Eating Out! – 5 Healthy Tips
Weight-Control-Services.com

It’s one thing to stick with your diet regimen when you’re at home, in control of the contents of your refrigerator and your portion sizes. But what about going out to dinner with friends? Worse, how do you stay on track when your dream vacation has you seated by the dessert cart at every meal?

Eating right when you’re out of your comfort zone can actually be easier than when you are at home, so long as you think smart and plan ahead.

Getting in shape can be an arduous journey, and you should allow yourself to celebrate along the way! However, celebrating doesn’t mean two helpings of dessert. Instead, focus on these simple tips to help you enjoy your dinners out on the town without compromising your weight loss goals.

Tip 1: Daily Plan

Incorporate meals out like any others. Don’t skip meals beforehand, setting yourself up to be starving, then overeat. Plan. Don’t be afraid to call ahead and find out what the specials are going to be and figure out a couple of choices, so that you don’t stress out when you arrive and order foods that are not the best options for your diet.

If the restaurant or event is going to serve you buffet-style, again, call ahead to plan. If that’s not an option, here are a couple ideas. First, ask someone with whom you’re comfortable sharing your dietary concerns to help you. Tell him or her what foods you can eat (or what you cannot eat) and ask the person to fill a plate for you. Or second, walk up to the buffet table(s) beforehand with no plate. Just take a casual stroll around and see which foods are being served. Then decide if you would like to ask someone else to place your selections on a plate for you or if you would prefer to get them yourself.

Tip 2: Slow and Steady

First of all, use manners and eat slowly. Not only will this help with your digestion, it slows your eating down so that you don’t “gulp” and be a chow-hound, eating everything in sight.

If out with others, remember you are also there for socializing, so talk between bites. Set your eating utensils down while you chew. Have a sip of water between bites. The goal is not to see how fast can you wolf down the food while someone else is talking.

Tip 3: Avoid temptation

There is no law that says you must have a basket of bread, butter and oil before a meal out. If it is on your table when you are seated, request that it be brought back to the kitchen.

If your dinner mates are eager to start off with the carbs, then order a glass of water and take a sip each time you are tempted to break bread. Besides, you’ll want the time you would have wasted buttering and dipping to spend reading the menu for smart, sensible choices.

Don’t assume that you’ll be able to hold out on temptations throughout the entire meal. Set yourself up for success when you order by requesting they leave off the oils and sauces. Request that your meat and vegetables be steamed, not fried. Order a salad (with light or no dressing, on the side) or side of veggies instead of fries or mashed potatoes.

Tip 4: Fill up on the good stuff

Drink plenty of water before you leave for the restaurant, and while you wait for the food to arrive. This will help fill you up and prevent hunger-inspired indulgences.

Request your salad (and/or soup, if it’s not creamy) be brought out first, and dig in. By the time your food arrives, you should be able to more rationally determine what portion sizes are appropriate, and if anything needs to be avoided.

Tip 5: Dreaded desserts

First of all, do not order dessert until you are completely finished with your meal. You may be full and not want anything. And that’s certainly not a crime!
After the meal, if everyone is splurging on the dessert menu, keep in mind that you don’t have to join in just to be part of the “gang.” Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea to end your meal. Or ask someone to split a dessert with you. Hint: Doggie bags can also be used for desserts! So split it in half and take part home for another day or your neighbor.
You have to be left out of choosing a neat dessert, either. See if the kitchen can put together a fruit bowl or a sorbet dish to satisfy your cravings without putting all your conscientious work at dinner to waste. This might be something to call ahead about..hint!

With the right approach, eating out can be a pleasurable experience. Remember, a successful diet is a lifelong lifestyle modification. You need to be able to incorporate healthful eating out activities into your routine.

What happens if you DO stress? Add extra activities to your schedule. Swim some laps. Walk or jog. Leave your wallet in the trunk and go to a mall for a shop-walk. Take a tour. Visit a museum. Enjoy a park and feed the ducks. Just get out, focus on something else and enjoy life.
About the Author

Weight Control Services, a site dedicated to providing current health and fitness information. The article you have read is available for your use in its entirety as part of a collection of ebooks offering valuable information on a variety of Health and Fitness topics.

Tags: Arduous Journey, Author, Buffet Table, Casual Stroll, Choices, Chow Hound, Comfort Zone, Couple Ideas, Dessert Cart, Diet Regimen, Dietary Concerns, Digestion, Dinner With Friends, Dream Vacation, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, Getting In Shape, Healthy Diet, Incorporate, Losing Weight, Manners, Portion Sizes, Refrigerator, Stress, Weight Loss Goals —

A Healthy Diet For Life
Namita Nayyar

Having established that your body needs a well balanced diet, with a good supply of carbohydrates, especially high – fiber foods, water vitamins and minerals, and a certain amount of protein, fat and bacteria, you need to know how to put it into practice.
Much media attention is focused on foods that one should not have, yet there has been very little to tell women how they can use food to enhance their life rather than make it more difficult. Forget the labels; every figure is relative and food manufacturers are frequently very selective about what they tell you, making your task of deciding what is right for you an impossible one. Instead build your choices on the following guidelines.

RESPECT YOUR MOUTH AND BODY: GET INTO THE HABIT OF ONLY EATING THINGS YOU LIKE AND NEED

Before you put anything in your mouth, ask yourself three questions: Do I want it/ Do I like it/ Do I need it?

If you want it and like it then go ahead and enjoy it, if you dont why bother wasting the eating experience? Throw all the boring, unnecessary eating out of your life.

The worst thing you can do with food is to feel guilty about eating it. If you have eaten something that you know is not the healthier but you really fancied it or were in a situation where you didnt have any choice, enjoy it an forget about it. Dont beat yourself up with guilt. Guilt is a negative emotion, which is likely to lead you to bingeing on comfort foods. This can then get you into a negative sugar or salt cycle in which you eat more of these foods, which in turn makes you feel even more guilty. You might then decide its not worth continuing with you healthy eating lifestyle. It is always worth persevering. Remember that life is for living and food is there to help us, not hinder us.

AIM TO EAT FIVE PORTIONS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY

This provides your body with a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, to maintain your body in peak condition to fight diseases. Fiber helps your food to move effectively through the body, keeps you feeling pleasantly full and satisfied and in control of your eating habits, and your energy levels steady.

EAT THREE MEALS A DAY

This is usually made up of one main meal, a smaller snack or lunch-type meal and breakfast. You may, however, feel that you need two smaller snacks, such as a piece of fruit, a small sandwich or a piece of cake, in between two smaller meals. It all depends on your body rhythms. Meals should be based on carbohydrates, such as pasta, whole-meal bread, wholegrain cereals, rice or potatoes, along with fruits and/or vegetables. The main meal should include a source of lean protein, along with carbohydrate and plenty of vegetables and fruits.

CHOOSE LEAN SOURCES OF PROTEIN

Fish, shellfish, lean red meat, game, poultry, eggs or pulses meet your bodys protein requirements without overloading on fats.

TRY TO GET INTO THE HABIT OF USING JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF FAT

You can use butter, olive oil, sesame oil or walnut oil to enhance the flavor of your food or for cooking, but do try to keep the quantity low.

KEEP YOUR INTAKE OF REFINED SUGAR FOODS LOW

Too much sugar disrupts your natural energy balance, and can cause headaches; mood swings and if eaten in large quantities sugar sensitivity problems such as hypoglycemia and diabetes mellitus. It is much better to get into the habit of using the natural sugars in fruits to provide sweetness.

INCLUDE SOME DAIRY PRODUCTS OR ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF CALCIUM IN YOUR DAILY DIET

This has far reaching benefits for all women of all age group .

DRINK TWO THREE LITERS (FOUR TO FIVE PINTS) OF WATER EVERY DAY

Water helps the fiber in your food to swell and perform its duties. It also helps to metabolize other nutrients from your food, keep your skin and hair healthy and prevent your body from becoming dehydrated.

TRY NOT TO DRINK MORE THAN THREE CUPS OF COFFEE, TEA OR COLA .

All such drinks contain caffeine, which inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals from the gut, causes your body to excrete vital nutrients and interferes with the fluid and energy balance mechanisms in your body. Caffeine also causes your body to be stimulated in an artificial way, which in the long run has the opposite effect of supressing your performance and general feeling of well

INCLUDES SOME GOOD BACTERIA IN YOUR DAILY DIET, IN THE FORM OF LIVE YOGURT CONTAINING BIFIDUS AND ACIDOPHILUS

A small pot of bio yogurt a day should help to keep a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. If you dont like or are unable to eat live yogurt, seek the advice of your dietician

TRY TO EAT REGULARLY AND IDEALLY NOT LEAVE YOUR STOMACH EMPTY FOR MORE THAN FOUR TO FIVE HOUR

This helps to keep your gut functioning effectively. Regular eating helps your gut maintain a steady supply of digestive enzymes, protects it from excess acid secretion and enables it to metabolize food in the most efficient way, to keep your energy level and moods on an even keel

KEEP YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE MODERATE

Some drinks, especially young red wines such as Beaujolais, contain anti-oxidant vitamins and minerals, which can help to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Beers and Champagnes can also provide beneficial nutrients. Drinking can be a very pleasurable part of a healthy lifestyle, but drinking to excess can cause liver damage, mood and energy-balance problems. Try not to drink on an empty stomach as this can cause your blood sugar levels to crash.

FOOD COMBINING/SEPARATING

The issue of whether you should eat proteins and carbohydrates at the same meal is one that regularly crops up in the media. Some diet consultants feel strongly that proteins and carbohydrates should be separated, and advocate that proteins should be eaten only with vegetables and fruit, not mixed with carbohydrates. Many people feel that their body functions better if they out this into practice; it is commonly known as food combining.
From the physiological and nutritional viewpoint, proteins (meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, pulses) provide the body with amino acids, used as building blocks within muscles and other tissues. Carbohydrates provide energy and fiber. If you eat proteins on their own, without carbohydrate present, the protein can be broken down into energy, rather than used for building body tissue. Proteins also have other important functions to perform in maintaining body health and carbohydrates protect proteins, enabling them to fulfill these functions.

The choice is yours, but there is no physiological reasoning behind food combining. I believe that food is there to be enjoyed. Women should not have to agonize over whether they are allowed to eat certain things at certain times.

To know more on how to make healthy choices of food while eating ,log on to www.womenfitness.net,a complete resource for healthy living .

About the Author

Ms Namita Nayyar is a gold medalist in M Sc (Child development)and a fitness trainer with a sound knowledge of normal & therapeutic nutrition . She is the founder of Women Fitness (www.womenfitness.net)

Tags: Author, Bacteria, Balanced Diet, cancers;, Choices, diabetes mellitus, Diet Healthy, Dietician, Diseases, energy balance mechanisms, energy level;, energy-balance problems, energy;, food combining, Food Manufacturers, food;, founder, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Guilt, Habit, headaches;, Healthy Diet, Healthy Lifestyle, heart disease;, High Fiber Foods, hypoglycemia;, Labels, Media Attention, Namita, Namita Nayyar, natural energy balance, Negative Emotion, olive oil;, Peak Condition, Protein, sesame oil, Vitamins And Minerals, Vitamins Minerals, walnut oil, Women Fitness, www.womenfitness.net —

You may think that to lose weight you have to learn to hate food. This is so wrong and is the exact opposite of how you should be thinking. You need to learn to love food for the fuel that it gives you to get through your day and to find foods to eat to lose weight instead of gain it.

Too many people rely on food to give them comfort when all it really does is make you fat because you eat too much of the wrong things. When you start making healthier choices and paring down your portion sizes you will begin to see some differences in the clothes you wear and the energy your have.

I am going to talk to you about foods to eat to lose weight. There are many to choose from and to mix and match. There are ways to make sure that you eat enough of everything to get the nutrients and vitamins you need on a daily basis but still not go over your calorie count for the day.

Since you need to eat five or six small meals per day to lose the weight you want, you may need to mix things up a bit so you do not get bored with what you are eating. Fresh fruits and vegetables need to play a major role in you losing the weight you want, even if you do not like them. Pick the one or two that you do like and stick with them.

If you do like them then you are basically home free. You need to eat a piece of fruit or a vegetable with every single meal. Preferably one of each. If you choose to have fruit as one of your snacks, pair it up with some low-fat yogurt or some sunflower seeds. Mix the fruit and sunflower seeds into the low-fat yogurt and make your own special granola type snack.

The low-fat dairy and the seeds will keep you fuller longer and provide you with lots of protein and essential fats your body needs to function properly. You can’t cut out all the fat from your diet because your body needs some fat to help your body absorb certain nutrients.

Lean proteins are important, too. Eggs, fish, shrimp, low-fat dairy, and poultry are all great sources of lean protein. Just make sure to keep the portion sizes to about three ounces, four if you are male.

Like I said, fats are important but only in very small amounts. If you should choose poultry make sure the skin is removed and the fat trimmed off completely. Eat red meat only as a treat every once in a while. I don’t know about you but I love steak and could not possibly go without it for the rest of my life but I could just have it once or twice a month and be happy with all the other foods to eat to lose weight for the rest of the time.

Tags: Atkins, Calorie Count, Choices, Clothes, Daily Basis, Eating Habits, Eggs, Essential Fats, Foods To Eat To Lose Weight, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Diet, Lean Protein, Losing Weight, Nutrients, Portion Sizes, Poultry, Proteins, Shrimp, Snack, Snacks, Sunflower Seeds, Vitamins, Vitamins And Minerals, Yogurt —

Trying to get fit isn’t always easy. If it was, then there wouldn’t be nearly as many products on the market to help people get healthy. But let’s face it, getting fit can be a lot harder than it should be.

There may be any number of reasons for this. Maybe it’s because junk food is so easy to find. Maybe it’s a busy schedule that doesn’t give us enough time to eat right. Maybe it’s the stress of the modern world that causes the problem. Regardless of the the causes of your unhealthy eating habits, you can turn that around at any time by adopting healthy eating habits.

You don’t have to wait. You don’t have to spend a fortune on the latest fad diet. You can start right away by being mindful of the food you eat. Remember, everything you consume is going to have some effect on your body. The only question is if that effect is good or bad. Studies have shown that subjects who paid attention to what they ate, started to eat better. They weren’t even aware that they were making healthier choices. It was almost as if paying attention to the food they ate flipped a switch that caused them to start eating better. And you can do the same thing.

One of the benefits of trying to change your eating habits is that you can do it at the pace that’s best for you. Remember that you are in this for the long haul, so if you want to make a few small changes at a time, then that’s perfectly acceptable. You know what’s best for you. No matter how you go about it, it’s much better to make changes that are going to stick and see more steady results. Sure, you could make a lot of changes and be able to see some drastic results in short amount of time may seem fantastic, but if you find it too difficult and then go back to your old ways, then it’s not really worth it.

A good rule of thumb is to eat foods that are as close to their natural source as possible. For example, it’s better to eat corn on the cob, than it is to eat it ground up, deep fried, salted and flavored. That sounds logical, yet how many people choose to eat corn chips instead of fresh corn on a daily basis. And that’s only one example. If you could make this one little change, you would be adopting one of the best healthy eating habits.

Another good healthy eating habit is to make better choices at the grocery store. To do this, simply compare two similar foods that you like to eat, then choose the one that’s healthier. However, don’t do this only once, but rather every time you go shopping. Think of it as a contest and try to beat your previous record. Over time your diet will improve, and you will feel a whole lot better to boot!

Tags: Amount Of Time, Busy Schedule, Choices, Corn On The Cob, Drastic Results, Eating Habits, Face, Fad Diet, Fortune, Getting Fit, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating Habits, Junk food;, Latest Fad, Long Haul, Natural Source, Pace, Paying Attention, Rule Of Thumb, Small Changes, Stress, Unhealthy Eating Habits —