The Lemonade Diet/ Master Cleanse

The Promise

Celebrities including Beyoncé have used this diet. But it's far from the principles of healthy eating, and the results aren't likely to last.

The Lemonade Diet, also called the Master Cleanse, is a liquid-only diet consisting of three things: a lemonade-like beverage, salt-water drink, and herbal laxative tea.

The claim is simple: Give it 10 days (or more) and you’ll drop pounds, "detox" your digestive system, and feel energetic, vital, happy, and healthy. You’ll also curb cravings for unhealthy food.

It all started with Stanley Burroughs’s book, The Master Cleanser. There are many variations, and Peter Glickman continues Burroughs’s legacy with his own book, Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days, and web site.

Does It Work?

Because you're getting so few calories, you'll probably lose weight.  You’ll also be losing muscle, bone, and water.  And you're likely to gain the weight right back.

There's no proof that detoxifying leads to long-term weight loss. Plus, you don't need to detox your body -- your liver takes care of that.

For lasting change, you're better off eating a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins like fish, skinless chicken or turkey, and healthy fats like olive oil.

What You Can Eat and What You Can't

You're only allowed a salt-water drink, a "lemonade," and an herbal laxative tea for the first 10 days. You can't have any solid food, and you can’t drink alcohol.

After 10 days, you can gradually add back foods, but only a few at first, starting with juice and soup, and leading to raw fruits and vegetables. After this, the plan calls for eating very little meat and no dairy.

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13 super foods to expedite weight loss ...

Are you ready to change your outlook on food, and instead of eating less, eat more foods that expedite weight loss? By eating the right foods you will speed up your metabolic rate, have more energy and lose #weight. You will also feel great because you are eating healthy food and boosting your immune system. Eating the right way makes a big difference. Now let me share with you the top foods that expedite weight loss that really work...

1. AN APPLE A DAY
Apples are super foods because they are natural fat burners due to the pectin in them. Studies show by eating an apple before your meal you will eat fewer calories at your meal. An apple a day can help boost your metabolism and this is why it’s one of the super foods that expedite weight loss!

2. HAVE SOME EGGS
Eggs are great because they pack protein and lecithin, natural fat burners which will help to trim your waist and keep you satisfied for hours. And eggs are great because they can be prepared so many ways - hard boiled, over easy, scrambled - the possibilities are endless! So make sure you have your super food of eggs to get your daily dose of protein each day.

3. LOVE MY KALE
Kale is low in calories, high in fiber and packed with iron and calcium. Kale can be put in your morning shake, as a side dish, in your salad or baked in the oven to make delicious kale chips. I love kale because it is a super food that tastes great!

4. OATS ARE AMAZING
Oatmeal is healthy because it is high in fiber, low in #calories and very filling. If you have steel cut oats, they're also minimally processed, making them one super food you should definitely add into your current meal plan! Because of the filling effect of oatmeal, studies show by eating oatmeal earlier in the day you will graze less throughout the day.

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4 Habits That'll Make You Gain Back Any Weight You Lose

Losing weight is easy—at least compared to keeping it off. After all, when your pant size stops shrinking and the compliments becoming few and far between, just one more cookie may not seem like such a big deal. Luckily, a new American Journal of Preventive Medicine study pinpoints the four main lifestyle behaviors that cause former weight-loss winners to put the pounds back on.

For the study, researchers from The Miriam Hospital followed 3,000 people—all of whom had lost at least 30 pounds—for 10 years. At the end of the study, nine out of 10 of the participants had kept off at least 10 percent of the weight. The more weight they had gained back, however, they more likely they were to share some key habits:

Avoiding the Scale
It's no secret that we aren't fans of judging health on pounds alone. But if you don't keep tabs on how your body is changing (and it always is!), it's easy for weight creep to get out of control before you even realize it's happening. So try stepping on the scale, slipping on your skinny jeans, running a measuring tape around your waist, or even browsing through your selfies from time to time. (It worked for this photographer!) It'll help you spot weight gain in its early stages, when it's easier to combat.

Overeating
Between epic portion sizes at restaurants and emotional eating, every woman has gotten more than her fill at one point or another. Once you've lost some weight, it's easy to feel like a splurge is in order. But with many "meals" containing more than your recommended daily intake of calories, too many splurges can add up quickly.

Skipping the Gym 
Your body is always doing one of two things: gaining muscle or losing it. So hitting your weight-loss goal is no excuse to forgo your fitness routine. Plus, exercising on the regular can help regulate your hormones, which can make it easier to resist that bingeing we talked about.

Consuming Too Much Fat
While we have a veritable love affair going with avocados, saturated and trans fats can torpedo your slim-down successes. Learn the difference between good and bad fat; figuring out how to strike a balance between the two could be the key to maintaining your weight loss.

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3 Smart Snacks for Building Muscle and Losing Fat

March is National Nutrition Month ... so I wanted to share 3 guy friendly, muscle food snacks to help you reach your goals.

Quality food is important and I want you to not only eat great meals, but make those mid morning and mid afternoon snack breaks count too.  In a nutshell (pun intended), I like snacks to have some protein, healthy fat and ideally fiber.

Protein helps build and repair muscle.

Healthy fat is good for, well, everything.

Fiber helps keep things moving and slows the absorption of food, which is a good thing.

Fortunately there are several great options - some even combine all 3 ingredients!

Greek yogurt. 
I am a huge fan of Greek yogurt.  Most “regular” yogurt is not much more than a sugar bomb, with more sugar than a typical soda.  Greek yogurt, on the other hand, has double the protein and half the carbs of “regular” yogurt.  Add in a handful of nuts, some berries and you combine all the great things I suggested earlier -- protein, healthy fat and then fiber from the fruit.  Of course you also get a ton of other nutrients, too, so if you haven’t ever tried Greek yogurt, you definitely should check it out.

Pistachios. 
These nuts are particularly great because they offer more nuts per serving compared to most snack nuts, with 49 pistachios per 30 gram serving, compared to 18 cashews or 14 walnut halves.  That’s a lot of bang for your buck. They’re also unique in that they are commonly consumed in the in‐shell form. In‐shell pistachios may take longer to eat, so the consumption time may be slowed.  A win, win!  And with the healthy fat, fiber and protein all in one, they fit the smart snack bill to a T, which is one of the reasons I’ve partnered with them.  It’s perfect for my busy clients who need something quick and convenient, but also super healthy.

Hummus and veggies.
Another convenient, super healthy snack, hummus and veggies are a great combination.  Like nuts, hummus offers protein, fiber and fat all in one ... combined with the veggies, which are of course loaded with nutrients, and this one is a no brainer.  There are a few brands making single serve containers now, so seek those out -- Sabra makes one that we like in our house.  Even our daughter often has them in her lunch.  It’s quick.  It’s convenient.  And it is perfect for the on go person.
There you have it.  Three super easy, convenient snacks for when you’re on the go.  Snacking is important for consistent energy, so make sure you plan ahead and keep some of these on hand at all times!

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THE WORST WAY TO START A DIET... AND THE RIGHT ONE

And 8 steps to take when you're really ready to lose weight, courtesy of a Biggest Loser star.

There are decisions you make rationally, with your cool-and-collected self running the show. Then there are weight-loss resolutions, usually declared in a highly emotional state, triggered by a wrestling match with a pair of pants that no longer fit. Oh, the tears and cursing.

When the thought occurs—Must lose weight!—rarely do women take a moment to plan before leaping into action, says health and fitness expert Michelle Bridges, the trainer famous all over Australia for the miracles she works on that country's version of The Biggest Loser. Instead, they begin immediately, cutting out entire food groups by dinnertime and signing up for a marathon without so much as a warm-up jog.

While every woman's inner drill sergeant tells her that slimming down is urgent and there's no time to wait, Bridges and other experts say it pays to pause. The groundbreaking idea behind her 12-Week Body Transformation is to prepare your mind, your body, your kitchen cabinets, and even your family for the changes you want to make—so that those changes happen, and stick. Bridges calls it "preseason weight loss," and sets aside two to three weeks for the prep work. You'll still get results, don't worry. "I've seen clients drop eight pounds during the planning stages because they are becoming more conscious and they are getting real," she says. Tackle these basic tasks before launching into your next diet and exercise program, and postseason will look like this: you, back in your favorite jeans, possibly crying tears of joy.

Make a "why" list
Grab your iPad or a journal and write down all the reasons you want to lose weight, says Bridges. Think of this as a bucket list for your future, slimmed-down self. What would you do if you were to whittle away those extra pounds? Go to your next college reunion? Hike Machu Picchu? Have more sex with your husband? Lower your cholesterol and live a long, healthy life? Bottom line: It's hard to stick to healthy habits over the long haul if you don't know what real, bigger rewards you're working toward every time you, say, pass up a cookie.

Do a "body scan"
This may be hard to believe when you're staring in shock at the scale in the doctor's office or your bathroom, but those three digits staring back at you aren't everything. In fact, the reason we often give up on weight loss—sometimes weeks, sometimes hours after the Yikes! moment—is our focus on the pounds. Chris Powell, the trainer on ABC's Extreme Weight Loss, says it's important to know a few other baseline numbers before starting your slim-down plan; some weeks, the scale won't budge, but you can look back at all these stats and gauge your progress:

1. The circumference of your chest, waist, hips, and thighs.

2. Your clothing size (stretchy pants don't count).

3. The time it takes to run/walk a mile.

4. The number of push-ups and sit-ups you can complete in one minute.

Find four "teammates"
You probably won't get the all-in support you're expecting from friends and family, cautions Susan Albers-Bowling, Psy.D., a psychologist at the Women's Health Center at Cleveland Clinic. So make sure you have at least four key people on your side as you approach weight loss:

One person to be your partner in crime: say, a workout buddy who will meet you for a post-dinner walk. Ideally, this is someone who's trying to lose weight herself.

One person to cheer you on: someone you can call to celebrate your every milestone.

One person to act as a role model: a friend who has, for as long as you've known her, seemed to have a health halo over her, knowing exactly which entrée is the smart choice or which cereal to buy. Observe and copy her!

One person to be your mentor: a pal who's lost weight in the past and has kept it off—and will let you check in with her regularly to share your progress, help you stay accountable, and get through moments of weakness. (She knows, because she's been there.)

Choose your dream team wisely, Albers-Bowling says. Be careful not to recruit that friend or relative who will ultimately be the one to say, "Eh, you've worked hard all week. Surely it's okay to finish off this box of Oreos with me."

Read more at: depkhoenews.com