Dec
30
So you’ve gorged on pies, cakes, turkeys, ham, cups and cups of eggnog, and lots of other goodies you wouldn’t normally touch with a ten-foot pole on any other day, but since it’s Christmas, you have? Fret not. The few measly extra ounces don’t have to stay around your middle for the rest of the year! That is, if you do something about it and not just wait for the accumulated fat to melt away like snow at winter’s end…
First off, don’t even think of starving yourself! Crash and fad diets won’t help, because they’ll only wreak havoc on your already sluggish metabolism, and make you feel lethargic and blah, to boot. Not a very good way to welcome the new year, in other words. What you’ll need to do is get off your ass and start an exercise regimen targeted specifically to help you shed those pounds you so quickly accumulated over the holidays. And this is where the good news comes in.
Lots of gyms offer special post-holiday promos aiming to help clients get back in shape via fitness plans aided by able trainers on your road to slimming down. You will need this, especially if you’re the type of person who procastinates, and ends up with a bloated figure well into spring and summer. Yes, intervention is key, and a support group that includes people you actually PAY to whip your lardy butt into shape is best!
With physical exertion usually comes a diet sheet trimmed of calories and fats you have to follow to a T, if you’re serious about getting back into shape and losing that Santa Claus gut you suddenly sprouted. It won’t be easy, it won’t be miraculous in manner of Christmas miracles, but it’s better than a New Year’s resolution because you know you’re working hard towards a specific goal, and the end result is a much-improved, fitter you!
Dec
26
Yes, Christmas is the perfect time to go crazy over calorie-laden, festive food and to put off dieting another day…perhaps during Boxing Day, or when the new year has been welcomed with fireworks and fanfare? This, alas, has been the mentality of most people who, during the rest of the 11 months of the year, are otherwise very disciplined when it comes to maintaining their ideal weight. Come Christmas, and all thoughts of eating healthy fly out the window (or chimney, if we’re to stick with holiday visuals).
A few stanzas from a modern-day Christmas poem called “The Month After Christmas” underline this sentiment:
Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
It goes on and on, bemoaning the fact that one had gorged on one too many lard-smeared bit of Christmas goodie and guiltily wanting to make up for it in a hurry, to wit:
So, away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won’t have a cookie, not even a lick.
I’ll only chew on a long celery stick.
As we keep reiterating in this blog, do not crash diet! That has never helped anyone lose extra poundage in a healthy way. Instead, step up your exercise plans and avoid being bone-idle, and get rid of the mentality that leftover Christmas food will spoil if you don’t eat all of it in one sitting. Most of them will keep for as long as they’re properly refrigerated (especially true with sweets). And for those you simply cannot eat for long stretches of meals, give them away! If you’ve hosted a party and find yourself with much leftover food, by all means, let your guests bring some home to enjoy. Believe me, some festive food taste especially good as leftovers, reheated or otherwise.
More holiday weight-watchers’ tips to come in succeeding articles, but until then:
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
Aug
10
Smoothies To Soothe Thee
Filed Under Daily tips, Nutrition, fat burning | 1 Comment
Did you know that a fresh fruit smoothie has the power to boost your immune system? Fruit and veggies are musts in your daily diet, but if you find that a fast-paced life doesn’t have much room to munch on such produce, why not drink your fruits and veggies instead of masticating them in the conventional way? The smooth solution: smoothies!
Pureed fruit like strawberries, kiwi, bananas, and veggies like spinach have been proven to raise blood antioxidant levels by about 15%, as demonstrated by certain US studies. That’s a lot like taking 1250 mg of Vitamin C. Also, the natural ingredients guarantee your fiber needs are met. Since the fruit or veggies are diced or sliced before blending and do not require a pulpy mess for when you extract the juices for a normal drink, you’re getting all the goodness of a ripe and healthy produce in liquid form. Apples, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, berries…if it’s a fruit, it can be turned into a smoothie! Same goes for green leafy veggies as well as elongated ones like cuke, carrots, celery, etc.
A tip for weight-watchers, though: If you’re used to shake-like smoothie concoctions done with ice cream and then blended with fruit-flavored syrup, a fresh fruit smoothie is best for you. Flavor-wise, it isn’t compromised, and if you’re after a low kilojoule drink, the best way to go about it is to blend fresh and ripe fruit with low-fat yogurt or just crushed ice. Cut down on adding sugar or do away with it altogether. If the fruit is too sweet, you can add fresh lemon or lime juice to the mix. If it’s too tart, pour in some honey or unsweetened apple juice.
If you want a thicker concoction, freeze diced fruit on a baking tin for a couple of hours. Or get frozen berries. Frozen fruit are guaranteed to thicken up your smoothie and make them as tasty as if you’ve picked them fresh from the grocery aisle. Or tree.
Now that’s smooth!
Aug
5
Comfort Food And How They Really Affect You
Filed Under Daily tips, Healthy Living | Leave a Comment
They say you are what you eat. So if you’re starting to feel as sluggish and as coagulated as a big bowl of chocolate pudding, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate your eating habits…specifically the stuff you call “comfort food”.
Instead of calorie-laden snacks on a gloomy day, why not try these healthier alternatives? Research shows that, eaten in moderation, certain food can help bring about a more relaxed and calmer state.
For instance, those that trigger happy memories or associations, based on their presentation, scent, or taste, subconsciously connect people to their childhood or beautiful moments from the past. Mac and cheese, always a childhood favorite, has become many a grown person’s comfort food because it was usually served as an after-school snack. Today, however, make sure to substitute low-fat ingredients when making your mac and cheese if you’re figure or weight conscious.
Or have a turkey sandwich. Yes, you read it right. Just make sure the bread is whole wheat and not white to stick to your caloric counter. Turkey has healthy protein that produces dopamine and norepinephrine, which are brain chemicals that have something to do with you being mentally alert. Plus, protein is more easily digestible than carbs, so you can go on without feeling hungry for longer. A good turkey sandwich also helps calm you down because of the chemical tryptophan. It’s an amino acid that raises serotonin levels. Add to that the selenium coming from the whole-wheat bread, and you’re as calm and serene as a baby with a pacifier, while you munch away at this Thanksgiving staple gone deliciously healthy between slabs of bread.
Finally, milk is alway something good to pour in a glass and down, because calcium has been proven to regulate the tension and relaxation of blood vessels. So if you’re feeling a sudden rush of adrenalin, drink some of this pristine white childhood beverage. Remember when your mom would heat up some milk for when you can’t sleep at night? There’s some truth to that, because a warm glass of milk has about 300 mg of calcium to make you relaxed enough to harvest some Zzzz’s not long after you drink it.
Jul
21
Some Q’s for you to gauge if you’re not getting enough Zzzzz’s:
1. Are you the type who becomes unconscious as soon as your head hits the pillow? Y/N
2. Do you find yourself nodding off when you’re supposed to be relaxing for a couple of hours in front of the TV at night? Y/N
3. Are you always moody, grumpy, and easily distracted under daily circumstances? Y/N
4. Do you rely on an alarm clock to wake you up, and when it does, do you hit the snooze button repeatedly? Y/N
5. A cup of coffee is your lifeline every morning. Y/N
6. You find yourself overcompensating for sleep during weekends, because the rest of the week you are always burning the midnight oil. Y/N
Now, tally your scores. Count the number of times you said “yes” to the questions and statements above. If you have no “yes” answers, chances are you have pretty sound and healthy sleep habits.
If you answered “yes” once or more, you may be sleep deprived and need to review your current lifestyle. The quality and quantity of sleep get directly affected by your schedule, and other things that you don’t think matter. If you suspect a sleep disorder that is not easily remedied, consult your doctor.