Five Simple Strategies for Weight Loss

There are so many diet plans out there that it’s enough to drive you over the edge. If you’ve tried some of them—and failed—it may through no fault of your own. That’s because most fad diets come with too many complicated concepts and strict rules about what you can and cannot eat. With all the confusion about what really works, it’s no wonder that most people become frustrated and simply give up.

Ready for a change? While there’s no sure-fire, rule-driven diet plan to lose weight that works as a one-size-fits-all formula for everyone, there are a few simple strategies that can work for every body of every age, size and shape. And here they are…

Break the Fast. If you think the way to become a skinny Minnie is to skip breakfast, you’re wrong. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. When you don’t break the fast from the night before the body thinks that it’s going into starvation mode, so it prepares by storing up more fat instead of burning it for fuel. To avoid this, you should try to eat breakfast within 45 minutes after getting up each morning.

Drink More Water. This is an important strategy. If you did nothing else to shed extra pounds but drink more water throughout the day you would still lose weight. That may sound hard to believe, but it’s true! Your body needs to be hydrated in order for your metabolism to function properly. So, try to drink about 1/2 ounce of water for every pound that you weigh every day.

Keep the Food Coming. Huh? Doesn’t dieting mean that you’re supposed to be eating less? Not necessarily. In fact, the way to keep your metabolism in high gear and burn fat is to keep up the supply of calories need to do the job. You can do this by eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day instead of the traditional ‘three square.’ Make sure that each meal contains a balanced variety of lean protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.

Understand the Rule of Three About Carbs. Carbohydrates are good for you and necessary to maintain energy, a healthy metabolism, and to keep your blood sugar in balance. However, if the carb of choice wasn’t 1) grown in the ground, 2) plucked from a vine, or 3) harvested from nature, pass on it. That means skip refined carbs, such as pastries, white bread, pastas, etc.

Lifting Weights = Weight Loss. Which burns more calories, muscle or fat? The answer is muscle. That means that building more muscle will help your body to burn more calories. You don’t need an expensive membership at a gym or health club either to get into weight training. Simply practicing lifts with any object that has weight to it will do the trick.

Lose Weight, Live Better with a New Way of Thinking

If you’re struggling to lose weight as part of your quest for healthy living, equipping yourself with a diet plan and a tape measurer isn’t necessarily the only route to go. While adhering to a balanced diet and an exercise regimen are certainly important to remain healthy and physically fit, putting these actions into practice may require a total lifestyle change. Perhaps the most important tool you may have at your disposal to effect this change is actually your brain.

Some people find change to be something to dread. We often fear career changes, for instance, or relocating to another city. Why? Maybe it’s a fear of the unknown, or we simply don’t like upheaval from our regular routines. After all, taking the path most traveled is safe and secure, right? However, we cannot expect to gain real results if we don’t take the risk on the path toward change. And change cannot happen on the tangible level if we don’t change our way of thinking too.

But, let’s back up a minute…even well worn paths were once new. That is, they too were tried and tested, revisited, and developed over time and remain supported by current thought. Consider the words of Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century essayist who wrote, “As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in your mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kinds of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”

Those words are just as fitting today as they were in Henry’s day. Real change won’t happen if you simply wish for it, but can if you believe that it will. In short, be—or think--what you want to become. When you practice life-changing thoughts that support your goals and that validate their becoming a reality, then you’ve effected change. This is a process, mind you, that must take place on an ongoing basis until such thoughts become the natural way of thinking for you.

Your mission today is to keep in mind at least one positive thought about how you see your life beginning to change and the benefit that comes with it. Then repeat this step tomorrow, and the day after that, and for as many days as it takes to make positive change a reality for you.

And here’s something else to ponder while on the path to positive change that Mr. Thoreau also penned for us: “If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Healthy Living Starts from Within

Our true state of health cannot simply be measured in statistics or numbers. Still, as human beings, we seek to assess our health using some kind of formula to calculate how much we measure up to our peers—or by how far we miss the mark. To that end, we constantly find ways to quantify and evaluate what we eat, how often we exercise, how much temptation we have strength to avoid. In the end, though, this process leads us to fact-finding protocols to compute how our weight and body shape compares to that of other people, and not necessarily what the right ingredients are for us as individuals. As a result, our focus is taken away from practicing a mindful approach to healthy living and is placed with complying with social pressure instead.

How can we change this pattern? Well, the first step might be to throw away your bathroom scale.

Each of us, believe it or not, already possesses all the equipment necessary to measure our success at achieving a healthy lifestyle. When we feel energetic and buoyant, then we know we’re in the right zone, regardless of how much we weigh or what dress size we wear. When we can move, bend and walk without interference from pain or immobility, then we can be sure that our joints are in sync with our movements, just as they’re supposed to be. Likewise, when we feel good about ourselves, we’re able to keep moving forward as our minds also exist in a place of well-being.

If we look at healthy living from this framework rather than from a quantitative point of view, we can begin to see that real whole-health adds up to a lot more than any number of pounds, inches, or how many low-fat recipes we can collect in a lifetime. Rather, our guidelines for looking and feeling good can be based on our innate system of monitoring instead—and none of it has anything to do with the numbers on a scale. When we choose to listen to the signals that our own bodies give us over measurements that only serve to make comparisons, we can truly walk the path to healthy living.

Some key points to remember as you start each day on this path…

- People are like snowflakes; no two are alike. Diversity is a blessing. So are your natural curves.

- Satisfy what your body truly craves—a hunger for whole, nourishing foods and freedom of movement.

- Stop counting calories. Instead, make your caloric intake count.

Lose Weight by Putting Mushrooms on the Menu

It may have been trendy to replace a burger with a grilled Portabella ‘steak’ before, but now science backs up the benefits of doing so as part of a successful weight loss program. New research out of John Hopkins Weight Management Center indicates that replacing what are known as high-energy-density foods, such as lean meat, with low-density substitutes, like mushrooms, can help you lose weight.

This simple weight loss strategy was fueled by the results of a preliminary study that compared the caloric and fat intake of beef or mushroom-based meals given to participants over a two-week period. Each group consumed either lunches made with beef or mushrooms for a week, and then switched to the opposite menu. Measurements after the study period showed that both groups felt satisfied with both the meat and vegetable-based versions of their meals. However, eating the mushroom meals resulted in an average of 420 less calories and 30 less grams of fat per day. Even better, the participants didn’t feel cheated on taste or substance when they ate the mushroom dishes and weren’t inclined to snack or eat more at a later meal to make up for the lack of meat.

The fact that mushrooms are low in fat and calories isn’t exactly new news, but this study does add meat to previous findings. For instance, research has shown that going for a four-ounce grilled Portabella mushroom instead of a four-ounce grilled hamburger adds up to saving a lot more than the cost of meals. After one year, this diet also saves about 18,000 calories and 3,000 grams of fat. To put that into perspective, that equates to 30 sticks of butter, or more than five pounds of body weight per year.

Mushrooms can do a lot more for your body than help trim your waistline; they’re packed with nutrition too. In fact, mushrooms are the only fresh food that delivers enough vitamin D to help your body produce 100% of this nutrient after only five minutes of exposure to the sun. Mushrooms are also an abundant source of selenium, as well as riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, members of the vitamin B family that are needed to help break down fats and carbohydrates. They’re also a good source of dietary fiber.

How to Cook the Other White ‘Meat’

Wondering how you can please your palate with Portobello ‘shrooms? They’re actually quite versatile and easy to prepare. In fact, they can be grilled, oven roasted or sautéed.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Brush each mushroom on both sides with extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until tender.

Oven Roasted Portobello Mushrooms
Brush each mushroom cap with extra-virgin olive oil. Place on a baking sheet with the caps facing up. Roast in a pre-heated 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15-20 minutes.

Sautéed Portobello Mushrooms
Add a small amount of olive oil to a sautée pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms (whole or sliced, your choice) and sautée until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. If you wish, sliced onions, peppers or other vegetables may be cooked with the mushrooms at the same time. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, herbs, or spices, as desired.

Take Your Diet to Lunch

Most of us spend a considerable amount of time planning what’s for dinner. We might even put an effort into assembling the ingredients needed to make a healthy and satisfying breakfast the next morning before flying out the door to get to work on time. Unfortunately, lunch is usually given the least amount of thought and preparation during the week. In fact, it may often be dictated by the offerings on the collection of take-out menus at the office. Worse yet, there may be a tendency to grab something convenient from the vending machine or your ‘snack stash’ drawer (uh-oh) and eat that at your desk. Does this sound familiar?

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. With a few simple tips for planning ahead, you can start looking forward to lunch making a comeback, starting today.

Better the second time around. A great lunch can be made from leftovers from the night before. For instance, a piece of leftover grilled chicken can be blended in a food processor with a chuck of red onion or sliced scallions, a handful of raisins, a few chunks of apple, and a bit of low-fat mayo for a fantastic chicken salad. Got leftover steak instead? Cut the meat into strips and toss with some fresh greens and a low-fat dressing for a dressed-up salad.

Let us eat lettuce. Instead of reaching for carb-heavy breads or rolls, make a sandwich wrap with crisp romaine lettuce. Fill ‘em with just about anything you might place in a regular tortilla wrap. Be creative!

Lunch around the world. Keep a variety of salad and wrap fixings on hand at work so that you can create a different exotic lunch for each day of the week. Monday could be Greek style, Tuesday Mexican, Wednesday Thai, etc.

Stuff it. Stuff tomatoes or peppers with low-fat croutons and cheese, bake, and reheat the following day at work for lunch.

Soup on the go. Create ‘instant’ soups and stews in the microwave from a variety of shredded veggies, cooked rice or pasta, canned beans in a based of vegetable stock or chicken broth.

Okay, but what if you don’t have access to a refrigerator or microwave at work? Don’t worry…here’s some ideas for brown-bagging your lunch that won’t require either:

- String-cheese and grapes
- Cucumber slices
- Low-fat peanut butter and an apple
- Zucchini sticks
- Cream cheese and fruit spread on whole grain bread
- Hummus wrapped in a pita
- Carrot sticks and broccoli florets and low-fat dip
- Bean dip spread on toasted pita rounds

Dinner Wrapped Up: Low-fat Delicious Sandwich Wrap Recipes

What a perfect way to wrap up the long week and welcome the weekend—with wonderful wraps!

Wraps are versatile, low in fat, simple to prepare, fun to eat and simply delicious. They’re also the prefect solution to the ‘what’s for dinner?’ question that plagues your Friday night and begs answering without a take-out menu.

Need some ideas? You’re in the right place. Here are three recipe suggestions that are bound to get your taste buds singing and earn the chef a round of kudos. Incidentally, wrap fillings can be made ahead of time, saving you even more time in the kitchen by the time the weekend rolls around.


Teriyaki Chicken Wraps
Serves 4

1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup fat-free, whipped cream cheese
3 tablespoons minced, sweet onion
4 large flour tortillas
4 large lettuce leaves (such as romaine)

1. Combine the soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, sugar and ginger in a large plastic back with a zip lock.
2. Add the chicken to the bag and seal. Allow the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 4 hours.
3. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
4. Grill the chicken about 4-6 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear when the meat is pierced.
5. Place the chicken on a cutting board or plate. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then cut into strips.
6. Combine the cream cheese and onion in a small bowl.
7. Divide the cream cheese mixture among each tortilla, spreading the mixture out from the center of each.
8. Place a few chicken strips on top of each tortilla and then top with the lettuce.
9. Roll each tortilla into a tube, finishing with the seam side down.
10. Cut each wrap on the diagonal and serve.



Smoked Turkey & Roasted Pepper Wraps with Cream Cheese and Capers
Serves 4

1/2 cup low-fat whipped cream cheese
1 teaspoon capers
4 large flour tortillas
3/4 pound sliced smoked turkey breast
1 large roasted red bell pepper, sliced into 4 strips (from a jar is fine)
4 leaves of romaine lettuce, torn

1. Combine the cream cheese and capers in a small bowl. Season with ground black pepper, if you wish (but do not add salt).
2. Divide and spread the cream cheese mixture on each tortilla.
3. Divide the turkey among the tortillas.
4. Add a slice of roasted red peppers on top of each tortilla. Then add the shredded to each.
5. Roll each tortilla into a tube, finishing with the seam side down.
6. Cut the wraps in half on the diagonal and serve.


Apple and Walnut Chicken Salad Wraps
Serves 4

1/2 cup dry white wine
¼ cup low-fat chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup non-fat sour cream
2 apples, cored and chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced red onion
4 cups mixed salad greens, or washed spinach
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
4 large flour tortillas


1. Combine the wine, lemon juice and thyme in a Dutch oven or large saucepan.
2. Add the chicken breasts and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low.
3. Let the chicken simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the chicken cool in the saucepan until cool enough to handle.
4. Combine the sour cream, chopped apples, diced celery, red onion and toasted walnuts.
5. Remove the chicken from the stock and cut or shred it into small pieces.
6. Add the chicken to the sour cream mixture and blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if you wish.
4. Divide the chicken among the tortillas. Top with the salad greens.
5. Roll each tortilla into a tube, finishing with the seam side down.
6. Cut the wraps in half on the diagonal and serve.

Tasty and Smart Diet Trade Offs

It’s a given that something has to give when you’re dieting. Goodbye to loads of sugar, carbs and saturated fats. But, flavor and satisfaction do not have to be on the list of things to avoid. In fact, you can lighten your load by making smart substitutions and still keep your taste buds happy.

Here’s a rundown of common foods that can be lightened up or traded for something else:

Calorie Saving Cocoa
Who doesn’t love the rich, creamy flavor and goodness of a cup of cocoa? But, when you prepare a mug from the powdered mix you buy in the supermarket, it can add up to a whopping 250 calories—before even adding the low-fat milk! Try this variation instead:

Gently heat 8 ounces of low-fat (or non-fat) milk with a whole cinnamon stick. Then pour the hot milk (without the cinnamon stick) into a cup. Add one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, a dash of vanilla extract, and stir until blended.

Wrap it Up
Substitute whole leaves of romaine lettuce for bread next time you make a sandwich and you can shave off 150 or more calories from your lunch. The crunch of the lettuce provides extra munch value too, helping you to feel more satisfied.

Beans for Beef
Leave the chuck in the freezer use ground chickpeas or lentils in your favorite ground beef recipes instead. The beans have about the same calories as beef per ounce, but a LOT less fat.

Tastier Toast
We all love the buttery goodness of toast in the morning, don’t we? Add some jam and we’re really cookin’! But, there’s a lot of calories, fat and extra sugar lying on that bread. Instead, try spreading a tiny amount of honey on your toast. A little goes a long way and adds so much flavor!

Move Over Mayo
Sometimes, a sandwich simply needs something moist between the layers. But, instead of mayonnaise, try spreading a thin layer of non-fat cream cheese.

Tweak the Tuna
When it comes to tuna, always buy the kind that’s packed in water instead of oil. In addition, instead of mixing tuna salad with mayo, combine it with a little lemon juice and chopped onion. You’ll have great tasting tuna salad that’s a few hundred calories lighter.

Swap the Soda
Instead of popping a can of fizz, go for flavored water instead.

Put the Freeze on Ice Cream
Put your ice cream scoop to work on some frozen yogurt instead.

No Cheese, Please
Try pizza sans the cheese and loaded up with roasted veggies instead. One average slice equates to about 250 calories and only 2 grams of fat compared to 450 calories and 13.5 grams of fat.

Wild Turkey
Sometimes, ya’ just gotta have a burger. Make yours from ground turkey and you’ve got half the fat of the ground beef version.

Smart Snack Stash
Pass on the potato chips and scoop up a handful of pistachio nuts instead. They’re flavorful, crunchy and they satisfy the craving for salt, but without all the fat and calories of chips.

No time to exercise? Take a pill instead.

We’ve got instant energy in a bottle, so why not exercise in a pill? Believe it or not, scientists are working on it. So far, the only bodies to benefit from the no-exercise pill belong to mice. But, the drug is currently being tested in humans as a therapy to help prevent complications of heart bypass surgery. Scientists hope that someday, the same drug may help people to gain the benefits of exercise without even breaking into a sweat.

The exercise-in-a-pill drug is composed of two compounds known as GW1516 and AICAR. Using mice as models, researchers have discovered that the compound GW1516 significantly boosts endurance in mice that were accustomed to exercising on a daily basis. In fact, given this substance, the little critters could run an average of 68% faster and 70% farther than their sedentary cousins. Oddly, sedentary mice treated to this chemical cocktail did not experience the same result. In fact, it had no effect at all.

AICAR, on the other hand, improved endurance in mice that didn’t care to shake a leg much. At the end of the experiment, these sedentary little guys ran 23% longer and a whopping 44% faster than they could prior to receiving the AICAR treatment. And, they did so without stepping up on time spent on the wheel. Apparently, the drug promotes the same benefits as aerobic exercise by mimicking the same chemical response.

Of course, it’s not yet clear if the same results can be extrapolated from mouse to man. And, if it is possible, the exercise-in-a-pill may be a long time coming before taking up residence in our medicine cabinets. But, why sit around and wait at all?

The good news is that there are safe, natural and effective formulas available to help you lose weight without starving yourself or running through a maze. And they’re available right now from our Diet and Energy Center.

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Diary to Double Your Weight Loss

There’s some exciting news that appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine this month: Dieters who keep a diary to track what they eat every day lose twice as much weight as those who don’t.

Actually, this isn’t a new idea. Fitness trainers, nutritionists and weight loss specialists have promoted pushing the almighty pen for years. However, this published report may be the last word on whether or not this dieting strategy really works.

The study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, involved four clinical research centers and is one of the largest weight loss studies ever conducted. The study subjects—more than 1,600 in number—weighed an average of 212 pounds at the start of the project. The objective for the participants was to lose a minimum of nine pounds within six months by cutting back at least 500 calories per day and engaging in moderate exercise for an average of 180 minutes per week. Of course, they were also asked to keep a daily food diary. Some did, some didn’t.

Did the study subjects reach their goals? Indeed, and some even surpassed them. Almost 70% lost at least nine pounds within the given timeframe and two-thirds of the entire group lost enough weight to have a significant positive impact on their health, such as improved blood pressure, reduced joint pain and less risk of developing diabetes. What’s even more remarkable is that those study subjects who jotted down their dietary habits in a diary at least six days a week lost an average of 18 pounds—twice the amount than those who neglected to keep a diary at all.

Aside from being a self-monitoring system to keep an eye on what and how much you eat on a daily basis, a dieting diary can also help to identify emotional or physical triggers to the urge to splurge. To that end, it’s a good idea to keep a diary or journal that provides enough space for you to make notes on how you are feeling at the time you eat a meal. This is especially important when it comes to snacks. Within just a few day a pattern may emerge from which you can learn a lot about yourself.

Another benefit to keeping a food diary is to help keep you motivated. After all, we’re all our own worst critics, aren’t we? If you have to answer to yourself, you’ll think twice about reaching for unhealthy food choices if you have to write them down to look at later. Somehow, the words ‘chocolate chip cookies’ seem to spring off the page, especially when you realize that you ate a handful right after balancing your checkbook.

If writing about your emotional feelings isn’t a particularly favorite thing for you to do, then try this: Assign a number to the mood that went with the food. For instance, you could rate your emotional state at breakfast on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being exuberantly excited to start a new day and 5 to indicate that you’d much rather be back in bed. You can make your own definitions, of course, but you get the idea.

It’s also a good idea to note how hungry you were at the start of each meal. Again, the number rating system comes in handy for this purpose. The number 1 could mean that you were only mildly hungry while 5 could suggest feeling famished.

Some final suggestions: Make room at the end of each day to note any physical activities in which you partook and also any reflections on the day that you may have. Remember, you’re not writing the Great American Novel here. For that matter, your diary is for your eyes only. So, keep it honest and keep it up. Before you know it, you’ll have lost twice the weight you thought you could in a given time, just like the folks in the weight loss study.

Weight Loss Tips for the Most Popular Month to Eat Out

Did you know that the month of August is the most popular month for dining out? While this may be a boon to restaurateurs, the National Restaurant Association has compiled some other interesting tidbits of information that give real weight to what this means for you. Aside from paying for the privilege of having someone else prepare your meal and clean up after you, you may also pay a price in the form of excess calories and less nutrition. So, before you head out on the highway for that hamburger special, think about whether or not you can really afford it.

For example, according to a study conducted by the University of Texas, women consume an average of 250 more calories when dining out that they normally would having dinner at home. Maybe it’s the anticipation of receiving the bill that makes us feel like we have to eat everything on our plates. Maybe it’s simply the choices we make when ordering. Maybe it’s both.

Then there’s the nutritional downfall. Most of us think of dining out as a treat—and it is. But, the inherent problem with that kind of thinking is that a treat should equate to something we either wouldn’t prepare at home due to its complexity, or because it’s just plain too darn rich and fattening. So, rather than scan the lighter side of the menu, our eyes get big over ogling the ‘good stuff.’ Unfortunately, according to a St. Louis University study, those of us who consistently go for the ‘good stuff’ usually end up consuming 25% fewer fruits and vegetables.

So, should you just stay at home avoid the dining out versus dieting quandary altogether? Nah. You can have your cake and eat it too…if you follow these simple suggestions:

- Begin with a bountiful salad. If you can get through most of it before diving into the main course, you’ll consume an average of 100 less calories than you would skipping on the greens.


- Speaking of the salad…ask that the dressing be brought to the table on the side instead of drizzled on the salad for you. That way, you can control how much dressing to use. Remember, it’s the salad dressing that often hides the most calories in an entire meal.


- Substitute high fat and calorie side dishes (like French fries or creamed corn, for example) with a steamed vegetable. You might have to pay a small price for this substitution, but it’s small potatoes when you consider that you can save yourself from 300 or more calories.


- Here’s a novel idea: Ask your server to place half of your entrée in a take-out container before bringing your plate to the table. You’ll be spared from overeating and you’ll gain something to have for lunch the following day.

Are You Conditioned to Lose at Weight Loss?

You might recall from your 7th grade science class the lessons learned from Ivan Pavlov. If that name sounds familiar, then you’ve probably heard of the term, “Pavlov’s dogs.’ That’s because Pavlov worked with a bunch of pooches to study the canine digestive system. Soon, the scientist noticed that the dogs began to salivate in anticipation of being fed, even before the food itself was visible.

Now, if you have any experience in obedience training with dogs (kids and spouses don’t count, in this scenario), then you know that an intelligent dog will learn to associate a sound, hand signal or gesture with a specific event fairly quickly, if the timing of each are choreographed correctly and consistently. So, our good friend Ivan hit on the idea that he could train the dogs to drool at the presentation of another event other than food. Ergo, he introduced the bell in his experiments, at the sound of which the dogs salivated, just as they did when expecting to be fed. This may not sound very remarkable, but it lead to the development of the theory behind ‘Pavlov’s dogs,’ or, as it’s better known in psychology circles, ‘classical conditioning.’

What can you learn from Pavlov’s dogs? You may be affected by classical conditioning yourself. That is, you may have learned to associate an event, action, or emotion with food. You may not actually drool (hopefully), but your brain is sending the message to make you run to the fridge or cookie jar based on past experience--i.e., conditioning.

So, what rings your bell? Giving some thought to what may set off unhealthy snacking and eating habits might help you to recondition your brain to respond differently. For instance, going for a walk, calling up a friend, or brewing a cup of relaxing tea is a better way to cope with the triggers that, left unchecked, can sabotage your weight loss plan.

Cut Back Fossil Fuel Usage by Eating Less Junk Food

Concerned about the environment? Worried about the future impact from global warming? Is filling up the gas tank of your car putting a hefty dent in your budget?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, then there’s something you can do about these concerns. You won’t have to lick envelopes, protest on the lawn of the White House, or petition to save whales either. Rather, you can simply eat less junk food and meat. How can this help? Well, according to some brainstorming currently underway at Cornell University, wielding your power as a consumer can reduce the amount of fossil fuels used in the transportation in the US food industry by a whopping 50%.

The Cornell researchers, who authored the study titled, ‘Reducing Energy Inputs in the US Food System,’ subsequently published in the journal Human Ecology, point out that production, packaging, and distribution of processed foods and animal products translates to higher fuel costs. The researchers also put forth a challenge to American consumers: Simply reducing the demand for processed foods would significantly cut back on the amount of energy expended on bringing these products to the market. If you doubt this, then here’s some food for thought: Processed foods travel an average of nearly 1,500 miles on US highways before reaching their retail destination.

The authors of this study also stress the far-reaching impact of exercising your influence as a consumer that not only benefits the environment, but also your health. For instance, by choosing to buy locally grown food, there is more emphasis on natural, organic farming methods. This equates to even more reduced energy consumption, fewer pesticides entering the environment, and increased energy efficiency due to the use of crop rotations and other organic growing methods.

It seems pretty clear that by going green—in more ways than one—you might be able to keep more of the green stuff in your pocket. Besides, eating less meat and more fresh (and local) produce is certainly better for your waistline, as well as your overall health.

And junk food? Who needs it when you can save the planet? (Try not to think about it too much.)

Here’s Your Wake up Call: Just Smell the Coffee

How many of you can’t seem to find your footing in the morning without first inhaling some fresh coffee? Simply staring down into a cup of steaming hot java seems to kick-start your motor, doesn’t it? Well, it turns out that the latter may be closer to the truth and that it’s not even necessary to take a sip to rev up your engine. In fact, all you need do is bask in the aroma.

Coffee, in moderation, can be good for you.* However, recent research indicates that the benefits from the bean may outweigh potential risks associated with caffeine consumption in most people. For instance, studies have shown that coffee is loaded with quinines, a class of antioxidants that seem to increase insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing the risk of developing diabetes type II. Several studies indicate that coffee drinkers have an 80% reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and a 20% less chance of developing colon cancer. Coffee is even helpful for stopping a migraine in its tracks, to help control asthma, and may even help to prevent dental cavities.

While caffeine plays a role in these health-giving perks, it’s not the only compound coffee has going for it. A cup o’ Joe also packs a healthy dose of the antioxidants chlorogenic acid and tocopherols (a form of vitamin E), as well as magnesium. But, what really has the scientific community buzzing right now is the effects of trigonelline, the constituent that lends the dark liquid its bitter taste and unique aroma.

As a group of international researchers have just discovered, breathing in the vapors from a cup of coffee (or just hanging out in the kitchen as the pot brews) triggers activity from at least a dozen genes in your brain, in addition to impacting protein metabolism. That’s pretty big news, especially when you consider that all of that goes on before even raising the coffee cup up to your own mug to drink.

So what does it all mean, you may ask? Well, aside from helping your brain waves speed up in the morning to a level that constituents being awake and alert, the mere smell of coffee also incites a riot of antioxidant action to help protect nerve cells from damage from oxidative stress.

Maybe that’s why we tell people who need to get on the stick to ‘wake up and smell the coffee.’ Hmm.

* For most people, moderate consumption of coffee equates to two to four cups per day, but no more than six cups per day (which sounds like a LOT to me!). The health benefits from coffee appear to decrease after that amount.

Are Couch Potatoes Born or Made?

What drives a propensity for holding down the couch with your derriere? Does it stem from plain laziness, or could an inborn trait to purposely avoid physical activity be involved? (Never thought about it, did you?)

All of us need the (hopefully) occasional self-therapy session with an afternoon of chick flicks and a little something (hopefully) light to nibble. But, if you find yourself hopelessly lacking the motivation, or even practicing consistent avoidance to get up and get your booty in gear, the reason might be in your jeans…er, that is, your genes.

Actually, let’s reverse the question for the point of illustration: Is the inclination to be physically active learned or inherited? Researchers at the University of North Carolina think that they’ve found the answer—in about 23 different genetic locations. Together, these genes conduct a dance known as epistasis, which influences the brain to either send impulses that inspire the body to get moving, or to hear a different drummer altogether—the one that yearns to tap the buttons on the remote. Which track the brain takes determines how active a lifestyle you would normally lead without outside intervention. In short, you can be born a couch potato.

Now, before you call up mom or dad and berate them for passing on slacker genes to you, consider the value of learning this information and how it may empower rather than defeat you. For one thing, you can stop blaming yourself for not absolutely relishing time spent on a treadmill, or for lacking the ability to get choked up about crunches. Better yet, you can stop comparing yourself to your gym buddies, who all just happen to be stellar athletes (or just look like it). There. Your quality of life has improved already.

The next step toward taming the tendency to choose couch crashing over healthier activities is to over-ride the genetic blueprint that holds you back. Your brain is a powerful instrument, which only you can fine tune to deliver the desire to get—and keep—moving on a regular basis. How?We have some suggestions…

- Create a Wall of Honor that commemorates the days of the week that you went to the gym for a workout, stretched over a Pilates ball at home, or simply took the dog for a stroll. What the heck…keep a supply of gold stars on hand and stick ‘em to ya’.

- Write some appropriate affirmations that will help to keep you motivated to stay active. Then recite them—often.

- Keep a journal of your activities and log how you felt—before and after—completing them.

- Work out a reward system. For example, a daily 30-minute walk earns an hour of television—on the couch, no less.

How to Cheat on Your Diet

You know what they say: Variety is the spice of life. So, even though you and your diet may have been intimately engaged in a longstanding relationship, sometimes ya’ just gotta stray to keep it interesting at home. Of course, while you’re off on a pantry raid, you don’t want to get caught—not caught cheating, but caught being stuck with a few extra pounds than when you started stepping out.

But, first, some rules apply...

Be Discrete

The art of cheating on your diet doesn’t mean a license to partake in a three-day free-for-all. Mindfully escaping the dieting doldrums means exercising sound judgment when it comes to giving yourself permission to wander off to enjoy something deliciously naughty but reasonable. Making a date for an evening out once or twice a week for dinner, drinks and a decadent dessert is reasonable; gorging your gullet with an entire box of cookies in one solo sitting is not.

Practice Safe Slacking

Why take a chance on unwanted weight gain? Resist the temptation to stray from your regular routine and end up overindulging just because it’s what you thought you needed to feel satisfied. In other words, just because you have a roving eye for chocolate cake doesn’t mean you have to have it, unless it’s what you truly desire. Sometimes a flirtation is just that and shouldn’t go any further. For that matter, put your lips together and blow the whistle on all the flashy stuff on the pastry cart if that’s not your style. Maybe it’s plain frozen yogurt that really makes you go wild after all.

Keep Your Affairs in Order

Jot down the dish(s) that appealed to you most while you were out on the town. That way, you can get a pretty good idea of what types of food turn you on when you’re loose so you can repeat the experience at home. It makes it easier to balance the scales when it comes to moderation if you have a little black cookbook to refer to later.

Remember Where You Came From

When the last of the gooey chocolate glaze has been licked clean from your lips, it’s time to call it an adventure and back to home base. Otherwise, you might be in danger of becoming so lost in your revelry that you might be tempted to roam even further from your regular routine. After all, home is where the heart is. It’s also where you keep your bathroom scale.

Trying to Lose Weight? Go Bananas!

Are you going bananas trying to lose weight? Stop, peel and eat ‘em instead to shed those stubborn pounds.

Bananas are full of fiber begin with, which can help to curb your appetite simply because you feel full for quite awhile after eating one. But, reach for the bunch while they’re still slightly on the green side and you’ve got a weight loss secret weapon on your side known as resistant starch. This fiber is so-named because it’s indigestible and ferments in your large intestine. This results in the formation of butyrates, which inhibit lipid oxidation. In other words, they prevent carbohydrates from being stored as fat. Instead, butyrates encourage the body to burn accumulated fat at an accelerated rate. In fact, a recent University of Colorado study found that making your daily carb intake at least 5% resistant starch can increase fat your burning capacity by 30%--for the rest of the day.

Bananas are one of the best sources of resistance starch, although it’s also found in beans and whole grains. However, bananas offer additional benefits in addition to boosting fat burning, including heart-healthy nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium and B-6. Bananas are also a rich source of protein and vitamin A.

Studies have also shown that eating a banana may help those struggling with their weight due to work-related stress, which can trigger food cravings and unhealthy snacking. According to Austrian researchers, this kind of urge to splurge can be avoided by improving blood sugar levels throughout the day. Bananas contain three simple sugars--sucrose, fructose and glucose.

Bananas can even help to improve your mood. That’s because they also contain tryptophan, a protein involved in the manufacture of serotonin, one of the ‘feel good’ hormones produced in the brain that brings about a state of relaxation. However, the potassium content in the fruit promotes increased alertness at the same time.

As you can see, a banana is the perfect food. Perhaps the old adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ should be revamped to ‘a banana today makes weight loss A-OK.’

Is Your Diet Soda Making You Fat?

How many times have you washed down a cheeseburger and fries with a diet soda? Seems a little silly, doesn’t it? Not to mention pointless, if reducing calories is your goal. But, there’s another side to diet soda that can undermine your dieting efforts—it could be contributing to stubborn weight gain.

Regular soda, as you probably know, is loaded with sugar. The sweetener of the manufacturer’s choice is usually high fructose corn syrup--in an amount equivalent to nine teaspoons of sugar in a typical 12-ounce can. Whoa. Enough said.

Diet sodas, on the other hand, contain artificial sweeteners, which may be low or free of sugar, but carry certain risks all their own, like the as-of-yet unknown long-term effects of introducing chlorine molecules into the body. Diet sodas also contain caffeine, sodium and phosphoric acid, all of which can compromise your health. Phosphoric acid depletes your calcium levels and makes your internal pH too acidic, while high levels of caffeine consumption can promote a variety of problems, including anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue and hormonal imbalance.

But, here’s some news about diet soda that really pops: Researchers have found that drinking diet soda can actually contribute to weight gain. There are two main reasons for this, the first being the temptation to think that by saving 150 calories by drinking diet soda, then we can afford to indulge in a sweet reward to go with it. The second reason is due to confused taste buds. That is, artificially sweetened diet soda triggers the taste buds to signal the brain to prepare the body for a glucose fix, but fails to deliver one. This scenario is what gives rise to sugar cravings and addiction.

A recent study involving 1,500 participants conducted at the University of Texas found that obesity was associated with soda drinkers overall. No surprise there. However, they also found a correlation between diet soda consumption and an even higher risk for obesity. In fact, for every can of diet soda chugged down each day, the risk for obesity increased by a whopping 41%. Whoa. Enough said again.

Here’s Your Diet Soda Alternative

What if you could ditch the diet soda without sacrificing taste, or even letting that refreshing fizz go down the drain? What if that sparkling soda alternative were as healthy as pure water…even more so? Sound too good to be true?

It isn’t. Cyclotrim is the first weight loss formula that turns your everyday bottle of water into a powerful fat burning, metabolism-boosting weight loss drink. Cyclotrim contains zero calories, zero carbs and zero fat, but does contain 100% of your daily recommended allowance of vitamins C, B-6, B-12 and chromium. Just drop a tablet into some water and you’ve got a fizzy and fun way to help your body metabolize and burn fat efficiently. Whoa. Way to go!

Lose Weight and Gain Better Health with Green Tea

In the west, the U.S. is second only to Great Britain in tea consumption, brewing more than 2.2 billion gallons each year--enough to fill more than 160,000 swimming pools. But, tea offers more benefits than being a soothing beverage to be served at social gatherings, or to ward off the chill of a winter's night. There is mounting evidence to suggest that drinking tea may also reduce the risks of developing cardiovascular disease and many forms of cancer. In addition, green tea is an effective and easy way to help you lose weight.

Different Cups of Tea

The three most common types of tea manufactured are green tea, black tea (often labeled as pekoe or orange pekoe), and oolong tea. The difference between them lies in how the leaves are processed. Black tea is by far the most popular, comprising 77% of the world's tea production, and is the result of allowing the leaves to ferment before drying. Oolong tea production involves partial fermentation, while green tea is not fermented at all.

Tea leaves are an abundant source of flavonoids (sometimes called bioflavonoids), a group of compounds with antioxidant properties that lend many plants their color. Of specific interest are the flavonoids catechins and flavonols which prevent the synthesis of peroxides and free radicals, agents that can invade cell membranes and damage genetic material. Certain chemicals found in the molecular structure of these beneficial flavonoids, collectively known as phenolic groups, bind with peroxides and free radicals to annul their ability to cause damage.

The fermentation process activates the oxidation of catechins to convert them into the secondary flavonoids theraflavin and thearubigin, also highly oxidant and responsible for the rich color and flavor of black and oolong teas. Green tea, on the other hand, is manufactured without fermentation and the original catechin structure is preserved. The most significant catechin present in tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is much more abundant in green tea, with a single cup yielding from 40 to 90 milligrams.

British researchers recently published the results of two studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which reported that green tea increases fat and carbohydrate oxidation when combined with just 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.

New Life from an Old Tradition

Tea drinking is an ancient custom with origins in 2737 BC China. Reputedly, the Emperor Shen Nung, known as the great "divine healer," first sampled tea after a gust of wind carried a few stray leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to an open pot of boiling water. Today, approximately 3,000 varieties of tea are made from this single plant, at least 300 in China alone. Perhaps that's why the old Chinese proverb relates, "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one."

Being Smart About Food Choices Can Actually Make You Smarter

Believe it or not, scientists have figured out a way to increase the intelligence of gerbils by simply feeding them the right stuff. The hope is that scientists can extrapolate the same results to human beings. “Quite frankly,” says Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal that published this new finding, “this can't happen soon enough as every environmentalist, advocate of evolution, and war opponent will attest." Hopefully, evidence of this accomplishment will be apparent in such global matters in the future and make dissection of human gray matter unnecessary to prove it. The gerbils should have been so lucky.

Nevertheless, the basic idea is to improve or even restore cognitive ability by increasing the intake of foods that stimulate brain synapse activity. This isn’t a new idea, of course. That’s why herbs like ginkgo biloba have been in the news for at least three decades, and why those of us who are becoming a bit forgetful are advised to play math and word games and puzzles on a regular basis. But, it does seem that this group of researchers may have hit on the right combination of the right stuff to feed the big bean.

Wondering what was on the menu? The gerbils were given a chemical cocktail that contained various combinations of uridine monophosphate (from beets), choline (found in eggs) and docosahexaenoic acid or DHA (obtained from fish oils). Previous research clearly demonstrates that these three substances are necessary for optimal brain functioning. So, a mere four weeks after the supplementation began, changes in cognitive ability were measured.

And the gerbils performed. Suddenly, they were able to steer around complex mazes like Mario Andretti on a racetrack. Of course, being scientists, the researchers were compelled to look for biological evidence of increased intelligence, so they went right to the source—the brains. There, they found various biomarkers indicating a marked increase in brain synapse activity and intelligence.

What are you feeding your noodle? If you’re worried that you may not be getting enough of the right stuff for your brain, you can still make the smart decision to supplement these and other nutrients to help your mind stay sharp and focused. Stop by our Healthy Aging section to learn how today!

Thoughts of Gloom = Diet Doom

What’s more depressing than watching the news on television? How about the fact that doing so makes you want to escape by stuffing your face with food?

That’s the latest news from the Journal of Consumer Research, which published the results of a joint study conducted between Arizona State University and Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The authors of the study give us something rather morbid to chew on: Watching death-related drama on television, witnessing tragic events on the news, or even contemplating our own demise, spurs the appetite and compels us to consume more food. As a chronic fan of CSI-type television shows, I find this revelation more gruesome than anything that can be seen on cable.

Still, the study must have been interesting for the participants, half of whom were asked to write an essay on how they feel about the fact that they’re going to die someday. The other half, or the control group, were charged with the jolly task of writing an essay on a painful medical procedure. Now, in my mind, I find the latter topic just as morose as the first, if not more so. But, it turns out that the group who gave serious thought to their eventual leave of this plane of existence, couldn’t wait to chow down on the cookies the researchers sneakily made available. Even when lacking cookies as bait, other study subjects checked off items on grocery lists as though they looked forward to shopping with abandon in the future—sort of a culinary ‘bucket list,’ if you will.

The researchers also drew the conclusion that those study subjects that suffered from low self-esteem were much more likely to cave in to cravings after pondering death. In particular, considering their own mortality seemed to trigger a need to escape from what the researchers coined as ‘heightened self-awareness’ by gravitating toward over consumption overall, whether it be in the form of eating more or simply overspending on food.

What have we learned from this study? Be happy. Don’t think about dying; live for the moment instead. Go ahead and set your remote for your favorite CSI show…just snap a lock on the fridge first. Simple.

Another interesting observation (and I think that’s all it can be called) that came out of this study was the effect of a little mirror trick on the part of the researchers. They observed that whenever a mirror was positioned in front of a study participant, that person had far less desire to consume anything. Hmm. I suppose that if I could see myself greedily gobbling up potato chips or some other crispy, comfort food, that I wouldn’t be able to stand to watch either.

I have to wonder, though…does the tendency to over-consume apply to avid readers of murder mysteries too? After all, reading a good murder mystery can be just as riveting and jarring as watching the same kind of events unfold on television, fiction or not. I guess we’ll have to wait for someone to come up with the idea (and funding) to put these readers through a study of their own.

Lose Weight by Having a Good Laugh

They say that laughter is the best medicine. There must be something to it because studies have shown that as little as 20 seconds of deep belly laughing equates to about three minutes of working out on a rowing machine in terms of the physical fitness benefits. And here’s a funny thing that enthusiasts of Hasya yoga, or Laughter Yoga, have known for a long time: Laughing it up—a lot—can lighten your load in more ways than one.

Developed by the Indian physician, Madan Kataria, Laughter Yoga subscribes to the belief that laughter has specific benefits for the body that are nothing to laugh at, which include:

Increased circulation.
Muscle toning.
Improved immunity.
Stress reduction.
Better digestion.
Strengthening of the heart and lungs.

But, how does one initiate a Laughter Yoga session when there doesn’t seem to be anything funny going on? Like all systems of yoga, warm-up exercises are in order, and many of them begin with a chant.

“Ho-ho and Ha-ha,” are the sounds emitted from students participating in a Laughter Yoga class offered by the University of Michigan Health System. There’s plenty of animation accompanying these chants too, as students parade around the room clapping their hands and moving their feet to the rhythm.

The next 30 or so minutes are spent stretching and practicing breathing exercises, intermingled with laughing out loud. But, it’s when specific laughter exercises are rolled out that things really begin to rip. The following is a sample of Laughter Yoga exercises designed to tickle your funny bone and target your physical and emotional hot spots. (By the way, kids, we encourage you to try this at home.)

Greeting Laughter Exercise. Put both hands together and then attempt to shake hands with other members of your group.

Milk Shake Laughter Exercise. Pretend to be holding a glass in each hand and then proceed to pour imaginary milk from one glass to the other, gleefully chanting, “Aeee” with each transfer of the milk shake.

Hearty Laughter Exercise. This exercise calls for you to raise your arms high in the air and, with your head tilted back slightly, laugh like you mean it.

Isn’t it funny that we need to learn how to laugh in the first place? For something so intrinsic, you would think it would be a skill easily performed on call, even lacking an episode of the Three Stooges. But, the truth is, we must become chuckle-challenged as we grow older since children laugh an average of 400 times a day, while adults typically chuckle a mere 15 times a day.

There’s another old adage that must have been taken from the secret knowledge of kids: Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Laughter is indeed contagious. Feel free to infect as many other human beings as you can.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Believe it or not, cholesterol is good for you—at least to a point. Without it, your body wouldn’t be able to manufacture vitamin D, some types of hormones, or bile acid to digest your food. However, the body requires far less cholesterol than typically comes packaged in a fast food burger and fries to accomplish these tasks. In fact, too much cholesterol can clog your plumbing—literally.

The arteries function as little lifelines to deliver blood and oxygen to vital organs, such as the heart. When a high level of cholesterol is present, the circulatory system has to carry it through these routes along with blood and oxygen. If you think of this task as being burdened by trying to push small clumps of wax through a network of tiny tunnels, then it’s easy to see how trouble develops. Sometimes, the cholesterol can’t complete the journey and gets stuck. Cholesterol deposits form and less blood circulates because artery passageways become blocked.

The ABCs of Understanding Cholesterol Numbers

There are different kinds of cholesterol, but they all travel through the body on vehicles known as lipoproteins. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the ‘good’ kind of cholesterol because they taxi more harmful forms of cholesterol out of the arteries and blood and back to the liver.

The ‘bad’ kind of cholesterol is low-density lipoprotein (LDL), so labeled since this is the stuff most responsible for forming cholesterol plaque.

Then there are triglycerides. These are a type of fat that are stored in the body as the result of taking in more calories than can be used.

When your doctor checks your cholesterol, however, he or she is actually looking at different number sets to get a complete cholesterol picture. For women, total cholesterol should be 200 mg/dL or less, with LDL cholesterol being 100 mg/dL or less and HDL cholesterol of 55 mg/dL or less.

Aside from managing your weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise, there are several natural agents that may help to lower your cholesterol numbers, as well as reduce your risk of heart disease.

For example, policosanol is a natural substance obtained from sugar cane that deters the lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which has the sweet effect of lowering total cholesterol. Policosanol also stimulates the production of a special protein that helps to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood.

The extracts of grape seed and artichoke leaf also demonstrate cholesterol-lowering properties due to the presence of proanthocyanidins and cynarin, respectively. Forget about trying to pronounce these chemical helpers and just remember what they do instead—they increase bile production to remove excess cholesterol from the body and lower LDL cholesterol levels.

How you can put these natural substances to work for you? We’ve made it easy for you. Our Cholesterol Support is a patented formula of vitamins, minerals, and all-natural herbs that are guaranteed to lower your cholesterol levels without the unwanted side effects of prescription medication. And you guessed it-- Cholesterol Support contains policosanol and the extracts of grape seed and artichoke leaf, as well as other heart-healthy herbs. But, that’s not all…with Cholesterol Support, you’ll also get your daily-recommended allowance of essential nutrients, such as niacin, vitamin b-6, folic acid, vitamin b-12, and chromium.

Start loving your heart by lowering your cholesterol the natural, healthy way. Get Cholesterol Support today!

Lose Weight without Leaving the House

There are a lot of reasons why you might not be terribly keen about hitting the gym. For one thing, there’s a financial consideration when it comes to sign-up registration fees and ongoing monthly membership dues. For another, the location of the gym may not be convenient for you—and with the price of gas these days, driving those extra miles might be another financial strain. And let’s face it: Some gyms simply don’t provide an atmosphere where you can feel comfortable in a dowdy sweat suit instead of being hermetically sealed into work out garb fashioned out of a few inches of spandex. Who needs that?

Fortunately, your house or apartment provides the perfect environment to get a great work out in, no matter how you’re dressed. And you certainly can’t beat the location, can you? Your own home also has all the fitness equipment you’ll ever need, although you may not realize it. In fact, your home has everything that a professional gym or health club has to offer to help you to lose weight without getting out of your slippers or opening the front door. Better yet, it’s free!

Let’s take a tour of your abode right now so you can get started losing weight at home today!

Got canned soup? Even rinsed out milk containers or soda bottles can become effective weights when filled with water. Take a look around your pantry or recycling bin to see what’s available.

Define your deltoids in a doorway. Say goodbye to ‘mother arms’ (sorry, mom) when you tone up the deltoid muscles of your upper under arms. Just stand in any doorway with your arms at your sides. Then, with palms facing out, brace against each side of the doorway and push. Hold for a few seconds, release, and repeat.

Step up to stairway push-ups. For this exercise, it won’t be necessary to get down on the floor like you do when performing traditional push-ups. While standing at the foot of the stairs, reach forward and position your hands on the step that will allow you to push off while keeping your elbows shoulder height.

Bring up the rear with a chair. Stand in front of a chair or stool and take turns with each leg by standing on one foot while ‘stepping’ on the chair with the other. Believe it or not, you’ll feel the ‘burn’ in your butt in a matter of minutes with this simple exercise.

Burn calories by cleaning house. Domestic duties and household chores are a great way to keep your home and your figure fit at the same time. Here’s a rundown on the average number of calories you can burn in an hour per activity:

Mopping/sweeping: 220
Painting: 135
Scrubbing floors by hand: 400
Vacuuming: 175
Washing dishes: 120
Washing windows: 250

Get SMART: How to Stay Motivated to Lose Weight

Raise your hand if any of the following has ever applied to you:

The exercise equipment you were so excited about purchasing from that infomercial arrived with fanfare, only to be banished to the basement or garage six months later in its original packaging. Later still, it became a high-ticket item for your annual yard sale.

You promised yourself that you’d start a weight loss and exercise program at the start of the New Year, but life kept getting in the way and by the time swimsuit season rolled around you weighed more than before.

You swore off of fast food forever…except for Saturday night take-out delivery, during weekday lunch hours that are reduced to 15 minutes through no fault of your own and, of course, ‘special occasions,’ like whenever you’re feeling down, tired, irritable, or the that the price of your favorite fruits and vegetables is a gastronomic injustice.

Okay. You can put your hands down now. Chances are most of us would have arms flailing over our heads having lived through at least one of the above scenarios. So, know that you’re not alone. But, you can also take comfort knowing that you can prevent backpedaling on your weight loss goals by learning to walk your talk in small steps. To that end, the very first step is to become SMART about setting goals.

SMART is an acronym that stands for ‘Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reward and Timely.’ It’s a tool to help you make realistic goals that can be accomplished in a reasonable manner and timeframe. Here’s how you can put the steps in SMART to work for you…

Step One: Specific. Committing yourself to a specific goal is much more likely to result in success than a vague one. For instance, compare these two goal-setting statements: “Lose some weight” or “Exercise three times a week.”

Step Two: Measurable. How will you measure your progress? Some sample methods might be a displaying a wall chart, keeping a diet journal, or simply asking yourself how you feel once a week on a score of 1-10. By determining how your expectations can be measured, each small achievement will help you stay on track toward your specific goal.

Step Three: Attainable. This goes hand-in-hand with Step Two. When you track your progress over a period of time and acknowledge that your final destination is a process, then your specific goal no longer seems out of reach.

Step Four: Realistic. If you honestly believe that your specific goal can be achieved because you’re willing (and able) to do the work to get there, then you’ll know that your goal is realistic.

Step Five: Timely. You specific goal should be governed by a defined timeline in which to accomplish it. That way, you can replace “Lose 10 pounds someday” with “Lose 10 pounds by September 1st.”

Follow these tips for weight loss and you'll be on your way to shedding the pounds and keeping them off--the smart way.

How to Whittle Your Waist While You Work

According to researchers at the University of Cincinnati, worksite-based weight loss programs benefit both sides of the time clock. For employees, the benefit is obvious—more activity equates to reduced stress and, hopefully, the shedding of a few pounds. The ROI (return on investment) for employers is a bit subtler: increased productivity and fewer sick days.

Looking at the big picture, however, employer-sponsored weight loss programs have the potential to have a far-reaching and long-lasting impact on public health overall. Specifically, such programs can reshape the way people think about fitness in general, and help to address America’s current epidemic—obesity.

It’s not hard to imagine how working out at work can affect the individual. After all, most adults of working age in the US spend at least half of their waking hours at work. But, without intervention, sitting at a desk from 9 to 5 can easily result in the dreaded secretary spread. In fact, according to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, almost 50% of those polled admitted that their desk jobs rewarded them with extra pounds, with about 28% weighing in 10 or more pounds heavier than when they started.

How can you lighten your load when you go to work each day? We have some sure-fire suggestions for you try…

Don’t stand for sitting down all day. Or, rather, stand up for part of the day. Workstations designed so that you can adjust their height allow you to stand while working at your desk. The cost? Less than $400.

Invest in a headset for your phone. That way, you can make and receive your phone calls while walking around your office or on your way to the water cooler. Those little steps can quickly add up and help to burn more calories.

Don’t eat lunch at your desk. Gosh…how many of us are guilty of this? Actually, according to the American Dietetic Association, about 75% of us are, at least a few times a week. So, resist the urge to give 110% to your job by working through lunch, which can lead to mindless munching, often on the wrong foods. Instead, take your lunch to the cafeteria (the social networking is good for you too), or outside to a nearby park.

Be underhanded about your handedness. Huh? What we mean is, keep the less-than-dietetic snacks (and we all have a stash) in a drawer on the left side of your desk if you’re right-handed, and fresh fruit or other healthy choice on the right side. Researchers have discovered that we’ll usually lean toward the direction of our handedness to reach for a snack whenever hunger strikes.

Drink green tea at work. Studies have shown that green tea helps to burn calories. In fact, people who partake of the beverage daily lose an average of 2.4 more pounds per year than those who don’t.

Plug in the air freshener. Are you ready for this? Studies have shown that people exposed to sweet scents, such as vanilla, cinnamon, or apple, when they are hungry, lose an average of 30 pounds within six months! While you might think that food-like scents might stimulate the appetite, they actually suppress it.

Trying to Lose Weight? Make Time for Breakfast!

There’s an old adage that says that if you want to lose weight then you have to eat. It appears to be true, especially when it comes to the most important meal of the day—breakfast.

There’s a good reason this meal is so-named. It means to ‘break the fast’ from the night before. If you skip breakfast, your blood sugar levels stay low and your metabolism remains at rest. If you’re trying to lose weight, this isn’t what you want. What you do want to do is to kick your metabolism into gear to burn more calories and store less fat from the caloric intake that follows later in the day.

Another self-defeating consequence to skipping breakfast—you’re much more likely to be compelled to reach for something sweet to snack on mid-morning (like the last stale donut at the coffee station at work), or eat more than you should at lunch or dinner.

Still not convinced? Recent research indicates that eating a healthy breakfast every day may reduce your risk for obesity and developing diabetes by as much as 35-50%.

So, here’s the bottom line: While you may have previously thought that skipping breakfast meant you could button your jeans in the morning, armed with this new information—and our helpful tips on eating a satisfying breakfast—you may soon be able to glide into a smaller pair in the first place.

What’s for Breakfast?

Hands down, whole grain cereal tops the list when it comes to breakfast foods. It’s not only convenient and fast, but it’s also nutritious. Studies have shown that women who regularly eat cereal for breakfast weigh an average of nine pounds less than women who don’t. In addition, the results of a Harvard study suggests that people who eat whole grain cereal for breakfast each day experience a 20% reduced risk of dying from heart disease and are 17% less likely to succumb to any cause for several years. That’s food for thought, anyway.

When choosing a breakfast cereal, look for those that list bran or whole grain as the very first ingredient. This breakfast-in-a-box should also contain a minimum of 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.

You can’t live on cereal alone…

Okay, so you don’t care to nibble in dry nuggets every morning. Need some other ideas? Try oatmeal with fresh fruit, low-fat peanut butter on whole grain toast, or a fruit and yogurt smoothie from the blender.

No time is no excuse.

If you’re in a hurry in the morning (and who isn’t?), then make up something the night before to grab on your way out the door. Simple breakfast-on-the-go ideas include boxed raisins, a container of yogurt, fresh fruit (i.e., an apple or banana), granola, or even cheese and crackers.

In the mood to cook?

Good for you! It’s perfectly possible to have a hearty breakfast and still lose weight too. The trick is to try to get one food from at least two food groups in the mix, one of them being protein since it takes longer to digest, provides needed energy, and will help you feel full longer.


Breakfast Metabolism Booster Burger

1 egg
1 slice Canadian bacon
1 slice white American cheese
1 whole-grain English muffin or bagel

Fry the egg in a non-stick skillet prepared with a shot of vegetable oil cooking spray, turning once. Right after turning, place the Canadian bacon and cheese on top of the egg. Continue to cook on low just until the cheese melts. Place the egg mixture on the muffin or bagel. (Hint: To prevent yolk from running down your chin as you eat, poke the egg gently after turning to allow the yolk to run free and set.)


Burrito Breakfast Scramble

1/2 teaspoon trans fat-free margarine
1 egg
1 tablespoon diced peppers
1 tablespoon diced tomato, strained of seeds and liquid
1 whole-grain tortilla

Combine the egg with a little water or milk and scramble on a small bowl; set aside. Heat the margarine in a non-stick skillet until melted. Add the peppers and cook until softened, stirring often to prevent scorching. Add the egg mixture and tomatoes. Cook, stirring often to move everything around the pan and scramble the egg. When the egg has completely cooked, pile the mixture on top of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla, grab your fork, and dig in.

The Three Big Fat Thin Foods

Are you hoping we’re going to say pizza, French fries and chocolate cake? Sorry, no deal. It’s just an unfortunate fact of life that foods like those are high in fat and calories and definitely not on the menu for those seeking to lose weight.

However, there are three super foods—well, some are food components, really—that can help you to lose weight naturally and more easily if you incorporate them into your diet. Interested? Good. Read on.

The number one addition that should be part of every weight loss program is calcium. In fact, you may have already heard that drinking milk and eating low-fat dairy foods can help you to lose weight. That’s because calcium plays a little trick on a chemical found in the vitamin D family that results in increasing the metabolism of dietary fat and suppressing the storage of fat as body fat. That’s a neat trick, indeed, but calcium has another one—it helps to increase your core temperature. This action equates to burning more calories with less effort!

Eat more fiber to lose more weight. This may sound like a contradiction since fiber is the portion of plant-based foods that pass through our intestines without being digested or providing any nutritional benefit. So, where’s the beef in the claim that fiber can help promote weight loss? It lies in the fact that fiber makes us feel fuller sooner and longer, as well as in the value of transporting fat and cholesterol out of the body quickly so that less of it is absorbed. That’s not a bad trick either, eh?

Boost your metabolism with beans. You may have heard the expression that beans are good for your heart; the more you eat, the more you…lose weight? That’s because most varieties of legumes are high in protein and fiber that builds muscle, regulates digestion and promotes the burning of fat. For instance, recent research has shown that when soy consumption is increased, more pounds are shed. That’s because soy has an action on regulatory hormones and receptors in the brain that signal the body to speed up metabolism. Studies have also shown that soy may decrease serum cholesterol and glucose levels, decreasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes. (One caveat, however: soy can have a negative effect on those with thyroid disorders and should be avoided by these individuals unless supervised by a health care practitioner.) Other good choices of beans include kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, limas, navy beans and pinto beans. However, avoid refried beans and baked beans, which are high in fat and sugar, respectively.

5 Reasons You May Not be Able to Lose Weight

If you consistently load up on sugary drinks (including alcohol), fried foods and calorie-laden gooey confections, then weight gain is easy to understand. No doubt about it, in fact--you’ve earned those extra pounds. But, how on earth can those pounds cling to our hips and middles when we diligently watch what we eat and exercise faithfully? If this sounds like you, then there may be an underlying reason why you’re having so much trouble tipping the scale in your favor.

Are you getting enough Zzzs? There’s a good reason that retiring at a decent hour is referred to as beauty sleep. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can promote weight gain due to a higher conversion of dietary fat to body fat. In addition, sleeping less can encourage you to crave more snacks while awake. (For more information, see our blog of June 18, 2008 titled, “Lack of Sleep Leads to Snack Attacks".) Ideally, you should strive to get eight hours of sleep each night.

Do you suffer from a medical condition? The most common reason for weight gain in women is a condition known as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism results when the thyroid fails to produce enough hormones necessary to effectively regulate many functions, including metabolism. See your health care practitioner if you are experiencing unexplained weight gain, accompanied with frequent headaches, fatigue, and intolerance to cold temperatures, as these are common symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Are you taking medications? Certain medications are known to promote weight gain, including antidepressants, antiseizure drugs, and medications prescribed to treat diabetes, high blood pressure and heartburn. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should stop taking your medication! If you suspect that a medication may be the cause of unexplained weight gain, consult your health care practitioner to explore other options and/or a plan of action to help counteract this side effect.

Are you stressed out? If you read yesterday’s blog, then you learned that a little hormone called ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone, may be responsible for tricking your brain into thinking you’re hungry when you’re not. Researchers have recently discovered that levels of this hormone increase in response to stress. (For more information and for tips on how to manage your stress, scroll down a bit to see our blog of July 15, 2008 titled, “Is Stress Triggering Your Hunger Hormone?”)

Are you in the change of life? Ah…what a nice expression. Otherwise known as menopause, the change o’ life includes some benefits as well as some drawbacks, like hormonal changes that trigger food cravings and a slower metabolism. On the up side, declining levels of estrogen usually produces weight loss in the lower body, meaning shrinking hips and thighs are possible. However, estrogen loss also causes a shift in fat deposition from the lower body to the middle. That’s why we have another charming expression for an expanding middle typically associated with menopause—menopot. Nice, huh? The good news is that you can avoid this kind of weight gain by increasing your lean body mass through strength training and enriching your diet with more calcium and vitamin D, which will also help to reduce bone loss.

Now that you’re aware of some potential reasons that you might be gaining weight despite your best efforts to lose it, where do you go from here?

First, talk to your doctor if you suspect that a medical condition or medication may be responsible. In addition, take steps to develop stress-coping skills. And, no matter what, stick to your healthy diet and exercise program.

Finally, let us help. While we can’t send you to bed at a certain time, or turn back the clock, we can help you defy the affects of aging and help you get more restful sleep each night. Our Fem Support contains more than a dozen herbs and nutrients with proven ability to improve mood and reduce the impact of fluctuating hormones at any age. And, our Healthy Sleep Support formula is an all-natural, organic blend of herbs and minerals designed to help you relax and get the rest you need.

Is Stress Triggering Your Hunger Hormone?

We all know that stress, albeit unavoidable at times, is bad for us. Chronic stress can lead to health problems as well as emotional issues, including depression and anxiety. To counteract, we sometimes respond by eating comfort foods, even though we’re not necessarily hungry. However, there may be a physiological reason for this behavior beyond simply hoping to nurse our battered selves into feeling better (at least temporarily). That reason may be due to the action of the hunger hormone, also known as ghrelin.

Ghrelin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas whenever we’ve gone without food for too long. Its primary mission is to stimulate the brain to send the message that it’s time to eat. Naturally, once we submit to this command and take in some food, levels of this hormone begin to subside and our brain tells us that we’ve had enough. In fact, this is where the sensation of feeling full first stems from.

Unfortunately, enduring stress causes ghrelin levels to increase. Not only does this trigger the brain into thinking we need to eat more, but it also makes memory centers in the brain remember food better. In effect, increased production of the hunger hormone in response to stress can turn us into food junkies.

We know this due to a recent study on the effects of ghrelin, the findings of which were reported in New Scientist. The study researchers scanned the brains of a dozen subjects and then allowed them to enjoy breakfast. A few hours later, the study subjects were injected with ghrelin and their brains were scanned again, only this time, after showing them pictures of juicy hamburgers, pizza, and other enticing foods. Not only did the study subjects become hungry again, but certain brain areas also lit up like Christmas trees. As the article states, “Seeing pictures of pizza and other treats sparked activity in several brain regions involved in decision-making and anticipating a payoff.” In other words, their brains responded to food in the same way that an addictive personality might respond to the thought of receiving alcohol, cigarettes or drugs.

The next time someone tells you that they’re a junk food junky you can believe it. Only now you can tell them why (not that they’ll want to hear it). But, the question is, how can you prevent yourself from falling into the same trap?

The answer is to take steps to manage your stress. To that end, we have some suggestions to help you do just that.

Learn to delegate responsibility. Unless you operate under a written contract, there’s no reason why you can’t farm out certain tasks that can be completed by someone else whenever possible. This applies to your domestic life as well as your work environment.

Open up and say OM. Setting aside a few moments a day to meditate can do a lot to help you reduce stress and stay balanced. You don’t have to become a robe-clad philosophical guru to benefit from meditation either. There are scores of books, videos and audio tools available to help you learn the basics.

Get moving. Exercise in any amount naturally lowers stress levels as well as offering additional benefits, such as improved circulation and immunity. So get out there and do what you love, whether it’s hiking, cycling or just taking the dog for a walk around the block.

Get support from a natural supplement. The proprietary blend of all-natural botanicals and nutrients found in our Relaxation Support formula work together synergistically to help your mind and body relax--without drowsiness, drugs or dangerous side effects.

Take a Stand on Losing Weight

I hope you’re sitting down. Wait…on second thought, you might want to spring to your feet, at least when you’ve finished reading this. Why? According to a new study on obesity, you stand a lot to lose by sitting too much. In fact, the act of sitting too long or too often may be contributing to the extra padding around your waistline.

Researchers at Iowa State discovered a few surprising facts about the differences between sitting and standing in terms of weight loss. During the course of the study, there was no significant difference in resting metabolic rates between the obese or lean participants in the study. This finding was unexpected since it has always been theorized that leaner people have higher metabolic rates. However, they also found that the overweight women in the study group had a tendency to sit for 2.5 more hours per day than their slimmer counterparts. The overweight group also demonstrated that they spent half as much time engaged in any physical activity as the trim group. As a result, the women in the obese group burned an average of 315 calories less than the lean group per day.

Aside from the effects of less activity in general, there’s another good reason to stand more and sit less. The researchers found that sitting for extended periods impairs the circulation of lipase, an enzyme that metabolizes fat and cholesterol independent of exercising. While standing, this enzyme kicks into high gear and absorbs fat into muscles. But, while sitting, the circulation of lipase is closed off and fat and cholesterol are instead redistributed into the blood stream and eventually stored as body fat.

We’re not talking about just a little fat being at stake either. During the study, blood samples were taken from the same person after eating the same foods, but they were taken at times when the study subject ate while either sitting or standing. Guess what? The blood samples taken while the food was consumed while standing were clear, but were visibly cloudy when munching took place while sitting.

There’s more…

In addition to deterring dietary fat from being converted into body fat, spending more time standing than sitting also helps to prevent diabetes due to improved utilization of glucose in the blood. In fact, several studies have shown that people who struggle with their weight and who sit a good deal have at least twice the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Standing more also improves HDL levels—the ‘good’ kind of cholesterol. In fact, people who sit too much or too long typically experience a 22% decrease in HDL levels compared to those who don’t.

Need more to chew on? The simple act of standing over sitting can help you burn off 60 more calories an hour.

Here are a few tips on how to get a leg up on standing more and sitting less…

- Whenever possible, stand for an activity instead of sitting. You can watch the kids play or cheer on a sporting event while being on your feet as you can from a folding chair or park bench.

- Take frequent breaks at work to stretch your legs. Better yet, see if your boss would be willing to let you trade your desk chair for a treadmill, a trend that’s growing in popularity in many workplace environments today.

- Stand up while gabbing on the phone, or even while watching television.

- Walk rather than drive or taking public transportation whenever you can.

5 Reasons to Spear Broccoli

Broccoli has an interesting family tree. In fact, the ancient Romans thought that the flower heads of this member of the cruciferous family physically resembled small trees. Hence, the crisp veggie was christened the name of broccoli, which translates from Latin to mean branch.

Broccoli history dates back even further though, since it was first cultivated from wild cabbage by the Etruscans, the ancient civilization of Italy and Corsica. Eight centuries later, the vegetable was introduced to England, where it earned the nickname of Italian asparagus.

Surprisingly, broccoli wasn’t generally familiar to the palates of Americans until the roaring 1920s, when the D'Arrigo Brothers Company began growing it on a commercial scale in San Jose, California. As an experiment, the brothers sent a shipment to Boston to be tested in northeastern markets. Soon, broccoli began to gain popularity and by 1925 the vegetable was all the rage.

Now that you can appreciate how far this green has traveled and how its far-reaching appeal became established, it’s time to learn some more facts about broccoli. Here are five excellent reasons to look forward to having Italian asparagus end up on the end of your fork…

1. Broccoli is an incredibly abundant source of many nutrients, some of which are difficult to obtain without supplementation. Broccoli is rich in vitamins B6, E, K, C, and A, as well as being an excellent source of folic acid, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and dietary fiber.

2. Broccoli is also a good source of carotenoids, powerful antioxidants that are associated with a reduced risk of developing cataracts.

3. Broccoli contains an organic chemical compound known as sulforaphane, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. In fact, research conducted at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York show that this compound stops the growth of ovarian cancer cells and may also reduce the risk of breast cancer.

4. According to researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, broccoli checks the activity of helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. In addition, broccoli consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of gastrointestinal and bladder cancers.

5. Broccoli also contains components called indole-3-carbinol conjugates, a high intake of which has been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

For the diet and health conscious set (that’s us), broccoli has yet another benefit: it ranks low in the Glycemic Index with a GI score of only 15.

But, what if you agree with former President George Bush, who declared he hated broccoli since his mother made him eat it as a child and who banned the veggie from the White House menu altogether? Well, you could try one of the ‘designer foods’ that scientists have released for broccoli phobics, like a chocolate-broccoli drink mix. Or, how about some broccoli peanut butter, developed by a 7th grader?

If those options sound even less appetizing to you (and I’m sure they do), there’s an easier pill to swallow—Vita-Super.

Vita-Super is packed with water-soluble nutrients and vitamins, including the maximum recommended daily amounts of folic acid, vitamin D, B-6, B-12 and health-giving botanicals.

With Vita-Super as part of your daily regimen, you'll never have to wonder if you're getting all the natural nutrition your body needs!