Should You Count Calories?

You’ve seen the statistics. Americans are more overweight than ever and the trend is expected to continue. The lifespan of our children will likely be shorter than ours for the first time in the history of mankind, due to chronic diseases related to obesity. In this day and age, weight loss doesn’t happen by accident, but weight gain does. Why? Consider the following:

• The majority of Americans do not get the minimum physical activity needed
• The average American takes approximately 3,000-5,000 steps per day, which means they’re sitting most of the day
• Portion sizes are significantly larger than before
• Food is available in endless quantities, anytime of day, and high-calorie foods are often cheaper

The bottom line is our environment encourages sitting and eating 24/7. Sitting while commuting to work, sitting at a desk to make a living, sitting for entertainment (phones, movies, video games, TV), and of course sitting while eating. To make matters worse, humans are programmed to eat and take the path of least resistance -- a survival mechanism that helped our hunting and gathering ancestors survive, but is now killing us. Literally.

Here are more facts to ponder:

• 1 out of 10 people do not know how many calories they need to maintain their weight
• Most people think they eat less than they actually do (20-50 percent less on average)

Translation -- we’re not very good at consuming the right amount of food and beverages to maintain a healthy body weight.

If you want to change something, like your clothing size, body fat percentage, or the number on the scale, the first step is to become aware of your body’s needs and the choices you’re making. In other words, awareness opens the door to change. Otherwise, you’re clueless and you don’t even know it. You end up becoming a victim of creeping obesity -- that 1-3 pounds the average American gains during adulthood because they’re not paying attention.

Perhaps you are paying attention, maybe even counting calories, and you’re wondering, is it worth it? Here’s what the research shows:

• People who track what they eat at least 5 days a week lose twice as much weight as those who don’t
• People who track what they eat regularly maintain weight loss better
• People who use a body sensing device that tracks activity and calories burned lose 2-3 times more weight than those who don’t

This makes sense. After all, how do you manage something, whether it’s your checkbook, your blood pressure or your waistline, if you’re not tracking it? Well…you don’t. You end up with bounced checks, uncontrolled blood pressure and having to buy bigger clothes.

What you don’t know does hurt you. Especially when it comes to your health.

When you pay attention and discover that your morning coffee drink and muffin is nearly 1,000 calories AND you know your body burns about 1,800 calories a day, you are empowered to make a smarter choice. When you use measuring tools to find out that your morning bowl of cereal is five times more than it should be, you can make an adjustment. When you read the nutritional guide in a restaurant and see your favorite salad is over 1,200 calories, you can choose something else.

Counting every single calorie to the point of obsession is probably not healthy, as most obsessions aren’t, but getting and staying informed about your body, your activity level and your food choices is 100 percent empowering. In my opinion, tracking is not a chore but a choice. A choice to pay attention and stay in control of my body and my health. I had to learn to eat fresh and forget about the foods I like and change to those foods that were god for me.

Do You Need a Detox Diet?

Everyone asks this question. This article will tell you the truth about detox diets.

By Katherine Brooking, MS, RD

Thinking about a “detox diet?” As a dietitian, I get questions all the time about the potential benefits of “detoxing” or “cleansing” or “fasting.”  We often hear of mega-watt celebs — everyone from Beyonce to Gwyneth — crediting liquid diets for their fabulous figures.

And with the rise in popularity of the BluePrintCleanse and similar plans, I’m seeing more and more people turn to so-called detoxification programs to lose weight, shed belly fat, clear acne, and even increase fertility… just to name a few! But before you forsake your fork, know the myths and facts about juice cleansing.

What is a juice cleanse?

Juice detox or cleanses have different regimens, but the basic requirement for most is a diet consisting of only fruit or vegetable juice (some include nut milk) for a period of one day to several weeks. Daily total calories also vary from plan to plan, but most are very low (as little as 800) to up to 1800 daily. Many of the weight loss plans are 1600 calories per day or below.

Cleansing and weight loss 

Most experts (this one included) do not recommend juice fasting as a way to lose weight. If you’re itching to shed pounds, a drastic cut in calories may seem like the fastest way to see instant results.  However, when you eat less food for a prolonged period of time, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Then, when you go back to your usual diet, your lowered metabolism may cause you to store more energy, so you will likely gain back the weight you lost and possibly even put on more weight when eating the same calories you did before the fast.

On the plus side, some people successfully use juice cleanses to help banish bad eating habits. If you’re struggling with too many sweets, fast food or packaged foods, a day or two of drinking juice can be a way to “jumpstart” a new pattern of eating.  However this does not work for everyone. Some people end up feeling more hungry and grumpy with juice alone, and then go into eating overdrive as soon as the fast is over. What’s the long-term solution for weight loss? Regular exercise combined with a calorie-controlled diet of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, lean protein, and healthy fats.

Juice fasting to “detoxify” the body

Most juice cleanses include a “detox” phase during which dieters are instructed to drink only water, juice or herbal teas to help rid the body of toxins. But there is scant scientific evidence showing that fasting will detox or cleanse your body. The truth is our liver, kidneys and digestive system are well designed to rid the body of waste – there is no need to ‘cleanse’ our body through juice or other types of fasts. In some people, severe calorie restriction can produce feelings of happiness or even euphoria. But beyond a few days, fasting isn’t actually doing a body good as nutritional deficiencies may result.

If you’re considering any type of fast, it is important that you check with your doctor first. For most people juice fasting for a few days is harmless, but for others, it can be dangerous. Cleanses are not advised for pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, and individuals with certain health conditions like diabetes.

The Bottom Line

Though detox diets may not live up to all the claims, for most healthy people, a day or several days of juice cleansing will not cause harm. But for lasting, long-term weight loss, hold on to your fork and keep eating healthy meals and snacks.

How to Eat 5 Small Meals a Day

I understand the concept: Five small meals a day takes the edge off your appetite, evens out blood sugar levels, and keeps your energy steady. But I confess: I don’t always eat this way.

Although my fitness trainer encourages me to eat healthy food every few hours, my meals usually look like this: coffee, a bit more coffee, lunch at 3 p.m., dinner at 9 p.m. I start over again the next morning.

When I decided to change this habit, I found that doing these five things helped:

1. Plan ahead. Five meals a day equals breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. To do this right, you need to plan what you’ll eat every day for each “meal.” And you need to schedule eating every 2 to 3 hours.
2. Stock up. Face it: You’re going to grab whatever food is closest. So stock up on veggies, fruit, healthy carbs, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
3. Go for taste. Choose snack foods that will sustain you and taste good. Remember, healthy food can be satisfying.
4. Whip up a smoothie. Blend fruit, milk, yogurt, and a little honey for a sweet, filling snack packed with vitamins, fiber, protein, and calcium.
5. Combine carbs and protein to stay full longer. Try whole wheat toast with peanut butter or a hard-boiled egg; whole-grain pasta with olive oil and cheese; or oatmeal with fruit, milk, and honey. Or make yourself a big pot of soup (like my Tuscan chicken soup) to heat up for lunches or snacks.

By Domenica Catelli
WebMD Magazine - Feature

Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS

This is a great article and I copied it so you can see that I'm not the only one that promotes the 'several small meals" concept. I prefer to even out the meals and avoid snacks. Actually I think that 6 small meals a day works best. And I try to keep each meal the same amount of calories (300 to 400). Bigger people, say 200 pounds or more, will have to stay closer to 400 each meal, at the beginning and then over time your appetite will diminish     and you'll be happy with 300 calories. That's 1800 a day, the proper amount of daily calories to lose weight. 

The Health Benefits Of Losing Weight

I’ve talked before about the health benefits of losing weight, but that was a couple of months ago in a post you probably didn’t read anyway. So I’ve written something again that’s completely different about the same subject.

Losing weight can improve your health in many ways. Just losing 10% of your current weight can make a difference in the way you feel on a daily basis. Here are some other ways losing weight will benefit your health.

First you’ll have increased energy and Improve mobility
Lower cholesterol levels and improve your breathing
Reduced blood pressure and it'll help you sleep better
Reduce aches and pains and prevent angina (chest pain)
Decrease risk for heart attack or stroke and prevent Type 2 diabetes
Improve blood sugar levels

Science knows more about what causes obesity and diabetes today than just a few years ago. So what you learned from your doctor 10 years ago might need to be updated.

Myth: High fructose corn syrup is to blame for obesity and diabetes.

Reality: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that high fructose corn syrup is uniquely responsible for people becoming obese. Obesity results from an imbalance of calories consumed and calories burned. U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup is actually on the decline, yet obesity and diabetes rates continue to rise. In fact, obesity rates are rising around the world, including Mexico, Australia and Europe, even though the use of high fructose corn syrup outside the United States is limited. Around the world, high fructose corn syrup accounts for about 8% of calorie sweeteners consumed.

I put that last paragraph in this post because it wasn’t too many years ago, probably 20 or so, that the FDA allowed the food manufacturers, the makers of processed foods, the right to substitute sugar with high fructose corn syrup. And now that the overweight problem has exploded across America, I imagine they have been taking some heat over that decision.

Many of you might not remember, but 30 some years ago, it was the choice of the food manufactures and the government to keep the cost of food lower. Find ways to lower the cost of manufacturing processed foods and keep them more affordable for the public. At that time America was going through a period of inflation like I had never seen. Grocery prices were going up every day. Every time you’d go to the store the price of everything from milk to meat to fruit would be more than the day before. People were in a panic and no one know when it would stop. That’s why the decision was made. While Europe decided to just increase the cost of food staples and live with it. Today Europe doesn’t have the large amounts of processed foods like we do. More consumers buy their fruits and vegetables in open markets from farmers. Meats are sold in butcher stores and things are more expensive. Now they do have the superstores especially in France from what I remember, but there’s not that many.

I know this isn’t a popular idea, but I think we might have been better off by letting the prices go higher and keep the food more basic with a lot less processed foods. After all besides obesity, look at the rate of cancer and how the number of cancer patients have soared in the past 20 or 25 years. Cancer is a direct result of the food we eat, o.k. that’s not exactly true, some cancer is inherited, but largely food is a big part of the problem. Even fresh foods that aren’t processed are grown for mass market so they have to be grown faster and picked sooner than food that you would grow for yourself. That means that pesticides and growth stimulates had to be used to mature the food as quick as possible. Those people who live in farm country know the difference between the vegetables you buy from your neighbor and the ones you buy at the grocery store.

There’s a growing trend even in the big cities to grow fresh vegetables. On news programs you can see how New Yorkers have community gardens on top of apartments and in vacant lots. In Chicago, the same think, people are starting to realize that supermarket food maybe dangerous. These imported fruits and vegetables from South and Central America look great, but do those countries have the same restrictions on using pesticides and other chemicals?

Think about it, were is your food coming from and is it really good for you. Look closely at things you buy and ask yourself if this is really good for me. I’ve been putting more thought into what I buy in the grocery store and I read more labels, you might be surprised how much money you’ll save at the store next time.

How To Count Carbs

A great article, some people want to count carbs instead of calories and that's okay. I thing it's better to count calories but I was into counting carbs before I changed to counting calories. 

Some people prefer the high-protein diets and little carbs. You have to pick a diet that you can live with for the long-term. If your a workout fanatic then you want a high-protein diet to help your muscles rebound from the workouts. But most of us will do well on a well-balanced diet of fresh food  low in calories with plenty of vegetables and fruit with some fish and poultry, nuts, seeds and greek yogurt. Except for greek yogurt don't eat dairy. Read the article below, carbs are things you should understand. 

WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Michael Dansinger, MD

When you have diabetes, it’s important to balance your carbs with your medication. Have too many carbs and not enough medication and your blood sugar can soar. Too few carbs and too much medication and it can crash. Neither is good.

Counting the carbs you eat at each meal or snack can help you balance them with your medications and keep your blood sugar stable.

How Many Carbs Should You Eat in Each Meal?

Half of each meal. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you get between 45% and 65% of your calories from carbs. You could think of this as half your plate at each meal can be taken up by carbs.

Carbohydrates in grams. To be more precise, count the carbs. You can see how many grams of carbohydrates are in packaged foods by reading the nutrition facts labels. For non-packaged foods, you can look this information up online.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for carbs is 130 grams per day. Per meal this comes to about:

• 60-75 grams of carbohydrates per meal for men
• 45-60 grams per meal for women

Carbohydrate choices. This can help you eyeball the number of carbs you’re going to eat once you know approximately how many carbs are in different foods. Using this method, you have a certain amount of “carb choices” you can have in a meal or snack.

• Men can have 4 to 5 carb choices per meal
• Women can have 3 to 4 carb choices per meal
• Whether you’re a man or woman, snacks should be 1 or 2 carb choices

So what is a "carb choice" or serving of carbs? A carb choice is an amount of food that has about 15 grams of carbs in it.

For example, 1 slice of bread is one carb choice. But 1/4 of a large baked potato is also one carb choice. So having a whole baked potato could blow your whole carb choice budget for one meal.

You can find lists of carb choices for different foods online. You can also ask a nutritionist or diabetes instructor.

In general, it may be easiest to keep the amount of carbs you eat at each meal somewhat consistent. That way you don’t have to adjust your medications too much.

However, these are just basic ranges for the number of carbs to eat, says Dawn Sherr, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

“It’s individual to your needs and depends on what your goals are. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to manage your cholesterol? Are there other issues going on with your health?” she says. “Always talk to your doctor, diabetes educator, or dietitian because they can help you adjust your carbohydrates to meet your goals.”

How Do You Know How Many Carbs Are in What You’re Eating?

Be mindfuland check your portion sizes. Knowing how many carbs you’re eating can be tricky because it depends on serving size and how many servings you eat, says Toby Smithson, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Nowadays we can get into the habit of eating our meals really fast and eating more than we think without even realizing it. We’re used to seeing larger portions in restaurants and packaging, and what we think is one serving may actually be two or three.”

Reading labels helps, but it’s best to experiment in your own kitchen, Smithson says. “Pour a serving into a measuring cup, and then pour it onto your plate or into your bowl to see how it looks. This will help you prepare for going out to restaurants or to your friends’ or relatives’ houses.”

Another strategy is to pour what you normally eat into your bowl first, then scoop it out with a measuring cup, Sherr says. “One person’s bowl of cereal is different from another’s. One person might be used to eating one serving of cereal for breakfast while another is used to eating two.”

Keep in mind that foods like fresh fruit can vary greatly by size, Smithson says. “An apple can be anywhere from 15 to 30 or even 45 grams of carbs depending on how big it is.”

There’s an app for that. Sherr encourages you to use technology. “Many restaurants have nutrition information on their web sites, and there are phone apps for common foods,” she says, adding that these can help you plan ahead when you’re going out to eat or doing your grocery shopping.

Keep Track

Different foods will affect your blood sugar in different ways. This depends not only on the kind and amount of carbohydrates you eat and the insulin or medications you take, but other things such as how active you are, Smithson says.

“I ask clients to keep a food journal once in a while. A day or two lets us match up patterns with blood glucose readings,” Smithson says.

She suggests writing down the foods and number of carbs you eat, the insulin or medications you take, whether you exercised or had other physical activity, and your blood sugar readings.

“Try things out on yourself,” she adds. “If you see that your blood glucose is higher after eating potatoes, then you can plan for that the next time you have them by either changing your portion size or your medications.”

Smithson says that it’s important not to beat yourself up if you make a mistake counting your carbs. “It can be confusing or overwhelming at first. Remember that managing your diabetes is about more than just the food. We look at carbs because they have the most direct effect on blood glucose, but it’s not the only thing.”

All Carbs Are Not the Same

Keep in mind that the type of carbs you eat can have different effects on your blood sugar. You should also know that your body uses two types of carbs for energy: simple and complex. They affect your body a little differently.

Simple carbs are sugars. Your body digests these very quickly, so they raise your blood sugar quickly too. These include sugars that are added to processed foods such as:

• Table sugar
• Molasses
• Honey
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Fruit juice concentrate

Fruit and milk contain simple carbohydrates naturally.

Complex carbs are starches. They take longer for your body to digest than simple carbs. So they take a little longer than simple carbs to affect your blood sugar. You’ll find them in:

• Bread
• Cereal
• Rice
• Pasta
• Tortillas
• Crackers
• Pretzels
• Beans
• Potatoes and yams
• Peas
• Corn
• Whole fruit

Fiber is also a carbohydrate, but your body doesn’t digest it, so it doesn’t affect your blood glucose.  

When you read a nutrition label, it will tell you the amount of total carbohydrates in a serving. Ask your doctor, diabetes educator, or dietitian whether it’s OK to subtract any of the fiber grams from the amount of total carbs. Some methods of carb-counting say it’s OK, while others say to go by total carbs.  

As you choose carbs, keep in mind that some are healthier than others, Sherr says. “The less processed the food is, the better. Whole grains will affect your body differently than sugary treats.” This is because processing the grains to make flour can strip away fiber and nutrients.  So for a slower increase in blood sugar, go for whole-grain foods, and whole foods like vegetables and fruits instead of processed foods or juices.

Reviewed by Michael Dansinger, MD 

SOURCES:

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign McKinley Health Center: “Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat.”

CDC: “Carbohydrates.”

University of California, San Francisco: “Understanding Carbohydrates.”

Cleveland Clinic: “Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar Control for People with Diabetes.”

Dawn Sherr, MS, RD, CDE, spokesperson, American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Toby Smithson, MS, RDN, LDN, CDE, spokeswoman, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

University of California, Los Angeles: “Carbohydrates.”

Joslin Diabetes Center: “How Does Fiber Affect Blood Glucose Levels?” “Carbohydrate Counting 101.”

Want To Lose Weight? Work On Your Health

Concentrate on improving your health and the rest will work out. What do I mean?   Worrying about the problems in your life will cause you to forget about the big    picture. Worrying about money is the main contributor to obesity, but worrying by  itself can causes obesity. Worrying starts a spiral downward that you can’t stop.  Worrying starts by causing depression. You have a big problem that you have no     solution for. Maybe it’s about money or maybe something with your job or family.   Yes, these may seem like insurmountable problems. And these types of huge problems in your    life will cause you to forget what's important. You’re not thinking     about your health, you’re not making time for exercise or relationships, instead   you’re worrying. Worrying can consume your life. It will also ruin your life.

By taking care of your health, you'll see a big difference in your ability to work out life's problems.  I actually do my best thinking when I'm working out. When I'mrunning or biking and the whole world is quiet and there's no distractions, I can  think about my day and organize it. A long walk will give you that same tranquil   time to think. 

Part of living a healthy life is having a healthy diet. Eating the right foods and avoiding unhealthy food will give you more brain power. I know that sounds crazy   but certain fruits and vegetables will help you concentrate. Your diet can help youlearn, help you think clearly and avoiding some foods will help you to concentrate and think clearly, read faster, and understand more. 

Now, I probably don’t need to tell you that eating low cost food, is simply eating food with bulk and very little nourishment. Foods that are high in nourishment are costly. We all know that the grocery stores charge more for healthier foods. Buy organic fruits and vegetables at an open market and see the difference in price from your supermarket. There's a good reason. A supermarket has to buy produce in large quantities and usually ends up with spoilage and the price you pay will take spoilage into account. At a farmer's market you don't have to pay for spoilage. But they do charge more for popular items. 

I can’t help you with your family problems, but I can tell you that letting your problems affect your health is just insane. You’re only compounding your problems. By being a good example to others in your family, by being healthy and physically fit you will avoid a lot of those everyday problems. Getting nutrition from the food you eat makes all the difference. By setting a good example your family members will want to live up to your example. If you’re in your best health, then you’re better able to deal with your situation. Being in good health and good physical condition will help you think straight and solve those problems. Sometimes that means talking to someone else for advice, it takes a clear head to realize when you need help. 

Maybe you’re a student or adult it’s the same. You need a good diet to learn, or just to think straight and to concentrate. Research shows that students that eat a good breakfast are more alert in class. But to take that a little further, a student in better health and good physical condition will do better in school. Any change in your diet like skipping breakfast will have an immediate effect on your concentration. And the same thing will hold true if your not eating the right foods. The same thing holds true with the over 60 age group, if you’re in better shape, healthier you’re more alert, you’re vitals are better. You take less prescription drugs, spend less time in the doctor’s office and usually are happier and enjoy life more.

Don’t let the problems in your life control you. Once you lose your health, you can lose control of your life. Gaining too much weight will start a downward cycle that’s very hard to stop. Gaining weight is the first sign that you could be losing control. Get your health back, you’ll feel better, you’ll feel happier and your problems won’t seem so big. When you’re in the right frame of mind, you’ll find that dealing with life is a lot easier.

Researchers examined the responses of 476 working adults who were surveyed about their exercise behavior and their confidence in handling work-family conflicts. Those who exercised regularly seemed to experience an increased feeling of competence that carried over into work and home roles, the study authors said. "If, for example, you go for a two-mile jog or walk 10 flights of steps at work and feel good about yourself for doing that, it will translate and carry over into other areas of life," said study author Russell Clayton, an assistant professor of management at Saint Leo University in Florida. "We found that [participants] who exercised felt good about themselves, that they felt that they could accomplish tough tasks, and that carried over into work and family life," Clayton added. 

Volumes of research have shown that exercise lowers mental and physical stress levels.

While the study found a link between physical activity and reports of greater empowerment at home and at work, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

"But the associations between exercise and work-life balance are there, and they're very strong," Clayton said.

For those who don't exercise regularly, the idea of adding that regimen to a busy schedule to improve stress levels may seem counterintuitive, Clayton noted.

But he advocates the idea of "stolen moments" for exercise that add up, such as climbing the stairs for five minutes or doing jumping jacks in 30-second spurts.

I do 5 minutes of exercise each morning. It limbers me up and gets me going. I call it re-charging my batteries. It gets my blood pumping and gets all the cinches out of my back. After 5 minutes doing a combination of 5 different exercises I'm ready to get to work. 

"We hope our research can be a grain of sand in the beach of evidence we have to push corporations . . . to encourage employees to exercise," he added.

Dr. Natalie Digate Muth, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, said the study extends the evidence that physical activity offers benefits beyond the obvious.

"People should think of it as a kind of investment. If you put some time into physical activity," said Muth, "you may be active for 30 minutes a day, but the productivity and mental focus you're going to get out of it is going to far exceed what you put into it, from a work and family perspective."

As you can tell, exercise plays a big role in lowering stress levels in your life and will help you to become a healthier, happier person. 

Lose Your Belly Fat

I don't often write about something that sounded to me to be an exercise program, but as I read more I realized the article was talking about the foods we ate and how some foods will actually reduce stomach fat.

More over a lot of foods in the grocery store will actually add belly fat quickly. Let me explain, a lot of foods we buy are ready to mix then heat and serve. Or frozen food that you just pop in the microwave, put it on a plate and serve. These foods are a combination of ingredients that the manufacturer puts in the packet or box. If you have to add anything it's just milk or water. The manufacturer wants you to like the product but they have to make a profit so they'll substitute ingredients with chemicals that taste like the real thing and it's those chemicals that make the product addictive and fattening. Always read the ingredients on the box. If you can't pronounce the name "beware".

There are some simple foods that will reduce your belly fat, but we should stop eating foods that are putting on the fat first. The best way is to stop buying foods that are ready to eat. Be careful what kinds of food you order at a restaurant and try and prepare your meals yourself.
The foods that worked for me are eggs, avocados, cinnamon and dark chocolate. Eat them everyday in small quantities. Real dark chocolate you find in the baking section this is not a candy and it's not milk chocolate. Buy the cinnamon in the spice isle and use it as a spice. I like it on breakfast cereal instead of sugar. You can cook with it and add it to coffee like you would sugar. Ofter I eat eggs for breakfast but they can be a snack when hard boiled. I like avocados on a sandwich or on a salad. Greek yogurt is another great source of protein. Look for the yogurt with  at least 10 gm of protein. Remember, no processed foods, or enriched flour, don't add sugar to anything, use spices like cinnamon. 

Try these tips and watch the weight come off.