Yogurt
A great choice for snacking or for use in cooking, yogurt is one of the healthiest dairy products around. Though this item can help you to satiate hunger and fulfill your daily dairy needs, it is important to remember that not all yogurts are created equal. When choosing the best yogurt for you, a low fat or nonfat yogurt will be your best choice. Also, yogurts that include things like granola and fruit are also higher in sugar content and have to be accounted for.

Cheese
There are many cheese choices that are low fat and healthy while still being flavorful. Mozzarella is a healthy choice and is often made from skim milk. Cheddar cheese is one of the highest fat cheeses which should be used accordingly in cooking and consumption because of this. Swiss is another low-fat cheese choice that is lauded for its strong taste.

No matter if you are choosing to get your dairy from cooking or through consumption by itself, there are healthy and low fat choices that will keep your bones strong and your heart healthy as you eat your way to a slimmer, more happy you.

South Beach Diet

Overview
The Southbeach Diet consists of three phases to initiate weight loss. The first phase is focused on eliminating cravings and causing rapid weight loss as a reaction. From there, the second phase is about introducing the correct foods to help successfully and safely meet your goal weight. The third phase is maintaining, with tips and tricks to take you through your healthy eating for years to come.

How it works
The South Beach diet works by focusing on taking out the sugary refined foods early in the program. This is the process involved in the first phase, where sugary foods are to be replaced with nutrient rich substitutes that leave you feeling full and satisfied while still losing weight. The first phase only lasts fourteen days. In the second phase, you will begin to add in more foods like whole grains and fruit as well as some differing vegetables. This phase takes place until you reach your goal weight. The third phase involves alternating practices from the first and second phase to keep your body healthy and happy as well as your weight in check.

Program costs
Membership to the South Beach diet website is available for $4 a week. This price includes meal plans and nutrition trackers as well as access to the forums to meet with other members and even a mobile app to help you stay on track with your foods. The website also offers snack and meal replacement bars that range from $4.99 to $29.99 for a box of twenty. While it is not required, the site recommends that you purchase the South Beach Diet book which retails for $16.99.

Pros
If you find yourself looking for a diet that does more than just shave the pounds off, the South Beach diet may be for you. The company boasts of a strong connection amongst members, creating a viable support system for you as you lose weight. This diet is also a good fit for anyone who wants to have absolute control over their foods while still maintaining the diet.

Cons
While there are some fitness DVDs available, the South Beach diet does not rely heavily upon exercise and work out routines. If you are looking for a solid work out to go with your food, this may not be the diet for you. Also, if you are the type that feels as if you do not have the time to cook, this diet may not be the best fit.

Summary
For those looking to get a lean body without spending hours in the gym, the South Beach diet is certainly worth a try. Membership sign-ups are simple, just involving a quick trip to the South Beach Diet website (www.southbeachdiet.com) where you will answer some basic health questions before making your account. From there, all that is needed is credit card information.

Overview
With a focus on eating good food while forming good habits, the Sonoma diet focuses not on quick fix weight loss, but instead on making the type of gradual changes you can stick with for life. The Sonoma diet follows a diet plan made up of allowed foods, giving you a wide array of choices to eat what you want. The diet plan also works of helping you to build a more positive view of yourself, the foods you eat and the world around you.

How it works
The Sonoma diet works by controlling calories and making healthy choices. The most important part of the Sonoma diet is by making use of the Super Foods. These fruits and vegetables are considered negative calorie foods as it takes your body more calories to digest them than what was taken in by eating them. By filling your diet with healthy negative calorie foods, you lose weight without spending your time hungry. The Sonoma diet plan places heavy emphasis on eating well as well as eating healthy. The plan states that it is easier to stick with a diet if you enjoy the foods that you are eating while losing weight.

Program costs
Membership to the Sonoma diet website is $4 a week. The site often offers a week for free for new members. From there, most of the costs are carried through the groceries that are bought to follow along with the meal plans included with membership. The website also suggests that you buy the New Sonoma Cookbook to supplement the recipes that are available on the website with membership. The New Sonoma Cookbook retails for $22.95.

Pros
If you are looking for a way to lose weight while building confidence in yourself, the Sonoma diet may be a good choice for you. The program is all about eating healthy while still enjoying yourself and your life. The diet plan may also be a good fit if you are looking for a diet plan with lots of food variety. The website states that there are 500 recipes available to members.

Cons
If you are looking for the total package weight loss system, the Sonoma diet may not be for you. While the site offers a wide array of food types and recipes, there are no nutritional supplements available and no mention of exercise. It may not be the best fit for those wishing to do more than just lose weight who want to add muscle definition.

Summary
The Sonoma diet is a low key, positively charged diet plan that works with most dieters’ love of food. Signing up for the program is simple enough. You simply visit the Sonoma diet website (www.sonomadiet.com) and answer their weight loss quiz. From there, you are prompted to enter your credit card information. Once verified, you have access to all the different functions of the website.

Overview
The Duke Diet is a diet that has worked for people in the state of North Carolina for many years. Now it is available online and offering up the same information that has worked so well in the past. The Duke Diet works in four different fronts, making sure that you are fully taken care of. The diet plan offers a full nutrition plan, a customized exercise routine, behavioral health and wellness training and medical expertise offered by the physicians involved with the program.

How it works
The Duke Diet works by completely changing your lifestyle. With the diet program, you not only change the way that you eat and exercise, you also look into the thought processes and behavioral cues that cause you to overeat. Paired with medical information that is constantly updated, weight loss is very likely. You are given a personalized weight loss program, with both nutrition and fitness choices made to work for you especially.

Program costs
The Duke Diet program offers a one week free trial to all new members, though it is still necessary to enter credit card information. If you are dissatisfied with the program within the first week, you are free to cancel your account at no charge. If you choose to continue on with the Duke Diet program, the cost is $4 per week, which is billed quarterly in advance. That means to start the program, you will be paying for thirteen weeks in advance that comes out to a fee of $52.

Pros
If you are the type who is prone to emotional eating, the Duke Diet may be a good choice for you. The Duke Diet is one of the few diet programs available online that addresses the behavioral issues that can lead to being overweight. The program is also a good fit for anyone who is looking to make life long chances to their health routines and overall wellness, whether they are male or female.

Cons
If you are the type that feels like you need a one on one connection with a personal trainer or diet expert, the Duke Diet may not be the right choice for you. The diet program offers a support system, though most of the information provided is automated. The Duke Diet plan may also not be a good fit for those who are not comfortably cooking meals for themselves every day, or who do not have the time to work out, whether in the gym or in the privacy of their own home.

Summary
If you are looking for a weight loss plan that addresses more than just the physical weight, then the Duke Diet may just be the perfect choice for you. The program works to make sure that mind and body are in cohesion, so that weight loss can be achieved and maintained. Sign up is simple enough, all you have to do is visit the Duke Diet website (www.dukediet.com) and complete a short health quiz.

Overview
The Vitalicious Diet was first made famous by the Hungry Girl website with their love for the Vitalicious Diet and their Vita Tops. The program places heavy emphasis on controlling snacking by controlling the calorie count that is brought in during the snack. The company makes a wide array of low calorie snacking solutions that are all under two hundred calories.

How it works
By offering low calorie snacking solutions in addition to maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise, the Vitalicious diet causes a gradual and safe weight loss. The goal is on making life long connections that include making the right choices both in and out of the kitchen. While exercise is not directly included in the Vitalicious diet, it is recommended by the program.

The diet plan calls for you to create your own meals and meal plans, though there are some recipes included. The company even offers their own brand of pizza to be purchased directly from the Vitalicious website.

Program costs
There are no actual memberships fees for the Vitalicious website. Instead, you simply download the nutrition information and buy whichever products you think will work with your dietary needs. The company offers Vita Tops, which are one hundred calorie muffin tops that range from $16 for a twelve pack to $32 for a twenty four pack. Vitalicious also offers cupcakes and brownies that range in price from $21 for a twenty four pack to $42 for forty eight. The company also offers their own selection of pizzas with prices from $59 for a twelve pack.

Pros
For the habitual snackers out there, the Vitalicious Diet may just be what you are looking for. With a wide selection of sweets for under one hundred calories, this diet is great for anyone who has seen their diet lose steam to their sweet tooth. It is also a great fit for anyone who likes to control exactly what they eat, as recipes are included but not required to be followed.

Cons
If you are the type who needs structure, the Vitalicious diet may not be for you. The diet requires you to track your own calories, cook your own meals and create your own work out routines. This diet does not give you much to follow by, which can be frustrating for a new dieter who feels as if they can benefit greatly from having an outline to follow when it comes to food choices and exercise routines.

Summary
If a sweet baked treats laden diet sounds like a dream come true, then the Vitalicious Diet may be the right choice for you. There is no actual sign up process. The recipes are available free of charge on the Vitalicious website (www.vitalicious.com) for anyone to use. Their snacks and baked treats can also be purchased directly from the website. These snacks come in quantities of twelve or more, and cannot be purchased in smaller quantities.

Overview

The Bistro MD diet is one that focuses on losing weight by controlling what the participant eats. Frozen meals are delivered weekly to the participant, and they are not to eat anything not included in these weekly deliveries. Though there are 5 day versions of the plan that allow for the participant to make their own meals on the weekends, the Bistro MD diet recommends that dieters follow the full 7 day plan with snacks to make sure everything they eat is healthy.

Program costs

Membership to the Bistro MD diet is paid on a weekly basis. The participant chooses whether they will take part in the full 7 day program, or the 5 day program with or without snacks. For the full 7 day program with snacks, the participant will be paying $179.95 weekly. For 7 days without snacks, the weekly fee is $159.95. The work week program is meals delivered for five days and with snacks the weekly cost is $144.95. Without snacks the work week program is $129.95 per week. Membership to the website is included with the price of the meals.

Pros

For anyone looking to have absolute control of what they put into their bodies, this may be the diet for them. The Bistro MD diet gives the participant everything they need to lose weight, and while exercise is encouraged, the company states that it is not needed to lose weight while on the plan. Bistro MD is also a good fit for those who are unhappy with the diet foods available at their local grocery store. Bistro MD states that their foods are chef prepared before being flash frozen, promising remarkable taste and weight loss all in one fell swoop.

Cons

For those who are not financially well endowed, this may not be the plan for them. The price of the food each week can get costly and for someone looking to lose weight on a budget, the Bistro MD diet might not be the best fit. The diet plan also offers very little in the way of exercise information. With this diet, the focus is on losing the weight via food and may not be the right choice for those who want to tone and build muscle as well as lose weight.

Summary

For those looking to eat well and lose weight while not having to worry and read labels on their foods, the Bistro MD diet is going to work well for them. Sign up for the company is easy, completed in as little as four steps. The participant simply visits the Bistro MD website (www.bistromd.com) and goes through the sign up process that involves choosing a meal plan, and entering their shipping information. Bistro MD even offers a customer service phone number and the option for dieters to specially create a plan to suit their needs in case of illness like diabetes.

Curbs your appetite

Beginning your day by eating eggs can help change the way you eat the rest of the day.  New research suggests that eating eggs in the morning helps curb your appetite throughout the day.  Eggs contain a diverse makeup of different proteins that are slower digesting to help keep you satiated.  Additionally, the protein in eggs are beneficial for muscle gain, which can help you burn more body fat.

Amino acids 

Eggs contain nine essential that help your body regulate blood sugar levels and synthesize proteins.  As a result, you can absorb more protein in your body and reduce your glucose levels.  Diabetics can especially benefit from consuming eggs on a regular basis.

Vitamin D 

Eggs are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D.  Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that assists your body absorbing nutrients.  Additionally, a healthy intake of vitamin D can improve your mood while you are dieting.

May reduce risk of heart attacks 

Contrary to popular belief, egg consumption can actually reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. New research suggests that the choline in egg yolks can improve your cardiovascular system, reducing blood clots and other heart related issues.

Eggs are an incredible source of nutrition.  They should be a regular part of your daily diet. Starting your day off by eating eggs is one of the best ways to stay healthy and lose weight.

Greek yogurt is a no fat, low calorie dairy alternative that stands as the base for a great snack. It can be implemented across your diet in multiple ways, keeping you happy, full and still on track.

Take a Dip

Greek yogurt is a great base for just about any dip imaginable.  So toss out that mayo and turn to Greek yogurt.  Paired with asparagus spears or celery sticks, a Greek yogurt dip flavored with dill and cucumber is a nice and cool summer treat.  Greek yogurt can also be used to make things like ranch and french onion dips as well.

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Greek yogurt is one of the easiest ways to satisfy a sweet tooth.  Because it is such a simple base, it’s easy to add to it. Middle Eastern culture will take the yogurt and just mix honey in it for a cheap and easy treat.  It is also good with sliced fruit mixed in as well.

Substitute Away!

One of the best things about Greek yogurt is the amount of things you can substitute it for.  In baking and cooking, Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream, heavy whipping cream, cream cheese and even ricotta cheese. That means you can shave fat and calories off of your favorite lasagna as well keeping a cake moist and delicious without wrecking your diet.  These types of under the radar switches can save you fat and calorie content without your taste buds being the wiser.

Regardless of how you cook, there is no reason why Greek yogurt can’t be used as a healthier alternative to dairy.  It still offers the same moistness to baking that sour cream does, with far less calories.  It should be a secret weapon in any diet arsenal to make sure that eating healthy does not mean that you end up sacrificing taste as well.

BMI is one of the most effective and easiest methods to determine if an adult is overweight and at risk for obesity and other health problems. You do not need to spend money on tests; you simply need to be aware of your current weight and height. As a result, your BMI number can be calculated in the convenience of your own home.

Some people have questioned the reliability of the BMI calculation. However, research has shown a significant correlation between our BMI number and our body fat level. There are variations within the BMI depending primarily on your sex and age. Women and older people typically store larger amounts of fat than others. Additionally, athletes such as bodybuilders and football players may get a high BMI number due to their higher amount of muscle mass.

While the measurement may not be an exact science, it is important to be aware of your BMI number. There are numerous risks associated with being overweight such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. You should calculate your BMI number on a regular basis to determine if you are overweight and susceptible to any of these risks. Knowing your BMI can help you fix the problem before it’s too late.

Nuts are a great choice for an in between meal snack.  You can get them salty, you can get them sweet. They are packed with good fats that will help to make you feel fuller longer, while still being a healthy choice.  So look to these nuts for healthy snacking alternatives, like pistachios.

There is no greater powerhouse nut than the pistachio. These little guys have an array of health benefits that come from simple snacking.  Regularly consuming pistachios can raise your good cholesterol while lowering your bad cholesterol.  Not to mention that these benefits can be seen as early as three weeks after adding pistachios in your diet.

Pistachios also act as an antioxidant, which can help to lower inflammation.  What this means is that you lessen your chances of heart disease just by snacking on pistachios on a regular basis.

These little guys also offer up Vitamins A and E which are extremely helpful in getting healthy.

While there are lots of different pistachios available on the market, the ones that will give you the most health benefits are the ones that are raw.  These pack a punch even stronger than other pistachios, letting you get the most bang for your buck.

It’s important to remember that while pistachios are rich in good fats, they are still high in calories. Moderation and portion size are very important when it comes to adding pistachios to your diet.  By pre-packing your snack according to the serving size on the label, you can make sure that you not only get a healthy snack but that you control the amount of calories you take in and avoid over-eating.