When your parents told you to eat your vegetables, and when Grandma said “Eat your beans and cornbread,” they knew what they were doing. These foods are excellent sources of fiber. While eating fiber may be great advice…it has the reputation of tasting like cardboard. This could not be further from the truth! Fiber can be a delicious addition to your diet.
Read on to learn all the benefits of developing a fiber fixation, along with easy, tasty ways to add it to your diet.
What is fiber? Fiber is found only in plant foods. It is found in dried beans and peas, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It is a type of carbohydrate that gives plants their structure. Fiber is not digested or absorbed into the body when eaten. It therefore contains no calories.
There are two types of fiber. Both are beneficial in different ways.
Soluble Fiber (such as pectin) mixes with water to form a gummy substance that coats the insides of the intestinal tract. There, soluble fiber binds to cholesterol and reduces its absorption. This helps to lower blood cholesterol levels. It also delays the absorption of glucose and helps with diabetes control.
Sources: oats, seeds, beans, barley, peas, lentils, apples, citrus fruit, carrots, plums, and squash.
Insoluble Fiber absorbs water, making the stool larger, softer and easier to eliminate from the body. It keeps the digestive system running smoothly, reducing constipation, hemorrhoids, and other digestive problems. Since the stool is in the intestines for a shorter period of time, less cancer-causing agents deposit in the digestive tract, preventing certain types of cancer.
Sources: bran, whole grain products, skins of fruits and vegetables, and leafy greens.
What can fiber do for you? There are many health benefits to bulking up on fiber:
Aids in Weight Loss - Fiber-rich foods may help your body stay trim. They take longer to chew, which may slow down your eating time so you eat less food. Fiber helps you feel full and slows the emptying of your stomach. In other words, fiber helps you to fill up before you reach the point of overeating. Fiber itself cannot be fattening because it isn’t digested and has ZERO calories!
Reduces Risk of Heart Disease - Studies have shown that people who consume a high fiber diet are less likely to develop heart disease. Certain types of fiber may help lower LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff). Fiber also helps bile acids pass through as waste. Therefore the body absorbs less dietary cholesterol.
Lowers High Blood Pressure - Fiber-rich foods are also a good source of potassium and magnesium. These two minerals are needed to help regulate blood pressure.
Manages Diabetes - Water-soluble fiber also helps to regulate blood sugar by delaying the emptying time of the stomach. This slows the sugar absorption after meals and reduces the amount of insulin needed.
Prevents Cancer - Eating a high fiber diet throughout one’s life may help prevent certain cancers, such as colon and rectal cancers. Fiber absorbs excess bile acids that are associated with cancer. It also speeds up the time it takes for waste to pass through the digestive system, which decreases the amount of time that harmful substances remain in contact with the intestinal wall. Fiber also forms a bulkier stool, which helps to dilute the concentration of harmful substances.
Reduces Constipation, Hemorrhoids, and Diverticulosis - Fiber absorbs water, softening and bulking the stool. This helps it pass through the digestive system more quickly and easily. As a result, fiber prevents constipation. There is less straining with bowel movements so hemorrhoids are less likely to form. Fiber is also a standard therapy for the treatment of diverticular disease. This painful disease occurs when the tiny sacs in the intestinal wall become weak and infected. A high fiber diet helps to keep these sacs from becoming inflamed.
Check out these other important nutritional items as well.
Introduction Minerals
Carbohydrates Vitamins
Proteins Fiber
Fats Calorie
How much do I need?
The recommended daily intake for total fiber is:
Adult males, under age 50 38 grams daily
Adult males, over age 50 30 grams daily
Adult females, under age 50 25 grams daily
Adult females, over age 50 21 grams daily
Adult pregnant females 25 35 grams daily
Tasty ways to add fiber to your diet:
Try a high-fiber grain instead of rice. Bulgur, barley, and brown rice are great high-fiber substitutions.
Add beans to your favorite stir-fry, dips, quesadillas, burritos, and tacos.
Eat some type of fresh or dried fruit with every meal.
Start your meal with a large spinach salad, sprinkled with nuts, seeds or dried fruit.
Choose fruit instead of juice.
Make a pot of vegetable soup.
Add extra veggies and/or beans, peas, and lentils to soups, casseroles, and stews.
Try Middle Eastern cuisine, such as tabbouleh or falafel.
Keep nuts, trail mixes, and cereal mixes available for snacks.
Buy whole wheat pasta, breads, crackers, and cereals.
Top casseroles with wheat germ or bran.
Eat the skins of fruits and vegetables when possible.
Start your morning with a whole grain, high fiber cereal.
Ask for lunchtime sandwiches to be prepared with whole grain bread and topped with veggies.
Cautions:
Too much fiber too quickly may cause constipation or stomach discomfort. Increase fiber in your diet slowly, and boost your fluid consumption by drinking 8 glasses of water daily.
Use canned beans or dried beans that are thoroughly cooked; the undercooked starch in beans can cause gas. Discard the cooking water because it contains some indigestible sugars. If bothered by gas, try Beano, an over-the-counter product which contains an enzyme that digests bean sugars.
source: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/reference_fiber.asp
Heart Health: Vitamin C linked to lower stroke risk: study
As we know it, around 25 per cent of people in England are classified as obese, so overweight that it threatens their health, compared to 8 per cent figure in 1980. On current trends, half of the population will be clinically obese by 2032, and those with Type II diabetes, which is triggered almost exclusively by being overweight, will rise tenfold to 19 million. Overall, obesity is thought to knock nine years off lifespan. Various cancers, including breast, colon, kidney and stomach cancer, are known to be linked to weight.
The cost to the NHS of treating obesity, already £1billion a year, will also soar. Obesity poses as grave a threat to Britain and the NHS as terrorism, a Government adviser has warned, reports Daily Mail. "The threat to our future health is just as significant as the current security threat."
But, ministers are blamed for failing to take 'bold action' to tackle the growing crisis. Experts have already warned that if trends continue, half the population will be obese within 25 years, causing life expectancy to fall for the first time in two centuries. A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We are tackling obesity through awareness campaigns and action in schools"... (source: www.dailymail.com)
We all know what happened in Jamie's Kitchen and resistance that positive changes to school dinners received, from parents especially, although I do believe that the it's legacy will continue to live on. Providing free school meals, which has been proposed, could help, but the core of the problem lies with poor eating habits that children get at home. Parents surely need to be re-educated, but that is easier said than done as they, themselves were probably brought up on just as poor diet. Comments made by public that I came across when reading this article clearly show that people are in denial and really not ready to change anything. Good thing that is done at schools is surely being ruined at home.
Balanced nutrition is surely not on everyone's menu as majority lack the knowledge of what it means. It is NOT just about 5-a-day! That is just a bare minimum to make sure our intake of fibre, vitamins and minerals is at least at our bodies minimum requirement, but, balanced nutrition is a whole different ball game and something that one needs to have a knowledge of in order to be able to plan meals on a daily basis. Introduction of labels in stores was brought about to give some nutritional information that could help introduce more nutrient balance into diet, but that is just for packaged food and still, apparently, 67% of adult population do not understand percentages, so, is it really working? I know it helps me, but not sure it does to everyone.
Something is fundamentally wrong indeed and I am not sure that raising awareness and campaigns are working quick enough and that they are the only answer or that the net is spread enough.
I also believe that war on anything will just perpetuate the problem and bring more of the same thing as war on terror brings more terror, war on drugs brings more drugs, etc., so, fighting obesity by putting pressure and blame on the obese and overweight can not be an answer either and it will only worsen the problem, which, in turn, will only continue to serve well pharmaceuticals and other industries that profit from the bad habits of overweight, obese and, overall, unhealthy.
I do not believe in waging war on obese and imposing restrictions and putting pressure, but I do believe in setting positive examples and leading by example, starting by the people of influence and those that claim that they care about current health crisis. For start, our politicians, teachers, etc. should be a picture of health themselves and doctors should be more nutritionally savvy and be able to give more nutritional advice rather than prescribe pills so readily.
Oh, just how many people I talk to who believe their doctors so blindly who actually perpetuate their health problem focusing on the illness and correcting the illness by prescribing all these medications, which does not focus on prevention but just the treatment of the disease. It somehow even takes away the responsibility for people to proactively do something about their health problem.
But, the fact is, doctors really aren’t trained in nutrition as, in medical school, their nutrition related work focuses on biochemistry; i.e., here is how much vitamin A the body needs, but not necessarily where to find that nutrient. Seems wrong and puzzling, but why not then referring patients to a nutritionist/ dietician (cost covered by the NHS) who can offer nutritional advice and counselling to the patients, which they can really take home and apply to their diet? This would surely help people who really need and want help but can not afford themselves to pay for the service that is mainly available privately. To me, this seems as a real oversight, which just makes no sense at all.
I am not saying this is the bottom line and the only solution as there are many and they must come on all fronts, but I will mention one of the smartest quotes I have ever come across: "If our doctors do not become nutritional experts, our nutritional experts will be our future doctors!"
I focus on the doctors as doctors seem to have such a great power that it is scary as it currently only serves pharmaceuticals who continue to benefit from the soaring health crisis and doctor's authority could surely be used in a more positive manner when it comes to obesity and obesity related illnesses! They too must take responsibility in the advice they give astheir current role could be even deemed as unethical.
Increased blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of stroke by 42 per cent, suggests a large European-based study.
Increased levels of the vitamin, associated with increased intake of fruit and vegetables, were found to offer significant cardiovascular benefits among the 20,649 men and women taking part in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer.
The authors, led by Phyo Myint from the University of Cambridge, state that blood levels of the vitamin could be used as a biological marker of lifestyle used to identify people at high risk of stroke.
"An intriguing possibility is that the plasma vitamin C concentration is a good marker of a wider range of health behaviors, such as fruit and vegetable consumption, that may be protective against stroke," wrote Myint in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "It is also plausible that vitamin C may biochemically affect stroke risk."
Strokes occur when blood clots or an artery bursts in the brain and interrupts the blood supply to a part of the brain. It is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in Europe and the US. According to the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE), about 575,000 deaths are stroke related in Europe every year. In the US, every 45 seconds someone will experience a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.
Myint and co-workers followed the subjects for 9.5 years and documented 448 strokes during this time. The subjects completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire at the start of the study, and blood samples were taken to measure vitamin C levels.
The highest average blood levels of vitamin C (greater than 66 micromoles per litre) were associated with a 42 per cent lower risk of stroke, compared to the lowest average blood levels (less than 41 micromoles per litre), after adjusting the results for potentially confounding factors such as age, sex, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, BMI, physical activity, and use of supplements. When the Cambridge researchers excluded participants who consumed vitamin C-containing supplements the results were the same, indicating that the benefits could have been from vitamin C-rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables.
"We believe that these findings are of interest for several reasons," stated the authors. "First, the strong inverse association between plasma vitamin C and stroke suggests that plasma vitamin C is likely to be a good biomarker of whatever causal factors affect stroke risk, most plausibly the dietary intake of plant foods.
"Second, irrespective of any causal associations, plasma vitamin C appears to be a good predictive risk indicator of stroke, independent of known risk factors such as age, BP, smoking, lipids, diabetes, and BMI.
"Given that about half of the risk of stroke is unexplained by conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors and that the predictive validity of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors appears to diminish with age, risk markers that may help to identify those persons at greatest risk of stroke for targeted preventive interventions with established therapies, such as BP reduction, may be of interest."
While further study is necessary, Myint and co-workers aid that it is unlikely that long-term randomised controlled trials using isolated vitamin C supplementation would be conducted using cardiovascular disease as an end-point. "Nevertheless, the magnitude of the association between plasma vitamin C and subsequent stroke is substantial and independent of known major risk factors for stroke," they concluded.
In an accompanying editorial, Sebastian Padayatty and Mark Levine from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) welcomed the study as "refreshing in that its findings are both clear and not overstated".
"We need readily measurable and reliable biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake," they continued. "Vitamin C is an attractive marker of fruit and vegetable intake because these foods are the primary sources of dietary vitamin C.
"However, use of vitamin C as an intake indicator has limitations. With ingestion of pure vitamin C, there is a steep sigmoidal dose-concentration relation in humans for doses between 30 and 100 mg. At 100 mg, fasting steady state plasma vitamin C concentrations are about 60 micromoles per litre. At 200 mg, corresponding to an intake of about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, fasting steady state plasma concentrations are about 70 micromol/L and do not increase much with higher doses. It is unknown whether the same dose- concentration relationships hold for vitamin C in foods."
The take-home message from the study, said Padayatty and Levine, was that the public should aim for between five and nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day and to consume a wide variety of such foods.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008, Volume 87, Pages 64-69, "Plasma vitamin C concentrations predict risk of incident stroke over 10 y in 20 649 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer - Norfolk prospective population study", Authors: P.K. Myint, R.N. Luben, A.A. Welch, S.A. Bingham, N.J. Wareham, and K.-T. Khaw
Editorial: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008, Volume 87, Pages 5-7, "Fruit and vegetables: think variety, go ahead, eat!", Authors: S.J. Padayatty and M. Levine.
The cost to the NHS of treating obesity, already £1billion a year, will also soar. Obesity poses as grave a threat to Britain and the NHS as terrorism, a Government adviser has warned, reports Daily Mail. "The threat to our future health is just as significant as the current security threat."
But, ministers are blamed for failing to take 'bold action' to tackle the growing crisis. Experts have already warned that if trends continue, half the population will be obese within 25 years, causing life expectancy to fall for the first time in two centuries. A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We are tackling obesity through awareness campaigns and action in schools"... (source: www.dailymail.com)
We all know what happened in Jamie's Kitchen and resistance that positive changes to school dinners received, from parents especially, although I do believe that the it's legacy will continue to live on. Providing free school meals, which has been proposed, could help, but the core of the problem lies with poor eating habits that children get at home. Parents surely need to be re-educated, but that is easier said than done as they, themselves were probably brought up on just as poor diet. Comments made by public that I came across when reading this article clearly show that people are in denial and really not ready to change anything. Good thing that is done at schools is surely being ruined at home.
Balanced nutrition is surely not on everyone's menu as majority lack the knowledge of what it means. It is NOT just about 5-a-day! That is just a bare minimum to make sure our intake of fibre, vitamins and minerals is at least at our bodies minimum requirement, but, balanced nutrition is a whole different ball game and something that one needs to have a knowledge of in order to be able to plan meals on a daily basis. Introduction of labels in stores was brought about to give some nutritional information that could help introduce more nutrient balance into diet, but that is just for packaged food and still, apparently, 67% of adult population do not understand percentages, so, is it really working? I know it helps me, but not sure it does to everyone.
Something is fundamentally wrong indeed and I am not sure that raising awareness and campaigns are working quick enough and that they are the only answer or that the net is spread enough.
I also believe that war on anything will just perpetuate the problem and bring more of the same thing as war on terror brings more terror, war on drugs brings more drugs, etc., so, fighting obesity by putting pressure and blame on the obese and overweight can not be an answer either and it will only worsen the problem, which, in turn, will only continue to serve well pharmaceuticals and other industries that profit from the bad habits of overweight, obese and, overall, unhealthy.
I do not believe in waging war on obese and imposing restrictions and putting pressure, but I do believe in setting positive examples and leading by example, starting by the people of influence and those that claim that they care about current health crisis. For start, our politicians, teachers, etc. should be a picture of health themselves and doctors should be more nutritionally savvy and be able to give more nutritional advice rather than prescribe pills so readily.
Oh, just how many people I talk to who believe their doctors so blindly who actually perpetuate their health problem focusing on the illness and correcting the illness by prescribing all these medications, which does not focus on prevention but just the treatment of the disease. It somehow even takes away the responsibility for people to proactively do something about their health problem.
But, the fact is, doctors really aren’t trained in nutrition as, in medical school, their nutrition related work focuses on biochemistry; i.e., here is how much vitamin A the body needs, but not necessarily where to find that nutrient. Seems wrong and puzzling, but why not then referring patients to a nutritionist/ dietician (cost covered by the NHS) who can offer nutritional advice and counselling to the patients, which they can really take home and apply to their diet? This would surely help people who really need and want help but can not afford themselves to pay for the service that is mainly available privately. To me, this seems as a real oversight, which just makes no sense at all.
I am not saying this is the bottom line and the only solution as there are many and they must come on all fronts, but I will mention one of the smartest quotes I have ever come across: "If our doctors do not become nutritional experts, our nutritional experts will be our future doctors!"
I focus on the doctors as doctors seem to have such a great power that it is scary as it currently only serves pharmaceuticals who continue to benefit from the soaring health crisis and doctor's authority could surely be used in a more positive manner when it comes to obesity and obesity related illnesses! They too must take responsibility in the advice they give astheir current role could be even deemed as unethical.
Increased blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of stroke by 42 per cent, suggests a large European-based study.
Increased levels of the vitamin, associated with increased intake of fruit and vegetables, were found to offer significant cardiovascular benefits among the 20,649 men and women taking part in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer.
The authors, led by Phyo Myint from the University of Cambridge, state that blood levels of the vitamin could be used as a biological marker of lifestyle used to identify people at high risk of stroke.
"An intriguing possibility is that the plasma vitamin C concentration is a good marker of a wider range of health behaviors, such as fruit and vegetable consumption, that may be protective against stroke," wrote Myint in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "It is also plausible that vitamin C may biochemically affect stroke risk."
Strokes occur when blood clots or an artery bursts in the brain and interrupts the blood supply to a part of the brain. It is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in Europe and the US. According to the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE), about 575,000 deaths are stroke related in Europe every year. In the US, every 45 seconds someone will experience a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.
Myint and co-workers followed the subjects for 9.5 years and documented 448 strokes during this time. The subjects completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire at the start of the study, and blood samples were taken to measure vitamin C levels.
The highest average blood levels of vitamin C (greater than 66 micromoles per litre) were associated with a 42 per cent lower risk of stroke, compared to the lowest average blood levels (less than 41 micromoles per litre), after adjusting the results for potentially confounding factors such as age, sex, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, BMI, physical activity, and use of supplements. When the Cambridge researchers excluded participants who consumed vitamin C-containing supplements the results were the same, indicating that the benefits could have been from vitamin C-rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables.
"We believe that these findings are of interest for several reasons," stated the authors. "First, the strong inverse association between plasma vitamin C and stroke suggests that plasma vitamin C is likely to be a good biomarker of whatever causal factors affect stroke risk, most plausibly the dietary intake of plant foods.
"Second, irrespective of any causal associations, plasma vitamin C appears to be a good predictive risk indicator of stroke, independent of known risk factors such as age, BP, smoking, lipids, diabetes, and BMI.
"Given that about half of the risk of stroke is unexplained by conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors and that the predictive validity of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors appears to diminish with age, risk markers that may help to identify those persons at greatest risk of stroke for targeted preventive interventions with established therapies, such as BP reduction, may be of interest."
While further study is necessary, Myint and co-workers aid that it is unlikely that long-term randomised controlled trials using isolated vitamin C supplementation would be conducted using cardiovascular disease as an end-point. "Nevertheless, the magnitude of the association between plasma vitamin C and subsequent stroke is substantial and independent of known major risk factors for stroke," they concluded.
In an accompanying editorial, Sebastian Padayatty and Mark Levine from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) welcomed the study as "refreshing in that its findings are both clear and not overstated".
"We need readily measurable and reliable biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake," they continued. "Vitamin C is an attractive marker of fruit and vegetable intake because these foods are the primary sources of dietary vitamin C.
"However, use of vitamin C as an intake indicator has limitations. With ingestion of pure vitamin C, there is a steep sigmoidal dose-concentration relation in humans for doses between 30 and 100 mg. At 100 mg, fasting steady state plasma vitamin C concentrations are about 60 micromoles per litre. At 200 mg, corresponding to an intake of about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, fasting steady state plasma concentrations are about 70 micromol/L and do not increase much with higher doses. It is unknown whether the same dose- concentration relationships hold for vitamin C in foods."
The take-home message from the study, said Padayatty and Levine, was that the public should aim for between five and nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day and to consume a wide variety of such foods.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008, Volume 87, Pages 64-69, "Plasma vitamin C concentrations predict risk of incident stroke over 10 y in 20 649 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer - Norfolk prospective population study", Authors: P.K. Myint, R.N. Luben, A.A. Welch, S.A. Bingham, N.J. Wareham, and K.-T. Khaw
Editorial: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008, Volume 87, Pages 5-7, "Fruit and vegetables: think variety, go ahead, eat!", Authors: S.J. Padayatty and M. Levine.
Weight Loss ABCs: Tips To Help You Succeed
By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column
A is for attitude. A can-do attitude will help you get over the inevitable hurdles of weight loss. Anticipate slip-ups -- they happen. But instead of letting them derail your weight loss efforts, learn from them and get right back on track. You don't have to be perfect to lose weight and be healthy. Just keep your eye on the target and keep moving forward, one step at a time.
B is for breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. Don't leave home without eating something nutritious to get your metabolism perking and give you energy for the day ahead. It can be a banana, low-fat yogurt, cereal, last night's leftovers, etc. A small meal that contains both fiber and protein can keep you feeling satisfied until lunchtime.
C is for calories. They do count. Get into the habit of reading food labels to help you make healthy choices. And keep in mind that all the information listed there is based on the portion size the label specifies (which may not be the size of the portion you usually eat). Monitoring your portions and learning more about the calories in the foods you enjoy will help you meet your goals.
Diets don't work. There are hundreds of diets that will help you lose weight, but what good is losing weight if you gain it right back? Eating crazy food combinations or eliminating food groups is not the way to keep weight off. Instead, choose a nutritionally balanced plan with enough calories to keep you from feeling famished.
Eating regular meals is essential. Experts agree that you should go no longer than 4 to 5 hours between meals. Otherwise, intense hunger can trigger a binge. Some experts believe dieters have better control if they eat several mini-meals throughout the day. Choose the meal pattern that works best in your lifestyle, but make sure to eat at least three meals per day.
Fiber is nature's weight loss aid. It comes in two forms, soluble (the gummy type found in oatmeal and beans) and insoluble (the type found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). Both are important to good health. Soluble fiber can help to lower cholesterol; insoluble contains indigestible fibers that add bulk to our diets. Both forms of fiber swell in the stomach and help to create a feeling of fullness. Most high-fiber foods are also high in water and low in calories, making them must-have diet foods.
Gum chewing may be just what the dentist ordered. Chewing on a piece of sugarless gum can help cleanse the mouth of bacteria, satisfy a sweet tooth, and reduce the urge to eat. Keep a pack of sugarless gum handy. The next time you have the urge to reach into the cookie jar, try a piece of gum instead for a zero-calorie treat.
Heart-healthy foods should fill your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Choose foods that are low in saturated and trans fats. Enjoy plenty of naturally fat-free, low-sodium fruits and vegetables. Choose healthy fats such as canola, olive, and vegetable oils. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like walnuts, flaxseed, and salmon and other fatty fish. Choose low- and non-fat dairy products, as well as the leanest cuts of meat (round and loin) and skinless poultry. Beans, nuts, and whole grains round out the list of heart-healthy foods.
Invest in a pedometer and track your steps each day. The goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps -- the equivalent of 5 miles -- daily to thwart weight gain (and promote weight loss). Challenge yourself to increase your steps each day, even if you can't get up to 10,000. Every step counts; remember that your goal is simply to improve your fitness level.
Just do it! Get into a routine that includes regular physical activity. Not only does exercise energize you, it burns calories, improves balance and coordination, and relieves stress. When you don't have time for a formal workout, try to squeeze in at least three 10-minute chunks of physical activity. (Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.)
Key to an effective exercise plan is variety. Try something new -- maybe Pilates, yoga, or water aerobics. Having fun and trying new things will keep you interested and enhance your commitment to exercise. Another key: starting your day with activity is one of the best ways to make sure it does not get squeezed out of your schedule.
Low blood sugar is often the cause of between-meal cravings, especially for sweets. Eating meals and small snacks that contain lean protein and fiber every few hours helps keep blood sugar levels steady. When sweets cravings strike, try to satisfy them with naturally sweet foods such as fruit (accompany it with a little low-fat yogurt for protein).
Mindful eating means taking time to savor every bite. Turn off the distractions, and concentrate on the aroma, texture, and flavor of food. Becoming more mindful when you eat will give you more pleasure from your meals. The bonus: You'll also be more in tuned with your body's signals of fullness, and you'll be less likely to overeat.
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"Water is your body's preferred form of fluid."
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Nighttime snacking, for most of us, is a habit that can undermine weight loss success. That's because the calories we eat after dinner tend to be empty ones, from chips, cookies, etc. Brushing your teeth after supper will help you make dinner the last meal of the day. If you need a little something at night, try to satisfy the urge with few calories -- have a stick of gum, one piece of hard candy, or a cup of hot tea).
One more scoop, one more cookie, one more glass of wine -- "just one more" can add lots of extra calories. Controlling portions is fundamental to weight loss success. You don't need to give up your favorite foods, but you do need to keep track of your portions. At home, use smaller plates and keep food at the stove instead of on the table at mealtime. When you go out to eat, order a soup and a salad instead of an entree, or take home half your meal in a doggie bag.
Protein is the "secret sauce" to weight control. Include a source of protein -- lean meats, low-fat dairy, beans, or nuts -- in all meals and snacks to help keep you feeling full for hours.
Quit those old habits that caused you to gain weight, and replace them with healthier ones. Simple changes -- like lightening your coffee with low-fat milk instead of cream, switching to light mayonnaise, avoiding fried foods -- can help create healthier eating patterns that foster long-term weight loss.
Rely on friends, family, and/or an online community to help you in your weight loss efforts. Your motivation is at an all-time high when you start a weight loss program, but after a few weeks, it often starts to wane. Let your supporters help you get through the rough times.
Supplement your healthy eating plan with a once-daily multivitamin for nutritional insurance. Despite your best efforts, it can be hard to get all the nutrients you need every day. Taking a multivitamin will help fill in the gaps.
Track your eating patterns and physical activity every day. One of the tips of the "successful losers" tracked in the National Weight Control Registry is the importance of journaling food intake and activity. Entering this information into your online journal or in a notebook is a powerful motivator to help keep you working toward your goals.
Uncle Sam's latest dietary guidelines promise to make us happier, healthier and thinner. Tips from the government's recommendations (the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid) include:
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Eat more whole grains. At least half of your servings of grain foods should come from whole grains.
Enjoy three servings of low-fat dairy each day (yogurt, milk, or cheese).
Limit saturated and trans fats, sugar, and alcohol.
Watch the sodium content of your diet. Eat less processed food to reduce sodium.
Get plenty of exercise -- at least 30 minutes a day.
Volumetrics is the art of eating foods high in volume, or high-water foods. Fruits, vegetables, and soups are all examples of high-volume foods that are super-nutritious, satisfying, and low in calories. Dieters should make sure their plans are full of these healthy foods so they can feel full while still losing weight.
Water is your body's preferred form of fluid. It is thirst-quenching and naturally delicious without one single calorie. You need some 6-8 glasses of water or fluids each day. Recent studies suggest that we should let thirst determine how much we drink each day. Foods that are high in water (soups, Jell-O, produce) also count toward our fluid requirements. Many dieters find drinking water helps keep them from overeating.
EXcuses should be excised. Do you really want to lose weight and improve your health once and for all? Then stop making excuses and just do it! Sure, that's easier said than done. But you need to stop finding reasons why you can't start moving a healthier lifestyle, and start listing all the reasons why you should. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Start today, by doing something positive -- just one small thing -- toward your health and weight loss.
Yogurt used to be thought of as health food. Now it lines the grocery shelves in a variety of forms. It's portable, convenient, full of nutrients like calcium and protein, and it makes an excellent snack or mini-meal. The French swear by it, and so should you. Low-fat yogurt is filling and nutritious, but keep in mind that it can be loaded with sugar. So read labels to make the best choice.
Zip in your step is what you'll get once you start eating more healthfully and getting regular exercise. Losing as little as 5% to 10% of your body weight can help you feel better and improve your health. Just think of the weight you'll lose as bricks in a backpack. Lightening your load a few pounds at a time can be invigorating and energizing.
source: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53576&page=2
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column
A is for attitude. A can-do attitude will help you get over the inevitable hurdles of weight loss. Anticipate slip-ups -- they happen. But instead of letting them derail your weight loss efforts, learn from them and get right back on track. You don't have to be perfect to lose weight and be healthy. Just keep your eye on the target and keep moving forward, one step at a time.
B is for breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. Don't leave home without eating something nutritious to get your metabolism perking and give you energy for the day ahead. It can be a banana, low-fat yogurt, cereal, last night's leftovers, etc. A small meal that contains both fiber and protein can keep you feeling satisfied until lunchtime.
C is for calories. They do count. Get into the habit of reading food labels to help you make healthy choices. And keep in mind that all the information listed there is based on the portion size the label specifies (which may not be the size of the portion you usually eat). Monitoring your portions and learning more about the calories in the foods you enjoy will help you meet your goals.
Diets don't work. There are hundreds of diets that will help you lose weight, but what good is losing weight if you gain it right back? Eating crazy food combinations or eliminating food groups is not the way to keep weight off. Instead, choose a nutritionally balanced plan with enough calories to keep you from feeling famished.
Eating regular meals is essential. Experts agree that you should go no longer than 4 to 5 hours between meals. Otherwise, intense hunger can trigger a binge. Some experts believe dieters have better control if they eat several mini-meals throughout the day. Choose the meal pattern that works best in your lifestyle, but make sure to eat at least three meals per day.
Fiber is nature's weight loss aid. It comes in two forms, soluble (the gummy type found in oatmeal and beans) and insoluble (the type found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). Both are important to good health. Soluble fiber can help to lower cholesterol; insoluble contains indigestible fibers that add bulk to our diets. Both forms of fiber swell in the stomach and help to create a feeling of fullness. Most high-fiber foods are also high in water and low in calories, making them must-have diet foods.
Gum chewing may be just what the dentist ordered. Chewing on a piece of sugarless gum can help cleanse the mouth of bacteria, satisfy a sweet tooth, and reduce the urge to eat. Keep a pack of sugarless gum handy. The next time you have the urge to reach into the cookie jar, try a piece of gum instead for a zero-calorie treat.
Heart-healthy foods should fill your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Choose foods that are low in saturated and trans fats. Enjoy plenty of naturally fat-free, low-sodium fruits and vegetables. Choose healthy fats such as canola, olive, and vegetable oils. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like walnuts, flaxseed, and salmon and other fatty fish. Choose low- and non-fat dairy products, as well as the leanest cuts of meat (round and loin) and skinless poultry. Beans, nuts, and whole grains round out the list of heart-healthy foods.
Invest in a pedometer and track your steps each day. The goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps -- the equivalent of 5 miles -- daily to thwart weight gain (and promote weight loss). Challenge yourself to increase your steps each day, even if you can't get up to 10,000. Every step counts; remember that your goal is simply to improve your fitness level.
Just do it! Get into a routine that includes regular physical activity. Not only does exercise energize you, it burns calories, improves balance and coordination, and relieves stress. When you don't have time for a formal workout, try to squeeze in at least three 10-minute chunks of physical activity. (Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.)
Key to an effective exercise plan is variety. Try something new -- maybe Pilates, yoga, or water aerobics. Having fun and trying new things will keep you interested and enhance your commitment to exercise. Another key: starting your day with activity is one of the best ways to make sure it does not get squeezed out of your schedule.
Low blood sugar is often the cause of between-meal cravings, especially for sweets. Eating meals and small snacks that contain lean protein and fiber every few hours helps keep blood sugar levels steady. When sweets cravings strike, try to satisfy them with naturally sweet foods such as fruit (accompany it with a little low-fat yogurt for protein).
Mindful eating means taking time to savor every bite. Turn off the distractions, and concentrate on the aroma, texture, and flavor of food. Becoming more mindful when you eat will give you more pleasure from your meals. The bonus: You'll also be more in tuned with your body's signals of fullness, and you'll be less likely to overeat.
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"Water is your body's preferred form of fluid."
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Nighttime snacking, for most of us, is a habit that can undermine weight loss success. That's because the calories we eat after dinner tend to be empty ones, from chips, cookies, etc. Brushing your teeth after supper will help you make dinner the last meal of the day. If you need a little something at night, try to satisfy the urge with few calories -- have a stick of gum, one piece of hard candy, or a cup of hot tea).
One more scoop, one more cookie, one more glass of wine -- "just one more" can add lots of extra calories. Controlling portions is fundamental to weight loss success. You don't need to give up your favorite foods, but you do need to keep track of your portions. At home, use smaller plates and keep food at the stove instead of on the table at mealtime. When you go out to eat, order a soup and a salad instead of an entree, or take home half your meal in a doggie bag.
Protein is the "secret sauce" to weight control. Include a source of protein -- lean meats, low-fat dairy, beans, or nuts -- in all meals and snacks to help keep you feeling full for hours.
Quit those old habits that caused you to gain weight, and replace them with healthier ones. Simple changes -- like lightening your coffee with low-fat milk instead of cream, switching to light mayonnaise, avoiding fried foods -- can help create healthier eating patterns that foster long-term weight loss.
Rely on friends, family, and/or an online community to help you in your weight loss efforts. Your motivation is at an all-time high when you start a weight loss program, but after a few weeks, it often starts to wane. Let your supporters help you get through the rough times.
Supplement your healthy eating plan with a once-daily multivitamin for nutritional insurance. Despite your best efforts, it can be hard to get all the nutrients you need every day. Taking a multivitamin will help fill in the gaps.
Track your eating patterns and physical activity every day. One of the tips of the "successful losers" tracked in the National Weight Control Registry is the importance of journaling food intake and activity. Entering this information into your online journal or in a notebook is a powerful motivator to help keep you working toward your goals.
Uncle Sam's latest dietary guidelines promise to make us happier, healthier and thinner. Tips from the government's recommendations (the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid) include:
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Eat more whole grains. At least half of your servings of grain foods should come from whole grains.
Enjoy three servings of low-fat dairy each day (yogurt, milk, or cheese).
Limit saturated and trans fats, sugar, and alcohol.
Watch the sodium content of your diet. Eat less processed food to reduce sodium.
Get plenty of exercise -- at least 30 minutes a day.
Volumetrics is the art of eating foods high in volume, or high-water foods. Fruits, vegetables, and soups are all examples of high-volume foods that are super-nutritious, satisfying, and low in calories. Dieters should make sure their plans are full of these healthy foods so they can feel full while still losing weight.
Water is your body's preferred form of fluid. It is thirst-quenching and naturally delicious without one single calorie. You need some 6-8 glasses of water or fluids each day. Recent studies suggest that we should let thirst determine how much we drink each day. Foods that are high in water (soups, Jell-O, produce) also count toward our fluid requirements. Many dieters find drinking water helps keep them from overeating.
EXcuses should be excised. Do you really want to lose weight and improve your health once and for all? Then stop making excuses and just do it! Sure, that's easier said than done. But you need to stop finding reasons why you can't start moving a healthier lifestyle, and start listing all the reasons why you should. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Start today, by doing something positive -- just one small thing -- toward your health and weight loss.
Yogurt used to be thought of as health food. Now it lines the grocery shelves in a variety of forms. It's portable, convenient, full of nutrients like calcium and protein, and it makes an excellent snack or mini-meal. The French swear by it, and so should you. Low-fat yogurt is filling and nutritious, but keep in mind that it can be loaded with sugar. So read labels to make the best choice.
Zip in your step is what you'll get once you start eating more healthfully and getting regular exercise. Losing as little as 5% to 10% of your body weight can help you feel better and improve your health. Just think of the weight you'll lose as bricks in a backpack. Lightening your load a few pounds at a time can be invigorating and energizing.
source: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53576&page=2
How do I know if I've reached a plateau? What can I do to jump start my weight loss again?
If you’ve been exercising and cutting calories for several weeks, and you’re no longer seeing the same results that you experienced in the beginning, then you’ve probably hit a plateau. This occurs when your progress comes to a standstill, and can be described as not making any "gains" (such as improving your fitness level or losing weight), but not necessarily moving backwards (losing endurance or gaining weight).
Because every individual is unique, there’s no way to actually predict when a plateau might happen. However, the principles of nutrition, rest, and variation will jumpstart your body, mind, and metabolism.
Plateau Busters- 1 focuses on eating the right nutrients at the right times.
Plateau Busters- 2 focuses on the importance of rest in your exercise program.
Plateau Busters- 3 discusses how to add variety to your workouts.
Written by Nicole Nichols, Certified Fitness Instructor
source: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=8
Because every individual is unique, there’s no way to actually predict when a plateau might happen. However, the principles of nutrition, rest, and variation will jumpstart your body, mind, and metabolism.
Plateau Busters- 1 focuses on eating the right nutrients at the right times.
Plateau Busters- 2 focuses on the importance of rest in your exercise program.
Plateau Busters- 3 discusses how to add variety to your workouts.
Written by Nicole Nichols, Certified Fitness Instructor
source: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=8
Five Hot Foods To Help You Keep Your Cool
LOS ANGELES: (BUSINESS WIRE): Jul. 2, 2009: Air conditioning. An ocean breeze. Food? Yes, food can play a role in helping to keep your cool as the temperatures rise. It’s also important to stay hydrated, as heat increases the rate at which we perspire, causing us to lose fluid - along with minerals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium - in the process.
“Drinking the right liquids and eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can really make a difference in helping you to beat the heat,” says Luigi Gratton, MD, vice president of medical affairs at Herbalife. “Not only do these foods help to replace fluids and minerals that are lost through perspiration,” Gratton notes, “but fruits and veggies also contain antioxidants that can help protect your body against sun damage, too.”
Next time the heat is getting you down, here are some of the best foods to help you keep your cool:
Cantaloupe: Nothing says summer like melons. They’re all great sources of potassium, but cantaloupe has nearly three times the potassium found in watermelon. And, cantaloupe gets its orange hue from a beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant.
Berries: Too much sun? Sweet, delicious berries naturally contain compounds related to aspirin that can reduce inflammation, and may help take the sting out of sunburn. They’re also a great source of antioxidant vitamin C.
Spinach: Leafy spinach has lots of water and is a terrific source of magnesium. Further, spinach gets its green color from lutein – an antioxidant that helps protect the skin and eyes from sun exposure.
Chili peppers: Hot foods during hot weather? You bet. Those vitamin-C laden spicy peppers can stimulate perspiration – which, as it evaporates off the skin, helps to cool you off. If you’re not a chili pepper fan, other pungent foods like garlic and ginger have similar beneficial effects.
Sports drinks: Plain water is a great fluid replacer, but if you are exercising in hot and humid conditions, sports drinks might be a better choice. They help replace valuable minerals and electrolytes and they’re specially designed to help maximize fluid absorption. And, their light, sweet flavor might encourage you to drink a little more.
Source Herbalife Investor Relations: Press Release 02 July 2009
“Drinking the right liquids and eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can really make a difference in helping you to beat the heat,” says Luigi Gratton, MD, vice president of medical affairs at Herbalife. “Not only do these foods help to replace fluids and minerals that are lost through perspiration,” Gratton notes, “but fruits and veggies also contain antioxidants that can help protect your body against sun damage, too.”
Next time the heat is getting you down, here are some of the best foods to help you keep your cool:
Cantaloupe: Nothing says summer like melons. They’re all great sources of potassium, but cantaloupe has nearly three times the potassium found in watermelon. And, cantaloupe gets its orange hue from a beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant.
Berries: Too much sun? Sweet, delicious berries naturally contain compounds related to aspirin that can reduce inflammation, and may help take the sting out of sunburn. They’re also a great source of antioxidant vitamin C.
Spinach: Leafy spinach has lots of water and is a terrific source of magnesium. Further, spinach gets its green color from lutein – an antioxidant that helps protect the skin and eyes from sun exposure.
Chili peppers: Hot foods during hot weather? You bet. Those vitamin-C laden spicy peppers can stimulate perspiration – which, as it evaporates off the skin, helps to cool you off. If you’re not a chili pepper fan, other pungent foods like garlic and ginger have similar beneficial effects.
Sports drinks: Plain water is a great fluid replacer, but if you are exercising in hot and humid conditions, sports drinks might be a better choice. They help replace valuable minerals and electrolytes and they’re specially designed to help maximize fluid absorption. And, their light, sweet flavor might encourage you to drink a little more.
Source Herbalife Investor Relations: Press Release 02 July 2009
Nutritional Protein Shake
Nutritional Shake
A healthy meal with up to 19 essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients in three delicious flavors that can help support weight management and boost immune system.
Key Benefits:
* A healthy meal for balanced nutrition (80calories only!)
* Manage weight (lose or gain weight) and improve health
* Get 9g of vegetable based protein that helps maintain muscle strength and prevent skin sagging
* Nourish your body with Cellular Nutrition
Details:
Why do we lose weight with the shake? An average female can burn 2000 calories/male 2500 calories a day. If we eat more than what our body can burn, it becomes stored fats (bilbil). An average meal/snack has 1000calories. If you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day,that's already 5000 calories! On the other hand,1 serving of our shake (2 tablespoons) has only 80 calories! If you want to lose weight, the calories you eat must be less than what your body burns everyday. By replacing SOME of your meals with the shake, you reduce your calorie intake but still feeds your body with the right nutrients! Thus making you feel full, lessen your cravings, gives you more energy, improve your health, boost your immune system while losing weight. You lose weight the safe, natural and healthy way!
Usage:
Blend or stir 25g (2 heaping tablespoons) of Formula 1 with 8 fl. oz. of any cold beverage. Create recipes by adding fresh fruit and ice.
Varieties:
French Vanilla, Dutch Choco & Wild Strawberry.
Key Benefits:
* A healthy meal for balanced nutrition (80calories only!)
* Manage weight (lose or gain weight) and improve health
* Get 9g of vegetable based protein that helps maintain muscle strength and prevent skin sagging
* Nourish your body with Cellular Nutrition
Details:
Why do we lose weight with the shake? An average female can burn 2000 calories/male 2500 calories a day. If we eat more than what our body can burn, it becomes stored fats (bilbil). An average meal/snack has 1000calories. If you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day,that's already 5000 calories! On the other hand,1 serving of our shake (2 tablespoons) has only 80 calories! If you want to lose weight, the calories you eat must be less than what your body burns everyday. By replacing SOME of your meals with the shake, you reduce your calorie intake but still feeds your body with the right nutrients! Thus making you feel full, lessen your cravings, gives you more energy, improve your health, boost your immune system while losing weight. You lose weight the safe, natural and healthy way!
Usage:
Blend or stir 25g (2 heaping tablespoons) of Formula 1 with 8 fl. oz. of any cold beverage. Create recipes by adding fresh fruit and ice.
Varieties:
French Vanilla, Dutch Choco & Wild Strawberry.
Personalized Protein Powder
A fat-free protein supplement for hunger control and healthy weight management with 5g of soy and whey protein, and all 9 essential amino acids.
Key Benefits
Satisfy and control hunger
Support adequate protein intake with low-fat protein
Build and maintain lean muscle mass
Key Benefits
Satisfy and control hunger
Support adequate protein intake with low-fat protein
Build and maintain lean muscle mass
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