Tag Archives: healthy eating

August 11, 2016 · 5:51 am

I Changed My Fuel And It Changed My Health’s Trajectory

Lots of good straight information here. So much of weight control has to do with making good decisions, like having small meals, choosing good snacks, etc. As a snacker, that one resonated with me. Check out my Page – Snacking – the good, the bad and the ugly for more details.

Tony

Our Better Health

All calories are not equal. Yet we continue to count them in hopes of managing weight and health. Correcting this flawed thinking will forever change your relationship with food, calories and your weight. Changing your fuel just may change your health trajectory.

Consider the significance of changing the fuel you use in your body. It could make the difference between getting promoted, being injury and illness free, lean and healthy, and even finding romance (or not). It can, and I am living proof. When I began to think of calories as more than just a number, I lost 84 pounds, reclaimed my health and looked years younger. When I only counted calories, not considering their source, I was obese and unwell.

Many know the value of this truth about calories. Professional athletes serve as ideal evidence for this argument. The difference between first and last place is often seconds of…

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August 1, 2016 · 1:18 pm

Dave & Buster’s, Uno Among 2016 Xtreme Eating Award Recipients – CSPI

We really do have to use our heads when we decide to eat out. Some chains’ offerings make a joke out of our attempts at portion control.

One Chain’s Burger Platter Has Nearly 3,000 Calories and 10,000 Milligrams of Sodium

Perhaps you’ve eaten a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Picture having a second one. And a third. And then a fourth. Along with two medium orders of fries doused with a combined 18 packets of salt. For most people, that’s unthinkable. At Uno Pizzeria & Grill, it’s lunch: The chain’s Whole Hog Burger has hamburger, sausage, bacon, prosciutto, pepperoni, four types of cheese, garlic mayo, and pickles and comes with fries and onion rings. All told it’s more than a day’s worth of calories (2,850), three days’ worth of saturated fat (62 grams), and six days’ worth of sodium (9,790 milligrams).

That burger is just one of nine recipients of the 2016 Xtreme Eating Awards—conferred annually by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and published in its Nutrition Action Healthletter. Far from doing their part to reverse the obesity epidemic, America’s chain restaurants are pouring gasoline on the fire, crossing fried chicken and waffles with Eggs Benedict, merging cheeseburgers and egg rolls, and repurposing macaroni and cheese as a sandwich filling. Continue reading →

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Tagged as calorie counting, CSPI Xtreme Eating Awards, healthy eating, portion size, Uno's, weight

July 28, 2016 · 9:44 am

Health benefits of coffee vs. tea – Infographic

Thought you might be interested in this. Seems most of us have a beverage of choice first thing on arising.

When I worked in the Reuter newsroom on Fleet Street, I was surprised that most of my British fellow journalists drank coffee while I, the resident Yank, was thrilled to discover English tea with milk in it.

Tony

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July 26, 2016 · 6:39 am

5 Clean and healthy treats – Infographic

I ran across these in my web wandering and thought they looked useful.

As a total peanut butter lover, I thought number one especially clever. I start every morning with a spoon full of peanut butter dipped in coconut oil. If that appeals to you, consider it number six free.

Lastly, I am not much of a drinker, my girlfriend considers me a cheap date as I rarely exceed one beer on a night out. So, number five doesn’t do much for me.

Please feel free to share any clean and healthy treats you favor.

Tony

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Tagged as calorie counting, healthy eating, snacks, treats, weight

July 25, 2016 · 5:03 am

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, eat healthier

What we eat for lunch in the cafeteria and buy in the supermarket for dinner depends on the order in which the dishes are presented to us, and how easy it is to get to the products. This is the conclusion of a collaborative review of existing research at the Faculty of Science – University of Copenhagen.

18108543-Tray-with-cooked-food-on-showcase-at-cafeteria--Stock-Photo.jpg

Is it possible to change our behavior when it comes to food choices only by presenting the food to the guests in a cafeteria in a different order, or by making it more difficult to reach the less healthy food? Yes, a review of existing research in this area concludes. The review shows that manipulation of food product order or proximity can influence food choice and that healthy food nudging seems promising. Eighteen studies were included in the review. Sixteen of the studies showed nudging made a positive impact. Continue reading →

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July 14, 2016 · 12:48 pm

AM I HEALTHY?

Some really good thoughts here that coincide with my own feelings about working at being healthy and living a long and happy life. We really need to get our heads straight and quit trying to lose a couple of extra pounds instead of focusing on the big picture and living a healthy life. Sadly, the only time most people focus on their health is when they think they need to lose some weight. Living a healthy life is positive. Just trying to lose weight is negative.

Eat less; move more; live longer.

Tony

All About Healthy Choices

How do we know? What do we base our answers on? What are the signs we’re transitioning from healthy to unhealthy?

Most people assume if they can go about their daily tasks without “feeling” sick, they are healthy. Is this a good way of determining our health status? What about symptoms? Do we base our health on their severity? Do we often base our health on their absence?

What do the following conditions all have in common?

High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Blood clots
Pancreatic Cancer
Sudden Onset Heart Attacks
Diabetes
Positive Testing For The HIV Virus
Osteoporosis
Aneurysm

Typically, none of these conditions produce SYMPTOMS early on. What about early breast cancer, early prostate cancer and early colon cancer? What about hepatitis C? Again, no sign of SYMPTOMS!

There are countless conditions we may develop, yet we haven’t become a paranoid society fearing the ABSENCE OF SYMPTOMS? WHY?

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Tagged as aging, Exercise, healthy eating, healthy-living, weight-loss

July 12, 2016 · 5:11 am

Harvard study links high unsaturated fat consumption to reduced mortality

Consuming higher amounts of unsaturated fats was associated with lower mortality, according to a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

In a large study population followed for more than three decades, researchers found that higher consumption of saturated and trans fats was linked with higher mortality compared with the same number of calories from carbohydrates. Most importantly, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats conferred substantial health benefits. This study provides further support for the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that emphasize the types of fat rather than total amount of fat in the diet.

The traditional meat and potatoes dinner is not the way to go.

The study is the most detailed and powerful examination to date on how dietary fats impact health. It suggests that replacing saturated fats like butter, lard, and fat in red meat with unsaturated fats from plant-based foods—like olive oil, canola oil, and soybean oil—can confer substantial health benefits and should continue to be a key message in dietary recommendations. (My emphasis)

The study was published online July 5, 2016 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Continue reading →

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Tagged as aging, Harvard, healthy eating, mortality, unsaturated fats

July 8, 2016 · 5:05 pm

Harvard on Simple Weight Loss Principles

Seconds on the lips; a lifetime on the hips.

We have all heard that old cliche and nodded knowingly. But the fact that two-thirds of us are overweight and half of the heavies are actually obese demonstrates that not enough of us are acting as if we believed it.

I have written an entire page entitled How to lose weight – and keep it off breaking down the principles and techniques I have used for the past several years to reach my ideal weight and maintain it. I am a regular guy not a saint or superhuman. You can do it, too.

Now comes Harvard Medical School with an item echoing and elucidating my sentiments on weight loss and weight maintenance.

“The pleasure of eating a candy bar lasts but a few minutes. Burning off the calories it delivers can take nearly three-quarters of an hour. Continue reading →

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Tagged as calorie counting, Exercise, harvard medical school, healthy eating, walking, weight

July 6, 2016 · 5:00 am

Calcium and your health – Infographic

I think calcium is one of the under-appreciated minerals around.

To read further on bone health and calcium, check out:

Calcium – The key to strong bones

Bad to the bone – WebMD

Strength training builds more than muscles – Harvard

Tony

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July 4, 2016 · 5:25 am

Following Prevention Guidelines Linked to Lowered Risk for Cancer

In addition to reducing your cancer risks – eating healthy and exercising regularly will eliminate your ever needing to worry about your weight. You won’t have a weight problem.

Eat less; move more, live longer.

Tony

Our Better Health

Keeping active and eating healthy really does seem to reduce the odds of getting certain cancers and dying from them, according to a new review of past research.

The analysis of 12 large studies found significant reductions in breast, endometrial and colorectal cancers in particular among people who consistently followed cancer-prevention lifestyle guidelines compared to those who didn’t.

“What is most interesting to me is how much cancer can be reduced by our lifestyle behaviors,” said lead author Lindsay N. Kohler of the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health in Tucson.

We already knew that making healthy choices reduces cancer risk, but “most of us don’t follow all the guidelines like we should,” Kohler told Reuters Health by email.

Nearly 1.7 million new cancer diagnoses and 600,000 deaths from cancer are expected in the U.S. this year, the study team writes in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers…

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July 2, 2016 · 3:32 am

Watermelon Fun!

Here is yet another way to enjoy the wonderful cooling and healthy benefits of watermelon.

I am a giant fan of watermelon. Check out my posts for further details:

How healthy is watermelon?

How about some polar opposites: watermelon and Twinkies?

More good reasons to eat watermelon – Infographic

Vita Mix – Drinking a watermelon

Tony

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Tagged as calorie counting, healthy eating, watermelon, weight, weight control

May 20, 2016 · 5:38 am

How Emotional Eating Is a Habit That Can Start in Childhood

Considering how many of us relate to food far more emotionally than rationally, I think this applies to a lot of folks.

If you are one of the emotional eaters, try looking at your situation with your mind instead.

Tony

Our Better Health

The way we feed children may be just as important as what we feed them.

By Claire Farrow, Emma Haycraft, Jackie Blissett / The Conversation May 16, 2016

Food can be an extremely effective tool for calming young children. If they are bored on a long car journey, or fed up with being in the pushchair, many parents use snack foods to distract them for a little longer. Or if children are upset because they have hurt themselves or want something they cannot have, the offer of something sweet is often used to “make them feel better.”

But what are the effects of using food as a tool to deal with emotions like boredom or sadness? Does it turn children into adults who cannot cope with being bored or upset without a sweet snack? Probably not. There certainly isn’t any evidence to suggest that occasionally resorting to the biscuit tin…

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May 7, 2016 · 4:56 am

Foods for a Leaner Body – Infographic

Some folks don’t advocate avocados because of calories and fat considerations. I think that is a mistake. Check out my post – Are avocados good for you for much more info.

Also, while olive oil is healthy, I prefer the much-maligned coconut oil. You can read my Page – Why you should include coconut oil in your diet to find out why.

Tony

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Tagged as avocado, coconut oil, healthy eating, lean body, weight

April 26, 2016 · 12:07 am

9 Quick Ways to Recharge Your Energy – Infographic

I love infographics because they get so much information across in so little time. In this one eat less; move more; live longer is demonstrated time and again: Eat for energy, exercise, get enough sleep, get fresh air….

9 Quick Ways To Get Your Energy Back When You

The only thing missing is Don’t smoke.

Here are a couple of links if you decide you would like to read more on this:

How important is a good night’s sleep?

Important facts about your brain (and exercise benefits)

Tony

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Tagged as alcohol drinking, Exercise, fresh air, healthy eating, sleep, water

April 9, 2016 · 5:37 am

More Health & Fitness Ideas

Instead of health and fitness funnies, I thought I would pass on some of these graphic ideas that impressed me recently. Hopefully, this week the laugh isn’t on me.

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As always, the French have a word for it.

Have a great weekend!

Tony

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Filed under fitness facts, stay healthy, Uncategorized

Tagged as Exercise, fitness, healthy eating, weight

April 8, 2016 · 12:07 am

Label food with ‘activity equivalent’ calorie info?

I think anything that engages the imagination can help us to understand things better. So, I really like this suggestion from across the pond published in The BMJ to label food with the equivalent exercise to expend its calories to help people control their food intake and weight.

Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive at the Royal Society of Public Health, says giving consumers an immediate link between foods’ energy content and physical activity might help to reduce obesity.

She explains that with more than two-thirds of the UK population either overweight or obese, “we desperately need innovative initiatives to change behavior at population level.” Yet little evidence indicates that the current information on food and drink packaging, including traffic light labeling, actually changes behavior.

The Royal Society for Public Health has therefore called for the introduction of “activity equivalent” calorie labeling. Continue reading →