Renew or Re-Do Your “New Year’s” Vow

February 2013 Calendar (Oaxaca Trees) (Photo credit: planeta)

If you made a vow to yourself on December 31 st or any other day. Keep it. Instead of a once a year pledge, make a real commitment. Set an alarm, mark your calendar for the end of each month and re-visit your  goal to determine if the goal is realistic. If you set a general goal, it is likely you will fall into the 25% of those people whose “diet” will fail. Whether diet or lifestyle or any goal, if you stick with it, you will succeed.

Do you want to lose weight or just be healthier this year? You want to succeed? The goal and strategies you set must be front and center on a daily basis.  What is your goal? How will you accomplish it?

For example, your goal might be: I will lose 2 pounds/week.

How are you going to achieve this goal? Specific behavior strategies that you choose to assist you with daily challenges.

Strategies:

1. Switch my low nutrient snacks for real foods that nourish (100 calorie snack pack out, celery with peanut butter in).

2. I will track my foods for accountability (use an app to track daily food).

3. I will not deprive myself when I’m hungry.

Allow yourself three and a half weeks to determine if the set goal is realistic or you need to change it so that it is attainable.

Renew your vow if your are successful, it’s working for you. Add a second goal with 3 new strategies for detailed actions in February. Do this each month.

If you have not achieved your goal in 3 weeks, re-do your vow so that  it is more attainable.

Example of  a resolution “re-do”:

I will lose one-two pounds each week

Strategies:

1. If I eat a 100 calorie snack pack at work, this will be my only desert of the day.

2. I will track my foods for accountability (use an app to track daily food).

3. I will identify real hunger vs. eating when bored.

Just because your initial attempt at weight loss or better health does not work, it does not mean that within six months you throw in the towel. There is more than one way to get things done. It may take a little time to find your comfort zone. But, you will be on track to accomplishing your goals.

At the end of each month, set a time when you check-in, evaluate your progress, or lack of progress. Learn to accommodate your lifestyle, your food preferences and any other hiccup that might interfere with your goal in order to identify what works for you. When you individualize your own plan, you will beat the odds and find a lifetime of success.

So ask yourself, how did my plan go in January? Which strategies worked? What changes will need to be made to next months plan?

Related articles

• New Years Goals ….month 1! (whatwouldyoulovetodo.wordpress.com)

 

Immunity Boosters

English: Various cells that participate in immune functions. Note that even though hematopoietic stemm cell, erythrocyte, maegakaryocyte and platelets are found in the blood, they do not participate in immune functions. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How do you stay healthy and fight sickness? Your immune system, its’ job 24/7 is keep you well. It wrestles with  fungi, viruses, bacteria, battles pathogens and any foreign invaders while cleaning up cellular debris. Sounds exhausting and it is, that is why as we age the immune system loses its steam. Nourishing the immune system will keep it strong and you healthy.

Eat:

All vitamins, 5 main minerals (zinc, copper, selenium, manganese and iron), all protein but especially arginine, http://jn.nutrition.org/content/137/6/1681S.abstract, and glutamine, http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/9/2515S.full, fat (lower Omega 3 and 6 ratio to less than 1:4) and fiber.

In order to consume all these nutrients, you must eat a variety of low glycemic fruits, a colorful assortment of vegetables, protein from whole eggs (The yolk has choline a precursor to phosphatidylcholine which helps repair cell damage.), fish and grass-fed beef (also contain more Omega 3 essential fatty acids) turkey, sources of arginine (pumpkin/sesame seeds and almonds/cashews) and glutamine (cottage cheese and plain 2% Greek yogurt).

Drink:

tea-white (anti-bacterial and viral), elderberry and green

water with lemon

Green drinks, http://greensplus.com/index.php, any that contain sea vegetables

Practice:

Healthy habits and hygiene. Washing your hands and brushing your teeth is as important as keeping active and avoiding obesity as a study from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine found that in comparison to normal weight mice obese mice were unable to fend off flu and other types of infections, http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr05/beck040405.html.

Stress reduction techniques can also boost immunity.

Understand:

Just because these nutrients are immune enhancing, does not mean excess amounts will be helpful. In fact, too much omega 6 fat, iron and vitamin E will actually have detrimental effects on your immune system. The same is true for some medications, such as antibiotics or corticosteroids.

Supplement Foods with Herbs and Spices

Herb and spice supplements boost immune system and protect against aging too.

Curcumin, cloves, basil, garlic, oregano and ginger all ward of sickness and can specifically help in preventing colds and flu.

Reminder:

Avoid consuming products that have been shown to weaken your immune system like soda, alcohol and sugar (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published results of a study that found lowered immunity for up to 5 hours after eating 100 grams of sugar or 3 cans of soda).

Maintain gut acid-base balance with proper foods (vegetables) or a probiotic supplement

Avoid allergic or sensitivity reactions as they produce inflammation

Stay healthy!

 

Holiday Indulgence Guide For Guiltless Eating

160 reasons to be glad the holidays are over (168/365) (Photo credit: reallyboring)

Who doesn’t gain weight during the holidays? Dieting or not, the holiday season is jam-packed with food and “FULL” of complaints about gaining weight. Five months filled with family and social gatherings  focusing on nothing but food and drink.

So what I’m about to say might be surprising but it provides important details on weight gain during the holidays.

A study tracked 165 middle age culturally diverse men and women about 40 years old to identify actual weight gain during the holiday season. Results suggest that weight is the main factor in determining the amount of weight gained over the course of the holiday season.

People who weigh more gain more.  The results showed a 1-5 or more  pound weight gain over the course of the holidays. For many, damage done during the holidays was not that bad,  only about a pound of weight gain. For others who are overweight or obese, maintaining weight was more challenging.  More weight, was gained (greater than or equal to 5 pounds) by individuals who were overweight or obese. And, this pattern held true in different studies for children too.

If that was not enough to swallow, sink your teeth into this.

Holiday indulgence is not just an isolated event, you will be amazed to find out what happens after the holidays. You might think that as time goes on and all the foods associated with the holidays are no more, New Years‘ resolutions are made and preparations for bathing suit season begin with diets and other weight loss tools, that the weight gained during this time frame would melt away. Yet to the contrary, this study suggests that holiday indulgence may be more powerful than you realize.

It seems that fat gained over the holidays is stubborn and participants in this study had not lost the seasonal weight that was gained. Something to think about as Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day approach. The authors also admit that although their methods helped produce reliable results, there are demographic groups that may not be represented and that people who are not as health conscious or those who fall into a lower socioeconomic group may have different more dramatic results.

Over indulging during the holidays is not benign, it can be fatal to long-term dieting and good health. Consider this in planning your diet strategies over the next month or two. Of course, there is no reason to deprive yourself this season but there is a difference between indulgence and over-indulgence. Keep the odds stacked in your favor, follow these “Holiday Rules” or create your own.

How To Indulge Without Over Indulging

1. Ask yourself, “Is one or five days worth a lifetime of being heavier?”

2. Commit to losing a few extra pounds before or during the season

3. Follow a 3 teaspoon taste rule: One spoon because it is a special holiday food. Two, because you know you want seconds and three is “one for good luck”. An incentive to stick with the plan. Then the rest is given to someone else or thrown out.

4. Do not deprive yourself. Pre-select the foods and the amount of food you will eat on each of these holidays.

5.  Pace yourself and take specific intervals of time between eating

If your weight has not budged or has only moved in the wrong direction, try sticking to a nutrition plan over the holidays as a self commitment promise knowing that the same foods will be waiting for you next year when you weigh less.

Some tips that can help get you through the holidays

http://valerieberkowitz.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/three-holiday-tips-to-maintain-control-of-your-goal/

http://valerieberkowitz.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/30-days-30-ways-to-stick-with-your-meal-plan-during-the-holidays-or-anytime/

http://valerieberkowitz.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/10-winter-warm-and-healthy-low-carb-foods-and-beverages/

Eat to make a change, eat to lose weight and be healthy. Eat during the holidays just do not overeat. But if you do, if you gain weight, how will you prioritize the weight loss so you can prove this study wrong and lose the seasonal weight gain?

 

Yin and Yang for the Health of It

Yin and Yang is an ancient Chinese concept that emphasizes the notion that each body function works in harmony and not in isolation. With western medicine physicians specialize in specific areas like the heart or the feet or the brain.

Most people in the U.S. focus on keeping calories and fat low or hone in on one particular aspect of how food affects your health; for example, eating fish will help prevent a heart attack. While this is one way to approach optimal health, my philosophy expands on this to include more of an oriental medicine, yin and yang approach in the sense that balancing other foods with the fish will help build superior heart health and provide added nutrients for the rest of your body.

Here’s what I might consider if someone were concerned about heart health: I might start with considering fish consumption for additional omega three and then add to the nutrients provided by the fish such as an avocado (folic acid) or spinach (iron) that you might eat with your fish to help expand on the nourishment you feed your heart making it a more powerful meal. More powerful because you:

1. bathe your heart in ALL the nutrients it needs not just one

2. get the added benefits of nutrients that affect other areas of your health, for example folic acid is also important for brain health and iron helps transport oxygen to your cells increasing energy levels

Realizing that all foods contribute to a variety of nutrients to get your body in gear and function properly means that you should eat as much of a variety of foods, spices, herbs…as possible in order to maintain good health.

Don’t get stuck in a food rut. Eating a serving of “heart healthy” cereal everyday may help to cut calories but it does not fill your need for omega three, folic acid or any other nutrient that you are not eating because:

1. you are being boring and eating the same thing each day

2. you think focusing on calories only is going to bring you closer to good health

3. you are now eating too much of the nutrients in cereal not any nutrients from other foods

Focus on your Yin and Yang!

 

Want Success? Get Used to it! Part II

Me sequel to Part I:

Wow! I thought to myself, she is right on the money. She is obviously “USED TO IT” and I need to get used to this hell so that it is not hell anymore.

You see, if you get used to living healthy, it’s not painful, it’s as much a part of your life as waking up in the morning and brushing your teeth. It does not have to be a favorite hobby but it’s necessary, just like brushing your teeth.

I’m not just talkin’ exercise, if you’re in the habit of doing a Starbucks Latte, save yourself 200 calories by trading it in for a TAZO tea (0 calories) and “GET USED TO IT”, so that it is now your new “Habit”.

Here’s the upside of allowing Angela to kick my butt, after she is through, nobody or nothing else that day can get to me. If I survive her class I can get through anything; my mind is clear and ready to be challenged my body feels no pain (actually I cannot feel it at all ’till the next day ). I feel good because I did something for myself and I know this will help me reach my weight goal!

I look forward to seeing Angela every week. She is in her fifties and going strong, she is fit, she has tons of energy believe me she’s got it over a lot of younger people .  And me, I’m going to follow Angela in her footsteps. I’m a few years younger and there is no reason I cannot achieve the same level of fitness or at least 3/4 of it.

I want good health, energy and I want to fit into my size 6, pre-pregnancy cloths. I want success and I’m gonna GET USED TO IT! How about you?

 

Andrew Weil:”Saturated Fat IS NOT associated with an Increased Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke or Vascular Disease.”

For many years I’ve been trying to educate people on the importance of fat in our diets. I try to explain that, one, fat is not the devil and , two, not all low fat-high carbohydrate (sugar) foods are good for you.

I admit, I’m not pushing the right buttons to be seen by the big guys but now Andrew Weil, one of the big guys, has spoken and I am sooooo happy to see that saturated fat is not being vilified as usual.

Here’s what Dr. Weil has to say, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/healthy-eating_b_629422.html.

Two points that stick out and should be considered:

He is not promoting meat consumption and that’s fine be me. Hey, I’m all with eating meat that are grass-fed and natural vs. those pumped with antibiotics. Read my book, The Stubborn Fat Fix and you’ll understand how the food supply affects our health, http://www.amazon.com/Stubborn-Fat-Fix-Metabolic-ebook/dp/B002E6IJWY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1292253814&sr=8-2 . However the reason most people avoid meat is to cut saturated fat from their diet. If there is no link between eating red meat and heart disease then we can start eating meat to help supply our bodies with important vitamins and minerals like iron and B12 that we are not nourishing our bodies with when we omit red meat from our diet.

The other point worth paying attention to is that he underscores the fact that carboydrates can upset hormonal balance, fructose and glucose can overload the liver and raise insulin levels and “refined carbohydrates, starches and sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes.”

Now that you know that saturated fat is not a one way ticket to death and that sweets/added sugars and sweeteners are at the top of the evil food list, what foods will you choose to consume?

 

Cheeburger Cheeburger Vs. The Heart Attack Grill

Here’s another one of those….you’ve got to see this to believe it videos, check out either one of these, http://videos-articles.com/heart-attack-grill-menu.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4vxeApjLZI.

I love the concept of having fun while eating but I’m not sure this is really such a laughing matter. It is actually very sad, especially for people who might die from eating high fat/ high carbohydrate menu, and trying to gain weight to eat for free at The Heart Attack Grill.

Eating at a food establishment that provides you with a little entertainment is a good idea. However The Heart Attack Grill takes a stab at making light of a very serious situation, the obesity and diabetes epidemic. Projected rates for obesity in the year 2050 go as high as 42% of the US population and 1 out of 3 of us will have diabetes.

There is one one thing for sure, there is no question that the food served at The Heart attack Grill is unhealthy. But if you’re headed for a “heart attack” you may want to ask yourself, what’s gonna do you in first, the food or the scantily dressed women in nurses outfits?

On the other hand,  Cheeburger Cheeburger is one of my favorite places to eat. Why because they offer a little something for everyone!

If you have kids or not, if you are eating low fat or low carb, Cheeburger, Cheeburger is THE place for a burger, a salad or both.

Cheeburger, Cheeburger is my idea of a “fast” food family place with good quality fresh food, http://www.cheeburger.com/tv.asp. The beef is untainted angus beef (NO antibiotics, NO hormones), you can build your salad with over 30 fresh ingredients and the same goes for your burger. Cheeburger Cheeburger can be used as a great tool to teach your kids how to “dress” a burger. Vegetables can only make a burger a more well rounded healthy meal. Of course, they have calorie laden milkshakes and fries but there are healthier options, like applesauce or carrots. I top off my meal with a nice warm cup of sugar-free hazelnut coffee for dessert.

I may even see you if you visit the Plainview store. We like to go on Mondays. Kids meals are free with each adult purchase and as an added bonus, they have a very talented young man who makes Disney balloon characters. My son’s favorite character is Mike, the one eyed monster from Monsters Inc. and my daughter’s favorite is Arielle. Heck, we might just be there any day of the week.

While no one wants to give up favorite foods, Cheeburger Cheeburger is a an eatery you can LIVE with…enjoy yourself while dining on healthier foods and ingredients!

 

I’m Excited to Announce…

I’m excited to make a couple of announcements…both have to do with weight loss tools, a new podcast by Jimmy Moore and my book, “The Stubborn Fat Fix”.

For  any of you who need to lose weight or have family members that need to shed a few pounds, you may be interested in a new podcast from Jimmy Moore.  If you do not know who he is, you can Google his name and get bombarded with everything he has done to help people achieve the same weight loss success he has and believe me he has lost a lot of weight,  180 pounds! He has done it responsibly and goes beyond most people as he talks about all the ups and downs of his journey and brings in experts to talk about the nutrition information you will not typically get from other sources.

Here’s the link to check it out yourself:

www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/3141/become-a-charter-member-of-the-llvlc-show-fan-club-with-this-special-offer-by-october-31/

I highly recommend joining his discussion board too, www.livinlowcarbdiscussion.com/!

On another note, I am proud to say that “The Stubborn Fat Fix” has won The National “Best Books 2010″ Awards for its category, Health:Diet/Weight Loss!!!!

You can see “The Stubborn Fat Fix” and the other winners here: www.usabooknews.com/pressrelease2010.html

 

 

 

 

Eating your Way to Success: Tips for You and Your Family

Just worked on an article for eDiets entitled, Eating Healthy for the Whole Family” and wanted to share it with you, http://healthnews.ediets.com/health-topics/healthy-eating-for-the-whole-family.html. The focus is not about cutting out fat or eating  a certain amount of calories. The focus is on eating a variety of foods that help balance chemical messangers in the body that affect mood, concentration and behavior. While the article speaks to helping kids in school, it is true for adults too. By making these changes across the board, everyone in the family becomes a winner.

Healthcare experts encourage both kids and adults to eat breakfast in the morning before school or work. Essentially the rationale is that the food will provide fuel (energy) for the day ahead. However if you do not provide the right type of fuel (food) for your family, you may not be getting the right type of energy for the success you strive for. Actually foods that affect neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine and norepinephrine) can make you  less alert and more sleepy.  Balancing foods that will help sustain blood sugar and hormone levels will help keep kids stay on track at school and will help you stay ahead of the game at work.

I’ll provide you with a detailed look at specific foods affecting serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine and norepinephrine next time.

 

Strong Bones: Moving Beyond Calcium and Vitamin D

Strong bones are an important component for living a good quality of life.  Strong healthy bones allow you to move and be active. There is a window of opportunity during childhood and throughout young adulthood to grow and build bone strength. So take advantage of this critical timeframe and nourish your bones while you can. By the time we hit our mid to late thirties we naturally start to lose bone mass and density. This is why broken and fractured bones become an issue as we get older.  

How should we keep bones healthy? If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times…Balance. While it is important to consume adequate amounts of calcium, http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp, and vitamin D, loading up on calcium supplements or any one nutrient can have a negative affect on bone health. Excess amounts of calcium for example can negatively affect copper and zinc absorption. Copper and zinc help build bone strength; and while fiber is considered an important factor for good health in general, too much fiber may be detrimental when it comes to your bones. There are 18 nutrients listed by the National Institute of Health, http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/bone/bone_health/nutrition/other_nutrients.asp, contributing to bone health. Finding the right balance between them is what counts.   

Consuming vitamins and minerals are not the only consideration for healthy bones. Balancing the acidity and alkalinity, also known as pH balance, of the body is critical for good bone health but is often overlooked. Maintaining an alkaline environment in the body helps to protect bones from calcium loss. Eating acid forming foods will make the body more acidic (meat, dairy, white flour, soda) and alkaline forming foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices) will help balance the acidity. If you are looking for a list of foods and a sample menu that will help you better understand how to maintain the proper balance for healthy bones, this website is a good place to start, http://www.betterbones.com/alkalinebalance/dietplan.aspx. Additional factors that affect acid-alkaline balance are exercises and prescription medications.

5 WAYS TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL BONE HEALTH

1. Eat veggies, fruits, herbs and spices to help create an alkaline state in your body; Avoid foods that negatively affect bone (see chart listed in the link above)
2. Ask your doctor if the medication you take tips the acid/alkaline balance scale   
3. Participate in weight bearing exercise
4. Add supplements that cover a wider range of nutrients than just calcium and vitamin D
5. Practice deep breathing exercises, similar to the ones found in yoga or tai chi

 Sitting on the couch eating nothing but meat and drinking too much soda (made up of phosphorous, caffeine and other items that contribute to bone depletion) will not do your bones an ounce of good.  Do not forget about your bones when you think about your health. 

There has been controversy when it comes to flouride and bone health and I will answer that question next week. 

Mission Tie In: Focus on reducing calories or fearing fat will not assist in maintaining bone health. Attention to balancing nutrition and lifestyle is optimal for bone formation and strength. Nourish your body, fuel your life.