Don't Let Cold Weather Destroy Your Efforts
Baby, it's cold outside. And, if you're like me, winter weather can sometimes make working out seem less than desirable. After all, who likes to dress like a mummy to go for a run, or risk slipping on ice when out for a walk? Even heating up the car in the wee hours of the morning to get to the gym for your favorite Spinning class can be quite tough!
Although you may want to stay snuggled up in your warm bed, winter shouldn't be a time that your fitness plans hibernate—especially with all of those holiday treats around. With the right attitude and mix of exercises, winter can actually be a fantastic time to mix up your workouts, get creative and even reignite your love of fitness by trying new, fun activities. Not to mention, exercise can help you beat those winter blues!
How to Make the Most of Winter Workouts
Change your mind. Winter isn't just about cold weather, it's a whole new season! Embrace the time of year by sitting down and revisiting your goals, then plan out what you'd like to accomplish during the next few months. We're all so busy these days that time seems to fly, which is why it's important to reflect on our past accomplishments and current goals. It can help you see winter in a new, inspired light.
Go out and play! If you can't seem to muster the energy to work out this time of year, try "playing" instead. You can burn quite a few calories playing indoors or out. The best part about playing is that it doesn't feel like working out—though you can still get your heart rate up and have an excellent cardio session. Have a blast in the winter wonderland outside by making snow angels (214 calories burned per hour on average), having a snowball fight (319 calories burned per hour), or even building a snowman (285 calories burned per hour). No snow in your area? Try ice skating—an activity you can do indoors or outdoors. Ice skating can burn more than 450 calories per hour—and it's a blast!
Take up a winter sport. If you're a competitive type, why not try a new winter sport? From skiing to snowshoeing, there are many great options that burn mega calories and put a whole new twist on your cold-weather workout plans.
Get creative at home. Sure, getting to the gym can be more of a hassle when it is cold outside, but never use snowy weather as an excuse to miss your daily exercise. Instead, work out at home, where's it's cozy and warm. Whether you pop in a new workout DVD, invest in a few pieces of fitness equipment or even just use your body weight for a killer workout, exercising at home can be a convenient (and fun!) solution to staying on track. And the best part about working out from your own home? You don't have to worry about sharing a TV with fellow gym goers or possibly catching an illness at the gym. Home really is where the (healthy) heart is.
Try something new. There's nothing like signing up for a new class or joining an indoor sports league to get you up and moving during chilly months. By trying something new, you reignite your motivation for fitness, cold weather and all! Whether it's indoor volleyball, a dodgeball league, a bootcamp class or even tennis lessons at a local indoor racquet club, participating in a regular activity that you've paid for (or have teammates counting on you to play in) is a fantastic way to stay active in the winter time. You might even make some new friends or learn some new skills.
Set a big goal—and some little goals. If winter weather leaves your motivation to exercise colder than an icicle, heat things up with a challenging, new goal. It can be anything from losing those last 10 pounds, to running a 5K (yes, you can still run outside in the cold) or even doing a full pull-up, but choose a goal that you really want and that will stretch you beyond your comfort zone to reach it. Setting a smart goal that you then break down into smaller, achievable action steps is a great way to start. Instead of focusing on simply working out this winter, this type of goal-setting allows you to focus on the bigger picture—your dreams.
Get excited. If you've never been a winter fan, start focusing on what you do love about it and how this time of year provides new opportunities for your fitness and health. From eating delicious in-season produce (oranges, kale, and chestnuts, oh my!), to curling up with a big mug of sugar-free hot cocoa in front of the fireplace after a long workout, there is much to love about winter when you embrace and appreciate it.
While there are many great workout options this winter, be sure you always stay safe no matter what you do—especially if you decide to enjoy the winter weather outdoors. Here are some safety tips to follow. But most of all, have fun out there. It's a wonderful time of year—enjoy it!
-- By Jennipher Walters, Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
5-Minute Power Boosters for the Office
Keep Your Body Fit and Your Mind Alert
Office life. If you let it, it can suck the energy right out of you. Or, you can take advantage of your workspace to put pep in your step and become more productive than ever.
Your office—where you spend 30% to 50% of your waking hours—can work for you or against you, depending on how you use it.
"The workplace is the forgotten arena of the self-improvement battle," explains SparkPeople Coach, Joe Downie. "But it’s the place where people need help the most! Stress is a huge factor in how well you perform at work. It clouds your thinking and wears you down," continues Coach Joe. "Without that energy, you lose creativity, concentration and motivation." In return, he says, all you gain is irritability and tension.
Of course, the most effective way to fight low energy is with a heavy dose of thorough stretching, proper breathing, and good posture. "There are plenty of power boosters all around you. You don’t have to drop everything and run to the gym." In fact, there are dozens of ways you can reduce stress and increase energy—within 50 feet of the office. (No special equipment required.)
For starters, he suggests five minutes of mental or physical activity for every hour you spend at the computer. People who sit at desks and computers for hours on end are most prone to dwindling production from low energy.
Get Physical
* Go to the office staircase and step up and down the bottom step (like step aerobics).
* Massage your own head and shoulders. Find trigger points of tension in the shoulders, jaw, and base of the skull. Hold pressure for 6-10 seconds.
* Take two steps back from your desk and lean forward until you’re in an angled pushup position against the edge of your desk. (This will also work against a wall.) Do a couple quick sets of incline push-ups.
* Lift 1-3 packs of printer paper in each hand. Curl them like weights or lift them over your head.
* Close your door and shadow box for a few minutes. Try to imagine a stressor while you’re punching.
* Start a pick up game of trashcan basketball! Create trick shots, or play against a coworker. A little friendly competition can go a long way.
* Jumping jacks are a simple, quick way to pump you up. Try to increase your intensity (speed) and duration (minutes) to keep it challenging.
* Go for a short walk around the office or outside around the block.
* Stand up and stretch your muscles. Don’t forget your neck and wrists.
* Lastly, Joe’s favorite office exercise—using a stress ball. Squeezing a stress ball relieves stress while strengthening the forearms and wrists for typing.
Go Mental
* Do word puzzles. Crosswords, word finds—even a jigsaw puzzle.
* Fill out a Mad Lib with your co-workers. A little laughter can improve your mood and decrease stress instantly.
* Rearrange your office.
* Switch hands with whatever you’re doing.
* Draw something. Let your mind create.
* Stand perfectly still for two minutes. Just Regroup.
* Do some deep breathing exercises or quiet meditation.
* Make an inkblot with a folded piece of paper and liquid ink. Have fun with what you see in the blot.
Staying energized and stress-free at work isn’t difficult. The key is finding reasons to stay out of your chair:
* In the morning, take as long as possible before sitting down.
* Forget the boardroom. Hold walking meetings.
* Hand-deliver mail, memos and faxes.
* Chat face-to-face instead of by email or phone.
* Use a bathroom on the other side of the building or on another floor.
* Have a lot of phone time? Buy a cordless phone and move around while talking.
* Replace your chair with a stability ball. This helps you maintain good posture, and by balancing, you’re working your core muscles all day.
Taking care of yourself at the office is just one way fitness can help you in other parts of your life. All it takes is a few minutes at a time.
-- By Mike Kramer, SparkPeople Contributor
Office life. If you let it, it can suck the energy right out of you. Or, you can take advantage of your workspace to put pep in your step and become more productive than ever.
Your office—where you spend 30% to 50% of your waking hours—can work for you or against you, depending on how you use it.
"The workplace is the forgotten arena of the self-improvement battle," explains SparkPeople Coach, Joe Downie. "But it’s the place where people need help the most! Stress is a huge factor in how well you perform at work. It clouds your thinking and wears you down," continues Coach Joe. "Without that energy, you lose creativity, concentration and motivation." In return, he says, all you gain is irritability and tension.
Of course, the most effective way to fight low energy is with a heavy dose of thorough stretching, proper breathing, and good posture. "There are plenty of power boosters all around you. You don’t have to drop everything and run to the gym." In fact, there are dozens of ways you can reduce stress and increase energy—within 50 feet of the office. (No special equipment required.)
For starters, he suggests five minutes of mental or physical activity for every hour you spend at the computer. People who sit at desks and computers for hours on end are most prone to dwindling production from low energy.
Get Physical
* Go to the office staircase and step up and down the bottom step (like step aerobics).
* Massage your own head and shoulders. Find trigger points of tension in the shoulders, jaw, and base of the skull. Hold pressure for 6-10 seconds.
* Take two steps back from your desk and lean forward until you’re in an angled pushup position against the edge of your desk. (This will also work against a wall.) Do a couple quick sets of incline push-ups.
* Lift 1-3 packs of printer paper in each hand. Curl them like weights or lift them over your head.
* Close your door and shadow box for a few minutes. Try to imagine a stressor while you’re punching.
* Start a pick up game of trashcan basketball! Create trick shots, or play against a coworker. A little friendly competition can go a long way.
* Jumping jacks are a simple, quick way to pump you up. Try to increase your intensity (speed) and duration (minutes) to keep it challenging.
* Go for a short walk around the office or outside around the block.
* Stand up and stretch your muscles. Don’t forget your neck and wrists.
* Lastly, Joe’s favorite office exercise—using a stress ball. Squeezing a stress ball relieves stress while strengthening the forearms and wrists for typing.
Go Mental
* Do word puzzles. Crosswords, word finds—even a jigsaw puzzle.
* Fill out a Mad Lib with your co-workers. A little laughter can improve your mood and decrease stress instantly.
* Rearrange your office.
* Switch hands with whatever you’re doing.
* Draw something. Let your mind create.
* Stand perfectly still for two minutes. Just Regroup.
* Do some deep breathing exercises or quiet meditation.
* Make an inkblot with a folded piece of paper and liquid ink. Have fun with what you see in the blot.
Staying energized and stress-free at work isn’t difficult. The key is finding reasons to stay out of your chair:
* In the morning, take as long as possible before sitting down.
* Forget the boardroom. Hold walking meetings.
* Hand-deliver mail, memos and faxes.
* Chat face-to-face instead of by email or phone.
* Use a bathroom on the other side of the building or on another floor.
* Have a lot of phone time? Buy a cordless phone and move around while talking.
* Replace your chair with a stability ball. This helps you maintain good posture, and by balancing, you’re working your core muscles all day.
Taking care of yourself at the office is just one way fitness can help you in other parts of your life. All it takes is a few minutes at a time.
-- By Mike Kramer, SparkPeople Contributor
Friday, December 17, 2010
10 Easy Ways to Lighten Up Any Recipe
Boost Nutrition and Cut Calories in the Kitchen
Choosing healthy foods is an important part of eating right, but cooking them in a healthful way is another huge part. For example, zucchini can take on two completely different forms when it's quickly sautéed in olive oil versus battered and deep fried. What we add to foods makes all the difference when it comes to home cooking.
The first step to healthier cooking is to take recipes as suggestions. Before you start chopping and mixing, scan the recipe to see if there are any unnecessary calories. Look for excess cheese, butter and oils, as well as sugars.
Here are some tasty, healthy ideas to help you become a professional recipe overhauler!
1. Sauté—the skinny way! A couple of tablespoons of low-sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of oil or butter in your stir fry or as the basis for a sauce. This method will add a nice flavor to your dish as well as a little moisture—and you'll save calories to use elsewhere. To get a dose of unsaturated fats, serve your broth-sautéed veggies with a side salad, and pour an olive oil-based dressing over the top.
2. Say no to skin. Three ounces of chicken breast meat with skin has almost 150 calories; three ounces of chicken without the skin has 50 fewer calories. Tasty as it might be, the skin contains mostly heart-unhealthy saturated fat. You can cook with the skin on to retain moisture (add fresh herbs or citrus zest underneath it to really bake in some flavor), but be sure to remove the skin before you enjoy your meal to save on calories and saturated fat.
3. Squeeze on the citrus. To add a powerful flavor punch with minimal added calories, use citrus on steamed veggies instead of butter or over a salad instead of a dressing. It’s even great on fruit salad in place of sugar and adds some zip when squeezed onto a pasta salad. Don’t forget to use the flavorful zest of citrus fruits as well! Wash a lemon, orange or lime, then use a zester or grater to add the zest to dishes such as baked seafood.
4. Be choosy about cheese. When using a mildly flavored cheese, such as Monterey Jack, you need more cheese to taste it. But when you choose a cheese with intense flavor, you can use less and still get the desired effect. Try a reduced-sodium feta, sharp Cheddar or aged Parmesan next time. Light cheese wedges such as The Laughing Cow brand are useful when you're watching fat and calories, too. Try mixing one of these soft cheeses into your scrambled eggs or noodle dishes instead of loading on the shredded mozzarella.
5. Go Greek. Tangy, fat-free Greek yogurt is a healthful replacement for sour cream. Try this switch in herbed and spiced dips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or throw it in a cooked dish as a thickening agent. You’ll save 45 calories for each 2-tablespoon serving.
6. Puree your produce. Add body to soups and sauces with pureed vegetables instead of heavy cream, evaporated milk, butter or cheese. This move will also add fiber and nutrients to your dish for very few calories. A puree of carrots will add texture to meatless spaghetti sauce, and mixing a blend of beans into a chili or soup will add flavor and thicken it—all with very few added calories. In this recipe, Chef Meg thickens a taco soup with chickpeas!
7. Get cozy with cottage cheese. When a recipe calls for a significant amount of a crumbled cheese, such as feta or ricotta, substitute half the amount with reduced-fat cottage cheese. This will retain taste, texture, protein, and calcium while ditching some of the fat and calories. This works well for stuffed peppers and most baked pasta dishes.
8. Pump up the veggies! You can easily reach the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies when you’re cooking at home. Veggies can compliment any dish on your menu, adding nutrient-packed bulk to the meal for few calories. Add chopped asparagus and mushrooms to your next omelet, red peppers (or a frozen stir fry mix) to baked casseroles, or any kind of beans to a pasta salad. Include fresh or frozen spinach in pasta sauces and soups, and broccoli in your casseroles. The opportunities for adding veggies are endless for almost any dish!
9. Cut the cream. When making cream-based soups, sub fat-free half-and-half for any heavy cream. The switch gives the soups a creamy taste and velvety texture without all the saturated fat of heavy cream. This works great in pasta sauces as well.
10. Make your own marinade. Marinate lean meats in vinegar and citrus combos (with a bit of oil added) rather than a pre-made oil-based dressing. You can also try a fruit juice or wine. These agents will still tenderize and flavor the meat, and a mix of herbs and spices will bring out the flavor! (You'll also save sodium by not using the store-bought varieties!) Try cutting the meat in strips before dousing it to really let the marinade take effect.
As you can see, there are endless ways you can boost the nutrition and reduce the calories of almost any recipe. Get creative and experiment in the kitchen. You may just find that you like these new ways of cooking just as much—or even better!
By Sarah Haan, Registered Dietitian, sparkpeople
Choosing healthy foods is an important part of eating right, but cooking them in a healthful way is another huge part. For example, zucchini can take on two completely different forms when it's quickly sautéed in olive oil versus battered and deep fried. What we add to foods makes all the difference when it comes to home cooking.
The first step to healthier cooking is to take recipes as suggestions. Before you start chopping and mixing, scan the recipe to see if there are any unnecessary calories. Look for excess cheese, butter and oils, as well as sugars.
Here are some tasty, healthy ideas to help you become a professional recipe overhauler!
1. Sauté—the skinny way! A couple of tablespoons of low-sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of oil or butter in your stir fry or as the basis for a sauce. This method will add a nice flavor to your dish as well as a little moisture—and you'll save calories to use elsewhere. To get a dose of unsaturated fats, serve your broth-sautéed veggies with a side salad, and pour an olive oil-based dressing over the top.
2. Say no to skin. Three ounces of chicken breast meat with skin has almost 150 calories; three ounces of chicken without the skin has 50 fewer calories. Tasty as it might be, the skin contains mostly heart-unhealthy saturated fat. You can cook with the skin on to retain moisture (add fresh herbs or citrus zest underneath it to really bake in some flavor), but be sure to remove the skin before you enjoy your meal to save on calories and saturated fat.
3. Squeeze on the citrus. To add a powerful flavor punch with minimal added calories, use citrus on steamed veggies instead of butter or over a salad instead of a dressing. It’s even great on fruit salad in place of sugar and adds some zip when squeezed onto a pasta salad. Don’t forget to use the flavorful zest of citrus fruits as well! Wash a lemon, orange or lime, then use a zester or grater to add the zest to dishes such as baked seafood.
4. Be choosy about cheese. When using a mildly flavored cheese, such as Monterey Jack, you need more cheese to taste it. But when you choose a cheese with intense flavor, you can use less and still get the desired effect. Try a reduced-sodium feta, sharp Cheddar or aged Parmesan next time. Light cheese wedges such as The Laughing Cow brand are useful when you're watching fat and calories, too. Try mixing one of these soft cheeses into your scrambled eggs or noodle dishes instead of loading on the shredded mozzarella.
5. Go Greek. Tangy, fat-free Greek yogurt is a healthful replacement for sour cream. Try this switch in herbed and spiced dips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or throw it in a cooked dish as a thickening agent. You’ll save 45 calories for each 2-tablespoon serving.
6. Puree your produce. Add body to soups and sauces with pureed vegetables instead of heavy cream, evaporated milk, butter or cheese. This move will also add fiber and nutrients to your dish for very few calories. A puree of carrots will add texture to meatless spaghetti sauce, and mixing a blend of beans into a chili or soup will add flavor and thicken it—all with very few added calories. In this recipe, Chef Meg thickens a taco soup with chickpeas!
7. Get cozy with cottage cheese. When a recipe calls for a significant amount of a crumbled cheese, such as feta or ricotta, substitute half the amount with reduced-fat cottage cheese. This will retain taste, texture, protein, and calcium while ditching some of the fat and calories. This works well for stuffed peppers and most baked pasta dishes.
8. Pump up the veggies! You can easily reach the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies when you’re cooking at home. Veggies can compliment any dish on your menu, adding nutrient-packed bulk to the meal for few calories. Add chopped asparagus and mushrooms to your next omelet, red peppers (or a frozen stir fry mix) to baked casseroles, or any kind of beans to a pasta salad. Include fresh or frozen spinach in pasta sauces and soups, and broccoli in your casseroles. The opportunities for adding veggies are endless for almost any dish!
9. Cut the cream. When making cream-based soups, sub fat-free half-and-half for any heavy cream. The switch gives the soups a creamy taste and velvety texture without all the saturated fat of heavy cream. This works great in pasta sauces as well.
10. Make your own marinade. Marinate lean meats in vinegar and citrus combos (with a bit of oil added) rather than a pre-made oil-based dressing. You can also try a fruit juice or wine. These agents will still tenderize and flavor the meat, and a mix of herbs and spices will bring out the flavor! (You'll also save sodium by not using the store-bought varieties!) Try cutting the meat in strips before dousing it to really let the marinade take effect.
As you can see, there are endless ways you can boost the nutrition and reduce the calories of almost any recipe. Get creative and experiment in the kitchen. You may just find that you like these new ways of cooking just as much—or even better!
By Sarah Haan, Registered Dietitian, sparkpeople
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Go ahead, eat that Cookie!
Dreaming of a hazelnut thumbprint cookie?
Truth is, you should probably go ahead and indulge. Here's why:
Research shows that trying to stifle a craving just makes it grow bigger -- to the point where you can't resist it. And when you finally cave? You end up gobbling far more than you should.
1 vs. 100
Yep, having 1 cookie now may save you from having 100 cookies later. Especially if you are the type of person who tends to be preoccupied with dieting and thinking about the foods you should or shouldn't be eating. In a study, female college students were asked to sit alone and think about chocolate, avoid thinking about chocolate, or think about whatever they wished. Afterward, they sampled different chocolates -- and a pattern emerged. The diet-focused women who had been asked to avoid thinking about chocolate threw down most of the sweet stuff
When to Say "Yes"
So here's the key if you want to fit into your pants better after the holidays: Pick your battles. The longer your standoff with that chocolate-peppermint bark, the more dramatic your surrender may be. Allow yourself an occasional, sensibly sized treat. And afterward, don't feel bad, advises expert Keith Roach, MD. "Okay, you had the cookie. Now, don't beat yourself up about it," says Dr. Roach. "Because if you do, you're more likely to do something you'll really regret. Instead, actively enjoy -- and don't feel guilty about -- eating that cookie. Then, go make your home beautiful for the holidays."
And come the New Year, you may not be carrying around nearly as many extra pounds.
Truth is, you should probably go ahead and indulge. Here's why:
Research shows that trying to stifle a craving just makes it grow bigger -- to the point where you can't resist it. And when you finally cave? You end up gobbling far more than you should.
1 vs. 100
Yep, having 1 cookie now may save you from having 100 cookies later. Especially if you are the type of person who tends to be preoccupied with dieting and thinking about the foods you should or shouldn't be eating. In a study, female college students were asked to sit alone and think about chocolate, avoid thinking about chocolate, or think about whatever they wished. Afterward, they sampled different chocolates -- and a pattern emerged. The diet-focused women who had been asked to avoid thinking about chocolate threw down most of the sweet stuff
When to Say "Yes"
So here's the key if you want to fit into your pants better after the holidays: Pick your battles. The longer your standoff with that chocolate-peppermint bark, the more dramatic your surrender may be. Allow yourself an occasional, sensibly sized treat. And afterward, don't feel bad, advises expert Keith Roach, MD. "Okay, you had the cookie. Now, don't beat yourself up about it," says Dr. Roach. "Because if you do, you're more likely to do something you'll really regret. Instead, actively enjoy -- and don't feel guilty about -- eating that cookie. Then, go make your home beautiful for the holidays."
And come the New Year, you may not be carrying around nearly as many extra pounds.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
9 Hidden Reasons to Stay Motivated
Ways to Rediscover Your Drive
Everyone tells us to stay motivated. Our friends, our co-workers, our relatives say to keep going, don’t quit. Sometimes, though, you ask, "Why? Why try my hardest when it ends in disappointment? Why go through something when it’s going to hurt? Why?"
Because it’s going to be different this time! Because you can’t accomplish anything that you give up on. Disappointments and failures happen to everyone. The difference between those who reach their goals and those who don’t is staying motivated. If you’re motivated, you’ll keep going. If you keep going, eventually you’ll reach your goal.
Need more reasons? Here are 9 of our ‘hidden’ reasons to stay motivated. Use one or all of them to keep the fire burning inside you.
1. Confidence
How did it feel after that first jog around the block? Or when you finally walked the stairs at work without losing your breath? The more you accomplish, the more you’ll believe in yourself. 2. Fit into that dress
It’s been hanging up in your closet for two years now, just waiting to be thrown on for a night on the town. All it takes is for you to go that extra mile and stay on track. Before you know it, those two years will be ancient history.
3. Make the week easier
Ever felt like a week was taking forever? It feels like Friday, but it’s only Tuesday? This happens when you’re not working towards anything. When you have a goal in mind, you’ll want to cook that healthy dinner or go to the gym. The week will not only go faster, but be more enjoyable.
4. Gives you purpose
Every once in a while, we need a good reason to get out of bed. Here it is, right in front of you. Eat the healthy breakfast that’s going to jump start your day, go for your morning jog, or walk to the driveway and grab the newspaper. When you’re motivated, you have a reason to do what you do.
5. For your kids
And your grandkids. And their kids, too. The healthier you are, the longer you’ll be around to watch your kids grow and to spoil your grandchildren. They’ll want you to be around as long as possible; consider this just another present.
6. Power of momentum
It’s a scientific fact – something in motion tends to stay in motion. Momentum builds quickly and can lead to great results. Suddenly, you’re not only working for the goal, but also to keep your streak alive. Even more reason to reach your goals.
7. The ‘wow’ effect
Picture this: Walking into a restaurant, you run into someone from high school, and their eyes light up. They gasp, "Wow, you look great!" By sticking with your goals, this can happen. Watch the "wows" add up.
8. Spread the spark
When friends and family see how hard you’re working, they’ll wonder how they can reach their own goals. Guess who they’re going to look to for help? By staying motivated, you’ll not only help yourself, but others too.
9. Keep gaining experience
The more you do, the more you will learn and understand. You’ll discover which tactics work best for you and which ones don’t. It’s like weeding out the garden - not the most enjoyable job in the world, but when you’re done, all that’s left are beautiful flowers. Keeping sticking with it and soon it will be all flowers for you.
-- By Zach Van Hart, Staff Writer, sparkpeople
Everyone tells us to stay motivated. Our friends, our co-workers, our relatives say to keep going, don’t quit. Sometimes, though, you ask, "Why? Why try my hardest when it ends in disappointment? Why go through something when it’s going to hurt? Why?"
Because it’s going to be different this time! Because you can’t accomplish anything that you give up on. Disappointments and failures happen to everyone. The difference between those who reach their goals and those who don’t is staying motivated. If you’re motivated, you’ll keep going. If you keep going, eventually you’ll reach your goal.
Need more reasons? Here are 9 of our ‘hidden’ reasons to stay motivated. Use one or all of them to keep the fire burning inside you.
1. Confidence
How did it feel after that first jog around the block? Or when you finally walked the stairs at work without losing your breath? The more you accomplish, the more you’ll believe in yourself. 2. Fit into that dress
It’s been hanging up in your closet for two years now, just waiting to be thrown on for a night on the town. All it takes is for you to go that extra mile and stay on track. Before you know it, those two years will be ancient history.
3. Make the week easier
Ever felt like a week was taking forever? It feels like Friday, but it’s only Tuesday? This happens when you’re not working towards anything. When you have a goal in mind, you’ll want to cook that healthy dinner or go to the gym. The week will not only go faster, but be more enjoyable.
4. Gives you purpose
Every once in a while, we need a good reason to get out of bed. Here it is, right in front of you. Eat the healthy breakfast that’s going to jump start your day, go for your morning jog, or walk to the driveway and grab the newspaper. When you’re motivated, you have a reason to do what you do.
5. For your kids
And your grandkids. And their kids, too. The healthier you are, the longer you’ll be around to watch your kids grow and to spoil your grandchildren. They’ll want you to be around as long as possible; consider this just another present.
6. Power of momentum
It’s a scientific fact – something in motion tends to stay in motion. Momentum builds quickly and can lead to great results. Suddenly, you’re not only working for the goal, but also to keep your streak alive. Even more reason to reach your goals.
7. The ‘wow’ effect
Picture this: Walking into a restaurant, you run into someone from high school, and their eyes light up. They gasp, "Wow, you look great!" By sticking with your goals, this can happen. Watch the "wows" add up.
8. Spread the spark
When friends and family see how hard you’re working, they’ll wonder how they can reach their own goals. Guess who they’re going to look to for help? By staying motivated, you’ll not only help yourself, but others too.
9. Keep gaining experience
The more you do, the more you will learn and understand. You’ll discover which tactics work best for you and which ones don’t. It’s like weeding out the garden - not the most enjoyable job in the world, but when you’re done, all that’s left are beautiful flowers. Keeping sticking with it and soon it will be all flowers for you.
-- By Zach Van Hart, Staff Writer, sparkpeople
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Eat More, Lose More. (Really?)
You work out practically every day and you're feeling good because you've lost some weight. Until a week or so passes and you can't get the scale to budge. It's like an invisible wrench has been thrown into the works. Now what?
You start second-guessing everything you're doing:
· Maybe I'm eating too much?
· Should I work out harder?
· Do I have to live on parsley and hot water?
So you restrategize. You slash calories and step up the intensity of your workouts. Unfortunately, after another week, you're still not losing. Now you want to give up altogether.
But before you throw in the towel, ask yourself this:
Am I eating enough?
Contrary to popular belief, sometimes you have to eat more to lose weight. While that may sound counterintuitive, it often does the trick. Here's why:
1. Metabolism is the key to weight loss. If you don't eat enough, or often enough, your metabolism slows to a crawl and weight loss becomes more difficult, especially when you're exercising. That's why skipping meals isn't a good idea if the goal is to shed pounds. Tip: Always eat breakfast to kick-start metabolism and try eating mini-meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism fired up.
2. To keep your metabolism up, you MUST eat. Conventional wisdom dictates that when you first start dieting, the less you eat, the better. While it's true that you often should eat less, eating too little can backfire over time. As your body composition changes, your body will think it's starving, which can make it hold on to fat. (The process actually has to do with excessive release of a hormone called cortisol, but you don't need to know the details, so we'll just call it fat.) To avoid this, most experts agree that over time, you shouldn't eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day for women, 1,500 for men. If your daily diet consists of fewer calories than that, consider eating more. Tip: Keep a food diary to track calories.
3. You need more calories when you work out. If you're exercising while following a low-calorie eating plan, you'll need to take into account the calories you're burning. That's because it's now easier to enter starvation mode. Let's say you're burning 400 calories and only eating 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day. This means you're really only taking in 800 to 900 calories per day before you begin to calculate how your body composition is changing. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so as your body changes, you need to eat more to keep the weight loss coming. Tip: Drink an after-workout recovery drink. After hard workouts, its calories are utilized so quickly by your body, some people refer to them as "free calories." They really aren't, but those calories will ensure that your muscles (and metabolism) recover quickly.
And remember this:
Figuring out to what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat isn't easy. That's why people often refer to losing weight as a journey. It takes a few different paths to get there. Sometimes you have to adjust your ratio of protein, fat, and carbs to start losing again. Or adjust your calorie level, which can include eating more to lose weight.
Tip: Use a meal planner it can make figuring out your calories much, much easier. You can personalize an eating plan that takes your workouts into consideration.
Finally, if you're still on the fence about needing to eat more to lose weight: You might be thinking, "How come I know some really skinny people who barely eat?"
The answer is this: You can eventually lose weight by not eating. It's called starving. Reduce calories enough and your body will start breaking down its muscle tissue, and this will result in weight loss. However, it makes your body increase its emergency hormonal responses, which also causes your body to be stressed and hang onto fat, making it.very easy to gain the weight back again.
So I hope you take this thought away with you today: The idea is to keep your metabolism revving and running. This will help you get healthy and stay strong. Eat the right amount of food to help your body continuously burn calories, and you're more likely to shed those unwanted pounds.
By Justine Holberg , beachbody.com
You start second-guessing everything you're doing:
· Maybe I'm eating too much?
· Should I work out harder?
· Do I have to live on parsley and hot water?
So you restrategize. You slash calories and step up the intensity of your workouts. Unfortunately, after another week, you're still not losing. Now you want to give up altogether.
But before you throw in the towel, ask yourself this:
Am I eating enough?
Contrary to popular belief, sometimes you have to eat more to lose weight. While that may sound counterintuitive, it often does the trick. Here's why:
1. Metabolism is the key to weight loss. If you don't eat enough, or often enough, your metabolism slows to a crawl and weight loss becomes more difficult, especially when you're exercising. That's why skipping meals isn't a good idea if the goal is to shed pounds. Tip: Always eat breakfast to kick-start metabolism and try eating mini-meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism fired up.
2. To keep your metabolism up, you MUST eat. Conventional wisdom dictates that when you first start dieting, the less you eat, the better. While it's true that you often should eat less, eating too little can backfire over time. As your body composition changes, your body will think it's starving, which can make it hold on to fat. (The process actually has to do with excessive release of a hormone called cortisol, but you don't need to know the details, so we'll just call it fat.) To avoid this, most experts agree that over time, you shouldn't eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day for women, 1,500 for men. If your daily diet consists of fewer calories than that, consider eating more. Tip: Keep a food diary to track calories.
3. You need more calories when you work out. If you're exercising while following a low-calorie eating plan, you'll need to take into account the calories you're burning. That's because it's now easier to enter starvation mode. Let's say you're burning 400 calories and only eating 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day. This means you're really only taking in 800 to 900 calories per day before you begin to calculate how your body composition is changing. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so as your body changes, you need to eat more to keep the weight loss coming. Tip: Drink an after-workout recovery drink. After hard workouts, its calories are utilized so quickly by your body, some people refer to them as "free calories." They really aren't, but those calories will ensure that your muscles (and metabolism) recover quickly.
And remember this:
Figuring out to what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat isn't easy. That's why people often refer to losing weight as a journey. It takes a few different paths to get there. Sometimes you have to adjust your ratio of protein, fat, and carbs to start losing again. Or adjust your calorie level, which can include eating more to lose weight.
Tip: Use a meal planner it can make figuring out your calories much, much easier. You can personalize an eating plan that takes your workouts into consideration.
Finally, if you're still on the fence about needing to eat more to lose weight: You might be thinking, "How come I know some really skinny people who barely eat?"
The answer is this: You can eventually lose weight by not eating. It's called starving. Reduce calories enough and your body will start breaking down its muscle tissue, and this will result in weight loss. However, it makes your body increase its emergency hormonal responses, which also causes your body to be stressed and hang onto fat, making it.very easy to gain the weight back again.
So I hope you take this thought away with you today: The idea is to keep your metabolism revving and running. This will help you get healthy and stay strong. Eat the right amount of food to help your body continuously burn calories, and you're more likely to shed those unwanted pounds.
By Justine Holberg , beachbody.com
Monday, December 13, 2010
Shoot for the Moon
Harnessing a Child's Enthusiasm to Achieve Your Goals
Whoooosh! As I relaxed in a lawn chair, my six-year-old sank yet another basket. Watching his skill develop, I couldn’t help but dream about him becoming an NBA star some day. I could just picture it…I, his proud mama in the stands adorned in the appropriate team sweatshirt. After the game - a big hug and kiss for his mom while fans surround him and scream "We’re Number One!" And (of course), I could clearly see the big house he’d buy me to live out my old age (come on, if a girl’s gonna dream she may as well dream)!
When my husband and I first recognized my son’s passion for basketball, we did everything we could to help nurture his interest into the talent he so desperately wanted. I found a basketball camp in the area that would teach him the proper way to shoot and handle the basketball. My husband spent night after night watching basketball games with him (what a sacrifice…), explaining the rules and pointing out the techniques of the game.
It’s easy to recognize our children’s gifts and get excited and involved in developing them. Since it is so much fun to see the progress our kids can make, isn’t it strange that the same optimism about developing a new skill or finding a gift doesn’t always spill over to us?
Maybe one reason is that when we look at a child, we see nothing but a blank slate, ready to be filled with whatever outrageous and exaggerated dreams they can think up. Anything is possible! As we get older, though, our slate is no longer clean – we have "responsibilities" and "obligations" that leave no room for larger-than-life dreams. We foster the belief that if we can’t have it all, it’s not worth trying.
What a shame and a waste! If we were limited to the gifts and talents we developed as children, many of us would never discover the wonderful things in store for us. Anna Mary Robertson (also known as Grandma Moses) never even picked up a paintbrush until she was in her mid seventies. The year before she died, at 101 years old, she painted 25 pictures. What a loss it would have been if she had decided she had too many things preventing her from fulfilling her dream!
Sadly, that’s what many people much younger than Grandma Moses believe… when in reality, the possibilities for them are limited only by their own self-made barriers.
During the next few weeks I challenge you to break that pattern of self-destruction. You have built-in role models in your kids to observe and emulate – really watch how their excitement and zest for life and their built in desire to excel propel them to unlimited possibilities. Then, try to harness even a little of that enthusiasm into your own quest to achieve your goals and dreams. True, with your busy life you may not attain everything you desire immediately. But the results are bound to be better than the status quo! After all, as Les Brown reminds us, it’s always better to "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars!"
By Sue Dickinson, sparkpeople
Whoooosh! As I relaxed in a lawn chair, my six-year-old sank yet another basket. Watching his skill develop, I couldn’t help but dream about him becoming an NBA star some day. I could just picture it…I, his proud mama in the stands adorned in the appropriate team sweatshirt. After the game - a big hug and kiss for his mom while fans surround him and scream "We’re Number One!" And (of course), I could clearly see the big house he’d buy me to live out my old age (come on, if a girl’s gonna dream she may as well dream)!
When my husband and I first recognized my son’s passion for basketball, we did everything we could to help nurture his interest into the talent he so desperately wanted. I found a basketball camp in the area that would teach him the proper way to shoot and handle the basketball. My husband spent night after night watching basketball games with him (what a sacrifice…), explaining the rules and pointing out the techniques of the game.
It’s easy to recognize our children’s gifts and get excited and involved in developing them. Since it is so much fun to see the progress our kids can make, isn’t it strange that the same optimism about developing a new skill or finding a gift doesn’t always spill over to us?
Maybe one reason is that when we look at a child, we see nothing but a blank slate, ready to be filled with whatever outrageous and exaggerated dreams they can think up. Anything is possible! As we get older, though, our slate is no longer clean – we have "responsibilities" and "obligations" that leave no room for larger-than-life dreams. We foster the belief that if we can’t have it all, it’s not worth trying.
What a shame and a waste! If we were limited to the gifts and talents we developed as children, many of us would never discover the wonderful things in store for us. Anna Mary Robertson (also known as Grandma Moses) never even picked up a paintbrush until she was in her mid seventies. The year before she died, at 101 years old, she painted 25 pictures. What a loss it would have been if she had decided she had too many things preventing her from fulfilling her dream!
Sadly, that’s what many people much younger than Grandma Moses believe… when in reality, the possibilities for them are limited only by their own self-made barriers.
During the next few weeks I challenge you to break that pattern of self-destruction. You have built-in role models in your kids to observe and emulate – really watch how their excitement and zest for life and their built in desire to excel propel them to unlimited possibilities. Then, try to harness even a little of that enthusiasm into your own quest to achieve your goals and dreams. True, with your busy life you may not attain everything you desire immediately. But the results are bound to be better than the status quo! After all, as Les Brown reminds us, it’s always better to "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars!"
By Sue Dickinson, sparkpeople
Friday, December 10, 2010
10 Tips to Control Your Weight This Holiday Season
The holiday season wreaks havoc on our bodies. Stress and irregular sleep messes with our workout routine. Plus there is tempting food everywhere beckoning us and calling our names. From Halloween to New Year's Day the average weight gain is about 5 to 7 pounds. Unfortunately that weight doesn't drop off come January. It's like a winter coat that we never shed.
Why do you struggle with weight gain though the holidays? Many challenges exist, such as office potlucks, family gatherings, once-a-year treats, and traditions of over-eating. Take time now to think about your challenges and create new approaches for this holiday season.
Here are the 10 best tips to beat holiday weight gain. Which tips work for you?
10. Prioritize exercise.
Exercise in the morning so you start your day energized with a clear mind. Exercise gives you the mental reminder that you are living a healthy lifestyle, which keeps you on track and focused during the day. Can't swing a morning workout? Plan a lunch-hour workout with colleagues or buddy up to workout before leaving your worksite. Build exercise into your day; schedule it as you would any other commitment.
9. Don't be a caveperson.
Cave people are programmed to eat. Avoid famine and feast cycles by eating regularly throughout the day. It's hard to turn down the extra treats that fill the office this time of year, and when you are tired and starving, they are nearly impossible to resist.
8. Plan ahead.
Understand what food challenges you are facing so that you can make informed decisions. Call friends to see what healthy side dish you can bring to the dinner party. Look up restaurant information before going out to eat. Know when you need to pack a lunch or bring a healthy option to the office potluck.
7. Indulge with full awareness.
If you decide to indulge, do so consciously; make that tasty treat a part of a planned meal or snack. Then you can savor each and every bite.
6. Enhance family favorites.
As you plan your meals and treats for the holiday season, look for creative ways to cut calories and boost nutrients in your favorite recipes.
* Spice sweet potatoes with nutmeg and cinnamon rather than brown sugar.
* Make sure to prepare a few vegetable dishes, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed spinach and garlic or an arugula salad.
* Use dried fruit for half the chocolate chips in cookies and pumpkin or banana bread.
* Cut cookies and bars into smaller bite size pieces.
5. Honor your body's healthy limits.
Honor your body by committing to NOT overeat. Commit to filling your plate full of colorful veggies and cutting back portions of high calorie sides, such as stuffing, buttery rolls, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, savory appetizers, creamy dips, desserts and candies.
There's no need to eliminate these tasteful, traditional foods; just cut back your portions so that you finish the meal feeling satisfied, not stuffed.
* Save room for dessert so that it doesn't push you into a food coma.
* If you are tempted to overeat because many holiday foods are only served once a year, put away a plate of food to enjoy tomorrow. It will taste better when you are able to savor each bite, rather than stuffing extra bites into an already full stomach.
* Make one holiday favorite every month so that you are able to enjoy these favorites year round.
* Resist peer pressure to overeat. Talk to loved ones prior to meals and explain your personal goals.
* Eat slowly and savor each bite. You will be more satisfied and it will help limit comments such as, "you haven't eaten a thing" or "surely you will go back for more."
4. Eat breakfast every day.
Include a bit of protein at this important meal. Start the day with protein rich foods to control your appetite and boost self-control. This will help you to "just say no" to all of the holiday treats that surround you.
3. Don't let holiday weight gain creep up on you.
Weigh yourself once a week and make adjustments to your lifestyle as needed. If you gain a pound, reflect on your eating and exercise habits. Be curious not critical. Look for opportunities to make changes. Have you been stressed? Are you an emotional eater? Have been to more parties and social engagements? Eating out more often? These are factors that everyone faces more frequently this time of year, and they often lead to weight gain.
2. Keep alcohol consumption low.
How easily alcohol calories add up. During this social holiday season, you could easily gain a pound or two through alcohol alone.
* Pint of beer = 150 calories
* Typical glass of wine = 200 calories
* Martini = 250 calories
* Margarita = 300-800 calories depending on who makes it!
* Spiked eggnog = 400 calories per cup
These calorie counts don't even include the extras that come from reduced inhibitions and missing your morning workouts.
1. Get off the "See Food Diet"!
We see it, we want to eat it. This time of year, the "See Food Diet" consists of cookies, pastries, candies and fudge. Not too mention all of the leftovers, gifts and party favors. Change what you see, and you will change your body.
* Bring a beautiful bowl of fruit into the office.
* Place a bowl of nuts in the shell on your desk. You'll eat fewer when you have to crack them open yourself.
* Put cut veggies front and center in the fridge; use hummus or herbed ricotta as a healthy dip.
* Always bring a healthy option to dinners, parties and potlucks.
* Gift your office or home with an opaque candy dish or cookie jar. When you don't see it, you're less likely to eat the treat.
* Get rid of leftovers. If you throw a party, clean out the house the next day. Host a dinner? * Send everyone home with leftovers or have a "part 2 dinner" the next night.
Surround yourself with the healthy foods that you need to eat, and you will find it easier to maintain your weight--or even lose weight--during this holiday season.
By Hana A. Feeney, MS, RD, CSSD For Active.com
Why do you struggle with weight gain though the holidays? Many challenges exist, such as office potlucks, family gatherings, once-a-year treats, and traditions of over-eating. Take time now to think about your challenges and create new approaches for this holiday season.
Here are the 10 best tips to beat holiday weight gain. Which tips work for you?
10. Prioritize exercise.
Exercise in the morning so you start your day energized with a clear mind. Exercise gives you the mental reminder that you are living a healthy lifestyle, which keeps you on track and focused during the day. Can't swing a morning workout? Plan a lunch-hour workout with colleagues or buddy up to workout before leaving your worksite. Build exercise into your day; schedule it as you would any other commitment.
9. Don't be a caveperson.
Cave people are programmed to eat. Avoid famine and feast cycles by eating regularly throughout the day. It's hard to turn down the extra treats that fill the office this time of year, and when you are tired and starving, they are nearly impossible to resist.
8. Plan ahead.
Understand what food challenges you are facing so that you can make informed decisions. Call friends to see what healthy side dish you can bring to the dinner party. Look up restaurant information before going out to eat. Know when you need to pack a lunch or bring a healthy option to the office potluck.
7. Indulge with full awareness.
If you decide to indulge, do so consciously; make that tasty treat a part of a planned meal or snack. Then you can savor each and every bite.
6. Enhance family favorites.
As you plan your meals and treats for the holiday season, look for creative ways to cut calories and boost nutrients in your favorite recipes.
* Spice sweet potatoes with nutmeg and cinnamon rather than brown sugar.
* Make sure to prepare a few vegetable dishes, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed spinach and garlic or an arugula salad.
* Use dried fruit for half the chocolate chips in cookies and pumpkin or banana bread.
* Cut cookies and bars into smaller bite size pieces.
5. Honor your body's healthy limits.
Honor your body by committing to NOT overeat. Commit to filling your plate full of colorful veggies and cutting back portions of high calorie sides, such as stuffing, buttery rolls, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, savory appetizers, creamy dips, desserts and candies.
There's no need to eliminate these tasteful, traditional foods; just cut back your portions so that you finish the meal feeling satisfied, not stuffed.
* Save room for dessert so that it doesn't push you into a food coma.
* If you are tempted to overeat because many holiday foods are only served once a year, put away a plate of food to enjoy tomorrow. It will taste better when you are able to savor each bite, rather than stuffing extra bites into an already full stomach.
* Make one holiday favorite every month so that you are able to enjoy these favorites year round.
* Resist peer pressure to overeat. Talk to loved ones prior to meals and explain your personal goals.
* Eat slowly and savor each bite. You will be more satisfied and it will help limit comments such as, "you haven't eaten a thing" or "surely you will go back for more."
4. Eat breakfast every day.
Include a bit of protein at this important meal. Start the day with protein rich foods to control your appetite and boost self-control. This will help you to "just say no" to all of the holiday treats that surround you.
3. Don't let holiday weight gain creep up on you.
Weigh yourself once a week and make adjustments to your lifestyle as needed. If you gain a pound, reflect on your eating and exercise habits. Be curious not critical. Look for opportunities to make changes. Have you been stressed? Are you an emotional eater? Have been to more parties and social engagements? Eating out more often? These are factors that everyone faces more frequently this time of year, and they often lead to weight gain.
2. Keep alcohol consumption low.
How easily alcohol calories add up. During this social holiday season, you could easily gain a pound or two through alcohol alone.
* Pint of beer = 150 calories
* Typical glass of wine = 200 calories
* Martini = 250 calories
* Margarita = 300-800 calories depending on who makes it!
* Spiked eggnog = 400 calories per cup
These calorie counts don't even include the extras that come from reduced inhibitions and missing your morning workouts.
1. Get off the "See Food Diet"!
We see it, we want to eat it. This time of year, the "See Food Diet" consists of cookies, pastries, candies and fudge. Not too mention all of the leftovers, gifts and party favors. Change what you see, and you will change your body.
* Bring a beautiful bowl of fruit into the office.
* Place a bowl of nuts in the shell on your desk. You'll eat fewer when you have to crack them open yourself.
* Put cut veggies front and center in the fridge; use hummus or herbed ricotta as a healthy dip.
* Always bring a healthy option to dinners, parties and potlucks.
* Gift your office or home with an opaque candy dish or cookie jar. When you don't see it, you're less likely to eat the treat.
* Get rid of leftovers. If you throw a party, clean out the house the next day. Host a dinner? * Send everyone home with leftovers or have a "part 2 dinner" the next night.
Surround yourself with the healthy foods that you need to eat, and you will find it easier to maintain your weight--or even lose weight--during this holiday season.
By Hana A. Feeney, MS, RD, CSSD For Active.com
Thursday, December 9, 2010
How to Reduce the Number of Empty Calories in Your Diet
Overview
High-calorie foods with little or no nutritional value are called empty calorie foods. Empty calories do little, if anything, towards nourishing your body and do not fill you up as well as nutrient-dense foods do. A diet high in empty calorie foods can lead to weight gain, malnutrition, diabetes and other health conditions. High-calorie foods are usually empty calorie foods, while low-calorie foods are usually high in nutrients, according to Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health and Nutrition at the University of Washington. With the multitude of food choices at food stores and at restaurants, it can be confusing to know which foods to choose. You can reduce empty calories from your diet by learning which foods to avoid and healthier alternatives to include in your diet.
Step 1
Eliminate sugary drinks, such as soda and punch. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimates that a "20-oz. bottle of soda can contain 16 - 1/2 tsp. of sugar" and warns that high consumption of sugary drinks is associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and cancer. Better drink choices are water, skim milk, soymilk or herbal tea sweetened with honey.
Step 2
Limit juice consumption to one glass a day and instead eat whole fruit to satisfy your daily fruit intake. Whole fruit contains fewer calories and more fiber than juice does.
Step 3
Start your day with oatmeal or a poached egg and a slice of fruit, instead of pancakes, waffles or pastries.
Step 4
Snack on raw carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli florets, cucumbers or other fresh vegetables instead of chips or crackers.
Step 5
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a piece of fresh fruit instead of cookies, donuts or other sugary sweets.
Step 6
Replace white rice and white bread, foods that are processed to remove the nutrient and fiber rich grain and bran, with brown rice and whole grain wheat bread, which are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Step 7
Eat steamed or baked foods instead of deep fried foods cooked in empty-calorie oils.
Step 8
Say no to french fries and instead eat a baked potato with the skin on. Top the potato with cheese and broccoli for a nutrient-rich meal.
Step 9
Include nutrient-dense, high-fiber lentils and beans in your diet, which serve as a healthy replacement to empty calorie boxed potatoes and white pastas.
Step 10
Skip drinking alcoholic beverages, which are high in calories and void of nutrients.
High-calorie foods with little or no nutritional value are called empty calorie foods. Empty calories do little, if anything, towards nourishing your body and do not fill you up as well as nutrient-dense foods do. A diet high in empty calorie foods can lead to weight gain, malnutrition, diabetes and other health conditions. High-calorie foods are usually empty calorie foods, while low-calorie foods are usually high in nutrients, according to Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health and Nutrition at the University of Washington. With the multitude of food choices at food stores and at restaurants, it can be confusing to know which foods to choose. You can reduce empty calories from your diet by learning which foods to avoid and healthier alternatives to include in your diet.
Step 1
Eliminate sugary drinks, such as soda and punch. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimates that a "20-oz. bottle of soda can contain 16 - 1/2 tsp. of sugar" and warns that high consumption of sugary drinks is associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and cancer. Better drink choices are water, skim milk, soymilk or herbal tea sweetened with honey.
Step 2
Limit juice consumption to one glass a day and instead eat whole fruit to satisfy your daily fruit intake. Whole fruit contains fewer calories and more fiber than juice does.
Step 3
Start your day with oatmeal or a poached egg and a slice of fruit, instead of pancakes, waffles or pastries.
Step 4
Snack on raw carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli florets, cucumbers or other fresh vegetables instead of chips or crackers.
Step 5
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a piece of fresh fruit instead of cookies, donuts or other sugary sweets.
Step 6
Replace white rice and white bread, foods that are processed to remove the nutrient and fiber rich grain and bran, with brown rice and whole grain wheat bread, which are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Step 7
Eat steamed or baked foods instead of deep fried foods cooked in empty-calorie oils.
Step 8
Say no to french fries and instead eat a baked potato with the skin on. Top the potato with cheese and broccoli for a nutrient-rich meal.
Step 9
Include nutrient-dense, high-fiber lentils and beans in your diet, which serve as a healthy replacement to empty calorie boxed potatoes and white pastas.
Step 10
Skip drinking alcoholic beverages, which are high in calories and void of nutrients.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Look Great Naked!
Years ago I coined the phrase, “Look Great Naked!” The phrase was an instant hit with the media, and soon became the impetus for my website, a national magazine column and a series of bestselling books.
It came about after consulting with scores of women who all shared the same lament: They’d tell me that they looked okay in clothes, but when standing in front of the mirror after a morning shower… well, let’s just say they weren’t exactly thrilled with their appearance.
Their goals were clear: they wanted to look great naked. Only thing is, while the goal might seem simple, achieving it isn’t so easy.
That’s where I come in. I’ve spent the past 20 years helping people get into the best shapes of their lives. As I tell every one of my clients, everyone has the ability to look great naked provided they follow the right exercise and nutritional regimen and devote the necessary sweat and effort.
To start things off, here are four directives that are essential in the quest to look great naked. Use these as the basis of your training philosophy and you’ll be off to a good start.
1) Pump it up: While almost any form of exercise is beneficial, lifting weights is the most important activity you can perform. Not only does it produce a shapely, firm physique, but it also helps to reduce body fat. The reason has to do with the metabolic properties of muscle tissue. For each pound of muscle that you gain, your body burns up to 50 additional calories a day at rest. Thus, by putting on a mere five pounds of muscle (something that can be accomplished in just a few months time), you’ll burn an additional 250 calories a day, even while lying on your couch watching TV! Better yet, most of the resting energy is derived from fat, so you ultimately will tap into those hard-to-reduce areas.
2) Leave your comfort zone: If you want to maximize fat loss, you need to push yourself during exercise. Not only does an intense workout burn more calories during your workout, but it heightens a phenomenon called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) — the amount of calories you burn after your workout is finished — which can amount to several hundred extra calories burned a day. Thus, when you lift weights, make sure the last few reps are a challenge to complete. With cardiovascular exercise, perform interval training where you combine short bouts of high-intensity intervals (i.e. running) with bouts of lower-intensity intervals (i.e. walking). Bottom line: train harder and you’ll exponentially increase the number of calories you’ll burn.
3) Mix it up: They say variety is the spice of life — well it’s also the spice of exercise. The human body is a very adaptive organism and will stop responding if the same workout is performed over and over. What’s more, the repetitive stress to the same muscles and joints can lead to an increased incidence of injury. To avoid this trap, strive to do different things each time you work out. When you lift weights, perform different exercises and vary your repetition range. For cardio, cross train amongst several different modalities. Not only will you keep your workout fresh, but you’ll see better results and reduce the prospect of injury.
4) Less is more: Not only isn’t it necessary to spend hours in the gym, it’s counterproductive. Here’s why: When you train, your body breaks down muscle tissue. If you don’t allow sufficient time for rest and recuperation, you ultimately become over trained and results cease to exist. Provided you exercise properly, three hour-long weight training sessions a week is all that’s needed to optimally develop your physique. Remember, it’s the quality — not the quantity — of exercise that produces results.
Until next time… Stay fit!
It came about after consulting with scores of women who all shared the same lament: They’d tell me that they looked okay in clothes, but when standing in front of the mirror after a morning shower… well, let’s just say they weren’t exactly thrilled with their appearance.
Their goals were clear: they wanted to look great naked. Only thing is, while the goal might seem simple, achieving it isn’t so easy.
That’s where I come in. I’ve spent the past 20 years helping people get into the best shapes of their lives. As I tell every one of my clients, everyone has the ability to look great naked provided they follow the right exercise and nutritional regimen and devote the necessary sweat and effort.
To start things off, here are four directives that are essential in the quest to look great naked. Use these as the basis of your training philosophy and you’ll be off to a good start.
1) Pump it up: While almost any form of exercise is beneficial, lifting weights is the most important activity you can perform. Not only does it produce a shapely, firm physique, but it also helps to reduce body fat. The reason has to do with the metabolic properties of muscle tissue. For each pound of muscle that you gain, your body burns up to 50 additional calories a day at rest. Thus, by putting on a mere five pounds of muscle (something that can be accomplished in just a few months time), you’ll burn an additional 250 calories a day, even while lying on your couch watching TV! Better yet, most of the resting energy is derived from fat, so you ultimately will tap into those hard-to-reduce areas.
2) Leave your comfort zone: If you want to maximize fat loss, you need to push yourself during exercise. Not only does an intense workout burn more calories during your workout, but it heightens a phenomenon called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) — the amount of calories you burn after your workout is finished — which can amount to several hundred extra calories burned a day. Thus, when you lift weights, make sure the last few reps are a challenge to complete. With cardiovascular exercise, perform interval training where you combine short bouts of high-intensity intervals (i.e. running) with bouts of lower-intensity intervals (i.e. walking). Bottom line: train harder and you’ll exponentially increase the number of calories you’ll burn.
3) Mix it up: They say variety is the spice of life — well it’s also the spice of exercise. The human body is a very adaptive organism and will stop responding if the same workout is performed over and over. What’s more, the repetitive stress to the same muscles and joints can lead to an increased incidence of injury. To avoid this trap, strive to do different things each time you work out. When you lift weights, perform different exercises and vary your repetition range. For cardio, cross train amongst several different modalities. Not only will you keep your workout fresh, but you’ll see better results and reduce the prospect of injury.
4) Less is more: Not only isn’t it necessary to spend hours in the gym, it’s counterproductive. Here’s why: When you train, your body breaks down muscle tissue. If you don’t allow sufficient time for rest and recuperation, you ultimately become over trained and results cease to exist. Provided you exercise properly, three hour-long weight training sessions a week is all that’s needed to optimally develop your physique. Remember, it’s the quality — not the quantity — of exercise that produces results.
Until next time… Stay fit!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Give Yourself a Strong Finish This Year!
As I've mentioned before, Spinning is one of my favorite workout classes, whether I'm taking the class as a student or leading the ride myself as the instructor. I love to teach Spinning, and I try to draw on various motivational techniques and phrases to keep the students going during the toughest parts of the class, such as all-out sprints or steep hills that never seem to end. During these times, I can tell when my class is working hard and struggling, wishing for a break in the intensity so they can recover.
Sometimes, when I let them know that the end of a sprint or top of a hill is just 15 seconds away—so close that they can "see" it—I notice that my students do one of two things: They either slow down right away, coasting to the finish without much effort – OR – they buckle down and push on through the end with strength and heart. Which person are you?
When you mess up on your diet, do you give up for the rest of the week, or get back on track so that one slipup doesn't get in your way?
When life gets busy, do you skip your workouts entirely, or do you squeeze in whatever you can, even if it's only 10 or 15 minutes?
When the holiday season hits—with all its glorious food and parties—do you resign to gain weight and restart next year, or do you continue pushing forward with all the effort you can muster?
Climbing a hill in Spinning class isn't that much different than any other challenge or goal in life. You have to decide that you want to do it, work hard even though resistance is working against you, and then follow through until you reach the top.
Two common phrases I repeat to my Spinning students are, "Give yourself a finish that you'll be proud of," and, "Finish just as strong as you started." And that's what I want to encourage you to do as you're facing the most difficult time of year for sticking to healthy eating and exercise habits.
You will never regret choosing to work hard and climb to the top of that hill, no matter how challenging it may be or how much resistance is trying to hold you back. But you will regret giving up early, putting it off, and simply coasting to the finish line (which is a lot like backpedaling). In a race, a runner doesn't start to walk once the finish line is in sight ("Whew, I'm almost there, so I'll just relax now!"). That runner kicks it in and gives everything he or she has left until they cross that line. So why should you treat your own goals any differently? Your personal finish line is no less important, and you owe it to yourself to get there without giving up. Use whatever effort you have left so that you, too, can finish out the year—that final hill—with a sprint to the finish. A finish you can be proud of.
Have you committed to a strong finish this year, or are you going to give up and start over in 2011?
By: Nicole Nichols, sparkpeople
Sometimes, when I let them know that the end of a sprint or top of a hill is just 15 seconds away—so close that they can "see" it—I notice that my students do one of two things: They either slow down right away, coasting to the finish without much effort – OR – they buckle down and push on through the end with strength and heart. Which person are you?
When you mess up on your diet, do you give up for the rest of the week, or get back on track so that one slipup doesn't get in your way?
When life gets busy, do you skip your workouts entirely, or do you squeeze in whatever you can, even if it's only 10 or 15 minutes?
When the holiday season hits—with all its glorious food and parties—do you resign to gain weight and restart next year, or do you continue pushing forward with all the effort you can muster?
Climbing a hill in Spinning class isn't that much different than any other challenge or goal in life. You have to decide that you want to do it, work hard even though resistance is working against you, and then follow through until you reach the top.
Two common phrases I repeat to my Spinning students are, "Give yourself a finish that you'll be proud of," and, "Finish just as strong as you started." And that's what I want to encourage you to do as you're facing the most difficult time of year for sticking to healthy eating and exercise habits.
You will never regret choosing to work hard and climb to the top of that hill, no matter how challenging it may be or how much resistance is trying to hold you back. But you will regret giving up early, putting it off, and simply coasting to the finish line (which is a lot like backpedaling). In a race, a runner doesn't start to walk once the finish line is in sight ("Whew, I'm almost there, so I'll just relax now!"). That runner kicks it in and gives everything he or she has left until they cross that line. So why should you treat your own goals any differently? Your personal finish line is no less important, and you owe it to yourself to get there without giving up. Use whatever effort you have left so that you, too, can finish out the year—that final hill—with a sprint to the finish. A finish you can be proud of.
Have you committed to a strong finish this year, or are you going to give up and start over in 2011?
By: Nicole Nichols, sparkpeople
Monday, December 6, 2010
Remember to Reward Yourself, Without Food
How to Pat Yourself on the Back
Everyone likes a pat on the back every once in a while. And there’s no better time to get one than when you’re out of your comfort zone, challenging yourself to improve, nervous about whether you can succeed.
Most people approach changing their health habits from a position of "pain". They constantly nag themselves, berate themselves and expect nothing but perfection, no matter how much progress is made. Tools of the trade are guilt, doubt, shame and self-flogging. Instead of celebrating the 24 pounds they’ve lost, they see the six they still haven’t lost. Sound familiar? To people used to beating themselves up, it may seem like the best way to get motivated. But consider this: if you attempted to motivate an employee like that, how long do you think they’d stick around? How successful would they be?
Let’s do it differently this time. Try to approach your goals from a position of "possibilities" instead. Find ways to use regular rewards to pat yourself on the back and give a word of encouragement. Instead of focusing on what you do wrong, try paying more attention to what you do right. While straight talk and brutal honesty are often good for getting your butt moving, for sustained motivation, the positive approach will keep you from burning out.
Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, pound to pound, and mile to mile.
Here’s how to set up a good rewards system:
* Choose some benchmarks and reward levels. You can also reward yourself for levels of consistency.
* Make the reward meaningful to you. As a reward, a new pair of shoes may not hold as much motivation as a simple night alone with a book. Then again, it might.
* Choose two or three options from the Reward Roster below or come up with a few reward options of your own. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can’t buy. * A lot of small rewards, used for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than relying solely on the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.
* Don’t use food as a reward. Even good food. It’s just too much of a slippery slope. Don’t even mess with it.
* Plan to celebrate. Figure out now how you’re going to celebrate reaching your health, fitness or nutrition goal. Involve other people, tell them about it. Create a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.
* Be honest with yourself. Fudging the numbers mentally, or "borrowing" against the next reward hurts the cause of building a lifetime habit. Remember to keep your focus on building a habit, not just figuring out how to get the reward.
REWARD ROSTER CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITES AND USE THEM LIBERALLY
* Compliment yourself. Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did.
* Create an actual plaque or trophy.
* Give yourself badges of honor for different levels of accomplishment.
* Take a vacation or weekend getaway.
* Take a day off from any goal activities.
* Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself.
* Create a Trophy Scrapbook, where you keep mementos from your accomplishments.
* See a movie.
* Make a grab bag of little prizes. When you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!
* Go for a spa treatment or massage.
* Buy yourself a gift certificate.
* Take a limo ride.
* Subscribe to a magazine you always wanted.
* Go canoeing or do something outdoorsy.
* Watch your favorite TV show.
* Buy something for your hobby.
* Read a funny book.
* Celebrate "100% Days". If you reach 100% of your goals that day, choose two rewards.
* Find some time to be by yourself.
* Pay someone to do the yardwork or house cleaning this week.
* Fly a kite.
-- By Mike Kramer, SparkPeople Contributor
Everyone likes a pat on the back every once in a while. And there’s no better time to get one than when you’re out of your comfort zone, challenging yourself to improve, nervous about whether you can succeed.
Most people approach changing their health habits from a position of "pain". They constantly nag themselves, berate themselves and expect nothing but perfection, no matter how much progress is made. Tools of the trade are guilt, doubt, shame and self-flogging. Instead of celebrating the 24 pounds they’ve lost, they see the six they still haven’t lost. Sound familiar? To people used to beating themselves up, it may seem like the best way to get motivated. But consider this: if you attempted to motivate an employee like that, how long do you think they’d stick around? How successful would they be?
Let’s do it differently this time. Try to approach your goals from a position of "possibilities" instead. Find ways to use regular rewards to pat yourself on the back and give a word of encouragement. Instead of focusing on what you do wrong, try paying more attention to what you do right. While straight talk and brutal honesty are often good for getting your butt moving, for sustained motivation, the positive approach will keep you from burning out.
Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, pound to pound, and mile to mile.
Here’s how to set up a good rewards system:
* Choose some benchmarks and reward levels. You can also reward yourself for levels of consistency.
* Make the reward meaningful to you. As a reward, a new pair of shoes may not hold as much motivation as a simple night alone with a book. Then again, it might.
* Choose two or three options from the Reward Roster below or come up with a few reward options of your own. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can’t buy. * A lot of small rewards, used for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than relying solely on the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.
* Don’t use food as a reward. Even good food. It’s just too much of a slippery slope. Don’t even mess with it.
* Plan to celebrate. Figure out now how you’re going to celebrate reaching your health, fitness or nutrition goal. Involve other people, tell them about it. Create a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.
* Be honest with yourself. Fudging the numbers mentally, or "borrowing" against the next reward hurts the cause of building a lifetime habit. Remember to keep your focus on building a habit, not just figuring out how to get the reward.
REWARD ROSTER CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITES AND USE THEM LIBERALLY
* Compliment yourself. Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did.
* Create an actual plaque or trophy.
* Give yourself badges of honor for different levels of accomplishment.
* Take a vacation or weekend getaway.
* Take a day off from any goal activities.
* Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself.
* Create a Trophy Scrapbook, where you keep mementos from your accomplishments.
* See a movie.
* Make a grab bag of little prizes. When you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!
* Go for a spa treatment or massage.
* Buy yourself a gift certificate.
* Take a limo ride.
* Subscribe to a magazine you always wanted.
* Go canoeing or do something outdoorsy.
* Watch your favorite TV show.
* Buy something for your hobby.
* Read a funny book.
* Celebrate "100% Days". If you reach 100% of your goals that day, choose two rewards.
* Find some time to be by yourself.
* Pay someone to do the yardwork or house cleaning this week.
* Fly a kite.
-- By Mike Kramer, SparkPeople Contributor
Friday, December 3, 2010
Why the Scale Lies!
We've been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning.
A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content.
That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners. Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.
Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it's associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you're prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.
Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.
Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it's likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.
This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.
Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current. If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It's a matter of mind over scale.
Health discovery
A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content.
That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners. Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.
Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it's associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you're prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.
Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.
Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it's likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.
This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.
Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current. If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It's a matter of mind over scale.
Health discovery
Thursday, December 2, 2010
36 seasonal foods you shouldn't eat
Have a healthy holiday
'Tis the season to be jolly—and pack on pounds indulging in rich, fattening fare.
Here are 36 holiday diet hazards you and your family should avoid, along with healthier options that only taste indulgent!
If you simply can't resist a calorie-laden holiday favorite, make sure to keep portions small.
Cheese straws
These party staples look so innocent, but just one straw packs a third of your daily limit for saturated fat!You're better off snacking on pretzels, popcorn, or even a few chips with salsa. And if you really want to do your arteries (and taste buds) a favor, serve this fat-free salsa, which boasts 2 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
Swedish meatballs
This tempting classic may seem harmless. Still, lurking within each ball can be at least 400 calories of white bread, butter, heavy cream, and sodium-laden beef broth. If you can't resist this diet hazard, our lighter version has almost a fourth of the fat and 50% of the calories and sodium.
Eggnog
Step…away…from the eggnog. With ingredients like sugar, eggs, whipping cream, and bourbon, this is a nutritional bullet smart revelers will dodge. One cup has 343 calories, 150 milligrams of cholesterol, half of the USDA's suggested daily limit, and 21 grams of sugar, almost a day's worth. Instead, enjoy spiced cider. And if you're really craving a creamy glass of eggnog, our nog made with unsweetened cocoa powder lightens it up.
Stuffed potatoes
Baked potatoes are rich in vitamin C and fiber, but add in cheese, sour cream, and butter, and you've negated most of the health benefits. One medium stuffed potato has 316 calories and 8.25 grams of saturated fat. That's almost half of your suggested daily upper limit of saturated fat. Lighten up your potatoes by using low-fat dairy products or adding low-cal veggies like onions and spinach. Or, you can roast sweet potatoes in the oven instead; each has less than half of the calories and only 2.4 grams of total fat.
Creamed spinach
What happens when you combine healthy veggies like corn and spinach with cream, butter, and cheese? A side dish with more than 75% of your saturated fat for the day. Boston Market's creamed spinach side has 280 calories (almost entirely from fat) and 15 grams of saturated fat. If you love the creamy taste, make a healthier recipe using low-fat milk and light cream cheese instead of cream. This lowers the total fat per serving to 3.7 grams.
Pot roast
Even the trimmed, lean version of this popular holiday meat contains 7 grams of saturated fat. One 3-ounce serving of traditional beef pot roast has 280 calories and 20 grams of total fat. But think about how many ounces you're actually adding to your plate, plus the calories from gravy. Much more!White-meat turkey or even lean beef tenderloin is healthier for your heart. Our herb-roasted turkey recipe has only 180 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.
Fruitcake
Don't let the name deceive you. Though this sweet treat contains fruit, it can also have plenty of butter, sugar, and corn syrup. One slice we tried clocks in at 410 calories and 13 grams of fat. You'd actually be better off enjoying a slice of pumpkin pie, which contains about 250 calories per slice as well as beta-carotene. Or, bake this lighter loaf with grits, bananas, and blueberries; it has only 145 calories per slice.
Pecan pie
On their own pecans are a high-cal nut, but combine them with sugar, butter, and corn syrup, and you've got a potentially deadly dessert. A single slice will cost you more than 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar. Still, there's no reason to skip dessert—try baking something lighter instead. This apple pie has less than a quarter of the fat per slice. And you're getting additional fiber from the apples as a bonus.
Cheesecake
Beware of this delectable dessert, a crowd favorite on any occasion. One slice of Cheesecake Factory's original cheesecake has 707 calories and 29 grams of fat. That's about half of the 65 grams the USDA recommends for the average woman eating 2,000 calories a day. And we haven't even mentioned assorted flavors and toppings! If cheesecake is one of your choice indulgences, select a light version that is garnished with fruit. One slice of our cheesecake with fresh strawberry sauce has only 245 calories and 8.4 grams of fat.
Candied yams
Packed with vitamins and fiber, sweet potatoes are a superfood. However, candied yams are a different story. Though the savory starch is the main component of this side dish, common recipes tell you to add up to six cups of sugar before you start baking, racking up a total of 38 grams per serving. The American Heart Association suggests that added sugar intake be limited to 25 grams per day for women and 37 grams per day for men. The side also tacks on over 400 calories to your plate. Our sweet potato casserole is trimmed down and just right for the holidays. It has at least 7 less grams of sugar per serving, and butter is replaced with half-and-half, lowering the fat content.
Cranberry sauce
Cranberries are a great source of vitamin E, K, and C, and dietary fiber. Still, pay close attention at the dinner table during the holidays. Typical canned cranberry sauce has 105 grams of sugar per serving, over four times the amount the AHA recommends per day for women. It also adds over 400 calories to your plate. Incorporate fresh or frozen fruit and less sugar to make a healthier turkey topping. For example, our spiced cranberry sauce recipe uses three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar total and is only 74 calories per serving.
Yorkshire pudding
Any pudding that requires flour, salt, and melted beef fat can't be good for your health, but this old-school side dish has been around since the 1700s. It was originally created to make use of the fat that dropped into the dripping pan while meat roasted. One serving has about 625 calories and 37 grams of total fat, over half of your upper limit for the entire day.If you must include this battered pudding in your holiday dinner plans, our lighter version has only 131 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.
Spinach and artichoke dip
The name of this popular appetizer can easily be misleading to the average partygoer. Spinach and artichokes alone are nutritious. However, generous amounts of mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese overpower the vitamin-packed veggies. One popular restaurant's spinach and artichoke dip with tostada chips has 905 calories and 3,100 milligrams of sodium, over 1,000 more milligrams than the USDA recommends!Try this healthier version and watch your portion size. One serving has just 59 calories and 183 mg of sodium.
Prime rib
Prime rib is a beloved cut of beef, especially during the holidays. Still, it happens to come from the fattest part of the cow. One piece of prime rib can house up to 750 calories and 45 grams of fat, without the added sauce or seasoning! Plus, 8 ounces has 450 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 mg more than the USDA recommends for men and women to consume per day.If you're a steak lover, there are other cuts to choose from that are just as appetizing if cooked properly. Beef tenderloin has one-fourth the calories. This dish is made with port-mushroom sauce; it has 22 grams of fat and only 93 mg of cholesterol.
Sausage stuffing
Think twice before stuffing your face with this ominous mixture. It could be harboring a ton of unhealthy foods. One recipe uses a pound of sweet Italian sausage, a stick of butter, a cup of toasted pecans, and maple syrup. Generic sausage stuffing has 345 calories, 235 from fat, setting you back about 26 grams of fat altogether. But as with many holiday meals, there are healthy alternatives, such as our stuffing made with cornbread and cranberries, with only 9 grams of total fat.
Dark-meat turkey with skin
In general, turkey has more lean meat compared to other entree selections, but be careful when choosing which part of the bird you want to eat. Dark meat with skin has 70 more calories and three times more fat per serving than plain white meat without skin. The skin alone can hold up to 44 grams of total fat.Though dark meat contains more iron, you'll get about the same amount of protein. So ditch the skin and opt for white meat! Our recipe uses turkey breast and spinach-feta stuffing and is a healthy and festive alternative
Green bean casserole with fried onions
Green beans are a hearty vegetable, boasting dietary fiber and vitamins A and C. Still, this casserole is far from wholesome. Butter, cheese, salt, and fried onions take away from the health perks of the beans. One full batch has 785 calories and 4,128 milligrams of sodium. You probably won't take the entire dish for yourself, but it's still important to watch your portion size. For a comparable savor with fewer calories and less salt, make this casserole. Broccoli and water chestnuts give the dish a refreshing crunch.
Croissants
They are so light and fluffy we think croissants are low in fat and calories—perfect for a holiday brunch! But what makes them so mouth-watering? Sugar, salt, and butter between each and every layer of flour dough. A butter croissant from Starbucks has 310 calories and 18 grams of total fat. This pastry isn't as bad as a box of donuts, but it has almost no nutritional value.When serving breakfast to houseguests during the holidays, offer healthier choices that are even tastier, like these pancakes made with maple yogurt. Ingredients like rolled oats, blueberries, and Greek yogurt supply fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
Potato pancakes
Even though potato pancakes are a well-liked holiday substitute for mashed potatoes, they're battered with egg, flour, and breadcrumbs, and then fried in oil. This method makes them crisp and golden brown, but also rather unhealthy. An average pancake has over 200 calories and 11 grams of fat, plus extra saturated fat from cooking oil. And who can stop with just one? To lighten up your cakes, use modest amounts of egg whites, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. Our potato cakes have only 80 calories and less than a gram of fat!
Hot buttered rum
Sipping a warm cocktail by the fire on a cold winter evening sounds enticing. However, the calorie count may scare you away: One cup of hot buttered rum has over 300 calories and 13 grams of fat—not to mention tons of added melted butter and sugar. The dangerous concoction also has 40 milligrams of cholesterol, one-seventh of the USDA's recommended daily intake in just one drink!It's tough to reduce the count when rum is involved. Still, there are slightly healthier versions like our spicy rum punch. You're still taking in 200 calories, but no fat or cholesterol.
Lobster Newburg
This classic entree is beyond decadent. Lobster is healthy seafood, but the sauce is the dish's downfall. Flour, butter, and milk create a thick and creamy puree that should be avoided at all costs. One small cup is worth 605 calories and 49 grams of fat. Nearly enough fat for an entire day, according to USDA recommendations.If you prepare lobster for your family during the holiday season, go for lighter recipes like this lobster panzanella made with fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Served with a piece of whole-wheat toast, this dish is just as filling, but clocks in at only 167 calories and 6 grams of fat.
Yule log or Bûche de Noël
With primary ingredients like chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and sponge cake, a slice of Yule log can account for half a day's worth of calories. Some recipes even toss in a cup of toasted pecans and coconut. One serving of Betty Crocker's Bûche de Noël boasts 420 calories and 47 grams of sugar—almost double the amount the American Heart Association's recommends eating per day.Looking for a lighter selection? Save over 100 calories by picking up a piece of this cranberry upside-down cake instead.
Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
A Grande (16 oz.) serving of this seductive Starbucks beverage has 540 calories. And that's with only 2% milk! The white-chocolate- and peppermint-flavored syrups, whipped cream, and dark chocolate make up 76 grams of sugar, three times the amount of added sugar the American Heart Association suggests per day.Enjoy the same warmth and sweetness when drinking this hot chocolate—a lighter homemade version with only 194 calories and little added sugar.
Caramel apples
Making caramel apples can be an entertaining holiday activity, and they are enjoyable to eat too. However, the caramel sauce is pure sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, melted with a bit of milk. Though apples are high in vitamins and dietary fiber, the treat packs about 320 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 28 grams of sugar (more than the AHA-recommended 25 grams per day).There's no healthy equivalent (because apple slices with peanut butter just isn't the same), but limit the amount of sauce on each apple and watch your portions. Or, forget the sauce and drizzle some fat-free caramel sundae syrup on top.
Gingerbread
Gingerbread people and houses may look inviting with their smiles made of frosting and gumdrop decor, but don't be fooled! They're packing plenty of calories. Gingerbread cake is even worse, with large quantities of buttermilk, flour, and sugar. One small piece of cake has 260 calories, 36 carbs, and 12 grams of fat.Stick with small cookies—you can still shape them into people! And use light icing to decorate. Most gingerbread is rich in fiber too!
Sugar cookies
Santa's health may be in jeopardy if you feed him too many sugar cookies this Christmas. The classic recipe is pretty simple, but the amount of all-purpose flour, butter, and egg used is unnecessary. An average cookie can contain over 200 calories and 14 grams of sugar.For a healthier batch, use egg whites and less butter to keep saturated fat and cholesterol low, and a touch of whole-wheat flour to add fiber.
Plum pudding
Often referred to as Christmas pudding, this dessert is dangerously heavy. Not only does the traditional recipe ask you to put molasses, brandy, and candied fruit in the batter, the concoction is also baked in a greased and sugared pudding mold. Recipes estimate that one serving of plum pudding contains about 360 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 30 grams of sugar (5 grams more than your daily upper limit).Luckily, there are lighter versions out there, like our steamed pudding with healthier ingredients like applesauce, low-fat milk, and a small amount of light molasses. This dessert is still high in calories, but it has less fat and added sugar.
Mashed potatoes
Mashing potatoes never hurt anyone, but whole milk, butter, and salt can cram in the calories, cholesterol, and fat. One serving clocks in at 237 calories with 9 grams of fat and 666 milligrams of sodium. This count doesn't include added salt, butter, or sour cream!If you can't live without this much-loved side dish, use low-fat milk and limit adding butter and salt. Or, bake something new, like this side dish of seasoned potatoes.
Candy canes
There's no way to avoid the fact that candy canes are pure sugar and vinegar. They're only 60 calories apiece but don't offer any nourishment. Rather than making them a mid-afternoon snack in the month of December, use the canes as Christmas-tree decorations. Get creative in the kitchen with other joyful treats that have some nutritional value, like this festive candy made with white chocolate, dried cranberries, and almonds.
Gooseberry pie
Gooseberries are a fine source of vitamin A and C, and potassium. However, the conventional pie recipe calls for over two cups of white sugar and a double pastry piecrust! Nutrition facts vary by recipe, but one slice can have over 500 calories and 30 grams of fat. Reduce the sugar and use whole-wheat crust to lighten it up. Or, try baking other festive fruit pies. This one is made with pears and cranberry granola, and has one-third of the fat plus 5 grams of dietary fiber per slice.
Beef Wellington
Beef tenderloin can supply a lean serving of protein to your plate, but add port wine syrup and puff pastry and you've got a recipe for diet disaster. One recipe says that a serving hosts 744 calories and 57 grams of fat. The rich entree also has 130 milligrams of cholesterol, about half of your upper limit for the whole day.Beef Wellington may be a feast favorite. Still, if you want to watch out for your heart health, go for lighter recipes, like this beef stew, which has half the cholesterol per serving.
Chocolate martini
It's fun to get into the holiday spirit with sweet and sultry cocktails, but keep an eye on calorie counts. A chocolate martini has at least 300 calories per glass when you use vodka, chocolate liquor, and syrup. There are 103 calories and 11 grams of sugar in a shot of Godiva chocolate liquor alone!You don't have to skip the party. Enjoy these tempting treats in moderation and lean toward lighter options. A small serving of our cocoa nog has only 86 calories.
Popcorn balls
Popcorn can be a perfect light snack, but not when it comes to popcorn balls. What gives these treats a round shape, you might ask? Sugar and corn syrup act as glue—melted and hardened–holding the kernels together. Stick with the plain air-popped variety for a healthy, filling bite to eat. A pinch of salt and light butter won't hurt either.
Glazed ham
Ham, on its own, is vitamin-rich lean meat. However, when it's cured with salt and then glazed with sugar, say good-bye to health benefits. Just 6 ounces contains 1,760 milligrams of sodium and 6 grams of sugar. This might not seem outrageous, but think about how many slices of ham you fork onto your plate. The numbers add up! If you love to bake ham for your big holiday dinners, lighten up the recipe with a healthier glaze made mostly from mustard and jam, with only one tablespoon of added brown sugar.
Gravy
No matter how moist you make your holiday turkey, there's a good chance guests will think it's dry without gravy. Unfortunately, the only thing this sauce contributes to the dish is fat and salt. Measuring portions out of a ladle can also be difficult. One cup of canned turkey gravy has 1,373 milligrams of sodium, almost reaching the USDA's 2,300 milligrams recommended daily limit. Don't deprive yourself, though. Make this simple sherry gravy, and pay attention when you pour! One serving has 115 mg of sodium.
Cinnamon rolls
If you're searching for a sweet treat to kick-start a day of holiday shopping, keep your distance from Cinnabon at the mall. A classic roll has 730 calories! And a Pecanbon roll has 1,100! With 25 grams of fat, this breakfast wastes almost half of your USDA-allotted daily calories and fat without any nutritional benefit.Take a healthier route at home by making our French toast; it has fibrous whole-wheat bread and antioxidant-rich blueberries. This dish has one-fifth the calories and fat.
By Ashlee Davis, Health Magazine
'Tis the season to be jolly—and pack on pounds indulging in rich, fattening fare.
Here are 36 holiday diet hazards you and your family should avoid, along with healthier options that only taste indulgent!
If you simply can't resist a calorie-laden holiday favorite, make sure to keep portions small.
Cheese straws
These party staples look so innocent, but just one straw packs a third of your daily limit for saturated fat!You're better off snacking on pretzels, popcorn, or even a few chips with salsa. And if you really want to do your arteries (and taste buds) a favor, serve this fat-free salsa, which boasts 2 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
Swedish meatballs
This tempting classic may seem harmless. Still, lurking within each ball can be at least 400 calories of white bread, butter, heavy cream, and sodium-laden beef broth. If you can't resist this diet hazard, our lighter version has almost a fourth of the fat and 50% of the calories and sodium.
Eggnog
Step…away…from the eggnog. With ingredients like sugar, eggs, whipping cream, and bourbon, this is a nutritional bullet smart revelers will dodge. One cup has 343 calories, 150 milligrams of cholesterol, half of the USDA's suggested daily limit, and 21 grams of sugar, almost a day's worth. Instead, enjoy spiced cider. And if you're really craving a creamy glass of eggnog, our nog made with unsweetened cocoa powder lightens it up.
Stuffed potatoes
Baked potatoes are rich in vitamin C and fiber, but add in cheese, sour cream, and butter, and you've negated most of the health benefits. One medium stuffed potato has 316 calories and 8.25 grams of saturated fat. That's almost half of your suggested daily upper limit of saturated fat. Lighten up your potatoes by using low-fat dairy products or adding low-cal veggies like onions and spinach. Or, you can roast sweet potatoes in the oven instead; each has less than half of the calories and only 2.4 grams of total fat.
Creamed spinach
What happens when you combine healthy veggies like corn and spinach with cream, butter, and cheese? A side dish with more than 75% of your saturated fat for the day. Boston Market's creamed spinach side has 280 calories (almost entirely from fat) and 15 grams of saturated fat. If you love the creamy taste, make a healthier recipe using low-fat milk and light cream cheese instead of cream. This lowers the total fat per serving to 3.7 grams.
Pot roast
Even the trimmed, lean version of this popular holiday meat contains 7 grams of saturated fat. One 3-ounce serving of traditional beef pot roast has 280 calories and 20 grams of total fat. But think about how many ounces you're actually adding to your plate, plus the calories from gravy. Much more!White-meat turkey or even lean beef tenderloin is healthier for your heart. Our herb-roasted turkey recipe has only 180 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.
Fruitcake
Don't let the name deceive you. Though this sweet treat contains fruit, it can also have plenty of butter, sugar, and corn syrup. One slice we tried clocks in at 410 calories and 13 grams of fat. You'd actually be better off enjoying a slice of pumpkin pie, which contains about 250 calories per slice as well as beta-carotene. Or, bake this lighter loaf with grits, bananas, and blueberries; it has only 145 calories per slice.
Pecan pie
On their own pecans are a high-cal nut, but combine them with sugar, butter, and corn syrup, and you've got a potentially deadly dessert. A single slice will cost you more than 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar. Still, there's no reason to skip dessert—try baking something lighter instead. This apple pie has less than a quarter of the fat per slice. And you're getting additional fiber from the apples as a bonus.
Cheesecake
Beware of this delectable dessert, a crowd favorite on any occasion. One slice of Cheesecake Factory's original cheesecake has 707 calories and 29 grams of fat. That's about half of the 65 grams the USDA recommends for the average woman eating 2,000 calories a day. And we haven't even mentioned assorted flavors and toppings! If cheesecake is one of your choice indulgences, select a light version that is garnished with fruit. One slice of our cheesecake with fresh strawberry sauce has only 245 calories and 8.4 grams of fat.
Candied yams
Packed with vitamins and fiber, sweet potatoes are a superfood. However, candied yams are a different story. Though the savory starch is the main component of this side dish, common recipes tell you to add up to six cups of sugar before you start baking, racking up a total of 38 grams per serving. The American Heart Association suggests that added sugar intake be limited to 25 grams per day for women and 37 grams per day for men. The side also tacks on over 400 calories to your plate. Our sweet potato casserole is trimmed down and just right for the holidays. It has at least 7 less grams of sugar per serving, and butter is replaced with half-and-half, lowering the fat content.
Cranberry sauce
Cranberries are a great source of vitamin E, K, and C, and dietary fiber. Still, pay close attention at the dinner table during the holidays. Typical canned cranberry sauce has 105 grams of sugar per serving, over four times the amount the AHA recommends per day for women. It also adds over 400 calories to your plate. Incorporate fresh or frozen fruit and less sugar to make a healthier turkey topping. For example, our spiced cranberry sauce recipe uses three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar total and is only 74 calories per serving.
Yorkshire pudding
Any pudding that requires flour, salt, and melted beef fat can't be good for your health, but this old-school side dish has been around since the 1700s. It was originally created to make use of the fat that dropped into the dripping pan while meat roasted. One serving has about 625 calories and 37 grams of total fat, over half of your upper limit for the entire day.If you must include this battered pudding in your holiday dinner plans, our lighter version has only 131 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.
Spinach and artichoke dip
The name of this popular appetizer can easily be misleading to the average partygoer. Spinach and artichokes alone are nutritious. However, generous amounts of mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese overpower the vitamin-packed veggies. One popular restaurant's spinach and artichoke dip with tostada chips has 905 calories and 3,100 milligrams of sodium, over 1,000 more milligrams than the USDA recommends!Try this healthier version and watch your portion size. One serving has just 59 calories and 183 mg of sodium.
Prime rib
Prime rib is a beloved cut of beef, especially during the holidays. Still, it happens to come from the fattest part of the cow. One piece of prime rib can house up to 750 calories and 45 grams of fat, without the added sauce or seasoning! Plus, 8 ounces has 450 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 mg more than the USDA recommends for men and women to consume per day.If you're a steak lover, there are other cuts to choose from that are just as appetizing if cooked properly. Beef tenderloin has one-fourth the calories. This dish is made with port-mushroom sauce; it has 22 grams of fat and only 93 mg of cholesterol.
Sausage stuffing
Think twice before stuffing your face with this ominous mixture. It could be harboring a ton of unhealthy foods. One recipe uses a pound of sweet Italian sausage, a stick of butter, a cup of toasted pecans, and maple syrup. Generic sausage stuffing has 345 calories, 235 from fat, setting you back about 26 grams of fat altogether. But as with many holiday meals, there are healthy alternatives, such as our stuffing made with cornbread and cranberries, with only 9 grams of total fat.
Dark-meat turkey with skin
In general, turkey has more lean meat compared to other entree selections, but be careful when choosing which part of the bird you want to eat. Dark meat with skin has 70 more calories and three times more fat per serving than plain white meat without skin. The skin alone can hold up to 44 grams of total fat.Though dark meat contains more iron, you'll get about the same amount of protein. So ditch the skin and opt for white meat! Our recipe uses turkey breast and spinach-feta stuffing and is a healthy and festive alternative
Green bean casserole with fried onions
Green beans are a hearty vegetable, boasting dietary fiber and vitamins A and C. Still, this casserole is far from wholesome. Butter, cheese, salt, and fried onions take away from the health perks of the beans. One full batch has 785 calories and 4,128 milligrams of sodium. You probably won't take the entire dish for yourself, but it's still important to watch your portion size. For a comparable savor with fewer calories and less salt, make this casserole. Broccoli and water chestnuts give the dish a refreshing crunch.
Croissants
They are so light and fluffy we think croissants are low in fat and calories—perfect for a holiday brunch! But what makes them so mouth-watering? Sugar, salt, and butter between each and every layer of flour dough. A butter croissant from Starbucks has 310 calories and 18 grams of total fat. This pastry isn't as bad as a box of donuts, but it has almost no nutritional value.When serving breakfast to houseguests during the holidays, offer healthier choices that are even tastier, like these pancakes made with maple yogurt. Ingredients like rolled oats, blueberries, and Greek yogurt supply fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
Potato pancakes
Even though potato pancakes are a well-liked holiday substitute for mashed potatoes, they're battered with egg, flour, and breadcrumbs, and then fried in oil. This method makes them crisp and golden brown, but also rather unhealthy. An average pancake has over 200 calories and 11 grams of fat, plus extra saturated fat from cooking oil. And who can stop with just one? To lighten up your cakes, use modest amounts of egg whites, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. Our potato cakes have only 80 calories and less than a gram of fat!
Hot buttered rum
Sipping a warm cocktail by the fire on a cold winter evening sounds enticing. However, the calorie count may scare you away: One cup of hot buttered rum has over 300 calories and 13 grams of fat—not to mention tons of added melted butter and sugar. The dangerous concoction also has 40 milligrams of cholesterol, one-seventh of the USDA's recommended daily intake in just one drink!It's tough to reduce the count when rum is involved. Still, there are slightly healthier versions like our spicy rum punch. You're still taking in 200 calories, but no fat or cholesterol.
Lobster Newburg
This classic entree is beyond decadent. Lobster is healthy seafood, but the sauce is the dish's downfall. Flour, butter, and milk create a thick and creamy puree that should be avoided at all costs. One small cup is worth 605 calories and 49 grams of fat. Nearly enough fat for an entire day, according to USDA recommendations.If you prepare lobster for your family during the holiday season, go for lighter recipes like this lobster panzanella made with fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Served with a piece of whole-wheat toast, this dish is just as filling, but clocks in at only 167 calories and 6 grams of fat.
Yule log or Bûche de Noël
With primary ingredients like chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and sponge cake, a slice of Yule log can account for half a day's worth of calories. Some recipes even toss in a cup of toasted pecans and coconut. One serving of Betty Crocker's Bûche de Noël boasts 420 calories and 47 grams of sugar—almost double the amount the American Heart Association's recommends eating per day.Looking for a lighter selection? Save over 100 calories by picking up a piece of this cranberry upside-down cake instead.
Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
A Grande (16 oz.) serving of this seductive Starbucks beverage has 540 calories. And that's with only 2% milk! The white-chocolate- and peppermint-flavored syrups, whipped cream, and dark chocolate make up 76 grams of sugar, three times the amount of added sugar the American Heart Association suggests per day.Enjoy the same warmth and sweetness when drinking this hot chocolate—a lighter homemade version with only 194 calories and little added sugar.
Caramel apples
Making caramel apples can be an entertaining holiday activity, and they are enjoyable to eat too. However, the caramel sauce is pure sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, melted with a bit of milk. Though apples are high in vitamins and dietary fiber, the treat packs about 320 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 28 grams of sugar (more than the AHA-recommended 25 grams per day).There's no healthy equivalent (because apple slices with peanut butter just isn't the same), but limit the amount of sauce on each apple and watch your portions. Or, forget the sauce and drizzle some fat-free caramel sundae syrup on top.
Gingerbread
Gingerbread people and houses may look inviting with their smiles made of frosting and gumdrop decor, but don't be fooled! They're packing plenty of calories. Gingerbread cake is even worse, with large quantities of buttermilk, flour, and sugar. One small piece of cake has 260 calories, 36 carbs, and 12 grams of fat.Stick with small cookies—you can still shape them into people! And use light icing to decorate. Most gingerbread is rich in fiber too!
Sugar cookies
Santa's health may be in jeopardy if you feed him too many sugar cookies this Christmas. The classic recipe is pretty simple, but the amount of all-purpose flour, butter, and egg used is unnecessary. An average cookie can contain over 200 calories and 14 grams of sugar.For a healthier batch, use egg whites and less butter to keep saturated fat and cholesterol low, and a touch of whole-wheat flour to add fiber.
Plum pudding
Often referred to as Christmas pudding, this dessert is dangerously heavy. Not only does the traditional recipe ask you to put molasses, brandy, and candied fruit in the batter, the concoction is also baked in a greased and sugared pudding mold. Recipes estimate that one serving of plum pudding contains about 360 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 30 grams of sugar (5 grams more than your daily upper limit).Luckily, there are lighter versions out there, like our steamed pudding with healthier ingredients like applesauce, low-fat milk, and a small amount of light molasses. This dessert is still high in calories, but it has less fat and added sugar.
Mashed potatoes
Mashing potatoes never hurt anyone, but whole milk, butter, and salt can cram in the calories, cholesterol, and fat. One serving clocks in at 237 calories with 9 grams of fat and 666 milligrams of sodium. This count doesn't include added salt, butter, or sour cream!If you can't live without this much-loved side dish, use low-fat milk and limit adding butter and salt. Or, bake something new, like this side dish of seasoned potatoes.
Candy canes
There's no way to avoid the fact that candy canes are pure sugar and vinegar. They're only 60 calories apiece but don't offer any nourishment. Rather than making them a mid-afternoon snack in the month of December, use the canes as Christmas-tree decorations. Get creative in the kitchen with other joyful treats that have some nutritional value, like this festive candy made with white chocolate, dried cranberries, and almonds.
Gooseberry pie
Gooseberries are a fine source of vitamin A and C, and potassium. However, the conventional pie recipe calls for over two cups of white sugar and a double pastry piecrust! Nutrition facts vary by recipe, but one slice can have over 500 calories and 30 grams of fat. Reduce the sugar and use whole-wheat crust to lighten it up. Or, try baking other festive fruit pies. This one is made with pears and cranberry granola, and has one-third of the fat plus 5 grams of dietary fiber per slice.
Beef Wellington
Beef tenderloin can supply a lean serving of protein to your plate, but add port wine syrup and puff pastry and you've got a recipe for diet disaster. One recipe says that a serving hosts 744 calories and 57 grams of fat. The rich entree also has 130 milligrams of cholesterol, about half of your upper limit for the whole day.Beef Wellington may be a feast favorite. Still, if you want to watch out for your heart health, go for lighter recipes, like this beef stew, which has half the cholesterol per serving.
Chocolate martini
It's fun to get into the holiday spirit with sweet and sultry cocktails, but keep an eye on calorie counts. A chocolate martini has at least 300 calories per glass when you use vodka, chocolate liquor, and syrup. There are 103 calories and 11 grams of sugar in a shot of Godiva chocolate liquor alone!You don't have to skip the party. Enjoy these tempting treats in moderation and lean toward lighter options. A small serving of our cocoa nog has only 86 calories.
Popcorn balls
Popcorn can be a perfect light snack, but not when it comes to popcorn balls. What gives these treats a round shape, you might ask? Sugar and corn syrup act as glue—melted and hardened–holding the kernels together. Stick with the plain air-popped variety for a healthy, filling bite to eat. A pinch of salt and light butter won't hurt either.
Glazed ham
Ham, on its own, is vitamin-rich lean meat. However, when it's cured with salt and then glazed with sugar, say good-bye to health benefits. Just 6 ounces contains 1,760 milligrams of sodium and 6 grams of sugar. This might not seem outrageous, but think about how many slices of ham you fork onto your plate. The numbers add up! If you love to bake ham for your big holiday dinners, lighten up the recipe with a healthier glaze made mostly from mustard and jam, with only one tablespoon of added brown sugar.
Gravy
No matter how moist you make your holiday turkey, there's a good chance guests will think it's dry without gravy. Unfortunately, the only thing this sauce contributes to the dish is fat and salt. Measuring portions out of a ladle can also be difficult. One cup of canned turkey gravy has 1,373 milligrams of sodium, almost reaching the USDA's 2,300 milligrams recommended daily limit. Don't deprive yourself, though. Make this simple sherry gravy, and pay attention when you pour! One serving has 115 mg of sodium.
Cinnamon rolls
If you're searching for a sweet treat to kick-start a day of holiday shopping, keep your distance from Cinnabon at the mall. A classic roll has 730 calories! And a Pecanbon roll has 1,100! With 25 grams of fat, this breakfast wastes almost half of your USDA-allotted daily calories and fat without any nutritional benefit.Take a healthier route at home by making our French toast; it has fibrous whole-wheat bread and antioxidant-rich blueberries. This dish has one-fifth the calories and fat.
By Ashlee Davis, Health Magazine
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Top 6 Fitness Myths and Truths
Don't Believe These Tall Tales!
Would your friends lie to you? They just might be...
This time of year is all about starting fresh—new goals, solid plans, better habits. You probably have a new exercise routine to help you reach your weight loss and fitness goals. Along the way, whether in the gym, reading the latest books, or talking with your friends, you’ll hear a lot of advice about exercise—not all of which is true.
There are several common misconceptions about exercise and weight loss, but don’t let yourself be fooled! Here are the Top 6 Fitness Myths and the Truths that debunk them:
Myth #1: You can take weight off of specific body parts by doing exercises that target those areas.
Truth: This concept is called "spot training" and unfortunately, it doesn’t burn fat. When you lose weight, you are unable to choose the area in which the reduction will occur. Your body predetermines which fat stores it will use. For example, doing sit-ups will strengthen you abs but will not take the fat off of your stomach. Similarly, an activity like running burns fat all over your body, not just your legs. You can, however, compliment a balanced exercise program with a selection of weight training exercises to gradually lose weight and tone the body.
Myth #2: Women who lift weights will bulk up.
Truth: While on a weight lifting program, the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary in order to bulk up. Women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits (increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength), strength training will help you slim down too!
Myth #3: If you can’t exercise hard and often, there’s really no point.
Truth: Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don’t have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10-minute segments instead. Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime during the day! There are simple things you can do to increase your activity without having to go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the elevator, jump rope or do body weight exercises (push ups, crunches) at commercial breaks, take a short walk after lunch. Remember that any exercise is better than none!
Myth #4: Performing abdominal exercises will give you a flat stomach.
Truth: This is similar to Myth #1 above. The fact is, the only way to get a flat stomach is to strip away the fat around the midsection. This is accomplished by doing cardio/aerobic exercise (to burn calories), strength training (to increase metabolism) and following a proper diet. Abdominal exercises will help to build muscle in your midsection, but you will never see the muscle definition unless the fat in this area is stripped away.
Myth #5: You will burn more fat if you exercise longer at a lower intensity.
Truth: The most important factor in exercise and weight control is not the percentage of fat calories burned, but the total calories burned during the activity. The faster you walk, bike or swim, for example, the more calories you use per minute. Although you will be burning fewer "fat calories", you will be burning more total calories, and in turn, will lose more weight.
Myth #6: No pain, no gain!
Truth: Exercise should not be painful! At the height of your workout, you should be sweating and breathing hard. You should not be so out of breath that you cannot answer a question, but should not be so comfortable that you can carry on a full conversation. That’s how you know you are working at a good level. It’s important to distinguish between muscle fatigue (feeling "the burn") and muscle/joint pain (sharp and uncomfortable pain during movement). Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you’re doing something wrong. Listen to your body. If it’s painful, stop!
There’s a lot of fitness information out there- some reliable, some not. The important thing is to ask questions. If you don’t understand something or question the source, ask a qualified fitness professional for their advice. Sticking to the truths of these myths will keep you healthy, injury-free, and on track to meeting your fitness goals.
-- By Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer, sparkpeople
Would your friends lie to you? They just might be...
This time of year is all about starting fresh—new goals, solid plans, better habits. You probably have a new exercise routine to help you reach your weight loss and fitness goals. Along the way, whether in the gym, reading the latest books, or talking with your friends, you’ll hear a lot of advice about exercise—not all of which is true.
There are several common misconceptions about exercise and weight loss, but don’t let yourself be fooled! Here are the Top 6 Fitness Myths and the Truths that debunk them:
Myth #1: You can take weight off of specific body parts by doing exercises that target those areas.
Truth: This concept is called "spot training" and unfortunately, it doesn’t burn fat. When you lose weight, you are unable to choose the area in which the reduction will occur. Your body predetermines which fat stores it will use. For example, doing sit-ups will strengthen you abs but will not take the fat off of your stomach. Similarly, an activity like running burns fat all over your body, not just your legs. You can, however, compliment a balanced exercise program with a selection of weight training exercises to gradually lose weight and tone the body.
Myth #2: Women who lift weights will bulk up.
Truth: While on a weight lifting program, the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary in order to bulk up. Women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits (increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength), strength training will help you slim down too!
Myth #3: If you can’t exercise hard and often, there’s really no point.
Truth: Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don’t have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10-minute segments instead. Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime during the day! There are simple things you can do to increase your activity without having to go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the elevator, jump rope or do body weight exercises (push ups, crunches) at commercial breaks, take a short walk after lunch. Remember that any exercise is better than none!
Myth #4: Performing abdominal exercises will give you a flat stomach.
Truth: This is similar to Myth #1 above. The fact is, the only way to get a flat stomach is to strip away the fat around the midsection. This is accomplished by doing cardio/aerobic exercise (to burn calories), strength training (to increase metabolism) and following a proper diet. Abdominal exercises will help to build muscle in your midsection, but you will never see the muscle definition unless the fat in this area is stripped away.
Myth #5: You will burn more fat if you exercise longer at a lower intensity.
Truth: The most important factor in exercise and weight control is not the percentage of fat calories burned, but the total calories burned during the activity. The faster you walk, bike or swim, for example, the more calories you use per minute. Although you will be burning fewer "fat calories", you will be burning more total calories, and in turn, will lose more weight.
Myth #6: No pain, no gain!
Truth: Exercise should not be painful! At the height of your workout, you should be sweating and breathing hard. You should not be so out of breath that you cannot answer a question, but should not be so comfortable that you can carry on a full conversation. That’s how you know you are working at a good level. It’s important to distinguish between muscle fatigue (feeling "the burn") and muscle/joint pain (sharp and uncomfortable pain during movement). Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you’re doing something wrong. Listen to your body. If it’s painful, stop!
There’s a lot of fitness information out there- some reliable, some not. The important thing is to ask questions. If you don’t understand something or question the source, ask a qualified fitness professional for their advice. Sticking to the truths of these myths will keep you healthy, injury-free, and on track to meeting your fitness goals.
-- By Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer, sparkpeople
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
5 Holiday Weight Gain Myths
Every year about this time, I hear the same holiday songs. I hear people “sing” the old refrain of overindulgence — “I have to have it.” Whether it’s for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or other seasonal celebrations, people have a hard time with holidays and overeating. Some throw up their hands and give in to temptation; others rationalize the holidays as a time in which they are destined to put on pounds.
Myth 1. Everyone gains at least 5 pounds over the holidays, so I may as well accept it.
Well, the good news is the average American gains from 1/2 pound to 1 pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The bad news is they don’t ever lose it. It’s not as dramatic as 7 to 10 pounds that was formerly thought to be the norm, but even if you gain just 1 pound over the holidays, you may also gain another pound over the winter, and maybe one more during the summer holidays. Pretty soon you’re on the next pant size and a new wardrobe.
Myth 2. I can take a “vacation” from my diet, because come January, I’ll go right back on it.
Don’t do it, because you may never come back! I went to a Thanksgiving dinner last year, and saw someone I’d not seen in a year. I congratulated her on her significant weight loss over the previous year, and when she told me she was “taking a vacation” from her diet for the holidays, I cringed. I told her that you can’t vacation from your healthy diet and expect to stay at your goal weight. Extra calories are just what your fat cells are looking for. Unless you’ve built up a good amount of lean muscle mass by exercising with resistance bands or light weights, you’re going to regain the weight as quick as you can say “I’ll have seconds of pumpkin pie.”
Myth 3. I’m going to fast all day, so I can eat all I want at the holiday party this year.
Wrong. Don’t do it. Don’t put your body in starvation mode. Starving yourself usually backfires, and you wind up overeating at the party. The best strategy for weight control is to eat lower calorie, higher fiber foods such as crunchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Eat smaller meals more frequently, and when you get to the party, continue to think small. Have a small portion of everything so you’re satisfied, but not stuffed.
Myth 4. I can’t diet when I go to someone’s house for dinner.
Give yourself the power to say no tactfully. Say “no” in creative ways. You can say to your host, “Oh, I’m sorry, my plan doesn’t include (name the food), but I surely thank you!” Or “Oh, thank you so much, I’m sure it’s wonderful! I’m too full right now, but thanks for asking.”
Myth 5. My family would miss it if I didn’t make the traditional favorites.
Make this a healthy holiday season and change your traditional fatty favorites into delicious, healthy meals. Santa is roly-poly for a reason. “Living large” is not my New Year’s resolution. Living lean is. Don’t be a Scrooge with taste, but be frugal with calories — that’s how you eat delicious foods without guilt.
Top Tips for making your holiday recipes healthy ones:–Low-fat cooking techniques should be used. Bake, broil, grill, poach and saute foods in a very little bit of fat in a non-stick pan.
Use nonstick pans for grilling, baking breads and cookies, for sauteing and even for soup. Nonstick is one of life’s little pleasures — you need to just lightly spray with cooking oil.
–Reduce the fat in the recipes. One of the simplest methods of making all your recipes healthier is reducing the amount of fat in a recipe. If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, use 1/4 cup, plus 1/4-cup fruit puree or unsweetened applesauce. This is good for any quick bread, cookie or cake. Yeast breads and piecrusts need a precise balance of ingredients, but experiment to see if you get acceptable results.
–Don’t add fat to your food, especially unhealthy, saturated fats. Instead of basting the turkey with butter, try flavorful vegetable broth, white wine or orange juice (my personal favorite).
–Buy low-fat and nonfat varieties of milk, sour cream, yogurt and cheese. You’ll lower the fat and calories effortlessly.
–Substitute 3 tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon of canola oil for 1 ounce of baking chocolate, and lower the saturated fat.
–Two egg whites can substitute one whole egg, depending on the size. All the fat, cholesterol and most of the calories from eggs are in the yolk.
–Substitute crunchy cereal for bread crumbs. I like to use crushed corn flakes or nuggets like Grape Nuts.
–Cut servings smaller! Make that cake serve 12 instead of eight.
–Buy the leanest cuts of meat, and substitute 1/3 ground turkey breast. Don’t buy ground turkey because it also contains skin and dark meat, making it just as caloric as ground meat or more.
Susan L. Burke eDiets Contributor
Myth 1. Everyone gains at least 5 pounds over the holidays, so I may as well accept it.
Well, the good news is the average American gains from 1/2 pound to 1 pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The bad news is they don’t ever lose it. It’s not as dramatic as 7 to 10 pounds that was formerly thought to be the norm, but even if you gain just 1 pound over the holidays, you may also gain another pound over the winter, and maybe one more during the summer holidays. Pretty soon you’re on the next pant size and a new wardrobe.
Myth 2. I can take a “vacation” from my diet, because come January, I’ll go right back on it.
Don’t do it, because you may never come back! I went to a Thanksgiving dinner last year, and saw someone I’d not seen in a year. I congratulated her on her significant weight loss over the previous year, and when she told me she was “taking a vacation” from her diet for the holidays, I cringed. I told her that you can’t vacation from your healthy diet and expect to stay at your goal weight. Extra calories are just what your fat cells are looking for. Unless you’ve built up a good amount of lean muscle mass by exercising with resistance bands or light weights, you’re going to regain the weight as quick as you can say “I’ll have seconds of pumpkin pie.”
Myth 3. I’m going to fast all day, so I can eat all I want at the holiday party this year.
Wrong. Don’t do it. Don’t put your body in starvation mode. Starving yourself usually backfires, and you wind up overeating at the party. The best strategy for weight control is to eat lower calorie, higher fiber foods such as crunchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Eat smaller meals more frequently, and when you get to the party, continue to think small. Have a small portion of everything so you’re satisfied, but not stuffed.
Myth 4. I can’t diet when I go to someone’s house for dinner.
Give yourself the power to say no tactfully. Say “no” in creative ways. You can say to your host, “Oh, I’m sorry, my plan doesn’t include (name the food), but I surely thank you!” Or “Oh, thank you so much, I’m sure it’s wonderful! I’m too full right now, but thanks for asking.”
Myth 5. My family would miss it if I didn’t make the traditional favorites.
Make this a healthy holiday season and change your traditional fatty favorites into delicious, healthy meals. Santa is roly-poly for a reason. “Living large” is not my New Year’s resolution. Living lean is. Don’t be a Scrooge with taste, but be frugal with calories — that’s how you eat delicious foods without guilt.
Top Tips for making your holiday recipes healthy ones:–Low-fat cooking techniques should be used. Bake, broil, grill, poach and saute foods in a very little bit of fat in a non-stick pan.
Use nonstick pans for grilling, baking breads and cookies, for sauteing and even for soup. Nonstick is one of life’s little pleasures — you need to just lightly spray with cooking oil.
–Reduce the fat in the recipes. One of the simplest methods of making all your recipes healthier is reducing the amount of fat in a recipe. If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, use 1/4 cup, plus 1/4-cup fruit puree or unsweetened applesauce. This is good for any quick bread, cookie or cake. Yeast breads and piecrusts need a precise balance of ingredients, but experiment to see if you get acceptable results.
–Don’t add fat to your food, especially unhealthy, saturated fats. Instead of basting the turkey with butter, try flavorful vegetable broth, white wine or orange juice (my personal favorite).
–Buy low-fat and nonfat varieties of milk, sour cream, yogurt and cheese. You’ll lower the fat and calories effortlessly.
–Substitute 3 tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon of canola oil for 1 ounce of baking chocolate, and lower the saturated fat.
–Two egg whites can substitute one whole egg, depending on the size. All the fat, cholesterol and most of the calories from eggs are in the yolk.
–Substitute crunchy cereal for bread crumbs. I like to use crushed corn flakes or nuggets like Grape Nuts.
–Cut servings smaller! Make that cake serve 12 instead of eight.
–Buy the leanest cuts of meat, and substitute 1/3 ground turkey breast. Don’t buy ground turkey because it also contains skin and dark meat, making it just as caloric as ground meat or more.
Susan L. Burke eDiets Contributor
Monday, November 29, 2010
25 Ways to Get Back on Track Today
Don't Give Up on Your Goals!
Not long ago, you were energetic and determined to start your healthy lifestyle. Starting with enthusiasm and hope, you watched your food intake diligently, exercised like it was going out of style, and even avoided the temptation that seemed to lurk around every corner. You were confident that you were going to reach your goals once and for all!
Then certain tragedy struck! You ate an extra piece of birthday cake. Realizing you had “blown” your diet, you ate another and another and couldn’t get it together the next day either. Or worse, you missed one workout, and that turned into a whole week away from the gym. After that, your momentum to start over again was gone, and your gym bag hasn’t left the closet since.
Every time you misstep on your healthy journey, you have two choices: to keep walking backwards, which will surely take you even further away from your goals; or to accept your lack of perfection as normal and forgivable, and take not one, but two positive steps down the path that brings your closer to the future you want.
If you’re reading this, you might have been walking backwards for a while. But instead of waiting for the next day, week, month or even year to overhaul your habits, start TODAY. And start small. You can’t go from the recliner to running or from burgers to Brussels sprouts in an afternoon. But you can do one, two or even a handful of small things that will help you regain your momentum for healthy living.
When you feel like getting back on track is overwhelming, try one (or more) of these small steps each day.
1. Try a short workout. Even five minutes is better than nothing. For ideas browse our video library or workout generator.
2. Try a new recipe. Cooking healthy foods can be fun and it never has to be bland.
3. Eat a healthy breakfast. Your morning meal sets the stage for the rest of your day, so start if off right! Get lots of breakfast ideas here.
4. Drink your water. Try to aim for 8 cups each day and you’ll feel the difference!
5. Look at Motivational SparkPages. Seeing how others overcome similar struggles and obstacles can be a great source of motivation.
6. Track your food today. No matter how it adds up, you’ll learn from it.
7. Update your journal. It’s a visual way to track your ups and downs, but also your progress.
8. Share your goals. Whether you post them on the Message Boards or share them with a friend, you’ll be more accountable.
9. Exercise for 10 minutes. Jump rope, march in place, or do some crunches. Small amounts do add up to something big!
10. Find a buddy. Get support from friends, whether you need someone to listen or a mentor to give you ideas and encouragement.
11. Take a walk. Don’t worry about how long or far you go—just get out there!
12. Create a motivational collage. Include pictures of your goal and reasons why you want to get there.
13. Go shopping for some healthy foods. Use this shopping list for ideas.
14. Check the nutrition facts before you go out to eat. That way, you can make an informed choice.
15. Ride your bike. Even a leisurely ride has benefits for your body and mind.
16. Work in the yard. Gardening and yard work is a great way to add activity to your day.
17. Take the stairs. Even if this is the only thing you do all day, you’ll feel stronger for it.
18. Rack up those SparkPoints! You earn them for every healthy task you do on the site—talk about motivating! Aim for a certain milestone, such as 100 points, and then reward yourself with a SparkGoodie!
19. Listen to an inspirational song. Better yet, make a playlist of them so you can turn to it whenever you need a boost.
20. Re-start your program. Sometimes it’s easier to get back on track when you have a clean slate.
21. Measure your portions. It’s a simple way to learn how much you’re eating.
22. Eat a piece of fruit. Even if 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables sounds impossible to you, one is doable.
23. Slow down during meals. You’ll be less likely to overeat and more likely to enjoy your meal.
24. Play! What kids call “play,” we often call “exercise.” Play a sport, a game, or use the playground equipment to bring the fun back into fitness.
25. Learn something new. Sometimes simply taking a quiz or reading an article about nutrition, fitness, or health can change your mindset and get you back on track.
In tennis, losing one point isn’t the end of the world. It happens to the best of them. In fact, if you can consistently win a few more points that you lose, you may end up in the hall of fame. With healthy eating and exercising, as long as you’re consistently out-stepping your steps back, you’re ahead of the game. If you expect perfection (and many of us do), you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and guilt.
You CAN get back on track today. Even if you’re moving slowly, you’ll be moving in the right direction!
-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health Educator
Not long ago, you were energetic and determined to start your healthy lifestyle. Starting with enthusiasm and hope, you watched your food intake diligently, exercised like it was going out of style, and even avoided the temptation that seemed to lurk around every corner. You were confident that you were going to reach your goals once and for all!
Then certain tragedy struck! You ate an extra piece of birthday cake. Realizing you had “blown” your diet, you ate another and another and couldn’t get it together the next day either. Or worse, you missed one workout, and that turned into a whole week away from the gym. After that, your momentum to start over again was gone, and your gym bag hasn’t left the closet since.
Every time you misstep on your healthy journey, you have two choices: to keep walking backwards, which will surely take you even further away from your goals; or to accept your lack of perfection as normal and forgivable, and take not one, but two positive steps down the path that brings your closer to the future you want.
If you’re reading this, you might have been walking backwards for a while. But instead of waiting for the next day, week, month or even year to overhaul your habits, start TODAY. And start small. You can’t go from the recliner to running or from burgers to Brussels sprouts in an afternoon. But you can do one, two or even a handful of small things that will help you regain your momentum for healthy living.
When you feel like getting back on track is overwhelming, try one (or more) of these small steps each day.
1. Try a short workout. Even five minutes is better than nothing. For ideas browse our video library or workout generator.
2. Try a new recipe. Cooking healthy foods can be fun and it never has to be bland.
3. Eat a healthy breakfast. Your morning meal sets the stage for the rest of your day, so start if off right! Get lots of breakfast ideas here.
4. Drink your water. Try to aim for 8 cups each day and you’ll feel the difference!
5. Look at Motivational SparkPages. Seeing how others overcome similar struggles and obstacles can be a great source of motivation.
6. Track your food today. No matter how it adds up, you’ll learn from it.
7. Update your journal. It’s a visual way to track your ups and downs, but also your progress.
8. Share your goals. Whether you post them on the Message Boards or share them with a friend, you’ll be more accountable.
9. Exercise for 10 minutes. Jump rope, march in place, or do some crunches. Small amounts do add up to something big!
10. Find a buddy. Get support from friends, whether you need someone to listen or a mentor to give you ideas and encouragement.
11. Take a walk. Don’t worry about how long or far you go—just get out there!
12. Create a motivational collage. Include pictures of your goal and reasons why you want to get there.
13. Go shopping for some healthy foods. Use this shopping list for ideas.
14. Check the nutrition facts before you go out to eat. That way, you can make an informed choice.
15. Ride your bike. Even a leisurely ride has benefits for your body and mind.
16. Work in the yard. Gardening and yard work is a great way to add activity to your day.
17. Take the stairs. Even if this is the only thing you do all day, you’ll feel stronger for it.
18. Rack up those SparkPoints! You earn them for every healthy task you do on the site—talk about motivating! Aim for a certain milestone, such as 100 points, and then reward yourself with a SparkGoodie!
19. Listen to an inspirational song. Better yet, make a playlist of them so you can turn to it whenever you need a boost.
20. Re-start your program. Sometimes it’s easier to get back on track when you have a clean slate.
21. Measure your portions. It’s a simple way to learn how much you’re eating.
22. Eat a piece of fruit. Even if 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables sounds impossible to you, one is doable.
23. Slow down during meals. You’ll be less likely to overeat and more likely to enjoy your meal.
24. Play! What kids call “play,” we often call “exercise.” Play a sport, a game, or use the playground equipment to bring the fun back into fitness.
25. Learn something new. Sometimes simply taking a quiz or reading an article about nutrition, fitness, or health can change your mindset and get you back on track.
In tennis, losing one point isn’t the end of the world. It happens to the best of them. In fact, if you can consistently win a few more points that you lose, you may end up in the hall of fame. With healthy eating and exercising, as long as you’re consistently out-stepping your steps back, you’re ahead of the game. If you expect perfection (and many of us do), you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and guilt.
You CAN get back on track today. Even if you’re moving slowly, you’ll be moving in the right direction!
-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health Educator
Monday, November 22, 2010
Whole Grains are the Whole Package
These Natural Grains Pack a Nutritional Punch
Health experts agree that we need to eat more whole grains for optimal health. But most people don’t know what whole grains are. They have been shown to reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity, but knowing the health benefits doesn't help you find them in your local grocery store or learn how to cook with them.
The Definition of Whole Grain
Every grain starts as a whole grain when it grows from the earth. This whole grain (actually the seed or kernel of the plant) has three parts: the bran, the germ and the endosperm.
1. The bran is the outer skin of the seed that contains antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber. (You may have heard of wheat bran or oat bran, which are available in stores and are common ingredients in certain cereals.)
2. The germ is the “baby” of the seed, which grows into a new plant when pollinated. It contains many vitamins, along with protein, minerals and healthy fats. (You may have seen jars of toasted wheat germ in stores, which can be added to a variety of foods to boost nutritional content.)
3. The endosperm is the seed’s food supply that provides the energy needed for the young plant to grow. The largest portion of the seed contains carbohydrates, and smaller amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals.
So a whole grain is one that contains all three parts of the kernel.
When grains are processed and refined (the most common practice for making breads, cereals, pastas and flours), the bran and germ are removed, leaving behind the white endosperm. During this process, grains become less nutritious, losing 25% of their original protein content and 17 other essential nutrients. While manufacturers then "enrich" the flour with some vitamins and minerals, a naturally whole grain is still a healthier choice. Compared to refined grains (white bread, white rice, white flour), whole grains pack more protein, fiber, vitamins (B vitamins and vitamin E), and minerals (magnesium and iron), as well as some antioxidants not found in other foods.
Types of Whole Grains
Common types of whole grains include:
Wild rice, which is actually a seed
* Brown rice
* Whole wheat
* Oatmeal and whole oats
* Barley
* Whole rye
* Bulgur
* Popcorn
Less common types include: amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum and triticale (a hybrid of rye and wheat).
Adding Whole Grains to Your Diet
New dietary guidelines established by the U.S. government in 2005 recommend that half of your daily grains servings should be whole grains. That's at least three servings of whole grains per day.
The easiest way to increase the amount of whole grains you consume is to substitute some processed grain products with their whole grain equivalent. This is as simple as having a slice of whole grain toast in the morning instead of using white bread, or using whole wheat flour in pancakes instead of white flour. If you’re making homemade soup, toss in a handful of brown rice or barley for added fiber. Make your dessert a healthy one, such as oatmeal cookies, and you won't have to feel guilty—you’re eating whole grains!
While at the grocery store, be extra careful reading food labels. Words such as multigrain, stone-ground cracked wheat or seven grain don’t necessarily mean the product is made with whole grains. And color doesn’t mean a whole grain either—some brown breads are simply white bread with added caramel coloring. The Whole Grain Council created an official packaging symbol in 2005 called the Whole Grain Stamp to help consumers find whole grain products. But until use of the stamp is used widespread, look for the word "whole" near the top of the ingredients list. (For example, the first ingredient of whole grain bread or cracker should be "whole wheat flour".)
Besides switching to whole wheat bread, you can easily add whole wheat pasta and brown rice to the menu to increase your consumption of whole grains. Whole wheat pasta comes in all shapes and sizes and appears to be a darker beige color than regular pasta. You can find it in the pasta section of both natural food and regular grocery stores. If you’re not going to eat it right away, you can store an unopened package for six to eight months in a cool, dry cupboard. Whole wheat pasta is prepared the same way as regular pasta (but usually takes a couple extra minutes to cook). To ensure that the pasta isn’t mushy, rinse it off under cool water to stop the cooking process. One cup of cooked whole wheat pasta has about 200 calories and 4 grams of fiber.
Brown rice is healthier than white rice and has significantly more nutrients. The refining process that transforms brown rice into polished, white rice strips away most of the vitamins and minerals and completely removes all of the fiber and essential fatty acids—basically leaving only the starch behind. White rice must be “enriched” with vitamins B1, B3 and iron, but at least eleven lost nutrients are not replaced at all. Brown rice is a concentrated source of fiber, which speeds up the removal of cancer-causing substances from our bodies. It is also an excellent source of selenium, which has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer. You can find quick-cooking "instant" brown rice, which are parboiled to speed cooking time. Because of this pre-cooked process, they are slightly lower in nutrients than regular, slow-cooking brown rice, which can take up to an hour to cook. However, look for microwavable pouches of brown rice on the shelf and in the freezer section. These are still high in nutrients and cook in minutes!
Studies Prove the Benefits of Whole Grains
A 2006 study by Tufts University showed that people who consume the most whole grains are 42 percent less likely to develop diabetes. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that people with a diet high in whole grains showed a lower risk of both diabetes and heart disease. In 1997, the FDA authorized the claim that the soluble fiber in oats reduced the risk of coronary heart disease; this approval was extended in 2005 to include the fiber in barley as well.
Whether you want to reduce your risk of disease or you simply want to eat fewer processed foods, adding whole grains to your diet makes sense. So the next time you sit down to watch a movie, bring along a bowl of popcorn and snack with a clear conscious. Whole grains couldn’t be tastier!
-- By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer
Health experts agree that we need to eat more whole grains for optimal health. But most people don’t know what whole grains are. They have been shown to reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity, but knowing the health benefits doesn't help you find them in your local grocery store or learn how to cook with them.
The Definition of Whole Grain
Every grain starts as a whole grain when it grows from the earth. This whole grain (actually the seed or kernel of the plant) has three parts: the bran, the germ and the endosperm.
1. The bran is the outer skin of the seed that contains antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber. (You may have heard of wheat bran or oat bran, which are available in stores and are common ingredients in certain cereals.)
2. The germ is the “baby” of the seed, which grows into a new plant when pollinated. It contains many vitamins, along with protein, minerals and healthy fats. (You may have seen jars of toasted wheat germ in stores, which can be added to a variety of foods to boost nutritional content.)
3. The endosperm is the seed’s food supply that provides the energy needed for the young plant to grow. The largest portion of the seed contains carbohydrates, and smaller amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals.
So a whole grain is one that contains all three parts of the kernel.
When grains are processed and refined (the most common practice for making breads, cereals, pastas and flours), the bran and germ are removed, leaving behind the white endosperm. During this process, grains become less nutritious, losing 25% of their original protein content and 17 other essential nutrients. While manufacturers then "enrich" the flour with some vitamins and minerals, a naturally whole grain is still a healthier choice. Compared to refined grains (white bread, white rice, white flour), whole grains pack more protein, fiber, vitamins (B vitamins and vitamin E), and minerals (magnesium and iron), as well as some antioxidants not found in other foods.
Types of Whole Grains
Common types of whole grains include:
Wild rice, which is actually a seed
* Brown rice
* Whole wheat
* Oatmeal and whole oats
* Barley
* Whole rye
* Bulgur
* Popcorn
Less common types include: amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum and triticale (a hybrid of rye and wheat).
Adding Whole Grains to Your Diet
New dietary guidelines established by the U.S. government in 2005 recommend that half of your daily grains servings should be whole grains. That's at least three servings of whole grains per day.
The easiest way to increase the amount of whole grains you consume is to substitute some processed grain products with their whole grain equivalent. This is as simple as having a slice of whole grain toast in the morning instead of using white bread, or using whole wheat flour in pancakes instead of white flour. If you’re making homemade soup, toss in a handful of brown rice or barley for added fiber. Make your dessert a healthy one, such as oatmeal cookies, and you won't have to feel guilty—you’re eating whole grains!
While at the grocery store, be extra careful reading food labels. Words such as multigrain, stone-ground cracked wheat or seven grain don’t necessarily mean the product is made with whole grains. And color doesn’t mean a whole grain either—some brown breads are simply white bread with added caramel coloring. The Whole Grain Council created an official packaging symbol in 2005 called the Whole Grain Stamp to help consumers find whole grain products. But until use of the stamp is used widespread, look for the word "whole" near the top of the ingredients list. (For example, the first ingredient of whole grain bread or cracker should be "whole wheat flour".)
Besides switching to whole wheat bread, you can easily add whole wheat pasta and brown rice to the menu to increase your consumption of whole grains. Whole wheat pasta comes in all shapes and sizes and appears to be a darker beige color than regular pasta. You can find it in the pasta section of both natural food and regular grocery stores. If you’re not going to eat it right away, you can store an unopened package for six to eight months in a cool, dry cupboard. Whole wheat pasta is prepared the same way as regular pasta (but usually takes a couple extra minutes to cook). To ensure that the pasta isn’t mushy, rinse it off under cool water to stop the cooking process. One cup of cooked whole wheat pasta has about 200 calories and 4 grams of fiber.
Brown rice is healthier than white rice and has significantly more nutrients. The refining process that transforms brown rice into polished, white rice strips away most of the vitamins and minerals and completely removes all of the fiber and essential fatty acids—basically leaving only the starch behind. White rice must be “enriched” with vitamins B1, B3 and iron, but at least eleven lost nutrients are not replaced at all. Brown rice is a concentrated source of fiber, which speeds up the removal of cancer-causing substances from our bodies. It is also an excellent source of selenium, which has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer. You can find quick-cooking "instant" brown rice, which are parboiled to speed cooking time. Because of this pre-cooked process, they are slightly lower in nutrients than regular, slow-cooking brown rice, which can take up to an hour to cook. However, look for microwavable pouches of brown rice on the shelf and in the freezer section. These are still high in nutrients and cook in minutes!
Studies Prove the Benefits of Whole Grains
A 2006 study by Tufts University showed that people who consume the most whole grains are 42 percent less likely to develop diabetes. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that people with a diet high in whole grains showed a lower risk of both diabetes and heart disease. In 1997, the FDA authorized the claim that the soluble fiber in oats reduced the risk of coronary heart disease; this approval was extended in 2005 to include the fiber in barley as well.
Whether you want to reduce your risk of disease or you simply want to eat fewer processed foods, adding whole grains to your diet makes sense. So the next time you sit down to watch a movie, bring along a bowl of popcorn and snack with a clear conscious. Whole grains couldn’t be tastier!
-- By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer
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