Diet tips for health

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Read The Whole Label Whenever you're choosing a processed food product, such as cereal, you may notice that the label claims that a serving has only one gram of fat. However, be sure to read the list of ingredients to see whether this food item is really good for you. The first ingredient listed should be some sort of whole grain combination. If refined grains and sugar appear at the top of the list, then you should probably avoid this particular product. Also, if you see partially hydrogenated oils on the list, the cereal contains trans fats that can damage your good cholesterol. Even though the nutritional label looks good, always read the listed ingredients, too.

Whole Grains And Fiber Sometimes you think you're eating enough fiber in your diet, but you may be surprised to find out you're not. A lot of people equate starchy foods such as pastas, bread, and rice with fiber. In actuality, these foods have little fiber, since they're refined or have had most of the nutrients stripped from them.

Look for whole grain foods that have at least three to five grams of fiber per serving. Some of these are whole wheat breads, long-grained rice, oatmeal, and barley. Legumes are also excellent sources of fiber. A half-cup of kidney beans, for example, can have up to six grams of fiber. Fruits and vegetables are other good sources of fiber. Remember that the food pyramid recommends 6 - 11 servings a day, or 30 grams of fiber from the bread, pasta, cereal, and rice groups.

Cooking Like Grandma Many of us wish we could cook the foods that grandma did, and yet stay thin too. There weren't very many overweight people in grandma's day, either, and no one seemed to be dieting much. Perhaps the difference lies in the times we're living in. In days gone by, people were naturally more mobile, walking more and performing more physical labor. Today, machines and technology have taken over a lot of things we once did by hand. On the whole, we probably burn about 200 fewer calories each day than we did 50 to 60 years ago.

Foods have changed too. Instead of eating natural homegrown foods of the kind grandma used to cook, we visit that fast food, fat-laden restaurant on the corner. We don't even walk there, though; we hop in our cars and drive through! So the answer seems to be that if we want to enjoy foods like grandma made and not suffer any consequences, then we have to make sure we move our bodies a lot more.

Success Stories It's interesting and often helpful to read the successful diet stories of other people. This is especially a good idea when you're trying to decide what you need to do to lose weight. One theme that appears to run through most stories is that successful dieters almost always say they drink a lot of water. Most developed their own eating plans, as well. Then, as they lost weight, they naturally became more active and started exercise plans to fit their needs. Nearly all of the dieters had tried many ways to lose weight. They found that they gained back previously lost pounds on fad diets, diet drinks or shakes, and even prescription diet pills. What do you take from all this? You need to develop a lifestyle plan that you can live with after the weight comes off. Losing weight is only part of the story.

Baked Potato Hints To end up with a softer skin when you're microwaving potatoes, spray each potato with butter-flavored spray, wrap in microwave-safe plastic wrap, and pierce each potato through the wrap several times. Then, cook as usual. You can do the same in the oven, except after spraying, pierce, and then wrap in foil prior to baking. You can also place each potato in a muffin tin to bake. If potatoes are soaked in cold salted water for about 15 minutes, they will bake a little faster. To prevent potatoes from becoming soggy, pierce to release steam immediately after baking.

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Add Back A Little Fat Some well-known chefs who are into healthy cooking have recently admitted to sneaking a little fat back into their cullinary creations. The amount they use is negligible, and the flavor of their dishes is greatly improved. These chefs must have known something, because recent studies have shown that minerals and fat-soluble nutrients are better absorbed by the body if they're ingested with a SMALL amount of fat. A little olive or canola oil is probably the best choice.

Browse the Dieting archive www.emazing.com/archives/diet

Obesity And Mortality Some doctors consider you obese if you're 30 percent more than your ideal weight. Being fat isn't a death sentence in itself, but many diseases that are directly related to obesity can kill. In fact, obese people stand about a 40 percent chance of dying early. Diseases that are commonly attributed to obesity are high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and certain cancers such as breast and colon.

Smoking is the number one leading cause of death, but obesity-related diseases are second. More than 300,000 deaths each year are indirectly linked to obesity. Work with your doctor to develop an overall program of drugs, diet, and exercise that is appropriate for you if you are severely overweight.

Broccoli - Rice Casserole Here is a good standby recipe that is just as good prepared a lower-fat way. You will need: one box or bag frozen chopped broccoli, one can light or lower-fat cream of mushroom soup, four ounces of Velveeta Light cheese, 1/4 cup of reduced fat or non-fat margarine, and 3 cups of cooked rice.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook broccoli according to package directions. Drain. Add mushroom soup, cheese, margarine, and cooked rice. Heat slowly till cheese melts. Put in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray. Top with crushed light cheese crackers or non-fat cheddar cheese chips and bake for about 30 minutes.

Apple Juice Lowers Fat By drinking apple juice with your fast food meals, you may stop the damage from eating those high fat foods. Researchers from the University of California found recently that apple juice can help reduce your LDL (bad) cholesterol up to 34 percent. So, opt for the apple juice in place of a cola or other non-nutritional drink. You can easily carry the little single serving cans or boxes with you. And always be sure you're drinking only 100 percent juice.

Fat Burning Tips Some new research seems to show that people who engage in at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week lose twice the amount of weight as those who are sedentary. Also, the time of day you exercise plays a role in how you burn fat. A good workout 12 hours before a high fat meal can lower the fat content of the meal by as much as 50 percent. Working out one hour before the meal uses 40 percent of the fat in the meal. Surprisingly, you use only five percent if you exercise after a meal.



-- Anonymous, December 06, 2002


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