Weight Loss Tip: Smart Snacking While Dieting

Weight Loss Tip: Smart Snacking While Dieting

One of the biggest problems we face when we are on a diet, is the feeling of deprivation. We feel deprived, and we want to eat the “junk” foods that aren’t part of our healthy diet. Believe it or not, the best way to stay on your diet at this point, is to give in to your desire to cheat.

The key to cheating on your diet, is to cheat using strict portion control. Have your cake. Have your cookies. Have your candy. Have your chips. You can have what you desire, but only one serving. I know it sounds hard, but if you get in the habit, it will become second nature.

Even though this is a total no-brainer, most of us (including myself) don’t actually do it.

Dawn from Life at the Moment…

Have you ever sat down to have a few chips and the next thing you know, the bag is 3/4 gone? Or started eating some Thin Mint cookies and ended up eating the whole role? No matter what you’re eating, look at the label first. Figure out how much equals 1 serving and how many calories are in 1 serving. Put 1 serving worth on a plate or in a bowl, seal the bag/box, and put it back in the cupboard. Stop after 1 serving. If you do this all the time, you’ll train yourself to eat more appropriate portions, and you’ll be more aware of how much you’re eating when you snack.

Also See:

• Overeating During The Holidays
• Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
• Believe In Yourself: Set Realistic Dieting & Fitness Goals

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Spicy Meals Can Help You Lose Weight

Did you know that spicy meals could help you lose weight?

It’s true.

If you’re like me and love spicy foods, this is great news.

It seems preparing your meals with garlic, pepper and other zero-calorie spices may prevent overeating.

Benefits of Spicy Foods…

Spicy foods are said to help rev up your metabolism and the faster your metabolism, the more weight you will lose. Furthermore, studies have shown that people who eat spicy foods eat smaller portions which can cut your calories way back.

Hot = Health

Studies have also proven fiery foods to have far ranging health benefits, possibly due to their high levels of antioxidants. Some of the ailments spicy foods can control or prevent include:

- constipation
- depression
- digestive issues
- headaches
- some types of cancers
- weight control

Robin Right – Spice Up Your Cooking and Your Health…

Cayenne Pepper - This zesty herb is actually a fruit. It has been used both as a seasoning and medicinal plant for thousands of years. Want to boost your immune system? Need to reduce your cholesterol? Concerned about blood clots? Add cayenne pepper to your diet. The capsaicin in cayenne is a natural anti-inflammatory agent.

How do you add spice to your life?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Do You Know Your BMI?

I didn’t understand the importance of BMI until last year around this time. It was getting cold and I couldn’t fit into any of my jeans. I figured I had gained a couple of pounds, but when I got on the scale, it turned out I gained over 20 in less than a year. I was surprised by the number, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. That is, until the day I decided to check my BMI with a BMI calculator.

I knew I was “overweight” and I was under no delusion that my BMI would suggest anything different. With your BMI number, you are put into categories of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. After calculating my BMI number, I was shocked to see that my weight gain had bumped me out of the “overweight” category and into the “obese” category. Since I already have a multitude of health problems that are all exacerbated by being overweight, there was no way I could ignore my weight anymore.

Finding out my BMI was the catalyst I needed to start getting serious about losing weight and making healthier food choices. I never began an “official” diet, but I did make a conscious effort to begin to eat more healthy.

My Pre-Dieting Phase – Eating Healthy and Losing Weight Too

Dieting – I Have A Love/Hate Relationship With My Scale

The 100 Best Foods For Women

How To Save Money On Food and Still Eat Healthy

You Are What You Eat

Say No To Empty Calories

In addition to making healthier food choices, I began to use Isagenix (nutritional supplements) several weeks ago to help with my overall wellness. All of these things, have thankfully contributed to my losing over 20 pounds.

Even with my weight loss, my BMI still puts me in the “overweight” category. To get to a healthy weight, I still need to lose about 15 to 20 pounds. My plans are to continue what I am doing, and then kick it up a notch as my New Year’s Resolution.

Do you know your BMI? If not, you can check it with this BMI calculator. If your BMI puts you in an overweight or obese category, losing weight may be the best thing you can do for your overall health.

Dance To Some Christmas Music & Burn Holiday Calories

Dance To Some Christmas Music & Burn Calories

Are you too busy with holiday cooking and shopping to find time to workout?

Well, you don’t have to make time for the gym to burn off those extra calories.  A fun way to get some exercise in and still keep up with your holiday preparations, is to dance around the house to your favorite Christmas music.

Sound silly?

Yes.  But it is fun, and it does work.

Listening to Christmas music is already a tradition for many families.  Just make dancing to the music part of your tradition and have a healthy holiday.

Also See:

How Many Calories Can Your Burn Dancing?

Start A Heart Healthy Workout

Dr. Oz on Oprah: Being Grateful Is Good For Your Health

Dr. Oz on Oprah:  Being Grateful Is Good For Your Health

Dr. Oz was on Oprah the other day, talking about longevity and good health.   I thought it was interesting that “being grateful” is actually an important aspect to good health.

Dr. Oz says that showing gratitude is another reason why people in these communities have such long and healthy lives. “If you’re grateful for the things that have always happened to you, sometimes they’re not always good, but you find lessons and meaning in them,” Dr. Oz says. “Hope isn’t about a good outcome. It’s about making sense of stuff. And these people have made sense of their life, and they do it all the time.”

Gratitude Improves Your Health…

Research shows that simply focusing each day on three to five things for which you can be grateful will increase your health and happiness. Everyone has something to be grateful for. Just being alive for one. Having a job, or enough money for lunch, or a roof over your head are all things we can be grateful that we have, but we often take these for granted.

For an even stronger dose of health and happiness, express your gratitude to someone else. Holding the thought of gratitude for a good friend will benefit you. Expressing that gratitude to the friend will benefit both of you.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to recognize all the little things in our lives that we can be grateful for.  And, if it’s people in your life that you are most grateful for…Tell them.

What are you grateful for?

Also See:

Do One Good Thing For Someone Else This Holiday

Gratitude – Good For Your Health

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Can Red Wine Contribute To Good Heart Health?

Will You Be Having A Glass of Wine with Thanksgiving Dinner?

Can red wine contribute to good heart health?

The answer appears to be – yes.  And it’s not just red wine, white is good too.

In moderation, wine seems to increase our good cholesterol (HDL) while decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL). And red wine also contains antioxidants.

If you have asthma or are prone to migraines, it’s best to avoid red wine.

So, a glass of wine with dinner can be good for your heart health. However, the benefits of wine do not outweigh the risks associated with drinking too much alcohol. But, how much is too much? Here is the recommended amount for health benefits…

Men: No more than two drinks per day.

Women: No more than one drink per day.

One drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine, 12 ounces of regular beer (1 bottle) or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

If you’re like me, and drinking even one glass of wine doesn’t really appeal to you. Try some pomegranate, grape, or cranberry juice in a fancy wine glass.

Will you be having a glass of wine with Thanksgiving dinner?

Also See:

A Glass of Wine for Your Health

Have A Walk In The Sun For Good Health & Happiness

It’s getting cold outside, but you should still try to get out in the sun for a few minutes each day.  And taking a walk outside to burn off some of your excess holiday calories is a great way to do that. It’s good for your health too.

Did you ever wonder why the sun makes you feel good?

It’s because the sun actually triggers an increase in the “feel-good” chemicals in your brain (serotonin).  Serotonin helps control sleep patterns, lift your mood, and even increase your sex drive.

Sunlight also helps the body to make its own vitamin D, which is crucial to good health. Vitamin D not only makes strong bones and healthy teeth, but it also keeps the immune system working, increases energy, and sharpens you mentally.

So…Don’t let the cold weather keep you inside this holiday season.

Did You Know Peppermint Can Curb Your Appetite & Relieve Headaches?

Did you know that the scent of peppermint can curb your appetite and relieve a headache? It’s true.

Curb Appetite: In a study from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia – People who regularly smelled peppermint ate 23 percent fewer calories per week.

Relieve Headache: In this double-blind study, researchers found that an ethanol solution containing 10% peppermint oil was as effective in relieving headache pain as 1,000 mg of acetaminophen. In another study, 32 people with headaches massaged peppermint oil on their temples. The results showed that the peppermint oil significantly relieved their pain.

I love all things peppermint. Here are some ways you can introduce the scent of peppermint into your daily life…

• Peppermint Oil – Keep some in your purse or at your desk and smell it periodically throughout the day.
• Enjoy a cup of Peppermint Tea.
• Carry some peppermint gum or mints with you.
• Grow your own peppermint.
• Have a candy cane.

Bath & Body Works even has a Twisted Peppermint Christmas edition. You can get lotion, shower gel, body spray, hand soap, and hand sanitizer.

Another way to curb your appetite with peppermint is to brush your teeth. I know that sounds strange, but if you are in between meals and feeling hungry, try brushing your teeth. It really works.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope