Dip in…

The results of a two-year study, led by Gary D. Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research & Education at Temple University, show why. People lost about the same amount of weight whether they were on an Atkins-style, low-carbohydrate diet or a traditional low-fat diet–as long as they followed a healthful, guided eating and exercise plan they could stick with.

The CarbLovers Diet: Eat What You Love, Get Slim For Life by Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, and Tell Me What To Eat If I Suffer From Heart Disease, by Elaine Magee MPH, RD, explain how to incorporate beneficial carbs  (desserts included!) and lose weight without feeling hungry.

Kunes and Largeman-Roth suggest eating resistant starch (RS) containing foods. RS is found in specific foods such as under-ripe bananas, potatoes, grains, rice, beans, and lentils. It acts like a fiber. Unlike high-glycemic starch, which is quickly absorbed from the small intestine raising blood sugar levels, RS is not.  The result: improved blood sugar regulation, greater satiety and a boost in energy and metabolism–crucial elements in the battle for weight control.

The authors provide step-by-step eating and exercise plans, food and nutrient lists, menus and recipes (e.g. Coconut French Toast with Raspberry Syrup!). Plus personal tips from the program’s alumni help make it easy to follow.

In, Tell Me What To Eat If I Suffer From Heart Disease: Nutrition You Can Live With, Elaine Magee, MPH, RD also teaches you how to ward off and reverse heart disease–the no. 1 killer of both men and women.  She points to risk factors you should be aware of (processed foods, salt, cigarette smoke!) and describes what tools and tests (e.g. LDL-C, TG–do you know your numbers?) are used by docs for detection.

Magee favors the Mediterranean and DASH diet approaches with emphasis on smart carbs (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans), smart fats (olive oil, avocado, seeds and nuts),  and lean protein.  Magee provides additional insight as she walks you through supermarket aisles and highlights dangers lurking in food labels (sodium, trans fat, and added sugar). Want to lose weight without dieting? There’s a section for that too (up your exercise and journaling and downgrade the AGE’s you consume). Continuing in her role as “The Recipe Doctor,” Magee provides makeover tips–so you can still eat your culinary favorites–and easy to prepare tempting heart-smart recipes (Better-For-You Brownies).

How do you like your carbs now?

Moms are easy to please, when it comes to presents, that is. So stick with what you know she’ll love: Chocolate–the rich tasting morsels that are a beauty to behold, and healthful too, of course.

Mother’s Day Gifts from Norman Love Confections

Fine chocolate, by definition, is a limited edition product considering it’s pure, fresh ingredients and short shelf life. But, chocolate artisan Norman Love has crafted something that will go even faster than usual, his multi-hued, eight decadent flavored heart-shaped gems are available only through May 11. To keep her actual heart really happy, go with the 70 percent Dark Complexite flavor for its high polyphenol content, made from the blend of nine select cocoa beans roasted to perfection and conveying the hints of fruit, floral, and spice.

Vienna Coffee & Hachez Chocolate Cups

No need to fuss with a big breakfast in bed. Just lay out a few handcrafted chocolate cups (individually filled with fruits, nuts, apricot-figs, and plum-elderberry) and pair with a cup of full-bodied Kenya Estate coffee roast with its rich flavor and seductive aroma and she will be in heaven.

Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

Mom might even agree that baking from scratch isn’t the most efficient way to spend your gift-giving energy. But she’ll be convinced otherwise when you bake a batch of these rich and fudge-y, easy-to-prepare brownies from the  Organic Double Chocolate Brownie Mix  by the the Alchemy Spice Company , especially considering that they are made from fair-trade ingredients–chocolate liquor, organic unbleached flour and organic vanilla.

Pink Pamper Box

Not just a chocolate lover you say, then pamper her with a delightfully tranquil gift of assorted dreamy caramels and a scented soy candle, from Das Foods. The Pink Pamper Box features four of their best selling Fleur De Sel caramels: Classic with Lavendar, Chocolate & Toasted Walnuts, Candied Ginger and Pistachio, and Orange and Honey and comes with a unique vanilla- lavender soy candle.  Elegant pink and brown, bow-tied, box included with a handwritten note as well.

-Sande P.

Combining protein with carbs and a little fat in each meal is the ideal way to keep you satisfied and your hunger in check between meals. Your breakfast selection is a good choice since it contains a balance of protein (17%), carbs (54%) and fat (29%). In addition it is very low in sodium a good source of fiber, Vitamins B2, B6, B12, selenium, and also contains Vitamin C, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and manganese.

However, an egg contains saturated fat and is high in cholesterol a combination that could raise your total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and we know from research studies that high blood serum cholesterol levels are related to higher incidence of heart disease. Several studies point out that most people are able to regulate their body’s production of cholesterol from food, but there are the exceptions. Therefore, make sure you go for regular medical checkups and blood tests, as directed by your physician, to measure your lipid levels (TC, HDL-C, LDL-C and TG) so you can continue to enjoy your favorite meal without concern.

Ideally, every day is about moderation. But when it comes to Thanksgiving, such controlled portioning probably got buried along with the excess oil from the turkey fryer.

To keep your guilt at bay after the tryptophan high subsides, listen to the choice and funny words from satiric clinical psychologist Leslie Landis’, M.A. latest release: “The Art of Overeating.”

Embedded in the foodie history trivia (Greeks were the first to chew gum), eating-isms (”All Roads Lead to Ravioli”) and overeating justifications (”Have you ever seen an unhappy cow?” & “overeaters get more attention”) lies the reminder that over-indulging every once in a while doesn’t call for self-berating and vows for next day crash dieting.

Instead, it beckons you to laugh at your very clean plate (”The dishwasher works for minimum wage. Don’t make his job any harder than it already is!”). Plus! “Overeaters have their priorities straight. It’s a way to spend as much quality time as possible with the family.”

BUT, once the guests finally leave and the pots are clean, you can easily reduce the post-holiday bloat, according to Landis.

“Buy my book and do the opposite of everything in it.”

The British Journal of Cancer (July 2009) published the results of a 12-year study on the rate of cancer in vegetarians—they contracted less blood, bladder, cervical, prostate and stomach cancers independent of smoking, alcohol and obesity risk factors. The reasons aren’t so clear, but it appears that the more plant-based foods we eat, the better equipped our bods will be to fend off disease.

To make veggie cooking easy and interesting, the famed vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y. added another volume to their 11 leafy-based cookbook collection, “Moosewood Restaurant Farm Fresh Meals, 50 Delicious Recipes for Every Season.”

Dishes are organized by season and a color-coding system to ensure all watermelon and kiwi recipes stay tucked in the back til June. Each seasonal section includes a mix of recipes, ranging from main courses (pastas, casseroles, sandwiches) to sides (soups, salads, vegetables) and desserts (cookies, pies, and puddings).

So instead of turning stained, torn recipe pages, you’ll flip the cards as you deal through the deck of 50 creative recipes. Plus, there is an ingredient shopping list printed on each card that will prevent you from banging your cutting board when you accidentally leave the nutmeg and lime peel behind in the store.

Since the darker vegetables, like radicchio and spinach, are even more beneficial than the lighter leafs, like iceberg, we’d recommend the Crisp Autumn Salad, chock full of this season’s all-star produce.

Crisp Autumn Salad (Serves 8. Time: 35 minutes)

1⁄2 lb. Spring mix or baby greens

3 crisp apples, cored and thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb

24 large grapes, halved and seeded

3⁄4 red onion, thinly sliced

3⁄4 cup toasted walnuts*

3⁄4 cup crumbled stilton cheese (about 2 oz.)

Maple Mustard Dressing

3 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

6 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

*Toast walnuts in a single layer on un-oiled baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for 5 min. or until fragrant and browned.

Arrange greens on individual salad plates or on a large flat platter. Top with rest of salad ingredients in an attractive tangle.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together with a fork. Pour over the salad and serve.

The carnivorous holidays are coming, but it’s the meatless meals that we should be celebrating.

The British Journal of Cancer (July 2009) published the results of a 12-year study on the rate of cancer in vegetarians—they contracted less blood, bladder, cervical, prostate and stomach cancers independent of smoking, alcohol and obesity risk factors. The reasons aren’t so clear, but it appears that the more plant-based foods we eat, the better equipped our bods will be to fend off disease.

To make veggie cooking easy and interesting, the famed vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y. added another volume to their 11 leafy-based cookbook collection, “Moosewood Restaurant Farm Fresh Meals, 50 Delicious Recipes for Every Season.”

Dishes are organized by season and a color-coding system to ensure all watermelon and kiwi recipes stay tucked in the back til June. Each seasonal section includes a mix of recipes, ranging from main courses (pastas, casseroles, sandwiches) to sides (soups, salads, vegetables) and desserts (cookies, pies, and puddings).

So instead of turning stained, torn recipe pages, you’ll flip the cards as you deal through the deck of 50 creative recipes. Plus, there is an ingredient shopping list printed on each card that will prevent you from banging your cutting board when you accidentally leave the nutmeg and lime peel behind in the store.

Since the darker vegetables, like radicchio and spinach, are even more beneficial than the lighter leafs, like iceberg, we’d recommend the Crisp Autumn Salad, chock full of this season’s all-star produce.

Crisp Autumn Salad (Serves 8. Time: 35 minutes)

1⁄2 lb. Spring mix or baby greens

3 crisp apples, cored and thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb

24 large grapes, halved and seeded

3⁄4 red onion, thinly sliced

3⁄4 cup toasted walnuts*

3⁄4 cup crumbled stilton cheese (about 2 oz.)

Maple Mustard Dressing

3 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

6 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

*Toast walnuts in a single layer on un-oiled baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for 5 min. or until fragrant and browned.

Arrange greens on individual salad plates or on a large flat platter. Top with rest of salad ingredients in an attractive tangle.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together with a fork. Pour over the salad and serve.

Researchers tested pomegranate juice against other polyphenol-containing beverages (like red wine, orange juice, blueberry juice acai berry juice) and discovered that 100 percent pomegranate juice has the highest polyphenol content and the most of every type of antioxidant of any beverage.

It may reduce your risk for cancer and heart disease and other degenerative diseases. It may also promote and preserve healthy skin against UV radiation.

Pomegranates also contain vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, calcium, selenium and fiber.

An average pomegranate weighing 154 g has 104 calories, 1.5 g pro, no fat and is very low in sodium.

If you’d rather not deal with picking off the pesky seeds, you may take advantage of the fruits of someone else’s labor. The nutritional profiles are not all the same, but there are lots of more convenient products to choose from.

PomWonderful Juice is probably the most recognizable drink out there and is a dense source of potent antioxidants.

8 oz. glass: 160 calories, 0 g fat, 10 mg sodium, 40 g total carbs, 0 g protein. But, if you’d like to be even more efficient with your drinking, make your a.m. coffee fix an antioxidant rich one too.

POMx Iced Coffee combines Rainforest Alliance Italian-roasted coffee beans, fat free milk and a a proprietary blend of pomegranate extract (Pomx), without the pomegranate juice taste. A 10.5 oz bottle of cafe au lait, chocolate and vanilla weigh in at 190 calories, 160 mg sodium, 49 g total carbs (30 g sugar, 10 g sugar alcohol), 10g protein.

For a lower calorie option, try Hint Premium Essence Water Pomegranate-Tangerine. This sugar free drink is infused with all-natural fruit and has no aftertaste. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

For a spiked option, try HINT’s Falling for the Pom Pom:

Falling for the Pom-Pom
2.5 Ounces Citrus Vodka
2 Ounces Pomegranate-Tangerine HINT
1 Ounce Triple Sec

Bigelow Green Tea with Pomegranate provides a double boost of antioxidants–from the tea as well as the fruit infusion. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

If you’d rather eat your antioxidants, try Das Foods’ Fab-O-Pom lollipops. They contain concentrated pomegranate extract and a fragrant orange oil with just a taste of orange zest. 1 lollipop is 30 calories, 0g fat, 7g total carbohydrate, 0g protein.

The red fruit isn’t just reserved for fancy fruit platters. Protein-rich Chobani Pomegranate Yogurt works both for breakfast and as an afternoon snack. One 6oz. container: 140 calories, 0 g fat, 21 g total carb, 75 mg sodium, 14 g of protein.

Because you can’t take this fruit on-the-go, pack a NuGo Organic Nutrition Bar, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. This all-natural good source of vitamins and nutrients (Vit A, C, E, B12, Ca, Iron) doesn’t contain any hydrogenated oils or trans fatty acids. 1 serving (1.76-ounce bar): 190 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 26 g total carbs, 60 mg sodium, 190 mg potassium, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.

At 50 calories a Tbs., Crofter’s Organic Pomegranate Jelly may have a few more calories per serving than other types of jelly, but it has the added benefit of being all natural, organic, and Fair Trade Certified and has a high concentration of real fruit.

Your digestive system doesn’t have to do all the work. Try using Pomega5 Green Tea Skin Detox Kit on your skin. This combination beauty treatment contains Omega 5 (an essential oil for skin) and antioxidants. Packaged in an eco-friendly green organza bag, the kit includes: Verbena Green Tea Cleansing Bar, Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer, Verbena Revitalizing Treatment, and Green Tea Blend with Rosebuds.

Gutting a pomegranate might be frustrating, but the red stains and careful cutting are worth getting to the antioxidant-rich center.

Researchers tested pomegranate juice against other polyphenol-containing beverages (like red wine, orange juice, blueberry juice acai berry juice) and discovered that 100 percent pomegranate juice has the highest polyphenol content and the most of every type of antioxidant of any beverage.

It may reduce your risk for cancer and heart disease and other degenerative diseases. It may also promote and preserve healthy skin against UV radiation.

Pomegranates also contain vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, calcium, selenium and fiber.

An average pomegranate weighing 154 g has 104 calories, 1.5 g pro, no fat and is very low in sodium.

If you’d rather not deal with picking off the pesky seeds, you may take advantage of the fruits of someone else’s labor. The nutritional profiles are not all the same, but there are lots of more convenient products to choose from.

PomWonderful Juice is probably the most recognizable drink out there and is a dense source of potent antioxidants.

8 oz. glass: 160 calories, 0 g fat, 10 mg sodium, 40 g total carbs, 0 g protein. But, if you’d like to be even more efficient with your drinking, make your a.m. coffee fix an antioxidant rich one too.

POMx Iced Coffee combines Rainforest Alliance Italian-roasted coffee beans, fat free milk and a a proprietary blend of pomegranate extract (Pomx), without the pomegranate juice taste. A 10.5 oz bottle of cafe au lait, chocolate and vanilla weigh in at 190 calories, 160 mg sodium, 49 g total carbs (30 g sugar, 10 g sugar alcohol), 10g protein.

For a lower calorie option, try Hint Premium Essence Water Pomegranate-Tangerine. This sugar free drink is infused with all-natural fruit and has no aftertaste. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

For a spiked option, try HINT’s Falling for the Pom Pom:

Falling for the Pom-Pom
2.5 Ounces Citrus Vodka
2 Ounces Pomegranate-Tangerine HINT
1 Ounce Triple Sec

Bigelow Green Tea with Pomegranate provides a double boost of antioxidants–from the tea as well as the fruit infusion. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

If you’d rather eat your antioxidants, try Das Foods’ Fab-O-Pom lollipops. They contain concentrated pomegranate extract and a fragrant orange oil with just a taste of orange zest. 1 lollipop is 30 calories, 0g fat, 7g total carbohydrate, 0g protein.

The red fruit isn’t just reserved for fancy fruit platters. Protein-rich Chobani Pomegranate Yogurt works both for breakfast and as an afternoon snack. One 6oz. container: 140 calories, 0 g fat, 21 g total carb, 75 mg sodium, 14 g of protein.

Because you can’t take this fruit on-the-go, pack a NuGo Organic Nutrition Bar, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. This all-natural good source of vitamins and nutrients (Vit A, C, E, B12, Ca, Iron) doesn’t contain any hydrogenated oils or trans fatty acids. 1 serving (1.76-ounce bar): 190 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 26 g total carbs, 60 mg sodium, 190 mg potassium, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.

At 50 calories a Tbs., Crofter’s Organic Pomegranate Jelly may have a few more calories per serving than other types of jelly, but it has the added benefit of being all natural, organic, and Fair Trade Certified and has a high concentration of real fruit.

Your digestive system doesn’t have to do all the work. Try using Pomega5 Green Tea Skin Detox Kit on your skin. This combination beauty treatment contains Omega 5 (an essential oil for skin) and antioxidants. Packaged in an eco-friendly green organza bag, the kit includes: Verbena Green Tea Cleansing Bar, Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer, Verbena Revitalizing Treatment, and Green Tea Blend with Rosebuds.

After more than 4,000 rosy-cheeked, fit runners crossed the NYC marathon’s finish line on Sunday, it’s no surprise that New Year’s resolutions may come a little earlier this year.If you want to rev up a stale workout routine, lace up.

But, if major weight loss is your prime motivator, training to run a grueling 26.2 miles race may not get you there.

Depending on your activity, current weight, and energy output, you may need to increase your intake, or maintain the status quo, to fuel your muscles. For athletes looking to trim a few pounds, a 10-20 percent cut back on total usual intake (with fat no less than 15 percent), is doable, but any more than that can be dangerous.

First off, you should get an idea of how many calories you actually burn while you run. Though we’re all for cardiovascular activity to promote a healthy heart, body and mind, it may not give you as much of an energy deficit as you think.

FAT

Fat is needed for its essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamin (A, D, E, K) absorption and energy stores. Fat should comprise 20 to 35 percent of your total caloric intake and come from primarily unsaturated fat sources. If you skimp too much on meals or snacks in the hope of burning more calories, your muscles will draw fuel from your lean body tissue and fat stores leading to compromised body functions (endocrine, immune and musculoskeletal) and the sensation of “hitting the wall” (as fat is called upon for energy to replace lost glycogen), slowing you down or bringing you to a stop.

CARBS

Carbs are your main energy source. Whatever your past relationship with carbohydrates, in training, they should make up 50 to 65 percent of total energy intake, if you’re going to hit the pavement hard. It’s at the higher end of the Food Guide Pyramid, but it doesn’t allow for many low quality calorically-dense passes. Spreading them over the course of three meals (and two snacks) that are balanced with some protein and a little fat is the way to plate it.

Depending on your needs, carby snacks can range from 100 to 300 calories and should be low in fat and dairy and may include some fiber, when training.  Good choices include trail mix, fruit, a handful of pretzels, PB&J on graham crackers, a glass of low fat chocolate milk or a sports drink.

Some meal suggestions:

If you’re an early morning runner: Sandwich one whole egg and one or two egg whites on a whole wheat English muffin and add some berries on the side.

For lunch time gym-goers: Have a whole wheat wrap with turkey or tuna fish and 1/4 of an avocado and salad.

Late night sweaters: Go for a baked chicken breast, a sweet potato and a bowl of reduced sodium vegetable soup.

PROTEIN

Protein does a good job of building strength and repairing sore muscles, but overdoing it won’t make the ache go away any faster, in fact, it’ll just lead to dehydration. The current Recommended Daily Allowance for protein is 0.8g per kilogram of body weight. (Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms.) But, if you’re going to be clocking serious miles, aim for an increase of 1.2 to 1.4 g per kilogram of body weight per day.

FLUIDS

It is important to monitor fluid intake throughout the day to balance fluid (sweat) losses and prevent dehydration especially when training. Drink before, during and after exercise–about 16 to 20 oz. an hour. Though sports drinks offer electrolytes and ward off dehydration, when it comes to weight control, they may do more damage than good.  If you are concerned about your weight, stick mostly with water.