The Atkins diet has four phases. The first three focus on weight loss, while the last one centers on maintaining the weight lost during the first three phases. During the first two weeks the carbohydrate intake is almost totally restricted. Following the first two weeks, the carbohydrate intake is increased step by step.
The first phase allows dieters to eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates daily. The second phase is similar to the first one, except that the amounts of carbohydrates are increased, and nuts, seeds, and some plants with berries are allowed.

When the dieter has about twelve pounds left to lose to reach his or her target weight , the third phase starts. New food along with up to ten grams of carbohydrates is allowed if the dieter`s weight is constant. The fourth phase establishes the amount of carbohydrates allowed per day that do not cause weight gain.

The Atkins diet includes eggs, meat, fish, olive oil, butter, cheese, olives, spinach, salad, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and avocado. The foods that are not permitted include sugar and pastry products, vegetables that contain starch like corn and peace.

Bread, pasta, potatoes, and fruits are not allowed in the first phase but may be eaten starting with the second phase. The same with alcohol, nuts, and peanuts.

The South Beach diet

The South Beach diet has three phases and encourages “good” fat and carbohydrates intake.

During the first phase dieters are allowed only low-carb foods and three meals per day. The second phase lets dieters eat fruits, bread, and pasta from whole grains. During the second phase dieters should note the foods that make them gain weight.

When the target weight is reached, the third phase starts. The information collected during the other phases regarding the foods that are not benefic is used to determine a personalized weight loss diet.

The foods allowed are eggs, cheese, nuts, beans, vegetables, tofu, lean meat, and seafood. Pastry products, sugar, and alcohol are strictly forbidden. Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, and fruits are allowed starting with the second phase.

Always seek for a dietician`s advice before starting a diet.

Soft drinks are one of the main factors that lead to obesity, although not the only one, according to existing data, stated study’s co-author Kelly Brownell.

Sodas have other effects beside satisfying thirst. Soft drinks may increase hunger and make people crave for other foods because of their high level of sweetness. Researchers noticed that the calorie intake is actually greater than the amount of calories from soda, because the soft drinks makes people eat more.

Soft drinks consumption is also responsible for lower intakes of calcium, fiber, fruits, and milk, showed the study.
Soda consumption is strongly connected with Type 2 diabetes, study proved. The risk to develop diabetes is twice as big for women who consume one or more sodas per day, than those who drink less than one soft drink per month.

The study’s results raise serious concerns about the numerous cases of Type 2 diabetes, especially among children, according to researchers.

Consequently, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has asked schools to stop selling soft drinks to students. The group also required health notices on all soft drinks and warnings about health problems that may occur because of them. Some of the usual health problems are osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, or tooth decay.

The soft drink industry designed beverage guidelines meant to limit sugary sodas and offer more diet soft dinks, water, juice, energy drinks, or milk to students.

All foods and soft drinks should be consumed with moderation because they play a key role in a healthy diet, says Tracey Halliday, spokesperson from the American Beverage Association.

The American Beverage Association declined to adopt the study’s conclusion, and stated that soft drinks alone cannot be responsible for obesity.

For people with O-type blood , the recommended diet is low-carbohydrate, low in diary products, and high in proteins from meat and fish. The specific foods that must be avoided by people with this blood type are oranges, avocados, and Brazil nuts.

People with A-type blood should not eat red meat. Fish, vegetables, and a low dairy intake are allowed. These people should also do only light exercises.

Blood type “B” people should eat plenty of meat, dairy food, fruits, vegetables, and some fish. People with this blood type should avoid bacon and chicken.

People with AB-type blood should combine the diets from A- and B-types blood.

A sample diet specific to A-type blood:

Breakfast should include grapefruit juice, coffee, herbal tea, water with lemon, or oatmeal with soy milk. At lunch apples, one slice of wheat bread, or a Greek salad are allowed. For lunch, a herbal tea is indicated. As a snack, people with A-type blood should eat two plums, green tea, or two rice cakes. For dinner, they may try frozen yogurt, broccoli, herbal tea, Tofu Pesto Lasagna, or red wine.

A sample meal plan for “B” type blood :

Breakfast should contain grape juice, rice bran cereal with banana, fluidizer cocktail, or skim milk. Lunch may include green salad, a sandwich made of two slices of bread, a thin slice of cheese and turkey breast, mayonnaise, or mustard, or some herbal tea. The snack should be a fruit juice sweetened yogurt or an herbal tea. At dinner, the recommended food for those with B-type blood is fresh fruit, broiled fish, herbal tea, or steamed vegetables.
The diet for AB-type blood :

For breakfast, two slices of Yogurt-Herb Cheese or Ezekiel Cheese, and drink water with lemon or coffee. Lunch should include Caesar salad, two slices rye bread, two plums, four ounces sliced turkey breast, or herbal tea. For a snack, Tofu Cheesecake or iced herbal tea. The dinner should include Tofu omelet, mixed-fruit salad, stir-fried vegetables, or decaffeinated coffee.

The diet for O-type blood :

For breakfast, six ounces of vegetable juice, two slices toasted Ezekiel bread, a banana, or herbal tea. Lunch may include spinach salad, apples, pineapple slices, or six ounces of organic roast beef. As a snack, a slice of cake or an herbal tea. The dinner may contain mixed fresh fruit, sweet potato, steamed broccoli, herbal tea, or lamb and asparagus stew.

The binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder. Both obese and normal-weight people may suffer from this disorder, but the cases of overweight people with binge eating disorders are more numerous. Binge eating occurs more frequently with women than men.

Researchers have not found, so far, the causes of binge eating disorders. Almost half of the people with this problem suffer, or have suffered in the past, from depression. Whether binge eating disorders may be caused by depression or not isn`t known yet.

The binge eating disorder appears when people eat a lot, even if they are not hungry, until they feel uncomfortably full. This type of eating disorder makes people eat more quickly than usually, and by themselves, because they feel embarrassed of the amount of food they eat.

Some people may feel guilty, depressed, or disgusted after overeating. Studies showed that people suffering from binge eating hardly control their emotions. They may lead to overeating by anger, sadness, worries, or stress.

Binge eating is also connected with not eating enough at meal times, avoiding certain foods, or skipping meals but results are still unclear about this matter. This eating disorder is known to cause behavior and emotional problems like alcohol abuse, impulsive behavior, and feelings of isolation and depression.

The fact that several members of the same family may be affected by binge eating disorder made the researchers believe that genes may play a key role in this condition.
People who suffer from binge eating report more sleeping problems, suicidal thoughts, or stress than people who don`t. Some of them miss work, social activities, school, and feel bad about themselves.

People who deal with binge eating disorders hide their problem so that friends and family don`t know about it. However, they need help. Binge eating disorders may be treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy that help patients change unhealthy eating habits, interpersonal psychotherapy, or drug therapy.

The diet has two phases. The first phase allows the body`s cleansing of toxins and the second is of stabilization.
The diet has three meals per day. Each meal follows the four-two-one ratio (four parts glucids, two parts proteins, and a part of lipids). The amount of recommended food for a meal is eighteen ounces . For this diet you should 0.40 gallons of water daily but never during meals.

Saturday:

In the morning, when you wake up, drink with small swigs 0.13 gallons of water for toxins elimination. After thirty minutes, drink a grapefruit juice (very rich in vitamin C and potassium). After fifteen minutes, drink a can of fat-free milk with a teaspoon of cocoa and one of honey.

At lunch, eat seven ounces of fish, boiled in steams or prepared in the oven. You may add lemon juice and olive oil. Two hours later you can eat a yogurt with a teaspoon of honey because it stimulates intestinal transit.

In the afternoon, drink a glass of water with the juice from a lemon and a teaspoon of honey.

Dinner:

Boil for twenty minutes in 0.40 gallons of water two ounces of leek, seventeen ounces of carrots, seventeen ounces of tomatoes, two roots of celery, and some savory. Drink three bowls of soup at a ten minutes interval then eat three bowls of boiled vegetables with at a twenty minutes interval. Vinegreta is a cold sauce made of pickle, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Before bedtime, eat a yogurt with a teaspoon of honey.

Sunday:

During the first five hours, the body needs to absorb the liquids so you need to rest as much as possible. The menu from the first day is the same for lunch and morning.
For dinner, eat seven ounces of boiled fish and a bowl of vegetables.

Before bedtime, eat a yogurt with a teaspoon of honey.

Monday:

In the morning, drink water, grapefruit juice, and a can of cocoa with milk.

For lunch, eat nine ounces of cottage cheese mixed with yogurt and two teaspoons of honey.

In the afternoon, eat two apples at an interval of two hours.

For dinner, eat seven ounces of white meat and eleven ounces of boiled vegetables with olive oil.

This diet should make you lose four to six pounds per week. Usually, the recommended, healthy weight loss is up to two pounds per week. This diet may have adverse health effects, and should be started only after a specialist’s advice. Always ask for a dietician`s advice when you want to start a diet.

Due to the antioxidant properties of coffee, the risk of cardiovascular disease and inflammation can be decreased for women who drink coffee, according to a recent study. The regular coffee consumption, especially decaffeinated coffee, may lower the risk of having Type 2 diabetes.

Older women who consumed coffee throughout their life appeared to have better memory and cognitive skills. Caffeine may have a key role in preserving their cognitive skills, showed the study.

Small amounts of caffeine may reduce the risk of Parkinson`s disease for women who followed a therapy with postmenopausal hormone, according to the study. Moderate-to-high levels of caffeine may decrease the risk of Parkinson`s disease for women who did not follow a hormone therapy.
Caffeine excess may lead to sleeplessness, abnormal heart rhythms, irritability, restlessness, tremors, anxiety, headaches, or gastrointestinal problems. For some people it may cause high blood pressure.

Adrenalin remain elevated even at night if the last coffee was drunk at lunch, according to another study. Coffee is considered an anti-nutrient because it restrains the absorption of potassium, vitamin B, zinc, magnesium, or iron.

Coffee consumption is not a cause of cardiovascular diseases, according to researchers. The study monitored the effects of coffee, not caffeine. Coffee contains other chemicals beside caffeine and some are benefic.

Caffeine is known to cause increased blood pressure, decreased insulin sensitivity, or fatty acids. For most people, coffee consumed in moderate amounts - two to four cups per day does not affect their health, showed the studies.

For instance, you may choose whole-grain snacks. They have considerable amounts of fiber and complex carbohydrates that give you energy. You may choose low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain crispbreads, and whole-grain pretzels.

Choosing fruits and vegetables as a snack may help you feel fuller without a big amount of fat or calories intake. They also give you minerals, vitamins, fiber, and nutrients. Nuts and seeds may also be a good alternative for a healthy snack as long as they are consumed in moderate amounts. They contain mostly healthy monounsaturated fats, they may offer a feeling of fuller but they are high in calories.

Low-fat dietary products may also offer the expected results from a healthy snack. When you feel the need of a snack, try yogurt, cheese, or other products rich in calcium, vitamins, minerals and proteins.

If you`re having a lack of inspiration you may choose some of following suggestions when it comes to having a healthy snack:

- A stalk of celery. It has only ten calories.

- A cup of raw vegetables or some medium carrots may help ease your hunger and has only twenty-five calories.

- Try two cups of popcorn or a cup of cantaloupe.

- You may also choose a cup of fresh raspberries and sliced bananas, two slices of cheddar or low-fat Colby cheese by the size of a domino piece. They contain approximately 100 calories.

- Half a cup of low-fat yogurt with half a cup of blueberries or four slices of whole-grain crispbread. They have 150 calories.

Remember that the portion size is also important. Although some snacks may be healthy they can easily turn into excess calories.

Vegetables may help prevent some diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Spinach, green peppers, and broccoli are sources of antioxidants and help protect tissues by slowing down oxidation. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, asparagus in vitamin C, chicory is a source of vitamin B-6, magnesium, calcium, and riboflavin.

Buy only high quality vegetables and try to enhance their flavour and preserve their nutrients. When selecting them, look for vegetables with blemish-free surfaces and characteristic shapes. Choose only the vegetables you plan to eat during the next few days. If you keep them longer they can lose taste or nutrient levels.

Avoid vegetables with wilted or damaged leaves. Choose in-season vegetables if possible because they taste better, or packed vegetables. Frozen vegetables contain nutrients and have low amounts of sodium. It`s good to choose canned vegetables without added salt.

Selecting the best vegetable products isn`t enough. They must also be properly stored. Don`t wash them before storage. Throw away the vegetables that smell bad or were kept for too long.

The vegetables must be stored according to their type. The root vegetables must be placed in a cool, dark place while the others may be kept in the refrigerator crisper drawer.

Vegetables may lose some nutrients because of the long exposure to high temperature. That’s why it`s good to choose quick-cooking methods such as steaming, microwaving, or stir-frying.

Considerable amounts of fiber and nutrients can be found in the peels of some vegetables such as potatoes. The vegetables must be washed before cooking to remove pesticides and dirt. Raw vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, celery, cauliflower, or broccoli are healthy snacks and may help you on a diet.

You can increase the amount of vegetables from your food. For example, add them to the spaghetti sauce, eat vegetarian pizza instead of your usual pizza, or choose pasta with spinach or beets. Include in your salad chicory, kale, spinach, arugula, collard, mustard greens, watercress, or dandelion greens.

These drugs are recommended for obese people only and should be taken only under medical supervision. The FDA approved appetite-suppressant medications such as phentermine and sibutramine for obese people who want to lose weight. Appetite-suppressants decrease the appetite by impacting the brain chemicals that control it.

For instance, Orlistat, is a lipase inhibitor that blocks the breaking down of dietary fat. When this happens, the body takes in fewer calories.

Drugs that contain metformin are usually used to treat diabetes may help obese people with Type II diabetes lose small amounts of weight. People have different experiences with weight-loss medications. Some register weight loss up to twenty-two pounds in a period of six months while others may experience unwanted side-effects.

Although medication for obesity usually has mild side effects, some people report serious complications. The common side effects of weight-loss medication include irritability, dry mouth, nervousness, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pains, constipation, or sleep problems.

Particularly, orlistat may cause diarrhea, oily stools, frequent bowel movements, cramping, or gas. Sometimes, the lost weight may be regained. However, a healthy low-calorie diet and physical activity may stop weight gain after the treatment with weight-loss medication is stopped.

Sibutramine may have unwanted side-effects such as constipation, headache, insomnia, or dry mouth. Specialists recommend that people with high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, or heart disease avoid taking sibutramine.

Diethypropion, phendimetrazine, and phentermine are known to cause euphoria, insomnia, nervousness and should be avoided by people with overactive thyroid gland, heart disease, or glaucoma.

Even if weight-loss drugs offer the expected results, they shouldn`t replace physical activity or healthy habits. Always seek medical advice before starting to take weight-loss medication.

Some of the substances used for doping are analgesics, narcotics, androgen anabolizant steroids, corticosteroids, substances that stimulate the central nervous system, diuretics, or peptide hormones. However, the androgen anabolizant steroids raise the greatest interest in the market.

Androgen steroids have some negative effects on men and women who use them for muscular mass increase. Anabolizant steroids may produce long-term side effects for different organs or sometimes even lead to behavioral changes for those who use them.

For men, steroids produce steroidal acne, hair loss, dilatation of eye balls, water retention (hypodermic or intramuscular), and the genital organs may become atrophied.
Women are also affected by steroids intake. They can notice side effects such as thickened voice, breast atrophy, steroidal acne, body hair excess, or body size changes.

The people who use anabolizant steroids present a higher risk for stroke, high blood pressure, or a high level of cholesterol. The liver may be totally ruined by steroids, hepatic tumors may show up, or even hepatitis. Steroids may also cause bone pains or joint pains.

The most frequent diseases related to anabolizant steroids consumption are: prostate cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney or liver diseases. Psychically, the person who is a regular steroids consumer may become aggressive, hostile, and irascible. The sportsperson may be unsatisfied with his or her physical condition, no matter how good it is.