If You Are Overweight or Obese, It's Time for a Change

Obesity increases the risk of a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. It is also linked to sleep apnea, osteoporosis and some types of cancer.

If you are obese and suffering from any of those conditions, you might have already decided that it is time for a change. Obviously, if you continue to do the things that you have been doing, you will continue to get the results you have been getting. So, what changes can and should you make in order to reverse or control your chronic disease state?

Clearly, losing weight is an important first step. It is also difficult to achieve. But with the right information, attitude and perseverance, you can succeed.

Unfortunately, too many people fail to lose weight or lose it only to put it back on as soon as they "go off the diet." The secret to keeping the weight off is to have a plan that you can live with for the rest of your life. Commercial diets and popular diet books may help you lose weight in the short run, but when it comes to lasting weight loss, the results are dismal.

You can do better. Don't set yourself up for failure.

First of all, it is important to understand that in order to lose weight you have to consume fewer calories than you burn. You can achieve this by eating less, exercising more, or doing both. Revamp your diet so that you will be consuming fewer calories and get more exercise.

You will have to devote time to planning and implementing your weight loss program. But if you put your mind to it, the time and effort will be well worth it.

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If you are overweight or obese and feel that it is time for a change, don't hesitate. Take the first step today. A registered dietitian can help. Registered dietitians are the healthcare professionals most trained and qualified to help you design a weight loss plan to combat obesity and put you on track to a healthy future. To locate a registered dietitian, visit the American Dietetic Association website at www.eatright.org and search to find a dietitian in your area.

Lose Weight to Control Diabetes and Other Chronic Diseases

Introduction

If you are obese, you may be at increased risk for a number of chronic diseases. But you stand a good chance of reducing your risk if you understand the relationship between obesity and chronic disease.

Diabetes

People who are obese are at high risk for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which your body does not process sugar properly. The cells become insensitive to insulin, which makes it hard for sugar to move into the cells after you have eaten. As a result, the sugar stays in your blood and builds up to unhealthy levels.

In many cases, losing weight can help to improve blood sugar levels. Successful weight loss for diabetes requires making improvements to your diet and getting regular exercise.

High Blood Pressure

If you are obese, you may be at risk for elevated blood pressure. This increase in blood pressure is in part related to the extra weight that you must carry around and the demand for extra blood to meet growing demands.

The high-calorie, high-fat and high carbohydrate diets that are often associated with excessive weight gain can cause plaque buildup in your arteries and may also be a factor in developing high blood pressure.

Reducing your intake of those foods and losing the excess body fat can help to lower your blood pressure.

Heart Disease

Obesity puts you at serious risk for a heart attack due to the increased work that your heart must perform in order to get blood to your vital organs. Chances are, you will also have a great deal of plaque in your arteries as a result of consuming large amounts of trans fats and saturated fats.

Eating large amounts of refined carbohydrates could also lead to increased plaque due to high levels of triglycerides in your blood.

Losing the excess weight and substituting foods that are high in unsaturated fats for trans fats and saturated fats can help to reduce your heart disease risk.

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If you are obese and need to lose weight or need guidance on choosing the right foods for your condition, talk to a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians are the healthcare professionals most trained and qualified to provide nutrition counseling and consultation in matters related to diet and weight loss. To find a registered dietitian, visit the American Dietetic Association website at www.eatright.org and click on the link to 'Find a Dietitian."

Lose Weight Now

If you are overweight or obese and suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or other chronic health condition, then you know how important it is to lose weight. But finding a program that works for you could be difficult. In fact, the best way to succeed at losing weight and keeping it off is to design a weight loss plan that is uniquely yours.

At any rate, if you put your heart and mind to it, you can succeed. But you need to have the motivation and be willing to make the commitment to change what needs changing. Unfortunately, no bestselling book on the market can do that for you. On the other hand, if you can find a reason, deep enough and powerful enough to make you want to lose the weight and keep it off, nothing can stop you.

So, why not give it a chance? Here are 3 basic tips that you can use to get on the right path. They are nothing new, just some basic reminders of what you need to do to start losing the weight for good.

1. Dig deep. Make sure you have an airtight reason for wanting to lose the weight. Doing it for cosmetic reasons alone is not sufficient. Try to figure what your real motivation is.
2. Create your own diet. If you have followed a popular diet before, chances are you lost some weight and put it all back on. This time, make it your own and lose the weight for good.  
3. Get moving. It might be difficult to exercise at first. But if you are motivated, you will find a way to get moving. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes a day. But remember, you don't have to do it all at once. If you can take 3 ten-minute stints a day, it will add up. So, don't make any excuses.

If you have questions about losing weight or need help in creating a personal weight loss plan, talk to a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians are the healthcare professionals most trained and experienced to assist you with making smart food and lifestyle choices to control your weight and prevent or treat diet related health problems.

Omega-3 Fats From Walnuts Versus Fatty Fish

Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish, have been shown to reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Therefore, eating fish is one way to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Interestingly enough, in a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers compared the effects of walnuts and fatty fish on blood lipids and found that walnuts reduced total and LDL or bad cholesterol while fatty fish reduced triglyceride levels.

Both high LDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels can lead to cardiovascular disease. Based on the study results, the researchers suggest eating a diet that contains both walnuts and fatty fish as a means of reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of walnuts and 5 grams of omega-3 fats from fish or fish oil should be adequate.

References
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

If you have heart disease, high blood pressure or other cardiovascular disease risk, talk to a registered dietitian about the best course of action when it comes to diet and nutrition. You can find a registered dietitian/RD by visiting www.eatright.org, the American Dietetic Association website. Nearly 70,000 registered dietitians are ready to serve.
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Did you read today's Daily Diet Guide?

6 Steps to a Healthy Heart

February is American Heart Month. Here is what we know, according to the National Institutes of Health:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control,  25 percent of deaths in 2007 were due to heart disease.

You may be at increased risk for heart disease if:

• You have a family history of heart disease
• Your cholesterol levels are high, specifically total and LDL cholesterol
• You have diabetes
• You smoke
• Your diet is lacking in fiber and key nutrients
• You don't get enough exercise

You may not be able to change your genes, at least not at this point, but there are a few things that you can do to reduce your heart disease risks. Here are a few tips:

• Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Choose both plant and animal sources to cover all bases.
• Control your blood sugar by eating the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Pay attention to the ratio of insulin to carbohydrate to avoid extreme highs and lows.
• Do not smoke. If you smoke, stop.
• Eat foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and other functional plant compounds.
• Avoid trans fats, saturated fats and foods with large amounts of added sugar or salt.
• Stay physically active. Start by climbing stairs and pick up the pace of your steps when walking if you haven't been active for a while.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Vital Statistics Reports: Deaths: Final Data for 2007; Xu, et al., 2007

Choose Unsaturated fats for A Healthy Heart

You’ve been warned about eating too much fat. That is because fats are high in calories, which could cause you to gain unwanted weight. Compared to carbohydrates and protein, which provide 4 calories per gram, fat contains 9 calories per gram. That’s more than twice as many calories as carbohydrtes or protein.

The other problem with fat is that most commonly eaten foods that are high in fat are either fried foods or baked goods that are made with white flower. These foods are usually low in fiber and other essential nutrients. So, you get a lot of calories but little nutritional value.

Clearly, controlling your fat intake is essential to controlling your weight. That does not mean that you have to avoid fats. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you should get 25 to 35 percent of your calories from fats.

But not all fats are created equal. There are trans fats, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Trans fats are the worse fats because they can damage your heart and blood vessels. Saturated fats are also bad, though not as bad as trans fats.

On the other hand, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good for you. They help to keep your total and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels down. Keeping your cholesterol and triglyceride levels down is important because high levels can lead to cardiovascular disease, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.

Choose your fats wisely. It will do your heart good.

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Have you read the Daily Diet Guide?