Healthy Eating Redefined
Alan H. Wayler, PhD

New Year’s resolutions aside, most of us find making and
sticking to the resolve to eat healthier a bit of a challenge,
to say the least. And that’s even though study after study shows
that people who eat healthier have a greater chance of living
longer, better lives. For example, a study published last year
of over 42,000 women suggested that women who ate closest to the
recommended number of servings of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, low-fat dairy and lean meats and poultry definitely
lived longer.

So what’s the problem with eating healthier? Many times, it’s
all in how we define it.

Positive or Negative?

When we say the words ‘healthy
eating,’ what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Is
it a positive thought, such as “I feel better” or “It energizes
me”? Or is it something negative, such as “boring,”
“inconvenient” or “small portions”?

If you’re like the majority of women who come to Green Mountain,
the list of negative reactions is much longer than the list of
positive reactions. While we all recognize the positive benefits
of healthy eating, it’s our negative feelings about it that end
up creating obstacles to our doing it on a regular basis. We
often feel that healthy eating
recipes don’t taste good, and we have pictures of ourselves
spending hours in the kitchen chopping vegetables.

Certainly, if that’s your vision, it’s easy to see why healthy
eating doesn’t particularly appeal. But take a moment to think
about why you choose the foods you do when you make an attempt
to eat healthy. We frequently choose foods that are lowest in
fat, sugar, salt, calories…and therefore, taste and
convenience. Why? Because we’re not seeking to eat healthy as
much as we are trying to lose weight.

Changing the Definition

The trouble is, many of us have perceptions of healthy eating
that are defined by diets. The diets that have “educated” us
about healthy eating, or our own desire to take weight off fast,
have led us to equate healthy eating with consuming the minimum
number of calories we can get by with. And that often leaves us
unsatisfied, or facing a great deal of difficulty in feeding
ourselves when we’re not in our kitchens preparing our own
meals.

The solution? Embrace the notion that he
althy eating does include higher-fat, higher-sugar,
higher-calorie foods if you like them. Within the context of an
overall eating plan that features lower-fat, lower-sugar,
lower-calorie foods the majority of the time, a few chocolate
chip cookies or small bag of potato chips can be just the thing
you need to make healthy eating work for you, for both weight
loss and good health.

So start today. Resolve to eat healthy. But remember, it doesn’t
matter how healthy a food is — if it doesn’t taste good, you’re
not likely to continue eating it. Eat balanced meals and snacks
that include your favorite foods. And think broadly about what
your favorite foods are. Many of us love carrot sticks and
chocolate chip cookies. Maybe not at the same time, but over the
course of a day, it’s easy to fit both in.

Here’s to a long, healthy life…enjoying eating in a way that
truly feels great!

For 35 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has developed and
refined a life-changing program exclusively for women seeking
permanent strategies for healthy weight
loss and health. Based on a combination of proven science
and what works in the real world, our innovative non-diet
lifestyle program offers an integrated curriculum of practical,
liveable techniques that helps women take charge of their
eating, their bodies and their health. Our approach is not
focused on just losing weight but on how to keep it off for a
lifetime. Our participants’ long-term weight loss results are
among the highest of any program, as documented in peer-reviewed
scientific literature. Learn more about our Healthy Weight Loss
Spa – Fitness and Weight Loss Retreat.

About the author:

Alan H. Wayler, PhD is executive director of Green Mountain at
Fox Run, a women’s weight loss
program and healthy eating program since 1973. The program
provides an integrative health lifestyle approach for achieving
long-term weight and health management for women. He is also
co-author of a healthy
weight loss blog.

Tags: Alan H. Wayler, Author, Calories, Chopping Vegetables, co-author, Convenience, Desire, Diets, director of Green Mountain, executive director, food;, Fruits Vegetables, Green Mountain, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Healthy Weight Loss Spa, Lean Meats, Negative Feelings, New Year, New Year's Day, Obstacles, Perceptions, Phd, Positive Thought, Potato Chips, Poultry, Resolutions, Resolve, Sugar Salt, Weight Loss Retreat, Whole Grains —

Eat Out and Lose Weight — 25 Easy & Healthy Tips for Dining Out
Nicky Pilkington

Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and
now want healthy choices whether eating at home or at their
favorite restaurants. Luckily, the restaurant industry has been
quick to accommodate the demand, so you’ll find you have many
options to “eat healthy” these days.

Whether you’re eating at home or dining out, the same rules for
watching your weight apply. You need to eat more vegetables,
fruit and whole grains. Choose smaller portions of lean meats,
fish and poultry. Eat a variety of foods, and fresh, raw foods
are better. Cut back on salt, sugar, saturated fats and alcohol.
Drink plenty of water, and include exercise every day as part of
your daily lifestyle choice.

So whether you’re having lunch with the gang, or enjoying a
romantic dinner for two, you can enjoy delicious-tasting foods
that are low-in calories and good for you, with just a little
forethought and planning.

Here are some easy tips to remember when ordering out that will
help you to lose weight even when eating at your favorite
restaurants:

1. If you know the menu from the restaurant you’re going to,
plan what you’re going to have ahead of time. This will help
save you from making a last minute decision that could result in
high-calorie choices.

2. Drink at least one full-glass of water or iced tea before
eating your meal. This helps your digestive process, and,
because you’ll feel full sooner, you will eat less.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for the “senior citizen” special or
kid’s-sized portions. Most restaurants will accommodate you —
and often you’ll pay less as well!

4. Order first. That way you’re much less likely to be
influenced by the choices of your companions.

5. If you’re not sure how something is prepared, don’t be afraid
to ask. And if the dish is cooked in oil or butter, you can
always ask if they have a “fat free” option.

6. If everything on the menu is high in fat or calories, ask if
the chef could prepare a plate of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Many restaurants offer a vegetarian selection, so if you don’t
see it on the menu, ask.

7. When ordering meat or fish, ask that it be grilled or
broiled, and prepared without oil or butter. (When you eat it,
use lemon or herbs and spices to give it flavor rather than
heavy sauces).

8. Order an appetizer and a salad as your meal. Or a soup and
salad. For dessert, choose fresh fruit.

9. When choosing soup, remember that cream-based soups have many
more calories than broth-based ones.

10. If you’re having a full meal, split the appetizer and desert
with your companion.

11. If you decide to order pasta, tomato sauce has fewer
calories than cream-based sauces, just like soup.

12. Choose breadsticks over bread, or if you eat bread, don’t
add butter. Stay away from muffins and croissants, and choose
whole grain over white.

13. Choose steamed vegetables instead of baked potatoes or other
starches. Again, use lemon and herbs and spices rather than
butter to flavor them with.

14. Whenever possible, eat like the Europeans do, and have your
biggest meal at lunchtime. Not only will you save money, but
you’ll cut down on calories at the same time!

15. Take the time to enjoy your meal. Savor the flavors and
textures of your food, and enjoy the company you’re with. When
you eat slowly, you give your body’s internal clock the time it
needs to know when you’ve had enough. When you’re full, stop
eating. Ask your server to remove your plate so you’re not
tempted to keep eating while you wait for your companion to
finish.

16. Ask for salsa on your baked potatoes, rather than sour cream
and butter. Not only is salsa much lower in calories, but it
adds a “spicy” flavor to potatoes.

17. Order salad dressings and sauces “on the side.” This gives
you more control of how much to use. Another tip for salad
dressing — rather than pouring the salad dressing on your
salad, dip your fork into the dressing first, and then into the
salad. You’ll get the same amount of flavor, without all the
added calories!

18. Choose brown rice over white rice (or french fries), whole
grain breads and rolls over white. Not only are they lower in
calories, but they are better for you.

19. Stay away from “all you can eat” buffets and salad bars.
It’s too easy to lose track of the amount of food you’re eating,
even when it’s salads. If that’s your only choice, then stay
away from the pasta, marinated salads, cheeses and fruit salads
with whipped cream. Stick to soups, raw vegetables and fresh
fruits.

20. Have your soup first. It will help to fill you up, and most
soups have fewer calories.

21. If you’re craving something sweet, and don’t want fresh
fruit, choose sorbet. If you absolutely HAVE to have the
chocolate sauce, use the same trick as you did with the salad
dressing — dip your fork into it first, then your dessert.

22. Split your dessert with your companion. You’ll still feel
like you got to be indulgent, and you’ll only have to exercise
half as long to burn off the extra calories!

23. When ordering sandwiches, order them with mustard only,
rather than mayonnaise. Not only does mustard have almost no
calories, but you won’t miss the mayo!

24. If the portion you were served is large, only eat half of
it. Take the other half home. Not only will you get two meals
for the price of one, but you’ll cut the calories in half as
well!

25. Go for a walk after eating. Stroll along the beach, walk
through a park, visit a zoo. You’ll burn calories and get your
exercise at the same time!

About the author:

Find out more about Diet
and Nutrition at healthandfinesse.com

Tags: Alcohol Drink, Author, Calories, chef, Companions, Digestive Process, Diners, food;, Forethought, Free Option, Glass Of Water, Healthy Choices, Lean Meats, Lifestyle Choice, Losing Weight, Minute Decision, oil;, Poultry, Raw Foods, Romantic Dinner, Saturated Fats, Senior Citizen, Sized Portions, Vegetables, Whole Grains —

Walking for weight loss is easy and best of all it’s free. You do not have to join a gym or a club to be able to walk. all you have to do is step right out your front door. Anyone can do it, even your kids. I can be quite enjoyable to get out of the house and go for a walk in the morning after breakfast or in the evening after dinner. It doesn’t matter when you go, as long as you go.

Walking for weight loss should be combined with a healthier eating plan as well. This combination should net you up to a three pound weight loss per week. Start by buying fresh, healthy foods and measuring out single portion sizes.

Portion sizes is the biggest problem some people have. They just do not know when to stop eating. You might even be surprised that a single portion size is the size it is. When you realize that you have been eating three or four portions of something all at one time then it will make sense to you why you are over weight.

If you make up a meal plan then limit yourself to about 1200 to 1500 calories per day. This range is the perfect amount to lose weight at about 1-2 pounds per week. You may see a big drop right in the beginning but what you are seeing is your body adjusting and getting rid of water weight first.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables along with lean meats like chicken, turkey, fish, and shrimp. Lean protein helps build lean muscle. Whole grains provide the fiber and essential fatty acids your body needs so stock up on nuts and seeds like almonds or sunflower seeds. Watch your salt intake and stay away from sugary snacks and breads made with white flour.

Before you start your daily walks, go buy a new pair of shoes. A good pair of shoes with the mesh upper will help your feet breathe and stay cooler during your walk. Dress in layers for the weather changes that can happen and just tie your jacket or sweatshirt around your waist should you have to take it off.

If yiou are interested to know how far you have walked then get yourself a pedometer. A pedometer measures every step you take. If you count as you go you would need to count 2000 steps to measure one mile. I think it would be better to have the pedometer do it, frankly. That way you could listen to music or talk with your walking partner instead of counting.

Otherwise you could just clock a certain distance with your car then you would know how far you walk with out having to guess or count your steps. Try to get in 30 minutes of walking for weight loss per day. Increase the intensity and do some power walking once you work up to longer walks or do some basic interval training.

Tags: Atkins, Calories, Calories Per Day, Chicken Turkey, Eating Habits, Essential Fatty Acids, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Getting Rid Of Water Weight, Healthier Eating, Lean Meats, Lean Muscle, Lean Protein, Losing Weight, New Pair Of Shoes, Nuts And Seeds, Portion Size, Portion Sizes, Pound Weight Loss, Salt Intake, Sugary Snacks, Sunflower Seeds, Weather Changes, Whole Grains —

If you are one of the millions of people trying to lose weight and having little to no success then maybe some tips on losing weight will help. Losing weight is important for your health and well-being but doing it safely is the most important aspect.

The first thing you need to know is that weight loss will not happen overnight. So, you need to find ways to keep yourself motivated to have the success you want. Tips on losing weight start with finding a work out buddy. This will keep things from getting too mundane and having a work out buddy will help keep your motivation at a high level. Make it sort of a competition between the two of you.

Keep close tabs on what you eat. You will want to start eating healthier and if you write everything down when you eat it then you will see where changes can be made and substitutions will be easier for you to make.

Stick with whole foods in their natural state. Overly processed foods are loaded with bad carbs and sodium to give them a longer shelf life. Eat lean meats or fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Although, if you want to get a good start on losing weight, steer clear of breads and cereals for at least the first two weeks then add them back in very slowly.

You need to do this to basically reset your insulin pump. Some carbohydrates you eat are immediately converted to simple sugars in your body. This, in turn, makes you pancreas release insulin to control the sugar content of your blood from skyrocketing. These simple sugars are supposed to be used as energy. If they do not get used as energy when they are available the body converts them to fat and then stores them around your mid-section.

If you do not feel that you are getting all the nutrients you need then by all means take a multi-vitamin supplement to enhance what you are getting. Typically, though if you are eating healthy then you are getting all you need in the form of vitamins and essential nutrients so you will not need to supplement. But, hey, it couldn’t hurt.

One of the best tips I could give you is, hydrate. Drink plenty of water. Some people think that they can drink anything to stay hydrated and this is just not the case. Too many things are loaded with empty calories, like those energy drinks or sports drinks. One of the worst things you can do for yourself is drink diet pop.

Diet pop will actually trick your body into staying fat. When you drink it, your body expects to be getting something of value and when it doesn’t get what it thinks it should be, you end up eating more at your next meal to compensate for the lack. Not to mention the chemicals they use to “sweeten” diet pop, yuck!

Eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and getting at least some moderate exercise everyday should put you on the right track for losing the weight you want to lose. These are the easiest, most effective tips on losing weight you can find. Start today and you could be fit and trim in no time.

Tags: Bad Carbs, Breads, Calories, Carbohydrates, Cereals, Essential Nutrients, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Healthy Diet, Insulin, Insulin Pump, Lean Meats, Losing Weight, Mid Section, Multi Vitamin, One Of The Millions, Pancreas, Shelf Life, Simple Sugars, Sugar Content, Vitamin Supplement, Vitamins And Minerals, Whole Foods, Whole Grains —