Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

How to Choose a Plan That’s Right for you

Sunday, September 21st, 2008
Karen Gates asked:


If you like pumpkin pie than you’ll like zone diet meals. In fact, if you like a lot of things you’ll like a zone diet. That is because you can eat almost anything you want, as long as it’s in the right proportions.

Unlike weight loss diets that focus on cutting one thing like calories or carbohydrates, zone diet meals use a strict proportional guide of 40/30/30. This means 40 percent of the calories you take in should be from carbohydrates, 30 percent from proteins, and 30 percent from low fat foods.

You can probably already see how confusing and time consuming it would be to carry on this kind of diet. And it is if you’re just doing it on your own. But as the scientific community began realizing how effective zone dieting can be many companies caught on and have produced some great products that make it much easier for you to diet zone style.

Depending on how much time you have or how much money you’re willing to spend (you usually have to choose one or the other) there are programs that go from giving you a cookbook or diet meal plans and let you run with it to delivering fresh, gourmet meals to your door at 5 am every morning.

Do It Yourself and We’ll Help

Most of these companies work similarly to the Weight Watcher’s plan. You eat what you want from a zone diet cookbook and instead of counting points, you’ll be counting food blocks of protein and carbs.

The founder of the zone diet system, Dr. Sears, currently sells this type of system. If you join his program you’ll receive all the resources you need like a shopping list generator, personalized meal planner and even a nutritionist that will answer your questions via the internet.

This works for dieters who enjoy cooking and only want to worry about one meal for their whole family. The cost is usually much lower (for example $4 a week for Dr. Sear’s service compared to $25 a day for a lower end delivery program). But it will take a considerable amount of time to research, cook and keep track of everything you need to to make a zone diet meals.

Snacking Zone Style

You can purchase snack bars and shakes that follow the zone diet rules. If you decide to go this route remember that you need to use the right recipes when you aren’t using the supplements to be able to lose weight.

Since you can only replace one or two meals a day with snack bars or shakes, a good company will show you how to do this and even provide free recipes. If not, you can find recipes online through search engines.

Diet Food Delivered

If you don’t have a lot of time, don’t like to cook, get groceries and don’t want to research all the nitty gritties of a zone diet (and believe me there are plenty) there are many companies that provide your zone diet food delivered. It is easy to spend a lot of money on these plans so you’ll want to look at several to see where you’ll get the most value.

The Formula Zone has family plans so you don’t have to think about something different to make for dinner. And some plans allow you to customize the meals for your tastes. The DineWise Diet program offers plan flexibility so you can even decide how many calories you want to take in every day.

When you are looking for a good home delivery program, make sure you check to see if their website offers advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle beyond the foods you eat, if there are extra delivery charges, and what kind of flexibility they have when you need to skip some meals to go out of town. Customer service is also key because the company you choose will have a large part in your life.

If you’re struggling with diseases like Diabetes that effect what you need to eat or like to stick to a vegan, vegetarian or kosher diet, than you might consider zone dieting as an option. Many companies make meal plans specialized for these circumstances so you don’t have to compromise to go on a diet.



Jack

Food Allergies Causes and Recipe Alternatives - Part 2

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
CD Mohatta asked:


Bananas and applesauce add the perfect amount of thick moisture like eggs. Smash up or blend about a half a ripe banana or 1/4 cup applesauce to use as an egg replacer in baked goods such as muffins, pancakes or yeast-free quick breads, such as pumpkin bread, and of course, banana bread. Since bananas and applesauce won’t help your dishes rise or turn out light and fluffy, be sure to use a bit of baking powder or baking soda to help it rise if needed. Here is a recipe for a good, egg-free breakfast.

Egg Free French Toast Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

·    2-3 ripe bananas

·    3/4 cup soy milk

·    1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

·    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

·    1 teaspoon vanilla

·    bread, any kind is fine

·    butter or margarine

PREPARATION:

Blend bananas, soy milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in blender or food processor and pour mixture into pie plate or wide dish. Gently dip bread slices into the mix, coating both sides. Fry in butter or margarine in medium-hot skillet until golden brown. Serve with a bit of butter and syrup or powdered sugar and fruit preserves for a yummy treat around Christmas.

Eating should not be boring for people with food allergies. It takes a lot of creativity and resourcefulness so that a person with food allergies can eat the foods that they want using different food substitutes. It can be done but it just takes some beforehand time and preparation to make delicious treats that will not affect the person who is allergy prone. Additional allergy recipes may be found in Food Allergies: Causes and Alternative Recipes - Part 2.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.



Roy

How to Give Thanks on Thanksgiving Without Giving in to Guilt

Friday, April 18th, 2008
Renee C. Yemma asked:


The holiday season is upon us and soon families will gather together and prepare homemade dishes for everyone to enjoy.   It’s definitely a happy time of year, but most of the time, we usually end up eating so much food that we feel like we’ve gained 5 to 10 pounds, and then we become irritable, fatigued and full of guilt.

I have a question for you?  This year, would you rather, (A) starve yourself all day so you can eat more than your body can handle and feel awful afterward with nagging, negative guilty thoughts, or (B) nourish yourself before arriving at your big feast, enjoying your food, your company and leaving with beautiful, positive thoughts without guilt?

If you want your answer to be (B), then here’s your assignment on how to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day without giving in to guilt  - well after the leftovers are gone.

1.    Be grateful

Start your day by giving thanks.   If you already write in a gratitude journal, write down all the things you are grateful for.  If you’re not writing in one, start by writing down one or two in a notebook, or just saying to yourself what you’re grateful for.   This is a wonderful way to start your day and to transition to a positive mindset.

2.    Self-care

On days like these, it may seem difficult to put yourself first. You’re probably saying, make time for ME today?  Yeah right!  If you can find 5 to 10 minutes for yourself, you WILL notice that your day will go smoother.  You will feel more at ease, calmer and happier.   Take a walk outside, sit outside and soak up some sun, watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with your kids, read a chapter of your favorite book, listen to your favorite music (or, even better, start playing your favorite holiday music) and dance around the kitchen while you bake your pumpkin pie.

3.    Eat before the feast

Do you say, “I’m not gonna eat anything all day so I can fill up on turkey this afternoon?”  If so, what you’re doing is causing your body to go into starvation mode.  When you finally eat, you’re body thinks it’s starving, and then as you gobble up your food, your body doesn’t assimilate the food properly, which causes bloating, constipation and the desire to eat more.   You’re doing your body more harm than good. So eat a healthy breakfast and/or lunch before your big feast.  Your body will thank you.

4.    Taste Test First

When you get in line for your turkey day eats, the best thing to do is put a little bit of everything on your plate. Then begin to try each food to see which ones tastes good to you.  Which foods have you saying, “MMMM, that’s SO GOOD!”  There’s no rule that you have to eat everything on your plate.  If you don’t like it, it’s OK if you don’t eat it.  Just go back and get the foods that really left you eager for more (and ask the person for the recipe).  Once you’ve chosen and you’re sitting down again, slowly chew your food.   When you do this, you’ll really taste your food and your digestion will operate the way it’s supposed to.

5.    Thanksgiving food is healthy

Everyone talks about how turkey can cause you to feel sleepy, but did you know that it’s a wonderful protein filled with Vitamin B6, Niacin and Selenium (a cancer protection nutrient)?  It’s actually great for energy, especially if it’s pasture-raised.  How about sweet potatoes?  They provide your body with fiber, beta-carotene and iron. It’s a great dessert on its own.  Pumpkin is an antioxidant that helps lower the risk of heart disease. How do you feel about butter?  It’s not very well liked these days, but it should be, especially if it’s organic.  Butter is real food that helps the body absorb vitamins and minerals and provides the body with Vitamin A, E, K and selenium.    These foods are very nourishing, but when we add refined sugars to them, that’s when problems arise.   And, remember, if you’re eating whole foods 80% of the time, 20% non-whole food won’t harm you.   So enjoy!

6.    Start a new family tradition

After the big meal, instead of lounging on the couch for the rest of the day, start a new tradition (after your nap).  Go for a family walk, have a family football game or take the kids to the park and run around with them.  Grab the men and tell them they HAVE TO participate in the family kitchen dance party (which consists of dancing, washing, drying and laughing).  Finding an activity that you and your family can do at the end of the day will move your body and put a smile on your face and your families.

7.    Have fun

No matter how your day goes, remember to laugh, have fun, catch up and be grateful for everyone who has touched your life.  When you eat food prepared with love, surrounded with good company, and slowly enjoying the pleasure of it all (rather than gobbling it up unconsciously), your body and mind will leave you feeling healthy, happy and whole.

If you feel like you would like more support as the holiday season approaches, contact me today to set up your “get acquainted” session.  I can’t recommend this enough for you.  The more you understand how to eat for your unique body, the less you’ll find yourself feeling guilty after eating a piece of pumpkin pie or a food you used to consider “bad.”  Contact me today at: renee@santeliving.com.

 

© 2008 Santé Living!  ® All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article on your website or on your own e-newsletter?  No problem!  But here’s what you MUST include:

Renée C. Yemma, The Food and Lifestyle Mentor, is founder of Santé Living! and the Whole Lifestyle System®, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to blossom your health without guilt, restrictions or deprivation.  To get your F.R.E.E. “101 Ways To Nourish Your Whole Self” by e-mail and receive her biweekly healthy living articles on loving delicious, nutritious foods and putting YOU first without feeling guilty about it, visit www.santeliving.com.

 

 



Rosemary