Thursday, March 25, 2010

Melt your fat Away

Thermogenic foods
Thermogenic foods uses your bodies maximum energy to properly digest. An example of most effective thermongenic foods are lean proteins such as chicken, egg whites, turkey, certain fish and extra lean beef I moderation. Additional items like cayenne pepper, mustard, cabbage, broccoli, celery, chili powder and cinnamon also have thermogenic properties. These will all work to increase your metabolic rate and aid in melting away the fat.
Hydrating foods
Persistent moderate dehydration can serve as the root cause of many health conditions related to faulty digestion, extreme fatigue, joint aches and be unable to lose weight. Our bodies are made up of approximately 70 per cent water, making it a critical element in what our system needs to function properly. An effective way to apply pressure on your metabolic rate, effectively lose weight and help rid yourself of fat in the mid section is to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day. You can also take advantage of foods that are full of water to aid this process – eating melons, celery, bok choy or soups with clear broth.
High fiber foods
Your health is contingent on what you are absorbing, digesting and yes, eliminating too. High fiber foods like whole grain bread products, oat bran, ground flaxseed and apples as well as vegetables that contain a great deal of soluble and insoluble fiber that are excellent at aiding in the weight loss process and improving digestion. As a guideline,women should take in at least 25 grams of fiber a day and men’s requirements are about 30 grams or more. Fiber will aid a great deal in giving you a trimmer waistline.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Weight Management and The Restaurant Challenge: 8 Tips

We are a society of busy people who’s lives are overscheduled and quite often everything needs to be happening ‘on the run’. The habit of getting food on the go however is how the pounds can subtly creep up on you. When you hit 40, you’ll have to admit the pounds come on faster and go off slower.
We can sit and look around any given restaurant and see plates piled high with portions large enough to feed an entire family. (yes, again I’m harping about the portion thing!) What did we learn as children? We eat what is put in front of us, no waste. When you take a break from the kitchen a few simple guidelines to keep in mind will help with maintaining a healthy diet.

1/ Grocery shopping and dining out: don’t wait until you are starving. If you are hungry you will tend to overeat or mindlessly nibble on anything and everything.
2/ When they bring you giant portions, don’t take this as a challenge to see if you can finish. Leftovers save you cooking the next day! If heading out with another friend who is also conscious of their food intake we will split a meal and order side salads. These tips help when you’re on a tight budget too.
3/ Deep fried ? - say NO. Baked can be good but baked in what? A cheesy, oily or buttery base makes this a no too.. Broiled, grilled, steamed or poached usually offer healthy options. Chicken with skin removed or fish dishes give you an excellent source of protein as well as a lower fat content..
4/ If you want hollandaise, sour cream or butter on your dish, ask to have them served on the side. You can then add a tablespoon or two when typically it would come from the kitchen with a lot more smeared over it
5/ Eating out, unlike eating at home is typically a social event. Taking your time and talking, visiting, sipping water, coffee ONE glass of wine while you set down your fork can make the meal last longer and help you feel satisfied.
6/ Appetizers and the roll basket are the downfall of many. Try and avoid these because the meal should be plenty! A salad or broth based soup would be a safe started if you can’t make it until the meal comes, but… dressing on the side and low fat please.
7/ White sauces or anything in heavy cream – stop right there! Pasta’s in a tomato base are better than a cream sauce in terms of fat and calories.
8/ Sugary pop or alcohol drinks mixed with a sugary pop or fruit juice aren’t the best choices. Water, water and more water work wonders. It will help you feel full.

Everything is good in moderation. We should not deny ourselves however as we age we have likely learned the consequences of over indulging. Extra weight throughout or mid section puts a strain on our internal organs and creates health risks. Exercise over 40 with a proper diet are the two elements that can give you what you need for all around good health.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Weight Control and the Distorted Views of ‘Portions’

It becomes a real effort to maintain our current weight as we age or to lose a couple of extra pounds that have snuck up on us when we weren’t really paying attention. An important step in this process is to first understand what a ‘Portion’ or individual serving is. What you get in a restaurant would feed a small army, or a professional athlete that’s about 6 foot 5 and weighs in at a muscular 240 pounds. What we think, and what we see offered to us has created a distorted reality on what constitutes a portion.

Understanding what equates to a portion is just as important as the food we eat. Misconceptions will sabotage weight loss efforts in most cases. What we require each day, for a healthy diet for an adult is 5-9 servings of fruit and/or vegetables, 2-4 servings of protein, 2-3 milk or milk alternatives, and 5-7 servings of grains. To round this out, we need fat in our diets, unsaturated fats should constitute part of our intake, 2-4 tablespoons but to consume fats to excess would impact weight loss efforts in a negative way. Since we know ‘what’ the question is how much and the ‘how much’ is just as important as ‘what’. Not understanding this will sabotage efforts to control weight or lose weight.

• A serving of protein is about the size of a standard deck of playing cards or 3 ounces.
• Examples of what makes up a serving of grains, stick with whole wheat products and one half cup of rice or cooked pasta, one slice of bread or half a bagel make up a serving.
• Fruits and vegetables will vary based on the food choice. You will find a large number of the vegetables are one half cup cooked and a medium sized apple, orange and pear make up your perfect portion. If you have something less traditional in mind, check it out to see what makes up a portion before you wrongly assume.
• One cup of skim milk and one cup of whole milk are portions however clearly one will escalate your calorie intake a lot faster.

If ever in doubt, review product labels or use online sources to learn exactly what you are eating. People who have success with weight loss simple achieved understanding of what they realistically needed to eat for their bodies to function. A highly active person with a regular fitness program burns move so they would require them fueled.
Eating the correct foods, in the right portions is necessary to keep up your energy levels, to give you the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy and to maintain or achieve a healthy weight were you feel and look your best!