Question: Losing weight is hard, is there anything I can do to ensure I will be on the right track?
This is such a good question! Losing weight isn’t easy for anyone but with a positive and healthy approach, you will be right on your way to reaching all your weight goals. To have the best weight-loss outcome possible, you must provide your body an optimal environment.
What does an optimal environment mean? Well, making sure your body has what it needs and what it can do to make it better. There are four steps to keep in mind:
1. Make sure you are eating enough calories daily. You might be thinking “Oh, that’s easy. If I need 1500 calories to lose weight, all I have to do is eat that much — just eat two or three big meals.” That’s essentially true, but if you spread out your calories in 5-6 sittings, your weight loss might be more effective. (It's hard to believe but I rarely get enough calories in the day unless I journal - so of course this puts a halt on my weight loss and it's very annoying. You would think the less you eat, you loose... not so... so EAT those calories needed for your body!)
If you eat your daily calories through multiple evenly spaced meals, you’ll give your body just enough for energy purposes and won’t store the excess. And with the regular meal frequency, you will keep your metabolism working all day long and find yourself less hungry.
2. Get into exercise. For weight-loss purposes, view exercise as a tool to elevate your metabolism. Studies have shown you will benefit more from increasing your exercise intensity rather than exercise duration. Also don’t exercise on an empty stomach. When you exercise on an empty stomach you use up muscle energy, you start to break down your muscles and fat for that energy.
The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be and the faster you will get rid of the excess fat. So make sure you have a small meal or snack with some carbs, a bit of protein and little bit of fat about an hour before you exercise.
3. Drink lots and lots of water. A well-hydrated body will be an efficiently running body. You give your body what it needs to do its job.
4. Get rest (I need to focus on this one!) You need to rest and recover. Without enough sleep, your body will be under a ton of stress. Stress leads to an increase level of cortisol; regular elevated levels of cortisol can contribute to the accumulation of fat and will only make it harder to lose the weight and fat.
Think of your body as a temple and treat it that way. By following these steps you’ll be doing so and you’ll be right on track with reaching your overall weight loss goal!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 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.
Friday, June 25, 2010
10 Biggest Weight-Loss Mistakes
By Nicki Anderson, CPFT, AFP
Here you are again, ready to make a commitment to lose weight and stick to it! As you try to envision your success, suddenly all of the "what ifs" start running through your mind: "What if I don't lose all of the weight I want?" "What if I never get to eat ice cream again?" "What if I don't look as good as my neighbor who just lost a lot of weight?" and "What if I gain all of the weight back?"
Before even starting your weight-loss efforts, you see yourself as a failure. You figure you can try dieting for a couple of weeks just to see what happens. And when you begin to feel like it just isn't going to work, you stop and wait until the next miracle diet presents itself.
I don't know about you, but I'd like to see your weight-loss efforts succeed. As a woman who lost 50 pounds more than 20 years ago and has been dedicated to health and fitness -- with an occasional Haagen Dazs along the way -- I want you to know the ten biggest weight-loss mistakes I've made and how you can avoid them.
1. If I say I want to lose 50 pounds, I will! I know, I know, what's the point of dieting if you don't have a specific number in mind? Well, it's important to understand that as your body matures, it responds to exercise and reduced calorie consumption in different ways. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the older we get, the harder our weight-loss efforts become.
Remember when you were in your 20s and you could go a couple of days without eating and BINGO, suddenly the scale was back down where you wanted it? Well, as we lose muscle mass and go through the lovely changes of life, our body doesn't bounce back like that anymore. So set a goal of becoming more active while keeping an eye on nutrition. This is an attainable and realistic goal.
2. Diet is deprivation! Generally speaking, a diet will act as a jumpstart for your weight-loss efforts. The hope is that you will find certain aspects of your selected diet and apply those to your lifestyle permanently. The problem is, many people view diets as their last chance to lose weight, and they completely exempt any "fun food" from their diet. Granted, if you are serious about losing weight, you need to rid yourself of too much sugar and junk food, but a treat is fine once in a while.
3. I will look like a movie star! How often have we said to our kids, "If Johnny jumped off a bridge, would you?" OK, maybe the names have been changed, but you get the gist. Our bodies are uniquely ours and how they respond to exercise, stress, love, happiness and so on can vary greatly. We have to respect our bodies, our unique strengths and weaknesses and build upon the things we recognize as strengths.
Your friend, family member or neighbor may have lost a bunch of weight, but her body type and yours are probably very different. Sure, you can find out what she did to attain her goal, but it's more important that you find out what will help you achieve a realistic goal.
4. Once I'm finished with the diet, I can go back to what I did before! All too often, people view diets with a starting and ending point. The hope is that you will use the diet to shift what you're doing now, whether it's limiting your sugar intake, reducing your daily calorie consumption, increasing your water or whatever it may be. Your attempt should be to lose the bad habits you've grown accustomed to.
I remember a reader once wrote me, "A good friend of mine just lost 60 pounds on a diet. Does that mean he can go back to his old way of eating?"
I wasn't sure if the reader was serious or not, but let's think about that question. If he had 60 pounds to lose because his health was poor, why in the world would he want to go back to his old way of eating (which clearly got him into trouble)?
So when you begin a diet, look at the aspects that make sense to you and your current lifestyle. These are the pieces you want to apply to your lifestyle. If there are aspects of a diet that are not appealing, let them go and stick with what works for you!
5. I need someone to tell me what to eat! Here's the deal, we all know what we should be eating. However, because of the plethora of information available, we have become a society confused with which foods are good for us and which are not. We have become consumed with eating to lose weight versus eating to be healthy. When you eat well and are active, nine times out of 10, your weight will be where it needs to be. It might not match the weight charts, but eating well and exercising will give your body what it needs to be healthy.
In other words, daily activity and mindful nutrition results in an appropriate weight! You know you should be eating more fruits and veggies and less processed foods, right? Believe in yourself enough to know that you've got what it takes to make the right changes!
6. If I just exercise a couple of hours a day, I can eat whatever I want! Yeah, and if I just wish hard enough, I can sing like Barbra Streisand. The truth is that just exercising in an effort to lose weight won't cut the mustard. Your success will be short-lived and never become a regular part of your lifestyle.
Exercise needs to be embraced for all of the right reasons, including the following: more energy, improved quality of life, reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular risks and osteoporosis. Find one of the hundreds of benefits that speak to you and go for it. If you exercise simply to keep your weight in check, it will never be enough to maintain weight loss.
7. I don't have time to exercise, so I'll just cut out more calories! Again, you need to focus on health. If we make decisions to alter our lifestyle simply for weight loss, "Fugheddaboudit!" -- it will never last. You must figure out incentives valuable enough to you that you'll exercise and eat well for all of the right reasons
8. Writing things down doesn't make a difference! Trust me, it does. Some of my greatest client success stories come from those who were committed to keeping track of what they put in their mouth. Come on, how many times do you pop something into your mouth and then say, "It was small, so it doesn't count"? We all have, but if you're writing things down, you can clearly see where your biggest struggles lie.
Additionally, if you are able to see where those struggles are, you can begin taking steps to change them, one at a time. And that, my friends, is the secret to long-term success -- baby steps!
9. You're bad! No, actually, murder is bad, YOU are not bad. Making an unhealthy food choice is NOT bad. As long as we continue to view our choices as bad or good, we will always struggle with change. When making choices about exercise or food, more often than not we try to make the best choices. Sometimes stress, time constraints and lifestyle change can have a huge impact on our choices. We all have challenging weeks, sometimes even challenging months.
Doing the best you can do is all you can do. I often pose this question to my clients when they tell me they've been bad: "What would you tell a friend who was struggling with good decisions?" Nine times out of 10, they end up answering that question with what they need to be telling themselves: "It will be OK, there's always tomorrow."
10. New Year's Resolutions! Let's just say here and now, that never again will you look to the New Year as your time to drop weight and get active. Why? Because you're going to do it today and tomorrow and the next day and the day after and so on. Waiting until a particular time of year because you believe it will be the key to your success just doesn't work.
Think about how many New Year's resolutions you have made to lose weight -- probably more than you'd like to count. Start taking baby steps toward healthy living. Start making small changes that will have a big impact on the quality of your life. Only you can make the decision to make changes in your lifestyle, and only you can decide which changes are reasonable and which are not.
After losing 50 pounds those years ago, I still try and figure out what was the turning point for me. Was it the constant fatigue? Was it the teasing by friends and family? Was it the fact that I couldn't wear the cool clothes my friends were wearing? I'm not really sure, maybe all of the above. But I do know one thing: Changing my lifestyle and seeing the impact healthy living had on my health was very important to me. I want it to be important to you, too.
Begin today by choosing a couple of things you'd like to start changing. Then, one at a time, you'll be laying the foundation for a life of healthy living. You can do it, I know you can!
Here you are again, ready to make a commitment to lose weight and stick to it! As you try to envision your success, suddenly all of the "what ifs" start running through your mind: "What if I don't lose all of the weight I want?" "What if I never get to eat ice cream again?" "What if I don't look as good as my neighbor who just lost a lot of weight?" and "What if I gain all of the weight back?"
Before even starting your weight-loss efforts, you see yourself as a failure. You figure you can try dieting for a couple of weeks just to see what happens. And when you begin to feel like it just isn't going to work, you stop and wait until the next miracle diet presents itself.
I don't know about you, but I'd like to see your weight-loss efforts succeed. As a woman who lost 50 pounds more than 20 years ago and has been dedicated to health and fitness -- with an occasional Haagen Dazs along the way -- I want you to know the ten biggest weight-loss mistakes I've made and how you can avoid them.
1. If I say I want to lose 50 pounds, I will! I know, I know, what's the point of dieting if you don't have a specific number in mind? Well, it's important to understand that as your body matures, it responds to exercise and reduced calorie consumption in different ways. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the older we get, the harder our weight-loss efforts become.
Remember when you were in your 20s and you could go a couple of days without eating and BINGO, suddenly the scale was back down where you wanted it? Well, as we lose muscle mass and go through the lovely changes of life, our body doesn't bounce back like that anymore. So set a goal of becoming more active while keeping an eye on nutrition. This is an attainable and realistic goal.
2. Diet is deprivation! Generally speaking, a diet will act as a jumpstart for your weight-loss efforts. The hope is that you will find certain aspects of your selected diet and apply those to your lifestyle permanently. The problem is, many people view diets as their last chance to lose weight, and they completely exempt any "fun food" from their diet. Granted, if you are serious about losing weight, you need to rid yourself of too much sugar and junk food, but a treat is fine once in a while.
3. I will look like a movie star! How often have we said to our kids, "If Johnny jumped off a bridge, would you?" OK, maybe the names have been changed, but you get the gist. Our bodies are uniquely ours and how they respond to exercise, stress, love, happiness and so on can vary greatly. We have to respect our bodies, our unique strengths and weaknesses and build upon the things we recognize as strengths.
Your friend, family member or neighbor may have lost a bunch of weight, but her body type and yours are probably very different. Sure, you can find out what she did to attain her goal, but it's more important that you find out what will help you achieve a realistic goal.
4. Once I'm finished with the diet, I can go back to what I did before! All too often, people view diets with a starting and ending point. The hope is that you will use the diet to shift what you're doing now, whether it's limiting your sugar intake, reducing your daily calorie consumption, increasing your water or whatever it may be. Your attempt should be to lose the bad habits you've grown accustomed to.
I remember a reader once wrote me, "A good friend of mine just lost 60 pounds on a diet. Does that mean he can go back to his old way of eating?"
I wasn't sure if the reader was serious or not, but let's think about that question. If he had 60 pounds to lose because his health was poor, why in the world would he want to go back to his old way of eating (which clearly got him into trouble)?
So when you begin a diet, look at the aspects that make sense to you and your current lifestyle. These are the pieces you want to apply to your lifestyle. If there are aspects of a diet that are not appealing, let them go and stick with what works for you!
5. I need someone to tell me what to eat! Here's the deal, we all know what we should be eating. However, because of the plethora of information available, we have become a society confused with which foods are good for us and which are not. We have become consumed with eating to lose weight versus eating to be healthy. When you eat well and are active, nine times out of 10, your weight will be where it needs to be. It might not match the weight charts, but eating well and exercising will give your body what it needs to be healthy.
In other words, daily activity and mindful nutrition results in an appropriate weight! You know you should be eating more fruits and veggies and less processed foods, right? Believe in yourself enough to know that you've got what it takes to make the right changes!
6. If I just exercise a couple of hours a day, I can eat whatever I want! Yeah, and if I just wish hard enough, I can sing like Barbra Streisand. The truth is that just exercising in an effort to lose weight won't cut the mustard. Your success will be short-lived and never become a regular part of your lifestyle.
Exercise needs to be embraced for all of the right reasons, including the following: more energy, improved quality of life, reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular risks and osteoporosis. Find one of the hundreds of benefits that speak to you and go for it. If you exercise simply to keep your weight in check, it will never be enough to maintain weight loss.
7. I don't have time to exercise, so I'll just cut out more calories! Again, you need to focus on health. If we make decisions to alter our lifestyle simply for weight loss, "Fugheddaboudit!" -- it will never last. You must figure out incentives valuable enough to you that you'll exercise and eat well for all of the right reasons
8. Writing things down doesn't make a difference! Trust me, it does. Some of my greatest client success stories come from those who were committed to keeping track of what they put in their mouth. Come on, how many times do you pop something into your mouth and then say, "It was small, so it doesn't count"? We all have, but if you're writing things down, you can clearly see where your biggest struggles lie.
Additionally, if you are able to see where those struggles are, you can begin taking steps to change them, one at a time. And that, my friends, is the secret to long-term success -- baby steps!
9. You're bad! No, actually, murder is bad, YOU are not bad. Making an unhealthy food choice is NOT bad. As long as we continue to view our choices as bad or good, we will always struggle with change. When making choices about exercise or food, more often than not we try to make the best choices. Sometimes stress, time constraints and lifestyle change can have a huge impact on our choices. We all have challenging weeks, sometimes even challenging months.
Doing the best you can do is all you can do. I often pose this question to my clients when they tell me they've been bad: "What would you tell a friend who was struggling with good decisions?" Nine times out of 10, they end up answering that question with what they need to be telling themselves: "It will be OK, there's always tomorrow."
10. New Year's Resolutions! Let's just say here and now, that never again will you look to the New Year as your time to drop weight and get active. Why? Because you're going to do it today and tomorrow and the next day and the day after and so on. Waiting until a particular time of year because you believe it will be the key to your success just doesn't work.
Think about how many New Year's resolutions you have made to lose weight -- probably more than you'd like to count. Start taking baby steps toward healthy living. Start making small changes that will have a big impact on the quality of your life. Only you can make the decision to make changes in your lifestyle, and only you can decide which changes are reasonable and which are not.
After losing 50 pounds those years ago, I still try and figure out what was the turning point for me. Was it the constant fatigue? Was it the teasing by friends and family? Was it the fact that I couldn't wear the cool clothes my friends were wearing? I'm not really sure, maybe all of the above. But I do know one thing: Changing my lifestyle and seeing the impact healthy living had on my health was very important to me. I want it to be important to you, too.
Begin today by choosing a couple of things you'd like to start changing. Then, one at a time, you'll be laying the foundation for a life of healthy living. You can do it, I know you can!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The 2nd & 4th meal....
As you know, in order to maintain a humming metabolism and keep our bodies fueled for the kind of workouts we do (and busy lives we live), it is important to eat 5 small meals a day (rather than the traditional 3 big meals).
The 2nd and 4th meal you eat every day is usually referred to as your "snack". But as we all know, even when our intentions are good, sometimes are snack choices are BAD.
So, I want to give you all a little list you can print out and stick on your fridge or pantry to remind you of some HEALTHY snack choices that will actually fuel your body rather than weigh it down. (This list comes from the Insanity Nutrition Guide.)
100 Calorie Snacks
1/2 c. cottage cheese with 1/4 c. berries
1/2 c. nonfat vanilla yogurt with 1 Tbsp. Grape Nuts or other high-fiber cereal
1/2 apple with 1/2 oz. reduced-fat cheese
1 hard-boiled egg with baby carrots
1 banana
12 raw almonds1 c. skim, almond, rice or soy milk
2 oz. of sliced turkey on 1 slice of light-style whole wheat bread
1/2 whole-grain English muffin topped with 1 slice of tomato & thin slice of reduced-fat cheese
1/2 c. nonfat pudding
200 Calorie Snacks
1/2 c. oatmeal (measured dry and then cooked with water) topped with 1 Tbsp. of slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
1 banana with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 slice of wheat toast topped with 1 oz. of turkey and 1 oz. of reduced-fat cheese
1 whole-grain rice cake topped with 1 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter or almond butter and half of a sliced apple
1 c. nonfat vanilla yogurt with 2 Tbsp. Grape Nuts or other high-fiber cereal
1 c. whole-grain high-fiber breakfast cereal with 3/4 c. skim milk1 large navel orange with 12 raw almonds
3 oz. of water-packed tuna mixed with 1 Tbsp. light mayo served on a whole-grain rice cake
1 protein shake with 1/2 of a small banana
Egg Salad made with 2 whites and 1 yolk and 1 Tbsp. light mayo served on 1/2 of a whole-grain English muffin
GOOD FOR YOU Complex Carbohydrates (best to eat earlier in the day)
1 small baked potato with skin
1 small baked sweet potato
1 100-calorie whole-grain dinner roll
1/2 c. brown rice, measured after it's been cooked
1/2 c. barley, measured after it's been cooked
1 small banana or large orange
2/3 c. cooked oatmeal, cooked in water
1/2 c. canned beans, rinsed
2/3 c. whole-grain high-fiber breakfast cereal
1/2 c. whole wheat pasta, measured after it's been cooked
1/2 c. whole wheat couscous
1 slice of whole-grain bread or Ezekiel bread
1 whole-wheat English muffin
3/4 c. cooked corn
The 2nd and 4th meal you eat every day is usually referred to as your "snack". But as we all know, even when our intentions are good, sometimes are snack choices are BAD.
So, I want to give you all a little list you can print out and stick on your fridge or pantry to remind you of some HEALTHY snack choices that will actually fuel your body rather than weigh it down. (This list comes from the Insanity Nutrition Guide.)
100 Calorie Snacks
1/2 c. cottage cheese with 1/4 c. berries
1/2 c. nonfat vanilla yogurt with 1 Tbsp. Grape Nuts or other high-fiber cereal
1/2 apple with 1/2 oz. reduced-fat cheese
1 hard-boiled egg with baby carrots
1 banana
12 raw almonds1 c. skim, almond, rice or soy milk
2 oz. of sliced turkey on 1 slice of light-style whole wheat bread
1/2 whole-grain English muffin topped with 1 slice of tomato & thin slice of reduced-fat cheese
1/2 c. nonfat pudding
200 Calorie Snacks
1/2 c. oatmeal (measured dry and then cooked with water) topped with 1 Tbsp. of slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
1 banana with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 slice of wheat toast topped with 1 oz. of turkey and 1 oz. of reduced-fat cheese
1 whole-grain rice cake topped with 1 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter or almond butter and half of a sliced apple
1 c. nonfat vanilla yogurt with 2 Tbsp. Grape Nuts or other high-fiber cereal
1 c. whole-grain high-fiber breakfast cereal with 3/4 c. skim milk1 large navel orange with 12 raw almonds
3 oz. of water-packed tuna mixed with 1 Tbsp. light mayo served on a whole-grain rice cake
1 protein shake with 1/2 of a small banana
Egg Salad made with 2 whites and 1 yolk and 1 Tbsp. light mayo served on 1/2 of a whole-grain English muffin
GOOD FOR YOU Complex Carbohydrates (best to eat earlier in the day)
1 small baked potato with skin
1 small baked sweet potato
1 100-calorie whole-grain dinner roll
1/2 c. brown rice, measured after it's been cooked
1/2 c. barley, measured after it's been cooked
1 small banana or large orange
2/3 c. cooked oatmeal, cooked in water
1/2 c. canned beans, rinsed
2/3 c. whole-grain high-fiber breakfast cereal
1/2 c. whole wheat pasta, measured after it's been cooked
1/2 c. whole wheat couscous
1 slice of whole-grain bread or Ezekiel bread
1 whole-wheat English muffin
3/4 c. cooked corn
Tuesday, June 22, 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 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.)
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 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 push up 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.
Eat ‘n Lose: 10 Fat-Burning Foods
By Sheri Strykowski
Take your diet to the next level with these diet-friendly foods and beverages! The following 10 foods will stoke your metabolic fire and help you burn calories faster.
So the next time you’re shopping for groceries, make sure these are on your list.
1. Grapefruit: The grapefruit diet is not a myth. Researchers at Scripps Clinic found that participants who ate half a grapefruit with each meal in a 12-week period lost an average of 3.6 pounds.
The study indicates that the unique chemical properties in this vitamin C-packed citrus fruit reduce insulin levels, which promotes weight loss.
2. Lean Turkey: Rev up your fat-burning engine with this bodybuilder favorite. Studies have shown that protein can help boost your metabolism and build lean muscle tissue, so that you burn more calories.
A 3-ounce serving of boneless, skinless lean turkey breast has 120 calories, 26 grams of protein and 1 gram of fat.
3. Oatmeal: This heart-healthy favorite is great because it’s a good source of cholesterol-fighting, fat-soluble fiber that keeps you full and gives you with the energy you need to make the most of your workouts.
Be sure to choose steel cut or rolled oats, not instant oatmeal, to get your full dose of nutrients.
4. Broccoli: Study after study links calcium and weight loss. Broccoli is not only high in calcium but it’s also loaded with vitamin C, which boosts calcium absorption.
This member of the nutritious cabbage family also has plenty of vitamin A, folate and fiber. Plus, it contains powerful phytochemicals that protect against disease
5. Green Tea: Studies show that green tea extract boosts metabolism and may aid in weight loss.
This mood-enhancing tea has also been reported to contain anti-cancer properties and help prevent heart disease. It’s also a trendy drink among weight-conscious celebrities.
6. Soup: Eat less and burn fat faster by having a bowl of soup. According to a Penn State University study, soup is a super appetite suppressant because it’s made up of a hunger-satisfying combination of liquids and solids.
In the study, women were given the choice of one of three 270-calorie snacks before eating lunch. Women who had chicken and rice soup as a snack consumed an average of 100 fewer calories than those in the study who opted for a chicken and rice casserole or the casserole and a glass of water.
7. Low-Fat Yogurt: Dairy products can boost weight-loss efforts, according to a study in Obesity Research.
People on a reduced-calorie diet who included 3-4 servings of dairy foods lost significantly more weight than those who ate a low-dairy diet containing the same number of calories.
Low-fat yogurt is a rich source of weight-loss-friendly calcium, providing about 450 mg (about half the recommended daily allowance for women ages 19-50) per 8-ounce serving, as well as 12 grams of protein.
8. Apples and Pears: Overweight women who ate the equivalent of three small apples or pears a day lost more weight on a low-calorie diet than women who didn’t, according to State University of Rio de Janeiro researchers.
So, next time you need to satisfy a sugar craving, reach for this high-fiber snack. You’ll feel full longer and eat less.
9. Hot Peppers: Eating hot peppers can speed up your metabolism and cool your cravings, researchers at Laval University in Canada found.
Here’s why: capsaicin (a chemical found in jalapeño and cayenne peppers) temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up your metabolism.
10. Water: A recent study seems to indicate that drinking water actually speeds up weight loss. Researchers in Germany found that subjects of the study increased their metabolic rates (the rate at which calories are burned) by 30 percent after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water.
Water is also a natural appetite suppressant that banishes bloat as it flushes out sodium and toxins. Drinking enough water will also help keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger. So drink up!
Take your diet to the next level with these diet-friendly foods and beverages! The following 10 foods will stoke your metabolic fire and help you burn calories faster.
So the next time you’re shopping for groceries, make sure these are on your list.
1. Grapefruit: The grapefruit diet is not a myth. Researchers at Scripps Clinic found that participants who ate half a grapefruit with each meal in a 12-week period lost an average of 3.6 pounds.
The study indicates that the unique chemical properties in this vitamin C-packed citrus fruit reduce insulin levels, which promotes weight loss.
2. Lean Turkey: Rev up your fat-burning engine with this bodybuilder favorite. Studies have shown that protein can help boost your metabolism and build lean muscle tissue, so that you burn more calories.
A 3-ounce serving of boneless, skinless lean turkey breast has 120 calories, 26 grams of protein and 1 gram of fat.
3. Oatmeal: This heart-healthy favorite is great because it’s a good source of cholesterol-fighting, fat-soluble fiber that keeps you full and gives you with the energy you need to make the most of your workouts.
Be sure to choose steel cut or rolled oats, not instant oatmeal, to get your full dose of nutrients.
4. Broccoli: Study after study links calcium and weight loss. Broccoli is not only high in calcium but it’s also loaded with vitamin C, which boosts calcium absorption.
This member of the nutritious cabbage family also has plenty of vitamin A, folate and fiber. Plus, it contains powerful phytochemicals that protect against disease
5. Green Tea: Studies show that green tea extract boosts metabolism and may aid in weight loss.
This mood-enhancing tea has also been reported to contain anti-cancer properties and help prevent heart disease. It’s also a trendy drink among weight-conscious celebrities.
6. Soup: Eat less and burn fat faster by having a bowl of soup. According to a Penn State University study, soup is a super appetite suppressant because it’s made up of a hunger-satisfying combination of liquids and solids.
In the study, women were given the choice of one of three 270-calorie snacks before eating lunch. Women who had chicken and rice soup as a snack consumed an average of 100 fewer calories than those in the study who opted for a chicken and rice casserole or the casserole and a glass of water.
7. Low-Fat Yogurt: Dairy products can boost weight-loss efforts, according to a study in Obesity Research.
People on a reduced-calorie diet who included 3-4 servings of dairy foods lost significantly more weight than those who ate a low-dairy diet containing the same number of calories.
Low-fat yogurt is a rich source of weight-loss-friendly calcium, providing about 450 mg (about half the recommended daily allowance for women ages 19-50) per 8-ounce serving, as well as 12 grams of protein.
8. Apples and Pears: Overweight women who ate the equivalent of three small apples or pears a day lost more weight on a low-calorie diet than women who didn’t, according to State University of Rio de Janeiro researchers.
So, next time you need to satisfy a sugar craving, reach for this high-fiber snack. You’ll feel full longer and eat less.
9. Hot Peppers: Eating hot peppers can speed up your metabolism and cool your cravings, researchers at Laval University in Canada found.
Here’s why: capsaicin (a chemical found in jalapeño and cayenne peppers) temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up your metabolism.
10. Water: A recent study seems to indicate that drinking water actually speeds up weight loss. Researchers in Germany found that subjects of the study increased their metabolic rates (the rate at which calories are burned) by 30 percent after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water.
Water is also a natural appetite suppressant that banishes bloat as it flushes out sodium and toxins. Drinking enough water will also help keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger. So drink up!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Delicious Ways to Boost Fiber Intake
It's Easier (and Tastier) Than You Think!
-- By Christine Seymour, Health & Fitness Writer
Fiber is one of the easiest nutrients to incorporate into your diet, and one of the most important. However, many Americans don’t get the much needed 25 to 30 grams recommended daily for a healthy diet. Insufficient fiber intake can increase your risk for many health problems, including constipation, high cholesterol, weight gain, irritable bowel syndrome, and even cancer of the colon.
What is Fiber?
Fiber is the fibrous part of a plant food that your body cannot digest. Therefore, when it passes through the digestive system, it acts as a broom, sweeping out all unnecessary waste leftovers from digestible food. Fiber can be found naturally in many foods, and in supplement form. Here are some easy ways to add fiber to your diet:
Replace your white bread with whole wheat bread.
Many breads are packed with fiber—after all, just ½ cup of whole wheat flour packs more than 7 grams. Look for the words "whole wheat" at the top of the ingredients list, but remember to read those nutritional labels carefully. Just because a loaf of bread claims to be "whole grain" or "wheat" doesn’t mean it includes a healthy dose of fiber in the package. Many of those eye-catching labels will reveal only 1 gram of dietary fiber, meaning that the bread is made mostly from white flour, not whole wheat.
Leave the sugary cereals on the shelves.
Whole grain cereals and bran flakes are usually jam-packed with fiber—about 5 grams in one ¾ cup serving! Fiber One cereal by General Mills is a great choice, packing 14 grams of fiber in each serving! If you’re having a hard time swallowing these healthier varieties, try adding a little sweetness with fresh fruit, vanilla soy milk, a touch of honey, or a sugar-free sweetener.
Pass the beans, please.
Beans and legumes are always a healthy choice, usually containing 6-7 grams of fiber per ½ cup serving (cooked). Plus, you can easily add them to just about any meal. Heated as a side, in soups or chili, added to salads, or in place of meat in a main dish, beans have a healthy combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fat that keeps you feeling fuller longer.
Sweeten with fruit; add volume with vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are notorious "diet" foods, but should be must-eat staples of everyone’s diet. These tasty wonders are high in volume, low in calories, and high in fiber—a great combination for any dieter who wants to fill up without breaking his calorie budget.
One cup of fresh red raspberries holds a whopping 8 grams of fiber and blackberries are close behind at about 7.5 grams. Pears, prunes, and apples all measure up at about 4 grams of fiber per serving
Vegetables are a little lower on the totem pole for fiber, but still a great source. Acorn squash (1/2 cup baked) and artichoke hearts (1/2 cup cooked) provide about 4.5 grams of fiber, and a baked potato (with the skin) comes in at just fewer than 4 grams. Get 2 grams of fiber in a serving of broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, green beans, spinach, lettuce, or tomatoes.
Supplement, but as a last resort.
If you’ve tracked your food for awhile and are still coming up short, talk with your doctor about the need to supplement your diet. Fiber supplements come in capsules, biscuits, and even drink mixes. These will usually range from about 4-10 grams of fiber per serving, and can be found in the vitamin or supplement section of your grocery store. But fiber supplements, like vitamins, do not replace your body’s need for healthy foods.
More Fiber-Rich Tips
- Choose fresh fruit and/or vegetables over juice.
- To get more fiber and nutrients, eat the skin of cleaned fruits and vegetables.
- Include bran and whole grain breads daily.
- Drink more water to accommodate your increased fiber intake to reduce indigestion.
- Eat less processed foods and more whole foods.
- Try to meet your fiber requirements with foods rather than supplements.
- A large increase in fiber over a short period of time could result in bloating, diarrhea, gas, and all-around discomfort. It is better to add fiber to your diet gradually over a recommended period of about three weeks, to avoid abdominal problems.
-- By Christine Seymour, Health & Fitness Writer
Fiber is one of the easiest nutrients to incorporate into your diet, and one of the most important. However, many Americans don’t get the much needed 25 to 30 grams recommended daily for a healthy diet. Insufficient fiber intake can increase your risk for many health problems, including constipation, high cholesterol, weight gain, irritable bowel syndrome, and even cancer of the colon.
What is Fiber?
Fiber is the fibrous part of a plant food that your body cannot digest. Therefore, when it passes through the digestive system, it acts as a broom, sweeping out all unnecessary waste leftovers from digestible food. Fiber can be found naturally in many foods, and in supplement form. Here are some easy ways to add fiber to your diet:
Replace your white bread with whole wheat bread.
Many breads are packed with fiber—after all, just ½ cup of whole wheat flour packs more than 7 grams. Look for the words "whole wheat" at the top of the ingredients list, but remember to read those nutritional labels carefully. Just because a loaf of bread claims to be "whole grain" or "wheat" doesn’t mean it includes a healthy dose of fiber in the package. Many of those eye-catching labels will reveal only 1 gram of dietary fiber, meaning that the bread is made mostly from white flour, not whole wheat.
Leave the sugary cereals on the shelves.
Whole grain cereals and bran flakes are usually jam-packed with fiber—about 5 grams in one ¾ cup serving! Fiber One cereal by General Mills is a great choice, packing 14 grams of fiber in each serving! If you’re having a hard time swallowing these healthier varieties, try adding a little sweetness with fresh fruit, vanilla soy milk, a touch of honey, or a sugar-free sweetener.
Pass the beans, please.
Beans and legumes are always a healthy choice, usually containing 6-7 grams of fiber per ½ cup serving (cooked). Plus, you can easily add them to just about any meal. Heated as a side, in soups or chili, added to salads, or in place of meat in a main dish, beans have a healthy combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fat that keeps you feeling fuller longer.
Sweeten with fruit; add volume with vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are notorious "diet" foods, but should be must-eat staples of everyone’s diet. These tasty wonders are high in volume, low in calories, and high in fiber—a great combination for any dieter who wants to fill up without breaking his calorie budget.
One cup of fresh red raspberries holds a whopping 8 grams of fiber and blackberries are close behind at about 7.5 grams. Pears, prunes, and apples all measure up at about 4 grams of fiber per serving
Vegetables are a little lower on the totem pole for fiber, but still a great source. Acorn squash (1/2 cup baked) and artichoke hearts (1/2 cup cooked) provide about 4.5 grams of fiber, and a baked potato (with the skin) comes in at just fewer than 4 grams. Get 2 grams of fiber in a serving of broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, green beans, spinach, lettuce, or tomatoes.
Supplement, but as a last resort.
If you’ve tracked your food for awhile and are still coming up short, talk with your doctor about the need to supplement your diet. Fiber supplements come in capsules, biscuits, and even drink mixes. These will usually range from about 4-10 grams of fiber per serving, and can be found in the vitamin or supplement section of your grocery store. But fiber supplements, like vitamins, do not replace your body’s need for healthy foods.
More Fiber-Rich Tips
- Choose fresh fruit and/or vegetables over juice.
- To get more fiber and nutrients, eat the skin of cleaned fruits and vegetables.
- Include bran and whole grain breads daily.
- Drink more water to accommodate your increased fiber intake to reduce indigestion.
- Eat less processed foods and more whole foods.
- Try to meet your fiber requirements with foods rather than supplements.
- A large increase in fiber over a short period of time could result in bloating, diarrhea, gas, and all-around discomfort. It is better to add fiber to your diet gradually over a recommended period of about three weeks, to avoid abdominal problems.
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