it needs to maintain lean muscle tissue and overall good health.

Lean proteins like organic poultry and grass fed beef are some of the foods that burn belly fat. They're not processed so your body burns them fast.

Protein is referred to as the building block of the body because your lean muscle tissue it made of protein. Protein also helps with keeping you feeling full longer and lean proteins also help you lose belly fat because they burn off more calories than fats or carbs.

This is called "the thermic effect of foods".

Protein actually burns more calories, while you're resting, than does carbs or fats.

Some of the top foods that burn belly fat are proteins.

Adding lean meats to your diet will help you get the protein you need for lean muscle growth and also other important functions that require amino acids.

You also need certain fats in your diet, they just have to be the healthy fats.

Believe it or not, many of the foods that burn belly fat contain some of these healthy fats.

Healthy fats provide your body with energy, produce hormones, and provide protection for your internal organs.

Fats also help your body use vitamins because many vitamins are fat soluble. This means there has to be some fat present in order for the body to absorb the vitamin.

Fish and raw nuts are great to have in your diet so you can get some of the fats you need to be healthy.

If you get rid of processed junk and replace them with the foods that burn belly fat, you can lose stomach fat without feeling like your dieting or restricting yourself.

One problem with cooking with a lot of the best foods that burn belly fat is some people feel they don't have the time or skill to prepare healthy meals.

But take it from me, grilled chicken breasts don't have to be your only choice for nutritious meals using foods that help burn belly fat.

When you're preparing your recipes, always use wholesome natural and fresh ingredients. Try and keep everything as natural and fresh as possible.

Natural foods include fresh fruits and veggies, whole eggs, free-range poultry, nuts, beans, legumes, and lean meats.

These foods that burn belly fat are not processed and don't contain bad fats, preservatives or any chemicals that can make them dangerous.

Use organic fruits, vegetables, and meats as your main diet staples. Organic meat, poultry, fruits and veggies don't contain the harmful chemicals or genetically engineered materials like many foods do.

Your body will NOT be its healthiest when it's trying to handle toxins, chemicals, and poisons in processed foods.

For the foods to be at their lowest possible calorie totals, stick with sautéed, baked, fried or grilled.

Use olive oil to saute... because it's healthy and can add nutrition to meals.

Bottom line, in order to lose stomach fat, start swapping out unhealthy ingredients for some of these foods that burn belly fat.

You can make recipes healthier by replacing regular milk with raw milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.

If you don't like a particular food, just replace or eliminate the ingredients and use some other healthy options.

You don't have to deprive yourself of delicious meals in order to lose belly fat. Start using some of these foods that burn belly fat and soon you'll be on your way to a flat stomach.

With a little bit of planning, you can choose healthy, fat-burning foods to use each day, instead of processed or high-sugar foods.

And that will be one of the fastest ways for you to lose belly fat in less time.

Learn how to lose stomach fat in less time. Proven nutrition and meal planning information will show you how to lose stomach fat. Get the diets to lose belly fat as well as foods that burn belly fat. Foods that burn belly fat.

The Triple Attack to Lose Belly Fat Fast

Belly fat, you don't want it, you can't hide it... and no matter what you do, you can't seem to get rid of it!  And once you look in the mirror and see the belly fat hanging down, I know you want to get rid of it fast.

You need the "Triple Attack To Lose Belly Fat Fast".  I'll tell you what you need to hear, (not necessarily what you want to hear), to lose belly fat fast... and get rid of those love handles and that beer belly once and for all!

So if you're willing to hear the truth about losing fat fast, and do something about it, you can develop the washboard six pack, flat stomach, lean abdominals you've always wanted... absent of the belly fat that has been keeping you from performing, feeling and looking your best!

The Triple Attack To Lose Belly Fat Fast!

Many of you have tried endless crunches and sit ups in search for the six pack look... only to end up tired and frustrated with muscles hidden by layers of fat.  Others have tried reduced calories diets to lose belly fat... and even after all the sacrifices, ending up with more belly fat than when you started.  It seems like nothing works.

The reason... losing belly fat cannot be accomplished, (for most), by the exclusive use of either exercise or diet.  As a matter of fact you need a triple attack to lose belly fat fast!

Your belly fat is a RESULT of your workout program, nutrition plan and lifestyle... so to reduce belly fat you must CHANGE what you do, what you eat and how you live.

It IS as simple as that!

To lose belly fat fast you must...

- burn belly fat through exercise...

- lose belly fat through proper diet...

- avoid belly fat through healthy lifestyle.

And yes, you must do all three if you want to lose belly fat fast... no "can I do only one" or "there has to be an easier way".  And no, there aren't any super fat loss pills or magic potions you can take to lose belly fat fast.

I told you it might not be what you want to hear!

Belly Fat Attack #1... Lose Belly Fat Fast Through Exercise

In order to get rid of that embarrassing belly fat... you must exercise to burn fat.

I know what your thinking... "I tried that, and it didn't work!"  And you're right... most exercise programs won't significantly help you lose belly fat fast.  You must combine resistance training to build muscle, intense cardio to burn calories and targeted ab exercise to firm and tighten your mid-section and stomach area.

Only be combining all three methods of exercise will you begin to build the body that will drive belly fat into extinction.  Because after all, this type of exercise does not just destroy belly fat... it builds a muscular, attractive body!

But no amount of exercise will make up for a poor diet, so...

Belly Fat Attack #2... Lose Belly Fat Fast Through Proper Diet

In order to expose the firm, tight core you develop through exercise... you must lose belly fat through proper diet and nutrition.

Oh no, I said the 4 letter word "diet".  By "diet" I don't mean those restrictive calorie diets you tried before... only to end up with more belly fat than when you started.  As a matter of fact... don't concentrate on only reducing calories!

Don't focus on what you can't eat... focus on how you should eat to make belly fat a distant memory.  Eat properly, embrace healthy eating habits and improve metabolism... and the belly fat will come off!

If you've been paying attention so far, you would have realized I have changed the classic axiom of "Exercise More, Eat Less" to "Exercise Better, Eat Better"!

But exercise and diet are not the only things you can do to lose belly fat fast...

Belly Fat Attack #3... Lose Belly Fat Fast Through Healthy Lifestyle

There is more to life than exercise and diet... your body is a dynamic organism, reacting and adapting to all outside and inside influences.  Therefore, don't sabotage your exercise and diet efforts with an unhealthy lifestyle and low self image.  Drinking, smoking, stress, poor sleeping habits, low self image, etc. all effect your body and can contribute to the accumulation of belly fat.

Getting rid of excess belly fat can actually lower high blood pressure... a major health risk.  Reduce stress, and you create an environment where belly fat fails to thrive.  Last, but certainly not least, improve self image to ensure long term leanness... and you'll keep the bell fat off forever.

The Triple Attack To Lose Belly Fat Fast works... but exactly how it is applied by each individual will be unique to that individual.  While there is probably room for improvement in all the areas of exercise, diet and lifestyle... there is usually one area that is more of a problem than the others.  To start seeing RESULTS for your efforts faster... focus on your biggest problem area first!

Change what you do (effective fat loss workout), what you eat (a healthy diet) and how you live (habits that support your diet and exercise) and you WILL lose belly fat fast.

The Top Five Tools For Losing Belly Fat Fast and Forever

 The Belly Fat Diet takes all of the current research and all of the new findings about losing belly fat and incorporates them into one, effective and easy-to-follow plan.

The plan addresses:

How cortisol controls the storage and disposal of belly fat and how you can break the cortisol cycle.

How and why the hormones leptin and ghrelin can work for or against belly fat loss.

The role insulin plays in both storing excess belly fat and regulating cravings and energy levels.

The connection between stress and excess belly fat and how to break it.

The role of vitamin C and Omega 3 fats in losing belly fat.

How to boost your metabolism to burn more fat all day long.

The most effective exercise method for losing weight and belly fat.

Tool # 1: Breaking the Cortisol Cycle

There's been so much information in the media and in diet books about the role that cortisol plays in the storage and disposal, or burning, of belly fat. If you haven't read the research or done much investigating on your own, you may not understand what cortisol is, what it does and how to break the cortisol cycle.

Cortisol is one of the stress hormones naturally produced and secreted in the body. Cortisol's specific job is to react to stress signals by storing fat in the abdominal area. The reason this system exists is because, in ages past, stress often indicated a chance of famine in the near future. Back when people moved from place to place to find food and were often considered food themselves by other predators, stress was a signal that we were on the run and food was going to be in short supply.

Very few of us are in danger of famine from the stress we're under today, but the body's system for storing fat in times of stress remains in place. To our bodies, stress is stress, whether it's from a shortage of food, a lion who thinks we look like dinner, or a boss who wants us to work long hours.

This is where the cortisol cycle comes in. We're more stressed today than people have ever been before. We have financial problems, busy schedules, demanding jobs and families to take care of in between. That stress triggers the release of cortisol into our bloodstreams, which causes our bodies to direct fat to the abdomen to be used in case of famine. The problem is, there is no famine. We continue to eat more than enough food, so that fat is never used as an energy source.

We'll tell you more in depth what you need to know about cortisol in the next few pages, but the Belly Fat Diet will break the cortisol cycle and reset your system so that your body uses dietary fat properly but also gets rid of the fat it already has stored up on your abdomen.

Tool #2: Reversing Insulin Resistance

Your hormones are at it again! Like cortisol, insulin is a hormone produced by your body, although it is not a stress hormone. The role of insulin is to regulate the amount of sugar in your bloodstream and to allow glucose (created from the foods you eat) to be used by cells as energy.

You may have heard about insulin resistance, which is a situation where your body's cells become resistant to insulin and glucose cannot pass through the cell membrane to be used as energy. When this occurs, two things happen:

1... your blood sugar levels spike and drop repeatedly, causing a fatigue/energy boost/fatigue cycle.

2... all of that unused glucose is stored as fat, mainly around your belly.

Like the situation with stress, cortisol and belly fat, insulin resistance is cyclical. The cycle goes something like this:

Excess belly fat makes your body resistant to insulin.

Insulin resistance causes your body to store more belly fat.

Rinse and repeat.

This cycle is what can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes, which is why excess belly fat is a leading indicator of developing the disease. Fortunately, this cycle is reversible. In fact, even if you already have type 2 diabetes, losing belly fat and making the dietary changes prescribed in the Belly Fat Diet can greatly improve and even reverse the disease!

Tool #3: Vitamin C

Vitamin C has always been known as the wonder vitamin when it comes to preventing and relieving colds and other infections. However, the importance of vitamin C goes far beyond fighting infection and boosting immunity.

Vitamin C is also one of the key players in losing belly fat. It does this in two ways:

First, vitamin C is a necessary for the production of L-carnitine, a chemical used to transport stored fat, particularly abdominal fat, to where it can be burned as energy.

Second, vitamin C reduces the effects of stress on the body, which helps to break the cortisol cycle, so that your body is stimulated to both burn stored belly fat and to stop storing new belly fat.

Vitamin C is a soluble vitamin, which means that our bodies don't store it up in great quantities. We use a great deal of it for cell renewal and cell production and most of the rest of it is spent fighting off infection. Unfortunately, stress also uses up a great deal of vitamin C.

This means we have yet another cycle that gets in the way of losing that belly fat. We're stressed, so we have excess cortisol released into our bloodstreams, causing our bodies to store belly fat. That stress we're under also uses up all of our extra vitamin C, so there isn't enough L-carnitine to move that belly fat to where it can be repurposed as energy.

On the Belly Fat Diet plan, you'll be getting a great deal of vitamin C from your diet, which will be full of vitamin C-dense foods. But you'll also be taking a vitamin C supplement twice per day to give your body the extra C it needs to burn the belly fat you already have. This vitamin C supplementation is essential to turbo-charging the belly fat loss in the first few weeks. As an added bonus, you'll be boosting your immune system through both the vitamin C and your antioxidant-rich diet.

Tool #4: Getting Leptin and Ghrelin on Your Side

You've met cortisol; now let us introduce you to leptin and ghrelin. Both are hormones that greatly influence your weight by controlling your appetite. Leptin is secreted in fat tissue and sends a signal to your brain that lets it know you're full. Ghrelin is secreted in the intestinal tract and sends signals indicating that you're hungry.

Leptin and ghrelin aren't stress hormones, but they do have something in common with cortisol: they are impacted by your sleep habits. Several recent research studies have shown that people who get less than seven hours of sleep per night have elevated ghrelin levels and decreased leptin levels. One of the interesting findings in these studies is that one night of missed or interrupted sleep is enough to see this change in leptin and ghrelin levels. It's far more pronounced when insufficient sleep is a regular pattern, but one all-night study session or party into the wee hours is enough to interfere with the work of these two hormones.

What this means for you is that getting adequate (7-8 hours minimum) sleep, preferably at the same time each night, is essential to keeping leptin and ghrelin on your side. It won't take long to get them regulated, so that you'll soon be overeating less and seeing fewer hunger pangs. This translates to faster belly fat loss without having to do anything other than sleep!

Fish Oil Helps You Lose Belly Fat: The DHA and EPA in Omega-3 fats have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and signs of stress, which can help you to avoid emotional eating. Studies have also shown that people who eat plenty of oily fish and other Omega-3 rich foods lose more fat per week than dieters who don't; on average one pound more. The Belly Fat Diet is filled with Omega-3 fats from fish, shellfish, avocadoes, olive oil, nuts and seeds. You'll also be taking a fish oil supplement each day. It'll be good for your heart, your mood and your waistline.

Tool #5: Interval Training

If you've read or heard about interval training, you may have thought it was just for athletes and those who are already pretty fit. The truth is, anyone can utilize interval training to maximize the effects of their workouts in a minimum of time.

Interval training is simply alternating periods of moderate work with shorter bursts of more intense work. You can apply it to virtually any form of exercise and you can start right where you are, even if you haven't done a bit of exercise in years. The wonderful thing is that your body reacts to the level of exertion you require for your workouts, so beginners can benefit just as much as athletes.

Interval training has been proven to be far more effective than a static (steady paced) workout. In fact, twenty minutes of interval training boosts your metabolism longer than an hour of static exercise!

Interval training works because your body adjusts itself very quickly to your workouts. As you become stronger, your metabolism works less to achieve the same number of reps or the same mileage walked. What this usually means is that people discover they have to work out longer to get the same results.

With interval training, you are constantly keeping your body guessing, so your metabolism is never given a chance to adjust and slow down.

This metabolism boost means that you'll burn more calories throughout the day, no matter what you're doing. This allows you to lose fat faster without cutting calories. Another benefit to interval training is that you don't have to spend hours working out. You can spend just twenty or thirty minutes a day on interval training. As you progress, you won't add more time to your workouts, you'll simply adjust the moderate periods to be shorter or more intense and adjust the intense periods to be longer or more difficult, still keeping your total workout time down to twenty or thirty minutes.

There's one more benefit to interval training, too. Interval training builds lean muscle faster than steady training. Lean muscle not only burns more calories than fat tissue, but it also improves the efficiency with which glucose is absorbed and burned by muscles. (Remember that glucose absorption has everything to do with reducing your risk of diabetes and losing stored belly fat.)

Conclusion

These five tools represent the best that all of the new research into fat loss and belly fat have to offer. We've taken all of them and put them into one easy-to-follow plan that will help you burn that belly fat faster than you thought possible, all while helping you to feel satisfied and energetic.

With these tools, losing that stubborn belly fat is not only possible, it's enjoyable.

Quick Facts About the Alkaline Diet and Water

There's this ongoing debate on whether all the things surrounding alkaline water and diet are actually true. Hundreds of users have claimed to have seen real changes in their lifestyle, while others claim that it's all hoax. In this post, we will try to talk of some of the aspects about this concept in detail.

· For starters, it must be added that alkaline diet is a kind of food concept, which says that eating foods and beverages that are alkaline in nature will flush toxins out of the body and help in keeping diseases at bay. To be honest, most of the available benefits surrounding the diet and 9.5pH alkaline water come from claims, as the research and complete study on the concept is yet to be done. However, there are many people, including celebs, who follow the diet and believe in the same.

· Of course, as much as you would want to start eating foods with better pH, it isn't going to be easy, given that you will have to cut down some of the most amazing things from the plate. This includes meat and dairy. That's where the concept of alkaline water came in the picture. Naturally, the water around the springs has a better pH level, simply because the water gains minerals as it passes through the rocks. However, in the contemporary world, you will find machines that dispense alkaline water, and there are some really good packaged water brands, as well.

· Coming to the benefits, there are quite a few to be listed. Firstly, alkaline water helps to neutralize toxins in the body, which can give a boost to the immune system. Many practitioners of alternate medicine also believe that the high pH level works wonders for keeping many health issues away, while some have claimed that following the diet can prevent cancer, given that cancer cells cannot thrive in the body in an alkaline environment. Whatever limited research and information is available around the concept, most of it is positive. Other benefits include better hydration rate and quick energy boost.

· Should you consider starting with the idea? Honestly, there is no harm in considering alkaline or high pH water. The tap or filter water we drink has a pH balance between 6 and 7, while packaged water with better pH will have a rating of 9 or more. Unlike many of the diet concepts, the alkaline diet doesn't come with any disadvantages. However, if you have any kind of medical issues or health concerns, always talk to your doctor in advance. There are no major side effects and it is rather very easy to follow, which probably makes it a more popular choice.

Over the years, the popularity of the concept has increased by many times, despite the fact that a lot has been written on the flip side. If you have been trying to start a new diet or want to just see the benefits of the alkaline concept, you might want to give this a shot.

Everything You Need to Know About Goji Berries

Goji berries are available in most health shops around the world. These little red raisin looking berries have been used in China for years and have now make their way to Europe, where they are being consumed for their extensive health benefits.

This little red berries are also referred to in some countries as wolfberries and they are known to provide benefits to the liver, eyes and kidneys. In most instances you will find them in dried form, making them look like raisins, except they are bright red in colour and can be enjoyed to replace other berries you may consume, just offering you so much more as part of a healthy eating plan.

These little red berries are brimming in vitamins and antioxidants. You will find that they are boasting vitamin C, fibre and are low in calories, which make them ideal for a healthy eating plan or if you are trying to lower your calories in order to lose weight effectively. In addition to this, goji berries are brimming with iron and vitamin A. Interestingly, four ounces of these little berries will make up ten percent of your protein intake for the day, which is pretty impressive.

Goji berries are highly effective to satisfy sweet cravings. They release sugars very slowly, which reduces any cravings you may experience and helps you manage your diet effectively. They should be incorporated into a healthy eating plan to help you deal with any sugar urges you experience along the way.

The berry is also providing highly successful for those with high blood pressure and diabetes. They are completely safe for these people as part of their diet, effectively lowering blood pressure and also lowering blood sugar levels.

What also sets these berries apart from your normal run of the mill berry you will find at your local supermarket is that they are able to reduce inflammation. Anyone suffering from arthritis will see the benefits of these goji berries as part of their diet. But before you make a purchase there are a few important factors you are going to want to take into consideration.

Firstly, you want to do some research to identify which of the health stores in your area stock these little red raisin looking berries. You want to try and choose a company that will not only offer you a high street store experience, but an online experience at the same time. It may help to put a list of some of the top health food stores you know of that you can review and compare to find the one that you will use now and moving forward.

Take your time to learn as much as you can about each of these stores from the products they provide to the service that they offer. You need peace of mind when ordering online that any company you visit is going to have stock of the goji berries, so you can order with confidence, knowing they will arrive without delay.

Check on the company's dispatch times to ensure that they will provide you with fast dispatch and delivery, so you are able to time how long it is going to take to receive your order, thereby placing your order a few days before your run out of these berries.

Ensure the company you choose is also passionate about providing you with natural, healthy and organic products that you can trust. This way you know you are going to get the best quality for the money you pay, ensuring you enjoy the best long term results.

the Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has become one of the top choices for those following a healthy and well-balanced diet on a global scale. Up until a few years ago, when trying to eat healthy, you would consider using olive oil, but coconut oil provides the same cooking service, except it is brimming in benefits. If you use coconut oil or you are thinking of adding it to your diet, do you know the benefits it provides?

One of the first benefits you need to know about the product is that it helps to reduce high blood pressure. Anyone suffering from high blood pressure will learn that using this product when cooking will provide them with the benefits they need to reduce their blood pressure effectively now and moving forward.

The next thing you will find when incorporation this product into your diet is that it protects the liver and is highly effective in reducing the risk of kidney infection. It works hard to ensure that your internal organs are working at their best, reducing the risk of damage or illness.

While it is not one hundred percent confirmed, many believe that taking coconut oil daily can help to prevent the risk of cancer. Cancer strikes without warning, but using coconut oil may help reduce your risk of contracting it moving forward. Even if it is not confirmed, there is absolutely no harm in trying.

Coconut oil has proven to boost the immune system. You need a healthy immune system to reduce the risk of you getting sick. The immune system is responsible for fighting viruses and infections and when you have a healthy immune system you find that you are on your feet more than others, as your body is highly effective in fighting any infections or viruses your body may come in contact with.

Many believe that using coconut oil daily can help you improve memory and brain function. In fact some even believe it can slow the onset of Alzheimer's disease, which is a condition affecting thousands of elderly people around the world. Being able to slow the progress ensures the best quality of life for a longer period.

Further, you will find that it is highly effective in boosting energy levels. Even with a healthy diet, you may find that your energy levels tend to suffer. Getting that extra boost throughout the day can help you remain focused, get everything done and still have the strength to spend time with your family after a long day.

It also helps with digestion. You want a healthy digestive system, knowing everything you eat will be digested quickly and effectively. Improving your digestive system can help you maintain healthy organs, ensure your body get the vitamins and minerals it needs and also ensures that you lose weight in an effective manner, if this is your goal.

In addition to all this, coconut oil can play a vital role in oral health. It has been proven that using this oil in cooking or taking it on its own daily can reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. It is also effective in improving skin appearance, helping you fight common skin problems, while providing you with anti-aging properties that you will find highly beneficial as you age.

Coconut oil is very effective for anyone suffering with type 2 diabetes, helping to lower your blood sugar levels effectively. The final benefit you will want to know about this product is how it can be used to promote healthy hair by using it as a conditioning agent.

The Really Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is eating a variety of foods. 'Variety is the spice of life', as William Cowper wrote in his poem, "The Task".

Eating healthily arouses the palate. One route to becoming overweight and unhealthy is by eating a particular food group, day after day. That is the quickest way to becoming mineral and vitamin deficient. Without proper nourishment the body malfunctions and complains.

It complains by making you hungry so that you eat more in order to obtain more nutrients. So you eat more of the same and get fatter and heavier.

So it is crucial to diversify your diet to acquire all the nourishment your body needs.

Because of the global obesity epidemic, it is common to see 'large' but undernourished people. Because they are fat they do not look undernourished, but they are.

An unhealthy diet usually contains too much sodium. Common salt is essential for the body to function normally. But we prefer foods that contain lots of salt, and often end up with three times the required daily intake!

Polyunsaturated fats and calories are also eaten excessively these days. This is attributed to the 'fast food' sold in High Street franchised food outlets. There, we can buy greasy food, sweet cakes, processed products with added salt and fructose, and more...

Trans-fats are thankfully being phased out by the food industry, but those man-made chemicals alone are not the cause of obesity. It is excess sugar, particularly fructose in processed foods that is at the heart of unhealthy diets.

Sweet, canned and bottled fizzy drinks like cola are particularly harmful because of the large amount of sugar they contain.

In the end, variety in the diet is missing when we rely on these convenience foods. Over time, consumers come to lack certain minerals and then become ill.

It is crucial to read the labels on all packaged, canned, and bottled food. That way the sugar, salt, and caloric content will indicate how healthy the product is.

Knowing what is actually in the food you eat goes a long way to becoming and staying healthy. Unfortunately, most people never bother to read labels. Perhaps they cannot be bothered. Perhaps it takes too long, or the labelling is difficult to read.

So to help you dear reader, below is a list of really healthy foods translated to a number of cups or servings. This makes any diet easily to monitor.

The list is based on the 'average' person's weight. Heavier or more active people can increase the quantities.

There are six food groups in the list: grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy, and oils.

Grains: 6 ounces (170 g), half of which are whole grains. Avoid processed breads. No processed cereals.
Fruits: a minimum of 2 cups a day. Berries, kiwi fruit, and citrus fruits are the most nutritious. Always eat the skins of pears, apples, and plums. Bananas contain potassium.
Vegetables: a minimum of 3 cups a day. Leafy greens such as kale, cabbage, or spinach are best. Avoid too many potatoes, but keep the skins on (the best bit) if you must have them.
Proteins: these are meat or beans. 3/4 of a cup each day. Choose meat from grass-fed animals.
Dairy: these are milk products and eggs. 3 cups a day. Choose grass-fed dairy products to gain the most minerals. Eggs are perfect.
Oils: these are saturated oils such as coconut oil and olive oil. Yes, you can fry eggs in coconut oil, but not in olive oil. The former can easily withstand high heat; the latter becomes toxic at high temperatures. Serve olive oil at room temperature. 6 teaspoons a day. Avoid all man-made polyunsaturated oils.
When these quantities are met, another 260 calories of non-fructose sugars and saturated fats can be added. 90% cocoa dark chocolate is a nice treat that contains many antioxidants. Avocados on whole grain toast are filling. Black coffee has zero calories and antioxidants.

Eating a healthy diet just means eating various foods to obtain the nutrients the body needs. It is simply enjoying proper food whilst regulating it.

Is it REALLY Possible to Lose up to 25 Pounds in Only 25 Days?