There isn’t a day that goes by where the subject of weight loss isn’t in the news.  It’s not surprising once we take a look at the statistics.  There are 1.6 billion people overweight and 400 million are obese.It’s no surpise why it’s such a popular topic and one that is headlined daily.

Dr. Oz a popular well know medical doctor from ABC show, ran a segment on weight loss recently.  The patient he was working with was addicted to sugar, using over 5 packets of sugar at a time and needed to eliminate sugar from her diet.  Of all the products on the market, Dr. Oz only recommended two natural sweetener products for her to use:  Blue Agave and stevia.

Diabetes and obesity statistics around the world are extremely high. The food industry has been spinning off healthier foods as a proactive trend that started over a decade ago.  Today, the terms ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ are consumers’ preferred terms in healthy food.Let’ take a peek at the two natural sweeteners Dr. Oz recommended and you’ll see why the proof is in the sweetener.

Organic Blue Agave- this natural sweetener extracted from the heart of the Blue Agave plant has been consumed for thousands of years.  It is sweeter than regular sugar and Agave is a low glycemic Index (GI) sweetener.
It’s slowly absorbed into the body preventing artificially raised blood sugar, so a little goes a long way.  Use this organic sweetener instead of table sugar or for baking.  Blue Agave is available online and in many health food stores.

Stevia based sweeteners offer a combination of positive benefits: natural, high intensity, and zero calories and zero carbs.  Stevia-based high purity sweeteners are natural.  Stevia is 200-300 times stronger than table sugar and has been a proven product for weight loss and diabetic patients. 

Application for stevia sweetener is growing everyday and this natural sweetener has both favorable physical and functional benefits.  Natural stevia-based sweeteners are compatible for use in a wide variety of food applications, beverages, and dietary supplements.  Artificial sweeteners with aspartame and sugar are likely to be the replacement targets for emerging stevia sweeteners, and beverages will be the first main application.

In the U.S. the FDA only granted the first no objection letters for Reb-A’s (Rebaudioside –A) use in foods in December 2008 to Cargill.  Until then, dried stevia leaves and extracts could only be used in dietary supplements that date back to 1995.  Stevia RA 97 is now recognized as a natural sweetener and not just a dietary supplement.  This will bring stevia to main stream quickly.

Dr. Oz is one of the most recognized physicians on TV today.  His recommendations for two natural sweetners in weight loss is well taken.  If you must use a sweetener, use either of these two natural sweeteners.  Try using either blue agave or natural liquid stevia sweetener and see why this product is gaining in popularity for both weight loss and diabetes. 

Products are available in health food markets or by searching the keywords blue agave or stevia, stevia sweeteners.

Counting Calories

Much like finding the right personal loan, the number of calories needed on a daily basis is determined by different factors such as your weight, height, age, and activity level. It varies with different people. There are some guidlines on how many calories a person should get per day.

400 Calorie Fix: Control Calories!

Meet Cassandra. She’s had problems with her weight like many people, and is a busy mother of three. She said she was terrified when she first heard about the 400 Calorie Fix. However, after using the 400 Calorie Fix strategy, Cassandra said she has lost 6 pounds in just two days!

The authors of the book 400 Calorie Fix, say the method isn’t a diet, but a way to manage caloric intake by demonstrating what 400 calories looks like. Author and Prevention Magazine Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello also dropped in on the Rachael Ray Show to explain how the 400 Calorie Fix formation works.

“The 400 Calorie Fix was inspired by a column where we showed people how to eat four 400 calorie meals a day,” she tells Rachael. “We show you how to eyeball foods, to read menus, so you’re not counting calories, you are controlling it. It’s one of the easiest weight loss tools because of it’s simplicity: you filter everything through 400 calorie blocks.”

Let’s Get Real

It seems just about every weight loss program requires you eat their food which, as many of you would agree, are not the most preferred foods out there. Starving yourself or massive amounts of pills is a pain, and more to point, counterproductive. People have had to apply for a personal loan just to meet most weight loss program standards. You can still enjoy the foods you like with the 400 Calorie Fix.

“We came up with that amount because registered dietitians say that’s the amount in a meal that you’re going to remain satisfied, you’re not going to get cravings,” said Vaccariello. “You get a variety of tastes and textures and you’re going to get enough disease-fighting nutrients so you stay healthy.”

The 400 Calorie Fix teaches the reader how to effectively read menus, identify high-calorie red flags and look out for sneaky calories in dressed-up healthy foods. The result is that you know exactly what you’re eating.