What I Like About the 2005 Food Pyramid

You may remember that six years ago the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) came out with a new and improved food pyramid. Growing up I distinctly remember the old food pyramid (originating in 1992) because it was often found on the back of my cereal boxes. I pretty much had it memorized. It was a big deal to me when the food pyramid was updated in 2005 because I was a health science student at the time and a change like that was not only needed but a big deal. Visually the pyramid changed from having categories organized horizontally to … Continue reading →

Choosing the Right Eating Plan

I really don’t like using the word “diet,” so instead I am going to refer to your eating plan. In this blog we are going to examine how you can pick the best eating plan for you. Remember that no one plan is the right one for every single person. You have to determine what works best for you, which means taking into consideration a number of factors. The first thing you need to consider is if the eating plan is “doable.” I remember years ago joining a group called “Prism.” You had to eliminate all breads and sugars. This … Continue reading →

Eating Healthy Snacks

If there is one thing that can quickly demolish your efforts at a fit lifestyle it is snacking. Okay, maybe that’s only true for me. For a long time I had no problem getting in enough exercise on a daily basis. I cut down portion sizes at mealtime, introduced healthier items into my meals and cut out the sugary iced tea that I was drinking on a daily basis. But I was still in a battle with snacking. In between all of that good stuff was munching on Doritos, dipping Oreo cookies into a cold glass of milk and enjoying … Continue reading →

Ways To Food Journal

Keeping a food journal is something you might want to do for different reasons. Some people want to keep a close watch on how many calories, fat, or carbohydrates they are consuming. Others might want to just see in list form all the food they are eating. Whatever your reason might be, keeping a food journal can be a key tool in your quest to be healthy and fit. Lately I have been keeping a food journal and have reflected on the various ways to keep one. I have tried to do this several times in the past, and it … Continue reading →

How Your BMR Can Help You Lose Weight

Most of us know what BMI (body mass index) is and that it measures your height and weight to determine how much body fat you have. But have you heard of BMR (basal metabolic rate)? This is important to understanding how many calories you should be consuming each day. If you take in more calories than you should, you will gain weight. But if you take in fewer calories than you should, it will interfere with the body’s ability to burn fat. It could also lead to dysfunction in your blood pressure, heart rate and ability to digest foods. So … Continue reading →

The Dukan Diet

Last week I watched a segment on “The View” that covered the “Dukan Diet.” There have apparently been some rumors that Kate Middleton was on this diet in order to prepare for her wedding. Of course, that has not been confirmed. The Dukan Diet consists of four phases which are the attack phase, cruise phase, consolidation phase, and ending with the stabilization phase. The attack phase of the Dukan Diet allows for you to eat mostly protein items such as seafood, lean meat, fish, poultry, turkey, dairy, oat and a few other items. This lasts from two to seven days, … Continue reading →

Rocco Dispirito’s Book: “Now Eat This! Diet”

Last week on “The View” they had a special segment with the author, Rocco Dispirito, of “Now Eat This! Diet” where he claims you can lose 10 pounds in just two weeks. Rocco says that when you eat more food, your metabolism works at a higher rate and you burn calories faster. However if you starve yourself and you binge after, your body processes those calories as fat. He says there is scientific and medical evidence that shows if you eat more, you lose weight faster. In his diet you eat six times a day, every two-and-a-half hours. On the … Continue reading →

How Much Do I Eat and When?

Part of a fitness plan is incorporating a healthy diet which includes fruits and vegetables. We know that cutting out sugars and fat should also be part of our eating plan but there is some confusion as to how much to eat and when. Some people stick by the three meals a day plan. I don’t know about you but that doesn’t work for me. First of all, three meals a day might mean eating around 8 a.m., 12 p.m. and then not again until 6 p.m. If you think about it, that’s a lot of time in between to … Continue reading →

Tips On Healthy Eating

Fitness is about more than just exercise. After all, for several months I was exercising on a fairly regular basis; however I wasn’t seeing any real results. This was because I hadn’t made any changes to my diet. Once I began working on that, I started to get somewhere. There can be a lot of confusion about the proper diet to eat. One week you hear something is great for you and then the next you are told it’s harmful. Low-fat, no-fat, carbohydrates, proteins…it can all become overwhelming. Eating healthy can also become monotonous if you are selecting the same … Continue reading →

Curbing Those Hunger Pains

It has been just over two weeks that I have been daily working out on my Wii Fit Plus and made changes to some of my eating habits. Notice that I said “some.” I am a big advocate of taking small steps. I have managed to successfully shed a few pounds and I can feel a real difference in my energy levels. Having an exercise routine isn’t the biggest struggle. It is the eating where I fall. So I have put some plans into motion that include things like adding more fiber into my diet which helps you to feel … Continue reading →