Today's Date:

10 Foods You Must Eat

The following is a list of foods that you should try to eat on a regular basis. All of these foods have specific health boosting properties. If you made the effort to eat only half of the foods on this list you'd be well on your way to improving your health and dramatically increasing your life span.

1. Blueberries, bilberries, prunes and raspberries - High levels of antioxidants.

2. Broccoli, kale, spinach and cabbage - These really are at top of vegetable health index.

3. Shiitake mushrooms - These are actually very good for your immune system.

4. Goji Berries - They are extremely high in anti-oxidants and have many far reaching health benefits.

5. Orange and Tomato Juice - These contain high levels of vitamin C

6. Salmon, Tuna, Herring, Mackerel - They contain heart protective Omega 3 oils.

7. Sardines - These contain Co-enzyme Q10, which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-aging nutrient.

8. Beans and Lentils - Contain Pre-Biotic fibre.

9. Chicken - Preferably without the skin.

10. Eggs - Ideally poached or boiled. They contain lecithin with increase the level of good cholesterol.

If you seriously made the effort to cut down on the amount of junk and processed food that you eat and started to consume these ten foods on a regular basis then you would be well on your way seriously improving your health.

 

Posted on 30 June 2009, 16:42

How to develop an exercise routine you will stick to

When you’re making any serious effort to lose weight, have more energy and live a healthier lifestyle, you need to exercise. Easily said – but many of us (myself included) often struggle to find the time and motivation to get active.

Seven years ago, when I was in the sixth form, I did almost no exercise. I cycled for about twenty minutes each day, and did a bit of walking around school. Yet today, I’m writing this with the post-exercise glow from a high-impact aerobics class. I’ve gone from being someone who couldn’t imagine herself in a gym to someone who gets “stir crazy” without enough exercise. Here’s my top three steps to establishing an exercise routine that you’ll stick to:

Step 1: Integrate Exercise Into Your Day

I can’t emphasise the importance of this enough: you need to find a way to easily fit exercising into your day. If you try a thrice-weekly gym routine which takes up your whole evening after an exhausting day at work, you’ll give up within a couple of weeks. And if you have to pay a childminder to take care of your kids while you go for a jog, it’s just another barrier in the way of your quest to get active.

Find a way to integrate exercise into your day – even if this means you can’t exercise for so long or at such a high intensity as you’d like. A moderate, regular effort is far better than one week of frantic activity followed by nothing.

Some easy ways to squeeze exercise around the rest of life:
• Walk or cycle to work, or walk your kids to school instead of driving
• Shop locally, instead of driving or taking the bus to the supermarket
• Take the kids to the park after school – but don’t just sit and watch – join in!
• Plan active weekends with your partner or family
• Get your friends involved in active social events: how about a girls’ night out at the pool instead of at a club or bar?

Step 2: Set An Easy Minimum Target

Many of us fall into the trap of setting overly ambitious targets ... and giving up when we realise it’s almost impossible to meet them. Instead, give yourself an easily-attainable minimum target. This might be something like:
• Going for a 20 minute walk each lunch time
• Doing 30 minutes of exercise (in total, not necessarily all at once) each day
• Cycling to work three times a week

If your target is modest enough, you won’t have any excuses for not reaching it! However busy you are, you can fit in a couple of 15 minute walks every day – but if you plan to go for a two-hour gym session, you just know it’ll get dumped from your schedule as soon as life gets busy.

Remember that these are minimum targets, though – you can always go on and do more!

Step 3: Involve Other People

One cunning way to force yourself into sticking to an exercise regime is to get other people involved. We’re all very good at letting ourselves down – but most of us find it really tough to break a commitment to a friend. Promise your best mate that you’ll join her for an aerobics class weekly, and chances are, both of you will end up much more motivated to go.

Sources of potential exercise buddies include:
• Colleagues at work (go for a walk together at lunch-time, or head to the gym post-work)
• Friends who are also trying to lose weight, get fit, or become healthier
• Your partner – find some activities which you can enjoy together. How about a long romantic walk?
• A relative – don’t rule out your mum, dad or sister. Sometimes, when one family member starts making healthy changes, others want to follow suit!

If you can’t find a buddy to exercise with, I’d suggest going along to a weekly gym class. You’ll soon get to know some of the regulars – and you know you’ll be missed if you don’t show up.

Are you building the exercise habit, or are you already super-active? What tips do you have for creating an exercise regime that’s easy to stick to?

 

Posted on 23 June 2009, 14:25

Achieving Weight Loss Goals

Each year millions of people find themselves on diets of all kinds.  If you find yourself in the situation and want to make the most out of your weight loss efforts, then you'll be very interested in set and learning how to set goals for yourself.  This article will help you do that and hopefully get you on the path to success.

Question - What should I eat to achieve my goal?

The answer to this question is not so much what should you eat, but how much.  While it is very important to focus on eating healthy natural foods, it is also equally important to learn how to control your portion sizes.  The primary reason that most people gain weight is that they eat more than they should.  Most of the food available today is heavily processed and loaded with calories which can make it challenging to eat in small portions.

Question - How long will it take to achieve my goals?

A lot of this depends on you and how motivated you are but a good rule of thumb is to never try to lose more than 1 pound a week.  As depressing as this news may be it is also easier in the long run to achieve your weight loss goals, if you have modest short-term objectives.  Crash dieting is almost always a bad idea since your body will fight efforts to starve it by holding on to body fat reserves.  If you can manage to lose just 1 pound a week in three months time, you will have lost 12 pounds, in six months time, 24 pounds and over the course of the year 48 pounds.  This can all be done without starving yourself if you just have some patience.

Question - What do I do if I get stuck?

Plateaus in weight loss are normal and should be expected.  If you find that your weight loss has stagnated, then you should double check how many calories you're eating each day and order attempt to increase your activity through exercise. Exercise is the other key component to losing weight in the long run and should not be neglected.

Now that you know, what most of the commonly asked questions are regarding weight loss figure out where you fit on the spectrum and then focus on the area that needs the most work and then just do it!
 

Posted on 19 June 2009, 08:45

Do you really want to lose weight?

Of course I do! Are you kidding, look at me! It sounds like a ridiculous question to anybody who has battled weight problems. However I think there is a difference between wanting to do something and actually being prepared to take the action to do it.

Let me explain

Losing weight is something that takes courage, determination and perseverance. It takes commitment and effort. It doesn’t happen overnight and means breaking out of deeply entrenched habits.  While many of us may want to lose weight only a very small percentage actually make the effort to do it.

Perhaps a better question should be

Am I prepared to do whatever it takes to lose weight?

If you can answer yes immediately then you’re half way there.
 

Posted on 18 June 2009, 10:09

The real cost of smoking

If the idea of massively increasing your chances of developing lung, throat, stomach or bone cancer isn’t enough to put you off smoking perhaps you might want to read this post. Cigarettes aren’t only incredibly bad for your health they are also expensive. 

The average pack of cigarettes cost £5.77. Let’s assume that you smoke 20 cigarettes per day. This means that you spend £5.77 per day on cigarettes.

Let’s be conservative and say you only get through 5 packs per week.
That means you spend £28.85 per week.
Approximately £125.02 per month
And the grand total of £1,500 per year.

How good would it feel to have an extra £1,500 in your pocket every year? What would you spend it on

• An amazing holiday?
• A new watch?
• A week being pampered in a luxurious spa?
• A special gift for your loved one?
• A deposit for a new business venture?

These are just a few ideas; it really is up to you. Hopefully you can see by giving up smoking you’re not only saving your health, you’re also saving you wallet on a big scale. Smoking is a very expensive habit.
If that still isn’t enough, consider the amount of money you’ll spend over a life time on cigarettes..Ready for it...£60,000!

That’s right if you smoke 5 packs of cigarettes per week for 40 years you’ll end up spending at least £60,000 (as cigarettes are bound to increase in price)....Think about what you could do with that amount of money.

The facts are there, if you do smoke, it really is time that you gave up. Of course quitting smoking can be difficult.

Luckily there are many fantastic programs out there, if you need any help and support check out this link http://smokefree.nhs.uk/

To your health and wellbeing.

 

Posted on 17 June 2009, 10:44

Five ways to kick start your diet

Are you on a diet, or thinking about one? Getting off to a strong start (or ramping up the motivation once you’ve been going for a while) is often the hardest part: it becomes much easier once you’ve established good, healthy habits.

Here are five ways to kick-start your weight loss journey – they’ll get you into the right mindset for success:

1. Chuck Out the Junk

Do you have packets of biscuits, multipacks of crisps, sugary cans of pop, and other junk filling your cupboards? Sometimes, the decision to lose weight comes after a period of overindulgence: this might be linked to Christmas, Easter or a holiday, or it could just be that you’ve slipped into bad habits.

Whatever your excuse, it’s time to get rid of it – and the junk food. Throw away anything which you don’t want in your new diet. Bin anything which you’ve opened. See if you can donate unopened junk food to a local homeless shelter (or give it to friends).

If you’re anything like me, you probably find it hard to throw away food. That’s good: by binning the junk, you’ll be sending a strong signal to your mind that you’re serious about your diet.

2. Commit to Keeping A Food Diary

Studies have shown that dieters who keep a food diary are much more likely to succeed in losing weight than those who don’t. Tracking what you eat keeps you honest: if you have to write down that sneaky chocolate bar, you’ll think twice before eating it.

You can keep a paper food diary (buy a traditional diary from a stationers, and rule columns for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks and Total Calories), you can use a spreadsheet on your computer, or for maximum convenience, you can use a website. Many sites offer food diaries that allow you to track your food intake easily and simply.

Whatever form your diary takes, make sure you keep it up. It’s particularly important to fill in your diary on “bad” days – those times when you feel like munching on everything in sight.

3. Tell Someone About Your Diet

Another great way to hold yourself accountable is to tell someone that you’re on a diet. Some of us – especially when we’ve been on diets unsuccessfully in the past – make the mistake of trying to keep our efforts secret. You’ll find that it’s much easier if you can confide in a trusted friend, relative or colleague.

If you can’t talk to anyone close to you about your diet, how about starting an online blog or joining a weight loss forum to share your experiences anonymously?

If you’re feeling really brave, commit to sharing your food diary with your dieting buddy: this really helps you to stay disciplined in tracking what you eat.

4.Go For A Walk

Walking has three huge benefits for me: it burns calories; it lifts my mood whenever I’m feeling low, and it gives me “head space” to think things through. When you’re starting off on a diet – or any new journey in your life – it really helps to take some serious time to think about it.

Go for a good, long, peaceful walk. Enjoy moving your body and being active, and enjoy being out of doors. Think about your desire to lose weight: what daily habits do you want to build? What new foods or meals could you try? How could you reorganise things so that you have time to exercise regularly?

Don’t just stop with one walk: make it a treat that you enjoy at least once a week, some “me time” to step back from the busyness of everyday life, to dwell on your goals and to re-enforce your determination to reach them.

5.Stock Up On Healthy Foods

No diet can get off to a great start without some thought going into what you’ll be eating! Now that you’ve made some space in your cupboards by chucking out the junk, restock with healthy foods that you enjoy and that aren’t a hassle to prepare.

Buy light or low-fat versions of your usual favourites – you’ll be surprised how fast your taste buds adapt to lighter mayo, cheeses, spreads and milk.

Keep some basic staples like wholegrain pasta and cereal, tinned tomatoes and frozen vegetables on hand: try to ensure you have the makings of a simple meal, for those days when the fridge is bare and you don’t have time to shop.

Best of luck on your new diet – or on your kick-start to an existing regime.
 

Posted on 16 June 2009, 08:27

How to lose weight quickly

Following on from the last post of how to gain weight quickly, I will now show you how to lose weight quickly and safely.

Wake up and drink a pint of water. This will help rehydrate you and cleanse your system.
Do 5 minutes of stretching and then go for a 30 minute run with a 5 minute cool down and stretch.

Have a bowel of Muesli with a chopped banana using semi-skimmed milk. Sprinkle Goji-Berries on top of your muesli. Accompany breakfast with half a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Drink a cup of Matcha tea.

If you are hungry snack on fruit such as apples or pears.

Remain active all day; choose to walk up the stairs instead of using the lift. Walk to the shops instead of driving to them for lunch. Stand up when making phone calls. Pace around your office or home as much as possible.

For lunch have a jacket potato filled with tuna and a side salad. Drink plenty of water, in fact aim to drink a minimum of 2 litres per day.

Avoid coffee, crisps, chocolate bars, refined foods, microwave meals, junk food and takeouts for at least 6 days of the week.

If you need an afternoon snack try having a couple of rice cakes with marmite spread on them.
For an evening meal try a stir-frying in a small amount of oil some nice chicken breasts with a range of vegetable including broccoli, carrots, peppers, asparagus, garlic and onions.

Relax for the rest of the evening and go to bed aiming to get 8 hours quality sleep.

Follow this for 30 days (changing the menus of course) and you’ll be amazed at just how much weight you lose and how great you start to feel.

For extra results consider taking our high quality weight loss supplements SlimCo Weight Loss Support. It has been proven to dramatically help people who are trying to lose weight. 

 

Posted on 13 June 2009, 09:19

How can I lose weight in a day or two?

Are you looking for a quick weight loss solution for an important event like a Christmas party or your spouse’s annual office party? Are you wondering as to “How Can I Lose Weight in a Day or Two?” If that’s you; looking for a quick weight loss solution before an important event then you’ve come to the right place.

First off, don’t fall prey to the temptation of following the latest fad diet. They may give you a quick result but at the cost of enormous side effects in the long run. Additionally, such  weight loss “systems” are habitual and hence once hooked; you’ll find it difficult to get away from the temptation. A fad diet will simply squeeze water from your body cells to trick you into thinking that you have lost a heck lot of weight. Your body will simply regain this “lost weight” once you get back to your regular diet. There’s absolutely no need to pull this sort of unnecessary stunt when you can lose weight in a healthy and natural manner.

You must also have realistic expectations; I hope you’re not looking to loose 20 pounds in one day! That sort of a thing is not just impossible but also immensely detrimental to your general health. A more reasonable target would be to lose 1 or 2 pounds in a day or two so as to gain a slimmer look. There’s a way to do this without sweating in gym (In case you don’t like that) or starving yourself to death. Here are a few things which you can do for the same:

1. Increase the amount of water you drink.

Water is the most important constituent of your body. After all, 85 percent of your body is water. It helps in healthy digestion of food and also removes waste products from your body. Simply put, it acts as a natural purifier and hence will cleanse your entire system in a natural way. This is very important since your internal system must operate smoothly for easy weight loss. In case you workout regularly then your body needs even more water since you lose it consistently (as sweat) in the gym. Make sure you drink at least six liters of water on a daily basis.

2. Eat  5 or 6 Small meals throughout the day

I bet this one comes as a surprise! Let me elaborate. Instead of eating three large meals throughout the day you must eat five to six small meals at regular 2 to 3 hour intervals. The key phrase here is “small meals” meaning you’re not eating to satisfy your complete appetite but rather just eating enough so as to get by until the next meal. A great way to do this is to buy those small snacks that have one serving of 100 calorie packages. You might have to look for the ones which you like since some of them taste pretty nasty.

Remember, that to lose weight you need to be burning more calories than you intake and hence you must eat natural foods which the body can burn easily. You also need to make a daily reading of the amount of calorie you intake. Just maintain a calorie diary in which you jot down the calorie content of every single item that you ate throughout the day.

3. Increase the amount of exercise that you do.

This one is optional but will do wonders if followed. Remember when I said above that you need to burn more calories than you intake. Well if you engage yourself in some form of resistance training then your calorie burning will increase dramatically. If working out with weights is not your cup of coffee then you can engage in light cardio exercises for an hour or High Level Interval Training for half an hour.

 

Posted on 15 June 2009, 09:01

How to put on weight quickly

Have you ever been curious about how to put on lots of weight in a very short period of time? Well follow this post and you’ll find out exactly how you can do it.

Wake up and drink a pint of Coke on rising.

Cook and consume a full English breakfast which at minimum includes,  

• 3 Sausages
• 4 Rashers of Bacon
• 2 fried eggs
• 1 tin of baked beans
• 2 tomatoes
• Plenty of fried bread

Finish breakfast with rounds of white toast drenched in butter and jam. Lie back and let it digest.
Drink coffee throughout the day. Aim to drink at least 9 cups of coffee per day. Ensure each cup of coffee has at least 4 tea spoons of sugar in it.

Refuse to move from the couch all day; in fact refuse to do anything at all. Have the remote control and phone right at your fingertips.

Start to think about lunch. Make sure you have a starter, main course and desert. Eat everything very quickly and finish absolutely everything on your plate. Drink 2 pints of beer while eating lunch.
Once lunch has subsided consider a range of afternoon snacks. Opt for maybe a king-sized Mars Bar of Snickers bar. If that doesn’t take your fancy eat 3 chocolate donuts.
Lie back, relax and wait until an evening meal.

Order a pizza. Insist it is extra large with all the toppings. Don’t forget to have the crust stuffed with cheese. Wash the pizza down with a litre of coke. Accompany pizza with garlic bread.

Start to wind down for the evening; pour yourself a couple of large glasses of red-wine and do some more relaxing. Find time to sneak in one last snack before retiring to bed.

Follow this plan for 30 days and you’re guaranteed to reach your weight gain goals.
 

Posted on 12 June 2009, 08:48

How much does it cost to eat healthily?

Many people often claim that they can’t eat healthily because they simply can’t afford it. There’s a common misconception that eating healthily costs a lot of money and is simply out of reach for most people.

I believe that this misconception has in the large part been heavily influenced by large companies with their own agenda. We are bombarded all day long with advertisements about cheap convenience food. This is great but the reality is that these foods aren’t as cheap as you might think.

You might be interested to learn that eating healthy is surprisingly cheaper than eating poorly. In fact I’d be quite happy to say that eating badly is far more expensive than eating well.

I estimate that you can well for approximately £45 per week. All you need to do is a little planning. Plan to shop about twice per week and make a shopping list before you go out.
Here are a few examples.

For breakfast you can buy a pack of Muesli might cost around £2 - £3 and should last for at least a week. Buy a packet of bananas as well to go with the Muesli.  Consider buying some of our premium Goji Berries there are highly nutritious berry that are perfect for sprinkling on Muesli.
For lunch head to Waitrose. They do some delicious and nutritious soups that cost in the region of £1.60. There also very generously portioned and will easily satisfy you.

Snacks can be anything from Apples (approximately 34p per core) to Brazil Nuts (about £3 per pack and should last a week).

For dinner try some lightly stir friend chicken with vegetables which shouldn’t cost you more than about £4.
These are really just a few ideas but hopefully it has given you a brief introduction to the idea that eating healthy does not mean eating expense.

To your health and wellbeing.
 

Posted on 11 June 2009, 13:24

Achieving Weight Loss Goals

Each year millions of people find themselves on diets of all kinds.  If you find yourself in the situation and want to make the most out of your weight loss efforts, then you'll be very interested in set and learning how to set goals for yourself.  This blog post will help you do that and hopefully get you on the path to success.

Question - What should I eat to achieve my weight loss goal?

The answer to this question is not so much what should you eat, but how much.  While it is very important to focus on eating healthy natural foods, it is also equally important to learn how to control your portion sizes.  The primary reason that most people gain weight is that they eat more than they should.  Most of the food available today is heavily processed and loaded with calories which can make it challenging to eat in small portions.

Question - How long will it take to achieve my goals?

A lot of this depends on you and how motivated you are but a good rule of thumb is to never try to lose more than 1 pound a week.  As depressing as this news may be it is also easier in the long run to achieve your weight loss goals, if you have modest short-term objectives.  Crash dieting is almost always a bad idea since your body will fight efforts to starve it by holding on to body fat reserves.  If you can manage to lose just 1 pound a week in three months time, you will have lost 12 pounds, in six months time, 24 pounds and over the course of the year 48 pounds.  This can all be done without starving yourself if you just have some patience.

Question - What do I do if I get stuck?

Plateaus in weight loss are normal and should be expected.  If you find that your weight loss has stagnated, then you should double check how many calories you're eating each day and order attempt to increase your activity through exercise. Exercise is the other key component to losing weight in the long run and should not be neglected.

Now that you know, what most of the commonly asked questions are regarding weight loss figure out where you fit on the spectrum and then focus on the area that needs the most work and then just do it!
 

 

Posted on 19 June 2009, 08:45

How much does it cost to eat badly

Have you ever stopped to consider how much money you are spending on eating a poor diet? Contrary to popular belief eating badly is expensive. 

I consider a poor diet an excessive consumption of the following -

• Junk food – McDonalds, Burger King, KFC etc
• Takeouts – Chinese, Indians, Kebabs, Pizza.
• Processed foods and microwave meals.
• Chocolate bars, crisps, cookies, donuts etc

Next time you’re out notice how much these foods actually cost.

In Starbucks if you order a hot chocolate and cookie the likelihood is you’ll be the best part of £5 down.No assume that you only go into Starbucks 3 times per week. That means over the course of a month you’ll be spending £60 per month on food and drink that is loaded with calories and fat. Imagine if you swapped the hot chocolate and cookie for a cup of peppermint tea and apple. How much is that going to cost you? £1 maybe? Even if you had that everyday you’re still looking at £30 per month compared to £60.

But wait I hear you say. That’s just not convenient. I like Starbucks because it’s easy...Easy, it maybe but it’s just as easy to carry around an apple and a couple of teabags.
Starbucks is just one example. Takeaway food is also expensive and in most cases of poor nutritional value.

I know of a business that allows people to order takeaways online, they literally process hundreds of takeaway orders a day. Do you know what the average value for a takeaway is? £13...It might not sound a lot, but the fact is that you can easily prepare a healthy meal for about £6. Assuming you have 3 takeaways per month that would make a total spend of £39 compared to £18 3 healthy meals.  Meaning you would save £21.

So if you reduced the Starbucks and takeaways you’d save approximately £51 per month.

Reduce the junk, it will do your body and your wallet a favour.
 

Posted on 10 June 2009, 08:29

How to turn down food - Without hurting peoples feelings

• “Hey, Sue. It’s my birthday, and I’ve brought in a cake. Let me cut you a slice.”
• “Here, Mark, have a cookie – my daughter made them.”
• “I’ll order some of those delicious pastries to go with our coffees. What’ll you have?”

Do any of those sound familiar? When you’re dieting, it can be very tricky to know how to respond when other people offer you food – especially when it’s connected with an emotional occasion such as a party, birthday or celebration.

If you want to succeed, though, there will be time when you need to turn down an offer of food that you simply don’t need. You know that you’ll feel as though you’ve let yourself down if you eat that proffered slab of birthday cake ... but how do you refuse it without hurting your friend or colleague’s feelings?

Here are some simple ways to tactfully, but firmly, turn down food:

“It looks delicious ...” or “It smells gorgeous...”

This is always a good way to start, if you’re being offered someone’s home-baked goodies: complement the chef! That way, they’ll know you’re not turning down the food because you don’t like the look or the smell of it.

“But I’m really full – I’ve just eaten.”

Most people won’t be offended if you simply say that you’re full up. If the time of day makes this one difficult to pull off, try “I had a huge lunch and I’m still stuffed”. (In the morning “I don’t want to spoil my lunch” works well.)

“I’ll have one later.”

Many office places involve a lot of communal food, especially if colleagues regularly bring in treats for birthdays, when returning from holidays, or to celebrate team successes. In these circumstances, “I’ll have one later” nearly always works well: chances are, whoever’s offering it to you will have forgotten later on ... and you’ll probably find that your colleagues have descended like a proverbial horde of locusts, so there might be none left anyway.

“My doctor’s told me I need to watch my cholesterol.”

A medical excuse (even if it’s a bit of a white lie) often works better than “I’m on a diet.” Many people – especially those who, perhaps, would secretly quite like to lose some weight themselves – will try to encourage you to “Go on, just have one.” You could also try claiming a wheat intolerance, or simply saying that you’re avoiding eating sugar or carbs at particular times of day.

“I’ll take one to eat later.”

If you have a really insistent friend, take a biscuit or cupcake, and explain that you’ll save it for “later”. (This could be “after lunch” or “when I’ve finished this darn spreadsheet”.) Then, either discreetly give it to someone else, or take it home for your partner or kids.

If you’re having frequent difficulties with finding yourself “breaking” your diet due to other people offering you food, you might need to ask yourself some hard questions:

• Am I using this as an excuse to eat unhealthily? Have I really tried refusing the food?
• Is my diet too strict? Should I be following an eating plan which allows for an occasional indulgence
• What’s more important to me: being healthy, or keeping everyone around me happy?

Don’t be afraid to be firm with people, if necessary. Many of us are habitual people-pleasers, but there’s no point trying to go through life keeping everyone around you happy at the cost of making yourself miserable. If a particular colleague, friend or relative keeps trying to push unhealthy food on you, tell them that you’re trying to reach a healthy weight, and that you’d appreciate it if they’d help you out by not offering you cookies/cakes/crisps/etc.

And consider that you might be an unwitting deskmate of a “cookie pusher”...
/Biscuit Pusher/ (n):

Every office has one. She chirpily offers plates of sugary goodies – often homemade – while nibbling on baby carrots behind her desk. Whether she's plotting to turn you into a heifer or just trying to please her colleagues, it makes us want to push ‘er.

Do you find yourself inundated with offers of unhealthy snacks? Where do you find it hardest to turn these down – at work, at your kids’ school, at your parents’ house?
 

Posted on 09 June 2009, 11:19

Beat Your Childhood Dieting Demons: Four Myths To Forget

Many of us who struggle with our weight have had problems since our childhoods. Often, the habits (and the anxieties) that surround food and eating when we’re young are hard to shed as we grow older.

These are a few common myths that we pick up as children. I’ve given suggestions for how to rethink each one.

Myth #1: “Food Equals Love”

When you were a kid, perhaps food was always associated with affection. Maybe you enjoyed big family feasts at get-togethers, or perhaps your granny always had a fresh batch of brownies waiting whenever you went round.

The danger is that this lasts on into adulthood. Perhaps every time you see your mum, she insists on feeding you a huge roast dinner, followed with a giant slab of her homemade cake. You know that it’s her way of showing affection – and you’re worried that you’ll hurt her feelings if you turn her down.

Rethink: Just because feeding someone is away to show affection doesn’t mean that it’s the only way. If you’re prone to taking a box of chocolates every time you see your mum or another relative, try switching it for a bunch of flowers, or a small gift for the home or garden. Let relatives know that you’re watching your weight, or resort to an excuse like “It’s delicious, but I’m afraid I’m just not very hungry at the moment.” Ask for half portions, or claim to be full.

Myth #2: “Vegetables Are Disgusting”

I’ve got a confession to make: as a kid, I was a really picky eater. I once stormed off from the dinner table in tears and hid in the treehouse in the garden ... all because my dad tried to encourage me to eat up my carrots. Sounds familiar? Some of us hate vegetables as children, but having a “vegetables – yuck!” attitude in adulthood can prevent us from trying some new (and delicious) diet-friendly meals.

Rethink: Despite being the child from hell, I grew into much better eating habits when I reached my late teens. I’m now a massive fan of veggies: roasted, steamed, stir-fried, raw... If you were put off vegetables as a child, recognise that your taste buds will have changed. Try cooking veggies in different was (grilling them, or roasting with a little spray oil, can bring out gorgeous flavours). And don’t overcook your veggies – they taste much better if you don’t boil them to death!

Myth #3: “I’m a Fatty”

If you were overweight as a child or teenager, chances are, you suffered some name-calling or even bullying about it at school. For many dieters, it’s actually easier to shed weight than it is to shed a negative self-image. But if, deep down, you’re convinced that you’re fat and there’s nothing you can do about it ... you’re likely to give up diets almost as soon as you start them.

Rethink: With the exception of a few quite rare health conditions, no-one is obese by nature. Some of us are genetically more prone to put on fat than others, but we can all lose weight by eating healthily and counting calories. You are not doomed to be fat. And if you diet successfully, there’ll come a day when all the new people you meet will think of you as “slim” – you’ll have completely shed that “fatty” past.

Myth #4: “I Must Clear My Plate”

When I was young, the Little Chef restaurants ran a scheme where kids got rewarded with a lollipop if they ate up all their dinner. Many parents, too, will encourage (or even force) children to clear their plates before leaving the table. While this is sometimes important to ensure that kids get enough nutrients, it’s a bad habit to get into for life. Most of us dish up over-large portions – and learning to stop once we’re full is an important dieting lesson.

Rethink: Don’t worry about “wasting” food. After all, is it really more wasted in the bin than as extra flesh on your stomach? Eat slowly, and stop once you’re full. Where possible, save leftovers for the next day: this saves you money and time. If you frequently find that you’re not hungry enough to finish your plateful, start cooking less!

What dieting demons linger from your own childhood? How are you overcoming them?
 

Posted on 09 June 2009, 09:17