Top 5 Drinks That Help You Lose Weight

If you have decided to lose the extra pounds, then you surely know that the only way to do that is by combining workouts with a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet. However, there are some types of drinks that will speed up the fat burning and help you lose weight quicker than you normally would, and here you will find 5 of the most efficient ones:

1. Detox Juices

Detox juices are certainly your most trustworthy allies in your battle against the extra pounds – you can easily make them in your kitchen, either entirely out of fruits or vegetables or by combining these two. Citrus fruits are known to have a powerful detox capability, therefore if you are looking for foods to help you purge all the toxins that have gathered inside you over the months then you must certainly include them in your detox juice. High-fiber root foods such as ginger, carrots or apples are also highly recommended for these juices, as they are known to also support the correct functioning of your digestive tract, not to mention the wealth of antioxidants that they deliver to your body.

As you may know already, antioxidants are essential as they protect your body from the negative effects of the free radicals that can wreak havoc on your health if you allow them two. One eight ounce glass of detox juice per week will certainly keep all these problems far away from you! These juices have a double benefit – while they help your body get rid of the toxins, chemicals and all the dangerous substances that have accumulated inside your intestines, they also help you lose weight in the fastest and most natural way. One thing is for sure, though: all those who want to shed pounds yet stay healthy at the same time must go through at least one or two detox sessions throughout the course of a year.

2. Vegetable Juices

Vegetable juices, on the other hand, can also benefit your weight loss efforts in the long run and it is a known fact that the most suitable type of veggies for weight loss are the cruciferous ones. No matter if you juice them alone or you use them in conjunction with other fruits, these veggies (cabbage, kale, broccoli or cauliflower) will be your most efficient fat fighting weapon, and there is no better way to keep all the toxins away.  Another notable benefit of the vegetable juices is that in addition to helping your body fight free radicals and keeping you healthy, they will also balance the hormone levels in your body and prevent the hormone disruptors from interfering with the normal hormone levels. Cruciferous veggies are very rich in natural phytonutrients that are perfect for reducing the overall amount of body fat, for reducing inflammation and controlling the blood sugar levels, for balancing the hormone levels, boosting your metabolism as well as providing a thorough general detoxification.

Fad Diets: A Look Back at Weight Loss Trends

The Master Cleanse, low-carb, raw food: These diets might seem like modern methods to lose weight, but they actually all have roots in diets that were originally popular more than 100 years ago. That’s the message historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman spreads through her research on the history of American diets and on her blog, Four Pounds Flour. Inspired by Lohman and her fascinating work, here’s a look at historic American diet trends — and the ways those trends still pop up today.

People with higher 'sympathetic nerve activity' more likely to shed pounds, study finds

People with higher levels of nerve activity may have an easier time losing weight, a small study suggests.

Researchers looked at 42 overweight or obese people who took part in a 12-week weight-loss program that cut their daily calorie intake by 30 percent. The participants' resting sympathetic nerve activity was measured at the start of the study.

The sympathetic nervous system, which spreads throughout the body, regulates many functions, including control of resting metabolic rate and the use of calories from food consumption.

The researchers found that successful weight losers had significantly higher resting sympathetic nerve activity than those who had trouble shedding pounds. They also found that successful weight losers showed large increases in nerve activity after they ate a carbohydrate test meal. This did not occur in those who were weight-loss resistant.

The study will appear in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"We have demonstrated for the first time that resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is a significant independent predictor of weight-loss outcome in a cohort of overweight or obese subjects," lead author Nora Straznicky, of the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, said in a journal news release.

"Our findings provide two opportunities. First, we may be able to identify those persons who would benefit most from lifestyle weight-loss interventions such as dieting. Secondly, the findings may also help in developing weight-loss treatments through stimulating this specific nervous activity."

Fast Food: Counting Calories on the Road

Fast food is tempting if you are traveling long distances — it’s easy to pick up and you don’t have to invest as much time as you would in a sit-down eatery. Yet, if you are counting calories and looking to lose weight, you may have concerns about how to make healthy choices in fast-food restaurants.

Your wariness is justified. Data shows that people who say they eat often at fast-food restaurants are more likely to eat a high-fat diet and have excess body weight. But when you are on the road, you may have few options. Here’s how to make the best choices.

Fast Food: Ask Questions Before You Order

Curious to find out what types of healthy options are available on the road in rural areas, a team from Texas A&M University surveyed 261 fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarket/grocery stores in rural Texas. They found varying healthy choices in each location, but determined that supermarkets/grocery stores offered the most healthy prepared meals and side dishes, and convenience stores offered the least healthy options. Fast-food restaurants varied in their offerings and were not consistent, even among those of the same national brand.

The results of this survey indicate that as a road-savvy traveler, you will have to adapt how you approach counting calories depending on what is available.

“All fast-food restaurants have come up with some healthy choices. You just have to get the nutritional analysis and sit there and look at it,” says Donna L. Weihofen, RD, MS, nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison. You are looking for calorie count per serving and for other key elements of the nutritional analysis, such as sodium (salt), carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and protein.

Fast Food: Clues to Healthy Choices

Navigating a sometimes massive menu board is the secret to ordering well. Stand to the side as you review it so you won’t be tempted to order in a rush.

Better choices to order:

• Grilled chicken sandwiches (hold the bun if watching carbs, hold the mayo and cheese if watching fat)
• Salads with protein like broiled chicken (choose light or no salad dressing, hold the cheese)
• Fresh fruit (without added sugar or syrup)
• Steamed, roasted, or fresh vegetables
• Baked potatoes with low-fat toppings (skip the cheese sauce and bacon bits)
• Low-fat and low-sodium soups
• Chili made with lean meat or turkey
• Whole-grain bread, buns, wraps, or pizza crust
• Baked chicken or fish
• Low-fat or non-fat milk

What to skip:

• Anything fried
• Full-fat dressings and toppings (bacon, cheese)
• Mayonnaise-heavy salads (potato, coleslaw) and toppings
• Upgrading to larger portions and adding French fries to your order
• Sugary drinks
• Dessert items other than fruit or fat-free frozen yogurt

It’s true that the healthy choices look smaller and plainer than more traditional fast-food fare. “It might not be your favorite thing,” acknowledges Weihofen, but you will feel better making the healthy choice.

What may surprise you about some fast food is that a seemingly healthy salad, if loaded with toppings like cheese, heavy dressings, and fried croutons, can exceed a plain hamburger in calorie count. Similarly, a stuffed deli-style sandwich with meat, cheese, and condiments may have twice the calories of a plain bun and patty.

Most fast-food restaurants have nutritional information available online, and some have it posted on-site, so you could include a menu review as part of your trip planning. That way you will know what your meal options are at various fast food outlets.

Fast Food: Calorie-Counting Bargains

Another option to consider is stopping in at a grocery store or supermarket. While the food items you might find there are not consistent across the country, the Texas A&M study demonstrated that even in rural areas, supermarkets and grocery stores offer a wide variety of healthy food options, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.

With a little research and advance planning, you should be able to stick tocounting calories and eat well, even when dining choices are limited.

Spreading your calories throughout the day may help you stick to your diet and keep off the weight.

"This time I am going to stick to my diet," you tell yourself. You make every effort to follow a healthful eating plan, but in a moment of weakness, hunger strikes and you find yourself indulging in a feeding frenzy.

Is there any way to break this vicious cycle and lose weight for good? It might be time to consider not only looking at what you eat, but also whenyou eat.

Skip Meals Now, Overeat Later

If you are trying to lose weight, you probably know the importance of keeping an eye on the number of calories you're consuming. But you may not know that how many calories you eat at each sitting can make a difference in your weight-loss efforts, too.

There is evidence that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer, larger meals during the day tend to weigh more than people who eat a healthy breakfast and four or five smaller meals. This may be because they end up feeling hungrier, which makes it easy to give into temptation. "When you skip meals you will [eventually] overeat," says Pete McCall, MS, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise.

---

When you go for hours without eating, your blood sugar levels dip, which can leave you feeling hungry and shaky. A drop in blood sugar can also trigger people to lose their willpower and reach for a calorie-laden treat.

Smaller Meals, More Often

If you eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, your appetite may be better controlled, helping you adhere to your weight-loss plan. By consistently fueling your body with calories — even limited calories — you avoid the feeling of starvation that derails so many diets.

"The idea is that if you have three meals and a couple of snacks throughout the day, you are regulating your blood sugar and maintaining your body chemistry," notes McCall.

When you are consuming fewer calories every day as part of a weight-loss plan, it's even more important to eat consistently throughout the day to reassure your body that you are not starving. According to Kimberly Lummus, MS, RD, when you eat too few calories, your body goes into starvation mode and actually holds onto calories, which can sabotage weight loss.

---

Managing Your Calorie Intake

Switching from two or three large meals to five or six "mini-meals" may help keep both your blood sugar and metabolism steady. McCall recommends restructuring the day's intake into smaller meals plus more substantial snacks. For someone who plans to eat about 2,000 calories per day, for example, he suggests eating three meals of 500 to 600 calories each and two 100- to 200-calorie snacks.

If eating larger meals is working for you and you're meeting your weight-loss goals, there is no reason to switch to smaller meals. Spreading your calories out may simply help you better control your appetite and perhaps increase your diet success, especially if you reach a weight-loss plateau.

Remember that the bottom line for weight loss remains the same: "Monitor your caloric consumption," advises McCall. "Do not over-consume."