How to control starchy food cravings.

If you want to know how to control starchy food cravings then you must remember the brain runs the show when it comes to food. The dopamine is what creates the cravings.

Learning to switch from foods that produce craving to foods that do not will help you along in your weight loss goals. ABC’s Good Morning America published this piece on how to control food cravings.

How To Control Starchy Food Cravings

Ever felt like your constant cravings for chocolate, cookies or cheese are beyond your control? According to the author of Breaking the Food Seduction, you’re right.

There are biological reasons for those cravings, and people who think that they are too weak-willed to stop eating their favorite foods may simply be addicted to them, said Dr. Neal Barnard, president and founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

“Certain foods — chocolates, cheeses, sugars, starches and meats — are capable of stimulating the same part of the brain that responds to alcohol, tobacco, even heroin,” Barnard said. “They unleash a chemical called dopamine, the brain’s feel-good chemical, and that’s why those foods are addictive.”

Foods that produce such cravings, and sabotage healthy diets, include sugary and starchy foods such as cookies, cakes and white bread, as well as chocolate, cheese and meat. As with drugs, coffee or alcohol, people go into withdrawal when they don’t have the foods.

“That’s where the cravings come from,” Barnard said. “People feel hooked on these foods.”

Mood-Lifting Meals

Those foods all stimulate the release of opiates in the brain, lifting your mood, he said.

Some are not only addicting, but are appetite stimulants as well.

They play havoc with your blood sugar, which brings on cravings. Basically, the rush of sugar in the blood causes a person’s energy to rise too quickly. After the rise, the energy falls just as quickly, so the person feels as though they need to eat something to bring it back up again.

Not all starchy foods are on the list. Pasta, for instance, does not cause a blood sugar spike.

“Eat it — it’s not a bad starch,” Barnard said.

Despite the fact that certain foods are addictive, it doesn’t mean people should cut them out of their diets entirely. Instead, they should give themselves a break for them. The more you eat, the more you crave, Barnard says.

“If you haven’t had chocolate for three weeks, you won’t crave it,” he said. “You’ll break the cycle.”

Like Mom Said, Eat a Good Breakfast

If you’re not eating your favorite foods, what do you eat? One of Barnard’s key recommendations is eating a good, solid breakfast every day. A good choice for breakfast is oatmeal — the old-fashioned kind.

“That phrase that it will “stick to your ribs” is true,” Barnard said.

His study found that instant oatmeal prompts children to actually snack more. The instant oatmeal is powdery and actually spikes blood sugar, but the oats in the old-fashioned kind are more fiber-filled and slow down digestion.

Also for breakfast, he recommends fresh fruit, whole-grained, darker breads and veggie sausage. Always choose darker breads over white bread, which is one of the addictive starches, he said. Veggie sausage can serve as a source of protein. In general, Americans need to look to plants for proteins, rather than animals, because they are lower in fat and cholesterol, Barnard said.

“This breakfast will block our food cravings because nothing in it stimulates dopamine,” Barnard said. “It blocks hunger, as opposed to no breakfast at all. Second, it is high in fiber, and will stick to your ribs, so you’re not dying of hunger by 10:30, and looking for a cookie.”

Dopamine isn’t bad, it is the behavior that releases it that becomes the problem. So clearly we need to replace eating with another less destructive behavior. Exercise is the most logical choice because it is so beneficial in so many ways, but mostly because when we exercise we release “feel good” hormones. Pay close attention to advice on how to control starchy food cravings and you will have greater success losing weight.

Click here to read more from ABC’s Good Morning America

Incredible ways to customize a healthy meal plan.

Many people are concerned about their weight and are trying to eat better. The problem is many times diets have foods that don’t work well with our lifestyle or our palate. These tips are for anyone who needs incredible ways to customize a healthy meal plan so that you and your family can stick to it and finally get in shape.

Sandra Brown, Food Safety and nutrition faculty for Washington State University writes for the Columbian and has many useful tips to guide you so you can achieve your weight loss goals.

Incredible Ways to Customize a Healthy Meal Plan

Cutting just a few hundred calories per day can reap big benefits to your health. Fish, like this Herb Crusted Tilapia, lots of fresh vegetables and brown rice creates a healthy and still delicious meal.

Quickest and Easiest Way to Lose Weight

Almost every American wants the quickest and easiest way to lose weight but doesn’t want to put forth the time and effort that is required to shed those pounds/inches. Losing weight is hard of course and we don’t like to do it. Jodie Orwig educates us about the right way to lose weight with this informative article on the York Daily Record.

Quickest and Easiest Way to Lose Weight

So you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution to lose weight and it’s only January. Losing weight is one of the most commonly made and most frequently broken New Year’s resolutions.

One reason is because the average dieter is looking for the quickest and easiest way to lose weight, which usually leads to falling into the fad diet trap. For most, fad diets are rarely adhered to long-term, and any weight lost is usually regained.

Fad diets are easily detectable. Promises of fast weight loss of more than one to two pounds per week, weight loss without required exercises, great-tasting special supplements and foods or too-good-to-be-true before and after photos in advertising are just some red flags to look for. Fad diets often emphasize eliminating one food or food group, which can be dangerous.

To determine if a diet plan is right for you make sure that it: includes foods from all five food groups, foods you would enjoy eating for the rest of your life and some of your favorite foods; encourages the proper number of servings from each food group; fits your budget and lifestyle; and includes regular physical activity.

Trim down without the fad diet approach with these suggestions:

• Become a mindful eater. Pay attention to your body. Stop eating before you feel stuffed. Leave food on your plate.
• Eat at least three times per day and plan meals in advance.
• Use a smaller plate. A 9-inch plate is recommended.
• Balance your plate with the proper portions. Half the plate should be vegetable,¼ should be lean meat, fish, or poultry, and ¼ should be grains. Round out the meal with 8 ounces of fat-free milk and a piece of fruit for dessert.
• Drink plenty of calorie free beverages. You may be thirsty rather than hungry.
• Keep all food in the kitchen. Don’t eat in the car, bedroom, or TV room.
• Enjoy your meal for at least 20 minutes. Eating fast does not allow time for your brain to realize that you are full.
• Get leftovers in the fridge before you begin eating your meal. This will help you avoid having seconds.If you are eating to deal with feelings other than hunger, such as boredom, stress, habit or being tired, here are some things to try:
• Call a friend for support.
• Use inspirational quotes to help avoid temptation to eat.
• Take a warm bath or shower.
• Listen to music or a relaxation CD.
• Take a walk.
• Try activities that keep you from eating, such as exercise or gardening.Now, it’s time to set some realistic goals. Start with two or three specific, measurable and attainable goals. Track your progress by keeping food and activity logs. When you have accomplished a goal, give yourself a reward. Eventually, these attained goals will become habits or lifestyle changes. Here’s to a healthier 2012!

I think the author makes two very important points when she says that a diet should include food you will want to eat for the rest of your life and that it should fit both your budget and your lifestyle. I find that a lot of us force ourselves to eat salads or other foods that we don’t necessarily like when we’re on a mission to lose weight. Then someone in the office, or your husband/wife/parents and/or kids has to go and order pizza or food from your favorite restaurant. It looks so delicious and you’re so tempted. So you give in “just this once.” Too much temptation and not enough time to work out are the two “biggest” excuses.

Like I said, it’s hard work. To wrap things up I can just say that your life will be so much easier once you stop trying to find the quickest and easiest way to lose weight and follow the suggestions above. I wish you a happy weight loss journey!

Stop the diet sabotage and stick to your plan!

We need to stop the diet sabotage now! There is no hiding from the fact that Americans are fat. Sadly, we see this every day when we walk around places like Wal-Mart or a mall and we see young children who are obese; every bit the product of inactivity in favor of sitting around playing video games and/or watching tv and having what I call “hand-to-mouth disease.”

I can almost gaurantee that %99.99 of Americans’ first New Years resolution was/is “to lose weight.” In order to help with that resolution The FIRM nutrition expert Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N. wrote an article about the things we do to sabatage our weight loss goals. Please, stop the diet sabotage!

Do you eat well most of the time, but just can’t seem to lose stubborn pounds? It could be that you are eating the right foods, but in the wrong combinations. Or you could be eating the right combinations of food, but not timing your meals correctly. No matter how you slice it, your weight loss is determined by your metabolism. A revved-up metabolism will easily yield more weight loss than a sluggish one. The good news is that you do have control over your fat-burning capacity!

We are not created equal

Before I teach you how to eat well for an active metabolism, let me dispel the myth that we are all created equal. When it comes to calories-in and calories-out, we are NOT all equal. I might work with two clients who are the same age, same sex, and do the same amount of exercise, yet one can get away with eating a lot more food than the other, and still lose weight. Some of it will depend on muscle mass (the more muscle, the higher the metabolism), however some of it is just straight genetics. This is one of the reasons that obesity runs in families.

To help rev-up your metabolism, I offer the top eight ways we slow it down and how to avoid them.

1. Not eating enough during the day

Not eating enough during the day slows down your metabolism two ways. First, your body thinks it’s starving, so it will slow down your calorie-burning capacity in order to “survive.” Second, you are likely to make up for low caloric intake in the last few hours of the day, causing your body to hang on to the food through the night in preparation for another day of “starving.” Plain and simple — eat early and eat often — it will get your engine revving on high!

2. Not drinking enough fluids

Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to turn up your fat-burning capacity. I cannot say that drinking water alone will cause weight loss; however, if you are eating a perfect diet, but are dehydrated, you will lose less weight. When your body is dehydrated it cannot burn fat. So please, get 64 ounces per day—and as a bonus your hair and skin will shine!

3. All-or-nothing dieting

One of the biggest problems with “fad” and “crash” diets is that they usually provide a very low calorie allowance. Not only will this cause your body to burn fewer calories, but it will also make you more likely to binge. A slower metabolism combined with an increased likelihood of binging spells disaster. So play it safe; find a well-balanced diet that does not overly restrict calories.

4. Eating too much sugar

I often find that my clients are eating the right amount of calories for weight loss, but are not losing weight. The culprit is

                                           

Stop the diet sabotage and live the life you deserve!

usually sugar. Sugars and refined carbs have the unique ability to stop weight loss in its tracks. Think of this: Your body is burning fat (from your hips, maybe?), and all of a sudden it gets an influx of sugar. It will use the sugar as energy and promptly stop burning the fat. So really, cut the sugar.

5. Not weight-training

So many of my clients tell me about the hours they spend on the treadmill — thinking that this is the secret ingredient to burning more calories. Sadly, it just doesn’t work out. Sure, you burn more calories by walking on the treadmill than by lying on the couch; however, without the proper amount of weight training, you will not increase your metabolism. Your resting metabolism is directly affected by how much muscle you have — so go on,build more muscle!

6. “Eating back” your exercise calories

Many people want to know how many calories their exercise session burned. Usually the reason they want this information is to quantify it in terms of food. In other words, they justify eating a candy bar since they already worked off those calories. However, this equation just doesn’t work. You’ll end up not losing weight, or you might even gain some weight. So remember, food and exercise are separate issues.

7. Drinking too much alcohol

There is nothing wrong with a few cocktails per week, but too many will absolutely reduce your fat-burning capability. Not only does alcohol provide a hefty dose of calories, but it also stops fat burning in its tracks (similar to sugar). Add in the side effect of the increased hunger you might feel while imbibing, and you’ve set yourself up for weight loss failure. Enjoy your cocktails… sparingly.

8. Skimping on protein

During the low-fat food craze of the late 1980s, we all became afraid of protein. It was linked to higher-fat diets, and many trendy diets limited protein to 2 ounces per meal. This has a disastrous consequence on weight loss. When you skimp on protein, your body has to burn its own muscle for fuel, resulting in decreased lean muscle mass. Less muscle means less calorie-burning action! Additionally, without adequate protein you can’t build more muscle mass (to burn calories). And lastly, diets that are low in protein cause increased sugar cravings. So eat your protein, often!

The New Year is the perfect time to commit to healthy living, which includes a balanced and consistent exercise and nutrition plan. Let’s kick this year off right!

I found the first point very interesting. While we all know that starving yourself isn’t going to provide continued weight loss, most people might not realize that while it seems counterintuitive to eat more to lose weight, doing so will actually help you! I have been told by several trainers that eating 3-5 smaller balanced meals a day in addition to exercise is the ideal way to lose weight. Drinking water is a great way to help curb cravings and surprisingly it will make you feel full for a little while so you eat less.

A caveat on the protein portion however, would be that you don’t want to eat too much protein because your body will have trouble breaking it down and eliminating all the waste products of that breakdown. All of these suggestions are great. I don’t think I can name one person who is not on a mission to lose weight or maintain their weight (I know less of the latter.) I look forward to implementing these steps in my own weight loss plan. Who is with me? Together let’s stop the diet sabotage!

Balance your life, balance your weight

Balance your life, balance your weight say many health professionals. How does a person have balance in their life and isn’t balance different for everyone? I am always looking for insightful answers to the complex issues around weight loss and body image.

The following article by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP appeared on a website I really trust and enjoy called Women to Women. I enjoyed it very much, I hope you do too.

Balance Your Life, Balance Your Weight

Over the years I’m sure I’ve lost over 100 pounds — the same 10 pounds, 10 times! And so many of my patients tell me the same thing, I wonder how many American women (and their daughters) are on a diet on any given day. We spend billions of dollars a year on diets and weight loss products, yet nearly two-thirds of us are overweight — a trend that’s steadily inching upwards along with our waistlines!

Never mind that all these weight loss efforts don’t work, we are putting ourselves through hell to get nowhere. I’ve seen women willing to sacrifice just about anything to lose weight — even their health and well-being. But when I tell women I have a solution for them that doesn’t involve suffering or a magical pill, many say, “Oh, come on, Marcelle, can I really lose weight the natural way?”

The answer, I assure you, is “Yes!” I wholeheartedly believe you can lose weight, and that you can do it naturally without starving yourself, without eating food that doesn’t resemble food, without gimmicks, drugs or fad diets. You can do it and create balance, health, and well-being in your life while you’re at it.

                

Balance your life, balance your weight

I’ve worked hard on this issue in my practice, and in over 25 years of clinical experience, I’ve developed a highly effective way to help women unravel the stubborn knot of issues surrounding unwanted excess weight.There are five essential areas to address:

Overcoming weight loss resistance

These are the systemic imbalances I see most often undermine weight loss efforts and create weight loss resistance:

• Hormonal
• Adrenal
• Neurotransmitter

Weight loss in one word: balance

Think of your body like your home. When everything is running smoothly in my house, I can create delicious meals in a well-organized kitchen, I can entertain and enjoy my guests, I can feel the sunlight beaming through the windows, I feel at peace yet poised to resolve a crisis if one should arise, I feel spontaneous and generous.

Even my family seems to get along better when the house is in order. This is also true of our bodies. When all the major systems are in balance, we not only feel good, but our adrenal glands are able to protect us, our hormones relay their messages smoothly, our digestive system can adequately nourish us, and we can efficiently get rid of or “detoxify” the things we don’t need. All of our systems depend on one another and if one is out of balance, the others can suffer, making weight loss a miserable uphill battle.

Discovering if you have a systemic imbalance in your body may be the missing piece to your weight loss puzzle. Whether it’s hormonal imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, neurotransmitter, digestive, inflammatory, or detoxification system imbalance, correcting it is key to natural and lasting weight loss — and to your overall health. Because once your body is restored to its natural balance, excess weight will come off. To learn if your stubborn weight could be rooted in one of these imbalances, take ourWeight Loss Profile.

Getting the right raw materials — nutrients your body can put to good use

Most of us were raised to think that if we only ate less and exercised more, we could easily lose weight. I found out the hard way that the calories in/calories out concept just doesn’t work for everyone. When I was just 19 I joined Weight Watchers to lose weight and followed all the rules — counting calories religiously and exercising vigorously — but only lost a half pound! It wasn’t until years later, after learning that I was gluten-sensitive that I was able to solve my personal weight loss puzzle.

No doubt we’ll continue to hear that it all comes down to calories and will-power. But the reality is, if you eat 1,200 calories of junk versus 1,200 calories of balanced nutrition, the messages your body receives are drastically different — no matter how much you exercise. Make that a lifelong pattern and over time — no matter what the Twinkie diet guru says — it’s going to make a huge difference to your wellness and your waistline.

• Strive to eat whole, natural foods. Load up on vegetables and fruit, emphasize plant-based proteins like nuts and legumes, use whole grains in moderation rather than refined flours and sugars, and select high-quality meat and fish — the less processed the better.
• Help your metabolism operate at full capacity with a high-quality multivitamin/ mineral complex like the one we offer in our Personal Program. We also now offer a delicious snack shake in that will not only satisfy your hunger, but help to support your metabolism. This micronutrient and phytonutrient support will help ensure that your cellular pathways are continually supplied to function well each day.
• Drink plenty of filtered spring water, mineral water, or freshly brewed or iced herbal tea or green tea each day, to help flush any built-up “clutter” from your system.

Controlling Weight Gain During and After Menopause

Are you interested in controllling weight gain during and after menopause?  Well the more information you are armed with the easier the transition will be.  Hormonal changes can be the hardest to manage at any age if you add the concerns about children growing up and moving off and disruptions to work or career, that all adds up to a lot of stress.

Controlling Weight Gain During and After Menopause

Most women gain weight as they age, but excess pounds aren’t inevitable. To minimize menopause weight gain, step up your activity level and enjoy a healthy diet.

As you get older, you may notice that maintaining your usual weight becomes more difficult. In fact, the most profound weight gain in a woman’s life tends to happen during the years leading up to menopause (perimenopause). Weight gain after menopause isn’t inevitable, however. You can reverse course by paying attention to healthy-eating habits and leading an active lifestyle.

What causes menopause weight gain?

The hormonal changes of menopause may make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen, rather than your hips and thighs. Hormonal changes alone don’t necessarily trigger weight gain after menopause, however. Instead, the weight gain is usually related to a variety of lifestyle and genetic factors.

For example, menopausal women tend to exercise less than other women, which can lead to weight gain. In addition, muscle mass naturally diminishes with age. If you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose, your body composition will shift to more fat and less muscle — which slows down the rate at which you burn calories. If you continue to eat as you always have, you’re likely to gain weight.

For many women, genetic factors play a role in weight gain after menopause. If your parents or other close relatives carry extra weight around the abdomen, you’re likely to do the same. Sometimes, factors such as children leaving — or returning — home, divorce, the death of a spouse or other life changes may contribute to weight gain after menopause. For others, a sense of contentment or simply letting go leads to weight gain.

How risky is weight gain after menopause?

Weight gain after menopause can have serious implications for your health. Excess weight increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. In turn, these conditions increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Excess weight also increases the risk of various types of cancer, including colorectal cancer and breast cancer. In fact, some research suggests that gaining as little as 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) at age 50 or later could increase the risk of breast cancer by 30 percent.

What’s the best way to prevent weight gain after menopause?

There’s no magic formula for preventing — or reversing — weight gain after menopause. Simply stick to weight-control basics:

• Move more. Aerobic activity can help you shed excess pounds or simply maintain a healthy weight. Strength training counts, too. As you gain muscle, your body burns calories more efficiently — which makes it easier to control your weight. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine and do strength training exercises at least twice a week. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to increase your activity even more.
• Eat less. To maintain your current weight — let alone lose excess pounds — you may need about 200 fewer calories a day during your 50s than you did during your 30s and 40s. To reduce calories without skimping on nutrition, pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking. Choose more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Opt for lean sources of protein. Don’t skip meals, which may lead you to overeat later.
• Seek support. Surround yourself with friends and loved ones who’ll support your efforts to eat a healthy diet and increase your physical activity. Better yet, team up and make the lifestyle changes together.

The bottom line? Successful weight loss at any stage of life requires permanent changes in diet and exercise habits. Take a brisk walk every day. Try a yoga class. Trade cookies for fresh fruit. Share restaurant meals with a friend. Commit to the changes and enjoy a healthier you!

The Mayo Clinic is a reliable resource for weight loss and menopause information. Simple changes can make a huge difference in your quality of life. pick one change at a time, make a plan and get on it.