What is a bland diet? It is a diet specially set to treat certain gastrointestinal or stomach problems such as heartburns, ulcers and gas.

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An answer to a question, what is a bland diet, is that it is a simple treatment for people suffering from any one or more gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic gastritis, ulcer, esophagitis and dyspepsia.

Bland diet is a dietary regimen for people suffering from stomach disorders. Hence, it is quite understood that ingredients of a bland diet are soft food items, which are easy to digest with a capacity to keep the acidity to low levels. Questions about diet may be asked to your physicians and he/she can suggest the diet or recommend a dietician to do it.

Diet medical questions may include the queries about the food stuffs to eat and food stuffs to avoid during the time while a person experien ces any gastrointestinal disorders. However, before a dietician could decide the bland diet for a person, he/she needs to seek answers to several medical questions related to the person such as any food allergies or irritations associated with any food items and emotions medical questions of people.

Bland Diet:

The diet prescribed as a bland diet will include food items that are easy to digest and low in fiber and acid contents. Even giving up alcohol and smoking is advised while patient is on bland diet. Also a patient is advised to have 4 to 6 light meals after regular interval to avoid heavy and large meals.

Chewing food properly and eating slowly helps in the digestion of the food. Adequate sleep, avoiding smoking and controlling anxiety are supportive treatments for the standard treatment of the problem.

Allowed Food Items:

• Dairy Products
Milk, cheese, yogurt with low-fats and other dairy products are easily digested and hence, can be included as a part of bland diet. However, there is no restriction on ice-creams and one may consume even ice creams during bland diet, but it should not have any product such as nuts that are not allowed in bland diet.

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh vegetables and fruits are allowed to a bland dieter. However, while carrot, squash, green peas are good to eat in a bland diet, broccoli, onions and green peeper should be avoided as it forms gas. In fruits, oranges, grapefruits, and bananas are allowed.

• Proteins
Protein requirement of the body, while on a bland diet should be met with soy products and meat. Fried chicken and greasy hamburgers are not allowed to be consumed, while grilled and baked chicken is allowed.
Low-fat peanut butter and eggs are also efficient to meet the body’s protein requirement in a bland diet.

• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are contained in whole grain breads, pasta, oatmeal, corn flakes, white rice and sweet potatoes. All these food items are allowed.

Bland diet is designed for treating certain medical circumstances such as gastrointestinal problems. Hence, to answer what is a bland diet, we can say that this is a diet that aims at improving the digestion with the help of a timed-routine diet and soft to digest food items. Once the problem is controlled patients can return to their normal diet.

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.

Losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you take in, through exercise and your daily activities. To win the battle, it helps to know how many calories you are consuming in a day. For some individuals, this is an understatement. The question is, do you ever feel a little heavy?

We all know, that there are more ways to lose weight fast, but not all quick weight loss diet use healthy methods. Low carbohydrate, high protein diets are quite popular because people have achieved dramatic weight loss results with these diets. Eventually, we heard about Atkins Diet and other low-carb diets and know someone that is on it or has tried it. These diets are fairly easy to follow and guarantee you’ll lose pounds and inches fast, without hunger pangs and cravings. A low-carb, high-protein diet also helps you lose weight while bringing your cholesterol, triglycerides, and body fat down to a healthy level.

Well, refined sugar , starches, and and carbohydrates are initially eliminated from the diet, such as sugar, while rice, pasta, white bread, and crackers, which are eventually replaced with fiber-rich fresh fruit and vegetables, brown rice, and whole wheat flour. Diet is restricted to lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, low-fat cheese, and vegetables the first two weeks, followed by the re-introduction of fruits, whole grains, and dairy. Every diet is a bit different, but this is the general idea.

Nowadays, many of us feel overweight. It’s time to take charge of your weight. It’s time to get back the figure you once felt great about. What you need is a quick weight loss diet. When I say quick weight loss diet, I don’t mean something unhealthy or damaging to your health overall. This is the last thing you want. However, you can drop those extra pounds if you’re willing to put forth the effort. In the end, I tell you; it will be worth it. The last thing you want is to be overweight. This affliction can come with some serious health risks. Are you ready to get started?

If you have tried a number of diets, but they never seem to work? Well, maybe it’s time to consult a professional. A personal trainer and a nutritionist can do wonders for your figure. All you need to do is to adopt that diet and fitness regime that works particularly for your body. You see, we are all different and have different needs. This means that you may want to focus on different areas of your body than your best friend. In our society today, one of the key problems is mentality. No one wants to work for anything. Well, while you certainly can find a quick weight loss diet, you might as well expect to fork out some effort. How bad do you want to look nice and be healthy? I watched my close friend struggle with his weight for years. Nonetheless, his main problem concerned his tenacity. A quick weight loss diet will not prove successful without a devoted individual. Eating healthy and exercising regularly are still the prime factors when it comes to dropping unwanted pounds.

Apparently, it is good to know the secrets of a good quick weight loss diet, which includes lean proteins, green vegetables, healthy nuts and fats, and supplements, in addition to adequate water intake. Diets work best if meals and snacks are divided into six small meals a day instead of three major meals. And let’s not forget exercise, the most important part of any weight loss plan. Remember that it’s important to check with your physician if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, if you have any type of health condition, and/or you do not exercise on a regular basis or are sedentary. Be informed and get in tune with your body to get the best possible results. To learn more about quick weight loss diets plans and diet supplements, visit www.weightlossguide.com and sign up for a free weight loss guide newsletter.

As a quick question, did you ever browse on the web? Well, if not then I suggest you to start. The Internet is loaded with fitness regimes and nutritional information to suit any individual. That quick weight loss diet is most likely lingering in cyberspace, just waiting for you to take a gander. Believe me, those extra pounds that you wish to cast off so badly, can be thrown-away with the proper diet and exercise routine. It basically comes down to how bad you want it. The information is at your fingertips, folks. It’s time to take advantage of it.

In fact, several people don’t like diet but everyone wants to lose weight as fast as they can. Luckily, it doesn’t come off as easy as it went on, and there are lots of healthy and non-healthy approaches to dieting out there. According to the American Heart Association, the only sensible way to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight permanently is to eat less, and balance your food intake with physical activity, which is important for both cardiovascular health and physical appearance.

As talk about previously, a healthy diet is one rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. The American Heart Association encourages using safe and proven approaches to weight loss and maintenance for a life time of good health. Quick weight loss diets will help you lose weight, just remember to do it right, the healthy way.

Finally, if you want to lose weight effectively, you need to stick to your weight loss plan religiously so as to see results. When you have the thought of giving up, visualize how good you will look when you manage to slim down successfully.