This is a blog that many people can relate to. Here we will give you all the latest weight loss solutions as well as health tips, diet tips, and the real facts on how to lose weight the healthy way.
Friday, July 4, 2008
12 Ways To Get Into Your Bikini
Yes, summer is here, and will be here every year, so whether you are within reach of your bikini body, or would like to gather your ammo and fine tune for next year, here are some safe, all-natural diet tips:
Don't drink fruit juices or juice-based products while "dieting". Get your nutrition from calories you chew rather then swallow.
Shoot for 25 to 35 gm of fiber per day.
If you get hungry, eat a few ounces of protein to tide you over until your next meal.
Eat at least two servings of fish per week to get healthy fats.
Spice up your food with red pepper, which boosts metabolism.
Drizzle sugar-free syrup over cooked carrots for a sweet treat.
Drink green tea liberally - it helps burn fat.
Try not to let yourself get bored, stressed out or depressed, if possible. Try yoga, meditation, and herbs such as kava and ginseng for stress. Regular exercise, journaling and supplements such as fish, St. Johns wort and 5-HTP can help alleviate depression.
Outwait your food cravings. They generally last no longer then 10 minutes.
Distract yourself with a nonfood related activity, such as exercising, reading, pursuing a favorite hobby, listening to music, writing letters, surfing the internet (like you are now) or soaking in a hot bath.
Make a list of 25 things to do rather then eat, and keep it handy for times when you feel tempted to eat (when you shouldn't).
Freeze strawberries and other berries. They take longer to eat and provide a candy-like treat.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
11:18 AM ::
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If you put yourself in a positive frame of mind, you can accomplish anything. If you can clearly see your goal, see that it’s within your grasp, there’s nothing stopping you. That’s why surrounding yourself with positive images and visual reminders can be just what the doctor ordered.
You may already have an inner voice telling you that you can do it, that you can reach your goal. But sometimes, that inner voice could be distracted, a little discouraged or even intimidated. Sometimes, it lacks conviction. Sometimes, you need an external voice telling you the same thing, reinforcing your confidence and determination.
Think about what might happen without that positive reinforcement. Suppose you had a parrot sitting on your shoulder, cackling in your ear all day long that your efforts are useless, that you will never reach your goal. Or suppose that every day, you were faced with a taunting picture of you looking your god-awful, embarrassing worst. Sounds pretty discouraging, doesn’t it?
Surrounding yourself with negativity will drain the energy, life and hope right out of you like a leech. Seems pretty obvious, but too often, we allow these negative messages to seep through.
Thankfully, the opposite is just as true. One of the quickest ways to boost your spirits and keep motivation high is to keep a positive picture of your goal close by. A picture or other visual of your ultimate goal is a huge motivator. Having it around all the time is a voice of encouragement whispering in your ear, helping you stay focused on the prize and energized to overcome any obstacle.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
10:51 AM ::
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So if the thought of fireworks and outdoor barbecues have you immediately dreaming of your rich and creamy potato salad recipe that's been in your family for generations, this may be a difficult time for you, but it's time to ignore those past cravings! Just because it's homemade doesn't mean it's good for you — most of the side dishes we associate with Fourth of July picnics are loaded with mayonnaise, eggs, butter, you name it. In other words: fat and calories. Give yourself, your family, and friends some healthier options this Friday with some of my modified, picnic-friendly foods.
Here are two great recipes to bring to any outdoor event!
Tuna and Green Bean Pasta Salad
2 cups green beans 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 cups cooked whole-wheat farfalle (bow-tie pasta; about 2 cups uncooked) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 1/2 tablespoons capers 2 (6-ounce) cans albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
Directions:
Trim ends from beans and cut them in half lengthwise, slicing through the seam. Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over high heat. Add beans, and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Cut beans into 1-inch pieces. Combine pan drippings with lemon juice, water, and black pepper in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add farfalle and remaining ingredients; toss well and serve. Mexican Coleslaw
Place cabbage and carrots in a colander; rinse thoroughly with cold water to crisp. Let drain for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk cilantro, vinegar, oil and salt in a large bowl. Add cabbage and carrots; toss well to coat. To make this coleslaw even faster, use a coleslaw mix containing cabbage and carrots from the produce section of the supermarket. Once prepared, serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Toss again to refresh just before serving.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
10:25 AM ::
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Perfect for putting out for the Fourth of July celebration you have!
Prep Time:35 min Start to Finish:2 hr 35 min makes:24 servings
Lemon Mayonnaise 2 cups fat-free mayonnaise or salad dressing 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried tarragon leaves 1 teaspoon salt
Pasta Salad 2 packages (16 ounces each) medium pasta shells 3 pounds asparagus, blanched and cut into 4-inch pieces 2 pounds snap pea pods, blanched 16 medium green onions, sliced (1 cup) 2 medium yellow bell peppers, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1. In large bowl, mix all Lemon Mayonnaise ingredients until well blended; set aside. 2. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain. 3. In large bowl, mix pasta and remaining Pasta Salad ingredients. Stir in Lemon Mayonnaise until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 210 (Calories from Fat 15); Total Fat 1 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 420mg; Total Carbohydrate 41g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 5g); Protein 8g
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
9:26 AM ::
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Antioxidants are compounds that absorb free-radical molecules that can lead to cancer and age-related ailments. The more antioxidant-rich foods you include in your diet the better. To help you do that, here are five foods to swap to get a bigger antioxidant boost.
Exchange: Coffee for Tea Black tea, which makes up most of the popular blends, ranks much higher than coffee in terms of antioxidants. So make like the British and exchange your coffee for two cups of tea per day.
Exchange: Beer for Wine Beer made the top 10 antioxidant list because of sheer volume consumed, but red wine is the better way to go. By volume, it has more antioxidants.
Exchange: Juice for Fruit The general rule for getting the most antioxidants: the closer to the plant the better. Whenever possible, eat the original.
Exchange: Bananas for Dates A staple of every grocery store visit may be bananas, but next time go on a date for dates. Dates have the most antioxidants based solely on serving size.
Exchange: Milk Chocolate for Dark The milk in milk chocolate prevents a lot of the antioxidants from getting into your body.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
11:18 AM ::
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By far, the most common reason that diets fail is due to the fact that people simply feel too deprived and they lose sight of their goals. While we all want to lose weight and feel better, the siren call of our favorite foods can be so powerful that we abandon these dreams and cave to our cravings. However, there are a few techniques that you can use to ensure that you’ll be able to resist these calls and keep your diet on track.
The first key is to select a diet that contains the right balance of fats, proteins and carbs. Your body needs to have fuel to live and if you’re depriving it of this necessary balance you’re not only going to feel awful, but your body is going to start issuing some pretty strong demands. For example, if you attempt to completely cut sugar out of your life, your body, which has grown accustomed to this balance over the years is going to rebel.
This means that after a few days you may be so overwhelmed with cravings for sugar that you simply cannot help yourself. You can learn a very good lesson from a phenomenon that occurs when people adapt strict eating plans, such as fruitarianism. This is a type of vegetarianism where only fruit can be consumed. Over the first few weeks, most people who adopt this diet go through a period where they become so depleted and their bodies get so insistent that they binge without even realizing it.
The second key is to learn from these mistakes and adopt a natural regimen that will slowly train your body to accept your new food choices. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you’re not going to be able to suddenly start eating healthy and expect everything to go smoothly. You’ve got to take that time to retrain your body so that you can avoid falling off the wagon.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
10:24 AM ::
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1. Lose Weight: We can't control our genes, but we CAN control the size of our jeans! Losing just 5 percent of our current weight can lower your risk for complications from diabetes. That's a start. There are a number of different eDiets plans that are great for weight loss and one that's especially dedicated to information and support for people living with diabetes. Find the plan that suits your food preferences best, and join our Living with Diabetes support board. Keep track of your waist size along with your weight. Women, waist size 35 inches or greater increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes, especially if your BMI is equal to or greater than 25. Men, waist size equal to or greater than 40 inches with BMI equal to or greater than 25 compounds risk.
2. Exercise: New research shows that any type of exercise improves blood glucose control. You don't have to run every day or join a gym, but you do need to get out and walk, and if you add resistance training -- not heavy weights, but light weights and bands -- you can strengthen muscles.
3. Test: This goes back to your genes! If you have a first-generation relative (parent, sibling) with Type 2 diabetes, you have a genetic link. If you are overweight, your risk is doubled. Get tested now, and hopefully you'll be normal. But keep vigilant, enjoy a balanced diet, stay active and keep your weight within a couple of pounds of your goal. If your blood glucose is higher than normal but not at Type 2 diagnosis (greater than 126 mg/dL), it means you need to take control now to avoid complications.
4. Take Control: If you do have diabetes, you can manage the disease, instead of letting it manage you; you control diabetes. You control your diet, your activity and how often you test. Then, you can control the controls. Follow your physicians' and your diabetes educators' recommendations, and test your blood glucose frequently. Many blood glucose monitors have sophisticated software that lets you download your readings and create reports.
5. Connect: You can do it alone, but having support makes it better and more fun. Support groups help people by giving them a supportive, secure place online to get together and share their experiences.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
9:40 AM ::
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Simple, trendy, tasty and healthful! These appetizers will be the hit of the party.
Prep Time:15 min Start to Finish:1 hr 25 min makes:36 appetizers
1 can (6 oz) crabmeat, drained, cartilage removed and flaked 1 can (4 to 4 1/2 oz) shrimp, drained, rinsed 2 medium plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded, chopped (1/2 cup) 1/3 cup chopped sweet onion 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 loaf (1 lb) baguette French bread, cut into 36 slices 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil Freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Mix all ingredients except baguette, 3 tablespoons oil and the pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors but no longer than 24 hours. 2. Place baguette slices on cookie sheet. Brush with some of the 3 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with pepper. Broil with tops 4 to 6 inches from heat 1 to 3 minutes or until light golden brown; turn. Brush with remaining oil; sprinkle with pepper. Broil 1 to 3 minutes longer or until light golden brown. 3. Place seafood mixture in bowl. Arrange bowl and toasted baguette slices on serving platter.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 60 (Calories from Fat 15); Total Fat 2g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 100mg; Total Carbohydrate 7g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g); Protein 3g
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
5:14 AM ::
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So what part of the body should you work? All of it – your upper body, core, and lower body.
Your upper body is made up of your arms, chest, shoulders, neck, and upper back. This is easily the most popular part of the body to work for strength training. Here are some possible exercises for the upper body:
Pushups Dumbbell Side Exercise Chest Press Dumbbell Shoulder Raise Lat Pull Down Tricep Kick Back Dumbbell Shoulder Press Bicep Curl
The core is very important because you derive much of your balance from the middle section of your body. Plus a strong core allows you to do other exercises better and more effectively. When it comes to your core, almost everyone takes care of their stomachs with sit-ups. But there is much more to your core, including your obloquies, lower back, hips and groin. Here are a few exercises for the core:
Crunches Crunch w/Twist Reverse Crunch Bird Dog
Last but not least is your lower body. While the legs are sometimes forgotten during strength training, they are also very important. The reason for this is large muscle groups like the ones in your legs burn more fat and help you last longer during aerobic exercise. The key is finding exercises that specifically work your quads, hamstrings, calves and tibialis. Here are a few lower body exercises:
Forward Lunges Ball Squats Leg Press Wall Squats Calf Extension Leg Raises
Make sure to give your body a rest after a strength workout. Whichever part or parts of the body you work, give it two days’ rest before you work it again. This gives the muscles time to repair themselves and allows your metabolism to do its thing. And before you know it, you will not only be strong, but on the way to hitting your weight goal.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
9:43 AM ::
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Coaches, mentors, trainers, teammates, partners, fans. Even the greatest athletes in the world can’t do it alone.
People naturally perform better when others are on their side and helping out. Even in everyday nutrition and fitness, we’ve found that people who involve others and ask for help get much better results and stick to their programs longer than people who try to go the distance on their own.
Why is that? For starters, positive peer pressure can be one of the most powerful motivators around. It’s tougher to quit when someone else is counting on you. In fact, with a team that’s pulling for you, it’s less likely that you’ll want to quit.
When you involve others, you have access to more knowledge, more ideas, more enthusiasm, and more resources. Bicyclists and race car drivers are finding out that they need teammates looking out for them if they have any chance at all of winning. You can take advantage of the same benefits.
Finally, having other people help out just makes weight loss a heckuva lot more fun. Especially for social exercisers, trying to lose weight and exercise alone can leave you bored out of your mind.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
8:29 AM ::
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Eating healthy can be challenging. Often, time and money don't cooperate with your meal plan, so you stray from your healthy eating plan and settle for a bag of cheap hamburgers as a quick food fix. But those days are no more.
Whole foods, organic vegetables and lean meats can be pricey, but can you put a price on your health? Well, yeah. It's Sunday night, payday isn't until Friday, and you barely have two nickels to rub together.
How can you eat for the rest of the week on such meager funds? Oh, ye of little faith, here are the tricks, tips and recipes to eat healthy without paying heavily.
Specialty items and some organic products can be more expensive than items purchased at your local grocery store, but eating healthy doesn't always have to cost you more. For example, substitute frozen vegetables for fresh ones. They are usually cheaper and will last longer.
If you're going to buy fresh produce, buy your fruits and vegetables in season, which can lower your food bill. Also hit the sale rack, buying items on sale like low-fat meats and chicken and freezing them for later to save even more cabbage.
Low-priced foods include brown rice, whole-grain pasta, canned tuna and canned salmon, which can be quickly thrown together for an inexpensive, healthy meal.
Simply add canned tuna or salmon to pasta and add in vegetables. It's a trouble-free way to get protein, carbs, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals while keeping it cheap.
Using ground, lean turkey in place of ground beef for items such as meat loaf, tacos, casseroles and more.
Also, making enough to use the leftovers for lunch the next day is a good way to save a few extra clams on lunch.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
7:56 AM ::
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Prep Time:25 min Start to Finish:1 hr 5 min makes:8 servings
CRUST
2/3 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats 1/2 cup whole grain pastry flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons canola or soybean oil 2 to 3 tablespoons Yoplait Original plain fat-free yogurt 1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips, if desired
FILLING 1/4 cup organic raspberry fruit spread 3/4 teaspoon almond extract 2 1/2 cups raspberries 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. 2. In medium bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in oil and 2 tablespoons yogurt to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. If dough is too stiff, add remaining 1 tablespoon yogurt. 3. Place dough on prepared baking sheet and, using lightly oiled hands, pat evenly into a 10-inch circle. Place a 9-inch cake pan right side up on dough and trace around bottom of pan with sharp knife, being careful only to score surface of dough. With fingers, push up and pinch dough around outside of pan to make a 9-inch crust with a 1/4-inch rim. Remove cake pan. Bake 12 minutes on baking sheet. Scatter chocolate chips evenly over surface of crust and bake until chocolate melts and crust is firm and golden, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from oven and spread chocolate over crust to make an even layer. Set aside to cool. 4. In small, microwaveable bowl, combine fruit spread and almond extract. Microwave on High for 10 to 15 seconds, or until melted. Brush a generous tablespoon evenly over crust. Arrange raspberries evenly over crust. Brush remaining spread evenly over berries, making sure to get some of the spread between berries to secure them. Sprinkle with almonds. 5. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until spread has jelled.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 45mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 9g); Protein 3g
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
7:12 AM ::
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Think back on all those past dieting failures. Did you completely eliminate fat in one of those diets? Didn't last long on that one, did you? If being ravenous within an hour of eating a plate of steamed veggies didn't do you in, then surely the lack of energy and fuzzy thinking did. Let's talk about why you need fat in your diet. Animal and vegetable fats provide valuable, concentrated energy; they also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Fats slow the absorption of nutrients into your system so that you can go longer without feeling hungry, and they aid in sugar and insulin metabolism, which helps you lose weight. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins, aid in the absorption of vital minerals, and help facilitate a host of other important biological operations within the body.
Convinced? Good! I know your next question is, How do I know if foods that contain fat are good to eat or not? It all boils down to molecular structure, and how different kinds of fat molecules affect your body. The fats considered to be healthiest come from plants and vegetables. They are called unsaturated fats, and here's a basic look at the science behind them: Unsaturated fat molecules contain at least one pair of carbons linked by a double bond. Since hydrogen can't break this bond, it can't bond with these carbons, so any fat molecule with one or more double-bonded carbons is considered "unsaturated" by hydrogen. Now keep your eyes peeled for the magic word — unsaturated — on food packaging.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
9:54 AM ::
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Barbecue season is upon us and that can be fantastic news for dieters: grilling is one of the best ways to impart flavor to foods without added fat.
In fact, in many cases, all you really need to create a delicious, low-fat backyard meal is a spatula and some pretty basic ingredients (and your trusty chef's hat, of course). So what's cooking on grills across the country? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans will consume at least 7 billion hot dogs during "prime grilling time" which goes from Memorial Day to Labor Day. And that might not be such good news for attaining a summer-ready body.
Just one Ballpark hot dog has 180 calories and 16 grams of fat. Add the requisite bun and you'll get an additional 120 calories and 2 grams of fat. If you're biting into an oversized, stand-style frank, you'll get 230 calories and 22 grams of fat from Oscar Mayer's XXL Deli Style Beef Franks. But the top dogs when it comes to bad nutrition are fast-food franks, like Dairy Queen's All Beef Foot Long Frank with 550 calories and 35 grams of fat.
Plus, calories and fat aren't the only numbers that are sky-high in most frankfurters. Sodium levels can be downright astronomical. Some have as much as 1,800 milligrams per dog -- that's more than half the recommended daily limit.
Luckily, this ballpark standard doesn't have to strike out your dieting efforts -- just teach that old dog some new tricks. This spring, scan your supermarket's refrigerator section for leaner varieties, such as Ballpark fat-free franks with 40 calories and 0 grams of fat and Healthy Choice low-fat franks with 70 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. You can also substitute beef hot dogs for the chicken or turkey assortment, like those from Louis Rich, which have a still reasonable 85 calories and 6 grams of fat.
So fire up the grill and enjoy one of America's favorite pastimes without the guilt -- we assure you, these lighter hot dog options can leave you looking more like a Greyhound rather than a Basset Hound. Try this ready-for-the-grill recipe this weekend -- it comes complete with that other summer staple, coleslaw.
Chili Dogs and Slaw
1 bag pre-cut coleslaw vegetables 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise 1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt 1 1/2 tablespoons. apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon-style or honey mustard 1 1/2 tablespoons Splenda artificial sweetener 1 package tofu hot dogs 1 package hot dog rolls 1 can vegetarian chili (such as Health Valley or Amy's Organic)
Combine vegetables, mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and sweetener in a bowl. Chill, about one hour. Prepare hot dogs and chili according to package instructions. Place hot dogs in rolls and top with chili; serve alongside coleslaw.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
9:31 AM ::
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Think you’re too old to start a strength training program? Well think again! Strength training is just what your body needs to fight the loss of muscle, bone mass and strength that comes with age.
Everyone, no matter how young or old, should be doing some kind of regular strength training. This could be at the gym, or at home using very little equipment. Resistance bands and balls, small hand weights, water and even your own body weight can be used as resistance when designing a strength training program.
So what’s the point? If you’ve never participated in a strength training program, why start now? Here are some very important reasons strength training makes a difference in your quality of life:
Improves your ability to do everyday activities: The stronger your muscles, the easier it is to get groceries out of the car, get a package off of the top cabinet shelf, push the lawnmower…..the list goes on and on!
Improves your balance and stability: The stronger and more resilient your muscles, the more balance is sturdier. This will help keep you safe in your daily activities and decreases the risk of falls or accidents.
Builds muscle strength: Adults lose between five and seven pounds of muscle every decade after age 20. Strength training will help prevent this muscle loss, and rebuild what you may have lost.
Decreases your risk of osteoporosis: Inactivity and aging can lead to a decrease in bone density, leading to brittleness. Studies have shown that consistent strength training can increase bone density and prevent osteoporosis.
Reduces blood pressure: Strength training can be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure by strengthening the heart, allowing it to beat more efficiently.
Increases calorie burn: Strength training increases the body's metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories throughout the day. This aids significantly in long term weight loss.
Reduces low back pain: Research has shown that strength training can increase low back strength and alleviate low back pain.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
7:44 AM ::
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