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Showing posts from November, 2015

How to De-Stress in Just 10 Minutes

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For all the times you need to cool down  fast We've all had intensely stressful moments in life where you find yourself wishing that wine came in those convenient six-packs of juice boxes with the pop-in straws. As genius as that may sound, getting sloshed before an important meeting or moment in your life probably isn't the most intelligent choice. So how do we deal with stress in a calm and productive way?  Yoga is constantly hailed as the golden ticket to instant stress relief , but a full-blown class doesn't always slide effortlessly into your crazy schedule. And unfortunately, there's no one pose that can talk you off the edge once you're precariously dangling. Don't worry, there's a surprisingly simple solution: meditation .  You've heard it's praises, read the statistics, and yet the idea of sitting with no thoughts is as stressful as the current circus residing in your mind. Here's the good news—I don't want you to clear your mind. I

The Secret Ingredient That Can Help You Lose Weight

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Can't seem to stop snacking ? New research may yield a solution: Eating a single serving a day of beans, peas, chickpeas , or lentils can increase fullness, potentially leading to weight loss , according to a new study published in  Obesity . Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre reviewed nine clinical trials involving 126 participants. They found that people felt 31 percent fuller after eating an average of 160 grams (just more than a cup) of dietary pulses—dried seeds that are part of the legume family —compared to those who didn't eat them. Behold, the power of the pulse: Researchers say that besides having a low glycemic index , meaning they're digested slowly, these foods are high in protein and fiber, both of which are linked to long-lasting fullness and weight loss . What’s more, researchers note that pulses can be used in place of higher-fat animal proteins, which could also aid in weight loss.   While it

10 Alternatives for Healthy Weight-Loss Foods You Hate

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You can avoid what you dislike without hurting  your pound-dropping efforts. Sometimes, no matter how good you know a food is for you, you just can’t stomach it. And that’s okay! You don’t have to love every single superfood that seems like the next big thing. “You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz about how healthy certain foods are for you," says  Amanda Bontempo , M.S., R.D, an ambulatory oncology dietitian at New York University Langone Medical Center. "While we love these foods—and they’re famous for a reason—they are certainly not the be all, end all of a healthy diet.” Instead of just slashing a gross-out item from your grocery list , here’s what you can replace it with. Substitute Cauliflower for Kale Even though many superfoods have landed on the scene, it can often seem like  kale  has nabbed the number one spot. If you’re not into this veggie , you can still get the health-boosting benefits if you sub in some cauliflower. “Both kale and cauliflower are part of the c

The Best Breakfast Cereals for Weight Loss

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When you’re faced with morning madness, the easiest path to a healthy breakfast is often a cereal box. But when it comes to nutrition , the choices in the cereal aisle don’t stack up evenly. You know you need to skip brands with added chocolate chips, marshmallows, and fake fruity-Os, but picking the best of the best seemingly healthy cereals can be a confusing chore. “Never judge a cereal by the front of the box — the manufacturers aren’t there to help you be healthy,” says Gretchen Chriszt, MS, RD, LD, a dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. To get the real scoop, you need to scan the ingredients and nutrition facts label for  sneaky sugar sources  and hidden processed ingredients. What you want to see: One serving should provide at least 3 grams of fiber (5 grams or more is considered “ high-fiber ”), less than 10 grams of sugar, and less than 200 milligrams (mg) of salt. The next time you shop, reach for one of these best bets. General Mills Cheerios Serving size:  1 cup C

What to eat for breakfast if you want to lose weight

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We’ve all heard at some point in our lives that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Far from being an old wives tale, this refrain is supported by numerous studies showing improved and maintained weight loss in those that eat breakfast regularly.   While people opting for just a cup of coffee for breakfast may think they are avoiding calories, in fact this is likely to be detrimental to their efforts to lose weight . Breaking the fast As suggested by the name, by eating breakfast, we are in fact ‘breaking the fast’ as usually we haven’t eaten since previous dinner, some ten hours before.  This helps to  kick start the metabolism  for the day.  If we do not eat for long periods of time, our bodies have a tendency to store energy as fat for reserves rather than burning it.  People who skip breakfast and do not eat until lunch time, which could be a good sixteen or more hours after their last meal, risk this fat storage as the body is not sure when it will next receive f

What is the Glycemic Index and Why Should You Care?

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You may have heard a lot about GI or glycemic index recently.  Many well known food products use ‘low GI’ as a marketing message, promising ‘long lasting energy’.   Other products simply boast the small GI symbol on their packaging.  There is a GI diet, and many recipe books and magazines feature recipes that are low GI.  But what exactly is GI and is a diet based on low GI foods beneficial for our health? What is GI? GI or glycemic index is a rating system from 0 to 100, based on the effect that a food has on blood sugar levels when it is eaten. Only foods containing carbohydrates can have a GI rating, as carbohydrates are broken during digestion to their simplest form, sugars.   High GI foods with ratings of 70 or more are those which are digested and absorbed quickly, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar, usually followed by a substantial drop in levels.  Low GI foods, with a rating less than 55 on the other hand, are absorbed and digested more slowly and therefore cause a mo