Losing weight can be challenging and excess hunger is one of the biggest obstacles most of us encounter when we try to slim down. If you’re focused on losing a few pounds before heading out to the beach, check out this article for foods that will help manage appetite without sacrificing flavor.
Celebrate Heart Health Month!
A heart healthy diet can be delicious and simple to follow. The American Heart Association offers a number of free resources on their website (http://www.heart.org) to help you get started.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean dieting. Instead, it’s best to aim for making your diet part of an overall healthier lifestyle. A great way to begin is to become more aware of what you’re eating.
Read Nutrition Labels
Many of us think we know what we’re eating until we actually look at the nutritional information. Pay particular attention to portion size per serving, saturated fat, and sodium. Tread lightly when it comes to foods higher in saturated fat (above 7% of calories) and sodium. Most of us should consume less than 1500 mg of sodium eat day but sadly the typical American diet contains about 3 times that amount and not from excessive salt shaker use but rather from the ready prepared and restaurant foods that many of us rely so heavily upon.
Here’s a few more ideas to get you started:
Get Moving
If you’re currently sedentary and your doctor feels it’s safe for you to do so, slowly begin to incorporate more movement into your daily life. This doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym everyday but with a little regular physical activity, you’ll find it easier to control weight and reduce hunger while decreasing your risk of chronic disease.
Examine Your Plate
Aim to fill half your plate with fruit and vegetables. This will help fill you up on less calories and provide vital nutrients that play a role in blood pressure regulation.
Your Friend Fiber
Choose fiber rich foods including plenty of whole grains, fruits and veggies. Aim for breads and cereals that have a minimum of 3 or more grams of fiber per serving. Oat bran found in certain cereals and abundantly in old-fashioned oatmeal, is a wonderful addition to any breakfast lineup- as this particular fiber is has been found especially helpful to lower LDL (“bad cholesterol”) levels.
Get An Oil Change
The type of oil we consume can have a big impact on our health. Focus on the mono-unsaturated, heart-healthy oils such as olive and canola while aiming to incorporate those wonderful omega-3’s a couple times a week found in fatty fish such as salmon or tuna. You also find omega 3’s in non-animal sources as well such as walnuts and flaxseeds.
A heart healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated. With a bit of planning, you’ll not only reduce your risk of heart disease, but feel so much better knowing you’ve taken a few steps to improve the quality of your life.
November is American Diabetes Month, which is a time when the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and other organizations raise awareness of diabetes and communicate the seriousness of the disease.
What is Type 2 Diabetes?
About 95% of those diagnosed with diabetes are classified as Type 2. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), your body’s main source of fuel. With type 2 diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can be life-threatening.
Prevalence
26 million Americans have diabetes with 2 million new cases diagnosed each year. An overwhelming 79 million Americans have higher than normal blood glucose levels but are not yet classified as diabetic and it’s expected that about 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes in 2050 at the current rate of incidence.
Impact
Diabetes is costly financially as well as to your health and wellbeing. Fiscally, diabetes costs the U.S. alone $174 billion each year. This figure represents a 32% increase since 2007. Let’s put this into prospective, about one out of every 10 healthcare dollars are spent in direct diabetes care. The health impact is just as staggering with a risk for stroke and death from heart disease at 2-4 times higher among people with the disease. Diabetes is also the number one cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations and new cases of blindness among adults.
What You Can Do
You can do a lot to prevent or delay Type 2 Diabetes.
1.) Watch Your Weight
If you are over ideal weight, there are a number of studies that indicate that losing only 5-7% of your current body weight will lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. For instance, if you weigh 200 lbs, a weight loss of only 10-14 lbs will lower your risk significantly.
2.) Controlling your Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly and talk with your doctor about higher than normal readings.
3.) Eat Healthier
Consume plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Minimize the amount of take out and processed meals which typically have much higher levels of fat, calories and sodium and contribute to high cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight gain.
4.) Stay Active
Aim for a minimum of 25-30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. And remember, exercise doesn’t only happen at a gym. Staying active means taking advantage of opportunities to move more in our daily life. Examples may be walking for short errands like mailing a letter or going to the store, gardening, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking the dog, etc.
5.) Quit Smoking
Those who smoke are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. So if you’re thinking about quitting, now is the time.
For more information on diabetes and prevention visit the American Diabetes Association.
About the author:
Gina M. Crome, M.S., M.P.H., R.D., is a Registered Dietitian and ACE Certified Personal Trainer based in Southern California. She is the owner of Lifestyle Management Solutions, a company that provides customized nutrition and fitness programs designed to fit an individual’s lifestyle. Become a fan of Gina on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, and visit her website Lifestyle Management Solutions.
Summer often presents a difficult time of year to maintain a fitness regimen. Much of the difficulty appears to be in maintaining a routine. Between vacations, keeping the kids entertained on break, and other summertime events, fitness often gets pushed to the proverbial back burner. Inevitably, September arrives and we find ourselves a few pounds heavier looking to shed the weight before the holidays. Sound familiar?? Then please read on…
The good news is that physical activity doesn’t necessarily have to be elaborate during busy times nor does it have to be restricted to the home or gym. In 3 simple steps we can avoid the inevitable summer weight gain and seamlessly blend it into our summer activities.
1.) It’s All In The Planning
Often times we plan our activities based on where we are going to eat or what we are going to see. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with this logic, we must also consider one more factor which is how much are we going to move. Staying fit while traveling requires regular activity combined with a bit of creativity. Consider activity as part of your recreational planning. Look for ways that the entire family can get involved such as family day at a local park or an early evening after-dinner hike. If heat is a factor, consider utilizing the services offered in your city through your local parks and recreation departments such as public pools and organized group trips to various places of interest. Vacations at larger hotels and resorts will sometimes offer sightseeing activity packages. They usually refer to these as “adventure” tours. These excursions can present unique opportunities for activities that can compliment a current fitness routine as well as provide enjoyment for everyone in your party.
2.) Send Your Fitness Packing
Packing for your fitness-minded vacation can be a snap. A workout outfit and a sturdy pair of sneakers can provide the basics of your travel gear but don’t stop there. Other must have items to pack would include: a refillable water bottle, sunscreen, healthy snacks such as protein bars, fruit, beef jerky, and 100-calorie snack packs (for times when only gas station stops or vending machine food is available). Most hotels have a fitness center; some are more elaborate than others. It pays to call ahead to find out what they offer and if there are additional fees to utilize the facility. If your hotel doesn’t offer a fitness facility or you choose not to use it, you can get a great workout just by packing a few extra items such as a jump rope, exercise bands/tubing or simple suspension resistance equipment like the I.M. Rings from BodyByJake.
3.) Work With What You Have
You’re in your hotel room and you forgot to bring anything even remotely related to fitness and there’s no hotel gym in sight. What do you do? The answer is- work with what you have. Any fitness professional will tell you that the best fitness routine will contain 3 elements: 1.) Cardiovascular Activity, 2.) Strength Training and 3.) Flexibility. It’s possible to get all three of these critical components on vacation even without a gym or equipment.
Cardiovascular Activity
Perhaps the easiest way to get in cardiovascular activity is through walking. This can be done in tandem with sightseeing through walking tours or as dedicated exercise. Walking the surrounding area of a hotel can offer the weary traveler a chance to stretch their legs, get some fresh air, and take in different scenery. If you don’t want to leave the comforts of your hotel but are looking for a great cardio workout, try the stairs. Moving as quickly as you can through flights of stairs can be intense, so it’s important to pace yourself. If you can’t step away from the free HBO in your room, try jogging in place or simple callisthenic-type exercises like jumping jacks. Both will elevate your heart rate and help you burn off those poolside mai tai’s.
Strength Training
The notion of strength training conjures up images of pumping iron in a gym. The truth is that strength training doesn’t necessarily have to involve dumbbells, barbells, or any sort of gym equipment. Simple things found in your hotel room can easily double as dumbbells such as filled water bottles or other equally weighted small items. Using your own body weight as resistance is often times the easiest way to achieve results in the absence of any equipment. Standard lower body exercises such as lunges and squats can prove very effective for this purpose. Basic upper body exercises such as push-ups either against a wall or the floor as well as dips using a chair or bed are also great ways to work the upper back as well as arms. Abdominal exercises are also super easy to accomplish with the help of a few curl ups as well as alternating leg scissors.
Flexibility
Flexibility is the third critical component in a good fitness program. It’s often overlooked many times because people don’t realize the benefit of flexibility. However, flexibility is important as it decreases the likelihood of injury and enhances the work that we do on the other two components. The easiest way to get this in is through stretching post work out when your muscles are completely warmed up. Stretches for all major muscle groups should be held for 10-15 seconds without any bouncing motions.
By incorporating these 3 exercise elements into your travel plans, a vacation can be a great place to either jumpstart a fitness routine or provide you with a unique opportunity to continue with the good habits you’ve already established. With a bit of creativity and pre-planning, you’ll be successful at avoiding summer weight gain and realize that a fitness routine doesn’t really need a vacation after all.
The end of April marks the close of National Cancer Control month. In 2012, it’s estimated that 848,170 men and 790,740 women will be affected by cancer. Do you know how to lower your risk? Here’s a trivia question to ponder as we move into the summer season.
A healthy diet can potentially lower your risk of developing the following types of cancer:
a.) Colon
b.) Breast
c.) Kidney
d.) All of the above
Answer: If you’ve answered “D” (All of the above) you are correct!!
A healthful diet, low in saturated/trans fats, high in fiber and antioxidants like the ones found in fruits and vegetables is not only a great way to lower your risk of many cancers, but also the perfect strategy to lose weight and improve one’s overall health. As summer approaches, we turn our attention to skin cancer. Decreasing your risk of skin cancer can be as simple as ensuring the proper use of a daily sunscreen and minimizing your UV exposure. For more information about cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.org/
Thanks for playing!
Looking to drop some holiday weight? You’re not alone. This time of year marks the largest amount of people trying to shed those extra pounds that have crept on over the holiday season. One of the easiest and most effective ways to begin is to simply track what you eat. A 2008 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicated that those who maintained a daily food log lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records at all. Keeping a food journal seems to have a big impact on the amount of food consumed as people are much less likely to overeat when they commit to recording their intake.
To assist Americans in their effort to lose weight and make healthier choices, the USDA has developed a completely free online tool that provides a quick way to track your foods and physical activities. The program is called SuperTracker and it complements the already released MyPlate nutritional education program.
Whereas MyPlate was developed to help Americans put together appropriately balanced meals based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the new SuperTracker takes the concept one step further by offering users an opportunity to track their dietary intake and physical activity while providing feedback and analysis via reports to bring you closer to your goals.
Once you begin tracking food intake, you’ll not only see what you’re eating but gain insight as well into the relationship between what you eat, when you eat, and how it relates to your weight loss. Sometimes when we make New Year’s resolutions, we build a process that is so demanding we are doomed to fail. Keeping your weight loss efforts simple by monitoring what you eat and gaining an understanding of the role of food in your life, you will lose the weight not with a short term diet but with an effective lifestyle change.
Most holidays revolve around eating. Let’s face it, food seems to be the “main event” that brings us together. A healthy holiday menu for family and friends can be simple with a bit of planning.
Think Ahead
There are bounties of resources for creating beautiful holiday meals and treats for your guests that are lighter in calories and fat than traditional faire without sacrificing flavor. You can control how many calories you eat by simply thinking ahead about the dishes your family normally enjoys and determining how you can prepare them 1.) Light (less fat), 2.) Bright (more veggies), and 3.) Early in the Night. An early evening meal will give your guests the opportunity to be more active as they digest their food. Of course, planning winter activities can also help deal with this challenging time. Look for ways that the entire family can get involved such as an early evening walk, interactive electronic games, or even a sport of choice in the backyard. If weather is a factor, make use of indoor facilities such as local community centers that often have available sporting venues such as basketball courts, table tennis, etc. Family excursions can present unique opportunities for exercise-based activities and enjoyment for everyone.
Choose Wisely
When faced with the foods we love, it’s often difficult to maintain any sense of control around the holidays. To this I say, “eat what you love and love what you eat…. in moderation that is.” Many times we approach the holidays with anxieties; worried about the foods we know are bad for us. We then tell ourselves that we are going to avoid those foods altogether in order to maintain our weight loss efforts. Unfortunately, self-denial usually leads to an opposite phenomenon, self-indulgence. Avoiding the foods we really enjoy usually causes us to eat more of the foods that we don’t enjoy as much. Therefore, it’s best to approach the holiday season realistically knowing that you’ll be exposed to foods you really love and will likely consume them. The difference is that this season you can plan to eat only the foods you absolutely love while minimizing those you don’t care so much about. In other words, save room for the good stuff (in moderation) so that you won’t feel deprived.
Work With What You Have
While dining with family or friends, we don’t always have control of the foods being served around holiday events. It’s during these times that we must plan to work with what we have. Take an active role in simply minimizing foods a little higher in fat while at the same time focusing on items that will help satisfy you at a smaller caloric price (salads/veggies, broth-based soups, etc.). These foods add volume to a meal so that you can still enjoy the higher fat items in moderation while being full and satisfied.
Let’s plan to reduce our anxiety over holiday food weight gain by choosing the types and amounts wisely, and above all- enjoy the season!
Halloween is here. It’s time to carve the pumpkins, don the costumes, and buy treats for the kiddies. But here’s the thing, if you are trying to manage your weight, do you really want 5 pounds of candy sitting around your house continuing to haunt you long after the trick or treaters have left? Do yourself favor and try a few of these not so tricky Halloween treats.
1.) Microwave Popcorn Mini Bags
2.) Small Toys/Party Favors (Think Spider Rings, Plastic Eyeballs & Vampire Teeth)
3.) Peanut Butter & Cracker Packs
4.) Crayons/Mini Coloring Books
5.) Individually Packaged Rice Cereal Treats
6.) Stickers or Washable Tattoos
7.) Granola Bars
8.) Fun Decorated Pencils and Erasers
9.) Bubbles
10.) Mini Deck of Playing Cards
Warehouse stores and party supply houses are great sources for quantity shopping of small items. If you’ve already bought several pounds of candy and are beginning to regret it, fear not! Here are a few ideas to keep your little goblins happy and your waistline in check.
As we begin moving toward all the parties and food-centered festivities, let’s make this time of year one that we can enjoy and also feel better about ourselves in January.
What member of the rose family is a great tool in the battle of the bulge? If you guessed apples, you’d be right! Believe it or not, apples truly are a member of Rosaceae or the rose family and with the Fall season in “full bloom” it’s no wonder we turn our attention to this versatile fruit Malus domestica, otherwise known as the common apple.
Quick Facts
Besides being in the rose family, here are a few other apple tid bits:
Your Weight Control Partner
Apples are a sweet way to add fiber to your diet and help you feel full. This is important if you are trying to shed a few pounds before the holidays get into full swing. Also, pectin, a form of fiber found in apples has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels in many scientific studies.
There are a number of foods that pair well with apples including sharp cheeses, nuts and nut butters, or even a little dark chocolate. Here’s a simple fall recipe to get you started.
Speedy Baked Apple
This is a super easy recipe using your microwave that quickly delivers a delicious fall treat with 5 grams of fabulous fiber for only 140 calories. Makes the house smell nice too!
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
Directions:
Core the apple and place it in a small covered microwave safe dish. Mix the Splenda© Brown Sugar Blend, nutmeg, cinnamon and cranberries in another bowl. Spoon the mixture into the center of the apple, top with the butter and almond extract; microwave on high for about 3-4 minutes.
So enjoy the bounty that apples have to offer this fall knowing that you are eating both nutritiously as well as deliciously. Isn’t that the way it should be?
It’s that time of year again. The kids are back in school, the holidays are right around the corner and it’s time to recommit to taking care of yourself. The difficult part always begs the question, where do I begin?
One of the first things that I ask my clients seeking weight management is why it’s important for them to manage their weight and what does it mean to them personally. At first glance, this seems like a simple question but actually the answers are very unique for everyone. We each have personal reasons for wanting to make lifestyle changes. Some may be based on health issues, others on physical appearance and confidence. Whatever the reason, it’s important to have a clear picture as to what motivates you and if possible to get those thoughts down on paper.
One place to start would be with creating a simple “Top 10 List” that highlights a few of the most important reasons why you would like to lose weight. This is your personal list and doesn’t need to be shared with anyone so it’s best to be specific and candid. It’s amazing how different we view our thoughts and feelings when they come out of our head and put onto paper. This simple process not only legitimizes our efforts, but also helps us sort through our priorities. You’ll know that you’ve created a meaningful list if upon re-glancing at it in the future, it takes you back to the feelings you had the day you created it.
Another strategy I use to help clients begin their journey is through a simple tool that I created called the Commitment Worksheet. This worksheet acts as a self-contract by outlining your short term goals, exploring potential roadblocks and setting a plan for rewarding your accomplishments.
These items are not just an exercise in listing your thoughts and goals, but tools used to help keep you on track when your motivation begins to wane. Everyone, and I mean everyone, goes through cycles of highs and lows in their motivation. Much of the variance is related to your individual stress level and pressures of daily living. Simple everyday distractions always seem to threaten our best efforts to stay on track. Take control of your life by ensuring your goals are personally meaningful and visibly available; especially when you need a little extra help committing to taking better care of yourself.
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