Eat vegetables to be healthy

With all the national attention given to America's obesity crisis, it's shocking that obesity rates have risen in 31 states since last year, according to the Trust for America's Health. No state has shown a decline. Could it be that fast food, fried chicken wings and greasy cheeseburgers are sabotaging our fight against fat?

As a dietitian, I know that millions of Americans are struggling to lose weight. As long as we continue to eat high-fat meat and dairy products and sugary, processed junk foods, weight loss will be difficult. But studies have shown that a vegan diet is a powerful tool for controlling body weight. A growing body of scientific research - including the comprehensive China Health Study - suggests that people who maintain a healthy weight tend to eat a low-fat, plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. In fact, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that vegetarians weigh significantly less than their meat-eating counterparts.

America needs a diet makeover - not more pills or quick-fix weight-loss schemes - and a vegan diet can help. For more information about transitioning to a healthier diet, go to www.GoVegetarian.org.

Via www.the-dispatch.com

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How To Lose Weight Without Dieting – 10 tips

Sure, you can lose weight quickly. There are plenty of fad diets that work to shed pounds rapidly -- while leaving you feeling hungry and deprived. But what good is losing weight only to regain it? To keep pounds off permanently, it's best to lose weight slowly. And many experts say you can do that without going on a "diet." Instead, the key is making simple tweaks to your lifestyle.

One pound of fat -- is equal to 3,500 calories. By shaving 500 calories a day through dietary and exercise modifications, you can lose about a pound a week. If you only need to maintain your current weight, shaving 100 calories a day is enough to avoid the extra 1-2 pounds most adults gain each year.

Adopt one or more of these simple, painless strategies to help lose weight without going on a "diet":

1. Eat Breakfast Every Day. One habit that's common to many people who have lost weight and kept it off is eating breakfast every day. "Many people think skipping breakfast is a great way to cut calories, but they usually end up eating more throughout the day, says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. "Studies show people who eat breakfast have lower BMIs than breakfast-skippers and perform better, whether at school or in the boardroom." Try a bowl of whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and low-fat dairy for a quick and nutritious start to your day.

2. Close the Kitchen at Night. Establish a time when you will stop eating so you won't give in to the late-night munchies or mindless snacking while watching television. "Have a cup of tea, suck on a piece of hard candy or enjoy a small bowl of light ice cream or frozen yogurt if you want something sweet after dinner, but then brush your teeth so you will be less likely to eat or drink anything else," suggests Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, WebMD’s "Recipe Doctor" and the author of Comfort Food Makeovers.

3. Choose Liquid Calories Wisely. Sweetened drinks pile on the calories, but don’t reduce hunger like solid foods do. Satisfy your thirst with water, sparkling water with citrus, skim or low-fat milk, or small portions of 100% fruit juice. Try a glass of nutritious and low-calorie vegetable juice to hold you over if you get hungry between meals. Be careful of alcohol calories, which add up quickly. If you tend to drink a glass or two of wine or a cocktail on most days, limiting alcohol to the weekends can be a huge calorie saver.

4. Eat More Produce. Eating lots of low-calorie, high-volume fruits and vegetables crowds out other foods that are higher in fat and calories. Move the meat off the center of your plate and pile on the vegetables. Or try starting lunch or dinner with a vegetable salad or bowl of broth-based soup, suggests Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. The U.S. government's 2005 Dietary Guidelines suggest that adults get 7-13 cups of produce daily. Ward says that's not really so difficult: "Stock your kitchen with plenty of fruits and vegetables and at every meal and snack, include a few servings," she says. "Your diet will be enriched with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and if you fill up on super-nutritious produce, you won’t be reaching for the cookie jar."

5. Go for the Grain. By substituting whole grains for refined grains like white bread, cakes, cookies, and pretzels, you add much-needed fiber and will fill up faster so you're more likely to eat a reasonable portion. Choose whole-wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, bran flakes, popcorn, and whole-rye crackers.

6. Control Your Environments. Another simple strategy to help cut calories is to control your environment – everything from stocking your kitchen with lots of healthy options to choosing the right restaurants. That means avoiding the temptation by staying away from all-you-can-eat restaurants. And when it comes to parties, "eat a healthy snack before so you won’t be starving, and be selective when you fill your plate at the buffet," suggests Ward. Before going back for more food, wait at least 15 minutes and have a big glass of water.

7. Trim Portions. If you did nothing else but reduce your portions by 10%-20%, you would lose weight. Most of the portions served both in restaurants and at home are bigger than you need. Pull out the measuring cups to get a handle on your usual portion sizes, and work on paring them down. Get instant portion control by using small bowls, plates, and cups, says Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Mindless Eating. You won’t feel deprived because the food will look plentiful on dainty dishware.

8. Add More Steps. Get yourself a pedometer and gradually add more steps until you reach 10,000 per day. Throughout the day, do whatever you can to be more active -- pace while you talk on the phone, take the dog out for an extra walk, and march in place during television commercials. Having a pedometer serves as a constant motivator and reminder.

9. Have Protein at Every Meal and Snack. Adding a source of lean or low-fat protein to each meal and snack will help keep you feeling full longer so you're less likely to overeat. Try low-fat yogurt, small portion of nuts, peanut butter, eggs, beans, or lean meats. Experts also recommend eating small, frequent meals and healthy snacks (every 3-4 hours), to keep your blood sugar levels steady and to avoid overindulging.

10. Switch to Lighter Alternatives. Whenever you can, use the low-fat versions of salad dressings, mayonnaise, dairy products, and other products. "You can trim calories effortlessly if you use low-fat and lighter products, and if the product is mixed in with other ingredients, no one will ever notice," says Magee. More smart substitutions: Use salsa or hummus as a dip; spread sandwiches with mustard instead of mayo; eat plain roasted sweet potatoes instead of loaded white potatoes; use skim milk instead of cream in your coffee; hold the cheese on sandwiches; and use a little vinaigrette on your salad instead of piling on the creamy dressing.

Via http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-lose-weight-without-dieting

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4 effective snacking strategies

When you snack, you can fill in nutritional gaps, boost your intake of fruits and vegetables, keep your mood on an even keel, and help with appetite and weight control.

"There's even evidence that spreading calories out in frequent mini-meals and snacks requires less insulin, which can reduce your risk of developing diabetes," says David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center in New Haven, Connecticut. "Snacking helps you avoid the waning of energy that comes with consuming large meals." But when it comes to reaping all of these health benefits, every bite counts.

Snacking's reputation hasn't always been so rosy. "Most of the foods that have traditionally dominated as snack foods are not the healthiest choices -- they provide a lot of calories without much nutrition," says Cynthia Sass, R.D., M.P.H., a Tampa, Florida-based spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Unfortunately, many people choose snacks that derail their efforts to enhance their health -- by grabbing a handful of candy at a colleague's desk, a cookie from the coffee shop, or a bag of chips from the vending machine. And that doesn't include the calories we might drink: People often swig high-calorie beverages with their snacks -- and don't compensate for those calories by eating less later.

Besides failing to make a major nutritional contribution to your diet, sweet or starchy high-calorie snacks are easy to overindulge in because they taste good and are often readily accessible. Eating them is often a mindless transaction; we consume the food simply because it's there. In a study at Pennsylvania State University, researchers found that when they increased the portion size of packaged potato chips on five separate days, people naturally ate more without realizing it, consuming an additional 143 calories per day.

"The danger in snacking is that it can add extra calories to your day," Katz says. "By consuming 100 calories per day above what your body needs to maintain its weight, you can gain 10 pounds in a year." That's why it's important to budget calories for snacks, perhaps by shaving some calories from your meals. If you normally consume 1,800 calories per day, you might divide that into 500 calories for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then allow yourself two 150-calorie snacks.

Calorie control is key, particularly because people often overestimate how many calories they need in a snack. "What they eat may be closer to a small meal," Sass says. For example, 400 calories -- the amount in an average single-serving frozen meal -- is nearly equal to the number of calories in a candy bar and a cola.

Sensible Snacking

Many food manufacturers have caught on to consumers' desire for healthful snacks they can grab quickly and have begun to stock grocery-store cases, convenience stores, and airports with precut fruits and veggies, nuts, and calorie-controlled snacks in small, handy packages. You can also pack your own. On any given morning, Katz might pack a zip-top bag with whole-grain cereal, fresh and dried fruits, nonfat yogurt, baby carrots, or a mix of nuts and seeds that he can eat periodically throughout the day.

The timing of your snack can also help keep your diet on a healthful track. "The hungrier you are when you're snacking, the more likely you are to overeat," says Catherine Christie, Ph.D., R.D., director of nutrition programs at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. "If you go too long between meals, you can get low on energy and become overly hungry." Reach for a snack before you become ravenous, and you're likely to eat less.

Ultimately, your snacking habits should follow the same formula as your overall diet - all things in moderation. Every diet offers room for treats, and there's no reason to feel guilty about enjoying one. In fact, Keith Ayoob, Ed.D., R.D., a nutritionist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, recommends saving 10 percent of your daily calories and using them for snacks that you really want. "Sometimes it's not worth it to fight what you crave," he says. "Eating well is all about eating the right foods and eating a variety of foods the right way, and that's where snacking fits in," Ayoob says.

If your energy levels are flagging...

Solution: Consuming caffeine -- in the form of coffee or tea -- can help boost energy and alertness. Adding a bit of sugar and low-fat milk -- if you prefer -- adds only about 50 calories. Eating foods that blend complex carbohydrates and lean protein can also provide energy. Complex carbohydrates provide readily available fuel for your body, while protein increases the brain's dopamine levels, thereby boosting alertness. Healthful choices include a small handful of dried fruit and nuts, whole-grain crackers with a slice of cheese or a hard-boiled egg, or yogurt topped with a tablespoon of granola.

If mealtime is several hours away, but you're hungry now...

Solution: For a snack with staying power, eat something that mixes fiber and protein. (This is also a good strategy to tide you over until morning if you become hungry before bedtime.) In a study at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, researchers found that when nighttime snackers developed the habit of eating cereal with milk 90 minutes after dinner, they reduced their total daily calorie intake and increased their chances of losing weight, compared with those who ate whatever they wanted. The cereal's fiber and protein combination kept them full -- and prevented less mindful eating that can accompany evening routines. Other good hunger-curbing pairings include carrot sticks with hummus or black bean dip, or a slice of multigrain bread spread with a tablespoon of reduced-fat peanut butter.

If you need a pre- or post-workout pick-me-up...

Solution: Before a workout, consuming complex carbohydrates -- such as fruit or whole-grain cereal -- will provide your body energy for exercise. Afterward, eat high-quality protein, such as low-fat yogurt or whole-grain cereal -- particularly if you performed resistance exercises. A weight workout will stimulate the growth of muscle cells, which depend on protein. And, as always, consume plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercising.

If a stressful situation makes you feel an irrepressible urge to munch...

Solution: In this instance, your desire for food may be hard-wired: Research from the University of California, San Francisco, found that consuming food -- particularly items that contain sugar and fat -- appears to calm the body's hormonal response to stress. But before you head to the vending machine, take a series of deep breaths; delay reaching for food for 15 minutes; drink a hot beverage such as tea, which can be soothing; and distract yourself by calling a friend or taking a walk. If you still feel like eating, then you're probably hungry. Eat a smart snack that fits your craving -- a small piece of chocolate with a glass of skim milk, for example.

What's Your Snacking Style?

The desire for a snack can involve a hankering for a particular taste (like something sweet) or a yen for a texture (like something crunchy). But don't put too much stock in the notion that what you crave is something your body truly needs. "That's just not reliable," says David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center in New Haven, Connecticut. "Very few people these days are sugar or salt deficient, but those remain the things we crave. It's difficult to separate what's physiological from what's psychological, and it's not all that useful anyway."
A better strategy: Consider what taste or sensory sensation you really desire before reaching for a snack.

If you crave something sweet

Try: Raisins, dried cherries, or fresh apple slices dipped in melted dark chocolate chips

If you crave something salty

Try: Almonds, whole-grain crackers, brown rice cakes, or a small can of vegetable juice

If you crave something crunchy

Try: A handful of high-fiber cereal, a spoonful of peanut butter on celery or apple slices, pickles, or microwave popcorn

If you crave something creamy

Try: Low-fat pudding, whipped yogurt, or flavored oatmeal

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Diet foods may lead to childhood obesity

According to new sudy raising children on diet foods and drinks could inadvertently turn them into obese adults. Research from the University of Alberta said that children's bodies learn to connect the taste of different foods and drinks with whether they are high or low in calories, and if they only have diet food and drink this connection becomes distorted leading them to overeat as they develop into adults.

The study will be published in the journal Obesity and is the work of sociologist Dr David Pierce and colleagues from the University of Alberta .

"Based on what we've learned, it is better for children to eat healthy, well-balanced diets with sufficient calories for their daily activities rather than low-calorie snacks or meals," said Pierce.

He and his team showed that feeding young rats low calorie substitutes of food and drink led them to overeat, whether they were lean or genetically obese. Eating too many calories is more of a health risk for obese animals.

However, older, adolescent rats that were also fed low calorie substitutes of their regular food and drink did not overeat. The researchers concluded that the older rats did not overeat because by this age they had learned to assess the calorific value of different foods and drinks using their sense of taste, and this regulated their intake. They called this process "taste conditioning," reports Medical News Today.

According to Xinhuanet, W. David Pierce, a sociologist from University of Alberta and lead author of the paper, acknowledged that extrapolating the findings to human children is a big leap.

"Parents and health professionals should be made aware of this and know that the old-fashioned ways to keep children fit and healthy-insuring they eat well-balanced meals and exercise regularly-are the best ways," he said. "Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters."

Soft drinks sweetened with sugar and other sugary beverages are among the biggest contributors to childhood obesity in the U.S., according to childhood obesity expert Goutham Rao.

"The solution to the obesity epidemic is simple to understand but hard to implement," Rao says. "Avoid sweetened beverages, avoid fast food, limit media time, fit physical activity into the everyday routine, and eat together as a family. If every family did these things there would be very few obese children."

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Go Workout official says to ditch cow's milk

Richard Pojeta knows how to get people's blood going.

Director of personal training at Go Workout exercise facilities in Lansing, Pojeta wrote a column for Health & Fit magazine's June issue that generated controversy.

Pojeta believes people should eat according to their blood type, and that they eliminate all dairy products except yogurt (yes, that includes cheese and cow's milk) and drink 1 ounce of water each day for every pound they weigh.

Pojeta said there are certain foods a body doesn't need because they cause a drop in energy and just make a person feel lousy.

"It's like putting the right gas in your tank. I've noticed when you start to get a handle on what your body needs and eliminates, everything goes smoother," he said.

There are a number of books on the market about eating according to your blood type, and one of the most well-read is "Eating Right For Your Type" by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, a "naturopathic" physician who believes our blood type is a road map to our inner chemistry.

Many health experts, including those at the Mayo Clinic, say there is no scientific evidence that

shows this to be true.

But Pojeta and his trainers have accumulated anecdotal evidence from their own lives and those of their clients that following a nutritional path according to blood type pay offs in weight loss and higher energy.

Likewise, there have been many books about cow's milk not being good for humans -- and nutritionists debunking that theory, as well.

But, according to Pojeta, "When I cut out milk from my diet, my sinuses cleared up and I wasn't as gassy."

Calcium, he said, can be consumed by eating fruits and vegetables.

The water recommendation will likely result, at first, in frequent trips to the bathroom.

However, getting up from your desk and going to the bathroom will help you burn a few extra calories every time, which add up over the course of a day.

"After a while, your body will get used to the water intake, and you'll be more efficient at processing that water. Your kidneys will get cleaned out, your skin will feel appropriately moist, your lips may never need chapstick and your skin won't need lotion," he said.

Pojeta, 32, who has a degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University, and his wife, Kadi, decided to change their eating habits about three years ago.

"I used to think I needed supplements like powders, shakes and weight loss pills. But as I got older, I looked at different ways of eating," he said.

The changes initially created sinus attacks and a feeling like he was coming down with a cold, he said. It took about a month before that calmed down.

"My workouts and energy level got much better," he said. "Then I started fine-tuning my diet, and I dropped from 258 to 216 pounds."

He and his trainers stress to clients to keep a food journal, which Pojeta continues to do for himself. They suggest you record the food you eat, the time you ate it and how you felt later -- full and sleepy, for instance, or satisfied and alert.

Pojeta said he and his trainers use an Apex nutritional system with clients, created by North Carolina nutritionists, but they never give their clients an ultimatum. They also suggest they visit their physician before starting a new health regimen.

"I give people guidelines and let them sort it out. When they notice changes and start to feel better, then I help them fine-tune their eating. It has to work for them," he said.

-- Monetta Harr's column appears every Monday in the Food section. To contact her or contribute to the recipe/information exchange, call 768-4972, fax 787-9711, e-mail mharr@citpat.com or write to her c/o the Jackson Citizen Patriot, 214 S. Jackson St., Jackson, MI 49201-2282. Please include a daytime phone number and the city/township where you live.

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