Tips for a Healthy Valentine's Day

From intimate meals to decadent desserts, couples across the globe will be celebrating romance this February 14th. Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day remains one of the biggest restaurant nights of the year - one that often involves heavy dinners. But with a few tips and some planning, you can get through the big night without adding inches to your waistline.

Step away from the bread basket. If you'd like a roll, grab one then move it outside of your reaching distance. The same goes for chips, should you be at a Mexican restaurant. Grab a small handful and then stay away from them the rest of the night.

Meal modifications are key. Feel free to make special requests. Ask the waiter if they can put the sauce on the side - or to substitute veggies for the french fries. Find out if your meal can be made without butter, oil or salt...anything that could help cut down on calories. And remember: in terms of calories, grilled is usually better than fried and baked is better than braised.

Start out healthy. Consider ordering a light salad or soup to kick things off. This will help to fill you up before you dive into the big meal. You also might want to split an entrée with your significant other.

Practice portion control. Remember that restaurant sizes are often larger than normal. Consider eating half of your meal and putting the rest in a doggie bag.

Avoid all the bells and whistles. Don't add a bunch of extras to your meal. When it comes to a salad, avoid topping it off with buttery croutons, grated cheese, bacon and dollops of high-fat dressing. The same goes with a burger, baked potato and other entrees.

Think red. Red bell peppers, radicchio, cherries, strawberries, red beans, red onions and tomatoes, for example, are all packed with vitamins, cancer-fighting antioxidants or cholesterol-busting fiber and protein. In addition, a daily glass of red wine is believed to help reduce the risk of blood clots and keep the cardiovascular system in shape. So forgo that cocktail, which can be loaded with sugar, and have a glass of red wine instead (and ask if they serve a light version).

Don't always give the gift of chocolate. If you and your significant other are trying to lose or maintain weight, consider purchasing a fruit basket instead of a box of chocolate, or baking a low-calorie dessert. It's also important to remember that a number of sugar-free candies and chocolate brands are available and can be found at your local grocery store or the candy section of an area pharmacy. A bouquet of flowers, healthy cookbook, personal training sessions or a day spa gift certificate could also prove worthy gift substitutes.

Do not completely deprive yourself. Valentine's Day is a time for laughter, fun and food. Having a small slice of cake or a couple truffles will not lead to weight gain. Moderation is key. And if you do pop the lid off that box of chocolates this Valentine's Day, don't feel guilty. Research indicates chocolate is chock-full of healthy compounds and may actually help prevent heart disease, enhance immune systems and give us a feeling of well-being.

Consider dining in this year. A great way to save calories, money and avoid crowds. Find an easy reduced calorie meal that you can cook with or for your significant other at home. Rent some romantic movies and make a healthy dessert, like strawberry shortcake sprinkled with your favorite low-calorie sweetener, and enjoy!

Written at http://www.caloriecontrol.org/articles-and-video/feature-articles/a-heart-healthy-valentines-day

7 Healthy Holiday Tips To Help You Reach Your Weight Loss Goals

With visions of sugar plums and holiday treats dancing in your head it is time for you to follow my healthy holiday tips for weight loss. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, between the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, people gain between three and seven extra pounds. Although that may not seem like a large weight gain, once this weight is gained most people do not lose it. As your certified trainer I can help you with my healthy holiday tips so that you can reach your weight loss goals!

1. Start Your Day with a Workout

With the sun rising later in the winter due to daylight savings, it is often hard to get motivated to get up out of bed and get going. Get up and push yourself to a wake up workout so you have the payoff of bettered health, more energy, and a better body. I rise early every day because this is usually the only time I can find to dedicate to focus on my personal fitness so do what works with your schedule. This is one of my effective holiday tips that really transforms you.

2. Stock Your Home with Healthy Treats

Ditch the apple pie from your countertop and replace this with some healthy baked apples with a sprinkle of cinnamon you will be sure to love. You will save some calories and your waistline by making the healthier choice. And make sure your home is stocked with plenty of fruit as your healthy treats.

3. Entertain The Healthy Way

Do you find yourself begging your guests to take the leftover pie home so you can eliminate temptation? Stop feeding your guests all the foods that you do not even want in your home and make skinny changes. If you make dark chocolate covered strawberries you are providing your guests with some antioxidants and you will be guilt free. A fruit salad is always the star of all the dessert platters so why not make this for your next holiday event.

 4. Keep a Food Diary

Start keeping a food diary so you can track your food intake. This comes in handy over the holidays when you are cooking. Often when we graze throughout the day we are unaware that all this extra noshing can add up to mega calories. You can track your calories online on myfitnesspal.com or any other online site you choose.

5. Share Your Knowledge with Friends And Family

If your friends and family are asking you how you look so good, share your fitness and health knowledge. If you pay it forward and motivate them, you will better their health and you will feel great. Remember to only share this information to willing individuals because if they are not interested you could get on their nerves which is definitely not a good thing. I never push but I always help those that have open arms and positive energy.

6. Enjoy Your Hot Beverage

Did you know? If you substitute your daily latte, apple cider or hot chocolate for a cup of coffee or tea, it can save between 150 and 500 calories a day. Over the three-month winter period of pre and post-holiday time, that’s a saving of up to 21,000 calories - equivalent to 6 pounds of body fat! Now that is well worth the swap!

7. Catch Plenty of Zzzzzs

According to a Case Western Reserve University study, women who sleep for five or fewer hours a night are 32 percent more likely to gain weight and 15 percent more likely to become obese than women who sleep for seven or more hours. It is believed that lack of sleep may slow metabolism or decrease the calories burned by spontaneous activities such as fidgeting. What better reason could there be to get some extra shut eye this winter? Eeek I better start getting more sleep! Do you get adequate sleep?

I hope my tips will help you avoid holiday weight gain and have a blessed and healthy holiday season. Wishing you good health and cheer for a happy new year! Are you ready to make healthy changes this holiday season?

To find out more by Tara Zimliki, please go to http://weightloss.allwomenstalk.com/healthy-holiday-tips-to-help-you-reach-your-weight-loss-goals.

Proven Methods to Avoid Overeating

If you have ever tried to lose weight, you know how difficult it is to stay clear of the foods that caused you to gain weight in the first place. Once you start a diet, how many times do you search for reasons to tell your self, it's ok, have a piece of cake or slice of pizza? If you're like me, fairly frequently. The problem is, once I have a "forbidden food", I tell myself I might as well go ahead and eat want I want the rest of the day and then start fresh tomorrow. Tomorrow comes then I tell myself, I will wait and get a fresh start on Monday. If you are a career dieter, you know exactly what I am talking about.
There are several situations that cause me to repeat this cycle over and over again.
I will share four of these situations and what I do to overcome the temptation.

Situation # 1 - Parties and Social Events

 Christmas parties, birthday parties, anniversaries, weddings, etc. What they all have in common is an abundance of food. When you pass on that piece of pie or cheese dip, other guest encourage you to try just a little. They tell you one piece won't hurt; besides it's a special occasion. Soon you have a nibble then another and so on. Before you know it, you are stuffed and feeling guilty.

How I avoid it:
Just before leaving, I will enjoy a large healthy meal so I am full for the next couple of hours. If I do get hungry, and I typically do, the first thing I will go for is the veggie tray. Often times, veggies may not be available so a little food knowledge will come in handy. Search the table for other healthy alternatives. If there are sandwiches on whole grain bread, you are in good shape. If not, toss the bread and enjoy a piece of ham or turkey. Just stay away from the chicken wings, chips and dips. If you are asked to bring a dish, make sure it is healthy choice so you are sure to have a healthy snack. Many times I will bring the veggie tray and/or flavored rice cakes. If you have no other choice, choose the healthiest food and eat a small portion.

Situation #2 - Spouse or Significant Other Sabotage

It's difficult to eat healthy if your spouse or significant other does not necessarily eat the same way. Not that they would try to sabotage your diet, it's just not food choices they currently want to make.

How I avoid it:
My wife does not always eat the same things I do, but that's ok. We normally make enough chicken or fish to last a couple of days. That way I always have a good choice for a lunch, snack or dinner. If my wife decides she wants pasta and garlic bread, I boil broccoli, heat a piece of chicken and we are both happy. If she insists on Chinese, I will make the healthiest choice off the menu and eat in moderation. I just make sure it is the exception and not the rule.

Situation # 3 - When Looking in the Mirror, you don't see yourself as Overweight

How I avoid it.
Many times I look in the mirror and say to myself, "self, you don't look that over weight". When I see a picture with me in it, my response changes, it's more like, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe how fat I look. So grab your worst fat picture and keep it with you. Next time you decide you want a piece of pizza, look at the picture.

Situation # 4 - All or Nothing Attitude

This situation is my worst enemy. A cold Friday night, my wife and I snuggle up and watch a movie. She decides she wants pizza so I think about situation # 2 and say ok, I will have just a piece or two. Well the pizza gets there and I have a piece or two. Next thing I know, I am telling myself, "well, you already blew it, might as well eat all you want and start fresh tomorrow.

How I avoid it.
This is the most difficult situation for me. I find often times I just can't avoid it so we compromise. Normally, we decide I am too weak. She understands and supports my efforts to be healthy. We will opt instead to make our own pizza. You would be surprised how good a whole grain tortilla, grilled chicken, fat free cheese, tomato sauce, onion and turkey bacon taste oven baked!. There are times she will order a pizza but she will either get a personal size or the next smallest. That way, if I do fall to temptation, there will not be too much to eat.

Written byMike Conley at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Proven-Methods-to-Avoid-Overeating&id=340641

Raw Food Benefits - Uncommon Tips for the Uncommon Eater

If you eat raw, you're most likely idealist like me. You want the energy to do the things you want. You want to look good in your body and feel good in your mind. And you want to avoid the ailments of modern society. Experience and study have shown that these guidelines help bring about that favorable lifestyle.

Optimal Digestion: Chewing and Liquids

Digestion doesn't begin after you swallow. 80% of the enzymes that break down fats, sugars and proteins dwell in your mouth.

Cooked food doesn't usually require much chewing so most people aren't keen on using the old jaw bone. But simply chewing more makes meals more nutritious! More of the food becomes usable to the body. It goes toward building muscle and energizing you instead of being stored as fat. 

• Chew your food until its warm and sweet.

Warmth means proteins and fats are being broken down. Sweetness indicated that sugars are burning.

People usually have a beverage with their meals. But liquids swish digestive enzymes out of the mouth. It takes at least 20 minutes for the mouth the gain its normal digestive power after drinking.

• Enjoy drinks about half an hour before meals

Having green juices 30 minutes before eating solid food actually boosts digestion. The vegetable juices stimulate enzyme activity.

Food Combining: Melons are good.. ALONE

The common melon digests in about 20 minutes. Other foods take 2 hours or more. Throw a melon in with slower digesting foods and it will ferment. This doesn't exactly feel the most pleasant and might leave you gassy.

• Melons go in alone

You really shouldn't eat unsoaked nuts and seeds at all. Every one of them (except hemp) contains enzyme inhibitors that stop your digestive enzymes from properly breaking down food.

But if you do decide to eat some unsprouted almonds or some dried sunflower seeds, don't combine them with others foods. Their slow digesting proteins take the longest to digest. Other foods will be over digested, causing bloating and nausea.

• Combine only soaked nuts and seeds with other foods

Usually sweet and acid fruits (example: pears and sour apples) don't mix well. They call for two different digestion responses. A confused stomach expends a lot of valuable energy and leaves you drained.

Don't mix sweet and sour fruits.

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There is one exception. Lemons have proven themselves very versatile! They promote digestion when combined with just about anything.

We went (or are going) raw because we want to look and feel our best. Simple tips like these make all the difference. Little distinctions help you get the results you want and keep moving forward. Why try to figure it all out on your own? Experienced raw fooders want to give you their wisdom so you don't have to suffer the trial and error. So take advantage of this Free Raw Food Diet Presentation and discover the proven raw food diet strategies of thriving raw fooders.

Written by Angela R Parker at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Raw-Food-Benefits---Uncommon-Tips-for-the-Uncommon-Eater&id=6328136

Dieting on the Holidays, Tips For Christmas

If you have been on a diet or maintaining your weight and you don't want to blow it during the holidays, here are some healthy holiday tips.

Can one meal of eating whatever you want really hurt you? The answer is yes. It does a couple of things. After you eat the big meal, it could make you feel sluggish, which will get you a little depressed, because you knew you should not have eaten that much. Then you could see a couple pound weight gain.

You should enjoy some of your favorite foods in moderation. You only live once, and the holidays are important. Don't try to totally diet, it could backfire and make you feel more stressed on the holidays. Treat yourself to good food, less fat, and moderation. Don't use January 1st as a date for watching you weight again. Watch you weight the day after the big holiday meal. Here are some tips for the holidays.

Don't bring home leftovers from the relatives house. That will not be a good idea. If you have leftovers, save just a little bit for your house. Give the rest to your company.

You can substitute some of your foods with less fat ingredients, or less fat items.

Instead of making a turkey, and using heavy stuffing, make Cornish Hens. They are like little chickens with a mild taste. Stuff it with Lipton-Knorr Chicken Rice - Rice Sides, a package rice you prepare. When preparing only cook on stove so it is still pretty moist, when you stuff it in the hens, it will cook more in oven. When hens are almost done drizzle on top Ocean Spray can fruit, Crushed Fruit, it is in a container in the fruit isle that looks like a soft margarine plastic tub.

Instead of Green Bean Casserole, just make some of the steamable whole green bean variety bag and sprinkle 2% Parmesan cheese on top. Squash or yams baked with a little light margarine and cinnamon is also good. If you must have rolls, eat only one. Pillsbury make a reduced fat crescent rolls, that you bake.

Here are some kid friendly low fat desert ideas. Make Rice Krispie gift package treats. Make Rice Krispie Treats as indicated on back of cereal box. I only use 2 1/2 tbl of margarine not 3. Cut into small squares, take the peeling kind of red licorice, the string kind, and wrap around each side of treat and tie in a bow. Take a round plate and layer them around, put another set of treats , going in a little. Keep adding layers until only one will fit on top, and it should look like a tree.

Take fancy beverage glasses, and make Jell-o Parfaits, with sugar free Jell-o and lite Cool Whip. Use red and green Jell-o. Refer to Mykoodles.com for recipe.

If you are making cookies on the holidays, give some away as gifts. Only keep a few days worth in your house. Oatmeal raisin cookies are healthy, if you don't eat a lot. Peanut butter is a good source of protein, but is high in fat.

Written by Lauren Jones at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Dieting-on-the-Holidays,-Tips-For-Christmas&id=1754814