Posts Tagged ‘Diet food’

10 Delicious diet friendly snacks

January 18th, 2010

When you are on a diet, you need to have some smart and diet friendly snacks at hand to keep the hunger at bay between meals. The only problem is finding the right snack – a snack that is both diet friendly and delicious. The good news is that I don’t have one – but ten such snacks. They are not only low fat and low calorie, but they also taste delicious. So pack a few of them with your lunchbox, and you will keep your hunger at bay while watching your waistline.

  • A small tub of fat free yogurt – The calcium in yogurt helps to aid weight loss and the protein helps to keep one full and it is also fuel for muscles. Aim to have at least one small tub of fat free yogurt per day
  • A handful of dried fruit – Dried fruit not only taste delicious, be they are high in fiber – fiber are known to keep one fuller for longer. Pack a small bag full of dried fruit and keep it in your handbag. You’ll never know when the hunger pangs will attack.
  • Whole wheat crackers with fat free cottage cheese and tomato – This is one of my favorite snacks. It is very delicious and healthy. Buy some crackers and cottage cheese and keep it in your office fridge.
  • A handful of almonds – Almonds are also said to aid weight loss. Aim to have about 5-10 almonds each day.
  • Any type of fruit – Fruit is a great diet snack. And with the wide variety of fruit that are available, you are bound to find a few to snack on between meals.
  • Vegetable sticks – chop some vegetables like carrots, celery, cucumber and tomatoes and pack them in with lunch to snack on. They are low calorie and very filling
  • Fat free fruit smoothies- Smoothies are great to fill one up. Make one with frozen fruit, fat free yogurt and some oat bran.
  • Low calorie breakfast bars- If you can find a low calorie breakfast bar, buy a few and keep in your office drawer.
  • Cup of vegetable soup- A cup o vegetable soup (either home made or instant store bought) is also a great diet friendly snack to have between or before meals.
  • Diet hot chocolate – Diet hot chocolate is both low calorie and low fat, making it a great between or after meals snack.

By now, you hopefully have enough snacks to keep you full and to keep cravings at bay. And the best thing about this snacks are that they are low calorie and low fat and they won’t cause you to gain weight. If you keep them at hand, you will be one your way to diet success.

Just remember that if you want to speed up your weight loss you must exercise regularly. This will have to include cardio and weight training exercise. For cardio eliptical machines are some of the best ones to try out and for weight training, have a look at fitness adjustable dumbbells

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Posted in Food, Health/Nutrition, Weight Loss

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Juicing to Complement Weight Loss

January 18th, 2010

Some crash diets have been created around juicier recipes but those are hardly credible ways to maintain a healthy body. However, as part of a balanced and active lifestyle, juicing can one of the best ways to fulfill nutritional requirements of the body. Natural fruits and vegetables provide an abundance of enzymes, minerals, and micro nutrients the body needs to keep it happy and healthy. But stripping these nutrients from the solid material makes it that much more potent. The body now has all the goodness in a much more accessible, liquid format so that it can occupy itself with absorbing the nutrients rather than trying to extract it from solid particles.

Instead of consuming appetite suppressants to put off hunger, a glass of juice can be just as effective without the risk of harmful side effects. It may not be as low calorie as a chemical suppressant, but your body will much more readily agree with the natural ingredients. Vegetable juice is even more effective than fruit juice since it typically contains half the calories. This is due to the lower sugar levels but as a result – can sometimes be an acquired taste. Still, many would agree that it is much better than health bars that taste like tree bark or cardboard. Remember that protein bars designed to replace meals usually contain more sugar than most people suspect making healthy juicer recipes a much more desirable alternative for any time of the day.

For maximum benefit as well as enjoyment, be sure to incorporate as wide a variety of ingredients as possible. Some fruits and vegetables might be seasonal while others are available year round. Those who are new to juicing should begin with food they already enjoy in solid form. Then slowly expand their selection of ingredients by trying one new thing every so often. A good way to challenge yourself is by visiting the market and looking for things that you never even noticed before. Soon you will look and feel the way you want and look forward to trying new fruits and vegetables. What can be more healthy than that.  For a great juicer, check out Power Juicer reviews.

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Diet Foods

September 2nd, 2009

Beware any food that calls itself “diet foods”.  Often it is a low-fat, sugar-free or low-sugar, pre-packaged food that may be low in calories, but also low in any  nutritional value.  Many of these diet foods are sweetened with aspartame which is a known neuro-toxin that can wreak havoc on your body.  Aspartame poisoning is known to mimic the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Splenda is another sweetener that was promised to be the next best thing, but is now coming under scrutiny for its safety concerns.  Splenda is suppose to be as sweet as sugar with none of the calories.  Unfortunately, long term studies of Splenda have never been conducted and evidence against its good benefits is mounting.  Artificial sweeteners as food additives are not subject to the same strict regulations as pharmaceutical drugs by the FDA.  Most testing of artificial sweeteners are funded by the food industry which obviously has quite a vested interest in it’s success.  Foods with these artificial sweeteners also spike your blood sugar and deliver empty calories which leave you hungry soon after you have eaten them.

The best diet foods for weight  loss  are whole, healthy foods. When you eat whole foods, you are not always hungry because you are not eating chemicals and high fructose corn syrup that keeps you addicted and hungry.  Whole healthy foods are like mother nature’s appetite suppressant.   Whole foods are also a benefit to diabetics.  Foods that are grown in the earth, not manufactured in a factory.  Many good diet foods include fresh fruits and vegetables that you can eat as much as you want.  They are loaded in fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that your body needs to burn and break down fat cells.  A whole food diet consists of whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat pasta, and lean proteins like turkey, chicken or lean cuts of beef.  Substituting heavy creams and oils with applesauce, riccotta cheese and yougurt is also a great way to lighten foods up.  I like to visit my friend’s  site to learn tips on lightening up Italian food - my favorite!   A good rule of thumb to follow is if mother nature didn’t make it, don’t eat it.  A whole food diet will give you energy, vitality and all the nutrients you need to get you through the day in top form.

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Posted in Food, Weight Loss

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