Going Greek (Yogurt)

We all know that yogurt is good for us. Low fat yogurt provides a good source of dairy and calcium, helping to make our bones stronger. Yogurt is also packed with beneficial bacterial cultures that help support digestion and our immune system. But do you ever get bored of your watery, runny American-style yogurt? Have you been looking for a thicker more indulgent alternative that will still keep you healthy? Look no further…Greek yogurt is here to stay! Greek yogurt is a better alternative to the stuff we’re used to eating. Just make sure to opt for the low-fat or non-fat varieties of the yogurt.

Why is Greek Yogurt So Good?

1. Texture - Greek yogurt has a smooth, rich and thick consistency that tastes too good to be true! Part of what makes Greek yogurt different than regular yogurt is that it is strained to remove the whey, giving it a dense texture
   
   
2. Versatility - Greek yogurt can be used for both savory and sweet dishes. Due to its thick texture and rich taste, many people use it as a substitute for milk, sour cream and even crème fraiche when cooking or baking.
   
   
3. More Protein - With more protein than the average American yogurt, Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse. Since it is strained, the protein content is concentrated, providing an average of 20g per cup as opposed to 13g per cup for the American style.
   
   
4. Easier to Digest - Greek yogurt contains less carbs than regular yogurt and therefore less lactose, the sugar in dairy products that can sometimes upset people’s stomachs.
   
   
5. Fullness Factor - Greek yogurt is dense and so high in protein that it keeps you feeling full and satisfied

Heather's Favorites

• Favorite Yogurt Brand: Fage 0 or 2% Yogurt
• Favorite things to Add to it: 1-2 tbsp of Knorr Soup Mix (or salsa if you’re salt-sensitive)
• Favorite Time of the Day to Use It: 4pm snack with sliced cucumber and peppers

Stephanie's Favorites

• Favorite Yogurt Brand: Oikos Organic Greek 0% Yogurt
• Favorite things to Add to it: Crushed garlic, onions and chopped cucumber (to make tzaziki)
• Favorite Time to Use It: At dinner on top of poached salmon or chicken kebabs

Dara's Favorites

• Favorite Yogurt Brand: Chobani ‘Fruit on the Bottom’ Blueberry Greek 0% Yogurt
• Favorite things to Add to it: ½ cup of KashiGoLean Cereal, cinnamon and 1 tsp of ground flax
• Favorite Time to Use It: Breakfast (a healthier version of a yogurt parfait)

Spice It Up With Cinnamon

Myth or Fact? Cinnamon Has Health Benefits

FACT. Cinnamon is a unique and flavorful seasoning, exotic to the taste buds. But besides being a perfect enhancer to some great dishes, cinnamon is also good for you! Cinnamon has lots of healthy attributes besides being able to give your palate something to smile about.

One of the first human studies on cinnamon was published in 2003 in a medical journal called Diabetes Care. Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1,3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, an amount roughly equivalent to ¼ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. After 40 days, all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood sugars and the bad ‘LDL’ cholesterol.

Besides reducing blood sugar and lowering bad cholesterol, many studies have revealed other potential health benefits of cinnamon:

1. Cinnamon acts as a natural preservative for food
2. Is a good source of manganese, iron and calcium
3. May aid in treating some bacterial infections
4. May help reduce inflammation

Cinnamon often gets a bad rap… because cinnamon buns, cinnamon toast or pumpkin pie are the foods that may come to mind. But cinnamon can be included in our daily diet in a much more healthy way. The best part of cinnamon is that it’s easy to add to foods you already eat. All you need is a ½ teaspoon a day.

Try these tricks to get some more spice in your life:

1. Add some cinnamon to hot oatmeal or cold fiber cereal
2. Mix some into 1 tbsp of peanut butter and spread onto celery sticks
3. Stir some into plain yogurt
4. Sprinkle some over baked sweet potatoes or carrots
5. Add some to a store-bought rub to go on grilled chicken

Sprinkle some straight into your coffee, skim latte or skim cappuccino

How Our Food Choices Impact The Environment

Myth or Fact? Weight gain leads to global warming?

FACT! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average weight of Americans increased by 10 pounds during the 1990’s. This increase in weight required airlines to consume an additional 350 million gallons of jet fuel in 2000 leading to the release of 3.8 million more tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. So what can you do about this? Either start holding your breath, stop flying, or better yet considering shedding those extra pounds.

Here are some easy (food-related) ways that we can all support the environment:

• Support local farmers by buying whole, locally produced foods such as fruits and vegetables to avoid the extra energy costs associated with the production and transportation of processed foods.
  
  
• Buy organic dairy products to ensure that you are not promoting the use of growth hormones or antibiotics in cows.
  
  
• Choose certified organic meats to avoid contributing to the widespread use of antibiotics.
  
  
• Eat species of fish that aren’t overfished and are also lowest in mercury and other toxins (avoid Chilean sea bass, Atlantic cod, King crab, Grouper, Sea scallops, Albacore, blue fin, big eye, yellow fin tuna). Go to: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/115/nofish for the complete guide.
  
  
• Instead of bottled water, buy a reusable water container that is BPA-free certified. Also use a water filter at home and at work.
  
  
• Use sustainable, reusable storage containers.

Super Bowl Snack Shocker

Myth or Fact? A few Super Bowl bar snacks can equal the total number of calories I should consume in one day?

SAD BUT TRUE (FACT)! Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day of the year (second only to Thanksgiving) - But don’t let this interfere with your weight loss goals! Instead, let me offer you some simple, healthy substitutions that will keep you feeling energized and on track.

I recommend that you steer clear of snacks like these...

5 fried chicken wings - Calories 800; Fat g 50
Nachos (6 chips with cheese) - Calories 600; Fat g 34
Potato chips (10) with 2 tbsp onion dip- Calories 210; Fat g 15
3 beers (12 oz each) - Calories 450; Fat g 0

Grand Total: 2060 Calories 99 grams of fat

And instead gravitate toward snacks like these...

5 Baked Chicken Wings - Calories 375; Fat g 23
4 baked whole wheat pitas slices and 1/3 cup garlic/white bean dip - Calories 175; Fat g 5
4 cups non fat air popped popcorn - Calories 110; Fat g 0
All the water you want

Grand Total: 660 Calories 28 grams of fat

And if the above aren't enough, here are a few more snacking secrets that I recommend to all my clients:

• Substitute low-fat Greek yogurt for sour cream
• Drink light beer instead of regular beer
• Order pizza with veggies and light cheese instead of meat lovers pizza
• Eat vegetarian chili instead of beef chili
• Make subs using mustard instead of mayo
• Order a fruit platter
• Take a walk during halftime

And remember, if you indulged a little more than usual, it’s just one day. Make sure to get right back on track the next morning.

DIET CLEANSES Myth or Fact: Cleansing/Detox diets are a good way to jump start my diet?

SORRY, BIG MYTH! There is little evidence to support that detox diets, such as The Master Cleanse, do much more than lead to unhealthy, unpleasant side effects. In fact, detox diets can actually do more harm than good as they lead to muscle breakdown and a shortage of some very important vitamins and minerals which weakens our immune system and our ability to fight off infection.

In addition, most detox-type diets incorporate little to no protein, which are not only the basic building blocks of cells but also a key ingredient to losing weight. Our body naturally cleanses itself through the kidneys and liver, so a diet that promises to “cleanse” really isn’t necessary.

Still not convinced? Detox diets can also make you feel lightheaded, lethargic and cranky – making you not so fun to be around (can anyone spell bad breath?).

Our recommendation: “cleanse” your diet by introducing more whole fruits and vegetables and by avoiding refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white bread and sugar, which provide minimal nutrients and can be calorically-dense.

Lazy Summer Diet Tips

Summertime and the dieting is lazy! That's right. The hot, humid days of mid-summer encourage us to take the easy route. And if you think dieting always has to be a challenge, you'll be happy to learn some of my favorite lazy dieting tips which will help you cut calories effortlessly. These simple suggestions can turn mindless eating into mindless losing. Adopt just a few of them and by the time you're ready for your fall wardrobe, you'll be that much closer to your goal weight.

Most of us eat too fast and our brain doesn't have time to register that we're full. So we keep eating! A simple trick to break out of this pattern is to put your knife and fork own three times during a meal. Stop. Take a breath. Join the conversation. You'll eat slower and you'll consume less.

Drink water with your meals. If you're eating in a restaurant, have the goal of three fill-ups in the course of the meal. If you're sipping water, you're not eating; You're getting closer to your daily water intake goal (see The Wall Street Diet, page 38 for tips on water drinking) and you're filling up on non-cal fluids rather than more fattening things.

Order two appetizers for dinner. This is a great, lazy way to a healthy, low-cal dinner. Skip the heavy entrees and go for two light, tasty appetizers instead. You'll cut calories and you'll keep pace with other diners who might be having an appetizer plus an entree. See The Wall Street Diet, page 129, for some recommended appetizer choices. A couple of good bets include fresh gazpacho, shrimp cocktail, caprese salad (mozzarella and tomato) or steamed mussels in white wine and garlic.

Wear fitted clothes. This is a great mindless way to keep your eating goals at the top of your 'to-do' list. Nothing says "eat light" like a pair of snug pants and/or a belt. It's a constant reminder that you don't ever want to feel stuffed and that eating light feels right.

Kill your cravings. If you're going out to eat or expect to have a nice dinner at home but you're hungry enough to eat a buffalo, put a lid on your appetite with a pre-dinner nibble. Many of my clients do this routinely and swear it's a lifesaver. Have two Fiber Rich crackers and a large drink of water about an hour or so before dinner. You'll be master of the menu as you order healthy selections and push the bread away.

Pop a breath strip. The taste of peppermint, or any mint, kills appetite. So enjoy a breath strip at any time during the day when you want to avoid a snack. If you're headed to an office birthday party, trying to fight late-night cravings or facing a breakfast buffet that's
a carb carnival, a breath strip can put the brakes on your mindless indulgence.

That was easy, right? Reaching your goal weight can be as simple as adopting some simple strategies that help keep you on track. You can find a host of these strategies in The Wall Street Diet.

How to Turn Snacks Into Your Secret Diet Weapon

Let's face it: the pothole in every dieter's road to success is hunger. We don't eat just because something tastes good: we eat because we're totally starving! That is why I want to convert you to the Wall Street Diet approach to snacks. Strategic snacking is one of the most effective weapons you have against a poor food choice or (shudder!) a binge. When you keep your hunger in check with an appropriate snack, you're making it much easier to stick to your healthy food choices. But there's a key word here - strategic. If you snack mindlessly (and sometimes stress or fatigue can promote mindless snacking) you'll be adding extra calories to your daily intake without accomplishing your goal of minimizing hunger.

Here are my top Strategic Snacking Tips (you'll find many more in my book, The Wall Street Diet).

Know yourself. Some of my clients have told me that strategic snacking has enabled them to lose weight that they've never been able to lose before. But other clients learn that they don't need snacks at all. How do you tell? It's simple: try going from lunch to dinner without a snack. If you find that you are able to make good choices at dinner and that you're not utterly starving, you probably don't need a snack. If, on the other hand, you're desperate to eat just about anything by the time 5pm rolls around, you are a good candidate for a mid-afternoon snack. I've got lots more details on how to figure out your eating style in The Wall Street Diet (pages 19 - 44). In general, most people who feel they need a snack do well to have a single mid-afternoon snack. People who require more calories because of size or activity level might also choose a mid-morning snack and/or an evening snack. Again, the key is to know yourself and limit your snacking to what's useful and strategic in helping you reach your goals.

Meet the Snacks. OK, so you know you really need a snack to help keep you on track. What do you choose? I have lots of snack recommendations in The Wall Street Diet but here's a condensed version:

If you need a mid-morning snack: Choose a light snack of no more than 80 calories. This might be an apple. 6 ounces of Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, one Laughing Cow Light cheese and a Fiber Rich cracker.

If you need an afternoon snack: The Wall Street Diet (pages 311 -312) includes a complete list of recommended afternoon snacks. They are all up to 200 calories. A few good choices include: a Larabar, a Luna bar, a Nature Valley Granola bar, a 1.3 oz bag of Glenny's Soy Crisps.

If you need an evening snack: An evening snack should be less than 80 calories and it should be eaten right after dinner. A few good choices include Tofutti pops, Edy's Fruit Bars, a frozen Dannon Light & Fit yogurt.

Watch your Weekends. Weekends can be a tough time to diet. You're off schedule. You're socializing and spending time with friends and family. Snacks can play a big role in helping your stick to your eating goals. I suggest you keep lots of healthy snacks on hand for weekends. It's better to over-indulge in a healthy snack than to lose control at a brunch buffet! Some good choices include all the snacks mentioned above a well as low-sodium V-8 juice with lemon over ice, sugar free hot chocolate, cut up cucumber or peppers, soy crisps and herbal teas. For more tips on weekend snacking, see The Wall Street Diet (pages 190-191).

Don't be a health-snack-nut. Have you noticed all those portion-controlled healthy snacks that fill the supermarket aisles these days? What could be wrong with a whole-grain, organic snack? Well, first there are the calories...Even portion controlled snacks can pile on calories. Many of my clients tell me that they find it impossible to stop at one little snack! Moreover, for many dieters, the practice is worse than the calories. Once you get accustomed to downing a nibble here and a bite there it can be a hard habit to break. So limit your snacks to my Wall Street Diet recommended choices and enjoy them strategically, not mindlessly!

Diet Recovery Strategies: The Veggie Night

Want to jump-start your diet week? Try a Veggie Night on Sunday night. Or perhaps you had an over-indulgence at a barbeque or picnic. A Veggie Night will re-set your eating clock and get you back to clean and mean. Like a Protein Day, a Veggie Night is just what it sounds like: a night where your dinner is comprised of simply vegetables. (You can find lots of details and suggestions about Veggie Nights in The Wall Street Diet, page 88.) Some of my clients routinely use Veggie Nights one night a week until they reach their goal weight. Others reserve their Veggie Nights as a re-set tool. Whichever works for you… A Veggie Night dinner might be a baked white or sweet potato and two measured cups of steamed vegetables. This meal can be on your plate in under ten minutes if you use your trusty microwave.

Diet Recovery Strategy: The Protein Day

A Protein Day is a super-effective tool that will help you re-set your eating patterns. (It’s described in detail on page 87 of The Wall Street Diet) It’s nothing complicated but it’s surprisingly effective. My clients especially like to use it after a trip or a vacation where they’ve overindulged. A Protein Day is just what it says: a day where you eat primarily protein. For example, breakfast might be 2 eggs, any style, or a 4 to 6-egg-white vegetable omelet. Lunch could be a grilled chicken, fish or any protein over greens with a very, very light dressing. Dinner would be the same as lunch plus perhaps some steamed vegetables. These meals are filling and readily available anywhere. A Protein Day will get you back on diet track.

Banning the "Pickable, Poppable, Dippable, Unstoppable"

Eating is fun. Eating is sometimes unconscious. Put those two facts together with large quantities of food and you’ve got a diet disaster in the making. You know what I’m talking about: those chips in laundry bag sizes, those chocolate samplers that layer on forever… It’s just too tempting. Even healthy foods like cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks and hummus dips can wreak havoc when eaten in large quantities. Many of my clients are champion “mindless eaters” and, when faced with a big bowl of, well, just about anything, they’ll keep going until they reach the bottom. The solution to this is obvious: don’t expose yourself to the Pickable, Poppable... See The Wall Street Diet, page 29 for some specific Pickable, Poppable solutions. But it’s helpful just to recognize that you can’t have vast quantities of food around. Rely on portion-controlled snacks. But small quantities of items like energy bars. Don’t keep a drawer full of healthy, tempting snacks at work. And when you put out the bowl of cherry tomatoes out for the kids, keep it out of your reach!

Tips to Combat the Late Night Munchies

It's all too often that my clients tell me they are “good” all day and then when they settled in for the evening in front of the TV they just couldn’t hold it together any longer! Sundown snackers will grab anything that can’t run away and call it a snack. A handful of cookies, a sleeve of crackers, six ‘portion controlled’ packs of chips…. Nothing is safe! And of course the calories mount up. Most of us do this because the evening is the only part of the day when we can really relax. The rushing around is behind us and we feel, if only subconsciously, that we deserve a reward. Also, while we may be distracted all day by overlapping demands, the evening is finally a time to call our own. Whew! Another frantic day done. Time to unwind. Time to comfort ourselves. Time to, well, eat! Of course, excess calories are the biggest negative to evening snacking. But there are others. Late-night eating can cause you to sleep poorly and wake up tired and with a food hangover to boot. I have a host of solutions to this common dilemma in my book (see The Wall Street Diet, page 36), but here’s one tip that really works: the Turkey Solution. I discovered this trick myself to curb my own night time munchies. Keep three or four quarter-pound bags of sliced turkey (from the deli) in the fridge. Choose low-sodium turkey and avoid honey-roasted, smoked or spiced turkey. Each of these ¼ pound bags will have only about 150 calories. If you’re really, truly hungry, the turkey will satisfy you (and give you a tryptophan boost which will help you sleep.) But if you’re just munching, after a few mouthfuls of turkey, you’ll call it quits. Check out my food blog (link) and let me know if this trick works for you or if you have any other effective late-night snack buster solutions.

Q: I use diet soda to cut down on daily calorie intake. Good or bad idea?

A: Bad idea. Most people who drink diet soda are drinking it as a replacement for water and water is always the best hydrator. Water can actually help boost metabolism. There’s some evidence that suggests that diet drinks can even have a negative effect on weight loss. A recent study found that study animals who ate yogurt sweetened with saccharine versus those who ate it sweetened with sugar experienced weight gain. How’s that for depressing? They’re not certain why this would happen. It could be some metabolic change stimulated by the artificial sweetener or it could be a behavioral change (I’m eating low-cal yogurt so I can have the cupcake.) Some researchers speculate that the artificial sweetener actually triggers your insulin levels and if your insulin levels are triggered you will crave and therefore eat more carbohydrates and more calories overall. In my experience, clients who drink diet soda aren’t drinking water. Despite the fact that some research indicates that water is not important for weight loss, I have seen over and over again clients who are perfect eaters/exercisers but drink no water and can’t seem to lose an ounce. When I insist they up their water intake they lose weight. There is no better research then 10 years of experience! If you are a diet soda addict, try to reduce your intake if you can’t cut it out entirely and make it your goal to get in 6-8 cups of water before drinking your diet soda (this trick always works because there is only so much fluid you can fit into your body : ) . Also try to get in 1 liter by lunch…busy people always wait until the end of the day and there is no way to cram it all in after 6 without having your sleep suffer from the constant bathroom trips. I give a host of tips on water in The Wall Street Diet including recommended daily amounts and how water intake affects weight loss. (You can find a hot tip on the dangers of “diet” mixers on page 134 of The Wall Street Diet.) Bottom line…less diet soda and more water is the way to go to reach your goal.

How to look and feel fabulous this summer

Have you looked at the calendar lately? There are less than 60 days to Memorial Day weekend! 30 and 40° weather will soon be a memory, and we’ll be basking in 80° sunshine. If your New Year resolutions slipped away in the past few weeks, buried by cold weather, snow, work and family responsibilities, don’t worry: there’s still time to get healthy, fit and lean for summer!

Stress and work productivity
Some of us work better under stress. Give me a deadline, and my creative juices start to flow! The Yerkes-Dawson law states that as stress increases, so does efficiency and production – to a point. At some level, stress becomes too much for us, and burn-out grinds performance and efficiency to a halt.

Stress also has a food connection. Chronic stress actually increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that makes us crave rich, sweet, pleasurable foods. Cortisol demands food high in fat and carbohydrate such as potato chips, donuts, and ice cream to provide a steady source of energy in case we need escape from raging saber-tooth tigers, or deal with escalating work requirements. Cortisol also tells our body to store those extra calories as fat cells in our abdomen, which then turns off the stress hormones.

What do you do when your stress levels zoom through the ceiling? After 9/11, a survey by the American Institute for Cancer Research found that 20% of people were eating more comfort foods such as mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese. 19% sought out sugar to reduce their stress, reaching for cookies and ice cream. Comfort foods such as cookies, snack crackers, and donuts may make us think we feel better. But that feeling only lasts for a few minutes, and then reality kicks in. We feel physically terrible because our blood sugar is dropping like a rocket. We feel emotionally drained because we ate far more than we anticipated. Our stress levels go even higher because we feel like we just can’t cope and meet our health goals at the same time.

A 3-step approach for success
Don’t let your hectic work, social, and travel schedule get in the way of meeting your health and fitness goals. In my new book, The Wall Street Diet, I outline numerous strategies to reaching your goals. Instead of increasing your stress levels by adding yet another project – a diet – to your already jam-packed life, put these three simple yet effective tips into place.

Tip 1: Prioritize
Maybe you have 5, 10, or more items on your to-do list to get your body health-and-fitness-ready for summer. Prioritize that list, and focus on just one weak area. If you try to do everything at once, you’re going to increase your stress levels, which typically leads to inactivity and failure. Each week pick one primary goal for the week, and stick with it.

For example, you might decide to start with alcohol consumption. Alcohol is the fastest way to add empty calories, and it weakens your resolve to choose healthier foods. The average serving of 1.5 ounces of 80-proof alcohol contains about 90 calories before adding mixers. There’s no need to abstain from alcohol completely. Instead, you might choose to drink only one mixed drink per day. Or you might decide to stick with a glass of wine and forgo high calorie mixers. Try drinking mineral water with a slice of lime at a cocktail party instead of alcohol.

By prioritizing your to-do list, you’ll keep your goals manageable and feel successful. Each small success breeds even more success, and before you know it you’ll make progress in every area on that list.

Tip #2: Prepare
Preparation trumps will power every time. Plan out what you’re going to eat for breakfast and lunch. Limit yourself to one or two breakfast choices, and just a few lunch options to keep it simple and hassle-free. Plan for at least three days per week where you have a finite lunch and dinner, such as a turkey sandwich from the corner deli or a frozen meal for dinner. Pick one or two snacks to bring with you each day. A 6-ounce container of Dannon Lite and Fit yogurt, a Kashi TLC granola bar, an apple, or a Babybel light cheese are satisfying, healthy snacks that won’t increase your stress levels.

Plan ahead for a weekly massage to work away stress. Take a 5 minute walk outside in the middle of the day to let the sunshine revive your spirits. Before you step into a stressful meeting or pick up the phone to call a difficult client, take 5-10 deep, slow breaths. Let the air fill your lungs and energize your body, and exhale away stress and tension.

#3: Recover
If you view any slipup as a defeat instead of a bump in the road, or you demand perfection in your eating habits, you’re more likely to increase your stress levels and strike out on your health and fitness goals. Resetting yourself by doing something active and concrete helps you restructure your thinking so you avoid an all-or-nothing attitude that cripples your success.

Use a Protein Day after a day filled with eating disasters to get right back on track. Base your meals and snacks around protein: eggs or egg whites for breakfast, grilled chicken or fish in a salad for lunch and with steamed vegetables for dinner, and canned tuna or sliced turkey for snacks. A Protein Day gives your body a break from carbohydrates and breaks the cycle of overeating and then feeling terrible.

Another recovery tool is a Veggie Night, where you microwave a white or sweet potato and two cups of vegetables. In less than 10 minutes you have a satisfying meal that helps erase the earlier lapses of the day. Enjoying a Veggie Night helps you regroup, so you wake up the next morning feeling light and ready for a balanced breakfast.

Two months and counting!
Enjoy the warmer weather, sunnier days, and longer periods of daylight as we move through Spring into Memorial Day Weekend. With the tips outlined here, you’ll be beach-ready before you know it!

Research Round-up: Predicting Weight Maintenance

We all know there are many ways to lose weight - some are healthy and some are not so healthy. Generally, when simply looking to drop pounds in any way possible, such as a detox diet, you can end up packing on even more weight later on. In a recent study, slated to be published in January of 2008 in Preventing Chronic Diseases, researchers looked at the dietary practices and physical activity changes that led to successful weight maintenance. The researchers analyzed data on number of daily fruit and vegetable servings, minutes per week of physical activity, dining out frequency and confidence in one's ability to engage in behavioral strategies. They found that adults who reported not eating at fast-food restaurants (as compared with going two or more times per week) were more successful at weight loss maintenance. In addition, those who consumed fewer than five fruits and vegetables, but accrued more than 420 minutes of physical activity per week, or those who consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables and accrued 150 minutes or more of physical activity were more successful maintainers than those adults who consumed fewer than 5 fruits or vegetables per day and who were sedentary. Therefore, the behaviors that were adopted in order to initially lose the weight do indeed have some bearing on whether you will be able to keep the weight off. As you embark on your New Year's resolution, please keep this in mind, and aim for a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and physical activity.

The Scoop on Detox Diets

"Detox" is apparently the magic word in the dieting world. Whether it is through celebrities or magazine diet plans the benefits of detoxification seem to be touted everywhere. But, what exactly is detox, and is it beneficial?

The Claim
Those who support detox claim that our bodies are constantly overloaded with toxins. These can include pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides, alcohol, caffeine, and food additives. They claim that when these toxins build up in our systems, health problems can occur, including weight gain, headaches, bloating, fatigue, and a general lack of well-being. The advocates for detox feel that removing these toxins will help us to lose weight and feel better.

What is Detox?
There are many methods of detoxification. They range from pleasant activities such as saunas and massage to fairly unpleasant procedures such as colonic irrigation or bowel enemas. For many detox plans, herbal supplements are also recommended, and as is most popular in the United States, a detox plan will almost always have a large dietary component. Detox diets may include fasting, consuming only fruits and vegetables, consuming a limited range of foods, or avoiding caffeine and alcohol.

The Facts
Even though detox diets seem to be mainstream in popular culture, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the human body needs help getting rid of waste products if it is healthy. Our bodies are completely capable of excreting waste without fasting, enemas, or induced sweating - that's why we have a liver, lungs, kidneys, and skin.

Strict detox diets that are followed for a long period of time can actually lead to nutritional deficiencies and associated health problems. For instance, if you follow only a juice diet, then you will be missing nutrients such as calcium. A prolonged deficiency of calcium may lead to osteoporosis or brittle bones down the line. Moreover, if you fast for a significant period of time, then your metabolism will likely slow down, and your body will adjust to a very low calorie intake. Therefore, when you return to a normal eating pattern, you will be more likely to gain weight.

Is there Weight Loss?
Of course! How can there not be weight loss when you are barely eating anything? Cutting out major food groups - or all food - will drastically slash your caloric intake. In fact, the more severe the "detox", the more weight you'll be likely to lose simply due to a lack of food. Plus, the fact that you are drinking loads of water helps lead to a loss of water weight as well. However, as mentioned above, the weight loss will be accompanied by a slowing of your metabolism, leading to a very likely weight regain once real foods are reintroduced to the diet.

Are there any pros to detoxing?
Many people are probably following unhealthy diets. If following a one or two day detox plan helps get you into a healthy eating frame of mind, then a detox can be great. Detox diets can encourage healthy eating habits such as including more produce into your diet, drinking more water, or cutting back on processed foods. Detox diets also encourage forgoing alcohol and caffeine. All of these changes can be wonderful for your health and motivate you to get on track.

So What Should I do?
If you feel you need a one or two day detox to get you on track, then fine. But then please, give it up! Severe restriction is not healthy and is almost definitely not maintainable in the long-term. In addition, many of these detox plans put certain foods on a pedestal. While a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, there is no one food that can provide nutritional nirvana. During this New Year, if you want to maintain or achieve optimal health, the best approach is a balanced diet and regular exercise.

re you curious about what to eat – and what not to eat – to decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease? The OmniHeart trial published information in the February 2008 issue of The Journal of the American Dietetic Association on the effectiveness of three different eating patterns to decrease blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors. Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium intake were kept even in the three groups, but total carbohydrate, protein, and monounsaturated fat content differed. All three diets lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and decreased overall risk of developing heart disease. Each diet emphasized the use of fresh fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products; included whole grains, nuts, and fish; and reduced intake of red meat, sweets, and sugary beverages.

These global, population-based messages are important, but science is taking the next step in making individualized recommendations, based on your personal genetic profile. Navigenics is one company with a federally certified laboratory that screens personal genetic material from a sample of saliva and provides clinically-based, individual feedback on specific steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In the near future, your physician will be able to give you precise guidelines on lifestyle habits to prevent chronic disease. For now, keep eating your fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, and whole grains.

High-Fat Food and Sleep

A recent study shows that sleep and weight gain is a two-way street. Previous research seemed to indicate that lack of sleep led to weight gain. However, in a recent study published in Cell Metabolism in November 2007, researchers found that a high-fat diet may in fact be a cause of disrupted sleep, thus leading to further weight gain. In this study, mice fed a high-fat diet gained weight and showed a disruption in their circadian clock. These mice, after initially being fed a high-fat diet ate extra calories when they should have been sleeping or resting, and it was these extra calories that led to weight gain. So, avoid this vicious cycle by eating a diet that is balanced and moderate in fat.

Stress, Sleep, and Weight Gain – Oh My!

In late October of this year, the American Psychological Association released the results of a national survey on stress. They found that 1/3 of Americans are living with extreme stress, and that nearly half of Americans believe their stress levels have increased over the last five years. In addition, a majority of adults (63%) do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, needed for good health, safety, and optimum performance, according to the National Sleep Foundation. In fact, over the past 40 years, Americans have cut their sleep time by 1-2 hours a night. These trends towards more stress and less sleep coincide with Americans becoming heavier each year. It is no surprise then that recent research has found that both stress and sleep are correlated with weight gain.

Sleep
Lack of sleep appears to affect hormone levels. Leptin is a hormone released by fat cells which signals the brain to stop eating. Ghrelin, a hormone made in the stomach, signals the body to continue eating. Studies have shown that in individuals who are sleep deprived (i.e. sleeping less than 8 hours per night), leptin levels are lower and ghrelin levels are higher. This combination is therefore likely to increase appetite. On top of all that, the brain interprets a drop in leptin as a sign of starvation. In order to protect itself, the body not only responds by increasing your appetite, but it also burns fewer calories.

But, that’s not all. Lack of sleep also seems to affect insulin resistance and blood glucose levels. Insulin is the hormone that lets glucose (aka blood sugar) into the body’s cells, to be burned for energy. When people are insulin resistant, the insulin does not work efficiently. This can increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

Stress
As with lack of sleep, being stressed also affects certain hormones. When the body is stressed, it releases adrenaline, along with corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) and cortisol. The adrenaline and CRH first affect the body by decreasing your appetite, since in the typical “fight or flight response” (when stress is highest), having to stop and eat would surely not help to save your life. However, this decreased appetite only lasts for a short time. Cortisol kicks in later. Its job is to help the body replenish its stores when the stress has passed, and cortisol’s effects last a lot longer. Moreover, since the body is looking to quickly replenish its energy stores, it begins to crave sugar. Cortisol may also work to slow down your metabolism, since it is trying to quickly replenish lost nutritional stores.

Stress may also affect weight gain in other ways. Aside from cortisol’s affect on the body, stress often leads to nervous energy. An increase in nervous energy in some people leads to nervous or emotional eating. Furthermore, stress is also largely associated with a lack of time. This lack of time may affect being able to prepare healthy meals, leading to an increase in fast food consumption. It may lead to less time to exercise. Or, it may lead to a lack of sleep, thus starting a vicious cycle…

What to do?

1. Try a stress-reducing activity such as listening to soothing music or going for a walk.
2. Maintain a regular bed and wake-time schedule, including weekends.
3. Get organized. Create lists and schedules to get work done. Delegate tasks when possible.
4. Stop eating 2-3 hours before bed. A calorie is a calorie, and eating late at night won’t lead to weight gain. However, eating late at night can make you more uncomfortable when you lie down for bed and thus interrupt sleep.
5. Exercise! Exercise helps to reduce stress, makes it easier to fall asleep, and contributes to a more sounds sleep. Just try to complete your workout a few hours before bed.

Night Snacking and Weight

Night-snacking tends to be a problem for many. After dinner, we finally have a chance to relax. Oftentimes that relaxation comes with snacking. In a study published in 2004 by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers examined whether eating a calorie-controlled snack at night would help with weight management in night snackers. Sixty-two men and women were divided into two groups: calorie-controlled night snackers vs. ad libitum night snackers. The participants followed their assigned night-snacking routine for four weeks. After four weeks, those in the calorie-controlled night snacking group lost about 2 pounds while those in the group who ate ad libitum lost less than half a pound. Though in this case the calorie controlled snack was a measured out bowl of cereal, any calorie controlled item (i.e. a snack bar) may help to keep you from overeating and thus gaining weight.

Snack Bar Break

Though in an ideal world we would all eat balanced meals and snacks with whole grains, lean protein, and lots of fruits and vegetables, realistically it is often too time consuming and impractical. However, we can’t just starve until we have time to grab a decent meal. That’s where bars come in. Bars are quick, and if you choose the “right” ones, they can be balanced and filling. They are great to keep in your purse or briefcase if a meeting runs late and lunch seems far away, in the glove compartment of your car if you get stuck in traffic, or by the front door if there’s no time for breakfast so you can grab one and go.

The tricky part when it comes to bars is figuring out which ones are best or the most balanced. To help you, we’ve outlined a few nutrients/ingredients to watch for when choosing a bar. The major question to ask yourself, however, is will this bar help me eat less later or will it simply set off a sugar craving and leave me wanting more.

Calories
As a snack, ideally it should have less than 200 calories. If you’re replacing a meal, it can be higher than this, but beware that the very high calorie bars usually contain loads of sugar and/or saturated fat.

Fiber
Fiber helps by slowing digestion and allowing you to feel fuller longer. Finding high fiber bars can be tough, but aim for at least 3 grams of fiber per bar.

Protein
There are loads of high protein bars out there, but the main idea of protein is to balance out the carbohydrates and satiate us longer. There is no need to go overboard with protein (keep in mind, this is just a snack), but aim to get at least 7 grams in your bar.

Fat
You do want to have some fat in your bar to keep your snack balanced, to allow for a more satisfying snack, and to improve the taste and texture of the bar. However, try to keep the fat below 5 grams, with as little as possible coming from saturated fat. Also, avoid any bars with trans fats.

Sugar
This is definitely the hardest ingredient to assess. Most of the bars contain lots of sugar to improve taste. We decided to judge sugar based on its relation to fiber in the bar. Aim for bars that have at most a 6 to 1 ratio of sugars to fiber. For instance, if a bar has 3 grams of fiber, it should have no more than 18 grams of sugar.

To be honest, it was almost impossible to find a bar that fit all of our requirements. The bottom line is that you have to choose which ingredients are most important to you, and which bars help you most in staving off hunger (and which you like the taste of!). We’ve chosen some of our favorites to give you some ideas. The bars in bold fit every requirement.

Bar	Calories	Total Fat(g)	Saturated Fat(g)	Protein(g)	Carbs(g)	Fiber(g)	Sugar(g)
Bellybar™ (for pregnant women)	170-180	4-6	1-2.5	8	22-26	2	11-13
Clif® Mojo™	180-210	8-11	1-2	9-10	19-23	2-3	8-12
Gnu® Foods	130-140	3	0-1	3-4	30-32	12	8-9
Kashi™ GOLEAN® Roll!	190-200	5	1.5-2	12	27-29	6	13-14
Kashi™ TLC™*	120-180	2-6	0.5	5-7	19-26	4	5-8
Larabar®	180	4	2	8	29	5	11
Luna® Sunrise™	180	4	2	8	29	5	11
Luna®*	180-190	3.5-6	0.5-3	9-10	23-28	3-5	9-11
Pria® Complete Nutrition	170	6	4	11	22	5	7
Slim Fast® Optima™ Meal On-The-Go Bar	180-220	4-9	2.5-4	8	28-35	2-3	12-16
thinkGreen™	180-190	5-7	1-3	6-7	27-29	2-4	15-22

*Not every bar in this brand fits all of the requirements.

Take this guide with you as you navigate the supermarket aisles. By keeping balanced, healthy bars on hand, you will never have an excuse for going hungry!

The Skinny on Diet Pills

With the release of Alli this past June, diet pills are once again in the spotlight. The claims are appealing: “Lose 30 lbs in 30 days” or “Melt your fat away”. But, do these pills really work? And more importantly, are they even safe? We’ve broken down for you some of the more popular over the counter and prescription diet pills on the market to let you decide for yourself. As a disclaimer, we believe that there are no magic pills to get you to your goal – changing your lifestyle is the only truly tested and effective method.

Prescription Drugs
Research regarding prescription drugs is more thorough and credible since they have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Prescription weight loss drugs are intended for individuals with medically significant weight problems, and are intended to be used in conjunction with dietary, behavioral, and exercise programs. If used correctly by the intended group of users, oftentimes they can be a lifesaver. For those who do not fit the description of the intended user, or for those who simply take the pills without changing their lifestyle, expect disappointment.

Orlistat (Brand name prescription drug: Xenical; OTC drug: Alli)
How it Works: Orlistat blocks the absorption of fat by working on the digestive system. It is claimed to inhibit the action of an enzyme called lipase, which breaks down dietary fat so the body can absorb it. Orlistat blocks the absorption of up to 30% of dietary fat, and the unabsorbed fat is eliminated through the stool.

Research: According to the FDA, before orlistat was approved in 1999, it was tested in seven clinical trials, in which more than 4,000 obese individuals participated. Each of these trials used orlistat in conjunction with a low-calorie, low-fat diet, and an exercise routine. Overall, 57% of people taking orlistat lost at least 5% of their body weight as compared to 31% who took a placebo.

Side Effects: Due to the fact that unabsorbed fat will exit through the stools, many gastrointestinal side effects may exist. Perhaps most embarrassing is that users may experience oily rectal seepage and in extreme cases, may need adult diapers. Fecal urgency, gas with discharge, and frequent, oily bowel movements are also possible. In addition, orlistat interferes with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K) and may also limit the absorption of healthy fats like fish oil or flaxseed oil. As a result, nutritional deficiencies may occur.

Sibutramine (brand name: Meridia)
How it Works: Sibutramine is a monoamine reuptake inhibitor, which means that is blocks the reabsorption of certain neurotransmitters, or messengers to the brain. This allows the levels of these neurotransmitters to increase, which then helps to control appetite. Thus, sibutramine is mostly an appetite suppressant.

Research: Manufacturers report several double-blind, placebo controlled trials. There was evidence that various levels of sibutramine led to significantly more weight loss in obese individuals, than for those who used the placebo. As with orlistat, these studies were done in conjunction with a healthy eating and exercise plan.

Side Effects: The most common side effects are dry mouth, anorexia, headache, insomnia, and constipation. Some users also experience an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.

OTC Drugs
Over the counter weight loss drugs are not subject to approval or regulation by the FDA. As a result, we have limited research on the hundreds of OTC diet pills out there, and almost no long-term research. In addition, because these pills aren’t regulated, they may not even have the amount of an effective ingredient that is stated on the bottle. There are hundreds of diet pills out there. This is only a small sample.

Alli
The only FDA approved OTC drug. See orlistat (above).

TrimSpa X32
How it Works: Trimspa, endorsed by the late Anna Nicole Smith, has many different ingredients in it. Unfortunately, TrimSpa no longer lists each of the ingredients separately, but rather states that it has a “x32 proprietary blend”. We were able to uncover some of the ingredients. Ingredients like caffeine, bitter orange, and green tea extract are thought to work as stimulants. Hoodia, chromium, and glucomannan (fiber) are proposed to work as appetite suppressants.

Research: Clinical trials have not shown that the ingredients in TrimSpa can reduce body fat. There is some evidence that green tea extract may aid in weight loss, and there is clear evidence that fiber (i.e. glucomannan) will lead to satiety, thus decreasing one’s appetite. However, none of the ingredients have been significantly proven to lead to weight loss.

Side Effects: Due to the fact that many of the ingredients have been insufficiently tested, there is concern that in large doses, some of these ingredients may be harmful. Bitter orange (naringin) may interfere with many common prescription drugs such as antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants, statins, immunosuppressants, calcium channel blockers, and protease inhibitors. Ingredients in TrimSpa may lead to insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, and restlessness. TrimSpa may also cause migraines in susceptible people since it contains cocoa extract which contains tyramine. Hoodia, a popular ingredient on its own, and thought to suppress appetite, is also still in the beginning research stages. There is a possibility that it can lead to liver toxicity. Moreover, Hoodia is a protected plant, and because OTC diet pills are not regulated, most of the pills don’t have as much Hoodia as is stated on the packaging.

Xenadrine EFX
How it Works: As with the TrimSpa, Xenadrine has a long list of ingredients. These include green tea leaf extract, bitter orange, caffeine, cocoa extract, grapeseed extract, ginger root, and guarana. These ingredients are purported to speed up the metabolism.

Research: Though proponents of Xenadrine claim numerous clinical trials have been completed, it was hard for us to find any. The two we did find were extremely small studies of six and ten subjects. In addition, we found it dodgy that the Xenadrine website listed “returning shortly…” under the tab for clinical studies. When we called the company, they could not elaborate.

Side Effects: The same side effects noted for specific ingredients in TrimSpa are noted here. In addition, people taking Xenadrine have noticed nausea and upset stomachs, anxiety, shaking, cramps, increased heart rate, and increased sweating.

There are hundreds of other diet pills out on the market. Most of the OTC diet pills rely on the fine print that states it must be combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise. In reality, if you followed the healthy diet and exercise portion, you would lose weight. However, in certain cases, prescription drugs may be helpful and/or necessary, but that must be determined by your physician. With all diet pills remember - if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is.