HoodiaPharm HungerAway
Monday, June 30, 2008 Drinking Wisely

There's no rule that says you've got to use your vacation -- or any holiday for that matter -- to go off your plan and gain weight. You've worked too hard to achieve your goals. So, get smart and have fun too!

On a cruise ship, the bartenders walk around offering you trays of Pina Coladas in nice, tall plastic glasses. They push them as souvenirs of your trip. But, one of these babies will set you back as many as 520 calories and 12 grams of fat!

Remember, when you drink juice, you're essentially drinking sugar water. After all, juice is the fructose (fruit sugar) squeezed out of the fruit. You throw away the best part: the pulp! Now, that 1-ounce shot of alcohol, such as rum or vodka (80 to 100 calories), has been beefed-up to double the amount with the addition of juice, and that goes for tonic or soda, too!

Instead of diet busters that are so super sweet such Pina Coladas or fruity drinks with all the excess calories, try a Bloody Mary or vodka and soda, which are considerably less caloric. The alcohol weighs in at about 100 calories, and 4 ounces of Bloody-Mary mix has only about 40-60 calories. The club soda has virtually no calories.

But, beware of Bloody Mary mix! If you're watching your sodium, this is not a good choice! There are about 1,440 milligrams of sodium in just 4 ounces of mix! So, mix your rum with a diet soda, or if you prefer, vodka with club soda and lots of lime! Champagne and wine has about 80 calories per 4 ounces and beer has about 160 calories per 12 ounces. A light beer only has about 100 calories.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:07 AM :: 0 comments

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A Variety of Curls

Getting bored with basic biceps curls? Why not vary the exercises for this muscle group? Here are two more beginner biceps moves to do.

Hammer curls
Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing the sides of your body. Exhale and, keeping your elbows locked firmly against your rib cage, curl both arms three-quarters of the way up toward your shoulders. Hold for a beat, focusing on squeezing your biceps. Inhale and slowly lower your arms back to the starting position, and repeat. This version of the biceps curl puts more emphasis on the forearms, as well as some muscles that lie underneath the biceps.

Zottman curls
Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing the sides of your body. Exhale and, as you curl your arm upward, rotate your palm in toward your body and cross your arm to the opposite shoulder. Keep your elbows locked firmly against your rib cage throughout the entire exercise and curl both arms only three-quarters of the way up toward your shoulders. Hold for a beat, focusing on squeezing your biceps. Inhale and slowly lower your arm back to the starting position, and repeat with the other arm. This version of the biceps curl puts more emphasis on the forearms and the inside of the biceps.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:35 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Asian Chicken Salad with Lime Dressing

Prep Time:25 min
Start to Finish:25 min
makes:4 servings

Lime Dressing
1/3 cup frozen (thawed) limeade concentrate (from 12-oz can)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon rice or white vinegar
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad
2 cups chopped escarole
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 small jicama, peeled, chopped (1 cup)
1 large papaya, peeled, seeded and chopped (1 cup)
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In tightly covered container, shake dressing ingredients.
2. In large bowl, place all salad ingredients except peanuts and cilantro. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.
3. Top with peanuts and cilantro.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 230 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 220mg; Total Carbohydrate 26g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 15g); Protein 12g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:59 AM :: 0 comments

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Friday, June 27, 2008 Breathing For Weight Loss

Proper breathing is an underestimated, but critical building block of good health. Slow, deep breathing gets rid of carbon dioxide waste and takes plenty of clean, fresh oxygen to your brain and muscles. More blood cells get the new, oxygen-rich air instead of the same old stale stuff. Experts estimate that proper breathing helps your body eliminate toxins 15 times faster than poor, shallow breathing. You'll not only be healthier, but you'll be able to perform better (mentally and physically) and, of course, be less stressed and more relaxed.

Here's an exercise that will help you get the full benefits of good breathing. The techniques in this exercise are ones you should try to develop in your normal breathing, and that could take practice. Try to take about 10 minutes, but it can happen in five by cutting the time for each step in half. Most of it can be done anywhere you need to relax or clear your head:

Get Ready (2 minutes) Make the room dark, or at least darker. Lie down flat on your back, or sit against a wall. Use a pillow for comfort. Make sure no part of your body is strained or supporting weight. Close your eyes. Just pay attention to your breathing for a minute or two. Don't try to change it, just notice how it feels. Imagine the fresh blood flowing through your body. Listen to your surroundings.

Stage I (2 minutes) Practice breathing in and out of your nose. Exhaling through the mouth is okay for quick relaxation, but for normal breathing, in and out the nose is best. Take long breaths, not deep breaths. Try not to force it, you shouldn't hear your breath coming in or out. You're drawing slow breaths, not gulping it or blowing it out. Feel the rhythm of your breathing.

Stage II (3 minutes) Good breathing is done through the lower torso, rather than the upper torso. Each breath should expand your belly, your lower back and ribs. Relax your shoulders and try not to breathe with your chest. Put your hands on your stomach and feel them rise and fall. If it's not working, push down gently with your hands for a few breaths and let go. Your stomach should start to move more freely. Relax your face, your neck, your cheeks, your jaw, your temples, even your tongue.

Stage III (3 minutes) Feel the good air entering your lungs and feel the stale air leaving your body. "In with the good, out with the bad" is definitely true here. Make your exhale as long as your inhale to make sure all the bad air is gone. Remember, long slow breaths. Most people take 12-16 breaths per minute. Ideally, it should be 8-10. Now try to make your exhale a little longer than your inhale for a while. Pause after your exhale without taking a breath. Focus on the stillness and on not forcing an inhale. Your body will breathe when it needs to.

Wake Up!!!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 11:16 AM :: 0 comments

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All Day Energy Food

Fatigue is not fun. Worry, frustration, resentment, lack of sleep, anxiety, illness and poor diet are the top causes. Even mild forms of exhaustion can weigh heavy on our emotional and physical well-being. Luckily, our bodies are extremely resilient and many times we can conquer weariness by making a few dietary changes.

While most of us suffer from fatigue some of the time, there are millions who suffer from it all of the time. Exhaustion is one of the most common complaints brought to doctors. According to a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, one in five Americans say they're so sleepy during the day it interferes with their activities.

Fortunately, one of the best ways to fight fatigue is with energy-boosting foods. Whether you're in need of a quick energy boost or sustained, long-lasting fuel, here are the foods that will do the job.

Quick Energy Boosters:

The quickest energy is from carbohydrates. That's the body's first preferences for energy. Did you ever hear about carbohydrate loading? That's what marathon runners do when they run a long race, they carb load. The reason they do that is because your body's first preference for fuel is from stored carbohydrate, and you store carbohydrate as glycogen in your muscles and your liver. For quick energy, you want to have glycogen stored and that comes from things like:

Vegetables
Whole-grain Cereals
100-percent fruit juice
Dried fruit
Fresh fruit

If you're really hungry and you want some quick energy, there's no better choice than eating some fruit. Rather than drinking a sugary drink, eat a piece of fruit. You're going to get your carbohydrates and you're also going to get your fiber and vitamins and minerals.

Sustained Energy Boosters:

A balance of nutrients is really what's going to give you sustained energy because your body digests protein, fats and carbohydrates differently. In other words, you can eat them all at the same time but they are all going to be processed differently. Carbohydrates start being digested in your mouth, protein starts in your stomach and fat doesn't start until it reaches your intestines. That's why foods that are combinations of nutrients give you sustained energy. Some good combinations choices include:

Nuts
Whole-grain pasta
Turkey or peanut butter on whole-grain bread

Who said you can only have a sandwich at lunch? If you eat a sandwich in the morning for breakfast made up of protein, carbohydrate and a little fat, you might make it to lunch without being hungry. But if you eat only carbohydrates in the morning without anything else (like if you eat just a sweet roll, which is mostly just sugar and white flour), chance are you'll be hungry in a few hours.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:42 AM :: 0 comments

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Staying Cool With Water Fitness

Have you ever considered including water fitness into your exercise routine? This can be a great way to increase strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health. Plus, during the months of summer heat, what is a better way to keep cool?

Water has great properties; one of the best for working out is its resistance power. You can work opposing muscles at the same time. For example, if you are doing curls underwater, pulling up will work the biceps, while pushing down will build up the triceps.

Another great feature about water is its buoyancy, which is simply the tendency or capacity to remain afloat in a liquid. It reduces your weight, therefore putting significantly less stress on your joints, bones and muscles. Compared to other exercises such as running, there is no impact on any of your joints. It is estimated that body weight is compounded up to five times during the heel strike when running or jogging. This is avoided in water. Water fitness requires use of your core as well, that is, utilizing your back, abdominals and obliques. This muscle group is often ignored during other exercises.

There are many ways to get fit and stay cool in the water. Most obviously, perhaps, would be to swim laps or tread water. But you can also jog in the water. Additionally, there is a variety of products available that can increase the resistance in your workout, including buoyancy belts and dumbbells, gloves and noodles. You can actually lift weights underwater.

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

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Recipe of the Day

Amaretto Rice Pudding

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 25 min.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried peaches, chopped
1/4 cup Amaretto
1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
4 cup evaporated skim milk
2 tsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg, beaten
cinnamon
nutmeg

Cooking Directions:
Soak the peaches in the Amaretto for 10 minutes. Set aside. Combine the rice, milk, butter, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook until the rice has absorbed the milk but the mixture is creamy, about 15-20 minutes. Stir constantly so the milk does not curdle. Add the peaches and cook 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and add eggs. Return to the heat and cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture is creamy. To serve, sprinkle individual dishes of rice pudding with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Per Serving: calories 331, fat 5.0g, calories from fat 14%, protein 16.3g, cholesterol 71.9mg, dietary fiber 1.6g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:31 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, June 26, 2008 2 Common Fitness Mistakes

Have you ever started a workout routine, thinking you’re doing everything right, only to find out there were some important things you missed? Here are some common workout mistakes that most of us have made from time to time, and what you can do to prevent them from happening to you.

Mistake #1: You think you are working hard, but you can talk to the person on the treadmill next to you without discomfort.

Intensity is one of the hardest things for many exercisers to understand. You don’t want to work so hard that you become exhausted early in your workout, but you also don’t want to take it so easy that you don’t break a sweat. There are a few simple ways to determine your intensity and help you decide if you need to step it up a bit:

At the height of your workout, you should be sweating and breathing hard. Use the "Talk Test" to measure your intensity. You should be able to answer a question, but not comfortably carry on a conversation. If you can walk on the treadmill and easily tell your friend all about your day, you are not working hard enough, so step it up!

Another great way to measure your intensity is with a heart rate monitor or by checking your heart rate periodically. There is an easy formula to calculate your Target Heart Rate, which will tell you if you are working at the right intensity.
Working at a high intensity will help you burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time, making your workout as efficient as possible.

Mistake #2: Since you exercise, you figure you can eat whatever you want.

The key to weight loss is a healthy diet and regular exercise program. It is very difficult to lose weight through exercise alone. Those extra calories add up quickly and might take longer than you think to burn off by working out.

For example, you decide to treat yourself to a medium popcorn (with butter, of course) at the movies. You did a 45-minute workout on the treadmill this morning, so you deserve it, right? Well, you might want to think before you eat. You probably burned about 400 calories on the treadmill, but that tub of popcorn contains almost 1200 calories!! So you would have to do an extra 90-minute workout just to burn off your movie treat. When you think about it that way, a better option might be to skip the popcorn and bring a granola bar or other healthy snack.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:38 AM :: 0 comments

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Reasons To Stick With Your Plan

We all do it - We blow off working out. We don't have time. We don't like doing it. We're intimidated. Or it just doesn't seem worth all the effort.

Well, here are tricks for getting past those common excuses. Exercise can be simpler (and feel easier) than you ever imagined.

Excuse: It doesn't feel good.
Solution: Do a cool-down. Finishing your workout with 5 minutes of easy activity can make it more enjoyable. People's last impression of exercise is the one that lingers. With a cool-down, you leave feeling the exercise was easier, so you're more likely to do it again.

Excuse: I'll look silly.
Solution: Forget perfection. Exercise is not a Broadway performance. Women put such pressure on themselves. Learning to feel okay with and laugh at little mistakes is good for you. Walk, dance, enjoy yoursel--without worrying about how you look. Bonus: You burn more calories when you're not very good at something!

Excuse: I don't have time.
Solution: Count the small stuff. Life is never all or nothing, especially in exercise. A 10-minute walk is always better than nothing.

Excuse: I'm not getting results.
Solution: Try an activity that works both your upper and lower body at the same time: step aerobics, swimming, pole walking. You'll boost your calorie burn without feeling like you're working any harder. In a study of 30 women who cycled, walked, or did step aerobics, researchers found that those doing the step workout requiring the use of their arms and legs felt the exercise was significantly easier--even though they were working at the same intensity as the others. Coordinating your arm/leg movements can keep your mind busy, so you're less likely to focus on the exertion.

Excuse: I've tried it before.
Solution: Shift your thinking. You achieve what you focus on. So instead of focusing on what you didn't do, concentrate on the times you did exercise. It's more empowering and proof that you can succeed.

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

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Eating Peanut Butter Can Be Healthy

I loved getting pb&j sandwiches in my school lunch box--until I became a teenager. That's when peanut butter turned into a guilt-ridden indulgence akin to candy bars, cookies, and cakes: diet disasters to be avoided at all costs. Here's why I was wrong:

It helps you lose weight
Calling peanut butter a diet food, with 180 to 210 calories per serving, may seem counter-intuitive. But it has the enviable combination of fiber (2 g per serving) and protein (8 g per serving) that fills you up and keeps you feeling full longer, so you eat less overall. Plus, there's nothing more indulgent than licking peanut butter off a spoon--and indulgence (in moderation) helps dieters fight cravings and stay on track.

It's packed with nutrition
A serving of peanut butter has 3 mg of the powerful antioxidant vitamin E, 49 mg of bone-building magnesium, 208 mg of muscle-friendly potassium, and 0.17 mg of immunity-boosting vitamin B6. Research shows that eating peanuts can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. One study found that consuming 1 ounce of nuts or peanut butter (about 2 tablespoons) at least 5 days a week can lower the risk of developing diabetes by almost 30%.

It's got the good fat
Peanut butter is chock-full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. A recent study found that insulin-resistant adults who ate a diet high in monos had less belly fat than people who ate more carbohydrates or saturated fat. PS: If you're buying reduced-fat peanut butter because you think it's better for your waistline, save your money. The calories are the same (or even a little higher) thanks to the extra ingredients that are added to make up for the missing fat (including more sugar).

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

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Recipe of the Day

Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Servings: 16
Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 65 min.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsalted butter, 8 Tbs. chilled and cut into pieces, 1 Tbs. melted
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
2 largeegg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. orange peel, grated
2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1-1/2 cups blueberries
This Recipe is considered:
Low Sodium

Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Make topping by combining 1/2 cup sugar, pecans, 1 Tbs. melted butter, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg in a bowl. Set aside. Whisk buttermilk and next 3 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, remaining sugar and nutmeg in a food processor or bowl. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk mixture and process until just blended. Fold in berries and transfer to prepared pan. Sprinkle topping over. Bake about 1 hour 5 minutes, or until tester comes out clean when inserted into center. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

Per Serving: calories 222, fat 8.4g, calories from fat 34%, protein 3.4g, cholesterol 51.1mg, dietary fiber 1.1g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:12 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, June 25, 2008 The Truth About Tapas

Have you heard the advice about smaller, more frequent meals? This eating style can help prevent big fluctuations in blood sugar, maintain metabolism and help you feel more satisfied overall so you might eat less at meals. It's an easy technique to incorporate into your lifestyle and it can help you lose weight.

But if you've become accustomed to consuming three large meals a day -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- with little in between, you may be afraid you'll feel deprived. To get started, cut down your portion sizes, but eat more regularly, say, every three hours. One way to downsize those dishes without feeling like you're missing out on an enjoyable meal is by getting to know tapas.

Tapas, which is Spanish for "appetizers," are popular in restaurants and bars in Spain, and lately, they're gaining momentum here in the U.S. The sampling of finger foods offers you an exciting taste of various flavors that come in smaller packages -- things like miniature sandwiches, olive combinations and stuffed peppers.

While some traditional tapas fare can be high in fat, you can savor a trimmer tapas platter and get the interesting variety without walloping your waistline.

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

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Why Do We Eat?

Why do we eat? We all know why we should be eating: to supply our bodies with plenty of energy to get through the day; to get nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals which help us to stay healthy and free of disease; and to get useful carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—all of which contribute to running our bodies properly and maintaining good health.

But sometimes we can all be guilty of eating for other reasons. We love food! And that’s great! Eating should be pleasurable, not just nutritious. Food is everywhere: books are devoted to cooking and recipes, we find ourselves daydreaming and even talking about the newest restaurant or our favorite foods.

Many times we eat to celebrate—holidays, job promotions, graduations, weddings…we’ll find just about any achievement ("I raked the yard!", "We sold our house!", "My favorite team won!") to be celebration-worthy, and we’ll eat to commemorate it.

Other times, we let our emotions take over. When we’re stressed out, sad, angry, or lonely, we oftentimes turn to food to comfort us. Even starting (and staying on) a new diet can be stressful, especially when emotions creep in.

In our food-obsessed culture with out-of-control portions always lurking within our grasps, how can we not overeat? It’s hard to break habits and go against the lessons we have always been taught, like cleaning our plates, not being wasteful, or getting the best deal—which usually means ordering up and getting a lot more food for the money.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:05 AM :: 0 comments

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How to Stop Overeating

There are many ways to stop overeating. While some may seem silly…silly just may work for you. From the following list, find a few that work best for you, and try several. For example, if you find yourself eating out a lot, experiment with the dining out options more. After finding the strategies that work, stick with them. Over time, you’ll break the habits of overeating and form new habits. Pretty soon, you won’t even need the strategies at all, and you’ll be on your way to a permanent lifestyle change!

Whether you’re cooking your own meal, eating at work, or snacking at a football game, here are the strategies you can take anywhere:

Know your portion sizes. Make your own "portion pack" to take with you or keep the following common items in mind when preparing and eating meals.

A golf ball is the size of a serving of nuts (including peanut butter) or cheese.

A deck of playing cards is equivalent to 3 ounces of any meat.

Use a die to estimate a proper serving of oils and fats.

For fruit and veggie servings, use a tennis ball.

One serving of cooked grains or potatoes is about the size of a computer mouse.

Divide your plate. When cooking at home, looking at pictures on menus, or shopping ala carte at the work cafeteria, your plate should look like this:

Half (or more) of the plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. Protein-rich foods (meat or legumes) and starches (grains, potatoes, bread) should take up one quarter of the plate each. Fill your "divided plate" only once. If you’re still hungry, have another half-plate of vegetables. It’s that simple. Portion-controlled plates are available to buy as well…although they’re much more expensive than drawing an imaginary line.

Quench your hunger with water. Instead of high-calorie, low-nutrient drinks like soda, alcohol, or other sugary drinks, choose water. It’s free wherever you go, and most people don’t meet their 8-10 cups-a-day requirement. Drink water before, during, and after a meal to slow yourself down while eating and curb hunger.

Fill up on Fiber. The healthiest and most filling foods are high in fiber—think fruits and veggies, and whole, unprocessed grains. Adding fiber to your diet will aid in weight loss, and keep you feeling fuller longer, so you may eat less.

Supportive groups are crucial. Surround yourself with positive people who motivate you to reach your goals, not those who want to sabotage your efforts. When you feel tempted, emotional, or if you have already gotten off-track, turn to your support group. Call a friend, email a family member, or get online to the SparkPeople support boards. Sometimes all you need is a short word of advice from a friendly voice.

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

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Recipe of the Day

Shrimp Caesar Salad with Squash

The days are longer, but it still seems like there's never enough time nowadays. If you thought that stopping for a salad at your favorite restaurant would save you time and calories, then you may be packing on unwanted fat and calories without even knowing it. Here is a healthy salad you can be sure is in your calorie plan.

Ingredients:

6 oz. canned shrimp
2 cups lettuce, romaine or lettuce of choice
2 1/2 Tbsp. Caesar salad dressing
3 Tbsp. fresh, grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh yellow squash

Directions:

Mix and serve. Makes one single serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): Calories 466; Calories from Fat 209.4 kilocalories; Total Fat 23.3 grams; Saturated Fat 6.2 grams; Cholesterol 321.5 milligrams; Sodium 1028.9 milligrams; Total Carbohydrate 10.4 grams; Net Carbohydrate 6.9 grams; Dietary Fiber 3.6 grams; Sugars 3.8 grams; Protein 52.2 grams.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 4:49 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008 Tips for Eating at Home

Cooking at home may be the easiest way to control your portions during a meal, but it also presents us with fully-stocked cupboards and refrigerators that can be tempting:

Bring home healthy fast food. Try precut, frozen, canned or microwave-in-the-bag vegetables. Automatic portion control.

Stop the Taste-Testing Habit. If you’re the cook in the family, you may be eating a lot of calories when you taste your foods as you cook. To stop this natural habit, try chewing gum while you prepare you meals. Each time you are tempted to sneak a bite, you’ll have to take the gum out of your mouth. This will make you more conscious of what you’re doing.

Make fruit your dessert. It’s a great way to get more produce into your diet, and it satisfies the sweet craving many people have after a meal. Experiment with new and exotic fruits. And, when it comes to fruit, eating a little extra isn’t a bad thing.

Keep your hands busy. Many people want to eat when bored or just out of habit while watching TV. Keep your hands occupied with something else, and you won’t want to eat. Try knitting, painting your nails, shuffling cards, petting your cat—anything that keeps your hands moving will do the trick. Or, keep your whole body busy by doing crunches, squats, lunges or other body exercises while you watch.

Feeling hungry? Try this first. Try drinking a glass or two of water. Many people mistake what is actually dehydration for hunger.

When you feel the urge to snack or keep eating, take an exercise break. Walk around the block for 5 or 10 minutes, run up and down the stairs, or distract yourself with anything for about 10 minutes. You’ll probably find that you weren’t really hungry, but bored instead.

Buy snack-size portions. Don’t buy more of your unhealthy snacks just to save a buck or two. If you have trouble controlling yourself—if you eat the whole bag of chips before you realize what you’ve done—then buy snack size items. You can find chips, pretzels, cookies, snack cakes, soda, juice, ice cream, and even cereal in single serving sizes.

Make a rule that works for you and your family. No eating in front of the TV, in the car, or at your desk. This will help you avoid mindless eating when you’re not hungry.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:54 AM :: 0 comments

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Tips for Eating Out

It’s difficult to control your portions—not to mention ingredients and cooking method—when you are at a restaurant. Despite this, there are several things you can control:

Inquire about portion sizes. If it sounds huge, and it probably is, ask the server to split your entrée in half. Tell them to box up half ahead of time (and maybe even keep it in the kitchen until you’re ready to leave). Or, split the dish with a friend.

Order ala carte. Many, if not all restaurants are notorious for their enormous portions. When you feel like you can’t win on size, or if even half of an entrée is still way too big, order side items. Most restaurants do offer staples like baked potatoes, steamed fresh veggies, and rice dishes. Or, even if it’s dinnertime, ask for the lunch portion. You may have to pay the dinner price, but you’ll save yourself from eating way too much, and you’ll be much happier about that.

Decide ahead of time what you’ll order. That way, you won’t be tempted by the less-healthy fare when you look at the menu. If you’re familiar with the menu, don’t even look at it—simply order what you already had in mind.

Don’t be afraid to make substitutions in ingredients and cooking methods. Many people don’t like to be picky at restaurants, but think of it this way. They’re there to meet your needs and serve you. If they don’t have something you want, ask! Vegetarians and vegans know this scenario all-too-well, because they have to modify almost every dish on the menu to be able to eat it. Waiters and waitresses will want to comply and help out (because it means tips for them), and chefs can easily make modifications. Some things to try:

Different cooking methods. If your dish is fried or high in oil, ask for steamed or stir-fry options.

Take something out. Ask for less or complete removal of cheese, sour cream, gravy, special sauces, mayonnaise, etc.

Add something new. Ask for extra veggies in your salad, or to add vegetables to a dish (like pizza or pasta) that doesn’t normally contain them.

Substitute. Get the plain baked potato instead of the mammoth french fries; Ask for grilled chicken on your salad instead of breaded.

Tell your server you don’t want the free bread, chips, etc. when you first arrive. Or, if you do eat it, let them know that you don’t need another round.

Ask for dressings, sauces, and condiments on the side. Use just enough to taste. Many "sides" of salad dressings are still 2-5 times as big as the recommended 2-tablespoon servings.

Don’t pick at the food left on your plate. Put your utensils on your plate so the handles get dirty. You won’t want to pick them up again, and you won’t mindlessly eat more while chatting over dinner. Or, try laying your napkin over top of the remaining food. Out of sight, out of mind.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:44 AM :: 0 comments

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Take Me Out To The Ballgame

If you're counting calories, a day out at the ballpark can be almost as frustrating as it is exciting. Half the fun in America's favorite past time is the sensory experience of the food (I'm pretty partial to Fenway Franks). Remember, healthy eating is not about going without; it's about being food-smart. It's all about asking yourself,"Is it worth the splurge?"

Investigate the calorie counts beforehand, so you know what you're getting into when you order. Here are a couple of tips you need to know the next time you head out to the ballgame.

A loaded foot-long hot dog is equivalent to two regular dogs and buns. Instead, try turkey wrap (350 calories) or garden burger (300 calories).

Forgo half the calories by spliting a jumbo pretzel, nachos or nuts. For the time it takes to pry them loose from the shell, a handful of peanuts will last you several innings - keeping you at 150 calories.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:33 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Any kind of alcohol is good for you in moderation, but vitamin and antioxidant packed fruit -- that's fresh fruit, not sugary, syrupy daiquiri mix -- is the secret to concocting a disease-fighting superdrink. Mix this one up on a hot summer night to catch a buzz you can feel extra good about.

White Wine Sangria

Red wine has been A-listed for its polyphenols, antioxidants that protect against heart disease and cancer. Now it's time to let pale vinos like chardonnay and pinot grigio into the party. Recent research has revealed that the pulp of the grapes used to make white wine also contains polyphenols and other antioxidants -- they're just different from those found in red. Another study linked the antioxidants in white wine to better lung function.

1 green apple
1 pear
1 orange
1 c pineapple
1 plum
1 c watermelon
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 bottle sauvignon blanc

Dice fruit. Add all ingredients to wine in pitcher or punch bowl. Fill wine glasses with ice and pour. Garnish with orange slices. Makes 6 servings.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:05 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, June 23, 2008 Finding the Best Produce

Ready to discover how to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for less money?

Life is complicated, but finding produce should not be. Money is tighter than ever. The best way to do this is at a Farmer's Market.

Prowling around farmer's markets may not be your usual Sunday routine, but you will find it rewarding to both your senses and, as you'll find out, your wallet.

People shuffle around, touching and squeezing, poking and patting a variety of brightly colored produce. Radiant reds, luscious greens, vibrant oranges and yellows flooded my vision. Here arethe three most important things you need to know about getting the most from your farmers market experience:

Finding the farmers market.
Do you work with vegan? Is your sister a hippie? Do you have a friend "in the know" when it comes to the local scene? These are all good places to start. If you don't know any of these people, just ask around or visit The National Directory of Farmers Markets to find one in your area. You can also just google it!

Saving green.
You can save all kinds of green, including your own and Mother Nature's. You can save money because most markets feature locally grown produce. Because it's closer to the source, the produce tends to be fresher and cheaper because the high fuel costs of shipping are avoided. Besides being green for the environment, you're helping to support the local economy.

Generally, you're going to get the freshest produce for the best price. You can find fruits and vegetables that are in season -- at their flavorful peak -- and find out what will be coming in future weeks. It's a great way to keep things from getting routine and boring.

You can even save money at the market depending on the time of day you go. If you go early, you'll have a better selection, but if you go later in the day you may pay less because farmers will want sell off all their stock so they don't have to hall bushels and boxes back to their farms. It's best to bring cash because some markets don't accept credit cards.

Enjoy expert advice.
Many times the farmers themselves are selling the foods, which makes it an ideal time to find out about their goods. Inquire as to when and where they're grown (local or regional), if they are organic and even how to select the perfect piece of produce.

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

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How To Spice Up Tuna

Regular tuna salad on rye grows old, but you can easily liven it up by tossing in diced sun-dried tomatoes or minced, roasted red peppers. And many more options abound: There are more fun things to do with tuna than you could even imagine. Here are a few ways to give your fish a face-lift:

Up the protein of your pasta dishes with a can of water-packed white tuna.
For a Mediterranean flavor, toss in tomato chunks (fresh or canned), fresh basil, some Kalamata olives and a dash of olive oil.

Go French with a salad Niçoise.
Mix together romaine lettuce; diced tomatoes; sliced olives; chopped hard-boiled eggs; cold, cooked potato wedges; and sliced scallions. If you're feeling adventurous, throw in a few anchovies and then toss with your favorite light vinaigrette.

Treat yourself to a low calorie tuna melt.
Combine canned white tuna with fat-free mayonnaise, chopped celery and diced red peppers. Place a scoop on light bread and top with a slice of fat-free cheese; broil until bubbly.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:18 AM :: 0 comments

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Why Alcohol is Bad for Your Diet

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which is detrimental to your diet plans. Alcohol actually stimulates your appetite. While you might be full from a comparable amount of calories from food, several drinks might not fill you up. On top of that, research shows that if you drink before or during a meal, both your inhibitions and willpower are reduced. In this state, you are more likely to overeat—especially greasy or fried foods—which can add to your waistline. To avoid this, wait to order that drink until you're done with your meal.

Many foods that accompany drinking (peanuts, pretzels, chips) are salty, which can make you thirsty, encouraging you to drink even more. To avoid overdrinking, sip on a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.

Skipping a meal to save your calories for drinks later is a bad idea. Many drinkers know they'll be having some alcohol later, whether going to a bar, party, or just kicking back at home. Knowing that drinking entails extra calories, it may be tempting to "bank" some calories by skipping a meal or two. This is a bad move. If you come to the bar hungry, you are even more likely to munch on the snacks, and drinking on an empty stomach enhances the negative effects of alcohol. If you're planning on drinking later, eat a healthy meal first. You'll feel fuller, which will stop you from overdrinking. If you are worried about a looming night out with friends, include an extra 30 minutes of exercise to balance your calories—instead of skipping a meal.

What are more important, calories or carbs? You might think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer do contain carbs. But dieters need to watch calories, and liquor only has a few calories less than beer or wine. Plus, it is often mixed with other drinks, adding even more empty calories. Hard liquor contains around 100 calories per shot, so adding a mixer increases calories even more. If you are going to mix liquor with anything, opt for a diet or club soda, instead of fruit juice or regular soda. Sweeter drinks, whether liquor or wine, tend to have more sugar, and therefore more calories. In that respect, dry wines usually have fewer calories than sweet wines.

The list below breaks down the number of calories in typical alcoholic drinks. Compare some of your favorites to make a good choice next time you decide to indulge in a serving of alcohol.

Red wine
5 oz. 100

White wine
5 oz. 100

Champagne
5 oz. 130

Light beer
12 oz. 105

Regular beer
12 oz. 140

Dark beer
12 oz. 170

Cosmopolitan
3 oz. 165

Martini
3 oz. 205

Long Island iced tea
8 oz. 400

Gin & Tonic
8 oz. 175

Rum & Soda
8 oz. 180

Margarita
8 oz. 200

Whiskey Sour
4 oz. 200

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:54 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Zucchini, Fennel, Apple, Hazelnut and Asparagus Salad with Lots of Greens and Apple-Balsamic Dressing

Makes 4 servings

This is one of those salads that are great all tumbled together, packed with lots of different leaves and fresh crunchy vegetables. It makes the perfect summer lunch salad with a crispy baguette.

Ingredients
4 medium zucchini
3 heads fennel
24 asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched, then refreshed in iced water
2 handfuls of toasted hazelnuts, skins removed
2 large handfuls of assorted greens (watercress, arugula, endive, romaine, etc.)
4 apples (I like to use 2 Granny Smiths and 2 Red Delicious)
Handful of sprouts for garnish

For the Apple-Balsamic Dressing:

1 cup apple juice
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

First make the apple-balsamic dressing. Place the apple juice and balsamic vinegar in a small pan and cook to reduce to about one-quarter of its volume. Season with salt and pepper, then leave to cool. Mix in the olive oil.

Using a potato peeler, peel ribbons from the zucchini, discarding the soft seedy part in the center. Thinly slice the fennel into "rings" (a mandolin grater is ideal for this). Cut the asparagus spears at an angle into short lengths. Cut the hazelnuts in half or roughly chop them.

Divide half the greens between four plates and place the remainder in a large bowl. Quarter the apples and remove the core (you can also peel them if you want), then thinly slice them and add to the bowl with all the remaining ingredients, including two-thirds of the dressing. Toss well together and divide between the plates. Drizzle remaining dressing over and serve immediately.

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

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Friday, June 20, 2008 Learning Why Not To Starve Yourself

Many people believe that they can just skip meals or "starve the fat off" by hardly eating anything, but it's not that simple. Your body is an extremely efficient fat storing machine during times of famine or deprivation. The direct and unavoidable consequence of very low calorie diet is a reduction in lean body mass and a decrease in metabolic rate. When this occurs, your progress will grind to a screeching halt. Once this dreaded plateau strikes, most frustrated and discouraged dieters end up falling off the wagon and gaining all the weight back.

The next habit is to divide your calories into the correct portions of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Each meal should contain approximately 30% of the calories from lean proteins and 55% from natural complex carbohydrates. The remaining 15% will come from fat.

For high energy levels, your best sources of carbs include 100% whole grain cereals and breads, yams, brown rice, oatmeal, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits. Great sources of protein for muscle development include egg whites, low fat dairy products, chicken, turkey, fish and lean cuts of red meat. Fats should be kept to a minimum, but cutting all the fat out is not necessary. Essential fatty acids are just as important as amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Your diet must contain a wide variety of natural, unrefined foods. The less processed your food choices are, the better; eating foods in their natural state the way they came out of the ground is ideal.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:05 AM :: 0 comments

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How Weight Loss Really Works

If you're an overweight young adult, you probably eat too much. By "too much," we mean more than you need. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to keep itself going, and if you eat more than that amount, you will gain weight. If you consume fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight. It's that simple, and you must not allow charlatans and mountebanks to persuade you otherwise. Unless you have some sort of illness, this method will work for you. So read what we have to say, discuss it with your doctor, and follow it if he or she approves.

The equation described above is complicated by the fact that your body doesn't like you to eat less than it needs; it will think you are starving. If you go on a severely limited diet, your body will do a bunch of irritating things, such as: giving you hunger pangs, making you feel tired and sluggish, drawing the energy it needs from your muscle tissue as well as your fat, etc. Therefore, you shouldn't try to lose weight by dieting alone.

You have to exercise in addition to eating less, so that your body knows that you are still doing just fine and is forced to maintain your lean body mass and live off your fat. If you eat fewer calories than your body needs, but don't go under your requirements by much, and exercise enough that your body keeps going and burns even more fat to do so, you will lose weight.

A pound of fat represents approximately 3500 calories of stored energy. In order to lose a pound of fat, you have to use 3500 more calories than you consume. It's best not to do this over the course of a day; you'd probably hurt yourself, and your body would probably have some extreme reaction which did not involve you losing any actual weight. It's better to spread this out over a week, so that you aim to exceed your caloric requirements by 3500 to 7000 calories per week, resulting in weight loss of one to two pounds per week. It's not healthy to try to lose more than two pounds in a week, and if you do attempt to do so you're unlikely to be successful.

Let's say you want to lose two pounds per week. To do so, you need to figure out how many calories a person of your age, sex, and weight usually needs in a day (see Eat Less), subtract 500 from that amount, and follow a diet that provides you with that many calories. For example, if you would ordinarily need 3000 calories in a day, you would follow a 2500 calorie per day diet. Then you figure out how much exercise a person of your weight would need to do to burn 500 calories per day and you get off your lazy ass and do it. The result is simple. 500 fewer calories consumed plus 500 more calories expended equals a 1000 calorie per day deficit, which, over the course of a week adds up to 7000 calories, or two pounds. Your mileage may vary, but there's no getting around it. If your body is consuming fewer calories than it's expending, something's got to go.

That's how it works. Now you just have to learn how to eat less and exercise and you will lose yourself some weight.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:21 AM :: 0 comments

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Creating Healthy Habits

Chances are, you have some food habits that are "good" and some that are "bad" and to lose weight, you must examine these behaviors and replace the bad habits with healthier ones. Here are some guidelines for developing better food habits.

Always eat regular meals, including breakfast

Skipping meals delivers a double whammy to your weight loss efforts. When you skip meals, your body goes into "starvation mode," signaling your body to conserve as much energy as possible - this builds up body fat. Skipping meals is also likely to make you very hungry for your next meal, which could cause you to eat more. In fact, eating smaller amounts more frequently - as often as six times per day - may be best for losing weight. Bottom line: Eat meals and snacks at about the same time every day.

Eat only in the dining room or at the kitchen table

Don't eat in the bedroom or while watching TV. Confining yourself to the table will help you be more disciplined about eating. Keep food out of sight so you won't be tempted to eat it between meals. Don't "reward" yourself with food or use it for comfort.

Start with small portions

You can always get more later, but your compulsion to "clean your plate" may encourage you to eat more than you should. And don't worry about wasting food, either, it's better to leave food on your plate than to overeat. Don't automatically reach for seconds or thirds. Finally, keep in mind that if you are used to eating large meals, your stomach will signal hunger until its size reduces, over weeks and months, from eating smaller meals. In other words, it will be tougher to stick to smaller meals at the beginning, but that won't last.

Eat your vegetables first

Then go on to the rest of your meal. This will help you fill your stomach with relatively few calories and lots of fiber. You may be less hungry for the more fattening parts of your meal.

Slow down

It takes time for your body to recognize you have eaten and for the feeling of hunger to go away. Eating too quickly may cause you to eat more food over the same period of time. Savor your food. Not only does it take longer to eat when you fully enjoy each bite, but you may find eating to be more satisfying.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:59 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Cheddar Turkey Burgers

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:
1 package turkey gravy mix
1 Lbs. ground turkey
1 tsp. minced onion
1 Tbs. parsley flakes
3/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
4 hamburger roll
4 lettuce leaf
4 slice tomato

Cooking Directions:
Prepare grill or broiler. Combine turkey gravy mix with next 4 ingredients. Shape into 4 patties. Grill or broil 8-10 minutes per side or until cooked throughout. Serve on hamburger rolls and top with lettuce and tomato.

Per Serving: calories 359, fat 12.2g, calories from fat 31%, protein 31.9g, cholesterol 92.1mg, dietary fiber 1.8g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:46 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, June 19, 2008 How To Get Started With Exercise

If you do not currently exercise, the first step is to choose an activity and a "start date." Choose an activity (or several activities) with which you are comfortable. Many people start with walking because it is convenient, inexpensive, and easy. If you prefer, take a dance class, play catch with your kids, or find another activity that fits with your life.

Once you decide what you will do and when you will start, practice your activity. That is, go out and do it one time. At first, don't worry about how you will fit the activity into your daily life -- just be proud of what you did. And no matter what you choose, start slowly.

As you increase your fitness, increase the time you spend exercising each day, as well as the intensity. Building up slowly is the key. To lose weight, your ultimate goal should be to get a total of 60 minutes of physical activity equivalent to brisk walking each day. But, you are not going to get there in just one day. Remember that any amount of activity or exercise is going to help reduce your waistline, especially if you are starting from a sedentary lifestyle.

Plus, physical activity does NOT necessarily have to be aerobic exercise. The goal is to burn calories, and you can do that countless ways, such as using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking your car in the farthest parking space, mowing the lawn, or gardening.

If you are doing an activity that takes more effort than walking, like running, then 30 minutes a day should be enough. Or if you are doing something that takes about half the effort of brisk walking, like gardening, you'll have to do it twice as long -- 2 hours.

Having trouble doing your exercise all at once? That's no problem. Spread it out throughout the day in 10 minute chunks of activity. Doing this 3 - 6 times per day can still strengthen your heart and burn calories.

Once you are comfortable with your exercise routine, consider exercising with others, or adding different activities to keep it interesting. Remember, the important thing is that you get out there and do something!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 11:21 AM :: 0 comments

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Keys To Losing Weight

The fact is, there are healthy, effective and simple techniques you can use to achieve weight loss and keep it off over the long term.

Rapid weight loss requires a multi-faceted approach that combines diet, excercise, emotional support and in some cases, diet supplements.
Start by learning about and mapping out a low-carb diet you can live with. You can use the resources below to get more information on finding a low-carb diet you can live with. Develop an exercise program that results in at least 15 minutes of activity each day - walking, running, swimming are all good.

Set realistic goals. Rapid weight loss depends on your ability to focus on a disciplined mix of diet and exercise. By setting realistic goals, you will not become discouraged and lose your focus.

Listen to your body. Though there are many rapid weight loss plans out there, everyone's body and metabolism reacts differently to these programs. Some people can't progress on the diet as fast as others. So, substitute a more rigorous exercise program to compensate. Others are not able to exercise as rigorously - learn to listen to your body and adjust your diet plan accordingly.

Drink lots of water. Drink at least 6 - 8oz glasses of water each day. Weight loss depends on flusing your system out, and you must stay hydrated during that process.
Above all else, be consistent. Moderate dieting, exercise and supplementation applied in a consistent way, day after day will result in better weight loss than massive action followed by a return to old habits.

As you can see, a moderate diet plan and moderate exercise program combined with solid emotional support is the key to succeeding with rapid weight loss.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:46 AM :: 0 comments

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Small Steps to Weight Loss

For significant weight loss, you need to make sure you are burning more calories than you consume. This usually requires commitment to a disciplined exercise program. However, there are also many small, simple steps that can help your weight loss efforts every day.

Anything you do to consume fewer calories or burn more calories can help. Small steps count in weight loss, and believe it or not - they add up! For example, instead of sending an email to your co-worker, go to his or her desk and talk face-to-face. Just that little bit of movement might burn one or two calories. By the end of the day, this could add up to 10 or 20 calories - or more.


Simple but effective strategies

There are other quick and easy things that can really help. For example, brush your teeth after every meal. You may be less likely to snack, especially on sweets, when you have that fresh, clean feeling in your mouth. And another quick tip - don't shop for groceries when you are hungry!

Here's another easy step: define your portions. Serve your ice cream in a bowl instead of eating it from the carton; put your chips on a plate instead of eating them from the bag. If you aren't keeping track, it is easy to eat more than you wanted.

When you start a weight loss effort, write down everything you eat. This will help you evaluate your diet and may help you eat less. Be honest with yourself. This isn't a test. You won't be graded. The feedback is for you only. Many people badly misjudge how they eat (underestimating high-calorie foods or overestimating low-calorie foods). When the notes aren't accurate, people tend to gain weight when they think they are dieting.

To lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, everyone must make daily, even hourly, decisions about what is consumed and how to be physically active. In time, these decisions can become automatic and easy. To develop these automatic behaviors, try to develop a "pro-health" mentality rather than a "sacrifice" mentality.

The more active you are, the more successful you will be, but don't worry about doing it all right away. Over time, you will add more exercise to your routine and eat a more balanced diet. Until then, concentrate on what you can realistically do.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:18 AM :: 0 comments

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Jalapeno Potato Salad
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:
2 Lbs. mediumred potato
2 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. fresh mint, chopped
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. anchovy paste, or to taste
1 Tbs. olive oil

Cooking Directions:

Cook potatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes or until tender, drain and cool. Peel (if desired) and cube potatoes. Stir together jalapeno peppers and remaining ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir until well blended. Pour over potatoes and gently toss to coat. Cover and chill.

Per Serving: calories 152, fat 2.6g, calories from fat 15%, protein 5.2g, cholesterol 1.0mg, dietary fiber 3.9g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:15 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Modifying Your Diet

Calories are the basic unit of energy within food. When you eat, your body converts calories into energy. Your body uses what it can and stores the rest in the form of fat. You should eat a low-calorie diet if you want to lose weight.

A calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from a brownie or a serving of raw broccoli. The difference between them is the number of calories, nutrients, fat, and other ingredients in a typical serving.

Some diets involve calorie counting - figuring out the number of calories in each food item you eat, then adding up the total at the end of the day. This method shows:

How quickly calories add up
Where most of your calories come from
What time of day you tend to eat the largest amount
This can be valuable information, particularly when you first start your weight loss program. The method allows you to make adjustments to your food consumption on a particular day or over time.

Counting calories, however, quickly becomes tedious, and it does not necessarily train you to eat a healthy balance of foods. It is easy to become obsessed with the numbers and forget that the point is to eat healthily and vary your foods.

Obviously, you can reduce calories simply by eating less. For example, if you usually eat french fries with lunch, order a smaller portion or throw some of them out. Although in theory this method should help you lose weight, it is not the healthiest or most successful.

First of all, you are not eating a balanced, nutritious diet, nor are you lowering your risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Furthermore, people who simply try to eat less, rather than changing food types, tend to get hungrier faster and snack more in between meals.

Instead, replace unhealthy and fattening foods with healthier alternatives -- eat the same amount of food as before but eat lower-calorie foods with a healthier balance of nutrients. Using the example above, you would replace the french fries with a baked potato, carrots, an apple, or another healthier and lower-calorie food. Again, you are eating fewer calories, but you are also filling your stomach and adding variety to your diet.

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

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You Can Do It

If this isn't the first time that you've tried to lose weight, you are not alone. For most people, weight loss takes multiple attempts before getting it right. Losing weight is a significant undertaking; long-term success is a huge accomplishment as well as a lifetime commitment.

Throughout the process of weight loss, it is natural to feel self-doubt or defeat. It's OK to feel down once in a while, but the main thing is to stay focused on your goals. Excess weight poses a threat to your life and health, and the struggle against it is always worthwhile. Remind yourself of the many reasons why weight loss and exercise are worth it!

It may help to think about how far you have already come. You do not have to measure that by the number of pounds you have lost. For example, think about how much farther or faster you can walk, jog or cycle compared to before you started. If good health is your goal (and it should be), you can measure success in many ways.

The changes you make to lose weight should stay with you throughout your life. This doesn't mean that you have to stick to it with the same intensity after you have lost the excess pounds. But you should continue most of the habits you learn during this process. If you don't, there is a good chance you will regain what you've lost.

Eating right and exercising are the keys to a healthy life for everyone. Not enough people -- even thin people -- respect their bodies enough to follow through with these important lifestyle habits. When you stick to achieving your weight loss goals, you will have accomplished more than many other people, and you will have something to be truly proud of.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:53 AM :: 0 comments

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Fast and Filling Breakfasts

"What's for breakfast? The manner in which you address this age-old question can either make or break your morning. For example, a doughnut with your morning cup of coffee may give you a quick charge out of the gate. This is due, in part, to the caffeine in the coffee as well as the sugar and simple carbohydrates in the doughnut. But if you consume this breakfast in the early morning, you may experience a “crash” just a few hours later, in which you feel hungry, tired, anxious, and irritable.

Fortunately, there are many other breakfast options available—ones which will not only keep your energy levels up but which are much better for you. The three key words here are protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. But why this particular trio? It’s because the body burns off these kinds of foods more slowly—think of a time-release cold medicine tablet versus a fast-acting dose of ibuprofen. Eating a breakfast that includes a healthy balance of protein, whole grains, and healthy fat can help stave off the mid-morning munchies. What’s more, eating whole grains can help lower the risk heart disease, according to the Whole Grains Council.

Here are some quick and easy breakfast ideas that can help stave off the mid-morning munchies. Be sure to keep your portion size appropriate for your caloric needs, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water.

• Low-fat yogurt, sliced banana, whole-grain granola, and walnuts

• Omelet (made with Omega-3 enriched eggs) with a side of whole wheat toast

• Non-fat cottage cheese, a sprinkling of whole grain cereal, blueberries, and sliced almonds

• Cooked oats or oatmeal topped with a spoon of jam and chopped cashews

• Whole grain cereal topped with low-fat milk and a handful of peanuts

• Whole grain English muffin or bagel with low-fat cream cheese and chopped Brazil nuts

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:46 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Moroccan Chicken Salad with Couscous

If you want use your kitchen to take an exotic trip, try this scrumptious salad and at least let your taste buds take a trip to the other side of the world. Try this exotic chicken salad with couscous dish and experience the most commonly eaten meat, as well as Morocco's most famous food. Add green tea to fully immerse yourself in this culture's cuisine.

This recipe makes a single serving, so multiply accordingly for additional guests and enjoy!

Couscous prep:

3 1/2 Tbsp. dry couscous
1/2 cup water
Directions:
Bring water to a boil over high heat; remove from heat, add couscous, stir and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Ingredients:

1/2 bell pepper, green
1 medium fresh tomato
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 cup chopped or sliced cucumber
1 green onion
4 oz. boneless chicken breast
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 2/3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
Prepare couscous according to recipe above. Rinse chicken; chop into bite-sized pieces on a separate cutting board. Rinse vegetables and chop into small, bite-sized pieces; set aside. Heat a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray medium heat and saute chicken for 5-7 minutes until slightly golden in color and no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet, let cool slightly and mix with chopped vegetables. In a small bowl, combine oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and spices; toss with couscous and chicken and serve.

Serve with fresh strawberries (or fresh fruit of your choice).

Nutrition Facts (per serving): Calories 444.3; Calories from Fat 84.4 kilocalories; Total Fat 9.5 grams; Saturated Fat 1.4 grams; Cholesterol 65.8 milligrams; Sodium 97.2 milligrams; Total Carbohydrate 56.9 grams; Net Carbohydrate 48.7 grams; Dietary Fiber 8.2 grams; Sugars 15.5 grams; Protein 34.4 grams.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:08 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Raise your hand if a tight budget is keeping you out of your skinny jeans. We know. Eating right isn't always the cheapest option, but there are ways to trim down while watching your finances.

1.Shop seasonally and locally. If it's local, and in-season, the shipping costs are largely reduced, with the savings passed on to you. How do you know if it's local? Many grocery stores have sections specifically for local produce.

2. Cut up your own produce. You'll only save a few minutes of prep-time, but you'll be shelling out some serious dough. Don't waste money for this "convenience."

3. Avoid the exotic. As much as this pains us to say, opt for less glamorous fruits and vegetables. Green peppers don't seem as fancy as yellow or orange, but are a fraction of the cost.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:41 AM :: 0 comments

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5 Reasons to Love Morning Exercise

There are some very good benefits to learning to love exercise in the morning. Here are five of them that you may find helpful as well:

Exercising early in the morning "jump starts" your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours, sometimes for up to 24 hours! As a result, you’ll be burning more calories all day long—just because you exercised in the morning.

Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day—not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something disciplined and good for you. (Much better than a worm!)

Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity—a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you’re snoozing.

Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn’t be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier—especially since regular exercise generally means a higher quality of sleep, which in turn means you’ll probably require less sleep. (If getting up 30 to 60 minutes earlier each day seems too daunting, you can ease into it with 10 to 20 minutes at first.)

When you exercise at about the same time every morning—especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time—you’re regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes.

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

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Learning To Lunge

Lunges are a great way to get your butt in gear. Since they involve several muscles and joints, lunges are a compound exercise, which means they burn big calories. Lunges get high marks in my book for versatility too. You can do them anywhere, and there are many forms to choose from to make sure you stay challenged.

But first things first — let's learn how to do the basic lunge movement and get those glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves working.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your weight on your heels. Pull your abdominals in and stand with your shoulders squarely over your hips.

Lift your left leg, leading with your heel, and step forward in an elongated stride. As your foot touches the floor, bend both knees until your left thigh is parallel to the floor and your right thigh is perpendicular to it. Your right heel will be off the floor. Exhale and press off the ball of your foot, stepping back into the starting position, and repeat, alternating legs.

Make sure that your forward knee never travels past your toes. Keep your eyes focused forward; if you look down, you might lose your balance. Keep your spine straight through the entire movement, with your shoulders always positioned squarely over your hips. And don't forget to keep those abs sucked in the entire time!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:37 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Greek Hero

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 0 min.

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread, each about 15-0/1 inches long
2 roastedred pepper, cut into strips
1 mediumcucumber, sliced
1/4 cup red onion\raw, thinly sliced
2 smalltomato\raw, sliced
2 oz. reduced-fatfeta cheese, crumbled
4 leaf Romaine lettuce
4 Kalamata or black olive, as garnish
1 Lbs. canned garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

This Recipe is considered Low Cholesterol

Cooking Directions:

Slice bread in half lengthwise. Spread bottom half of bread with desired amount of hummus. (See below.) Layer with roasted peppers, cucumber, onion, and tomatoes and sprinkle with feta cheese. Top with romaine lettuce and top half of bread. To make hummus: Coarsely mash garbanzo beans. Mix in lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and oregano leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Courtesy American Dry Bean Board.

Per Serving: calories 495, fat 10.7g, calories from fat 19%, protein 17.5g, cholesterol 12.6mg, dietary fiber 11.0g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:13 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, June 16, 2008 The Facts on Flaxseed

Flaxseed has been a part of human and animal diets for thousands of years. Even in the days of Hippocrates, flaxseed was eaten for its health benefits. Recently, however, flaxseed has gained popularity among health-conscious Americans. Despite the hype surrounding this little seed, a lot of people have never heard of it. It may not exactly be a wonder food, but flaxseed certainly has nutritional benefits.

Nutritional Benefits

Flaxseeds contain the following nutrients:

Lignans. Flaxseeds are one of the best plant sources for lignans, a type of phytoestrogen that may protect against certain types of cancer, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. Even the National Cancer Institute has identified its cancer-fighting potential.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds are the best plant source of healthy omega-3's, which are also found in fish. Fifty grams of flaxseed has about the same amount of omega-3's as three pounds of salmon!

Fiber. Flaxseeds contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which keep the digestive system in tip-top shape.

Protein. Flaxseed is a complete protein source, meaning that it contains every amino acid that your body can't make on its own. It’s uncommon to find plant-based foods that are complete proteins, so flaxseed makes a great addition to vegetarian diets.

One tablespoon of flaxseed contains:
35 to 40 calories
1.6 grams of protein
2.8 grams of carbohydrate
2.8 grams of fat (0.3 grams saturated, 0.6 grams monounsaturated, and 1.8 grams polyunsaturated)
2.5 to 8 grams of fiber
3 milligrams of sodium

Health Benefits

Research shows that flaxseed may have the ability to:

  • Prevent cancer and reduce tumor growth in the breasts, prostate and colon
  • Decrease the risks of developing heart disease, blood clots, strokes, and cardiac arrhythmia by lowering total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure
  • Regulate bowel functions and prevent constipation
  • Relieve breast pain related to a woman’s hormonal cycle
  • Help improve blood glucose control in diabetics
  • Help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and asthma

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 11:02 AM :: 0 comments

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Summertime Fun Exercises

Summer is so blissful: Time to take a vacation, lie on the beach, drink milkshakes and eat whatever you like. Right? Well, maybe. But that's a recipe for weight gain -- and weigh-in day misery!

To battle the vacation-day bulge, try these fun exercise ideas:

It's warm enough to walk in the morning and evening. Schedule a morning walk and an evening walk. That way, you'll avoid the heat and reap the benefits on your waistline and health.

Too hot outside to exercise? Stock up on a variety of fitness videos and DVDs to do inside the house. I work all day, and by the time it cools off at night, I don't feel safe going out alone for a walk. The solution: a small bookcase crammed with fitness DVDs ranging from yoga and Pilates to cardio aerobics and step dance.

Instead of sitting by the pool, plunge on in! And don't let swimsuit blues stop you. Here's my theory on swimsuit shopping: the swimsuit manufacturers, swimsuit stores and diet pill manufacturers are all owned by the same conglomerate, so they ensure that dressing room mirrors and lights make you look absolutely hideous. Moreover, I contend that all swimsuits are primarily designed by the same people who design Barbie doll clothes. My advice: Shop for a swimsuit color and style that you like, and get a gorgeous swimsuit cover-up. Once you're at the pool, toss the cover-up to the side, dive on in and have a great exercise session! My grandmother, for example, told me all her friends were horrified that Grandma Sara loved to go to the beach and paddle around in her one-piece swimsuit. "What do you tell them, Grandma?" I asked her. She laughed. "I tell them that life is too short to let a bathing suit get in the way of fun!"

If you belong to a gym, nice summer weather often means fewer members attend classes. Use that to your advantage and try some normally crowded classes. For example, I have a friend who always longed to take dance aerobics class but felt it was too crowded for her comfort. She discovered recently that in the summer, those classes often have only five to 10 students. As a result, Jane dared to take the class -- and now has become a regular.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:31 AM :: 0 comments

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Tips for Motivation

So now that you've decided to get fit, get healthy, and eat right, what's next? How about a cheering section? Online Message Boards are a great place to find people just like you, who are dealing with the same challenges while they lose those extra pounds. Here's some advice from one of our online teammates about finding creative ways to stick to her plan:

Get your friends together for a salad party. Yeah, sounds dumb, but it's actually fun! Everybody brings a few parts to a salad and the nutritional value on a note card. You set it all up, and build your salads! You can try and incorporate a nice group walk beforehand! If this is works, it might actually replace the standard dinner at a fattening restaurant with the girls every week.

Hit the library and sign up for a card! There are tons of cookbooks there! I hate buying one and only liking one recipe. You can test out a bunch and copy down recipes you like! I found one book that has 400 calories or less for each recipe in the book! Make sure you check out books that have the nutritional breakdowns though. Makes life much easier. Plus, library time gets you away from your busy life for 30 minutes or so.

Check the internet to see if there are walking clubs in your neighborhood. Most larger cities have something similar. You'll meet new people and have company while you walk.

If you haven't started working out, put on sneakers right now, and walk out the door! It's that easy. Just do 15 minutes. Every two days, add 5 minutes to your walk. In no time, you'll be zipping around your block!

I hope this helps! Good luck and remember, keep moving!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:27 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Black Fruits in Lavender Honey Glaze

Tote the leftovers to work for your afternoon snack, or impress the heck out of your friends with this dish at your Sunday brunch. With a sinfully good fruit salad that's this easy and exotic, you really can't go wrong.

Ingredients

Lavender Honey Glaze
1 1/2 tsp. lavender blossoms, dried
1/2 cup honey, warmed
1 Tbsp. fresh orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
Fruit Salad
4 cups blue-black seedless grapes
3 cups blackberries
3 cups dark, sweet cherries (such as Bing), pitted
2 cups black-skin plums, sliced
12 each fresh lavender blossom sprigs, for garnish


Preparation

In a small bowl, whisk together lavender honey glaze ingredients until well combined.
In a large bowl, combine fruits for salad. Pour lavender honey glaze over fruits and toss gently to coat. Garnish with fresh lavender blossom sprigs.


Nutrition (per 1/2-Cup Serving): 127 Calories; Protein 1.2 g; Carbohydrate 32 g; Fat 0.6g; 4% Calories from Fat; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2 mg; Fiber 3.3g.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:57 AM :: 0 comments

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Friday, June 13, 2008 Making Sure Your Kids Have a Healthy Lunch

Here’s what you can do to help your child choose a healthy lunch when they’re buying:

Feed them breakfast. If their stomach is growling in homeroom, they’ll be more likely to load up at the vending machines. If you don’t have time to feed them a home cooked breakfast, try natural peanut butter on a whole wheat bagel and an apple, or a smoothie with soymilk, frozen bananas and peanut butter.

Talk to your child about vending machine, a lá carte, and school store choices. Help them to realize that it’s ok to like candy and fast food, but that doesn’t mean they should be an everyday treat.

Lead by example. This may be the most effective way to teach anyone anything, albeit the most difficult. The next time you’re out to eat with your child, explain why you choose to order the garden burger instead of the hamburger with cheese, or the chicken salad instead of the fried chicken. Kids are sponges—use it to your (and their) advantage.

Discuss the cafeteria menu with your child, preferably before you’re rushing out the door in the morning. You can help them learn which options are healthier, and talk about the importance of fruits and vegetables. If they don’t like what’s on the menu, then they’ll have time to pack instead.

If you are unhappy with your child’s school menu options, talk to the school lunch coordinator. Many cafeteria menu makeovers started with just one parent. If you’d like more information about healthy lunch activism, visit PCRM’s school lunch website at www.HealthySchoolLunches.org

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 11:24 AM :: 0 comments

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Benefits to Eating Whole Grains

The Whole Grains Council says that people can't go wrong eating whole grains in everything from cereal in the morning to brown rice in their battle to ward off a list of killer ailments.

For overall health benefits, nutritionists suggest eating three or more servings of whole grains a day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a whole grain serving as any food containing 16 grams of whole grain.

Here are some benefits research has shown from whole grains:

• They reduce the risks of diabetes. People who eat three or more servings of whole grains a day, especially from cereals, are less likely to develop insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, common precursors of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to Diabetes Care.

• They cut the risk of heart disease. For each 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, there was a 14% reduction in heart disease risk and a 25% reduction in risk of dying from heart disease. In short, the cereal fiber in whole grains appears to make heart disease much less likely-and less serious if it does occur.

• Whole grains cut the risk of rectal cancer. High intakes of vegetables, fruits and whole grains reduced the risk of rectal cancer by 28%, 27% and 31% respectively. A high-fiber diet-more than 34 grams of fiber per day-reduced rectal cancer by 66%, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

• Whole grains lower the risk of obesity. Women who consumed more whole grains consistently weighed less than women who consumed fewer whole grains, they reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

• Whole grains slow the buildup of plaque. Eating six servings or more per week of whole grains was associated with slower buildup of artery-narrowing plaque.

• They are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Whole grains contain protective antioxidants in quantities rivaling or exceeding those in fruits and vegetables. Apples are no match for corn in antioxidants, while wheat and oats almost equal broccoli and spinach in antioxidant activity.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:51 AM :: 0 comments

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10 Reasons to Eat Breakfast

Increased energy levels. Decreased disease risk. Bigger memory capability. Smaller waistline. When it comes to that first morning meal, the reasons to fuel your body are virtually endless. So, the next time you’re about to dash out the door on an empty stomach, remember these 10 reasons why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day:


• High Energy. A healthy breakfast provides you with enough nutrients to energize your body for hours.

• Smart Eating. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast consume more vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and less fat and cholesterol.

• Calorie Reduction. People who don’t eat breakfast are likely to eat more calories throughout the day than people who skip lunch, according to the Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health and Media.

• Decreased Diabetes Risk. People who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be diabetic than those who usually don’t, according to the American Heart Association.

• Weight Control. A study by the National Weight Control Registry shows that eating breakfast actually helps keep people’s weight down.

• Full Focus. According to the American Dietetic Association, people who eat breakfast are better able to concentrate and be more productive throughout the morning.

• Making Memories. According to experts, eating breakfast improves memory and learning. In one study, college students who ate a morning meal scored 22 percent higher in a word-recall test than those who skipped breakfast.

• Urge to Exercise. Researchers believe that people who eat breakfast have higher energy levels and may engage in more physical activity than people who don’t.

• Happy Days. Skipping breakfast can make you feel tired, irritable, or sad. Even grabbing some fresh fruit or a bowl of cereal can help boost your mood.

• Stress Be Gone. The time you spend eating breakfast can be relaxing and help you to mentally prepare for the day. Eating breakfast also forces you to slow down, helping you to prioritize.

Keep in mind, however, that all breakfasts are not created equal—a healthy morning meal should be balanced and not too heavy. So, skip the eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits, and go for whole-grain cereals with fruit or juice instead. Or opt for an egg-white omelet filled with vegetables.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:20 AM :: 0 comments

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Broiled Crab Cakes

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Lbs. crabmeat, backfin, cartilage and shells removed
2 Tbs. reduced fat mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3 Tbs. minced onion
1 egg
1/8 tsp. hot red pepper sauce

Cooking Directions:

Combine all ingredients and shape into 6 patties. Broil 6-0/1 inches from heat source, 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Per Serving: calories 164, fat 2.1g, calories from fat 11%, protein 26.7g, cholesterol 117.4mg, dietary fiber 0.1g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:54 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 Working Your Hamstrings

Next time you're at the gym, take a look around. How many machines do you see to work your quads? Tons, right? Then look for hamstring machines. Not nearly as many.
Because there are only a few machines for hamstrings, many people assume that there are only a few specific ways to isolate them, and that you can't work the hamstrings outside the gym. This simply isn't true. Exercises like pelvic thrusts, which you can do almost anywhere, target the hamstrings as well as the glutes. Get started with this beginner move:

Lie on your back in front of a bench or platform, with your knees bent and your heels on the bench. Your legs should form a 90-degree angle, with your knees directly above your hips, and your arms should rest on the floor at your sides.

Exhale and press your heels down into the bench, lifting your hips off the floor as high as you can. Squeeze your glutes as tight as you can for a beat, then lower back down to the floor and repeat. Be sure to keep your upper arms, shoulders, and neck on the floor throughout the exercise.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 11:18 AM :: 0 comments

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Ways to Get Yoru Fruits and Veggies

"Eat your fruits and vegetables." We've heard it all of our lives. If only it were so simple.

Our bodies crave fruits and vegetables more than just about any other food because we tend to get far fewer of them than we need. We often think we'd survive just fine on 2-3 servings a day – or less. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA both recommend at least 5 servings per day! What you’re missing could be the difference between just surviving and all out thriving.

With just a little thought and a tiny bit of effort in snack preparation, you can make these nutritious foods more convenient and accessible.

Tips and Tricks

  • Add fruit to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles or pancakes at breakfast.
  • Create your own yogurt flavors with plain yogurt and different combinations of fresh fruit.
  • Snack on raw vegetables or fruits instead of chips or pretzels. Keep sugar snap peas, raisins or carrot sticks in your car, your office or your backpack.
  • Use chunky salsa instead of thick, creamy snack dips.
  • Drink 100% juice instead of addictive coffee, tea, or soda.
  • Going out to lunch? Take a trip to the grocery salad bar. Use lots of dark green leaves and other vegetables instead of piling on all of the extras like eggs, bacon and cheese.
  • Add frozen veggies to any pasta dish. It's an easy way to get in another serving of the good stuff.
  • Keep fruits and vegetables in line of sight. Grapes, oranges, bananas, and apples make a colorful bowl arrangement on the table. If you see them, you will eat them.
  • Dried fruit is just as portable as potato chips -- and less messy. It tastes especially good when added to basic trail mix.
  • When cooking vegetables, makes 2-3 times more than you need and immdiately store the extra away for tomorrow. It'll save you time later on.
  • Add your own beans and vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, peppers, cabbage) to canned and quick-serve soups.
  • If you must have pizza, load on extra veggies and pineapple instead of fatty meats and extra cheese.
  • Try berries, melons or dates for a naturally sweet dessert rather than the usual candy bar, cookie, or ice cream sandwich.
  • Frozen fruit and veggies are nearly as healthy as the fresh stuff, and only take minutes to prepare.
  • Combine fruit with your main meal courses. Raisins, apples and tangerine slices add sweet, crunchy variety to a salad. Apples complement pork, pineapple is great with fish, and orange slices are perfect with chicken.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:11 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Lobster Salad

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 0 min.

Ingredients:

1/2 Lbs. lobster meat or imitation lobster meat
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms\raw, sliced
1 smallyellow or green bell pepper\cooked, seeded and sliced
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
4 lettuce leaf
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Serve on lettuce drizzled with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Per Serving: calories 136, fat 7.9g, calories from fat 52%, protein 13.0g, cholesterol 42.6mg, dietary fiber 0.4g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:13 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Low Carb Beers

Who would have thought the day would come when you could stay on your low-carb diet and still have beer? Ever since the beer industry jumped on the low-carb bandwagon, it's true, but the big question is... How do all these low-carb beers actually taste? The answer: surprisingly good!

First off, some basics about beer. Beer is a fermented product typically made from barley or rice. Both barley and rice are grains and very carb-rich. An average bottle of beer has around 11 grams of carbs and 145 calories. Low-carb versions are either watered down, or get extra-fermented to remove those extra sugars. This means they are normally less flavorful and more watery tasting.

Ok, now that we've reviewed the basics, let's see how the individual beers taste to a few beer fans.

Amstel Light
While this isn't a designer beer or a rich, flavorful porter, it is a reasonably good beer for hanging out and having fun with friends. Remember that your alcohol tolerance drops when you're on a low-carb diet, so drink lots of water while you have alcohol and space your drinks accordingly. There are several other low-carb options out there, many with carb counts of 2 grams or fewer per serving. But we've found that as you go "down" from Amstel Light, you lose a lot of flavor and get a more watery feeling.

Rock Green Light
Rock Green Light is the low-carb version of Rolling Rock beer. It has about 2 grams of carbs per glass and around 84 calories calories. Most like this beer a lot. With a mild, fresh flavor to it, it's an easy drinking beer. With its super low-carb count, you could even have two and stay within a reasonable level of carbs.

Coors Light
Coors Light comes from the "Taste of the Rockies" brand, and indeed most find their beer to be very crisp and refreshing. It's got 5 grams of carbs, 102 calories and 4.2 percent alcohol. So if you're going to drink more than one, you might have to default back to one of the "thin beers" that boasts fewer carbs.

Michelob Ultra
Michelob Ultra boasts just 2.6 grams of carbohydrates. Other low-carb beers are often in the 5 gram range. The trade-off here is you lose a lot of the body and taste. The bottom line is you have to decide how many carbs you're willing to allot to your beer or whether you'd rather have two really low-carb beers or one better tasting slightly higher-carb beer.

Corona Light
Corona is brewed and bottled in Mexico, and is often served with a slice of lime. Corona Light keeps the same flavor with 5 grams of carbs. Testers felt the beer in general had a good, fresh flavor and a decent head of foam. It wasn't watery like many other beers in the low-carb category and tasted fairly similar to its high-carb sibling.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 10:04 AM :: 0 comments

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Emotional Triggers Behind Eating

You just got into a knockdown-dragout fight with your spouse. Or your kid. Or your mom. Or the guy behind you in the checkout line. Your reaction is to head for the kitchen to soothe yourself with something smooth, fattening, creamy, sugary, salty, or crunchy — pick your poison.
Sound familiar? If so, you're an emotional eater. But you've probably figured that out already. You've probably also figured out that unhealthy overeating leads not only to weight gain but to a destructive pattern of anxiety and self-loathing that's tough to break on your own. Want to break the cycle? I'm here to help.

You've got to start by facing the fact that there will never be a totally stress-free time in your life. There. That's as bad as it gets. Now on to the good news: You can stop emotional eating. The key is to identify the things that make you feel pressured, sad, angry, or anxious. Once you understand your triggers, you can break the cycle and start regaining control of when, why, and how you eat.

The best way to identify your emotional triggers is through self-examination. Face your issues. Bring them out of your subconscious and into your conscious reality. This is the most empowering thing you can do for yourself

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:33 AM :: 0 comments

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Ways to Stay Motivated

1. Confidence

How did it feel after that first jog around the block? Or when you finally walked the stairs at work without losing your breath? The more you accomplish, the more you’ll believe in yourself.

2. Fit into that dress

It’s been hanging up in your closet for two years now, just waiting to be thrown on for a night on the town. All it takes is for you to go that extra mile and stay on track. Before you know it, those two years will be ancient history.

3. Make the week easier

Ever felt like a week was taking forever? It feels like Friday, but it’s only Tuesday? This happens when you’re not working towards anything. When you have a goal in mind, you’ll want to cook that healthy dinner or go to the gym. The week will not only go faster, but be more enjoyable.

4. Gives you purpose

Every once in a while, we need a good reason to get out of bed. Here it is, right in front of you. Eat the healthy breakfast that’s going to jump start your day, go for your morning jog, or walk to the driveway and grab the newspaper. When you’re motivated, you have a reason to do what you do.

5. For your kids

And your grandkids. And their kids, too. The healthier you are, the longer you’ll be around to watch your kids grow and to spoil your grandchildren. They’ll want you to be around as long as possible; consider this just another present.

6. Power of momentum

It’s a scientific fact – something in motion tends to stay in motion. Momentum builds quickly and can lead to great results. Suddenly, you’re not only working for the goal, but also to keep your streak alive. Even more reason to reach your goals.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:00 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Parmesan Halibut

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/8 tsp. oregano, or 1 tsp. fresh, chopped salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Lbs. halibut steaks, about 1-0/1 inch thick
1 Tbs. parsley, chopped

Cooking Directions:

Turn on broiler. Heat oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Arrange halibut steaks on a lightly oiled broiler pan. Brush top of steaks with tomato mixture. Place halibut about 4-0/1 inches from heat source and broil 5-6 minutes. Turn halibut, brush again with tomato sauce and broil another 4-5 minutes, or until fish is opaque throughout. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Per Serving: calories 173, fat 6.4g, calories from fat 33%, protein 25.8g, cholesterol 39.9mg, dietary fiber 0.4g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:52 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008 What Pilates Can Do For You

Pilates appears to be a new exercise trend, a new craze. Actually, this system has been in existence since the 1920s. Pronounced "puh-LAH-teez," it is named after its developer, Joseph Pilates. Practiced regularly, it can be a great addition to anyone’s exercise routine.

An exercised-based system, Pilates connects the mind, body, and spirit like other programs, i.e. yoga. Its goal is to improve flexibility and strength, creating a balance between the two. Participants gain and develop body awareness through different poses and stretches, which target specific muscle groups.

The overall goal of Pilates is to make a toned body without adding bulk, while lengthening the muscles. Many individuals have found it improves their coordination and relieves stress. Although many exercises can achieve this, Pilates is an interesting way to reach these goals.

One of the main muscle groups it narrows in on is the "core." The core consists of muscle groups often ignored and underdeveloped, such as the back and abdominal muscles. In the process, it improves posture and eases back pain. Yet Pilates is truly exercise for the entire body. It’s important to develop this part of the body in any workout and Pilates does this. Unlike cardiovascular activity, which tends to emphasize the legs, or weight lifting, which often emphasizes arms and legs, Pilates will create a balanced body.

This is a great exercise program for both beginners and those fitness buffs alike. It’s something that can be tailor-fit to anyone’s specific fitness level, adapting as that person becomes more skilled and flexible. Since it’s low impact, Pilates can assist the rehabilitation process for certain injuries. It’s a great way to become more responsive to your body. It may even create more fluid mobility throughout the day, not just during the exercise session.

Pilates is offered in many local gyms. In some cities, there are even centers dedicated exclusively to it. You can also order various video tapes to use at home. There are specific machines that can help with the exercise, but a mat is also effective, making it easy to do at home.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:10 AM :: 0 comments

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Lower Health Risks and Lose Weight With Yoga

Is stress wearing you down? Are your muscles tense and your posture less than perfect? Bringing yoga, a touch of Eastern culture, into your Western lifestyle may be the perfect answer to help you unwind both your body and mind.

People of all ages and physical abilities have been practicing yoga for more than 5,000 years for general well-being. Today, an estimated 12 million Americans practice yoga for conditions as varied as addiction, fatigue and weight management.

Studies show that yoga, like many forms of physical activity, can actually help relieve stress. Emotional stress from daily life often contributes to physical stresses like muscle tension and constricted breathing. Because of its impact on the circulatory system, stress is also linked to cardiovascular disease. By alleviating physical and emotional stress, you may reduce your risk of heart disease and other illnesses.

Some hospitals are making yoga and meditation classes available to cancer patients, and reductions in stress levels have been observed. It is yet unclear, however, whether stress reduction influences long-term prognosis for cancer. But studies show that stress relief helps bolster the immune system’s ability to fight diseases, including cancer.

Yoga reduces stress by encouraging deep, rhythmic breathing. It also promotes relaxation by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to each part of the body. Some forms of yoga include meditation or the repetition of a soothing sound or phrase.

Because yoga also lengthens muscles, stretches joints and limbers ligaments, the exercises may actually help reverse some physical effects of aging like arthritis, stiff joints and general aches and pains.

So, take a deep breath, and open your mind to this ancient form of exercise.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:19 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Salmon with Cucumber Sauce

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cucumber, seeded, peeled and grated
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs. shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbs. dill
1 mediumonion\cooked, sliced
2 lime, thinly sliced
4 skinless salmon fillet, patted dry, about 6 oz each
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme, crumbled
1 tsp. oregano, crumbled
1 tsp. rosemary, crumbled

Cooking Directions:

Drain cucumber in colander, squeezing to press out excess moisture. Combine with next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Place half the onion slices and half the lime slices in the bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold fish fillets in a single layer. Rub oil over both sides of fish. Sprinkle both sides of fish with herbs. Arrange fish fillets on top of onion and lime slices. Cover with remaining onion and lime slices. Cover tightly and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 400° F. Bake fish uncovered 12-15 minutes or until just cooked throughout. Transfer salmon fillets to plates and serve with cucumber sauce.

Per Serving: calories 463, fat 14.3g, calories from fat 28%, protein 66.9g, cholesterol 173.1mg, dietary fiber 2.5g

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

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Monday, June 9, 2008 Dieting on a Budget

Is the high cost of food getting you down? Do you think trimming your food budget means an expanding waistline? A lot of people want to eat healthy, but believe it's just too expensive. Do you feel the same way? Food prices continue to rise - everything from produce to pantry items. Plus, with such busy schedules, many of us look for "convenience" when food shopping, which adds up to a lot of extra money.

Here are some great ways to stay on track with your diet without breaking the bank:

A few pointers before you even get to the store - Avoid shopping on an empty stomach! Go after a meal, or have a snack - to help resist temptation. - Make a list and stick to it. That helps to avoid impulse buying. - Shop once a week and pre-plan your meals. - Use coupons for foods you regularly use.

Drink tap water: No bottled water, or other low-calorie drinks. Good for your wallet and the environment. If you have concerns about your tap water, get it tested, and add a filter to the tap, or a pitcher if needed.

Shop seasonally and locally: If it's local, and in-season, the shipping costs are largely reduced, with the savings passed on to you.

Look for frozen foods (fruits, veggies, poultry, fish) (without any added sauces): the same nutritional quality as fresh.

Make your own "single-serving" snacks. Portion control is great, but you don't need to pay more for it. Buy some snack size, re-sealable plastic bags, and be creative. From cereal, to fruit, to chips, you produce a double duty snack - calorie and cost controlled. Avoid the exotic. Stick with standard colors of fruits and vegetables. Green peppers don't seem as fancy as yellow or orange, but are a fraction of the cost. Cut up your own produce. The shelves are filled with pre-cut vegetables and fruits. Don't waste money for this "convenience" - which only saves a minute or two at home. Look for sale items - but read the label first! A variety of foods are in the "sale" sections - and can include fresh meats and poultry, dairy products, and produce. Check the expiration dates - often the markdowns occur with a date that closing in to "use by" or "sell by". it's a great savings if you can use the food in the right timeframe. Think ahead.

Buy store brands (private labels): These are often produced by the "name brand" companies.

Be flexible with "in-store" specials: Planning a fish dinner, but chicken breasts are a great buy? Change your menu!

Purchase foods in larger bags from your local supermarket, or even the "Big Box" stores like Sam's Club and Costco. Go in with a friend or two, to save money and reduce spoilage. You might not need 18 pears, but 6 or 9 would be perfect.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:33 AM :: 0 comments

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Getting the Most From the Farmer's Market

When summer time rolls around, your local farmer's market can be a fantastic source of fresh fruits and veggies - this you know. But you might not know how to maximize your experience there - like how to get the freshest produce. Here are some helpful tips to make the most from the Farmer's Market:

1. Go for the items you can't get in the store. You love your gala apples, but have you sunk your teeth into an Arkansas Black or Harrelson apple? Farmer's markets can be one taste adventure after the next, if you're willing to open yourself up to something new.

2. Ask when it was picked. Why? The sugars in foods like peas and corn turn to starch quickly after picking, so be sure you know when they came out of the fields. Some vendors pick fresh in the morning, while others pick the night before because they have to drive two or three hours to set up for a 7 or 8 am market. Beware of anything older.

3. Take cash and a reusable shopping bag or shopping cart. Most vendors won't take your credit or debit card. And reusable shopping bags, while not a must, are just nicer to the environment.

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

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The Bottom Line on Soy

What exactly does that little soybean do? Turns out that it is a nutritional powerhouse, and although no governmental guidelines have been issued as to how much you should consume a day as part of your healthy diet, most researchers and health professionals agree that there is a lot of good to get out of such a little bean.

Soybeans and soy foods are high in protein, without loads of fat. In fact, soy is very low in saturated fat and has no cholesterol. Recently researchers proved that the protein specific to soybeans helps to lower the risk of heart disease. Just like most meats, soy protein is also a complete source of all of the amino acids the body needs.

After about the age of 30, a woman’s body starts losing the ability to fully absorb calcium. Because of this, women need to make sure they are consuming enough calcium to counter this loss. A loss of bone density from lack of calcium is what can cause osteoporosis later in life. Along with other foods, such as milk and green leafy vegetables, soy is a great source of calcium and it comes in a form that is more easily absorbed. Therefore, for women especially, soy products can be a great addition to their diets.

Soy is also packed with soluble fiber. Fiber is often an overlooked nutrient, but is pretty important in the body. First, like the protein in soybeans, it helps to lower blood cholesterol. Additionally, it slows down the time it takes for food to leave the stomach, making you feel full longer. This can be key for somebody trying to lose weight.

The variety of soy foods available has greatly increased in the last few years. Soy nuts are a great snack and a great replacement to peanuts. They even come in unsalted varieties and can be snacked on right out of the bag with little guilt or stir them in as a healthy addition to trail mix. Another possibility is soy milk. This can be used in cereal or bought as ice cream and is a pretty easy substitution to make. Tofu is also made from soybeans. This meat substitute can be used in a variety of ways, from pastas to stir-fry.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:19 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Rosemary Baked Salmon

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. rosemary, crumbled, or 2 Tbs. fresh, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1-1/2 Lbs. salmon
4 tsp. olive oil

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 425° F. Combine first 4 ingredients in a mortar or bowl and mash to a paste. Using a fork or food processor, mix paste into breadcrumbs. Season both sides of salmon steaks with salt to taste. Arrange salmon steaks in a lightly oiled baking dish. Press equal amounts of breadcrumb mixture onto the top of each salmon steak and drizzle with oil. Place in oven and roast 10-12 minutes or until fish is cooked throughout.

Per Serving: calories 443, fat 7.0g, calories from fat 14%, protein 47.6g, cholesterol 101.7mg, dietary fiber 1.3g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:50 AM :: 0 comments

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Friday, June 6, 2008 Advanced Moves to Get Over That Plateau

Remember when you started working out, how you couldn't do 5 consecutive push-ups without collapsing? Now that you've been training for a while, you can do sets of 10 without even breaking a sweat. Feels good, right? Well, maybe it feels a little too good. It might be time to push yourself a little — by doing some push-up variations to further train the chest, triceps, and shoulders.

Here are two advanced push-ups to add to your repertoire:

Plyo Push-up
Start in your usual push-up position. Slowly lower yourself to the floor. With an explosive burst, exhale and push yourself up, bringing your hands off the floor and clapping them together. Land in the push-up position and repeat. The plyometric push-up increases muscle power by adding some additional difficulty to the regular push-up.

Close-Grip Push-up
Start in a push-up position but keep your hands directly under your shoulders instead of outside your chest. Your legs should be extended straight out behind you, your feet slightly apart, so you are balancing on your palms and the balls of your feet. Keep your elbows pressed firmly against your torso as you slowly lower yourself down. Exhale, press back up to the starting position, and repeat. This close-grip push-up places more emphasis on your anterior shoulders and triceps as well as your chest.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:42 AM :: 0 comments

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Warm Up Exercises You Need to Know

Trading stationary stretches for more active moves is a better way to lubricate joints, reduce risk of injury, and get blood flowing to your walking muscles, studies find. Try these four moves showing you how to warm up for walking before your next workout for a smoother, easier stride.

1. Hurdles (loosens tight hips)
Balance on right leg (hold a chair or wall for support) with left leg bent so heel is behind you. Rotate left leg out to left side and forward as if drawing a circle with knee. Do 15 times, then switch legs.

2. Windmills (relaxes shoulders and neck)
Stand with arms at sides. Circle right arm up in front of you overhead, and then down behind you (like swimming the backstroke). Do 15 circles, then switch arms and repeat.

3. Foot Rock-Overs (stretches arches)
Stand with feet staggered, right foot flat about 12 inches behind left foot, left toes lifted off floor. Shift weight forward, simultaneously lowering left toes and rolling onto ball of right foot, lifting right heel. Reverse to start. Do 15 times, switch feet, and repeat.

4. Heel Raises (strengthens calves)
Stand with feet parallel, hip-width apart, hands on a chair or wall for support, if needed. Lift heels and raise onto toes for 2 seconds, then lower. Do 15 times. Repeat with heels together and toes pointing out, then with toes together and heels out.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:56 AM :: 0 comments

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Burning The Fat

How hot do you burn? The number of calories you burn in a day is known as your total energy expenditure (TEE). Rates vary from person to person, so it's crucial that you take the time to learn yours. Once you know your TEE, you will be able to balance your caloric intake and expenditure in a totally efficient way as you work toward your weight loss goal.
Your TEE takes into account three factors, so be prepared to do three calculations to get your final number. Today we'll focus on the first one — your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns in a day when operating at absolute minimum capacity. Basically, imagine sitting on the couch all day. (Is this a little too easy for you to imagine? Don't worry — we'll fix that!) Your BMR, then, is the number of calories your body burns just to maintain your heartbeat, digestion, respiration, tissue repair and other organ functions. That's it.

BMR is influenced by a number of factors, including age, weight, height, gender, environmental temperature, and diet and exercise habits. Because of these varying factors, it's hard to pin down your BMR to the precise calorie, but we can get pretty close. Here are some formulas for figuring out your BMR. Get out your calculator and plug your numbers into whichever formula applies to you.

MALE: 66 + (6.3 × body weight in pounds) + (12.9 × height in inches) − (6.8 × age in years)

FEMALE: 655 + (4.3 × weight in pounds) + (4.7 × height in inches) − (4.7 × age in years)

Keep that calculator handy. Your basal metabolic rate accounts for only about 75 percent of your total daily caloric expenditure.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:23 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Pasta with Wild Mushrooms

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:
1 bag porcini mushrooms
1 tsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. shallots, minced
3 Tbs. cut sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/8 tsp. salt
tsp. white pepper
1/2 Lbs. fettuccine or other pasta
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 scallion, trimmed and cut diagonally into 0-1/4 inch slices

Cooking Directions:

Cover mushrooms with hot water in a bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and cut into 0-1/2 inch pieces. Melt butter in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute shallots 1 minute. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and continue to saute 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in milk, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until volume is reduced by 1/4 . Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in boiling water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan and scallions.

Per Serving: calories 259, fat 2.4g, calories from fat 8%, protein 10.7g, cholesterol 4.6mg, dietary fiber 1.9g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 4:47 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 Ways To Eat Healthy on Vacation

You're going on vacation? Well, have a great time, but don't have regrets when you return home. Even when you're traveling, you can stay with your healthy meal plan and not feel guilty and depressed when you come back to your bathroom scale. You can vacation and maintain your healthy weight. On some vacations, you can even lose weight (not an impossible phenomenon, but more unlikely).

Of course, if you're traveling, you're going to have to be creative and smart about your choices. You'll probably be eating out a lot. You may even be eating out for every meal!

Get your strategies in order because now is the time to prepare to enjoy your vacation without putting your diet on hold. Follow these tips for vacation to avoid undoing what you've accomplished.

1. First, modify your goals. Take your "diet" to the next step. Vacation time is not the best time to try to lose weight, but try and remember all the good habits you've learned. Making healthy choices wherever you go is the secret to staying slim. You've developed these healthy habits, so have fun.

2. Live by the healthy people's credo: bake, broil and grill! And it certainly doesn't hurt to choose the leaner meats like chicken and fish.

3. Learn the right portion size of foods to maintain their weight while away from home. Most restaurant meals serve portions that are big enough for two! Share your entree with your travel companion, and start with a salad or soup. If it's special, share a dessert and take a good walk after dinner!

4. Exercise your will and make healthier choices. Many fast food restaurants now offer a nice array of tasty salads and special meals that are catered to either a low-fat or a low-carb eating plan.

5. A sandwich shop or sub shop can be a good choice... when you order right. Enjoying lean meats such as turkey breast, roast beef or lean ham on a whole-wheat roll is one decent choice; pile on the lettuce and tomato! Major franchises like Subway offer low-carb and low-fat selections. Read the menu then order what's best for you!

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

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More Ways to Cut Down on Portion Sizes

Controlling the portions of food you eat is one of the major facets of your weight-management plan, assuming you want to drop weight and keep it off for years to come.

In restaurants, you always can ask for to-go boxes. But around your house is a different story, especially if you're also cooking for your family and just as concerned about their waistlines as you are about your own.

Have no fear, because you can use these tricks of the trade to make eating smaller portions at home much easier, especially when your refrigerator and pantry are full of food.

You can easily experiment with some of the following ways people have used to learn how to eat more appropriate portions. Naturally, you'll have to see what works best for you.

• Cut back on the amount of food you fix if you find there are always leftovers. You'll face less temptation in the future.

• Put leftovers, if there are any, immediately in the refrigerator or freezer for lunches and other meals later in the week.

• Keep serving bowls off the table so you have to get up to get any second portions. You may not want to make the extra effort and will reconsider whether you want another slab of that meatloaf or dollop of mashed potatoes.

• Start off with portions 10 to 25 percent smaller than usual. We are often satisfied with less than we think we need, studies show. You may find you can easily take smaller portions if you use a slightly smaller plate.

• Wait just a few minutes before deciding to go back for seconds, if you're still hungry. You may be surprised at how often that perceived need for more food passes quickly away.

• Eat more slowly, focusing on really tasting your food. You may find you're satisfied with smaller amounts.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:42 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Acapulco Shrimp

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 0 min.

Ingredients:
1 cup chilli sauce
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1-1/2 tsp. white horseradish, creamy style
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper sauce
2 Lbs. largecooked and peeled shrimp

Cooking Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except shrimp, in a bowl. Mix until well blended. Serve with shrimp

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 4:48 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, June 4, 2008 Making Changes in Eating to Lose Weight

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthier is finding substitutions for existing foods in your diet. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

Use mustard instead of mayo on your sandwiches. You’ll get lots of flavor with much fewer calories and fat.

Select whole wheat bread over white bread. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting whole grains, not just colored white bread.

Eat the white meat of turkey or chicken, which is lower in fat than dark meat, red meat and pork. Animal fat is the number one dietary source of unhealthy saturated fat.

Start using lean ground beef, pork tenderloin or fish instead of high-fat cuts of meat.

Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill or broil your meals instead of frying. Use non-stick sprays—or better yet, non-stick pans—instead of oil.

Drink more water. Slowly reduce the amount of soda you drink and replace it with herbal tea or water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day.

Don't drink your calories. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, for example. Real food is usually more filling and more nutritious than juices, fruit drinks, and other high-calorie beverages.

Serve sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce, then dip your fork into the food. You’ll still have the flavor but with fewer calories.

Gradually switch to skim milk. Milk commonly comes in four varieties: whole (4% fat), 2%, 1% and skim (0% fat). Gradually wean yourself from the higher-fat varieties to the lower fat milk every two weeks. For example: continue drinking your normal 2% milk for two weeks, then move to 1% for two weeks, and then your palate will be ready for the consistency of skim milk.

Switch from full-fat cheeses to reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses the same way you would with milk (see tip above).

Order vegetables on the side instead of fries. Flavor them with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.

Snack on fruit and nuts instead of sugary treats. The fiber, protein and healthy fats in this combo will sustain you to your next meal and you won’t have the energy slump that comes after eating candy.

Reduce your portion size. Most people will eat whatever amount of food is in front of them, so start putting your meals on smaller plates. You will be just as satisfied because your mind "sees" that you’re eating a full plate of food.

Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. You don’t have to cut out your favorite foods completely—you just have to make a few changes. Treat yourself to a mini chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one, for example. By trying to eat the most nutritious foods possible, you are creating a healthy lifestyle that will help you reach your best weight. You deserve the very best!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:56 AM :: 0 comments

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What To Buy For Bread and Cereals

Bread, cereals and other grain products can often be the most confusing to buy, and healthy sounding phrases on their packages (Health Nut, 12-Grain, and more) don't make it any easier. For the best bet, ignore the claims on the front of the box and go straight to the nutrition label.

  • Whole wheat bread. To make sure you're buying whole grain bread (which is superior in nutrition and arguably, flavor) make sure "whole" is the first word on the ingredient list. The same goes for buns, bagels, English muffins, pitas, and other bread products.
  • Sprouted grain bread (Ezekial is a common brand) is usually sold in the freezer case or natural foods section. It's made entirely of sprouted whole grains, which are more easily digestible for some people. This bread also boasts protein (and all essential amino acids) and fiber.
  • Whole grain pasta. Choose whole wheat pasta and couscous, or even brown rice pasta for variety.
  • Brown rice is a healthy addition to many meals. For quicker cooking, you can soak it on the counter for a few hours before boiling it, or buy pre-cooked brown rice in the freezer section that you can reheat in the microwave in minutes!
  • Healthy cereals are those made with whole grains and without added sugar.
  • Oatmeal is a hearty breakfast staple that cooks in minutes. Buy instant or quick oats to save time. When cooking it on the stovetop, add a handful of frozen blueberries for a scrumptious breakfast truly fit for champions.

What to Avoid in the Bread & Cereal Aisles:

  • Snack cakes, doughnuts, muffins, Danishes and other pastries don't make healthy breakfast choices.
  • Sugary cereals, especially those marketed to kids
  • Limit "wheat flour" products. Don't let words like "wheat flour" or "wheat bread" fool you. Unless the ingredients list "whole wheat" as #1, these products are just posing as healthy.
  • Limit white flour products. Refined grains (white bread, rice and cereals) are missing the most nutritious parts of the grain.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 9:23 AM :: 0 comments

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7 Foods To A Smaller Waistline

If you’ve been doing crunches for months and still aren’t seeing results, the problem might not be your exercise plan. According to experts, there are certain foods that can make bellies appear bloated and flabby. Fortunately, there are also several superfoods that can give virtually any stomach a leaner, more toned look. To get started, try these seven belly-flattening treats.

1. Healthy fats. Certain types of fat, such as omega-6s and trans fats (most often found in baked goods and corn oils), can declare war on your waistline. But monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, fish, and flaxseed), can have ab-flattening effects. A diet rich in monounsaturated fats helps people lose small amounts of body fat without reducing their caloric intake.

2. Oranges. Instead of drinking a glass of orange juice with your breakfast in the morning, try eating a whole orange instead. Whole fruit makes people feel fuller than juice does. In addition, a medium orange contains much more fiber than its liquid equivalent, and in several studies, fiber has been shown to reduce belly fat.

3. Popcorn. Whether they’re labeled light, fat-free, or regular, most popcorn varieties are healthful. But for flatter abs, it’s especially important that your popcorn isn’t loaded up with extra butter and salt, either of which could lead to weight gain and bloating. For best results, opt for whole-grain brands with no trans fats.

4. Turkey. A lean cut of turkey offers the protein your body craves without the additional calories that come with many processed foods. Instead of low-calorie snack packs and pieces of rolled up turkey, add turkey to your salad greens. Your cravings will be gone, and the nutrition you get from this lean meat will help you flatten your abs.

5. Celery With Peanut Butter. This children’s favorite is often called “ants on a log” when raisins are added, but it can be a great snack for adults, too. Peanut butter in small quantities provides good sugars and quick proteins and can ease your food cravings. The celery is a primarily water-based vegetable, so you can eat as much as you want without feeling guilty.

6. Milk. As it turns out, milk really does do a body good. In fact, studies have shown that drinking three glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk every day can help maintain a healthy weight. If you aren’t big on dairy products or don’t like the taste of plain milk, try mixing milk into a protein shake or sorbet, or look into soy options. Other dairy products may also help; remember to eat in moderation low-fat or skim versions of cheeses and yogurts.

7. Wine. A growing body of research suggests that drinking a glass of wine with dinner may help you maintain a smaller waistline. One 4-ounce glass of red or white wine seems to be the optimal amount. However, moderation is key: Drinking any more alcohol than that could put you at risk for weight gain.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 8:59 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Grilled Salmon with Sweet Hot Mustard

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. mustard
2 Tbs. brown sugar
4-1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp. virgin olive oil
4 salmon fillet, about 6 oz each

Cooking Directions:
Prepare grill or broiler. Combine mustard, sugar and water in a small bowl. Stir in soy sauce and oil. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Season salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Grill 5 minutes. Turn and grill another 5 minutes or until fish is just cooked throughout. Serve fish drizzled with mustard sauce.

Per Serving: calories 416, fat 11.1g, calories from fat 24%, protein 63.7g, cholesterol 165.4mg, dietary fiber 0.2g

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:07 AM :: 0 comments

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Tuesday, June 3, 2008 How to Get Rid of the Love Handles

The term “love handles” may sound cute, but for most people, these pinchable rolls of fat are anything but endearing. To make matters worse, losing them can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize your love handles and achieve a slimmer waistline in time for summer. Follow these seven easy steps to get started.

1. Leave stress behind. When you’re stressed, the brain produces cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones, in turn, trigger a chain reaction that causes cells to retain more fat. In addition, stress may stimulate obesity by "unlocking" the body's fat cells. The researchers found that when people are feeling frazzled, their bodies release the "stress molecule" neuropeptide Y (NPY), which unlocks certain receptors in fat cells, causing them to grow in both size and number.

2. Do the twist. Although it’s impossible to “spot tone” problem areas away, certain exercises can help you firm your abs and create the appearance of sleeker midsection. To get started, stand with your feet shoulder length apart, and pull your abs inward. Bend a few inches at the knees, and bend both of your elbows up and in front of you so they’re waist high and both palms are facing right. Pulling your abs inward and keeping the rest of your body rigid, twist to the right, and sweep your arms as far across your body as you go. Immediately afterward, turn your palms to the left, and sweep your arms to the left, twisting from the waist. Continue, alternating sides.

3. Get enough sleep. Getting your Z’s can help keep your waistline in check. The findings revealed that those who got less than four hours of sleep a night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who got the recommended seven to nine hours of rest.

4. Play ball. When it comes to losing your love handles, stability- and medicine-ball moves can help work your obliques without creating extra bulk. To get started, place your feet on the floor, lie back on a stability ball, and hold a medicine ball at chest level, extending your arms. Slowly rotate your torso to the right, keeping your buttocks on the ball, until your knuckles are pointing toward the wall. Return to starting position and repeat on the left side.

5. Eat more often. Consuming smaller meals and snacks throughout the day can help to jump-start your metabolism, allowing your body to process calories more efficiently. Your reward? A leaner stomach. Regularly consuming belly-flattening foods such as almonds, soy, and salmon can improve your abs as well.

6. Ditch the salt. In addition to increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke, too much sodium in your diet can lead to water retention, making problem areas, such as love handles, appear even more prominent. Make it a point to reduce your consumption of sodium-rich, processed foods, and avoid adding salt to the foods you prepare yourself. For a healthy alternative, experiment with basil, cumin, and red pepper. Also be sure to drink lots of water, as this helps flush salt out of your body.

7. Work your whole body. Many people who are looking to trim their waistlines make the mistake of only doing ab exercises while ignoring all other areas. It’s important, though, to work your entire body (in addition to your abs, of course.) Performing full-body strength and resistance exercises will increase your overall muscle mass and quicken your metabolism. As a result, your body will be able to burn more fat, even while you’re sleeping.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:31 AM :: 0 comments

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10 Ways to Beat Your Cravings

Suddenly, you crave cookies and milk. Or maybe some calorie-laden comfort food slathered in gravy. Or a cheeseburger and jumbo fries. Doesn't that huge chunk of pecan pie look delicious?

Can you stick to your healthy eating plan under all this pressure? Follow these steps to short-circuit your cravings.

• Avoid triggers. The more you're away from foods that start you to hankering, the less likely you'll want them—and you may even start craving fruits and vegetables.

• Destroy temptation. If you've bought one of your trigger foods and feel bad while noshing it, don't throw it away—destroy it! Rip up the package. Douse it in running water. You'll get a sense psychologically that you've defeated your binge.

• Drink two glasses of water and eat an ounce of nuts to extinguish a craving. But keep the nuts to only an ounce because of their calories.

• Sip coffee to quench your appetite rather than that calorie-laden candy bar that beckons you with its siren song.

• Let go of stress. Learn various ways to reduce stress, such as deep-breathing exercises, and relaxation and affirmation techniques.

• Snooze. Cravings can sneak up on you when you're tired.

• Brush your teeth, garble with mouthwash or chew on a mint.

• Call a friend, listen to music, run an errand or, better still, exercise.

• Indulge once in awhile, but don't go overboard. Those 100-calorie packs of cookies and candy look healthy, but eating more than one of them is just like eating the old kind of snacks—you’ll get just as many calories and fat.

• Avoid places that pump up your cravings. Got a yen for pizza? Don't go past the pizza place. Got a hankering for donuts or fried chicken? Avoid the neighborhood with the donut shop and the chicken stand.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:04 AM :: 0 comments

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3 Fabulous Foods for Weight Loss

There’s no one food that can magically transform an overweight body into an ideal figure. Eating plans that consist solely of grapefruit aren’t realistic or effective, nor are plans that promote eating only cabbage soup or special “weight-loss cookies.”

But there are foods that are beneficial to eat on the journey to a slimmer body.

Yogurt

A recent 14-day study was conducted by General Mills, makers of Yoplait yogurt, at the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition in Minneapolis. The researchers investigated the diets of approximately 3,000 women ages 19 and older, and found that the women who consumed three or more servings of yogurt over the two-week period had a 15 percent lower body mass index (BMI) than those who did not eat any yogurt.

The weight-management potential of yogurt may come from the fact that while it can be high in calories, it’s still a relatively healthy snack food that promotes satiety. The women who ate yogurt regularly were also more like to have higher overall intakes of nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is packed with fiber, and there are several ways that dietary fiber may reduce the risk of weight gain or obesity. Dietary fiber, for example, slows digestion, prolonging a feeling of fullness, and foods high in fiber are usually low in fat and calories.

Fiber’s weight-loss benefit comes from the feeling of fullness it gives without adding many extra calories. Fiber may also reduce the absorption of fat to some extent. As an added benefit, oatmeal helps to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

That said, it’s best to avoid instant oatmeal, which may contain added sugar, and instead go for hearty, steel-cut oats topped with fresh berries or sliced bananas.

Soup

Soups contain a high percentage of water and can help dieters feel full quickly. Some health experts recommend eating a bowl of broth-based soup before a meal in order to curb hunger.

In a 2007 Consumer Reports study of diet plans, the highest marks were awarded to the Volumetrics diet created by U.S. nutritionist Barbara Rolls, which encourages dieters to consume a low-fat soup or salad before a meal to take the edge off their hunger.

Soup can also serve as a low-calorie meal, with added vegetables to increase the nutrient content. And it’s easy to make a large batch once a week and enjoy for several days. But remember, weight-loss benefits only apply to broth-based, low-calorie soups, not heavy, cream-based chowders and stews.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:25 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Easy Grill Roasted Prime Rib

Servings: 18
Preparation Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 90 min.

Ingredients:
1 prime rib roast, about 8 lb each, bone in
1 Tbs. Kosher salt
1 cup cracked black pepper

Cooking Directions:

Rub prime rib all over with salt and pepper. Using a large kettle grill, light coals over to one side of grill. When coals are hot, place roast on opposite side. Cover grill, leaving vents 3/4 open. Roast about 1-1/2 hours, adding a handful of charcoal every 30 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer registers 126° F for medium rare. Let rest 30 minutes before slicing.

Per Serving: calories 44, fat 2.2g, calories from fat 45%, protein 5.6g, cholesterol 15.9mg, dietary fiber 0.0g

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

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Monday, June 2, 2008 Cutting Down The Amount You Eat

Americans have completely skewed ideas about portion size. No other country on earth offers portions as enormous as the ones here. Honestly, go anywhere else in the world and order a meal. You'll see the difference.

We're conditioned to believe that more equals better. Just look at the endless marketing of fast food; we're constantly encouraged to eat more in order to take advantage of a "bargain." But what kind of a bargain are you getting if you're eating 100 french fries in one sitting just to save a quarter you wouldn't have spent in the first place? Americans are paying for this illogical thinking with their health and their lives.

Here are a few techniques you can use to keep your portions under control.

If you're at home, use smaller plates. This creates the illusion of eating a bigger serving.

If you're at a restaurant and you know the portions are going to be huge, ask the server to put half your meal in a doggie bag before it even hits the table. This saves you money as well as unnecessary calorie overload.

Share an entrée with your dining partner.

Make a new rule for yourself: Always leave something on your plate. This reminds you that you are in control of the food, not the other way around. A little bit of empowerment can go a long way!

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 7:11 AM :: 0 comments

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The Healthy Way to Grill

Warm days are filled with family picnics, neighborhood cookouts, community parades—and lots of summer food favorites.

Grilling can enhance the flavor of meats, poultry, fish and even garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. To liven up your grilling experience, add a fast and easy liquid marinade, spicy rub, or tangy glaze.

Marinades consist of liquid ingredients (a mix of fruit or vegetable juices, wine, water, or oil) combined with seasonings and herbs. When meat soaks in the liquid, it becomes saturated with flavor. Beef should marinate for 6 hours or overnight; pork, fish, and chicken, which are more tender, only need to steep for 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Get the most out of your marinade: Add acidic ingredients to the mixture to help tenderize the meat, and always marinate in the refrigerator. It’s safe (and tasty) to brush on marinade during the grilling process, but never reuse the marinade or use it as a dipping sauce after cooking (because of bacterial contamination).

Island Marinade Recipe

In a self-sealing bag, combine together 1/2 cup orange juice, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 3 cloves crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon honey. Add pork chops or chicken breasts. Seal and refrigerate overnight.
A Dry Rub is a mix of spices that is rubbed onto meat just before grilling.

Try this Southwestern Rub on chicken or pork.

Mix together 5 teaspoons chili powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic. Rub onto 2 pounds of meat and grill.

Glazes are made from jams and jellies that are thinned with a liquid such as orange or pineapple juice. Since glazes are high in sugar they can easily char and burn. Therefore brush the glaze onto the meat during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Recipe for Ginger-Apricot Glaze

Stir together 1 cup apricot jam, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon dry ginger. Brush onto meat during last 5 minutes of grilling.

Select firm, ripe veggies for grilling. Cut the vegetables into large pieces and place them on skewers. Baste lightly with a vegetable oil spray and season with herbs, soy sauce, wine, or flavored vinegars. Grill until hot, tender and slightly golden brown. Try bell peppers, cabbage, eggplant, mushrooms, onions, summer squash, tomatoes, potatoes, or sweet potatoes.

You can also grill firm, ripe fruit on skewers! Lightly spray large pieces with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, or ginger. Grill until slightly golden brown. Great choices include apples, apricots, figs, peaches and pears.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 6:40 AM :: 0 comments

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Recipe of the Day

Honeyed Scallops with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 25 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

1 Lbs. scallops
skewers
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp. chili sauce
1/3 cup dry white wine or apple cider
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 Lbs. farfalle or other pasta
1 Tbs. cornflour
4 tsp. water
1/2 Lbs. fresh pineapple, chopped
1/3 Lbs. fresh mango, chopped
4 tsp. fresh mint, chopped

Cooking Directions:

Thread scallops onto small skewers, place in shallow glass dish. Combine next 4 ingredients and pour over kebabs. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Remove kabobs from marinade. Just before serving, prepare barbecue or grill. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and keep warm. Combine cornflour, water and reserved marinade in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Cook mixture in a heavy pan over medium high heat, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Keep warm. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, mix gently. Grill or barbecue kabobs 3-4 minutes, turning, until scallops are just tender. Serve kabobs on pasta with thickened marinade. Serve with tropical fruit salsa.

Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway :: 5:46 AM :: 0 comments

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