Following a low-carb diet can help you lose weight, keep blood sugar balanced and lower the amount of triglycerides in the bloodstream. The tricky part is deciding how many carbs you’ll consume and being careful not to go too low unless you’re under the supervision of a registered dietitian or your physician.
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Comparing bagels to bread provides the perfect example of two of the most important aspects of weight control -- portions and calories. When bagels and wheat bread are part of a balanced diet that stays within your calorie goals, both carbs can help you lose weight.
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Two important dietary changes can help lower your cholesterol. You can boost the amount of soluble fiber in your diet and restrict the amount of saturated and trans fats you consume. Potatoes can help you meet both goals. They're good sources of fiber, including the soluble type, and they're a fat-free food.
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Raisins contain more iron than many other types of fruits. However, whether they deliver a high amount depends on the portion you eat, as well as your sex, because women need double the iron than men. A typical serving -- one small box -- does not qualify as a high source of iron based on U.S.
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Amino acids have the potential to cause weight gain, but their impact depends on a few variables. Like carbs and fats, amino acids contribute calories, which must be balanced by your activity level and energy needs.
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Red meat offers solid nutritional benefits: It’s high in quality protein and a good source of vitamin B-12, iron and zinc. On the other hand, it’s high in saturated fat and cholesterol. You can limit unhealthy fats by choosing lean cuts of meat, but that doesn’t help other health concerns.
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If you need help gaining weight, the two primary types of supplements to consider are weight gainers for calories and protein powder to promote muscle synthesis.
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There’s no doubt tofu belongs in a low-carb diet. For starters, most types of tofu are very low in net carbs. Beyond that key point, tofu works as a protein alternative to meat and poultry, is low in calories and provides heart-healthy unsaturated fats for energy.
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The Delmonico Steak originated in the mid-1800s as a specific cut of meat served at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City. Since then, “Delmonico Steak” has referred to different types of meat, including the New York strip steak, rib-eye steak and club steak.
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Wheatgrass and barley grass are usually dried and sold in powder or tablet form because the sprouts are hard to digest. As a general guideline, tablets contain fewer nutrients than powders per dose, and wheatgrass supplies more vitamins and minerals than barley grass.
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Even though psyllium is a very effective laxative, it's actually a soluble fiber, which is unusual because soluble fibers are not known for laxative abilities -- a job that falls to insoluble fiber. In addition to it's laxative abilities, psyllium provides all the same benefits as soluble fibers.
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Whether tortilla chips fall into the healthy category depends on a few factors. The amount you eat matters because the calories only fit in your daily diet if you limit the portion. To keep your snack low in sodium, you’ll need to avoid the flavored-varieties.
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When you’re on a low-carb diet, your body kicks into action, breaking down fats into ketone bodies to use for energy. This increase in ketones -- called ketosis -- is a normal adaptation to cutting carbs. In fact, the switch to ketosis is why low-carb diets work.
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The health benefits you'll get from cow's milk come from its wide array of nutrients, such as protein, calcium and vitamin B-12. You don't have to worry about fat if you opt for skim milk.
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Oatmeal can be part of a healthy plan to gain weight, and it also works just as well as part of a weight loss diet. It sounds contradictory, but it’s true. As long as you don’t add sugary sweeteners, a bowl of oatmeal provides fiber and whole-grain carbs for energy without breaking the calorie budget.
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Whether a milk shake is good or bad depends on its ingredients, your individual situation and fitness goals. Because shakes are based on protein-rich milk, they’re a good way to get extra calories for sports training or when you need to gain weight.
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Vitamin K-2 shares many of the same vital roles as vitamin K-1. They both stop bleeding by making your blood clot, and both contribute to bone and cardiovascular health.
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Brown or white rice flour may be used as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. When baking a cake using rice flour, it is best to use white rice flour, according to Lisa Lewis, Ph.D. However, different brands of white rice flour vary in texture, with some being more grainy than others.
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Some people just don’t like the skin, while others send apple peels down the drain due to potential pesticide residue or wax. But you’ll lose some significant nutrients if you don’t eat the peel. About one-third of the apple’s total fiber is lost if you toss the peel in the trash.
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The three macronutrients -- carbohydrates, fats and proteins -- contain calories, which deliver the energy you need to keep active and stay healthy. Even though your body can use all three for energy, protein is at the bottom of the list.
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