Weight Management and a Balanced Lifestyle

For the longest time we have known that energy expenditure and calorie intake are factors to consider in weight management. The combination of what we consume and what we spend on energy can’t be overlooked. It is also important to know the causes of weight gain. Here is a study by Dr. Angelo Tremblay of the Laval University in Quebec, listing those causes.

• Lack of sleep
• Eating disorders
• Low calcium intake
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Genetics and heredity
• Endocrine phenomena
• Stress and mental work
• Medical phenomena such as alcohol and drug abuse
• Lack of protein, vitamins, micronutrients and minerals

This list makes us think and reminds us of the importance of establishing good educational strategies in a weight management program. Remember to inform the customer that bad sugars contribute to increased insulin levels and promote the storage of bad fats, mainly on an abdominal level. Therefore you need to promote the ingestion of good sugars.

Another issue is the contribution of your protein intake which should be eaten at every meal while adding dietary fiber such as vegetables which are favourable to the intestinal transit. Some people also forget about eggs, especially the egg yolk, which contains antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins that may contribute to the production of hormones and work to burn excess fat. In conclusion, different cases will always be considered in your program in order to

achieve a healthy balance.

Berries

For the longest time, berries have had their place in our daily food choices. We recognize them as being excellent antioxidants and great at detoxifying. Furthermore, they offer us a wide range of vitamins that are essential to our health.

Today we will focus particularly on the strawberry and raspberry. Strawberries are small fruits that supply us with large quantities of vitamin C and fiber. Their role as an antioxidant creates anti-inflammatory effects, which is a huge benefit for people suffering from cardiovascular disease and who are at risks of arteriosclerosis. The presence of ellagic acid, that is at the origin of the antioxidizing properties, seems to have an impact on the synthesis process of melanin (skin pigmentation among others) as well as on bad cholesterol. Additionally, we find these properties in abundance in the raspberry, which counter affects the oxidation of bad cholesterol in the blood. The increased oxidation in the blood stream results in reduced inflammation and protects the intestinal cells.

Carbohydrates found in Berries

Berries                                    Carbohydrates          Fibres             Calculated Carbs

Blueberries (½ cup)                 11,0g                           2,0g                 9.0g

Strawberries (7 whole)            6,0g                             1,9g                 4.1g

Rasberries (½ cup)                  8,0g                             4,2g                 3,8g

Blackberries (½ cup)               7,0g                             4,0g                 3,0g

In your program, you can suggest berries in Phases 1 (OPTION 2-3) as well as in Phase 2 (TRANSITION) and Phase 3 (MAINTENANCE). Why not choose berries low in

carbohydrates and add them to your menu? Finally, take the time to check your SMOOTHIES!

Pro Energy’s Strawberry and Banana contains strawberry powder and Wild Berry Splash contains raspberry powder

Try these tweaks to just say “no!” to creamy, sugary, mouthwatering morsels.

Turn off triggers.  Break patterns that encourage binges. Are you a postwork snacker? Come home through a door that doesn’t lead to the kitchen and you’ll be 18 percent less likely to graze, per unpublished research by Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating (Bantam).

Ride the crave.  When the urge to splurge hits you, don’t ignore it. Tell yourself that the feeling may pass in 10 minutes. Focus on your breathing, taking in your surroundings. Are you eating out of sadness or frustration? If so, address your feelings and let your yen naturally diminish. If your stomach’s still growling, have something nutritious. Have a large glass of water and wait, or a hot beverage like tea.

Feed your hunger.   Going past hungry to ravenous might make you choose junk. Mice injected with high doses of ghrelin preferred a room where they had previously found high-fat food over one where they expected to find less fat and sugar, a study in Biological Psychology reports. Eat protein and fiber at every meal to keep ghrelin gremlins at bay. Also eat off a smaller plate to make it look like more!!!

Pace yourself.  It takes 12 minutes for a thin person’s brain to register that she’s eaten, but it may take 25 minutes in an overweight person, says Mark Gold, M.D., chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. A heavy person’s brain changes its priorities over time to favor eating-related sensations. Set a timer to get used to making a meal last 25 minutes.

Tire your taste buds.  Your taste buds get worn out after a few bites, so each mouthful is less delicious than the last. Employ the technique of a wine connoisseur when you sink your teeth into your culinary crush; relish every bit and stop when the flavor falters.

Flip the script.  Banish negative self-talk: “I ate two Oreos. I’m weak and I’ve blown my diet. I might as well keep going.” Instead, take stock and talk yourself up: “So I ate a couple of cookies. It’s no big deal. It won’t make me fat. I can stop now and feel good about myself.”

Start small.  Self-control is a limited resource, so if you try to tackle your morning doughnut, afternoon chips and evening ice cream in one swoop, you’ll be sunk. Allot willpower to one behavior at a time. When a day without doughnuts becomes the norm, move on to the next goal.

Walk Off the Cravings

People that take a brisk 15 minute walk, eat half as much chocolate afterward than those who rest at their desks.

The trick? The natural boost from walking may prevent people from resorting to treats for a hit of energy.

If the weather in inclement, maybe find the nearest stairs and do some stair climbing.

Set a goal for how many times you want to be able to climb them by the end of the month or how many blocks you want to walk.

Kick the Can!

Eating just one serving of canned soup a day (18.5 ounces) for five days, can raise your blood pressure because of the BPA (Bisphenol A)

– a chemical linked to heart disease and some types of cancer – by more than 1000%.

So make sure you pick BPA-Free brands or better yet find some healthy recipes and make yourself a large batch that you can freeze in individual packaging.

Beat That Afternoon Slump!

Instead of having a piece of candy or a cappuccino when you are feeling sluggish, opt for one of our ideal envelopes

(if you must, have a restricted or half of one, and then finish the other half during your snack).

Why? Because the amino acids, the building blocks of protein, do a better job at stimulating the brain cells that help keep us awake and alert, than do any other nutrients.

Bonus: The neurons switched on by amino acids also tell your body to burn calories, suggesting that the right bite may actually kick up your metabolism!

Have a Drink!!

Having a hot beverage like tea or hot water with lemon is an excellent way to satisfy those cravings.

***Warm/ water and lemon first thing in the morning has tremendous benefits for your body as well.

1. 1.     Boosts your immune system:

Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.

2. Balances pH

Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they’re alkaline

(the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). As you wellness warriors know, an alkaline body is really the key to good health.

3. Helps with weight loss.

Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster.

And, my experience is that when I start the day off right, it’s easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day.

4. Aids digestion

The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving.

Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic

Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body.

Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.

6. Clears skin

The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well.

7. Hydrates the lymph system

This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue.

When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can’t perform all of its proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on.

Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy.

They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals

that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated.

Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don’t want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!

Adopting just this one practice of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month can radically alter your experience of the day.

Don’t be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light.

The Strategy: Good Company, Great Memories, Fantastic Food and No Stress

Holidays and special events bring family and friends together to celebrate traditions and spread good cheer. They also bring lots of opportunities for socializing, eating, and drinking. Even the most disciplined Ideal Protein dieter struggles with temptation during social events, especially during the holiday season. What you need is a strategy…a roadmap to guide you through these events so you won’t talk yourself into taking a day or two vacation from your weight loss journey. Luckily, Chef Verati is here to help you with some great solutions that will not slow the party down or your weight loss.

Here are 3 simple tips to remember for any upcoming event:

Be Prepared

No matter what the occasion is, there are always options that will allow you to participate in the event and stay on track with the program. Make sure you take the time to develop a plan.

Stay Focused

You have a great plan of action for your event…stick to it! You only have to fight temptation for a few hours. It’s a small price to pay in order to prevent your weight loss from stalling.

Raise a Toast

There are many ways to enjoy a non-alcoholic cocktail to participate in the party and avoid the pressures of stopping the weight loss program. One example is to use sparkling water with either our Mangosteen drink enhancer, or some slices of lemon and lime. Put them in a wine glass with some crushed ice and you’ll blend right in! Keep in mind, this is a temporary sacrifice for a long-term gain.

Final Point: Cheating only takes you further away from where you want to be. Using a social occasion as an excuse to take a break from your weight loss journey only hurts you. Every disciplined effort you make helps you get stronger as you move along the path to completing your weight loss journey. More importantly, establishing smarter choices will help you maintain your results after dieting has ended.

Stay strong and enjoy yourself!

Top 5 Restaurant Saboteurs

Are you trying to watch your waistline while dining out?

  Do you try to order the healthy menu choice, but still find you’re gaining weight? 

If you think eating out is sabotaging your diet efforts, you may be right! 

Restaurant chefs can turn your good diet intentions upside down

with the addition of unhealthy ingredients and cooking methods.

  Here are some restaurant saboteurs that can help you uncover the way restaurants sabotage your diet

and what you can do about them.

• Restaurant Saboteur #5 – You Shouldn’t Always Eat Your Veggies

Most people think ordering a side of vegetables is a healthy accompaniment to your meal.  However, you may be surprised to learn how fattening those vegetables can actually be.  Chefs normally sauté vegetables in oils or add butter or margarine to make them taste good.  Grilled vegetables aren’t much better as they are normally brushed with an oil-based marinade before grilling and then more oil is brushed on after grilling to make them look more appealing.  All this oil, butter or margarine can turn healthy vegetables into a high-fat side dish.  For healthy vegetables, order your veggies steamed or grilled and ask for no butter, margarine or oil to be added at any stage in the food preparation from beginning to end.

• Restaurant Saboteur #4 – Salads Aren’t Always the Healthiest Option
• With all the different salad dressings and toppings to choose from these days, it’s easy to see how salads can turn unhealthy. Check out how many calories are packed into some typical salad additions:
• – 1 ladle (2 tbsp) of regular Italian salad dressing: 120 calories
• – 1/4 cup regular cheddar cheese: 130 calories
• – Crispy rice noodles: 60 calories
• Salads, although usually a healthy food choice, can quickly turn into a fattening meal when one considers all the oil or mayonnaise used in salad dressings as well as the many other hidden fats in toppings such as cheese, bacon bits, croutons, or fried noodles. To avoid high-calorie and fat-laden salads, always ask for a low-fat dressing on the side and dip your fork into the dressing and smear your salad with your fork.  You will use less dressing than if you poured the salad dressing overtop your salad.
• Walden Farms have a small packages of dressings that are great to throw in your purse or carry with you
• Oil and vinegar makes a great salad dressing as well or a fresh squeeze of lemon over you salad.
• Restaurant Saboteur #3 – Sauces Can Give Your Meal an Unhealthy Spin

Sauces often make food taste delicious but they are not always healthy.  Sauces are typically loaded with calories due to their high sugar or fat content.  They also contain tons of sodium which can cause you to retain water, contribute to high blood pressure and generate a slew of other health problems.  To avoid sabotaging your meal, ask for sauces on the side and add a small amount to your food.

• Restaurant Saboteur #2 – Egg White Omelets Aren’t Always Low in Fat!

A favorite breakfast for dieters is an egg white omelet.  The yolk contains the fat and cholesterol, so health-conscious people opt for the protein-rich egg white instead where available.  When prepared at home it’s easy to be prepared low fat. But when dining out, chefs add oil or butter to the pan before making your omelet and it’s typically more than just one serving of oil. When dining out, ask for your omelet to be prepared with no butter or oil.  Instead, ask them to use a non-fat cooking spray to coat the pan.

• Restaurant Saboteur #1 – Tasty Breads May Be Smeared in Fat

Carbohydrates are the weakness of many who are on a weight loss program and bread seems to be especially tempting, especially when dining out. The breads at restaurants are often smeared with butter, garlic and oil. If the breads come to the table without additional fat there is always the option to add it with the butter or oil that often accompanies the basket.  Even grilled sandwich buns are greased with some form of fat to keep them from sticking to grill tops. To avoid taking in those extra calories, ask for your bread to come “dry” with no sign of butter, oil or other fats.  Additionally, choose whole grain or multigrain breads and limit yourself to one piece in order to stay within your calorie range and macronutrient balance.