2 cups canned corn, drained
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chopped green chilies
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup skim milk 1
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Combine dry ingredients and stir thoroughly. Add all remaining ingredients and mix. Spray skillet with but­ter flavor non-stick cooking spray and warm over medium heat. Drop medium size spoonfuls of batter into skillet. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other side. Repeat for remaining batter. makes 6 servings.

1lb fresh spinach (or equivalent frozen)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 inch piece root ginger, grated
1 green chili, deseeded and diced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 pkt silken tofu
salt and pepper

Wash the spinach thoroughly, squeeze dry, then cook in a covered pan over a low heat for 6-8 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Gently cook the onion (with a oil substitute) for 3-4 minutes. Next add the spices and cook for another 4 minutes. Mix in the spinach and heat through. Process the silken tofu in either a food processor or blender until smooth and runny. Pour the this slowly into the spinach mixture, stirring thoroughly. Cook the mixture until hot, stirring well. Do not let it boil. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

3 egg whites
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fat free cheese, shredded
1 cup fat free cracker crumbs (Use fat free saltines)
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Beat egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, com­bine cheese flour, salt, and garlic. Fold cheese mix­ture into egg whites. Form into walnut sized balls and roll each ball in fat free cracker crumbs. Bake in 350 F oven 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. makes 6 servings.

Again you’ll have the freedom to make the way it suits you better. Start sautéing your favorite vegetables (peapods, broccoli, bamboo shoots, squash, zucchini, peppers, water chestnuts, baby corn, etc.) using one of the substitutes for oil. If you like to have meat, brown it separately and drain all the fat, then add to the vegetables and sauté for a few more minutes. If you like it meatless, add cooked white rice, pasta or beans to it instead of the meat. Season as desired. You can even use already made stir-fry sauce, as long as is fat-free. On the meatless version, for added zest, put the stir-fry in a dish, sprinkle some cheese on top (regular, lowfat or fatfree) and microwave until it melts.

1 cup gluten flour
1 cup liquid made of water with soy, mushroom soy, parisian essence.
2 tsp mixed herbs
Large pot with boiling water

Mix the gluten with the liquid. This will make a very stiff rubbery dough, which will get quite hard to handle, it needs to be kneaded well though. Roll into a ball and leave covered in the bowl for 1 hour. Slice the gluten into thick ‘steaks’ and put into a large pot filled with boiling water. The steaks will need to simmer for about ½ hour. Drain the steaks, and press the excess water out of them. These steaks can be sliced up to go into stirfrys, or minced in the food processor and used instead of mince. The steaks keep in the fridge for about a week, and freeze quite well. Serves: 6

1 cup gluten flour
1 cup water

Stir gluten flour & water together, adding more water if necessary. You want a nice thick dough. Knead to get the gluten elastic and squeeze out the excess water. (do this right in the bowl you mixed it in, or a colander would work to drain off the water.) Break in small (1”) pieces and simmer in a vegetable broth at least ½ hour. Note: The longer you knead and simmer the gluten, the tougher it will become, so you can pick your own texture.

vegetable bouillon powder or crumbled stock cubes
water
vegetable chili mix (TVP)
hot water
chopped tomatoes
red kidney beans, drained and washed

Put bouillon and water into a pan. Cook for about 5 minutes (if you’re using any of the veggies mentioned below, cook them now), then remove the pan from the heat and add the chili mix (if mix has special instructions, follow them) and hot water, mixing well. Add the tomatoes, mix and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the red kidney beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Ingredients amounts vary to each one’s taste. Bouillon is optional. Tomatoes can be diced canned tomatoes. okra, mushrooms, onions or corn (fresh or frozen) can also be used.

Serving Suggestion:
Serve on a bed of rice, topped with a spoonful of fatfree sour cream or plain fatfree yogurt and garnished with lemon wedges. If by itself in a bowl, sprinkle some cheese on top.

It is not surprising that many people wonder why fad diets are bad when they seem to get results. You will find many sites on the internet claiming significant weight loss in just a few days. That type of weight loss is always temporary. It is usually 90% water which will be put straight back on as soon as your body rehydrates, which it must do if you are not going to suffer severe health problems or die.

Other fad diets are not so obviously crash diets with outrageous claims but they are over hyped diet plans that tend to be fashionable for a while and usually make a lot of money for the inventor in associated product sales. In the best cases these are good nutrition plans which will help you lose weight, but which you could probably have gotten for free from your doctor. In the worst cases they will prove so difficult to follow that you will give up after a week.

The bad of fad diets

1. Diets that promise quick and easy weight loss are usually based on eating more of one food type and none of another. These do not give the benefits that you would get from a balanced diet. They may suggest you take supplements but many supplements are not absorbed by the body unless they are taken along with the foods that the diet has banned. After a few weeks, if you stick to it that long, you may begin to develop nutritional deficiencies.
2. Fad diets are often boring and over restrictive. After the novelty of the first day or two, you will not enjoy your meals. You will then start to crave food constantly and will break the diet. You may even feel guilty, thinking it is your fault that you did not lose weight.
3. Most fad diets do not follow recommendations of the American Heart Association and similar bodies for fat levels in the diet. Often the diet will recommend high fat foods and low carbs which if taken long term, could result in heart disease. The promoters may tell you that the diet is only intended to be followed for a short time. But you probably will not reach your goal weight in that time, and then what? You either continue with a plan that is not good for your health, or stop and probably gain back what you lost.
4. Many fad diets do not help you to incorporate enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss program, or give you the variety of foods that your body needs.
5. Quick weight loss diets are just a temporary solution and do not help you to make permanent changes to your eating habits. Permanent changes are the only way to remain at your target weight once you reach it. Fad diets encourage yo-yo diet-binge cycles of fast weight loss and equally fast weight gain. This is worse for your health and your self esteem than if you had stayed overweight all the time.

Whatever the publicity materials may say, these diets will not help you in the long term.
The best way to sustain weight loss is to eat a varied and healthy diet, do not overeat, exercise regularly and avoid fad diets.

The first thing that comes to mind when hearing about a fruit and vegetable diet, is a vegan type diet. This is not what we are going to discuss here. What this diet is intended to do is increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables that are consumed and decrease the amounts of fats and empty calories in the diet.

This type of diet does include proteins in a moderate amount. It also gives you the best types of fruits and vegetables to include in your daily diet so that you can take advantage of natural foods which are designed to be digested easily, increase the metabolism, jumpstart the body to break down and process sugars in a better way, and give you the nutritional values that you need in a healthy diet.

This diet calls for 4-5 servings of vegetables per day and 2-3 servings of fruits per day. We will go over the best fruits and vegetables to eat in order to facilitate weight loss and give you all the nutrients that you need for your body to be in peak form.

Vegetables are considered complex carbohydrates and are not broken down into fats easily by the body. They consist more of nutrients, water, and fiber which helps to aid in digestion and providing vitamins and minerals for our health. In addition to being harder to break down, they are also held in the digestive tract longer which helps you from getting hungry again so quickly.

Fruits consist of simple carbohydrates, they are broken down by the body into fats and give the body energy. They are high in nutrients as well which help deliver vitamins and minerals as well. They do break down quickly in the digestive tract, so this diet will limit the servings per day to help cut down on frequent hunger. Fruits should be eaten raw. Cooking or processing fruits removes a lot of the nutritional value from fruits.

The list of vegetables and fruits that are the best are listed below. They can be eaten in any amount and considered as one serving. Vegetables should be eaten either raw or steamed without using oil or butter. As stated above, please incorporate 4-5 servings of vegetables per day into your diet.

Vegetables

* Alfalfa Sprouts, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli
* Collard Greens, Eggplant, Kale, Okra
* Summer Squash, Spinach, Leeks and Scallions
* Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Onions
* Zucchini, Turnips, Turnip Greens, Artichokes
* Green beans, Carrots, Celery, Mushrooms
* Bell Peppers

Fruits

* Apples, Oranges, Grapefruit, Strawberries
* Blueberries, Pears, Boysenberries, Cranberries, Cranberry Juice
* Blackberries, Cantaloupe, Melons

Fruits To Eat In Limited Amounts

* Grapes, Coconut, Bananas
* Dried Fruit, Dates, Canned or Processed Fruit

A sample diet is provided below to give you a guide as to what you should eat daily:

Breakfast

* 1 boiled or scrambled egg
* ½ whole wheat bagel with 1 tsp low fat crème cheese
* ½ orange or 1 8 ounce glass orange juice or cranberry juice
* 2 slices of tomatoes
* Water, Coffee, or Unsweetened Tea

Lunch

* 4 ounces lean chicken, turkey or fish
* Mixed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers
* Low fat/low calorie salad dressing
* 5 whole wheat crackers
* Water, Coffee, or Unsweetened Tea

Afternoon Snack

* Bowl of berries of your choice
* Or 1 apple sliced

Dinner

* 4-6 ounces lean meat
* Green Beans
* Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower medley steamed
* 1 dinner roll

Evening Snack

* 2 servings raw vegetables

Do you want to feel your best? Protect your health and vitality by eating well and keeping active. Take control of your healthy eating and activity challenges by following the solutions suggested below. The leading health concerns of women include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The key strategies to reduce your risk for each of these conditions are the same – eating well, keeping physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight and not smoking.

Eating Well

No special diet is required! Eating well means…
• enjoying a variety of different foods
• emphasizing whole grain cereal, bread and other grain products, vegetables and fruit
• choosing lower fat dairy products, leaner meats, and foods prepared with little or no fat
• limiting intake of salt, alcohol and caffeine.

Getting enough calcium and vitamin D to maintain strong bones and protect against osteoporosis

Women 19-50 years of age should consume 1000 mg of calcium and 5 ug (200 IU) of Vitamin D per day. Milk and milk products, such as cheese and yogurt provide the most readily available source of calcium and other bone building nutrients. Other sources include calcium-fortified beverages (soy, rice, and orange juice) tofu made with calcium sulfate, salmon and sardines with bones, sesame seeds and almonds.
Bok choy, kale and broccoli also provide calcium but in smaller amounts. Vitamin D is found in fluid milk, eggs, fish and fish liver oils, margarine as well as in soy and rice beverages fortified with vitamin D. Sunlight on the skin can be a major source of vitamin D but is limited in Canada from October to March and by use of sunscreens. To prevent osteoporosis women are encouraged to get enough calcium, vitamin D and protein, limit caffeine, have sodium in moderation, and keep active particularly with weight bearing activity.

Getting enough iron to help feel energetic and prevent iron deficiency anemia
Women 19-50 years of age should aim for 18 mg of iron per day. For iron, choose red meats, clams, oysters, cooked dried beans and lentils, iron-fortified breakfast cereals, soybeans and tofu. You can also get iron from other meats, fish, poultry, eggs, pasta, bread, oatmeal, oat and wheat bran, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, prunes and prune juice.

Getting enough fibre to promote a healthy digestive system and help control blood sugar and cholesterol levels

High fibre foods are generally lower in fat and may also help with weight control as they provide bulk to make you feel full. Women up to the age of 50 should aim for 25 grams of fibre per day. Check labels for foods containing more than 4 grams of fibre per serving to help you boost your intake. Fibre-rich foods include dried cooked beans and lentils, green peas, papayas, pears with skin, mangoes, potatoes with skin, dried fruit, berries, nuts and seeds, whole grain breads and cereals.

Finding the time to be active for sixty minutes per day

Spread physical activity throughout your daily routine to work up to 60 minutes. As you progress to more intense exercise you can cut back to 30 minutes 4 times per week. Get started by:

• Walking for 10 minutes several times a day – walk instead of taking the car to the store, or mailbox, slip out for a walk at lunchtime, or join a friend for a morning or evening walk.
• Walking briskly, jogging, cycling, swimming, skipping or dancing for 20 minutes or more.
• Substituting an activity break for a coffee break – bend, stretch, and flex to keep your muscles relaxed and joints mobile for 10 minutes at a time. You can do this at home, at work or out in the great outdoors.
• Trying 10 minutes of muscle strengthening or weight resistance activities such as sit ups, push-ups or weights while you watch TV or before going to bed.
• Taking a break and play actively with your kids for 10 minutes or more

Maintaining a healthy weight

If you need to lose weight know that short-term diets for weight loss are not the answer. In most cases, weight is lost initially but regained along with a few extra pounds. Successful strategies for achieving a healthy weight include adopting life-long healthy lifestyle habits such as:

• Eating breakfast every day to get energized and prevent hunger attacks which may lead to overeating or snacking on less nutritious choices later in the day.
• Eating meals that include a variety of foods.
• Focusing on high fibre foods such as breads, cereals, grain products, vegetables and fruit, and legumes.
• Choosing lower fat foods more often such as lower fat dairy products and leaner cuts of meat. Removing visible fat from meat and the skin from poultry. Cutting back on high fat snacks, rich desserts, sauces and gravies, and salad dressings and spreads.
• Preparing foods with little or no fat and choosing cooking methods such as baking, braising, broiling, roasting, steaming, micro-waving or poaching.
• Including meals featuring meat alternatives such as soy products, legumes and eggs.
• Combine healthy eating with regular physical activity.

Banana Berry Wake-Up Shake

Here’s a quick shake that’s perfect for a breakfast-to-go or for a snack anytime. Enjoy with a whole-grain or bran muffin. Serves 2 1 banana 1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen berries (any combination) 1 cup (250 mL) milk 3/4 cup (175 mL) lower-fat vanilla yogurt Optional: sprinkling of 100% bran cereal In a blender mix fruit with a small amount of the milk. Add remaining milk yogurt and cereal; blend until smooth. If shake is too thick, add extra milk to achieve the desired consistency. Sprinkle 100% bran cereal on top for added fibre. Per serving (about 1 3/4 cups or 400 mL): 234 calories 9 g protein 4 g fat 44 g carbohydrate 3 g fibre Excellent source of calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and B12. Good source of vitamin C and folacin.

Finding time to eat well on the run

Stock up on some tasty foods that are easy to grab on the go such as raw fruit and vegetables, yogurt, milk, cheese, whole grain muffins or crackers, and bite-sized cereals. Keep whole grain breads, bagels, pita bread or tortilla wraps handy; stuff them with salad greens and low fat salad dressing topped with cooked eggs, poultry or meat, tuna, salmon, or beans (chickpeas, black or kidney beans). Take along a travel mug or thermos of soup.

The 4 Day Diet was written by Dr. Ian Smith who is also the author of the Fat Smash and Extreme Fat Smash diets.

Smith claims that this program will help dieters to avoid the common pitfalls of dieting including boredom, not allowing treats, too much repetition, and plateaus.

Diet Basics

The 4 Day Diet is not simply a diet that lasts for four days but rather it consists of seven separate dieting modules that last for four days each. Smith claims that it is much easier for you to focus on what you are eating for the next four days rather than what you will and will not be eating for several weeks.

Another purpose of the different modules is that of increasing variety in the meal plan so you don’t get bored eating the same foods all the time. In addition it has the benefit of keeping the metabolism working well because the body is kept guessing and it doesn’t have time to adapt to the diet.

The seven dieting modules include:

• Induction (detox/cleansing)
• Transition (to reintroduce all food groups)
• Protein Stretch (to avoid plateaus)
• Smooth (when you can have some formerly forbidden foods like pizza and French fries)
• Push (the sprint just before the final stretch, back to a stricter eating plan)
• Pace (a comfortable module for you to catch your breath)
• Vigorous (the final module to lose those last few pounds)

Dieters can follow the diet plan through the seven phases for a one month program but it is also possible to create a customized program where you start with the first two phases and then do the other five in which ever order you like.

Smith places a great deal of emphasis on the psychological factors that are essential for successful dieting and says that losing weight is 80% mental and 20% physical. Dieters are provided with instructions on how to use tools like goal setting and visualization as well as with practical strategies for avoiding temptation.

Recommended Foods

Fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy, lean protein, whole grains, legumes, nuts, avocado, low calorie salad dressing.

Sample Diet Plan

The meal plans vary dramatically throughout the different segments. The following is a sample daily food list for the ‘Induction’ phase.

Exercise Recommendations

Each diet module comes with specific recommendations for exercise. Dieters are advised to build up slowly in accordance with their fitness levels and if necessary to break up exercise into several short periods over the day.

Pros

• Unique and interesting approach to dieting.
• Good for dieters that get bored easily or don’t like to follow a strict diet plan.
• Addresses the psychological factors involved in weight management and dieting.
• Can be customized according to the dieter’s preferences.
• Highlights the importance of goal setting.
• Allows for controlled cheating, which may increase adherence to the diet over the long term.
• Does not require any special foods or supplements.
• Suitable for vegetarians.
• The author has a very motivating writing style.
• Includes recipes.

Cons

• Does not account for individual variations in calorie and nutritional requirements.
• The meal plan lists all the foods to be eaten in the day and does not break it down into individual meals.
• Will not appeal to dieters that prefer to follow a routine with their meal plans.

Conclusions

Smith has provided dieters with a unique approach that may help to keep up interest and enthusiasm that will enhance the chance of successful weight loss. The ability to customize the diet as well as the differences between the diet segments will make this diet appealing to those who prefer variety or have difficulty sticking with standard diet plans.

7 Day Diet Plan

Monday
Eat as much fruit (and juices) as you wish of any fruits, except bananas.

Tuesday
Eat all of the vegetables (and vegetable soup) that you wish.

Wednesday
A combination of Monday & Tuesday (i.e. fruit – except bananas, juices, vegetables, vegetable soups).

Thursday
Eat 5 bananas and drink 5 glasses of whole milk. Some versions say 8 bananas and 4 glass of milk.

Friday
Eat 4 steaks of meat (3 ounces each – beef/chicken/fish) with unlimited green vegetables.

Saturday
Eat 4 steaks of meat (3 ounces each – beef/chicken/fish) with unlimited green vegetables.

Sunday
Eat 4 steaks of meat (3 ounces each – beef/chicken/fish) with unlimited green vegetables.

• This diet is nothing short of ridiculous and should not even be considered as a viable option for weight loss. It is very unbalanced and very low in calories. AVOID.

The Abs Diet was created by David Zinczenko – the editor for fitness magazine “Men’s Health”. The book is written in a style aimed at men, but the principles can be applied to anyone.

For many years most athletes, fitness models, and bodybuilders have applied the same basic fundamentals to their diet. Principles like eating often (5-6 times per day), building muscle, eating lean proteins, and aiming to eat whole unrefined carbs.

Sadly many dieters have failed to take note of these techniques, often believing that calorie restriction is the only way to lose weight.

Hidden under the glossy marketing-speak in the Abs Diet, you will find sensible and workable ideas for fat loss. The principles are not new, but simply repackaged for a different market. In fact the program is quite similar to Body For Life.

Whilst the book is called “The Abs Diet” – having visible abdominal muscles is about attaining very low levels of fat – rather than any magic diet, special exercise, or special piece of equipment. Attaining defined abs is difficult and challenging – but it sells, and many men now consider visible abs to be the pinnacle of a good body.

The 12 Power Foods

The Abs diet contains a 7 day meal plan, made up of 12 ‘power foods’, along with recipes. One meal per week is designated as a ‘cheat’ meal – where you eat anything you want. The book advises avoiding foods like fatty meats, processed/refined carbs, high-sugar foods.

1. Almonds and Other Nuts eaten with skins intact.

2. Beans and Other Legumes

3. Spinach and Other Green Vegetables

4. Dairy: Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese

5. Instant Oatmeal: Unsweetened, unflavored

6. Eggs

7. Turkey and other lean meats. Lean steak, chicken, fish

8. Peanut Butter – All-natural, sugar-free.

9. Olive Oil

10. Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals

11. Extra-Protein Powder(Whey)

12. Raspberries and Other Berries

If you are wondering why almonds, spinach, raspberries, and turkey were singled out — nothing scientific — it just helps to make a catchy acronym – absdietpower !

Cardio and Weights

Essential to the diet program is strength and interval training. This is based on the premise that building muscle increases metabolism which will assist in burning fat.

Do You Get A Flat Tummy?

This is what the author says in response to spot reducing:

“…you can’t spot reduce per se. That’s a myth. But if people lose weight – particularly if they’re doing some moderate exercise at the same time – they’ll lower their body fat and will likely notice that loss in their bellies since that’s where most of the fat lives…”

Unfortunately this isn’t quite true. Women, in particular, carry most of their fat deposits around the thighs and hips. Also, belly fat can quite often be the last place that fat disappears from. However the book does is aimed at men which may explain the authors comments.
Conclusion

The Abs Diet pretends to be something new. However it is simply a basic guide to strength training, good nutrition, and exercise. It provides good sensible nutritional advice, and, if followed correctly would result in weight loss and improved overall conditioning.

High fructose corn syrup is a major buzz word these days, especially for that percentage of the population that is health conscious. Defined simply, high fructose corn syrup (also known as HFCS) is a broad name for any corn syrup that undergoes a chemical process to increase its fructose content and is then mixed with pure corn syrup. The main use of HFCS is as a sugar substitute in processed foods and drinks.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of corn syrups, it isn’t a bad idea to consume less corn syrup in general – the same way that you don’t have to be anti trans fat to understand that avoiding trans fats is a good health decision. Here are some steps you can take to avoid high fructose corn syrup in your diet.

1. Be clear about your reasons for avoiding high fructose corn syrup. Reasons cited for avoiding it are:
   • Beverages containing high fructose corn syrup have high levels of reactive carbonyls which are linked with cell and tissue damage that leads to diabetes, although there is no evidence so far that high fructose corn syrup consumption directly leads to diabetes. No significant metabolic differences exist between high fructose corn syrup and regular sugar.

   
   The corn from which high fructose corn syrup is derived may be genetically modified

   • There are increasing concerns about the politics surrounding the economics of corn production (subsidies, tariffs, and regulations) as well as the effects of intensive corn agriculture on the environment.
   • Some people are allergic to products derived from corn.
   • Although the enzymatic process used to create high fructose corn syrup is a naturally occurring process, it is an additional processing step that sugar refined from beets does not undergo. Some people prefer to avoid additionally processed foods and ingredients as much as possible.
   • Some people believe that sugar satiates, or creates the feeling of “full”, faster than HFCS, which, if true, would likely lead to reduced caloric consumption.
   • Some argue that sugar simply tastes better than high fructose corn syrup.
2. Avoid fast food. Fast food often contains high fructose corn syrup.
3. Read food labels. This is the easiest and most sure-fire way to know if there is high fructose corn syrup in your food. High fructose corn syrup can be found even in products which aren’t sweet, such as sliced bread and processed meats like sausage and ham.
4. Understand what “natural” or “organic” means on labels with regard to HFCS. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate the use of the word “natural”. Foods and beverages can be labeled as “natural” even though they contain high fructose corn syrup, because fructose is a naturally occurring sugar. The word “organic” is heavily regulated, and basically, only foods labeled as 100% organic can be assumed to be HFCS-free. For a more detailed explanation, see the Tips below.
5. Avoid canned or bottled beverages. Soft drinks, sports drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and almost every sweet drink you can think of contains high fructose corn syrup.
   • Buy from small bottlers who use sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Some smaller brands, such as Jones Soda and Dublin Dr. Pepper, have switched to pure cane sugar.

   

   • Buy soft drinks from across the border. If you must have your fix of certain soda brands and you happen to live near Canada or Mexico, look into buying in bulk from those countries, which use sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

   
   

   
   
   

   • Check the Passover section of your supermarket. Some soda companies produce a sugar/sucrose-based version of their products around Passover for Jews who are restricted by custom from eating corn during this time. Coca-Cola produces a version of Coke without corn syrup that can be identified by a yellow cap and is considered by some to taste better than Coke Zero, which is also free of corn syrup but contains artificial sweeteners, not sugar.
6. Lower your sweetener consumption altogether. It’s been suggested that the supposed link between high fructose corn syrup and obesity is not due to the high fructose corn syrup itself, but to the increasing consumption of sweeteners in general, especially soft drinks. In fact, where the fructose comes from doesn’t seem to matter. The fructose found in fruits could be just as bad as that added to soft drinks. The USDA recommends that a person with a 2000 calorie, balanced diet should consume no more than 32 g (8 tsp) of added sugar per day. Here are some sweet foods and the percentage of the daily recommended amount of sweeteners they provide:
   • typical cup of fruit yogurt – 70%
   • cup of regular ice cream – 60%
   • 12-ounce Pepsi – 103%
   • Hostess Lemon Fruit Pie – 115%
   • serving of Kellogg’s Marshmallow Blasted Froot Loops – 40%
   • quarter-cup of pancake syrup – 103%
   • Cinnabon – 123%
   • large McDonald’s Shake – 120%
   • large Mr. Misty Slush at Dairy Queen – 280%
   • Burger King’s Cini-minis with icing – 95%
7. Buy fresh produce and learn to cook it. The real problem is too much refined and processed food, not any one particular ingredient.

1. Reduce consumption of meat, particularly red meats. Giving up meat just one day a week can help cut saturated fat intake by 15%. This change can not only help combat obesity, but it can also lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
2. Switch to nonfat milk. Compare the labels of nonfat with a kind of unhealthy milk – even just 1%! Notice how Nonfat milk has no Saturated fat, less calories, and still protein, phosphorus and calcium – all the things you need to grow.
   • If you cannot stand the bland taste of nonfat milk, turn it into chocolate milk or have it with a whole grain cereal.
3. Go easy on junk food. Ice cream may claim to be “low fat” on the box, but that if quite different from “nonfat”. Just don’t have any in the first place. If you think “a little won’t hurt”, ask if it does anything good? Remember, the best tasting snack is knowing you are healthy. A little bit can add up to a lot. One slice of thin crust cheese pizza can be pack 5 grams of saturated fat!
   • There are nonfat brownies, made from nonfat yogurt and the dry mix, and if cooked in a nonstick pan instead of oils, can be very healthy and satisfying with milk.
4. Eat lean meats. Turkey, chicken and fish are the lowest in fat. Beef, pork, and lamb are high in saturated fat. Make sure to take the skin off the chicken and try to avoid having it with a sauce, as that is high in sodium. There are also some meats, like certain hams, that that have all the fat removed. Take off any visible fat pieces.
5. Find out the nutritional info for everything you eat. Read the labels if it is packaged. As the community begins to get more health conscience, more and more restaurants are releasing their nutritional info. Check on their website to see if they have it.
6. Keep count of the saturated fat you have each day. The daily maximum for someone on a 2,000 calorie diet is 20 grams. Aim to never consume, on special occasions, more than 15 grams. On a daily basis, less than 10 grams would not be a hard goal.

1. Decide why you want to stop eating too much sugar. Your motivation might be to lose weight, feel fitter, to reduce a yeast infection or simply to set a better example for your children.
2. Identify the sources of sugar in your diet, and decide what to cut out completely and what to cut down on.
3. Go into your kitchen and throw out anything you have decided not to eat or drink anymore. If you can’t do this because you live with your family or you are a child, then put all of the ST (sweet things) in a drawer or shelf out of sight and – hopefully – out of mind!.
4. If you don’t want to give up all the candy, then make a chart of the days of the week. Decide how much sugar you are allowed to eat a day. For instance, on Mondays you need an extra kick in the coffee so you can have 2 sugars in it. Or on Saturday you go out with your friends so you are allowed to have a dessert. You can decide how restricting or not your graph is.
5. Eat a good breakfast of toast or cereal to keep you going through the day. These release energy slowly, so you will be less likely to crave sugar.
6. Replace your sugary snacks with healthy ones. Carrot sticks, nuts and dried fruit are easy to carry around.
7. Eat more fruit. but drink less pure fruit juice, which is high in sugar in another form (fructose).
8. Drink your coffee or tea without sugar. You can add cream to either (not advisable if you want to lose weight), and/or honey to your tea. If you’re used to adding a lot of sugar, then wean yourself off gradually by the teaspoon or packet. Eventually you’ll get used to it and you may discover the more subtle flavors of coffee or tea that were overpowered by sweetness before.
9. Avoid processed foods. Shockingly, sugar is to be found in most tinned vegetables, ready meals and convenience foods.
10. Recognize also the different forms sugar can take: sucrose, fructose, dextrose, palm syrup, corn syrup, golden syrup, honey… they are all sugars, although some are metabolized more slowly.

Tips

• Tell your friends and family what you are doing and why. Chances are, they will be really into it and help you.
• If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, telling him might be a good idea so they don’t buy you chocolates or are offended when you don’t eat the cake they order.
• Decide on your goals and then hold yourself to those goals. Never permit exceptions!
• Read the labels on all foodstuffs – the most unlikely things have sugar in them: baby foods, tinned vegetables, crisps. These are the “hidden sugars” that do so much damage.
• Putting black pepper on strawberries makes them taste sweeter. There is also a herb called Sweet Cicely – beloved of diabetics – which does the same thing. Strange, but true!
• Another natural sweetener is Stevia, which is popular in Japan and South-America, but hard to obtain in Europe and USA. It is easy and fun to grow your own plants, though.

1. Eat a snack if you’re starting to get hungry but have a few hours till dinner / lunch – especially important around 4pm, when you’re between lunch and dinner. If you wait and starve yourself you will be more likely to overeat or eat too fast at dinner.
2. Do not buy non-diet foods. If it’s not in the house, you cannot eat it.If you need a treat and have earned it (by eating well or exercising, not having a bad day) go out and buy one cookie. Don’t keep a bag of special treat cookies in the house, they only convince you that you deserve one when you don’t. And yes, when you deserve one, have one. Or better yet, think of a way you can treat yourself that has nothing to do with food!
3. Understand that if you are engaging in an activity that you usually snack during, find something to do with your hands instead of eating. Take up knitting, learn to sew, write those thank-you cards, anything to keep you from munching mindlessly while you watch TV, etc.
4. Remember if you eat bar peanuts compulsively, sit away from the bowl. You will be less likely to reach over someone else to get to them. Find fun exercise. Join a cool gym that has fun classes, enroll in a dance class with friends, go somewhere beautiful to walk. Get friends to do it with you so that you have company and moral support and someone to hold you accountable, or, walk a dog if you really need someone to remind you to go outside twice a day.
5. Know that if you are really craving something, like M&M’s, just eat a few. Don’t try to satisfy the urge by eating everything else in the house. You will never feel as satisfied and will probably overeat. If you are compulsive, have a trusted friend dole out two to you and stick to it!
6. Eat more dense foods like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, these foods will curb your cravings. These foods are very healthy for you, so you do not have to worry about gains. Do not eat them cooked, eat them raw.(cooking vegetables removes the density of it.)
7. Make sure to drink plenty of water! 8 glasses a day! Sometimes when you are dehydrated you compensate by eating when really your body just needs water.

TIPS

• Disregard anyone or any ad that says that there is a quick fix.
• Don’t think of it as a diet, think about it as a lifestyle choice.
• Think about how much junk you’re eating on a daily basis; if you eat 5 bars of chocolate a day, cut down to four the first day, then 3 the next, ect. then replace your unhealthy snacks with fruit!

Stay AWAY from the unhealthy sections in the supermarkert. Better yet, if you can, order your food online when you’ve made a list of food and checked with the helpers at the supermarker that they think it’s heathy. They’ll be happy to help, and there’s always websites on the internet to help you too.

• Think about how good you’ll look after, and more importantly- how you’ll feel. If you’re dealing with an unhealthy lifestyle, things are going to be harder ie.

running, blood circulation ,nasty comments and even walking because of your breathing! Yes, if you eat more healthily you will be able to breathe better.

• Take up a sport; eg.

jogging, running, football, tennis, swimming, walking ect. Believe in your self! You’re doing this for YOU. If you’re doing it for someone else you are not doing it for the right reasons.

1. Buy a ruled notebook if you are planning to do this for any longer than a week.
2. Take time to prepare the notebook for tracking food. You don’t have to do every page, but you’ll need to do enough to keep you going for a couple of days. Nothing stops motivation dead more than not having the page you need prepared.
3. Consider how to lay out the page. If you just need a simple food diary, you can just date the page and then write down the times you eat and what you eat. If you need a more complex food diary, you may need to rule the page up into columns.
4. Take your food diary with you and write in it as soon as you can after eating. It’s much easier than getting to the end of the day and having to try and remember what you ate.