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“BEHAVE YOURSELF”
An informational and inspirational
Nutrition and Weight Management Workbook
A SELF GUIDED APPROACH TO LOSE WEIGHT SAFELY AND
TO KEEP IT OFF FOREVER
if you don’t change the behaviors that caused you to gain weight
you’ll never keep it off!
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“BEHAVE YOURSELF”
Table of Contents
Introduction To Weight Control .................................... 3
Why quick weight loss programs don’t work? ...................... 8
The Way Your Body Works ....................................... 17
You Can Do It .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Meal Planning ....................................................... 26
Selecting the Right Foods......................................... 33
Food Selection ..................................................... 38
Dining Out .......................................................... 48
Tricks of the Trade ............................................... 54
Exercise ............................................................ 57
Stress Management................................................ 74
Improving Eating Behaviors ....................................... 77
Positive Affirmations/Self-Esteem ............................... 91
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Introduction To Weight Control
If this is not your first attempt to lose weight, you are not alone. Losing
weight has become a national obsession in the United States with millions of
Americans spending billions of dollars on diets and weight loss programs. The
sad truth is that this nation is far from being healthy. Actually, about 61
percent of adults are obese or overweight. You might look at that percentage
and not really feel the impact of the amount of people with this problem. Let
me try to make it a little clearer, about 38.8 million Americans are classified as
being obese. About one in every four Americans is considered obese. Of these
38.8 million obese Americans, many are suffering from high blood pressure,
diabetes, cholesterol, coronary heart disease, and gallbladder disease,
according to the CDC (Center of Disease Control, which is a national agency that
monitors diseases in the U.S.).
You might be wondering what is the difference between an obese
individual and an overweight individual, or how a person is classified to be obese
or overweight. An obese person is a person with a Body Mass Index (BMI)
greater than 30 kg/m2, And an overweight person is a person with a Body Mass
Index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2 an. BMI is a calculation where your weight in
kilograms is divided by the square of your height in meters (m). To estimate
BMI using pounds and inches is also pretty easy. All you have to do is divide
weight in pounds by the square of height in inches: BMI=weight (lbs)/ height
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4
(in.) x 704.5. An overweight individual has a BMI about 25 kg/m , however their
weight is above what is ideal for their height.
For example, lets use this formula for a person that weighs
186 pounds and is 5 feet 4 inches tall: 186 lb./(64 in.)2 x
704.5 = 31.99, rounded to 32kg/m2. This percentage
indicates that this person is categorized as an obese
individual.
On the surface it seems so simple. People are overweight because they
take in more energy (calories) than they use..... and essentially that statement is
true. However, many other factors contribute to the problem of obesity. It's
clear that genetics plays a role, but so do family eating patterns, social
influences, psychological problems, hormones, metabolism, and even the number
and size of fat cells. Ultimately, being overweight is a combination of factors,
however, energy intake versus energy output are the two factors you can
control. You might be wondering, well what does that mean. That means your
eating more foods that give you energy than the actual amount of energy your
body is using. An example, is that your average amount of calories that you are
eating on a daily basis is about 2500 calories. (Remember an average daily
caloric intake is about 2000 calories.) Your usual physical activities may be
nothing more then working at your desk all day and cleaning up the house when
you get home a little. Obviously, your eating much more then your body needs
to function.
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Unfortunately, the consequences of being overweight are medical as well
as psychological and social. If you're overweight, your chances of having high
blood pressure, elevated blood cholesterol, gallstones, diabetes, heart disease,
and certain cancers increase.
Also, extra weight makes surgery more
complicated and rehabilitation from an injury slower. A scary factor is that well
over 300,000 deaths/year, reported by the Centers of Disease Control, (CDC)
are contributed to obesity.
This means these deaths could have been
preventable. Calm down. This isn’t to scare you, but make you aware of the
dangers of being overweight or obese. The important thing is to have the
information you need
to minimize the likelihood of these problems from
happening.
Overweight individuals experience difficulties other than just body
function. Even more noticeable in day-to-day life are the social/psychological
consequences of being overweight. In our society a thin body is highly valued
and over emphasized..... while an overweight person is often perceived as less
attractive, capable, or successful.
The constant prejudices that most
overweight individuals experience can lead to a poor self-image, less confidence,
a sense of isolation, anxiety, and depression. Although this does not happen all
the time, it happens frequently enough to pressure most overweight people to
try to minimize the size of their love handles, in other words, try to lose the
extra weight. Ideally, society should change its attitude toward overweight
individuals, however, that's probably not going to happen in our lifetime.
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One great distinction of this book in comparison to others is this weight
loss program can be followed by young adults, teenagers, and even children.
Unfortunately, obesity is not only a problem with adults in the great U.S.A. It
is also a big problem with our children and adolescents. In 1994, about 11
percent of our children were overweight or obese. Now, approximately 30
percent of our kids are seriously overweight, .At this time, this is a big (sorry
for the pun) problem in America. There are many reasons for this weight
problem in children. A big contributor is high fat foods and sedentary lifestyles.
Kids now-a-days watch about five hours of television, instead of getting about
20 to 30 minutes of physical activity in their day. Of course, I am sure you’ve
guessed it. That about half of those overweight or obese children grow up to be
obese or overweight adults. Now that you have learned all this information on
the overweight or obesity epidemic in America, it’s time to look at ways we can
solve this problem.
There have been many different ways to actually lose this extra weight.
Treatment for weight loss has included surgical intervention, drugs, gimmicks,
fasting, low calorie drinks, and of course thousands of diets and weight loss
programs. The sheer numbers and diversity of the methods reinforce our
willingness to try almost anything to be thinner. A major flaw in most of these
techniques is in the keeping the weight off. Only programs that encourage
permanent eating changes that allow for weight maintenance have a chance for
long-term success.
The three components necessary to lose weight and keep if off are:
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Learning to Eat Well
This means having meals that give you energy, give your body the nutrients it
needs, and leaves you feeling satisfied. It also means eating foods you like,
fitting them into your lifestyle, and getting the results you want.
Increasing Physical Activity
You need to do aerobic exercise to burn body fat. In addition, you need to do
strength training to increase muscle density and metabolism to keep the fat
from coming back.
Identify and Change Eating Habits that Are a Problem
Habits are just learned behavior. And learned behavior can be unlearned or
replaced with new better behaviors.
Realize that you probably don't really
want to change your current habits, but if you keep eating and exercising the
same way, your weight will also stay the same.
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Why quick weight loss programs don’t work?
“Patience is the Companion of Wisdom”
St. Augustine
An estimated 125 million Americans each year try hundreds of different
types of programs, potions or magic pills to help them solve their problem of
obesity. At any given time millions of Americans are on one of countless weight
loss diets. Of those attempting such commercial diets, only a small percentage
will lose the weight they wanted to lose and of those, only a few will keep the
weight off. People want the results to be quick.
You know, like those
infomercials that promise their consumer to lose a large amount of weight in a
short period of time. Everyone wants to lose weight overnight.
When you really think about it, it takes time to gain weight; it’s not an
overnight process. So why do we expect to lose all our excess fat in such a
short duration of time. It doesn’t make sense. Lets go back to the subject of
diet pills or these famous diets like (1) The Cabbage Soup Diet, (2) the new
Beverly Hills, (3) the Susanne Somers’ Get Skinny on Fabulous food diet, (4)
Protein Power, and (5) Atkins Diet. Why don’t these diets work?
These diets allow you to lose weight fast, however the weight that you’re
losing is water weight and muscle tissue, not just fat. Another problem is that
the dieter never learns how to eat properly in order to maintain their weight.
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If you don’t change the way you were eating and exercising that allowed you to
gain the weight, then that is what you are likely to do when you stop the diet.
So of course, the person that has lost the weight gains it back. Lets try to
understand some of these popular diets.
Cabbage Soup Diet
The Cabbage Soup diet is based n eating only cabbage soup.
This
technique is actually losing weight by starving yourself. The dieter is only
allowed to consume cabbage soup during the day. This diet allows fast weight
loss, however you only lose water weight. It does not burn fat! The Cabbage
Soup Diet has a 99% failure rate. Think about this; could you eat just cabbage
soup for the rest of your life, and would your family and friends want you to.
The New Beverly Hills Diet
This New Beverly Hills diet has been found to be a fraud. The author of
this diet plan is not qualified to write a nutritional diet for weight loss. The
author attempts to teach the dieter that weight loss depends on the
combination of foods. She explains that fruits have enzymes, which assist in
breaking down the fruits that you eat in your system.
This is just not true.
Foods do not have enzymes that break down foods for your body, your body has
enzymes for this. She explains that only the enzymes that are found in the
food your eating can break down that particular food. As an example, she claims
that dietary proteins can only be broken down by protein enzymes, which are in
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the protein foods themselves. Proteins are broken down in the stomach by
pepsin with the addition of hydrochloric acid and further broken-down by
peptidase enzymes produced and secreted by the pancreas. Every one makes
these or they are very ill and under the care of a doctor. The point is that she
can confuse the dieter with the wrong information. Who would want to waste
their time with false information?
The author encourages the dieter to
consume a single type of food a day, like grapes. Can you imagine only eating
grapes all day long? Well, don’t try it. It is not only crazy but very unhealthy as
well.
Susanne Somers’ Get Skinny on Fabulous Food
Before I even begin with the flaws on this diet, a light bulb should go off
in your head that this lady is an actress, not a nutrition specialist. The only
thing that she has promoted in the past that is considered health-related is the
thigh exerciser. Exercise experts have long criticized this piece of exercise
equipment. This alone should make you a little hesitant about following her
weight loss program. The information she includes in her book is false. Her
diet is similar to the Beverly Hills diet where she addresses enzymes being in
foods and mixing and matching mechanisms to be used with specific food groups.
This technique of picking foods has nothing to do with nutrition.
Protein Power
One good thing about this diet is that it advises the dieter to have a
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physical exam, keep a food diary, and consume a large amount of water. This
diet encourages the dieter to use 60 grams of protein a day. The average
American normally takes in about 100 grams of protein a day. This type of diet
cuts out carbohydrates, which makes the diet a very low-calorie diet.
The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet encourages eating high-protein foods without eating any
carbohydrates. This diet can possibly increase the risk of heart disease. The
sad factor in this diet plan is that it never encourages the dieter to learn basic
information about weight management or the skills needed to lead a balanced
nutritional life.
Well, some common facts about all five diets are that they all provide a
low calorie diet. They all encourage the dieter to eat certain foods, which
causes the dieter to have a diet that is deficient in major nutrients. They all
promote the loss of water weight instead of fat burning. A really scary factoid
is that these diets may also cause in increase in health risks if used for
prolonged periods of time. All these diets lead to low fiber intake which can
cause constipation difficulties, which does not sound very good. The high
amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats in the foods that are selected to be
eaten increase the risk of heart disease and possibly some cancers.
To help you understand the healthy, effective way to lose weight, we must
first minimize the negativity directed at losing weight.
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The word diet has negative connotations for most of us.
Without
realizing it, your mind tries to reject negative or painful thoughts.
For
example, do you put off things like going to the dentist or washing windows?
How many times have you said, "Tomorrow I will start my diet.”? Then, you go
eat junk food thinking that you will really stick with the diet you’re going to
start the following day. We all have negative thoughts about diet. Although
the word "diet" simply means "foods eaten," to the dieter the word "diet" means
deprivation, starvation, work, burden, torture, anti-social, suffer, etc. Your
mind handles negative thoughts by either ignoring them or replacing them with
something more pleasant. Since you think about "dieting" as negative, you'll
either ignore it or worse, replace the thought with something more pleasant....
like...ice cream.........candy.........potato chips............(the "good" foods).
As a result of this negative connotation, diets are dealt with as a
temporary situation (you can be deprived, starved, hungry, etc. for short
periods of time). You go ON a diet with great anticipation of when you’ll get
OFF the diet. Before going "on a diet, you'll probably eat things that you feel
you'll be denied while "on the diet." Once "on the diet", your tendency will be
to expect perfection. Surely, this is the perfect diet and if you follow it
perfectly all of your problems will be solved. Who can be perfect all the time?
I know I can’t. Dieters are not perfect nor is the world in which we eat.
Failure is inevitable.
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Another way in which diets set you up for failure is by categorizing foods
you eat when you are on the diet (i.e., celery, cottage cheese, carrots, broiled
fish, etc.) and those you shouldn't eat (i.e., chocolate, cakes, pizza, cookies. ice
cream), the "good" foods. If you can't have the "good" foods, then you must
have to eat the "bad" or less desirable foods. Two things occur. You resent the
foods you must eat and begin to want or crave those you shouldn't eat. And
again, even one bite of the "good foods" and you're now off the diet and free to
eat as much as you want, and either start this diet over or find a new one.
In addition, physiological changes happen during a diet, which make it easy
to gain weight back and harder to lose weight the next time you try. Your body
doesn't know you're "dieting” in the United States, it thinks you're "starving" in
Ethiopia. So when you substantially deprive your body of energy (go on a diet),
your body becomes more efficient and slows down your metabolism. It also gets
ready to store energy as body fat when the crisis (diet) is over. This means
you'll gain back the weight much more quickly than you lost it. Because your
metabolism has become accustomed to you eating much less, so it metabolizes
much less. In addition, during the weight loss process, you probably lost muscle
mass (which is incredibly biologically active and uses calories at a tremendous
rate) and regained it as fat. There is now more fat and less muscle than you
when you started. Is it any wonder that you lost five pounds and put on six?
Perhaps saddest of all are the psychological changes that occur when you fail
repeatedly on diets. You feel miserable while you're "on the diet" but equally as
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miserable when you're "off the diet." At this point, you are likely to believe you are a
failure and with this perception you are likely to continue to fail.
Finally, your expectations of the weight loss process may be unrealistic.
If you are expecting a rapid weight loss in a short period of time, and that
doesn't happen, you are likely to feel hopeless.
During a diet, you are expected to be perfect, eat foods you despise,
deprive yourself of foods you want, and make physiological and psychological
changes that make weight loss even more difficult. Is it any wonder there's
such a high degree of failure?
It seems obvious the first step to permanent weight loss is DON'T
DIET.
Essentially, weight control involves three basic principles: eat well,
exercise, and control problem-eating behavior. The trick, so to speak, is to be
able to apply these principles to your own lifestyle, interests, needs, wants, and
personal circumstances.
Stop thinking in terms of a temporary diet, and start thinking in terms of
where you are now and how to make better eating choices so you can get the
results you want. If you are like most of the American population, you
consistently eat the same ten foods over and over. If you could just change one
of these foods to something better for you, it could mean a major change in
your weight. This book is not designed to tell you what to eat or not to eat.....it
is designed to help you make informed and hopefully better decisions regarding
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the foods you eat. Change your mindset of weight loss!
Remember this quote by Oprah Winfrey, “ My philosophy is that not only
are you responsible for your life but doing the best at this moment puts you in
the best place for the next moment.” THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS THE BEST
YOU CAN DO!
And, the best you can do on Thanksgiving is different than the best you
can do on the following Wednesday. 0r the best you can do at McDonalds is
different from the best you can do in your own kitchen. If you are consistently
making better choices than you've made in the past, you will lose weight. You
never want to put yourself in situations where you are more likely to fail in
making the proper food choice. You don't expect perfection from your friends
and family, don't expect it from yourself. A realistic amount of fat loss is at
most 1 pound per week. That may not sound like much, but remember, a pound
of fat is two measuring cups worth of fat (or 3500 Calories) and that is a
substantial amount to lose in a week. It doesn't happen overnight, but there is
a much greater chance for a permanent change, if the weight is lost
gradually. As with most if life, direction is more important than speed!
The final key component to weight loss is to remain as positive as possible
every day. Focus on what you did right and not on what you did wrong. Think of
being graded and you begin with the grade zero, when you look at the situation
in this manner you can see that you could only improve. When you start with
zero points you can only improve. DO NOT FOCUS ON YOUR MISTAKES.
Focusing on the negative creates more negative and eventually failure. However
when you emphasize on all the right choices you have made, you will have more
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confidence, and be more likely to do more of what you are doing right. Focusing
on the positive creates more positive and eventually success!! Weight control is
inevitable under those circumstances.
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The Way Your Body Works
Since nutrition is the most important need of the body, it makes sense
that eating is important because that's how we get the nutrition we need. Of
all the nutritional needs, energy is the most important. Without energy you
can't move, can't think, and can’t even stay alive. Because of this, your body
has elaborate ways to convert energy from foods to usable energy and to
stored energy (just in case there's no food at some point in the future). This
ability to store energy and conserve energy is so vital, and our predecessors
passed it on so well, that today, we have a population of very efficient energy
storers and conservers; i.e., fat people. Millenniums ago this trait was a
lifesaver, however, today this trait causes disease and even death.
Energy Producing Nutrients
There are three energy-producing nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins,
and fats. They each provide energy in a different way and in different amounts.
For example, carbohydrates provide four calories per gram and fat provides
nine calories per gram. Taking this a step further, this means a pound of dietary
fat has 4000 calories, but a pound of sugar (carbohydrate) only has 1800. Fats
are 2¼ times more concentrated.
Total calories may be your first concern, but it shouldn't be your only
concern. How your body uses the various energy producing nutrients is equally,
if not more, important. Carbohydrates provide your body with an immediate
source of energy called blood sugar. Your brain cannot function without blood
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sugar. If totally deprived, you would feel dizzy, faint, go into a coma and
eventually die. When your body realizes you haven't eaten, and it's getting
dangerously low on blood sugar, it uses the stress hormones to help make more
from your own tissue. This, of course, causes you to be irritable, shaky, and
nervous.... this is Not a pleasant condition.
The brain is not the only part of your body that needs blood sugar to
survive. Blood sugar is the preferred fuel used by your metabolism. Think of
your metabolism as the energy you need each day "just to stay alive". You need
energy to keep cells alive, repair tissue, make digestive enzymes, and create
hormones, etc. This "staying alive" business uses about two-thirds of the total
amount of energy you need each day.... and this is without moving a muscle. So it
follows, if your metabolism is running slower, you are less likely to burn as many
of the calories you eat and much more likely to store them as fat.
Another way your body can use blood sugar is in your muscles. When you
do quick, short-duration movements i.e., getting up from your chair, scratching
your nose, getting something out of the cabinet, or even more intense things
like doing a few pushups, or lifting your briefcase, your muscles prefer to use
sugar because it's readily available. Even during activity of longer duration, i.e.,
walking or biking, when your body prefers to use fat, you still need blood sugar
to start and then maintain that exercise.
If carbohydrates provide blood sugar for brain function, metabolism, and
muscles, why have they received such bad press? Well, here's the bad new and
the worse news. If you eat more carbohydrates than your body can use at
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the time, it simply stores them as (here's the bad news) body fat. And once
stored as body fat (here's the worse news) it can never be turned into blood
sugar again.
This explains why if you overeat one day that you'll still get
hungry the next. Foods laden with simple sugar (candy, cakes, pies, etc) are
the real culprits. These foods with a lot of calories are absorbed quickly and
there's little time for your body to use them. Complex carbohydrates; fruits,
vegetables, beans, rice, grains, etc. may have fewer calories, which are absorbed
more slowly and therefore available longer. Unless eaten in huge quantities,
these foods are much less likely to be stored as body fat.
Your body has a limited store of carbohydrates called glycogen. A normal
size male may have 1400 calories worth and a female about 1200 calories. The
problem is that 80% of this reserve is in muscles and only 20% in the liver. The
muscle reserve is only used for muscles when they are physically active. This is
important during exercise and helps explain why exercise helps keep a person
from getting fat.
If this carbohydrate reserve is depleted, then when
carbohydrates are eaten they have a place to go without the necessity of
turning them to body fat. The liver reserve is what becomes available to
regulate blood sugar when a person hasn’t eaten a dietary carbohydrate for a
while and needs this fuel for energy. Because so little carbohydrate is stored in
the
liver
it
is
possible
to
depleted
this
in
just
a
few
hours.
Since blood sugar is so important, what happens when you haven't eaten and
there aren't any carbohydrates from the diet or in the liver to produce blood
sugar?
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This is one way protein fits into the picture. First, protein is essential
because it is the only nutrient that makes and repairs body protein i.e., muscle,
skin, enzymes, red blood cells, hair, hormones, etc. Since protein is so critical
to life, your body does everything it can to protect and conserve it. Because
your body is so good at conserving protein, (by reusing the building blocks of
proteins called amino acids), it needs only a small amount each day. A maximum
of 45 grams for a female and 60 grams for a male is the recommended amount
of protein per day. This equates to no more than 4-6 ounces of animal protein
per day. Since complex carbohydrates also provide protein, you can eat even
less animal protein and still get all you need. If you eat more protein than you
need, the excess will be stored as fat and once again is never again
available for use as body protein. In a nutshell, you can't turn fat into muscle.
Protein, however, is your salvation when you haven't eaten. Rather than
die, your body can turn protein into blood sugar, if none is otherwise available
(i.e. when you skipped breakfast). During this scenario, the only protein available
is your own body protein, so you actually burn part of your own tissue to fuel
your brain and your metabolism when you don't eat. It seems obvious that you
couldn't do this for long periods of time without wasting away. To prevent this
from happening, your body slows your metabolism and learns to live on less fuel.
This is called metabolic hibernation. The more you deprive your body of energy,
the slower your metabolism gets. With a slower metabolism, foods that you do
eat are less likely to be used and more likely to be stored as fat. This is why
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when you go on a "diet" to lose weight, you may lose a substantial amount of the
weight as muscle, but when the diet is stopped you gain it back as fat.
The last energy-producing nutrient is dietary fat. The purpose of fat is
to provide a lot of concentrated energy for storage. When we lived in a society
that demanded a great deal of physical activity each day, fat provided those
calories. Fortunately or unfortunately, in the last century the amount of fuel
needed for physical work has drastically decreased. In addition, because a
large variety of foods are always available in the United States, extra body fat
is no longer necessary for survival.
A sensible way to reduce fat storage is to eat less dietary fat. Nearly all
(97%) of dietary fat must be stored as body fat before you can use it. So when
you eat that pat of butter, it will end up on your hips, thighs, or abdomen before
you can use it. And here’s the real kicker, once you have deposited fat on your
body, the only part of your body that can use it is your muscle. If you’re not
physically active each day, there’s no way your muscles can use the amount of
fat you’ve stored.....so you get fatter and fatter. If you’re saying, “But, I’m
physically active each day, chasing after kids, or running an office,” your idea
of being physically active doesn’t come close to the degree of movement
necessary to burn substantial amounts of fat and change your body to use
more fat in the future. Therefore, you probably need to add some “formal”
exercise to your weekly routine.
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Since your muscles are the only part of your body that can use fat as a
fuel and they will only use fat as a fuel in the presence of oxygen; “aerobic” or
“cardiovascular” exercise will use body fat most effectively. The term aerobic
simply means with oxygen and includes all continuous, long duration types of
exercise including activities like walking, biking, swimming, aerobic dance, etc.
(See exercise section for more information).
The following diagram is a summation of how your body process energy
from the foods you eat. Note that once any of the energy containing dietary
nutrients; carbohydrate, protein or fat, becomes body fat that the only place it
can go is to muscle and the only time the body will use a lot of fat is therefore
when we use our muscles, i.e. we exercise.
(see 100 healthiest foods at the end of this workbook)
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FOOD/ ENERGY DYNAMICS
DIETARY
BODY FUEL
carbohydrat e
prot ein
body
prot eins
fat
all
USED FOR
blood sugar
brain
met abolism
body
fat
Long Term
muscle
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Non-Energy Producing Nutrients
Three nutrient categories are essential for a healthy body but do not
provide energy. They are vitamins, minerals and water.
Vitamins and minerals are the most misunderstood of all the nutrients.
Their job is to release energy from food, assist in nerve and muscle reactions,
help heal wounds, maintain healthy bones, teeth, hair and skin, and are a part of
all cell membranes, hormones, etc. Obviously, certain amounts of each vitamin
and mineral are essential for good health and well being.
We know that if you don’t get enough of each of the vitamins/minerals you
can develop symptoms of malnutrition. These symptoms disappear when the
missing nutrient is supplied.
Often it is assumed that if a little vitamin
supplementation is good, a lot is even better. Not only is there no sound
scientific proof this is true; some vitamins and minerals may be harmful in large
quantities. Because of this misconception and the widespread practice of taking
vitamins and minerals in pill form, the American Dietetic Association, American
Society of Clinical Nutrition, American Institute of Nutrition, and the National
Council Against Health Fraud have issued a joint statement warning Americans
about unnecessary and sometimes unsafe use. Think about it this way, a 1000 mg
supplement of Vitamin C each day is the equivalent of eating 20 oranges. Do you
really think that you need to eat 20 oranges each day just to stay healthy?
The best way to make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals is
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to eat a variety of foods each day, focusing on the carbohydrates; fruits,
grains, and vegetables. If you’re still concerned, a low dose multivitamin/mineral
supplement may be taken.
Water, the most abundant substance in your body, accounts for 50-60%
of your weight. Water is essential for proper functioning of all body cells, for
transportation of nutrients throughout the body, the excretion of waste
products, regulation of body temperature, and lubrication of the joints. As a
matter of fact, scientists estimate that you could lose all stored glycogen
(carbohydrate), most reserve fat, and almost half your muscle and still survive.
However, water loss of just 10% is serious and loss of 20-22% can be fatal.
The daily intake of fluid should be six to eight glasses. All fluids count
toward this requirement. Some foods, especially fruits and vegetables also
supply water. Because water has weight, you will lose weight if you lose water,
but losing water weight does not affect on how fat you are.
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Meal Planning
or "Eating the Real World"
Far more important than learning how to follow a diet is the idea of learning
to eat well in the real world. "Eating well" means:

satisfying the nutritional needs of your body.

eating foods you like.

fitting meals into your current lifestyle.

getting the results you want.
You probably don't have much trouble with the first three points. Most
Americans easily satisfy the nutritional needs of their bodies for energy,
protein, vitamins, minerals, and water. You probably eat foods that you enjoy
and the way you're eating probably fits comfortably into your current lifestyle;
but what about the fourth point? Are you as thin and lean as you would like, do
you feel as energetic as you could, is your cholesterol and blood pressure
(sugar) where you want it, are you as healthy as you would like to be? If you
can't answer yes to these questions, then it's time to examine your eating
behaviors. How can you make small changes which will allow you to eat foods you
like, will fit into your lifestyle, will meet your nutritional needs, and will get you
the results you want?
There are five easy to follow rules to "eating well." You can use these rules
at fast food restaurants, fine dining establishments or in your own kitchen. As
long as you are following them the best you can, in each place, you will get the
results you want.
27
Rule 1: Plan your meals throughout the day.
There are two parts to this rule; the first part is the PLAN. If you're like
most of us in the U.S., you give very little conscious thought to eating well.
You'll eat foods that are convenient (like donuts at the coffee station or drivethru meals at McDonalds) or you may eat what you ALWAYS eat (habit!). Even
though you may like a wide variety of foods, you probably buy the same foods
each week at the grocery store or order the same meals over and over when you
go to restaurants. To eat better, you must start to think about what you're
going to eat. With eating, as with most of life, if you fail to plan, plan to fail.
The rest of the rules will teach you what to plan, but for now just realize that
if you don't have a plan, you will fall into old habits.
The second part of this rule is THROUGHOUT THE DAY. It's really quite
simple, eat the most when you are the most active and eat the least when you
are the least active. For most of us, this means eating more on the days you are
most active and less on the less active days. On a daily basis this means eating
more early in the day and less late in the day. Unfortunately, the opposite is
usually true. Your rationale is probably; if I'm not hungry for breakfast, why
eat? And if you're busy during lunch, why stop to eat? Research has proven
that if you eat most of your calories late in the day, then there is a greater
likelihood that more of those calories will turn into fat. There is a very
appropriate name for this eating pattern.
It's called what I call "Sumo
Wrestler Meal Planning." Sumo Wrestlers want to be fat, so they eat very
little during the day when they are training, and eat most of their food late at
28
night. This way they are assured that those calories will turn into fat! Even
though your food intake may resemble this pattern, it is just the opposite of
what you want.
There are many research studies that prove this point. The individuals
eating most of their calories early in the day, lost more weight than those who
"saved" their calories for the end of the day. Here are the reasons why. First,
if you remember from the nutrition chapter, when you don't give your body
enough energy (blood sugar), it simply reacts by slowing your metabolism (using
less energy). It's essentially saying, “you're not giving me enough energy, so
I'd better learn to survive on less”. It's the same principle that prompts you to
slow down your car and turn off your air conditioner if you find yourself very
low on gas. You're attempting to conserve the gas you have by using less. Your
body is no different.
Second, when you do give your body energy, it will try to make up for
everything it didn't eat previously. In other words, once you start to eat, it is
difficult to stop. When you don't eat, your body secretes hormones, which
suppress hunger. That's why individuals who have been on fasting type diets say
they are not hungry after a few days. When you do finally start to eat, your
body secretes other hormones that will keep the appetite stimulated so you will
continue to eat. Your body thinks it is being starved and doesn't know when the
next meal will be available, so it wants to stock up!
29
Rule 2: Eat a variety of foods at each meal
Eating a VARIETY OF FOODS at each meal will help you in two ways. First,
there are many nutrients and chemicals you need to be healthy. Obviously all
these nutrients can't be found in any one food. So just to meet your nutritional
needs to stay healthy, you should eat a variety of foods. Second, and perhaps
even more important for some one attempting to lose weight, is the idea of
deprivation.
Eating small portions of many different foods is much more
satisfying than eating a larger portion of one food. For example, if you were
having broiled chicken for dinner, how much would you have to eat to feel
satisfied? Well, have you just overeaten chicken? What if you had a garden
salad, green beans, baked potato, and sliced fresh strawberries; now how much
broiled chicken would you need to eat to feel satisfied? Get the point! There is
no magical calorie intake or specific serving size that will guarantee that a
person will lose weight (or gain) but common sense says that the meal with more
variety is a more nutritious meal and that if I were trying to lose weight I could
eat more salad or green beans or strawberries if I were still hungry.
Rule 3: Center your meal around the carbohydrate Foods.
When you ask the question "What's for dinner?", what do you expect to
hear? Probably a meat or protein, such as chicken or meatloaf. However, the
CARBOHYDRATE FOODS are the foods that contain the most nutrition and
the most usable energy, while providing the least amount of total calories.
Carbohydrate foods are fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, grains, pasta, and
potatoes.... i.e., from the plant kingdom, or in other words, any real food that
30
never had a mother. These foods contain no cholesterol and very little fat
(and the fat they do have are the better ones called unsaturated fat). They
contribute most of the vitamins and minerals your body needs, and they are high
in fiber and water (which make them very filling). The only question left is this,
are there any of these foods that you like and would fit into your lifestyle? If
so, plan these foods first when putting a meal together. Consider this rule
carefully. Many of these foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, have been labeled as
the ones that make you fat, and perhaps if eaten in large amounts they may.
Though I have never known anyone personally that has sat down to eat a meal of
8 baked potatoes, I am sure that some one has actually eaten too much bread or
pasta at one meal. Important to this is to implement rules one and two before
rule three. In terms of ‘other’ carbohydrate foods like soft drinks, pastries,
candies, cookies, “Do these sound like real foods to you”?
Rule 4: Minimize fat all the time, sugar and alcohol at any one time.
After you've planned your meal and the carbohydrate foods are the main
part of the meal, the first part of next rule, MINIMIZE FAT, becomes
important. Dietary fat has no choice but to be stored as body fat, so when you
are eating that pat of butter, the oily salad dressing, the cheese sauce, the
fatty meat or dessert, you might as well be putting the fat right on your hips,
thighs, stomach or buttocks. It makes sense that reducing the amount of fat in
your diet could make an impact on the amount of fat you store on your body.
Once the fat is stored on your body the only good way to get rid of it is to
exercise. You do NOT get rid of fat by trying to under eat the next meal (or
31
day) as your body still has nutrient requirements (see previous section)). It is
not possible to eat a zero fat diet and that is not what is being suggested. It is
important, however, to choose foods and ingredients that are as low in fat as
possible. Low fat is not synonymous with low calories so use common sense when
you use foods with this label.
The second part of rule four is MINIMIZE SUGAR AND ALCOHOL at any
one time. Though sugar is not the worst thing you could eat, it's not the best
thing either. The problem with sugar is you can take in a lot of calories with
very little food. For example, you could have 16 jellybeans or a whole baked
potato for the same number of calories. Which is more filling? Which is more
nutritious?
(I know, you want me to ask,” which taste the best”?). Another
reason to minimize sugar is the company it keeps. With few exceptions (like the
jellybeans), foods that are high in sugar are also high in fat, i.e., cookies, candy
bars, donuts, cakes, brownies, etc.
All dietary fat must be stored as body fat, but some of the calories from
sugar can be used before the storage process. Therefore, if you must choose
between the two, choose sugar. That's why the rule reads: Minimize fat all
the time and sugar and at any one time. The same is true for alcohol. Alcohol
is not a problem in small amounts (one alcoholic beverage per day). There is
even some research, which indicates this amount of alcohol, can have a positive
effect on your HDL cholesterol levels (the "good" cholesterol). However, as you
probably realize, alcohol has negative effects if consumed in larger quantities.
32
Rule 5: Don't worry about protein.
As you may recall, your body is very good at saving and reusing proteins;
therefore, very little dietary protein is needed each day. Protein is found in
both carbohydrate foods (like vegetables and pasta, beans bread etc.) and
animal products. One way of meeting your protein needs is to eat a variety of
carbohydrate foods each day. However, since most of us associate protein with
meat and other animal products; it is possible to have a healthy diet that
includes them. The problem with animal protein is that it is usually very high in
fat and is the foods that contain dietary cholesterol. To minimize the fat, it is
necessary to add protein to the diet LAST, LEAN, AND LESS. If you deemphasize or add meat last in the meal planning process you'll be off to a good
start. Then try to add leaner proteins,( i.e., chicken, turkey, fish, and low fat
dairy products) and simply use less of them. Or not at all.
33
Selecting the Right Foods
“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve”
Napoleon Hill
Here is the Food Pyramid. This pyramid is a guide to what foods to eat and
the quantity of foods of eat in order to eat healthier. Here are the examples
of the amount of foods to eat.
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 ½ ounces of natural 2 ounces
cheese
cheese
of
process
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
2-3 ounces of cooked ½ cup of cooked dry beans, 1 egg, or 2 tablespoons
lean meat, poultry, or of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of lean meat.
fish
Vegetable
1 cup of
vegetables
raw
leafy ½
cup
of
other ¾ cup of vegetable juice
vegetables, cooked or
chopped raw
Fruit
1 meduim apple, banana, ½ cup of chopped, ¾ cup o ffruit juice
orange
cooked, or canned fruit
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
1 slice of bread
1 ounce of ready-to-eat ½ cup of cooked cereal,
cereal
rice or pasta
This should give you a better picture of what to eat and how much to eat.
34
However the tables below should give more of a planner of what to eat, and how
many times a day. Remember our goal is to lose weight in a healthy manner. WE
also aim to make our metabolism faster, and this requires a person to eat.
Let's practice. Write down meals that you like and might normally eat.
Then write down a meal that you could eat at the same place, BUT, use the rules
for meal planning to make it a loft healthy meal centered on the carbohydrate
foods.
Meal
Healthier Version
Meal
Healthier Version
35
Meal
Healthier Version
Meal
Healthier Version
Meal
Healthier Version
Meal
Healthier Version
Sample Pattern
BREAKFAST
SNACK
Example
Example
Fruit
Starch
Starch
Dairy
Meat (optional)
Fat - minimal
sliced banana - 1
bran flakes - 1 oz = 1/2 cup
raisin toast w/honey - 1 slice
1% milk - 8 oz
36
lite syrup - 1 oz
pancakes - 2
skim/low fat m
coffee
Fruit or Starch or Dairy
graham crackers-6
banana
Vegetable
Vegetable
Starch
Starch
Fruit
Meat/Dairy (optional)
Fat - minimal
salad w/lowfat dressing
vegetable soup - 1 c.
bread - 2 slices
apple - 1
turkey - 2 oz
mayo - 1/2 tbsp
coleslaw – vinai
lettuce & toma
bread - 2 slices
roast beef w/B
grapes – 12 (bu
water or diet s
Fruit or Vegetable or Starch
Air popped popcorn - 3 cups
baby carrots
Vegetable
Vegetable
Starch
Starch
Meat
Fruit
spinach salad - lots
broccoli - lots
baked potato - 1 lg
shrimp cocktail - 4 oz
sherbet - 1/2 c.
salad - tossed
tomato sauce spaghetti - 1 1/
green beans - l
sliced cantalou
Fruit or Starch or Dairy
frozen grapes - 12
non-fat yogurt
(IF NEEDED)
LUNCH
SNACK
(IF NEEDED)
DINNER
SNACK
(IF NEEDED)
Sample Meal P
Day #1
37
Day #2
Da
Breakfast
Bite size shredded wheat 1 oz
Milk - low fat /skim
8 oz
Banana
½ med
Toast - whole wheat
1 sl
Jelly
1 tsp
Lowfat Waffle
Lite Syrup
Tbsp
Milk - lowfat/skim
Snack
Grapes
10-15
Frozen Juice Bar
Vegetable soup
Crackers
Baked Potato
Apple
Iced Tea
1 cup
8 sm
1 med
1 med
Broiled Chicken Sandwich
Salad w/ lowfat dressing
Apple
1 med
Diet Soda
Turkey Sandw
Turkey
bread - whole
mayonnaise/n
Pretzels
Diet Soda
Popcorn
3-4 cups
Crystal Lite lemonade 12 oz
Graham cracke
Milk, lowfat /s
Lunch
2
2
8 oz
1
Eggwhite omel
w/mixed vege
Toast, whole w
Orange Slices
Coffee
Apple
Snack
Granola Bar
(lowfat)
Dinner
Salad with lowfat dressing
Soup/Minestrone
1 cup
Spaghetti
1 cup
with Tomato Sauce
½ cup
Bread
1 sl
Broccoli
1 cup
Salad w/low fat dressing 1 T
Broiled snapper
4 oz
Rice
3/4 cup
Green Beans
lots
Peach Slices
6 slices
Salad w/lowfa
Grilled chicken
Dinner Roll
Margarine
tsp
Corn on the Co
Carrots
cup
Snack
Melon Balls
Nonfat frozen yogurt
Strawberries
1
1 cup
4 oz
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Food Selection
What you eat will ultimately depend upon the choices you make about the
foods around you. The foods can be in your house at restaurants, in vending
machines, or next to the coffee pot at work. It=s important to remember some
choices are better than other=s and its up to you to do anything and everything
you can to make available the better selection. Most importantly, you need to
plan the foods that will be around your house and those that you are going to
eat outside the house. Here are some general guidelines to remember when you
go shopping.
FOOD PURCHASING
 Shop for food after you have eaten.
 Use a shopping list to avoid impulsively buying food and avoid
buying
foods which will sabotage your weight loss.
 Start by choosing an array of fresh fruits, fresh or frozen vegetables,
grain products such as whole wheat bread or pasta, low fat dairy
products, and lean meat, poultry, or fish.
 Fruits are often canned in heavy syrup, which is a high-sugar product.
Buy fruits canned in their own juice or water.
 Choose skim milk which saves about 100 calories per 10 oz glass as
compared to whole milk. Two glasses daily are equivalent to 20 pounds of
fat per year.
 Switch to skim milk cheese rather than high fat cheeses. This can
50 calories per ounce.
save
39
 Stock up on vegetables to provide for low calorie dishes and appetizers.
 Select water packed rather than oil packed fish. This can save up to 200
calories per can.
 Avoid the candy, cookie, or other problem food areas in your supermarket.

Choose poultry, fish, and leaner cuts of red meat.
LABELING TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS
FREE (e.g., sugar-free, cholesterol-free): The amount of the substance in a
serving is nutritionally and physiologically inconsequential. If free is used
to describe a food normally free of the substance, the label must state
this (e.g. “vegetable oil, a cholesterol free food).
LOW (e.g., low -fat, low-sodium): This term can be used on foods that can be
eaten frequently without exceeding dietary guidelines for
fat,
cholesterol, sodium, and/or calories. Maximum amounts per serving are
specified as:
 low fat: 3 g or less per serving
 low saturated fat: 1 g or less per serving
 low sodium: less than 140 mg per serving
 very low sodium: less than 35 mg per serving
 low cholesterol: less than 20 mg per serving
 low calorie: 40 calories or less per serving
If low is used to describe a food normally low in the substance, the label
must state this.
LIGHT (e.g. Light Syrup): This can mean three things:
1 A nutritionally altered product contains one-third fewer calories or
half the fat of the reference food. If the food has more than 50
percent or more of its calories from fat, the reduction must be 50
percent of the fat.
2 The sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food has been reduced by
40
50 percent.
3 Light can also refer to the texture and color of a product , as long as
the label explains the intent, i.e. light brown sugar.
REDUCED (e.g. reduced fat cream cheese): A nutritionally altered product
contains 25 percent less of a nutrient or of calories than the regular, or
reference, product. However, a reduced claim can’t be made on a product
if its reference food already meets the requirement for a “low” claim.
LESS (e.g. less fat, less sodium): A food, whether altered or not, contains 25
percent less of a nutrient than the reference food. For example,
pretzels that have 25 per cent less fat than potato chips could carry a
“less” claim.
MORE (e.g., more vitamin C): A serving contains at least 10% more of the Daily
Value than the reference food.
GOOD SOURCE (e.g., good source of vitamin E): A serving contains 10-19% of
the Daily Value of a beneficial nutrient.
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FOOD PREPARATION
In order to reduce calories in food preparation; cut down on fat and
sugar. Fat is the most calorically dense nutrient. One ounce has 255 calories.
Reducing fat intake even a little can mean reducing calories a lot. Fat is found
in three main types of foods: meats, dairy, and added fats such as butter,
margarine, and oils.
MEAT - In the American diet, meat contributes a major portion of calories and
fat. Reduction of portion size can help cut calories and intake of fat. Proper
selection and preparation will help further. Here are a few suggestions for
preparing the right meats or their substitutes properly.
Make lean cuts even leaner by:
 trimming away all visible fat
 removing the skin on poultry
 browning without added fat
 chilling drippings to remove excess fat
Tenderize leaner cuts by:
 cubing, grinding, pounding, or slicing thin
 marinating in beer, wine, or terriyaki
 aging
 using commercial tenderizers (Watch out for salt)
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Use cooking procedures such as:
 Moist heat (braising, stewing, pot roasting, or cooking in foil)
 Dry heat (broiling, roasting, BBQ, stir fry, rotisserie, or grilling)
When roasting meat, use a rack that allows fat to drip away during cooking.
A low roasting temperature (under 400N ) helps increase fat drip off. High
temperatures sear the meat and seal in the fat.
When you brown ground meat, drain off the extra fat that is released into
the skillet. Many recipes call for browning ground meat in added fat, but there
is enough fat in the meat so it can brown easily in its own fat.
Lean meat does not necessarily mean tough meat. Use the following moist heat
methods to help tenderize lean meats.
Braising - brown meat on all sides without added fat. Season with herbs and
spices. Add a small amount of water (1/4-1/2 cup).
Cover tightly to hold steam in for softening and tenderizing. Cook at low
(simmering) temperatures on top of the range or in a slow oven (300-325o F)
until tender. Another word for braising is fricasseeing.
Stewing - brown meat on all sides without added fat, cover with water then
cover the pot. Cook just below boiling (185o F) until tender (boiling will toughen
43
meat). Vegetables may be added just long enough before serving to cook until
crisp.
If you prefer to use dry heat methods such as roasting or broiling:
tenderizing less tender cuts of meat is helpful. Commercial tenderizers can be
used but they are high in sodium. Tenderizing may be accomplished by the
following methods:
Marinating - marinades are liquids which usually contain food acids to help
soften the meat fibers and connective tissues. Acceptable marinades can be
made from vinegar, lemon or lime juice, wine, unsalted vegetable juice, and
various herbs and spices.
Meat is usually soaked in marinade under
refrigeration for 6-24 hours.
Pounding - meat fibers can be tenderized by pounding with a heavy mallet or any
heavy kitchen object.
Cubing - this is a more thorough process than pounding that is done by a
machine at the meat counter. This is not the same as Acubing meat for stew.
DAIRY - When recipes call for milk, you can usually substitute low fat milk
without problems. A cup of whole milk has eight grams of fat, 2% milk has only
five grams, and skim milk only a trace. Even if you don=t care to drink skim milk,
few people notice any difference in flavor when it's used in cooking. Look for
44
low fat dairy products. Many cheeses and yogurt come in low fat varieties. You
will have to read labels carefully. Some low fat foods are less fat but not low
fat.
EGGS - Eggs can cause problems since the egg yolk has five to seven grams of
fat and is high in cholesterol. Since both the cholesterol and fat are in the egg
yolk, not the egg white, you can substitute two egg whites for one whole egg.
An egg yolk has 60 calories, an egg white only 17. Of course, this won=t work if
the recipe requires a yolk as in custard.
ADDED FATS - Many recipes call for too much oil or butter. A cookie recipe
that calls for a cup of shortening will still work with 3/4 or 2/3 of a cup - and
that will save about 50 grams of fat and 400 calories. If the recipe requires
that the pan be greased, use as little oil or fat as possible. You can pour in a
little and spread it with a paper towel. An even better alternative is vegetable
oil spray.
When making soups and stews, chill before serving, this will cause the fat to
come to the surface and harden. Before re-heating, skim off the fat. You will
not hurt the taste, but you will cut calories and fat content.
SUGAR - Luckily, it is easy to cut down on sugar without a noticeable change in
taste. Since sweetness is a learned taste, if you cut back gradually, you will not
notice the difference. For example, if a recipe calls for a cup and a half of
45
sugar (1,440 calories!) Try a cup and a quarter (1,200 calories). Maybe next
time try a cup (960 calories) and see how that works. In general, you can cut
sugar in most recipes by a least a fourth without noticing a difference. Of
course, another way to decrease sugar is to use artificial sweeteners. These
may not always work well in recipes, especially when heating is necessary, but
they are a good substitute for added sugar to items like cereal and beverages.
Make full use of herbs and low calories seasoning agents such as vinegar,
mustard, hot pepper sauce, etc., to sharpen taste.
Fruit, tomato juice, and
fat-free bouillon may also be added.
Here is a description of popular herbs and spices with suggested uses:
SPICE
DESCRIPTION
USES
ALLSPICE
Resembles a blend of cinnamon cloves
and nutmeg
Whole: meats
Ground: baked goods, relishes, fruits.
ANISE
Licorice-flavored fruit of small plant grown
in Spain and China
Baked Goods
BASIL
(Sweet Basil)
Leaves and stems of plant from the mint
family
Tomato dishes, peas, squash, string
beans, and soups
BAY LEAVES
Aromatic leaves of laurel tree
Stews, sauces, soups, fish, chowder , and
meats.
CARRDAMON
Dried fruit of plant of the ginger family
Baked Goods
CARAWAY
SEEDS
Dried fruit of plant of parsley family
Baked goods, cabbage, and noodles
CAYENNE
Spicy small peppers
Meats, sauces, and fish
CELERY SEEDS/
POWDER
Seed of parsley family, not the same as
celery used as a vegetable
Salads, salad dressings, and vegetables
CHERVIL
Leaves of an herb grown in many countries
in the temperate zone
Soups, salads, French dressing, fish, and
chicken
CHILI POWDER
Blend of chili peppers and other spices
Mexican dishes, stews, sauces, and
shellfish
46
CORIANDER
Dried ripe fruit of herb of the parsley family
Whole: baked goods and mixed green
vegetables Ground: rolls
CINNAMON
Bark of tree grown in Eastern countries
Whole: stewed fruits and hot drinks
Ground: baked goods and mashed sweet
potatoes
CLOVES
Bud of Clove tree grown in Eastern
countries
Whole: stews and fruits. Ground: baked
goods and vegetables
CUMIN
Small dried fruit of parsley family
Soups, cheeses, and pies
CURRY
POWDER
Blend of many spices. Important in India
Vegetables, French dressing, fish, meat,
and fish chowder
DILL
Small, dark seed of dill plant from India
Salad, soups, fish, sauces, and spiced
vinegar
FENNEL
Small seedlike fruit with sweet taste
somewhat like anise
Fish
GARLIC
Commonly used plant for fresh flavoring
Strong flavor. Used in ground form and as
cloves
Salad dresing, salads, meats, soups,
sauces-especially tomato, fish, poultry, and
vegetables
FINGER
Root of tuberous plant grown in Asia and
Africa
Whole: applesauce Ground: baked
goods, fruits, and meats
MACE
Fleshy, orange-red material between
nutmeg shell and outer husk
Whole: fish
Ground: baked goods and noodles
MARJORAM
Herb of mint family
Stews, soups, fish, and poultry
MINT
Dried leaves, strong, sweet flavor
Soups, stews, meats, beverages, fish, and
sauces
MRS DASH
Blend of 14 herbs and spices, predominant
flavor of lemon and garlic
Soups, stews, sauces, poultry, meat, fish
vegetables, salads, and salad dressings
MUSTARD
Small seed grown in U.S. and Europe.
Classified as a spice.
Whole: salads, fish, and meat
Dry: meats and sauces
NUTMEG
Kernel of nutmeg fruit
Ground: baked goods, sauces, fruits,
and cauliflower
ONION
Commonly used plant for fresh flavoring
Meats, soups, sauces-especially tomato,
fish, poultry, salads, salad dressings, and
vegetables
OREGANO
Dried leaves of herb of mint family. Similar
in flavor to marjoram, but stronger
Pork, beef stew, and tomato sauces
PAPRIKA
Colorful red garnish for many foods
Chicken, fish, salad dressing, meats, and
vegetables
PARSLEY
Dried leaves of parsley used in cooking as
well as garnish
Soups, salads, meat, fish, sauces, and
vegetable dishes
PEPPER
Small dried berry of vine native to the East
Indies. A very important and popular spice
Whole: soups and meats. Ground (black
and white): meats, sauces, vegetables,
soups, and salads.
ROSEMARY
Dried leaves of evergreen shrub of the mint
family. Sweet and fresh tasting
Lamb, soups, stews, beef, fish, and stock
47
SAFFRON
Dried part of the flower of the crocus family
The world's most expensive spice
Baked goods, rice, and chicken
SAGE
Dried leaves of an herb of the mint family.
A very popular herb
Pork, fish, poultry, and green salad
SAVORY
Dried leaves of herb of the mint family
Meats, chicken, fish, and sauces
TARRAGON
Dried leaves and flowering tops of herbs,
tastes similar to anise
Sauces, salads, meats, chicken, tomato
dishes, and vinegar
THYME
Dried leaves of plant of mint family
Stews, soups, poultry, fish chowder,
sauces, and tomatoes
TURMERIC
Root of plant of ginger family, Ingredient of
curry family
Meats, salads, usually in combination with
mustard, fish, and seafood.
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Dining Out
Dining out is a necessity for many people. Though it may be a little
difficult at first while you are changing your eating behaviors it is not
impossible. In fact, by learning a few helpful tips on how to order, it’s really
quite easy. Here are some tips:
 Plan ahead of time what you are going to eat.
 Eat at restaurants that offer a variety of foods.
 Don’t ever starve yourself all day along. This often leads to
overeating.
 If you are planning to eat out late in the evening, have a small
snack earlier in order to help control your appetite.
 Place problem foods such as crackers, butter, sour cream, etc. out
of reach.
 When selecting meat always look for plainly prepared items such as
broiled or roasted chicken, turkey, fish, steak, or chops.
 Avoid fried foods, breaded, or casserole type items and order
without sauce or gravy.
 Most meat items will usually be served in greater amounts than you
need. so don’t be bashful about asking for a doggy bag.
 Help yourself to large portions of vegetable salads, plain
vegetables, and plain side dishes of pasta, rice or potato. Avoid
items that are fired or in a sauce.
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 Choose plain breads and rolls, such as French, Italian, whole wheat,
and sourdough.
Avoid breads such as muffins, biscuits, and
crackers.
 Choose fresh fruit for desert if possible. Avoid items such as
cakes, pies, and ice cream.
 Avoid adding any extra fat to your meal. Remember, margarine s
just as many calories as butter. Many items have many hidden fat
added in their preparation. Look for words like: sautéed- friedescalloped- crispy –creamed- au gratin.
 Don’t be afraid to ask for special preparation and serving
considerations, such as broiling with no added fat, salad dressing
on the side, or a plain baked potato. Always ask if you don’t
understand what a particular menu item might contain or how it is
prepared.
Most restaurants will try to accommodate any special request when ordering
meals. Some may provide better choices than others. Restaurants, which
usually offer a good variety of acceptable choices, include:
Chinese or Japanese
These restaurants usually provide a number of vegetable, chiken, fish,
seafood, and rice dishes. Chinese and Japanese cooking may use large amounts
of oil in stir-frying. It is a good idea to ask that a minimum amount of oil be
used. Avoid items such as egg rolls, barbecue wings or spare ribs, fried rice,
and chicken noodles. If you are watching your salt intake ask that monosodium
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glutamate (MSG) not be used in preparation. Some good choices in these
restaurants would be:
Chicken, shrimp, or vegetable chow mein
Chop Suey with steamed rice
Chicken, shrimp, or vegetable lo mein
Vegetable or seafood delights
Chicken with broccoli or snow peas
Sushi
All of the above may be accompanied by steamed white rice.
ITALIAN
Pasta dishes with a plain tomato, marinara, or seafood sauce are good choices
at these restaurants. Minestrone soup, salad, and of course, plain Italian bread
can be added to a pasta dish to make it a delicious and filling meal. Remember
to watch the serving size even though pasta is a good choice try to keep it to
11/2 cups. Avoid entrees that are fried such as eggplant and Veal Parmigiana or
those with cheese, cream, or white (oil) sauces such as Fettucini Alfredo. Some
acceptable choices at Italian restaurants might include:
* Spaghetti, linguine or ziti with tomato, marinara, red clam or mushroom sauce.
* Pasta side dish and grilled fish or chicken
* Shrimp marinara
* Two small slices of pizza with tomato sauce, vegetables, and a small amount of
cheese.
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SEAFOOD
These restaurants are usually good choices because of the large selection of
fish dishes available. Order any fish or seafood you like broiled, poached, baked,
or grilled without added fat.. Cocktail sauce is a better idea for dipping than
butter or tartar sauce. Avoid fried items. Choose a plain salad rather than
coleslaw, a baked potato rather than fries or hushpuppies.
STEAK HOUSES
Portion control is the key when eating at steak houses. Most of these
restaurants will offer much larger servings than you need, usually 4-5 times too
much. Order the smallest cut of meat available, which in some cases may still be
too large. Four ounces is just about right. You may want to ask for a doggy bag
for the rest. A large salad and a plain baked potato or corn on the cob (without
the smothered butter) are good accompaniments. Avoid the steak fries or rice
pilaf, which is usually made with added fat. Some good choices might be:
* Petit cut steak
* Shishkabob
* London Broil (sauce on the side)
* Baked or broiled chicken
NATURAL/HEALTH/VEGETARIAN
These types of restaurants may offer many acceptable choices, but
remember natural, health or vegetarian does not guarantee that these foods
are low calorie. Many entrees may contain hidden fat in the form of nuts,
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seeds, butter, margarine, vegetable oils, eggs, milk, and cheese. Ask about
ingredients if you=re not sure. These restaurants do offer whole grains and
usually a good selection of fruits and vegetables. Some good choices might be:
* Baked or broiled fish or chicken
* Stir fried vegetables and tofu (ask that minimum oil be used)
* Vegetable soup, salad, (dressing on the side) and plain whole grain roll
* Pita sandwich stuffed with vegetables, a little cheese ,or turkey (avoid
chicken or tuna salad)
* Fruit and low fat yogurt or cottage cheese
SALAD BARS
Restaurants with salad bars are usually good choices. Sometimes a large
salad, soup, and plain bread can be a meal. Best choices on a salad bar are the
plain vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower,
peppers, onions, small amounts of egg, cheese or cottage cheese, turkey or lean
ham. Avoid items such as macaroni or potato salad, marinated vegetables, bacon
bits, seeds, and olives. Look for a light dressing or use lemon, vinegar, or a small
amount of oil.
It is easy to mess up your new healthy eating lifestyle when you walk into a
restaurant.
That is the reason it is very important to try to analyze a
restaurant menu before picking the meal you want to eat. Your mission is to pick
the healthiest meal. What are healthy foods that you can eat without messing
up your new way of eating?
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Keep in mind the food pyramid shown in an earlier chapter. Out of the six
food groups the area that you can eat the most servings of food is in the bread,
cereal, rice, & pasta group. This group you can have from 6 to 11 servings. Now,
also remember the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, & nuts group is about 2
to 3 servings. This does not mean that you can’t choose from the chicken
portion however you must keep in mind they may much more on the plate than
you can eat. If you wish to eat meat or chicken you can choose a plate such as
chicken scalopine. The amount that they will give you is much larger than the 23 ounces that is preferred for you to eat. As long as you plan the amount you
will eat before you get started you will be more in control of what you eat.
Remember you can eat as many vegetables as you wish. Try to keep the tricks
to filling you up form the previous chapter tricks of the trade in mind.
However, if you are really hungry because you have not been consistent with
eating a couple of times a day when they bring you the plate of food you will
have no control of what or the amount of food you are eating. We want to stay
as far as possible away from this scenario.
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Tricks of the Trade
One of the hardest tasks in eating healthier and trying to lose weight is to
become accustomed to eating less of the foods you have traditionally eaten.
There are a few tips we can give you to assist in eating smaller portions. The
trick is not being so hungry when beginning your meal. Different techniques you
can do to minimize this problem is make sure you eat throughout the day. If you
don’t eat all day, you’re going to be starving and no one and nothing will be able
to get you to control yourself when starting your meal.
Let’s begin our crash course on tricks of the trade. You want to always
stretch your meals at least twenty minutes or longer. This will allow time for
your brain to let you know that you’re full. Your stomach, brain, and mouth are
all connected and your mind needs time to be able to signal the other
components involved in your eating process that you’re full. For this process to
be successful you need to chew well and eat slowly in order not to overeat,
which in turn will assist you in losing weight.
Water is another key ingredient in losing weight. By having a lot of water a day
it will make you feel better, make your skin look healthier, and is just all around
a healthy drink. It is necessary for your metabolism if your stored fat. You
cannot lose weight without providing the proper amount of water to your
metabolism in for it to remain active. Another trick is to have a full glass of ice
water before each meal. The cold causes your stomach to shrink slightly, which
will make you full faster.
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The more positive you are about your self, the faster you will lose weight.
Just like when you believe you do a task well, it could be at school, home, or
business.
You’re confident that you will be able to successfully complete
whatever task it is and you find that you are able to do it. However, when you
believe that you just can’t do something, you will never be able to do it no
matter how much you try because your confidence in yourself is low.
When you begin eating fat free or low fat foods, a lot of the taste is also
cut out. One way to try to compensate for these fat free or low fat foods is by
adding flavor with herbs and spices. Strong flavors such as vinegar, garlic, chili
powder, cayenne, curry powder, rosemary, and tarragon to add some taste to
the fat-free or low fat foods you are eating.
Remember when losing weight you want to try to speed your metabolism as
much as possible. As mentioned earlier this can be achieved by drinking a lot of
water, and through research it has been proven by eating hot and spicy foods
can actually increase your metabolism by about 40%. Isn’t that interesting?
Another key component in increasing your metabolism is exercise. I know
you probably dread hearing (reading) that word but it is true. Exercise helps
reduce excess fat and increase your metabolism. Research shows that by doing
aerobic exercises on an empty stomach burns more stored fat. The best time
to exercise in late afternoon or early evening. However, remember anytime you
exercise is good because the important thing is that you are exercising. I know
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that during the later afternoon or early evening is when the kids are coming
home or you are at work, or you have been running around all day and just really
don’t have the energy. Also the second best time to exercise is in the morning.
So exercise when it best suits you, AS LONG AS YOU EXERCIZE.
I am sure you have messed your diet during those times when you are
depressed. Just as shown in programs on television when the character being
portrayed had a bad day and they go straight towards the refrigerator for the
Haagan Daaz ice cream. It had been proven through research that negative
emotions interfere with your weight lose program. Also, overeating often
accompanies negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt, and
anger. The best to deal with these down times is to remind that is all they are.
It is a down time that will eventually pass, and is it worth messing up your
healthy diet in order to eat foods that will depress you even more.
A major key point is to never skip a meal. Your first meal after waking up in
the morning starts your metabolism, and you would not to cause your metabolism
to become slower due to the lack of foods you’re taking in. This will lead to your
metabolism slowing down and then you are so hungry that you eat everything in
site. The problem with this situation is that your metabolism is so slow.
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Exercise
The relationship between exercise and weight control is simple, you have to
exercise to lose weight permanently. Your muscles are the only part of your
body which can utilize fat as a fuel..........so if you've got some fat you'd like to
lose, you've got to move your muscles. Basically there are three different ways
to move your muscles and they all have different purposes. Each type of
exercise also has it's own "exercise prescription” or instructions for how hard,
how often, and how long you should do the exercise to get the benefit. Of
course, a well-rounded exercise program includes all three types, but you may
want to emphasize one type of exercise over another depending on the results
you want.
First, there is strength or resistance training. Resistance exercise can be
done with free weights, weight machines, dumbbells, elastic resistance, or even
your own body weight (calisthenics). The idea is to do slightly more than you
usually do and your body will be forced to adapt and become stronger. The
major benefits of resistance training are added muscular strength, a faster
metabolism, more muscle definition, and a decreased chance of injury.
Muscles are incredibly biologically active ( a fancy way to say they need a lot
of calories each day). The more muscle mass you have and more toned it is, the
more calories you will need every minute of every day. The natural aging
process causes you to lose muscle tissue and therefore, you get a progressively
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slower metabolism. The key to a revved up metabolism at any age is regular
resistance training activities.
In addition, if you add muscular strength, you'll be able to get through each
day with more energy. For example, if the most you can lift is 20 pounds and
you're asked to pick up an 18 pound bag of groceries....your working at 90% of
the most you can do. However, if you can lift 100 pounds and you're asked to
pick up the same bag...that's only 18% of the most you can do.
See the
difference?! Adding muscular strength will definitely make your life easier.
Finally, strong muscles support and stabilize the joints. This will decrease
your chance of injury and/or reduce the extent of the trauma should you get
injured.
Whether you choose to use weights, elastic bands, or calisthenics, the
recommendation for creating stronger more biologically active muscles is to use
a resistance you can only do 8-12 times before fatigue/failure.
If your
weight/resistance isn't heavy enough you may have to perform more repetitions
before your muscle will fatigue. It's a bizarre concept for most of us, but your
goal with strength training is to fail!
Strength training exercises should only
be done every other day so the muscle has time to repair and become stronger.
(You can refer to the Resistance Exercise Format at the end of this chapter
for more details.)
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The second type of exercise, and the one most commonly associated with
weight loss, is cardiovascular or aerobic exercise. This is the type of exercise
which most effectively utilizes fat as a fuel and increases the health of your
heart. You already know the only part of your body that can use fat as a fuel is
your muscles, so here's the kicker.......your muscles will only use fat as fuel in
the presence of oxygen (hence the word "aerobics" meaning with oxygen). This
simply means whenever you are taking in oxygen and expending energy at the
same rate your muscles will choose to use fat as a fuel. Even at rest your
muscles use fat - the problem is resting doesn't use lots of fat because resting
doesn't require a lot of total energy. The goal with cardiovascular exercise is
to continue to take in oxygen and expend energy at the same rate but to use a
lot of energy. In order to do this, you must move large muscles groups (hips,
thighs, buttocks ), rhythmically for long periods of time. Things like biking,
walking, and stair climbing are all aerobic exercises and therefore, very good
calorie and fat burners.
The exercise field has established an exercise
prescription which will maximize your results.
In general, aerobic exercise
should be done at moderate intensities, for long periods of time, several times
per week.
What does moderate intensity mean? The most common way to measure
exercise intensity is heart rate monitoring and physiologists have spent a lot of
time researching the relationship between heart rate and aerobic intensity. The
"Measuring Intensity" chart at the end of this chapter will explain this further.
Heart rate monitoring is certainly a viable way to measure intensity, however,
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the way you feel about your exercise session is far more important. This is
known as "perceived exertion". You want to exercise at an intensity that feels
somewhat hard but not incredibly difficult. You should feel a little breathy,
but you should always able to carry on a conversation. You do not want to be
winded. If you can't talk during your workout, slow down the pace! In addition,
your workout should leave you feeling energized and not exhausted. The no pain
no gain theory is OUT. The purpose of exercise is to prepare you for life, to
make you better at whatever it is you do; if your workout leaves you feeling
exhausted,
that's counter productive.
Your body will make it's best
physiological improvements when you put a mild stress on it, let it rest and
improve, and then put another mild stress on it. If you put lots of stress on it
at once, it must spend lots of time repairing and doesn't get to make
improvements.
How long is long? The recommendation for time for aerobic exercise is a
minimum of 20 minutes at the moderate intensity. But don't think that you
won't get any benefit if you exercise for less time. Fifteen minutes is better
than ten minutes and ten minutes is better than five minutes, and five minutes
is better than sitting on the couch. The benefits of exercise are cumulative.
Also note, the 20 minute recommendation does not include warm-up and cooldown....so ideally your exercise session would be at least 30 minutes.
How often do I have to do this? The recommendation is at least 3 to 5
times per week, but aerobic exercise can be every day to get results faster.
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The third type of exercise is stretching or flexibility training. Stretches
maintain or increase range of motion and help prevent injury. A sequence of
stretches can also relieve tension in the muscles and be a great stress
reduction technique. Stretches should be held statically (without bouncing) for
15-60 seconds each and should be performed daily.
In addition to all the physical benefits from exercise there are numerous
psychological ones. First, exercise is do oriented - it is something positive you
can add to your life as opposed to the "dieting" concept of focusing on what you
"can't have" or what you must subtract from your life. Exercise gives you the
feeling of taking control and when you're in control you will feel better about
yourself. Exercise is also a great stress reducer. It utilizes the hormones
secreted into the blood stream during stressful situations, enhances muscle
relaxation, and improves your mood. Combine all these factors and you're much
less likely to overeat.
So if exercise is so great and will make weight loss permanent, what the
catch? You have to DO IT to reap the rewards. You must understand that the
decision not to exercise is just as active of a decision as the decision to
exercise. Simply weigh the benefits versus your excuses and commit yourself
to reaping all the rewards of regular exercise. The next time you are feeling
despondent, frustrated, or anxious and want to know what you can do to lose
weight faster.....the only answer at that particular moment is to exercise.
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Resistance Exercise Format
Warm-up
The purpose of the warm-up is to prepare your body for work by increasing blood flow
to the muscles and lubricating the joints. Any cardiovascular activity such as walking,
biking, stair-stepping, etc would be an effective warm-up. Or the warm-up could be
rhythmic movements such as marching in place, easy lunges, arm swings, and arm
circles.
Resistance Exercise Prescription
Frequency (How Often?)
2-4 times per week
(no more than every 48 hours)
Intensity (How Hard?)
50-80% of the most weight you can lift once
The goal is to fatigue the muscle quickly. If you can do more than 16 repetitions, add more
weight or increase the resistance. All repetitions should be slow and controlled with rhythmic
breathing.
NOTE: Pain is your body's signal you're doing something wrong. If any
exercise causes pain or discomfort beyond muscular fatigue
......STOP....
adjust the resistance or pick another exercise.
Time (How Many Repetitions?)
8-16 repetitions
Ideally the muscle should be fatigued after 8-16 repetitions, however, there may be times
when you will have to do more repetitions to fatigue the muscle. When this happens, it is time
to consider using a heavier weight or adding more resistance to the exercise. Keep in mind
your goal is muscular fatigue, don't be afraid to get to the point where you cannot do the
exercise another time. For a balanced workout include exercises for all major muscle groups.
Cooldown
Stretching is an excellent cooldown for resistance training
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Cardiovascular Exercise Format
Warm-Up
The purpose of the warm-up is to prepare your body for work by increasing blood flow
to the muscles and lubricating the joints. The best warm-up for any aerobic or
cardiovascular activity is to do the activity slower at first. This way you'll warm-up
the exact joints and muscles you will be using during the workout!
Cardiovascular Exercise Prescription
Frequency (How Often?)
a minimum of 3-4 times per week
Intensity (How Hard?)
There are two ways to monitor intensity use either one or a combination of both.
Heart Rate Monitoring
Target Heart Rate (60-90% of maximal heart rate)
(see chart on the next page)
Perceived Exertion
A little breathy but still able to carry on a conversation
Time (How Long?)
20-60 minutes
Cooldown
The cooldown should start by lowering the intensity of the chosen activity for
approximately five minutes. Stretches should follow.
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Flexibility Exercise Format
Warm-up
A good core warm-up (2-5 minutes) should precede stretching exercises. This will
increase blood flow to the muscles and lubricate the joints. Appropriate warm-up
activities include walking, marching in place, and light calisthenics.
Flexibility Exercise Prescription
Frequency (How Often?)
Daily
Intensity (How Hard?)
Stretch to the point of mild to moderate tension, but not to the point of pain.
Pain indicates trouble.
Time (How Long?)
Each stretch needs to be held statically for 15 to 60 seconds.
Cooldown
Stretches are a part of every good cool down. The increase in core temperature of
the muscles and connective tissue from the workout can increase flexibility up to
twenty percent.
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Pluses and Minuses of Exercise
All you need to begin and continue with an exercise program is one reason
that is important and relevant to you. No matter what benefit you are
looking for as a result of exercise the really cool thing is that all the
benefits occur. Below is a list of some of the pros and con of exercise.
See if you can find one (or more) that you can focus on and weigh it
against the reason not to.
Pluses (+):
 Reduces risk of heart disease
o By exercising you are reducing the clotting of the blood, thus
reducing the risk of heart disease. Those that do not exercise
they are risk is twice as likely to develop heart disease.
 Lowers heart rate
o Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart, so that your heart pumps
blood more efficiently by pumping more blood with each beat.
 Reduces the risk of colon cancer
o Regular exercise helps regulate the digestive system.
 Lowers blood pressure
 Reduces risk of stroke
 Stronger circulatory system and lungs
 Promotes strong and healthy bones
o Exercise increases circulation flow of nutrients to the bones, which
helps reduce risk of fracture.
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 Weigh loss maintenance
o Exercise increases the body’s metabolism as well as increase
muscles, which helps burn fat.
 Controls blood sugar
o By increasing physical activity in your life you will be able to
maintain your body’s blood glucose levels. (this is point is very
important for diabetics and those at risk of diabetes)
 Controls cholesterol
o One great pointer about exercise is that is increases your ratio of
good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL) and it also lowers
triglycerides.
 Helps with pain tolerance
 Helps cope with stress
o Actually consumes the hormones that are released as a response to
the events in your life
o Causes the body to go into a rest period following exercise that is a
normal and important after the release of the stress hormones
o Allows the brain to relax during and after the exercise (especially
with rhythmic and aerobic types)
 Makes for easier pregnancy and childbirth
 Promotes a younger and healthier body
o Helps slow down the aging process, isn’t that great.
 Control physical and emotional stress
o Physical activity helps alleviate anxiety and depression. Another
great thing is that exercise reduces physical and emotional stress
tremendously.
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 Promotes flexibility
o Increases elasticity
 Reduces back aches
o Stretching exercises reduce backaches.
 Strengthens immune system over the long term (les likely to get sick).
 Prolongs independence for the older person
 Gives you more energy
 Better health overall
o Exercise boosts your self-esteem by improving your strength and
self-control.
 Gives an overall sense of well being
 Regulates your body’s waste system
o Relives constipation by increasing intestinal activity and curbs
bloating by increasing perspiration.
 Improves intellectual capacity
 Improves your sleep
o You fall asleep faster since your muscles are less tense so you
are more relaxed.
 Decreases risk of diabetes (regardless of weight loss)
 Decreases risk of premature death
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Minuses (-):
 Modifications required for specific health conditions
 Increased risk of sports injuries
 Lose reputation of being “Couch Potato”
 Must shower more often.
Will actually lose weight or is not that a positive.
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EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES
If you're waiting to be motivated to exercise by someone or something
outside yourself, you've got a long wait. Regular exercisers are great at talking
themselves into exercise. Unfortunately, this is a never ending process, but it
does get easier. There are two important steps. First, you must identify the
excuse you are using for not exercising. Then tell yourself something that
won't allow you to use it as an excuse. Second, you need to focus your attention
and tell yourself the benefits you wish to gain from exercise. When you have
talked yourself out of your excuse and realize the benefit is worth the effort,
you'll be looking forward to your exercise session rather than dreading it.
Below are some of the most common reasons people use for not exercising and
things you can tell yourself that gets rid of that tired excuse.
EXCUSE
DEBATE
It's too great a sacrifice
By not exercising, I'm sacrificing more. My physical and mental
health.
I'm not sure I'll get the
results I want
I'm sure I'll never get the results I want if I don't exercise.
I'll get professional advice to make sure that what I'm doing
will help me to achieve the results I want.
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EXCUSE
DEBATE
I don't have enough time.
I always have time to do the things that are important to me.
Since my health is a high priority, I will make the time to
exercise.
It doesn't require all that much time to get fit. 30-45 minutes
every other day would be enough.
Not finding the time is a conscious decision on my part not to
get in shape.
I'm in pretty good shape
without exercising.
Not being overweight or sick does not mean that I'm healthy.
Exercise will help me to maintain and improve my current fitness
level.
I'm on a diet. I can't
exercise and diet at the same
time
The best way to lose weight as body fat is to combine healthy
eating with exercise. l'll see the results I want faster.
It costs too much
Getting sick costs more. Am I willing to take that chance?
There are lots of low cost ways to exercise.
I don't like to exert myself
too much
What a limiting way to lead my life. I need to explore all the
things I may be missing with this attitude.
What if I were ever in a situation where I needed to exert
myself....being fit could save my life.
It's painful/it hurts
Exercise should never be painful. My body can improve by just
doing a little more than normal each exercise session.
Something else always comes
up
I must take total responsibility for setting my priorities and
allowing other things to interfere. Are they really more
important than my health.
I already drink, smoke, and
eat too much
Exercise is something I can add to my life without feeling
deprived. Slowly I'll chip away at some of my other bad habits.
I'm far too out of shape
I can start improving my fitness level regardless of how old or
out of shape I am now......I''ll always be out of shape unless I
start.
I'll feel self-conscious
I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing it for me.
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EXCUSE
DEBATE
I've tried it before but never
stuck with it
Because I quit before has nothing to do with what happens now.
This is a new opportunity.
Each time I tried before I learned something that will help me
be successful this time.
I'm not sure I'm motivated
enough
Saying I'm not motivated enough is predicting I'll fail before I
even try. I have just as much chance of succeeding.
Let my actions be proof of my motivation. Just do it.
I'm too tired after a hard
days work
Exercise will give me energy and will make future work days less
exhausting
Being inactive/doing other things after work has become a
habit, but I can replace the old habits with the new one of
exercise.
I hate to structure and plan
out my life
If I don't schedule my workouts, it'll just be another excuse
not to do it. I can plan time for exercise.
Planning exercise into my daily schedule will make me more
responsible for sticking with it.
I'm lazy
If I keep telling myself I'm lazy, it's bound to be reality. I can
start thinking of myself as an active person
I always have the energy to do the things I want to do. I want
the results I'll get from exercising.
I've missed several workouts.
I've failed again.
So what. I'll just start again tomorrow. Missing a few sessions
doesn't mean I've given up on my whole exercise program
Exercise reminds me how out
of shape I am.
I need that reminder.
The reason I'm so out of shape is because I've been avoiding
exercise.
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EXCUSE
DEBATE
Exercise is boring
Being bored is an insult to my intelligence. There are ways to
make it more interesting....headphones, friends, seeking out
exercise I enjoy.
Who says my life has to be exciting every minute? It's
inevitable sometimes I'll be bored, but at least I'll be getting
the benefits I want.
The rhythm of exercise can be very relaxing, I can use that to
clear my mind and get in touch with my own creativity during
exercise.
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PERSONALIZED EXERCISE SELECTION
Below is a list of exercise activities which can help you reach your fitness goals.
Cross out those activities you cannot do....then go back and cross out those you
will not do. What is left is your personalized exercise program.
Aerobic Exercise
___walk briskly
___swim laps
___climb stairs
___aerobic dance
___stationary cycling
___kickboard in pool
___hike in country
___row on a rowing machine
___jump on a mini-tramp
___bicycle
___treadmill walking
___arm chair aerobics
___mall walking program
___jog\run
___roller blading
___water aerobics
___nordic track skiing
___arm ergometer work
___stair machine climbing
___jog/walk in pool
___cross country ski
___step aerobics
___canoe/skull/row
___disco/folk/square/tap dance
___roller skate/ice skate
Resistance/Strength Training
___calisthenics
___resistive water exercise
___free weight training
___dance exercise floorwork
___elastic resistance
___cable pulley system exercise
___lifelines
___weight training machines
___isometric exercise
Flexibility Activities
___yoga
___static stretching
___active stretching (warm-up type)
___ballet/dance (bar work)
Entertainment Exercise
Remember: You don’t get fit by playing sports, you must be fit to safely play sports. Once you gain enough
strength/endurance etc. to participate, these activities can help you maintain that fitness level, however, sport
activities always have a greater risk of injury than do fitness activities.
___tennis
___basketball
___gardening
___bowling
___sailing/surfing
___dancing
___racquetball
___golf
___table tennis
___downhill skiing
___water skiing
___horseback riding
___squash/handball
___other
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Stress Management
Stress is your body's response to any real or imagined demand. To some
degree your heart will race, you'll start to sweat, you'll feel your muscles tense,
your stomach may get upset, you may have cold feet or hands, and sugar and fat
will be flooding your blood stream. This is the same response that cavemen had
years ago when saber tooth tigers were the main stressor. This response gets
your body ready to fight or run from a saber tooth tiger. Of course, the
caveman usually had a nice period of rest and quiet before the next saber tooth
tiger came along. Today, that's not necessarily true and you may experience
stress on top of stress. When your body doesn't have time to recuperate from
the stress you may start to develop symptoms, such as headaches, backaches,
high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or gastrointestinal problems. Everyone
internalizes stress differently and can develop different symptoms.
This doesn't mean that all stress is bad. A certain amount of stress is what
makes life exciting. It's why we go to scary movies, ride roller coasters, and
love sporting events when the competition is close. Matter-of-fact, if you're
under the right amount of stress for you, you'll feel energized, motivated, on
top of the world. On the other hand, too little or too much stress can cause
apathy, fatigue, irritability, moodiness, and lead to coping in negative ways (like
overeating). You must determine the amount of stress with which you can deal.
Then when you find yourself under too much stress find positive stress
management techniques that work for you.
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Stress Awareness
Learn to recognize when you are under too little or too much stress by
reviewing these stress-warning signs. Check the symptoms you've noticed in
yourself lately.
Mood and Disposition Signs
Physical Signs
___worrying
___anxiety
___frustration
___depression
___nervousness
___mood swings
___apathy
___easily discouraged
___irritability
___crying spells
___emptiness
___loss of sense of humor
___nightmares
___sleeplessness
___hypochondria
___"ill at ease" or uncomfortable
___appetite change
___headaches
___fatigue
___upset stomach
___sweaty palms
___frequent illness
___weight change
___rashes/allergies
___accident prone
___pounding heart
___teeth grinding
___can't sit still
___foot tapping/finger drumming
___stuttering
___stiff neck
___increase use of alcohol, drugs
___hand/fingers shake
Mental Signs
Relationship Signs
___forgetfulness
___low productivity
___negative attitude
___confusion
___making safe choices/ no risk
___difficulty making decisions
___lethargy
___boredom
___spacing out
___negative self-talk
___whirling mind
___no new ideas
___poor concentration
___sudden reversal of usual behavior
___distrust
___isolation
___resentment
___lowered sex drive
___intolerance
___difficulty communicating
___nagging
___clamming up
___loneliness
___using people
___blaming others
___unforgiving
___fewer contacts with friends
___emptiness
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Stress Management Action Plan
Stress does not have to be overwhelming, it can be positive and energizing. By examining each
stressful situaiton as it occurs you can create your own action plan to transform your tension
into opportunity. Complete the following chart, devising specific, positive, personalized
strategies for managing your stress.
Stressful Situation
Physical Symptoms
Current Behavior
Ways to Improve
i.e. traffic jam/late
for appointment
stomach upset,
jaw clenched,
palms sweaty
yell at other drivers
frequently change
lanes
take deep even
breaths, practice
muscle relaxation,
bring educational
cassettes for car
stero
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Improving Eating Behaviors
Eating is something you learned to do years ago and have practiced many
times over. It is closely associated with many aspects of your lifestyle, such as
when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, with whom you eat, and what else
you do while eating. As such, it becomes an unconscious habit, something you do
without thinking about it. To permanently control weight, you must improve the
eating habits you have that are counterproductive. The good news is that not
all your habits need improvement, and those that do; certainly don’t all need
changed at once.
Because you learned to eat as you do, you can unlearn your habits or learn
new ones. Improving inappropriate eating behavior may be easier than you
think. Small changes can yield amazing results. In order to improve eating
behaviors, you must first be able to identify those that are a problem for
you. Read through the Problem Behavior Checklist at the end of this chapter
and check those that apply to you, and add the ones that you can identify about
yourself that aren’t listed. You can’t change something you don’t know exist.
After you have read through the list, identify the few behaviors that are
your biggest problems. If you’re not sure, pay attention to when, what, where,
with whom and even why you eat. Next, analyze why. There is a reason for
everything you do, and only you really know what it is. Unfortunately, if you
keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep being what you always have
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been (overweight). And if you don’t eventually figure out why you do something,
it is difficult to figure out what to do differently. After you analyze your
problem behavior, you are ready to choose alternate activities to be used in
place of the original behavior.
As an example, suppose your problem is that you eat only one big meal per
day, late at night before bed. The reasons could be, you were too busy to eat
through the day, or you always ate a large supper with your family as a child and
therefore it is your most revered meal, or you were taught to always eat
everything on your plate. What could you do different (better) that would still
be acceptable to you? Could you plan to eat better through the earlier part of
the day so you’re not as hungry? Could your prepare a better meal and still enjoy
supper; or serve the foods on your plate in smaller portions. Perhaps you eat
sweets when you get depressed. The reasons could be that you like the way
those foods make you feel or that you were given candy as a child to make you
stopped crying and that is an association that still exists. What could you do
different? Could you talk to a friend instead of eating, or go for a walk and
think about what is bothering you.
Only you have the solutions for your problem behaviors. There are several
mental steps that will help you change them.
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You have to be willing to change. Many people want to lose weight but are
not willing to do what it takes. You must be willing to give up old behaviors and
create new ones.
You must take full responsibility for yourself.
As an adult you are
responsible for your behavior and the choices your make. In every circumstance
some choices are better than others. If you consistently make the better
choice you’ll reach your goal easily. Think of losing weight as a concept. Don’t
worry about counting calories, weighing food, or tracking fat grams. In every
situation just do the best that you can.
Have a plan to make better choices. Practice those better choices. How
do you get to Carnige Hall …… practice, practice, practice. That’s how you
change a habit, practice, practice, practice...and if you practice enough, the new
behavior can also become a habit. You don’t have to be perfect; (a good plan
today is better than a great plan tomorrow) you just have to keep improving.
Remember the benefit. Its hard to change eating behaviors. Unless you
perceive a benefit from your changes your won't change. Every time you do
something better remind yourself of the benefit you'll get from your weight
loss.
Focus on the positive. This weight loss program is positive. It offers
you weight control, health, and other benefits by eating abundant amounts of
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nutritious foods. The only thing you lose is weight. Reinforce the positive
nature of this program with a positive mental attitude on your part.
Every
time you do something right, praise yourself. But if you do something wrong,
don’t get discouraged, you’re not perfect. Learn from it, improve upon it, and
forget it. Then praise yourself for what you’ve learned. By focusing on the
positive, you simply eliminate negative ideas and attitudes that could stand in
your way and prevent you from getting the results you deserve.
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PROBLEM BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST
Awareness is the first step in changing problem behaviors. Read through the
following list and check any that are problem areas for you.
I OFTEN
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
eat in various places in my home
eat while doing other activities such as watching TV or reading
eat all the food on my plate
eat quickly
have snack foods readily available
eat when I am upset or nervous
eat when I am bored
eat when I am depressed
eat when I am lonely
eat when I am happy
eat even if I’m not hungry but the food looks or smells good
reward myself with food
shop for food when I am hungry
do not pre-plan my meals and snacks
snack between meals
snack late at night
eat at fast food restaurants
eat only one big meal a day
eat desserts
eat sweet or sugary snacks
eat salty snacks
eat while driving in my car
eat pre-prepared foods or processed foods
fry foods or add extra fats like butter, gravy or mayonnaise
eat meals away from my home
eat more frequently around certain people
overeat on holidays or special occasions
go for hours without eating
go on crash or fad diets
others ______________
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Excuses
“Always remember when there is a will, there is a way.”
We all have a tendency to not exercise, eat healthy, or complete our daily
chores due to different excuses we make. However when you commit and
consciously intend to start a new behavior you will be able to achieve it no
matter what kind of daily schedule you follow. This chapter has to do with
getting away from excuses and actually beginning your new behavior. There are
often many excuses that we use to justify our negative behaviors. These
excuses will be listed and the alternatives or the behaviors that you could do
instead of continuing this negative behavior.
You will be able to go through the different excuses and see which
excuses or behaviors pertain to your personal life. Hopefully you will be able to
use the alternatives to assist in changing your behavior.
Negative behavior and alternatives
Behavior I often do: I do not exercise and I hang around non-exercisers.
Instead I could: (a) Join a gym and slowly start off with an exercise program
that gets progressively more difficult.
(b) Plan more physical activity thought out the day (this will include taking stairs
instead of elevators, walk or ride a bike instead of a car, jog around the block
instead of watching television.
(c) Clear about an hour a day that is designated only for exercising, and commit
to this new schedule
(d) Join an aerobics class where I will be able to meet people that will
encourage me to continue to workout.
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Behavior I often do: I have a sedentary job
Instead I could: (a) Exercise before work!
(b) Concentrate on not snacking during work and bring a healthy packed lunch in
order to avoid fast food.
(c) Try to walk to and from work.
(d) Always take stairs, while at the desk and on breaks include small stretches
and muscle exercises.
Behavior I often: Eat because of my stressful job.
Instead I could: (a) Try to supplement an exercise program in place of eating to
ease stress.
(b) Eat healthy foods instead of fast foods.
(c) Deal with the stress directly, find out what is stressing about the job and
figure out a way to positively cope with it or change my perspective on it.
(d) Do not eat without necessity or hunger.
Behavior I often do: Eat more since I quit smoking
Instead I could: (a) Find other ways that make you feel good in the same way.
(b) Find other activities to do in the time that you used to smoke in besides eat.
(c) Eat low calorie foods.
Behavior I often do: Preparing and eating fatty, fried, salty, saturated foods.
Instead I could: (a) Substitute similar tasting foods.
(b) Substitute healthier oils with to cook with.
Behavior I often do: Eat excessive simple sugars daily, sweets and sugary
snacks, deserts chocolate, donuts, and cravings.
Instead I could: (a) Change the definition of “love”, the new definition should
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not include foods.
(b) Eat these sweets only on occasions.
(c) Substitute other lower in sugar sweets that you enjoy to eat.
(d) Substitute artificial sweeteners.
Behavior I often do: Eat excessive protein daily.
Instead I could: (a) Reduce the portion size of protein servings per meal.
(b) Reduce the number of meals and snacks per day at which protein is eaten.
(c) Set a weekly goal to reduce the times per day at which protein is eaten.
(d) Look at other food substitutes such as vegetables and whole grain foods
that are filling.
Behavior I often do: Do not drink much water.
Instead I could: (a) Count the number of glasses of liquid consumed per day
then try to exchange one for water.
(b) Add an additional glass of water when you wake up and before going to bed
each day.
(c) Get kidney and liver checked annually.
(d) Try to ad 10% juice or other flavoring if straight water does not taste good.
Behavior I often do: Buy and eat fast foods and vending machines foods
regularly; junk food
Instead I could: (a) Make the healthiest selection available (ex. Broiled chicken
sandwich rather than fried).
(b) Plan ahead; carry and eat healthier snacks (ex. fruits, yogurt, and non-fat
cottage cheese).
(c) Set goal to reduce the frequency in consuming fast foods per day and week
(ex. instead of every day, twice a week).
(d) Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day in order not to crave a quick
fix.
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Behavior I often do: Have not time to exercise or diet
Instead I could: (a) Schedule it on your daily planner;
(b) Try reducing the television viewing time per day by 30 minutes
and walk around the neighborhood.
(c) Don’t buy or allow junk food to be brought into the house;
(d) Have plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits around for snacking.
Behavior I often do: Feel dieting is to difficult, and no fun
Instead I could: (a) Take small steps, do not attempt to change all at once,
(ex. Start with removing one serving of fried food per day).
(b) Plan a day trip to the park – pack a food bag with water, fruits,
vegetables, and some low fat cheese;
(c) Set a goal of one change per day and a small reward at the end of the
week for succeeding (ex., buy a book).
Behavior I often do: Cannot exercise due to a physical disability or sports
Instead I could: (a) Check with the doctor first and ask what activities are all
right to do – walking, climbing, pulling, pushing, etc.
(b) Work around the disability or injury – if you can’t walk use an
arm ergometer;
(c) Get physical therapy or hire a certified and experienced trainer
to assist in the beginning of the program.
Behavior I often do: Gain weight due to a slow metabolism
Instead I could: (a) Try adding 30 minutes of brisk walking a day;
(b) Keep a diary of what you eat each day as well as noting time,
place and feelings when eating;
(c) Read up on the positive effects of increased physical activity
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and proper nutrition.
Behavior I often do: Eat quickly
Instead I could: (a) Slow down while eating, eating at a slower pace.
(b) While eating chew food really well by counting to 20 with each
bite.
(c) To make mealtime more relaxing and not so stressful, but to
unwind while eating.
Behavior I often do: Snack between meals
Instead I could: (a) Eat more balanced meals.
(b) Write down a log to see what I am eating and get it analyzed by
the dietician at the Wellness Center.
(c) Keep myself occupied so I don’t get hungry after meals.
Behavior I often do: Eat too much dessert
Instead I could: (a) Serve desserts with salad
(b) Try to combine dessert with fresh fruits, could add sugar syrup
if it has to be sweet.
(c) Prepare new dishes with dry fruits,
(d) Try to understand that it is more of a bad habit to take too
much of dessert and self educate.
Behavior I often do: Hang around people who eat a lot of food.
Instead I could: (a) Try to educate the group.
(b) If it is not possible to educate the group, understand that the
health is more important, and wean away from the situation when
the situation will demand you to eat more.
(c) Try to get into groups which have good values.
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Behavior I often do: Purchase food on an empty stomach.
Instead I could: (a) Eat much more frequently, in smaller quantity.
(b) Don’t go near restaurants/ food stores/ fast food chain when
hungry.
(c)Try to plan, prepare food from the house, so that you eat
healthy food.
Behavior I often do: Overeating
Instead I could: (a) Pre-plan meals and snacks.
(b) Pre-determine portion sizes
(c) Immediately set aside and refrigerate leftovers after cooking.
(d) Wait half an hour before helping myself to seconds.
Behavior I often do: Snacking late at night
Instead I could: (a) Avoid the television late at night.
(b) Choose foods that are less dense in calories such as a piece of
fruit.
(c) Exercise later in the day.
(d) Do not keep snack foods around the house.
Behavior I often do: Don’t know when to stop eating/lack of self control
Instead I could: (a) Serve smaller portions.
(b) Set aside and refrigerate leftovers immediately.
(c) Pile up on vegetables, instead of higher calorie foods.
(d) Wait a half an hour before returning for seconds
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PROBLEM BEHAVIOR WORKSHEET
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
The reason I do this is because:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
Instead I could:
1.____________________________________________________________
_
2.____________________________________________________________
_
3.____________________________________________________________
_
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
The reason I do this is because:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
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Instead I could:
1.____________________________________________________________
_
2.____________________________________________________________
_
3.____________________________________________________________
_
PROBLEM BEHAVIOR WORKSHEET
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
The reason I do this is because:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
Instead I could:
1.____________________________________________________________
_
2.____________________________________________________________
_
3.____________________________________________________________
_
90
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
The reason I do this is because:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__
Instead I could:
1.____________________________________________________________
_
2.____________________________________________________________
_
3.____________________________________________________________
_
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Positive Affirmations/Self-Esteem
Affirmations are statements of acceptance that one uses to allow the
manifestation of your destiny. They are powerful and positive thoughts and
statements sent out to the universe. To do positive affirmations you need to
eliminate any negativity around you. It must be a powerful positive belief.
There are several important points to know about affirmations:
 Use the present or past tense, not future tense. You want your
mind to know it has already happened.
 Be POSITIVE. Never use negative affirmations.
 Write them so you will remember what you want to say.
 Always believe, it makes the affirmation strong.
 Be repetitive, this helps to get them in your head.

Always set a specific time aside for positive affirmations and
meditations, this will help set a pattern for you to do this daily.
Self-esteem is the total of one’s self-confidence, self-worth, and selfrespect. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “a confidence and satisfaction in
oneself.” Self-esteem means feeling good about your beliefs, thoughts, feelings
and desires. Self-esteem is a form of pride that includes motivation to do
something. It provides morale to go on.
Realistic self-esteem is the “immune system” of the self. It helps to keep
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you psychologically fit and tells us when your health is on the decline. The
better you feel about yourself the better we handle stress, anxiety, anger,
rejection, love, and joy. The better we feel, the better life we live. The
healthier we are!
Genuine self-esteem includes high levels of interest and enjoyment. In
false self-esteem, there is little enjoyment, only obsessions, compulsions, and
exhaustion. High self-esteem evolves from viewing yourself as a valuable and
worthwhile person, and is not dependent on how others view you.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS/SELF-ESTEEM
Positive affirmations are statements of acceptance they have a strong
positive effect on an individual’s health. They increase a person’s self esteem.
Self-esteem is something we can change and when we do, everything in our life
changes. Self-esteem is simply the value we place on ourselves. Self-esteem is
of paramount importance to our well-being. A positive self-image helps us to be
better adjusted and less defensive, to exhibit greater social effectiveness and
to accept others as they are. The key to self-esteem is developing selfacceptance and feelings of competence.
Most people who are overweight
believe that their self esteem will improve once they loss their extra weight
and look better. Research proves just the opposite of this is true, that people
will lose weight once they improve their self esteem.
Recommendations
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It is necessary to talk about things that have happened or are currently
happening to acquire a positive affirmation. Starting positive affirmations
require belief, this in turn makes them more attainable and much stronger.
Positive affirmations must be repeated so they can become part of us. People
emotions, perceptions, and behavior are shaped by our most dominant thoughts.
Advocates of affirmations theorize that people frequent thoughts represent
goals, which the subconscious mind strives to perfect.
Attitude
An attitude is “… a disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to an
object, person, institution, or event”. Attitudes are relatively enduring and
consist of a series of beliefs organized in such a way that they predispose one
to act or respond to some situation in a predictable manner.
An attitude is a point of view about a situation. An attitude has three
components. An attitude is made up of: what one thinks, what one does, and
what one feel. No matter what situation people are in they always have certain
thoughts about it.
To begin changing people’s attitude, people either change their thinking, the way
they act, or the way they feel. The first two of these choices are easier to
influence than the third.
Feelings are powerful but vague. If people want to change their feelings
they must start elsewhere. They must begin with either their thinking or their
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behavior over which they have more control. The secret in effectively changing
emotions is knowing that feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are all related.
When one change one of them (for example, thinking) the other two (feelings
and behavior) will change as well.
You can IMPROVE your self-esteem and your attitude by:
 Believing in you.
 Letting go of past hurts and forgiving others.
 Loving and accepting yourself.
 Believing in your dreams and making them come true.

Setting attainable goals in life.
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Positive Mental Attitude
“People become what they think about themselves”.( Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Read through the following list of words. Circle those that express what you like about
yourself. Underline those that you would like to describe you in the future.
A = able, abundant, accurate, active, adaptable, authentic
B = balanced, beautiful, benevolent, best, blessed, brave
C = capable, caring, competent, chipper, choice, compassionate
D = daring, debonair, decent, decisive, distinctive, delightful
E = eager, earnest, effective, efficient, empathetic, effective
F = fair, faithful, festive, fine, forthright, free, fun, flexible
G = gentle, genuine, giving, glad, good, grown-up, gutsy
H = harmonious, honorable, handy, happy, humanitarian, humorous
I = illuminated, important, , industrious, individualistic, idealist
J = jovial, joyful, judicious, just jubilant, jaunty, jazzy
K = kind, kindhearted, knowledgeable, keen
L = law-abiding, learned, level, lifefull, liked, lively, loving
M = mannerly, mature, merry, motivated, moderate, musical
N = natural, needed, noble, novel, newsworthy, nimble
O = obedient, open, optimistic, ordered, orderly, original
P = patient, persuasive, peaceful, pleasant, practical, preserving
Q = quaint, qualified, quixotic, quotable, questing, quick-witted
R = radiant, ready, real, reasonable, relaxed, reliable, romantic
S = self-disciplined, self-respecting, self-reliant, solid, soft
T = tactful, tenacious, tender, thankful, thorough, tolerant
U = unassuming, unique, unequaled, upbeat, unaffected
V = valuable, versatile, vigorous, vital, vivacious
W = warm, well, wholesome, wise, worthy, witty, wonderful
X = x-tra special
Y = young, youthful, yourself
Z = zany, zestful, zingy, zippy
Add your own_______________________________________
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The 100 Healthiest Foods
Everyone seems to know that the best way to stay healthy, maintain or lose weight is
to eat a balanced diet. The problem seems to be how that is interpreted or defined.
A lot actually goes into the answer to that, and depends on such things as your own
physical activity patterns, nutritional requirements, and personal needs. Probably the
most important question that really needs to be answered is this; “what should I eat?”
Lots of ways determine what makes up a healthy food, including its caloric and
nutrient content. Other components of foods also become important to the overall
value that a food adds. Though it may seem somewhat simplistic, and even a bit
facetious, the answer begins by saying that a person should eat real food. If one
were to be able to make most of their diet from foods that have been readily
available throughout the history of humankind, then in general, we have the beginning
of the balanced diet. We can then describe more specifically, foods that would be
healthy based on their particular contributions, which individuals can select from to
make up their own balanced (healthy) diet.
In the fast-paced world of nutrition research, it seems like a hot discovery hits the
news every week. So prominent scientists doing groundbreaking work on how edibles
stave off illness were asked to pin down the 100 most nutrient-packed foods. To
make the list, a food had to be very rich in at least one vitamin, mineral or other
compound known to protect against cancer, heart disease or other diseases. It also
had to meet the definition of being nutrient dense, meaning that it has an abundance
of nutrients per calorie.
As a suggestion, as you read the list of the 100 healthiest foods, cross out those
foods that you cannot or will not eat. Think of ways to use the foods that are left on
your list. Be supermarket smart and use this list as your shopping list.
Bon appetite and healthy eating!
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The 100 Healthiest Foods
Fruit
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(1) Apples
1 medium apple:
81 calories, 0 g fat
An apple's 3 g of fiber help you meet your
fiber goal of 20 g to 30 g daily. High-fiber
diets can lower heart disease risk.
(2) Apricots
3 apricots:
51 calories, 0 g fat
A good source of beta-carotene (which is
converted to vitamin A by the body), providing
the equivalent of 35% of the RDA for vitamin
A
(3) Bananas
1 medium:
105 calories, 0 g fat
Bananas are a great source of potassium, which
plays a key role in heart health and muscle
function, and B6 Plus each one has 2 g of fiber.
(4) Blackberries
1 cup:
74 calories, 0 g fat
This fruit boasts a whopping 10 g of fiber in a
single cup, and antioxidents
(5) Blueberries
1 cup:
81 calories, 0 g fat
Blueberries help prevent and treat bladder
infections by making it hard for bacteria to
stick to urinary tract walls.
(6) Cantaloupe
1 cup, cubed:
84 calories, 1 g fat
An antioxidant double whammy, with 68 mg of
vitamin C and enough beta-carotene to cover
65% of your daily vitamin A quota.
(7) Cherries
1 cup:
84 calories, 1 g fat
A good source of perillyl alcohol, which helps
prevent cancer in animals. Heart-protective
anthocyanins give cherries their color.
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(8) Cranberry juice
1 cup:
144 calories, 0 g fat
Fights bladder infections the same way
blueberries do.
(9) Grapefruits
1/2 fruit:
39 calories, 0 g fat
A good source of vitamin C and a compound
called naringenin, which helps suppress tumors
in animals.
(10) Purple grapes and juice
1 cup seedless:
113 calories, 9 g fat
Offer three heart-guarding compounds:
flavonoids, anthocyanins and resveratrol.
(Green grapes are not rich in them)
(11) Kiwi
1 medium kiwi:
46 calories, 0 g fat
Just one little fruit packs a mean vitamin-C
punch (74 mg) and an impressive 2.8 g fiber.
(12) Mangoes
1 mango:
135 calories, 1 g fat
A single mango has enough beta-carotene to
cover your RDA for vitamin A while racking up
57 mg of vitamin C.
(13) Oranges
1 orange:
61 calories, 0 g fat
One orange provides an impressive 50 g to 70
g of vitamin C, 40 mcg of folic acid and 52 mg
of calcium.
(14) Orange juice
1 cup:
112 calories, 0 g fat
One of the richest sources of folic acid: A cup
provides one-quarter of the 400 mcg RDA for
folic acid and boasts 96 mg of vitamin C.
(15) Calcium- enriched orange juice
1 cup (from concentrate):
112 calories, 0 g fat
drinking this beverage is a healthful way to
make a 300-350 mg dent in your daily 1500 mg
calcium requirement.
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(16) Papayas
1 cup, cubed:
55 calories, 0 g fat
Loaded with vitamin C (86 mg per cup), a
healthy dose of fiber (2.5 g) and a sprinkling
of beta-carotene and calcium.
(17) Prunes
1/3 cup, stewed:
87 calories, 0 g fat
Prunes' famed laxative effect is no mystery:
There are 5 g of fiber (both soluble and
insoluble) in just 1/3 cup.
(18) Raspberries
1 cup:
60 calories, 0 g fat
Teeming with 8 g of fiber per cup, they also
boast vitamin C, ellagic acid and anthocyanins.
(19) Red grapefruit
1/2 fruit:
37 calories, 0 g fat
All the goodies of white grapefruit and more:
They provide up to 100% of the RDA
for vitamin A and are also high in lycopene.
(20) Strawberries
1 cup, sliced:
50 calories, 0 g fat
Strawberries have high levels of ellagic acid
and anthocyanins, and are rich in vitamin C (95
mg per cup) and fiber (3.8 g per cup).
Vegetables
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(21) Artichokes
1 medium:
60 calories, 0 g fat
In addition to their high fiber content (6 g),
artichokes contain a flavonoid that has been
shown to reduce skin cancer in animals.
(22) Arugula
1 cup:
5 calories, 0 g fat
A cruciferous (cabbage family) veggie, this
tangy green contains cancer-preventative
compounds such as isothiocyanates.
(23) Avocado
1/2 avocado:
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170 calories, 13 g fat
Yes, they're high in fat, but fortunately half
of it's the heart-healthy monounsaturated
variety. And they're a good source of vitamin
E.
(24) Beets
1/2 cup, sliced:
37 calories, 0 g fat
Beta-cyanin, which gives beets their
reddish-purple color, is a disease-fighting
antioxidant.
(25) Bok choy
1 cup, cooked:
20 calories, 0 g fat
This staple of Chinese cuisine contains
isothiocyanates, plus lots of calcium (158 mg
per cup) and vitamin C (44 mg per cup).
(26) Broccoli
1 cup, cooked:
44 calories, 0 g fat
This super food is loaded with sulphoraphane.
Then there's the 72 mg of calcium, 78 mcg of
folic acid and all the vitamin C.
(27) Broccoli sprouts
1/2 cup:
10 calories, 0 g fat
As protective as broccoli is, these little
sprouts may be even better. They're sprouting
up in health food stores and supermarkets.
(28) Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup, cooked:
30 calories, 0 g fat
Along with good-for-you isothiocyanates and
indoles, these vegetables give you an impressive
48 mg of vitamin C.
(29) Cabbage
1 cup raw, chopped:
22 calories, 0 g fat
The indoles in cabbage help make it a cancer
fighter. For a healthy coleslaw, top shredded
raw cabbage with low fat dressing.
(30) Cauliflower
1 cup, raw:
24 calories, 0 g fat
Another great source of indoles; plus it's high
in fiber (2.5 g per cup) and vitamin C (72 mg
per cup).
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(31) Carrots
1 medium:
26 calories, 0 g fat
A stellar source of beta-carotene. one carrot
contains twice the RDA for vitamin A. Cooked
carrots are even healthier than raw.
(32) Celery
2 medium stalks:
13 calories, 0 g fat
Celery doesn't get much hype, but it's got the
goods - namely phthalides, compounds that
lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
(33) Garlic
1 clove:
5 calories, 0 g fat
Raw, cooked or granulated: All forms contain
cholesterol-fighting organosulfur compounds.
(34) Green beans
1 cup, cooked:
43 calories, 0 g fat
Green beans carry a variety of antioxidant
carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein and
zeaxanthin.
(35) Green pepper
1 medium:
32 calories, 0 g fat
One of the more vitamin C-rich vegetables - 66
mg per pepper - and it's got a little capsaicin,
too (see peppers, below).
(36-39) Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip)
1 cup, cooked:
29 to 49 calories,
0 to 1 g fat
These greens are packed with disease fighters:
lutein, zeaxanthin, and isothiocyanates and 93
to 226 mg of calcium per cup.
(40) Onions
1/2 cup, chopped:
30 calories, 0 g fat
They're important suppliers of the same
heart-healthy organosulphur compounds that
are found in garlic.
(41) Peas
1/2 cup, cooked:
67 calories, 0 g fat
A good source of the carotenoids lutein and
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zeaxanthin - both of which help protect against
age-related eye disease.
(42) Peppers (hot)
1 pepper:
18 calories, 0 g fat
Their phytochemical claim to fame is capsaicin,
which helps short-circuit the cancer process.
(43) Potato (white)
(1) 7 oz. potato:
220 calories, 0 g fat
Don't peel it, and you get a generous 5 g of
fiber, 43% of the day's vitamin C requirement
and a major dose of potassium.
(44) Pumpkin
1/2 cup, canned:
41 calories, 0 g fat
Gives you three times the RDA for vitamin A
and 3/5 g of fiber. Use canned pumpkin to
make pumpkin bread, risotto and soup.
(45) Radishes
4 radishes:
4 calories, 0 g fat
The beginning of the bite is cool, but soon
things get hot; chewing activates the veggies'
indoles and isothiocyanates.
(46) Romaine and other dark lettuce
2 cups, shredded:
18 calories, 0 g fat
The darker the green, the more carotenoids.
These lettuces are also high in folic acid:
There's 40% of the RDA in 2 cups of romaine.
(47) Peppers, red, sweet
1 pepper:
32 calories, 0 g fat
An improved version of the already top-notch
green pepper, with twice its vitamin C content
and a day's supply of vitamin A.
(48) Seaweed
1 cup:
32 calories, 0 g fat
Seaweed is carotenoid and calcium-rich and has
a delicate taste.
(49) Spinach
1 cup, cooked:
41 calories, 0 g fat
Offers enough beta-carotene to surpass the
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RDA for vitamin A, a ton of lutein and more
than half the RDA for folic acid.
(50) Squash (winter types, butternut)
1 cup, cooked:
82 calories, 0 g fat
Not only does a cup equip you with three day's
worth of vitamin A but it fulfills nearly 10%
of your daily calcium needs.
(51) Tomatoes
1 tomato:
26 calories, 0 g fat
Technically considered a fruit, tomatoes are
loaded with cancer-fighting lycopene and are
great sources of vitamin C.
(52) Turnips
1 cup, cooked, cubed:
32 calories, 0 g fat
Neglected members of the cruciferous family,
turnips provide both indoles and
isothiocyanates and 3 g fiber.
(53) Watercress
2 cups:
8 calories, 0 g fat
One of its compounds detoxifies a major
carcinogen in tobacco and as such may help
prevent lung cancer. Also contains
carotenoids.
(54) Yams, sweet potatoes
1/2 cup, mashed:
103 calories, 0 g fat
They win the carotenoid prize, with astonishing
levels amounting to six times the RDA for
vitamin A.
Tea, Herbs and Spices
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(55) Chives
1 tbsp:
1 calorie, 0 g fat
A member of the same family as garlic, chives
contain cholesterol-lowering organosulfides.
(56) Cinnamon
1/2 tsp:
3 calories, 0 g fat
Recent research found that 1/4 tsp to 1 tsp of
cinnamon daily improves insulin function and,
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in turn, blood-sugar control.
(57) Ginger
(5) 1 inch slices:
8 calories, 0 g fat
Helps quell nausea and may reduce joint
inflammation in diseases such as rheumatoid
arthritis.
(58) Horseradish
1 tsp prepared
horseradish:
2 calories, 0 g fat
Whether it's fresh, jarred or in the sharp
green wasabi served with sushi, horseradish is
infused with anticancer isothiocyanates.
(59) Mint
2 tbsp:
5 calories, 0 g fat
Spearmint, the type normally found in the
fresh herb section of your grocery, is rich in
covone, an antioxidant and anticarcinogen.
(60) Mustard
1/2 tsp mustard seed:
8 calories, 0 g fat
Both prepared yellow mustard and mustard
seed contain health-protective isothiocyanates.
(61) Parsley
2 tbsp, chopped:
3 calories, 0 g fat
Parsley is a great source of several
carotenoids: beta-carotene, lutein and
zeaxanthin. Try it in tabbouleh.
(62) Rosemary
1/2 tsp dried or
1 tsp fresh
h:1 calorie, 0 g fat
Test-tube studies found that carnosol, a
compound in rosemary, thwarts the action of
carcinogens.
(63) Sage
1/2 tsp ground:
1 calorie, 0 g fat
Contains a variety of monoterpenes, substances
that prevent the spread and progression of
tumors.
(64) Tea, black or green
1 cup:
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2 calories, 0 g fat
Tea (regular and decaf) and its antioxidant
catechins are linked to reduced heart-disease
risk. Tea may also help inhibit cancer.
(65) Turmeric (used in curry spice)
1/2 tsp:
4 calories, 0 g fat
This spice gets its yellow color from
compounds called curcumins, which have
reduced the size of tumors in animals 50%.
Beans & Soy
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(66) Beans (kidney, black, navy)
1 cup, cooked:
220 to 270 calories,
0 g fat
A super rich fiber source, ranging from 6 g to
16 g per cup, depending on the variety. Also
high in iron.
(67) Soy milk
1 cup:
81 calories, 4 g fat
A cup has 20 mg to 25 mg of health-promoting
isoflavones.
(68) Soy protein isolate powder
1 oz:
95 calories, 1 g fat
studies show that it takes 25 g of soy protein
daily (the amount in just 1 1/4 oz to 3 oz of
the powder, depending on the brand) to get a
10% drop in cholesterol. Try blending it in a
smoothie.
(69) Tofu
1/2 cup:
97 calories, 6 g fat
A rich source of isoflavones. Studies indicate
that 90 mg of isoflavones daily improves bone
density; 1/2 cup of tofu has 30 g.
(70) Textured vegetable protein
1/2 cup, rehydrated:
60 calories, 0 g fat
This is the stuff that mimics meat in vegetarian
chili. TVP is one of the richest sources of
isoflavones, at 40 mg per 1/2 cup.
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Dairy
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(71) Cheese (full fat)
1 oz:
70 to 110 calories,
6 g to 9 g fat
One ounce packs 210 mg of calcium and a dose
of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It's high in
saturated fat; eat with low fat foods.
(72) Skim milk
1 cup:
90 calories, 0 g fat
Our calcium lifeline at 300 mg per cup, and
one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D,
which is vital to calcium metabolism.
(73) Yogurt (plain low fat or nonfat)
1 cup low fat:
150 calories, 3.5 g fat
Those friendly bacteria (called probiotics) in
yogurt help boost immunity and prevent yeast
infections.
Meat
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(74) Beef
3 oz, cooked:
150 to 280 calories,
5 g to 20 g fat
Beef is a good source of both CLA and iron,
but since it's also high in saturated fat, have it
no more than three times a week.
(75) Chicken, without skin
3 oz, cooked:
162 calories, 6 g fat
Remove the skin and you've got an excellent,
low fat source of protein. And 3 oz provides
38% of the RDA for the B vitamin niacin.
(76) Lamb
3 oz, cooked, trimmed
of fat:
175 calories, 8 g fat
Lamb, like beef, is also a good source of CLA.
Ditto beef's saturated fat warning and weekly
consumption recommendation.
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(77) Lean pork
3 oz, cooked, trimmed
of fat:
140 calories, 4 g fat
Fat-trimmed pork tenderloin has one-third less
fat than even lean beef. And it boasts 71% of
the RDA for thiamine.
Seafood
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(78) Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel)
3 oz, cooked:
155 to 225 calories,
5 g to 15 g fat
The richest source of the heart-protective
omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, considered
the most potent.
(79) Other fish
3 oz, cooked:
about 100 calories,
1 g fat
Omega-3's comprise the little bit of fat found
in fish, plus fish are a good source of selenium,
which is essential for immunity.
(80) Lobster
3 oz, cooked:
122 calories, 2 g fat
Try lemon juice instead of butter and you've
got a virtually fat-free way to meet your daily
selenium and copper requirements.
(81) Mussels
3 oz, cooked:
146 calories, 4 g fat
Mussels have two to three times as much iron
as a burger, and completely cover you for
selenium.
(82) Oysters, Eastern
6 medium, steamed
(1 1/2 oz):
58 calories, 2 g fat
Just six oysters give you nearly five times the
RDA for zinc, which is critical for immune
function.
Nuts, Seeds, Oils
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
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Body Benefits
(83) Almonds
1/2 oz (11 nuts):
83 calories, 7 g fat
A recent study showed that a daily 3 1/2 oz
serving of almonds can lower LDL cholesterol
14%.
(84) Brazil nuts
1/2 oz (4 to 4 nuts):
93 calories, 9 g fat
Just three to four nuts deliver an astronomical
420 mcg of selenium, eight times the
recommended daily amount.
(85) Peanut butter
2 tbsp:
200 calories, 16 g fat
Eating five ounces of nuts weekly reduces
heart-disease risk. Buy peanut butter without
partially hydrogenated oils.
(86) Sunflower seeds
1/4 cup:
205 calories, 18 g fat
One of the richest sources of vitamin E
(besides oils), with an impressive 6 IUs in just
1/4 cup.
(87) Tahini
1 tbsp:
89 calories, 8 g fat
Amazingly, 1 tbsp of the stuff has got 64 mg
of calcium, 1.3 mg of iron and nearly one mg of
zinc. And it's a good source of protein.
(88) Walnuts
1 oz (14 halves):
182 calories, 17 g fat
Walnuts are exceptionally rich in an omega-3
fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid, which
helps protect against heart disease.
(89) Canola oil
1 tbsp:
124 calories, 14 g fat
The only cooking oil that's rich in the two
healthiest fats: monounsaturated and
omega-3's. It's a good all-purpose oil.
(90) Flaxseed oil
1 tbsp:
124 calories, 14 g fat
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It's rich in the vegetarian form of omega-3
fatty acids. Mix with balsamic vinegar for a
tasty salad dressing.
(91) Olive oil
1 tbsp:
120 calories, 14 g fat
Besides its extremely high monounsaturated fat
content, olive oil also contains a heart-healthy
compound called squalene.
Grains
Fat/Calorie Breakdown
Body Benefits
(92) Barley
1/2 cup, cooked:
97 calories, 0 g fat
Barley is a great source of a soluble fiber
called beta-glucan (also found in oats, below),
which helps lower blood cholesterol.
(93) Bran cereal
Varies by brand. 1/2 cup:
80 calories, 1 g fat
The easiest way to make inroads into that 20
to 30 g fiber recommendation. These cereals
range from 2 g to 9 g of fiber per serving.
(94) Flaxseed
1 tbsp seeds:
60 calories, 4 g fat
One of the richest sources of
health-protective lignans and a good source
of omega-3 fatty acids
(95) Oats and oat bran
1 cup:
88 calories, 2 g fat
Studies show that a cup of cooked oat bran or
1 1/2 cups oatmeal daily lowers cholesterol 5%.
(96) Rye crackers
(1) 4 1/2 x 2 1/2" cracker (.5
oz):
37 calories, 0 g fat
Rye crackers are one of the few foods
containing rye bran. The bran has lignans and
2.5 g of fiber per 1/2 oz of crackers.
(97) Wheat germ
1/4 cup wheat germ:
103 calories, 4 g fat
Wheat germ is rich in fiber, provides your
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daily selenium dose and is one of the few foods
rich in vitamin E (7U of E per 1/4 cup).
(98) Whole grains such as bulgar
1 cup, cooked:
150 to 220 calories,
0 g to 2 g fat
Besides the lignans and vitamins, these grains
supply complex carbs that mete out a slow,
even supply of energy all day long.
(99) 100% whole wheat bread
2 slices:
138 calories, 2 g fat
Each slice of 100% whole wheat bread has 1.5 g
of fiber, plus other nutrients. Forget regular
"wheat" bread.
(100) Whole wheat pasta
1 cup, cooked:
174 calories, 1 g fat
It's got all the nutrients of whole wheat bread,
and it's a great source of selenium as well.
GLOSSARY OF HEALTHY-FOOD TERMS:
ANTHOCYANINS: Plant pigments that help protect you from heart disease.
ANTIOXIDANT: A substance that prevents harmful molecules called free radicals
from damaging DNA. Free radicals may be a cause of cancer, heart disease and other
chronic diseases.
CAROTENOIDS: Antioxidant plant pigments that are converted to vitamin A by the
body. There are several types: beta-carotene, a major plant source of vitamin A,
which lowers the risk for heart disease and cancer; lutein and zeaxanthin, which are
linked to a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of vision
loss and blindness in older adults; lycopene, linked with a lower risk of heart attack
and cancer.
CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID: Beef, lamb and full-fat cheeses are rich in CLA,
which halts tumor formation in animals.
ELLAGIC ACID: A plant compound that detoxifies and traps carcinogens.
FAVONOIDS: Plant compounds that deter cancer in a number of ways.
FOLIC ACID: B vitamin that helps prevent birth defects and lower levels of
homocysteine, an amino acid linked to heart disease.
INDOLES: Compounds that help fight cancer.
ISOFLAVONES: Compounds that act as weak estrogens (phytoestrogens). Eating 90
mg of isoflavones daily can improve bone density.
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ISOTHIOCYANATES: Compounds, including sulphoraphane, that protect against
cancer.
LIGNANS: Phytoestrogens that help prevent cancer.
MONOUNSATURATED FAT: The heart-healthiest type of fat.
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS: A type of fat that reduces the risk factors for heart
disease.
ORGANOSULFIDES: Substances that help lower cholesterol.
PHYTOESTROGENS: Compounds that are structurally similar to human estrogen.
One difference: They do not promote breast and endometrial cancer. In fact,
they help protect against these cancers, while providing many of the same heartand bone-protective effects as human estrogen