In recent years, with people dining out more as part of their lifestyle, they have become more health-conscious and now want healthy choices whether eating at home or at their favourite restaurants.

Whether you’re eating at home or dining out, the same rules for watching your weight apply. You need to eat more vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Choose smaller portions of lean meats, fish and poultry. Eat a variety of foods, and fresh, raw foods are better. Cut back on salt, sugar, sauces, saturated fats and alcohol. Drink plenty of water, and include exercise every day as part of your daily lifestyle choice.

So whether you’re having lunch with the gang, or enjoying a romantic dinner for two, you can enjoy delicious-tasting foods that are low-in calories and good for you, with just a little forethought and planning.

Here are some easy tips to remember when ordering out that will help you to lose weight even when eating at your favourite restaurants:

1. If you know the menu from the restaurant you’re going to, plan what you’re going to have ahead of time. This will help save you from making a last minute decision that could result in high-calorie choices.

2. Drink at least one full-glass of water or iced tea before eating your meal. This helps your digestive process, and, because you’ll feel full sooner, you will eat less.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for the “senior citizen” special or kid’s-sized portions. Most restaurants will accommodate you — and often you’ll pay less as well!

4. Order first. That way you’re much less likely to be influenced by the choices of your companions.

5. If you’re not sure how something is prepared, don’t be afraid to ask. And if the dish is cooked in oil or butter, you can always ask if they have a “fat free” option.

6. If everything on the menu is high in fat or calories, ask if the chef could prepare a plate of fresh fruit and vegetables. Many restaurants offer a vegetarian selection, so if you don’t see it on the menu, ask.

7. When ordering meat or fish, ask that it be grilled or broiled, and prepared without oil or butter. (When you eat it, use lemon or herbs and spices to give it flavor rather than heavy sauces).

8. Order an appetizer and a salad as your meal. Or a soup and salad. For dessert, choose fresh fruit.

9. When choosing soup, remember that cream-based soups have many more calories than broth-based ones.

10. If you’re having a full meal, split the appetizer and desert with your companion.

11. If you decide to order pasta, tomato sauce has fewer calories than cream-based sauces, just like soup.

12. Choose breadsticks over bread, or if you eat bread, don’t add butter. Stay away from muffins and croissants, and choose whole grain over white.

13. Choose steamed vegetables instead of baked potatoes or other starches. Again, use lemon and herbs and spices rather than butter to flavor them with.

14. Whenever possible, eat like the Europeans do, and have your biggest meal at lunchtime.

15. Take the time to enjoy your meal. Savour the flavours and textures of your food, and enjoy the company you’re with. When you eat slowly, you give your body’s internal clock the time it needs to know when you’ve had enough. When you’re full, stop eating. Ask your server to remove your plate so you’re not tempted to keep eating while you wait for your companion to finish.

16. Ask for salsa on your baked potatoes, rather than sour cream and butter. Not only is salsa much lower in calories, but it adds a “spicy” flavour to potatoes.

17. Order salad dressings and sauces “on the side.” This gives you more control of how much to use. Another tip for salad dressing — rather than pouring the salad dressing on your salad, dip your fork into the dressing first, and then into the salad. You’ll get the same amount of flavour, without all the added calories!

18. Choose brown rice over white rice (or chips), whole grain breads and rolls over white. Not only are they lower in calories, but they are better for you.

19. Stay away from “all you can eat” buffets and salad bars. It’s too easy to lose track of the amount of food you’re eating, even when it’s salads. If that’s your only choice, then stay away from the pasta, marinated salads, cheeses and fruit salads with whipped cream. Stick to soups, raw vegetables and fresh fruits.

20. Have your soup first. It will help to fill you up, and most soups have fewer calories.

21. If you’re craving something sweet, and don’t want fresh fruit, choose sorbet. If you absolutely HAVE to have the chocolate sauce, use the same trick as you did with the salad dressing — dip your fork into it first, then your dessert.

22. Split your dessert with your companion. You’ll still feel like you got to be indulgent, and you’ll only have to exercise half as long to burn off the extra calories!

23. When ordering sandwiches, order them with mustard only, rather than mayonnaise. Not only does mustard have almost no calories, but you won’t miss the mayo!

24. If the portion you were served is large, only eat half of it. Take the other half home. Not only will you get two meals for the price of one, but you’ll cut the calories in half as well!

25. Go for a walk after eating. Stroll along the beach or walk through a park. You’ll burn calories and get your exercise at the same time!

Swap out High GI foods for Low GI foods as an easy way to begin benefitting from the principles of the Glycemic Index. Low GI Foods only cause a gradual rise in blood glucose.
Carbohydrates with a low GI (0 – 55) help you feel fuller, have more energy, and can lead to weight loss and reduced risk of diabetes.
High = GI of 70+ (Avoid). Medium = GI of 55 to 69. Low = GI of 0 to 54.

Category Name GI Score
Vegetables and Beans
Baked Beans, 4oz. 48
Kidney beans, 3 oz. 27
Lima beans, 3 oz. 32
Navy beans, 3 oz. 38
Pinto beans, 4oz. 45
Soy beans, 3 oz. 18
Beets, 3 oz. 64
Tomato Sauce 49
Peas 48
Sweetcorn 48
Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms 10-25
Apples 38
Carrots 47

Breads
Dark rye, 1.7 oz. 51
French baguette, 1 oz. 95
Hamburger bun, 1 bun 61
Kaiser roll, 1 73
Pita bread – whole wheat, 1 slice 57
Sourdough, 1 slice 52
Fruit Bread 53
White bread, 1 slice 70
Wheat bread – stoneground, 1 slice 53
Whole wheat, 1 slice 69
Bagel, plain, 2 oz. 72
Wholegrain Bread 40
Multigrain Breads 45
Bran Muffin 65

Meats, Chicken, Misc.* see bottom for more comments
Sweet & Sour Chicken with Noodles 41
Lean Cuisine, French style Chicken 36
Beef casserole 53
Chicken Nuggets, frozen 46
Fish Fingers (strips) 38
Pizza, cheese 60
Sausages 28
Sushi, roasted 55

Cereals
All-Bran Kellogs, 1/2 cup 42
Bran Flakes, Post, 2/3 cup 74
Cheerios, 1 cup 74
Cocoa Krispies, 1 cup 77
Corn Chex, 1 cup 83
Corn Flakes, 1 cup 84
Corn Pops, 1 cup 80
Cream of Wheat, 1 oz. 74
Frosted Flakes, 3/4 cup 55
Grapenuts Flakes, 3/4 cup 80
Frosted Mini Wheats, 1 cup 58
Multi Bran Chex, 1 cup 58
Museli, 2/3 cup 43
Raisin Bran, 3/4 cup 73
Rice Chex, 1 1/4 cup 89
Shredded Wheat, 1/2 cup 83
Honey Smacks, 3/4 cup 56
Special K, 1 cup 54
Total, 3/4 cup 76
Pancakes, from shake Mix 67
Pop Tarts 70

Rice
Barley, pearled, 1/2 cup 25
Couscous, 1/2 cup 65
Instant, 1 cup, cooked 87
Uncle Bens, converted, 1 cup 44
Long grain White, 1 cup 41
Short grain, white, 1 cup 72
Brown rice (steamed) 50

Cookies
Graham crackers 74
Oatmeal cookie, 1 cookie 55
Vanilla wafers, 7 cookies 77

Crackers
Rice cakes, plain, 3 cakes 82
Stoned wheat thins, 3 crackers 67
Water cracker, 3 crackers 78

Dairy
Ice cream, vanilla, 10% fat 61
Low Fat Ice Cream 35
Milk, whole, 1 cup 27
Milk, skim, 1 cup 32
Milk, chocolate, 1 cup, 1% 34
Pudding, 1/2 cup 43
Milk, soy, 1 cup 31
Tofu frozen dessert, low fat, 1/2 cup 115
Yogurt, nonfat, fruit, sugar, 8 oz. 33
Yogurt, nonfat, plain, artifical sweet, 8 oz. 14
Yogurt, nonfat, fruit, artificial sweet, 8 oz. 14
Custard, 3/4 cup 43

Fruits
Apple, 1 medium, 5 oz. 38
Apple juice, unsweetened, 1 cup 40
Apricots, 3 medium, 3 oz. 57
Banana bread, 3 oz. 47
Banana, 5 oz. 55
Cherries, 10 large, 3 oz. 22
Cranberry juice, 8 oz. 52
Grapefruit, raw, 1/2 medium 25
Grapes, green, 1 cup 46
Kiwi, 1 medium 52
Mango, 1 small 55
Orange, 1 medium 44
Orange juice, 1 cup 46
Peach, 1 medium 30
Pear, 1 medium 38
Pineapple, 2 slices 66
Plums, 1 medium 69
Prunes, 6 29
Raisins, 1/4 cup 64
Watermelon, 1 cup 72
Cantelope 65

Pasta
Fettucine, 6 oz. 45
Linguine, 6 oz. 52
Macaroni, 5 oz. 47
Ravioli, meat, 4 large 39
Apaghetti, white, 6 oz. 41
Spaghetti, wheat, 6 oz. 37
Spaghetti, white 42
Spiral, durum, 1 cup 43
Tortellini, cheese, 8 oz. 50
Vermicelli, 6 oz. 35
Lasagna, beef 47

Snacks and Chips
Vanilla wafers, 7 cookies 77
Sponge cake, plain, 1 slice 46
Snickers, 2.2 oz. Candy bar 41
Pretzels, 1 oz. 83
Potato chips, 14 pieces 54
French Fries, 4.3 oz. 75
Popcorn, light, microwave 55
Popcorn, regular 72
Pop Tarts, chocolate, 1 tart 70
M&M’s Chocolate candy, peanut 33
Snickers Bar 41
Mars Bar 68
Peanuts 14
Granola Bar, chewy, 1 oz. 61
Graham crackers, 4 squares 74
Doritos Corn chips, 1 oz. 72

Drinks
Coca-Cola, 1 can, 12 oz. 77
Gatorade, 8 oz. 78
Fanta soft drink, 1 can, 12 oz. 63
Apple Juice 40
Orange Juice 50
Tomato Juice 38
Chocolate Milk 34

The benefits of correct nutrition

· Controls Weight

· Increases Quality Of Life (Better Able To Do Everyday Tasks)

· Better Concentration

· Better Complexion

· Increases Energy

· Prevents Many Illnesses And Diseases

· Slows Down The Aging Process

Explanation of nutrition

The first rule is to eat foods as close to nature as possible, avoiding processed food.

The results you will achieve with this type of training are much better if you are on a proper diet. Most people eat too many carbohydrates because they are trying to stay on a low fat diet. A lot of the low fat foods on supermarket shelves are high in carbs or sugar instead. This is actually worse than the fats they are trying to avoid. The problem with carbohydrates is that what you don’t use up for energy, you will store as body fat. There is a lot of research to show that we should eat foods that have a low glycemic index. The G.I. is a rating of foods in relation to blood sugar response. If a food has a high G.I. then it will raise the blood sugar quickly and cause a surge of insulin, which in turn causes the storage of fat. These foods are also very bad for your energy because when a lot of insulin is released it not only brings your blood sugar back to where it was at the start, but can bring it way down below this. This is why you may feel sleepy after a large meal with a lot of carbs in the form of potatoes etc. Potatoes are high on this G.I. scale. Most carbohydrate foods are high in this scale, even some of the ones that people think are healthy foods such as pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, most cereals and most fruit Sugars are even worse offenders. That is sugar in any form; table sugar, confectionary, soft drinks etc. the ones that are low on the G.I. scale are basically all protein and fat foods. That is all meat, fish, foul, full fat dairy products etc.

Proper nutrition and why “dieting makes you fat”

When encouraging people to eat sensibly I try to avoid the word ‘diet’. People associate this with the fad starvation diets that are always advertised. These diets are misinforming and dangerous. They encourage people to lose weight by dramatically reducing calories. Cutting calories will inevitably reduce energy because you lose more muscle than fat and it’s this muscle that gives you energy, in other words you’re losing the muscle that helps you to burn calories/fat. The body then loses its muscle tone and you get softer. The body then learns to live on fewer calories and when you return to a normal diet (as is inevitable) you will be more susceptible to gaining fat because your metabolism has slowed down. The way around this is to go on a proper nutrition plan that can be sustained long term and will enhance your body shape and energy levels.

Conversely, if you lose fat and gain muscle then your body’s energy levels and metabolism are increased and you burn more calories. Therefore you can actually eat more while staying lean and without gaining fat!
Your dietician may also suggest some dietary supplements, which have proven to improve results for many people.

CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEINS, AND FATS
Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats supply 90% of the dry weight of the diet and 100% of its energy. All three provide energy (measured in calories), but the amount of energy in 1 gram differs: 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrate or protein and 9 calories in a gram of fat. These nutrients also differ in how quickly they supply energy. Carbohydrates are the quickest, and fats are the slowest.
Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are digested in the intestine, where they are broken down into their basic units: carbohydrates into sugars, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. The body uses these basic units to build substances it needs for growth, maintenance, and activity (including other carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates may be simple or complex.
· Simple carbohydrates: Various forms of sugar, such as glucose and sucrose (table sugar), are simple carbohydrates. They can be broken down and absorbed by the body quickly and are the quickest source of energy. They quickly increase the level of blood glucose (blood sugar).

· Complex carbohydrates: These carbohydrates must be broken down into simple carbohydrates before they can be absorbed. Thus, they tend to provide energy to the body more slowly than simple carbohydrates but still more quickly than protein or fat. Because they are digested more slowly than simple carbohydrates, they are less likely to be converted to fat. They also increase blood sugar levels more slowly and to lower levels than simple carbohydrates but for a longer time. Complex carbohydrates include starches and fibers, which occur in wheat products (such as breads and pastas), other grains (such as rye and corn), beans, and root vegetables (such as potatoes).
Carbohydrates may be refined or unrefined. Refined means that the food is highly processed. The fiber and bran, as well as many of the vitamins and minerals they contain, have been stripped away. Thus, the body processes these carbohydrates quickly, and they provide little nutrition although they contain about the same number of calories. Refined products are often enriched, meaning vitamins and minerals have been added back to increase their nutritional value. A diet high in simple or refined carbohydrates tends to increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
If people consume more carbohydrates than they need at the time, the body stores some of these carbohydrates within cells (as glycogen) and converts the rest to fat. Glycogen is a complex carbohydrate that the body can easily and rapidly convert to energy. Glycogen is stored in the liver and the muscles. Muscles use glycogen for energy during periods of intense exercise. The amount of carbohydrates stored as glycogen can provide almost a day’s worth of calories. A few other body tissues store carbohydrates as complex carbohydrates that cannot be used to provide energy.
Most authorities recommend that about 50 to 55% of total daily calories should consist of carbohydrates.

Proteins
Proteins consist of units called amino acids. Because proteins are complex molecules, the body takes longer to break them down. As a result, they are a much slower and longer-lasting source of energy than carbohydrates.
There are 20 amino acids. The body synthesizes some of them from components within the body, but it cannot synthesize 9 of the amino acids—called essential amino acids. They must be consumed in the diet. Everyone needs 8 of these amino acids: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Infants also need a 9th one, histidine. The percentage of protein the body can use to synthesize essential amino acids varies from protein to protein. The body can use 100% of the protein in egg and a high percentage of the proteins in milk and meats.
The body needs proteins to maintain and replace tissues and to function and grow. If the body is getting enough calories, it does not use protein for energy. If more protein is consumed than is needed, the body breaks the protein down and stores its components as fat.
The body contains large amounts of protein. Protein, the main building block in the body, is the primary component of most cells. For example, muscle, connective tissues, and skin are all built of protein.
Adults need to eat about 60 grams of protein per day (0.8 grams per kilogram of weight or 10 to 15% of total calories). Adults who are trying to build muscle need slightly more. Children also need more because they are growing.
Fats
Fats are complex molecules composed of fatty acids and glycerol. The body needs fats for growth and energy. It also uses them to synthesize hormones and other substances needed for the body’s activities (such as prostaglandins). Fats are the slowest source of energy but the most energy-efficient form of food. Each gram of fat supplies the body with about 9 calories, more than twice that supplied by proteins or carbohydrates. Because fats are such an efficient form of energy, the body stores any excess energy as fat. The body deposits excess fat in the abdomen (omental fat) and under the skin (subcutaneous fat) to use when it needs more energy. The body may also deposit excess fat in blood vessels and within organs, where it can block blood flow and damage organs, often causing serious disorders.
Fatty Acids: When the body needs fatty acids, it can make (synthesize) certain ones. Others, called essential fatty acids, cannot be synthesized and must be consumed in the diet. The essential fatty acids make up about 7% of the fat consumed in a normal diet and about 3% of total calories (about 8 grams). They include linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which are present in certain vegetable oils. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, which are fatty acids essential for brain development, can be synthesized from linolenic acid. However, they also are present in certain marine fish oils, which are a more efficient source.

Linoleic acid and arachidonic acid are omega-6 fatty acids. Linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid are omega-3 fatty acids. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Lake trout and certain deep-sea fish contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. People tend to consume enough omega-6 fatty acids, which occur in the oils used in many processed foods, but not enough omega-3 fatty acids.
Kinds of Fat: There are different kinds of fat: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated. In general, saturated fats are more likely to increase cholesterol levels and increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Foods derived from animals commonly contain saturated fats, which tend to be solid at room temperature. Fats derived from plants commonly contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids, which tend to be liquid at room temperature. Palm and coconut oil are exceptions. They contain more saturated fats than other plant oils.
Trans fats (trans fatty acids) are a different category of fat. They are man-made, formed by adding hydrogen atoms (hydrogenation) to monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fats may be partially or fully hydrogenated (or saturated with hydrogen atoms). In the United States, the main dietary source of trans fats is partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, present in many commercially prepared foods. Consuming trans fats may adversely affect cholesterol levels in the body and may contribute to the risk of atherosclerosis.
Fat in the Diet: Authorities generally recommend that fat be limited to less than 30% of daily total calories (or fewer than 90 grams per day) and that saturated fats and trans fats should be limited to less than 10%. When possible, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, particularly omega-3 fats, should be substituted for saturated fats and trans fats. People with high cholesterol levels may need to reduce their total fat intake even more. When fat intake is reduced to 10% or less of daily total calories, cholesterol levels tend to decrease dramatically.

Supplementation
There is a lot of research to show that you can get extra benefit from supplementing your diet with the Natural Health Food Supplements.

A good quality Multi-Vitamin and Mineral is a good way to start but there are many others that you can use depending on your lifestyle and the goals you wish to achieve.

These supplements are not meant to replace healthy food but rather, as the name suggests, supplement the diet with nutrients that we are not getting the optimum levels of from our diet.

We all know that too much sugar in the diet causes dental problems, obesity, diabetes, nutrient deficiencies and even premature ageing which is probably why, as we refrain from adding it to our tea and sprinkling it over our cereals, sales of packet sugars are the lowest they’ve been since 1975.

However, despite our best efforts to cut back, the amount we consume has actually increased to an average 6,753 teaspoons every year! That’s equal to 19 teaspoons a day – double the recommended amount. Why? Because over 75% of the sugar we consume is actually hidden within the commercially prepared foods that we buy. That’s why I’ve devised these five super, simple steps to help you seek them out and cut back once and for all.

Step one: Don’t be fooled by the term ‘no added sugar’ or ‘unsweetened’ claims on the packet

This only means that the manufacturers have not added sugar. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the product itself is low in sugar or that the manufacturers haven’t used concentrated high sugar fruit juices instead. The same goes for so called ‘healthier eating’ products’ as a recent report by ‘Which?’ magazine found many ‘healthy eating ranges’ to be much higher in sugar than the standard versions.

Step two: Look at the nutritional information

Sugar is one of the food industry’s favourite ingredients. It’s used to brown, preserve, thicken, aerate, stabilise, sweeten and bulk out our foods and is in everything from ‘health bars’, diet foods and yogurts through to breads, processed meats, baked beans, sauces, dressings, drinks, crisps and pizzas.

Checking the labels of these foods may be a little laborious at first but you’ll soon get a feel for the amounts of sugars hidden in your favourite products – and you are likely to get some surprises too! Look for the ‘Carbohydrates (of which sugars)’ figure in the nutrition information panel on the label: 10g sugars or more per 100g is a lot of sugar, 2g sugars or less per 100g is a small amount and anything between 2g and 10g per 100g is moderate.

Step three: Look at the ingredients list
Sometimes it is difficult to decipher how much sugar is in a food as the label may only give an amount for ‘Carbohydrates’, and not for ‘Carbohydrates (of which sugars)’ so take a look at the ingredients list instead. All sugars must be included here and the ingredients must always be listed in order of largest quantities first. Therefore if you see sugar (or any of the other names for sugar as listed below) itemised within the first few ingredients or itemised several times within the list as a whole you’ll know that the product is likely to be a high sugar food.

Sugar can be listed on food labels under various aliases. Here are the most common ones:
· Sucrose
· Fructose
· Glucose
· Dextrose
· Galactose
· Lactose
· Maltose
· Invert sugar
· Raw sugar
· Brown sugar
· Confectioner’s sugar
· Granulated sugar
· Corn syrup
· High-fructose corn syrup
· Honey
· Maple syrup
· Molasses
· Hydrolysed starch
Step four: Eat more whole foods and prepare more of your meals and snacks yourself
That way you’ll know exactly how much sugar is in the foods you are eating. Snack on fresh fruits instead of processed cereal or health food bars, throw together a two minute salad or stir fry instead of reaching for a ready meal and drink freshly squeezed juices, smoothies and water instead of soft or fizzy drinks.

Step five: Avoid cravings for sugary foods brought about by low blood sugars by eating little meals often throughout the day.

Aim to eat at least two low GI meals a day and snack on fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and wholegrain breads or crackers.

• CONTROLS WEIGHT

• INCREASES QUALITY OF LIFE (better able to do everyday tasks)

• BETTER CONCENTRATION

• BETTER COMPLEXION

• INCREASES ENERGY

• PREVENTS MANY ILLNESSES AND DISEASES

• SLOWS DOWN THE AGING PROCESS

EXPLANATION OF NUTRITION

The first rule is to eat foods as close to nature as possible, avoiding processed food.

The results you will achieve with any type of training are much better if you are on a proper diet. Most people eat too many carbohydrates because they are trying to stay on a low fat diet. A lot of the low fat foods on supermarket shelves are high in carbs or sugar instead. This is actually worse than the fats they are trying to avoid. The problem with carbohydrates is that what you don’t use up for energy, you will store as body fat. There is a lot of research to show that we should eat foods that have a low glycemic index (G.I.). The G.I. is a rating of foods in relation to blood sugar response. If a food has a high G.I. then it will raise the blood sugar quickly and cause a surge of insulin, which in turn causes the storage of fat. These foods are also very bad for your energy because when a lot of insulin is released it not only brings your blood sugar back to where it was at the start, but can bring it way down below this. This is why you may feel sleepy after a large meal with a lot of carbs in the form of potatoes etc. Potatoes are high on this G.I. scale. Most carbohydrate foods are high in this scale, even some of the ones that people think are healthy foods such as pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, most cereals and most fruit Sugars are even worse offenders. That is sugar in any form; table sugar, confectionary, soft drinks etc. the ones that are low on the G.I. scale are basically all protein and fat foods. That is all meat, fish, foul, full fat dairy products etc.

Proper nutrition and why “dieting makes you fat”

When encouraging people to eat sensibly I try to avoid the word ‘diet’. People associate this with the fad starvation diets that are always advertised. These diets are misinforming and dangerous. They encourage people to lose weight by dramatically reducing calories. Cutting calories will inevitably reduce energy because you lose more muscle than fat and it’s this muscle that gives you energy, in other words you’re losing the muscle that helps you to burn calories/fat. The body then loses its muscle tone and you get softer. The body then learns to live on fewer calories and when you return to a normal diet (as is inevitable) you will be more susceptible to gaining fat because your metabolism has slowed down. The way around this is to go on a proper nutrition plan that can be sustained long term and will enhance your body shape and energy levels.

Conversely, if you lose fat and gain muscle then your body’s energy levels and metabolism are increased and you burn more calories. Therefore you can actually eat more while staying lean and without gaining fat!

Your dietician may also suggest some dietary supplements, which have proven to improve results for many people.

Supplementation

There is a lot of research to show that you can get extra benefit from supplementing your diet with the Natural Health Food Supplements.

A good quality Multi-Vitamin and Mineral is a good way to start but there are many others that you can use depending on your lifestyle and the goals you wish to achieve.

These supplements are not meant to replace healthy food but rather, as the name suggests, supplement the diet with nutrients that we are not getting the optimum levels of from our diet.

Visit our online shop to see our range of Health food Supplements and the beneits they provide.

Modern food choices are very far removed from the natural foods that have kept us nourished and disease free for thousands and thousands of years.

During the 1930’s Dr. Weston A. Price travelled the world to study population groups untouched by civilisation, living entirely on local foods, and compared them with people in industrialised nations living on the typical ‘western’ diet. Please bear in mind that this was over 60 years ago and that things have got much worse since then. While the diets of these people varied from location to location, they had many characteristics in common. Almost all of the groups he studied ate liberally on seafood and other animal fats and proteins in the form of organ meats and dairy products. They valued animal fats as absolutely essential to good health. They ate fats, meats, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains in their natural, whole, unrefined state.

Dr. Price found groups from isolated Irish and Swiss, from Eskimos to Africans-in which almost every member of the region enjoyed excellent health. They were free from chronic disease, dental decay and mental illness. They were strong, sturdy and attractive.

In comparing these groups with the same races in industrialised areas living on a modern diet of high carbohydrates, sugar and refined foods he found that people living on this so called civilised diet had rampant tooth decay, infectious diseases, degenerative illnesses and infertility.

Heart disease and cancer were rare at the turn of the century but today they are much more common. Diseases and health problems that were extremely rare a few generations ago are commonplace today. This is all in spite of the fact that billions are spent each year in research and major advances in diagnostic and surgical techniques. In America one person in 3 dies of cancer, one in 3 suffers from some sort of allergy, one in ten have ulcers at some time and one in 5 is mentally ill. One in 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage and birth defects are on the increase. Other diseases that were rare until recently are now affecting a large percentage of the population; arthritis, multiple sclerosis, digestive disorders, diabetes, osteoporosis, alzheimer’s, epilepsy, chronic fatigue etc… These diseases are also afflicting people at a much younger age than previously. The solution to this problem is to go back to eating foods closer to nature: unprocessed meats and dairy products, organic eggs, unrefined grains, fruit and vegetables.