One of my recent searches for the word “health” in google brought me to an article claiming to contain strategies from “celebrated weight loss pros” that will make a big difference in your life. Pretty big promise I thought, so I decided to take a peek at the “secrets” they had to share.
1. Trick your taste buds
Interesting thought, the idea here is that if you don’t give your taste buds the foods they want, they will learn to love the foods you do eat. Commit to eating healthy wholesome foods with less sugar, saturated fat, tans fat, and salt and before you know it, you will crave these foods instead. While I do believe it, the part that I think needs to be mentioned is that this can take a very long time. It’s not like you can eat healthy for a day and you will never want a doughnut again.
2. Indulge every day
“Eat a small amount of dark chocolate—I’m talking a 100-calorie piece that’s made of at least 70% cacao—every day. I consider it ‘the daily dark chocolate escape.”
I call nonsense! But if someone can seriously say munching on squirrel serving of cacao chocolate made them lose weight by all means correct me.
3. Bury you cravings
This tip suggests that you hide your junk food in inconvenient places and you will be less likely to eat it. Could work, but if I buy treats it’s because I really want them and at that point I will travel to Timbuktu and back to get them. So my suggestion, if you don’t REALLY want it, don’t buy it in the first place.
4. Go for omega-3s
Clearly a winning tip (refer to my previous post). This site recommended that you take two 200-milligram capsules about 30 minutes before both lunch and dinner. I just added it to my shopping list for the weekend.
5. Order with ice
I didn’t even have to read the details of this suggestion before I knew it was craziness. The thought process is that drinking cold water results in your body burning calories to bring the water’s temperature up. So while you’re at it, take cold showers, and turn your heat down, you will lower your power bill and the number on the scale at the same time! KIDDING, don’t do that.
6. Plate like a French women
Basically eat small portions. Not a bad idea but not always easy.
7. Up the burn
Eating protein within 45 minutes after a moderate to intense workout helps your muscles rebuild and repair, and helps increase the number of calories you burn. Keep in mind they mean healthy protein like yogurt, cheese, or lean meat NOT a greasy cheeseburger.
And that about sums up their life changing suggestions, what do you think?
Sounds gross I know, but the benefits are overwhelming especially if your working out.
The secret weapon in fish oil is the muscle-building omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s aren’t just helpful when it comes to toning up. They have been shown to prevent diseases such as cancer, reduce inflammation, boost brain function, and even elevate mood.
Fish oils:
Eases High Blood Pressure
Fights Rheumatoid Arthritis
Prevents Cancer
Improves Mental Health
Smooths Skin
Oatmeal is full of health benefits, it is easy to make, and with these recipe ideas, it’s no longer boring!
Why start every day with a bowl of oatmeal? Simple. For starters, oatmeal has high levels of fiber and protein and low levels of fat, it stays in your stomach longer keeping you going all morning. This grain also stabilizes blood sugar, reduces your risk of diabetes, and removes your bad cholesterol. It’s a great gluten free option that protects you from heart disease and ca
ncer.
How to make it tasty? Try one of these healthy yummy recipes.
PB&J – (my personal favourite) add a spoon full of peanut butter and spoon full of your fav jam to oats and hot water, stir, let sit, and enjoy!
Tropical – add toasted coconut and vanilla extract to oats and hot milk (I use vanilla soymilk), stir, then let sit.
Pumpkin Pie – stir in a few spoon fills of pumpkin puree into hot oats and water, add cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey to taste.
Update
By B | January 17, 2012
August since my last post, shameful. I hope everyone is having a great winter. Just when we thought we would get away with a mild Canadian winter this crazy cold front hits us. So what to cook and what to do to stay warm and active?? Clearly going for a run outside is out of the question. Although I wanted to point out that I have a co-worker that bikes to work every day, even in this cold!
I am excited to announce that there is going to be a guest blogger at my site very shortly. Check back to check him out 
More posts to follow!
On the weekends I love stopping by the farmers market, its such a great thing to do on a nice day and you normally leave with bags of healthy food… this Sunday was a slight exception. Among all the healthy produce my boyfriend managed to find a mini doughnut ice cream Sunday, yep that is just what it sounds like. 3 mini doughnuts piled with ice cream, whip cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Nowhere near healthy/fresh/organic. I was told that it tasted amazing though, so let’s see if you think it would be worth it.
Mini Doughnut: Calories – 70 Fat – 4.3g
Ice Cream: Calories – 200 Fat – 16g
Whip Cream: Calories – 154 Fat – 13.3g
Chocolate Sauce: Calories – 100 Fat – NA
TOTAL: (70X3)+200+154+100 = 664 Calories
Worth it??
Tofu: It makes smoothies taste really creamy and adds extra protein.
Cinnamon: It adds sweetness and it can help stabilize your blood sugar to keep you feeling full longer.
Avocado: really good and good for you, and you will love how creamy it makes your smoothie.
Dates: Cut back on sweetener and use dates to sweeten up your favorite smoothie instead (just be sure to remove the pits).
Almond butter: Adds protein and healthy fats, tastes yummy, and makes for a thick and creamy smoothy. A teaspoon of almond or other nut butter in any smoothie is a really great way to turn it into a more substantial and filling meal, a must if you ask me!
Oats: Oats are so good for you. Packed with fiber, and some experts believe that oats may be good for your immune system.
Fresh herbs: May seem odd but herbs are packed with antioxidants. Oregano, for example, has 42 times more antioxidants than apples. So why not try it.
I was watching Chelsea Lately the other night and Anne Hathaway was the guest. She had an interesting thing to say about exercise and it made me wonder if it was true. As you might know Anne has been looking pretty darn good lately as she is training for her upcoming role as Catwomen and like usual Chelsea was quick to ask her what she does to maintain that perfect figure. Anne started off by explaining how last time she was on the show she had said she really hated working out and now she enjoys it. She explains it by saying “there’s a workout hump where you’re so weak that you hate everything because everything’s painful and you look like an idiot. At the gym where I work out I was literally working out next to a pregnant Jessica Alba, and she could do more pushups than I could.”
Is there really a “work out hump”? Something you simply have to push past and then you become a gym junkie? It’s hard for me to say for sure but I can see how it would be possible. Several years ago I wouldn’t even run across the street, preferring to get hit by oncoming traffic then break into a jog. Now, I love it, and find running almost a necessity. So maybe there is a workout hump and all you need to do is keep at it, stay motivated, and before you know it you will be successful at maintaining your fitness routine.
Today I was talking to my girlfriend who confessed to me that she is addicted to junk food. That got me thinking, is it really possible to be addicted to unhealthy treats? And if so, how do we make small changes to upgrade our eating habits without feeling totally deprived? I came up with the following manageable changes that CAN make a difference;
Make your own parfait instead of buying one. Use a cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt, a half cup of sliced strawberries or blueberries, and a quarter cup of Kashi GoLean Cereal. Save: 151 calories
Use 3 ounces of sliced chicken breast in your omelet instead of having 3
ounces of sausage with your eggs. Save: about 120 calories
Order Canadian bacon instead of sausage on your breakfast sandwich. Save: 100 to 200 calories
Order a medium iced coffee with skim milk and Splenda instead of a medium Coffee Coolatta with cream. Save: 560 calories
Use a teaspoon of dry-roasted sunflower seeds instead of croutons on your salad.
Choose a 6-inch turkey sub instead of tuna the next time you’re at Subway. Save: 220 calories
Spread a wedge of light cheese on your sandwich instead of using a slice of Swiss. Save: 71 calories
Get an open-face grilled chicken sandwich with a half serving of fries and a side salad instead of a burger and fries. Save: 300 to 500 calories
Toss your salad with a squeeze of orange and a teaspoon of olive oil instead of two tablespoons of ranch dressing. Save: 100 calories
Rather than saute veggies in olive oil, stir-fry them in fat-free vegetable broth and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil after they’re cooked. Save: almost 200 calories
Make 
cauliflower and cheese instead of mac and cheese. Save: 192 calories a cup
Swap sour cream on a baked potato for nonfat Greek yogurt. Save: more than 60 calories
In my opinion these are manageable, you are not eating carrots instead of potato chips but instead just making sneaky adjustments to your food to make it better for you.
Update
By B | August 16, 2011
Hi Everyone,
You may have noticed that I have not put any new posts up over the last several weeks. I was on holidays but I am back now and will be posting shortly. Stay tuned and thank you for all the support!!
Sincerely,
B
Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in red wine, grapes, and berries. Experts claim it helps boost endurance, prevents weight gain, and improves energy. I am suspicious when anything has such a momentous claim not to mention when red wine is involved in weight gain prevention? Come on now, how can that be? The claim isn’t “drink a bottle of red wine a day” but rather th
at taking resveratrol daily in supplement form can boost energy, maintain body weight, and increase muscle endurance.
Well someone out there clearly finds the claims to be true; sales of the supplement are estimated to be upwards of $30 million annually, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. Resveratrol is now one of the top five best-selling supplements available.
Testing so far has many been on animals but the results have been encouraging. Mice that were given the antioxidant ran nearly twice as far on a treadmill as unsupplemented critters. The treatment has been shown to significantly increase animal’s resistance to muscle fatigue. In theory, resveratrol may be able to help you work out longer/harder before your muscles become too fatigued to perform. These more intense workouts will then condition muscles for even greater effort the next time you work out, for a continuous cycle of improved fitness.
In one of the few completed human trials, 90 sedentary men and women were given resveratrol daily for 12 weeks. After three months, everyone jumped on treadmills. The study found that while they all hit the same levels of intensity, the resveratrol group exerted less effort while exercising. They also had significantly lower heart rates during exercise (the equivalent of the results of three months’ light to moderate training) apparently just from taking the daily supplement.
With
no true consensus on the ideal amount of resveratrol necessary for measurable fitness perks, many experts advise people to proceed with caution. So before you pop a pill… know the risks, studies have shown that the supplement could increase the risk of bleeding if you’re taking blood thinners, anticoagulants, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Resveratrol may also interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize various meds, including statins, calcium channel blockers, and immunosuppressants. Talk to your doc before taking any supplement.