Dropping the Fat Tips

21st May 2013

You are in control, not the food - my daily Mantra



Eat slowy, put your fork down between eat mouthful...it really helps to keep you in the moment and appreciate the food your eating.

Drink a glass of water before and after each meal.

Bad Gasto Symptoms
Addictive foods cause cravings, and sometimes gas, bloating and discomfort. Observe which foods you might be addicted to, and substitute other foods or distract yourself to avoid them. It usually takes 3-5 days to completely flush addictive foods from the body to relieve cravings, making weight control significantly easier.

Portion Size does Matter
One of the easiest and most effective ways to control portion size, is to reduce the size of the plates, bowls, cups and glasses that we use on a regular basis. A smaller plate, containing a reasonable amount of delicious food, is often perceived as being more satisfying than an over-sized plate with the same amount of food. Research suggests that our judgement of what constitutes a reasonable portion is dramatically affected by the relative size of the surrounding dish ware. Read this recent article if you're interested: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/04/19/portion-size-controlled-by-plate-size/

Oatmeal
In general, modern diets in many developed countries are too high in sugar, salt and fat. When we make a breakfast staple like oatmeal from scratch, we need between 2-6 ingredients (oats, water, cinnamon, milk, butter, syrup/honey). Here is the ingredient list of a popular brand of instant oatmeal: WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, SUGAR, FLAVORED AND COLORED FRUIT PIECES (DEHYDRATED APPLES [TREATED WITH SODIUM SULFITE TO PROMOTE COLOR RETENTION], ARTIFICIAL STRAWBERRY FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, RED 40), CREAMING AGENT (MALTODEXTRIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY, SODIUM CASEINATE), SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, GUAR GUM, OAT FLOUR, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID. Need I say more?

Occasional Treats (homemade is best)
In moderation, everything can be part of a healthy diet, but especially when desserts are prepared at home, using whole, "real" food ingredients (like eggs, butter, flour, etc) they can be a memorable way to celebrate a special day. The key: deprivation is hard to sustain for long periods of time. Nobody should feel deprived of "treat foods", so serve them occasionally in small portions and enjoy, knowing that they can always be a part of your family's special days and celebrations!

Homemade Pasta Sauce...the real stuff

Many store bought pasta sauces contain additives like corn syrup and maltodextrin that are used to increase shelf-life or improve the "mouth-feel" of a product that is less fresh than its homemade counterpart. Homemade tomato sauce can be made in approx. 10 minutes, using fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and a few simple spices like salt and pepper (or paprika) for flavor. In addition, you can add basil, mushrooms or sauteed ground meat to make variations on your pasta sauce. Warning: if you make your own pasta sauces for a few months consecutively, your children may refuse to eat the kind that comes out of the jar.

What's in your Pasta?
quinoa pasta is higher in protein that regular pasta. Brown rice is higher in fiber, magnesium and zinc than white rice. In the last option, whole wheat pasta would be a healthier choice for most people than plain pasta as it is also higher in fiber. For people with gluten intolerance, there are some delicious pastas made out of quinoa, potato and soy, corn or rice.