PLATE FOR PORTIONS

HERE is an article about the new "diet plate" that is on the market (pictured in this post). The author tried the plate in real life, but a study was also conducted showing that people who used the diet plate were more likely to lose weight than those who didn't.

Why does this plate work? Very simple: PORTION CONTROL! It helps you to see repetitively what a normal serving of certain foods is. For some people, this is quite the shocker since portion sizes at restaurants are enormously larger than what you should be eating. However, with repetition you'll start to recognize normal portion sizes even when not using the plate, helping you to set aside any excess calories at the restaurant for your doggie bag.

Poor but still want to try this out? Create your own plate! Go to a local pottery painting class or buy some paint and a plain plate yourself.

Also helpful:
*A serving of lean protein should be the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand
*A serving of starch/grains should be the size of your balled fist (when looking at your fingers... if you include the entirety of your hand that is 2 servings, or 160 calories)
*A serving of vegetables is two balled fists
*A serving of fat is HALF of a butter pad you find at local restaurants (2 servings in a whole pad, or 100 calories)

CUT OUT THE FAT, SAVE THE FLAVOR

HERE is an article about cooking with juice instead of butter or oil. Very cool! Allows you to add tons of flavor to sauces and stir-fry without adding a ton of calories or fat!

Remember to READ LABELS and stick with 100% juice, preferably not from concentrate and preferably organic!

What I will be trying tonight: Pomegranate juice reduced and used as a sauce for veggies and tempeh.

AWESOME WORKOUT

Stuck indoors thanks to spring showers? Try out the workout below! Don't take breaks and use a weight that challenges you but allows you to complete the workout (for example, I normally lift with 10-12 pound weights for my arms, but for this workout I'll use 8-10 lbs). Get that bikini body in no time while increasing your muscle mass and overall health!

SUPER SNACKS FOR THE WEEK

Below are some healthy snack alternatives to try for the week. Next week I'll give a new list so you don't have to worry about getting bored with your new eating plan!

CRAVING SWEET AND CREAMY?
- Greek Yogurt (Fage is best!) with Honey on top. Don't mix it in, it's best when left separated.
- Vegan? Try Creamy Soy Yogurt (vanilla or plain) with Agave Nectar and raspberries on top.

CRAVING CHOCOLATE?
- Pudge-free brand Brownies (in the pink box) made with Fat-Free Vanilla Yogurt (soy or regular). Incredibly tasty, natural and fat free!

CRAVING SALTY AND ZESTY?
- Trader Joe's brand Multigrain Savory Thins (or other whole grain crackers) with Chipotle flavored Hummus (read ingredients! Avoid Sodium Benzoate). Slightly spicy and very satisfying! Can't find Chipotle hummus? Get plain flavor and add a chipotle salsa or hot sauce to the hummus!

CRAVING SALTY-SWEET?
- Trader Joe's Trail Mix in individual serving packets (cranberry and nut is my favorite!). Perfect single servings to prevent over-snacking and all natural ingredients!

A WEEK OF HEALTHY EATING

HERE is an article with easy recipes and an easy to follow meal plan to help you get on track with your healthy eating/weight loss goals! Great for your health, your appearance, and your waist line!

It's always nice when the work is done for you, and thanks to this plan your entire menu for the week doesn't even take a second thought.

Happy eating :)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

HERE is an article about simple symptoms that can signify bigger health problems. It's great to know what to look for and what to bring up to you doctor: it helps you to become more aware of your body and empowers you as a patient!

In addition, I encourage EVERYONE to take a tally of all the medications you use. If you have a headache, do you immediately reach for medicine to make it go away? If you have diarrhea, do you grab the Imodium?

One of the many issues we have in health care in America is the perception most people have of what "healthy" is, primarily that it is tied to negating natural responses of the body (no pain! no fever! etc.). The problem with "better living through chemistry" is that we often drown out our own body's communication mechanisms (pain, nausea, etc), sometimes leading to missed symptoms and therefore lack of appropriate treatment.

For example: you wake up with a severe headache. In our current culture, this is seen as something you want to eliminate immediately! Suffering, after all, is so last century. The headache is, however a SYMPTOM, NOT A CONDITION. It is your body alerting you through pain that something is awry. It could be many different things, from electrolyte imbalances to meningitis, but if you remove the pain instead of exploring what improves it, you may overlook a serious condition.

This is what happens in many cases of ovarian cancer. The symptoms (bloating, gas, irregular bowel patterns, irregular periods, feeling tired, stomach swelling) are relatively mundane, so people either don't report them to their doctor or the doctor can overlook them, therefore postponing diagnosis and decreasing chances of a positive prognosis. Many people are likely to just reach for a Midol, incorrectly assuming that the symptoms are PMS or period related, instead of bearing through the symptoms and watching to see if there is a pattern (when do I get them? how long have I had them? what makes them worse? what makes them better?).

Also good to know: fever is another symptom that your body is doing its job! When you body activates your immune system to fight off an infection or virus, your body temperature increases in order to increase your metabolic rate, helping your body to kill off the illness. The moment you take an Advil, Tylenol, or any other fever reducer, you decrease your body's natural ability to kill the infection. The ONLY time you should be taking a fever reducer is if your fever is out of control (102 degrees or above), or if you are a child. Otherwise, grin and bear it, drink TONS of water (increased metabolism means increased need for water and fuel) and with the help of your fever you'll get over your illness faster.

Having a relationship with your body and understanding the meaning of its communication is a useful and invaluable tool in preventive and wellness based health. So PAY ATTENTION and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

VEGAN GELATO!

Watch below to see a video with a VEGAN VANILLA GELATO recipe! Step by step guide, so you can cook along! Healthier than ice-cream and more animal and planet friendly!



If you can't find all of the ingredients at you supermarket, check out VeganEssentials for any vegan pantry needs!

NOT VEGAN?? Try THIS RECIPE instead! The video is a little easier to follow and makes it seem much simpler than the video above.

NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS

HERE is an article with a list of foods that have a ton of vitamins and minerals packed into very few calories.

It also touts the effectiveness of eating a diet rich in nutrient dense foods, like fruits and vegetables, since so many of these foods fill you up (thanks to their fiber and other attributes) without making a huge dent in your daily calories.

An example of easy swaps:
*Low fat milk (or soy milk) is BETTER than diet soda. A few more calories than diet soda, but WAY more nutrients, helping you to stay full longer.
*Bulgar is BETTER than brown rice. It has more fiber and vitamins/minerals and it has less calories than brown rice!

BEAT WORKOUT BOREDOM

I just discovered this great WORKOUT FINDER! Click on the link at left to find workouts by body-region, keyword, or readers' favorites!

New healthy lifestyle changes can be difficult to maintain once you get to the point of boredom and forced repetition, so try incorporating one of the many different workouts from the link above or click below for direct links to the reader favorite workouts:

* Cellulite Solution Workout
* Super Sculpt Your Body
* Drop 10lbs This Month
* Hollywood's Sexy-Body Secret
* Score Sexy Arms in 4 Weeks

Mix up your workouts to maximize your results! And add a workout buddy to the mix to help keep each other motivated. On top of a sexy new body you'll increase your overall health and reduce your risk of developing cancer and other diseases!

And in case you missed my previous post CLICK HERE for fun calculators that can give you your BMI, Caloric Needs, Ideal Weight, Happy Weight, and more!

NOTE: Check with your MD before starting a new exercise regimen

BULGE FREE BELLY

HERE is an article about what foods to EAT and what foods to AVOID if you're looking to target belly fat (or as my father always called it, your "energy reservoir").

FYI: Diet is a HUGE part of fighting fat stored around your waist, but in order to get rid of the bulge for good you need cardio exercise too. If you want a taught mid-section, nothing is better than adding criss-cross sit-ups (where arms are behind your head, you then take opposite elbow to opposite knee. One leg straight out parallel to floor, one leg bent in knee to chest. Don't just move your arms! Twist from the waist!) to your cardio and diet changes! This exercise activates more muscles in your abdomen than normal crunches.

And don't forget: a little pooch is NATURAL! A perfectly flat stomach only exists in photo-shopped pictures.


For a slimmer center, EAT:
*Melon (low calorie, high in potassium which prevents excess salt, therefore water, retention)
*Wine (or POM juice, for us non-drinkers)
*Whole-grains (high fiber helps to remove cholesterol, fatty acids, from the blood stream, reducing storage around your waist)
*Grapefruit (can prevent the insulin spike that increases fat storage around your middle, plus vitamin C which has been shown to play a role)
*Walnuts (or Flax! Omega 3's may be fats, but they help to prevent storage or new fat on the body, especially in the belly region)

For a whittled middle, AVOID:
*Sugar substitutes (horrible for you and your body has trouble digesting these lab-made sweeteners, leading to bloating, gas, and increased hunger later. Use Stevia, Maple Syrup, or Agave Nectar instead!)
*Canned soup (the insanely high salt content leads to water retention which leads to belly swelling)
*Partially and fully hydrogenated oils (aka trans fat. READ LABELS! "0 trans fat per serving" does NOT mean NO trans fat! These fats are not used for flavor, they are used to increase shelf-life. They are created in a lab by adding extra hydrogen ions to unsaturated fats, therefore creating a substance that the body does not recognize and doesn't know how to handle. Research has shown that these fats lead to increased storage of fat around the waist, so avoid these at ALL COSTS!)