Monday, February 15, 2010
100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories
REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet, assuming the intake and expenditure of all other calories remains the same. That's because a pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. So if you cut 100 calories a day for 31 days, you're cutting 3,100 calories--or about a pound.
Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
- Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.
- Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.
- Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.
- Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.
- Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.
- Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.
- Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
- On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.
- Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.
- Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.
- Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.
- For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.
- Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.
- Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.
- Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.
- Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.
- When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.
- Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.
- Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.
- Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.
- Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.
- Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.
- Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.
- Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.
- Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.
- Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.
- Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.
- Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.
- Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.
- Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.
- Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.
- At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.
- Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.
- Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.
- Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.
- Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.
- Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.
- Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.
- Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.
- Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.
- Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.
- Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.
- Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.
- Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.
- Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.
- Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.
- Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.
- Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.
- Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.
- Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.
- Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.
- Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.
- Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.
- Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.
- Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.
- In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.
- Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.
- Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.
- For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.
- Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.
- Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.
- Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.
- At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.
- Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.
- Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.
- Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.
- Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.
- Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.
- Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.
- Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.
- Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.
- Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.
- Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.
- Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.
- Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.
- Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.
- Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.
- Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.
- On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.
- Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.
- Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.
- Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.
- Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.
- Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.
- Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.
- Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.
- Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.
- At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.
- Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.
- At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.
- Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.
- Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.
- Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.
- Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots
- Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.
- Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.
- Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.
- Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.
- Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1993).Submitted by Linda Roxbury.
Why Most People Fail At Losing Weight
Why do so many people fail at losing weight? Is it because they are lazy? No. Is it because they are addicted to food? No. Is it because they aren’t good at exercising? No. Failure at weight loss stems from a few main factors:
- People don't truly understand the risks of being overweight. Why do most want to lose weight? Most would say to look better. Looking better certainly is a benefit of losing weight, but this shouldn’t be the sole reason to lose weight. There is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room and it’s often ignored. Being overweight for a long period of time kills thousands of people each year. Thousands of studies have show and proven without any doubt that losing body fat will improve and lengthen your life. This eBook will give you a picture of the dangers of being overweight. Knowing the dangers of being overweight is a tremendous motivator to not only lose fat, but to keep it off.
- People don't commit to permanent lifestyle changes. So many people think of a "diet" as something temporary. When they are on a "diet" they restrict themselves so much that they are miserable. Sooner or later failure is inevitable because of the unreasonable demands of most "diets." Some of these diets force you to only eat certain foods (e.g., no carbs, special soups etc…) You, like myself, have probably tried them before. The key to losing weight long term is to make gradual lifestyle changes you can stick to forever.
- Most individuals are not provided the truthful facts of losing weight and becoming healthier. With the conflicting information in the media, and all of the different lose weight quick fad diets, it’s understandable why so many people really don’t know the truth about losing fat and keeping it off long term. We will go over the no-nonsense truth.
- Most people don't understand they are constantly either gaining fat, or losing fat. There is no in-between. Some people justify binging or giving up because they hit a small road-block. This isn’t an all or nothing game. For example, when I was overweight, if I ate an unhealthy lunch, I’d go ahead and eat an unhealthy dinner since I already "messed up" the day. Or I’d say, I’ll start eating healthy on Monday since I’ve already eaten poorly this weekend. Every person at times eats too much. The successful people will not let a road bump completely derail their entire lifestyle change. If you are not implementing positive lifestyle changes and losing weight, you are gaining weight. Again, there is no "in-between."
- Most people don't realize what they consume each day. So many overweight people eat thousands of extra calories and fat without realizing it. It’s tough to know if you are gaining weight or losing weight each day unless you are keeping an eye on what you’re consuming. Later in the eBook you will be given an easy way to keep track of your consumption.
This article was written by Rob B, the creator of FreeWeightloss.com.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
10 Tips For Faster Weight Loss
Here are 10 no-nonsense tips for fast, healthy weight loss :
1) Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day - this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea.
2) Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones - this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.
3) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - these are packed with vitamins.
4) Decrease your fat intake - try for no more than 20 grams per day.
5) Exercise for 30 minutes each day - take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get moving.
6) Find a hobby - take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.
7) Don’t eat that late night snack - Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Listen to your body - your body will tell you when it is full, hungry, stressed, tired. Learn the signs and obey what your body is telling you.
9) Increase your fiber - choose whole grain pasta and bread.
10) Cleanse and detoxify - this may be the most important. Rid your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, while allowing it to function normally.
Cleansing is an important part of long-term weight loss success. Our bodies are laden with insecticides, pesticides, lead, and dozens of other harmful substances. These chemicals clog our internal organs and our bodies respond by coating these chemicals with layers of fat.
One way to cleanse your body of harmful impurities is by using Acai Berry. This fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and will get your body functioning normally again, so it can fight illness and disease. It will also allow your body to burn calories and fat faster and more efficiently. You will see a faster rate of weight loss, and you will be able to keep it off.
Acai berry has many health benefits as well, including increased circulation, increased metabolism, and increased mental clarity and focus.
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
How much Do I Need - Vitamin D
The Institute of Medicine's current recommended intake of vitamin D is 5 micrograms (200 IU) up to age 50, 10 micrograms (400 IU) between the ages of 51 and 70, and 15 micrograms (600 IU) after age 70. Optimal intakes are much higher, though, with at least 25 to 50 micrograms (1,000 to 2,000 IU) recommended for those over age
If the multivitamin you take does not have 1,000 IU of vitamin D, you may want to consider adding a separate vitamin D supplement, especially if you do not spend much time in the sun. In extremely high doses—hundreds of thousands of IU or more—vitamin D is toxic and can even cause death; but in adults, taking up to 2,000 IU per day as a supplement is safe. In fact, some people may need 3,000 or 4,000 IU per day for adequate blood levels, particularly if they have darker skin, spend winters in the northern U.S., or have little exposure to direct sunlight. If you fall into these groups, ask your physician to order a blood test for vitamin D.
Food sources: Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Good sources include dairy products and breakfast cereals (both of which are fortified with vitamin D), and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. For most people, the best way to get the recommended daily intake is by taking a supplement, but the level in most multivitamins (400 IU) is too low; encouragingly, some manufacturers have begun adding 800 or 1,000 IU of vitamin D to their standard multivitamin preparations.
Getting vitamin D from the sun:Correctly applied sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb vitamin D by as much as 90 percent. At higher latitudes (in the northern U.S., for example), exposure to the sun in winter will not form vitamin D (due to the angle of the sun's rays), so a supplement is advisable.
Reference -www.hsph.harvard.edu
Omega-3 Fats: An Essential Contribution
What makes omega-3 fats special? They are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. They also bind to receptors in cells that regulate genetic function. Likely due to these effects, omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions.
Omega-3 fats are a key family of polyunsaturated fats. There are three main omega-3s:
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) come mainly from fish, so they are sometimes called marine omega-3s.
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the most common omega-3 fatty acid in most Western diets, is found in vegetable oils and nuts (especially walnuts), leafy vegetables, and some animal fat, especially in grass-fed animals. The human body generally uses ALA for energy, and conversion into EPA and DHA is very limited.
The strongest evidence for a beneficial effect of omega-3 fats has to do with heart disease. These fats appear to help the heart beat at a steady clip and not veer into a dangerous or potentially fatal erratic rhythm. (1) Such arrhythmias cause most of the 500,000-plus cardiac deaths that occur each year in the United States. Omega-3 fats also lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve blood vessel function, and, at higher doses, lower triglycerides and may ease inflammation, which plays a role in the development of atherosclerosis.
(1)Several large trials have evaluated the effect of fish or fish oils on heart disease. In the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardio (known as the GISSI Prevention Trial), heart attack survivors who took a 1-gram capsule of omega-3 fats every day for three years were less likely to have a repeat heart attack, stroke, or die of sudden death than those who took a placebo. (2) Notably, the risk of sudden cardiac death was reduced by about 50 percent. In the more recent Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS), participants who took EPA plus a cholesterol-lowering statin were less likely to have a major coronary event (sudden cardiac death, fatal or nonfatal heart attack, unstable angina, or a procedure to open or bypass a narrowed or blocked coronary artery) than those who took a statin alone.
(3)Most Americans take in far more of another essential fat—omega-6 fats—than they do omega-3 fats. Some experts have raised the hypothesis that this higher intake of omega-6 fats could pose problems, cardiovascular and otherwise, but this has not been supported by evidence in humans. (4) In the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, for example, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats wasn't linked with risk of heart disease because both of these were beneficial. (5) Many other studies and trials in humans also support cardiovascular benefits of omega-6 fats. Although there is no question that many Americans could benefit from increasing their intake of omega-3 fats, there is evidence that omega-6 fats also positively influence cardiovascular risk factors and reduce heart disease.
Researchers are taking a hard look at a different sort of balance, this one between possible effects of marine and plant omega-3 fats on prostate cancer. Results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and others show that men whose diets are rich in EPA and DHA (mainly from fish and seafood) are less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer than those with low intake of EPA and DHA. (6) At the same time, some-but not all-studies show an increase in prostate cancer and advanced prostate cancer among men with high intakes of ALA (mainly from supplements). However, this effect is inconsistent. In the very large Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, for example, there was no link between ALA intake and early, late, or advanced prostate cancer.
(7)Here's a delicious way to get your omega-3s: Try Pan Roasted Salmon with Minty Snap Peas.
Given the wide-ranging importance and benefits of marine omega-3 fatty acids, it is important to eat fish or other seafood one to two times per week, particularly fatty (dark meat) fish that are richer in EPA and DHA. This is especially important for women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant and nursing mothers. From the third trimester until the second year of life, a developing child needs a steady supply of DHA to form the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Many women shy away from eating fish because of concerns that mercury and other possible contaminants might harm their babies, (9) yet the evidence for harm from lack of omega-3 fats is far more consistent, and a balance of benefit vs. risk is easily obtained.
1. What are omega-3 fatty acids, and why should I make sure to include them in my diet?
Omega-3 fatty acids (also known as n-3 fatty acids) are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential nutrients for health. We need omega-3 fatty acids for numerous normal body functions, such as controlling blood clotting and building cell membranes in the brain, and since our bodies cannot make omega-3 fats, we must get them through food. Omega-3 fatty acids are also associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and possibly stroke. In addition to these established benefits for cardiovascular disease, omega-3 fatty acids in high doses (e.g 6 to 10 capsules per day) are used to treat depression. New studies are identifying potential benefits for a wide range of conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
2. What foods are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids? How much do I need to eat of these foods to get enough omega-3s?
There are two major types of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets: One type is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in some vegetable oils, such as soybean, rapeseed (canola), and flaxseed, and in walnuts. ALA is also found in some green vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, and salad greens. The other type, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is found in fatty fish. The body partially converts ALA to EPA and DHA.
We do not know whether vegetable or fish omega-3 fatty acids are equally beneficial, although both seem to be beneficial. Unfortunately, most Americans do not get enough of either type. For good health, you should aim to get at least one rich source of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet every day. This could be through a serving of fatty fish (such as salmon), a tablespoon of canola or soybean oil in salad dressing or in cooking, or a handful of walnuts or ground flaxseed mixed into your morning oatmeal.
3. What are omega-6 fatty acids? Should I be concerned about the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids in my diet?
Omega-6 fatty acids (also known as n-6 fatty acids) are also polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential nutrients, meaning that our bodies cannot make them and we must obtain them from food. They are abundant in the Western diet; common sources include safflower, corn, cottonseed, and soybean oils.
Omega-6 fatty acids lower LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and reduce inflammation, and they are protective against heart disease. So both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are healthy. While there is a theory that omega-3 fatty acids are better for our health than omega-6 fatty acids, this is not supported by the latest evidence. Thus the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is basically the "good divided by the good," so it is of no value in evaluating diet quality or predicting disease.
4. Is it better to get omega-3 fatty acids from food or from supplements?
Certainly foods, since the plants and fish that contain omega-3 fats have other good nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals. People who do not eat fish or other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids should consider taking an omega-3 supplement of 500 mg per day; fish oil is used in supplements, but there are also vegetarian supplements that have ALA. Studies suggest that people who have already had a heart attack may benefit from higher doses of omega-3 supplements (basically, double the 500 mg), so if you do have heart disease, consult your healthcare provider about whether taking a higher dose of omega 3s makes sense for you.
5. I am a vegetarian, so I do not consume any fish. But I get plenty of ALA in my diet, from canola and soybean oil, ground flax seed, and walnuts. How efficiently does the body convert ALA to DHA and EPA? Should I take an algal DHA supplement?
If you are getting adequate ALA in your diet from oils and nuts, I am not sure you really need to take an algal DHA supplement. As I mentioned above, the body partially converts ALA to EPA and DHA; it is not known if ALA has substantial health benefits as is, or whether it must be converted to EPA and DHA to produce most of the benefits. My current interpretation of the science is that ALA has direct health benefits, through its role in reducing inflammation and protecting the heart against arrhythmias, and it also has indirect health benefits, through its conversion to EPA and DHA.
6. Can omega-3 fatty acids be destroyed by high-heat cooking?
Not if the oil is fresh. In fact, even in frying oil that is used for days, you still can find ALA in it.
Reference http://www.hsph.harvard.edu By Dr. Frank Sacks
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