OK so its 2010 and well with a new year comes….New Years Resolutions. If one of your resolutions is to lose all that weight you gained last year when you fell of the exercise band wagon or maybe you just decided to overeat through the holidays then you’ve come to right place!!!

When most of us think about how we can lose weight and get fit,  starting with the latest diet trend always seems to be a great idea.  But if you have ever had friends or family who have tried this, you will probably notice that most people don’t get the results they were hoping for.

My advice for you is to start by making small changes that you can in-corp0rate into your lifestyle for the rest of your life. Here is how you can do that….

1.Aim for fitness:

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you exercise at least 5 times per week for about 30-45 minutes. This can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, hyper-tension, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes and other health conditions. Furthermore , physical activity is related to improvements in flexibility, bone mass density, risk of hip fractures, depression and anxiety and health related quality of life.

2. Eat breakfast.

A nutritious breakfast gets you fueled for the day and this helps to prevent you from binging later during the day. Cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, or whole-grain waffles are all examples of excellent breakfast choices

3.Try low-calorie and low-fat versions of your favorite foods.

Don’t assume that you have to give up your favorite comfort foods like macaroni and cheese when you’re trying to eat healthier and lose weight.  Just use lower-calorie ingredients or prepare it differently. For example, if your macaroni and cheese recipe uses whole milk, butter, and full-fat cheese, try remaking it with skim milk, less butter and light cream cheese. You can even add some fresh spinach and tomatoes to make it  healthier and nutritious.

4.Watch your portion sizes.

Standard portion sizes may actually be smaller than you think. For example, three ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. One serving size of pasta or rice is about the size of a tennis ball.Try putting smaller amounts of food on your plate or using smaller plates. If you put more food in front of you, you’ll eat it because it’s there. Now Remember if you are eating low calorie or low fat versions of your favorite food, you still have to stick to portion sizes.

5. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Try brown rice instead of white rice and whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta. Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A cup of salad counts as one vegetable, so try eating a salad with either lunch or dinner .And remember to choose  low-calorie, low-fat or fat free dressing.

6. Keep healthy snacks on hand.

Since we all often get hungry throughout the day, it’s important to make healthy snacks available, especially when you’re at work. Keeping healthy snacks, such as fruits, veggies, granola, or popcorn, on hand will prevent you from heading to the vending machine for an unhealthy snack

7. Start with lean cuts of meat and poultry.

For poultry, the leanest choice is white meat from skinless breast of chicken or turkey. When shopping for beef, look for round, chuck, sirloin or tenderloin. Lean pork choices include tenderloin and loin chops.

And Lastly, Be Patient

We’re all looking for a quick fix when it comes to weight loss, but don’t expect to get it overnight. A healthy weight loss rate is 1 to 2 pounds a week, so don’t anticipate losing more than that. Set a reasonable weight loss goal, like five pounds in two months.

Good Luck for your weight loss and new years resolution and remember…you did not gain weight over night so don’t try to lose weight overnight!!! If you have any questions please do not hesitate ask or leave a comment.

 Hopefully you won’t catch on fire while try to make a phone call!

I mean who would actually think that having a cellphone that supports your bad habits is the best thing ever. There is not a lot of information yet on the phone except that was invented by a Chinese based company. I would hope that with all the ongoing research on whether or not cellphones cause cancer this really isn’t true.

Which color would you pick from above?↑ Coronary Heart Disease, Burnt Tobacco or Emphysema?

Think about it…if you were a smoker or if you are a smoker and had this cellphone and you were stranded somewhere in a stressful situation, and your phone had low battery power (cause let’s face this battery would never last especially if you smoked a pack a day), would you save your battery to make a phone call for help or would you light your cigarette? Let me know what you do by commenting below. Have a great weekend!!!

Energy  drink and energy shots companies thrive on that because they know that most people will turn to their products to help them get through their day. These products are everywhere, from supermarkets, to drug stores and in vending machines. 

These little bottles promise to provide you with energy and alertness to go about your business. They promise you superhuman powers to help you conquer the world.  Apparently, Super Mario and Donkey Kong even have their own energy drinks .  Many of these drinks also have more ingredients listed than those at on a VIP Guest list at the popping club. However, have you ever really stopped to think about what exactly it is that they are offering and whether or not they work or is it just another attempt for companies to make lots of dinero?

What to know about common Energy Drink Ingredients

• Most simply consist of sugar, not the type you find in fruits…no just plain old simple sugar. Sugar is used as a source of fuel by your body, but the amount in these drinks is way more than your daily allowance…so guess what happens to all that excess sugar not utilized by your body…yip its stored back into fat. Therefore, if you are trying to lose weight, you could actually be stalling your progress.
• These drinks also have large amounts of caffeine which if you consume too much of it can increase your heart rate, cause anxiety, jitteriness and dehydration.
• The amino acid Taurine is also frequently used. Even though it can be found naturally in the diet, studies have shown that when coupled with caffeine it causes the heart rate to increase and more blood is pumped from the heart. This explains why after consuming these drinks you may feel jittery and your heart feels heavy.
• More than 100% of your daily B Vitamin intake is found in these products. You most likely are already getting enough from your diet alone and guess what happens to excess vitamins…they are excreted through your urine. So really you are paying for them but most likely don’t use them.
• Majority of the drinks also have the herb Guruana which is a type of caffeine. The side effects of this herb when combined with the other ingredients are still unknown.

Pretty much all I am saying is just be careful of what you are consuming. Don’t think that just because you see it being advertised its safe for consumption. If you need to take these energy drinks, occasionally that’s OK but if you constantly rely on these drinks for energy…I would really think aboout what you are consuming. Why waste your money on expensive energy drinks when it is well known that the best way to supply your body with adequate energy is to east lots of protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, plenty of water as well as get adequate sleep.

Its Cow Appreciation Day today, so for all you Chick-Fil-A lovers or those who just simply love free food like me, it’s not a rumour its true…if you dress like a cow and go to any Chick-Fil-A restaurant on July 10th , 2009, you can get a free Combo meal.

Take a look a these chicken lovers for some outfit ideas!

 He is going all the way!!! That’s a real chicken lover!!!

She is keeping it stylish…you go girl!

I have no comment…

I guess someone decided to steal the free chicken instead…

They just took it way too far..I mean a house..HELL NO!

Come on people, don’t be scurrred…GO GET YOUR MOO ON! You know you’re hungry! Let me know if you do it…I’m on my way there now..peace!

For more information, including a cut and paste cow outfit visit http://www.chick-fil-a.com/#home

So why should you choose whole grain over refined products?

I know, I know…  refined foods have a better texture , a longer shelf life and for some taste better…but whole grain foods  have essential vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, vitamin B, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc and iron. Yes, some refined foods such as white bread are fortified I.E, the minerals and vitamins have been replaced back into the product but remember: they are not natural,the quantity is less and besides, you can’t put the fiber back in!

 Why is fiber good? Well  it can help you lose weight  because it makes a meal feel more filling and it lingers longer in your stomach, so you stay full for a longer amount of time.

If you want to follow this trend…..stay away from refined foods such as spagetti, white bread, white rice and even wheat bread. Yesss wheat bread is not whole grain!!! If you buy wheat bread…do not be fooled, make sure it clearly says WHOLE WHEAT BREAD!

Instead choose any products that have the words WHOLE GRAIN somewhere on the package. Examples are 

• Barley
• Brown rice
• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Oatmeal
• Popcorn
• Rolled oats
• Whole-wheat bread, pasta or crackers
• Wild rice

For awesome whole grain recipes and more tips courtesy of  The Whole Grains Council visit http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/. I tried the Easy Pita Pizza. It’s really really good and it only takes approximately 20 minutes to make ! Try it!

Whether you’re looking for  breakfast on-the-go, a post workout recovery or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, smoothies are an easy way to get that nutritional punch. If you hate the taste of multivitamins like I do, you can even throw in your daily dose and blend it all up with your smoothie and you won’t taste a thing.

Here is an easy basic smoothie recipe!

Hakujay’s Bahama Mama

Place everything in the blender and just blend until it’s smooth (about 30 seconds). If you use fresh ingredients, make sure you add some ice-cubes to give it a nice, creamy texture. This is just my favorite combination of fruit but you can add any fruit you like. Pears and pineapples work really well as well. If you like yours a little sweeter you can substitute plain fat free yogurt with plain low fat vanilla yogurt and/or sugar free frozen  sorbet. Hope you enjoy your smoothie!!!

Here are some tips on how you can change your eating habits to support a good cause!!!

1. Eat less meat:this ones hard, I love my steak too but research has shown that the resources needed to raise, feed and water livestock produce 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.  Going green does not mean indulging only in vegetables; it simply means limiting the amount of meat in your diet to 3 or 4 times per week. Try eating more vegetables, seafood and foods that are great substitutes for meat like portobello mushrooms and soy products.

2. Go organic and buy less processed foods:  not only is this a much healthier choice but this helps to reduces your carbon footprints. Processed foods are often imported and transported on large trucks and planes, which contributes greatly to global warming and air pollution.

3. Reintroduce yourself to your stove: Think about it…eating out requires getting into a car, driving and using gas, which we all know, contributes to greenhouse emissions. So why not eat more home cooked meals, which are nutrient rich, healthier and also have a lot less calories than fast food and restaurant meals.

4. Say Bye- Bye  to bottles:Drink less sweetened drinks and sodas..fuel is used to make these drinks and not even recycling can make up for the resources spent to make and transport them. Instead, think about buying a water filter and using tap water or you could even make ice-tea at home. Cutting back on sweetened drinks will  help to dramatically reduce your calorie consumption.

5. Waste Not, Want Not: buying and preparing only what you will eat will help you waste less. Don’t let food go bad so you have to throw it away. Landfills produce a substantial amount of methane when these foods decompose , which contributes to greenhouse emissions. Preparing enough food to eat will also help to stop overeating which can help to prevent weight-gain or obesity.

Yes, I know this sounds hard but just simply try to open your mind. If everyone can make an effort to change one or two of these things, we can implement positive changes not to benefit the environment but also for your health.

For lots of great tips, recipes, and ideas to help you join in on the community of practical, money saving, eco-friendly cooking and eating click on the link above!!!

Don’t panic when you see big numbers….these are calories not prices!

Calories on Menus? Yes its true… all restaurants including  Diners, Fast Food chains and other Family Restaurants may soon be required to put calories next to all menu items. Since late last year, the state of New York passed a law that requires all Restaurants with 15 or more chains to put the amount of calories next to each menu item. Bravo New York! What an excellent way to  pave the path. Other states such as Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania and California have already followed suit and talks of  making it a Federal Law are in progress.

Bravo to this ad by New York! Bravo!

Last week , the National Restaurant Association said that they would support a Federal law requiring all restaurants to place this information on menus. This includes restaurants such as Outback Steak House, Olive Garden, and more. Pretty soon people…you could see calorie counts not only on menus but also on drive through windows, menu boards, yellow pages and whoa even on vending machines!!!

This is what you could see at Drive Through Windows…

Interestingly some investors  and some restaurant chains are not too pleased about this proposal. In fact, last week shares of restaurants such as Burger King and Olive Garden dropped after the possibility of this legislation was announced.  These investors should realize that, this legislation will not only help to improve eating habits but could possibly decrease the prevalence of obesity which is directly linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases and medical conditions.  Bravo to chains like Subway, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut for not waiting for legislation and have already started putting calories on menus!

  ←   This just so Baracktastic!!!

On the other hand…M&Ms have nutritional information printed on the packet , but has that stopped people from eating them? Will this work or is this just a waste of time? What do you think? Do you think this law will help to improve your eating habits? Or are you just going to eat that 1590 calorie Double Whopper Cheeseburger meal anyway?

It’s easy, they love their red wine….that’s right, they LOVE RED WINE! Red wine has an antioxidant called RESVERATROL. This discovery could possibly explain the French Paradox- the fact that the French have low rates of cancer, heart disease, and obesity. The World Health Organization indicates that Resveratrol,  is one of the active ingredients, which reduces the risk of coronary heart disease in red wine drinkers by up to 40%.

Other health benefits acknowledged  by DR Oz on Oprah are that Resveratrol keeps your skin healthy and keeps the wrinkles away. So next time you are shopping for your perfect alcoholic beverage….remember a glass of red wine keeps the doctor away! And remember DON”T DRINK AND DRIVE! BE SAFE!

Baracktastic!!!