Diet- Friendly Summertime Coffee Drinks

Iced Capp? Iced Coffee? Frappuccino? Iced Mocha? No matter what your choice, it still spells one thing....loads of calories and most of them from fat!

So, how can you enjoy your favourite gourmet drinks without all the empty calories? I have a couple recipes today to help you enjoy those ‘treat” drinks.  These will taste so good that you’ll swear they aren't good for you but they are! The protein powder not only curbs hunger pangs but adds that metabolically active ingredient...PROTEIN!

I have a couple different ones I use, they are both quite flexible in terms of milk that you use, but once you try them you can work out what suits your taste buds or time frame best.  Play around with them to develop the taste you enjoy, without the calories!

If you just want to wet the whistle, try pouring cold coffee over ice!  Add a little sweetener if you must but I like it straight up!

Vanilla Iced Coffee

-sugar-free non-fat vanilla yogurt
-non-fat milk (or almond milk, rice milk or soy milk – vanilla flavoured, if you prefer)
-instant coffee crystals
-vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder
-cinammon

Directions: You’ll start by spooning sugar-free, nonfat vanilla yogurt in an ice cube tray and freezing it into cubes overnight.  Then you’ll add them to a blender with a splash of milk, a teaspoon of instant coffee crystals, and a scoop of vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder. Lastly, just sprinkle on some cinnamon to add a little fat-burning kick. If you want to cut down on the caffeine, just use decaffeinated instant coffee instead.

Quick Iced Mocha or Vanilla Coffee

-ice cubes
-1 cup non-fat milk, almond milk, soy or rice milk (can use vanilla flavoured milk for more of that vanilla flavour)
-instant coffee crystals or 1 c strong cold leftover coffee (I make extra to use for iced coffee!)
-1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (for mocha) or vanilla
-cinammon and/or stevia (sweetener) to taste

Directions: Throw all the ingredients in a blender or good shaker cup and give it a good shake or until you see it has thickened. Pour into a tall glass and sip away! Easy to prepare and no chore to drink (about 200 cal and 25g Protein).

Oats Aren't Just for Breakfast!

No, I am not finished extolling the virtues of the humble oat.  I assume you all got the picture on how good they are for you, but have you ever thought beyond the breakfast bowl?

Today I am going to give you one of my favourite ways to serve oats (and it's not a breakfast food!)

Oat Pilaf
2 tbsp oil
1/2 c chopped onion and/or green onion
1/2 cup chopped green or red pepper, mushrooms, celery and/or zucchini (opt) or any leftover vegetables
1 1/2 cup oats (not the instant variety!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c vegetable stock, chicken stock, tomato juice or water (may need a pinch of salt if you use water)
1/4 c chopped parsley
1/2 tsp ea basil and oregano (or to taste)
Saute the onion and other veg in the oil until tender.  Mix the oats with the egg and add to the onion mixture, cooking and stirring until the grains are dry and separated. Add liquid and seasonings; simmer uncovered, stirring a few times until the oats are swollen and tender, about 5 min. 

Goes well with an egg dish.  I particularly like the leftovers for breakfast!

The Underrated Oat

Besides your morning bowl of oatmeal, have you ever thought much about the humble oat (other than a staple for William Wallace aka Braveheart)??? 

Oats: so pale, so small, and so easy to ignore. Some people look at a bowl of oatmeal and say, "blah!" Others gaze upon a lumpy mush of hot oats, with steam clouding their dreamy eyes, and sigh, "ahhh…" Are you an oat-lover? Here's why you should take the oat oath and eat more of these oh-so-wholesome whole grains.

Oats boast an impressive nutritional profile. Modest oats hide their impressive virtues inside of those unassuming little hulls. One cup of oats provides 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fibre. Fibre is a multitalented nutrient, protecting us from any number of potential health problems (see the next several oat benefits!). Eat one cup of oats and you'll rack up nearly 70% of your daily needs for manganese, a mineral that helps enzymes in bone formation. You'll also get good helpings of vitamin B1 and magnesium. (That is impressive!)

Oats fill you up. For all that nutritional intensity, one cup of oats will only cost you 147 calories. But it's not the calories in oatmeal that fill you up - it's the fibre. In addition, the grain falls on the low end of the glycemic index (GI), which is a ranking of how carbohydrates affect your blood sugar levels. When you eat oats, your body will digest and absorb them slowly, keeping you feeling full, controlling your appetite, and delaying hunger pangs. (Gotta love that benefit!)

Oats may help reduce cholesterol. Among all grains, oats have the highest proportion of soluble fibre. This gel-like fibre transits your intestinal tract and may help trap substances associated with high blood cholesterol. Studies show that people with high blood cholesterol who eat just 3 g of soluble fibre per day can reduce their total cholesterol by 8% to 23% (ahem...remember that one cup of oats yields 4 g)!

Oats are diabetes-friendly. For the same reason that the fibre in oats helps to stave off hunger, it also helps to steady the levels of glucose in the bloodstream. People with diabetes especially benefit from this awesome oat trait. Most people need about 26 g to 35 g of fibre per day, but those with diabetes need upwards of 50 g. A fibre-filled bowl of oats can provide some of the much needed nutrient. Just be sure not to tip the balance by adding too much sugar or other blood glucose-spiking toppers to your oats. (Try using fruit, cinnamon or use fruit flavoured yogurt to help sweeten it up)

Oats support healthy digestion. The insoluble fibre in oats scrubs through the intestines, moving food along and helping to prevent constipation. Also, people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who follow a diet higher in fibre and lower in total fat may experience fewer symptoms of GERD (such as heartburn).

Oats can shield your skin. At some point in human history, someone discovered how nice it felt to apply oats to dry, itchy, irritated skin. Moms have been stirring raw oats into hot baths for generations to soothe children's chickenpox symptoms, and many people make DIY facial masks by blending oatmeal with yogurt and honey. The starchiness of oats creates a barrier that allows the skin to hold its moisture, while the rougher fibrous husk of the oat acts as a gentle exfoliant. (I have been doing this for years and it does make great facials!)

There is so much more to oats than oatmeal! Oats are an affordable and nutrient-dense food that can be used in many ways. Beyond the breakfast bowl, oats can be added to cookies, breads, pancakes, or stuffing; sprinkled atop fruit cobblers or crumbles; plopped into a smoothie to boost its fibre and bulk; and ground to make flour for baking. Anywhere you need a little texture, a little extra oomph, turn to oats. And oatmeal itself comes in several varieties (i.e., slower-cooking steel-cut, old-fashioned rolled oats, or quick "instant" oats) and can be dressed with fresh berries, bananas, honey, seeds, or nuts.

If you choose to buy oats in bulk, only purchase as much as you could eat in two months time, after which the oats are more likely to spoil. Store in an airtight container tucked away in a cool, dry, dark spot in your cupboard.

Despite all of oats' virtues, not everyone should eat them. If you have celiac disease, be warned: Though oats may not be completely off-limits, some oat products are contaminated with wheat. Check with your doctor  before deciding to try oats or oatmeal and make sure to read the label.

Dr. Johnson, in the first English dictionary published in 1747, sarcastically dismissed oats as:"a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people.'  Fortunately, the entry did not go unchallenged, since John Boswell, a [Scottish] writer wrote this riposte:
"Which is why England is known for its horses and Scotland for its men."

Fat Shedding Foods

You've seen the infomercials just like we have--and they're particularly insane this time of the year. And of course we're all familiar with the various fads out there: slashing carbs, eating a super low fat diet, drastically reducing calories, etc. The list can go on forever.


But are there true foods that can help us shed fat?

Well, there are--sort of. Weight loss programs often focus on cutting nothing but calories, regardless of where those calories are coming from. That's not how I roll on any of my Fit and Foxy Eating Plans.  I am about focusing on quality. I hate the concept of virtually eliminating any macronutrient, but love the concept of doing so with certain types of macronutrients.

Licorice, candy, cookies, cake, etc--those are carbohydrates. And they're all junk. On the other hand, oatmeal, buckwheat, quinoa, vegetables, fruits, etc are also carbs and they couldn't be any better.

Likewise, butter, shortening, animal fat, and margarine are all junk fats, whereas fish oil, flax, olive oil, and avocados are all fantastic for you.

See the point? By switching the focus from just overall quantity to the quality of the nutrients consumed will help shed body fat--and, yes, we're saying a calorie isn't a calorie isn't a calorie (2000 calories from oil is much different than 2000 calories from fruit and vegetables).

So go back to the basics, focus on the simple, non- packaged foods, and understand that doing so will not only ultimately help you shed fat, but it will also drastically improve your health, how you feel, your energy, skin, mood, and so on and so on.

 Here are 3 rules to keep in mind:

See...no cartoon!

1. If a food has a cartoon on the package, put it back. (Trix are for Kids!!)


2. If you didn't find it on the perimeter of the store, put it back. (The exception to this is the bakery department in the supermarket...thought you'd sneak that one in???)


3. If the ingredient list is so long it reads like a Shakespeare novel, put it back! The less ingredients, the better. (need I say more???)

"We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons." ~Alfred E. Newman

7 Healthy Habits for Heartburn Sufferers

Heartburn is not only painful but can be plain annoying!  We all get it at some point in time, some people just seem to suffer more with it. 
Over-the-counter antacids and prescription medications are the most common treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)  .It is a complaint I hear from clients quite frequently so I thought it would be prudent to offer some suggestions to wean yourself off those antacids (not good to use long term!).  By following these steps on a daily basis you can minimize or eliminate those annoying gastro problems.  Regardless of how bad your GERD symptoms are, successfully fighting it requires some changes in lifestyle -ranging from the food you eat to the clothes you wear.

If you stick to them every day, these seven habits may help minimize GERD symptoms.

1.  Small, frequent meals (yes, the right kind of snacking is GOOD!) - A very full stomach can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus to relax, pushing stomach acids back up into the esophagus.  Eat several small meals throughout the day rather than the standard 3 big meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Don’t make that last meal too late, though: Eating close to bedtime can trigger symptoms as well.)
2. Avoid "trigger" foods (check out my blog recipes or my recipe books - good food doesn't have to be boring and tasteless!) Be it chocolate or caffeine, certain foods and drinks are notorious for exacerbating GERD symptoms.  The list includes spicy foods, fatty red meat, French fries (and other fried foods), citrus fruit, raw onion, tomatoes, butter, oil, peppermint, chocolate and caffeine.  I am not saying you should avoid all of them, but take note which ones may cause problems for YOU!
3. Back off the Alcohol (heavy sigh...) - Alcohol is a bad idea for most people with GERD, especially if you drink too much, or on a regular basis. Alcohol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, which lets stomach acid creep into the esophagus.  A 1999 study showed that those who imbibed more than seven drinks per week were the most likely to have heartburn.
4. Shed some Pounds (you knew I would work that in there somewhere...didn't you???) - Excess weight can contribute to heartburn and acid reflux. A 2003 study of more than 10,000 people found a strong link between GERD symptoms and body mass index (BMI). Obese people are nearly three times more likely than people of normal weight to have heartburn and acid reflux.  Experts aren’t exactly sure why. Excess abdominal fat may place pressure on the stomach, but it may also cause chemical or hormonal changes that make the body more susceptible.
5. Loosen those Waistbands (closely related to #4... smile...) -  Much like excess belly fat, clothing that's a tight fit around the midsection can push against your stomach and force acid into the esophagus. Sure those pants look great, but is it worth it? If you have heartburn, skip belts, waistbands, hosiery and undergarments that may be too tight or, if the shoe fits...refer to #4!
6.  Heads Up while you Sleep (ok...c'mon, you KNOW what I'm talking about...)- Avoid eating before bedtime and elevate your head six to eight inches while you sleep.This position doesn’t necessarily reduce the frequency of acid reflux, but research shows it helps stomach acid drain from the esophagus more quickly. One study reported a 67% increase in acid clearance time.
7. Quit Smoking (need I say more??) -  We know that smoking damages your heart and lungs. But what about your digestive system? Yep, that too. Nicotine, like alcohol, may worsen GERD symptoms by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter, which causes stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus.  Smoking also causes bile salts to migrate from the small intestine into the stomach and reduces the amount of saliva you produce. (Saliva helps flush stomach acid out of the esophagus). Combine smoking with any of the other above mentioned habits and you get a double-whammy of possible sympton triggers.

Wearing the Green

There is nothing like St. Patrick's Day for bringing out the beer drinker in you!
However, most beers have 110 to 160 calories in each 12 oz bottle. And some beers have more than 300
calories in a single 12 oz bottle.  Yikes...that’s a lot of calories!

With St. Patrick’s day right around the corner, I thought it would be a timely reminder that alcohol is NOT going to help you lose weight, not unless you want to be wearing the effects of the green beer for a while longer!

In fact, alcohol works against you two ways:
1. Alcoholic drinks are often packed with calories. Not just beer, but mixed drinks, too!
2. Alcohol slows down your metabolism, which forces your body to store more fat.

By all means, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green... just avoid the alcohol if you can help it.

If you want to drink something green...try Green Tea...or one of my favourites...

Green Smoothie!Green smoothies consist of 3 basic ingredients: greens, fruit and water. Have fun experimenting with a wide range of varieties of both the greens and the fruit in order to reap the most benefit. You may be surprised to find that the simple combination of greens and fruit is quite delicious.

Here's what you need...
• 1 bunch (2 cups) spinach or any other dark greens
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1-2 cups water
In a high speed blender mix the ingredients until smooth.

Nutritional Analysis: This single serving equals: 199 calories, 1g fat, 47g carbohydrate, 10g fibre, 6g protein.

10 Minutes to a Healthier YOU - Reduce Fat Intake

Reducing your Fat intake can be easier ( and tastier) than you think...
The way you shop, cook, and prepare foods can really impact your fat intake. It may take a bit of discipline at first, but after a few weeks you'll have formed a new habit with very measurable benefits to show for it. Here are a few simple tips...

1. Substitute some or most of the oil/butter in cake and muffin recipes with unsweetened applesauce
2. Read labels...look at some of your favourite packaged foods...if there are more than 5 or 6 grams of fat per serving (and some of those serving sizes may be quite small, so be sure to read that info as well), then look for a lower fat version. For example, fat-free ham, lower fat cheeses, skim or 1% milk,
3. Cut down on your fatty favourites.  If burgers and fries visit your menu more often than once a week, just cutting out one of those meals will save you a lot of fat calories and a fat belly!
4. Love your meat?  Cut off the visible fat and remove the skin on poultry before cooking...the tempatation is thus eliminated! 
5. And....Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday....

Avocado and Pea Guacamole

Although avocado are one of the "good fats", you can still have too much of a good thing!  Your Super Bowl party guests are sure to gobble this tasty dip right up, even though it's lower in fat than the real thing! Serve with baked tortilla chips (or take some whole-wheat or corn tortillas and slice into wedges with a pizza cutter and toast in 250F oven) and lots of cut-up fresh vegetables. Yields: About 2 1/2 cups

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1/3 cup store-bought medium-hot salsa
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 chopped tomato 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (Or cilantro paste)
• pinch of salt (if you must)
• garlic, hot sauce, to taste (optional)

1. In food processor (with knife blade attached) or blender, puree peas until almost smooth; set aside.
2. In medium bowl, with fork, mash avocado. Add peas and remaining ingredients to mashed avocado; stir until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

10 Minutes to a Healthier YOU - Reduce Sugar Intake

If you are anything like me, you have a sweet tooth.  I know many "experts" say to cut out sweets and sugar entirely, but I find I that if I make adjustments to favourite recipes (cutting down the sugar and/or replacing it with fruit), I can still have my cake and eat it too (so to speak!). 

Quick tip 1:  Take a favourite recipe and reduce the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3...even doing it gradually so your sweet quotient lessens. 
Quick tip 2: Use dried fruits or some dark chocolate and reduce the sugar so you still get some sweetness but with added fibre and nutrients.
Quick tip 3:  Use fruits like bananas, strawberries and applesauce to not only add sweetness but to replace some of the moistness that is lost when you cut down the fat and oil you use in recipes (more on that tomorrow!)
Here is a quick sweet treat as an example:

Ginger Oatmeal Cookies

I find this cookie delicious, and I think it would be a very nice "clif bar" type base. Try adding dried apricots, dried plums, or dried nectarines to make a heftier snack. I love these cookies! 

• 1 1/2 jars baby food (with bananas) (I'm not kidding!)
• 1/2 cup molasses (great for iron, but if you don't like it, use honey or brown sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 c whole wheat flour (or gluten-free all purpose flour)
• 2 c oats
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ginger
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• dried fruit, if you like

Mix and bake at 350 F, 10-15 minutes. The above makes 21 cookies at 50 calories a pop.  

6 Tips for Starting a Fat Loss Program

Okay...the New Year is in full swing and you are ready to embrace a healthier lifestyle.  Maybe you don't necessarily want to change your life around completely, you just want to start to make some changes and lose a few pounds in the process.  Well, follow the tips below and you will find "making changes" not to be all that intimidating :

1. Reduce sugar intake: Many studies have associated sugar to higher calorie consumption. When you consume something sweet, you will simply want to eat more. Moreover, sugar consumption leads to the excretion of chromium from the body. Chromium is what helps the body to form calorie burning lean tissue.
2. Reduce fat intake: Higher fat intake leads to obesity. Ideally only 25% of your calorie intake should be from fat, and even that fat should be non-saturated. Most processed foods fall into the ‘saturated fat’ or 'trans fat' category, so it would be best to avoid them.
3. Drink lots of water: Drinking water is very effective for weight loss. Usually people mistake thirst for hunger and tend to overeat. Next time you feel like grabbing a snack, go drink some water first.  You may find you weren't hungry at all...just thristy! Drinking water also adds volume to your food, thus making you feel full faster. Water is also necessary for the proper distribution of nutrients in the body.
4. Exercise: Exercise is necessary for faster weight loss. Exercising regularly will help you burn more calories and keep the lost weight away. This doesn't mean spending hours on a treadmill or at the gym. Start with a 10-15 minute session, thrice a week and gradually increase it to 20-30-minute sessions, and build up the intensity, or how hard you work, in that time.  (stay tuned for a couple of quick 10 minute workouts tomorrow!)
5. Strength Training: Most people will be involved in cardio and aerobics exercises as part of their weight loss program. Another form of exercise, strength training, is also quite effective for weight loss. Strength training helps to build more muscles and boosts the body’s metabolic rate, which leads to faster weight loss. So, make sure to incorporate some resistance work into your program. (stay tuned for a couple of quick 10 minute workouts tomorrow!)
6. Increase fiber intake: Increasing your fiber intake helps you curb hunger. Increased fiber in your food is more filling, thus making you feel fuller. Fruit, whole grain cereals and vegetables are high in fiber. Avoid eating processed foods, as they are low in fiber and high in calorie content.
   
   
   Just incorporating these tips (even one at a time) in your daily life will help you lose weight - the more tips you follow, the faster you will see results.

Missing the Junk Food?

You've started the New Year off on the right foot...but those nagging FEED ME! pains has you looking longingly at those "forbidden foods"....here is a tip to help turn down the volume on your hunger pangs....

Fill your diet full of healthy nutritious food!  Don't obsess about how much you should be eating or the foods you are missing. Instead, spend your energy thinking about what you should be eating.

If nutrient-rich fruit, vegetables, and whole grains aren't making frequent appearances in your diet, your body is going to miss them and loudly ask for more fuel. Same goes for lean proteins and healthful fats. Once you feed yourself better, and your body gets past the initial junk-food withdrawal, your taste buds will start to crave the healthy stuff.  

 Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

~Doug Larson

Christmas Dinner Damage Control

If you are dreading that big Christmas dinner and worrying that all your months/weeks of hard work are going to go down the drain...there is HOPE!!  Actually, like all things at this time of the year, a little planning goes a long way.

1.  On the morning of the feast, make sure you eat a high protein breakfast with some insoluable fibre. For example: scrambled eggs with some black beans on the side, Cottage Cheese with some beans, or if you really hate beans, use some ground flaxseeds.  (it doesn't have to be a big meal).  The protein will decrease your appetite and the fibre helps fill you up as well as aiding "passage" later on!

2.  Timothy Ferriss (author of the newly released "4-Hour Body") suggests a small grapefruit juice before a gorge meal (hey, anything is worth a try!) to assist with blood glucose levels.

3.  Drink lots of water!  Add lemon or lime juice to it...but drink LOTS!! 

4.  Move.  Instead of plopping on the couch like a bear preparing for hybernation, move around.  Do some bodyweight squats, push ups against the wall, knee lifts...go for a stroll (a good time to wander about the neighbourhood looking at the decorations!)  You don't have to do a lot (a minute or two) just enough to give your body the idea that the food needs to keep moving ( somewhere other than the fat cells...)

5.  NO guilt!  It's a special day...eat what you like.  Just try to confine it to the one day.  Don't let yourself fall into the "well, I blew it today...might as well continue until Jan 1, when I start my diet".  If you have a few events over the Christmas period, pick one day where you will eat whatever you like and throw caution to the wind.  The other days you will try to show some restraint.  Sound good?

I know Christmas only happens once a year (thank goodness!) but having a few tips to get you through it with little or no effect on your body will be worth it when the New Year rolls around and you find yourself not dreading standing on the scale!

Tips to Stay Lean and Fit During the Holidays (part 3)

The final 3 tips in the quest for a happy and healthy holiday:

7. Exercise at home. You’ll be more inclined to follow-through on your exercise commitment if you don’t have to drive somewhere to do your workout. Plus, you won’t waste any time on driving, parking, the locker room or waiting to use equipment. Working out at home requires very little equipment (it even can be
equipment-free) and is quite inexpensive (and who isn't trying to save time and money at this time of year!)

8. Avoid wasting calories on alcoholic beverages. The average alcoholic drink contains 150-200 calories per glass. Indulge in just 2-3 drinks and you’ve swallowed the equivalent calories of an entire meal! If you partake in these beverages, choose wisely. For example, instead of having a full glass of wine, try mixing half a glass of wine with sparkling water or with a diet beverage. Or, drink low-calorie beer. This will help cut your calories in half. Drinking excessive alcohol will also stop your metabolism from burning FAT! Not too mention that feeling you get when you wake up the next day feeling tired and dehydrated.  Try drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume...your BODY and your BRAIN will thank you!

9. When running errands or shopping, be sure to pack some fat-burning snacks to have on-hand.
Some great examples are Protein Fudge Bars and Baked Granola Cookies from my e-book “4 Week Fat Incinerator Formula”. Or, purchase some good quality Protein Bars instead.  Then after you work-up a big appetite, you won’t be tempted to grab something at the mall food court or the fast food restaurant on the way home.

And lastly...tell yourself -
“ I will allow myself to indulge a little and also make healthier choices”.  The Power is the choosing…..when you allow yourself to have what you want you are less likely to overindulge. One of the most powerful things I teach in my "4 Week Fat Incinerator Formula”  is the mental aspect, particularly visualization. What you can do is to picture yourself making healthier choices and feeling great in your best holiday outfit!


Happy Healthy Holidays!

Tips to Stay Lean and Fit During the Holidays (part 2)

3 more tips to help you survive the holiday parties unscathed:
4. Schedule your workouts.  Mark them on the calendar and set-aside time to complete them. Consider them as important as any other appointment or event you have marked on your calendar. One of my secret fat-loss tips to burn the most fat is doing a cardio session first thing in the morning. This will not only accelerate your fat-burning process but you will have more energy to shop longer! Don't forget to incorporate weight training in your program - having more lean muscle will speed up your metabolism and keep your body lean and toned. When you weight train your metabolism is elevated even more throughout the day then just doing cardio. In my 27 years of experience I have seen too many women stop with their exercise program during the holidays. Not only will this make you feel tired, but it does not allow your body to burn off those extra holiday calories, and it takes twice as long to get your body into shape when you start after the New Year.

5. When at a party, start by eating some of the healthy offerings. For example, vegetable sticks (without dip), fruit pieces, plain chicken pieces, etc. Then move on to some of the less healthy (but yummy) offerings. You will be less likely to overindulge on these foods if you have already filled-up on some of the healthier items. Yet, you will not feel deprived or unsatisfied.

6. Eat little bits of your favourites!  When presented with a large variety of food options, it’s tempting to want to eat everything. Rather than eating one large slice of chocolate cake or a huge plate of meatballs,
select a sampling of bite size pieces of several of the dessert or appetizer offerings. This way you get the enjoyment of trying many different foods without overeating.

Tomorrow...the final 3 tips for staying lean and fit over the holidays...

Tips to Stay Lean and Fit During the Holidays (part 1)

Here are some tips to help you stay lean and fit and still be able to indulge during those hectic holiday weeks:

1. Create a plan ahead of time. Before the holidays sneak up on you, create a plan for incorporating fitness and good nutrition into your daily routine. Evaluate your holiday schedule and then determine how much time you will realistically have available to devote to working out and/or eating healthy meals.

2. Don’t put your fitness goals on hold until the New Year. If you can’t exercise as often during this time period as you normally do, adjust appropriately. Don’t use the excuse that since you don’t have time for your full workout you just won’t workout at all. Instead accept your limited availability and simply reduce the
frequency and/or duration of your exercise. It’s much better to cut your fitness time in half than to completely eliminate it.

3. On the day of a party, be sure to eat regularly all day long.  One of the secrets to avoid the holiday weight gain is to eat small meals throughout the day (consisting of some lean proteins like chicken or low fat dairy products) to keep your metabolism elevated. When you are at the party you are less likely to overindulge, not to mention if you starve yourself all day and save up your calories, your body can not process all those calories at once, and as a result you gain FAT!

Stay tuned for 3 more tips tomorrow....

How Women Can Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain

It's that time again....the silly season!

Did you know?  The average woman gains 7-12 lbs between US Thanksgiving and New Year’s!  Yikes!!!!



Since the holidays are traditionally a time for fun and indulgence, you probably prefer not to think about fitness between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Don’t worry! The festivities don’t have to be eliminated or avoided. You can have a fabulous time while also maintaining your weight and your fitness regimen.

Moderation is the secret to achieving a fun and also healthy holiday season.

There are two typical approaches to the seasonal festivities:

1) Throw all healthy habits out the window and indulge in every guilty pleasure

2) Starve and binge approach (for example, you eat nothing all day long to allow yourself to overindulge in party food). Of course, neither approach is successful at maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle throughout the holiday season.

However,  with a moderate approach both to what you eat (or don’t eat) and how much exercise you do (or don’t do), you can avoid packing on extra weight AND also partake in all the fun of the season. So this season, get a head start on the New Year instead of starting January with extra pounds to lose.

Tomorrow: Some tips to help you stay lean and fit and still partake of some of those holiday indulgences.

4 Steps to Prevent Pound Rebound

When it comes to the scale, what goes down usually comes up; 95% of dieters regain the weight they lost within 3 years.  Want a few tips to help prevent regaining weight and beat the statistics?

NIBBLE BEFORE YOU NETWORK

Nearly 55% of regainers said office culture (business lunches, happy hours, birthdays and other office functions) is a diet saboteur.  Outsmart any overdulging by snacking on a handful of nuts or a fibre-rich bar such as Fibre 1 (around 140 cals) or 1/2 a Clif Bar (or make your won!) before you meet with clients or coworkers. 

GIMME FIVE!
The still-svelte people are twice as likely to eat a total of five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily.  You can eat a pile of filling produce instead of a measly handful of chips for the same amount of calories or less.

SHELVE THE DIET BOOKS
When regainers start to put pounds back on, they are more likely to turn to diet books instead of the plan that helped them lose the weight in the first place.  Diet books can be a great refresher, but they can't replace healthy behaviours.  For a little "light" reading, try a low-cal cookbook.

POWER THROUGH AN HOUR
Succesful losers continue to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes a day.  Don't drop your workout regimen once the pounds have melted off.  Exercise gives you an edge - burning even an extra 100 or 200 calories a day can help halt weight gain creeping back on.  Be sure to change your routine to help prevent boredom and your body adapting to doing the same thing all the time.

"The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends." - Anon

Get Back on Track

Ah...vacation...holidays!!  As much as we love them...Does this sound like you???

Q.  I recently went away on vacation and spent the entire time drinking and eating fatty foods.  Now I'm sluggish and "out of whack!"  Are there any healthy ways to quickly get myself back on track?

A.  As with all overindulgences, it takes time to return to equilibrium.  Getting plenty of rest, exercising regularly, being well-hydrated and abstaining from alcohol for several days will usually do the trick. 

You may have missed out on some sleep and incurred a sleep debt.  If this is so, it's impossible to predict how much sleep you'll need to make up the deficit.  Say you've been awake for 24 hrs straight due to traveling - you'll probably need to "catch up" on at least the 8 hrs you missed.  I would suggest increasing your sleep for 1-3 subsequent nights to make up the deficit.  Pay close attention to your body; if you are still tired when you wake up, you'll need more sleep.  If not, you're more than likely already caught up!

In terms of detoxifying your body, fatty foods are not toxic.  Periodic excess of high-calorie comfort dishes is unlikely to cause long-term effects such as weight gain or elevated cholesterol.  Alcohol, however, is toxic.  Once consumed, it metabolizes into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde - which is more harmful to the body than the ingested alcohol itself.

I recommend spending the next week paying special attention to eating lots of fruit and veggies, in addition to drinking a minimum of 8-10 glasses of water daily.  Give your body a rest.  Get your mind and body back on track through some light cardio, light exercises and/or yoga.  If days go by without a sing of improvement, see your Doctor or nutritionist to review your diet.  Overindulgences have an effect on your homeostasis, but continued overindulgences can have more serious and long-term consequences!

“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.” - Robert Orben

Decifering Food Labels (Part 2)

NATURAL - May not contain, or have ever contained an added vitamin, mineral nutrient, artificial flavouring agent or food additive.

ORGANIC - Now regulated across Canada, products marked organic or bearing the new Canada Organic label are certified to come from farm systems employing management practices that seek to nurture ecosystems and achieve sustainable productivity.  Animal products marked organic are grown without antibiotics or hormones.

REDUCED - Must contain at least 25% less of a nutrient or ingredient than the regular version of the same product.

REDUCED IN CALORIES - Must provide at least 25% less calories than the regular version of the same product.

SOURCE OF CALCIUM - Must contain at least 165mg of calcium per serving.

SOURCE OF FIBRE - Must provide at least 4g of fibre per serving.

WHOLE WHEAT - Usually refers to a refined grain that only contains the bran and the endosperm, but does not contain, or contains very little of the nutrient-dense grain.

WHOLE GRAIN -  Refers to the entire grain including its nutrient-dense germ.  Whole grain is always a healthier choice than whole wheat.

"American consumers have no problem with carcinogens, but they will not purchase any product, including floor wax, that has fat in it." - Dave Barry

Decifering Food Labels (Part 1)

Food Stores are brimming with products that make all sorts of important sounding claims.  But how do you interpret what the claims stand for?  To help you navigate the aisles, I've compiled a list of the most common food labelling terms and defined what they really mean!

CHOLESTEROL-FREE - Product contains less than 2mg of cholesterol and is low in saturated fat.  However, the product may not necessarily be low in total fat.

FREE - The word "free" on the label means that the associated ingredient or nutrient is not present at all or is present in amounts considered nutritionally insignificant.

FREE RANGE - Hens are raised free from cages and are allowed some access to the outside.

FREE RUN - Hens are raised free from cages and are kept entirely indoors on a barn floor.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED - The product has been changed by way of intentional gene manipulation.

KOSHER - Describes food and practices that are specifically permitted by Jewish dietary law.

LIGHT - "Light" may refer to nutrition or to aesthetics.  When referring to nutrition, light is allowed for foods that are reduced in fat or reduced in calories.  With respect to colour, taste or texture, an explanation of what makes the food light is required on the label.

LOW FAT - Must contain less than 3g of fat per serving.

LOW IN SATURATED FAT - Each serving must contain less than 2g of saturated fat and trans fat combined.

"So my doctor told me to watch what I'm eating - to read food labels. I'm in the store reading the Fig Newtons label: I've always liked Fig Newtons. I'm reading the label to make sure everything's fine: fat content. I looked at the serving size; two cookies. Who eats two cookies? I eat Fig Newtons by the sleeve: two sleeves is a serving size. I open them both and eat them like a tree chipper; Fig Newton shavings coming off the side." - Comedian Brian Regan (click his name to watch this)

Supercharge Your Metabolism - Eat 6 Meals a Day

THE SIX MEALS A DAY RULE
It isn't a secret that eating smaller more frequent meals leads to a more efficient metabolism.  Digestion takes energy, as you use calories to digest, absorb and assimilate food.  So, the more often you eat, the more calories you burn through digestion.  That doesn't mean that you're allowed to eat more calories throughout the day - you should split your proper, planned food intake into smaller, more frequent meals.  Munching on snacks during the day (like baby carrots or protein bars) is a good way to avoid overeating at breakfast, lunch and dinner and incorporate more low-carb meals into your diet.

By the same token, the fastest way to slow down your metabolism is by following extreme diets.  Starvation diets (around 500 calories or less) can decrease your metabolism by up to 50%.  Even the most physiologically sound diet will gradually lead to a slow decline.  I encourage a moderate (as in weekly) splurge meal to prevetn this from happening. (YIPEE!!!!)

Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces. ~Judith Viorst