Women's

Losing Weight And Keeping Strength Up

A quick method to promote fat loss, the Kekwick diet - or Fat Fast diet - is one of many fad diets available. This phenomenon is thought to be brought about by biological mechanisms triggered by restricted calorie diets. The body, it has been suggested, responds to a sudden lack in calories by going into ' starvation mode ' and slows down the rate at which energy is utilised (calories are used) to conserve fat. Furthermore, there may be changes in the brain signals that make dieters crave high calorie foods.

We've long thought of weight loss in simple "calories in, calories out" terms. In a much-cited 1958 study, researcher Max Wishnofsky outlined a rule that many organizations — from the Mayo Clinic to Livestrong — still use to predict weight loss: A pound of human fat represents about 3,500 calories; therefore, cutting 500 calories per day, through diet or physical activity, results in about a pound of weight loss per week. Similarly, adding 500 calories a day results in a weight gain of about the same.

While the best natural food source of folate is chicken liver, that's a pretty hard order to stomach. A solid second choice is white navy beans. They're easy on the wallet, a great source of vegan protein and a half-cup serving has just under 25 percent of the day's recommended folate intake. Add beans to salads, stir fries, burritos, or serve with a Tex-Mex style omelet filled with tomatoes, onions and peppers.