8 secrets to losing weight

Every New Year's, many of us make a resolution to lose weight. If that’s your goal, chin up. I’m about to introduce two people who committed to slimming down—and succeeded. Let them be your guides on how to lose weight, lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, and have more energy.

First up—Nicholas Cimato. At age 38, Nick had a minor heart attack. By 42, he was pushing 400 pounds and at risk for type 2 diabetes. That year his doctor said, “I don’t know what else to tell you, Nick. Change or die.”

Well, Nick changed. He lost more than 100 pounds and plans to compete in a triathlon in 2010. Here’s how he did it.

1) START DINNER WITH A FIRST COURSE. One of Nick’s secrets for losing weight was how he started dinner. Instead of launching into his entrée, he began with either a big salad or a bowl of vegetable soup. Foods like this are low in calories but fill you up because they contain so much water. Research from Penn State University has shown that this technique can cut your total calories at mealtime by 20%.

2) ENJOY UNLIMITED SNACKS. “Unlimited” foods are nonstarchy vegetables like peppers, carrots, celery, and cucumbers, all of which have a high water content and a low calorie count. In addition to carrying around baby carrots, Nick kept hunger at bay by chugging water throughout the day and before meals.

3) WALK OFF CRAVINGS. Like many of us, Nick sometimes got intense chocolate cravings—especially when stressed. When I told him about a recent British study that found chocolate-lovers had reduced cravings after taking a brisk 15-minute walk, he said he’d give it a try. It not only helped fight the urge to munch but also helped burn calories.

4) AVOID TRIGGER FOODS. Nick began to recognize his personal trigger foods—things he just couldn’t stop eating once he’d begun. He realized that pizza, bagels, and candy bars were dangerous for him, so he did everything he could to steer clear of them. He stopped keeping them in his house, crossed the street to avoid the sight and smell of a pizza parlor, and averted his eyes whenever he caught a glimpse of a candy machine. Identify your personal trigger foods and avoid them at all costs.

Suzanne Seiden is a 45-year-old mother and volunteer at her children’s schools. When she came to my office last April, Suzanne said she felt unhappy and self-conscious about her body. With hard work, Suzanne has lost more than 60 pounds and now feels empowered and energized. Some of her tricks:

5) GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME. Suzanne’s first “secret” for losing weight was to commit completely. All of the successful dieters I’ve worked with say that they had to know in their hearts that they would succeed this time. Success starts in the head, moves to the heart, and lastly involves the mouth and stomach.

6) DOUBLE UP ON THE GOOD STUFF. One of the most important dietary commitments Suzanne made was to ditch starchy carbohydrates at dinner and replace them with loads of vegetables. By eliminating 1 cup of starch every night and doubling up on nonstarchy veggies, you could save more than 80,000 calories and drop almost 23 pounds in one year!

7) ELIMINATE EXTRAS. When I first met Suzanne, she fessed up to being a major nibbler. I explained to her that picking at tiny amounts of food throughout the day may not seem like such a big deal, but it’s amazing how quickly those calories compound. Lesson learned: Every bite counts.

8) CUT BACK ON SWEETS—REAL AND ARTIFICIAL. Everyone knows you can save calories by cutting back on cookies and other sugary foods. But some studies suggest that even diet soda and artificially sweetened foods can lead to weight gain. One plausible explanation: Fake sugars keep sweetness on our taste buds and minds. That’s why I asked Suzanne to cut out sweets entirely for the first week of the diet and to minimize them going forward. Ta-da! It worked!

Easy food swaps for weight loss
http://www.parade.com/healthystyle/2008/09/easy-swaps-weight-loss

6 simple diet tricks: What she can learn from him (and vice versa)

http://www.parade.com/healthystyle/2008/11/6-easy-diet-tricks

7 diet do’s and don’t’s
http://www.parade.com/health/0809/diet-dos-and-donts

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Budget Airline

u'll never look at petai the same way again :p

Hi all,

Some Healthy Food Trips to brighten up your morning blue.
ADVICE FROM UKM MEDICAL DOCTOR

Little did you know ...... after reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!

Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose,fructose and glucose.Combined with fiber,petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute wor kout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan,a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin,known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anaemi a:
High in iron,petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipatio n:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels,while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn,try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness :
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito b ites :
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin.Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control :
Many other cultures see petai as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In hoiland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affecti ve Disorder (SAD) :
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:
Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking.The B6,B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral,which helps normalize the heartbeat,sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes:
According to research in 'The New Engla nd Journal of Medicine,'eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%'.

Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, as you can see,petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A Petai a day keeps the doctor away'.

Nail Clipper