Diet for People With Very Slow Metabolism

People who have a slow metabolism can be overweight because their bodies stores the majority of the food they eat as fat. When a person has a fast metabolism, he doesn't gain weight easily because the body utilizes food more efficiently. Having a slow metabolic rate can also slow digestion and cause fatigue.

However, you can speed up your metabolism and burn fat. Incorporating certain foods into your diet and avoiding other foods make your body a more effective machine within a short period (usually about two to three weeks).

Metabolism-Boosting Foods

Eat foods that speed up your metabolism. There are a wide variety of healthy foods that increase your metabolism. Eat foods that contain whey protein, or drink whey protein shakes. Protein is beneficial because it contains iron and B vitamins, which are needed for energy. Rolled oats are another great choice because they're good carbohydrates with added vitamins and minerals. Other foods known to boost metabolism are beans, green tea, natural yogurt, almonds, spinach, eggs, turkey, chicken, whole grains, olive oil, peanut butter, steak and salmon.

Healthy Fats and Oils

Eat healthy fats and oils daily. Healthy fats and oils are important because they improve how the body functions and assist with the fat-burning process. These good fats also reduce inflammation and improve joint health.

Good fats are also called omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats can be found in many foods such as sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds, eggs, salmon, peanuts and other types of fish. You can also supplement your diet with good fats by taking cod liver oil or flaxseed oil, or by adding olive oil to your salads.


Avoid bad fats that are found in junk foods, processed foods, salty foods, fried foods and other packaged foods. Do not eat frozen dinners, canned soup or other foods that are high in salt and additives.

Raw Vegetables and Fruit

Eat five to eight servings of raw vegetables and fruit every day. Raw fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and enzymes that are needed for cell repair and metabolic function. Most people do not consume enough raw foods in their diet. Center your diet around these foods---you can even grow your own vegetables if you have a yard.

Adding metabolic boosting foods can dramatically improve your health, but it is also vital to eat your food a certain way. Chew your food slowly and take your time eating. Eat three small meals per day and three to four snacks. Eating more often will also boost your metabolism. Do not eat after seven pm at night.

Hydration

Drinking plenty of pure water each day will also help boost the rate in which you burn fat. Water is the transport system for nutrients and a hydrated body functions better. Most people need eight glasses of water per day, but you may need more if you spend time in the sun or work out. Avoid sodas, sugary drinks and teas. Coffee has also been shown to boost metabolism, but only in moderation.

Colitis Diet Recipes

Colitis is basically an extreme inflammation of the inside lining of the colon. Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, diversion colitis and infectious colitis are a few of the many types. Although Colitis is a chronic condition, you can minimize its symptoms by eating certain foods and staying away from others.

Stir up a bowl of Tuna Pasta Salad for a tasty lunch or a light dinner. Simply cook your pasta; you'll need 2 cups for a single recipe. Drain the pasta and put it in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped onions, 2 medium, chopped tomatoes and 1 can tuna fish in water, drained. Mix the ingredients together well and serve.

Make Ground Turkey Burgers. They're an easy-to-make recipe for Colitis sufferers. Turkey is more easily digested than beef. It also contains more calcium and protein.

Mix together a pound of ground turkey, 1 small, chopped onion, 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Form the mixture in 4 patties. Grill the ground turkey burgers a few minutes on each side, until they are no longer pink inside.

Serve Rice Flour Pancakes to avoid the white flour and cow milk. Sift 1 cup rice flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon together in a mixing bowl. Beat in 1 cup rice milk until the mixture is smooth. Stir in a beaten egg and 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Lightly spray an electric skillet with cooking spray. Preheat the skillet to 375 degrees F. Fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown. Serve with date molasses, honey, berries, or maple syrup.

Blend up a Soy Milk Banana Smoothie for a quick, nutritious snack. Simply peel and slice a banana into a blender cup. Add 1 cup soy milk and 1 cup ice and blend until the mixture is smooth.

Another Colitis Diet recipe that you can make is Crispy Baked Chicken. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Moisten 4 pieces of chicken and roll each one in 1 to 1/2 cups of finely crushed corned flakes. Arrange the chicken on the sheet so they're spaced apart. Bake until the chicken juices run clear.

How to Start A Vegan Diet

A traditional American diet includes large portions of meat and dairy products. These products can be high in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol, making them unhealthy foods to form the bulk of your diet. A vegan diet plan eliminates all animal products, including meat, dairy, poultry, fish, eggs and honey. You may start a vegan diet to lose weight, improve your health, reduce your environmental impact or out of concern for animals. To start a vegan diet, plan your meals carefully to avoid nutrient deficiencies.

Consult a registered dietitian. A dietitian is trained to analyze your diet and lifestyle to determine your nutritional needs, and their insight and expertise will help make your transition to a vegan diet much smoother.

Decide whether you want to gradually transition into a vegan diet or give up animal products cold turkey. Some people find that starting a vegan diet in gradual stages increases their commitment to the diet plan.

Make a list of vegan recipes you already work into your meals. Many who are not vegans eat lentil soup, bean salads or a meatless red sauce over pasta. Start your vegan diet by eating those vegan meals with which you may already be familiar, such as oatmeal or cream of rice for breakfast.

Make a list of your favorite recipes that aren't vegan. Identify substitutes for the animal products in each recipe. Think about soy or gluten meat substitutes, soy dairy products, egg substitutes such as flax eggs, vegetable oils, whole grains, beans and other vegan ingredients you can incorporate into your favorite recipes. Use grilled mushrooms to add meaty texture to dishes, swap out regular hamburgers for veggie burgers made from lentils, mushrooms and bulgar and try using agave or brown rice syrup instead of honey

Compile a list of vegan recipes. Purchase a vegan cookbook, find vegan recipe websites or swap ideas with a vegan friend. Having a large number of vegan recipe options helps you stick with your new diet.

Eat a balanced diet that includes lean protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Avoid becoming protein deficient by incorporating 5 or 6 ounces of soy products, beans, seeds and nuts into your diet each day. Eat wheat germ, whole grain products, soy-based foods, peas, dried fruits, lentils and nuts to receive zinc and iron.

Track your daily food intake using an online food journal. Note any deficiencies in nutrients traditionally derived from meat and other animal products and take a multivitamin to supplement your dietary intake of these important nutrients.

How to Eat Subway Sandwiches in a Healthy Way

Think Subway sandwiches are healthy? Well, compared to most other fast foods, it's probably healthier. People have reported significant weight losses under a "Subway diet." But you need to be careful. Subway sandwiches can seem deceptively healthy because we're constantly told how healthy these are. Here are some tips to ensure that the sandwiches you eat are indeed healthy.

First and foremost, don't accept any cheese in the sandwich. It's very tempting to have cheese, but the fat and caloric content will make it less healthy. It's kind of like starting out with a bowl of healthy salad but then adding globs of cheese crumbs to it. So, lose the cheese and you'll eat much healthier.

Similar to cheese, try to have the sandwich without any mayo or other mayo-like dressings. Stick with just mustard or no dressing at all. Again, this is very much like starting out with a healthy salad but then adding globs of greasy dressings. Get rid of the dressings and you'll be eating much healthier. If you absolutely must have some dressings, ask for a light version (low calorie, low fat, etc.).

Typically, Subway asks if you want oil on your sandwich. Say "no!" Oil will go to your mid-section, your butte, your thighs, and anywhere-else you don't need it. Your body will thank you for not accepting the splash of oil at the end.

Along with meat sandwiches, try to mix it up with vegetables. That is, try to have vegi-sandwiches once in awhile. Also, ask the preparer to use half the meat and to add more vegetables. That will further help to cut down on calories and fat content.

How to Cook For Someone Needing a Soft Diet

Coming up with a list of items for someone needing a soft diet (such as after dental surgery) can be a bit challenging. Oral surgery can leave the mouth tender for quite a few days and stitches are never fun. I'm hoping the ideas in this eHow will help you get creative in cooking for someone requiring a soft diet.

Post dental surgery can be a painful time alleviated slightly by a soft diet. There's nothing better than a bowl of hot soup. Prepare a clear broth chicken soup which can be used as a base for many other types of soups. Strain the soup so there are no vegetables, chicken, nothing but clear broth (in fact, when I'm making a clear broth, I bundle up all of the solid parts, including the whole chicken, in cheesecloth so I can easily lift the whole thing out). Place the soup in the refrigerator and, once congealed, skim the top of the fat. Add rice or very small, thin egg noodles, or saltine crackers (which will soften to mush) to mix it up a bit. You can scramble an egg in a bowl and swirl it into the soup to make egg drop soup which adds in additional protein.

Make different types of soups from your basic chicken soup - such as potato soup or cheese soup. I always hop on foodnetwork.com to get other ideas. Make sure that the person with the affected mouth will eat the types of soup you're cooking up. Also, it's great to make enough to freeze. My chinese friend, Sophia, makes a Congee soup which is basically rice cooked in A LOT of water. She'll throw in some small pieces of ginger or hamburger meat to add protein for my mother.

Stock up on ice cream, sorbets, pudding, jellos. Yogurt is not always recommended as it contains live yeast cultures that can affect healing - check with the doctor before you serve this to your patient.

You can easily mix up a crustless cheese cake to add some additional calories to the diet. Cakes are also easy to whip up and satisfying too. Freeze 1/2 of the cake for later consumption.

Also, when we were younger (and before the advent of processed baby food), my parents would put anything they were eating for a meal in a blender and add a little liquid. It might not be totally appealing to suck beef stew through a straw, but it can be done. Scrambled eggs are always easy as is egg salad with the egg chopped very fine. Mashed potatoes with some cheese are always good also.

Meal Ideas After Fasting

Fasting diets can be intimidating or exciting, depending on how much you love to eat. In general, these diets consist of not eating for a specified period of time and can range between one to 21 days, possibly more. These restrictive diets typically allow only liquids including fruit and vegetable juices, water and herbal teas. Other fasts allow raw fruits and vegetables only. Always speak with your doctor prior to initiating a fast and while on it. Post-fast, it is best to stick with light, simple meals initially and gradually reintroduce foods such as brown rice and goat's milk yogurt, if tolerated, as you transition into more varied meals.

Fruit Salad Bowls

Break your fast with simple meals such as fruit salad bowls. Fruits have little to no fat, which makes them easier to digest; in contrast, foods that are high in fat will take longer to digest, leading to potential stomachaches, bloating and diarrhea. Fruits are also high in carbohydrates, which is a source of energy for the body and brain. Try chopped berries such as blueberries and raspberries, which are low in sugar and rich in antioxidants. Chopped pineapple and papaya contain enzymes that help break down foods in the stomach for improved digestion.

Raw or Steamed Vegetables

Green, veggie-based salads are generally low in fat and calories, making them easier to digest than high-fat or protein foods. After fasting, your stomach will be empty, and you won't risk stomachaches when you choose lighter foods. Enjoy vegetables in their raw form such as chopped celery, cucumber, bell peppers and leafy greens all tossed together as a salad. Lightly steamed veggies or veggies cooked in a pressure cooker are also a good post-fast meal option.

Sip Some Soups

Prepare vegetable soups for easy, healthy meals after your fast. Author Joel Fuhrman, M.D, a board-certified family physician, states on his website that foods are cooked at a set temperature of approximately 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius, the temperature of boiling water, when made into a soup. This prevents browning of foods and the formation of toxic compounds. Prepare a light soup with one or two vegetables or make soups heartier with the addition of sprouts, sweet potato, cauliflower and carrots.

What to Avoid

After a fast, avoid meals that are high in fat and protein because these macronutrients will slow down digestion, potentially leading to stomach upsets such as constipation, diarrhea or discomfort. Avoid foods high in added sugars, which disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut, leading to digestive upsets and difficulty breaking down proteins, lactose and other food substances.

The Rainbow Diet Nutrition Ideas

The idea of a rainbow diet is to include as many colors of fruits and vegetables as possible in your diet each day. The different colors of produce contain different beneficial plant chemicals, or phytochemicals, that may improve your health. Making your plate more colorful at each meal helps you maximize your nutrient intake, and eating more fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk for health problems such as type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Yay for Yellow and Orange

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables usually get their color from carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Citrus fruits are an exception, but these fruits provide vitamin C, which helps your skin stay healthy, and folate, which helps limit the risk of certain types of birth defects. Carotenoids may help lower your risk for heart disease, cancer and an eye condition called age-related macular degeneration. Add chopped apricots to oatmeal, or have an orange or a grapefruit as part of your breakfast. Include carrots, mangoes, yellow or orange bell peppers or yellow tomatoes in a salad at lunch, or serve sweet corn or yellow squash as a side at dinner to include more of these nutritious vegetables in your rainbow diet.

Rooting for Red

Eating more red fruits and vegetables may help lower your risk for heart disease and cancer and improve the health of your urinary tract and memory, according to Clemson University Extension. Lycopene, which gives tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon their color, may be responsible for some of these benefits. Red berries get their color from substances called anthocyanins, which act as antioxidants and help prevent cell damage. Snack on red grapes, watermelon or apples; use raspberries, strawberries, red grapes, beets, pomegranate seeds and radishes in salads; or top whole-wheat pasta with a nutrient-rich tomato sauce to add more red to your diet.

Benefits of Blue and Purple

Produce that is blue or purple will give you additional anthocyanins in your diet, and they may help improve your memory and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer, according to North Dakota State University Extension. Add blueberries, blackberries or chopped plums to yogurt, or include raisins, figs or prunes in your favorite trail mix for a dose of purple or blue in your daily diet. Baked or roasted eggplant is another way to get more anthocyanins in your diet. Just be sure to choose the purple type, and leave the skin on because that is where the anthocyanins are concentrated.

Go for Green

Green fruits and vegetables get their color from chlorophyll, which may help lower cancer and diabetes risk, according to a "Daily Express" article published in May 2012. Some of these fruits and vegetables also contain lutein and zeaxanthin to improve your eye health, and the digestion process breaks down substances in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, to form beneficial compounds called indoles that may help lower your cancer risk. Include kiwi, honeydew melon, green grapes, green apples or avocado the next time you make a fruit salad; serve broccoli, green beans, artichokes or asparagus as a dinner side; or add spinach or kale the next time you make a smoothie.