Category Archives: Diet

When it comes to dieting, there are lots of “urban myths” out there. Here are just a few of them–along with the true facts!

Myth: If you want to lose weight, you need to skip meals.
Fact: If you skip meals during the day, you will most likely make up for the missing calories by snacking or by eating larger portions at your next meal. People who skip breakfast are more likely to weigh more than those who eat a healthy breakfast. The best way to lose weight is to eat small meals throughout the day that include a variety of foods from all food groups.

Myth: If you eat after 7 p.m., you will gain weight.
Fact: Its how many calories you eat during the entire day and how much exercise you do that determines whether you gain or lose weight. It doesn’t matter what time of day you eat! The truth is that your body will store any extra calories as fat. If you want to eat something after dinner, make sure that you think about how many calories you’ve already eaten that day.

Myth: Grapefruit can burn fat and make you lose weight.
Fact: No specific food can burn fat! Certain foods that contain caffeine may speed up your metabolism for a little while, but they will not help you lose weight.

Myth: Low-fat or fat-free on the nutrition label means no calories.
Fact: Low-fat and fat-free products are often lower in calories than the same size portion of the regular product. But, many low-fat and fat-free foods have just as many calories as the regular version of the same food–and sometimes even more calories! Food companies may add extra sugar, flour, or starch thickeners to improve the flavor and texture after the fat is removed.

Don’t know what to eat to stay on your weight loss plan when you get invited to a summer BBQ? Here are some tips to help keep you on track:

• Always make sure you choose a lean protein, such as fish, shrimp, scallops, grilled chicken breast, veggie burgers, buffalo burgers, or fat-free hot dogs.  You can top them off with low-calorie condiments like ketchup, pickles, salsa, mustard, and hot sauce.
• Grilled veggies–like onions, peppers, asparagus, and corn on the cob–are flavorful and very low in calories.
• Stay away from high-fat side dishes like coleslaw, macaroni salad, and potato salad.
• If you need to have something sweet, try fruit pops and fruit bars that contain no added sugar and are fat-free.
• And don’t forget to stay hydrated: make sure you drink lots of water!

What you eat after your workout is almost more important than the workout itself.

After every workout, try to eat a balance of proteins and carbohydrates. The protein gives your body the building blocks to build muscle tissue, and the carbohydrates give your body the energy to repair and recover.

Some of my favorite post-workout snacks are chocolate milk, yogurt, and almonds with fruit – or of course any protein bar!

If you’re feeling like you don’t have time to exercise or plan and prepare healthy meals, you might find these time-management tips helpful.

• Make a to-do list. Put down on the paper things you need to get accomplished to help boost your productivity.
• Mark your list in order of priority. The most important tasks should be tackled first.
• Be reasonable about what you can accomplish each day. Start by seeing where you have free time to be more productive in the future.
• Cut your larger projects down to size. This will help you see progress, and by doing a little bit every day, you’ll have it done in no time.
• Pair things up to improve your time management skills. Use time on the phone ot do mindless tasks like loading the dishwasher or sweeping the front stoop.
• Take time to relax. As you improve your time management skills, you can carve out stretches of time in every day to do the things you want.

Problem:
“I don’t have time to cook during the week.”

Solution:
Re-allocate your time by creating a weekly grocery list. Come up with three freezable meals that you can double for six night’s worth of dinners. Spend a few hours of the weekend to shop and cook. Keep Sunday and Monday night meals in the fridge, and freeze the rest in small, re-heatable portions for the remainder of the week.

Problem:
“I’d like to cook healthier meals for myself, but chopping all that produce takes forever, and I lose interest.”

Solution:
Learn to cut a few corners by stocking up on convenience items like pre-chopped, frozen vegetables and stir-fry mixes or pre-cleaned and chopped, plain veggies from a salad bar.

Problem:
“I get hungry in the middle of the afternoon, and the only quick snack around is a candy bar from the vending machine. Who has time to run down to the deli for a piece of fruit or baked chips?”

Solution:
Buy an apple at lunchtime and keep it on your desk for later. Store staple snacks like mini boxes of raisins and microwave popcorn in your desk drawer as a back-up.

Breakfast is important–don’t skip it! Here are some healthy–and tasty!–breakfast ideas:

• Low-fat cheese and tomato slices on a whole-wheat English muffin
• High-fiber cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber, fat-free milk, and fresh fruit
• Peanut butter and jam on whole wheat bread
• Hard-boiled or scrambled eggs (or egg whites) with a couple of wheat crackers
• Low-fat yogurt and a whole-grain cereal bar
• Banana and a small handful of peanuts or almonds
• Peanut butter waffle with 1 whole-grain waffle and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• Energy bar with at least 2-5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein.
• Egg sandwich with 1 egg and 1 slice of Canadian bacon on a whole wheat English muffin
• Apple, 1 oz. of low-fat string cheese, and a handful of walnuts
• 1 cup of oatmeal with 1/2 cup blueberries and 1 Tbsp of almonds
• 1/2 grapefruit with 1 slice of whole wheat toast and 1 Tbsp almond butter
• 1 scoop protein powder with 1 cup fat-free milk or soy milk, frozen blueberries, and 1 Tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with added fruit

Chinese/Japanese
What to avoid: Anything fried, sesame noodles, fried rice, egg/spring/shrimp rolls, fried dumplings, Kung Pao sauce, peanut sauce, pork/beef/duck, anything tempura, avocado salad, ginger dressing

What to Choose: Steamed shrimp/scallops/lobster/flounder/chicken all with brown rice, steamed vegetables and “sauce on the side”. You may use only 2 Tablespoons of the following: black bean sauce, ginger sauce, lobster sauce, Szechuan sauce, Hunan sauce, brown sauce, garlic sauce, chili sauce, or sesame sauce. Chicken/salmon/scallops/shrimp teriyaki, lobster, sashimi, sushi, steamed vegetables, all with brown rice, miso soup.

Diner
What to Avoid: Caesar dressing, fried foods, hollandaise sauce, French fries, onion rings, coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, shrimp salad, and stuffed fish entrees

What to Choose: Broiled seafood, dry (no butter), grilled chicken, sliced white meat turkey, turkey burger, pork chop or tenderloin, baked potato, steamed vegetables, chopped salad (no eggs or cheese), egg white omelet with vegetables and whole wheat toast

Italian/Pizzeria
What to Avoid: Ceasar salad, baked clams, garlic and oil, cream sauces, anything fried, sausage, meatballs, baked pasta dishes, cheese-filled pastas, anything parmigiana, garlic bread/knots, all cheeses except parmesan

What to Choose: Baked, broiled, grilled, roasted, poached, seared, or steamed seafood–all with little or no added butter/oil, sirloin or filet mignon, grilled chicken breast, pork chop or tenderloin, linguini marinara/fra diavolo/red clam, steamed vegetables, marinara or grandma pizza, pasta primavera in red sauce, grilled chicken primavera in red sauce, steamed shrimp marinara/fra diavolo, steamed calamari marinara, tossed garden salad with grilled chicken or shrimp

Steakhouse/Seafood
What to Avoid: Anything fried, hollandaise sauce, creamed vegetables, Ceasar dressing, butter sour cream, crab cakes, cream or bisque soups, shrimp scampi, anything crusted, bread stuffing

What to Choose: Sirloin or filet mignon, salmon, tuna, sea bass, steamed lobster or calamari, grilled chicken, pork chop or tenderloin, baked potato, steamed vegetables, shrimp cocktail, raw oysters or clams, mixed green salad (no egg/bacon/croutons/corn), Manhattan clam chowder

Here are some tips for healthier cooking:

• Always steam or stir-fry your vegetables to preserve all the nutrients. Make sure to avoid cooking at high temperatures or cooking for too long of a time.
• Try using vinegar, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and fat-free or low-fat salad dressings to add flavor to your salad.
• Use your time wisely. Make your healthy meals last longer by preparing enough for several other meals. Freeze it and have a healthy dinner the next time you are too tired to cook.
• Smoothies are simply delicious! Throw a banana, frozen berries, fat-free yogurt or milk, and protein powder into your blender for a quick meal.
• Replace salt and prepared seasonings with herbs, spices, salt-free seasoning mix, lemon juice, hot chiles, citrus zest, and garlic or onion powder.
• Make sure to always choose frozen vegetables over canned, processed, and preserved to help lower your salt intake.
• Lower the fat and calories when making baked goods by using 3 mashed bananas or 1 cup of applesauce in place of butter, shortening, or oil.
• Replace highly-refined all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, or flaxseed meal.
• Use plain, fat-free yogurt, or fat-free or low-fat sour cream in baking recipes. Try to always use lower fat versions of cheeses, salad dressings, and milk.
• Decrease the amount of fat and calories in your recipes by using fat-free milk or 1% milk instead of whole or 2% milk. Try fat-free, half-and-half, or evaporated skim milk.
• Use non-stick cooking spray for grilling or sitr-frying. When using oil, select olive or canola oil.
• Use two egg whites instead of one whole egg or low cholesterol egg products to reduce the fat and cholesterol content of your baked goods.
• Drain off visible fat while cooking. Blot fried foods on paper towels to absorb extra grease, and allow soups to chill before serving so you can skim the fat off the top.

Here are some shopping strategies to help you with your diet:

• Prepare a list ahead of time. Spend a few minutes writing down what you need. This will save you time and money because, after you get to the store, you might want to buy more items than were part of your original plan or budget.
• Make sure you shop on a full stomach. Don’t shop when you are hungry. You may not make the best judgement on what to get and may grab any junk food in sight because your body needs to be fed!
• Shop the perimeter of the store. All your basic staples are there — fresh fruits and vegetables, breads and other grains, raw meats and seafood, and dairy products. All the highly process packaged foods are in the middle aisles.
• Buy pre-cut and washed fresh fruit or vegetables. Use a bagged salad or slaw mix for a quick salad.
• Load your freezer with frozen vegetables and fruits. Vegetables can be easily added to soups or sitr-fry’s. Berries can be added to yogurt, smoothies, and breakfast cereals.
• Instant oatmeal and whole grain cereal make for a quick breakfast or snack. Make sure you choose a plain cereal with less added sugar.
• Pick up whole wheat pitas, wraps, or English muffins for a change from sandwich bread.
• Select pre-marinated meat, poultry, fish, vegetable, or shrimp skewers.
• Add canned beans and lentils to soups, chilis, pasta sauces, or salads. They are healthy alternatives to meat and can save you meal preparation time.
• Nuts and seeds (without salt) are healthy snacks to help you through a mid-afternoon slump.
• Check out the deli section of the store for healthy foods like hummus, salsas, roasted chicken (remove the skin), and deli meats. Choose deli meats that are low in fat, like turkey, chicken, and lean roast beef.
• Yogurt comes in all different sizes and flavors and is a good calcium-rich snack. Cottage cheese and ricotta cheeses are both high in protein and calcium.

Look for both the serving size and the number of servings in the package. Make sure you measure your portion size to the serving size listed on the label. If you don’t pay attention to this, you are probably eating more calories and fat than you realize!

Find the amount of calories in one serving and the number of calories from fat. If your goal is to lose weight, the lower both of these numbers are, the better.

Evaluate how a certain food fits into your daily food plan by using the % Daily Values (DV). Less than 5% is low. Aim low when looking at total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. More than 20% is high. Aim high when looking at fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Choose foods low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. This may help reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Get more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Choose more fruits and vegetables to get these nutrients.

What about carbohydrates? Choose whole-grain breads, cereals, rice, and pasta. Stay away from products that contain refined sugars, such as table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup.

What do all these product label claims mean?

• Low calorie – less than 40 calories per serving
• Low cholesterol – less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving
• Reduced fat – 25% less fat than the usual product
• Good source of – provides at least 10% of the Daily Value of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving
• Calorie free – less than 5 calories per serving
• Fat free/sugar free – less than 1/2 g of fat or sugar per serving
• High in – provides 20% or more of the Daily Value of a specified nutrient per serving
• High fiber – 5 or more grams of fiber per serving

Planning what you need to eat before you exercise can help you maintain a high energy level during your workout. However, this does not mean you should exercise on a full stomach because this can lead to cramping and nausea. You should allow 1-4 hours for digestion, depending on what and how much you have eaten.

If you work out first thing in the morning, you should eat something easily digestible 20-30 minutes before you exercise. A piece of fruit, yogurt, or a shake are all good pre-workout choices.

If you are working out later on in the day, you should have carbohydrate-rich foods, such as whole what bread or crackers, oatmeal, fruit, or an energy bar, at least an hour before you work out. These carbohydrates will be stored in your muscles as glycogen, which will be used for fuel during your workout.

Before your workout, try not to consume simple carbohydrates, such as honey, candy, or sugary drinks. They will not provide you with enough energy to get through your workout.

Avoid any foods that contain a lot of fat because they are slow to digest and will only slow you down and make you feel sluggish during your workout. Stay away from fast food, hot dogs, cookies, cake, ice cream, french fries, chips, and candy bars because they are all high in fat and will remain in the stomach for a long time.

At least one hour before your workout:
Eat complex carbs, such as:

• whole grains
• whole wheat bread
• oatmeal
• whole grain cereal or crackers
• whole wheat pasta
• brown rice.

Immediately after your workout:
Eat more complex carbs with protein, such as:

• low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese with whole wheat crackers
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter or 3 egg whites with 1 slice of whole wheat toast
• 3 oz. chicken or fish with 1/2 cup of brown rice or whole what pasta