Water and Weight Loss

We’ve been saying it forever, but there is finally evidence to back us up – drinking water can help you to lose weight. In October 2006, the Obesity Society presented compelling research to this effect. Researchers analyzed weight-loss data on 240 overweight women between the ages of 25 to 50, who were following one of several popular diet plans, all of which restricted carbohydrate consumption to some degree. The data showed that prior to starting the weight loss programs, the women drank an average of about two cans of sugary drinks a day (including both sodas and juices). The findings indicated that dieters who replaced almost all sweetened drinks with water lost an average of 5 pounds more than the dieters who did not. Moreover, the dieters who drank more than four cups of water a day lost an additional two pounds more than the dieters who did not drink as much. Whether it’s through the replacement of high calorie beverages or through unexplained properties of water, the bottom line is that drinking water when added to a healthy diet may help to shed some pounds. So, drink up!

2 Great Parfait Recipes

Valentine’s Day Breakfast Parfait

Serves 2

Ingredients:
¾ cup non-fat strawberry yogurt
¼ cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup sliced strawberries + 2 whole strawberries
¾ cup low-fat granola type cereal, such as Kashi Go-lean crunch or Grape Nuts

1. In a clear dessert, parfait, or champagne glass, spoon 3 tablespoons strawberry yogurt into the bottom of each glass. Top with 1-2 tablespoons sliced strawberries. Layer 2 tablespoons cereal on top of the strawberries.
2. For the next set of layers, spoon 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt on top of the cereal. Repeat the strawberry and cereal layer.
3. For the final layers, spoon 3 tablespoons strawberry yogurt on top of the cereal. Repeat the strawberry and cereal layer.
4. Top each glass with a whole strawberry.

Calories per serving: ~160

Banana Pudding Parfait

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 ¼ cups skim milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large ripe banana, thinly sliced
½ cup low-fat vanilla wafers, crushed
¼ cup non-fat whipped topping

1. Mix yogurt, milk, vanilla, pudding, and nutmeg together, until well blended.
2. Evenly divide mixture into the bottom of 4 wine goblets or parfait glasses.
3. Top each glass with banana slices.
4. Layer 1/8 cup of crushed wafers across the top of each glass. Try to evenly cover the bananas to prevent discoloration.
5. Top with 1 tablespoon of whipped topping.

Calories per serving: ~125

Spotlight: Priobiotics

With nutrition and health, it happens all the time. Suddenly through marketing or through increased interest from a few highly respected media personalities, certain fads or foods hit the spotlight. And while sometimes it may lead to a misinformed public blindly following a new fad (i.e. The Cabbage Soup Diet, The Ball Diet, etc.), occasionally a few healthful gems are unearthed. One such beneficial food component is probiotics. Though probiotics were discovered back in the early twentieth century (and recognized as healthy bacteria way before that), it is only in the last few years that probiotics have made it big. Oprah has mentioned them in both her magazine and on her show, and now each major yogurt company is touting the different probiotic cultures that their yogurts contain. So, we now know that probiotics are good for us, but what exactly are they?

What They Are
Probiotics are friendly bacteria. These bacteria naturally live in our stomach and intestines, which keeps us healthy and functioning. In fact, it has been estimated that there are more healthy bacterial cells associated with the human body than there are human cells, and that there are over 400 species of probiotics. The intestinal microflora, which means the variety of bacteria in our intestines, is highly specific for each individual. These friendly bacteria begin to accumulate in our gastrointestinal (GI) tracts from infancy, and tend to remain fairly stable over time. However, our microflora develops in stages throughout our lives and are affected by diet, illness, and even environmental factors. This is important since optimal gut and digestive health is necessary for the absorption of nutrients and for removing toxins. For this reason, many health professionals feel that ingesting probiotics to further ensure GI health is beneficial.

Why They’re Getting Even More Press
Recently, there has been a plethora of new research regarding probiotics and health. All of the research, however, is preliminary and mostly inconclusive so don’t try and treat any medical problems without consulting a physician.

Intestinal Benefits

• Promote recovery from diarrhea
• Help alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance and malabsorption
• Relieve constipation

Immune System Effects

• Stimulate gastrointestinal immunity
• Reduce chance of infection from common pathogens (i.e. Shigella, Salmonella)
• Normalize immune responses
• Inhibit chronic sub-clinical inflammation
• Improve inflammatory conditions with an autoimmune component, such as asthma, eczema, or Crohn’s disease

Effects on Disease

• Improve food allergies
• Promote recovery from vaginal (bacterial and yeast), urinary tract, and bladder infections
• Reduce several risk factors for cardiovascular disease
• Reduce several risk factors for intestinal cancers
• Ameliorate inflammatory intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Where We Get Them
Probiotics can be found in supplements and in foods such as certain yogurts and other dairy products. Consuming probiotics from foods, however, appears to be the best way to go. Dairy foods help to protect probiotic bacteria. Since our stomachs are highly acidic, many varieties of probiotics may die before they even reach our colons. Dairy foods, however, help to buffer stomach acid and increase the chance that the bacteria will survive into the intestine. The most common bacterial strains added in yogurt are L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and L acidophilus, so look for these on the label. It is important to note that not all yogurts contain active bacterial culture. Make sure to check the label for words such as “live cultures” or “active cultures”. Also, avoid yogurts that say “heat treated after culturing” since this means that the live cultures were destroyed and will be of no benefit to you. Finally, the potency, or amount, of live cultures is also important since a certain number of cells are required to attain the benefit. Check to see if the label states how many viable organisms are in the product.

The Bottom Line
Probiotics are a current trend that is actually healthy for our bodies. Including one serving of yogurt or another probiotic containing food per day, can help you reap the benefits.

Aside from its probiotic qualities, yogurt is also a great source of protein, calcium, B vitamins and other nutrients. To ensure the probiotic health benefits, however, you don’t want to heat the yogurt or you will destroy the live cultures. Instead, try incorporating it into cool dishes like cold soups, dips, salad dressings, or parfaits.

Touchdown Turkey Chili

In order to not penalize your waistline this Super Bowl Sunday (and your New Year’s resolution for that matter), try this healthy chili recipe. In this chili recipe we bench the fattier sausage or ground beef and send in the lean ground turkey instead. The result is sure to score a touchdown with any crowd!

Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1.5 pounds lean ground turkey (97% fat-free)*
1- 1 ounce package taco mix seasoning
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 – 14.5 ounce can fat-free beef broth*
1- 7 ounce jar salsa
1- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1- 7 ounce can chopped green chile peppers
1- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained
1- 15 ounce can black beans, drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
Fat-free sour cream (optional)
Low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large stock-pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot and break apart as much as possible.
2. Season with taco mix, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Continue cooking until turkey is well browned.
3. Pour in beef broth and simmer about 5 minutes.
4. Add salsa, tomatoes, green chiles, chickpeas, and black beans, and continue cooking at a simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust thickness as necessary by adding water.
5. While chili is cooking, heat one teaspoon of oil in a skillet. Cook onion and green bell pepper until onion is translucent and pepper is slightly browned. Add onion and pepper to the chili pot and continue to simmer.
6. Heat the third teaspoon of oil in the same skillet and add the zucchini. Cook until lightly browned. Add the zucchini to the chili and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
7. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with a dollop of fat-free sour cream or low-fat shredded cheese if desired.

Calories per serving (without cheese or sour cream): ~350

*To make this a vegetarian recipe, you can substitute 2 Lightlife Gimme Lean, Ground Beef Style packages for the ground turkey and mushroom or vegetable stock for the beef stock.

Startling Statistics

Did you know that…

• The Super Bowl is ranked as the number two food consumption event of the year, second only to Thanksgiving?
• Americans consume 30.4 million pounds of snack foods during the Super Bowl?
• Americans consume more than 11 million pounds of potato chips on Super Bowl Sunday?
• Americans double their average daily consumption of snacks on Super Bowl Sunday, consuming more than 33 million pounds of goodies in one day?
• The average Super Bowl watcher consumes about 1200 calories during the course of the game?
• An additional $11.8 million is sold in beer prior to Super Bowl Sunday?
• $237.2 million are spent on soft drinks during the week leading up to the Super Bowl?

This year, let’s try to bring down the numbers. Nu-train newsletter readers, America and your body need you!

Statistics courtesy of Nubella.com

Defending your Waistline on Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday can be one of the toughest days of the year when it comes to eating. With the unlimited spread of snack foods, giant hero sandwiches, pizza, wings, and not to mention beer, it can be pretty hard to defend those resolutions that were made just a few weeks earlier. This year, however, with just a little planning, we can easily score big on taste without penalizing our waistlines.

The Game Plan

Prior to Kickoff
First, ensure that you aren’t starving by the time your Super Bowl party starts. Make sure that you eat regular meals (i.e. breakfast, lunch, and a PM snack) before you arrive at your party so that you can perform well at game-time.

The Defense
As a Super Bowl party guest, you will be playing on someone else’s turf, and so you will need to be on the defensive.

• When you get to the party, hold off on hitting the food table. Converse with the other guests, and grab a glass of water to help fill you up.
• Allow yourself a small taste of everything at the party that you want. After that, bench the fattier options, and send in the low-cal replacements.
• Bring something with you. Prepare a healthy dish such as a turkey chili, or arrange a colorful fruit or vegetable platter with a low-fat yogurt based dip.
• Bench the high-cal beverages. Though Super Bowl Sunday may encourage loads of beer drinking, remember that one regular beer contains about 150 calories. Try water, seltzer, or diet drinks instead. If you feel you are missing out on the alcohol, try a wine spritzer (1/2 wine, ½ sparkling water), or even a light beer.

The Offense
If you’re the one throwing the party, you have the home field advantage. Instead of putting out the usual fatty fare, surprise your opponents and slim down the options.

• Though chili has a wonderful healthy base of beans and tomatoes, the beef, sausage, cheese, and sour cream can intercept your healthy eating plan. Try choosing extra-lean ground beef or turkey, or opt for a soy crumble. Try low-fat cheese and/or non-fat sour cream in place of the higher calorie condiments.
• Instead of saucy, fried wings, try oven-frying some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut the breasts into bite size pieces, dip them in egg whites or buttermilk, and dredge them in either breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs. Bake in the oven and serve with a honey-mustard or barbecue sauce.
• Foot-long heros may be an old standby on Super Bowl Sunday, but the high-fat and high-sodium meats, the cheeses, the oil, and the mayonnaise (not to mention the sheer quantity), can easily add up to hundreds of extra calories. Instead of buying the pre-made sandwiches, make a sandwich platter. Arrange different lean meats like turkey, chicken, and ham. Put out low-fat dressings and mayo, and loads of veggies. Provide a variety of whole grain breads, wraps, and rolls.
• For a low-fat cornbread, use part whole-wheat flour, low-fat or fat-free buttermilk, and canola oil.
• Bake tortilla chips or pita wedges and serve with low-fat dips that use fat-free or reduced-fat yogurt, sour cream, or cream cheese as their base.
• Load your potato skins with salsa and a sprinkling of reduced fat cheese instead of bacon and cheese sauce. Top with a small dollop of non-fat sour cream if desired.
• Order pizza without cheese and ask for extra veggies.
• Put out pretzels, popcorn, and baked chips instead of greasy potato chips.
• Don’t forget the veggies! Put out a big vegetable platter with a variety of cut-up veggies and low-fat dip.
• Provide other drink options aside from beer. Keep plenty of water, coffee, and diet drinks on hand.

Whether you’re at home or away this Super Bowl Sunday, you are now prepared to avoid getting sacked by those extra pounds. Now all you need to do is hope that your football team is as prepared as you are.

Nutritious Eggnog Recipe

With the holiday season comes traditions, family gatherings, and of course, lots of eating and drinking. It’s no wonder that we tend to put on weight during the holidays. Though rich foods like sweet potato casserole and stuffing pack on the calories, we oftentimes forget that our beverages may be sabotaging our weight management efforts as well. One such figure predator is eggnog. Though this creamy beverage is delicious and comforting, one cup can add an additional 350 calories, and who can stop at one? This holiday season let’s make eggnog a friend, not a foe, and trim down the calories.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
5 cups skim milk
8 oz evaporated skim milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk)
1 cup egg substitute
Sweetener to taste*
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp rum extract
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon

1. In a saucepan, gently heat the skim milk, evaporated milk, egg substitute and sweetener over a low flame, stirring regularly until the mixture has thickened.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Add in the vanilla, rum, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
4. Pour into 6 cups and sprinkle on additional nutmeg and cinnamon.

Calories: ~130 (You save 220 calories)!

*If you prefer real sugar to artificial sweetener, measure carefully how much sugar you are adding. Each additional teaspoon of sugar adds 15 calories.

Not much of a cook? Try a ready-prepared light eggnog. Vitasoy’s Holly Nog is just 120 calories and Silk Nog is 180 calories per cup.