Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts

How To Stick With a Diet, When Everyone Else Is Enjoying Themselves?

 Do you have a hard time sticking to a diet? You're not the only one who feels this way. Some dieters find it easier to lose weight when they are alone at home. However, when they attend parties or social activities, their willpower begins to wane.

There are options available to keep you healthy and involved in your eating. Use these guidelines to discover how to diet wherever you are in order to attain your goal and acquire the body you desire.

How do you stay on track with your diet?

If you don't know why you're dieting in the first place, you'll never be able to stick to your plan. So put down your diet goals and motives for weight loss as the first stage in your diet plan.

Start a notebook and be extremely precise about why you want to lose weight. If you're not sure where to begin, consider the following questions:


  • Will decreasing weight have an impact on my health?
  • Will losing weight help me become more active?
  • Will decreasing weight make it easier for me to participate in activities that are currently tough for me?
  • Will losing weight have an impact on or improve my relationships with my family?
  • Will a thinner body make me feel more confident?


Of course, reducing weight does not ensure that your life will alter, but many successful dieters discover that it does. You can remind yourself of your goals when your devotion begins to fade if you know the exact weight reduction benefits that you are seeking to achieve.

Re-evaluate these goals as you proceed through the weight-loss process. If you start to see new or unexpected benefits from eating healthily, exercising, and living an active lifestyle, make changes and set new goals.

How can you stick to a diet while everyone else is eating?


"It's one thing to stick to a diet when you're at home."

Sticking to a diet in social situations, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. You'll be surrounded by goodies and snacks that can derail your diet at parties, happy hours, and even the business dining room. And staying away from food isn't always simple.

Since you're unlikely to have your weight-loss diary on hand for motivation, here are some clever strategies that savvy dieters employ to stick to their diets while everyone else indulges in high-protein snacks, beverages and high calories:

Food.

Keep food away from it. It may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be shocked how often we make our way to the kitchen during parties and picnics. Make a new path instead. Have the host give a tour of the house or find a quiet area for a relaxed talk with an old friend if the party is in the kitchen surrounded by bowls of fries and other munchies.

In Front of the Table You'll have a hard time parting with the delicacies that will derail your feed if your event is in a one-room setting and the feed table is split up in half. You, on the other hand, are capable of confronting them. Standing with your back to the buffet or food tables, find a friend (ideally one who isn't eating). Then start up a discussion with someone and tell them about your misfortune.

Keep a Pack of Gum with You.

Gum chewing Chewing gum is one of the most effective ways to eliminate cravings. Choose a strong mint taste and keep it on hand. You will have fresh breath and no desire to eat sweet or salty items after chewing gum.

Conversation.

Be gregarious. It's likely that your mother taught you that talking with food in your mouth is impolite. So keep talking as much as you can; it's one of the finest methods to stick to your diet. In fact, your hungry companions may thank you for giving them extra time to eat.

Beer & Wine.

Avoid consuming alcoholic beverages. During the holidays, this technique becomes even more difficult. But the point is that drinking wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages not only adds empty calories to your waist, but it also makes it harder to stick to a diet.

Keep a drink in your hand at all times. Even if you don't drink, you should always have a drink on hand while you're at parties, buffets, or barbecues. When one hand is occupied, eating becomes more difficult. Low-calorie or zero-calorie beverages make you feel full and fill your mouth with flavor, so you don't feel starved.

Keep Busy.

To be occupied. If you apply for a position at your next social occasion, your party host / hostess will adore you, and sticking to your diet will be much simpler. Greet visitors, prepare the table, collect jackets, organize the kids, or offer to cook. When you're busy, you don't have time to eat and instead prefer to socialize.

The Buddy System.

Make a partner to hold you accountable. Make a pledge to hold each other accountable overnight if you know someone who is also on a diet. Then, every now and then, check in with each other to keep each other motivated.

Honesty.

Be truthful. Don't be embarrassed to tell your friends, coworkers, or family that you're attempting to lose weight or eat healthier. The act of confessing can sometimes serve as a form of accountability. And your buddies may be willing to cheer you on as you make wise choices all night.

Motivation.

Create a good internal dialogue. It's easy to feel deprived if you believe that everyone else can eat everything they want while you are forced to forego your favorite meals or beverages. However, you may change your mindset to help you stick to your diet. Make a list of a few benefits you'll get from adhering to your diet at the party, such as increased self-confidence, a sense of accomplishment, or a guilt-free morning the next day. If you start to feel awful about missing out, remember these exceptional benefits.

It's important to keep in mind that dieting is challenging for everyone. However, with some forethought and good advice, you can adhere to your diet and reach your goal.

Resources:

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Is The Okinawa Diet Healthy

 The Okinawa diet comes from a small, ultra-centenarian island in southern Japan. It is renowned for the longevity of its inhabitants linked in large part to their diet and their way of life. This diet promotes health and longevity through a diet rich in micronutrients and Omega-3s.

Features of the Okinawa diet:

  1. Rich in vegetables, fruits and fatty fish
  2. True way of life
  3. Great principle of stopping eating before satiety
  4. Promotes health and longevity

The main principles of the regime:

The Okinawa diet is named after an archipelago in Japan where we find the longest life expectancy (86 years for women and 78 years for men) as well as the largest number of centenarians in the world. Okinawa has 400 centenarians for a population of 1.3 million inhabitants, or 34 centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants. Not only are Okinawans most likely to pass the 100-year mark, they are aging in good health. They live longer in full possession of their means. But what are they doing to achieve such results?

How does the Okinawa diet work?

The Japanese Makoto Suzuki, cardiologist and gerontologist, is one of the first to be interested in the secret of the centenarians of Okinawa. In the 1970s, he moved there in order to create a dispensary. He was then intrigued by the presence of several centenarians despite the absence of an adequate health service. His subsequent analyzes will reveal that the secret to longevity of centenarians is attributable in part to heredity, but also to a diet low in saturated fat and calories. Recently, the diet and lifestyle of Okinawan centenarians has attracted the attention of the medical world and researchers. It was twins Bradley and Craig Willcox, members of Dr. Suzuki's research team, who brought the Okinawaiian secret to longevity to the rest of the world. They have published various books on the subject: the first in 2001, The Okinawa Way, and the most recent, The Okinawa Diet Plan. This latest book offers a Western version of the Okinawan diet for those who want to lose weight.

How does the Okinawa diet make you lose weight?

The Okinawa diet is a low fat semi-vegetarian diet (less than 25% of total calories). One of the goals of this diet is to induce calorie restriction without having to count calories, in order to reach a healthy weight and age well. To achieve this, it is recommended to eat according to the principle of the energy density of food. The  energy density  corresponds to the calorific value per 100 g of food, divided by 100.

Thus, in the Okinawa diet, it is recommended to consume:

  • at will  foods with an energy density of  less than 0.7
  • in  moderation  those with an energy density of 0.8 to 1.5
  • occasionally , in small quantities, those with an energy density of 1.6 to 3
  • rarely  those with an energy density  greater than 3

Eating foods with low and very low energy density allows you to eat fewer calories, due to their high water, fiber or protein content. These foods quickly make you feel full, so you can stop eating before you are fully satisfied. Also, the calorie restriction induced by the consumption of foods with low and very low energy density generates less metabolic waste, and therefore less  free radicals . This is what would make it possible to live longer. Indeed, during the transformation of food into energy, the organism produces a lot of free radicals which, over the years, deteriorate the mitochondria (small "factories" present inside our cells which produce energy).

Calorie restriction also reduces insulin levels in the blood and estrogen levels  circulating in the body. It also causes an increase in the immune response and protects against obesity, insulin resistance, hormone - dependent cancers and atherosclerosis.

How long does the Okinawa diet last?

The Okinawa diet is more than a diet. It is a real way of life, the benefits of which increase over time. For this reason, there is no time limit. It is, on the contrary, recommended to apply the principles of this diet throughout life to be and stay in good health.

Foods to Include in the Okinawa Diet below:

>Foods to eat at will

Energy density <0.7

  • Water, tea
  • Green
  • vegetables Watery vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers)
  • Citrus
  • fruits Red
  • fruits Low calorie fruits
  • Soy milk
  • Fresh seaweed Low- fat
  • yogurt
  • Tofu


>Foods to eat in moderation

Energy density between 0.8 and 1.5

  • Banana
  • Avocado
  • Potato
  • Lean fish
  • Shellfish
  • Poultry
  • Egg
  • Sweet potato
  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Sushi
  • Legumes


>Foods to eat occasionally

Energy density between 1.6 and 3

  • Hummus
  • Fatty fish Whole
  • grains and derivatives
  • Lean meat
  • Dried fruits
  • Soy cheese
  • Ice cream
  • Sweet fruits: cherry, grape  


>Foods to limit

Energy density> 3

  • Oilseeds
  • Cheese
  • Biscuits
  • Donuts Cold
  • cuts
  • Oil and butter
  • Cream for
  • frying
  • Sweet and processed products

To adapt the Okinawa diet to the Western way of life, it is recommended to consume each day:

  • 7 to 13 servings of vegetables
  • 7 to 13 servings of whole grains or legumes
  • 2 to 4 fruits
  • 2 to 4 servings of soy or cabbage
  • 2 to 4 servings of foods rich in calcium (broccoli, fish, yogurt, cheese, etc.)
  • 1 to 3 servings of foods rich in omega-3s (fish, seafood, nuts and seeds)
  • Vegetable oil and condiments (herbs, spices, soy sauce) in moderation, 1 to 2 tbsp. maximum tablespoon
  • Tea
  • 8 glasses of water


*Optional, per week

  1. 0 to 7 servings of meat, poultry and eggs
  2. 0 to 3 servings of foods with added sugars
  3. Alcohol in moderation

Other main principles of the Okinawa diet:

The Okinawa diet recommends respecting other main principles characteristic of the Japanese diet and which make the success of this method:

  • The  Hara Hachi Bu  which consists in stopping eating before being completely satisfied
  • The  kuten gwa  encouraging to eat only small portions
  • The  nuchi gusui  which consists of eating while thinking that food has healing powers
  • Promote a variety of foods at once
  • Favor colors on the plate
  • Eat fresh food
  • Cook food lightly, over low heat
  • Cook and consume food separately
  • Combine raw and cooked foods
  • Avoid the microwave and barbecue

Okinawa diet: menus, diet program and recipes for vegetarians

>Traditional Okinawa diet

[MORNING MEALS]

  • Miso and tofu soup
  • Rice
  • Green tea

>Western Okinawa diet

  • Rye bread
  • Lean cheese
  • Apple
  • Tea

[LUNCH]

  • Seaweed salad
  • Grilled eggplant
  • Rice
  • Eel skewer
  • Papaya, cucumber
  • Green tea

[DINNER]

  • Rice with red beans and goya
  • Pineapple

>Western Okinawa diet

[MORNING MEALS]

  • Rye bread
  • Lean cheese
  • Apple
  • Tea

[LUNCH]

  • Brown rice
  • Spaghetti with basil and soy beans
  • Grilled chicken
  • Mushroom salad                 
  • Tea

[DINNER]

  • Italian fish
  • Spicy tofu
  • Cucumber dressing
  • Papaya
  • Tea

>Okinawa diet with recipes for vegetarians

[MORNING MEALS]

  • Soy milk and chia seed porridge
  • Red fruit soup
  • Tea

[LUNCH]

  • Cucumber salad with gomasio
  • Miso soup with flat beans, bean sprouts
  • Grilled tofu
  • Pineapple carpaccio
  • Tea

[DINNER]

  • Oriental salad with falafel, mint and grilled peppers
  • Soy yogurt and lemon sauce
  • Homemade seasonal fruit compote
  • Herbal tea


Advantages and disadvantages:

{The positives of the Okinawa diet}

  • Satiety provided by a good intake of fiber and protein
  • Western version easy to follow in the long run
  • Compatible with an active social life
  • Low priority but often diet-induced weight loss
  • Balanced, diverse and healthy diet
  • No food prohibitions or deprivation
  • The negative points of the diet
  • It can be difficult not to eat until you are full
  • Origin foods sometimes difficult to find in the West
  • Requires an effort of cultural adaptation

Recommendations and precautions to be taken:

Are there any risks?

{The Okinawa diet may carry certain risks for uninformed people:}

  1. Reducing your calorie intake over the long term without being overweight and unattended can pose certain health risks, including leading to nutritional deficiencies. The supervision of a doctor and a nutritionist is advised.
  2. Consumption of seaweed by people with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism can be harmful to their health
  3. The Okinawa diet has certain dietary restrictions that could push the individual following it into a period of excess that is difficult to control.

Is this a diet for you?

You can benefit from the Okinawa diet if you want to develop better long-term eating habits. This diet promotes the consumption of foods close to nature, beneficial to health and with great nutritional qualities. Listening to oneself and the philosophy of life are also pillars of this method. It is important to note that losing weight is not the goal of this diet.

Is it a diet compatible with sport?

Yes, physical activity is also a pillar of the Okinawan way of life. It is essential to maintain the body in good health and prevent various pathologies. It acts in synergy with food.

How not to gain weight? 

The Okinawa diet is not particularly restrictive and not intended to lose weight, there is no reason to notice a weight gain when stopping the diet. Especially since this lifestyle is supposed to be adopted in the very long term to promote health and longevity.

Some figures to go further:

It is true that Okinawan centenarians consume few calories. In a 1996 study, the calorie intake of centennial men and women in Okinawa was about 1,100 calories per day, which is less than the recommended calorie intake in the West. Eating sufficient servings of low energy density foods provides satiety. It can indeed help to lose weight. In animals, calorie restriction has been shown to improve longevity. In humans, in the short term, calorie restriction brings certain benefits, in particular an improvement in the lipid balance (cholesterol, triglycerides). A  prospective study , published in  The Journal of Gerontology in 2004, even found that men who consume 15% to 50% fewer calories than average reduce their risk of death from all causes.

There is no scientific data regarding the long-term effect of calorie restriction on humans. Some researchers are concerned about possible negative consequences, including the risk of nutritional deficiencies.

The results of another study showed that foods traditionally eaten in the Okinawa region have higher anti-cancer properties than those eaten in the rest of Japan. Let us also remember that the secret to the longevity of the inhabitants of Okinawa lies not only in their diet and their level of physical activity, but also in socio-cultural, psychological and hereditary factors.

Here are some thoughts by Dietitian's on the Okinawa diet:

The Okinawa diet is very interesting for several reasons. First, it promotes exceptional nutritional quality through the consumption of fruits, vegetables, fatty fish and whole grains. It is one of the richest diets in micronutrients and Omega-3. Then, its beneficial effects on the prevention of diseases of civilization, on obesity and on longevity have been demonstrated on several occasions. Finally, it encourages us to question deep eating behaviors and adopt long-term healthy lifestyle habits (listen to hunger signals, celebrate the powers of food, etc.). I particularly like this diet and I encourage you to apply some of its main principles, without ever going overboard.

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Boost Energy & Control Hunger

Protein is found in all of your body's cells. It is the essential nutrient that is responsible for the maintenance and repair of all of your organs, tissues, muscles, brain and bones. This individual built in repair kit occurs at the cellular level in our bodies. Protein regulates everything - our blood circulation, our metabolism and our immune system. Individuals who lack sufficient protein in their bodies have weaker immune systems than people who consume adequate protein in their diets. Also, people who are constantly on yo-yo diets where they lose and gain weight back frequently usually become protein deficient and have weaker immune systems. This fact has been proven by researchers who have found that these yo-yo dieters have about a third lower the number of killer cell activity than normal individuals. The so-called killer blood cells are essential for the immune system to function properly.

All foods are sources of energy; however, protein provides a greater boost in energy levels since it is absorbed slowly and thus produces a constant source of energy. Protein has real energy-staying power for your active, healthy, lifestyle. Fats and carbohydrates produce quick bursts of energy but cannot be relied upon to provide the body with a continuous source of energy, since they are digested and metabolized more quickly than protein. Fats and carbohydrates also tend to be stored as fat the body for later use. The Protein that we're discussing is lean protein (lean meats, skinless poultry, seafood, egg whites, low-fat dairy products, legumes and beans, soy and tofu foods, skim and low- fat cheeses, and good-fat nuts). Lean proteins are also excellent sources of selenium, which. Is a mineral that protects the body against dangerous tree radicals that can destroy normal cells in the body. These free radicals can damage many different types of cells including connective tissue, which causes joint and muscle inflammation.

High-saturated fat protein products like fatty meats, hard cheeses, whole fat milk dairy products, whole eggs, mayonnaise, luncheon and smoked meats including bacon, sausage, and hot dogs are definitely not good sources of energy production. The reason for this is, that even though these products have some protein content, its value is offset by the saturated fat content of these foods. The saturated fat content of these foods do more harm to the body (heart disease, strokes, hypertension, high cholesterol and some forms of cancer) than the protein portion of the food can repair. These are called harmful proteins and are not recommended for any healthful weight-loss program.

For appetite control, lean protein tops the charts for staying power. By adding a small portion of lean protein to your meal, you'll control hunger pangs for hours. Lean protein also has the advantage of being lower in calories than many foods, particularly saturated fat protein product refined carbohydrates and saturated fat foods. Once you substitute saturated-fat protein products, you defeat the appetite-controlling factor of the protein. The fat content of saturated- fat protein foods prevents the brain's appetite-control center from shutting down. In other words, you'll get hungry soon after your meal of a saturated protein food.

Your body needs between 15-30 of your total daily calories, however, can be dangerous, because it strains the kidneys. This is one of the reasons among many why low-carbohydrate, high saturated fat protein diets are dangerous to your health.

Resoures:

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

Menu Planning Central: Making life easier for busy individuals and families - like yours when it comes to meal planning. Click here for details

Are You Struggling With Weight Loss Management?

It doesn’t matter whether you are trying to lose five pounds or more than 50 pounds; all of the same simple laws of physics determine whether or not you will lose weight and how fast your weight loss will occur. While everyone is different, if everyone remembered these simple guidelines and put them into practice, then they would find that these guidelines would generally lead to weight loss without the aid of any special diet plans, books, or medications.

Our weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food, and the amount of energy we expend in the activities of our day. Energy is measured in calories. If your weight remains constant, you are probably taking in the same amount of calories that you are burning each and every day. If you’re slowly gaining weight over time, it is likely that your caloric intake is greater than the number of calories you burn through your daily activities.

Everyone is in control of the amount of food he or she consumes each day, so as a result, our intake of calories is something we can control with relative simplicity. To some degree, we are also able to control our output of energy, or the number of calories we burn each day. The number of calories we burn each day is dependent upon:

1. Our basal metabolic rate (BMR)
2. The number of calories we burn per hour simply by being alive and maintaining bodily functions and
3. Our level of physical activity

For some people, due to genetic (inherited) factors or other conditions, their resting metabolic rate can be slightly higher or lower than average. Our weight also plays a role in determining how many calories we burn at rest – the more calories that are required to maintain your body in its present state, the greater your body weight. As an example, a person that weighs around a hundred pounds requires less energy (food) to maintain body weight than a person who weighs 200 pounds.

Lifestyle and work habits partially determine how many calories we need each day. Someone whose job involves heavy physical labor will naturally burn more calories in a day than someone who sits at a desk most of the day (a sedentary job). For people who do not have jobs that require intense physical activity, you need exercise or increased physical activity to increase the number of calories burned.

As a rough estimate, an average woman aged 31-50 who leads a sedentary lifestyle needs about 1800 calories per day to maintain a normal weight. A man of the same age requires about 2200 calories. Participating in a moderate level of physical activity (exercising 3-5 days per week) requires about 200 additional calories per day.

In order to lose weight rather than maintain it, you will want to eat sensible, well balanced meals with small portion sizes, cut down or reduce your intake of daily calories, try with your best efforts to eliminate fats from your diet and ensure that you exercise on a regular basis.

Resources:

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

Menu Planning Central: Making life easier for busy individuals and families - like yours when it comes to meal planning. Click here for details

Are You an Emotional Eater?

We go out to eat to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, promotion, etc.  Or we entertain around dinner parties and holidays. At church functions, there are socials and potluck meals.  You name it and somehow it all revolves around food. Yes it has a role in our lives of comfort and entertainment. Culturally and instinctively we prepare and serve foods to comfort those who have experienced loss, to celebrate joy or to show friendship and love. Food is very important in our lives.  Without food we would not be able to perform our daily activities. Our muscles would wither, our nervous system would fail. We all need food.

What Is Emotional Eating? 

But are you also eating whenever you are lonely or sad? Seeing food as more than just a source of energy and enjoying it simply for the satisfaction it gives is not wrong. In fact science shows that food can promote good feelings by chemical reactions caused in our brains. What IS a problem is when an individual cannot experience pain, anxiety, joy or even boredom without turning to food as means of dealing with those feelings, or they are obsessed with food, weight and dieting.

Emotional eaters turn to food as a source of distraction from dealing with feelings. However, eating these foods leads to feelings of guilt which can only be soothed with more eating, restrictive dieting, excessive exercise or purging.

Emotional eaters tend to value themselves based on their weight and how closely they've stuck to their 'ideal' diet. Because of this distorted relationship with food, foods are labeled "GOOD" and "BAD". Emotional eating can lead to serious eating disorders and depression.

How Do I Know If I'm an Emotional Eater

Do you turn to food for reasons other than hunger? Are you obsessed with thoughts of food - whether you plan to eat it or are concentrating on restricting yourself from eating it?

Do you regularly try diets and fail - leading to guilt and further over eating? Do you think about or attempt to purge excess food by throwing up or using laxatives? Do you exercise compulsively when you think you've eaten too much?


How Do I Overcome Emotional Eating?

Since emotional eating is caused by looking to food as a coping strategy for emotional distress dieting can actually create more problems. When the emotional eater fails to stick to a diet they suffer feelings of guilt that can only be soothed with more food and in turn, more guilt or punishment.

Instead of trying to focus on what they are eating, the emotional eater needs to learn new skills for coping with stressful emotions. Often this requires the help of a Personal Coach or Psychotherapist who deals with emotional eating. It is only by finding replacements for the comfort food provided that the individual can put food into its rightful place and learn healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.

Resources:

Menu Planning Central: Making life easier for busy individuals and families - like yours when it comes to meal planning. Click here for details

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

Are the barriers of dieting psychological or physical?

On the last count the word ‘diet’ produced in excess of 157 million web pages of diet plans, pills, potions and dieting tips from health institutions, diet companies, nutritional professionals and otherwise - from all over the world.  And yet we are approaching the peak of an obesity epidemic which is causing untold mental misery and depression, aside from the ever increasing debilitating diseases being linked to those overweight or obese.  With such an abundance of information available -  how can this be?

The trend is unforgiving and is second only to smoking in terms of the cause of self-inflicted premature loss of life, but left to its own devices within the next five years obesity is sure to take the number one slot.  Mother Nature is ruthless in her approach to life, in that she only allows the fittest to survive and the trend we see today is her reaction to the effects of a diet that is clearly not suited to the well-being of the human body and mind.  We only have to stop, take a step in back and look around us to see that there is one hell of a serious problem.  There is no need for statistics, reports or media news to tell us such.  It's clear that we as individuals have to make a change in what we do if we have any intention to reverse the current obesity trend.  The ultimate responsibility lies with each and every one of us to act for the benefit of ourselves.

We have to accept the fact that the grocery industry is a host of contradiction in that it sells both dietary products along side the very products that cause us to be overweight or obese in the first instance. This is so obvious in our supermarkets today.  It has become human nature that profit has a higher weighting than human health, and this is evident in many industries around the world, and is far from unique within dieting circles.  We must also bear in mind the diet companies, whilst they portray an air of interest and concern, in reality they are totally dependent on your failure to diet for their very own business survival.  If they were good at what they do – their businesses would surely fail. So who can we trust aside from ourselves.  The evidence is clear -there is no debate.

We may have one reprieve but it will be sometime in the future, but not now.  Science and technology is getting nearer and nearer to the possibility of a wonder drug with the ever-increasing understanding of the human genotype and genetic engineering.  But in reality, who would ever wish or want to be dependent on diet drugs,  potentially an ongoing daily basis, simply because of a lack of understanding about the relationship between the food our body has been designed for, and the food we eat.  Why is it, we knowingly overeat when we know it is bad for us and that we are doing harm to ourselves?  Why is it, that the only time we choose to ignore our food is the time when we are eating it!

So, is it a psychological thing, a physical thing or is it both?

In order to answer this we must first look at the change in our diet over the last 50 years. Consumption trends of refined carbohydrates such as sugar has risen dramatically, but at the same time the consumption of fats and proteins has remained reasonably stable.  Saturated fats has indeed become and still is a problem although thankfully now overall consumption of saturated fats has dropped slightly, but still remains an issue.

Many studies particularly those associated with research in how the Atkins diet worked revealed that the effect of refined carbohydrates and fats both have a form of addiction associated with them.  Studies have shown that refined sugars have the effect of playing havoc with the fine balance of maintaining the level of glucose in the bloodstream.  This in turn has a detrimental effect on our hormonal activity, such as insulin and glucagon which are both responsible for maintaining the level of glucose to its normal level following a ‘surge’ intake of refined carbohydrates in our diet.  These acceptable levels of glucose in the bloodstream are maintained at surprisingly narrow margins.

Refined sugars therefore induces excessive hormonal activity in its attempt to restore homeostasis. These unnatural  ‘swings’ in hormonal activity often cause differing mood swings from that of being happy and content to being sad, on edge, and even feelings of anxiety or panic.  Prolonged exposure to these hormonal swings can often lead to the whole process becoming less effective and subsequently diabetes can be the end result.

Other studies have shown surprisingly that the effect of eating significant quantities of fats actually leads to an unexpected human reaction in terms of nutrition.  You would think that eating food rich in fats would have the effect of satisfying feeling of hunger. But amazingly medical research has shown the opposite to be true.  Clinical trials have shown that foods rich in fats actually induces people to eat more not less.  At the time the results from such experiments were groundbreaking as they completely contradicted the nutritional thinking of the time.

It is also interesting to learn that further medical studies have suggested that foods rich in protein have been linked to the response that indicates that you have consumed sufficient food. In other words, it is believed that proteins in some way, triggers the ‘I am full’ response.

And then of course there is the massive change in our energy expenditure. We used to hunt and gather food but now we happily pop to the local supermarket to buy it, or at worse, have it delivered to our front door. Food has changed from being scarce to being in abundance (at least for us), and we have changed from being ‘active’ to relatively ‘dormant’. Move less and eat more…what should we expect?

And many believe that even the act of not exercising can trigger the bodily response to lower the metabolism and build fat layers under the skin for 2 key reasons, both being linked to human survival.  In evolutionary terms, it may be that you are unable to ‘hunt’ and therefore unable to secure food. Reducing the metabolic rate of your body makes total sense to preserve energy. Secondly, if food is available during a spell of non activity, does it not make a whole load of sense to lay down fat layers under the skin to retain bodily heat and secure an energy source during potential ‘lean times’. Perfect sense, perfect design and yet we don’t understand ourselves and if we do, many choose to ignore the warning signs out body is offering.

In essence therefore, it is very clear that part of the problem within the dieting world that we humans face is certainly a physical one that is linked to the interaction of the food types we eat with that of our body.  And clearly, over the last 50 odd years our diet has changed out of all recognition and yet our body is doing the same as it has been doing for well over the last 100,000 years.  We are in the 21st century, our body is still in the ‘Stone Age’. Evolution is a slow slow process but over millions of years the relationship and reaction of chemicals in our food with the cells of the human body has been cemented and cast, for eons of time.

So, it is us that need to change…because Mother Nature will not entertain us for thousands of years to come…

Run with it, eat what your body has been designed for and successful weight loss will follow for sure.

Resources:

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

Alternative Medicine – New Way to Lose Weight

Weight loss is one of the big topics-no pun intended-on the late night television circuit. While flipping through the channels after 11p.m., you are likely to come across several advertisements for weight loss pills and diet supplements, each promising to assist you drop those unwanted pounds and remove stubborn belly fat once and for all.

Let's face it, if these pills really worked, America wouldn't be the top overweight country in the world.

There are types of alternative medicine, which can help with weight loss, however, and with great results. While no alternative medicine is a magic solution, practicing these principles can help you become more limber, feel more energetic, and the end result-or side effect if you will, is weight loss.

Take yoga for example. The low impact stretching involved with yoga will help you feel less stressed, and as a result less likely to over eat as a result of depression or anger. Acupuncture has exact pressure points in the ear which help reduce cravings, and detoxifying teas and herbs can help you feel healthier, and the side effect would be thinking twice before deciding that you want to "pollute" yourself again with oily and fatty foods. In this regard, alternative medicine is wonderful for loosing weight.

The majority alternative medicines for weight loss come in the form of detoxifying teas, energy supplements, and vitamins. The exercise and diet plans are the basis, as they should be, for safe and effective long-term weight loss. There is no magic potion to lose weight. In fact dropping pounds and keeping them off requires regular daily exercise and a change in eating habits, period.

However, to get you ready for weight loss, here are some alternative medicine detoxifying teas and interesting supplements.

Take turmeric, ginger, and lemon-about a half teaspoon each and the juice of half a lemon, and boil it all in 2 cups of water. Drink every morning as a detoxifier before you start your diet.

All diets should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, and buying a juicer is a great way to make a habit out of eating healthy. Please see your doctor before starting any kind of diet plan.

Visit your local food co op or herbalist, they can get you set up with all sorts of alternative teas and nutrition advice, and can refer you to a good homeopathic doctor who will evaluate you as to what your individual nutrition needs are.

Bovine and shark cartilage are two dietary supplements to hit the alternative market. Both have been used for years outside of the United States and Britain, but now are big business in the health food stores.

The most popular form of alternative medicine for weight loss isn't really medicine at all, rather behavior modification through hypnosis. Hypnosis doesn't make you rely on will power, that's one of the reasons it's so popular.

How hypnosis works is that it examines what is subconsciously holding you to the thinking and eating habits that keep you overweight. Hypnotists believe that if the root cause of the obesity can be alleviated, the patient will naturally begin to lose weight. It is actually a very efficient form of alternative medicine, and overall can cost much less than trips to day spas and expensive over the counter weight loss pills. Through hypnosis you can let go of fears that keep you from eating healthy, and begin to allow a positive energy flow through you, causing you to want to stick to the new way of eating and exercising.

Resources:

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

After A Diet, Why Does The Weight Come Back?

Before many Australians recently, a devastating story unfolded on a popular current affairs program. We watched with compassion as the fattest man in Australia told of his most recent, serious attempt to lose weight. Approximately 12 months earlier and weighing close to 300 kilos, he under went life threatening surgery to lose weight.

I doubt there would have been one person watching not moved by this man's depression and plight. Despite undergoing the surgery, today he could barely get through each day, both physically and mentally. He shared with us his sense of hopelessness and wanting to end it all.

It was not only his size that was causing his depression. He had to deal with a heart broken by disappointment.

You see, the surgery had been a success.

He soon lost well over 50 kilos post operation and he and his family rejoiced. But then the unthinkable happened.

The weight came back. Today he weighs well over 300 kilos - more than before the surgery.

This is an extreme case, but nonetheless raises a question that so many people continue to battle with.

After a diet, why does the weight come back so quickly?

To answer this we need to understand how much energy a body requires. For each pound you weigh, each day you need 12 calories to maintain your body weight. If you weigh 120 pounds you will need 120 x 12 calories, that is, 1440 calories per day to maintain that body weight. If you eat or drink more calories than your body requires, the excess energy is stored as fat. It takes 3,600 excess calories to make one pound of fat.

In this example, if your typical daily calorific intake is 2000 calories, in around 30 days you would put on between 4-5 pounds of fat!

Let's say, you then decide to go on a restrictive diet and halve your calorific consumption to 1,000 calories per day. You stay on this diet for around a month and lose 10 pounds and now weigh 110 pounds. You feel fantastic about losing the weight but can't keep up such a restrictive regime because you are irritable and have no energy.

So you go off your diet and go back to your usual routine of 2,000 calories a day. Remember you are lighter now and your body requires less energy to maintain its new weight. You would now require 110 x 12, that is, 1320 calories per day.

In this instance, by consuming 2000 calories daily, because you are lighter than before, you would put the weight back on in just 24-25 days!

If you want to keep the weight off you must develop a consistent change in eating habits to ensure you do not consume more than your body requires. You cannot continue to eat the same quantities and/or combinations of foods that caused you to be overweight in the first place. This will require developing an understanding of the nutritional content of food and raising your body's metabolism through increased muscle mass and exercise.

Resources:

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here


A Simple To Follow Weight Loss Program ( a testimony from a blog reader)

Not the actual photo of  the person, who created this acticle
This article gives free tips and advice about how to lose weight. Dieting does not need to be a choir, however many of the weight loss programs that are available make it this way. During the article, I describe an easy to follow diet or weight loss program which has helped me to reach a weight that I am now happy and feel comfortable with.

My background

My name is Steve Hill and I struggled to keep my weight under control for the first twenty-two years of my life. I was often teased at school and found it very hard to meet girls as I believed that there would be no way, that they would want to date somebody as fat as myself.

I was a very negative person and I frequently felt stressed and depressed. I often felt sorry for myself and would feel envious of other people who seemed fit, healthy and happy. During these periods of depression, I would often comfort eat to make myself feel better. I love food and this would temporarily help. The problem I found was that if I ate food for ten minutes, I would feel a sense of guilt for around two hours.

Like many people who are over-weight, I was not happy this way and often looked into different types of weight loss plan or diets. Maybe it is just me, but they seem so unrealistic and for somebody like myself impossible to follow. I needed a simple, easy to follow weight loss program.

The solution to my weight problem

The first thing I had to do was to be honest with myself. I asked myself a series of questions:

Why are you over-weight?

I do not eat the right types of food and I rarely exercise.

How determined are you to lose weight?

Very determined.

Are you willing for this to be a long term project, or are you looking for a quick fix?

The quicker the better, however I realise that crash diets do not work and end up causing more harm than good.

Do you feel you have enough self-discipline to succeed?

I am not sure but I will have to have, to reach my target weight.


**The weight loss plan

These are the things I must do:

Eat three healthy meals a day.

Exercise more. This will be achieved by leaving the car at home more often and by walking to certain places, such as my children's school. I will also take the children to play sports like football and tennis, as often as I can.

Fight the demons in my head who constantly tempt me into eating.

These are the things I must not do:

Snack in between meals.

Eat too many take-aways, I will basically allow myself one a week.

Lie to other people or even myself about what I have eaten.


This sounds so simple and is very easy to follow. I have to admit that it is not that easy to carry off, especially not being able to snack between meals. With determination you can succeed and the sense of happiness and pride you will feel when you reach a weight you are happy with, will make it all worthwhile.


16 Ways to Burn Stubborn Body Fat

Eat less ... lose weight?!? Here's the other stuff you can do to get leaner.

1)  Don’t diet to extremes. Reducing calories by 15-20% a day will almost exclusively burn fat while larger cuts in calories will burn a combo of muscle tissue and fat. Muscle drives the metabolism – calorie burning. If you’re currently eating 3000 calories, reduce to 2400-2550, but do so according to smart guidelines like those laid out in The Living Health Weight Loss Audio.

2)  Graze all day. Professional athletes and models eat all day long yet keep their total calories under control. The grazing method, 5-6 small meals, elevates the metabolism. Each time you eat, the metabolism increases, and over a 6-10 week period, that increase can parlay into another 2-3 pounds of fat loss.

3)  Increase Protein. Carbs, protein and fat – are equal in their efficiency to be stored as body fat, but protein exerts a greater metabolic boosting effect than carbs or dietary fat. When calories drop, protein saves muscle which helps keep the metabolism elevated. Aim for 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight daily.

4)  Play with Carbs. Carbs help retain metabolic boosting muscle yet they can stimulate fat storage. Following a modified low carb diet – staggering your carbohydrate intake is one of the most effective ways to jump start your metabolism and to burn stubborn fat fast (as outlined in Maximize Your Metabolism and the Living Health Audio Program.)


5)  Go Backward. One reason fat loss comes to a halt; the body downgrades its metabolism to meet its dwindling intake of calories. The solution: dramatically increase your calorie intake once every 2-3 weeks. The one day splurge “re-sets” the metabolism by restoring thyroid levels, the calorie burning hormone that declines with dieting.

6)  Skip the Late Night Carbs. Carbs eaten before bedtime are more likely to be stored as body fat so focus on lean proteins and fiber based vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and salad fixings. The lone exception: if you train late at night and your goal is to build muscle mass, you’ll need the carbs to replenish glycogen and support growth.

7)  Go Fish. When calories are controlled, the inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, trout and sardines may promote speedier fat loss. One study revealed dieters who ate fish on a daily basis lost more weight than those who ate fish just once a week (Am Journ Clin Nutr 70:817-825, 1999)

8)  Go Spicy. Red peppers, the spicy ingredient in Mexican and Indian dishes contains Capsaicin which can increase the metabolic rate by effecting the Sympathetic Branch of the Nervous system. Spiking your chicken dishes with red might be a small benefit or you can gulp 5 to 10 encapsulated grams of Capsaicin from your local health food store. (Journal of Nutrition 116:1272-1278, 1986.)

9)  Don’t Be Cardio Crazy! Radically reducing calories slows the metabolism short circuiting fat loss. Same is true with radical caloric expenditure. You know: 2 cardio sessions a day. Excess cardio slows the metabolism, promotes a loss in muscle and even can lower testosterone levels. For real results, stick to 4-6 sessions a week, 30 – 45 minutes at a clip and maintain a high level of intensity.

10)  Separate Cardio From Weight Training. What happens when you do cardio first and follow it up with weight training? You don’t build as much muscle density. How about cardio after training? You risk overtraining and the negative hormonal milieu that can stifle the metabolic rate. The best scenario; hit the cardio in the morning – on an empty stomach – get in a few meals and return to the gym later in the day to build muscle density.

11)  Serotonin Control. Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps controls hunger. Guess what? It can take a nose dive with dieting. ( R.J. Wurtman and J.J. Wurtman, “Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity, and depression.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 398 (1996): 35-41.) One way to prevent a drop; smaller, more frequent meals.

12)  Garlic Chicken! Mother Earth’s flavor enhancer stimulates adrenaline and uncoupling proteins (UCP). Adrenaline triggers fat breakdown and UCP, located in metabolically active “brown fat”, increase calorie burning. Garlic also controls cortisol levels which can supports muscle retention while dieting. For best results use fresh raw garlic in your salads or on your other meals, but if you can't handle raw garlic then use fresh bulbs in you cooking or give supplements a try. (Oi Y, et al., Allyl-containing sulfides in garlic increase uncoupling protein content in brown adipose tissue, and noradenaline and adrenaline secretion in rats. J Nutr 129:336-342,1999.) (Wang HX, Et al., Natural products with hypoglycemic, hypotensive, hypocholesterolemic, antiatherosclerotic and antithrombotic activities. Life Sci 65:2663-2677,1999.)

13)  Sip Green Tea. Green tea contains caffeine and polyphenols called epilgallocatechin gallate which have been shown to increase calorie burning. These special calorie burning compounds help burn an extra 100 or-so calories a day, about equal to a brisk walk. In maximizing fat loss, every calorie counts. (Dullo, A.G., et al., Efficiency of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999. 70(6):p.1040-5.)

14)  Fat? Yes Fat! To rip up, you have to eat fewer carbs, but on occasion – say once a week - you can add a little healthy fat, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, some red meat, walnuts or cashews. The reason? Dietary fat can make the body more effective in using and burning fat – as long as calories and carbs remain under control. (Thomas CD et al. Nutrient Balance and Energy Expenditure During the Ad Libitum Feeding of High Fat and High Carbohydrate Diets in Humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55:934)

15)  Thyroid Support. Irony of Ironies. When you eat less and try to dump body fat, a lot of times the metabolism adapts and burns quite a bit fewer calories. One way to get around the slowdown is with phosphates. A combo of 537 mgs of calcium phosphate, 107 mgs of potassium phosphate and 25 mgs of sodium phosphate given to strict dieters yielded a 12-19% more elevated metabolism than dieters who did not use phosphates.

16)  Write It Down. This one seems simple, but it’s one of the most overlooked tips in shedding fat. Dieters who record what they eat, meal by meal, day by day, not only make better choices, but cheat less and eat fewer total calories. Writing it down “keeps you honest” and is a tool for reminding you that getting lean is a day by day process.

Resoures:

Menu Planning Central: Making life easier for busy individuals and families - like yours when it comes to meal planning. Click here for details

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

Secrets to a Fit Family

It's no secret that many parents and their children are overweight. These 10 simple ‘secrets’ can help you change your family's lifestyle so that you can all become fit and healthy.

1) Eat Whole Grain Foods

Processed and refined grains, such as white bread, white rice, cereal, pasta, and other foods made with white flour have a high glycemic index, low amounts of fiber, and less vitamins and minerals as foods made with whole grains. Making the switch to whole grain foods, including whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and cereals made with whole grains, are an easy and healthy way to make your family's diet more nutritious.


2) Limit Soda and Fruit Drinks

Soda and fruit drinks have low nutritional value and a lot of calories. At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving, your kids will gain an extra pound about every 3 weeks if they drink just one can of soda each day.

Cutting back or eliminating soda, fruit drinks, and even fruit juice, can be a good way to get rid of a lot of extra calories and leave room for your kids to eat more nutritious foods.


3) Eat More Fruits and Vegetables 

Most children don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and that usually means that they are eating other less nutritious foods. With a high fiber content and lots of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. And because they have lots of water in them, eating fruits and vegetables can help you to feel full and satisfied so that you don't overeat.


4) Eat More Foods with Calcium

A common mistake people make when trying to lose weight is that they stop drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt. Calcium is important to build healthy bones and to help you lose weight. You should encourage your kids to drink low-fat milk, eat portioned amounts of cheese and yogurt to help lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.


5) Be More Active

Everyone knows that part of the cause of the current obesity epidemic is that people are much less active then they used to be. Getting kids involved in organized activities, which can be either team or individual sports, and cutting back on the amount of time in front of the TV, computer and playing video games will burn calories and improve fitness levels.

Family activities are also a good way to be more physically active. Even simple things, like walking across a parking lot, using stairs, and going for short family walks or bike rides, can make a big difference.


6) Know Where Calories Come From

While you don't necessarily need to do daily calorie counts, keep a diary of what your family eats for a few days can help you see where extra calories are coming from. Are your kids overweight because of the calories they get from a bedtime snack or those two glasses of Kool Aid or soda he drinks? Or maybe because his portion sizes are too large?

If you know where your kids' calories are coming from, you will know where to make changes and how you can cut back, especially on foods that have a lot of empty calories.


7) Learn About Carbs

Carbs get a bad wrap, especially with all of the proponents of high protein diets, like the Atkins and South Beach Diet. Not all carbs are created equal. While it is a good idea to avoid foods that have refined such as white bread, foods made with white flour, and foods and beverages sweetened with sugar, other carbs should be part of a balanced diet.

Instead of avoiding all carbs, just learn about how to choose foods with ‘good’ carbohydrates, which includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain foods.


8) Learn About Fats

Like carbs, there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fats. Instead of making the mistake of trying to stick to a low fat diet, and simply substituting other foods that are often just as high in calories, you should eat foods that have ‘good’ fat in them. This includes foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, you should avoid saturated fats and trans fats.


9) Choose Healthy Meals when Eating Out

Even if your family eats healthy at home, if you eat super-sized fast food meals a few times a week, they are probably still at risk for becoming overweight. If you eat out a lot, review the nutritional facts of the restaurant's menu and watch your portion sizes. Calories and fat quickly adds up when eating out!


10) Stay Motivated!

Most people know what they need to do to be healthier however, eating healthy and exercising is not easy.   Education about the specifics of a healthy diet, getting the whole family involved, and setting goals, can help your family stay healthy and fit.  Hire a personal trainer or seek the counsel of a dietitian to keep you on the healthy track.

Resources:

Menu Planning Central: Making life easier for busy individuals and families - like yours when it comes to meal planning. Click here for details

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

Ways To Create Balance To Achieve Lasting Weight Loss

Need to lose weight? Dreading the thought of another diet program? You don’t have to follow diets to lose weight. There are many people discovering this for themselves and they are the ones who are finding long term weight loss apposed to short term fixes. The key to weight loss is finding the right balance of what you eat, what you think, and what activity you do. It is not about following a perfect plan. It is impossible to be perfect every day! Finding the right balance helps you to decrease your calorie intake, increase your metabolism and keeps the self-sabotage at bay. Here are 8 steps to bring more balance into all corners of your life so you too can find weight loss success.

1. Eat more frequently during the day-
Skipping meals or waiting too long between meals can have a negative impact on your metabolism and results in overeating later in the day. It’s best to have 3 small meals and 1-2 snacks throughout the day. You will feel more satisfied and eat less. Plan to have a snack or meal every 4-5 hours.

2. Watch portion sizes-
Appropriate portion sizes are still quite misunderstood. Most Americans are eating 2-3 times the recommended portion sizes. Limit your grains, cereals, pastas, and rice to ½ - 1 cup serving sizes. Keep meat, poultry and fish to 4-ounce portion sizes. Restaurants are notorious for giving extremely large servings of food. Keep this in mind when eating out. Eat half of the food on your plate or take the rest home for lunch the next day. Studies show that when people are given large portion sizes, they eat up to 56% more calories without realizing it. To add insult to injury, our portion sizes are larger than they have ever been. Start to become more aware of the portions you are served wherever you are.

3. Eat the right fats-
Yes some fat is important. Omega 3 fatty acids are an important strategy for weight loss success and yet most Americans are not eating enough of these healthy fats. Some reports show these fatty acids may be helpful in increasing your metabolism. They are also shown to be a wonderful mood supporter and people report significantly less food cravings and triggers to eat when they incorporate omega 3 fatty acids on a daily basis. This is especially important for any emotional eaters out there. Omega 3’s are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod; they are also found in canola oil, walnuts, and ground flax seeds.

4. Increase fruits and vegetables-
Fruits and vegetables are not only packed with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they are also loaded in fiber and low in calories. Include 5-8 fruits and vegetables every day. This is one of the most important diet changes you can make. When you fill your plate up with fruits and vegetables you eat less of the higher calorie foods. For example, let’s take a sample steak dinner.

Original meal:
8 ounce steak 
Whole baked potato with fixings 
½ cup steamed broccoli 

Meal Makeover:
4 ounce steak
½ baked potato with fixings
½ cup steamed broccoli
Side salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and 1 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing

By changing the balance of this meal to include more vegetables while decreasing the steak and potato we saved approximately 350 calories. Saving 350 calories daily can result in almost a 1 pound weight loss per week. Small changes are the key.

5. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full-
Our bodies have an innate weight management mechanism. It performs this task by making you feel full when it is time to stop eating. Every time you eat past full you are taking in more calories than your body needs which will result in weight gain. Start to become more aware of your internal cues for hunger and satiety (fullness). You will be amazed how many times you wait too long to eat and how often you eat past full and enter into stuffed. It’s common for all of us to do this from time to time. However, it’s time to check in with yourself and see how often you are falling into these food patterns. Listen to your body, it will tell you when you are physically ready for food and when you are ready to stop.

6. Exercise regularly-
I know, this isn’t anything you haven’t heard before but it is a crucial part of weight management. It is important to engage in regular aerobic and weight bearing activity. The aerobic exercise helps you to burn the fat and weight bearing activity increases your metabolic rate. Muscle burns up to 90% more calories than fat. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn in a day. By adding three to five pounds of muscle you could actually burn 100 - 250 additional calories a day. This combination of aerobic and weight bearing activity is what really kicks weight loss into gear.

7. Limit sugar-
Sugar becomes a major issue for many people wanting to lose weight. Not only does it add calories, it also causes insulin spikes leading you to store more calories as fat, it stimulates your appetite, and is a major food trigger for emotional eaters. However, it doesn’t mean you need to go all or nothing. When people try to omit all sugar from their diet they can become obsessed about sugary foods and end up in a binge. Find the right balance for sugar. Avoid daily use of sugar and instead have some guiltless treats once in awhile. A little cake at a birthday party or some ice-cream with friends is a good way to incorporate sugar once in awhile to avoid the negative outcomes.

8. Pamper yourself regularly-
Who wants to argue with that?! The reality is many people eat for emotional reasons. Food makes us feel good on many levels. The problem occurs when eating becomes the only coping mechanism your subconscious knows of. This is why that pesky urge to emotionally eat is so strong. It is hard to reason your way out of it. For many people food is the only thing they know that makes them feel better. When you start to do other things that make you feel good on a regular basis such as taking a hot bath, going for a walk, having a hot cup of tea; then your subconscious starts to register these activities as coping mechanisms as well. Over time this will decrease the constant urge to use food. You can’t expect to have a bad day, go take a bath and not have an urge to eat. It is something you need to do regularly and something you truly enjoy so your subconscious starts to recognize it as a new choice.

Resources:

The 2 Week Diet System - Click Here

Top Foods to Include in your Kid’s Diet

Here is a list of the top 7 healthiest foods to feed your kid and why it’s so healthy:


1. Oatmeal: A fabulous breakfast food, full of B vitamins, iron, zinc and calcium. Old-fashioned oatmeal offers plenty of carbohydrate for quick energy and high fiber.  Add berries and honey to make it a delicious perfect food for those fast-paced school day mornings! 

2. Yogurt: Kick your child's dairy consumption up a notch and include yogurt on the menu. A great source of calcium, yogurt is easier to digest than regular milk, and the cultures (check the label to make sure they're in there!) are very beneficial to good colon health. Watch it on the sugar content though.  A great idea is to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit!

3. Broccoli: it is one of the best vegetables for anyone, especially growing kids.  It has loads of calcium, potassium, beta-carotene and a wide variety of the B vitamins.  If your child is not a fan of plain vegetables include broccoli in a casserole or put a little shredded cheese on top to add flavor.

4. Protein: One size does not fit all when it comes to protein. The fact is that growing kids need protein to keep growing. How you're going to give it to them can vary widely, according to your preferences. Good choices include legumes, beans (combined with a grain to make a complete protein), soy products like tofu, eggs or lean meat, fish or poultry.

5. Whole Grains: The best nutrition is found in whole grains. Brown rice and whole wheat bread are a quantum leap over their white counterparts and offer necessary fiber, minerals and vitamins.  Choose grain products with the words “whole”, “unbleached” and “intact” or “ground”.

6. Nut Butters: Peanut butter and other nut butters are great fast and easy foods for kids. Kids need fat (it's a good fat if it doesn't have hydrogenated oils mixed in it) and they need the protein.  Try spreading almond or sunflower seed butter on crackers, toast or celery sticks for a quick and nutritious snack.

7. Fresh Fruit: My personal choice would be cantaloupe in the melon department. Vitamin C, beta-carotene, bits and pieces of B vitamins and trace minerals and calcium fill every juicy bite. Any in season fresh fruit is sure to be packed with healthy goodness!

Tips to Health and Weight Loss 4 Kids

1 Role Model –Your heath and weight directly effect your child’s health and weight.  Children with just one overweight parent have a 25% risk of becoming an overweight or obese adult.  If both parents are overweight the risk of becoming an overweight adult jumps to 50%.

2 Be Positive- No one enjoys receiving negative feedback.  Talk to your child with compassion and encouragement. Instead of saying, 'Lose weight', say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies'.  Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you cannot. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat that.'

3 Make healthy eating a family affair - A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. Children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't, the study showed. Also fill your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, and things for everyone to snack on.

4 Eat Breakfast – A breakfast that consists of protein, starch and fat will keep your children more alert during school.  Studies have shown that weight loss is much more difficult in people who skip breakfast.

5 Make time for physical activity - Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

6 Don't say diet - Put your child on any diet and you are setting them up for an eating disorder - whether binge eating or closet eating or another type of disorder.  Lifestyle changes have proven to be the most effective to lose weight and keep it off.

7 Avoid portion distortion - When serving the food try to portion out meal on dishes and avoid buffet-type or family-style eating.  When exposed to so much food it is easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach.  Resist the first temptation to have seconds then check in with yourself to see if you are really hungry.

Double-Fisted Diet Wreckers; Stop Eating These Popular Sandwiches Now!

7 Sandwiches to Skip, 7 to Enjoy;

At many popular sandwich chains, you can unwittingly gobble up a diet disaster -- unless you know how to order. Browse our gallery of the 7 sandwiches that are poor bets -- items that are packed with hidden calories. Then check out 7 better choices at the same restaurants. And beware the turkey sandwich, which has become a blank canvas for fattening additions of all kinds.

Schlotzsky’s: Poor Bet:

The medium-sized Deluxe Original-Style Sandwich has double servings of smoked ham, two kinds of salami, and three types of cheese. Layered in between, there are a few healthy things -- like black olives, red onion, lettuce, and tomato -- but that's not enough to offset the fat, calories, and sodium. All that meat and cheese equals a whopping 980 calories, 47 g fat, 19 g saturated fat, and 3,820 mg sodium.

Schlotzsky's: Better Bet:

The Small Chicken Breast Sandwich is a better choice at Schlotzsky's. It has only 330 calories -- fewer than half the calories of the "original-style" sandwich -- along with a slim 2 g fat and no saturated fat. Chicken, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and fat-free spicy ranch dressing on a sourdough bun keep the calories and fat in check. But watch out for the sky-high 1,150 mg of sodium.

Blimpie: Poor Bet:

Again, meatballs are bad news. The large Meatball Parmigiana has beef and pork blended meatballs covered in marinara sauce, melted provolone, and sprinkled Parmesan. All that meat and cheese equals 1,490 calories, 78 g fat, 32 g saturated fat, and 4,170 mg sodium. When ordering at a restaurant, beware of specialty breads, which often have extra calories.

Blimpie: Better Bet:

Order the 6-inch Roast Beef and Provolone on wheat for a healthy and satisfying sandwich. The tally is: 460 calories, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 1350 mg sodium, and 6 g fiber. Keep these other Blimpie subs under 400 calories by skipping the cheese and sauce: ham, turkey, veggie, or club. Have it on wheat for a healthy dose of fiber.

Arby’s: Poor Bet:

Arby's Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon  Sandwich has bacon, turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and ranch sauce. It all adds up to a colossal 800 calories, 34 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, and a shocking  2,420 mg sodium.

Arby's: Better Bet:

A plain, Roast Beef Classic Sandwich is a decent choice for controlling calories. But skip the melted cheese, mayo, and the "horsey" sauce (50 calories and 5 g of fat in a tiny packet.) Arby's sauce adds flavor with zero fat and only 15 calories. The nutrient tally before additions is 360 calories, 14 g fat, and 5 g saturated fat. The high sodium content may be a deal-breaker for some at 970 mg.

Burger King: Poor Bet:

"Crisp" is a red flag for high-fat, fried food. And the TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich is a classic example of fried chicken on a bun slathered with creamy, high-fat dressing. It tops out at 670 calories, 41 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, and 1,080 mg sodium.

Burger King: Better Bet:

The TenderGrill Chicken Sandwich on a Ciabatta bun is a juicy, grilled chicken filet topped with lettuce and tomato. Dressed with mayo, it has 470 calories, 19 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, and  850 mg of sodium. Skip the mayo for a slender 320 calorie sandwich. Pickles, onions, and mustard add kick without too many extra calories.

Boston Market: Poor Bet:

The Homestyle Meatloaf CarverSandwich sounds wholesome, but "hearty" or just plain "fattening" might be better descriptions. It has 960 calories, 49 g fat, and 23 g of saturated fat -- the daily limit of this unhealthy fat for most people. With 1,990 mg of sodium, it nearly tops the daily limit for healthy adults (2,300 mg).

Boston Market: Better Bet:

The Pulled BBQ Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich is a tasty choice at Boston Market. Roasting the chicken makes it moist and tender. It's relatively healthy compared to some of the other choices. It has 730 calories, 28 g fat, and 13 g saturated fat. But it has a whopping 1,990 mg of sodium. Take off the top layer of bread to cut calories or eat half and save half for another meal.

Subway: Poor Bet:

The 6-inch Chicken and Bacon Ranch Melt is a fatty choice at a restaurant better known for its healthy options. This 6-inch sub weighs in at 590 calories, 30 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, and 1,360 mg sodium.

Subway: Better Bet:

Keep your personal calorie count low with the 6-inch Black Forest Ham Sandwich. This 6-inch sub has 290 calories, 4.5 g fat, 1g saturated fat, and 800 mg sodium. The restaurant has other low-calorie choices: roast chicken, roast beef, club, turkey breast, turkey breast and ham, veggie delight, or sweet onion chicken teriyaki. Top them with lots of veggies to keep them in the range of 230-380 calories.

Wendy’s: Poor Bet:

The Asiago RanchClub With Homestyle Chickencan turn a quick lunch into a fatty affair that lingers on your hips.  Wendy’s tops their breaded, fried filet with 3 strips of bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo for  690 calories, 36 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, and 1,630 mg of sodium.

Wendy’s: Better Bet:

Wendy's Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich boasts only 390 calories, 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, and 1,080 mg of sodium.  This simple yet satisfying sandwich of grilled chicken, lettuce, and tomato is topped off with tangy honey mustard instead of slathered with high-fat mayo -- for a dietitian's delight.

Side Dishes and Drinks Count, Too:

Before you order, glance at the calorie listing to be sure your choice is a "better bet." And watch menu items that come with a side dish. Sidekicks that send the calories soaring include giant drinks, fries, chips, and salads loaded with dressing. Better bets are non-calorie drinks, fat-free milk, water, and sides with fruits and veggies.

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