Daily Diet Blog

July 3, 2008

Low Fat, High Taste Green Bean Recipe

Filed under: Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 5:02 am

What’s that saying, that most recipes are born of boredom and “cleaning the cupboard out”. Oh wait, that’s my own credo, not anything else anyone said. This new gem of a green bean recipe is very simple actually, and was born of both boredom and desperation one day when the only veggie I had left in the freezer to make was whole green beans (I used Bird’s Eye, in my opinion, the best non-organic brand), and we needed a veggie to go with our meat, but I wanted to make something that was flavorful and yet not loaded with fat or butter or salt.

So here’s the recipe ingredients for this impromptu, tasty green bean dish with zero fat :

Whole green beans - Bird’s Eye are best I think.

Powdered Cumin spice (a popular Indian spice, very tasty, and very good for you)

Either seasoned salt or some sort of multi purpose seasoning with a little salt added

Garlic powder - I like California Style, with the green fleck in it too, but I don’t know what they are

Half an onion, chopped or slivered julienne style

Lot’s of butter flavored non fat cooking spray

So as you can see, as long as you have the green beans around, you really only need to keep a few other staples around - the cumin is key, but you could probably improvise with the other spices. I just take the beans and throw them in a large, deep frying pan that has a tight fitting lid, with the bottom sprayed generously with Pam (butter flavored). I put my onions in too right off the bat.

I then flavor with the spices mentioned above to my taste, and spray the Pam again generously over the beans and other ingredients, coating the beans and other ingredients for flavor and protection against burning. Put the lid on tight, this creates a steaming environment so they soften up enough. Sautee all ingredients for about 20 minutes, or until soft enough. What you get is a savory green bean dish with NO FAT!

June 30, 2008

Food Combining Significant?

Filed under: Dieting Trends — EatingToLive @ 2:43 pm

You may have heard of diets that advocate eating only certain combinations of foods together, to make sure your body is the ultimate calorie and fat burning machine it can be, and also to aid in digestion and elimination of foods. I certainly have tried that one, in fact the funny thing is, a food combining diet was the first diet I had ever tried, when I was in my teens and needed to get rid of some baby fat, and it really worked well and made me feel good with lots of energy.

Why didn’t I stick with it permanently? Well, I do try to still use some of the principals of food combinations in my daily diet routine, but I also feel that at times it can be very restrictive and is nearly impossible to abide by in some restaurants unless you are getting your meal made with almost none of the ingredients or very many of them eliminated.

Now, there is even more research on the benefits of combining foods correctly that have to do with optimal absorption and utilization of nutrient more than they have to do with the elimination and digestion aspect for optimal calorie use.

For example, research shows that you should not eat caffeinated drinks or other caffeinated foods or beverages, or anything with those great little nutrients called polyphenols in them, with iron, because polyphenols actually slow or inhibit the absorption of iron, to a significant enough degree that it’s not just negligible advice. Another piece of advice is to eat your foods packed with antioxidants, such as veggies and fruits, with some healthy fat.

Why? Because fats can help the body absorb antioxidants much better into the blood stream to be absorbed and used by the body to its benefit. For example, put a little olive oil on those leafy greens such as kale or spinach leaves, or eat some almonds (with the healthy fat omega 3 acid) with your blueberries. For example, my breakfast every morning is yogurt with blue or straw berries, with almonds - this means I’ll be absorbing their anitoxidant power to the maximum limit possible.

June 27, 2008

Body Content Measurers (BMI)

Filed under: Dieting Trends — EatingToLive @ 9:53 am

There are devices on the market today that measure your body composition and also your metabolic age.  The reasoning behind these machines being useful tools in assessing your health is that the number of pounds you weigh is not as important as the proportion of fat to muscle.
These measurement devices look, for the most part, similar in shape and usage to a bathroom scale.  Prices can range from $30.00 to $300.00.  The manner in which they work is called bioelectrical impedance.  A small current passes through either foot pads or hand held electrodes.  The current slows down in fat tissue but passes quickly through muscle.
Therefore, the measure of impedance together with the mathematical figuring of the machine determine the percent of fat to lean body mass.  The ideal measure for men is to have less than 20 % of their body composition from fat.   For women, the ideal percent of fat should be under 33% of their body composition.
Some of the machines measure more than body composition of fat to lean muscle.  In addition, some measure hydration levels, how many pounds of bone, how much muscle, fat around vital organs and calories you need to eat in a day.  With all this information, these devices measure your metabolic age. 
Here’s a few examples of monitors for body composition information that are available today.  The Tanita UM061 sells for about $32.00 and it measures you from the feet and gives you your weight, body fat,  and percent water information.   The Homedics 540 sells for approximately $60.00 and measures your weight, body fat, percent water, percent muscle, bone mass and daily caloric estimate.  This one measures you from your feet.
The Omron Body Logic also sells for $60.00 and measures from the hands instead.   It informs you of body fat, and your body mass index.  For $120.00, you can purchase the Omron Full Body Sensor.  This device measures from both the hands and feet and informs you of your weight, body fat to muscle ratio, daily caloric estimate , visceral fat, body mass index and your metabolic age.
The Tanita Ironman sells for about $300.00 and measures you from your hands and feet.  It gives you statistics on your weight, body fat, percent water, muscle, bone mass, visceral fat, physique rating, metabolic age and a daily calorie estimate.
If you like information about your body composition in addition to your weight, there are many new devices to choose from and they are surprisingly affordable.

June 24, 2008

Man Loses 80 Pounds From McDonald’s Food? Huh?

Filed under: Weight Loss — EatingToLive @ 6:51 pm

Yeah, when I read this headline, I must say it was a little more than just a tad misleading, and thought, oh yeah he probably only ate their salads, and not what they’re known for which is their sinfully salty and fatty food that leaves you full for all of two hours, like french fries (admittedly one of my favorite naughty eats), double cheeseburgers and fried fish sandwiches to name a few.  And I was right, he ate the less fattening foods on the menu and lost 80 pounds eventually from doing that over a period of time.

Supposedly the man, named Chris Coleson, who hails from Virginia, ate almost every single meal at McDonalds to lose the weight, and chose Mickey D’s because of it’s convenience.  The fact that you can find a McDonalds everywhere made it an almost constant for him, and he was able to find foods on the menu that were less offensive and eat those.

His foods of choice for losing the 80 pounds on McDonalds were the salads, apple dippers without the sauce (what fun is that though), and the snack wraps, which I believe still contain deep fried chicken tenders but are still the lesser of many other evils that can be chosen from. 

June 22, 2008

Fill Up on Soup Before Your Meal

Filed under: Weight Loss, Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 3:27 pm

Another idea came to me that’s been out there for a long time about losing weight and using tricks to fill up on low calorie stuff so that you don’t totally go nuts when the main entree comes, and one of those long standing tips to help lose weight or stay on track with your diet when you go out to eat is to order a broth based soup to come before your meal.  It has to be broth based though, because the rich and thicker creamy ones are loaded with calories and fat (unfortunately the better soup tastes, the more fat it likely has, it’s that quandry mother nature put on us about fat and how bad it is for us, but how good it tastes).

So for example, if you are choosing between a fancy bisque soup, and a beef broth based vegetable soup, you definitely need to go for the lighter of the two, the broth based veggie soup.  The broth will help fill the stomach, because it is hot, and hot liquids make you feel fuller faster, and the saltiness and the veggies will also help you feel fuller so that you don’t fill up on bread or your main entree and eat too much.

A salad before your meal can also help, just make sure it’s not loaded with cheese, croutons and a lot of heavy dressing.  Try ordering an oil based dressing, or a light vinagrette and that will help you to curb your hunger and fill you up before you get your main entree so that you can eat less. 

The key is to make sure the “meal before the meal” is light and not loaded with fat or carbs.  Typically fattening pre-meal foods are bread with butter, creamy soups, deep fried appetizers and other fattening or cream-laden appetizers that just pile on the fat and don’t really do much as far as taking up space in your stomach to make you feel substantially satiated so that you don’t eat as much at your meal. 

It’s hard to stick to these rules, especially when you’re starving and are faced with a tempting, steaming basket of hot bread just waiting to be buttered and eaten, but if you can stick to these most of the time when you eat out, it adds up to lots of bonus points for maintaining that sleek physique you want.  The foods brought up here today act as a natural appetite suppressant so that you don’t go buckwild on the stuff that adds fat and pounds to your thighs and belly. 

June 20, 2008

Alcoholic Drinks Really Packed on Calories

Filed under: Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 8:40 am

We went out to eat at a chain Italian restaurant last night, and it brought to mind how much sugar and calories we ingest, somewhat unknowingly even sometimes, when we go out and have a few of those fun, fruity little martinis that seem so small, but pack a huge amount of sugar in them because they are made with sugary alcohols and other fruity juices and syrups that contain high fructose ingredients.  High fructose means a lot of sugar, and this word is a dieter’s nightmare because it is one of the worst kinds of sugars to ingest since it is metabolized by the body before fat. 

We really got some surgary drinks last night, one of them was delicious but you just knew after that first sip that you were drinking nothing but pure sugar.  It contained Dekuypers Banana liquor, and then 2 other kinds of liquor that were flavored ( a telltale sign that a liquor is loaded with sugar is when it’s flavored) and then on top of that, the base was a pineapple juice.  Pineapple juice is one of the highest sugared juices there is, and you’re much better off eating the pineapple itself, since the fiber balances out the sugar, than you are the juice unfortunately which is one of the best tasting juices there are.

Another one we got had several different liquors in it that were flavored, but no juice base.  Still, even with no juice base it tasted very sugary - just more alcohol-y also.  When you’re out having a good time eating dinner with family and friends, it’s easy to forget that you may be watching your calories, so just ask the bartender what they can make that is made with reduced sugar, like maybe a diet coke and some sort of rum (although rum’s no angel either in the sugar or calorie department), or get a good old dry martinin with an olive, since all that is is chilled liquor with an olive in it. 

Just remember, any specialty martinis at any restaurant are usually going to have extra calories and sugar, and that you should probably avoid that menu, unless there is a low cal specialty that catches your eye.  Remember that supposedly all alcohol metabolizes and is broken down as a sugar in your body when it all comes down to it, but ultimately you can still choose the lesser of two evils at least. 

June 18, 2008

Turbo Jam for Weight Loss

Filed under: Weight Loss, Exercise Equipment — EatingToLive @ 8:16 pm

After seeing an infomercial on television for Turbo Jam with Chalene Johnson, I had to look it up and find out more about it.  According to the infomercial, you could burn up to 700  calories in 45 minutes.
The Turbo Jam program is set to some of the latest dance music and is a combination of kickboxing and body sculpting.  The DVD’s offered include the Learn and Burn instructional video with the introduction to the “Elite 11″ moves and this one is 30 minutes long.
Another DVD is called the Turbo Sculpt which emphasizes toning and firming for reshaping and working on problem areas of your physique.   There’s a video that is shorter called the 20 Minute Workout so you can fit it into a busy schedule.
The Cardio Party is a dance style workout that lasts 45 minutes.  The Ab Jam is, of course, directed to tone and firm your abdomen muscles.  Also included in the weight loss and muscle toning program is a set of flash cards with Chalene’s “Elite 11″ moves.  Online support is available for diet support and live chats.  A book is included in the program with meal plans for weight loss, a workout calendar and tips for dining out while watching caloric intake.
Other tools provided to help you succeed in achieving weight loss and inches lost are turbo sculpting gloves with a video called Punch, Kick and Jam designed for use with the gloves that lasts for 50 minutes.  The Turbo Slim rapid results program is a meal plan and measuring guides to assist you further to attain your goals.
The Turbo Jam Maximum Results package is available online for 3 monthly payments of $19.95 plus shipping and handling charges of $12.95.  The program states that it has a money back guarantee if not satisfied within 30 days.
As with any exercise program, there is a recommendation to consult with your physician about your level of fitness before beginning this program.   Workout reviews, both positive and negative, are plentiful and available online to read to assess this program for possible use.

June 15, 2008

Successful Dieters Keep Diaries, Weigh Often

Filed under: Diet and Weightloss News — EatingToLive @ 1:55 pm

One of the things I hate worst about when I diet and am just trying to lose a few is weighing myself.   It seems like this rather ambiguous number on the scale can send me into a bad or great mood within seconds, and even if I’m feeling good about myself and fitting into my clothes like I feel I should, if that magic number, or a number within a few pounds of that magic number, doesn’t show itself on my scale, I start to feel bad about myself - even a little depressed. 

So, it’s no wonder that most of us don’t like to step on the scale, and I’m definitely no exception to the rule.  I’m a normal weight, but I do tend to fluctuate during periods of stress or what I call hormonal eating, so I can definitely gain a few pretty easily.  However, weighing yourself is supposed to be one of the keys to successfully dieting, or at least maintaining your ideal weight according to experts.  And it makes sense.  You will be less apt to wander off track if you are keeping tabs on yourself by using this very truthful instrument. 

A scale won’t smooth it over or lie to you about gaining a few pounds - it’s right there in black and white, so to speak, for you to gauge and understand, and modify your eating and exercise behavior accordingly.  Also, with the new digital scales, there is a laser like accuracy that cannot be ignored, so we know exactly what our weight is, unlike some of the spring loaded scales of the past, where we assume they may be five pounds off one way or another. 

Another thing that successful and long term weight losers is to keep food diaries.  This is a surefire way to keep track of what you’re eating, and to acknowledge when you have strayed off course during bad times, and make sure you get back on as soon as possible.  Hypnotherapy for weight loss may help get that internal track-keeping going too, since it keeps the conscious and subconscious aware of the constant goal of weight loss and ideal weight in the back of the mind. 

I always used to think diary keeping when dieting was useless, but I am amazed by how much I’ve heard this helps long term success in weight loss, because if it’s a habit like brushing your teeth, it makes the truth about diet hard to ignore. 

June 12, 2008

The Six Month Rule for Weight Loss

Filed under: Diet and Weightloss News — EatingToLive @ 9:09 am

I just read a very interesting article online a few days ago about the actual facts on weight loss, and some of it was contradictory to other things you may hear about time frames and myths about losing weight, but honestly it was a very refreshing piece about how there are so many fad diets out there and the majority of people who try all these fads aren’t the ones that keep the weight off for the long term, either that, or they are the ones that constantly fluctuate in weight their whole life without truly hitting their goals, or briefly hitting them only to bounce back up and down on the scale again.

The actual fact about those who lose weight successfully shows that those that set a six month goal or how much weight they want to lose and actually reach it in that six month time frame, are usually the ones that most successfully keep the weight off for good.  They say that if you don’t reach your weight loss goals in that six months, that it’s best to then set another six month goal for yourself, and if you have already lost some of the weight in the goal, just not all of it, you can tack some on, as long as it’s not unreasonable for what you already set your personal precedent at.

Here’s another shock about weight loss.  Exercising does not make a huge difference in initial weight loss goals.  Although it can help naturally curb the appetite and get your eating healthier because of a certain mindset, they say that it does not actually take away so many calories unless you are working out at such an intensity that you are burning 500 to 1000 calories. 

Instead, they say the calorie cutting is the biggest thing to get the body to start shedding weight, especially in the beginning.  This is NOT any sort of endorsement for not exercising though, as I believe it still kicks the metabolism up higher and has enormous benefits that have nothing to do with weight loss anyways.  I also believe that exercise is nature’s natural appetite suppressant, and for me personally I have found that exercise and eating healthy go hand in hand - it’s just a psychological thing I guess. 

They say that the maintenance phase of weight loss is where exercise becomes really important, as this is when the increase in metabolism and the increased muscle mass that burns more calories comes in, since you are most likely not cutting calories as dramatically at this phase and are relying on the maintenance of the weight you already shed to keep yourself in check. 

June 9, 2008

Obesity in Kids May Be Tapering Off

Filed under: Diet and Weightloss News — EatingToLive @ 12:10 pm

There may be some good news in the fight against obesity in children according to some new numbers gathered that show that the numbers have remained pretty much the same for the 2006 and 2007 years compared to 2004 and 2005 number gathered on percentages of kids that were considered overweight, obese and severely obese.

Now here’s the shocking news. Although those numbers were going up for years, they have indeed seemed to level off over these past four years, however, wtih the overall rate of kids classified as overweight in some way being around 32%, we still have a shockingly long way to go when it comes to fighting obesity and weight issues in today’s youth.

There are fingers pointing everywhere, but I personally think that it is a combination of factors that is a sign of the times today that has caused this mess. We now have more processed and unfulfilling foods today than ever which take a lot more for people to be satisfied on, hence they eat more. Also, kids today are more sedentary thanks to television and video games, whereas these sedentary activities were not available to kids in the fifties and sixties, who were outside being active much of the day.

As mentioned in other studies there may be other smaller and less apparent and perhaps even far fetched reasons for the weight increases in kids, like air conditioning and other temperature controls where the body does not have to burn calories to stay at a comfy temperature, and the fact that with new neighborhoods being so close knit, kids no longer have to ride or walk very far to go see their friends, either that or their parents just take them in a car.

The numbers leveling off may be a fluke or simply an anomaly some researchers think, and that perhaps the numbers aren’t really leveling off, but some are hopeful that the message to get kids to eat right and exercise and be more active is getting out there.

The emphasis on fruits and vegetables over other snacks like processed simple carbs and fatty and salty foods as well as sugar snacks is important, but activity is really important, especially since children are supposed to have generated all their fat cells by age 8, you are setting your child up for a lifetime of weight struggles if you allow them to get out of control at such a young age, so it’s very important to teach them early on.

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