November 27th, 2008 — Meals, alternative ideas, healthy eating, nutrition
All of us know that we need to start eating healthier and get more fruits and vegetables into our diets. The hard part is actually doing it. For many people, it's just hard to get past the taste. However, there are ways that you can easily add more servings of fruit or vegetables to your diet with little effort. We'll show you ways to cheat and still enjoy your food.
1. Start with salsa substitution.
If you eat a lot of dips, you're adding a whole bunch of useless calories into your daily rotation. Put away that dip and bring out the salsa. It contains numerous vegetables and fruit and the taste is terrific. Better yet, it's fat free and extremely low calorie. You can use salsa on just about anything to make it taste better and you're getting the benefit of adding more servings of these important foods to your diet with little effort.
You can use it with chips, or tortillas, on eggs or pretty much anything. If salsa is not really your thing, try experimenting with a couple of different brands or you can even try to make your own with vegetables you like. Fruit salsa is surprisingly good when combined with cottage cheese or other low fat dairy products. This is probably the easiest way to get more fruit and vegetables into your diet with little effort.
2. Add one more serving of vegetables or fruits with every meal.
At breakfast, have some low sodium tomato juice or a sliced apple. At lunch, you can add in some delicious corn or a pear. With dinner, try experimenting with a tossed salad with low fat dressing. This makes it easy to get at least three more servings of fruits or vegetables into your diet without any effort at all. What's more, these servings will help you fill up faster and avoid overeating other foods that are less healthy.
3. Retrain your palate.
Some of us simply just don't like fresh fruits or vegetables. The key here is to retrain your palate and make your brain think that you actually enjoy them. Start small and add low fat sauces or little things to make the vegetables taste better. For example, you can spread a little bit of peanut butter inside a stalk of celery. Suddenly, that tasteless stalk actually tastes good and you're getting the added benefit of more protein. This makes a great afternoon snack. Just don't overdo it on the peanut butter or you won't be getting any benefit.
Simple things can make vegetables and fruits a lot better. However, you can also try experimenting a little. Just because you don't like one fruit or vegetable doesn't mean you may not love another. Get creative and go outside your usual routine with new vegetables you've never tasted before. You can actually have a lot of fun by trying out all sorts of new foods and seeing which ones you enjoy.
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November 25th, 2008 — Meals, healthy eating, trigger food
One of the main things that keeps people from trying low fat foods is the fact that a lot of them taste, well, pretty bad. It's all too easy to brush it off as "rabbit food," and convince yourself that you need real food. However, there are many low fat foods that are actually quite flavorful and there are methods that you can use that can enhance flavors without adding fat. Low fat food doesn't have to taste awful and we'll show you how you can actually start enjoying it with a few tips.
Let's look at a popular low fat food, skim cottage cheese, that is high in protein and very helpful for anyone that is on a diet. If you're used to eating regular cottage cheese, or none at all, the flavor in the skim or fat free variety can be a bit off. Try adding a little black pepper on top, or even some paprika. If you like it spicy, try adding a little shot of Tabasco sauce to it. Look for seasonings that are fat free and that will add to the flavor of your low fat cottage cheese.
Now, let's move onto low fat cereal. In some cases, it may be better to call it low fat cardboard. The same is true with low fat chips. They really can taste a little flat and pretty unappetizing. If you're eating low fat cereal and barely choking it down, try adding a little Splenda to it. This is a great calorie free sweetener that can really help and it doesn't affect your blood sugar as opposed to Nutrasweet or saccharin. You can also try using vanilla flavored soy milk instead of regular milk. You'll be getting the benefits of soy protein and the vanilla flavor helps mask the tastelessness of the cereal. For fat free chips, try dipping them in fat free salsa. Once again, you're tricking your tastebuds and it really does work.
Salsa is a great additive for a lot of foods that can spice things up without adding any fat. Use it on lean chicken to make it less boring, or add it to some celery for an extra kick. Anytime you would normally use high fat dip, replace it will fat free salsa. This gives you that feeling of being able to enjoy dipping foods without the guilt.
The main key is retraining your palette. Let's face it, high fat foods taste pretty good and that's why they are so hard to quit. However, here's an experiment you can try. Eat low fat foods for one month and then allow yourself a small sample of the foods you used to enjoy. Chances are, that high fat food is going to taste pretty awful. You'll be able to literally taste the oil and it may even make you a bit nauseous. The human palette is highly trainable and if you can convince it that low fat tastes better, you'll never be in danger of falling off the wagon again.
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November 14th, 2008 — exercise, moderation, snacking, wellness
Dieting can be very stressful in many ways. It's never easy to start depriving yourself of food, and you'll undoubtedly experience not only physical stress but some emotional stress too. While it's hard to completely avoid all stress in your life, there are ways that you can make your diet less stressful. By using these techniques, you can be assured that you're not setting yourself up for failure. By removing the stressors from your diet, you'll be able to stay on track and get healthy.
Tip 1 -
Don't pick a diet that is going to deprive you. While the word diet is synonymous with deprivation, it doesn't have to be. So many people set themselves up for failure by picking a diet that is simply to hard to maintain. The main key is reducing the overall amount of calories that you're putting in to your body and increasing the amount of exercise. If you're not getting the right kind of fuel, you won't be able to exercise. Instead of picking a severe diet at first, go with one that is going to be easier. You'll be able to ramp up your efforts once you start to see results.
Tip 2 -
Understand that sometimes snacking is necessary. If you work long hours, chances are you're going to get hungry between lunch and dinner. Too many people beat themselves up about snacking and get all stressed out. The key is not avoiding snacking, the key is finding the right kind of foods to snack on. Instead of that high calorie candy bar, pick a treat that has a lot of protein in it, such as low fat cottage cheese. Your body may be telling you it needs sugar to keep going, but what it really needs is some protein to create real fuel. There are times when you simply run out of fuel, but don't put just any kind of fuel in your tank. By filling up with the right fuels you'll be able to de-stress and keep going longer.
Tip 3 -
Pick an exercise program you can maintain. Beating yourself up because you can't keep to an hour a day of heavy aerobics is not only stressful, it's unhealthy. You're not going to be able to run a marathon overnight. Stick with a small amount of exercise at first, until you start to build up your energy. Instead of a full hour, try a half hour for the first few weeks. It may take a bit longer to see results, but you're building a firm foundation for success.
The key is finding ways to avoid beating yourself up on your diet. We are usually our harshest critics and it becomes all too easy to succumb to that little voice that tells us we can't do it. By circumventing that voice and starting small, you'll be able to get over your diet stress and start seeing real results. A healthy diet takes work, and changes won't happen overnight.
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November 13th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, drink, food, healthy eating
Sometimes it is too easy to make excuses about eating the right foods. Whether it’s simply inconvenient, we feel that eating healthy deprives us, or the lure of unhealthy food is too strong, we end up putting off eating right until it may be too late. Here are five easy ways that you can start eating better, right now – today even, before you get into more unhealthy territory.
1. Start with dessert.
Sometimes, there is nothing quite like a dessert, especially after a good dinner. However, that simple little piece of cake may pack more than half of your day’s calorie allotment. This is the perfect opportunity to start sneaking some healthy food choices into your diet, and chances are, you’ll end up liking them just as much. Instead of having that piece of cake, try a piece of fruit. If that is too much, consider adding frozen yogurt instead. Making small changes like this during one meal will help you make bigger changes all day long.
2. Replace your snacks with something better.
Afternoon snacks are sometimes necessary to get us through a long day, but that doesn’t mean that you have to automatically reach for a candy bar. In fact, what your body really needs is a quick dose of protein. It will hold you longer and give you more energy than simple carbs. Instead of something sweet, go with a small serving of low fat cottage cheese, or a stick of low fat string cheese. Other great snacks include a small handful of peanuts, or almonds that contain healthy fats.
3. Throw out that soda.
Many of us have a nasty soda habit that can be hard to break. Start by replacing one soda a day with some sparkling flavored water. You’ll still get that carbonation, and the flavor will make the water a little more palatable. Once you’ve cut back on one soda, gradually increase your replacements until you’re no longer drinking any. It will be easier on your body to gradually wean yourself off of the caffeine. Soda is full of empty calories, and you should notice a big difference, even by cutting only one out of your daily diet.
4. Switch up your carbs.
Instead of reaching for a loaf of white bread in the store, go for a whole grain loaf. These carbs are a little better for you and will help you feel more satisfied. It can take a little getting used to, but after a week or two you may find that you actually prefer whole grain bread to white bread.
5. Skip the dressing.
If you eat a lot of salads, but can’t seem to lose any weight, the culprit may be your dressing. Replace any high fat dressings with either low fat vinaigrettes or switch to a lower fat version of your current dressing. Instead of putting it on your salad, place it on the side and dip your lettuce in. You’ll be surprised at how much you have left over.
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