Weight loss plan, Diet plan - Vice Busting Diet Program: Medifast weight loss plan

Showing posts with label Medifast weight loss plan. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Health Spending Exceeded Record $2 Trillion in 2006

WASHINGTON — National health spending soared above $2 trillion for the first time in 2006 and has nearly doubled in the last decade, amounting to an average of $7,000 a person, the government reported on Monday. With the advent of a prescription drug benefit in 2006, Medicare spending grew at its fastest pace since 1981, the report said. Private health insurance spending grew at the slowest rate since 1997, and spending on Medicaid, which covers low-income people, declined for the first time since creation of the program in 1965. Over all, the report said, health spending increased 6.7 percent in 2006, slightly faster than in 2005, and now accounts for 16 percent of the total output of good and services, a slightly larger share than in 2005. Introducing the Medicare drug benefit for older Americans and people with disabilities caused changes that rippled through the entire health care sector. Health spending by businesses grew 5.7 percent in 2006, to $496.8 billion, the slowest rate of increase since 1997.

Aaron C. Catlin, an economist at the Health and Human Services Department, said the “deceleration in employer payments for private health insurance” resulted, in part, from the fact that Medicare now subsidized drug costs for many retirees. Employers lobbied for such subsidies when Congress created the benefit. Retail spending on prescription drugs shot up 8.5 percent in 2006, to $216.7 billion, in part because more prescriptions were filled by Medicare beneficiaries, especially those lacking drug coverage in the past. The increase was much greater than the 5.8 percent increase in 2005, but well below the average increase of 13.4 percent a year from 1995 to 2004. Other factors that drove up drug spending included the use of existing drugs for new purposes and the increased use of high-cost biotechnology products, the report said. National health spending first exceeded $1 trillion in 1995. Since then, even when adjusted for inflation, health spending has grown at a rapid clip, increasing 64 percent in 11 years. The data, published in the journal Health Affairs, showed that spending on hospitals, doctors and nursing homes grew more slowly in 2006 than in 2005. But administrative costs increased more than twice as fast. read on...

Get medifast for weight loss, health, a healthy diet, and a diet plan. Medifast is a product that helps you lose weight. There are benefits to using Medifast in your diet, and can be used for weight loss. Phase 1 - 5 & 1 Program for Weight Loss 5 Medifast Meals per Day Over 50 meals to choose from - shakes, bars, drinks, oatmeals, chili, soups, pudding and more. 1 "Lean and Green" Meal per Day Lean Meat: 7 ounces of chicken, turkey of fish, or 5 ounces of lean beef, pork or lamb. Grill, bake or poach meats using non-stick spray. Salt, pepper, herbs and spices may be added if desired. You may also use 1 - 2 teaspoons of condiments such as ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce. Salad or Vegetables: Either 2 cups of salad greens (any kind) and up to ½ cups raw vegetables, or up to 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables. You may also use 1 - 2 tablespoons of Media low-fat or non-fat dressing.Phase 2 - BeSlim™ Philosophy of Lifelong Weight Control Once you have reached your healthy weight, your Health Advisor will help transition you to the BeSlim™ philosophy of lifelong weight control. The BeSlim™ philosophy is a part of the Take Shape for Life program that incorporates key behaviors mastered by those who lost significant amounts of weight and kept their weight off for years. These key behaviors include: Breakfast (eating Breakfast every day) - High quality fuel, such as our delicious Medifast oatmeal, cappuccino, or chai latte, is essential to start your day the right way. Exercise - Continued exercise increases metabolism, provides strength, flexibility, and mental clarity. Support - Your Health Advisor is here to help you reach and maintain your goals, providing the coaching, tools, education, and caring support you will need along the way. Low-fat meals 5-6 times a day - Eating frequently, controlling portion and total calories, especially those from fat, are critical for success. Individual Plan - Create an individual plan to help you achieve an optimal healthy lifestyle and build the skills and strategies you need to cope with modern life. Monitor your weight - Weigh yourself on a regular basis to maintain optimal weight. Catch it before it becomes a challenge! Join the BeSlim™ Club today and set your life in motion! Introducing the New BeSlim Club & Rewards Program! Optimal Health is its own reward, but how about earning a bonus or two along the way? You’re on a journey to Optimal Health. You’ve made a commitment to lose weight and keep it off! You’ve earned the right to celebrate your success! The new Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is your ticket there. The BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is Take Shape For Life's progressive savings program, offering clients and Health Coaches an easy way to obtain their Medifast Meals at a savings, with exciting rewards you can earn along the way! The longer you are member of the BeSlim™ Club, the more significant your savings are and the more rewards points you’ll earn. When you join the Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program, you: Enjoy your favorite Medifast Meals all month long, with orders conveniently shipped right to your door Save on your meal purchases and enjoy increased savings the longer you’re on the program Earn points towards exclusive rewards that promote healthy living Receive coupons for special savings. Enrich your life as you achieve Optimal Health Available to all, the BeSlim™ Club is a great way for individuals learning and practicing the BeSlim™ philosophy. Every time you order, you earn points towards healthful rewards. Here’s how: There’s no minimum purchase required. Redeem your reward points* for exclusive Take Shape For Life merchandise, including: Apparel, Exercise Equipment, Spa Trips, And more! Join the BeSlim Club today! Simplify Your Life -- — Receive automatic monthly shipments of your favorite Medifast Meals; Save Your Money — Enjoy savings that increase the longer you are a club member; Earn Just Rewards— Select from an array of rewards that promote healthy living and a healthy lifestyle

Comments: It wasn't that long ago that health care costs were around the 1 Trillion mark - in 1995. To double in 10 years means that, yes in fact, health care costs are ballooning out of control. This should be more of a reflection of the poor health that Americans are experiencing, and while that is true, it is not all that is going on. The advancement of equipment, drugs, and procedures that keep a patient alive longer has to be the brunt of the rise in costs. The unfortunate thing about our health care is that it is not health care at all, but sick care. If we can start with the upcoming generation and start teaching life's lessons at an early age, and instill the habits of healthy living in the early years, then we have a chance of reducing costs in the decades to come, on a per capita basis. In other words, assuming the population continues to grow at the current rate, costs will continue to rise, but can be reduced as a percentage of the total. Start with your own weight loss and diet plan and live healthy. Teach those in your family the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the survival of the generations to come.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

The #3 Diet Vice TV Should be Off During Family Meals

If you've been reading the last few blogs, you will see that the theme has been family, and the importance of a close family to the bringing up of a secure, healthy, happy, productive individual. One of the 3 biggest diet vices that have contributed to the overweight and obesity problem in this country and around the world is the television. A diet vice is broadly defined as anything that gets in the way of living at a healthy weight. Specifically, a diet vice can be a food or drink that is consumed on a regular basis that contributes the most calories to a diet and keeps the "dieter" from living at a healthy weight. The three biggest diet vices are soft drinks, fast food, and television - all based on statistics. The amount of soft drinks and fast food consumed per capita supports the conclusion that they are the 2 top diet vices. And, according to statistics, television is the third diet vice that contributes to the number of overweight and obese individuals. In this day, we can add anything that the TV can be used for - all computer games, specifically, not just television shows. The recommendation that The Health & Wellness Institute gives to those who seek to lose weight, is that no TV may be watched (or used for games; hey, even 40 year olds use PlayStation!) until at least 30 minutes of exercise is done. OR, exercise may be done while watching TV - like a treadmill or piece of cardio that may be in front of the TV, or an exercise video. This puts healthy actions ahead of those that are sedentary, or let's face it, unhealthy considering the quality of so much of the programming these days (I'm not referring to the History Channel here!). Here's some information given about the importance of turning the TV off during family meals. Without reading the article, you can ascertain that the TV will distract family members from the time that should be used for productive communication, the foundation for healthy relationship among all individuals. And the lessons learned during family meals far exceed any entertainment or history lesson that can be learned from TV. This article comes from Science Daily --

ScienceDaily — September and October mark the start of television’s new fall season as the premieres of new shows and old favorites hit the airwaves. But, University of Minnesota researchers found that watching television while eating family meals may have a negative impact on children’s diets.

School of Public Health Project EAT researchers found that children in families who watched TV while eating meals together had a lower-quality diet than the children of families who ate together, but turned the TV off. Boys watching TV while eating family meals consumed fewer vegetables and grains, and more soft drinks, than those who did not watch TV; girls watching TV ate significantly fewer dark vegetables and more fried food.

Dianne Neumark Sztainer, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Project EAT study, suggests more than one reason for why this occurred. “The television may be influencing the types of foods that adolescents choose to eat because of the advertisements they see. Alternatively, meal situations and foods served within homes where the television is on during meals may be different. Further research is needed to explore our findings,” she said. read on...

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Regular Family Meals Promote Healthy Eating Habits

It's time to get back to family values - a family that eats together, shares the day's struggles, successes, and questions; a time for family to discuss together what is important in life - what's needed to be healthy physically, mentally, spiritually; a time to emphasize the importance of education, goals, and character. And all is done while eating a well balanced meal. The effects of regular meals as this puts the focus on goals that are bigger than any one individual, while instilling the habit of healthy actions to support the efforts of such goals. We have gotten away from the importance of health in all areas of life, and the discipline it takes to build that character, and it all starts at home, and the best time for life's lesson start at the breakfast and dinner table (assuming everyone's at school or work during lunch!). Not only do family meals promote healthy eating, but the ripple effect carries over into every other aspect of life. Here is an article that reveals one aspect of the importance of family meals from Science Daily --

ScienceDaily — MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL -- It's not only the routine of sitting down to dinner as a family, but the importance, structure, and atmosphere of family meals that may help steer adolescent girls from eating disorders. University of Minnesota researchers found that girls who ate regular family meals in a structured and positive environment were less likely to exhibit extreme weight control behaviors such as diet pill use, vomiting, and chronic dieting. Their research was published in the November issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The meal itself provides an opportunity to model healthy eating habits to children, and it also gives parents the chance to check in with their children, said Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., professor of epidemiology and primary author of the article. She recommended parents keep the conversation positive and non-confrontational, especially if their children have issues surrounding food. "Since society has so much influence on adolescents because of the high prevalence of obesity and the pressure to be skinny, many girls are read on...

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Weight loss and diet plan starts with family meals

On a previous blog it was mentioned that a healthy lifestyle should be a family affair, with all members of the family participating in activities, exercise, and healthy eating - the latter of which is best done together in order to instill the habit of a healthy diet. And now it seems that disordered eating is less common among teens when they are having meals with their family. Looking back at my own family life, I can weight loss plan, diet plan, weight loss coach, Dr. Patrick Havey attest to this fact, having grown up in a home where dinner together was expected and prior approval for missing better have been cleared with the cook. In other words, I didn't know anything else. And the six of us sat together and had dinnder more nights than not - meals with lean meats or fish, a vegetable, a carb, maybe some gravy to go with it, and milk or water, and sometimes (not that often that I can remember - maybe it was somebody's birthday only) a dessert. The psychological, emotional, habitual, familial, social benefits that ultimately resulted from years of eating together as a family far outweighed (by miles!) any other benefit that us kids as teens back then could ever have received from any of our own activities outside the home. Read this report from Science Daily about some of the eating behaviors of teens who eat meals with their families vs. those that don't --

Science Daily — Adolescent girls who frequently eat meals with their families appear less likely to use diet pills, laxatives or other extreme measures to control their weight five years later, according to a new report.

As youth progress from adolescence into adulthood, disordered eating behaviors--including binge eating and self-induced vomiting--become more common, according to background information in the article. "Disordered eating behaviors are associated with a number of harmful behavioral, physical and psychological consequences, including poorer dietary quality, weight gain and obesity onset, depressive symptoms and the onset of eating disorders," the authors write. "Thus, it is important to identify strategies for the prevention of disordered eating behaviors."

Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, studied 2,516 adolescents at 31 Minnesota schools. Participants completed two surveys--an in-class survey in 1999 and a mailed survey in 2004--regarding how often they ate with their families as well as their body mass index, feelings of family connectedness and eating behaviors.

Among teen girls, those who ate five or more meals with their families each week in 1999 were significantly less likely to report using extreme measures (such as self-induced vomiting and diuretics) to control their weight in 2004, regardless of their sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index or family connectedness. However, among adolescent boys, regular family meals did not predict lower levels of disordered eating behaviors five years later. Read on...

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Girls Who Feel Unpopular May Gain Weight

From Associated Press --

CHICAGO (AP) — Where a teenage girl sees herself on her school's social ladder may sway her future weight, a study of more than 4,000 girls finds. Those who believed they were unpopular gained more weight over a two-year period than girls who viewed themselves as more popular. Researchers said the study showed how a girl's view of her social status has broader health consequences.

The girls in the study were still growing — their average age was 15 — and all of them gained some weight. However, those who rated themselves low in popularity were 69 percent more likely than other girls to increase their body mass index by two units, the equivalent of gaining about 11 excess pounds. (The body mass index, or BMI, is a calculation based on height and weight.)

Girls who put themselves on the higher rungs of popularity also gained some excess weight, but less — about 6 1/2 pounds.

Both groups, on average, fell within ranges considered normal. But a gain of two BMI units over two years is more than the typical weight gain for adolescent girls, the researchers said. Read on...

Comments: This is one of the most common occurences in young women - social unacceptance leading to poor dietary habits, or food being used as comfort. This is a very important stage in the development of any person - male or female. The habits that they are exposed to on a daily basis set the stage for what they will expect of themselves in their own life when out on their own. Then once they have really grown up and get wise, an understanding of the importance of health has a higher chance of setting in, to some degree. Otherwise, life will continue without much concern about weight, health, fitness...until the middle age years start exposing the body's weaknesses through regular sickness, other health problems with higher concern, or even disease. This is not meant to be sound cynical. The opportunity for a healthy and fit lifestyle is there, and may afford so many more opportunities for happiness, productivity, adventure, and creativity. The body functions much better and so does the mind, when the right nutrition, discipline, and exercise are adhered to on a daily basis. A good diet plan can make the difference in the early years. And certainly some parental recognition of such a potential problem, so to head off unhealthy decisions before they happen, will help in the long run. Make health a family affair so you can pass it on to the next generations.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

How Expensive Is Your Diet?

From ABC News --

There are fewer things more dreaded than the New Year's resolution.

For millions of Americans each year, that means deciding to drop a few--or tens --of pounds. It also means picking a diet from a number of confusing programs: low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, pre-made, points-counting, and so on. The options can be exhausting and once committed, it is hard to start over if the diet is less than compatible with your habits--and your bank account. That's why we evaluated the first-week costs of seven popular weight-loss programs. After all, the initial week often requires the greatest personal and financial investment.

We found that consumers on such diet programs as NutriSystem, the Zone, The Abs Diet, The 5-Factor Diet, South Beach, Weight Watchers and the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox can expect to spend as little as $100 and as much as $385 during the first week.

Surprisingly, the diet with the fewest menu choices--the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox--costs as much as Weight Watchers: Both totaled about $385. The 5-Factor Diet, engineered by celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, came in a close third at $380. The price of supplements and a juicer were included for the detox diet, while the cost of membership added to the bottom line of joining Weight Watchers. At $98, NutriSystem was the cheapest option, but included only pre-packaged foods and no fresh fruits or vegetables.

Food Facts

The average American household spends $5,781 a year on food, not including alcohol and fast food items, according to the Census' latest Statistical Abstract, which surveyed 5,000 households of varying sizes. Assuming that purchasing habits remain relatively steady, a weekly household grocery bill likely averages about $111, though this may be significantly higher or lower given income and family size.

At any given time, millions of Americans are on a diet--and their dollars are in demand. The weight-loss market is fiercely competitive and reportedly exceeds $40 billion a year in revenue. As high-profile brands move away from identifying their plans as diets and instead as a lifestyle, companies will increasingly offer more options for personalization and taste preferences. In our roundup, there's room for everything from quesadillas to Canadian bacon to chocolate shakes. Read on...

Comments: There is no doubt that

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Fed Up with Diet Drama

From Fox Business --

NEW YORK -- I can’t take it another minute. The television commercial where the woman ponders losing weight, says she even tried hiring a life coach, comes to the conclusion that only she knows what’s best for her and then opts for a popular “diet” method.

Oh, where to begin?

Let me first dispense with the fallacy that a life coach can change your life without your cooperation. I can help you put a plan in place, offer support, give suggestions. But of course only the individual knows what’s best for the individual. I cannot follow you around and yank the Big Mac from your clutches. Nor can I airlift you onto a treadmill and push the buttons for you.

Juice Plus+ is made by juicing 17 different fruits and vegetables into a vitamin supplement all in a capsule form. A cup of other vitamins and a tablespoon of apples, all for health. When you start with a juice from a fruit or vegetable, and then you add others, you get a healthy mix of nutrients with the water and sugars removed. But when you dry the mix, you are left with the nutrients and that is what goes into a Juice Plus+ Capsule. Like our weight loss plan that is a doctor approved diet plan, this is a healthy choice. A diet and weight loss plan that is endorsed by healthy dieters around the world, you can always lose weight, but are you doing it the healthy way? Oprah's Dr. Mehmet Oz knows that a diet is temporary but a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet plan in place is for good. Even Juice plus+ is made from the juice from an orange, a lot of orange juice, that gives it a lot of nutrition when a cup of results and lemon is added. A Medifast diet with fountain water without some breville and juice fountain, although fruits and other juice is the convenient way to get nutrients but many convenient even if you have apple juice. When I can't have those healthy and fresh products, I use juice plus vitamin, and juice nsa plus is a way to get healthy with juice plus vitamin, so if you are a distributor juice plus, then the gummies juice plus is juice plus supplement. The juice plus scam that we see does not hold much credence, but it is a problem. You may have read a juice plus review that is similar to acai juice plus. If you are interested in any juice plus product and you want to learn if there are any benefits, then look at the juice plus research. Breville fountain juice plus is not one of the things that is available, but the complete juice plus line can be found at www.jpsupplement.com. If you have a complaint juice, then any distributor nsa plus can help you. Juice noni is not something you can find when you try to buy juice plus. All the nutrients plus some fiber from the fruits and veggies can be found in the capsules. Don't get it from ebay because the jp+ you find there is usually expired or you can be sure of the quality. You may use to find inc juice nsa plus for you diet, but don't expect to use a breville fountain. If you look for the capsules or the pills - don't be confused it's not a weight loss plan like Medifast that many people are familiar with. Be sure to consider thins, the vineyard, and even the gummy. If you are pregnant, take juice plus everyday as a perfect alternative to most vitamins on the market. There is a Juice Plus+ study - actually many - that validate the quality and effectiveness of the nutrition that is found in the product. Now we also recommend if you are having trouble getting your diet plan situated, and you need some structure provided by someone else, then you consider using Medifast for your meals and snacks. It is a healthy alternative meal plan, although we don't necessarily recommend that you count on making it a permanent fixture in your life. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a necessary part of a healthy diet and that's what will support your health, and that you won't get from Medifast diet. That is also why we recommend Juice Plus+, which is made by juicing 17 different fruits and vegetables, then with a cup of vitamins and a tablespoon of apples, you get a healthy start. When you start with a juice, and then you add another, you get a healthy combination. Juice plus is made with an orange, a lot of orange juice, that gives it a lot of nutrition when a cup of results and lemon is added. With this supplement, the sugar and water are removed through a drying process that leaves you with the healthy nutrients you need! Try Juice Plus today!

One of the things we learn in Life Coaching 101 is that it is self-directed. That means the client leads the way. If your goal is to become a healthier person and you are hiring me to assist you, then what you will get is accountability and support for what you already know needs to be done. Read more...

Comments: Life coaching is done by even the most successful people these days. We all need motivating and accountability to help us reach the next level, no matter what level you're at now. And certainly a diet is not the thing to cling to at a time when you are trying to lose weight and get healthy. What you need is not necessarily a weight loss plan or a diet plan, but a plan that helps you build a healthy lifestyle - www.JuliaHavey.com. Get started focusing on how you can improve your life, not just how to lose 'X' # of pounds.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Oklahoma City Mayor Puts City on a Diet

From Google AP --

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — With a button-popping spread of cornbread, sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak and pecan pie designated as Oklahoma's official state meal, it's no surprise that Oklahoma City's mayor wants to put the city on a diet. Mick Cornett has challenged the city to shed 1 million pounds as its New Year's resolution.

Prompted in part by his own struggle to lose weight, Cornett wants to end Oklahoma City's dubious distinction as one of America's fattest cities.

"The message of this obesity initiative is that we've got to watch what we eat," Cornett said Thursday. "Exercise is part of it and the city is trying to change into a city that is less sprawling, has more density and is more pedestrian friendly, but you're not really going to take on obesity unless you acknowledge that we eat too much and don't eat the right foods."

As part of the initiative, residents can sign up and track their weight loss on a new Web site, http://www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com. More than 2,600 people had registered by Thursday. They've lost more than 300 pounds.

Besides a body mass index calculator, the site includes recipes and links to metro-area fitness centers. Plans call for expanding the site to include the opportunity to blog and network with other participants, Cornett said.

"It's always easier if you're doing something hard if you have other people to do it with," he said.

The mayor timed the start of the weight-loss program to the beginning of the new year, when many people begin exercise programs after holiday feasts.

Oklahoma City ranked 15th in a 2007 survey of America's fattest cities conducted by Men's Fitness magazine. The survey examined lifestyle factors in each city, including fast-food restaurants per capita and availability of city parks, gyms and bike paths.

"I can't tell you exactly where you rank in our 2008 survey, but I can tell you that Oklahoma City is in the top 10," magazine spokeswoman Jennifer Krosche said. "That's not good." Read more...

Comments: It's amazing that we have to make such a big deal out of weight loss that it becomes national news or a major event. The reality is that the news should be made out of what gluttons we've become and how we need to get back to focusing on productive and worthwhile goals that have us creating, developing, and discovering new things that contribute to the advancement of mankind. This may sound like a mouthful but the reality is we've settled for meals and the varieties of foods as our luxuries in life, when in fact we could be using our resources in more creative and productive ways. One reason that this program may fall short is because it's being given away. How much value will be placed on something that is free? Zero, because that's how much was paid. Let's hope the citizens of OK will find the motivation to continue to build a healthy lifestyle.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Diet Plan or Weight Loss Plan - Emphasize Plants

From US News & World Report --

For his last book, the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan foraged for wild mushrooms and went pig hunting as part of his research on how humans eat. In his latest work, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (Penguin Press), he forages through the masses of conflicting scientific research and nutritional advice to hunt for wisdom on how we should eat. His conclusion: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." He arrives at this prescription not just by hewing closely to every twist and turn of nutritional science but also by looking to culture and tradition—which he thinks often turn out to be the most sensible guides.

Why does nutrition science seem to whipsaw us—something is good for us one day and bad the next?
There's a basic misfit between the way journalists work and the way scientists work: We journalists overvalue changes in conventional wisdom and undervalue anything that confirms conventional wisdom. So, saying "Eat fruits and vegetables" doesn't get as much attention as a major change in saturated fat recommendations. Science is always tentative and iterative, and there's no one answer, just a process. Read on...

Comments: Plants are the food that we best survive and thrive on. They contain the highest amount of nutrients and antioxidant properties that keep us healthy and from getting sick. If you don't know the importance of enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, then you probably need evidence by taking a challenge - eat at least 5 servings of vegetables per day and see how good you feel after 12 weeks. A balance of 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables for adults each day will provide for optimal health. Your weight loss plan should focus on good nutrition.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Diet change could stop 70,000 dying

From the UK Press -

Nearly 70,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year by improving the UK's diet, a Government report says.

That equates to more than 10% of the UK's current annual mortality rate.

The average adult currently eats too much salt, saturated fat and added sugar, research published by the Strategy Unit in the Cabinet Office says.

But people are still not eating enough fruit, vegetables, wholegrains or oily fish.

Bringing the nation's diet in line with nutritional guidelines would cut the number of deaths linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Boosting fruit and vegetable consumption to the recommended five pieces per day would have the biggest impact on the nation's health - potentially cutting 42,200 premature deaths each year, the report says.

Reducing daily salt intake from the average 9g to the recommended maximum of 6g could reduce the death toll by 20,200 annually.

And cutting excess saturated fat and sugar intakes could mean 7,000 deaths being avoided each year.

The interim report, called Food: An Analysis Of The Issues, says: "There can be few areas of public policy where the positive benefits to lives, health and well-being are potentially as dramatic as they could be in diet and nutrition.

"The potential benefits of changes to diets are huge, as are the issues to be tackled in effecting and sustaining long-term change."

Comments: The bolded text above was done to emphasis the two basic diet faults that just about every individual is guilty of. Of course, the marketers are doing a good job of putting these fast foods on the market that are in almost every way addictive and create a very strong desire to want more, so each individual should not carry 100% of the blame. However, fruits and vegetables are the most important part of a healthy diet plan or weight loss plan if you are trying to lose weight and get healthy. It is for this reason that The Health & Wellness Institute also recommends Juice Plus+ - because even a decent diet is one that falls short of enough fruits and vegetables. And Juice Plus+ contains the nutrients from 7 different fruits and 8 different vegetables - whole food nutrition. So get rid of the soft drinks, fast foods (high sugar and high fat items and high salt items), and start adding fruits and vegetables in their place. You just may be one of those lives that you're saving!

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

California kids falling behind in health, education

From MercuryNews.com --

An Oakland-based youth advocacy group gave low marks to the state of children's health and education in California today and urged leaders to boost funding and take other measures to dramatically improve those areas.

In its 2008 California Report Card released today, Children Now concluded that the well-being of youth statewide is generally poor and needs top priority even in the face of the current budget crisis.

"Far too many kids are falling behind and don't have access to the support necessary to have a chance to succeed," said Ted Lempert, the organization's president.

However, earlier reports by Children Now and others indicated that San Mateo County children are doing better than their peers statewide.

"We seem to be faring better on many of the indicators," said Peter Burchyns, spokesman for the county Office of Education. "But we're not saying we're at the place we want to be."

In a previous report, Children Now ranked San Mateo second out of 58 counties in the percentage of children with health insurance and second in the percentage of children ages 3 and 4 enrolled in preschool.

The county also came in sixth in elementary students meeting state targets in English-language arts and sixth in those reaching goals in math.

Burchyns partly attributed the county's better standings to its relative wealth. Read on...

Comments: The educational system in this country is definitely falling short of what it needs to be. The books are outdated, the thinking is outdated and for some reason everyone has to be a "winner" today(?). There aren't the same challenges put on children as there were decades ago. It could be that all of the luxuries that technology has brought us, has created a generation of overstimulated, under-educated kids. They can tell you the entire workings of a Wii game, but can't do problem solving that is critical to development and survival in life. Not only that, but the diet of most kids is putting a strain on their ability to perform and learn, as statistics have shown. The plan we need is to get kids exercising and eating healthy, not to mention teachers too. A healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet plan, and mental exercises that require some deduction, logic, problem solving, creativity, will all help with the proper advancement of the generations to come.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Medifast is an option to assist your weight loss plan

Medifast is now offering a diet plan that includes healthy meals for weight loss. Take the guess work out of your weight loss plan by checking out Medifast. Here is some additional information about the Medifast products --

Why is the Medifast weight loss program special?
Medifast is an effective, healthy weight loss program. Think of Medifast as a lifestyle change, not just a short-term diet or weight loss solution. Medifast is a healthy diet plan, especially when compared to other diets you’ve likely experienced without success. Medifast is a portion-controlled, low-calorie weight loss program that leads to more rapid weight loss than traditional diets. Medifast is special because you can achieve the quick weight loss you want, and, unlike other weight loss programs and diet plans you’ve tried, Medifast is clinically proven to produce quick weight loss, typically 2-5 lbs per week.

How do Medifast weight loss products lead to fast weight loss?
The clinically tested weight loss results of Medifast are designed to create a healthy gap between the calories you take in and the amount your body burns, thus promoting effective and natural weight loss. Many times, dieters on other low-calorie diets do not meet the minimum daily-recommended nutritional requirements. a href="http://www.drinkchooselive.com/" title="Medifast, Diet with Medifast" target="_blank">Medifast Meals provide the optimal combination of carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients necessary to give you the quick weight loss you want and the healthy weight loss you need. The Medifast weight loss program is an extremely effective diet plan to lose weight fast. Medifast fits your busy life because Medifast Meals are quick and easy to prepare, while still being a healthy diet plan.

How easy is the Medifast weight loss program?
With the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, you’ll eat 6 meals a day - 5 Medifast Meals and 1 Lean & Green Meal. You can choose any 5 Medifast Meals from our menu of over 60 Medifast Meals, including Medifast shakes, bars, soups, pudding, oatmeal, scrambled eggs and more. Your daily Lean & Green Meal consists of a balance of lean protein (such as beef, chicken or fish) and vegetables, which you’ll prepare yourself.

How does Medifast help sustain your weight loss results?
Medifast won’t abandon you the way fad diets have in the past. The Medifast Transition, Maintenance, and Exercise Plans pick up where the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan ends – and teach you how to sustain your weight loss results long-term!

Medifast Diabetic weight loss programs
Medifast has special diet programs for those with type 2 diabetes. The Medifast diabetic diet plan can help you manage your type 2 diabetes and control your weight, with your doctor’s supervision.

For your 2-week trial of the Medifast Program, please visit -- http://www.DrinkChooseLive.com

If you have any questions, you can contact Dr. Havey.

Low Carb vs Low fat; what diet will end Obesity?

Like Republicans and Democrats, the respective advocates of low carb and low fat diets actually have a lot more in common than appears on the surface. It can be helpful to those of us looking for the "right" diet to examine what those similarities may be. http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/riskfactors/a/lofatlocarb_3.htm

We can compare two dietary approaches right away by stating a truth that neither party can deny: if a person takes in more calories - whether in the form of fats or carbohydrates - than he or she burns up, that person becomes obese. Thus, on one hand, eating lots of low fat food will absolutely make you fat; on the other hand, eating lots of low carb food will also do the same. Dr. Atkins' claim that a person on his diet does not need to count calories (only grams of carbohydrates) is not strictly correct.

(That his statement often appears to be true is probably because eating fat quenches the appetite while carbohydrates - as we have seen - can stimulate the appetite, so a diet high in fat can result in fewer calories consumed overall. But the fact remains - if you eat more calories than you burn up, you gain weight.)

Second, in recent years most proponents of low carbohydrate diets have recognized the health benefits of eating certain foods that are relatively high in carbohydrates - especially vegetables and certain fruits. Such foods not only supply necessary vitamins that one misses on a strict no-carb diet, but also supply the "roughage" that aids digestion (constipation, sometimes severe, is an admitted problem with low carb diets) and may help prevent some types of cancer.

Third, also in recent years, even the strictest fat-limiting advocates have had to admit that evidence is now strong that not all fats are alike. Some - the saturated fats and transfatty acids - are bad for you, but other fats - the omega-3 fats and other varieties found in fish, nuts, olives and avocados - are actually healthy, help prevent heart disease, and ought to be included in the diet. Indeed, most low-fat diets - when you look at the small print - now advocate up to 30% of calories from fats, the right kind of fats, of course.

Fourth, the most radical low-fat diets (such as the Pritikin and Ornish diets) strictly limit the same kind of "rapid" carbohydrates (i.e., the rapidly absorbed carbohydrates that stimulate rapid rises and rapid falls in insulin levels) most abhored by the low-carb advocates. Thus, under Pritikin and Ornish, you'll be staying away from the same bread, potatoes, rice and pasta as with the Atkins diet.

Four rules everyone can agree to?

At the end of the day, we can state four general rules that all parties - both low fat and low carb - would agree to:

1) Avoid the simple carbohydrates that cause rapid rises and falls in insulin levels - pasta, potatoes, rice, and products made from refined flour.
2) Eat the more complex carbohydrates - vegetables and fruits - that supply necessary vitamins and roughage, without stimulating rapid rises and falls in insulin levels.
3) Eat foods that supply the "good" fats - fish, nuts, olives, avocados .
4) Avoid processed foods of any type that contain transfatty acids - possibly the worst kind of fat you can ingest.

Unfortunately, the low carb and low fat people will always have a few fundamental disagreements. This group adores saturated fats - meats and dairy products - that are the kiss of death to that group. And that group loves the fruits and grains that cause this group to run away screaming.

Commentary:

I am not so sure about rule #1, Avoid the simple carbohydrates that cause rapid rises and falls in insulin levels - pasta, potatoes, rice, and products made from refined flour. Personally, I think that people are NEVER going to go without these traditional and "comfort" foods, moderation is more likely to succeed when it comes to these foods and if you want a more moderate diet that includes these, than you must take Phase 2! www.Phase2info.com

Over 71% of New Year's Resolutions for dieting and weight loss broken by January 7th!

A New Year traditionally rings in a new list of diet and weight loss resolutions. However, more than 60 percent of Americans feel frustration when dieting, according to a new survey(1). Additionally, 77 percent say that they make sacrifices in their life in an effort to stick to their diet, such as spending less time with friends and family.

Conversely, losing weight and dropping pounds quickly is not the most desired outcome. The survey found that seven out of 10 Americans would feel better about themselves if they learned how to eat healthful foods as a way of life.

Commentary:

Learning how to eat healthfully "As a way of life" that is what 70% of respondents said would make them feel better about themselves! They are 100% right!

Not only would it make them feel better about themselves, it would help them live longer, weigh less and be more productive!

A survey to 14 million www.eDiets.com readers showed the 33% broke their diets on the first day and another 38% broke their diets by the end of the first week. What that shows, besides that fact that eDiets.com's "diets" don't work, is that 71% of people are "cheating" at their diets to consume their "vice" foods. Doesn't it make sense that to change you must break the control that these vices have over your life?

Dieting only leads to frustration and "cheating" on your diet, learning to change your current habits and to live healthfully lasts and delivers results, The Vice Busting Diet is the way to learn how to change your lifestyle and life more healthfully; for the rest of and BEST of your life!

www.ViceBustingDiet.com

Weight loss plan, Diet plan - Vice Busting Diet Program

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Health Spending Exceeded Record $2 Trillion in 2006

The #3 Diet Vice TV Should be Off During Family Meals

Regular Family Meals Promote Healthy Eating Habits

Weight loss and diet plan starts with family meals

Girls Who Feel Unpopular May Gain Weight

How Expensive Is Your Diet?

Food Facts

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Fed Up with Diet Drama

Oklahoma City Mayor Puts City on a Diet

Diet Plan or Weight Loss Plan - Emphasize Plants

Diet change could stop 70,000 dying

California kids falling behind in health, education

Medifast is an option to assist your weight loss plan

Low Carb vs Low fat; what diet will end Obesity?

Four rules everyone can agree to?

Over 71% of New Year's Resolutions for dieting and weight loss broken by January 7th!

Current Time:

Resources

Google search:

Blog Archive

Info and Books

Thank You for visiting!