Archive for the ‘Dieting and Nutrition 101’ Category

H2O: 8 Glasses a day, right? WRONG!

Tired of yo-yo dieting and struggling to maintain weight loss?..Pour yourself a nice tall glass of water!

A very common practice of dieters is to push the caffeinated liquids…green tea, coffee, energy drinks…while these beverages hold to their claim to fame of speeding up the metabolism with excess amounts of caffeine, these drinks actually work against us in terms of hydration because caffiene is a type of diuretic.

caffeine (and alcohol) = increased urination = water loss = dehydration

Who cares, no one wants to be plagued with water weight anyways, right? WRONG! Well, sort-of. Water retention is what causes unwanted “water weight,” this comes from excess sodium intake, an imbalanced diet, and medications or other health factors.  Hydration, however, is a whole different ballgame. Without being hydrated, the body is unable to accomplish normal maintenance and function, and in turn is unable and unwilling to burn any extra unwanted fat.

So in terms of fat loss, the recommended EIGHT glasses a day of water is not nearly enough, pump it up to 1-2 GALLONS per day, and you will see the pounds and inches drop down and STAY down!

Healthy Eating for the Whole Family

A common concern among dieting patients is the inconvenience of cooking one way for the family, and a different way for the individual on the diet. In reality, just a few small adjustments can vaporize this line of separation (too often an excuse for diet deviation).

Green Eggs and Ham: Make breakfast fun! Start your day out right with 25 grams of protein and add a little food coloring to make it fun (and healthy) for the kids as well!

Snack Baggies: Life gets busy, so convenience is often weighed heavier than what may be the healthiest option. Preparation is key to being successful on any diet. Keep snack baggies handy filled with fruits, veggies, or nuts, and encourage kids (and yourself) to grab those for a treat rather than chips or cookies. This way, chips and cookies can be kept out of the house without a big disruption of common daily snacking.

Everyone Needs Protein: Whether dieting or not, every one needs protein. When making family dinners, make the focus on a delicious protein complimented with a hearty vegetable rather than a heavy starchy side or plateful of pasta, this will ensure that everyone is getting a balanced diet. A small side of bread or brown rice can easily be added for growing children or extra hungry husbands, this will simplify dinnertime and allow you to enjoy the meal with the family without the disruption of cooking two different meals each night.

Get into Action!

Benefits of Vitamin B Supplementation

Vitamin B supplementation can be beneficial in all types of lifestyles and situations. Listed here are a few of the many benefits of vitamin B:

• Energy production: vitamin B1 is needed at the cellular level for the conversion of carbohydrates to glucose. The conversion of glucose into usable energy for the body requires B2, B3, B5, B6 and biotin. Without such, individuals may feel lethargic or fatigued.
• Healthy Nervous System: vitamin B5 is needed for proper function of the adrenal glands in the brain, which aid in hormonal balance and healthy nerve regulation. B1, B6, and B12 are needed for overall healthy brain function and B9 has shown to be beneficial in prevention of neural tube defects in babies. Deficiency of B vitamins can cause exaggerated feelings of stress or anxiety.
• Digestion: B-complex vitamins are very important for proper digestion processes, including production of stomach acid (HCl) and proper balance with intrinsic factor (vitamin B12) for an ideal environment for absorption of nutrients.
• Healthy Skin, Hair, and Nails: B vitamins are essential for DNA and RNA synthesis and cell reproduction. Healthy formation of structures that are constantly growing such as hair, nails and skin are dependent on these nutrients. Without B vitamins, deficiency can lead to wrinkles, dry and grey skin, acne, hair loss, or nail splitting.

Example Maintenance Phase Menu

Although eliminated during the hormone phase of the HCG diet, carbohydrates and healthy fats are not necessarily “bad”. Realistically, there are no “bad” foods, all foods are allowed in moderation. Once on the maintenance phase of the diet, we strive for a gradual reincorporation of these foods into daily consumption by eating complex carbohydrates  and simple sugars (fruit) early in the day, and ending the day with vegetables and lean protein, while incorporating healthy (mono- or poly- unsaturated) fats throughout the day. The following is an example of a sample menu for an individual on the maintenance phase of the diet – choose one of the two complex carbohydrate options:

Breakfast 7:00am: Egg white omelet with onions, Swiss cheese and spinach. Option 1 complex carb: 1 cup of WHOLE OATS  (not instant) oatmeal.

Snack 10:00 am: Plain yogurt with berries.

Lunch 12:30pm: Green salad with grilled chicken, vegetables and light Italian dressing. Option 2 complex carb: 1 cup brown rice.

Snack 3:00pm: Celery with peanut butter.

Dinner 6:00pm: Salmon with steamed broccoli.

Snack 8:00pm: Almonds and string cheese.

Friday Night Favorite – HCG Style

Boneless Hot Wings

chicken breast tenders

1/4 cup vinegar

3 tbsp water

1-2 tbsp cayenne pepper

chili pepper (adjust as needed)

In a small bowl mix vinegar, water, and cayenne pepper. Add chicken to marinade and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 350*. Add chili powder to a small dish and dip chicken in chili powder. Place on rack in baking pan. Bake 15-20 min turning halfway through. Serve immediately with some homemade buffalo sauce of Franks Original Red Hot Sauce.

Enjoy your Friday even while dieting!

Overcoming the Challenges of Weekend Dieting

It seems to most, during the busy work week is the easiest time to stick to a very regimented diet. Balancing work and exercise and family activities, there leaves little to no room for idle scavenging. The weekend, however, proves to be a little more challenging for some. Try these tips and tricks to avoid completely throwing all your week’s hard work out the window for two days of overindulgence!

• Have “forbidden foods” for breakfast.

While many diets maintain a strict NO dessert guideline, without a tiny bit of wiggle room we will all be doomed to reach a breaking point to too much restriction and end up finishing off a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. To avoid this type of counter-productivity, if you are having a strong, unending craving for the chocolate cake your family ate last night, or the left over lasagna that your sister made last week, have some. Limit yourself to a reasonable portion size, and eat it for breakfast. This will allow you to fulfill your craving, while also giving yourself all day to burn it off and get back on track with your diet, to avoid guilty feelings about a “ruined” day.

• Start your day out with a solid cardio session

Whether it be running, cycling, swimming, or stair climbing, engaging in cardiovascular exercise in the morning when your stomach is still empty will cause the calories burned to be 80% from fat, whereas cardio any other time of day will give you a result of 50% calories burned from fat. Timing makes a difference!

• Drink that water!

There is no better way to flush the system and get back on track then by increasing water consumption. This will aide the body in regaining balance from any excess salt or sugar consumed. It will also allow the body to utilize the water as body composition and make it much easier for the body to burn any extra stored fat.

Plateau Breakers

Weight fluctuation is normal while on any diet. This is due to the variations of daily activity, water consumption, as well as food intake, specifically sodium. If while on the HCG diet you find yourself stuck at a weight loss plateau, try these plateau breakers:

Apple Day

Consume six large apples throughout the day and drink only enough water to satisfy your thirst.

Apple Cider Vinegar Drink

 In one large glass of water, stir two tbsp of apple cider vinegar, and add Stevia to taste. Drink until weight loss plateau is broken. (Drink with a straw, as apple cider vinegar can be hard on tooth enamel.

These will act to cleanse the body and “reset” your diet intake, while jump starting weight loss.

In addition to these options, you can also try:

• Increasing water consumption
• Adding a glass of green tea
• Cutting down beef intake
• Closely monitoring sugar/sodium content of foods and condiments
• Avoiding the mixing vegetables or addition of new vegetables
• Stop eating out/cheating or consuming diet foods and drinks