The Chaser take a look at “The Secret” in their new segment: Nut job of the week. Vodcast of the show: www.abc.net.au (after those fake take down notices, it appears the ABC is fine with people posting their content to YouTube – so I will be uploading more Chaser in the future )

The Sonoma Diet is one of the latest in the line of commercially successful weight loss programs available to dieters. It is a program based around a nutritional diet that will not leave your taste buds out of the equation. In order to understand whether the Sonoma Diet is for you we must first understand what the diet is all about. This article will break down the key aspects of the Sonoma Diet, explaining what the Sonoma Diet is, where it originated from and some of its key methods & tools. Therefore if you are unsure about whether or not the Sonoma Diet if for you, keep reading and you will find out!

So firstly, what is the Sonoma Diet?

The Sonoma Diet is a truly unique weight loss program that distinctly focuses on the best combination of nutrition AND taste that can be used to help dieters shred their unwanted weight. They call this combination the bringing together of both “the art and science of the food.” By applying the latest knowledge from constant evolutionary findings in the field of nutritional research the Sonoma Diet tailors your food selection and meal preparation to ensure an appreciation and enjoyment of flavourful food while making a happier and healthy eating lifestyle second nature.

The eating plans are set by determining a target weight and timeline for reaching this weight. Then by simply following the simple step-by-step instructions from the Sonoma Diet, on such things as portion amounts and food combinations, you will lose weight safely and enjoyably.

Where did the Sonoma Diet originate?

Despite the use of health and nutritional studies to formulate the Sonoma Diet, the actual origin of its roots revolves around the Mediterranean Sea. The Sonoma Diet was inspired by two places on either side of the Mediterranean where the variety of delicious food available has made its enjoyment a way of life. These two places are, Sonoma County, California (the diet named after this location) and Southern Europe around the Mediterranean Sea.

These locations are known for their fantastic foods with California producing amazing sun-drenched foods, and the European Mediterranean enjoying wholesome and tasty fresh foods. From these two alternate worlds was derived a the Sonoma Cuisine, which is made up of diverse flavours, nutritional and healthy foods, and adopts the festive approach to eating that was founded by the two regions. The foods act as the basis for the Sonoma Diet who designed their weight loss tools around the qualities of their origins.

Sonoma Diet Tools & Methods

The Sonoma Diet helps dieters with weight loss by setting a target weight for each unique dieter (the dieters desired target weight). This also helps develop an initial timeline that the dieter can expect to follow in order to meet and then maintain the Sonoma Diet.

Once these aspects have been set then the dieter will begin the Sonoma Diet Waves procedures. There are three different Waves within the Sonoma Diet:

- Wave 1: the short initial phase that eliminates all bad eating habits, causing natural recalibration of the body and triggers the fastest weight loss of the program

- Wave 2: the longest phase of the program in which portion sizes and options are increased and a steady stream of weight loss is created until the target weight is met

- Wave 3: the final maintenance phase of the program that enables the dieter keep at their target weight through ongoing Sonoma Diet foods and occasional indulgences

In contributing to the Wave process of the Sonoma Diet, each member also receives a number of effective tools, such as:

- a meal planner

Suggests a new meal for each day of the program, which helps Dieters with making decisions and eliminates any guess work that might be involved.

- shopping lists

In addition to the meals the planner gives the dieter a printable shopping lists of everything needed to make the meals of the day.

- weight tracker

A chart to easily track the dieters weight loss progress on the way to the target weight goal.

- food diary

Tracks everything the dieter eats and their feelings as they progress through each Wave.

In addition the Sonoma Diet members also get over 500 recipes, a Fine Wine Guide, and Dietician Support.

Therefore the Sonoma Diet really establishes the dieter on more than simply a Weight Loss Program, but also a lifestyle that is happy, healthy and nutritional. It is this difference that enables the dieter to maintain such a life and weight level long after the initial weight loss has occurred.

Over the past year, our attention has been brought to our cholesterol levels. A few years ago not many people would have known what their cholesterol levels were, but now after a lot of advertising, people are becoming more aware of how their cholesterol levels affect their lives. However, there are still some who are confused as to what cholesterol is and how they can tell if they have a healthy cholesterol level. So just how can you tell whether your cholesterol levels are healthy?

Knowing What Cholesterol Is

Cholesterol is pretty vital within the body. Whilst it may be unknown to some of us, its role is to keep our bodies functioning normally. Every single one of our cells is surrounded by cholesterol and its job is to insulate our nerve fibres. By insulating the nerve fibres, the cholesterol ensures that the nerve signals are travelling properly which is extremely important. Cholesterol also produces hormones which are used to carry specific signals around the body.

Now, if too much cholesterol was made by the body, it would increase your chances of heart disease. That is why high cholesterol levels need to be brought down. So, whilst it is essential in order for our bodies to function properly, Cholesterol does have to be controlled properly.

Knowing What Your Cholesterol Level Is

How do you know if your cholesterol levels are high? Well, generally a trip to the doctor’s will let you know exactly what your cholesterol level is but really knowing your levels is not really enough to tell whether or not you have a risk of heart disease. Something else which is needed in order for you to find out is your Lipoprotein levels.

Lipoproteins are molecules which are especially designed to carry cholesterol around the body. They are important because they control exactly how much cholesterol is in your body. Now, there are two main types of Lipoproteins and those are high density Lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins. The one which you really need to be aware of is Low Density Lipoproteins. If you have a high level of Low Density Lipoproteins, you have bad cholesterol which means that there is too much of it to build up. High density lipoproteins are associated with good cholesterol and they are used to carry cholesterol away from cells and to the liver.

The complicated thing about cholesterol is the right level you should belong. The doctor has the ability to tell you how low your cholesterol levels should be. The average person usually should have around 4.0mmol/l but if you have a low density lipoprotein count, then you should have around 2.0mmol/l. As mentioned, however, each person is different so you need to get your levels checked to see exactly what you should be aiming for.

Overall cholesterol is important and you should know what levels you have and what you can do about it. More and more people are developing heart disease due to high levels of cholesterol so it is better to go to your doctors to know your cholesterol level.

You can do a number of things to improve your cholesterol level. Eating healthy food can help lower your LDL cholesterol level. A healthy diet may help protect the body from the damaging effect of cholesterol. You can raise your HDL cholesterol level by quitting smoking if you smoke, losing weight if you are overweight and exercising.

Following a healthy low fat diet can lower cholesterol levels. If healthy eating and exercising don’t work after about six months, consult your family doctor of the medicine to lower your cholesterol level.

If you are struggling to lower your cholesterol or manage your weight, then new clinically proven products that are now available on the open market such as Proactol™, can help you achieve this more easily.

Proactol™ is a clinically proven fat binder that helps reduce your dietary fat intake by up to 28%. It also helps you to lower your blood cholesterol level by slowing down your glucose absorption.

All health experts agree that people need to adopt a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a balanced diet. Proactol™ can help give you the initial support you need to adopt a new and healthy lifestyle.

If you want to lower your cholesterol level, visit www.proactol.com