Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Ready-Made Foods on a Low-Carb Diet

There is a variety of low-carb, ready-made foods and grab and go meals for people on a diet. You can choose from premade salads, salad bars, deli food, home-delivered meals, and more.

At the deli counter, for example, you can try shrimp, chicken, or tuna salad in a tortilla or have it on its own. You can also look for alternatives to high-carbohydrate snack mixes and crackers at the grocery store. The problem is that readymade products contain high amounts of sodium, and few of them are low-carb or carb-friendly. One idea is to cook several meals during the weekend and freeze them. Meals that freeze well include quiches, veggie lasagna, and soups. If you don’t have time to cook, you can either try some quick low-carb recipes or order home-delivered meals. There are plenty of quick meals you can make – salmon burgers, roasted broccoli with lemon, beef and noodle broth, etc. Some meals take just 15 minutes to prepare. You can make peppered lamb chops or tuna salad, for example.

Home-delivered meals and packaged diets are another option, and there are different brands to choose from. Packaged diets have become quite popular among dieters who have chosen to follow low-carb meal plans or count calories. Many find it easier to stick to a packaged diet than to cook meals. Dieters can choose from different options such as low carb, vegetarian, and low fat. There are different calorie levels depending on one’s individual preferences, and dieters can customize their meal plan of choice. In addition, dieters can choose from lunch and dinner only and 3 meals and a snack 7 days a week. Companies that offer packaged diets deliver frozen food, with breakfast items and snacks packed in separate plastic bags. A sample menu may include cranberry juice, applesauce, and mixed berry crepe at breakfast, and veggie salad and bacon cheeseburger meatloaf at lunch. At dinner, you can have carrot coins and Apple Penne Pasta. Balanced meals include lean protein and smart carbs, and dieters can exclude certain products, based on allergies and preferences. Source: http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Low Carb Foods New Infographic Dishes Up the Skinny on Low Carb Eating

A new infographic for dieters makes it easy to digest, download, or embed low carb foods information.

Toronto (PRWEB) June 14, 2012

LowCarbFoods.org, today announces publication of its new infographic, designed to make it easier for the dieter to recognize and choose healthy, low carb foods.

With summer just around the corner, many dieters are working hard to shed extra pounds. The new infographic from LowCarbFoods.org helps them take the first step in healthy eating.

Peter Todorov (president of Art Branch, Inc., the parent company of Low Carb Foods.org) enlisted the help of Art Branch lead web designer Tsveta Mircheva to design the low carb infographic.

"We are bombarded daily with many ads for supposedly healthy foods through many different advertising channels including TV, radio and billboards. Many advertised foods are heavy with processed sugars and other additives. Yet, some sugars are less harmful than others. This infographic explains how and why, " said Todorov.

The infographic uses simple images to explain the difference between “good” and “bad” carbohydrates, how refined sugars can negatively affect the body, and the health benefits of choosing the right carbohydrates.

Foods that contain bad carbs are often loaded with preservatives, flavorings, colorings, and other additives as well as added, processed sugars. Bad carb foods are too quickly absorbed by the body. Especially those with added sugars, bad carb foods are full of calories, near-empty of nutritional value, and can cause various health risks.

As well as these unhealthy, fattening foods the infographic provides a short menu of the foods necessary to a healthy diet, the "good" carbs that are gradually absorbed by the body. The infographic also gives an overview and summary of the difference between the glycemic index and the glycemic load, information that is very important to understanding diabetic diets.

Art Branch has chosen to make this valuable tool freely available to, not only visitors to LowCarbFoods.org, but also to other web sites. The infographic is licensed through the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License which allows redistribution both commercial and noncommercial as long as it is unchanged and credited to Low Carb Foods.org.

Although the information on Low Carb Foods is not a substitute for professional medical advice, its informative and stimulating guides serve as a starting point to whet the appetite for healthy eating. Low Carb Foods and its parent, Art Branch remind the visitor to seek professional advice before beginning any diet.

About LowCarbFoods.org: LowCarbFoods.org is an informational resource developed by parent company, Art Branch Inc. and designed to offer unbiased information on low carb foods and low carb diets.

About Art Branch: Art Branch Inc., located in Toronto, Ontario, is the parent company of LowCarbFoods.org and has developed several consumer websites targeting both the Canadian and an international audience. The goal of Art Branch is to provide visitors to company sites with free and useful guides, helping consumers make educated decisions about their lifestyles.

About Creative Commons: Creative Commons.org is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Low Carb Diet Quiz Crunches Low Carb Diet Questions

Low Carb Foods.org cooks up brain food in a new quiz that feeds the dieter's knowledge with answers to low carb diet questions.

Toronto (PRWEB) June 06, 2012

Art Branch, Inc. the parent company of Low Carb Foods.org, today announced the publication of the Low Carb Foods Quiz.

"We decided that creating a low carb foods quiz is a fun way of presenting valuable information in a simple and interesting way. Instead of creating a boring white paper describing the benefits of low carbohydrate food lifestyle, the Low Carb Food Quiz offers our visitors a quick way to test their knowledge on the subject and learn more about it," said Peter Todorov, President of Art Branch Inc.

As an epidemic of obesity spreads throughout the Western world, knowledge about the benefits of low carb diets becomes a critical element in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Obesity poses serious health risks and is often cited as being a prime cause of conditions such as Hypertension and Type Two Diabetes. The mission of http://www.lowcarbfoods.org is to show the advantage of eating foods low in sugar in promoting a lifestyle practiced by hundreds of thousands around the world.

The short, 15-question quiz ends with a score card and links to relevant articles on low carb dieting. Although the information on Low Carb Foods is not a substitute for professional medical advice, its informative and stimulating guides serve as a starting point to whet the appetite for healthy eating. Low Carb Foods and its parent, Art Branch remind the visitor to seek professional advice before beginning any diet.

About LowCarbFoods.org: LowCarbFoods.org is informational resource developed by parent company, Art Branch Inc., designed to offer unbiased information on low carb foods and low carb diets.

About Art Branch: Art Branch Inc., located in Toronto, Ontario, is the parent company of LowCarbFoods.org and has developed several consumer websites targeting both the Canadian and an international audience. The goal of Art Branch is to provide visitors to company sites with free and useful guides, helping consumers make educated decisions about their lifestyles.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A Guide to the Atkins Nutritional Approach

The Atkins Nutritional Approach or Atkins diet is a low-carb diet that restricts the amount of carbohydrates as to covert stored fat to energy. This diet restricts digestible carbohydrates or net carbs that impact blood sugar levels. Preferred foods on the atkins low carb diet are unprocessed foods with a low GI. Some foods with a low glycemic index such as black rice should be avoided. The same goes for white bread, sugar, and other high GI products. The list of allowed foods includes most protein-rich foods such as eggs, seafood, and meats. They have no or little carbohydrates. Most types of cheese contain less than 1 gram of carbs per ounce, but it is important to check labels. Some cheeses have more. You can have cream cheese but avoid farmer’s cheese, cottage cheese, and other fresh cheeses. Adequate fat content is important, and Atkins recommends consuming foods that are rich in natural fats. Trans fats should be avoided. Eat plenty of foods such as cold-water fish and other fish meats that contain omega-3 fatty acids.
You can use grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil for stir-frying, especially those that are expeller-pressed or cold-pressed. Avoid sunflower, safflower, soy, and corn oil or consume in small amounts. Opt for regular full-fat mayonnaise when choosing mayonnaise. Australian mayonnaise, for example, contains thickening agents, citric acid, flavor enhancers, and sugar. It has macadamia nut oil or other healthy oils, but it is low in fat and high in carbohydrates.  The same rules apply when choosing salad dressings. Check labels and watch for added sugars.

Small amounts of lime or lemon juice (2 – 3 tablespoons) are allowed on the Atkins diet. You can have 10 to 20 olives, 1 ounce of sour cream, or 2 – 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. You can also have low-carb snack bars and other controlled-carb convenience foods and half a small avocado.
Finally, you should avoid anything made with grains, including pastries, cakes, and bread. To find the types of foods on the acceptable food list, look for a low carb diet guide with examples of foods, recipes, and meals.

One important question involves the type of diet that is best for you. One way to find out is to use a bmi formula to calculate your body mass index. People with a body mass index over 40 are considered very severely obese, and those with a BMI between 35 and 40 are severely obese.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Sources of Protein on a Low Carb Diet

Low-carb, high-protein diets have been promoted as a quick and effective approach to losing weight. Low-carb dieters receive between 30 and 50 percent of their calories from different protein sources. In contrast, the American Cancer Society, the National Cholesterol Education Program, and the American Heart Association recommend that dieters receive a smaller percentage of calories from protein.

Protein is essential to the repair, maintenance, and building of tissues in the human body. There are different sources of protein on a low carb diet. As a rule, one ounce of fish or meat has 7 grams of protein. Most cuts of beef contain about this amount, and a steak has 42 grams. Other meats to include in a high-protein diet include chicken, pork, and fish. Other high protein foods are nuts and seeds, beans, and cheese. You can choose from different types of cheese such as soft cheeses, hard cheeses, and medium cheeses. Soft cheeses (Camembert, Brie, and Mozzarella) have 6 grams of protein per ounce, and medium cheeses (Swiss, Cheddar) have 7 – 8 grams per ounce. Parmesan and other hard cheeses have approximately 10 grams of protein per ounce.

Nuts and seeds are also good sources of protein for dieters on the atkins diet or another low-carb, high-protein diet. Dieters can consume peanuts, peanut butter, cashews, and seeds such as flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Other sources of protein include beans and eggs. One large egg has 6 grams of protein, and a cup of cooked soy beans contains 28 grams. Dieters on a high-protein diet can consume soy milk and soy beans and split peas. One cup of soy milk has between 6 and 10 grams of protein.

If you want to correct a health problem or lose a lot of weight, you can have up to 30 grams of carbohydrates a day. Divide this amount throughout the day. You can add up to 55 grams of carbohydrates if you need to lose a couple of pounds. You can choose from a variety of low-carb foods. You can have low-carb vegetables such as green beans, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. You may be surprised, but avocado is low in carbs and high in fat. A glass of light beer or wine is OK, but remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Artificial sweeteners and diet sodas are permitted in moderation. Read more about good and bad carbs here: http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/