Jan 31, '10
Are you getting too much Sodium in your diet?
Too much salt in your diet can lead to high blood pressure which can put you at risk for stroke. One-third of Americans over the age 20 already have high blood pressure. Current recommendations are to consume less than 2400mg of sodium per day – the equivalence of 1 teaspoon of salt. Added salts are just part of the problem. You can easily consume more than the daily recommendations during 1 meal by eating at a restaurant or by eating processed, packaged, and canned foods. Many people consume up to 4 times the recommended sodium amount
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Use salt substitutes for cooking such as Mrs. Dash.
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Cook with plenty of herbs and spices (staying away from items such as garlic salt, and all seasoning spices)
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Marinade foods with lemon juice, oil and vinegar, and spices instead of bottled marinades
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Use oil and vinegar on salads instead of salad dressings
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Choose fresh foods instead of pre-packaged and canned foods
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If using canned vegetables or beans rinse them off prior to using
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Read labels and look for lower sodium options
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Most cheeses, processed meats, and smoked foods are very high in sodium such as hot dogs, cold cuts, sausages, and bacon
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Soups and broths are high in sodium – even the reduced sodium varieties
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Frozen meals, and packaged rice with spice sacks are high in sodium
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When eating out it is difficult to know how much sodium is in your meal. Avoid sauces when possible and eat plenty of fresh vegetables or salads. Choose baked potatoes instead of mashed or French fries so you are aware of how much salt you are adding
Dec 28th, '09
How to lose the holiday weight...
So you ate a bit too much at the holiday parties. Now you have to start the New Year fresh and keep your resolutions. Remember 2 extra pounds a year can lead to a 20 pound weight gain in 10 years. Here are some tips that may help remove the holiday pounds:
- Take your time eating. Savor each bite and chew well. Eating too quickly allows you to eat more than you need to feel full.
- Stop eating when you begin to feel full. A few extra bites at each meal can really add up.
- Have soup or salad before your meal. Most soups and salads (with light dressing and without the extra fixings) are low in calories and will fill you up so you won’t consume as much at your meal.
- Use a smaller size plate. The more you have on your plate, the more you will eat.
- Leave food on the stovetop instead of in the center of the table. You are less likely to get up for second helpings than if the food is in front of you.
- Make half your meal vegetables. Generally vegetables are 25 calories for a half a cup cooked and the fiber in vegetables will help you feel full.
- If you plan to eat out make your decision before reaching the restaurant. Most restaurants have their menu on-line. Look at the menu when you feel full to make an educated choice. If you wait until you are hungry unhealthy choices are more likely to be made.
- Go shopping when you are full so you won’t be influenced by hunger.
- Brush your teeth after dinner. This will help curb nighttime snacking.
- Have easily accessible healthy snacks at home such as carrot sticks, fresh fruit, low fat yogurt, or low fat cheese.
Nov 16th, '09
Seasonal suggestion…
Keeping the holiday pounds down
First comes Thanksgiving, then the holiday parties, then the weight. Make this year different. Remember gaining 1 pound a year over 30 years really adds up.
Here are a few tips that may help
- Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals especially breakfast may not only slow your metabolism but will make you hungrier at your next meal.
- Don’t give up. Just because you ate a lot on Thanksgiving does not mean you can eat whatever you want until New Years.
- Focus on weight maintenance rather than weight loss. This is not a time to start a diet.
- Limit beverages with calories. Soda, juice, and alcohol can add from 100- 200 calories in 8 ounces.
- Have a light snack before going to a party. That will prevent you from over-eating when you get there.
- Be physically active every day. This will help you maintain your weight.
- Try to load up on healthier items such as vegetables and fruit so you will be less hungry for the higher calorie foods.
Turkey is usually the Thanksgiving food of choice, and you may want to include it in your diet regularly. Turkey is low in fat (without the skin) and calories, and also high in protein. It has many vitamins and minerals that provide health benefits. Turkey contains selenium which is an anti-oxidant, and also beneficial for your immune system. It also contains niacin which may protect against some cancers, and vitamin B6 for energy production and blood sugar regulation. White meat contains fewer calories and less fat than the dark meat. So this Thanksgiving you may want to avoid some of the fattening sides and add an extra helping of turkey to your plate!
Oct 15th, '09
Tips for Halloween
October is a difficult time for most people to maintain or lose weight. It is difficult to avoid the temptation to eat candy when it is placed at a co-workers desk, when it is in your home in preparation for trick-or-treaters, or when your children go trick-or-treating and bring home bags of goodies.
Here are a few tips that may help:
- When buying candy for Halloween, choose candy that you do not like.
- Keep healthy foods easily accessible and put candy in hard to reach places where it is difficult to keep coming back for more.
- If you know candy will be around make sure that you have a meal or healthful snack. The more hungry you are the more candy you are likely to eat.
- Keep your mouth busy by drinking water or chewing gum.
- Every time you take a candy write down the time and quantity. Before taking another one look at how much candy you had already that day.
- Increase your exercise to compensate for the extra calories – 100 extra calories a day can cause you to gain about a pound a month.
If you do decide to snack on some Halloween treats, use this information below to choose the items lowest in calories and fat.
| Candy |
Serving Size |
Calories |
Fat |
Carbohydrates |
| Almond Joy, Miniatures |
3 |
200 |
11 |
25 |
| Dum Dum Pops |
2 |
51 |
0 |
13 |
| Hersheys Kisses |
9 |
230 |
13 |
24 |
| Hersheys Miniatures |
5 |
210 |
13 |
25 |
| Hersheys Nuggets |
4 |
200 |
12 |
25 |
| KitKat (FunSize) |
1 |
100 |
5 |
12 |
| Milky Way (FunSize) |
2 |
150 |
6 |
24 |
| Baby Ruth (FunSize) |
1 |
100 |
4.5 |
15 |
| ButterFinger (FunSize) |
1 |
100 |
4 |
15 |
| Nestle Crunch (FunSize) |
3 |
210 |
10 |
29 |
| Nips Caramel |
2 |
60 |
1 |
11 |
| Smarties Candy Roll |
1 |
25 |
0 |
6 |
| Snickers (FunSize) |
1 |
95 |
5 |
12 |
| Tootsie Roll Pops |
1 |
60 |
0 |
15 |
| Twix Minis |
3 |
150 |
8 |
20 |
| York Peppermint Petties |
1 |
140 |
2.5 |
31 |
| Three Musketeers Minis |
7 |
170 |
5 |
32 |
* Some amounts have been approximated. Please see actual product labels for complete information.
Good luck and enjoy your Halloween!