Tag: healthy eating

All Hail Kale

Nov 04, 2013

As one of the most prominent leafy vegetables in Europe, kale is a wondrous food with a plethora of beneficial qualities. Despite its amazing health benefits and international allure, kale still remains largely under the radar in North America. As a super raw food that is fairly inexpensive and easy to source, there is no reason why we all should not be cooking with this leafy green more often.

Kale is in the cabbage family and comes in green or purple headless leaves. Other colour variations may consist of whites, yellows, blues and reds. The vegetable has a mild earthy flavor and can become even more pronounced after being frozen or exposed to frost. The plant also grows very well in wintry and harsh climates making it very versatile as far as cultivation is concerned. Vegetables in the same family as kale are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, rapini, collard greens and brussel sprouts. Kale is viewed as a superfood with many healing qualities. One interesting characteristic about kale is that you can harvest the outer leaves as you need them without harming the plant or the future growth of more inner leaves. Kale is very simple to grow and is a great addition to any vegetable patch. The tender young kale leaves are best for salads while the mature leaves are best for cooking. The best way to prepare kale is to steam, stir-fry or eat it raw.

Kale stands out as a power vegetable because of the incredible amount of nutrition packed into each curly dark green leaf. Kale is a great raw food as it is high in fiber, rich in beta carotene, vitamins A, C, E, and K, lutein, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium as well as other important nutrients. It is these facets of kale that are known to prevent and fight against such medical issues as cancer, cataracts, emphysema and rheumatoid arthritis. A regular serving of kale is 1 cup and contains 40-60 calories, making it a great weight loss aid. Due to the overwhelming amount of antioxidants, compounds, minerals and nutrients, kale is also successful in preventing colds, improving skin tone and augmenting energy levels.

Kale is an excellent food to add to your diet. Recipes are rarely complicated and the food is so flexible it can be used in smoothies, soups, salads and even as a part of a main dish. Eating kale raw will only increase its potential in aiding a healthy body. Wash your kale leaves well. The curls in the leaf tend to hid dirt, sand and maybe some bugs.

Try these kale recipes to get you started working with kale in your kitchen:

Kale Smoothie

2 cups water
4 bananas
3 yellow mangoes
1 cup of raspberries
1 cup of red grapes
6-8 kale leafs
A few mint leafs

BLEND ingredients well.

Kale Soup

1 Bunch of Kale leaves
¼ Avocado
¼ Lemon (peeled)
1 Roma Tomato
2 Cloves Garlic
2 cups water (lukewarm)
A sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Salt, Pepper and Onion Power to taste

BLEND all the ingredients in the warm water to get your desired consistency.

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Weight Loss Tips When Eating Out

Aug 10, 2013

Just because you are watching what you eat and trying to drop unwanted pounds doesn’t mean you can’€™t enjoy eating out and socializing with friends and family on occasion. It actually may be getting a little easier to eat out while trying to eat cleaner, as some restaurants are adding special menu items that are lower in fat and salt, low calorie or lower in grain-based carbs.

It’s all about exhibiting some control on what you order and how fast you eat, as well as putting a few things into place before you even leave the house.  The following weight loss tips will help you stay on track when you’re out on the town!

 

 

 

Here are my nine weight loss tips for eating healthier when eating out:

  1. Don’t let your eyes get bigger than your stomach. Drink a couple glasses of water before going out to curb your hunger.
  2. Educate yourself on the menu prior to going. Pick your meal ahead of time so you’€™re not letting your hunger do the ordering at the table.
  3. Steer clear of sugary or alcoholic drinks. Stick to clean water and/or unsweetened tea. If you must– opt for a small glass of red wine which is high in antioxidants.
  4. Avoid appetizers. Many times appetizers are so filling and loaded in fat and calories, making you go over your calories for your meal without even getting to the main course yet. If you absolutely must have an appetizer, choose a salad with an oil and vinegar based dressing. Stay clear of the high fat and high calorie cream-based dressings.
  5. Get a dish based on lean meat. Avoid having meats fried in oil or butter and ask to get it grilled, which will remove excess fat. Good meats to look for would be chicken, fish, lean red meat (e.g. sirloin steak), turkey, venison, lean pork chops, and quail.
  6. Try to avoid eating breads, and opt for more vegetables (the greener the better). Vegetables will make you feel fuller due to their high water content, plus they are loaded with more vitamins and minerals. Keep clear of fried vegetables.
  7. Instead of french fries or chips, order a salad or steamed veggies.
  8. If you must have a dessert opt for a coffee with one scoop of ice cream, or share a dessert with your partner or friend.

Employing some of these tips will help you stay within the realms of healthy eating while you’re out at a restaurant.

The main thing to remember when eating out is to drink plenty of water, have fun, and talk a lot which can stop your focus on eating (plus it keeps your portions under control!). You don€’t have to miss out just because you’€™re trying to eat healthier. Just be smart!

 

Committed to your success,

Becky

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Good Food, Bad Food

Jul 07, 2013

Are food labels really telling us the truth? Can we actually understand what they are saying? Although ingredient lists on food products are supposed to inform us, the consumers, about what’s contained in the product, this is sometimes not the case.Companies are able to mislead consumers by advertising healthier foods when actually their products contain completely different amounts of vitamins, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, fat – both saturated and unsaturated, sodium, cholesterol and various other ingredients. Ignore the hype on the front of the packaging; ignore how attractive the packaging may be. This is just to distract the consumer into buying the product. There are a couple of things to consider when looking at the nutrition label.

Serving Size
Determine the actual serving size and servings per container. Read carefully. Often what you may consider a serving is not what the manufacturer labels as a serving. For example, take an 11 ounce bag of tortilla chips. The serving size is 1 ounce (which is about 9 chips). There are then 11 servings per container. How often would you eat only 9 chips? Especially when there is a bowl of delicious salsa next to them. So be careful and read carefully.

Calories and Fats
Calories are energy. If you consume more total calories than your body actually needs for energy, you will gain weight. If you consumer fewer calories than your body needs for energy, you will lose weight. You will also usually see a line of calories from fat. A good guideline to follow is that no more than thirty percent of your daily calories should come from fat. Always keep in mind that fat is the most concentrated source of calories. There are 9 calories per gram of fat. And most importantly about fat is, if it is TransFat, DO NOT consume it.

Sugar
Try and remember that approximately 4 grams of sugar is equal to a teaspoon of sugar. So, a can of soda can contain about 20 teaspoons of sugar. Sugar may also be listed further down on the list. Manufacturers get away with this by using a combination of sweeteners such as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, brown sugar, dextrose and other sugars to make sure none of them are present in large enough quantities to earn a top position on the ingredient list.

Innocent Ingredients
Watch out for innocent sounding names of dangerous ingredients. Sodium Nitrite sounds harmless enough, but is known to cause brain tumors. Similarly, yeast extracts sounds like a perfectly safe ingredient, unless you’re allergic to monosodium glutamate (MSG). Listing MSG as yeast extract avoids having to include MSG on the list. And what about Carmine? Sounds nice? It’s a food colouring that is sometimes used in juices or yogurts to make them red. Carmine is made from the smashed bodies of the Cochineal and Polished Cochineal Beetle. Ewww.

Advertising and Fat-Free
Food manufacturers have many tricky ways around government restrictions on false advertising and the regulation of ingredients. Advertising products as Fat-Free is a prime example of companies lying to the consumer. The FDA’s policy regarding fat content is that if the food product contains more than 0.5 grams of fat, then it must be listed. To comply with this regulation, manufacturers alter the servings per container. With more servings, there is a reduced serving size, make the product appear healthier with less fat. If the fat content is less than .5 grams it can be rounded down, so consumers see the product having 0 grams of fat, when in actuality it contains a significant amount of fat.

Whether you’re strictly following a diet that completely cuts your carbohydrates , or just trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle, the nutrition facts on the back of food are very important to you. One might even say that the health information obtained from food labels help to guide a person’s entire day; planning meals and what snacks to munch on. With misleading labels, people are ingesting unknown quantities of various ingredients which can prevent effective weight loss and sabotage a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to read carefully and read between the lines!

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Food Combinations For A Healthier Lifestyle

Jun 10, 2013

There is a lot of research that educates us on how to be fit and healthy as well as offer information on what to eat and what to avoid. Usually we end up with regurgitated material that inevitably says to eat more fruit and veggies and lay off the high caloric, high fat snacks. By now, this should be common knowledge but the newest rage is food combination tricks which can help with weight loss, improved health and better digestion.Why We Need Better Digestion
How we process and digest our food is very important for weight management but also for overall health. When our body starts the digestion process, it is expending a lot of energy while at the same time it is speeding up our metabolism and burning calories. Poor digestion can also give us that uncomfortable, full feeling and lead to a host of health issues. So, it should be a goal to combine our foods in a way that allows for optimal digestion and maximum energy output.

When food isn’t digested correctly, much of the undigested food will remain in the digestive tract which will then create toxins in the body. Such toxins can lead to health problems and damage your internal ecosystem to varying degrees. The latter can cause a series of other health problems particularly later in life when the aging process happens and our metabolism slows naturally.

By practicing proper food combinations, the digestive system will work easily and at full force so that your body absorbs the necessary nutrients, your energy level is increased and you are less prone to illnesses.

The Basics of Food Combination

Fruit Consumption

Fruits should always be eaten on their own and on an empty stomach. Additionally, everyone should eat only natural fruits rather than those that are processed and canned in syrups as these tend to be loaded with additional sugar and calories.

Fruits such as berries, apples, bananas and pomegranates are great as they have antioxidants, are lower in sugar and easily digested. You can also eat grapefruit, kiwi, pineapple and strawberries in larger quantities but always by themselves and not in conjunction with other foods during that snack time.

Combining Proteins and Vegetables

For proper food combination it is also good practice to eat a lot of protein but to combine such proteins with non-starchy veggies. The stomach uses hydrochloric acids and enzymes such as pepsins to break down proteins such as poultry, eggs and other types of meat which can create an acidic realm.

When we eat heavy starches such as potatoes and pasta the stomach will also create what is known as the enzyme ptyalin which on its own has great digestive powers. However when it is combined with pepsins, both of these enzymes will counter one another and decrease how the digestive system works. In addition, once mixed together, the digestive system becomes stagnant and this creates a highly acidic environment in which toxins will multiply and disease can form.

Instead of combining proteins and starches, eat them separately and instead combine proteins with leafy and non-leafy veggies so that the digestive system can perform at its peak. The best protein and vegetable combinations are those that include lean meats, fish and poultry and then adding in veggies such as leafy and dark greens like spinach, asparagus and green beans but also other vegetables such as turnips, squash, zucchini, beets, broccoli and cauliflower.

It is always best to steam vegetables lightly so that they retain their nutrients and refrain from frying. Instead steam or sauté in a light olive oil or low sodium broth for added flavor.

Separate Grains and Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables such as butternut squash, lima beans, peas, corn and potatoes are difficult to digest and are also higher in carbs than leafy vegetables. Since grains are also heavy and not easy to digest, it is best to eat them separately. Grains composed of white flour are most difficult so it is better to choose brown or wheat based rather than those made with white flour which are high in sugar.

Other Food Combining Tips

The fats you include in your diet should be non-saturated fats and aim to cook with organic or unrefined oils such as olive, pumpkinseed or flax seed oil instead or corn or vegetable oils.

For healthy fats combine a good amount of seeds and grains along with vegetables such as water cress, kale and avocado which have healthy fats that the body needs for fuel and energy. Avoid fats found in mayonnaise and limit the amount of salt intake as this will cause the digestive system to retain water and slow down.

For a quick cheat sheet you can follow these basic rules:

  • Greens and non-starchy vegetables combine well
  • Lean proteins should be eaten with green veggies and non-starchy vegetables.
  • Starches and starchy proteins should be eaten with greens, non-starchy vegetables and fats.
  • Fats and fatty proteins should be eaten with greens, non-starchy vegetables, and starches.
  • Fruits should be eaten alone.
  • Sweeteners are best eaten on their own or not at all as some contain cancer causing chemicals.

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Snack Attack

Jun 07, 2013

Making your own healthy snack is a great way to avoid the unhealthy snacks high in saturated fats, sugar and food preservatives or additives. Choosing a healthy snack is a great way for the body to maintain its energy levels in between meals. The key to making healthy snacks is to make them the same day, or no sooner than the night before for optimum freshness.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Probably the easiest healthy snacks are fresh fruits and vegetables. Some fruits and vegetables don’t even need any prep work. Just grab, wash and enjoy. Some may take a little more time and effort to wash and cut them up and place in snack size containers. Try berry mixes (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries) or home-mixed fruit cocktails. In addition, fruits are great by themselves, and do not need any additional dressing. Or you can add some chopped up fruit to another healthy option of your favorite yogurt flavor.

Pre-cut and pre-package your vegetables. Celery sticks, carrots, cucumber, grape tomatoes and peppers make a colorful snack that can easily be taken almost anywhere. Add some protein to your celery by spreading on some natural peanut butter. It’s a great way to get you through the afternoon before dinner.

Vegetables don’t have the “sweet” taste like fruit and many enjoy them with a dressing. Try and make your own dressing to avoid food additives, high calories and other harmful ingredients that are found in store bought dressings. To make your own dressing, you can use ingredients such as nut milk, greek yogurt and fresh herbs and spices.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are great for making healthy snacks. You can combine them into a trail-mix and package them into single serving sizes for easy grab and go convenience.

Smoothies

Yogurt, some protein powder and your choice of fresh fruit is an easy and delicious way to curb your hunger until your next main meal. There are lots of delicious recipes out there for all kinds of smoothies, you can almost try a different one each day of the year.

Try this easy recipe that that can help with those sweet tooth cravings. Loaded with raisins and nuts, they’ll give you energy to burn.

Peanut Butter Oat Bites

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

  1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, honey and vanilla. Stir in Rice Krispies and oats and allow mixture to cool.
  2. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips. Form mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in chopped peanuts, pressing to coat. Store in refrigerator.

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No More Excuses

Jun 04, 2013

We all know that exercise is important, so why do so many of us make excuses not to do it? Exercise and healthy eating will not only make us feel better immediately but it can also extend our lives. It’s time we stop making excuses and start getting fit. Here we’ll learn ways to combat the most common exercise excuses.No Time
Probably the most common excuse that people use to avoid exercise. Between work and family life it can be difficult to find the time to fit in exercise so you have to get creative. Everyone has down time. The important thing is to make good use of your down time. Instead of sitting in front of the TV vegging out in the evening, use that time to exercise. You have many options; go for a walk or run, take a fitness class, pop in an exercise DVD, etc.

Another option is to fit in exercise on your lunch break or before you start work. This is easier if your workplace has a fitness center in the building. If you don’t have access to a gym at work there are still ways that you can add fitness into your daily routine. Park further from the door so you have to walk further. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. There are even some exercises that you can do at your desk to improve your strength and flexibility.

By combining family time and exercise you can teach your family the importance of staying fit while spending quality time together. Going for a bike ride, taking swimming lessons or family yoga are great ways to bond as a family and fit in some exercise.

When it comes to finding time for exercise there is always a way to fit it in. Even if you have to break up your workouts into small increments throughout the day any activity is beneficial. Look into Bootcamps as well, where you can get a full body workout in less time.

Lack of Athleticism
People who aren’t athletic often say that they don’t enjoy exercise. It’s hard to enjoy an activity that you’re not strong at. It may seem like effort. In this case it’s about finding something that you enjoy. Going to the gym isn’t for everyone but that doesn’t mean that not everyone can be active. It’s all about finding what you enjoy. If you don’t like sports but like music, look into a Zumba class or take dancing lessons. That way you can combine your love of music with a form of exercise.

Another way to get over a lack of athleticism is to workout with someone who can teach and motivate you. The best workout partner is someone who is positive and encouraging without being overly competitive. You may find that the best option is to go with a personal trainer whose job is to teach proper form, create workouts and motivate their clients.

“I’m too overweight”
It’s hard to get started if you haven’t partaken in a fitness routine before. Gyms and classes can be very intimidating so it seems easier to just not start exercising. If you’re trying to get started but are worried about what others might be thinking try to put that thought aside. Everyone has to start somewhere. You’ll probably be surprised that most people, especially in a class setting, are really supportive to new participants.

If you’re still nervous than start with a personal trainer. A good option is to work with an independent trainer who can either come to your home or will train you in a private studio. Also, speak to the staff at your local fitness center and find out when the club is quiet and workout at those times until you feel more comfortable.

Doing some workouts at home or on your own to lose those first few pounds can be a great motivator to keep you going. There is lots of help online or through workout DVDs, so there is no excuse for you not to start you weight loss program.

Getting motivated to workout can be difficult, but once you get going you’ll be surprised at how much you enjoy it and how much better you’ll feel. Once you find something you like and establish a routine you’ll forget about all the excuses you used before. Look into your habits and the most common excuses that you’re using to avoid exercise so you can overcome your mindset and start on the road to fitness.

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Spice Up Your Food To Eat Healthier

May 10, 2013

Spices increase flavor in healthy mealsHealthy eating doesn’t have to be boring or bland. You just need to get familiar with the vast selection of herbs and spices available to you!

Are you avoiding a change in your eating habits because you think healthy food isn’t exciting for your taste buds? Think again. Adding herbs and spices while cooking will add flavor to your meals and make eating healthy more enjoyable.

Fast food or processed food may seem tastier than freshly made, nutritious food but usually it’s because fast food is full of sodium. Excess sodium is bad for your body in a number of ways. It may raise your blood pressure and it can cause you to bloat and retain water.  Instead of relying on salt to add  flavor to our meals, let’s take a look at other, healthier ways to create tasty meals.

Herbs Vs Spices

Herbs and spices both come from plants but the difference is that herbs are the green leaves and spices come from other parts of the plant. Spices can come from seeds, bark, roots or berries. You can find most herbs and spices either fresh or dried in the supermarket. To release the flavor in fresh herbs and spices you’ll want to cut or break them up before adding them to a dish. Dried spices have a higher concentration of flavor than fresh so recipes usually call for smaller quantities of dried spices. If you’re using fresh herbs while cooking, save them till the end so they keep more of their flavor. The highest concentration of flavor is found in extracts which are typically used in baking. Extracts are good because they add flavor without affecting the delicate wet/dry balance of a recipe.

Rack ‘Em Up

Grocery stores have a large selection of herbs and spices and it can be hard to determine which ones to buy. You can find fresh herbs in the produce section of your local store and dried herbs and spices down one of the aisles. Fresh herbs can also be grown in your garden or window box. If you choose dried spices, read the labels before purchasing. You can find individual spices or spice blends. Spice blends are great for marinating meat or as an addition to soups and sauces but some can contain high levels of sodium. Look for low salt or no salt options.

Several spices such as turmeric and cinnamon and garlic have been proven to have significant health benefits.

There are a number of spices that could be considered staples in your kitchen and can be used in many dishes. These include:

  • Bay leaves – can be used in soups, sauces or stews
  • Cinnamon – works well in a variety of dishes and shouldn’t be limited to baking or desserts.
  • Cloves – use sparingly as they can be overpowering.
  • Garlic – all purpose and can be used in just about any savoury dish.
  • Oregano – great in tomato based dishes like pizza or pasta.
  • Chili Powder – used to add a little spice and can stimulate digestion.

Start by adding these spices to your pantry. If you’re just starting to add these flavors to your dishes, use a small amount at the beginning. You want the spice to add flavor but not overpower the meal. Once you’re more comfortable with the flavor it’s easy to experiment but you may wish to follow recipes closely in the beginning. Try adding something new to tonight’s evening meal and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how great healthy can taste.

Do you have a favorite spice you use in cooking?  Share it here in the comments section!

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Age/Diet Correlation

May 07, 2013

Perhaps one of the more interesting things I have seen relating to dietary research is how diets change as a person gets older, specifically women. In this article I am going to take a little look at a few of these differences, and perhaps give some sort of indication as to why our diet may change as we age. The age to diet correlation that I am going to be discussing here stems from a recent study which looked at around 2,000 women of a variety of ages. Now, there has been no study related to males in the same vein, however, it could be argued here that these results could potentially apply to males as well.

Generally speaking, this study discovered that older women tended to eat far healthier than those of the younger generation. Perhaps the main reason for this is the variety of food that we have available on the market right now. Those of the older generation seem to be more used to ‘home style’ cooking, whereas the younger generation are all about the fast food and takeaways. If this study surrounding age/diet correlation was carried out far later then I would hazard a guess that the results would be far different from what we see today. If people maintain the same eating habits throughout their lives than it’s likely that when the current younger generation reaches their 50s and 60s they will still be eating fast food more regularly.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about this study is that despite vegetable consumption being significantly higher in the older generation, very few people across all age groups actually met the recommended dietary requirements for fruit and vegetables. Experts suggest that both adults and children should be consuming 5 portions a day.

The older generation are also consuming far more dietary fibre, yet they still weren’t reaching the recommended allowance. In addition to this, both groups consumed high amounts of fat, but it was significantly lower in the older generation. However, almost everybody seemed to eat far more fat than they actually needed, which is very unhealthy. It’s important to note that there are healthy fats that should be consumed as part of a balanced diet whatever your age.

The strange thing is, even if a person exercised frequently at a younger age, they still seemed to eat far less healthy than the older generation. Which of course could indicate that it is the foods available on the market at the moment which affect this. The younger generation, who are just starting their families and their careers, are short on time and tend to settle on convenience when it comes to food.

So in summary, as you get older, you tend to eat far healthier. Perhaps the main reason behind this is that we tend to treat our body better in our older years, because as we age we are more prone to diet related illnesses. Most people want to slow down the aging process as well and know that eating healthy can help. Of course, it remains to be seen if diet does actually change as we get older, or if we follow what we were used to when we were younger.

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Shed Pounds by Eating Breakfast

Nov 07, 2012

Fat loss is on the top of many people’s lists these days. People will try all sorts of weight loss programs only to be disappointed with the results. Trend diets may give quick results but they are not a long term solution to weight loss. Still the most effective way to successful weight loss is eating a well balanced diet including a healthy breakfast. It’s true when they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and here are the reasons why.

Before delving into the facts, let’s just take a look at the definition of breakfast. Breakfast comes from the words breaking of fast. You might ask, “When did I fast?” The answer is, from the time you went to sleep until the time you woke up. So, how can breakfast actually help to lose weight? When you skip breakfast, you’re more likely to crave food later in the day and make poor food choices. When hunger hits unexpectedly you will be tempted to snack or eat fast food which is high in calories, sodium and fat.

If we think about the way our bodies store and use calories you’ll understand why it’s important to start our day with a proper meal. We burn most of our energy during the day while we’re at work or at play. Our bodies need to use the calories from what we’ve consumed to exert the energy. By eating when we wake up we’re able to use those calories throughout the day. As our day winds down we need fewer calories. In Western cultures we typically eat our largest meal in the evening. However, consuming most of the calories at the end of the day is counterproductive. We don’t burn as many calories during our sleep as we doing being active during the day. The calories we don’t burn off at night stay in our system and eventually turn into fat. Therefore, it makes more sense to eat are largest meal in the morning, a slightly smaller meal at lunch and an even smaller one in the evening.

It’s not just about having breakfast. The foods you choose to eat are also important when trying to lose weight. The best breakfast options include protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Foods high in fibre are also a good choice. An example of a well balanced, healthy breakfast is a hard-boiled egg, whole grain toast with peanut butter and a piece of fruit. Yogurt with almonds or another unsalted nut is also a good choice. In the colder months oatmeal with fruit is a great options as it warms you up and makes you feel full for longer. Although it’s not a great choice to have every day, fried eggs and bacon can be enjoyed every once in a while.

If you’re rushed in the mornings and don’t feel there’s time to start your day with a healthy meal there are some other alternatives. A smoothie made with low fat milk, fruit, yogurt and a little protein powder is great for someone on the run. Another option would be to grab a protein bar on the run. Choose one that has a normal level of protein and not something overloaded with protein. Also, read the labels and avoid the bars that have a lot of added sugar or artificial flavors. If you have the time there are many recipes out there for you to make your own protein bars. That way you know exactly what’s going into them.

Speak with any dietician or nutritionist and they will all say that breakfast is extremely important for weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight. Make a good start and you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you start to lose the weight. You’ll also notice that you’ll be making healthy food choices throughout the day.

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Easy Weight Loss Tip for San Jose Residents

May 11, 2010

I’ve been a fitness trainer in Campbell, San Jose and Saratoga for many years.  One of the toughest jobs I have is helping people eat healthier, yet not allowing them to “diet” (e.g., eat next to nothing). The concept of eating well is simple, but it’s not always easy for people with bad eating habits to put healthy eating into practice.  Rather than take a cold turkey approach and change everything all at once, I usually advocate changing things a little bit at a time.

One  of the first tips I give to my new San Jose personal training clients if they’re trying to lose weight is to increase their fiber intake.  It’s such an easy change for most people.

When you’re trying to increase your fiber intake, you’re often adding something to your menu as opposed to taking something away! How cool is that?? The great thing about increasing your fiber intake is that you’re likely to fill up on good-for-you foods like beans, fruits, veggies and whole grain products. So it ends up being a positive situation in several ways:  you eat fresh, more healthful foods, you eat more fiber, and, you’re probably going to lose some weight (not to mention decrease your risk for heart disease, stroke, and some cancers).  What a deal!

Why can increasing your fiber intake help you lose weight? By eating foods high in fiber, you are likely to eat fewer calories.  Fiber helps you to feel fuller faster and satisfied longer because it moves through your body more slowly than highly processed foods.  It is estimated that most of us consume less than half of the recommended 25 grams of fiber per day.

Here are some foods you can add to your eating plan to increase fiber:

• Fruit (higher fiber fruits include berries, apples and pears)

• Vegetables (higher fiber veggies include broccoli, artichokes, avocados, and sweet potatoes)

• Beans/Legumes (higher fiber beans/legumes include soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas and black beans)

• Whole grains (use barley, oats and whole wheat products in place of processed white flour products).

The moral of this story:  Eat more fiber, feel fuller longer, weigh less.  That’s it in a nutshell.

Committed to your success,

Becky