PERFECT SHAPE

When speaking of diets, one must know that there are numerous objectives that can be achieved by dieting:

1. THE MOST COMMON objective is loss of excess body fat;
2. Medical objectives;
3. Increase body fat and / or muscle weight gain.

There are many other objectives, but let’s try to focus on these three:

1. LOSS OF EXCESS BODY FAT

These diets restrict the intake of specific food, or food in general.
The METABOLIC DIFFERENCES and LIFE STYLE are two main factors that influence the effectiveness of dieting.

Sometimes, short-term dieting is not even effective. When reducing the food supply, the body reacts in an opposite way (by forming excess fat as a starvation response), once normal eating is resumed. Short crash dieting leads to less body fat on the short-term and to excess body fat shortly after the diet is ended. Therefore, it has a negative effect on the long-term.

2. MEDICAL DIETS

These types of diets are focused on including or excluding certain nutrients (increasing or decreasing the consumption of food that contains them). The most important types of medical oriented diets are:

1. Diets designed to manage blood sugar level – Diabetes;
2. Gluten-free diets – Celiac disease;
3. Ketogenic diets – Epileptics;
4. Milk free diets – Lactose-intolerants;
5. Low-sodium diets – Kidney diseases;
6. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat and sodium – Hypertensive.

3. INCREASE BODY FAT AND / OR MUSCLE WEIGHT GAIN

These types of diets are mainly used by athletes to:

1. Increase their strength;
2. Increase their resistance;
3. For their look;
4. For weight classes.

These types of diets must be carefully supervised and controlled in order to have a positive effect. The health condition can be severally damaged if the diet is not used properly.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Fruits are glucose in the human body. The human brain uses only glucose to function.

Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver constant supply of glucose.

The level of glucose in our blood is very important as too much of it at a time can actually make our brain lose glucose. As the level of glucose in the blood stream increases, the brain depletes its energy supply, influencing our abilities to remember, learn and concentrate.

Is good to remember that mental activity requires a lot of energy as our brain cells need two times more energy than any other cells in our bodies.

Neurons are always in a state of metabolic activity thus have a high need of energy. Do not forget that neurons are always active, even during sleep.

Neurons main activities are related to repairing and rebuilding worn out structural components, manufacturing enzymes and neurotransmitters that have to be transported using nerve “channels” (some of them can be several inches or even several feet long).

Still, the upper mentioned activities are not the ones using most of neurons’ energy. The most demanding ones are the bioelectric signals, used for communicating throughout the nervous system. These transmissions are so demanding that use half all brain’s energy (almost 10% of all body’s energy).

In an important study, Dr. Carol Greenwood from the University of Toronto tested the effects of glucose on older adults. Two groups of old adults were tested. The first group received a bowl of cereal and milk, along with white grapes juice for breakfast, while the other group received only water.

When tested 20 minutes later, the first group had a better memory as they were able to remember 25% more facts as compared to the second group.

Additionally, Rondall J. Kaplan stated that “eating carbohydrate food can improve memory within an hour after ingestion in healthy elderly people with relatively poor memories. Individuals with seemingly minor deficits in glucose regulation appear to perform worse on cognitive (memory) tests and are most sensitive to the beneficial effects of carbohydrates”.

Additionally, Paul Gold, PhD, and Donna Karol, PhD, of Binghamton University, and Carol Manning, PhD, of the University of Virginia, stated in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that glucose particularly improves people’s adeptness at tasks involving memory and attention.

Popularity: 16% [?]

• Water in fruits

Water plays an important part in our lives. 70% of our planet is covered with water, resembling with the human body that consist of 80% of water. So, it seems that we should control our water intake in order to maintain the “volume” of water in our bodies.

Some might say that we could drink 2 bottles of water a day and have the intake covered. If you think that this is the proper solution, think again!

You don’t have to flood your body with water, you only have to consume food that is rich in water. So, the best sources of water for the human body are fruits and vegetables.

Fruits have the highest water content of any other food. Additionally, they contain all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids needed by the human body.

The results of a survey outlined that those who eat fruits at every meal tend to want to eat less food at the next meal, resulting in a very safe and healthy weight loss diet. The main factor influencing our appetite might be the sugar content (glucose) in fruits.

Some researchers also found that fruits contain a substance that can reduce the risks of heart attacks and heart diseases. The substances prevent the blood from becoming to thick and plugging up the arteries.

Water helps our bodies to integrate nutritious elements contained by food. A faster integration of nutritional elements means a faster digestion. By digesting food quicker our bodies can use their energy for other purposes that digestion (our bodies save energy).

For example, grilled meat is digested in approximately 8 hours, while a fruit salad digested in 30 minutes or less.

Additionally, fruits do not even digest in the stomach. Most of them (except dried fruits, dates and bananas) are pre-digested in 20-30 minutes. As they pass through the stomach, they break down and release their nutrients in the intestines.

• Glucose

The extraction of energy from fruits is a relatively difficult process. Everything we eat or drink has to be digested in order to obtain energy for our bodies. There are 2 different ways of extracting energy from food:
- BURNING WITH OXYGEN, for sugar and fat (fruits, etc.)
- BURNING WITHOUT OXYGEN, for proteins (meat, dairy, etc.)

This process is one of the most effective ones for the human body. The energy of fruits is concentrated in the form of sugars (glucose). The human body uses oxygen in order to transform glucose into energy. After transforming glucose into energy, the waste products remaining after this reaction are water and carbon-dioxide. Water is used by the human body, while carbon-dioxide is eliminated through the lungs by breathing.

When referring to extracting energy, this process is 3 times more effective as compared to a combustion engine. By transforming glucose in energy, the body extracts about 50% of the contained energy, while a combustion engine uses only 10-20% of the energy (the rest is lost through heat).

As regards the other burning process, without oxygen, the energy is extracted from proteins. Products like meat, milk, dairy, etc. contain energy in the form of proteins and fat. The process of transforming proteins into energy is more difficult and time-consuming. Additionally, the body uses more energy to transform proteins as compared to glucose.

The waste products of this burning process is ammonia which is connected to carbon-dioxide and forms the less toxic ureum which is excreted by kidneys.

Our bodies always burn a mix of glucose and fat. The ratio of the fat and the glucose in the burning process depends of the intensity of the activity carried out by a person.

Low intensity activities tend to burn more fat than glucose, while high intensity or duration activities tend to burn more glucose.

Let’s take for example two of the most common exercises: walking and running.

Walking for 30 minutes will force your body to burn about 110 kcal of fat and about 60 kcal of glucose.
A major difference occurs if we change the intensity of the exercise. So, running for 30 minutes will force your body to consume about 120 kcal of fat (10 kcal more as compared to walking – not a major difference) and about 250 kcal of glucose (4 times more as compared to walking – a major difference).

Additionally, some believe that more muscles means less fat. With a higher muscle to fat ratio you must burn extra energy, some of it resulting from stored fat.

Here are some interesting examples that might help you when deciding on a fruit (in terms of provided energy):

1. Dates: 300 kcal and 20% water
2. Olives: 142 kcal and 75% water
3. Avocados: 126 kcal and 81%
4. Bananas: 88 kcal and 76%
5. Pomegranates: 81 kcal and 82% water
6. Figs: 80 kcal and 80% water
7. Persimmons: 76 kcal and 81% water
8. Lychees: 76 kcal and 82% water
9. Guavas: 72 kcal and 81% water
10. Kumquats: 68 kcal and 82% water

Here is a brief description of main 3 fruits in terms of provided energy:

1. Dates

The Date Palm is native to the desert oases of northern Africa. The Date Palm tree has a very old history, evidence of its cultivation suggesting it could be found in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Arabia. Today, the palm is often cultivated for its fruit.

Dates are believed to have many traditional medicinal uses. They can be used as a detersive (due to its high content of tiannin) and as an astringent. Also, dates can help against sore throat, fever, colds and other problems. Also, some believe that dates can help against alcohol intoxication.

Dates can be eaten in four stages from unripe to sun-dried. It is very helpful to eat dates unripe because they provide a large amount of vitamin C. Dates contain a small quantity of water, so by drying them you won’t concentrate them very much, although the fruit will lose vitamin C.

Nevertheless, 100g of dried dates provides you with about 300 Kcal and almost none of them come from fat.

2. Olives

The olive fruit is very popular among countries near Mediterranean Sea. References of olive are made in old literature like Iliad and Odyssey, were olive oil is viewed as a luxury, accessible only to the wealthy. Today, olives still play an important part in the economy and culture of these countries.

Olives have many uses in cuisine: in cocktails (as an adjunct to martini), bread, sausages, etc. Olives are rich in vitamin E, minerals, monounsaturated fats, and anti-oxidants. 100 grams of canned olives contain about 142 kcal, approximately 100 of them coming from fat.

3. Avocados

The avocado tree originates from Mexico and Central America. The word “avocado” comes from the Spanish “aguacate”, witch derivates from the Aztec “ahuacatl”, meaning “testicle”. The fruit was named this way because of its shape.

The avocado leaves contain a toxic fatty acid derivate named persin. This causes some animals to be harmed or killed if they eat them. The fruit is also poisonous to birds; however, there are no negative effects on humans, besides those who are allergic to it.

Avocado provides nearly 20 vitamins including vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron, potassium, lutein and beta-carotene. 100 grams of avocado can provide about 126 calories, of which 110 kcal are from fat.

Popularity: 23% [?]

A diet is defined as the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what food to eat.
Many individuals choose the type of food by certain criteria, like:

1. Desired state of health;
2. Morality;
3. Religion;
4. Effectiveness.

It seems that in the last few years more and more people are concerned with their health, when speaking of diets.

The imbalance of consumed products results in either starvation or excessive reserves of adipose tissue (body fat) .

Vitamins and minerals are very important (poor intake can cause dramatic effects on someone’s health):

Popularity: 14% [?]

The name “calorie” derives from the Latin word “calor” which means HEAT. The calorie is generally used as an energy measurement unit and specifically for the amount of food energy.

There are 2 definitions related to calories:

The small calorie (gram calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Joules). The symbol of this unit is “cal”.
The large calorie (kg calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Kj). The symbol of this unit is Kcal and is often referred to as a Calorie (with a capital “C”).

However, there are a lot of other definitions for calories. For example, the thermochemical calorie (4.184 joules exactly), which is almost the same thing as the small calorie, is used to define the power of TNT. The equivalent of one tone of TNT is 1 billion thermochemical calories.

In order to reduce body weight, dieticians recommend to reduce the intake of calories. So, in a lot of countries, producers of food products are obliged to label the nutritional value (including calories) of their products. The energy obtained from a certain food product is expressed in both Kilocalories (Kcal) and Kilojoules (Kj). In this way, everyone can calculate the daily intake of Kilocalories and can balance it with the needed quantity of Kilocalories for their life style.

In order to estimate the energy value of a product, the first step is to estimate product’s digestible constituents (fat, protein, carbohydrates, etc.). The result of this analysis is then converted into an equivalent energy value based on a standardized table of energy densities:
FOOD COMPONENT Kcal/g

1. fat 9
2. ethanol (alcohol) 7
3. proteins 4
4. carbohydrates 4
5. organic acids 3
6. polyols (sugar-free sweeteners) 2.4

Vitamins, minerals and water do not contribute in any way to the energy value of food products.

The recommended daily energy intake values for young adults are: 2,500 Kcal per day for men and 2,000 Kcal per day for women. However, the lifestyle is very important when establishing the daily needed energy intake. Children and old people require less energy, while active persons require more energy than the recommended value.

It is very important to remember that the human fat tissue contains approximately 87% lipids. This means that 1 kg of body-fat tissue has the caloric energy of 870 g of pure fat, representing about 7,800 Kcal. So, in order to lose 1 kg of body fat, you have to create an energy deficit (consume more than assimilate) of 7,800 Kcal.

Still, this can work in the other way too. If your energy intake exceeds your energy use with 7,800 Kcal, you will gain 1 kg of body fat.

These approximates assume that there is no gain or lose in muscles (muscles are built using food energy too) and that there is a direct relationship between calories provided by food and calories stores in the body as fat.

So, in order to lose weight quicker you have to burn more calories. The best solution for this is to increase your metabolic rate.

The metabolic rate represents the rate at which your body burns up calories. There are multiple solutions for speeding up the metabolic rate. The most important thing is to know what solution is more effective for your body, what determinates your metabolic rate and how can you influence it.

Usually, the energy provided by burned calories is used for three main functions:

BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) – represents the amount of calories a person burns in order to stay alive, even when standing still. BMR uses approximately 60% of the energy provided by calories burned for an average person.
BURNING CALORIES FOR ACTIVITY – represents the energy used during movement. This function uses approximately 30% of the amount of energy provided by burned calories.
DIETARY THERMOGENESIS – represents meal-induced heat production (calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food).

These functions can be influenced in order to speed up your rate of burning calories. Some of the best solutions for this are:

1. Exercises
2. Move more
3. Eat spicy food
4. Eat less and often

1. EXERCISES

The muscles in the human body are very important when it comes to burning calories. It is known that for every extra pound of muscles you put on, your body will burn an extra quantity of 50 Kcal a day. Also, a lot of exercises boost basal metabolic rate, allowing your body to burn calories at a more accelerated rate (for example: regular weight lifting training can increase the basal metabolic rate by about 15%). The main explanation for this is that muscles are metabolically active and can burn more calories that any other tissue in the human body, even when standing still.

Generally speaking, there are 2 types of exercises:

The low intensity exercises are usually of a long duration (45 minutes or more), burn mainly fats and not carbohydrates, preserve joints, etc.

The high intensity exercises are usually of a short duration (20 - 30 minutes the most), burn a lot of calories and increase the metabolic rate throughout the day, etc.

Referring to the effectiveness of exercises when it comes to burning calories, the main 10 most effective exercises are:

1. step aerobics
2. swimming
3. bicycling
4. rock climbing
5. racquetball
6. cross-country skiing
7. running
8. elliptical trainer
9. rowing
10. brisk walking

The upper mentioned 10 general exercises can help you burn from 150 to 400 Kcal in 30 minutes time. Still, there are other more effective exercises but of a much higher intensity, like:

2. MOVE MORE

Most people burn around 30% of the calorie intake through daily activities. For sedentary people, this rate might drop to even 10%, leading to a considerable calorie surplus.

In order to maintain the usual rate of burning calories through daily activities, or even improve it, you have to keep moving. Small daily activities, that usually are not considered as a solution for weight loss, can help you a lot. You should make use of every opportunity to move, like:

3. EAT SPICY FOOD

Not many people know that chiles are the second most common spices in the word, after salt. The heat of chiles and peppers is caused by a substance called CAPSAICIN, a flavourless and odourless substance.

Capsaicin has a lot of positive effects on the human body, like:

Some even believe that capsaicin can even help prevent cancer. Researchers say that capsaicin attacks mitochondria of cancer cells, triggering them death.

Referring to these aspects, Dr. Timothy Bates (a lead researcher in the field) stated: “as these compounds attach the very heart of the tumour cell, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental ‘Achilles heel’ for all cancers”.

4. EAT LESS AND OFTEN

There are proven evidence that eating smaller and regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger and less frequent meals.

There are two main reasons why your metabolism rate is increased by small meals:
Hours after eating a meal, thyroid hormones begin to drop, slowing down metabolism. So, by eating more often, the thyroid hormones will remain active, maintaining your metabolism rate at a high level.

The thermogenic effect of eating smaller meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once. This means that calories are burned faster and better (the body has the ability and time to burn more calories) when eating little and often.

In order to help you estimate the daily intake of calories, here are some products that can provide 100 Kcal each:

Popularity: 21% [?]