Archive for the “Nutrition” Category

Hey Everyone! I found an great article for those who are struggling with their diets and think that skipping breakfast will do them justice in losing weight. I have always disagreed with skipping breakfast because your body needs that fuel to keep your engine running through out the morning. Take a read and tell me what you think?
Importance of Breakfast in Your Diet
By Deborah Carraro

    Many people make the mistake of skipping or skimping on breakfast in their daily diet. This may be due to any number of reasons…rushing off to work, jumping into household chores, getting caught up with child care or just plain poor eating habits. Breakfast is an important element in one’s daily diet, whatever type of diet you may prefer.

I used to skip breakfast all the time. I would often fill up on water and head out the door for the daily 1.5 hour commute to work. Of course, the first stop after getting off the train would be a coffee - simply to keep me going, not for the caffeine fix! When I worked in the Corporate World, I counted myself among the many who would skip their morning meal. Breakfast was a luxury time didn’t permit.

Some who are very weight loss conscious, or just wish to control weight through diet, erroneously think that skipping breakfast is a good way to eliminate calories. This is a mistake in terms of overall health, calorie control and good diet habits. Because the food we eat in our diet, the times when we eat and the particular type of food intake (protein, starch, sugar) all affect blood sugar levels and appetite. We need to control food intake in our diet in order to keep energy and blood sugar at appropriate levels.

I started back at the gym two months ago after a five year hiatus. One of the first things I did, even before setting foot in the door of the gym, was incorporate a breakfast and a morning snack into my daily routine. It’s made the world of difference. In fact, the days that I don’t eat a full meal or skip my snack, I feel it in my energy levels when I hit the gym.

In essence when we awake in the morning our body has been through a period of “fasting”, with no food intake for a number of hours. This results in relatively low blood sugar. If one skips breakfast in one’s diet, the blood sugar level continues to dip and a sudden craving can develop for food, especially for sugar in the diet, which again causes a quick rise in blood sugar. When the diet includes sudden intake of sugar, the sugar level jumps, which develops a roller coaster effect and leads to a poor diet which includes “quick fixes”. Typically a quick response to low blood sugar is a sweet, a soft drink or alcohol…none of which are a good diet supplement.

A diet which maintains appropriate levels of blood sugar and energy will include a healthy breakfast. Blood sugar levels will be maintained with a diet that includes a balanced breakfast combining whole grain, some source of protein and fruit. Protein in particular in the diet, including breakfast, will maintain blood sugar levels, avoiding the dips which lead to snacking.

If you’re pressed for time, consider a smoothie. You can chop your fruits and vegetables the night before and load them into your blender glass. Refrigerate overnight (or not if you prefer room temperature smoothies) and whirl away in the blender in the morning along with your favorite liquid. Five minutes is all you’ll need to whip up a nutritious and substantial breakfast. You can even pour it into a travel mug or neoprene jug and tote it with you on your commute.

A healthy breakfast is an essential part of a healthy diet. Beginning your day with a good, nourishing meal is the first step toward maintaining a balanced diet and a sensible approach to good eating habits. Don’t skip breakfast in your daily diet.

Your body will thank you.

Deborah Carraro is an avid nutrition, health & fitness enthusiast. If you’re tired of feeling tired and drained all day and often fall victim to the 3 PM lows, then you’re in for some surprises once you learn to make delicious and nutritious smoothies. Visit http://www.smoothiesforhealth.com for more information.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Importance-of-Breakfast-in-Your-Diet&id=784645

Tags: nutrition, weight loss, weight loss tips, health

I was looking for something new to try for dinner that was easy to cook, low fat and yummy. I came across this yummy treat on foodnetwork.com. I think I will be adding this to my dinner menu when I go to the grocery store this Friday for me and family. I will update this post to let you know how it taste. I am praying that it taste wonderful.

Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil - Slimmed

From Food Network Kitchens

Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil - Slimmed You won’t have to sacrifice taste or satisfaction to save calories with our Thai Shrimp Stir-fry. With 400 fewer calories than a similar sized serving of Shrimp Scampi, this is a dish worth trying.

1. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2. 1 tablespoon water
3. 2 teaspoons Southeast Asian fish sauce
4. 4 teaspoons light brown sugar
5. 3 tablespoons peanut oil 3 cloves garlic,
6. chopped 1 tablespoon grated, peeled, fresh ginger
7. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chile flakes 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8. 1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch dice
9. 1 medium yellow pepper, seeded, cut in 1-inch dice
10. 1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced into rounds
11. 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
12. 3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
13. 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
14. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
15. Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice ( I am going to use brown rice as a substitute)

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar; set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion, pepper, and chile to the skillet, and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir-fry until the sauce glazes the shrimp, about 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and stir until coated with sauce, about 15 seconds. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil, mint, and lime juice. Transfer to a serving dish, serve immediately.

Copyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Nutrition Information

Calories 286 Fat 13g Saturated Fat 2g Carbohydrates 17g

Tags: Nutrition, weight loss, diet, low fat recipes

If you are in a diet slump this article is for you.

Four Things That May Keep You From Losing Weight
By Lori Jones

Here are 4 things that can be keeping you from losing weight.

1. All calories are created equal. What we need to do is make sure we eat the right amount of calories”. As long as you eat foods that are low-glycemic, you can eat a lot more than you thought you could and still lose weight. Just make sure the foods you eat are low on the glycemic index scale!

2. Carbs will make me fat. This isn’t true. Carbs are very necessary for your body. You can’t lose weight without them; just make sure you skip the refined sugars and flour. You can eat pancakes, french toast and even dessert, as long as you make them with low-glycemic ingredients.

3. Low-carb foods are the only way to lose weight. Your body needs carbs in order to keep your blood sugar stable. The key is to eat the good carbs like fruits, veggies and whole grains

4. Weight-loss is all about willpower. If you don’t eat, you won’t gain weight” Not really. You don’t need to deny yourself the foods you love! You actually should eat 5-6 times a day so that you can keep your blood sugar stable and you don’t have any spikes in your insulin. When you actually eat low-glycemic foods you won’t feel hunger pangs and you will lose weight!

To lose weight, you need to speed up your metabolism. Do this by eating lots of low-glycemic foods all through the day.

Here are some tips:

*Make sure you eat a big breakfast that is filled with good carbs. I offer a fitness tip of the week, join my newsletter. Find more information at http://ljgethealthy.com

Lori Jones fitness instructor, personal trainer at a top destination spa. Offering a fitness tip of the week newsletter. Join now ljhealth@gmail.com
http://www.ljgethealthy.com
http://www.ljsolutionsnow.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Four-Things-That-May-Keep-You-From-Losing-Weight&id=761247

Tags: weight Loss tips, nutrition, diet

I was just reading my September issue of my Fitness Magazine and came across an article the gives ideas to mix and match Meals in order to rev up your meal plan. If you are like me and you get bored with food easily or if you are new to the weight loss game and need ideas of what to eat and how many calories you need to eat in order to loss weight check it out. The magazine shows photos of different entrees so that you can have a visual for the yummy meal ideas for a 350 calories breakfast, 400 calories lunch, 450 calorie dinner, and 150 calories snack ideas. I was so excited and tore out the pages and placed each of them in my recipe log, so that I can implement the new foods into my routine. If you don’t have a copy already click link provided and you can get an idea of how to get started. I just had to share.

Tags: weight loss, calories, nutrition, weight loss meals, fitness

Hi Again,

I just had to post this article I came across today. For those of you losing weight this article gives get tips on controlling your portions of food consumed each day. I feel this is one essential step in losing weight and being successful at keeping the weight off. Please read through this article and let me know if you found this useful to you. If so, I will continue to post more tips like this to help us all be successful at losing weight and keeping it off for life.

Enjoy and be healthy

Size Matters - Portion Control Tips Made Easy
By Marie Borges

Portion Control Scenario: you go out for dinner and order spaghetti with marinara sauce and a side of grilled veggies. The pasta is so plentiful that it’s falling off the plate. Yes, your meal is nutritious. But can too much of a good thing be not so good for you? Absolutely!

HOW SUPER IS SUPERSIZE?

Often, portion control is difficult, in the era of the “supersized” meal. It’s often hard to recognize “normal” portion sizes. Giant bottles of soda, extra-large bags of chips and king-size candy bars are part of our everyday eating landscape. But unfortunately, as our portion sizes get larger, so do our waistlines, even if we have started a diet and exercise plan. Bigger packages themselves can also sabotage portion control. Research from the University of Illinois shows that people may tend to eat more food when served in larger containers! When movie-goers were given the same amount of popcorn in containers of two different sizes, the people given the larger tubs ate 44 percent more. (When in doubt, use a smaller plate at dinner!)

PORTION CONTROL TIPS: SIZING THINGS UP

To exercise portion control, and keep portions in perspective, you need a tool to help you navigate through bulked-up portions. Visualizing recommended serving sizes by relating them to common household objects is an easy and useful technique. By comparing food portions to things you already recognize, you should be able to “eyeball” a food item and “guesstimate” how large it is. Long gone are the days of carrying around a food scale for portion control! It’s wise to weigh things occasionally to get an accurate idea of how big portions should be, but relating those measurements to common objects and teaching yourself to recognize them will be a great step toward achieving your weight loss goals. Further, weighing your food in an attempt at portion control can quickly turn into drudgery! Some easy portion control tips:

* Your fist is about the same size as one cup of fruit.
* Your thumb (tip to base) is the size of one ounce of meat or cheese.
* Your palm (minus fingers) equals three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry.
* Your cupped hand equals one to two ounces of nuts or pretzels.
PORTION CONTROL TIPS IN ACTION:

Once you have serving sizes committed to memory, you’ll be ready to fit them into your eating plan:

* As you eat smaller portions, increase the number of meals you eat to about 6. So instead of 3 large meals, you will have 6 smaller ones. This will help to keep you from feeling hungry and rev up your metabolism at the same time!
* Limit servings of high-fat foods such as fatty meats and fried foods.
* Buy single-servings of some foods, such as 1-ounce bags of chips or 1/2-cup servings of ice cream.
* Remember that servings of most vegetables are extremely low fat and low calorie. Bell peppers and button mushrooms just might become your new best buddies!

You must incorporate portion control as part of your diet and exercise plan in order to lose weight more quickly! By eating the right foods in reasonable portions, you will ultimately lose weight, and look and feel great!

We make it easy to improve your health and feel good about yourself. Stop wasting your valuable time and learn from the experts! Discover the essential keys to healthy living and weight loss, get free recipes, tips and articles by visiting: http://www.burn-your-fat.com
Borges is a motivational writer, author and healthcare consultant. She specializes in educating and motivating clients on good nutrition, healthy eating and wellness to improve overall health and happiness. To change your body for the better, receive free tips, recipes, articles and more, go to http://www.burn-your-fat.com.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Size-Matters—Portion-Control-Tips-Made-Easy&id=86154

Tags: weight loss, weight loss tips, nutrition, diet, portion control, healthy eating

Good Afternoon!

How is your Monday going so far!Are you keeping track of your meal plans and diets this week? I know I am especially after last week’s episode. So far yesterday and today I have been 100% to my meal plan, water, and exercise today too. My main focus is keep track of the amount of calories going in and how much I burn this week. You all may say well how do your keep in track of the calories you eat and how much you burn? Well I utilize calorie counter tools from various websites, however there are limited in what they will give you unless you pay to join. Well, today I just came across this wonderful site called myfitnesspal.com. I love new sites that are easy to use and this one was.

At myfitnesspal.com their calorie counter is fast and easy to use and will teach you the nutritional contents of what you are eating in turn helping you make the right food decisions to keep you on track for successful weight loss or even weight loss maintenance. The best thing I like about this site it is a 100% free - no credit card is ever required. So I thought to myself self why now give it a try and so far great! When I registered for the site that have you put in your weight and how much you would like to lose and then it gave me the amount of calories and workout time I needed to reach my goal. I thought that was awesome! They give you access to a calorie chart, how many calories in food, weight tracker and even a community that you can join to get support for other people working on good health and weight loss too. My favorite part is the food data base where you can search for all of the food that you desire to keep you on track. For example how many calories are in a apple. You will type apple and it will give you the nutritional breakdown.

So if you are looking for a new and fast way to keep you on track and on focus I totally recommend signing up! It’s FREE!!

Desserts and the Key to Maintaining Weight Loss
By Milton Whitley

Satisfying the proverbial sweet tooth and losing weight or keeping off the pounds that you have already lost can be a daunting task. When you see the dessert, you want to eat it the whole thing and worry about the extra calories later. This method does not always work well when trying to keep the weight off. There are some desserts out that can help keep the weight off and satisfy your craving for sweets.

Fruit cobblers, yogurt mixtures, fruit pies, and low fat cakes are just a few. However, the key to maintaining your weight loss, having your cake and eating it to is in watching your portion size. You can always run into the problem of too much of a good thing. You want to look at the dessert’s calorie count and fat grams associated with the portion size before you begin eating the dessert. You must consider the calorie count associated with your diet and determine if you can have the entire portion size or if you need to eat just half of the portion to stay in line with your diet. If you don’t have the will power to resist the whole portion of a dessert high in calories and fat, then fix the whole, appropriate portion size and throw away ½ of the portion before you sit down to eat it. You can not eat a dessert that is not there.

Now there are some healthy desserts with natural ingredients that you can eat the entire portion, satisfy your sweet tooth craving and stay on your diet. These delicious desserts can be prepared quickly and easily. Don’t worry you don’t have to be a master chef to do it.

For example, fruit pies are a delicious dessert that can be prepared in a manner that yields them low in calories and low in fat. You can begin by washing and draining your fresh fruit. Some fruits that make great pies are apples, peaches or berries. Cut up the fruit as necessary into bite-sized chunks or slices and put it in a bowl. You can add a sugar substitute to your taste or leave the fruit in its naturally sweet state. Then pour the fruit mixture into a pre-made pie crust that’s in a foil pie pan. Be careful not to overfill the pie pan with the fruit mixture. Add one tablespoon of butter (if desired) cut into small pieces and drop the butter chunks through out the fruit mixture that is in the pie pan. Take another pie crust and put it on top. Cut slits in the top pie crust for ventilation. Bake the fruit pie in the oven at about 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until the pie crust is lightly brown. Let it cool and enjoy!

Yogurt shakes are also an enjoyable low calorie and low fat treat. You can take some low fat yogurt and blend it with your favorite fruit to make a yogurt shake. Or you can add your favorite nuts or add one or two low fat cookies to your yogurt, blend it, and make a crunchy, enjoyable cool treat.

So enjoy and indulge your sweet tooth with appropriately portioned, delicious, healthy desserts that are low in calories and low in fat while you keep the weight off.

Milton Whitley has been commercially baking and preparing products with natural ingredients and 0g trans fat for over 20 years. You can get more recipe ideas for natural, delicious desserts that will help you keep the weight off at http://www.miltonspiefillings.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milton_Whitley
http://EzineArticles.com/?Desserts-and-the-Key-to-Maintaining-Weight-Loss&id=683507

Tags: weight loss tips, weight loss, healthy living, diet, exercise

Water: Why Is It So Good For Our Bodies?? 

Hi everyone,

I was on  Nutrisystem’s Support Forum and while back and notice someone asking why is it so important to drink so much water will dieting? I can relate to her because when I first started the program back in September 2005 I had the same question. Well, I came across this article that totally explains why and I have to agree with what is said in the article because my skin is so much clearer, my body feels like it is digesting much, much better and on top of that I don’t feel so lathargic any more too. So, I just had to share this article with you because it explains it much better than I could. I hope this answers anyone questions regarding wate consumption.

Enjoy,

Natasha

The Benefits Of Drinking Water
By Michelle Bery

Striving for good health and optimum weight has become something of a cultural pastime. And as experts continue to give advice regarding the benefits of diet and exercise as a program for overall well-being, they maintain the benefits of drinking water as part of this healthy lifestyle.

Over half of the human body is made up of water; it’s no wonder, therefore, that our bodies respond so well to drinking water. Medical professionals and nutritionists recommend at least sixty-four ounces of water a day in order for our systems to function at optimum levels. Water allows our body to effectively absorb the nutrients that we need from food and systematically flushes our kidneys of waste. In fact, all of our internal organs operate at higher capacity when we are well hydrated. When we are drinking water as we should be our blood thins appropriately; when we are dehydrated, blood becomes thicker making our bodies work harder to pump it. The result is overall fatigue and inefficiency.

Further, drinking water allows our body to effectively digest our food; without it our body cannot eliminate waste and keep the cycle going. It is for this reason that drinking water aids in weight loss. In addition to its effect on digestion, water also speeds our metabolism and acts as a natural appetite suppressant. It has been shown time and time again that those who are in the habit of drinking water throughout their day are far more successful and maintaining their weight throughout their lifetime.

Drinking water also has a stunning effect on our outside appearance, clearing skin and giving it a youthful, healthy glow. Few who enjoy the benefits of glowing skin can do so with adequate and frequent water intake.

Drinking water can literally be a miracle for your body, increasing health and overall body function, assisting in weight loss and weight maintenance, and giving you a youthful glow.

For easy to understand, in depth information about drinking water visit our ezGuide 2 Drinking Water.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Bery
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Benefits-Of-Drinking-Water&id=599592

Tags: weight loss, weight loss tips, health, nutrition, diet, healthy living

How To Lose Love Handles
By Scott Thrall

Love handles, spare tire, ab flab it doesn’t matter what names we give it, it is still a layer of fat that is put on around a person’s midsection, especially visible on the sides. Love handles are more common in men than women, because the torso is the first area that fat builds up in the male body.

Love handles are a stubborn fat, which means they are difficult to remove completely. We usually see very quick initial results when we start dieting or exercising, but we hit a point where nothing seems to work to get us past a certain point in our weight loss. That is known as a plateau, that fat that is left is called “stubborn fat.” When we hit that plateau it generally defeats our attempts to gain the body we desire, we give up.

Dieting alone will not work because reducing calories is only one part of the complete picture. How you eat, how you move and your lifestyle are all factors which work together and can be the cause of stubborn fat. When properly balanced they gain you the body and look you desire.

Stay away from fad quick weight loss diets. Good solid nutrition is the key to sustained fat loss. Green vegetables, spices, fruits, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds are some of the many foods that help you decrease body fat quickly.

In addition to eating the proper foods a crucial part of removing stubborn fat is regular exercise. Exercise lowers blood sugar, cholesterol, body fat and blood pressure.

Not all exercise has to be structured. You can increase your activity level by parking at the far end of the parking lot, taking short walks during breaks, use the stairs for a couple of flights rather than take the elevator all the way up. These activities may not seem like much by themselves but adding a few daily will contribute greatly over the long haul.

Of course a formal exercise program will greatly improve your results. Circuit training is probably one of the most efficient routines. In a short precise time period it raises your metabolism, enhances your cardiovascular abilities and improves your strength. Concentrate on combining large muscle groups non-stop. For example chest, back and thighs. Its very important to find a fun exercise program so you will stick to it.

That is just a sampling of the many parts of solving how to lose love handles. We learned that love handles are a stubborn fat and require an aggressive attack to burn them off for good. You will be successful and look wonderful with consistent good nutrition and fun exercise.

For a free report on how to fight stubborn fat effectively visit http://www.How-To-Lose-Love-Handles.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Thrall http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Lose-Love-Handles&id=647296
Tags: weight loss tips, weight loss, health, fitness, belly fat, diet, exercise

Diet VS Exercise - Which One Is More Effective For Losing Weight
By Brian Darrow

Just how important is eating right for weight loss compared to exercising for weight loss? Before we let these two weight loss heavyweights (no pun intended, ok maybe a little) go head to head let me start by saying that both have a key role in your goals for weight loss.

Round 1. Aerobic exercise does have the ability to burn an abundance of calories at the time the exercise session is taking place. A good thirty to forty minute aerobic activity can usually burn between 300-400 calories. Aerobics are definitely effective in obtaining a healthier heart. Getting your heart rate up and sustaining it for an extended amount of time is essential for your overall fitness level. Although cardio vascular health is very important and is an added bonus for trying to loose weight with aerobics, we are only looking for overall effectiveness at getting those extra pounds off.

Round 2. Resistance training or weight lifting is another form of exercise that is very popular especially in men. However more and more women are finding out that adding a couple of pounds of muscle can transform their bodies drastically. Weight training has a vital role in a couple areas of weight loss. First weight training performed with little or no rest between sets (commonly called circuit training) has the benefit of building muscle and getting the heart rate up just as with aerobics. Building muscle is essential when trying to transform the shape of your body. Also with every pound of muscle added, your body will burn 50 more calories a day, even on days that you do not work out. In my opinion there is no comparison between weight training and aerobics in terms of transforming the way you look and shedding some pounds, but let’s not close the book on this battle just yet…

Round 3. A balanced diet is crucial for someone interested in weight loss. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions across America and the main reason is our diet. We live in the fast food age and without changing our eating habits there is little or no hope for us as far as loosing weight. I am sure that we all know someone that goes to the gym constantly or someone that stays very active and is still overweight. Their body just never really sees the physical benefit of all that exercise, why? Because they are not watching what they eat. Eating a balanced low fat diet means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially the dark colored vegetables as these are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. Eat only lean cuts of meat, so you are going to have to opt for the baked fish instead bbq ribs. You can workout regularly with aerobics or weight lifting and without changing your eating habits your weight loss will be very lack luster as compared to someone that only changes their eating habits.

Knockout. It is pretty clear that if you want your short term and long term weight loss goals to be met that you are going to have to eat less fat, sugars and simple carbohydrates and eat more in terms of a well rounded balanced diet including lean meats with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Weight loss is 75% diet and 25% exercise, so even though exercise can assist in your weight loss and is very important as far as overall health, it cannot make up for continuous bad eating habits.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Darrow
http://EzineArticles.com/?Diet-VS-Exercise—Which-One-Is-More-Effective-For-Losing-Weight&id=609120

Tags: weight loss, weight loss tips, fitness, nutrition