Archive for October, 2009

Review : Zone Perfect Dark Chocolate Nutrition Bars

I know, I know, aren’t “dark chocolate” and nutrition a totally antonymous coupling of terms? They really shouldn’t go together, right? I mean, the only thing going for dark chocolate is that it does contain some antioxidants and has been proven, if not somewhat dubiously, to be good for your heart in certain ways, although us women have always known that chocolate, in any form, is almost always at least good for the soul, but is it really “heart healthy”?

While that is definitely debatable, we can say that these nutrition, or protein bars, are often nothing more than glorified candy bars with some vitamins and minerals added in for good measure and better, more appealing nutrition labels for the health conscious dieter. However, I do think that protein bars have their place in the healthy American diet.

It’s not as meal replacements, which is pretty much a joke since these things normally don’t stabilizy your blood sugar past an hour or two unlike a balanced meal, but as a snack, perhaps before working out for an extra carb and energy boost to power you through.

Or maybe it could be that midafternoon snack where you’re not really sure what else to eat, or you’re really craving something that’s slightly sweet, that maybe tastes a little “naughty” but you don’t want to go full tilt into a candy bar since you know that will spur on a full on sugar bomb.

The Zone Perfect Bars are pretty popular protein bars, and you can get them at most major drugstores and many department stores, like Target and Wal-mart as well. The dark chocolate ones caught my eye because they fit my criteria for a protein bar, being just under 200 calories per bar, and also having the right carb count and fiber count for me.

I purchased the marshmallow and chocolate ones, which are kind of like a smores flavor. That’s one of my favorites in the Luna bar, so I figured I’d like it in the Zone Perfect bar as well. I liked that these bars were actually heavy in weight too. Some of them are so light you wonder if they have any substance at all. The flavor was good, no funky sugar substitutes or anything, and no maltitol, which tends to make you gassy. Overall, I’d buy them again!

The Lean Cuisine Diet

I must say that I wasn’t really always a fan of promoting prepackaged meals, with what I felt was inferior nutrition, tiny microscopic portions, and high sodium. However, when you add some healthy sides to a Lean Cuisine, or other prepackaged frozen premade meal that is low in calories and fat, you have a perfectly potioned meal that is ideal if you are trying to lose weight.

My fiance and I have lost a lot of weight together eating this way when we’re dieting to actively lose weight, and you can too, but it does take discipline, as you are a bit hungry when you’re done, especially after dinner, when it’s most important that you don’t pig out, but this is also many times the time of day we choose to eat the most, and it’s hard to break that habit.

If you can break that habit, and eat a healthy breakfast of your choice, and just eat Lean Cuisines, Healthy Choice frozen entrees, or Smart Ones or some other comparable weight watching frozen meal, and add foods to it so that the meals total around 500 calories, you’d be surprised how fulfilling they can be. It’s especially nice because you can still eat foods that feel “naughty” like lasagna and eggrolls, just be aware that you need to pick the most filling foods for their nutrition and calorie content to be successful with this method of dieting so you stick to it without starving yourself.

When we follow this easy, somewhat inexpensive diet, we usually will steam some broccoli or asparagus to go with the meals for lunch and dinner. If you try to eat them without supplementing with yoru own steamed veggies, you won’t be full, I can almost guarantee that. My fiance also uses the trick of filling up more with a diet soda. I’m not crazy about the health aspect of diet soda, but the bubbles do fill you up more, so you could even try a seltzer water if you’re concerned with the artificial sweeteners.

Like I mentioned earlier, the key to success with this kind of diet is to supplement with plenty of fibrous veggies, to fill you up and add the much needed nutrition and vitamins and fiber that I feel most frozen meals are lacking. I always load up at breakfast and eat about a 450-500 calorie breakfast to prepare me for a day of eating low calorie meals, and that seems to set the stage well for eating a low-fuel diet all day.

This kind of diet is highly successful as long as you follow the rules and also don’t yield to the temptation of overeating at dinner. Fill up on water at dinner to help maintain satiety until you go to bed. You’ll feel pounds lighter in the morning, I can assure you! It’s easy, it’s quick, and minimum hassle, especially if you work two jobs like me!

What a Good Acidophilus Supplement Can Do for You

With so much attention being focused on colon health and digestive health, it’s no wonder acidophilus supplements and foods have been skyrocketing in popularity lately. These supplements are comprised of what are called probiotics. That’s right, it’s the opposite of antibiotics, which kill bacteria – good and bad, and yes, in the digestive tract as well, where they are very much needed to facilitate smooth digestion and elimination of your foods.

Without the “good bacteria”, we experience more gas, more problems with digesting and eliminating our food, and a generally unpleasant experience when eating a lot of different kinds of foods in our diet. When you add a good probiotic to your system, one that actually coats and inhabits the walls of the intestines, you can greatly increase your digestive and waste elimination system’s efficiency and overall comfort.

I’ve experienced this firsthand. Not only that, but you eliminate a lot of bloating, and generally may even end up facilitating weight loss and management more efficiently in the end because you are essentially digesting and eliminating your foods at a better rate. Also, if you need a good colon cleansing, you should look into a product like Bowtrol, which is a complete cleansing system, and included is a good probiotic supplement with that as well.

Better elimination and processing of your food allows it to be converted into pure energy much more easily, instead of being stored as fat on the body, and also instead of clogging up the main ways in which food is digested and in which the “leftovers” exit the body. Acicophilus releases thousands of tiny friendly flora, or bacteria, into your intestines, where they go to work against the harmful bacterias that create gas, bloating and discomfort.

You may notice a pleasant “empty” feeling compared to the way you usually feel if you’re taking a great acicophilus supplement for a little while. It shouldn’t take very long for it to work, and once it does, you would see why these probiotic supplmeents are so popular with people now.

You can get this friendly bacteria in yogurt, and there are also some excellent drinks and supplements available now as well. Heck, there’s even a protein bar with active live cultures, or aciophilus in them too that I’ve tried that are pretty darn tasty and they also happen to work pretty well. However, if you don’t want all the calories, there are the “Pearls” supplements that some people like, or just plain capsules and caplets at your local drugstore.

New Reality Show Tries to Shape Up WV Town

A new reality show featuring famous British chef Jamie Oliver, is set to start filming in Huntington West Virginia, which has been given the (some say unfair) title of the fattest and unhealthiest city in the US. The chef is supposed to help teach the city how to cook and eat healthier, and has previously tried to get schools to cook healthier lunches and offer healthier alternatives to it’s students and things like that to help shape up America, or wherever it is that he happens to be filming a series.

I think it’s definitely an intriguing idea to film a show that is dedicated to helping people make healthier choices, but I can definitely see why residents of this town are wary of having someone come in and try to change things up for the sake of whipping their “fatness” into shape. I think shows like this only exemplify the sad state of the obesity epidemic here in America, and make it harder for us to shake the image of the “fat Americans” although certainly other countries are catching up to us and even outpacing us, such as Mexico, as the fattest and most unhealthy areas to live in.

Does it mean that everyone there lives an unhealthy lifestyle and eats garbage all day? Definitely not, but I’m sure that’s how residents there feel shows like this portray them. I have mixed feelings about it, but it is bound to be a hit, as many other reality shows are today that exploit people.

Limiting Carbs?

If you’re limiting carbs in your diet, then you know how tough following this regimen can be, especially if, like me, you are a person who is easily affected by having low blood sugar, which is a signpost of this type of diet. My fiance and I followed this diet quite successfully for a year or so and lost a lot of weight doing do, but we also tended to get into really vile moods because of not having enough carbs in our system. I believe that it’s easier to snap and also to have blue moods more often when you follow a low carb diet, especially if it’s a particularly strict one.

What we did to “compensate” for the fact that we were constantly depriving ourselves of carbs, which we all tend to love so much, was we would load up on fats, which isn’t necessarily good for your cholesterol or your liver. I also think that eating so much meat has a profound effect on your overall digestive system, particularly your colon, which can easily get clogged up when you are eating too many meats and cheeses.

You need to make sure that you get enough fibrous material when you are low carbing it, or else you will end up blocked up quite a bit, which means you are unable to go to the bathroom as often as you could. This in itself can put you in a foul mood!

‘Tis Soup Season! Low Cal Soup Ideas

It is the season for soups and chilis, to warm your bones and your heart with some hearty, yet low fat and low calorie soups that are great accompaniments to your meal at night, and also happen to really fill your belly when you need to start feeling full! One of my favorites lately is a tomato basil soup that I make with low fat organic coconut milk instead of the heavy cream it calls for.

It’s still very flavorful and satisfying, yet it doesn’t have all the clogging dairy and fat because of the absence of the cream. You may be able to use low fat coconut milk in a variety of recipes for soups in place of milk or heavy cream, just see what’s required in the recipe first and decide whether it’s slightly sweet, nutty flavor would go right with it.

A lot of people think that coconut milk is fattening, but you can definitely buy it lowfat and it’s also got a ton of health benefits as well. It’s great for the skin, and it’s been shown to help keep some of your organs in tip top shape as well.

Some people may be allergic to it, or get gout from it, but if you aren’t, take full advantage of this wonderful food! You can also make a low fat turkey chili with black beans, just take your favorite chili recipe or mix and use low fat ground turkey instead of red meat and also use black beans instead of kidney beans for a different flavor and a better texture.

You can make multiple bean soups with chicken broth, tomatos, and chilis, that are not only good for you, but contain tons of fiber to keep you regular, they warm you up, and they also taste wonderful and fill you up much faster because they’re hot and they’re primarily liquid.

Health, Longevity in Women Directly Related to BMI

While it’s definitely no secret that being thinner as opposed to carrying extra weight has it’s healht benefits, there’s never really conclusive evidence to show that the actual quality of life and survival rate is different among thin women vs. heavy women. There is now a conclusive study that shows in women, their healthy survival, that is, being able to live life free of mental issues and physical issues, is pretty much directly proportionate to their BMI, or Body Mass Index, which is a measurement used to compare body fat to other tissue like muscle in the body.

The higher your BMI, the more body fat you have, and the more likely you are to suffer from a variety of ailments and disease, or at least be significantly more predisposed to them, thus lowering your chances of having a healthy survival into your eighties, and even your seventies. Specifically, for every kilogram of BMI that was gained since the test subjects 18th year of age, their odds of even living to the age of seventy years old decreased by 5%.

When you multiply that out by years, that can significantly reduce your life expectancy estimate, so it’s obviously well worth making sure you are consistent with your diet and your lifestyle to maintain a certain healthy BMI level.

What the scientists who ran the study do caution of, is that you don’t regard seemingly harmless fluctuations in your weight and BMI as fairly meaningless, since the study’s results seem to point to the fact that all weight gains may impact your health and longevity. Men though are probably equally impacted by this BMI link, as fat does act pretty much the same way from male to female human bodies, but the study cited is that of women.

Their recommendation? Avoid weight gains if you can throughout your life and try to do everything in your power to prevent even those small fluctuations. Easier said than done, I know!

Teryaki Tuna Steaks and Squash : Healthy Dinners!

I’ve really been in the mood to experiment with making different kinds of healthy fish lately. I only really like very mild white fish. Even some white fish is too fishy and strong tasting for me, so I try to stick to things like tuna, mahi mahi, grouper, and sword fish. Even with those, I try to only buy them when they are vacuum sealed for freshness.

Too often when I’ve purchased even mild white fish that is not vacuum sealed, I find that it tastes fishy. In fact, foodies say that the only reason a fishy taste comes through on any type of fish is because it is too old. Fresh fish is definitely best, but we all know you can’t always get fresh fish, especially if you live inland or don’t live near a source of fresh water. This is where the vacuum sealing comes in handy, it limits the amount of oxygen the fish is exposed to and keeps that fishy taste at bay.

I’ve recently found a great store brand of tuna steaks that vacuum seals them. They’re ultra fresh and they taste great. Let’s talk about a meal idea using marinated tuna steaks and fresh squash, which is in season now. It’s very healthy and low in fat, has protein, tons of vitamins including beta carotene in the squash, and is satisfying for a cool fall day.

The first one is super easy. It’s teryaki marinated tuna steaks. Take your favorite premade teriyaki marinde, and pour it over the tuna steaks after pricking them lightly with a fork. I do this just 30-40 minutes before I cook them, and it works fine. Once marinated, put the tuna and leftover marinade in a frying pan and cook it through, with the teriyaki making a wonderful, tasty glaze. I even like to blacken mine a little on the outside, but i like my fish done pretty well, while some may find that too drying.

For the squash, you’re going to need a bit more time to prepare, so actually start with that first. I’ve used Golden Hubbard and Golden Acorn so far with this low fat recipe, and both are great. Bake the squash, halved, in the oven on 350 until soft. Once soft, take out and scoop out the squash part into a thick glass bowl as it will be hot. Add low fat butter and fat free or low fat sour cream to taste, with salt and pepper. I also added sauteed onion to mine, and mashed it all together. It’s almost like eating mashed potatoes, but healthier, and you have a wonderful, satisfying meal for the fall!

Getting Back on the Diet Track is So HARD!

Have you ever had one of those weeks, or even months, where you can’t seem to get away from constant social engagements, lunches, and bad eating opportunities, and you feel like you suddenly have no willpower to just stick to ordering a salad, or the healthier options on the menu with tons of veggies and a small serving of protein? We’ve all been through that.

Well, that is unless you have the iron will or those types of people we all love to hate like Victoria Beckham or some other ridiculously thin woman who has never had an extra ounce of meat on her bones!

Well, I’m trying to pull myself out of one of those unfortunate periods now. I’ve been going to lunches and getting the things on the menu that really just make me want to eat bad for the rest of the day. It’s notorious that when you eat badly at lunch, you continue to crave high fat and high starch foods for the rest of the day, so it’s like you’re setting yourself up for dismal failure from the beginning just by indulging in a bad lunch. My friends and I have all talked about this phenomenon at one time or another, so I think it happens to everyone. Don’t feel alone.

What you have to do is start to divide your portions differently, so that if you’re really hungry, you’re only allowing yourself a small portion of meat or some sort of starch, but you’re allowing yourself a lot of those veggies that are made in a tempting sauce or with a great dressing, or heck, maybe even a little bit of good old fashioned butter and salt!

Just starting off this way, by eating veggies that are lightly salted and have some sort of fat added to them, I can feel like I’ve indulged a bit without actually filling my body with too many carbs or other types of foods that will leave me wanting more and more of it.

I’ve also found that self-talk the night before, or even an appetite busting weight loss self hypnosis CD can really do the trick when I need that extra boost of willpower to tell my body to eat what it needs to remain thin and healthy. This really does wonders when you’re stuck in a rut, trust me. Sometimes, it seems like the only thing that will pull me out!

Eating Vegan Easy in Cali

My mom and I recently came home from visiting my sister in California, and it really hit home how much easier it is to eat healthier, more specifically, to eat a vegan diet, in certain parts of the country than it is in say, Ohio where you won’t find a vegan specialty restaurant or specializing store for miles in either direction in many cases, of course depending on where you reside.

I’ve visited my sister before, and I actually tried the vegan thing or at least the vegetarian thing while I was there, and was amazed at how easy it was and how little it felt like I sacrificed to not eat meats, animal proteins and dairy for a week or so when the cuisine there is to die for.

I think I may have even shed a little tiny bit of weight while I was there, and may have shed a little more had I not pigged out on traditional midwestern fare the last few days I was there. Not only was it easy to find healthy and vegan dishes there, but the fruit and veggies are virtually all locally grown, which means they’re fresh and they taste amazing, and that alone makes it so much more tasty to eat healthy.

Have you ever gotten a grainy tomato or bad piece of fruit that’s totally out of season?  It really leaves a bad taste in your mouth for eating healthy, but living in an area where you have access to fresh, juicy and delicious organic produce really makes it easier to eat right, in fact it makes this way of eating more preferable.

Other areas of the country also tend to emphasize sports and exercise as ways of life rather than a sedentary lifestyle, which is fairly easy to indulge in if you live in a place like I do where there are only a few months of the year where you feel comfortable enough to get outside and do activities. That also contributes to the fact that obesity is lower in these types of communities.

My mom and I, who visited my sister together, couldn’t believe how tired we were at the end of the day simply because we had walked almost everywhere, which meant we were always torching calories during the day, most of which were complex carbs in the form of whole grains, veggies and fruit, except for those last few naughty days where I indulged in things like pizza and submarine sandwiches for lack of having access to “bad” foods for a few days.  One thing I’ll say, it sure does make eating bad taste a lot better when you don’t have access to it all the time.