The Scientific Benefits of Breakfast

People who eat breakfast on a daily basis tend to lose weight easier. The National Weight Control Registry performed a study that showed people who eat breakfast have a better chance of maintaining a 30 pound, or more, weight loss for at least a year. Studies in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed similar results.

Another research group analyzed government data on over 4,000 adults and found those who ate a regular breakfast tended to take in fewer calories during the day and had a lower fat intake. They also noted that regular breakfast eaters were more likely to engage in routine exercise.

Eating breakfast also jump-starts your metabolism, says Elisabetta Politi, RD, MPH, nutrition manager for the Duke Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University Medical School.  She states; “When you don’t eat breakfast, you’re actually fasting for 15 to 20 hours, so you’re not producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight.” In fact, sumo wrestlers don’t eat until late in the day for the sole purpose of gaining weight.  If you don’t eat breakfast, you are actually following the sumo wrestler diet.  Now, that is a scary thought.

Keep Your Metabolism Going All Day

With the right mechanisms in place, your body will naturally burn fat.  But, what are the right mechanisms?  That’s your job;  to find your body’s balance between energy consumed and energy burned.  Metabolism is the name of the game.  When you eat healthy small meals, starting early in the morning, your metabolism is set in full swing, mobilizing and converting fat stores into energy.

When you eat breakfast along with regular snacks and small meals throughout the day, your body gets the nutrition it needs and goes to work, breaking down your food into energy.  If you wait until you’re starving before you eat anything, that gnawing feeling in your stomach is telling you something. Your body will start by robbing your muscle tissue of anything it needs first, like protein, then it will store fat because it thinks it’s in famine mode. By eating early and often, not only are you protecting the muscle that supports your frame and allows you to walk, sit, and stand, but you are also keeping your metabolism going so it works all day to give you energy.

Simple Weight Loss Tips to Get You Started

• Eat slowly. It takes twenty minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you are full.  Don’t eat and run.  You’ll be looking for your next meal way before you need it.
• Pick out foods you need to chew. Try apples, whole grain hearty breads, celery, and other raw vegetables. These foods will slow down your eating and satisfy your chewing instinct. Raw nuts are another option. Just be sure to monitor the serving sizes as you snack.
• Drink 6 to 8 glasses of cold water per day. This helps to feel full and as your body works to raise the temperature of the water, you are burning calories.  Keep bottles of water filled in the refrigerator and sip, sip, sip.
• Eating oranges is much more satisfying than just drinking the juice. Keep this thought when choosing other fruits and vegetables.  Whole is usually better.
• Have a healthy snack before you start cooking dinner. This will help with overeating while preparing the meal, and after.  Munching on celery is the perfect way to keep you satisfied while cooking.

If you need a sweet treat, just remember that frozen yogurt, angel food cake, and sherbet are all low fat.  Low carb diets are low sugar diets, which often forbid fruit.  In this case, one tiny piece of dark chocolate may be an option.  This may leave you satisfied without all the sugar or carbs.  You have to experiment to find the right treat for your sweet tooth that fits your diet.

The less you eat, the more your body protects itself and begins to go into starvation mode, holding on to more food, storing it as fat and robbing your muscles of nutrients. Make sure you eat a good breakfast to start your day right. Then, keep your metabolism working throughout the day with small meals and healthy snacks.

Stop starving yourself so your body can relax and start to lose that weight.  Adding foods instead of subtracting foods?  It’s so crazy it might just work.

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Well I have a solution for you. Buy a belt.

Yes, it is that simple. Buy yourself a good quality belt, and wear it. Keep it tight, so that when you sit down you feel as if you will burst if you don’t loosen it up a bit.

How does “The Belt” work? Simple, because the belt is tight and you feel like you will burst at the seams you will end up eating less. In fact if you start your meal with a couple of glasses of water you will even feel full!

Any belt will do. It can be the latest haut couture belt, or a plain-jane leather belt. If you are the PETA type, forgo leather and use something man made like rope (though rope is a little more difficult to work with). You could even try synthetic materials!

Basically the belt works by tightening your pants (or whatever you are wearing) and compressing your waist but because your stomach then bulges over top of the pants when you sit you don’t feel like eating because you feel as if you’ll explode.

Also when people see you can’t get into the chair, or if you can get it you can’t move because your stomach is pressed against the table so you can’t even reach your food it will embarrass you sufficiently enough to high-tail it right out of wherever you are.

The Belt. It could work, just try it. You’ve probably already spent a fortune on other diet programs, and books – so why not give The Belt a try?

You can get belts at most major clothing retailers, you might even be able to find some awesome belts on Amazon.

PS: The Belt is not only a great weight loss technique, but it could also count as a weight loss equipment.

Technorati Tags: best way to lose weight, how to lose weight quickly, struggling to lose weight

In an article on The Vancouver Sun (click here to read it), researchers have found that the humble, lowly treadmill can actually reverse aging. In mice at least.

Here are some excerpts from that article:

In what could stand as the most powerful evidence yet that exercise prolongs life, a study by McMaster University researchers in Hamilton found that signs of premature aging were halted -and even reversed -in virtually every tissue and organ in the bodies of exercised mice.

The finding, which could be a turning point in anti-aging medicine, suggests the proverbial fountain of youth won’t come from a pill or from an exotic berry from the Amazon, but rather plain old exercise.

Mice genetically altered to age faster were forced to run on treadmills for 45 minutes, three times a week.

Five months later, the mice looked as young, healthy and active as wild-type mice -mice that didn’t have the genetic mutation -while their sedentary and same-aged siblings were balding, greying and shrinking.

Technorati Tags: anti-aging creams, lose weight with a treadmill, treadmills for weight loss, Weight Loss

So I developed a way to put some of these strategies to better use and asked those that I was talking with to try them to see if they made any difference. Of course you want to be able to measure success, but when it comes to weight loss you need to take a lot into account. Cutting down food doesn’t mean you’ve cut down calories, you need to exercise (or do something to burn calories) as well.

Back to indulgence. So I proposed this to the small group I was “coaching”:

Eat your snacks, keeping mind of the label. So if one serving is 1/4 cup – stick to it BUT only indulge if you are having your snack (typically it’s junk food, like chips) if you are also having a healthy meal with it.

That was the only rule.

This meant that if you were watching tv and wanted ice cream, cake cookies, chips or any other junk food you could not. You could have chips if you were having a healthy lunch (I did not define what a healthy lunch is, that’s something each individual had to do for themselves), or a good balanced supper you could add something to indulge yourself. Of course the way to lose weight is to eat less food, eat more often, make healthy choices and exercise – so unless you are doing that this strategy that I am sharing will not help you.

So they tried, and they lost weight – but then, I can’t take credit for that because they are already losing weight and all I did was give them one more strategy to use.

What they did say was this:

“Mohamed, your strategy really helped. I had to make a conscious choice every time I went near the pantry for a snack even if it was for crackers or popcorn. I found that I looked forward to a healthy lunch and dinner because the rules said I could indulge myself during those times.”

…and…

“This trick really helped me out! By the time I am done dinner, because I have forged myself on a soup or salad, I don’t want my side snack or indulgence! Instead I ended up snacking smart, like apples, pears, oranges or other fruits or vegetables. I think that with this strategy I will finally be able to kick my junk food habit for good!”

Will this work for you? I don’t know, but what can you lose (besides weight) if you try?

Technorati Tags: lose weight fast, smart snacking, Weight Loss

The one thing that has helped me maintain my weight loss (just over 100 lbs over the last 7 years) is snacking.  I eat a lot.  All the time.  Morning, afternoon and evening.  But not just anything, I eat nutritious food that keeps my hands and mouth moving.  I have a light breakfast, followed by snacks between breakfast and lunch – usually things like carrots, or some cauliflower or even broccoli.  If I’m not in the mood for veggies, it will be fruit or even snack crackers with cheese, or pickles on the side.  I always try and choose snacks that are not high fat and calorie.  Some items will be so I really need to watch how much of that I eat.  For example, I love cheese and crackers.  When I look for these items at the grocery store I frequently look for low-fat cheese and low-fat/salt crackers.  Salt is bad because you retain water, and it can raise your blood pressure.

I also try and keep to a light lunch because I sit all day.  Lunch might be a turkey salad (processed turkey slices because cooking a whole turkey is out of the question as nobody will eat it at home), or just a plain garden salad or any other type of salad.  One of my favourites is something a friend showed me that has some basic greens, some crumbled goat cheese and a home made dressing of olive oil with vinegar.  Delicious!

There are other things you can toss into a salad, such as cut-up and toasted pita slices.  If you want to spice it up you can add some light butter/margarine and sprinkle spices on top or just have it plain.  If you would rather not have crunchy in the salad, just add pita sliced length-wise.  You get your fresh greens, plus some carbs.

Also look at adding something like smoked salmon to your salad.

With a salad, soup always goes best.  Stick to soups which are “watery” like a vegetable soup as it won’t have a lot of fat in it – but keep in mind that most if not all store bought products will be high in salt; that said some companies like Campbells are moving to low-salt soups.  A friend did teach me that adding potatoes to your soup will lessen the salt – I’ve never tried it, so am not sure how well it works.

Between lunch and the end of the day, I’ll do more snacking.  In the afternoon I’ll avoid any type of carbs only because you’ve got longer to go and if you can’t burn it you’ll get groggy.  I’ll usually stick to fruit and vegetables, or a pudding (again looking for low-fat/calorie options), yoghurt or other snacks along those lines.

Something I had a few weeks ago at a restaurant was smoked salmon on baguette with light butter.  You can skip the butter, and use something like melba toast or another crunchy bread – but this was great!  I’ve never had smoked salmon before, and while I couldn’t have this “all the time” once a week or thereabout gives you some variety.

Other snacks to consider are:

• Nuts – very healthy for you, just don’t go overboard!
• Pretzels
• Popcorn

Some other grab ‘n go snack ideas:

• Fresh fruit or individually packed containers of cut-up fruit.
• Raw vegetables including carrots, peppers, zucchini, cherry or grape tomatoes.
• Baby carrots and whole wheat pita triangles with hummus.
• Pumpernickel bagel with peanut butter and banana.
• Fresh, frozen or canned fruit with low fat yogurt or in a smoothie.
• Sweet red, yellow or green peppers and bread sticks with salad dressing or low fat dip.
• Whole wheat tortilla wrap made with salmon or tuna and salad dressing, onions, celery and green peppers.
• English muffin with melted cheese and apple slices.
• Dry mixed cereal and a container of milk.
• Dark green leafy salad with orange sections and almonds.
• Nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
• Plain popcorn.
• Popsicles made with 100% fruit juice or yogurt (we do this at home – IT’S GREAT even our 7-year old loves it)
• Water, milk, fortified soy beverage or 100% fruit juice.

Snacks should be high in fibre and protein as this will help you feel fuller, for longer.  I enjoy saltines (minus the salt) with some peanut butter on them as well.

Because dinner tends to be heavier than breakfast and lunch, it’s easy to lose control so by snacking throughout the day I’m pretty full by the time I get home so the temptation to binge (ever so delicately) is just not there.

I find that by snacking, having enough water during the day you keep yourself satisfied so dinner doesn’t become like walking through a land mine.

I welcome you to share your stories, and experiences with your weight loss.  I do moderate all comments, to ensure spam doesn’t get through.

Here are a few more tips for you:

• Keep healthy snacks with you. Make it a habit to stash some fruit, whole-grain crackers, or baby carrots in your backpack or workout bag so you always have some healthy food nearby. Half a cheese sandwich also makes a great snack to have on standby.
• Make it interesting. Healthy snacking doesn’t have to be boring as long as you give yourself a variety of choices. Whole-wheat pretzels with spicy mustard, rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins, or low-fat fruit yogurt are healthy, tasty, and easy.
• Satisfy cravings with healthier approaches. If you’re crazy for chocolate, try a hot chocolate drink instead of a chocolate bar. An 8-ounce mug of hot chocolate has only 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. A chocolate bar, on the other hand, has 230 calories and 13 grams of fat. Substitute nonfat frozen yogurt or sorbet for ice cream. If you’re craving savory munchies, snack on baked tortilla chips instead of regular corn chips and pair them with salsa instead of sour cream. Or satisfy salt cravings with pretzels instead of chips.
• Read serving size information. What looks like a small package of cookies can contain 2 or more servings — which means double or even triple the amounts of fat, calories, and sugar shown on the label.

Some resources I found:

• http://epicself.com/nourish/snacking-rules-if-you-do-it-right/
• http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/healthy_snacks.html
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-diet/HQ01396
• http://articles.cnn.com/2007-08-03/health/cl.snacking_1_extra-calories-snacks-mini-meals?_s=PM:HEALTH
• http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/using-utiliser/snacks-collations-eng.php

Technorati Tags: how to lose weight quickly and easily, smart snacking, snack to lose weight, Weight Loss, weight loss snacking

Don’t feel guilty if you gain some weight back, instead use what you have learned to fine tune your diet and get back on track.

But this post isn’t about how to maintain your weight loss, or how to fine tune your eating it is about the side effects of losing weight.

Your clothes fit, right.

Yes that is a benefit of losing weight, your clothes fit. You do not bulge over or hang out. You begin to have a shape, other than round or square.

Clothes are less expensive.

Another great benefit of weight loss. Over the last few months I have lost another 10 – 15 lbs so went from a 58 waist (and pants in the $100.00+ range) down to a 52. Cost of pants, shirts and other items also fell (in addition to the clothes). Yes I have more to go, but if I can trim my professional clothes budget by 10% every few months it adds up to significant savings over the course of a year.

Health improves, and you have more energy.

At one time, when my 7-year old (slim, fit and healthy) son would want me to race him up the stairs, my mind would think about the huffing and puffing, sweating and my weak and sore joints.

Only 3% of weight loss has allowed me to race him to the top of the stairs. I am still huffing, but no weak or sore joints.

Also I wake up fresh every morning. I am not as tired by 8:00pm and can function at 110% at work even on regular 10 hour days (I am a workaholic).

The only side effect of weight loss that I don’t like? I feel cold more often, but then that has to do with not having to lug around extra weight (and insulation).

As I work towards the last 100lbs, I do not mind feeling cold and quite enjoy wearing the latest styles and designs of clothes, suits and sports jackets. Working in a senior management position where I meet with other senior managers, you need to look good – being overweight just does not cut it. That is not to say there are not overweight executives, but they are much fewer.

Technorati Tags: lose weight, lose weight fast, side effects of weight loss, Weight Loss

Here is part of the story from Yahoo:

The recalls come almost a year after studies showed the drug increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients with a history of heart disease.

European regulators banned all anti-obesity drugs containing sibutramine in January.

The drug, authorized for sale in 2000, has not been recommended for use in patients with existing heart disease and Health Canada has also warned of the risks associated with the drug, Health Canada said.

“Despite these previous risk mitigation measures, there continues to be concern of an increased risk of heart-related adverse events, particularly as people at risk of cardiovascular disease may not have symptoms,” it said in a statement.

“In light of this concern, and the accumulating scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of Meridia, it has been determined that the benefits no longer outweigh the risks for this drug.”

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel of 16 experts was split Wednesday on whether to enhance labelling and risk management activities or to withdraw the drug completely over the studies’ findings.

The studies behind the recall involved almost 11,000 older, overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes or heart disease or both who were randomly chosen to take either Meridia or a placebo and followed for about 3.4 years.

In the group taking Meridia, 11.4 per cent had a heart attack, stroke or died as the result of a heart problem, versus 10 per cent in the control group, a 16 per cent increase.

People taking Meridia also had a 28 per cent higher risk for non-fatal heart attack and a 36 per cent raised risk for non-fatal stroke, compared with those taking a placebo, the researchers found.

What this goes to show that the best way to lose weight fast and safely is through lifestlyle changes, which includes cutting out the junk food and any empty calories (like those found in soda pop or chocolate), opt for healthier foods and choose more fruits and vegetables in your diet.  You will need to exercise - that’s one of the quickest ways to burn fat.  Lifestyle changes mean complete changes – not just one or two, but having to rethink everything that you do.

Technorati Tags: anti-obesity drugs, Meridia, Risk of weight loss drugs, sibutramine, Weight Loss Drugs

Read a great post on CNN the other day and am sharing it here – the Top 7 Fat Busters Revealed…

1. Inline skating – if you can balance on wheels, and enjoy skating then this is the sport for you.  A 30-minute session burns about 425 calories, so if you’re feeling guilty scarfing down the chocolate bar, strap on your skates and head outdoors to burn it off.  The key is then not to go back and scarf down another.
2. Running – ok, for the heavier folks this might be tough – you don’t want to run around with fat jiggling all over the place and you may be in a situation where you have joint problems or back problems.  But if you’re in the condition that you can run – this is something else that is good for you.  30 minutes of running will burn 374 calories.
3. Jumping rope – while I don’t get a thrill from this, and most likely you won’t either, this simple exercise can actually burn 340 calories in 30 minutes!
4. Hula hoops – the only hula hoops I’m doing are the virtual ones, on my Wii Fit.  But still, 30 minutes of this gets rid of 300 calories.  Just like that.
5. Tennis – I really enjoy tennis, and play outdoors when I can or against a wall.  30 minutes knocks off another 272 calories – less than I expected, but every calorie burned is a move in the right direction.
6. Dancing – shake those booties!  Go out there and do the moves and lose 221 calories.  Of course if you’re not willing to do it in public, there are dozens of great games for the Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit that will help you burn the calories.
7. Vigorous walking – my favorite.  Only burns 170 calories in 30 minutes, but its something that I enjoy doing.  You can do it indoors if you have a treadmill, or if you’re a Nintendo Wii fan they actually have a “game” called Walk It Out.  It’s fun, and easy and will not punish your knees.

As with any exercise, you should always check with your doctor since the level of an individuals fitness (even if you are overweight) will vary.

Technorati Tags: how to lose fat, lose fat easily, top 7 fat busters revealed

• Higher cost for essentials, like clothing (3x, 4 and 5x shirts can be as much as double or triple what it costs for a “standard/regular” sized shirt.
• Higher cost for clothing
• Increased cost associated with medications and perhaps special aids or appliances to move around

Add this to the increased medical costs to the public and private health care system not to mention hours lost due to illness that impacts productivity.  The number can be staggering.  According to a recent Yahoo news story, the cost of obesity in the US is pegged at $215 billion.  The study was conducted by the Brookings Institution.

In addition to these direct expenditures, obesity’s costs come from lost productivity, absensteeism, disability and premature death. The study also found that transportation costs may be higher because of heavier weights for airline passengers, for example.

It goes on to say:

Obesity may also result in “human capital” costs such as levels of educational attainment, although these are more difficult to quantify.

The researchers said that based on some research, “Women who had been obese in the baseline survey had significantly fewer years of school completed (0.3 year on average). Likewise, they were less likely to be married, had lower household incomes, and higher rates of poverty. For men, the only statistically significant correlation was for marital status.”

The study notes that obesity has grown into a major global epidemic; in the United States more than two-thirds of adults are now overweight including one third who are obese. As of 2002, nearly 500 million people were overweight worldwide, the researchers said.

Source: Yahoo News

One of the main concerns about these sweeteners is their potential cancer risk. The concern arises from laboratory studies of rats fed high doses of these sweeteners, especially saccharin and aspartame, and went on to develop various cancers including bladder, brain, lymphomas and leukemias. However, currently, there doesn’t appear to be clear evidence of association between artificial sweeteners and cancers in humans. But, this has not quieted the hundreds of thousands of reports by consumers of side effects experienced from using these additives.

There’s even concern regarding the latest sweetener to hit the market , rebiana (marketed as Truvia and PureVia), an extract of the Stevia plant that is hundreds of times sweeter than sucrose. The FDA is classifying rebiana as GRAS (generally regarded as safe). However, the Stevia plant is still labeled as a dietary supplement because the FDA has not permitted its use as a food additive. Some say the FDA was under tremendous pressure by food companies to approve rebiana’s use as a food additive. Whatever the case may be, officially, artificial sweeteners are deemed safe for consumption (except for aspartame which is NOT safe for people with the genetic condition phenylketonuria). However, if you are truly concerned about potential side effects of artificial sweeteners, then moderation in regular sugar consumption is a very realistic and achievable goal for most people – and a much more healthier one.

Source: RightHealth.com

Technorati Tags: acesulfame, artificial sweeteners, aspartame, equal, neotame, rebiana, saccharin, splenda, sucralose, sugar substitutes, sweet n low

Although some people realize that starvation is actually a counterproductive way to lose weight, they don’t know how many calories that they need to eat to lose weight.

The best way to do this is for an individual to track how many calories they eat on a daily basis. Many people say that 2000 calories are a typical day’s worth of calories. In actuality, though, that really depends on the weight and size of each individual. Women usually eat around 2000 and men around 2700. Most people are shocked when they find out how much (or how little, but usually the former) they eat once they actually write everything down.

Common practice is to figure out how many calories one eats per day, and then subtract a certain amount of calories during the “diet period”. As a general rule, if one reduces 500 calories per day, at the end of 7 days, they will lose one pound (3500 calories).

While the body does respond to eating the same amount of lower-calories every day for the short-term, it plateaus after a while. A good tactic to fight back is to calorie cycle. By calorie cycling, you might eat 2000 calories one day, 2500 the next, and 1500 the next. This constantly keeps your body “on its toes”.

The general rule of calorie cycling is to figure out how many calories that you were going to eat if you were going to go on a traditional diet, multiply it by 7, and divvy the calories out for the week. For example, if one was going to eat 1800 calories a day, that would be 12,600 calories for the week. Calorie cycling would be eating, for example, 1600, 1800, 1600, 2000, 2200, 1600, and 1800.

Rachel has lost 100 pounds herself, and is passionate about helping other people do it too. She has been featured in Woman’s World, among others.

You can check out more about calorie cycling on her website at YAY Food.

Technorati Tags: effortless weight loss, fast weight loss, lose weight fast

New Scientist has an excellent article on the health dangers of salt.  Well worth the read.

Part of the article that I found very interesting:

Earlier this month the US Institute of Medicine recommended government intervention to reduce salt intake. However, the food industry is fighting a bitter rearguard action against any such move. The salt industry’s annual turnover is several billion dollars and it has no plans to downsize. Thus, in advance of the new US guidelines, articles have appeared in The New York Times and elsewhere claiming that the evidence for reducing salt is not clear-cut.

This controversy is fake. The evidence for salt reduction is clear and consistent. Most of the “contradictory research” comes from a very small number of scientists, most of whom are linked to the salt industry. However, it takes skill to spot misinformation and subterfuge. And so the confusion is successfully promulgated.

It is a familiar story. The tobacco industry spent decades denying that smoking caused fatal diseases. Their very successful strategies included accusations of scientific conspiracies, selective use of scientific evidence, and paying scientists to produce evidence to contradict the public health experts and confuse the public. In general, the food industry is more ethical, but it is far from squeaky clean.

Here are some additional resources for you:

• Government of Canada – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/sodium-eng.php - Sodium is a nutrient found in table salt and many other foods. While the body needs some sodium to function, too much may lead to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Most Canadians consume more sodium than may be good for their health.  A diet high in sodium is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease.
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene  http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cardio/cardio-salt-initiative.shtml - Americans consume roughly twice the recommended limit of salt each day – causing widespread high blood pressure and placing millions at risk of heart attack and stroke.

There are dozens of reputable sources of information on the internet about the dangers of salt intake.

So how do you go about reducing the amount of salt you eat?  Unfortunately as with most products purchased at grocery stores – you can’t.  Salt is added as part of the manufacturing process.  However you can certainly read labels to select those products with the least amount of sale, in addition you can choose to reduce and possibly eliminate the amount of salt used at home when preparing food from scratch.

Here are eight tips to help you:

1. Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned “with no salt added” vegetables.
2. Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types. 
3. Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.
4. Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
5. Choose “convenience” foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium.
6. Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.
7. When available, buy low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods.
8. Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium. 

When you are grocery shopping, look for these words on packages:

1. sodium free
2. very low sodium
3. low sodium
4. reduced (or less) sodium
5. light in sodium
6. unsalted

Now I know that using salt “brightens” up the food, and brings out its flavor, but if you try you can find great substitutes for salt. Make foods tasty without using salt. Try these flavorings, spices, and herbs:

For Meat, Poultry, and Fish

For Vegetables:

And finally, here are some definitions to help you understand common sodium labels.

• sodium-free: less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
• very low sodium: no more than 35 milligrams of sodium per serving
• low sodium: no more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving
• reduced sodium: at least 25 percent less sodium than a comparable product
• lite/light in sodium (including lightly salted products): at least 50 percent less sodium than a comparable product

As their names imply, salt-free products meet standard criteria for being sodium-free and no-salt-added/unsalted products have no salt added during processing.

Here is to your health!

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But most recently this also appeared on the New York Times.  Here is what part of the article says on lack of sleep:

“Scientists have known for years that skimping on sleep is associated with weight gain. A good example was a study published in 2005, which looked at 8,000 adults over several years as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sleeping fewer than seven hours a night corresponded with a greater risk of weight gain and obesity, and the risk increased for every hour of lost sleep.”

Read the full article…

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To read it, click DOES FAT PROTECT.

Enjoy!

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: does fat protect, does flab protect, food kills, obesity

Parents that have to work, naturally will have less time to spend with their kids – as a result those kids may spend more time on the couch instead of outside playing.  In fact when you look at the playground, who do you see?  Generally kids where one parent is at home – not very often will you see kids by themselves.

While that is quite a generalization as there are skinny kids that may not be outside playing, are they necessarily healthy?  Just because you’re skinny doesn’t mean healthy.

I came across an excellent article about Obesity in the US on the CDC website – http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html.  They provide an animated map of the US that shows obesity rates from 1985 to 2008.  The 1985 map is primarily white, with some states in the < 10% or 10% – 14% categories.  Fast forward to 2008 and it’s anywhere from 20% to as high as OVER 30% with only one state in the 15% – 19% range (Colorado).

The article goes on to show the rate of obesity among minorities – white, non Hispanic, Hispanic and black non Hispanic.  It’s clear from the graphs that obesity is in epidemic proportions in many ethnic communities.

The final image that they provide is the prevalance of obesity by county and right below that the number of cases of diabetes.  It becomes clear when you view both of these that there is a high correlation between obesity and diabetes.

The fact is that we need to do more to lose weight – and not just an empty promise to ourselves that we’ll start “tomorrow”.

Here is to your health!

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: obesity in the US, Weight Loss