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.

Homemade Chunky Peanut Butter Sandwich

What Is a Healthy Serving Size of Peanut Butter?

Peanut butter is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, which help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. It also contains protein and fiber, and tastes delicious spread onto apple slices or whole-wheat toast.

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Family eating in kitchen

The Advantages of Not Eating Fast Foods

You may have trouble passing up fast food meals, but not eating at the drive-thru has its advantages. Avoiding the poor diet of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods allows you to cut calories and increase your nutritional profile.

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Lentil salad

List of Good Carbs and High-Fiber Foods

Carbohydrates play a dominant role in your diet and health, but some carbs provide more health benefits than others. For example, whole-grain bread is a better choice than refined white bread. Nutritious carbohydrate foods provide a rich source of fiber, since fiber itself is a form of carbohydrate.

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Honey in a wooden bowl

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey

Both apple cider vinegar and honey have their own special health-benefiting qualities, and combining the two can offer a double dose of protection. Studies indicate these ingredients can help reduce inflammation, combat infection, ease digestive woes and ward off acid reflux.

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Frozen Yogurt

Is Frozen Yogurt Good for Diets?

It’s tough to define healthy diet foods, partly because any good diet allows for some treats in moderation. While frozen yogurt is healthier than full-fat ice cream, that doesn't necessarily make it a nutritious food great for weight loss.

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Freshly Washed Kale

Foods to Make Your Body Alkaline

A blood pH level that's too acidic can throw the entire body out of whack, potentially leading to muscle loss, chronic back pain, bone loss, high blood pressure and stroke, according to a review published in Journal of Environmental and Public Health in October 2011.

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Hot Spicy Red Sriracha Sauce

Hot Sauces & Weight Loss

Hot sauce -- whether it's a classic vinegar-based sauce made with cayenne peppers or a more exotic blend containing habaneros and fruit -- adds pizzazz to your meal.

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Healthy Foods to Eat Before Bed

What you eat before bed can influence your ability to sleep and your wellness in positive and negative ways. According to the National Institutes of Health, eating large, high-fat meals or drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages before bed can cause discomfort and interfere with a good night's sleep.

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Variety of bread

The Pro & Cons of the Zone Diet

The best diet is the one that you can stick to, but finding that diet can take some effort and experimentation. The Zone diet is a low glycemic-index diet, which means that it includes mainly foods that don't cause large spikes in your blood sugar levels. The founder of the diet, Dr.

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Green tea

Is Black Tea or Green Tea More Effective for Weight Loss?

Green and black teas both contain compounds that may slightly boost weight loss, and scientists have yet to conduct a major trial that confirms a clear winner. No matter what you drink, however, the best way to lose weight is to eat a sensible diet and get plenty of exercise.

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Young woman eating a banana

Are Bananas Good for Weight Loss?

Bananas contain fiber and resistant starch, which support weight loss. They’re also a nutritious, low-energy-density food, which is good for dropping pounds. And they don't live up to their once bad reputation of being a diet-wrecking fruit to avoid. But whether they’re good for weight loss comes down to calories.

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Grilled salmon

Meal Plan to Lose Belly Fat

There's no quick fix to get a flat stomach -- it takes hard work and patience and no plan specifically targets stomach fat, notes Gina Neill, a clinical dietitian at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, in an article from "Men's Fitness."

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Beautiful Japanese Tea

Green Tea, Coffee & Weight Loss

While no beverage will do the work of weight loss for you, adding coffee or green tea to your weight-loss plan may enhance your results somewhat. That said, the key to slimming success is still to reduce food intake and engage in regular exercise.

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Pad Thai

Healthy Thai Food Choices at Restaurants

Thai food is delicious, but not all of it fits within a healthy diet. Much of the cuisine contains coconut milk, which has 50 grams of saturated fat per cup, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database. Other dishes are deep fried or smothered in oily sauces.

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Bacon frying

Diet Plan for Uric Acid

Uric acid is the result of your body breaking down purines, substances found in various foods. Your kidneys filter uric acid from the blood, where it is then excreted in urine. When uric acid remains high, you can develop gout or kidney stones.

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Diseases Caused by Not Eating Healthy

Numerous diseases are caused by consuming an unhealthy diet. According to the MedlinePlus website, food provides you with the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. If your diet is lacking in nutrients -- such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals -- you may become malnourished.

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Bunch of fresh green broccoli in bowl over wooden background

Phase 1 of the Candida Diet

Candida albicans is a type of fungus with yeastlike properties. Certain foods may encourage it to grow, leading to an overgrowth and infections.

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Woman stepping on bathroom scale, low section, Close-up of foot

What Is the Ideal Protein Diet?

A variety of methods exist for achieving weight loss, and some methods can help when you've been unsuccessful in the past. The Ideal Protein diet is a medically prescribed weight loss program meant for individuals who either have a lot of weight to lose or failed to lose weight from diet and exercise alone.

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Ripe pears on table

Low-Sugar Fruits & Vegetables

Including more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet is an easy way to improve your health. The naturally occurring sugar in fruits and vegetables is buffered by the important vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber that benefit your health.

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Breakfast Cereal

How to Lose Weight With Cheerios

When it comes to weight loss, limiting your caloric intake is crucial. In fact, to lose 1 pound of body weight a week, you will need to cut 500 calories from your diet each day.

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