How to Eat Out Low-Carb by Cathy Leman

It's easy to monitor what ends up on your plate and in your mouth when you're cooking at home. Dining out presents new challenges. Many restaurants, though, have begun to pay attention to diet trends and help customers eat more healthfully. You'll find some menu choices marked with special icons designating healthier choices. Just remember, what you want to do is include more healthy carbohydrates in your diet, not eliminate most carbohydrates.
A few tips for low-carb dining. Meat, poultry, and seafood do not contain carbohydrate-none whatsoever. The same goes for most types of cheeses. But even those cheeses that do have carbohydrate, such as feta, have very small amounts.
Keep cholesterol and saturated fat levels in check by ordering lean cuts of red meat, choosing poultry and fish more often, and limiting the amount of cheese. Dishes that are heavy in animal protein and smothered in cream sauce or cheese may be low in carbohydrate, but they're certainly not heart healthy.
Instead order dishes that have more vegetables-or order more vegetables as side dishes-since vegetables naturally contain very low amounts of carbohydrates. And don't shy away from fruit: The carbohydrates in fruit come with lots of nutrients. Whole-grain and bean-based dishes provide fiber, protein, and healthy carbs. And as always, keep portion sizes in check. When it comes to weight gain, it's how many calories you take in. If you consume more calories than you need, you will gain weight.
There certainly is a lot to consider when you're dining out. In this article, we'll tell you how to go to various types restaurants -- from American and Mediterranean to Asian and Italian -- and enjoy your meals while ensuring that you keep your carbs in order. We'll start with American food.
Low-Carb American FoodIf you're not a particularly adventurous eater or live in an area with few ethnic restaurant choices, good old American standbys probably make up the majority of your meals. Use these pointers to include the carbohydrates so crucial for energy and overall good health while maintaining the variety so critical to success and changing eating habits for the better.
Order red meat less often. You've heard this before but may not know why it's recommended. Red meat has the same amount of protein as poultry and fish, but (depending on the cut) it has much more saturated fat and cholesterol. Poultry and fish do have cholesterol, but in lower amounts. We make all the cholesterol we need in our livers, so try not to add excess cholesterol in your diet. Lower-fat cuts of beef include eye of the round, top round, round tip, top sirloin, bottom round, top loin, and tenderloin. It may be difficult to locate these cuts on restaurant menus, so if they're not available, order the smallest, leanest cut you can find (or poultry, fish, or seafood in its place), and concentrate on always serving the "skinny" cuts at home.
Have sauces and dressings served on the side. They add flavor and very few carbs but lots of calories and saturated fat. Use the "dip" method: Dip (not dunk!) your fork into the sauce or dressing before spearing a bite of food to get the full flavor of the sauce in smaller, less damaging doses.

©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Ordering dishes that contain a lot of vegetables is a key to healthy dining.

Double up on vegetables and salads. Instead of having protein as the center of your meal, push it to the side (unless of course it's vegetable-based protein such as soy or beans), and load up on green, yellow, orange, and red foods. Don't skimp on the veggies! They're naturally low carb, full of flavor and nutrients, and guaranteed to fill you up, not out. Vegetables don't have to be flavorless; just avoid drowning them in butter, cheese, or cream sauce. Look for (or ask for) vegetables that are roasted, sauted with herbs, prepared with olive oil, or prepared with garlic. If the dish you're ordering doesn't come with a vegetable you like, scan the menu for one you do. Ask the server to substitute a different veggie from another dish. Restaurants are usually more than happy to oblige.
Don't make bread "the meal before the meal." You don't have to forgo the bread basket, just don't overdo it. If you just can't stop at one piece, select the darkest, most hearty-looking piece in the basket and ask the waitstaff to remove the rest. Eat your piece of bread when you most enjoy it-on its own while waiting for your dinner, as an accompaniment to your salad, or with your main meal. Then savor every bite. As a rule, foccacia-type breads are higher in fat and calories. The plainer the item, the fewer calories, fat, sodium, and other additives there are.
Don't skip dessert. There's no reason to skip dessert, but there's also no reason to consume a piece of chocolate cake large enough to feed several people. You need a strategy. Remember the tips from earlier in this chapter about including fruit as dessert? Now's the time to use them. First, scan the menu for anything that's fruit-based-even if it's pie. You can always eat just the fruit and the bottom crust. Sorbet with fruit, a fruit crumble or crisp, or even an apple tart all contribute some nutrients. And they're all healthier than a bowl of chocolate mousse, which is primarily fat and sugar. Second tip: share!
If Asian food is your thing, the next section will be of particular interest.

Low Carb Isn't Necessarily Low-Cal Does eating low carb equal eating low calorie? In a word -- no! The low-carb foods that crowded supermarket shelves and highlighted on restaurant menus still have calories. Many people discovered during the '90s low-fat, no-fat craze that it's possible to eat fat-free cookies and still get fat! So it goes with low- and no-carb foods. A large chicken Caesar salad (without the croutons of course) is absolutely low carb, but it can still pack close to 1,000 calories. In today's sedentary world any extra calories, regardless of where they come from, can lead to weight gain. It also pays to read labels carefully: Look for the small print that can clarify misleading information related to portion size.

The Best Way to Get Rid of Excess Belly Fat

One of the biggest problems for many people is the roll of fat that they carry around their waist. Actually, in many cases it's much more than just a roll. It's unsightly and most people hate it and wish they could get rid of it. But ugliness isn't the real problem. The real problem is that it is very unhealthy and can lead to a number of diseases and even early death.

Let me begin by pointing out that all fat is not the same. There are two types referred to as subcutaneous and visceral. The subcutaneous variety is likely the one that you complain about the most, but it's not the dangerous kind. When you reach down to your waist and grab a roll of fat you're grabbing the subcutaneous kind, and although it's not a nice sight, it's unlikely to kill you. It's the fat you can't see - the visceral fat - that does the damage, and it's buried deep in your abdomen, inside your rib cage. It's the fat surrounding your vital organs including your heart. And it does add to your pot-belly; in fact, it's the main fat that creates it, but you can't see or feel it directly so many people don't worry about it.

If it just sat there it wouldn't be too much of a problem, but it doesn't. Visceral fat isn't inert; it is, in fact, biologically active, so it acts like an "organ" - one of the larger ones in your body, and like other organs it secretes various substances. Some of these are leptin (appetite suppressor) and cytokines such as interleukin that can produce chronic inflammation, and it can trigger cortisol which also produces inflammation.

Reason Why Visceral fat is So Bad

Visceral fat is particularly bad because it leads directly to high LDL cholesterol and low HDL - something you don't want. It is, in fact, part of what is called the metabolic syndrome -- a major risk for heart disease and stroke. The metabolic syndrome is a combination of the following:

Insulin resistanceHigh blood glucoseExcess visceral fatPoor cholesterol levelsHigh blood pressure

Insulin resistance occurs when your muscles and liver don't respond correctly to normal levels of insulin, which forces your pancreas to create too much. As a result, the glucose (sugar) levels in your body rise to levels higher than they should be.

In addition to being part of the metabolic syndrome, visceral fat can also cause:

Diabetes IICancerDementia

So it's obviously something you want to get rid of, not just because it doesn't look good.

How Do We Know When We Have Too Much Visceral Fat?

The easiest way is to measure the size of your stomach, or more exactly, the size of your waist. For years the standard measurement was the waist-to-hip ratio. For it you use a flexible tape and measure the distance around the narrowest part of your waist (above your hips). The ratio (waist/hips) should not be over 0.8 for women, and 0.9 for men.

To some degree this measurement has been superseded in recent years. Doctors and therapists have found that a simple measurement of the waist is sufficient. Their guidelines are a waist of less than 35 inches for women and less than 40 inches for men.

What is the Best Way to Get Rid of This Fat

If you've tried to lose weight, you know it can be frustrating. Your body always seems to fight back. First of all, it puts almost all excess weight around your waist. When you gain weight, it's the first place you notice a difference, but when you take weight off, it doesn't come off the waist first; in fact, it comes off here last. In other words, your body gives "orders" as to what it wants to do, and there's not too much you can do about it. This also shows up when you try to "fast" or go on a very low calorie diet to lose a lot of weight rapidly. It won't work: your body will rebel and cut back on your metabolism so you won't end up losing nearly as much as you expected. And the reason it can do this is that it is an organ, not just a bunch of fat cells.

So let's look at the best way to lose the fat. Over the years many "gimmicks" have been put forward for losing belly fat: belts, gliders of various sorts, balls and so on. Some of them are helpful to a small degree, but when it comes down to it the best way to lose fat is still: exercise and diet. There's no getting around it.

Let me say right off, though, that "spot reducing" doesn't work. And this means that the two best known exercises for reducing your waist, namely, sit-ups and crunches, are not of much help. They'll help strengthen your abs but they won't do much for the fat on top of them (or under them), and this is the fat you want to get rid of.

As you likely know, there are two different types of exercise: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise uses oxygen; its main function, in fact, is getting oxygen to your muscles. It includes: getting blood to your muscles, extracting oxygen from blood, and getting oxygen into the muscle tissue. Typical aerobic exercises are walking (one of the best), jogging, cycling and swimming. Aerobic exercises increase your heart beat, and it's important to get it in the proper range if you want to lose fat. So aerobic exercises are the key.

But anaerobic exercises are also important. The major anaerobic exercise is weight lifting. Weight lifting strengthens and enlarges your muscles and this is critical; it increases your metabolism which will help burn your calories faster. Indeed, after a good exercise session that includes weight lifting you will continue to burn calories at an increased rate for hours.

For weight training you should concentrate on the large muscles (and not you abs). They are: thighs, chest, buttocks, back, arm muscles. Some good exercises are: bench presses, squats, dumbbell presses and flyes.

Two Critical Things that Maximize Fat Loss

When you do your exercises makes a big difference. You want to maximize the fat loss for a given effort. To this end it's important to remember that the carbohydrates and some of the fat you eat is turned into glucose in your body. It's what gives you energy to do your daily activities. Some of this food is also turned into glycogen, which is stored sugar that can be used later when needed. What you want is to catch your body when it is low on glucose and glycogen. When this happens it will reach deeper into your body for its fat reserves and use them for energy.

So, when is glycogen the lowest? It is being used up all day and night and since you don't eat anything overnight it's at its lowest level first thing in the morning. So do your aerobic exercises when you first get up. Another time when they are relatively low is after you have done your anaerobic exercises (weight training). So concentrate on these two times.

Another thing that helps to maximize fat loss is "interval training". It's used extensively by runners, and it is the quickest and best way to get into shape fast. Furthermore, it's the best way to lose fat fast. The idea is to vary your pace when you are walking or running. In other words, start out slow, then gradually increase to as fast as you can go, then slow down, and after a few minutes increase again. Go through this cycle several times.

What to Eat

Exercise is, of course, only part of what you need to do to lose fat. You also have to eat properly. At the top of your list should be complex carbohydrates, namely, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. Some of the best veggies are: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, cabbage and beats. Some of the best fruits are: citrus, grapes, bananas, peaches, pears, plums and apricots. Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are also great. Finally, whole grains, seeds and nuts are helpful. Some of the best of them are: oatmeal, whole wheat cereal, flax and pumpkin seeds and almonds and walnuts.

At the same time it is, of course, important to avoid foods that will add fat: cookies, cake, pie, sweets, any processed food, fried foods, and anything containing saturated or trans fats. Also avoid soda pop.

And last but not least, drink lots of water - at least 8 glasses a day.

Barry Parker, Ph. D., is a professor emeritus (physics) at Idaho State University. He is the author of 26 books on science, health, writing, and music. His website is BarryParkerbooks.com and he has several blogs, one of them is at Barrysbuzz123.blogspot.com. He has done research in biophysics (mutations in the DNA molecule) and in relativity theory (Einstein's field theory), has a strong interest in health and fitness, self-improvement, and in music (particularly piano). He taught a writing class at ISU for several years. One of his recent books is "Feel Great Feel Alive." His latest book is "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow."

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Most Difficult Weight to Lose: Belly Fat or Pounds Around the Stomach

Flat Belly Diet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A flat stomach is a must in any weight loss regimen. Sometimes we acquire belly fat from a pregnancy, sometimes it just creeps up on us as we gain all over weight due to over eating or lack of proper exercise.
Losing belly fat should be a priority not only for improving how we look but for your health as well.
We've all dreamed of having tight, toned stomachs with sexy six-packs,at some time in our lives. Abdominal weight is not only dangerous, it's just unfortunately, the hardest fat to get rid of. For many of us, tummy area seems to be the first place we attract extra pounds, and the last place that we are able to lose pounds.
Don't become discouraged! Here are five proven secrets you can use to get a flatter stomach while you work to reduce that stubborn belly fat.
Flat Stomach Rule #1 - Reduce Overall Body Weight
It is very difficult to achieve spot reduction. That is, you can't lose pounds in your stomach area without losing weight everywhere else.To get the flat belly you want, you'll need to reduce the percentage of your overall body weight. A healthy diet, together with an exercise program that includes aerobic training and some strength training,is the only way this can be achieved.
Research a food plan and exercise routine that you would enjoy. Find diets high in lean protein and complex carbohydrates, plus cardio exercise and strength-training three to five times a week.
Flat Stomach Secret #2 - Fibre and Protein a Must
Snacking on the wrong types of food must be avoided. Filling up on whole grain oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, beans, lean meats, nuts, and olives is the best way to keep your hunger pangs in check!.Omega 3 Fatty acid foods like fish for example, work against the fattening stress hormone- cortisol. Cortisol is mainly responsible for belly fat.
Cortisol sends signals to the body that cause it to go into survival mode, storing weight all over, but particularly around the midsection. Cortisol levels in your body has to be reduced, so it can start to burn up the pounds you have stored,especially around the middle. Relaxation helps to reduce cortisol levels as does eating Omega 3 foods.
Flat Stomach Secret #3 - Exclude Salt and Sugar
Carbohydrates cause us to retain water. This can result in bloating, especially in the tummy area. Salt is another notorious bloat-inducer. Instead of loading up on table salt, try smaller amounts of sea salt, or a salt substitute.
Cutting down on your carbohydrate intake on a daily basis can quickly reduce belly fat. Carbohydrates should come from whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. These complex carbohydrates help regulate hunger and minimize cravings to help you lose belly bulge.
Flat Stomach Secret #4 - Strengthen Your Core With Regular Sculpting Exercises
After proper dieting to remove the layer of fat that obstructs your abdominal, you can begin some core exercises. When your muscles finally begin to appear, they would be shapely and well formed from the exercise. A strong core will also help you stand and sit upright. Good posture makes you look thinner, and also gives you the opportunity to work your abs by holding them taut as you walk or sit.
It's easy to find a good set of stomach flattening exercise. Not only do they help to get rid of belly bulge, but they also strengthen your core.. Some of them are sit-ups, leg lifts, V-ups, or core tightening pilates, done about three or four times a week. Yoga has several poses which strengthen the core and help you clear your mind of stressful thoughts that stimulate cortisol production - a real bonus for a flat stomach!
Flat Stomach Secret #5 - Drink Water to Flush Pounds Away
Plenty of water is essential for flushing out extra pounds. The fluid you consume actually helps your body get rid of the fluid it's holding on to. So please drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.
Bloating occurs when the body is dehydrated,when the body is dehydrated that's when it becomes bloated. In an effort to preserve its vital fluids, the body holds onto every bit of water it has, resulting in puffiness in the hands and abdomen. It does this to preserve all its vital fluids. The only way to counteract this is to drink enough water to make your body feel safe again, allowing it to flush the retained fluid from its system.
A flat stomach is something you must earn over time, but that doesn't mean you can't make some quick fixes today!
Shop for bloat-busting foods to lose belly weight.
Find a core-strengthening exercise plan that you enjoy to lose stomach bulge.
Drink plenty of water to flush pounds and lose belly bulge.
Standing up tall makes your stomach flatter immediately! You're already making progress toward your goal to lose belly fat and a well toned, younger looking flat stomach.

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The best types of exercise to lose belly fat

Collage of several of Gray's muscle pictures, by Mikael Häggström (User:Mikael Häggström) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)That's the lie that wouldn't die
"To lose the fat, you need to make isolation exercises in this area."
For example, if you want to lose your belly, you would be led to believe that you have tons to do exercises that should only buy the abdominal muscles as the goal or some stupid AB belt.
But here is the truth ...
Isolated exercises are a waste of your time!
In fact, tend to apply this lie, buy a new gadget or fill, you can gain access to this new class AB a few numbers.
You see, isolated exercises will help you burn fat as quickly and efficiently as a composite (movement for several muscle groups).
Now if you want to integrate the most effective fat burning exercises into your routine, here are some guidelines to follow:
Select exercises several muscle groups at the same time to work, what do I do select the exercises that you do while standing up, if possible. Or instead, appropriate alternative exercises. first Put heavy and most intense exercise routine.
Well here's good news ...
Training with exercises on how to do this, you can do even more, but smaller, to burn fat!
That's the reason.
Run training like this, you can use your body. It will burn a double amount of calories after a workout. In addition, the effectiveness and efficiency of this kind of training means you only need 3 days a week of work (45 minutes or less).
It's much shorter time commitment than a typical workout program. Thus making it ideal for normal, busy man, follow through and actually results.
So here's an example of a workout, you can create an that follows the above guidelines:
Hindu squats (intensive first)-10 RepsHindu pushups-8-10 RepsDecline RepsCalf throws pushups-ball jackknife 15 reps RepsStability-back extension on the ball – 8-15 reps
Ideally you each pair (# 1 and # 2, # 3 and # 4), a total of three times before moving on to the next pair.
As regards the rest, would you stay right after that second exercises in each pair.
This power is part of your routine is completed then you with interval training. This allows for maximum fat loss.
Hope this helps.
Let me know if you have any questions you'd like me to address.

Fastest Way To Lose Belly Fat - Use Variable Workouts To End The Plateau Effect For Good

It's a fact of life in working out that you eventually hit that annoying plateau in training at some point. The fastest way to lose belly fat is actually to mix up your routine to avoid that work out plateau. Everyone's been there - you're moving right along a few weeks/months, losing fat, toning the midsection, looking better and then it just hits. You find yourself slowing down on the gains and sometimes even weaker than you were a few weeks ago.
The problem is these plateaus occur because people aren't mixing up their routines enough. Many will stay with the same type of exercises and routines, same sets and reps and rest periods and that just doesn't cut it if you're trying to lose belly fat. Not to mention the same old cardio routine. What you need to do is become creative. Your body is becoming "adjusted" and you're not confusing the muscles enough anymore.
So if you're looking to keep your belly fat off and/or toning the muscles than there are ways to vary and modify your training routines. Typically people think this just means changing up the amount of sets and reps you're doing but changing your routine is also a good idea.
Here are the variables that get you off the plateau and back to making serious weight loss gains - changing the order of exercises (sequence), exercise grouping, type of exercises (multi-joint or isolated), number of exercises in your workout routine, resistance, volume of work (sets, reps etc), rest period, speed of exercise, range of motion, training duration of workout and frequency of workout per week.
Hopefully that doesn't sound like too much for you to consider. These are some great elements to vary in your workouts to maximize losing belly fat and your body toning goals. Here are a few more to get your mind going.
Typically, most people think 3 sets of 10-12 reps is the way to go per exercise with a brief rest of 1-2 minutes. Well this gets quite boring over the course of a few weeks and your body isn't dumb! Your body gets bored too and that's why your gains become minimal.
Give 10 sets of 3 reps with a medium weight a try and short rests.
Go a little heavier on weight and complete 6 sets at 6 reps with a spring on the treadmill in between sets.
Use an almost max weight and do 10 sets of 1 rep. Sounds crazy but give it a try.This time go with a lighter weight and do 1 set at 50 reps!Try a workout based on only one full body exercise, such as barbell clean & presses or dumbbell squat & presses, and do nothing but that exercise for an intense 20 minutes.Try a circuit of 12 different exercises covering the entire body without any rest between exercises.Try that same 12 exercise circuit on your subsequent workout, but do the entire circuit in the reverse order.Try your usual exercises at a faster repetition speed on one workout and then at a super-slow speed on your next workout.Try five smaller 30 minute workouts one week then the following week do three one hour workouts.

If you really focus on mixing up your exercise routines and keeping your body guessing this really is the fastest way to lose belly fat.

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I'll be back in touch soon with additional Lean-Body Secrets. I also have a couple fabulous lean-body recipes coming up over the next few weeks that I think you'll enjoy, so hang on

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