5 Power Foods

The following snippet was sent to me from my health insurance company and they are big, big, big on eating healthy and moving more.  I thought it was a good piece and am therefore sharing it with you.  Oatmeal with blueberries, anyone?

5 POWER FOODS

from the editors of Healthy Cooking
www.tasteofhome.com/healthycooking

The right foods can do so much more than satisfy hunger. Some foods are so powerful, they fuel our body, pack our diets with nutrients and protect our health.

Here are five power foods you can add to your diet today:

1. Blueberries. These bright berries have cancer-fighting properties and can also help improve memory. An added bonus? They provide fiber and beta-carotene.
2. Spinach. This leafy green is known to help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. And, the magnesium in spinach helps to lower high blood pressure.
3. Oats. Known to decrease the risk of heart disease, oats also provide fiber and protein. Eating oatmeal on a regular basis may decrease insulin resistance and help stabilize blood sugar.
4. Salmon. Salmon is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which studies have identified as the most beneficial of omega-3s. It also helps keep your heart healthy by lowering blood pressure and triglycerides.
5. Walnuts. Walnuts are the only nut with a significant amount of ellagic acid, a cancer-fighting antioxidant. They also help improve cholesterol.

What are the biggest mistakes people make when dieting?

Hey everyone! This question (and their answer) came on the Hungry Girl e-zine recently. Their answer follows.... but I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts on the matter. Comment and let me know what YOU think. - Patti


Dear Hungry Girl,

What do you think are the biggest mistakes people make when dieting? Are there any secrets? I keep losing and gaining the same 20 lbs. Ugh!
Diet Diva

Dear DD,
There are many mistakes people tend to make when dieting. I'm going to list some of the biggies. And remember, this is just my opinion.

1. Following fad diets. I'm not a fan of fad diets. They don't teach you how to eat in a way you can live with forever. Sure, if you follow a set plan for a limited time, you can lose weight. The hard part is maintaining that weight loss in the long term. If you try to stick with the fad diet's style of eating, it's very likely you'll eventually give up or get bored. If you go back to your old eating habits, you regain the weight. This is a huge problem and the reason why I don't recommend fad dieting.

2. Skipping meals. If you skip meals you'll only end up hungrier and more likely to eat too much and/or the wrong thing. It's that simple. Eat breakfast. Eat lunch. And eat dinner!

3. Drinking calories. Sheesh! Drinking your calories is a WASTE... really. It's much more satisfying to chew food than it is to drink stuff. Having a low-calorie liquid swap is fine -- like treating yourself to one of our Swappuccinos or a diet hot cocoa when you're craving the real thing. But it's too easy to sip an extra 300 - 500 calories a day if you drink calorie-packed beverages. Avoid those and stick with water for the most part.

4. Living in denial. Don't pretend there are no calories in condiments, that a salad is healthy and diet-friendly no matter what, and that food you eat while standing (or on an airplane, etc., etc.) doesn't count. It ALL counts!

5. Not reading labels. READ LABELS, people! And read them CAREFULLY. Take note of serving sizes and servings per package. This is KEY.

There you have it... those are five mistakes that are very common. And no, there are no real secrets to dieting -- except that you need to find a way to eat that'll work for you FOREVER. That's the one thing people tend to forget -- the forever factor.

Having A Well Fueled Body... Meet the Good Health Guidelines!

We all know we can play the game of eating any type of food we want and as long as we keep the points value within our daily range we should be "safe", right? WRONG! Think of it this way....
if we filled the gas tank on our car with soda pop the tank would be full; however the car will not run properly. In fact, it probably won't run at all. Our bodies are the most amazing machines on earth and we expect them to run at full volume even though we fill them with crappy, empty fuel. With that said, Meet the Good Health Guidelines!

1. East at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
2. Choose whole-grain foods whenever possible.
3. Include 2-3 servings of milk products each day.
4. Drink at least 6 glasses of water each day.
5. Have some healthy oil each day.
6. Make sure you get enough protein.
7. Limit added sugar and alcohol.
8. Take a multi-vitamin-mineral supplement each day.

Now this is good stuff people! If you focus on the above items daily your body will feel fuller, more satisfied and will have more energy. It is sooooooooo worth it and I cannot emphasize it enough. I encourage you to do it faithfully for the next 3 weeks (21 days forms a habit) and let me know two things: first how you feel and second if it helped you lose weight.

Enjoy and have a great day!
Patti

Wanting to make a New Year Resolution?
Well forget it - most people don't follow through anyway.
I suggest that you

Stop Dieting. Start Living!!
(Thanks Deb!)

Find ways to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your life! Throughout the coming months, we will focus on this in the meeting room. It's scary. . . but it works. And it's not as tough as you'd think. And when you stop dieting, and start making some common sense decisions, and the weight starts coming off. . . you get confidence!! you get pride!! you get satisfaction! !

Here's some common sense:

Weight is based on the amount of calories eaten and the amount of calories used. To lose weight you need to Eat Less and Move More.

How do I do that?

1. Try to eat less by using a TV dinner divided plate. Use the large section for vegetables and the one small section for fruits and the other for meat.
2. Chew each mouth full of food at least 10 times. Chewing improves digestion, slows down the pace of eating and keeps your facial muscles toned.
3. Drink 12 oz of water right before you eat. The water will help fill your stomach.
4. Pause 20 minutes after eating before getting a second helping. It takes roughly 20 minutes for you to feel full after eating.
5. And my favorite?? Hungry? Grab for some fruit or veggies. Not satisfying enough you say? Then you're really not hungry!! You're really feeding an emotion, so you have no business in the kitchen!! Get out. . . NOW!

Obesity is linked to many diseases: high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea and arthritis. Losing only 10 lbs can help.