
Eating Healthy On Vacation
It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense of healthy eating on vacation. Although you may strive for healthy eating, it’s easy to drift off and grab an ice cream cone here and there. There are however, ways to watch what you eat on
vacation.
It’s easier than ever these days to request a low fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights. If you choose to instead drive to your destination, the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more complicated.
Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler full of ice packs. Fruits and vegetables, crackers, yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with you on the road.
Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down – as this helps to avoid the temptation. If your hotel offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits, cereals, and proteins. If your hotel has a stove or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy food with you.
If you simply must eat out, do so only when you are hungry. Restaurants will usually serve large portions, so be careful. If you do go a bit over on a meal, simply cut back on the next.
If you find it hard to fit in three square meals a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks, as your body needs fuel every four hours or so. When you eat out, avoid appetizers. Whatever you do, do not miss any meals.
When it’s possible, you should avoid eating large meals at night. When your body gets ready for sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a much slower pace. Never eat bread before bed, and make sure to avoid the butter. Choose fish or poultry for your meal instead, and include vegetables as a side dish.
Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on vacation isn’t really that difficult. All you have to do is use a little will power, and pass up foods that you know aren’t good for you. This way, you’ll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle wherever you go.
The next time you go on a vacation, always remember that eating healthy is a way of life. You can afford to get something you crave, although you shouldn’t make a habit of it. One ice cream cone or a pizza isn’t going to matter – as long as you know when to stop.
Tags: Airplane Flights, Calories, Cereals, Continental Breakfast, Crackers, Cream Cone, Eating Habits, Fruits And Vegetables, Good Sense, Greasy Foods, Healthy Eating, Healthy Food, Healthy Lifestyle, Nutritious Foods, Poultry, Proteins, Sandwiches, Side Dish, Snacks, Square Meals, Vegetarian Meal, Yogurt —

Can The South Beach Diet Work For You
It wasn’t all that long ago that the South Beach Diet was the hottest diet plan around. But then, as often happens, other diets started getting more attention. However, you may be surprised to know that the South Beach Diet is still being used by a lot of people to lose weight. It may not be the one getting the most notice, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is whether or not it’s an effective diet for losing weight, and on that count it works very well.
A good place to start is learning a bit about how the South Beach Diet works. It’s a fairly basic concept, but one that other diets have overlooked. What it does is change your cravings. You will retrain your body to stop craving bad food, and start craving good food instead. The other thing the diet does is it slowly lowers the amount of bad fats and carbohydrates that you are currently taking in.
Doing it this way allows you to make the needed changes to your diet without feeling like you are being deprived. That means you are much more likely to stick with it for the long term, and not only can you lose weight, but you will also keep it off. That’s certainly a good thing as far as diets are concerned.
The South Beach Diet has often been compared to the Atkins Diet, but they are not the same. Yes, they are both high protein diets, but that’s where any similarity ends. The Atkins Diet is noted for allowing people to eat as much fat and protein as they want, with the idea that calories aren’t the main problem. But this overlooks the fact that the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in. The South Beach Diet let’s you eat plenty of eggs, cheese, vegetables, beef, fish and poultry, but there are also portion sizes (though these are generous).
The diet is divided into phases which are designed to help you make the transition from unhealthy eating habits to healthy ones. For example, the first phase will help you to get rid of things like white rice and bread, ice cream, alcohol (including beer), and baked goods. Now, that may sound like a tall order, but it can be done if you follow the diet. Remember, one of the aims of the South Beach Diet is to actually reset your cravings. If it helps any, Phase 1 of the diet is made to last for only two weeks.
Once you are done with Phase 1, you move on to Phase 2. You will be able to eat a wider range of foods, but there is no time limit on this second phase. That’s because Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet is meant to be followed until you reach your target weight. But the whole beauty of the diet is that Phase 1 actually sets you up to succeed at Phase 2.
Tags: Atkins, Atkins Diet, Bad Fats, Calories, Carbohydrates, Cravings, Diet For Losing Weight, Diet Plan, Diet Work, Eating Habits, Effective Diet, Eggs, Fruits And Vegetables, Good Food, Healthy Diet, High Protein Diets, Losing Weight, Portion Sizes, Poultry, Rice And Bread, Similarity, South Beach Diet, Unhealthy Eating Habits, Vegetables, White Rice —

Healthy Eating Redefined
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 &
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
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