Skipping Meals

A classic mistake made by dieters is reducing their calorie intake by skipping meals. What they do not realize is that the process of digesting food uses calories and enhances metabolism. Skipping meals, particularly breakfast, tends to slow your metabolism in order to preserve energy. (When food is withheld, the body prepares for a famine and protectively guards its energy sources - its fat tissue!)In addition to the metabolic effects of skipping meals, psychologists have found that people who go for hours without food are most likely to lapse and most likely to binge. The best way to optimize your metabolic rate and protect your successes is to eat at regular 3 to 4 hour intervals throughout the day - 3 meals and 3 snacks space them out perfectly to accommodate this need.

Breakfast

Whether intentional or not, you do fast for an extended period every 24 hours - while you sleep! During the night, your body rests and that means that your calorie burning systems slow down and use fewer calories. In the morning, you can help those systems wake up by stimulating them with breakfast. In fact, breakfast not only brings your metabolic rate back up in the morning, but it has been found to reduce hunger and over eating later in the day as well as enhance school and work performance. All in all, you can look at eating breakfast as the first success in your weight management achievements each day.

Simple changes! You can do it!

I know what you are saying, "I have heard it all before, and still have not changed, what makes you think I will now"
Well in all fairness, I don't care if you do. I give you the information and you do what you want. People always will look for the confrontational side, or the "Why should I"

Change is hard, it sucks, we like to live the life's we live or we wouldn't be doing it. Does not make it healthy or right, but it is where our daily habits, schedules and circumstances have taken us.

The goal plan, takes you on a simple little journey of change. Coming soon!

Things that make sense to change:
Your activity level
Increase fruits and vegetables
Replace simple carbs with more complex carbohydrates
Eat leaner meats
Drink more milk
Lower fat intake
Decrease sweets
Decrease processed foods
Eat more nuts, seeds, and beans
Lower alcohol intake
Decreased stress

I can hear you bitching from here...
It is all been written over and over and over again. It is not easy, you are used to what you are "used to". Plain and simple we are creatures of habit and habits are hard to break. Don't think that there is any quick fix, there isn't. A skinnier you will pop out of a book or video. Getting your diabetes under control does not just happen because you said it would.

Life changes can be made, people do it all the time. Write it all down. Find out what you can change and start there.

Are you a big loser?

How many advertisements, billboards, articles have you seen in your lifetime? Most have most likely been in the more recent years. Weight problems, either obesity or just those extra 20lbs have been our fad of this generation. Somehow lifestyles changed and our bodies did not think that was a great idea.
If you have found yourself in a place where a weight loss program is needed, then you have a big decision. The way you, personally, are going to lose weight will be totally different than someone else. There is no keeping up the Jones's here.



Do your research on different programs and ask yourself:
How ready am I to get started?
Do I think I can succeed at this?
Do I recognize the need for losing weight?
Am I concerned about my health due to this excess weight?
Do I want to look better?
Do I want to feel better?

With all honesty in answering these questions, if you put them on a scale of one to ten (ten being high end of readiness) If you give the questions less than sevens, you should wait and do more research and soul searching before making a start.

When looking at certain programs, you should ask some of these questions:
What type of exercise do they require, does it fit me? What type of physical activities do I wish to do and enjoy. (If you hate working out, lifting weights for hours, and the program is set up to work on a regimented schedule, in other words, this how people got results with this program) You should not volunteer to fail if you know you are not going to enjoy it.

What type of meal plan are you looking for?
Does the program provide a level of structure? What amount of structure do you believe meets your needs? ("Just tell me exactly what to eat for all my meals. I want a detailed plan" "I want lots of structure but freedom to select foods" "I don't want to diet. I just want to eat better. I will set food goals each week"

Does the program have information for special diets? If you have high blood pressure or diabetes for example, does the program adjust for special needs?

So as you search for the many diet/exercise programs, read them carefully, you want to succeed at this, failing allows for yo yo diets and frustrations. Don't rush into anything.

Fat kids make fat adults

It may not be politically correct to say someone is "fat" but it is the best way to spark an emotion in people.

Between 1981 and 1996 the percentage of overweight kids increased from 11% of boys and 13% of girls to 33% of boys and 27% of girls. The negative health results linked to being overweight include Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol and osteoarthritis. These have been considered adult diseases but are being increasingly diagnosed in children as young as 10 years.

It is clear that overweight children have a likelihood of becoming overweight adults.

Our children have become the victims of our 21st century lifestyles –sugar-coated breakfast bar on the way to school, a school lunch from a fast food establishment, an after school snack of chips and a soda and a dinner that will likely be a frozen entree or take-out of some sort because of the demands on working parents.

In addition, children spend hours in front of television, computers or video games; the time spent in these activities directly correlates with the likelihood of obesity. Other children have too many activities crowded into their schedules with sports, dance, gymnastics, etc. When diets are nutritionally poor, these children are at risk of frequent illnesses and recurrent injuries.

So what can we do? The solution begins with parents and begins with having high-fiber cereals, whole grain toast and fruit on the menu for breakfast. It continues when we send them to school with a nutritionally balanced lunch. Have vegetables cut up with yogurt dip for an after-school snack and make dinner a relaxed family time where everyone enjoys a healthy dinner.

If we improve our eating habits, including a commitment to minimize fast foods, our children will have a much easier time with weight control and illnesses.

So begin today to set a good example for our children. Improve the nutritional content of your meals at home and away from home, turn off the television and go for a walk, and limit the time children spend in front of computers.

Let's make the 21st century the century of wellness, family values and the best quality of life possible.

Staying healthy High Carbohydrate Diets & North America's Obesity Epidemic
A recent article in The New York Times questions the conventional dietary guidelines of the last 30 years which have advocated a diet low in fat and high in carbohydrates. As a result of this, pasta, rice and bread have become the staples of our diets. Additionally, the article notes that the advent of low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets has led to an increase of up to 400 extra calories daily.

It can be a complicated trial to change eating habits, we tend to go towards the light (convenient, tasty, fat foods). It is almost such a habit we have no clue what is making us fat, like we oblivious to the whole situation.

If you about forty sit outside a school and watch the children leave (be careful they think you are weird, try for one of your kids schools) look at the different size of children of today and then think back to when you were in school. In our day (makes us sound ancient) the "fat" kid stood out.

Now there are many children that you would not consider "fat" but their little pots they have sticking out over their jeans and a good example of how people's shapes are changing.

Is it OK to drink from the tap?

We all have to be careful, it isn't like the "old" days where you walked down to the creek and put some water in the bucket. No wells, rivers or puddles do we consider the tasty safe water. Times have changed, we can sick from our water, the very thing that we take for granted, consider it our right to half, now is giving us a reminder to take care of what you have before you lose it.

So you want to stuff a hot dog in it?

What are Nitrites?

Nitrites are salts or esters of Nitrous Acid. Nitrites are found naturally in many foods (formed by reduction of naturally occurring Nitrates).


Commercial Uses of Nitrites

Nitrates are used for Food Preparation Methods
Synthetically manufactured Nitrites are used as Food Preservatives for many Processed Meats and are commonly present in Smoked, Pickled and Cured Foods.

Are Nitrites Harmful?

There are some toxic effects of Nitrites:
Amino Acids - Toxic Byproducts-Nitrites can combine with Amino Acids within the Stomach to form Nitrosamines that are extremely potent carcinogens capable of causing Cancer in many parts of the body, especially:
- Esophagus Cancer
- Larynx Cancer
- Mouth Cancer

These Substances Reduce the Toxic Effects of Nitrites

Amino Acids-Thioproline (TCA) prevents the conversion of dietary Nitrites to Nitrosamines.

Polyphenols-Many types of Polyphenols inhibit the conversion of Nitrites to carcinogenic Nitrosamines within the Stomach.
Tannins inhibit the conversion of Nitrites to carcinogenic Nitrosamines within the Stomach.

Vitamins-Vitamin C inhibits the conversion of Nitrites to carcinogenic Nitrosamines within the Stomach (by up to 81%).
Vitamin E inhibits the conversion of Nitrites to carcinogenic Nitrosamines within the Stomach.

These Foods Reduce the Toxic Effects of Nitrites

Beverages
Coffee inhibits the conversion of Nitrites to carcinogenic Nitrosamines within the Stomach (due to the Polyphenols content of Coffee).
Tea inhibits the conversion of Nitrites to carcinogenic Nitrosamines within the Stomach (due to Polyphenols in Tea).

Fruit
Strawberries inhibit the conversion of Nitrites to carcinogenic Nitrosamines within the Stomach (due to Polyphenols in Strawberries).

Vegetables
Garlic prevents the conversion of dietary Nitrites into carcinogenic Nitrosamines.

Positive Effects of Nitrites

Food Poisoning-Nitrites kill the Clostridium botulinum Bacteria that cause Botulism.

Dietary Sources of Nitrites

Processed Foods
Nitrites are used as a preservative for many types of Processed Animal Foods - their usage as a Food Preservative is being phased out due to their toxic effects.

Moderation is always the key
How many hot dogs do you eat? How many nitrites have you eaten?


Information and resource provided by In-Tele-Health © 2002 (from Hyperhealth Pro CD-ROM)