The Daily Gain 
Gain knowledge, not pounds! A generous portion of news, tips, and highlights from the world of health.
Posted by juleslein on April 12, 2007
Can it be that ordinary dairy products are the secret to successful weight loss? A number of studies recently have shown that people who consume more calcium (1200-1300 mg per day) in the form of dairy products are more successful at losing fat when following a reduced-calorie diet than those who consume less calcium (400-500 mg per day). The reasons remain unclear, but it seems that the calcium changes the metabolism in fat cells to reduce fat production and increase fat breakdown. The effect of calcium was even greater when consumed in the form of dairy products rather than supplements.
Before you start gobbling up cheese and milkshakes, however, remember that dairy products can also be high in saturated fat. Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy products, like skim milk, non-fat, light yogurt, and low-fat cheeses. One serving of dairy typically contains about 300 mg of calcium, so aim to get at least three servings a day. Dairy products are also great sources of protein, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and magnesium. As you consume more dairy products, you’ll also help your bones stay strong.
What if you’re lactose intolerant? You can still enjoy dairy foods, with a few modifications. Cheese and yogurt with active cultures contain less lactose than milk. Most individuals who are lactose intolerant can drink small portions of milk (1/2 cup) with food without symptoms. Another option is to choose dairy products that are lactose-free or take a lactase enzyme tablet when you do have regular dairy foods.
Posted by juleslein on April 11, 2007
The problem of obesity is not just ours. It is our children’s as well. Did you know that approximately 12 million children ages 2-19 in America are overweight? That is a lot! Who’s to blame? Our lifestyle is. We all spend way too much time in front of the T.V. and playing video games. What happened to running around outside all day? I was lucky enough to grow up in house that had a huge backyard, and lots of open space beyond that. My siblings and I hated to be inside.
Heavily processed foods, foods high in sugar and fat and fast-food restaurants play a factor as well. We can’t blame these things entirely, because we aren’t forced to choose them…even though our kids put lots of pressure on us.
Here are some tips to get your kids up and active and building good habits:
Variety: Provide a variety of healthy foods for your children: whole grain bread, fruits & vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Have your kids pick out a new fruit or vegetable each week at the grocery store. One that they think looks “cool”. They’ll be more likely to eat it if it was their idea in the first place.
Turn it off: Limit your child’s TV viewing. Let them pick out one show for the day. If they’ve watched their show for the day, and want to watch something later, make them earn it by doing something active for as long as their desired TV show is.
Go for Water instead of Juice: Keep your kids hydrated with water. Especially if they are being really active. Avoid giving them too much juice, because it’s usually loaded with sugar. Instead, have them drink water with grape ice cubes (frozen grapes) They’ll love that!
Be a good example: In both what you eat and how active you are. Your kids are way more observant than you think. They are copy-cats and will want to follow the type of lifestyle you lead.
As parents and role-models we can do much to curb this epidemic of obesity in the rising generation. Let’s make the changes we need to. Our kids will thank us later!
Posted by wonderchica on April 10, 2007
I don’t know about you, but I hate budgets. I hate to make one, and most of all I hate to keep one. Some people are great at keeping budgets. I, on the other hand am not. I don't record my purchases, withdrawals, or deposits. The problem is, since I don't write purchases down, it is very easy to forget about a few debit purchases, or checks that haven't cleared yet. It seems in order to be successful, the key is to keep a written record. So while I might not be so great at keeping a financial budget, I am quite good at following a calorie budget.
Weight loss or weight gain is a relatively simple concept, despite what you may think. Basically it comes down to one mathematical equation, and you don’t even have a to be a math whiz to be able to figure it out. It all comes down to calories in vs. calories out. Here are the three possible scenarios of the equation.
--- If Calories In = Calories Out, you will maintain your same weight.
--- If Calories In > Calories Out, you will gain weight.
--- If Calories In < Calories Out, you will lose weight.
Simple right? So simple that if my parents knew that they paid for four years of college, and one of the most important things I learned was an equation as simple as that, they might want their money back. A little warning, the mathematical part of the equation is simple, however it will require a little effort to get the numbers for the equation. I’ll explain those two numbers below.
1. Calories In: The best way to keep track of this is to KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL! (I can see you rolling your eyes already-stop it!) You need to record everything and anything. Even if you eat 7 M&M’s, 5 pretzels, or one bite of cheesecake--write it down!! Every little bit counts, and you’re less likely to snack on unhealthy things if you know you have to write it down. If you want to go above and beyond, record the food, amount, calories, what time you ate, and how you felt before and after you ate. This will help you track your eating habits and how they relate to your emotions. Add up all of the calories at the end of the day, we will compare this number to our calories out number.
2. Calories Out: This is the number of calories your body is burning each day. Two factors, your metabolism rate and your activity level combine to equal this number. First and foremost, you need to find your metabolism rate. Sure there are a lot of scientific ways to find this out, but I’m guessing that you don’t have the time or resources necessarily do that. I turn to the internet to help me out here. Put “find my metabolism rate” in your favorite search engine and I guarantee you will find a lot of websites that will help you calculate it. Now this calculator is not without its flaws, but it is a good jumping off point. The second part to how many calories you are burning each day is your activity level. Once again, you can find calculators on the internet that will help you determine how many calories are burned with particular activities, or some cardio machines will keep track for you. As with the metabolism calculator, they are not perfect-however, it is a good estimate most of the time. Add the two numbers together to get the total number of calories out for the day.
Not too hard right? You have the basic tools now on your road to weight loss. I’m not saying that it will be a piece of cake, but once you understand how calories in vs. calories out relate to your goal, it should simplify life a little.
Motivational Quotes to fuel your success
Posted by Danielle on April 10, 2007
Put these motivational quotes everywhere: on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, dashboard and desk.
"Citrus, Altius, Fortius" [Faster, Higher, Stronger] – Henri Martin Didon
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit" - Napoleon Hill
“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” – Napoleon Hill
“Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.” – Jim Rohn
"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." - Roger Bannister
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination." - Tommy Lasorda
“The secret of success is constancy of purpose.” - Benjamin Disraeli
“Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got.” - Jim Rohn
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." - Walter Elliott
“The most important question to ask on the job is not "what am I getting?" The most important question to ask is "What am I becoming?" - Jim Rohn
“When the promise is clear, the price gets easy.” – Jim Rohn
Posted by juleslein on April 09, 2007
Maybe. There have been a number of studies that have compared fish consumption to rates of depression. Fish consumption in the United States has gone down over the years while depression rates have sky-rocketed. Could the two be linked? Scientists believe so.
The key is the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils. Other great sources of omega-3 are olive oil, nuts (especially walnuts), canola oil, flaxseeds, and avocados.
Omega-3 fatty acids can also improve arterial and brain function and reduce blood pressure.
Posted by juleslein on April 08, 2007
From Stealth Health
Here are some easy ways to boost your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories. We've also thrown in ideas for cranking up the calorie burn of your workout -- without making it longer. Taken together, these tips should be more than enough to shift your weight loss out of neutral and move it full speed ahead again.
Still, it's important that you maintain a realistic expectation of what's considered "healthy" weight loss. About a pound or two a week is ideal; much more than that is unlikely to last long-term.
1. Use interval training to rev up your workout. Walk for the same amount of time at the same intensity day in and day out and your body gets as bored with your workout as you do. Throw it a curveball with interval training, which involves varying the intensity of your workout throughout your exercise session. Every five minutes into your walk, jog for one minute. Every five minutes into your bike ride, shift into a higher gear and pedal hard for a minute. If you swim, turn on the speed every other lap. You'll burn more calories in the same amount of time.
2. Fidget. People who drum their fingers or bounce their knees burn at least 500 calories a day! That adds up to losing a pound a week.
3. Keep a small squeeze ball with you and work out your hands frequently during the day. It's one of the few exercises you can do anytime. You'll build up the muscles in your hands -- and muscle, whether in your hands or legs, burns a lot of calories.
4. Don't starve yourself. Cutting too many calories can backfire in more ways than one. Try to subsist on morsels and your metabolism will slow so much that you'll not only stop losing weight, but you'll be lucky if you can peel yourself off the couch.
5. Put five rubber bands around your wrist every morning. That's how many 16-ounce bottles of water you should drink during the day to rev your metabolism, helping burn more calories. At least, that's what German researchers found when they had 14 participants drink about 17 ounces of water. The volunteers' metabolic rate -- or how quickly they burned calories -- jumped a third within 10 minutes of drinking the water and remained high for another 30 or 40 minutes. The researchers estimated that over a year, increasing your water consumption by 1.5 liters a day (about 50 ounces) would burn an extra 17,400 calories, or about five pounds' worth. Since much of the increased metabolic rate is due to the body's efforts to heat the water, make sure the water you're drinking is icy.
6. Exercise outside. Maybe it's the fresh air, maybe it's the sunshine, but something about exercising in the open makes you walk or run faster than doing the same exercise in the gym.
7. Turn up the heat with hot peppers. Some studies show that very spicy foods can temporarily increase your metabolism. Gourmet groceries often stock a dozen different kinds of peppers. Buy one a week and practice adding some to various meals. Spice up your scrambled eggs with minced jalapeño, add a little fire to your beef stew with half a diced banana pepper, or pull together a spicy jambalaya (using turkey sausage and lots of veggies).
8. Eat five small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals. You might think you should eat less often if you want to lose weight, but that's just not the case. By eating every few hours, you keep your metabolism fired up and ensure it doesn't slow between meals in order to hang on to calories. A "meal" can be as small as a cup of soup.
Posted by Danielle on April 07, 2007
Commitment to Yourself
By committing to yourself, you are taking a giant step toward meeting your personal health and fitness goals.
Please print out this form (it would look better if you cut and paste everything into a Word document and print from there), read it, fill in your name and sign it.
Put it on your refrigerator door or at your desk so it will serve as a daily reminder.
I, ___________________________
Promise to:
Commit to making physical activity part of my everyday lifestyle.
Commit to trying my best and striving to achieve my health goals despite setbacks and difficulties.
Commit to offering support to myself and those who need to be motivated.
Care for myself and give myself positive feedback.
Commit to the steps and not quit until I reach my goals.
Not let life's hassles and problems derail my progress.
Make my well-being a priority.
Let all my close friends and relatives give me support.
Love my body no matter what.
Reward myself once I reach my goal.
_______________________________
Your Signature
____________
Date
Posted by juleslein on April 06, 2007
That's right. You heard me. On this weight loss site, I'm encouraging you to eat TONS...of fruits and vegetables.
When you’re trying to lose weight, you usually focus on what you have to cut back on. How about something you should be eating more of? The truth is most of us could stand to get more fruits and vegetables in our diets. Low in calories, and high in fiber, nutrients, and flavor, they are a successful dieter’s best kept secret. Eating more produce can actually curb your appetite. A recent study showed that people who eat a small salad before an entrée end up eating less at the meal—sounds like the newest diet supplement! Almost everyone is familiar with the campaign “5 a day” to get at least five servings of fruits and/or vegetables every day. Here are some simple strategies to help you get five (or more) a day:
• Top your cereal with a sliced banana or fresh berries.
• Add frozen vegetables to your canned soup before heating it.
• When ordering a pizza or sandwich, ask for less meat and cheese and more veggies.
• Add some grated carrots or grape halves to your tuna salad.
• Whip up a smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit and skim milk.
• Have a salad for your entrée, and fruit for your dessert.
• Make an omelet with onions, peppers, and tomatoes.
• Plant a garden—you’ll have plenty of produce at your convenience.
• Grab a piece of fresh fruit for a snack instead of a candy bar or chips.
• Throw some spinach in the water when boiling pasta or rice—then serve them together.
• Try serving cooked spaghetti squash instead of noodles with marinara sauce.
Posted by juleslein on April 05, 2007
I’m reading this great book right now, You on a Diet I’m learning lots of interesting things. One little tidbit of info I came across was the benefits of cinnamon, and how it can even assist in weight loss. Here’s a little excerpt:
Cinnamon (with an m, not a b) seems to have an insulin-like effect, enhancing the satiety center in your brain while also reducing blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Just a half teaspoon a day can have some effect. Sprinkle it in cereal or on toast, or add it to a smoothie.
Cinnamon can also...
•have favorable effects on brain function and memory
•soothe the stomach, and may help prevent ulcers
•suppress the bacteria that causes urinary tract infections and the fungus associated with yeast infections
•reduce cholesterol levels – in particular, lowering bad cholesterol while leaving good cholesterol the same
Check out the Cinnamon Apple Saute a la Mode recipe that I posted. Yumm!
Posted by wonderchica on April 04, 2007
I love food! I love to watch the Food Network, I love to cook, and most of all I love to eat food. The most fun I have in the kitchen is to experiment with different recipes and try to make them more healthy. I have found some great ways to cut out calories or fat, without cutting out the flavor. Here are some of my favorite cooking substitutions:
---Substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg. You’ll cut out the majority of calories and cholesterol, but keep all the protein.
---Substitute equal amounts of applesauce for butter. This may not work in all recipes, but is fantastic in any baked item like cookies, banana bread, etc.
---Instead of using whole milk, cut down to 1% or skim. You’ll save calories and fat, and no one will be able to tell.
---Replace sour cream with low-fat or non-fat yogurt. This can be used in equal amounts and tastes great in most recipes.
---Instead of sugar, use Splenda! (Don’t roll your eyes, it isn’t nearly as bad as you imagine it to be!) Splenda is the best sugar replacement out there, and can be used cup for cup in place of sugar. Best of all, it is calorie free!!
In addition to these substitutions, I recommend using fat-free or reduced fat ingredients whenever possible. You may want to take baby steps on your way to healthier eating (ie, try reduced fat ingredients before non-fat) so that you don’t go into flavor shock due to the change. Try some of these easy substitutions and your waistline will see the difference, but I doubt you’ll taste it!
