Category Archives for "Nutritional Tools"

meal delivery

Why You Shouldn’t Join a Meal Delivery Service

You can’t underestimate the value of convenience – especially when it comes to weight loss or healthy eating.

That’s why meal delivery services – the ones that deliver ready-to-eat meals straight to your door – are so great. Heat them up or just pull them out of your fridge, and you’re ready to go. Minimal time and effort required.Unfortunately, though, that no-effort approach means that you don’t actually learn how to add  or keep off the weight long term. “It’s robotic. You think, ‘as long as I eat what they send me, I’ll eat healthy. I’ll lose weight,'” explains registered dietitian Wesley Delbridge, spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “But at some point, you are going to have to cook.”

For instance, research from Johns Hopkins University shows that people who regularly cook eat healthier foods and consume fewer daily calories even if they aren’t trying to lose weight. What’s more, they eat healthier when they dine out at restaurants . Impressive, right? But in a time when all of us are strapped for, well, time, why is cooking your own meals so important? Because, apart from making healthy eating sustainable (let’s face it, those meal delivery services are pricey), cooking teaches you what healthy food choices look like and how to be in charge of your own nutrition, says registered dietitian Laura Cipullo, owner of Laura Cipullo Whole Nutrition Services in New York City.

Plus, 2016 research published in Health Psychology shows that we simply enjoy foods more if we’ve prepared them ourselves. In the study, researchers at the University of Cologne in Zurich found that when people cooked their own healthy shakes, they rated them as tastier than the same ones prepared by others. According the study authors, that may be partly because the harder we work, the more we enjoy the fruits of our labor.What’s more, cooking increases your meal’s health salience – or how obviously healthy it is to you – which is an important part of meal satisfaction when you’re trying to eat healthy, according to researchers. Basically, if your recipe lists a bunch of healthy ingredients, you’re going to be happy – and happy with your work in the kitchen. The result: Your meals taste even better to you than they would otherwise. And healthy eating becomes much more doable in the long term.

Is There a Meal Delivery Service for That?

Luckily, yes. As research increasingly backs up that whole “you can give a man a fish or teach him to fish” theory and how it plays out in the kitchen, more and more companies are offering up ingredient-delivery (versus meal-delivery) services.For instance, companies like FreshRealm, Hello Fresh , Blue Apple and Plated allow aspiring home chefs to pick out the healthy meals they want to cook, and then they ship prepped ingredients along with full recipes to their doors. Purple Carrot specializes in super-creative vegan recipes, and PeachDish is all about southern favorites made healthier. Location-specific ingredient-delivery services focus on locally sourced foods.

Obviously, there are plenty of ingredient-delivery options out there. And just like traditional meal-delivery services, while they aren’t the solution to everyday eating for the rest of your life, they stand out in their ability to help teach you how to eat – and cook – from here on out, Cipullo says. After all, with these services, you are the one choosing your meals, sautéing, baking and grilling them as well as portioning them out for y. (No more eating your own “special” meal while your spouse and child eat something else.)It’s also important to remember that these companies pack their deliveries full of fruits, vegetables and spices that you might never pick up from the supermarket when left to your own devices, Delbridge says. Star fruit? Swiss chard? Curry? You’re going to learn how to use all of them! Over time, you build up a nice stash of go-to recipes, develop cooking skills and confidence in the kitchen, and learn how to tailor recipes to fit your needs or simply create new dishes on the fly.Because for any healthy eating strategy to stick, it needs to end with you cooking the healthy meals you love.

READMORE…health.usnews.com.

 

meal delivery

Why You Shouldn't Join a Meal Delivery Service

You can’t underestimate the value of convenience – especially when it comes to weight loss or healthy eating.

That’s why meal delivery services – the ones that deliver ready-to-eat meals straight to your door – are so great. Heat them up or just pull them out of your fridge, and you’re ready to go. Minimal time and effort required.Unfortunately, though, that no-effort approach means that you don’t actually learn how to add  or keep off the weight long term. “It’s robotic. You think, ‘as long as I eat what they send me, I’ll eat healthy. I’ll lose weight,'” explains registered dietitian Wesley Delbridge, spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “But at some point, you are going to have to cook.”

For instance, research from Johns Hopkins University shows that people who regularly cook eat healthier foods and consume fewer daily calories even if they aren’t trying to lose weight. What’s more, they eat healthier when they dine out at restaurants . Impressive, right? But in a time when all of us are strapped for, well, time, why is cooking your own meals so important? Because, apart from making healthy eating sustainable (let’s face it, those meal delivery services are pricey), cooking teaches you what healthy food choices look like and how to be in charge of your own nutrition, says registered dietitian Laura Cipullo, owner of Laura Cipullo Whole Nutrition Services in New York City.

Plus, 2016 research published in Health Psychology shows that we simply enjoy foods more if we’ve prepared them ourselves. In the study, researchers at the University of Cologne in Zurich found that when people cooked their own healthy shakes, they rated them as tastier than the same ones prepared by others. According the study authors, that may be partly because the harder we work, the more we enjoy the fruits of our labor.What’s more, cooking increases your meal’s health salience – or how obviously healthy it is to you – which is an important part of meal satisfaction when you’re trying to eat healthy, according to researchers. Basically, if your recipe lists a bunch of healthy ingredients, you’re going to be happy – and happy with your work in the kitchen. The result: Your meals taste even better to you than they would otherwise. And healthy eating becomes much more doable in the long term.

Is There a Meal Delivery Service for That?

Luckily, yes. As research increasingly backs up that whole “you can give a man a fish or teach him to fish” theory and how it plays out in the kitchen, more and more companies are offering up ingredient-delivery (versus meal-delivery) services.For instance, companies like FreshRealm, Hello Fresh , Blue Apple and Plated allow aspiring home chefs to pick out the healthy meals they want to cook, and then they ship prepped ingredients along with full recipes to their doors. Purple Carrot specializes in super-creative vegan recipes, and PeachDish is all about southern favorites made healthier. Location-specific ingredient-delivery services focus on locally sourced foods.

Obviously, there are plenty of ingredient-delivery options out there. And just like traditional meal-delivery services, while they aren’t the solution to everyday eating for the rest of your life, they stand out in their ability to help teach you how to eat – and cook – from here on out, Cipullo says. After all, with these services, you are the one choosing your meals, sautéing, baking and grilling them as well as portioning them out for y. (No more eating your own “special” meal while your spouse and child eat something else.)It’s also important to remember that these companies pack their deliveries full of fruits, vegetables and spices that you might never pick up from the supermarket when left to your own devices, Delbridge says. Star fruit? Swiss chard? Curry? You’re going to learn how to use all of them! Over time, you build up a nice stash of go-to recipes, develop cooking skills and confidence in the kitchen, and learn how to tailor recipes to fit your needs or simply create new dishes on the fly.Because for any healthy eating strategy to stick, it needs to end with you cooking the healthy meals you love.

READMORE…health.usnews.com.

 

OneonOne e1473192768757

How to Eat and Drink Like an Olympian

Many American households, have got their  TV  tuned to one thing since August 5: the Olympic Games in Rio. It’s always fun to watch the athletes really going for it and there has been plenty to keep us tuned in, like the colorful rivalry between American swimmer Michael Phelps and his South African foe, Chad le Clos.

Fueling for Fitness

While the athletes always make everything look effortless, so much goes into their training in order to prepare them for competition. Not only does it take hours of exercise to hone their muscles, improve their speed and sharpen their mental focus , they also spend a lot of time fueling up before practice and eating to properly recover so they can train again the next day. Diet is a key part of an athlete’s training program.

The U.S. women’s soccer team was unfortunately knocked out of the competition by Sweden last week. But Julie Johnston, a pro soccer player for the Chicago Red Stars and a defender for the U.S. women’s national team trained hard to get to Rio. I had a chance to speak with Johnston leading up to the games and was impressed with the focus she places on eating healthy. In fact, she looks at it as her secret weapon. “You’re trying to find your edge in the sport and obviously, nutrition is one of them,” she says.

With about four hours of daily training, Johnston likes to fuel up with a big breakfast that consists of eggs  and toast or cereal, then she eats fruit closer to game time. Immediately after a game, her strength and conditioning coach serves the team smoothies with protein powder to help the athletes refuel quickly and get muscle repair underway. Following the smoothie, Johnston eats diced fresh mango to re-energize and get her appetite back before eating a full meal later on. Prior to Rio, she also worked on upping her hydration by adding electrolyte packets to her water bottles. She also focuses on foods with anti-inflammatory properties, such as turmeric.

Energy to Burn

Bob Seebohar is a sports dietitian who works with Olympic-level and recreational athletes of all ages, abilities and sports through eNRG Performance. I picked Seebohar’s brain to get a glimpse into what really goes into an athlete’s body before and after those important training sessions.

According to Seebohar, a typical pre-training meal is about two to three hours before the workout or event and contains a mix of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats to maintain steady blood sugar levels. For example:

  • Granola with yogurt and fruit
  • Oatmeal with fruit, nuts and a scoop of almond butter
  • Toast and eggs
  • Smoothies and purees are ideal, especially closer to an event, as they are digested more quickly than solid food

Hydration – It’s Not Just About the Water

While carbs are necessary fuel for energy and protein is paramount for muscle growth and repair, the role of hydration  is something that can’t be underestimated. In fact, when some professional athletes are in training camp, they have to submit a daily urine sample to monitor their hydration status.

Loss of electrolytes in sweat can lead to cramping during events. Dehydration can also impede recovery and make athletes feel more sluggish and sore after training or competition. Sodium is the major electrolyte lost in sweat. Others include potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Electrolytes are charged particles that bind to water in our cells, which helps our bodies retain water. They also help move water into the blood and cells through osmosis. While we usually hate the thought of retaining water, it’s important to do so after intense exercise to help with rehydration. If athletes only replace the water they’ve lost, but not the sodium, the water will simply pass through their body without being absorbed. Athletes can add electrolyte packets to their water bottles, but generally you can replace the sodium you lose in your workouts simply through the meal you eat following exercise. Products like Clif Hydration Electrolyte mix can also be helpful, especially in the crazy hot and humid weather we’ve experienced this summer.

Recovery

Refueling, ideally within a 30-minute window post exercise, is incredibly important for athletes, especially when they have back-to-back events. Carbohydrates are needed to replenish glycogen stores and protein is necessary to help repair the small muscle tears that happen during exercise. Antioxidant-rich foods are helpful to combat the oxidative stress that occurs from intense activity.

While you don’t need to pay as much attention to each pre-workout snack as U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, it’s smart to think about your fuel and hydration to maximize your performance during workouts. And it’s not as complicated as you might think. As Seebohar says, “Many recreational athletes think that Olympians follow different nutritional plans. At the end of the day, they are usually just better at planning, preparing and implementing their food plan to align [with their training schedule].” After all, even mere humans like us like to go a little bit faster and feel just a smidge stronger, too.

 READ MORE Health.usnews.com

When Food Replaces Feelings

Let’s face it: For most of us, food is much more than merely fuel for our bodies. From grandma’s apple pie to mac and cheese we enjoyed as a child to chocolate  mousse shared with a significant other, food can evoke memories and emotions, particularly feelings of comfort or love.

But there’s a big difference between nurturing yourself from time to time with comfort food and using food to insulate you from your feelings and emotions, which can undermine attempts to shed pounds and maintain a healthy body. When eating becomes a method of self-medicating – or numbing yourself to feelings – emotional eating  crosses over into the realm of concern. Emotional eating is reaching for food to quell feelings, rather than hunger. Over the years, I’ve learned that understanding and addressing the emotional aspects of over eating and weight management are just as important as nutrition and exercise.

While the eating plan I share with my clients is simple, following it can be a challenge if you’ve fallen out of touch with your body’s hunger cues and developed bad habits or an unhealthy routine. Emotional eating doesn’t help either.

Stress, anxiety , loneliness  and fatigue are common triggers for emotional eaters, particularly women. If one of your happiest moments growing up with your six siblings was sitting at the kitchen table eating mom’s spaghetti with tomato sauce, you may crave pasta when you’re feeling lonely or blue.

But differentiating physical hunger and emotional hunger can be difficult, especially if you’ve spent your life stuffing your emotions by reaching for food. So here are some key differences to keep in mind that will help in recognizing emotional eating:

  • Emotional hunger comes on suddenly. Physical hunger typically comes on gradually, and you may have physical signs like your stomach growling.
  • Emotional hunger craves specific – and in most cases, unhealthful – foods. When you’re physically hungry, almost anything will do, including healthful foods.
  • Emotional hunger results in mindless eating. Did you just down a pint of ice cream before bed without realizing or enjoying it? Polished off a sleeve of cookies in front of the television after work? Inhaled a drive-thru burger while crawling home in rush-hour traffic? These are most likely examples of emotional eating.
  • Emotional hunger is never satiated. You want more and more until you’re stuffed – or find yourself in a “carb coma,” slumping after eating too much.
  • Emotional hunger has repercussions. These include guilt, shame and regret, to name a few. Physical hunger never leaves you feeling badly about yourself.

While most of us at one time or another during our lives have eaten food for reasons other than being hungry, some grapple with emotional eating much more than others. If you feel that you might be an emotional eater, you’re not alone. Experts say as much as 75 percent of overeating may be in response to emotions, rather than to satiate physical hunger.

Many people, particularly those who’ve struggled on and off with dieting most of their lives, have disconnected from their bodies, learning to ignore signs of hunger and the cues that signal fullness. Without mindfullness  – awareness of what you’re feeling both physically and emotionally – emotional eating can become a knee-jerk reaction to the onset of uncomfortable feelings.

Get In Touch With Your Feelings

The first step in establishing a healthy relationship with food is to reconnect with your body and emotions. Understand, though, that it takes at least a month to create a new habit. And if emotional eating has been a longstanding habit, you won’t be able to change it overnight. Be kind and patient with yourself.

Start to notice how you feel when you reach for food. Are you using food to cope, going to the fridge when you’re angry or upset? Acknowledge your feelings and take a detour. Ask yourself: What’s going on? What is this emotion I’m feeling? Then find a different way of dealing with it.

One thing you can do if you are feeling bad – but can’t identify the exact emotion – is to merely be aware of the fact that you’re feeling bad. Say aloud, “I’m feeling really bad right now,” and try to quantify how bad you’re feeling on a scale of 1 to 10.

Also, determine your “feeling bad” thresholds. For example, if your “bad” rates a 5 or higher, you may need to call a friend. A lower level may warrant you working it out on your own by going for a walk walk  or meditating . Do something that will make you feel better, not worse.

Affirm Your Values

Researchers believe that reflecting on values can serve as a buffer to the stress and uncertainty that lead to emotional eating and help in maintaining self-control in difficult situations. One study found that when women who were unhappy with their weight completed a one-time, 15-minute writing exercise about an important personal issue, they went on to lose 3-plus pounds, on average, over approximately three months. By comparison, those who wrote about an unimportant topic gained an average of 3 pounds.

So pull out your food journal , set the timer and write freely about what’s important to you. Write as though no one else will read it. Come clean about what’s bugging you. Your words may surprise but enlighten you.

Follow these steps to take note of what you’re feeling and deal with emotional eating:

1. If you have the urge to eat, pay attention to your feelings.
2. Before you reach for food ask yourself: Have I missed a meal? Have I eaten my snack? Am I really hungry?
3. If you have eaten on schedule, and you determine this urge could be emotional eating, acknowledge that you may have gotten into a habit of trying to fix your troubles with food. Don’t panic. You’re not alone.
4. Try, for just 10 minutes, to deal with your urge with something other than food. Consider these alternatives instead:

  • Go for a walk.
  • Breathe deeply.
  • Pray or meditate.
  • Call a friend.
  • Measure your hunger cues
  • Write in your journal.
  • Do something to feel good about yourself. For example, take a bath, do your nails or make that household repair you’ve been putting off. Shoot some hoops or get a haircut.

Our emotional states can change minute by minute or hour to hour. If you still have a craving or urge after 10 or 15 minutes, go through the process again. Many times the urge or craving will pass. If you are still really hungry, eat something healthful that you will feel good – not guilty – about.

You can be diligent with your food intake and journaling , and perform like an athlete , at the gym. But if you do not acknowledge, assess and deal with any underlying emotional issues that contribute to overeating, any weight you lose will come back. I guarantee it.

 

ReadMORE…. Health.USnews

custom 03582d8d41cc993b6dc5acca9d672a8f5159103c s800 c851

75 Percent of Americans Say They Eat Healthy — Despite Evidence To The Contrary

We’re living at a time when more than 80 percent of Americans fail to eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. At the same time, many Americans overeat refined grains and sugar.This may help explain why the obesity rate seems stuck. The most recent estimate is that 36 percent of adults in the U.S. are obese.But, as a nation, we seem to have our blinders on. Despite much evidence to the contrary, most Americans say they have a healthy diet.This comes from a poll NPR conducted with Truven Health Analytics, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,000 U.S. adults in May.One question they asked: How healthy would you consider your eating habits to be? About 75 percent of respondents ranked their diets as good, very good or excellent.Hmm. Are Americans confused about what constitutes a healthy diet? Do they say one thing, but do another? Or perhaps it’s a matter of portion size: We may be choosing foods that are healthy in moderation, but are eating too much of them.

We asked a range of experts who study eating habits.Nutrition scholar Marion Nestle at New York University says portion size — just eating too much — is an issue. “I’d vote for that as a major cause of obesity,” Nestle told us by email.”Some of the problem is that individuals pay more attention to getting good things in their diet than they do to limiting overall intake,” adds David Just, a behavioral economist who studies food psychology at Cornell University. “It is hard to monitor overall consumption. It is easy to remember to add a fruit or vegetable to the plate.”

As a culture, we seem to have food on the brain more. “We eat two more large snacks a day [compared to] 25 years ago,” says Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina. His research points to the trend of kids eating every few hours throughout the day.”Most people try to do the best they can, given their circumstances,” Nestle adds, but there are lots of factors that shape our eating habits: “Education is an issue, but so is relentless food marketing.”

As we’ve reported, the industry spends billions of dollars marketing junk food and sugary drinks. And celebrity endorsements have also been shown to play a role in influencing our habits.”The industry has people thinking that many of their items are healthy,” Popkin says, pointing to sugar-filled granola bars as an example.And that marketing has proved quite effective, creating a disconnect between what nutrition experts and the public perceive to be healthful foods.As a recent poll by The New York Times found, 71 percent of the public thinks granola bars are healthy, while only 28 percent of the hundreds of nutritionists surveyed agreed with that assessment.

 

READMORE  At NPR.ORG

OverweightDangerous

The Ultimate Guide On How To Lose Weight

Losing weight is not easy, and whoever tells you differently is lying. It takes commitment, hard work, and, for many, a complete lifestyle makeover. But armed with these 56 techniques, losing weight suddenly becomes easier.If you’re looking for quick fixes or a lose-10-pounds-in-10-days kind of promise, then you’ve come to the wrong place. But if you want an insider’s guide on how to lose weight and keep it off for good, keep reading. From basic weight-loss fundamentals to weird tricks proven to melt away that muffin top, you’re only 10 pounds away from your new self.

 

Set New Goals

Even if the first 10 pounds are already off, it’s important to redesign fitness goals as you progress. As you do this, remember to always celebrate healthy accomplishments like hitting a new running milestone. The simple act of acknowledgement does wonders for motivation.

 

Don’t Be Distracted

It seems like everyone is attached to cell phones these days. Even if you’re using one to stream a workout playlist, stop texting or chatting with a friend when you’re at the gym. Giving full attention to a workout keeps you focused and allows you to maximize results. The payoff is the weight-loss results you are bound to see.

 

Make Life About Fun

Since stress is shown to cause weight gain by triggering the body to eat more — especially foods high in sugar and fat — make sure you give yourself time to relax and unwind. And it’s an added bonus that so many fun activities (like dancing, hiking, and shopping) are already natural calorie-burners!

 

Healthy Foods Don’t Mean All-You-Can-Eat

Avocados, peanut butter, sweet potatoes, brown rice — these foods are all nutritious, but that doesn’t mean they’re void of calories. You still need to be aware of serving sizes, even for foods that are good for you. Here’s a handy guide for portion sizes of calorie-dense healthy foods.

 

Go Ahead — Skip Your Workout

While this isn’t completely true, you can shorten the amount of time you spend working out by maximizing your efforts. Short, intense cardio workouts are just as effective as longer ones, which lets you reap the calorie-burning rewards. Start with one of these 10-minute workout videos that will work your entire body!

 

 

Get Sweet on Potatoes

Aside from providing ample amounts of vitamin A, sweet potatoes are a weight-loss wunderkind: they help increase levels of adiponectin, the blood-sugar-regulating hormone, in the body and have a relatively low glycemic index rating, which can help prevent blood-sugar spikes after you eat. This, coupled with their already sweet and fibrous nature, can help keep hunger and sugar cravings away.

 

Head to Boot Camp

If you’re trying to lose a couple of pounds, stepping up your current workout routine may be all that it takes. And since time is of the essence, nothing gets results like sweat-inducing total-body HIIT workouts. Check out our list of HIIT workouts that’ll be sure to blast calories fast

Get Cooking

Dining out occasionally is a nice way to spend an evening, but avoid making it a habit. The secret ingredient at many restaurants is butter and excessive oil — in other words, fat. Studies have repeatedly shown a relationship between number of meals eaten out and greater weight gain. Cooking your own meals helps you control ingredients and also helps manage portion sizes. At a loss for what to do in the kitchen? Here are some healthy recipes to help get you started.

 

Stop Skipping Evening Workouts

At the end of a hard day, it’s easy to make an excuse and not head to the gym or take that run. Keep yourself committed and know that skipping an evening workout is not an option. And honestly, who couldn’t use an extra boost of endorphins after a tough meeting? If it’s too dark to head outside to exercise, these at-home workouts will do the trick.

 

Eat Foods That Fight Fat

Since every calorie counts, make sure to eat foods that fight fat, like almonds and oatmeal, as well as soybeans and sweet potatoes. Don’t fear the MUFAs either; monounsaturated fatty acids fight belly fat, so make sure to add avocado and nuts like almonds to your daily diet.

Mix Things Up

It’s important to keep things fresh by mixing up your exercise routine. The variety will stop your body from hitting a plateau, and you’ll be less likely to get burnt out.

 

 

 

 

Once the Weight Is Gone, You Can’t Go Back to Your Old Ways

You used to devour a big bag of potato chips with your lunch, but when you decided to lose weight, you replaced it with a side salad. Now that the weight is off, don’t go back to your chips habit. Losing weight is a lifestyle change, not something you do until you reach your goal. Once you go back to old eating habits, the weight will quickly creep back on. Give yourself room for indulgences, but make sure it’s all in moderation.

 

Intense Cardio Is Key

To spike up the body’s metabolism, do intense 45-minute cardio sessions a few times a week. A study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal showed that an intense cardio session can slash an additional 190 calories post-workout. While research is still not solid on what produces this increase in calories burned, most data leans toward the afterburn effect, in which a period of intense activity causes the body’s metabolism to spike and burn off more fat than usual.

Some intense cardio workouts to try: running, indoor cycling, or interval training (like this pyramid treadmill workout).

 

Exercise in the Morning

Finding time to exercise no matter what time of day is important, but if you need that little extra push when it comes to burning calories, then try exercising in the morning. Studies have found that people who exercise in the morning workout harder than those who exercise at other times in the day.

Get Stoned

With your fruit, that is! Stone fruits like nectarines, plums, peaches, and cherries contain natural substances that ward off obesity. Pretty cool, right? Added bonus: they also protect against diabetes and act as an anti-inflammatory. Dietician Cynthia Sass recommends eating the fruit on its own in a raw, natural state.

 

Drink Water

Aside from keeping you hydrated, regular water consumption, recent studies show, can aid with weight loss. Filling up on water before a meal helps encourage portion control, and simply eating foods that contain a lot of water (like fruits and veggies) will fill you up faster, causing you to eat less. A small study found that drinking cool water can speed up metabolism and discourage cravings for sugary drinks like soda and juice. Now that’s a reason to stay hydrated!

 

 

 

Keep Up the Bedroom Action

A lot of couples’ sex lives can slow down a bit, especially if they’ve been together for a while. So here’s a little reminder to make time for intimacy. Not only will it keep you emotionally connected, but also, there are many health benefits to getting busy, like a decrease in stress, which help benefit weight-loss goals.

 

Always Eat Breakfast

Skipping breakfast is a huge mistake if you want to lose weight. Enjoying a hearty and nutritious meal in the morning can actually jump-start your metabolism and encourage pounds to drop. Choose a breakfast that’s high in protein to give you energy and full of fiber to keep you satisfied for hours. Here are some healthful breakfast swaps that ensure your meals are always on point.

Push Your Body

If you don’t feel like trying something new in your exercise regimen, there are still ways to step up your current routine. Adding an extra few minutes to a workout, sprinting at the end of a run, or choosing heavier weights may make all the difference.

 

Monitor Your Progress

With all your hard work eating right and exercising, find an accurate way to keep track of your progress. Hopping on a scale, although not everyone’s favorite thing to do, is one way to monitor how much weight you’ve lost. But if weighing yourself gives you anxiety, then monitor your progress by looking in the mirror or seeing how your clothes fit.

 

Eat 8 Grams of Fiber in the Morning

One key to losing weight is eating foods that keep you full, avoiding later hunger pains that tempt you to eat high-calorie foods. For the first meal of the day, eat at least eight grams of fiber. Try these 10 high-fiber cereals or breakfast meals that contain at least 10 grams.

 

Blue Plate (Not So) Special

The color blue may be beautiful for the eyes, but not when it comes to food. This cool hue is considered a natural appetite suppressant. You don’t need to don a pair of blue-lens shades before you eat; just use blue plates.

 

 

 

Keep a Food Journal

Keeping a tally of all the calories you consume in a day is an effective way to help you stay on track. Studies show that dieters who keep food journals lose more weight. Track your caloric intake on your iPhone with one of these apps, or use a journal if you prefer pen and paper. Not only will a food journal keep you on top of your calorie intake, but it will also keep you accountable for the kinds of food you are eating.

Limit Your Calorie Intake

Losing weight boils down to simple math. To lose one pound weekly, burn or cut out 3,500 calories in the course of seven days. That breaks down to 500 calories per day. It’s difficult to cut out that many by dieting alone, especially for someone who loves to eat. The most effective approach is this combo: each day, cut out 250 calories from your diet and burn 250 through exercise. Choose to either cut out one 250-calorie item such as a serving of ice cream, or omit a few small things that add up to 250 calories a day. It’s also important not to exceed your recommended daily calorie intake. Check out this calorie calculator to figure out how many calories to consume each day, based on your current weight and your weight-loss goal. Don’t dip below 1,200 calories to prevent going into starvation mode, which makes your body hold onto the weight.

 

Eat Your Veggies

Eating five to seven servings of fruits and veggies a day is important for everyone, but dieters who go heavy on the produce are more likely to lose and keep the weight off. Fruits and veggies are low-calorie and often loaded with filling fiber. Why not make one of these 51 vegetable-focused recipes for your next meal?

Play the Calorie Game Correctly

Losing weight is about simple math; don’t get in the mindset that a workout gives you a free pass to splurge. If this happens, then you’ll end up taking in more calories than you burn, which will result in weight gain instead of weight loss.

 

Get Some Sleep

Life gets hectic, but make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Besides strengthening your immune system, proper rest also ensures healthy eating habits. On a daily basis, sleepy people eat more, and since the body functions poorly when sleep-deprived, it ends up storing more fat, i.e. inadequate sleep can lead to an extra three pounds a year! Besides, think about all the workouts you skip when you’re too tired to get to the gym.

 

Get Up and Out — No Matter How Short

Even when you’re swamped, stay active with a 10-minute break to rev up your body. Get outside for a walk at lunchtime as a proactive way to promote weight loss, and get sunshine as an added bonus.

Helpful Eats

Chickpeas and grapefruit may be a dieter’s best friends. Chickpeas have been found to help dieters break bad snacking habits, and eating half a grapefruit before every meal has been shown to help dieters drop more pounds than forgoing the citrus fruit.

Visualize Indulgent Treats

Contrary to the “don’t think about it” theory of controlling food cravings, visualizing a sweet treat can be a good thing. Study participants who bit into indulgent food after imagining eating it actually consumed less.

Watch Your Drink Calories

Between those refreshing margaritas and a hankering for a midday mimosa, a day off can be all the convincing you need to spend it imbibing. But making sure you watch your drink calories is important if you want to lose weight. Stick to one of these low-calorie cocktails, or skip the cocktails altogether and choose flavored water or some of these refreshing, hydrating snacks.

Have Dessert For Breakfast

If you’re going to have a treat, then you may want to make it a breakfast muffin. A study of overweight people who lost weight on a diet found that those who ate a large breakfast that included a sweet treat kept off more weight than those who ate a smaller breakfast with no treat. The sugary treat they ate at breakfast helped curb sweet cravings later in the day. Just make sure to balance the treat off with lean protein and complex carbs.

Muscle Power

Building muscle through strength training helps give your metabolism an upward bump. While how much is unclear, one thing is known: muscle burns calories at a higher rate than fat. (Depending on which study you read, a pound of muscle burns anywhere from 15 to 50 calories per day. Compare this to fat, which averages about two calories per day.) Even if you consider yourself an active gal, make sure to incorporate strength training into your fitness routine. Otherwise you run the risk of losing muscle mass. Here are some beginner strength-training moves to get started with.

 

Go For Protein, Not Sugar

While pancakes and danishes are appealing for brunch, sweets aren’t something to devour regularly at breakfast. High-protein choices, like eggs, yogurt, and whole grains, are lower in calories, provide long-lasting energy, and help to curb midmorning cravings for sugary pick-me-ups.

 

 

 

 

Pack a Lunch

Taking the time to pack a healthful lunch is one of the best ways to stay committed to a healthy meal plan. Most of the time when you do takeout, the calorie count is a mystery, since many foods aren’t labeled. Being able to account for all the ingredients in your food will help you stay committed to your weight-loss goals and not be surprised by what you’re actually eating!

 

Eat More

It may seem counterintuitive, but eating more and more often can help you lose weight. Frequent meals — about five or six in a day — can boost your metabolism, and eating larger volumes of healthy foods that are full of lean protein, fiber, and other nutrients — rather than foods high in refined carbs and processed ingredients — helps give you energy and keep you full without all the calories.

Join a Fitness or Weight-Loss Community

Whether it’s a national program like Weight Watchers or an online website like My Fitness Pal, being part of a weight-loss community is a great way to find support on this sometimes difficult journey. Aside from utilizing the program’s tools, many sites allow you to leave comments and messages on other members’ profiles.

 

Eat Breakfast Within One Hour of Waking

Eating breakfast is essential for weight loss, but what time breakfast is eaten is also important. Make sure to to eat breakfast within an hour of waking. An early breakfast helps maintain circadian rhythm and boost metabolism.

 

 

Invest in New Gear

In the same way you can’t wait to wear those new shoes you bought, pick up some cute fitness gear. You’ll be surprised how eager you’ll be to throw it on and head to the gym! It doesn’t have to cost a fortune either: splurge on a single item from Lululemon or Zobha, but fill in the blanks with some of our picks for cute but inexpensive gear.

 

Always Pay in Cash

The next time you head to the grocery store, stop at the ATM first. A study showed that individuals buy fewer indulgent foods when paying in cash.

 

 

Spice Things Up

Adding an extra dash of spice at any meal may just help you burn a few more calories for the day. That sprinkling of cinnamon on your morning latte can lower cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar, and that turmeric in your spicy dinner can slow down the growth of fat tissue in your body. Capsaicin, the chemical in peppers that makes them hot, also boosts metabolism.

 

Travel Smart

Just because you’re going on vacation doesn’t mean you have to halt your exercise routine. Travel smart by packing a few workout-related items that don’t take up too much space. Want to know what should make the cut when it comes to your precious suitcase space? Watch our video for our five tried-and-tested fitness travel faves

Don’t Keep Treats in Your Cabinets

Chips and chocolate — these two foods are like kryptonite, especially when readily available in your home, so make sure they never cross your doorway. You can’t eat something that’s not in the cabinets, after all. Host of The Biggest Loser Alison Sweeney has a tortilla chip problem, and she keeps herself healthy by never stocking this snack at home. The more healthful food you keep in the home, the more likely you are to snack smarter.

Keep It Fresh

Maybe you don’t eat a ton of junk food, but there are still some seemingly healthy — but highly processed — foods out there. Get as close to nature as you can and eat a diet filled with all-natural whole foods. Fresh organic produce and pasture-raised lean proteins are a good place to start. Fresh, whole foods will help you maintain energy levels, promote healthy sleeping habits, and provide ample fuel for all your workouts!

 

Stop With the Scale

It may be tempting to step on a scale whenever you see one, but if it’s making you feel bad, then give it a break. Keep in mind that the number is not going to change overnight. Allow yourself weekly weigh-ins, but also factor in that what you see isn’t always the most accurate measure of weight-loss efforts. You could be building fat-burning muscle, which could be pushing the number up.

Cut Up Your Food

It may seem juvenile to cut food into tiny pieces, but the strategy works. A study found that cutting up food helps trick the brain into thinking there’s more on the plate, which can translate into eating less while still feeling satisfied.

 

 

Live an Overall Active Life

Physical activity, be it training for a half marathon or hitting the gym, is important for losing weight, but don’t skip moving about in your everyday life. Take the stairs, walk your dog, vacuum vigorously, bike to dinner, and garden. All these things will help burn calories and keep you in an active frame of mind.

Drink Green Tea

Water’s not the only metabolism booster in town. Studies have shown that drinking green tea can give your metabolism a tiny increase — which can add up to extra calories burned in a week! Not only that, but the beverage has got some major antioxidant power, so drink up.

 

Enjoy the Food You Eat

One of the worst things you can do when you’re trying to lose weight is to not give your body enough food. Instead of depriving yourself, make sure to give yourself small indulgences or a cheat day — especially since occasional high-calorie foods won’t wreck a healthy diet. In fact, they can do quite the opposite: having a healthy relationship with food may help you from going overboard later.

 

Snack Right at the Office

Sugary or sodium-laden snacks seem to always be available at the office. Resist temptation by coming prepped to work with healthy snacks that won’t break the calorie bank. In the morning, cut up some fresh fruit or veggies, or make one of these nutty snacks for a dose of protein and omega-3s.

 

Practice Portion Control

Portion control is essential for losing weight and keeping it off. Healthy foods, like nuts and avocado, still pack on the pounds when eaten in excess. Make sure to check the serving size on food labels, and invest in some of these handy products that help keep portions in check. The key is to always strive for balance and moderation on your plate.

 

Stop Eating Junk Food

It may seem obvious, but junk food is an enemy against weight loss. Foods filled with sugar and fat are a fast ticket to weight gain, irritability, and low energy levels. To get all the junk out of your system, consider doing a two-week elimination diet by cutting out gluten, refined sugars, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol. From energy levels to glowing skin, here are five reasons why an elimination diet can work for you.

 

 

Use Your Friends

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be much easier with the support and motivation of like-minded friends. Having a healthy support group can lead to better choices for yourself; you may end up moving more, cooking healthy dinners together, and making other lifestyle choices that can contribute to weight loss.

 

Get Your Downward Dog On

Most people think of yoga as relaxing and calm, but there are a ton of poses that make muscles quiver and get the heart rate up, which can make for a big calorie burn. The next time you’re breathing in basic poses, try these challenging variations.

 

Speed Up Your Metabolism

Burn major calories no matter what you’re doing by increasing your metabolism. Simple things like upping your strength-training routine and eating breakfast can make your body burn more calories. Read on for more tips on how to boost your metabolism.

 

Eat Baskets of Blueberries

Not only are blueberries an antioxidant powerhouse, but also, they’ve been shown to play a role in reducing belly fat — say goodbye to that muffin top! Blueberries are loaded with anthocyanin, which has been shown to alter the activity of genes found in human fat cells, making it more difficult to put on weight. I bet you can’t wait to make one of these healthful blueberry recipes now.

 

Entire article found at POPSUGAR

10 Healthy Food Gadgets That Nutrition Pros Use

If you  love  kitchen tools  that help  slice, dice and prepare healthy foods  in a flash. A popular  food gadget is a milk frother, which is a tiny, battery-operated whisker that enables users  me to froth up  milk. While a cup of java is brewing, pour about 1/4 cup of low-fat milk into another mug, insert the frother and in seconds,  have luscious, frothy milk, which you can  then ladle on the top of your  mug of coffee. The milk floats on top of the java like a soft, fluffy cloud, and with one sip, it adds much-needed calcium and vitamin D to your diet.  In this Health.usnews.com article   writer  Joan Salge Blake gives  us a bundle of new ideas that  we can use while seeking to maintain a healthy diet… READMORE

http prod.static9.net .au media Network Images 160726coachrunner1

The Truth Behind Eating Before Your Workout

 

You’ll hear it from gym bros, from the internet, even from some personal trainers: “if you don’t eat before working out, your body will start breaking down your muscles to fuel you through the session” . It’s enough to make any gym bunny smash food before getting to the weight room, to avoid burning away muscle instead of fat. But sports dietitian Katherine Shone says something a little different, according to Coach.nine .com Writer  Kimberly Gillan…  READMORE