Archive for June, 2009

Summer’s in the air! Seven weight loss tips to get you looking good!

During the cold winter months, many of us pile on the pounds. It’s cold and we’re hungry! The holidays add on several more. Unless you’re one of those disciplined souls who stuck to the New Year’s resolutions, chances are you’re taking that weight loss seriously about now! Our summer wardrobes are not so visually forgiving as winter garb. Here we’ve got seven weight loss tips that are guaranteed to help you shed some substantial pounds.

Most of us go for the ‘three squares’ a day. This isn’t a good strategy for losing weight. Our weight loss tip here? Become a snacker. This means eating several times a day, but just enough at each snack to feel satisfied. For example, a banana and a glass of low-fat milk makes a good, nutritious breakfast, with lots of fiber and protein to start off the day. It’s filling and you and your stomach will be happy campers until at least 10am. Mid-morning, have a few whole grain crackers and a chunk of cheese. Continue this throughout the day. Make your evening meal small and lean. You’ll end up eating less and your stomach will quickly become accustomed to smaller amounts of food.

Our next weight loss tip follows up on the first. Make your snacks with small portions of everything. Choose healthy foods you enjoy, so each snack becomes a ‘treat’. Let’s say your favorite cut of beef is filet mignon. While the cost per pound is high, a 4-ounce portion won’t break the bank. Team this with a small dinner salad with greens, tomatoes, croutons and a low fat dressing for a fabulous evening meal.

Exclude fatty and fried foods from your menus. This may sound like a ‘duh!’, but so many dieters make the mistake of thinking that so long as they count calories, they’ll still lose weight. This is a rationalization, which is why we include this in our seven weight loss tips. Eliminating fatty meats and fried anything from your alloted snacks means an automatic reduction in calorie intake and an automatic increase in weight loss.

Drink water throughout the day. Keep water stocked in the frig so it’s ice cold and always available. A number of studies suggest that people who drink water all during the day, experience a slight increase in their metabolic rate. This spells weight loss. You’ll also be less hungry and be doing your digestive system a favor in one fell swoop.

When you indulge in your snacks, take your time eating them. Chew your food thoroughly and take a moment to enjoy the taste instead of gobbling it down at top speed. This allows your stomach to realize you’re full when you’re finished eating, which helps avoid overeating. This weight loss tip packs a bonus – it’s been demonstrated that slow eaters tend to live longer.

Try to include high fiber foods in every snack. Fruits, veggies and whole grains are filling and nutritious, helping keep your digestive system clean, while, over time, giving you an energy boost derived from toxins and accumulated wastes flushed from your system on a regular basis.

The last of our weight loss tips will probably come as no surprise, but we would be remiss in not mentioning it. Exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. More is better in this case. Walk, bike, jog or whatever turns you on. Just do it! Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park far away from the store, the front door of your workplace – take every opportunity to make your body move just a bit more. Get out and weed the garden or wash the car. Housework, anyone?

Rest assured. Following these seven weight loss tips will have you looking good when you hit the beach!

Tags: weight loss tips, weight loss, drink water

Are acne and diet related? You bet! Get your diet on track and get rid of acne!

Acne is most often thought of as a teen problem. However, it’s true that the acne problem can follow you into adulthood. Your genes may play in to the problem. People with naturally oily skin have a good news-bad news proposition. While those excess oils will keep you looking younger longer, it’s not much of a consolation now. Here we’ve got some tips on how to put the acne and diet coordinates together for a clear complexion.

A healthy anti-acne and diet regimen does have some do’s and don’ts, but they’re relatively painless, when measured against the results. Good nutrition doesn’t have to be a boring wasteland of food you don’t want to eat. There are specific nutrients which, consumed in plentiful amounts, prevent and resolve acne. These nutrients, vitamins A, C and E, as well as zinc, are found in abundance in those fruits and veggies. This makes fresh produce your BFF in your acne and diet war chest.

The vitamins and minerals contained in produce are the key to a successful acne and diet plan. Some excellent fruits include apples, avocados, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes, guava, kiwi fruits and mangoes. Among veggies, load up on artichokes, carrots, broccoli, corn and cucumbers, all rich in zinc and other complexion enhancing nutrients.

Teens and young adults need these nutrients in greater amounts than older folks. You’re still growing and your hormones are not yet in balance. Ask your doctor if you should take vitamin and mineral supplements to complement your acne and diet plan. Avoid coffee. The caffeine flushes many of these essential nutrients right out of your system, long before they can be assimilated.

As for specific menu items, eat plenty of salads! Raw produce is far more healthful than cooked produce. The process of cooking depletes your veggies of a great deal of the nutrition present in uncooked produce. Buy organic produce as possible. Here’s a good tip: brightly colored fruits and veggies generally contain loads of beta carotene, the best form of vitamin A, as well as those valuable antioxidants. Garnish every salad with fresh parsley, loaded with vitamin A, a major contributor to a healthy complexion.

A salad must have a dressing, right? Choose dressings made with olive oil, or soy oil for a healthy and tasty, acne-fighting and heart friendly ingredient.

A fruit smoothie for breakfast is quick, nutritious and filling, feeding your complexion with those desirable nutrients, keeping acne at bay and fighting any current outbreaks.

Instead of reaching for a soda, include lots of water and fruit or vegetable juices in your acne and diet program.

Along with friends, enemies are present. Fatty and fried foods are certain enemies. If you’re serious about getting rid of the acne, cut out the greasy snacks and menu items. This means no chips, fried burgers and deep-fried foods. Go for lean meat cuts. Deep water fish, such as salmon, sea bass and sardines significantly boost the effectiveness of your acne and diet regimen.

Sugar also contributes to outbreaks of acne and has no place in your anti-acne and diet program. If you’re cringing at the thought of eliminating these foods from your regular diet, just remember that you’ll hold your weight in check, while not compounding the acne problems.

Treats such as garlic bread need not be made with butter. Try the Italian style, brushing the bread with olive oil and sprinkling with minced garlic, diced tomatoes and sliced black olives. Broil and enjoy!

There’s no question that acne and diet are related. Changing your eating habits now can have your complexion fresh and glowing in no time!

Tags: acne and diet, acne, skin care