HoodiaPharm HungerAway
Thursday, January 31, 2008 Varying Your Foods

It's often been said that variety is the spice of life. Interestingly, the average person only knows and uses about ten exercises in their workout program. Similarly, the average person only eats approximately 10-12 foods on a regular basis. When you consider that there are literally thousands of exercises and hundreds of food choices it's obvious that people are bored both at the gym and at their dinner table.

Eating the same foods over and over is one of the most sure-fire methods to developing a food intolerance. Not to be confused with a food allergy, food intolerances are negative reactions to foods that produce symptoms such as nasal congestion, skin conditions, headaches, itchiness, lethargy and a variety of other maladies. These conditions are thought to be brought on by a 'leaky gut,' which is characterized by the passing of undigested food particles through the gut wall and into the liver. When our liver becomes backed up from the many food additives, chemicals and pesticides so many of us consume, the undigested food particles end up making it to our general circulation, which causes an immune response from our body. Over time, if we continue eating those foods our body considers harmful, the immune system continues mounting a stronger and stronger response, shown by the many symptoms described above.

One particularly successful method of reducing the chances of developing intolerances to certain foods is to eat foods on a rotating basis. It's generally accepted that food stays within your system for approximately 48-72 hours, with an average of 55 hours. Therefore, eating your food on a four-day rotation works well for many people and has eliminated many of the symptoms associated with food intolerance because they avoid exposing themselves to foods from the same families, or genus, minimizing the immune response. To make this way of eating work for you I recommend what I call a "training rotation plan," which is much easier than a true rotation diet that requires monitoring foods by families (taxonomic relationships). With a training rotation plan, you keep a notepad in your pocket and write down everything you eat and drink on a daily basis. At the end of the day you look at all the foods and don't allow yourself to eat those foods for another 72 hours. For example, if you ate eggs, chicken, cauliflower, mushrooms and drank orange juice on Monday, you would not eat any of these foods nor drink orange juice again until Friday.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:48 AM :: 0 comments

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5 Ways To Become a Walkaholic

1. Always be ready. Keep a pair of walking shoes and socks at work and by the door at home, so an impromptu stroll is easy.

2. Dress right. Choose loose, comfortable clothing that gives you plenty of room to move your arms and legs. A good pair of walking or running shoes, with socks, is also a must. They don't have to be expensive — but don't skimp on comfort to save a few pennies, either. (Just think of walking shoes as your cheapest form of health insurance.) Replace your shoes when they become worn down.

3. Enrich the experience. Listen to your favorite music while you work out — research suggests it will help you stick with your regimen longer. Or try talk radio, podcasts or books on CD. You can also make your walks a destination in themselves, by trying a new course every once in a while — perhaps a local park, lake path or arboretum instead of your usual neighborhood walk.

4. Mall-walk. Indoor walking eliminates the "bad-weather" excuse and it's a great place to meet a friend and socialize as you move. To avoid temptations to buy at the stores (not to mention the fiendishly aromatic cinnamon buns at the food court), leave your wallet and credit cards behind.

5. Find a walking partner. Besides having someone to talk to and make the walk more interesting, a partner helps make you more accountable. You'll be less likely to skip a walk if you know someone's waiting for you. If you feel unsafe or self-conscious walking alone, a partner can make all the difference. Need help finding a partner? Check your local mall or neighborhood recreation center for walking-club information.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:17 AM :: 0 comments

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Learning Your Food Triggers

What makes you eat? Each of us has different eating triggers, and some might be more obvious than others. (Rereading your food journal is one excellent way to spot occasions and foods that tend to trip you up.) Learning to recognize your own eating cues will help you figure out how to manage them better, so let's take a look:

Certain places or actions.
Walking in the door when you get home from work, sitting down in front of the TV or even sitting in a particular comfortable chair can be powerful "feed me!" triggers. Or perhaps you can't talk on the phone or read the newspaper without having something to nibble. However it began, you may have come to associate those activities with eating a snack.

Seeing and/or smelling food.
Tantalizing aromas and seductive visuals of food can get your digestive juices flowing and activate your "hunger" meter. Some people seem to be more susceptible to these cues than others. If walking by a pizzeria or a doughnut shop gets your senses reeling, you might be one of these food "hyperresponders."

Boredom.
If you've got downtime or are busy with a task that doesn't command your full attention, you might crave food simply to have something engaging to do. Going to get something to eat might feel like switching channels to a better station.

Emotions.
While some people react to stressful or unpleasant situations by losing appetite, many people find themselves eating more to help them cope. It's easy to see why: food is pleasurable and comforting, and after all, eating is one major way we care for ourselves. Overeating can even produce a drowsy calm (some call it a "food coma") that can be quite soothing. The act of eating itself can be a distraction, too, if you're a procrastinator: ever wonder why you're longing to cook up a delicious, complicated dinner when you have a deadline looming?

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:45 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Roasted Pepper Soup

The full color spectrum of bell peppers tossed in lemon juice and roasted with whole cloves of garlic are pureed with fennel infused vegetable broth to create this colorful low-fat soup.

Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 70 minutes
Total time: 80 minutes
Calories: 180.03
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 2.44 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 32.23 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 7.29 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients
1 green bell pepper
1 large red bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
8 cloves garlic
0.5 lemon
3 cups vegetable broth
0.25 teaspoon garlic salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fennel seed
0.25 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) , halve all peppers (remove seeds) and peel garlic.
2. Place halved peppers, cut side up in shallow baking dish. Place one garlic clove in each half and squeeze lemon juice generously over peppers. Roast for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile pour vegetable broth into a 2 quart sauce pan and add fennel seeds. Bring to boil, cover and simmer.
4. When peppers are done, remove from oven and set aside to cool. When cool enough to touch peel skin from peppers.
5. Strain fennel seeds from broth and return to a boil. Add thyme and simmer 15 minutes, reducing amount of broth.
6. Slice a 1 inch section from each color of pepper and cut into pieces. Set aside for later garnishing.
7. In a blender, place remaining peppers, garlic and a 1/2 cup broth on blend just long enough to shred the peppers, but not puree them. You want to see the different colors. Pour the blended peppers into the broth and stir well. Add garlic salt and black pepper.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:50 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Men's Weight Loss Vs. Women's Weight Loss

We have always thought that men lose weight faster than women. Although there's still a lot of research to be done, it can generally be explained why men lose at a faster pace than women. They tend to be more active and have faster metabolisms.

Each sex has its own advantages when it comes to losing weight, but men do have an edge. The good news is that the more we learn, the more likely it is that members of both sexes will be able to lose weight successfully.

Exercise factors into the weight-loss equation, and that's where each of the sexes can learn from each other. Here are some of the differences, and what we can learn from the results of the studies done:

Women tend to focus on cardio, and men focus on strength training.
To get results: You need both for weight loss and maintenance. Aim for 30 minutes of cardio, like running, on most days of the week and 20 to 30 minutes of resistance training, like weights, 2 to 3 days a week.

Men are more likely to exercise solo while women are more likely to socialize while they work out.
To get results: Working out with a partner can keep you motivated. The key is finding someone who complements your style. Just remember that even if you exercise with a buddy, it's important to push yourself and focus on maintaining your individual fitness goals.

Women may not push themselves hard enough, but men may push themselves too far.
To get results: Both men and women should check in with an expert, such as a certified personal trainer, from time to time to be sure their workout is on par with their fitness level.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:44 AM :: 0 comments

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Stopping The Late Night Eating

For some, eating right goes well all day until the after-dinner snacking starts and a perfect day is ruined by a bowl of ice cream or too many handfuls of chips. With individuals who are struggling with weight control, late night eating is often described it dieters biggest problem. The first place to start tackling the late-night hunger is to realize your motivation and then determine the best strategy for either changing your motivation or dealing with it.

Here are 3 common reasons people have the nighttime snack attack:

Boredom
You may be bored or dealing with another emotion like stress, and use this time to preoccupy or anesthetize yourself with food.

Restriction
You have restricted your calories too much during the day and truly are hungry.

Off-Limits Thinking
The psychological nature of dieting prompts you to feel as if late-night eating is taboo, which, in turn, creates the off limits thinking. Sometimes when we tell ourselves we can't have something, we end up wanting it all the more.

To combat those cravings, here are some real-life survival tips for beating the refrigerator battle:

  • When you feel the tug to comfort yourself with late-night snacks, try reading a good book or even going to bed early.
  • Keep your hands busy by visiting dieting forums and watching message boards that have people on them that are going through the same exact thing you are. Often it is good for your psyche to see that others are struggling also. You can give each other support.
  • Write in your journal how you are feeling and why you want to snack. Often by the time you finish writing you don't feel quite as hungry.
  • "Close" the kitchen by turning out all lights, doing the dishes, and simply putting it out of your mind. Brush your teeth and make sure that your mind knows that you are not going to be eating any more that night.
  • Eat enough throughout the day to make sure that you really aren't hungry.




Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:03 AM :: 0 comments

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Yogurt For Weight Loss

Yogurt is one of those versatile foods that is not only delicious to eat, but easy to work into your daily snacks and meals. Now we have found out that it also can help with your weight loss.

Yogurt provides essential nutrients including the calcium that needed to build healthy bones. If you eat 3 servings of low-fat dairy products, including yogurt, it helps with losing weight instead of just cutting calories without dairy. It has been shown in studies that people who add dairy into their daily regimen lost an average of 22% more body weight than people who just dropped their calories without adding dairy. They also lost 61% more body fat. Most importantly they lost a whopping 81% more fat from their middle sections - the fat that has been known to cause serious health problems. Honestly, it isn't quite known how dairy calcium helps to promote weight loss, but one theory is that dairy plays a role in mobilizing stored fat.

Yogurt also is a good source for protein which is perfect for people with Diabetes. When eating moderate carbohydrates combined with yogurt it helps you to build muscle mass when you add in daily exercise. When you have higher muscle mass you burn more calories and more effectively.

Here are some ways to add yogurt into your daily diet:

  • Yogurt is a perfectly portioned snack to grab as you walk out the door for breakfast
  • Turn it into a parfait by alternating layers of vanilla yogurt, strawberries, fresh berries, and granola
  • Use it for dip for vegetables when adding in a vegetable soup mix
  • Use it for a smoothie
  • Add plain yogurt to mayonnaise or cream cheese for a low-calorie sandwich spread
  • Eat it on top of potatoes, burritos, or bean soup in lieu of sour cream





Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:41 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Gnocchi

Mashed potato, flour and an egg is all you need to need for gnocchi.

Serves 4
Prep time: 102 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 132 minutes
Calories: 289.09
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 1.99 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 58.82 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 8.97 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients
2 potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.
2. Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:55 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Healthy Tips For Traveling

Whether you're traveling by plane, train, or automobile, check out these on-the-go eating and exercise tips.

1. Go for H20. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after long plane flights to keep your body well hydrated. Hydration may help ward off jet lag and reduce symptoms of discomfort at high-altitude destinations that may accompany travel.

2. Stay on schedule. If you normally exercise in the morning, try to do the same when you are on the road. Keeping to your regular routine as much as possible may help you stick with healthy habits.

3. Eat small. Try eating off the kids' menu, or choose appetizers, soup and salad, or half portions instead of a typical entrée. Choosing smaller servings may add up to fewer calories when choices are healthy.

4. Stock smart. If possible, get a room without a minibar or request that the hotel empty it before you arrive to reduce temptation later. Opt instead for smart choices such as fresh fruit, whole grains, and low-fat items.

5. Brown-bag it. Carry nonperishable nutritious snacks with you to help curb your appetite between meals. Being prepared with your own snacks may help decrease urges for not-so-healthy choices that you might be offered.

6. Find fitness adventure. If your hotel offers fitness classes or unique equipment, try out something new. Check with your health or exercise club at home to see if it has locations or partner-relationships in the area you'll be visiting.

7. Gear up. Don't forget to pack your sneakers and exercise clothes--including layers for unexpected weather changes--so you can keep up your healthy efforts away from home.

8. Navigate menus carefully. Look for broiled and baked fresh fish options, and choose plenty of fruits and vegetables. Be aware of portion sizes, skimp on high-calorie foods, and limit alcoholic beverages to keep calories in check.

9. Explore your destination safely. Before you walk or run in new or unfamiliar locations ask the hotel staff for safe routes. They often can provide maps, places to explore, and times of day that may be best.

10. Keep moving. Stretch and move about the plane, train, or bus by walking up and down the aisles. When traveling by car, stop frequently and stroll historic sites, parks, or rest areas to take a break from driving. Walk and explore the airport terminal shops and amenities when waiting for connecting flights.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:40 AM :: 0 comments

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If you are exercising to help in your weight-loss effort you should get a heart-rate monitor. Without one, you won't know if you are burning fat or getting more aerobically fit, or potentially exercising too hard. Knowing your heart rate (or pulse beats per minute) during exercise is critical to exercising efficiently and, ultimately, to weight loss.

During exercise, your heart moves blood from your lungs, where it picks up oxygen, to your muscles, where it burns the oxygen as fuel, and sends it back to your lungs again. The harder you exercise, the more fuel your body needs and the harder your heart has to work to get oxygen to your muscles. The harder your heart works, the faster it beats. This is where a heart-rate monitor comes in.

You need to get your heart rate to a certain threshold to ensure that you are working hard enough and getting more fit. If your heart rate is too low, you're not working hard enough and your body won't benefit as much. If your heart rate is too high, you might be damaging your body. A heart-rate monitor can tell you when your exercise is at the right point. Keeping your heart rate in this so-called target zone is key to burning fat and getting in shape.

Figuring out your target zone is easy. First, figure out your maximum heart rate, which is typically 220 minus your age. (This is a general measurement; more extensive tests are available with your doctor.) Multiply that number by .60 to get the bottom end of the target zone and by .80 to get the top end. Then, stay in that zone throughout for an efficient workout. You burn body fat at the first part of the zone, until about 70 percent of your maximum, you build endurance from 70 to 80 percent.

The key to an effective workout is staying in the zone for at least 20 minutes per exercise session. By the way, your resting heart rate is typically 60 to 80 beats per minute, depending on your level of fitness. Olympic athletes are so fit that their resting heart rate is typically around 30.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:59 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Bow-Tie Pasta With Red Pepper Sauce

A sensational puree of red bell pepper, oregano, chicken broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and honey tossed with sweet and tender peas, parsley and bow tie pasta.

Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Calories: 96.67
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 0.61 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 18.69 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 4.11 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients
2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
0.5 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
0.25 tsp. salt
0.25 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
2 cups bow tie pasta
1 cup blanched green peas
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions
1. Combine bell pepper, broth, oregano, salt, and pepper in 2 quart saucepan. Cover. Cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is tender.
2. Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, and honey; remove from heat. Puree mixture in a blender or food processor.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain.
4. Mix together pasta, red pepper sauce, peas, and parsley.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:30 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, January 28, 2008 Is Dried Fruit Really Healthy?

Consumers are so disadvantaged because reading ingredient labels often require a PhD in biochemistry! Here’s one tip - The fewer the ingredients listed, the less processed the food is. If you’re buying dried fruit, the first ingredient should be fruit, such as raisins, dates, apricots or figs, and that’s about it. It sounds as if you chose a dried fruit that's been processed with hydrogenated fat. Dried fruit is a healthy food, a good choice for energy and fiber, and naturally fat-free. Dried fruit, by weight, is higher in calories than the fresh counterpart, and although concentrated in calories, it’s also more concentrated in other nutrients, for example, although fresh grapes are not a particularly good source of iron; raisins, which are dried grapes, are rich in iron. One cup of sliced fresh plums has only 91 calories; only 1 percent of the Daily Value for iron, a cup of prunes has 406 calories and 23 percent of the DV for iron. You don’t want to eat an entire cup of prunes if you’re watching your weight, but a couple of prunes diced into your cereal is tasty and nutritious, too.

So natural dried fruit is good for you, but you need to watch the portion size - especially when you're watching your calories. Getting back to your food item, adding sugar and fat to dried fruit changes the item's healthy nature. There's no reason to add sugar to dried or fresh fruit, because it's naturally sweet. And adding trans fat (partially hydrogenated sunflower oil) to dried fruit makes it higher in calories, and bad for your heart. You may choose organic dried fruit without added sulfites or preservatives or you can buy conventional dried fruit, which may be treated with sulfites or ascorbic acid to prevent browning. The bottom line is that you should always choose dried fruit without added sugar or fats.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:47 AM :: 0 comments

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A Plan For The Big Game

Are you dreading what "The Big Game" could mean for your diet?

Afraid you won’t be able to resist the wings, the chips and the pizza? Relax. Before you park yourself in front of the big screen, we can help you lay down the strategy that will take you through the fourth quarter without any weight-loss penalties.

Make a good call. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. If the party is happening around dinnertime, offer a well-rounded meal, plus the snacks and hors d’oeuvres. If you just nibble all afternoon, you may feel like you never really ate despite having taken in more than your fair share of calories. As a result, you may end up eating again later. Serve dinner early so you and your guests don’t go overboard on snacks while you’re waiting.

Pass the smart snacks. If you want to keep some more "traditional" Super Bowl party fare, opt for low-fat versions. Some ideas from your plan include low-fat nachos, snack pizzas, picante potato wedges, hummus dip with crackers, crackers and cheese, sour cream dip with carrots, tortilla chips with salsa, baby carrots, popcorn, pretzels and cheesy pita chips. Just don’t forget to pay attention to portion sizes.

Jump into the pool. If you’re bored by the game or can’t get excited about the competing teams, you might be tempted to turn your attention to food. Instead, create a pool that will take everyone’s mind off the snacks. Ask questions like, “How long will the National Anthem last?” “How many different entertainers will take the stage at half time?” “Which company will have the first advertising spot during the game?” “How long will the game last?” That way, everyone feels involved. Have guests turn in their answers before the game starts and you can all keep track of the score. Let the winner take home the centerpiece.

Keep score. When you eat party mix or chips directly out of a large serving bowl, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’ve consumed, especially when your eyes are on the game. To intercept distracted eating, give each guest his or her own little “super bowl" (in festive team colors, of course) and make scooping out a specific amount and keeping track of quantities effortless.

Never touch down. Instead of sitting close to the munchies where you’ll be tempted to reach for another plate, busy yourself refilling drinks, heating up hors d’oeuvres, chatting with other guests or playing with the kids. The less time you spend sacked out in front of the food, the fewer calories you’ll let pass your lips

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:21 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Cheesy Pita Chips

1/2 pita bread, approximately 6 inches (2 oz.)
1 serving cooking spray
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 oz. low-fat or nonfat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush pita with oil and cut into eighths. Arrange the pita chips on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 5-6 minutes, until lightly browned. Top with cheese and garlic powder, return to oven, and bake for 2-3 more minutes, until cheese is melted.

Amount per serving: Calories 149; total fat 2g; saturated fat 0g; cholesterol 5 mg; sodium 208mg; total carbohydrate 20g; dietary fiber 3g; sugars 1g; protein 7g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:26 AM :: 0 comments

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Friday, January 25, 2008 Reasons For Losing Weight

How bad do you want to be thin? Have you got the necessary willpower to stick to your diet and reach your weight loss goals? You may think just shedding those extra pounds would be satisfying and provide enough willpower. But, of course, it would be nice not to avoid seeing your reflection in shop windows and to receive admiring glances as you walk down the street.

You need to remember that if you want to lose weight for the wrong reasons, there's a strong chance that either your weight loss efforts will fail or that you will put the weight back on once you stop dieting. If you want to lose weight for you, you are much more likely to be pleased with the results! It's all about willpower and if you want something badly enough, you will have the power to make it happen.

3 Bad reasons for wanting to lose weight:

  • To make a bad relationship good
  • To make someone proud of you
  • To make someone like you

3 Good reasons for wanting to lose weight:

  • To get fit
  • To avoid health problems
  • To improve your self confidence

Try these positive attitude exercises:

  • See yourself spending time with those who support you - Make your picture as attractive as you'd wish it to be in real life. Let your thoughts gravitate towards all the things that inspire and motivate you.
  • Hear yourself speaking encouraging words to yourself and hear the positive things that others are saying to you now that you have achieved your goal.
  • Decide what it is that you really want. For example, if you want to lose weight, think of what it is that you really want, instead of what you don't want, being overweight. Now say this in a positive way for example, 'I am fit, energetic and slim'.
  • See yourself as this new you and visualise yourself doing all the things that you would most want to do. Who else is in the picture? What are you wearing? Perhaps those jeans that you haven't been able to fit into for over a year?

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:47 AM :: 0 comments

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Must Have Frozen Munchies

1. Birds Eye Steamfresh veggies
With less than 200 calories for the whole bag, stick it in the microwave for five minutes and voila! Steamed veggies are healthy and delicious and easier to make than ever before! They come in different varieties of vegetables so you never get bored.
It is important to get our vegetables in daily and now you can have them at any time.

2. Skinny Cow ice cream
These delicious ice-cream sandwiches are 97-percent fat free and have only 140 calories! Every now and then we all get a little craving for something sweet. But no longer do you have to stray from your diet to get a delicious treat. With flavors like chocolate mint and caramel swirl they certainly hit the sweet spot!

3. Sugar-Free Popsicles
These are perfect for that after-meal sweet tooth we all get. They are low in calories and sugar-free. These are especially great in the summer. They can be a perfect substitution for high-sugar drinks. There are even sugar-free fudgesicles and creamsicles available that will help you stay on your diet while curbing your sweet tooth.

4. Edamame
Also known as soybeans, edamame is a delicious and healthy Japanese snack. Soy has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease, improves bone health and help reduce certain types of cancer. Simply pop the beans in your mouth and discard the shell. They are low in calories and easy to make - all you have to do is boil some water.

5. Gardenburger
These patties are full of flavor and healthy ingredients. Simply heat in the microwave (usually 35 seconds or so) and have it as a snack. They even come in vegan varieties and different flavors. For you meat eaters who get the craving, look no further. These are delicious and hearty and have around 100 calories per patty. Just be sure not to go overboard with toppings.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:14 AM :: 0 comments

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7 Secrets To Staying Thin

Secret #1: Practice Intuitive Weight Maintenance
Naturally thin people have a stable weight and don't worry what it is. Naturally thin people don't weigh, measure or otherwise keep track of their bodies' dimensions. You won't even find a bathroom scale at the naturally thin person's house. They don't need to weigh themselves, because they trust their bodies to regulate their own weight.

Secret #2: Apply an Intuitive Attitude
Naturally thin people have a positive view of themselves and their lives. People who have never had a weight problem know that the key to happiness is in how they perceive themselves and their lives. They have a wonderful self-image, because they have not allowed society's pressure to influence them. Besides appearance, some people criticize themselves for their thoughts, feelings, behaviors - everything. How they see their bodies is a reflection of how they tend to see their entire lives.

Secret #3: Know Intuitively Why to Eat
Naturally thin people eat when they are hungry, but for other reasons as well. They eat because their bodies need fuel, but they also eat sometimes even if they are nut hungry. People eat to fulfill physical need (75 to 100 percent of the time), physical desire (0 to 25 percent of the time) and emotional desire (0 to 10 percent of the time). The key is proportion - to be attuned to the body's signals of what it needs, but also to eat once in a while out of desire.

Secret #4: Know Intuitively What to Eat
Naturally thin people eat exactly what they are hungry for. They seem to have an inherent sense of what they really need. They'll go out of their way to get what they are hungry for, even if it means making a shopping trip. If that's not feasible, then they substitute another similar food.

Secret #5: Know Intuitively How Much to Eat
Naturally thin people stop eating before they get too full. They often leave food on their plates when dining out, because the typical restaurant portion is more than a body needs. When dining at home, they often finished what is on their plates if they served themselves, because they are in tune with how much food their bodies will need and only put that much on their plates. Eat slowly, pay attention to how you feel as you get full and learn hot to recognize fullness cues.

Secret #6: Exercise With Intuition
Naturally thin people enjoy a variety of fitness activities in reasonable amounts. They exercise on a regular basis without going overboard. There is consistency without compulsively. They use exercise guidelines, but in a way that honors their bodies needs. Some exercise for longer durations than others, and some work out at more advanced levels than others.

Secret #7: Live an Intuitive Life
Naturally thin people have truly fulfilling lives (and it's not because they are thin). Thinness is part of their experience, but it is not the source of their fulfillment. They have meaningful relationships with others. They enjoy significant experiences in both their professional and personal lives. They focus far beyond the number on the scale. Their focus is on enjoying life, exactly as it is, and making the best of things, exactly as they are.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:24 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Slow Cook Thai Chicken

Slow cooked chicken breasts in a rich, peanutty, slightly spicy sauce.
Serves 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 300 minutes
Total time: 320 minutes
Calories: 410.00
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 23.60 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 18.30 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 34.90 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
0.5 cup chicken broth
0.25 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
0.66 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
0.25 cup lime juice
3 green onion, chopped
0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro
0.5 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Directions

1. Place the chicken breast strips, bell pepper and onion into a slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and 1/4 cup soy sauce, then season with cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to blend, then cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
2. Remove 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker, and mix this with teh cornstarch, peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and lime juice. This should blend into a fairly thick suce. Stir the sauce back into the slower cooker and place the lid on the pot.
3. Cook on High for 30 minutes. Serve over rice if desired. Garnish with green onions, cilantro and peanuts before serving.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:00 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, January 24, 2008 Mistakes in Dieting

When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a natural inclination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body will burn off some of its fat. The problem is that eating less actually makes it more difficult to lose weight.

When researchers compare overweight and thin people, they find that they eat roughly the same number of calories. What makes overweight people different is the amount of fat that they eat. Thin people tend to eat less fat and more complex carbohydrates.

Losing weight is not something one can do overnight. A carefully planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation floating around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.

A survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so. So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started clamping down.

The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all be thin. But we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has changed dramatically.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with and remember that walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:48 AM :: 0 comments

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7 signs of emotional eating

When a craving to snack hits, try asking yourself if the desire to eat is caused by true or emotional hunger before you head for the kitchen or vending machine. Not sure? See if any of these emotional eating warning signs apply:

  • You strongly crave a certain comfort food, and a healthier choice won't do.
  • The urge to eat passes if you delay a few minutes.
  • The urge to eat is accompanied by a trigger, such as an emotion (stress, boredom or even happiness), particular place, person or situation.
  • You are eating to fill a void (loneliness, emptiness, lack of fulfillment).
  • You eat quickly, gobbling the food down without tasting or enjoying it.
  • You want a snack to relax, unwind or reward yourself.
  • You've eaten within the last two or three hours.

The key to breaking emotional eating isn't avoidance or willpower, but understanding. Even if you give in, ask yourself what's going on and come up with a strategy to react differently next time. Soon emotional eating won't be so automatic.


Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:28 AM :: 0 comments

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5 More Tips To Quick Workouts

1.Tired at night and just want to sit in front of the TV? Try this technique: Take periodic five-minute exercise breaks and perform some muscle-stimulating and calorie-burning exercise. For example, take five minutes and perform only ab crunches. Then, when it's time for another five-minute exercise break, perform modified push-ups for five minutes. Then for a final five-minute break, perform stationary lunges. Try to do as many as possible in five minutes and try to beat your amount of reps during each subsequent break. It won't seem daunting because it's only five minutes at a time, split over a 30 or 60-minute time frame. Instead of rest breaks, you'll take exercise breaks. You don't really need to watch that new commercial do you?

2. How about performing one exercise movement per day for 7 to 10 minutes? For example, Monday: free-standing squats for seven minutes. Tuesday: chair dips for seven minutes. Wednesday: crunches and hip lifts off the floor for seven minutes. Thursday: modified push-up for seven minutes. Friday: stationary lunges for seven minutes. It's quick, simple and teaches consistency.

3. Want things even simpler? Take the longest route every time you have to walk somewhere - even if it's to a co-worker's office.

4. Double-up the stairs. Every time you take the stairs, simply take a double step or every other stair. It will be just like lunges and the Stairmaster combined. Great for the legs and butt.

5. Perform any of the above with your spouse or a friend. I'm sure you can find someone who is in the same situation. The support will give you more motivation and you just may find that you can create even more workout time for yourself.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:02 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Chicken Chili Soup

Diced chicken is simmered with tomatoes, kidney beans, corn, bell peppers, chili powder, cayenne and cumin in this easy soup.
Serves 18
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Calories: 161.52
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 1.10 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 21.56 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 16.35 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

1.75 pounds diced chicken breast meat
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
0.5 cup frozen corn kernels
4 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans with liquid
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
0.5 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
0.5 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. Coat a large pot with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken, bell peppers and onion until chicken is brown and peppers are just tender. Stir in corn, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Season with chili powder and parsley.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:43 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Energy Boosters

As much as we’d all like to think energy comes in a bottle, it doesn’t. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t find it elsewhere. You just have to know the right places to look for it!

First of all, don’t believe the hype. No matter how many commercials you see with energetic, skinny people running around, they didn’t get like that from whatever product is for sale. It’s called acting, and the product is most likely a scam.
Second of all, one of the most well-known sources of energy drain is stress. You’ll see as soon as you learn techniques to reduce stress, your energy levels will increase. One great suggestion to try is deep breathing; another is meditation.

With that said, check out these five surefire tips to aid you in regaining an upward momentum:

1. Get adequate sleep - This may seem like a no-brainer, but many people suffer from different forms of insomnia. Although the average amount of time is eight hours, it’s whatever you need to feel rested and only you can determine that. Avoid caffeine and alcohol to assure a good night’s rest.

2. Stay hydrated - It is not only important to stay hydrated for your skin and digestive health, but your overall engine running, as well. Remain conscious about how much you’re drinking throughout the day. You’ll feel better when you’ve imbibed enough water.

3. Take a multivitamin -- Eating a balanced diet doesn’t insure you’ll get the minimum dietary requirements you need for energy. To remind yourself, put your bottle of multivitamins next to your toothpaste or something else you know you’ll use at least once a day.

4.Exercise - Although many people think exercise makes you tired, it does just the opposite if done in moderation. Exercise actually increases energy by getting the heart pumping, providing oxygen to working muscles and by increasing cardio respiratory capacity.

5. Eat breakfast - Many may think it’s not that important, but those who eat breakfast sure can tell the difference on days they skip. Your body is resting all night and the only way to get it started in the morning is by feeding it. It’s like trying to start a car without gas - it won’t work. Something light and healthy is a great way to start your day.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:49 AM :: 0 comments

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5 Fat Burning Tips for a Quick Workout

1. When you first wake up, commit to 10 minutes of continuous exercise. Choose only three movements and perform each in succession without stopping for 10 minutes. For example, you can perform modified push-ups on Monday, followed by crunches for your abs followed by stationary lunges. On Tuesday, you can perform free-standing squats with hands on hips, double crunches for abs and close-grip modified push-ups (hands 3 inches apart) for your triceps. All in 10 minutes! Just take a quick breather when you need it.

2. Perform timed interval walking in your neighborhood or at lunch. If it takes 10 minutes to walk to a certain destination near your office or in your neighborhood, try to make it in 8 minutes. You can also do this first thing in the morning before work as well as on your lunch break.

3. If you have stairs in your home or in your work place, commit to taking the stairs a specific number of times. Tell yourself that you'll take the stairs six or eight times (no matter what).


4. While seated, perform some isometric exercise to help strengthen and tighten your muscles. For example, while in a seated position, simply contract the abdominals for 30 seconds while breathing naturally. You can also tighten and contract your legs for 60 seconds. Perform about three sets per area. You'll feel your muscles get tighter in just three weeks if you perform this a few times per week.

5. For about $15, you can invest in a pedometer. It's a small device you can carry that records the amount of miles you walk per day. Each week, simply try to add just a bit more to the mileage. For example, let's say you walk one mile total during the day in the normal course of activities. Simply try to make it two miles total the following week. Just make a game of it. You'll burn more calories.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:30 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Macaroni and Cheese Bake

Elbow macaroni is baked in a casserole with canned chicken soup, sliced tomatoes and processed cheese slices.

Serves 10 9x13 dish
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Calories: 294.58
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 6.45 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 43.03 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 16.11 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
0.75 cup milk
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 tomatoes, sliced
12 slices precessed sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan, heat soup and milk over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and stir in macaroni. Pour macaroni mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Place a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of cheese slices over macaroni. Repeat.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:52 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008 5 Salad Bar Toppings That are Bad For You

If you're patting yourself on the back for heading to the salad bar for a snack or meal, beware. While lettuce and raw veggies hardly contain any calories at all, pile on the wrong toppings and your "wise" choice can easily turn in the fat and calorie equivalent of a hot fudge sundae! Go lightly on:

Salad dressing: A quarter-cup ladle of ranch adds 292 calories and 30 grams of fat! Opt for 2 tablespoons of the fat-free Italian, and add a mere 14 calories instead.

Cheese: Colorful shredded cheddar cheese may look appealing, until you realize it has 110 calories and 9 grams of fat per quarter-cup serving. Add color with fewer calories with shredded carrots, instead.

Croutons: These toasted bread pieces may look innocent, but a one-cup scoop can add 186 calories and 7.3 grams of fat to your plate. Try crumbling a package of two saltine crackers on instead, at just 39 calories.

Nuts: Sunflower seeds look like a healthy choice, and they are in moderation, but pile them on and you'll add 165 calories and 14 grams of fat per quarter cup. Stick to just a sprinkle.

Potato and macaroni salads: Watch out. Potato salad packs 217 calories and 12 grams of fat per half cup. Macaroni salad is even worse, at 360 calories and 26 grams of fat per half cup. Opt for a scoop of three-bean salad instead, at 80 calories and 0 grams of fat per half cup.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:04 AM :: 0 comments

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Shopping Mall Super Snacks

January has become the season for shopping-mall mania. It's now a tradition to return those gifts that were well-meant, but oh-so-wrong. And who can resist hunting for those "75 percent off already-discounted clothes" deals?

But when you walk by the mall's food court, it's tempting to make this the season for unplanned snacking as well. Here's the math:

1 humungous cinnamon bun dripping with butter and icing
+ 1 Paul Bunyan-sized mug of creamy hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings
= A day's allotment of calories (and a week's portion of saturated fat!)

Instead, get to know how to enjoy healthy treats amidst the mall's food traps Knowledge is power, and the opportunity to stay on your diet. Most mall food courts contain fast-food restaurants, and an increasing number of those provide nutritional information on their Web sites. Look up your favorites and choose the lowest in fat and calories. For example, McDonald's offers a fruit and yogurt parfait. Choose the no-granola version and enjoy 130 calories of tasty and healthy food.

Opt for flavor, not fat. You can create my own low-calorie, high-flavor treat by asking them to prepare a platter filled with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, a few slivers of raw onion, and lots of low-calorie, fat-free salsa instead of opting for the higher fat taco at a well known taco food court favorite. With a large bottle of water, this snack is satisfying and high in vitamins and minerals.

Worried you won't be able to resist the food court's tempting fragrances? Then skip it! Pack an energy bar and a bottle of water in the car and take it with you into the mall. Eat it when you fatigue and need a break. Then go for a walk around the exterior of the mall with your renewed vigor, and you'll feel the power.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:26 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Low Fat Spaghetti Sauce

A long, slow simmer of tomatoes, basil, mushrooms, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and a pinch of baking soda yields a rich, dark sauce. Stir in Parmesan cheese and keep simmering. Let the flavors meld overnight, then serve with your favorite pasta.

Serves 8
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 875 minutes
Total time: 880 minutes
Calories: 212.26
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 2.02 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 39.37 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 9.15 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

4 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
4 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
3 cups water
4 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons white sugar
0.25 cup chopped fresh basil
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 pinches baking soda
0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Mix together whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, basil, and 1 pinch of baking soda in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 4 hours minimum.
2. Stir in another pinch of baking soda; the sauce will foam. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and almost brown. Make sure to scrape the sides of the pan in to the sauce.
3. After the sauce is fork consistency, stir in Parmesan cheese. Watch that the cheese does not burn. Taste sauce. If it is too tangy or acidic, add another pinch of baking soda and simmer another 1/2 hour.
4. Cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, reheat and serve.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:55 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, January 17, 2008 Making Your Mind Up To Lose Weight

Goal-setting, positive self-talk, and self-esteem are all very important aspects of physical fitness and weight loss. How you feel about yourself can have a huge impact when it comes to starting (and staying on) an exercise and weight loss regime.

Just like you can reshape your body with diet and exercise, you can also reshape your self-image. An excellent way to improve your weight loss mind-set is to begin to create realistic goals. When you meet the goals you set, you will feel better about yourself. The higher your weight is, the lower your self-esteem tends to plunge. Meeting even the smallest goal, such as walking an extra 10 minutes each day renews your self-esteem.

Defining and meeting your goals will be a huge boost to your self-image.
Additionally, goal-setting can improve other aspects of your life. It will help you understand what is important to you, such as making lowering your blood pressure your top goal, or, simply being able to walk your dog an extra block or two within a few weeks. Goals will also keep you motivated, so you will then be more likely to make and meet new, more difficult goals. Perhaps other challenges in your life will begin to seem less daunting when you see what you can really do!

It is important to always write goals down - big or small, long-term or short-term. Just put it in writing. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but you could send yourself an e-mail, make notations in your calendar or journal, or simply write them on a piece of notebook paper. By doing this, you get the feeling you are making a contract with yourself which makes you less likely to forget or ignore them.

The most important piece of advice in goal-setting? Stay realistic. Setting unachievable, unrealistic goals is far more harmful than helpful. Not only will you suffer trying to meet them, the discouragement you'll feel when you inevitably don't meet them will leave you down in the dumps. Then it will be too easy to get so down on yourself that you may not even want to try anymore. Just keep it real and that won't happen.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:19 AM :: 0 comments

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10 Ways To Drink More Water

It's no news that you should be drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. Doing so has many health benefits, including promoting weight loss, improving your skin, ridding your system of toxins and more. As we have heard many many times before, water is essential in not only helping us lose weight but it is also necessary to keep it off. However, it can be hard finding time to drink all of that water! If you need some help working it all in you can try these 10 tips for ways to drink more water:

  • Take a water bottle to work.
  • Take a water bottle for each person whenever you go anywhere in the car.
  • Drink a glass of water before each meal.
  • Keep a bottle of cold water in the refrigerator.
  • Use a larger glass at meals. If you normally use an 8-ounce glass, try a 10-ounce.
  • Take a full water bottle on all bike rides.
  • Buy a waist pack that holds a water bottle, and take it with you on walks.
  • Use sports drinks before, during and after any summertime activity.
  • Have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
  • Make a fruit smoothie for breakfast. Blend fresh fruit, seltzer water and vanilla yogurt for an easy pick-me-up that's also a good source of fluid.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:42 AM :: 0 comments

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Heart Healthy Foods

If you ever pick up a newspaper or surfed the Internet, you've certainly heard that obesity and high-fat, high-sugar diets are on the rise. All of these things are contributing factors in heart disease. If you aren't doing it already, isn't it about time to get a handle on your diet, and show your cardiovascular system some mercy? The following diet and eating habit suggestions will help set you on the road to a healthier heart.

1. Eat low-fat meats - This means generally avoiding red meat, and sticking with poultry and fish. But, of course, you have to take method of preparation into consideration as well, meaning skip the fried chicken and go for grilled. Can't do without burgers? Try substituting low-fat ground turkey or soy-based veggie burgers. Fish - especially oily fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel - are an excellent part of a heart-healthy diet because they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which lower triglycerides and may help improve your overall cholesterol profile as well as help lower blood pressure. If you're not much into fish, you can take supplements or consume other foods that contain omega-3, such as walnuts, soybeans and flaxseeds.

2. Cut back on certain fat and cholesterol laden foods - The main culprits are saturated fats and especially trans fats. The American Heart Association recommends that saturated fats make up no more than seven percent of your daily calories, and that trans fats make up no more than one percent. But you'd do very well to cut out trans fats altogether, which isn't as difficult as it used to be. More and more processed foods such as various crackers, breads, chips, etc that used to contain trans fats (usually in the form of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils) have been dropping them in recent years, and more and more fast food restaurants are removing trans fats from their foods as well. This doesn't mean you should now give yourself license to pig out on the stuff every chance you get, but it does mean that the occasional order of French fries isn't as harmful as it once was.

3. Eat whole grain foods - The easy rule of thumb is to go for brown over white every time. So brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat or multiple grain bread instead of white bread, bran cereals instead of the sugary, food-colored variety. Whole grains provide you with fiber, since by definition they still contain germ and bran. They're also rich in various vitamins and minerals, some of which are important in regulating blood pressure.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:09 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Shrimp Paella

Shrimp, rice, and diced tomatoes all simmered in chicken broth and gently kissed with the essence of saffron.

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Calories: 200.65
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 2.03 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 23.46 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 22.14 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

0.5 cup uncooked white rice
1.5 cups water
0.5 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined without tails
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
4 saffron threads

Directions

1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic and shrimp for about 5 minutes or until pink.
3. Pour in broth, tomatoes and saffron; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 cups of the cooked rice and reduce heat to low. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:32 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Bad Habits and Weight Loss

Once you realize that most weight problems are related to bad habits you will understand that if you can eliminate these bad habits weight loss will follow.

The first step in the process is to determine what your bad habits are. Look at the times when you tend to overeat and see if you can understand what triggers these reactions. If you can eliminate those triggers and you can only do that by determining what they are in the first place then you will find it a lot easier to sort out your eating problems.

You should also look at the types of food that you go for during these times. Often they will be comfort foods and more often than not these comfort foods are of very low nutritional value due to that fact they will stimulate overeating. By simply changing your comfort foods, with those that are of a higher nutritional value you will still be satisfying your needs by eliminating the negative side effects that are associated with poor food choices.

Most things that we do in life are habitual. We rarely think about the actions we take as we go about our daily routines on autopilot. Unfortunately, everything we do throughout the day includes both good and bad habits and it is those bad habits that are causing the damage. As we age, more and more aspects of our life become habitual. It becomes more difficult to realize we have these habits and even more so to get rid of them particularly if we have had them for a long time.

With a bit of personal analysis you will quickly become notice the various different things that are leading up to your eating and weight problems. If you only target one of these habits at a time it becomes a lot easier to make the changes. Changing one habit can have a positive affect on many other habits. The process certainly becomes easier the more you do it in and by concentrating more on that area rather than the food itself you will find that weight loss is not such an overwhelming part of your life.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:13 AM :: 0 comments

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Six Steps To a Slimmer You

Step 1: Double up on your aerobics

Instead of exercising for 30 minutes on the treadmill, step it up to 60 minutes. You don´t need to walk, step or jog faster, only longer. Extending your workouts past 30 minutes gives your body more time to burn fat, as opposed to only burning carbohydrates for energy.

Added tip, don´t eat more because you exercise more. Lean bodies are nutritionally efficient bodies.

Step 2: Go to bed the same time every night before 11pm

When bodybuilders train for a show, you can bet on one thing for certain, they´re snoozing by 11pm every night. Getting to sleep consistently by 11am gives body fat the one-two knockout.

Early sleep lowers the amount of cortisol levels in your blood. Higher than normal cortisol levels encourages fat storage. As an added boost, when you regulate your sleep, your levels of melatonin kick in like clockwork each night to not only enhance your sleep, but to actually burn fat better.

Step 3: Wake up 30 minutes earlier

OK, you have to get your double exercise time from somewhere, so it comes from your sleep time. Getting up earlier also helps you sleep better. With the added fatigue from exercising and going to sleep at a regular time, your dozing hours will be more restful and you probably won´t even notice those 30 minutes that you skimped on.


Step 4: Eat you last meal by 7:30pm

If you meet a successful fitness model, one thing you´re sure to encounter is that she has her eating habits down to a science. Closing down you kitchen a 7:30 has several weight loss benefits. First, by not eating for a full twelve hours each day, you give your stomach time to empty itself and allow you body to use excess fat for energy.

Second, if your last meal is at 7:30pm and you crawl into bed by 11pm, your body will not be so busy digesting food all night long- making your rest all the more peaceful.

Step 5: Eat more frequently, 6-8 times a day

Metabolism manipulation is the cornerstone of weight loss. Manipulate your meals and you manipulate your metabolism. If you normally eat 3-5 meals a day, break those feasts in the 6-8 mini meals. Remember, do not add more food just split the meals in two. Regularly feeding your body keeps the body´s energy level at its optimum. Moreover, you´ll have the energy you need to make it through an extended cardio session.

Step 6: Replace one snack with a glass of water

Daily, you might be tempted to eat a 300 calorie sweet or fattening snack. When you get up or reach for your cellulite creating snack, drink a glass of water first. After drinking the water, go back to what you were doing.

Sometimes we snack simply out of boredom or because we need an emotional distraction. Next time that happens to you, drink water first. The act of drinking water will fill that mental void and help you avoid mindless eating.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:30 AM :: 0 comments

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It's Not Time To Quit Yet!

You know the saying "Quitters never win and winners never quit!" but sometimes it is hard to stay on your weight loss journey when it doesn't seem the light at the end of the tunnel is bright enough. Weight loss is not a quick fix, it never will be. That doesn't mean you should quit when the going gets rough.

I've you find yourself wavering in your latest endeavor then just ask yourself these following questions before you give up completely. By answering them honestly you may just find yourself with a bit more motivation and understanding of what is going on in your life that you are willing to throw in the towel. It will get you back on track and may even give you some renewed enthusiasm.

Why do I want to lose weight?
How will I feel if I quit completely?
How will I feel if I succeed?
Do I always quit before I hit my weight loss goal?
Why do I think this is so hard?
What does work for me?
What do I need to change so it works for me?
What do I need to learn about weight loss?
What strategies could I use to become motivated again?
How do I get more support for the ultimate weight loss?
What will I achieve by quitting in the middle of my quest?
What will I do then?

Chances are you will find that you don't actually want to quit. You may just be getting bored with your exercise routine, or you may be getting down on yourself for not losing as much as you had hoped up to this point. Don't quit though! Look for more options, more exercise routines that excite you, and maybe join a support group for people trying to lose weight. You can do this!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:18 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Foods That Help You Lose Weight

Red meat

Lean red meat especially sirloin is a great choice for women who are trying to shed pounds. It is an excellent source of protein. Also, as protein takes longer to digest, it can reduce hunger and help lose weight.

Sirloin tip, T-bone, or strip steaks are the best choices for steaks.

Beefs labeled as '97 percent lean' or 'extralean' are the best choice as they contain less than five grams of fat per serving.

Beefs labeled as 'Prime' should be avoided because of their high fat content.

Portion size is also an important factor, no matter how lean the meat is. A three-ounce serving is considered enough.

Ice cream
Researchers believe women who have at least one serving of full-fat dairy products a day gain less weight than women who do not.

Dairy products should be added to the regular daily diet. Having a little cheese, ice cream, or a glass of milk each day is not only recommended for weight loss but also for obtaining calcium, vitamin D and linoleic acid.

Full-fat dairy products contain saturated fat, so low-fat or skim products are recommended.

Eggs

A study has shown overweight women who eat egg breakfasts lose twice as much weight as women who start their days with bagels.

The protein in eggs increases satiety, decreases hunger and helps women lower their daily calorie intake.

Having scrambled eggs for breakfast and soft-boiled eggs with spinach salad for lunch can be a good choice. An omelet of two to three egg whites is also low on calorie.

Eggs should be prepared with cooking spray instead of butter. Cheese should not be added to the diet.

Pizza

Mozzarella, whole-wheat varieties or veggie pizzas with pepper, artichoke, and broccoli can help weight loss.

Additional oil, fat and extra cheese should be avoided. In other words, deep-dish pies or those loaded with sausage and pepperoni should not be consumed.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:28 AM :: 0 comments

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Weight Loss in Simplistic Terms

Weight loss is on almost everyone's mind at some point in their life. Many will think about it, but few will take the steps needed to make weight loss happen. Strive to be different and become one of the few people that take action. So how do you start your weight loss journey?

The first thing you need to do is to set a goal for yourself. Losing weight is about taking one step at a time, so set an achievable goal. For example, set a goal of a five pound weight loss in two weeks. Mark the two week date on your calendar. Now it's time to make a plan.

If you are wanting to lose five pounds in two weeks, you need to have a plan of how you will accomplish this. For starters, develop meal plans. Stop eating out and start fixing meals at home. Take your lunch to work and include healthy snacks to eat throughout the day. When developing your meal plans, try to count how many calories are in the meals that you are preparing. This will give you an idea of how many calories you are taking in at each meal.

Be sure to drink plenty of water. Water is essential in weight loss and will help keep your body's digestive system running smoothly. If you don't like the taste of plain water, try adding sugar free flavor packets to your water. There are several good ones on the market that contain no calories and will make your water taste delicious.

Now that you know what you are going to eat, it's time to think about exercise. For starters, take a walk. It doesn't have to be a mile long walk around the neighborhood. Just take a walk up your block. If you have a treadmill, try to do fifteen minutes on the treadmill. Now repeat this every day. You will soon discover that you look forward to walking. You may want to include a friend when you walk to make it more enjoyable.

After two weeks, weigh yourself and you will find that you have lost that five pounds, if not more. That's how simple it is to lose weight. So now all you have to do is repeat this process over and over.

It is important that you do increase the amount of exercise that you get for maximum weight loss. Find something that you really like to do. For instance, if you like to dance, get some good exercise videos that include dance. A lot of cable companies now carry a variety of exercise channels so you can pick and choose which ones you want to use. If you find an exercise that you really find enjoyable, you will be looking forward to it each day.

That's a weight loss plan simplified. Anyone can lose weight if they make up their mind to change your life. Be one of those that makes the decision to lose the weight and keep it off. You will be much healthier and happier.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:02 AM :: 0 comments

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How Fiber Can Help Weight Loss

When cutting calories, satiety, or feeling full, is the first battle. There are some quick and easy ways to fill on fiber and not on calories. On the nutritional label, foods with five grams of fiber or more are considered "high-fiber" foods. However, three grams or more are still a good source.

Breakfast first: It's the most important meal of the day, especially when dieting. Wise choices here are the easiest way to increase the fiber in diet and hold off hunger until lunch rolls around. Work on incorporating high-fiber cold and hot cereals, waffles and, of course, fresh fruit. Another quick solution is to add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to oatmeal or yogurt daily.

Lunch: Make it a smart working lunch. Soups-to-go, chili and bean soups are an excellent source of fiber. Add a piece of fresh fruit to enhance them.

Dinner: Try some whole- wheat pasta. Not a fan of brown pasta? Try enriched pasta made with flaxseed and garbanzo beans - it's an easy way to hide the fiber for the entire family.

Dietary fiber is a form of complex carbohydrate found only in plants. Fiber does not contribute any calories in the diet because it cannot be digested or absorbed by humans. There are two classes of fiber: soluble and insoluble. In order to achieve the maximum benefit from eating fiber, people should try to get both types into their diet.

Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion. Eating these fibers slows digestion, makes diners feel full and may help in weight loss. Soluble fiber has been credited with decreasing cholesterol as well as regulating blood sugar. Some food sources include oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruit and vegetables.

Insoluble fiber also draws water into the intestinal tract. But rather than slowing digestion, this fiber adds bulk and speeds the passage of foods through the stomach and intestines. Insoluble fibers are the ones credited with helping to protect against certain types of cancers. Some food sources include wheat bran, whole grains and most fruits and vegetables.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:29 AM :: 0 comments

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5 Ways To Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

Straight after the ho-ho-ho of Christmas, there comes the go-go-go of the New Year with all its plans and resolutions—and then, before you know it, it's yo-yo time again.

You lose the pounds, then gain them right back, over and over again. The term yo-yo makes it seem more of a game than what it really is—anything but fun. But this is the year things will be different. After all, there's no better time to decide to lose weight for keeps than at the beginning of a bright new year.

The question is: How do you get a net weight loss? Check out these five great keys for making your dieting success stay:

Don't let the risk of weight cycling stop you from attempting to lose weight if you need to.

Plot progress charts and learn from your own feedback. See if you can see what you were doing differently in the weeks when you started adding pounds back on.

Make your timeline. Write down from memory what your weight was each year for the past 10 or more. Try to see why it varied. Was it stress, a new job, a new baby? Or did you work out more (or less)?

Get in fast with a solution. Weigh yourself regularly and take immediate action if and when the scale is five pounds above your weight goal.

Don't think "diet" — think "sensible eating plan." Make it a way of life, rather than stopping and starting (or changing) your way of eating every couple of weeks or months.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:11 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, January 14, 2008 The Top Five Reasons Diets Fail

You're eating less and exercising more. Why won't that belt budge? Even when you feel like you're doing everything right, there are certain behaviors that can still get in the way. Are you guilty of any of these habits?

1. Skipping Breakfast
Running late for work again? Before you bolt out the door on nothing but a cup of coffee, be aware that skipping breakfast can be bad news for weight loss. Chances are, you're going to feel hungry later, and that may be when you have less access to healthy food and are more likely to reach for a doughtnut.

Keep something on hand that you can eat on the run, such as fruit, yogurt or fat-free cereal bars.

2. Feasting on Family Favorites
When your kids or spouse have a favorite family meal, it's hard to ban it from your menu list. Family favorites, such as lasagna, are often high in fat and calories.

Serve yourself a smaller serving of the main meal and a large serving of vegetables or salad. It's also a good idea to try to find a lower-fat version of the family favorite.

3. Social Overeating
Eating whatever you wanted at a restaurant was okay in the days when people ate out only a few times a year. But these days we eat out every week, if not every day.

Search the menu for meals cooked using low-fat methods, such as grilling or stir-frying, and ask for sauces and dressings on the side. That way you can control how much you have.

4. Not Counting Every Bite
A few potato chips while you open the mail. Just a sliver of cake while you help the kids with their homework. When we snack, we tend to be standing up or have our attention focused on another task. This can lead to thinking the calories "don't count." Unfortunately, they do.

Set ground rules, such as "I don't eat in the car or while I'm watching television." And always, always keep track of everything you eat during the day. Knowing you'll have to write it down will make you think twice about having that one bite.

5. Expecting Too Much Too Soon
After several months of dedication you're down in the dumps — you feel the scale has barely moved. Expecting too much weight loss too soon is an extremely common blunder. A healthy rate of weight loss is up to two pounds a week. But many people aim for more than that, then feel like failures and give up when they don't reach that unrealistically high goal.

Make "slow and steady" your diet mantra. If you really don't believe that one to two pounds amounts to much weight loss, lift two pounds of butter the next time you're at the supermarket. You'll realize how well you're doing.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:10 AM :: 0 comments

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Exercises For Your Butt

1. ANKLE WEIGHT BUTT BLASTER - Place an ankle weight on your left ankle. Get on the floor on your hands and knees. Relax your shoulders and maintain a neutral spine with your head at a natural extension of your neck. Extend the left leg up with a 90-degree angle at the knee. Your foot should be parallel with the ceiling. Contracting the gluteal muscles, push your foot up toward the ceiling. Stop when your leg is at a full extension from the hip, maintaining the 90-degree angle at the knee.
Slowly return to the starting position. After completing the set on the left side, repeat on the right side. Exhale as you lift the weight and inhale while returning to the starting position.

2. LYING GLUTEUS LIFT - Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your arms at your sides for support. Contracting the glutes, project your hips up toward the ceiling as you lift your glutes off the floor. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your glutes touching the floor. Exhale while lifting your butt and inhale while returning to the starting position.

3. STATIONARY LUNGES - Stand straight with your feet together. Hold your hands on your hips. Step forward with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor. Bring the left leg back in line with the right leg and repeat the process with the same leg for 20 reps. The step should be long enough so that your left leg is nearly straight. Then perform the same movement with the opposite leg. Do not let your knee touch the floor. Make sure your head is up and your back is straight. Your chest should be lifted and your front leg should form a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement. Also, your knee should not pass your foot. Remember, slow and tight!

4. STRAIGHT LEG REVERSE LIFTS - Begin this exercise on your hands and knees. Straighten your left leg as if you were going to do a push-up. Keep the right leg bent, supporting your weight along with your arms. Contracting your soon-to-be gladiator glutes, lift your left leg up toward the ceiling, stopping when you feel a full contraction of the butt. Slowly return to the starting position. After completing the set on the left side, repeat on the right side. Exhale while lifting the leg. Inhale while returning to the starting position. Do not let the back arch. If you are an intermediate or advanced exerciser, you can add an ankle weight to the working leg to make it more challenging.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:24 AM :: 0 comments

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Tips To Control Blood Sugar

Everyone with diabetes shares a common goal — to gain control of their blood sugar. There is no single, clear, and simple path to follow. People with diabetes should work with a health care provider to find the individual treatment program that works best for them.

The good news is that people with diabetes can reach their blood sugar goals.

To start:

  • Test your blood sugar. Ask your health care provider when and how often.
  • Keep a record of your blood tests, medicines, and daily events. Review the record with your health care provider.
  • Take your diabetes medicine as prescribed. Your medicine plan should make you feel better and fit your lifestyle.
  • Eat foods that are low in fat, salt, and sugar and high in fiber to control your blood sugar.
  • Eat about the same number of calories each day, choose a variety of foods, and never skip meals. See a dietitian to create a meal plan that is right for you.
  • Get physical activity. Check with your health care provider before you begin an exercise program. If you haven’t been active, start slowly. Good activities are walking and swimming.
  • Check your feet for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling that can result from diabetes-related nerve damage. Call your health care provider right away about any sores that won’t heal. If you prevent problems such as foot ulcers, you can greatly reduce your risk of amputation.

Tips to keep in mind

  • Stay at a weight that is right for you. Ask your health care provider what you should weigh. Be more active and eat foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, grains and cereals, low-fat dairy foods, and lean meats, chicken, and fish.
  • Treat low blood sugar quickly with special tablets or gel made of glucose.
  • Don’t smoke. Smoking damages your heart and circulatory system, which can lead to heart disease and poor circulation for people with diabetes. Talk to your health care provider about ways to quit.
  • Manage stress. Talk with a trusted friend, take up a hobby, make time for physical activity, and take one day at a time. Talk to your health care provider about how to handle stress.
  • Learn more about diabetes and diabetes self-care. Ask your health care provider to suggest a dietitian and a diabetes educator to help you manage your diabetes.
  • Seek support from family and friends or join a diabetes support group to help you gain control. Call your local hospital or health department to find a support group.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:01 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Reduced Fat Potato Soup

A thick hearty soup that's truly low fat, and packed with flavor. Quick and easy to make, this is a very satisfying meal. You won't believe it's not fattening!

Serves 6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Calories: 138.99
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 1.73 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 21.40 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 9.46 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package frozen loose-pack hash brown potatoes with onion and peppers
2 (10.5 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
1 (2.5 ounce) package fat free country-style gravy mix
0.5 cup water
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0.5 cup chopped green onion for topping
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the hash browns and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the gravy mix and water. Stir the gravy mixture into the potatoes, and allow to simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes before serving.
3. Serve hot topped with chopped green onions and grated cheese.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 4:37 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, January 10, 2008 Great Ab Workouts

In addition to diet and exercise, great abdominal exercises completed on a regular basis can help you achieve your goal of abs of steel, or at least come close to it. All you need is a fitball, and 15 minutes!

Crunches on Fitball (with or without weight)
Crunches on the fitball still rate as one my favorite ab exercises. This exercise really helps define abs more than most of the other exercises. Position yourself with back on the ball making sure that it is adequately inflated. Be sure your low back is well supported. Cross your hands over your chest and slowly roll your back down over the ball then begin to lift up feeling a strong abdominal contraction and repeat. To increase difficulty, you can hold a weight across your chest. Perform three sets of eight to 12 repetitions. Be sure to relax your neck if you feel your it coming in to play.

Abdominal Vacuum
This exercise is the best for working your Transversus Abdominis, the muscle that holds your tummy tight. Basically, it’s a thin sheet of muscle running along the sides of the abs joining connective tissue, serving as your body’s natural corset. Every time you suck in your stomach you are using your Transversus. Interestingly enough, the Transversus is the only muscle that allows you to “suck in” your stomach.
Start by positioning yourself on all fours. Keep your back flat. Maintain this position throughout the exercise. Exhale all the air from your lungs. Relax your abdomen and let it relax without increasing the arch in your lower back. Pull your belly button toward the spine (suck your stomach in very tight).

Continue to breathe lightly through your nose, don’t hold your breath and continue to pull your navel in as tight as you can. Hold this position for 15-20 second and repeat 12 times. Work up to 25 repetitions.

The Bicycle
The “bicycle” still rates by researchers as one of the best abdominal exercises and is a great one to include in to your ab arsenal.

Begin by lying on the floor with your lower back in a neutral position. Loosely place your finger tips on either side of your head by your ears. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle. Slowly go through a bicycle pedaling motion alternating your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Do not perform this activity if you feel any strain on your lower back. Be sure not pull on your head and neck during this exercise.

The lower to the ground your legs bicycle, the harder your abs have to work.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 12:04 PM :: 0 comments

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Chocolate as a Healthy Snack?

Raise your hand if you're a chocolate-lover. I can't see you, but I'm guessing your hand is up like most of us out there. It's no wonder, considering chocolate is the most commonly craved food in the U.S.

Since research tells us chocolate is consumed by more people in winter than during any other season, you'll probably encounter plenty of that decadent delight in candy dishes and on dessert tables. When nothing but chocolate in its purest form will do (sometimes fat-free hot cocoa just doesn't cut it), getting your fix without getting a big fat and calorie punch along with it can be next to impossible.

For example, just one measly Godiva Open Oyster has 115 calories and 6 grams of fat. A regular-size Hershey's milk chocolate bar also brings a not-so-sweet 230 calories and 13 grams of fat.

The damage from just 1/4 of a 6-ounce Dove dark chocolate bar? That'll be 230 calories and 14 grams of fat. Even a "fun size" bag of M&M's manages to cram in 100 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. And, when you're trying to lose weight, that's a hefty price to pay for such a small amount of satisfaction.

Now, if you're trying to justify your indulgence based on those antioxidants you've heard so much about, be careful. While chocolate and wine do contain phenols, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease, you can get those antioxidants from plenty of less-fattening sources, like fruits and vegetables.

So, what's a chocoholic to do? Instead of seeking support from the vending machine, try one of our 10 best secrets for quelling a chocolate craving in less than 100 calories, or whip up our recipe for luxurious-tasting homemade truffles (see below). You'll get an intense shot of chocolate flavor and only 60 calories and 1 gram of fat per piece.

Top 10 Chocolate Treats (for 100 calories or less)
1. 4 Hershey's Kisses (100 calories)
2. 1 cup diet hot cocoa and 1 chocolate graham cracker (80 calories)
3. 1 JELL-O fat-free chocolate pudding snack (100 calories)
4. 1 Quaker Chocolate Crunch popcorn cake (60 calories)
5. 1 cup strawberries drizzled with1 Tbsp. fat-free hot fudge (100 calories)
6. 1/2 cup fat-free chocolate frozen yogurt (100 calories)
7. 20 chocolate-covered raisins (80 calories)
8. 1/2 cup General Mills Cocoa Puffs cereal (60 calories)
9. 2 Snackwell's Devil’s Food Cookie Cakes (100 calories)
10. 2 bite-size York Peppermint Patties (100 calories)

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:11 AM :: 0 comments

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You Are What You Eat

As the saying goes, "You are what you eat." So, what effect does your diet really have on your appearance? We know eating sensibly helps maintain a healthy lifestyle, but it can also help maintain a healthy appearance. When you feel good about the things you eat and the things you eat are good for you, you’ll look good, too. Here are 5 foods to help you do just that.

Water
Drinking plenty of water every day helps the skin look soft, supple and more youthful. By keeping the body hydrated, your overall appearance will benefit -- from improved skin texture to healthier hair and nails. If you’re feeling bloated, it may be due to an increase of sodium in the body. Increase your intake of water to help flush it out. Also, water helps the weight-loss process by reducing water weight and replenishes water loss during workout activity.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps the body fight infection and disease. It pumps up the immune system and promotes healing. Did you also know that vitamin C is essential to collagen production? Collagen helps the skin remain elastic but firm, which keeps the skin wrinkle-free. Citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and cabbage are all vitamin C-rich foods. Keep in mind that their juices are also packed with this important vitamin.

Green Tea
Also rich in antioxidants, green tea has also been shown to lower cholesterol, improve immune function and reduce the risk of specific types of cancer. If you’re a big coffee drinker, try replacing your morning coffee with a cup of green tea. Without cream, sugar or other artificial flavorings, you may notice a reduction in weight, and still satisfy your caffeine fix.

Soy
Soy proteins are rich in amino acids, vitamin E and many antioxidants. These components help the skin retain moisture, smooth skin’s appearance and improve elasticity.

Milk
“Milk. It does a body good.” It's not just a catchy marketing phrase - it’s true. Milk is rich in calcium, vitamins B2, B12 and D. Calcium, paired with the calcium-absorption booster vitamin D, helps to maintain strong bones and healthy teeth. Vitamins B2 and B12 are essential for red blood cell growth, which helps to carry much needed oxygen to cells. So what does this mean to your looks? Hair and skin will look livelier and healthier.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:54 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Manhattan Style Clam Chowder

A hearty blend of vegetables and clams with a little added spice. This soup is even better the next day.

Serves 12
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 210 minutes
Total time: 230 minutes
Calories: 256.62
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 1.74 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 38.68 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 21.56 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

4 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 (29 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
7 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
8 potatoes, cubed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot pepper sauce
0.5 teaspoon onion powder
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine canned tomatoes and clams together with juices in a large stock pot. Stir in oregano, basil, sauces, and onion powder. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Add vegetables, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:28 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, January 9, 2008 Cholesterol Basics

Blood cholesterol is made by the liver and absorbed from the food you eat. The risk for developing coronary heart disease increases as your blood cholesterol increases. It is a soft, waxy substance, needed for normal body functions such as manufacturing hormones, bile acids and vitamin D.

Cholesterol is a major component of brain and nerve cells. It also plays a role in hormone production and helps control evaporation of water from the skin.

Doctors often measure two types of cholesterol:

LDL (low density lipoproteins) is responsible for depositing cholesterol in the artery walls. High levels are associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease. This is the type that is often labeled as bad.

HDL (high density lipoproteins) carries cholesterol to the liver for excretion. Low levels of HDL are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. High levels have been associated with decreasing the risk for heart disease. This is the type that is often labeled as good.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:16 AM :: 0 comments

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Easy Ways to Cut Calories

Before heading to the kitchen, remind yourself that you can lighten' up (and lose weight without trying) by merely cutting calories you won't even miss. Instead of full-fat mayonnaise, reach for fat-free. Instead of whole milk, get acquainted with some very tasty nonfat substitutes. For most full-fat dairies, dressings and dips in the marketplace, there are acceptable alternatives. You name it, they make it with a lower fat and calorie profile, and it tastes good.

Review your recipe file with a fresh eye. Rethink your kitchen experience, from the way you cook it to the type of pans you use, and apply these slimming solutions.

1. Nonstick: Stock up on nonstick pans for baking and grilling, breads and cookies, sautéing and even for soup. Nonstick is one of life’s little pleasures because you don't need oil. Instead use a little cooking spray, wine, water or juice.

2. Change Your Method: Bake, broil, grill, poach or sauté foods instead of deep-frying.

3. Reduce: Simply reduce the amount of fat and/or sugar in your recipes. For example, replace half the oil with applesauce or fruit puree for an equally moist muffin or cake; use one-third less sugar in cakes or cookies and use dried fruit, not sugar, to add sweetness to cereal. Experiment with sucralose (Splenda) for baking.

4. Baste: Instead of basting the turkey with butter or margarine, cut the saturated, and especially trans fat, by basting with flavorful vegetable broth, white wine or orange juice.

5. Lean: Buy the leanest cuts of meat and trim all visible fat before cooking. Pam Ofstein, eDiets Registered Dietitian and Director of Nutrition Services recommends ground round, at least 91-percent lean. Lighten it up even more by replacing a third of the beef with ground turkey breast. Just be sure to buy turkey breast - "ground turkey" could also contain skin and dark meat, nutritionally no better than ground beef.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:30 AM :: 0 comments

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Ways To Lose the Holiday Pounds

Feeling blue about overeating on a few occasions the past few weeks? It's time to jump back on the horse and pave the way toward a new you! We've got some great ideas that will help you get back on track with your weight-loss plan.

Shovel, rake, or mow your way to a slimmer you.
No matter what season it is, there's always some yard work to be done. Take advantage of a snowfall and tackle your driveway or sidewalk several times that day. In the spring and summer, grab a manual lawn mower and trim your lawn. In autumn, rake the leaves in your front yard. Remember to use your arms and legs as much as possible and not your lower back so you don't injure yourself.

Get rid of the holiday goodies.
We all stock up on extra sweets and goodies over the holidays for guests. But get ride of them as soon as the holidays are over so they don't tempt you! If you don't want to throw them out, drop them off at your local food bank, or take them to work to share them around. How about a nice new year gift basket of sweets for your children's teachers or caretakers?

Map out your meals.
Spend a few minutes each morning planning out your meals and snacks for the day. The key is to prepare for when hunger strikes. This way, you won't default for the chips, but will grab the crudités instead.

Turn the music up.
When you're ready to clean up the holiday mess, turn on music and move your body! Add a few dance steps to your kitchen sweep or while vacuuming the carpets. When cleaning the bathroom, alternate among the bath/shower, sink and toilet, to make it more interesting and to keep yourself moving. Add some toning to your dance routine with lunges and squats.

Finish with fresh fruit.
Instead of the sweetness of chocolate, or a heavy, high-calorie dessert, finish off your meal with fresh fruit. It's just as sweet, and guaranteed to satisfy.

Play outdoors as much as possible.
Any time of year lends itself to outdoor activity, and not just the ordinary kind. Grab your kids and go inline skating. Take advantage of a snowfall and go sledding on the biggest hill in town. Or pick up a softball bat and some mitts and start a game. Soon enough you'll be running around like a kid, having a great time while burning calories.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:07 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Vegetarian Fajitas

Ingredients:

2/3 medium red bell pepper
1/3 medium onion
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup low sodium salsa
1 flour tortilla (approximately 6-inch diameter)
3/4 cup zucchini squash
1/3 Tbsp. olive oil

Rinse and cut peppers, onion and zucchini into thin vertical slices. Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium high and add the vegetables. Stir-fry about 3-4 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, but still crunchy. Add the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and beans. Cook for about 3-4 more minutes. Stir in salsa to mix thoroughly and cook for another minute. Spoon mixture down the center of the tortilla(s), roll up and heat about 15-20 seconds in a microwave oven and serve. Note: Microwaves ovens vary in power. Check after 10 seconds.

Amount Per Serving: Calories 410, calories from fat N/A, total fat 8g, saturated fat 1.5g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 450mg; total carbohydrate 70g, dietary fiber 19g, sugars 12g, protein 17g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:44 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, January 8, 2008 Boosting Your Energy

Drastic changes in eating and exercise habits can be difficult to maintain for the long term, but there is one simple change in diet that is easy to incorporate. It raises energy levels throughout the day and can help a fledgling gym-goer make it to the treadmill after work.

The key is eating more “slow” carbohydrates, also known as complex carbohydrates, or, for those who see life in simpler terms, “good” carbs. A slow carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels gradually, providing a steady stream of energy to our body’s cells, and especially our brains. Whole grain foods -- such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, brown rice, lentil soup and beans are great slow carbohydrates.

Fast carbs, on the other hand, are digested quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar followed by a steep drop as the pancreas produces insulin to funnel extra energy into the body’s cells. Processed foods that contain refined sugar and white flour are fast carbohydrates. As any junk-food junkie knows, they give us a roller-coaster ride of mental energy and turn mental sharpness into mental dullness.

The body yearns for another pick-me-up shortly after snacking on fast carbs. A diet high in refined carbohydrates can also lead to insulin resistance, the beginnings of Type 2 diabetes, which is sweeping the U.S. with devastating health consequences.

An easy way of fitting slow carbohydrates into one’s diet is by eating the whole grain equivalent of whatever is on the menu: brown rice instead of white rice, multi-grain bread instead of white, whole wheat pasta instead of standard spaghetti. You'll feel a whole lot better and have more energy.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:26 AM :: 0 comments

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Keys To Sticking With a Fitness Plan

Are you the type to set your alarm in the morning when you plan on working out, but never quite make it? Or are you the one who packs a gym bag, but are so exhausted by the end of the day, you drive right by the gym on your way home?

Do these routines sound familiar? For many of us, we go through this for a few days then we just give up altogether. If we’re lucky, we were motivated enough to start a routine, but couldn’t keep going with it. How do you make sure you stick with it?

Instead of going all out, start by taking small steps. Placing too much pressure on yourself can be overwhelming and become a reason for failure. There is no magical solution to making sure you get your exercise in every day. Everyone’s schedule and lifestyle is different. However, here are five keys to assure your success.

1. Consistency is the key. As mentioned above, start out light. Commit to two workouts per week. It doesn’t seem as demanding so you won’t start making excuses not to go. Two days a week adds up in a year. Plus, if you start feeling stronger and healthier, you may want to go more often anyway.

2. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to perform all your exercises at once. Break it up throughout the day if you can’t find one lump sum of time to get everything in. Go for two 10 minute walks a day – one before or after work and one at lunch. That’s 20 minutes of exercise everyday that you didn’t really have to think about.

3. Set your alarm earlier than you usually would to get up and go workout. There’s no need to rush. Set your workout clothes next to your bed. When your alarm goes off and you wake up, get motivated by looking at your running shoes. Commit to three power walks a week.

4. Visualize what you want your body to look like. Don’t take more than a minute or two, but imagine how your hard work of committing to a fitness routine will turn out. Positive thinking can be an excellent motivator.

5. Hire a personal trainer. If you’re committing to a fitness routine when someone else (and money) is involved, you may think twice about making excuses not to go. Not only will you learn from the experience, but it will give you that push you needed. After you feel comfortable without a trainer, you’ve already established that routine of exercising so many times a week. And by then, you’ll be feeling too good to stop going.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:51 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Shrimp Creole

This is an excellent dish that my mother makes. It has lots of vegetables in a thick Creole sauce. If you wish, you may also put sliced cheddar cheese on top before baking.

Serves 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Total time: 70 minutes
Calories: 260.31
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 4.35 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 37.20 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 18.08 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons butter
5 carrots, diced
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1.5 cups chopped celery
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 pound cooked shrimp
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimento peppers, drained
3 teaspoons chili powder

Directions
1. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes; set aside. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, and saute carrots, onions, bell pepper, celery, mushrooms, and zucchini, until just tender. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Let cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
3. Mix shrimp, pimientos, and chili powder into the pot. Stir in cooked rice and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch dish. Bake in preheated oven until the rice mixture thickens, about 40 minutes.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:17 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, January 7, 2008 10 Ways To Lose 10 Pounds

1. Read the fine print - When you're dining out, you can lose 10 pounds per year by choosing a "light" entrée, such as grilled chicken and salad. Those healthy choices can have at least 250 calories less than traditional meat dishes.

2. The sundae solution - Pour a tablespoon of chocolate over fresh fruit and your total calorie intake for this snack is 110 to 160 calories compared to the 250 calories found in a candy bar or the 500 calories found in an ice cream cone.

3. Set your alarm - Even a modest amount of exercise - walking 15 minutes, 5 times a week - burns calories.

4. Pedal while you talk - Next time you're chatting on the phone, get on your bike. Pedaling on a stationary bike at 10 miles an hour for 25 minutes burns 100 calories. A faster pace of 17 miles per hour for 15 minutes also burns 100 calories. Get spinning.

5. Beware of the burger blast - A half-pound of grilled hamburger meat has about 800 calories. The same amount of lean roast beef has half this amount.

6. Cooking with spray - Each tablespoon of butter or margarine has 100 calories. Substitute a vegetable oil spray for one tablespoon.

7. Join the snack committee - Healthful snacks make an incredible difference. Swapping a serving of fruit for the usual supercookie each week will save you at last 500 calories. And you'll probably save 1,000 calories since few of us stop at one cookie!

8. The Happy Hour trap - Suppose you avoid three happy hours a month. You could possibly lose up to 31 pounds in a year.

9. The secret is plastics - When you use plastic containers to store meals, especially batch meals you prepare ahead of time, you'll forgo all those calories that come from lunches at greasy spoon dinners.

10. Slash corporate calories - Office-prepared dinners, a frozen dinner or frozen leftovers, will easily have 400 fewer calories than restaurant meals. If you work late an average of three times a week, this change alone will help you lose about 18 pounds a year.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:59 AM :: 0 comments

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Nutrition Bars - Are They Good For You?

How would you like a boost of energy replete with 10 grams of protein couched in a chewy, brownie-flavored whole-grain bar? Or one flavored like an oatmeal-raisin cookie? If you're tempted, you're not alone. The problem with these bars is that there's nothing magical about these bars. They're no better than a banana or other food with an equal amount of carbohydrates.

In the United States alone, sports and energy-bar sales rocketed from some $200 million in 1997 to more than $1 billion in 2003, according to studies. Taste and appeal have improved dramatically since the bars first hit the market, as has their distribution. Once sold almost exclusively in health-food stores, the bars are now available in most supermarkets and convenience stores.


These energy-bar industry has evolved in other ways as well. Good-tasting, high-carbohydrate, low-fat energy bars like the orignals that first came out were developed to provide athletes with carbohydrates on the go. Now all sorts are available: high-protein bars, so-called meal replacement bars, even bars packed with supplements. But the purpose of these bars, isn't to boost energy.

Aside from convenience, energy bars are appealing because they're relatively low in hydrogenated and saturated fats, and often have as much as 5 grams of fiber. But it's best to eat plain old whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. A plum or a peanut-butter sandwich not only costs less, but brims with beneficial phytochemicals that no food scientist can replicate.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:29 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker

Tender, spicy and delicious pork chops made easy with a slow cooker.
Serves 6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 360 minutes
Total time: 365 minutes
Calories: 145.59
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 4.32 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 10.96 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 15.71 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients
6 boneless pork chops
0.25 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
0.5 cup soy sauce
0.25 cup ketchup
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Place pork chops in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops.
2. Cook on Low setting for 6 hours, until internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:20 AM :: 0 comments

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Friday, January 4, 2008 Why Exercise Programs Vary

Realistically, if you are looking for a quick exercise program that works, you may be disappointed. After all, 'quick' is a relative term, and even the best weight loss program that include exercise can only work at an average speed. This speed will vary, of course, depending on a wide variety of factors such as:

How much the person weighs at the beginning of their weight loss program
How often they exercise
How vigorously they exercise
The types of exercises they perform and the manner in which they perform them
Their physical condition at the beginning of the exercise program
Their age
Their sex
Their diet
Their genetic makeup

This just names a few, there are actually more than this!

Taking all of this into consideration, it becomes obvious that to be truly and optimally effective, each person will need their own personal exercise program. Equally obvious is the fact that having the perfect program for each person is impossible but you can have fun and get a good workout if you are doing something that you love. It might not be perfect, but something that you enjoy will work for you in the long run, rather than doing something you dread.

Before starting any exercise programs, look at the above list and find out where you stand. By taking this all into consideration you can find a better exercise program for you that actually works.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:34 AM :: 0 comments

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Simple Weight Loss

Simply Weight Loss? Sounds like an oxymoron to most. If you ask anyone in the United States what their New Year's resolutions are, almost always, one of those resolutions is weight reduction. Why is that? Why are we all constantly struggling to lose weight?

One of the reasons is modern living. You can't achieve weight reduction if you're stuck in an office cubicle, eating take out food day after day. What's wrong with take out food? Well, nothing much, unless you object to tons of empty calories that do nothing to nourish your body but merely add to your bulk!

There are many things you can do to help you in your quest for weight reduction. Weight reduction exercise and diet pills are only two of the choices you have in front of you. But before you rush off to the store for diet pills, look at some of the basic things you should be doing to lose weight.

Weight reduction is, of course, a very personal thing. But there are certain guidelines that apply to everyone losing weight. Those weight reduction guidelines, if we all followed them would not only help us in our weight reduction efforts, they'd make us healthier and more energetic into the bargain.

For weight reduction, we should all be cutting down on carbohydrates. If you're trying to lose weight, sweets of any kind should be off your list. If you decide to keep a small amount of bread on your daily diet list, try and make sure it's whole wheat.

If you're serious about weight reduction, you have to eat fresh fruit and vegetables - a salad - every day. It will speed your metabolism,and also cause many other health benefits. Weight loss becomes easier when you include good amounts of protein in your daily diet as well.

If you have a problem with food cravings, keep a few hard boiled eggs on hand, or a slice-or-two of good quality hard cheese, along with a bag of raw veggies. The protein will starve off cravings and allow to you to feel full so that you are not grabbing at any bag of chips that comes your way. Try drinking a glass of water first when you feel hungry.

Drinking too little water can slow your metabolism by up to 30 percent. You need at least 8-10 glasses of water daily, and for every 20 pounds over your goal weight, at least one glass extra according to some. Others say that you should drink half your weight in ounces. For example, if you are 200 pounds then you need to drink 100 ounces of water.

Finally, you may want to look for help in the form of natural weight loss pills. There are many weight loss prescription medications available, nowadays, but many have side effects and offer little to no results. For people who have tried the suggestions above to no avail, it may be time to use something natural that works with your body such as HungerAway all natural Hoodia weight loss pills.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:36 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Simmer chopped clams, clam juice and parsley in an olive oil and garlic base, then toss with hot linguini and dinner is served.

Serves 5
Prep time: 0 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 0 minutes
Calories: 458.51
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 6.22 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 69.66 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 30.97 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package linguini pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice
0.25 cup clam juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook linguini pasta until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium sized saucepan using medium heat cook olive oil and minced garlic until garlic is translucent. Add chopped clams, clam juice or water, and chopped parsley. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Toss pasta with clam sauce. Serve warm.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:18 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, January 3, 2008 Body Building Over 40

Many people will wonder from the start, "Why would anyone want to even consider bodybuilding over 40 years old?" Well, you might be surprised to learn that a great many people over 40 are already into bodybuilding. Some actually compete in bodybuilding competitions in special age categories. Many, some in their 70's and 80's have traveled around the world to demonstrate what bodybuilding over 40 can accomplish.

One thing to remember is that in addition to being a form of competition in which bodybuilders push the limits in terms of exercise and nutrition, it is at a lower level, just a great exercise program for people of all ages. In fact, many organizations concerned with health are actively recommending bodybuilding styles of training for people in their 80's or even 90's! Studies again and again demonstrate that bodybuilding over 40 is an excellent method for improving strength and condition at any age, not to mention the other effects of weight loss, improved immune system function, greater pleasure out of life, and less likelihood of injury and faster recovery after illness or injury.

An additional contribution is that it makes to overall health of the senior citizen. Illnesses, doctor's visits, hospitalizations, and need for prescription drugs will, in most cases, be reduced or prevented by this sort of exercise, therefore reducing the cost of medical treatment which currently burdens society and the individual.

Regular progressive resistance training, usually done with either free weights or exercise machines, can restore muscle tissue, increase strength and endurance, increase bone mass and density, relieve arthritis pain, assist with weight loss and weight management, while improving the person's ability to function independently in most situations. Numerous studies have shown that, if done properly and with consideration of the diminished strength and function and increased risk for injury that comes with age, bodybuilding over 40 can be one of the most effective and rewarding activities any senior can attempt.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:01 AM :: 0 comments

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Weight Loss Support

Weight loss support can be found in many different areas. A persons family and friends can act as great inspirations and lead to natural weight loss. Weight reduction support can also be found in groups such as weight watchers and the Atkins diet as well as online weight loss groups and forums.

Support can only go so far though. The bottom line comes down to a person having the will to take control of their life and change it. The effort is not a weekly occurrence, it takes awhile for the body to adapt to a program that is right for the subject. Natural weight reduction is not easy, it takes a change of normal living in order to reduce body fat.

Just by going to a fitness camp, does not mean that a person will be free from fat forever. Permanent weight reduction is a way of living, taking care of the body, and exercising frequently. Sure someone can lose 15-20 pounds in two weeks using a program, however what is going to happen when the program is done, will the weight come back.

The key is to maintain a healthy lifestyle that incorporates a good diet, with proteins, vitamins and minerals. Exercising frequently, doing cardiovascular workouts and getting an ample amount of rest - These are the keys to success.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:08 AM :: 0 comments

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Live Like A Healthy Person Does!

Do you ever wonder what fit people do differently from those with excess fat? If you think they were born with special genes to release fat, and you were born with unfavorable ones which promote the storage of fat, think again.

While genetics does play some role in where you store fat, recent studies show you have the ability to overcome genes and express the positive side of a gene. At any given time, a fat cell can swell or shrink, depending more on your lifestyle (eating and physical activity) than your genes.

If you had the chance to spend 24 hours with a fit person, you would observe several key things that they do differently than the average sedentary one. Here are 5 of those things that they do differently:

1. Sleep well and wake up naturally. Many fit people arise without an alarm clock feeling energized, rested and hungry. They have set fitness goals and a plan to achieve them. People who are fit fall asleep easier, have more quality sleep and require less sleep than someone who is unfit. Lack of sleep is strongly associated with obesity. Sleeping helps the body repair, rebuild and recover.

2. Get prepared. Fit people pack their gym bags the night before, have clothes laid out for exercise, toiletries packed for a shower, clothes for work and an appointment in their planner for physical activity. They regard their workout appointments as highly as any other business or social commitment.

3. Exercise in the morning. Morning exercisers have the highest compliance rates and are more likely to stick to their program. As the day passes, they have a feeling of accomplishment and pride which is reflected in their food choices, behavior and stress management. Morning exercise is the best way to start your day and ultimately influence many other positive decisions throughout your day.

4. Plan meals. People who are fit and lean have set eating times, plan their meals around their workouts and know what they are going to eat and when. Initially it takes a little work to figure out healthy meals and snacks, but they do not leave eating to chance. Finding yourself headed to the buffet or driving through for fast food in a famished state is a formula for disaster.

5. Make lasting lifestyle and behavioral changes. Fit people have become fit over time, not over night. They empower themselves with information about fitness and eating, and adopt one new habit at a time until it's no longer something they work on, but instead something that is part of their daily routine.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:46 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

Easy and Healthy Tomato Vegetable Soup

This is a quick soup made by combining canned tomato juice with oregano and a bag of mixed frozen vegetables.

Serves 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Calories: 129.41
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 0.75 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 25.11 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 5.55 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients

1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle tomato juice
1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups water
1 pinch dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat combine the tomato juice, water, mixed vegetables, oregano or Italian spices and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:13 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, January 2, 2008 Breakfast Really Is Beneficial!

Breakfast, the so-called "most important meal of the day," is some people’s favorite meal -- but it is also the most-skipped meal of the day. Is that such a dietary crime? Will your cornflake-deprived body wither away in a nutritional decline? Some people manage just fine without food in the a.m., but the majority of folks would benefit from eating breakfast.

Eating breakfast will make you smarter. Kids who eat breakfast, in particular, tend to focus better, which in turn leads to increased mental performance. This has been studied and shown to be the case over and over, even in adults. Just because you scarf down a sausage biscuit every morning doesn’t mean you are ready to perform brain surgery, but eating a healthy breakfast does improve concentration.

Will eating a healthy breakfast help make you thinner? Possibly, since people who skip breakfast tend not to be as successful with weight management as those who regularly eat a morning meal. So many people think they are doing themselves a calorie-saving favor by skipping the first meal of the day, but they gorge later and overcompensate.

Obviously it is the number of calories consumed that determines weight loss, so again, consuming a 650-calorie sausage, egg and cheese biscuit will not facilitate thinner thighs. But people who eat a small, healthy breakfast tend to resist snacking and overeating later, not to mention jump-starting a more revved-up metabolism. It’s worth a try anyway.

You do have time. One of the biggest excuses people use for skipping breakfast usually doesn’t hold up. You don’t have to eat when the roosters crow, but it is a wise idea to eat within several hours of waking up. If you can’t stomach much, a piece of low-fat cheese and some fruit or a leftover piece of chicken would do fine. Pouring a bowl of cereal and eating does not require a huge chunk of time. You just need to wake up a little earlier. While some scoff at this ludicrous idea, you will look forward to it once your body adjusts to the change.

Not hungry in the morning? You should be. Many people aren’t hungry in the morning, because they eat too much at night. There’s only one way to fix that. First of all, cut back on portions at dinnertime. I know, easier said than done, but make a conscious effort to limit yourself. Then abstain from night snacking, especially in the middle of the night. Midnight snacking makes your teeth rot, anyway, because you know most late night munchers aren’t going back and brushing. Going to bed not stuffed means waking up with a healthy appetite.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:17 AM :: 0 comments

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A New Year, A New You

Have you devoted an embarrassing percentage of your life to trying to lose weight? I certainly have done my share (all right, I’ll be honest: MUCH more than my share!) of counting calories, carbohydrates and/or fat grams; reading the latest fad diet book and alternating between starving and inhaling everything in the refrigerator

If you're tired of "trying" to be a loser, how about resolving to make 2008 the year you become a winner? If that sounds good, here's my deceptively simple tip: Focus on eating right to stay energized and healthy. Here are suggestions for five New Year’s nutrition resolutions that aren’t as hard to keep as you may think.

Resolution 1: Eat a good breakfast! It doesn’t have to be elaborate, and it doesn’t have to be enormous either. Low-carb dieting makes it easy, from a hard-boiled egg and a slice of cheese when you’re on the go, to a blenderized low-carb smoothie that goes down easy and tastes great. All the research reports reveal that you eat less and lose more if you start off the day on the right nutritional foot. Remove the temptation to indulge in a mid-morning doughnut break by sticking to this resolution.

Resolution 2: Eat the veggies. Regardless of which low-carb diet you’re following, the majority allow some amount of measured vegetables from a select list. Many low-carb dieters, however, think they’ll lose "faster" if they skip the vegetables. Oops. Big mistake. Vegetables fill you up, not out - and they add variety to your low-carb diet. So go for the green with gusto!

Resolution 3: Take a snack pack with you when you’re on the go at work, school or away from home. Whether you enjoy crunching on baked chicken legs or dipping into a low-carb carton of yogurt, make sure to take the time each morning before you leave to fix your "go-to" snack pack!

Resolution 4: Put on your chef's hat! Each week, try a new recipe that is permitted on your diet. Try your local library for hints, ask friends, do an online search or head straight to eDiets.com and look through the many recipes offered on the site.

Resolution 5: Slow down and eat more mindfully. Pay attention to your meal, and don’t multi-task by reading, watching TV or paying bills in between bites. Then after you eat, celebrate with a visit to your support team at eDiets.com!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:51 AM :: 0 comments

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Top 10 Resolutions To Make

If you or somebody you know has been affected by the New Year’s Resolution Deja vu Syndrome, don’t worry. There is an easy way to put a stop to it for good.
The best way to make turn resolutions into reality is by transforming them into your habits. Once you alter your behavior and attitude the process of change will ignite. These top 10 resolutions will help keep you focused and motivated so that your healthy resolutions will stay fresh in your mind all year round.

1. Start every day by reading an inspiring quote or saying. These are great motivation boosters. They will help kick off your day in the right direction.

2. Read at least one article a day about your goal. Whether it’s about nutrition, fitness, a destination you’d like to visit or the effects of smoking, vow to take a few minutes to read about it every single day. This will help keep the subject and your objective fresh in your mind.

3. Change your New Year’s Resolutions into New Day Resolutions. Instead of saying, “I’m going to pay off all my debts,” say, “The first bill I am going to pay off will be this, and I’m going to start by setting aside $10 today.”

4. Vow to compliment one person every single day and never put down any compliments you receive. When you take the time to notice your surroundings and the distinct beauty in things, it will automatically help you appreciate your own individual and remarkable characteristics.

5. Declare to take the word “can’t” out of your vocabulary. Become aware of your words and use only constructive language. Instead of saying "I can’t," ask yourself how you can. Rather than saying "I’m no good at this," ask yourself how you can get better

6. Turn off your cell phone every time you sit down to eat. Something as simple as turning off your phone can make a tremendous impact on your day. Even if you only have a few minutes to eat, turn it off. Try to rid yourself of all distractions and enjoy your food and the company you are sitting with at all times. This will help make you eat slower, think about what you’re eating and enjoy the rewards of good conversation.

7. Do one thing that slightly scares you every single day. Whether it’s throwing away all the junk food stored up in your house, trying out a new workout class, submitting a poem you wrote in a contest or asking someone you’re interested in out on a date, a little nerve a day will help keep you feeling alive, alert and inspired.

8. Pat yourself on the back every day. Take credit for the good things that you accomplish. You told yourself you were going to join the gym today and you did, you parked your car at the farthest parking lot instead of the closest, you brought your healthy lunch to work, you stayed away from the soda machine, you kept your cool after your boss yelled at you - all these little actions deserve to be acknowledged. Every night before you go to sleep, write down one of your daily accomplishments. After you’ve written down seven reward yourself in some way.

9. Mail a card every week to somebody in your life and tell them how much you appreciate them. If you don’t want to deal with buying stamps, e-mail them. This will remind you of the many good things and people in your life, and the positive energy you send out will come back to you two-fold. You will feel better about yourself and be more likely to accomplish your daily goals.

10. Vow to stop shrugging your shoulders and keep your head high at all times. Good posture will help you not only look slimmer, but also develop more confidence. You’re body language speaks worlds about how you feel. Straighten up the way you look on the outside and your inside self-confidence will soon follow.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:08 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of The Day

French Omelet

Omelets don't have to be tricky. Just follow some simple rules: use an 8- or 10-inch skillet with flared sides for each 2 eggs; heat butter in pan until it sizzles; cook over medium heat; and stop cooking when eggs are set but still shiny.

Total Time:7 min

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

1 serving: Calories 152; Carbohydrates 1g; Cholesterol 426mg; Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 3g); Sodium 393mg

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl combine eggs, water, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, beat until combined but not frothy. Coat an unheated 8 - or 10-inch nonstick skillet with flared sides with cooking spray.
2. Add egg mixture to skillet; cook over medium heat. As eggs set, run a spatula around the edge of the skillet, lifting eggs so uncooked portion flows underneath. When eggs are set but still shiny, remove from heat. Fold omelet in half. Transfer to a warm plate. Makes 1 serving.
Low-Fat Omelet: Prepare as above, except use 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites.
Mushroom Omelet: Prepare as above, except, for filling, cook 1/3 cup sliced fresh mushrooms in 1 tablespoon margarine or butter until tender. When eggs are set but still shiny, spoon filling across center of omelet. Fold sides of omelet over cooked mushrooms.
Cheese Omelet: Prepare as above, except omit salt. When eggs are set but still shiny, sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, Swiss, or Monterey Jack cheese across center of omelet. Fold sides of omelet over cheese.
Fruit Omelet: Prepare as above, except omit pepper, and when eggs are set but still shiny, spread 2 tablespoons dairy sour cream or yogurt across center of omelet. Fold sides of omelet over sour cream. To serve, top with 1/4 cup halved strawberries; sliced, peeled peaches; or blueberries. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
Nutrition facts are based on the plain omelet.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:54 AM :: 0 comments

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