Now the point is this that why aren’t you getting what you want?  Let’s glance at some of the reasons. Negative thoughts, beliefs, feelings and ideas, ineffective coping skills while dealing with problems, self-defeating behaviors, lack of self-love and forgiveness, ignorance of better ways to achieve your goal, obsessive-compulsive addictions and thoughts.

The main problem is self-defeating cycle. This common cycle of being “good” at sticking to a sensible eating plan and being “bad” when you slip is very frustrating. But when it comes to our favorite food, our self-defeating attitude weakens. Lots of psychologists make out that behavior modification strategies rather than diets can help us break this self-defeating cycle and make it as everlasting lifestyle changes.

What is behavior modification?

It starts with a change in self-talk and thought which then helps us change our attitudes about our eating, our bodies and our weight which ultimately helps us changing our behavior. In language of weight loss, our behavior will be reflected by how we feel inside. When we feel good about ourselves, we start loving our self; we can’t help but be attractive to others. This is the ultimate objective—to feel better about ourselves inside, so that our body and personality will reflect confidence and light to others.

How to win the weight management battle?

When it comes to weight loss, many people are searching for the rapid fixes and the fad diets to come back with their weight problems, when in reality these are the programs that are hindering their weight loss in the long run. To win this weight management battle you need to understand the dynamics of the relationship you have with food. There is always a right and a wrong way to do a thing. Do the right things you will get great results. This battle can be easily won by using the correct knowledge and correct tools.

Stop Dieting:

Do not skip meals. Eating normally throughout the day will stimulate your metabolism. To lose weight, you should eat, or it will result in slowing the rate of metabolism. Skipping meals can decrease your metabolism.

Watch your thoughts:

Do you think “I will never lose weight” or “I feel fat”? Watch for thoughts that are negative or are not supportive of your goals.  Realize that “fat” is not a feeling. Try to exactly make out the emotion that you are having that may be driving your need to eat, overeat, or suffer from low self-esteem. Our thoughts show the way to our actions, so if we can stop our hopeless and self-critical thoughts, we can modify behavior more readily, with more enthusiasm and get what we want.

Similarities

1. Plans: Both diets put emphasis on that their individual diets are lifetime plan for healthy nutrition and disease prevention. Losing weight is roughly an afterthought but both claim you’ll lose plenty.

2. Structure: The structure of both diets (South Beach and Atkins) is nearly the same. Both of these start with a restrictive phase which lasts for about two weeks.

• In first week both have recommended a restricted carbohydrate diet (No breads, pastas, rice, alcohol, sugar, etc.) that is virtually indistinguishable.

• In the second week, they both slowly add carbohydrate (such as fruits and whole grains) to get the optimal level for each person. Once the desired weight is reached, they go to a maintenance phase.

3. Best part in the diets is that both are structured to help one find the level of carbohydrate that works for him.

4. Both Atkins and South Beach make a distinction among various carbohydrate sources. Both have advised not to eat refined carbs (such as sugars, white flour, etc).

5. Both say to avoid Trans fats completely.

Differences

1. Both the diets differ the way carbohydrates are accounted.

• In South Beach, sources of carbohydrate are accounted for by the size and number of portions.

• In Atkins, every gram eaten is accounted in the daily carbohydrate intake. It requires counting all digestible carbohydrates; generally this means carbohydrates that are not fiber.
  

2. Fats: The major difference between the two diet plans is the advice concerning fat in the diet.

• In South Beach, emphasis is put on reducing the intake of saturated fats, i.e., butter or the dark meat of poultry. Agatston also emphasized on getting adequate Omega-3 fatty acids.

• In Atkins, eating a variety of fats is recommended. Omega 3s and 6s are advised to be balanced, which means that many oils that are primarily Omega-6, such as corn oil, should be avoided. Saturated fats, such as butter or dark meat, are allowed in greater amounts than South Beach.

There is no doubt that there are differences in the details, but both are trying to teach dieters to decrease the consumption of carbohydrates in junky processed foods and refined sugars. The diets can agree that building a diet around healthy proteins, lots of vegetables, tons of fiber, good fats and some fruits and nuts is the best you can do.

This might sound familiar from the days when your parents would pack your lunch and cook you dinner. Luckily, your parents were right, but there is another essential elements to goes into this equation for a healthy diet.  Enter, multivitamins!

Many of us do not realize it through our everyday diets, but the typical person does not eat nearly enough vitamins, through ways of food, each and every day. To fill the deficit of vitamins for the day, multivitamins can be used. Because it is so difficult for the typical eater to fill themselves with enough vitamins, the use of multivitamins can be very beneficial. As these supplements are very good tools to fill the deficits, they should not be used as the only means for vitamin consumption. It is essential to consume as many vitamins as we can from foods because they are the only source we can receive fiber, phytonutrients, and other beneficial compounds.

For example, according to the Dietary Guidelines of Americans 2005, it shows that many adults are deficient in a variety of vital elements:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C (Carotenoids)
• Vitamin E
• Magnesium
• Calcium 

Since many of us have a difficult time keeping track of what we’re eating, or don’t even know what to eat, below are some quick tips to follow that will sure be able to assist you when paired up with a multivitamin.

• Eat foods rich in whole grains
• Keep a balanced diet of fruits and veggies (I know it’s been said many times before)
• Stick more to eating lean meats, such as chicken and fish
• Begin looking on the back of a lot of food products… following the Nutritional Facts can help limit a lot in your diet. If it doesn’t immediately limit your diet, like me, it will definitely make you feel pretty guilty for eating so much!!
• Track your caloric intake by using a program, such as CalorieKing.  

As multivitamins sound like a great idea to “get on track” and balanced with our nutritional elements, they are not always the all-in-one solution… of course! For instance, multivitamins are not a great idea for those recovering from or have cancer, along with other diseases. Sometimes the various elements of the multivitamins aid a particular disease. Always check with a doctor anytime before choosing vitamins if you are one in this circumstance.   

Now that I’ve gone this far with briefly explaining some of the basics on multivitamins, I realized that I originally wanted to write about the type I take. I guess a post in the near future will do for that one!

What the heck is stevia, and why is it so good?! Many of have never heard of it, or at most possibly passed it while in the supplement section of a natrual foods store. Whatever the case, stevia is the next and upcoming large sugar-alternative. It’s a sweetner that Japan has been using in abundance since the early ’70s. They have been using it in products such as Coca-Cola, added in other food products, and have had it set out for table-use at resturants around the country.

So, what is stevia?

Stevia is a scrub that is found in abundance in the subtropical regions of Central America and South America. Some other names that stevia goes by is sweetleaf and sugarleaf. As the name says, the leaves are where all the flavor is found. After previous generations have found the great sweetening qualities of these stevia leaves (about 300 times the sweetness of sugar), it has been used since. Extracts are taken from these leaves and then produced into one of its many forms: liquid concentrates, crystal form, dried and also fresh stevia leaves.

Technically, stevia is a supplement

As of now, stevia is a natural herb that has not been approved by the FDA. Because of this, stevia is sold at stores as a supplement, not a food sweetener. As a supplement and a sugar alternative, stevia is used by people with Diabetes, obesity, and high-blood pressure because of its very low carbohydrate content, being calorie-free, and its ability to actually increase glucose tolerance. Since stevia has not been approved by the FDA, it cannot be sold in food products as a “sweetener”. Since the FDA has labeled stevia as a supplement, if a company were to produce a stevia sweetened drink, it would be have to be labeled as a supplement drink. Because of this, large health grocers such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats hurt because they cannot offer these alternative sweetened drinks in some of its products. Companies are now working to create a slightly altered version of stevia so it can become FDA approved. We’ll just have to wait it out and see when that time comes. In the mean time, go purchase the packets or its other forms and use it as a sweetener for your own creations!

Experimenting with stevia

The key thing that you need to remember with stevia is that it is about 300 times the sweetness of sugar. Don’t forget how much more that really is! When experimenting with stevia during cooking, always be sure to add small amounts at a time and taste-test everything before moving any further with a recipe. It may seem like a pain to try and learn exactly how much stevia equates to that of sugar, but the benefits of having a calorie-free, all-natural sweetener completely outweighs your long efforts. When using stevia in place of previous sugar-included recipes, try and stick with those that include fruits and dairy products. Generally, stevia mixes really well with these food groups because of its texture. Some simple recipes to start off with are baking a batch of chocolate cookies, making lemonade, creating a variety of types of salsa, soups, and so many others.

Give this simple hot cocoa recipe a shot for starters…

(Makes 4-5 servings)

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp of cocoa
• 4-5 cups of soymilk or milk
• 1/2 tsp powdered stevia extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Mix the stevia extract and cocoa together in a medium-sized pot. Add 1/2 cup of your choice of milk to make a paste. Work to thin out the paste by adding another 1/2 cup of the milk. While bringing it to a low boil, add either the honey or maple syrup. Boil all of the ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rest of the milk to your desire of thickness and richness. Add the vanilla and heat the ingredients thoroughly. Be sure to not scorch the cocoa on the bottom of the pan.

Pour, serve, and enjoy!

Photo credit: daxiang

Many of us have heard of magnesium, but probably only from some crazy high school science class years ago. What many people do not know is that it is vital for the health of our body and its proper functionality. There are many forms that magnesium can be found in so we can easily balance our diets. Check out some of this important information that you’ve probably never known about magnesium and your body.

What is it? About 50% of it is found naturally in our bones, but the rest is located all around our bodies: muscles, tissues, organs, and blood. The body works to try and keep a healthy level and balance of natural magnesium in our system through our blood.

What does it do? There are no solid, agreed upon reasons of why we sometimes experience muscle cramps, but some speculate that it is caused by the dehydration in muscles and lack of vital nutrients after a difficult workout. Magnesium is a bone-building nutrient that is thought to help calm and relax muscles during these times. It’s believed that without the proper amount of magnesium, it will cause muscles to contract and spasm more often than not.

What you should do. If you workout intensely or don’t exercise at all, magnesium is right up your alley. Magnesium is vital for everyone, but deficits can be noticed if you are putting your body through strenuous exercises. Your muscles are prone to cramps and uncomfortableness without a proper amount of magnesium. Intake magnesium daily in one of its various forms to prevent injuries like this from occurring.

Magnesium is essential to over 400 various enzyme reactions and other daily bodily functions. Unfortunately, research has shown that many American diets are deficient in a proper daily amount of magnesium.

Magnesium aids the body with:

• Nerve conditions
• Muscle contractions
• Bone and tooth formation
• Protein metabolism
• And more importantly, heart and circulatory health

How much should you receive per day? It is recommended that a male over 19 years old should consume around 400 mg of magnesium per day. Women of the same age are said that they should eat roughly 300 mg per day. A deficiency of magnesium in a diet can occur and some pretty obvious results could show from it. Some of these are feeling fatigued, a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and weakness. If the deficit continues, it can lead to various muscle contractions, spasms, cramps, numbness, abnormal heart beats, and even a change in personality.

Where can I find magnesium in food? Green vegetables are normally the best and easiest place to eat magnesium in foods. Beans and peas, various nuts, and unrefined grains are also great sources. Sticking to unrefined grains, such as whole wheat foods are much higher in magnesium than flour or white bread products. Some excellent food sources are listed below:

• Halibut (90mg)
• Dry roasted almonds (80mg)
• Soybeans and spinach (75mg)
• Cereal and oatmeal (65mg)
• Baked potatoes (50mg)

Are there other ways to consume magnesium? There sure are!

• I have recently begun to consume magnesium in a liquid form. This is generally much quicker to digest and gets to areas in the body much quicker. I mix mine in water and drink it pretty quickly since the taste isn’t the best, but not anywhere near unbearable. I have chosen this method because it aids my aching muscles much quicker and effectively.
• Pill form. Calcium/Magnesium supplement pills are normally the most popular on the shelf in a nutritional store. They come in this combination because the two work hand-in-hand with each other. As the magnesium helps with muscle relaxation, calcium helps rebuild muscles and control muscle contractions after workouts and other daily activities.
• Powder form is also available. This isn’t nearly as popular, but if used, it can be mixed in with a drink, very similar to the liquid magnesium form.

Photo credit: brokenchopstick

During my time as an undergrad, I saw the proper use and abuse of energy drinks. I watched friends down a can to make it through a tough workout and others buy energy drinks by the case to support their gaming addiction.

Being the conventional type, I have always stayed true to my coffee, but I wondered what exactly it was that my friends were drinking to get the extra boost and how it compared to my latte.

After doing a bit of research, I found that my intuition was right … for the most part.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. The benefits of the antioxidants in coffee are becoming well known, studies have liked the reasonable coffee consumption (three 8oz serves per day) to reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and Parkinson’s disease. With a minimal amount of calories (5 per 8oz. serving), plenty of caffeine for energy, and a variety of flavors, this old stand-by will always be one of my favorites.

When comparing coffee with the average energy drink (we’ll use Rockstar as an example), the coffee wins hands down. Rockstar weighs in at 140 calories and 31 grams of sugar; the mixture of high fructose corn syrup, several preservatives (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate), artificial flavoring and numerous chemicals is not likely to offer any true health benefits. There is plenty of caffeine (90mg) in the drink to keep a person awake, but I think that the jolt offered by the beverage is outweighed by the havoc it wrecks on one’s system; although, the milk thistle extract in this artificial concoction may balance out the damage done to one’s liver when drinking a bottle.

Now, all you energy drink addicts out there, don’t worry, there is hope. Several all-natural energy drinks have been introduced to the market and they offer a much better option. Kaboom is one of my favorites, as it is not just all-natural, but also organic. With a base of organic orange juice and a bit of organic cane juice for sweetener, Kaboom has a flavor that matches any other energy drink on the market. The kick in Kaboom comes from guarana (90 mg) and green tea extracts, as well as C and B vitamins.

Guarana is a herbal supplement which produces guaranine, a naturally occurring caffeine; guarana provides a synergetic delivery of many nutritional compounds and trace elements to beneficially affect the total body system. The supplement has been traditionally used to assist in the relief of aliments such as stress, weight control, headaches, hangovers, and even menstrual cramps. Green tea extract offers many of the same benefits and is loaded with antioxidants. No artificial colors or flavors here, Kaboom is colored with annatto and turmeric, which have been used for centuries as colorants and are known to have beneficial medicinal properties.

I might have to leave my mug in the cupboard and grab an all-natural energy drink next time I need a boost; clearly, drinks like Kaboom are a great option, they offer a lot more than a cup of java, but with the same jolt you need to get through the day.

Photo credit: jeremyfoo

Today I received a call from my girlfriend after she ate a microwaveable soft pretzel. Being a very health-conscious person, she thought this would be a reasonable quick and low-calorie snack while at work. After being curious and reading the nutritional facts, her perception quickly changed about these pretzels. At first she read and noticed that it contained 180 calories, which seemed somewhat alright. As she read a little closer, she saw that the 180 calories was only for one serving, which is only HALF of the pretzel! How did the makers find a way to pack in nearly 400 calories in a pretzel?! Of course this calorie total doesn’t account for the extra dippings that you have with the pretzel. You couldn’t eat one of those without adding some trusty mustard or cheese sauce! It is unfortunate that these pretzels, among many other seemingly healthy snacks, completely devoid any of the nutritional facts that are listed. You would think with the calorie amount and nutritional elements, it would keep a person full for quite some time, but it just doesn’t.

Another example of a tricky food is dried fruit, and especially those with extra sugar added. Those suckers can have over 200 calories per ounce, depending on the fruit. For example, you could eat 2 large Fuji apples or a handful of dried cranberries to have about the equivalent calorie count. Many of these fruits also lack the amount of fiber found in the non-dried version. Keep a keen eye towards the ingredients of these dried fruits and steer clear from anything that doesn’t seem naturally occurring. If there is sugar added to any dried fruits, on average, it adds about 100 calories per serving.

If we consume these types of foods in between our three full meals, we would most definitely exceed our daily calorie count. Just be sure to check out all nutritional values and ingredients before scarfing down that next “healthy” snack, it may just become your fourth meal!

Photo credit: daxiang stef

I have always thought that the color of eggs were yellow. That might sound like an ignorant statement, saying that there is a yolk and whites within the shell, but I grew up on scrambled eggs. When eating this type of meal after working out, I thought I was receiving the large amounts of proteins that I needed to keep my body growing. Finally after learning about eggs and doing some research, I found out that egg whites actually make up for two-thirds of the egg’s weight, which consists of proteins, vitamins, trace minerals, fatty material, and glucose. Looking back at the familiar yellow, all that the yolk contains are massive amounts of cholesterol, fat, and about half the protein as in the rest of the egg. As the yolk’s protein level is definitely enticing, it is not worth the large levels of cholesterol and saturated fats.

Let’s quickly break it all down:

Egg Yolks:

• Calories: 55 cals
• Fat: 4.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.6g
• Cholesterol: 210 mg
• Protein: 2.7g

Egg Whites:

• Calories: 17 cals
• Fat: 0.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.0 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Protein: 5 g

It’s very difficult for me to want to make anything with egg yolk after knowing the benefits and tasting the much more pure flavor of egg whites. These comparisons clearly show why egg whites are preferred during dieting and building muscle. As many times eggs are excluded from low-calorie recipes, egg whites are not.

Since companies have now realized the benefits of egg whites, and have also noticed that there are not always the easiest to separate from the yolk in the egg, they have created alternative products. Many natural food stores now carry small cartons of liquid and powder egg whites. These normally have a higher amount of protein and other very similar nutritional values compared to natural egg whites. There are an endless amount of uses for egg whites in cooking: breakfasts, sweet treats, low-calorie lunches, and dinner entrees. Once you try the pure taste of egg whites, after knowing their great nutritional value, you’ll never want to go back to your old-style, yolky egg recipes.

1. Start the day out with a good one hour cardio or weight workout. Just like you should with any other day, it’s a great way to loosen yourself up and get you prepped for a big day with family and friends. I would not recommend doing an extra amount of exercise, but one that makes you generally feel good. Also, working out will create a calorie deficit, in preparation for the rest of the day’s meals. By keeping a routine to workout everyday, it will wipe out any worries about gaining weight during the holidays. From this point on, slightly lengthen your workout times throughout the holidays so you can get a head start on those New Year’s resolutions!
2. Limit yourself. Start your meal with a salad so you don’t eat as much during dinner. Before you move on to the rest of the meal, check out all that is available to eat. Choose how you’ll fill your calorie allotment and don’t waste them on foods that you can eat any other day. Since this is the holiday season, pick the foods that are seasonal to this time. I have always the taste of leftover turkey on a sandwich, so why not have it? Leftovers are great, so don’t feel that you’ll need to stuff yourself to oblivion just to get rid of the food.
3. After dinner, go for a long walk. It doesn’t need to be anything intense, but just enough to keep your blood moving and help you digest your turkey meal. Many times we’ll feel very sluggish and needing a nap after eating our large plates of turkey. That tryptophan in turkey can really take it out of you. Try and counter it by going for a nice stroll after dinner and before desert. Not only will it keep you awake and feeling better, it will help keep the pounds off and lower the possibility of heartburn.
4. Don’t skip meals throughout the day. Start the day right with a well-balanced breakfast that is also low in calories. Aim for a breakfast that is high in fiber and protein, and low in calories. The fiber and protein will hold your appetite over for a long time while you are saving your calorie count to be filled by your large dinner. Treat today as a normal day with fruits and snacks to keep yourself from craving the next meal. All of this will prevent you from overeating and becoming too bloated feeling.
5. Get in some good sleep. Try and keep your sleeping pattern the same, even though the holidays sometimes throws it off. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and heavy meals right before you head to bed. It’s never a good thing to go to sleep on a stuffed stomach. If you’re feeling a little sluggish before eating the big meal, try taking a quick, 20-minute power nap. These can keep you fully energized and going for the rest of the day.
6. Eat slow. A ton of benefits come from not eating too quickly. By slowing down your eating, it is much more likely that you’ll be satisfied with only one plate serving. This will give time for the food to begin digesting and will also prevent overeating. That, and it’s always a great feeling to have a bunch of leftovers to give away to family and keep for upcoming work days. In addition, it is very likely to get indigestion when we overeat, but it is also possible to get it when you eat too quickly and swallow air while eating. Try slowing your eating while chewing your food thoroughly with your mouth closed. This will force you to slow down and also keep all of that unwanted air out.
7. Watch the alcohol intake. If you’re in the calorie watching business, don’t forget that alcohol calories can fill your allotment up in no time. It’s not a bad thing to drink, in fact, it can be very beneficial. Just be sure to limit the amount calories produced by alcohol. A possible way to limit yourself, that I’ve found handy, is to drink some sparkling water in between alcoholic drinks. This should spark an interest in your mouth while also hydrating your body.

Hopefully you’ll choose to use at least some of these ideas tomorrow, on the big turkey day. I hope that everyone has a great, safe, and delicious Thanksgiving. Have a good one!