Let’s consider a few key points:

* Did you know that two cups of sugar is about 1400 calories – nearly your entire calorie intake for one whole day.
* To make dieting easier the goal is to fill up on foods that give you the most satisfaction for the least amount of calories.
* USDA surveys show that less than 10 percent of people consume the suggested amount of whole grains. Eating a high-fiber diet can help ward off diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

So how does this translate into a Spring weight loss plan?

* Go Green: Add heaps of vegetables to eat meal. Make half your entire meal vegetables. This way you are filling up on fiber rich and low calorie food that will keep you feeling satiated. How to do it?
* Have an egg white omelet with spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes for breakfast.
* For lunch have a heaping salad with 3-4 ounces of your choice of protein (fish, chicken or turkey) and fat free dressing.
* For dinner fill half your plate with steamed vegetables and 4-5 ounces of lean protein.

Researchers found that when a person eats 3 cups of low-calorie salad prior to their meal, they consume less at the entire meal, in fact eating 12% fewer calories than when they did not have that first-course salad.

* Add Grains: As stated earlier less than 10 percent of people consume the suggested amount of whole grains. Eliminate “white” foods. Substitute brown rice for white. Whole wheat or multi-grain pasta for white pasta. Look for newer pasta varieties that add in protein as well, since research has shown protein keeps you feeling fuller longer.

Not all grains are created equal either. For example, oatmeal has nearly one-fifth the calorie density of dried cereal. So whereas oatmeal has just 300 calories per pound, dried cereals can wallop in up to 2,000 calories per pound. The oatmeal is therefore more filling keeping you fueled well into late morning, thereby helping you avoid the pre-lunch munchies.

* Cut Out Sugar: It may seem innocent enough, people don’t realize how many calories they drink a day. Just cutting out soda and other sugar sweetened beverages can reduce hundreds of calories a day! Satisfying that sweet craving with sugar substitutes like Equal or Splenda, a piece of fruit or even a single square of dark chocolate will save you many extra calories a day.

Try drinking water or un-sugared green tea (hot or iced) to keep yourself hydrated and flush away the toxins and fat in your diet. Try adding some natural honey to your beverage to make it sweeter.

Making these simple changes will have a very positive effect on your weight loss efforts without leaving you feeling deprived or hungry. Some people need an extra boost and for those do they should try a natural metabolism booster supplement like Metabo-Speed. A metabolism booster will increase the metabolic rate to burn energy faster but without the food cravings that normally accompany energy consumption.

Jennifer Hughs is the pen name for the health and lifestyles writer who is compensated by Value Marketing, Inc. d/b/a Lab88. The author has 20+ years in the cosmetic and health industries and has worked with leading beauty and health publications.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Hughs

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3911784

BIG AND UNHEALTHY

Everywhere you look these days people are getting more and more overweight and the problem does not seem to be getting any better. In fact, it’s only getting worse. Large portions of our community are now considered morbidly obese and the nations health services are now stretched to the limits with overweight related diseases and problems.

However there is hope. In today’s hot weight loss industry you can find many great options from simply checking out a few diet pills reviews.
Quality pills are fast becoming the number one choice for would be dieters the world over due to their ability to suppress hunger, burn fat and increase metabolism. When you start searching for a suitable pill you can end up with more questions than answers and this is where diet pills reviews come into the picture. The views and opinions of real users who have actually tried the product are the best type of pills reviews you will find. They are honest and are not put together by a marketing company.

SELECTION Vs SALES PITCH

Even trying to select the right type of pill can be completely mind numbing as there are so many different brands and specific types of diet pills it’s not funny. Various diet supplements might claim that they do the same job but often the ingredients from bottle to bottle are completely different. diet pills reviews can assist you by teaching you all about the different features that each diet comes with and can make choosing the right pill a breeze.

Finding a supplement that fits in with the amount of weight you have to lose, will suit your lifestyle and will deliver the results you are after will set you up for success from the very start.

THE TOP 3 TYPES

The 3 most common types of over the counter pills are generally Fat Burners, Hunger Suppressants and Fat Binders/Collectors. The fat burning diet supplements actually speed up your entire metabolism. This in turn increases the amount of free energy to the body and you begin to feel like getting outside and active. This ultimately burns more calories.

When many people first start dieting one of the biggest hurdles they face is hunger and cravings for sugar. Well hunger suppressant diet pills work by tricking your mind into telling your stomach that it’s full after much smaller and healthier meals are eaten. They also block sugar cravings amazingly well and are a common choice for many.

Next there is Fat Binders/Collectors and they work different again. These pills cleverly bind dietary fats in the gut and wrap them in a liquid gel making the fat molecule far too big for the body to absorb and it gets scheduled for the waste bin. The only downside with these particular pills is that when fatty foods are consumed the result can be uncontrollable oily stools.

MAKE SURE YOU READ SOME DIET PILLS REVIEWS

As you can see there is a lot of knowledge you can gain from checking out a few diet pills reviews. Doing this can really help open your eyes when it comes to the bigger picture. It’s up to you which path you take with your weight loss but whatever you do make sure that it is safe, healthy, and includes regular exercise and the weight should by all means, start falling off you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Knight

There has been much concern lately about the health of truck drivers, so much so that the government is considering creating a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners that will determine whether drivers can keep driving. Below are some guidelines to tell you how to eat so you don’t gain weight while driving.

Take it slow. If you’re already overweight, don’t try to lose it too quickly. You didn’t gain the weight overnight, and you won’t lose it overnight either. While it would be great to completely change your eating habits, trying to change too much at a time will lead to failure.

Small changes in your eating habits can result in major changes in your health. Here are some things you can do:

1. Don’t wait, get started now! You have to want to lose weight and be healthier so you’ll do your best to eat better. If becoming healthier for your loved ones isn’t a good enough reason, think of the prospects of losing your job because of your weight. It is a distinct possibility if you can’t get your weight under control.

2. Eat fresh. The closer you can eat foods to their natural state, the better off you will be. That means eating fresh fruits and vegetables, as many as possible with the skins still on. Eat a variety of these energy-packed foods to keep you from becoming bored with what you eat.

3. Drink water. Instead of drinking soft drinks, drink. Not only is water better for your body, it is 100% natural, doesn’t have the extra sugar that adds on pounds.

4. Eat smaller portions. Most people don’t eat recommended portion sizes. In fact, it’s rare that a restaurant actually serves a recommended portion. If the portion sizes are too large, cut them in half and ask for a to-go box for the rest.

5. Eat often. Instead of eating one large meal each day, break your meals into three regular-sized meals and healthy snacks in between to keep your metabolism and blood sugar stabilized.

6. Stuff it, your refrigerator, that is. If you have a mini refrigerator, stock it with fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and water. You can also drink fruit juice, but make sure it’s 100% fruit juice and not a sugary fruit drink.

7. Choose well. Truck stops offer healthy choices, be sure to choose what’s healthy over what isn’t. Remember that meat and carbohydrates should be a small portion of what you eat; fruits and vegetables should cover most of your plate. Rather than eating fried meats, choose broiled or baked instead.

8. Move it. Besides eating well, get exercise a day. Park your truck a little further away from the truck stop and walk. The Schneider Institute states walking 32 times around a truck is equal to a mile of walking.

Decide now to control your eating and exercise habits before the decision is made for you. It’s amazing the simplicity of how to eat so you don’t gain weight while driving is. Wise food choices, exercise, and motivation is what it takes. Now get out there and do it!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Thompson

Here’s a great recipe for a low fat high fiber traditional raised whole-wheat doughnuts that you be able put down. Best of all their a healthy choice to continue on a healthy living diet! Enjoy!!!

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 cup honey
1 package yeast or 1 tbsp yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water with a touch of honey
3 eggs
1 cup bran
4 1/2- 5 1/2 cups stone ground whole-wheat flour
1 tsp mace

- Scald the milk, take it off the heat, and put in butter and honey to dissolve together in the hot milk.
- Let cool. In a cup dissolve the yeast as directed, and let stand a few minutes. It will rise.

- In a mixing bowl beat eggs.
- Add the milk-butter-honey mixture and beat in the bran with a couple of cups of the flour and the mace.
- Add the yeast mixture and more flour until the mixer begins to labor.
- Then turn the dough out onto a floured board and begin to knead in the rest of the flour-enough to make a soft dough.
- If your mixer has a dough hook, use it to do the kneading. Knead well.
- Turn dough into a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 2 hours).
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and roll out about 1 inch in thickness.
- Cut out doughnuts with doughnut cutter or a wide-mouthed jar.
- Place the rounds on a greased cookie sheet and let rise about an hour.
- Fry the doughnuts in deep oil heated to about 370 degrees, turning them when they begin to rise.
- Use a candy thermometer to watch temperature — do not let it get above 375 degrees.
- Turn them a couple of times until lightly browned.
- Drain on several layers of paper toweling.
- Makes 3 dozen doughnuts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Y.

The most important meal of the day is breakfast, as it gives the body a much needed energy boost for the rest of the day. However, there are many of us who do skip breakfast, especially when we are in a hurry and opt for a breakfast of calorie and carbohydrate laden foods, which even the most active person would find difficult to burn off. Listed below are a number of quick and healthy breakfast recipes that will starve off hunger until lunchtime. Try these breakfast recipes and give your body the energy that it needs to get you through the morning.

Banana-Bran Muffins

These muffins are a great breakfast filler and sure to keep you going throughout the morning.

Makes 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 medium mashed ripe bananas
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Whisk the brown sugar and the eggs in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the bananas, wheat bran, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture to it. Use a rubber spatula to combine the ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases until they are rather full and sprinkle with the walnuts, if using.

Bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until the tops are brown and they spring back when touched.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

196 calories
6g fat (1g sat, 3g mono)
36mg cholesterol
32g carbohydrate
5g protein
4g fiber
182mg sodium
167mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Fiber (17% daily value)

Southwestern Omelet Wrap

Folding a flat omelet in a whole-wheat wrapper is a delicious and fun high-protein breakfast. These wraps can be made the night before if you never seem to have the time to prepare a good breakfast in the morning. They can simply be placed in the microwave and away you go.

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped spring onions
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
2 tablespoons black bean dip
1 9-inch whole-wheat wrap
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon green or red salsa (optional)

Method:

Set your oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. With a fork, briskly mix the eggs, hot sauce and pepper together in a medium bowl. Stir in the spring onions and parsley.

Warm up the black bean dip in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds. Place the wrap between paper towels and heat in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds. Spread the bean sauce over the wrap, leaving a border of 1 inch.

Brush a 10-inch non-stick skillet with oil and place onto a medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook, lifting the edges with a spatula until the bottom is light brown in color. Place the skillet under the broiler until the top of the egg mixture is set. Once it is cooked, place the omelet onto the wrap. Sprinkle with cheese, fold the edges over the omelet on two sides and then roll the wrap around the omelet. Eat immediately with salsa.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

321 calories
17g frat (5g sat, 5g mono)
227mg cholesterol
24g carbohydrate
18g protein
2g fiber
677mg sodium

Baked Apple-Cinnamon French Toast

This healthy breakfast recipe can be prepared in advance and then simply placed in the oven for a delicious breakfast. The calories of this breakfast are decreased by using nonfat milk rather than whole milk and eliminating the egg yolks. The fat is also reduced by almost 80% with this griddle version.

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups nonfat milk
2 cups pasteurized liquid egg whites
3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
One 1 pound loaf sliced whole-wheat bread
1 cup chopped dried apples
1/2 cup raisins
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Method:

Whisk milk, egg whites, honey, salt and vanilla in a large bowl.

Trim the crust off the 8 slices of bread and set aside. Cut the crusts and the remaining bread into 1 inch pieces. In another large bowl place the apples, raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon and toss together.

Use cooking spray to coat a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Place the bread mixture into the pan and lay the reserves crust-less slices evenly on top. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and press the bread down with a wooden spoon to ensure that it is all evenly moist. Cover with parchment paper, then foil, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the casserole for 40 minutes covered, then uncover and continue baking for approximately 20 minutes more until it has puffed up and is lightly browned. Allow the dish to stand for 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

183 calories
1g fat (0g sat, 1g mono)
1mg cholesterol
33g carbohydrate
10g protein
4g fiber
344mg sodium
312mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (21% daily value)

Citrus Berry Smoothie

This is a healthy breakfast in a glass and it is bursting with berries and orange juice. It is a healthy source of carbohydrates and powerful antioxidants.

Makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups fresh berries
3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Place the berries, yogurt, orange juice, dry milk, wheat germ, honey and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Per serving:

432 calories
3g fat (2g sat, 0g mono)
15mg cholesterol
77g carbohydrate
20g protein
7g fiber
250mg sodium
617mg potassium

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (175% daily value), Calcium (63% daily value), Potassium (18% daily value), Magnesium (16% daily value).

There really is no reason why the first meal of the day should not be a healthy breakfast. Therefore try some of the delicious recipes above and discover just how simple and healthy they are.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Townsend

Counting calories is creepy and wrong. There. I’ve said it. Well, someone had to. All that fiddly obsessing about the precise calorific value of what you choose to put in your mouth; weird and uptight.

But you’re overweight, and want to do something about it. You know there’s a problem, because you can’t shift the fat. You’ve tried dieting and it just makes you miserable and washed out. You’ve tried working out, but that just leaves you tired and cranky. What is the solution?

Apply a little common sense to the snack issue. You should try to eat five meals a day, to make sure your blood sugar level stays on an even keel and you don’t have hunger pangs. A good pattern would go like this:

1.Breakfast. 2.Mid morning snack. 3.Lunch. 4.Mid afternoon snack. 5.Dinner 6.Supper

I know, that’s six meals a day. Hey, I got hungry. Let’s get into what those snacks might be. Obviously, you had a good breakfast, so you don’t need a lot to eat come mid-morning. (You did have a good breakfast, didn’t you? Best meal of the day.) All you need is something to tide you over until lunch, so you don’t slump into a starving heap before then. You’ve got a ten minute break. What do you eat now?

Do you head for the nearest vending machine and buy chocolate? How about a bag of potato chips? There’s nothing really wrong with either choice – I love chocolate – but you’re trying to lose weight. Shoveling in fat and sugar won’t help you do that. So plan ahead and make your own snacks. You can’t rely on vending machines for healthy choices.

A sandwich is an obvious possibility. Wholemeal bread – any bread, as long as it’s not made from white flour – with some low fat protein and healthy fat and salad. The protein might be chicken breast, or cottage cheese, ham, or tinned fish like tuna or sardines. The salad might be lettuce and tomato, onion, celery; whatever you prefer. The healthy fat could be a thin scrape of butter or a drizzle of olive oil. The important thing is that you get some healthy food into you. The protein kills your hunger pangs. The carbohydrates in the bread keep you fueled up and active. The fat gives your body vital ingredients it needs to maintain good health.

How many calories is it? I don’t know. I don’t count calories. I don’t have to, because I know if I make a few sensible choices when I’m grocery shopping I don’t have to worry about them. What are these choices? Simple. I check the fat content and sugar content of everything I buy by reading the labels on the packaging they come in. And I mostly buy food as close to its natural raw state as possible. You will never find tinned peaches in my larder, for example. Fresh peaches in season? I’ll take some of those. Cooked fruit in a sugary syrup? I wouldn’t eat that. Understand me, I wouldn’t be so churlish as to refuse the tinned fruit if it was offered. There’s nothing wrong with tinned fruit except this: it’s full of sugar. A little bit of sugar will sweeten your day. A lot of sugar will, over time, make you chronically overweight and damage your body chemistry. It’s not really the calories that I’m worried about.

Let me make an important point here: if you keep an eye on your sugar and fat intake, you don’t really need to worry about calories.

So, got you here under false pretenses really.

No, read on. If you really have to count the calories, here’s a list of snacks you might like to try, and they all come in at 100 calories or less. You’ll notice there’s a lot of fruit on it. That’s because fruit is great food for humans. We’re descended from apes who lived on a diet of fruit and nuts, and we’re well adapted to it. I could go into details about the precise health benefits of each particular fruit – but that would set off my creepy radar warning system. Don’t obsess about food. If you’re eating a varied diet that includes fresh fruit and vegetables and lean meat from several sources, along with dairy produce, you’re pretty much covered in the health stakes. There are no magic foods.

- Big apple and a handful of nuts – about 100 calories
- A small banana – 90 calories
- Two medium sized peaches – 76 calories
- Six figs – 96 calories
- A chocolate digestive biscuit – 83 calories
- Two squares of dark chocolate – 88 calories
- A bag of ready salted French Fries – 97 calories
- Half a pint of lager and some peanuts – 99 calories
- A cereal bar – 95 calories
- A mini pitta bread with reduced-fat cottage cheese – 97 calories
- A tortilla wrap – 97 calories
- Two ounces of Edam cheese and 5 sticks of celery – 99 calories
- Cream cheese on crispbread with a tomato – 100 calories
- A rasher of grilled bacon with ketchup – 87 calories
- A slice of brown toast and Marmite – 100 calories
- A hard-boiled egg – 78 calories

Lord, what a miserable way to live. Counting every item you eat. Obsessing over the precise calorific value of it. Fretting about the weight you’ll put on. Who really sets out to eat two ounces of Edam cheese with five sticks of celery? That’s not a snack, it’s a punishment. Cream cheese on crispbread? Wall filler on cardboard. Much the same thing. What is the point of eating this way?

Here’s a better way.

- When you shop for groceries, buy fresh produce. When you buy packaged food, check the label for the sugar and fat content, and adjust your purchases to cut out high-sugar, high-fat items.

- Eat five (or six) small meals a day, made with the food you bought. Eat when you’re hungry, and eat enough to satisfy your hunger. Never, ever count calories.

- Ramp up your activity levels. If you have a sedentary job and you spend your evenings slumped in front of the TV, you’re a prime candidate for health problems like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease…do I need to go on?

To sum up, a healthy diet starts with choices you make before you get to the supermarket checkout. Get those right, and all that calorie counting can be left behind.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geoff_W

This traditional thanksgiving meal is very rich in fiber and very easy to make. Hence it has found an apt place in the south as a traditional food at all times. Sweet potato pie recipes are no longer attempted once a year. They have found places on dining tables almost throughout the year, especially at holiday gatherings. It can be made as a quick snack at all times because of its fibrous quality.

The way in which you eat the various sweet potato pie recipes has to do with the taste and the amount of calories that you can add or shed by eating it. You can eat this pie plain or topped with whipped toppings or ice creams. A few cooks would make a meringue using egg whites and applying it on the pie a few minutes before removing it from the bake oven. In whichever way this is eaten, as a dessert after meals or in the case of veggies as a main course, sweet potato pie recipes offer the best health and nutrition for weight watchers.

Try out the best low calorie and low fat recipes from the internet and make a good thanksgiving dessert, or simply choose the best recipe to add to your festive mood in the ensuing Christmas season. Surprise your family with your cooking talents by making one of the best pie recipes that you are now going to learn to make using butter, spices and sweet potatoes.

For the ingredients you will require quarter cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs yolks separated, 3/4 cup evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups cooked, peeled and mashed sweet potatoes, half tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, quarter tsp ginger and 1 unbaked pie crust of about 9 inches.

Now for the method you will first have to pre-heat the oven to 3500 F. start with creaming the butter and sugar using an electric blender. Beat until the entire mixture has blended together, then add the egg yolks and continue beating. Put in the sweet potatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, milk and ginger. Leave this mixture aside.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until white snowy peaks begin to form, slowly add the sugar and continue beating. Then gradually add the potato mixture to this blend while still beating. Pour this mixture into the pie crust and bake for a minimum of 40 minutes or until it is firm. This mouth watering dish can be served plain or with whipped cream.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Thomson

Do you find yourself feeling a bit bewildered when you are looking for the best and healthiest choices for kids in terms of their daily diets? A number of parents who are rather worried because their children seem to subsist and supposedly thrive on junk food and fast food do not know that healthy food choices do not come in the “boring” category. The idea that a healthy diet is going to be made up of bland, tasteless food is definitely outdated. Some of the tastiest food recipes are made of a mixture of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with some nuts and seeds, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Eating healthy does not mean that you have to stuff yourself with food that has not been prepared in an imaginative and creative fashion. Why do we instinctively go for junk food? Our society is based around the unhealthy foods because they taste so good… these foods are filled with unnatural ingredients that cause addictions and cravings, such as sugars, sodium, MSG, etc. But, if you are careful about your eating you can avoid these types of ingredients. You should not be surprised to know that a large number of recipes out there can be easily modified and adapted into really healthy and delicious food items, using fresh ingredients like red, green and orange fruits and vegetables – grown organically – whole grain breads, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds, and low-fat oils like olive oil.

Why are the people in the Mediterranean so healthy with such glowing skins? This is because they use plenty of olive oil in their diets. They also make sure that their daily diets are made up of plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole-grain breads. Not only are you going to get a tasty meal, but you are also going to get all the proteins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats required for your body to grow in a really healthy manner.

So if you want to know about why some peoples suffer from lower cases of cholesterol and heart problems, it is because they have been eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, legumes and whole grains since childhood. Also, they do not care much about processed foods which have chemical preservatives and lots of salt in them. So naturally, the best healthy choices for kids are those food items which are fresh, organically grown and are going to give them the essential nutrients that are necessary to keep them bright eyed and bushy tailed from day one!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becki_Andrus

Culinary expert Nathan Fong is inviting Canadians to put their creative and convenient diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes to the test in the first ever OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge. To enter, Canadians can visit www.OneTouch.ca/BreakfastChallenge and submit their recipes for a chance to win the Chef’s Guest for a Day Experience in Vancouver.

“As someone who was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and has built a life and career around food, I know that it‘s important to eat the right foods at the right times – especially breakfast – in order to maintain healthy blood glucose levels throughout the day,” says Nathan Fong. “Due to busy lifestyles, it can be challenging to make good food choices, which is why eating a nutritious breakfast can help me start the day off right. I am inviting Canadians to share their own diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes with me in the OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge.”

Three million Canadians are living with diabetes in Canada . If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications, including: heart disease, kidney disease, eye disease and nerve damage.

About the OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge:
To enter, Canadians can visit www.OneTouch.ca/BreakfastChallenge and submit their creative and convenient diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes between October 20, 2010 and November 10, 2010. Entries must be submitted during this period in order to be eligible. Voting is open from October 20, 2010 to November 12, 2010. The top 10 voted recipes will be judged by Nathan Fong and a panel of healthcare professionals. Recipes will be judged based on simplicity to create, diabetes dietary considerations and creativity. The grand prize winner will be announced during National Diabetes Awareness Month in November.

The Grand Prize Winner and guest will win a trip to Vancouver, with two nights accommodation at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The Winner and guest will start the day off right with an exclusive guided tour of Granville Island’s Public Market – Vancouver’s most famous food market – with culinary expert Nathan Fong and a healthcare professional. On the tour they will learn tricks and tips for shopping for diabetes-friendly foods. Following the tour, the Winner and guest will visit Nathan in his home where he will prepare a private lunch, made with all the delicious and diabetes-friendly ingredients from the tour. After lunch, the Winner and guest may return to their room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel to enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the spa.

For more information about the OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge or Nathan Fong, please visit www.OneTouch.ca/BreakfastChallenge.

Breakfast + Diabetes Facts:

1. Did you know there’s no such thing as a “diabetes diet” anymore? What’s important is how the food you eat affects your blood glucose levels and to work with your dietitian on creating a meal plan that is right for you.
2. When eating out, recognize that your meal may be earlier or later than your usual time. Discuss this with your healthcare provider. They may suggest that you plan to bring a snack to eat at your usual time, or teach you how to adjust your insulin. (1)
3. Eating at regular times may help your body control blood glucose levels. Eat three meals per day at regular times and space meals no more than six hours apart. (2)
4. Be sure to eat breakfast. It provides a good start to the day. (2)
5. According to a recent survey, 43 per cent of people with diabetes surveyed said they find it difficult to figure out what foods to eat when dining out or at special events. (3)
6. Food is one of the main factors that directly impacts blood glucose levels – and one that can be managed.
7. According to a recent survey, 61 per cent of people with diabetes surveyed said that without testing, it’s difficult for them to know what their blood glucose levels are.(3)
8. The only way to be certain of blood glucose levels is with accurate and reliable testing.
9. If you have diabetes, a pre-breakfast (fasting) blood glucose test can provide you with feedback on how medication and/or a late night snack impacts your blood glucose levels overnight.
10. Meal planning is one of the most powerful tools available to help control diabetes. Meal planning for diabetes management means putting together a daily eating plan that includes healthy foods in the proper amounts.

References:
1Adapted from http://www.diabetes.ca/files/Celebrations.pdf p. 107. Accessed August 22, 2010.
2Adapted from CDA “Just the Basics” Tips for Healthy Eating, Diabetes Prevention and Management. July 2008.
3Leger Marketing, Diabetes Study, April 1, 2010.

The holiday season can be a challenging time to make healthy food choices. With all the office parties, family celebrations, and abundance of cake, cookies, and pies, it is easy to see why the typical American gains weight between Thanksgiving and the New Year. With food as the center piece for most holiday celebrations and social events, it is very hard to avoid, but with a little preparation and planning, you can still enjoy spreading the holiday cheer without spreading your waistline.

Don’t go to a party hungry. The hungrier you are, the faster you will eat. It is important to eat your typical breakfast, lunch, and snacks on the day of the party to avoid being famished when you arrive and therefore overeat.

Substitute traditional foods with healthy alternatives. Most of the traditional holiday meals can be prepared in a healthier manner. For example, try our Low Carb Pumpkin Casserole (link to recipe) as an alternative to pumpkin pie.

Watch out for holiday spirits. Alcoholic beverages can contain from 150 to 450 calories a glass. Limit your drinks to 1-2 glasses. The lower calorie, lower carb choices are dry wine, Bloody Mary’s, or spirits with diet mixers. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram (fat has 9 and protein has 4) and then is stored in the body as extra belly fat. Individuals who are overweight can gain weight more quickly when consuming alcohol.

Up Your Exercise. Yes, you can bond with family over bread and wine, but you can also bond through a brisk walk or bike ride. Try to plan some holiday events around fitness such as entering the family into a 5K Holiday Fun Run, or walk together, or enroll in a fitness class together.

Plan Ahead. Know what parties are you going to attend, what food you will be tempted by, what personal stressful triggers may drive you to eat, and make a plan on how you will deal with those situations. It is much easier to deal with difficult social eating situations if you already have a plan.

Practice conscious eating. Most people tend to eat beyond their body’s physical hunger at holiday events simply because the food is there, it is good, and everyone else is doing it! To avoid over-eating, make one plate of food of the items you really want to eat. Sit down, and eat slowly. Chew and saver each bite. Set your fork down between bites and take your time. When you are finished eating, pop in a mint or a piece of gum to keep your mouth occupied and prevent having seconds.

Bring your own healthy dish to the party. If you are not sure what you can eat when you get there, bring the food with you. Offering to bring a dish puts you in control. At least you know there is one healthy item on hand.

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