Healthy Diet Plans: Weight Loss & Nutritional Balance

Healthy diets range from structured plans like the Zone or Daniel Fast to high-protein regimens for bodybuilders. Learn how to lose weight sustainably using lean proteins, or gain weight quickly through balanced nutrition and meal timing.

Salted peanuts

Can You Lose Weight Eating Peanuts?

Peanuts cause weight gain the same as any other food: their calories add-up if you don't watch the amount you consume. Like other snack foods, it's easy to eat more than you realize as you grab them out of the jar or bowl while you're doing other things.

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Young lady sleeping on bed

Does Dieting Affect Your Period?

Women often dread "that time of the month," with its cramps, bloating and mood swings. But a regular menstrual cycle is a sign of good health. The loss or absence of a regular period is called amenorrhea. Amenorrhea is not a disease itself but a symptom of some other problem.

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Kraft Foods Warns Of Possible Velveeta Shortage

Is Velveeta a Healthy Food Choice?

Velveeta, the cheese product found in a variety of dips and added to dishes like mac and cheese, is a guilty pleasure for some people. The gooey product has a permanent home in many Americans' pantries.

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Cottage cheese with berries

A Low-Sugar, Low-Sodium Diet for Weight Loss

While fad diets might promise double-digit weight loss in days -- without any exercise -- a simple low-sugar and low-sodium diet puts you on track for longer-lasting weight-loss success.

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Banana walnut overnight oatmeal

Is It Better to Eat Before or After a Workout to Lose Weight?

Exercise is key when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. But when you're making changes to your diet to get to your ideal weight, you may wonder about the best time to eat. Turns out, you need to eat both before and after your workout to get the most benefits.

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Happy young woman with her purchased grocery items in a cart

Healthy Diets When You Can't Exercise

Exercise is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It becomes even more critical when you are also relying on it to help you lose weight. But not everyone is physically capable of performing exercise to lose weight, and some feel they don't have any time in their day to devote to physical activity.

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Body of woman mother with fat around tummy

How to Lose Belly Fat in 2 Weeks

If you cut calories and stick with a regular exercise routine, you can lose weight in two weeks. Depending on how many pounds you drop, you may see a change in waist circumference. But don’t set your goals too high -- spot reduction is a myth -- as you lose weight, fat disappears from the entire body.

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Baguettes bread

Is French Bread Healthy?

The grain group is a source of several important nutrients, such as fiber and B vitamins. Not all grains, however, are created equal. While whole grains contain fiber that the body needs for healthy digestion, refined grains contain little to none, and should be limited in the diet.

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Are Ramen Noodles Healthy?

Ramen noodles appear on the tables of college students everywhere, thanks to their cheap price, easy preparation and appealing flavor. While ramen noodles contain a few nutrients the body needs, such as protein and iron, they also deliver a hefty dose of saturated fat and sodium.

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Several types of sugar - refined  and granulated

Is Sugar Free Candy Healthy?

A high sugar intake is a cause for concern because it is linked to a number of health problems. To avoid sugar when consuming candy, many people choose sugar-free options. To make sugar-free candy sweet, there are two classes of sweeteners that are typically used; sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners.

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tofu

Atkins Diet Plan for Vegetarians

Being vegetarian doesn't mean you can't follow a low-carb, high-protein diet such as the Atkins diet. It just means you may have to be a bit more creative to stay within the diet's guidelines.

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Healthy Foods to Eat for Dinner

Your evening meal must carry you until breakfast, so it is important to include foods that provide nutrients such as protein and fiber. Beverly Pressey notes in her book, "Simple and Savvy Strategies for Creating Healthy Eaters,"

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Measuring cups on metal grate

How to Lose 2 Pounds a Week on a Meal Plan

Although you might be tempted to try diets that promise fast weight loss, you're better off losing weight at a slow, steady pace. To ensure you're losing fat and not muscle or water, lose no more than 2 pounds a week, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

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Toast bread

Foods to Avoid With an Overactive Thyroid

The thyroid gland, located in the front of your neck, produces hormones that aid your metabolism. If yours is overactive, a condition known as hyperthyroidism, your metabolism runs too fast, causing symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, anxiety, shortness of breath and insomnia.

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chefs salad

Atkins Diet & Phase 1 Meal Plans

Start your Atkins diet journey with our comprehensive guide to Phase 1 meals. Learn how to follow the induction phase, including protein-rich breakfast ideas and healthy snack options.

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Healthy woman eats apple outdoors

Healthy 7-Day Meal Plan for Teens

To promote growth, a healthy weight and overall good health, teens need to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods from all the food groups, including grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. This sounds great, but getting your teen to eat right can be a challenge.

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fresh corn salad with bread and soup

A Typical Menu Plan for an Every-Other-Day Diet

The Every-Other-Day diet was developed by University of Illinois assistant professor Dr. Krista Varady, who instructs followers to alternate days of regular meals with days of no more than 400 to 500 calories for women and 500 to 600 calories for men.

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Italian soup

High-Protein, Low-Fat Foods

A high-protein diet can help reduce hunger so that you can control your weight more easily. Some high-protein options such as fatty meats and full-fat cheeses are unhealthy because of their high content of saturated fat, but many high-protein foods are low in fat and are nutritious. The U.S.

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Homemade Chunky Peanut Butter Sandwich

Is Peanut Butter a Good Fat or Bad Fat?

Peanut butter contains healthy unsaturated fats and unhealthy saturated fats, but the mere presence of bad fat does not suddenly kick it into the unhealthy camp, according to Harvard Health Publications. It's more important to look at the ratio of good to bad fats.

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Chicken salad with grapes, apples and cranberries

Healthy Diets to Tone Up

Toning up is not just a matter of exercising and lifting weights. A healthy diet is essential for all types of activities, including sports and strength training. Proper eating habits not only improve the quality of your workout, but they can help you shed fat to reveal the muscles underneath.

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