By Holly McCord, RD, with Gloria McVeigh, Prevention
Ever get the guilty feeling that you're being watched as you toss the double fudge brownie mix into your grocery cart? Well, you are!
We checked with some of the top US nutrition experts, who admitted they secretly spy on the rest of us as we make real-world choices in restaurants and grocery stores. Here are their top five gripes.
1. We can't tell the good fats from the bad ones.
"Most people still don't get that some fats are actually good for you," says Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, an American Heart Association spokesperson. "You want to avoid saturated and trans fats, but you need more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources are fish, nuts, avocados, and soybean and canola oils."
Smarter: Fit in good fats. "If you keep track of total calories, you don't have to worry about how much fat you eat, just what kind," explains Dr. Lichtenstein. Grandpa Po's Slightly Spicy Nutra Nuts use only canola oil (160 cal, 10 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber, 60 mg sodium); at healthy food supermarkets.
2. We supersize to save money.
"People think that supersizing a restaurant meal is a money saver, but it's not a health bargain if it has way too many calories," says Karen Weber Cullen, DPH, RD, research nutritionist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Smarter: Judge with your palm, not your purse. A serving size is about what fits into the palm of your hand (larger for men than women, smaller for children). For most meals, pick one protein, one starch, one veggie, and one fruit based on the serving that will fit into your palm.
3. We think anything liquid has no calories.
"What freaks me out is the amount of sugared soda and juice we drink," says Judith Stern, ScD, RD, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. "I'd like to see all the sugared drinks sent out into space, where they could orbit the Earth forever." Sugared drinks balloon your calorie intake and squeeze out more nutritious foods.
Smarter: Try a cup of tea. Available in myriad varieties, the calorie-free brew promotes heart health, staves off several types of cancer, strengthens bones and teeth, and protects the skin.
4. We don't know how "hungry" really feels.
"If you don't know when you're hungry, you don't know when you're full, so you won't know when to stop eating," says Elisabetta Politi, RD, nutrition manager of the Duke University Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, NC.
Smarter: Tune in with mindful eating. Here's how.
1. Before you eat, relax, and rate your hunger from 1 (hungriest) to 7 (fullest).
2. Eat slowly, pausing often to rate how your hunger changes.
3. When finished, rate yourself one more time. Try to stay between 2 1/2 and 5 1/2: not too ravenous when you start and not completely full when you stop.
5. We have a microwave addiction.
Many women come home from work and pop a frozen entrée into the microwave. "Eating too many heavily processed foods can leave you short on fiber and antioxidants such as vitamin C," explains Jo Ann Hattner, RD, clinical dietitian at Stanford University Medical Center.
Smarter: Complement a frozen entrée with a green salad, a 100 percent whole wheat roll, and fruit for dessert. Stock up on the freshest fruit for maximum flavor.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
10 Quick Tips To Drop Body Fat Fast
Getting in shape and cutting fat can be difficult if you're constantly going from one diet fad to another. Here is a list of 10 tips that will help you get started in the area of quick fat loss. You can use these tips in figuring out if any diet or quick fat loss plan is a good program or not. Regardless of what diet plan you are currently on these tips will only help accelerate your fat loss even more.
10 tips to quick fat loss
1. Stop eating just 3 large meals a day. Beginning today, eat 5-6 small meals daily. You'll be eating more often but not necessarily more. Eating 5-6 times a day will keep your metabolism revved up, which causes your body to burn more fat. Make sure that your meals are not loaded with simple carbs instead go with whole grain foods.
2. Drink less soda and more water. You will see immediate results by simply trashing the sugary soft drinks in favor of water.
3. Slow down your eating. Research shows that the longer you take to chew your food the less food you will consume. In addition by slowing down your eating, your stomach will have enough time to send signals to your brain telling it that it's full.
4. Get involved in some sort of low impact activity. Try walking around your neigborhood for 15-20 minutes. Any exercise is better than nothing so try doing a brisk walk around the block.
5.Stop eating out instead cook your meals at home. In the long run you'll save money and control your portion size. I know it's easy to order fast food everyday but trust me it's doing more harm than good.
6. Stay away from sugary foods. That includes candy, soda or anything from a bag or box. If you didn't know it or not sugar will add weight to your frame even if the label reads fat free.
7. Try green tea for fat loss. Research shows that Green tea has antioxidants, which stimulates weight loss.
8. Eat fiber rich foods. Shop for foods that are high in fiber (whole wheat bread, potato, nuts, grain) you'll feel satisfied longer.
9. Don't go heavy on the dressing instead go light. Dressing, sauces and other condiments should be limited because of the carbs, sugar and fats.
10. Shed the pounds and keep it off permanently. A staggering amount of people who have experienced weight loss gain it back plus more. It is important to not let up on your diet. Watch what you eat and don't fall back into your old habits or you can quickly gain the weight back that you worked so hard to lose.
10 tips to quick fat loss
1. Stop eating just 3 large meals a day. Beginning today, eat 5-6 small meals daily. You'll be eating more often but not necessarily more. Eating 5-6 times a day will keep your metabolism revved up, which causes your body to burn more fat. Make sure that your meals are not loaded with simple carbs instead go with whole grain foods.
2. Drink less soda and more water. You will see immediate results by simply trashing the sugary soft drinks in favor of water.
3. Slow down your eating. Research shows that the longer you take to chew your food the less food you will consume. In addition by slowing down your eating, your stomach will have enough time to send signals to your brain telling it that it's full.
4. Get involved in some sort of low impact activity. Try walking around your neigborhood for 15-20 minutes. Any exercise is better than nothing so try doing a brisk walk around the block.
5.Stop eating out instead cook your meals at home. In the long run you'll save money and control your portion size. I know it's easy to order fast food everyday but trust me it's doing more harm than good.
6. Stay away from sugary foods. That includes candy, soda or anything from a bag or box. If you didn't know it or not sugar will add weight to your frame even if the label reads fat free.
7. Try green tea for fat loss. Research shows that Green tea has antioxidants, which stimulates weight loss.
8. Eat fiber rich foods. Shop for foods that are high in fiber (whole wheat bread, potato, nuts, grain) you'll feel satisfied longer.
9. Don't go heavy on the dressing instead go light. Dressing, sauces and other condiments should be limited because of the carbs, sugar and fats.
10. Shed the pounds and keep it off permanently. A staggering amount of people who have experienced weight loss gain it back plus more. It is important to not let up on your diet. Watch what you eat and don't fall back into your old habits or you can quickly gain the weight back that you worked so hard to lose.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Diet is a Four-Letter Word
Now's the time of year when some people start thinking about diets again. Diet plans and programs are enticing people with spring/summer savings and incentives such as free registration, discounts and weight loss prizes.
Diets are big business in the United States, with an estimated $40 billion annually spent on weight loss programs and products.
The problem with diet is that most people stop dieting when they hit their goal weight. As a result, many people gain all the weight back.
Most people can lose weight if they stick to a diet. But I support a strategy more permanent than a quick fix.
A diet is something you go on and you go off of. You should make positive lifestyle changes that don't end.
Diets are big business in the United States, with an estimated $40 billion annually spent on weight loss programs and products.
The problem with diet is that most people stop dieting when they hit their goal weight. As a result, many people gain all the weight back.
Most people can lose weight if they stick to a diet. But I support a strategy more permanent than a quick fix.
A diet is something you go on and you go off of. You should make positive lifestyle changes that don't end.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Healthy, Fast Nutritional Recipe
What : Whole-Grain Toast with Goat Cheese and Rasberries
How: Toast sliced whole-grain bread; let cool slightly. Spread with goat cheese, top with berries, mash with a fork, and drizzle a little honey on top
How: Toast sliced whole-grain bread; let cool slightly. Spread with goat cheese, top with berries, mash with a fork, and drizzle a little honey on top
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Extreme Fat Loss Diet
Combine these two things for ridiculously FAST fat loss
You've probably been hearing a LOT about my friend Joel Marion's brand new Xtreme Fat Loss Diet -- the very plan that outlines EVERYTHING you need to know to lose up to 25 lbs in just 25 short days.
You can still grab the full system at $30 OFF for a little while longer here.
==> http://bit.ly/9wjcq8
In this program, Joel shares some of the most strategic fat loss methods I've ever seen. Just check out this article for a taste:
---------------------------------
Synergistic Diet & Exercise for RIDICULOUSLY Fast Fat Loss
By Joel Marion, CISSN, NSCA-CPT
Most people treat their diet and exercise programs as two separate entities -- Totally WRONG if you're looking to lose fat at the fastest possible rate.
You see, if you can learn how to use the most effective exercise strategies to "mirror" the goals of your diet each day (while mixing up dietary approaches to yield specific hormonal and metabolic benefits in the most effective manner possible) you can literally take your results from "okay" to OUT OF THIS WORLD.
That's what I call SYNERGY. Diet and exercise working *together* in a very smart, strategic way to yield the fastest fat loss results possible.
Now, my above explanation may have sounded a bit complicated, so I’ll give you a quick example.
Let’s take, for instance, the day after a Cheat Day—you know, those days where you get to eat WHATEVER you want on the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet (which just so happen to occur every 5th day).
==> http://bit.ly/9wjcq8 <------- $30 OFF pre-sale
[By the way, if you’re not incorporating Cheat Days into your current diet, you’re *way* behind the fast fat loss curve, and NEED to get on board. Long story short, they save your metabolism and actually allow you to lose fat faster week after week by increasing levels of important fat burning hormones within the body. Not to mention, they’re a heck of a lot of fun].
So, the day after a Cheat Day, the overall goals are as follows:
1. Create a large caloric deficit (to burn as many calories as possible and take advantage of the fact that our bodies are now "primed" to burn fat as a result of the Cheat Day
2. Deplete maxed-out glycogen stores (carbohydrate energy stores within the body) caused by the high carb and fat content of the Cheat Day
3. Exhaust ALL energy systems to satisfy #1 and #2 while burning additional fat calories to boot
To accomplish these three goals, we’ll use a series of dietary and supplemental strategies to do exactly that while using *exercise* strategies that accomplish the SAME goals, for example:
1. Strategic lactic acid based workouts to burn massive calories and glycogen while stimulating the release of important fat burning hormones that further increase lipolysis (fat burning)
2. Strategic energy systems work that contain both anaerobic "carbohydrate-burning" and aerobic "fat-burning" components.
Combining those types of exercise with dietary strategies that accomplish the same goals leads to a ridiculous fat burning effect.
Essentially, when you set up things this way, you’re tackling your goals via both diet AND exercise. That’s like going after your financial goals via landing a job with a kick-butt income coupled with smart investing. One feeds the other for synergistic results.
And you know what? The above is just ONE example. Within the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet we have FIVE different "types" of diet days (all with slightly different goals) and a very specific exercise strategy to use on each that has led to some of the fastest fat loss results we’ve ever recorded to date with our clients.
Make no mistake, working WITH your diet, hand in hand, through exercise that *mirrors* the goals of each diet strategy can literally DOUBLE your results beyond just “working hard” on each day.
The synergy of strategy never ceases to amaze me, and we reveal it all in the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. In fact, it's the ONLY reason people have consistently lost up to 25 pounds in just 25 days using the full-on 25 day system.
Bottom line, if you want to lose fat FAST, you've got to be SMART in your approach. Enjoy!
Grab your copy NOW! => http://bit.ly/9wjcq8 <= $30 OFF
You've probably been hearing a LOT about my friend Joel Marion's brand new Xtreme Fat Loss Diet -- the very plan that outlines EVERYTHING you need to know to lose up to 25 lbs in just 25 short days.
You can still grab the full system at $30 OFF for a little while longer here.
==> http://bit.ly/9wjcq8
In this program, Joel shares some of the most strategic fat loss methods I've ever seen. Just check out this article for a taste:
---------------------------------
Synergistic Diet & Exercise for RIDICULOUSLY Fast Fat Loss
By Joel Marion, CISSN, NSCA-CPT
Most people treat their diet and exercise programs as two separate entities -- Totally WRONG if you're looking to lose fat at the fastest possible rate.
You see, if you can learn how to use the most effective exercise strategies to "mirror" the goals of your diet each day (while mixing up dietary approaches to yield specific hormonal and metabolic benefits in the most effective manner possible) you can literally take your results from "okay" to OUT OF THIS WORLD.
That's what I call SYNERGY. Diet and exercise working *together* in a very smart, strategic way to yield the fastest fat loss results possible.
Now, my above explanation may have sounded a bit complicated, so I’ll give you a quick example.
Let’s take, for instance, the day after a Cheat Day—you know, those days where you get to eat WHATEVER you want on the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet (which just so happen to occur every 5th day).
==> http://bit.ly/9wjcq8 <------- $30 OFF pre-sale
[By the way, if you’re not incorporating Cheat Days into your current diet, you’re *way* behind the fast fat loss curve, and NEED to get on board. Long story short, they save your metabolism and actually allow you to lose fat faster week after week by increasing levels of important fat burning hormones within the body. Not to mention, they’re a heck of a lot of fun].
So, the day after a Cheat Day, the overall goals are as follows:
1. Create a large caloric deficit (to burn as many calories as possible and take advantage of the fact that our bodies are now "primed" to burn fat as a result of the Cheat Day
2. Deplete maxed-out glycogen stores (carbohydrate energy stores within the body) caused by the high carb and fat content of the Cheat Day
3. Exhaust ALL energy systems to satisfy #1 and #2 while burning additional fat calories to boot
To accomplish these three goals, we’ll use a series of dietary and supplemental strategies to do exactly that while using *exercise* strategies that accomplish the SAME goals, for example:
1. Strategic lactic acid based workouts to burn massive calories and glycogen while stimulating the release of important fat burning hormones that further increase lipolysis (fat burning)
2. Strategic energy systems work that contain both anaerobic "carbohydrate-burning" and aerobic "fat-burning" components.
Combining those types of exercise with dietary strategies that accomplish the same goals leads to a ridiculous fat burning effect.
Essentially, when you set up things this way, you’re tackling your goals via both diet AND exercise. That’s like going after your financial goals via landing a job with a kick-butt income coupled with smart investing. One feeds the other for synergistic results.
And you know what? The above is just ONE example. Within the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet we have FIVE different "types" of diet days (all with slightly different goals) and a very specific exercise strategy to use on each that has led to some of the fastest fat loss results we’ve ever recorded to date with our clients.
Make no mistake, working WITH your diet, hand in hand, through exercise that *mirrors* the goals of each diet strategy can literally DOUBLE your results beyond just “working hard” on each day.
The synergy of strategy never ceases to amaze me, and we reveal it all in the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. In fact, it's the ONLY reason people have consistently lost up to 25 pounds in just 25 days using the full-on 25 day system.
Bottom line, if you want to lose fat FAST, you've got to be SMART in your approach. Enjoy!
Grab your copy NOW! => http://bit.ly/9wjcq8 <= $30 OFF
Friday, April 16, 2010
Diet and Nutrition Tips for Six Pack Abs
1. Get enough quality protein in the daily diet - not only does it have a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat (so you burn more calories digesting it), but it also creates satiety so your hunger is satisfied longer. Plus it's a building block for maintaining and building lean muscle... And remember that the amount of lean muscle you carry is one of the main factors for controlling your metabolism.
2. Think fiber! When it comes to carbs, make sure that almost all of your carbohydrate intake is from higher fiber sources like vegetables, fruits, and high fiber unrefined grains. Try to avoid refined sugars and refined grains as that is one of the main reasons so many people struggle with body fat. I personally don't eat many grains as I prefer to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruits, but I am a bit of a fan of sprouted grains. I generally recommend looking for carbohydrate sources that have at least 2-3 grams of fiber per each 10 grams of total carbs. Remember that fiber helps fill you up and also slows down the glycemic response of the foods you eat, all beneficial for getting lean.
3. Don't be afraid to eat fat! Many people try to go way too low on their fat intake in their diet and this can negatively affect hormone levels in your body as well as causing more cravings. Try to eat enough healthy fats daily. Good sources are all nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, coconuts and virgin coconut oil. On that note, saturated fats from tropical oils are VERY misunderstood, even by many nutritionists and other health professionals. Yes they are composed highly of saturated fats, but are actually beneficial (but that's way beyond the scope of this article).
4. Avoid the two worst things in our food supply at ALL COSTS:
*artificial trans fats from margarines, shortening, and hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods
*high fructose corn syrup, which is in almost all sweetened products on the market
Again, if you avoid processed foods, it becomes easy to avoid these two worst offenders in our food supply.
Source: Mike Geary
2. Think fiber! When it comes to carbs, make sure that almost all of your carbohydrate intake is from higher fiber sources like vegetables, fruits, and high fiber unrefined grains. Try to avoid refined sugars and refined grains as that is one of the main reasons so many people struggle with body fat. I personally don't eat many grains as I prefer to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruits, but I am a bit of a fan of sprouted grains. I generally recommend looking for carbohydrate sources that have at least 2-3 grams of fiber per each 10 grams of total carbs. Remember that fiber helps fill you up and also slows down the glycemic response of the foods you eat, all beneficial for getting lean.
3. Don't be afraid to eat fat! Many people try to go way too low on their fat intake in their diet and this can negatively affect hormone levels in your body as well as causing more cravings. Try to eat enough healthy fats daily. Good sources are all nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, coconuts and virgin coconut oil. On that note, saturated fats from tropical oils are VERY misunderstood, even by many nutritionists and other health professionals. Yes they are composed highly of saturated fats, but are actually beneficial (but that's way beyond the scope of this article).
4. Avoid the two worst things in our food supply at ALL COSTS:
*artificial trans fats from margarines, shortening, and hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods
*high fructose corn syrup, which is in almost all sweetened products on the market
Again, if you avoid processed foods, it becomes easy to avoid these two worst offenders in our food supply.
Source: Mike Geary
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Dieting Along Will Not Change Your Weight Permanently
According to Daily Mail, “Dieting without exercise 'will NOT help you lose weight."
It said scientists believe that this may be because of “a natural compensatory mechanism that reduces a person's physical activity in response to a reduction in calories”.
This research was carried out in 18 female monkeys fed a high-fat diet for several years. They were then switched to a low-fat diet, reducing calorie intake by about 30% in the first month and 60% in the second. The monkeys did not lose a significant amount of weight in the first month, apparently because they reduced their activity levels.
Contrary to the newspaper report, they did lose weight in the second month, even though they did even less physical activity. Another three female monkeys on a normal diet, but exercised on a treadmill, lost a similar proportion of their body weight to the monkeys on the calorie-restricted diet.
This study has several limitations, which increase the likelihood that differences between the groups other than diet and exercise influenced the results. Simply put, weight loss occurs when a person burns more calories than they consume. This can be achieved by either reducing calorie intake, increased physical activity or a combination of the two.
It said scientists believe that this may be because of “a natural compensatory mechanism that reduces a person's physical activity in response to a reduction in calories”.
This research was carried out in 18 female monkeys fed a high-fat diet for several years. They were then switched to a low-fat diet, reducing calorie intake by about 30% in the first month and 60% in the second. The monkeys did not lose a significant amount of weight in the first month, apparently because they reduced their activity levels.
Contrary to the newspaper report, they did lose weight in the second month, even though they did even less physical activity. Another three female monkeys on a normal diet, but exercised on a treadmill, lost a similar proportion of their body weight to the monkeys on the calorie-restricted diet.
This study has several limitations, which increase the likelihood that differences between the groups other than diet and exercise influenced the results. Simply put, weight loss occurs when a person burns more calories than they consume. This can be achieved by either reducing calorie intake, increased physical activity or a combination of the two.
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