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Read MoreAccording to a study published in the England Journal of Medicine, potato chips were the most “weight inducing food tested”. The coating of salt, fat, and sugar found on and in the starch of the potato provide the brain with a powerful appetite inducing single, causing you to want more. The starch in potato chips absorbs more quickly than even sugar causing large spikes in blood glucose and insulin, which promotes weight gain. In sharp contrast to potato chips, eating an unprocessed baked potato with the skin has been shown to curb appetite. Lesson… avoid processed foods and re-learn the joys of foods in their natural...
Read MoreGet the pdf version of this article Your WEIGHT: It’s About More than Just a Number. If you struggle with excess weight you needn’t feel alone. Seventy percent of Americans struggle right along with you, with thirty-six percent of them carrying more than 35 pounds of extra weight. Unquestionably, obesity has become epidemic in the United States. A fact that is particularly alarming when you consider that extra pounds have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, arthritis, asthma, auto-immune disease, and early death. But does obesity itself mean you’re unhealthy? While two-thirds of overweight people do develop weight-related health problems, one-third do not, and they don’t appear to be at an increased risk for health problems either. One cannot help but ask; what is different about the one-third of overweight people that keeps them healthy? While time and research will provide more clues, what we do know is the answer has a lot to do with diet and, most importantly, the health of their body fat. Traditionally, fat cells have been viewed as metabolically inactive storage units for extra calories. But newer research reveals that fat cells are much more complex and actually metabolically very active. While the full scope of the effects of body fat on health are just now beginning to be understood it is apparent that body fat acts like a major organ similar in importance to the heart, kidney, or liver. Fat cells produce hormones that control a host of body functions, particularly appetite, metabolism, and body weight. What determines a person’s health may have less to do with the number on the scale, and more about how well their body fat functions. Healthy fat cells regulate body weight by secreting several hormones. One, called adiponectin, is released when calories from food enter the blood stream. Adiponectin speeds up metabolic rate, helping burn off calories. Fat cells also release grenalin and leptin which work together to decrease hunger and increase fullness. Fat cell health appears to be dependent on the quality of our diet, and in particular on the type of fats we eat to maintain function. Most likely what determines whether overweight people are healthy or unhealthy is the quality...
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BEANS Help You Live Longer!
The Amazing Truth about Beans! When studies compared the nutrition habits of people from Japan, Greece, Sweden, and Australia looking for foods connected with longevity they found only one food group in common, BEANS! It seems that all types of beans are connected with longevity and it doesn’t even require eating large amounts of beans. Researchers found for every 2 Tbsps. of beans people ate their risk of death decreased by 8%. When you consider how much money people spend on vitamins and minerals every day – isn’t it amazing that one of the most economical foods, the lowly bean, packs much more punch for your health than any supplement can deliver. In our stampede for easy convenient foods it seems most of us have forgotten about the humble bean. But this is to our great disadvantage, as beans offer some of nature’s finest health benefits. When comparing health protectant properties of foods the most powerful super foods with the highest antioxidant properties are all beans. The number one power-food are black beans followed by lentils (red was the healthiest), and then kidney beans. If that isn’t enough to make you whip up a pot of chili than consider these facts: eating just half a cup of beans a day for two months can result in a 20 point drop in serum cholesterol; beans reduce blood pressure and inflammation; the unique fibers found in beans curb appetite and help with weight loss; beans may be protective against certain cancers; and beans are a great source of protein, zinc, folic acid, and fiber (1 cup = 16 grams.) Most of us forget that coffee is a bean and yes it too has health benefits. Coffee in particular appears to be protective against diabetes, liver cancer, and brain cancer. The best way to purchase beans is dry and then cook them. The plastic lining used in most canned beans often contains a chemical called BPA which has been linked to cancer, so either cook them from scratch or try Eden canned brands which do not use this chemical. Trader Joe’s has several quick-cook options. Look for their pre-cooked lentil salads, soups, humus dips, and frozen vegetable/bean dishes. Beans are easy to store and can sit on your shelf waiting to be cooked without...
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Smart Shopping
Fill your cart with healthy options! When you make healthy choices at the grocery store, it’s easier to keep making them every day at home. Arm yourself with these smart shopping tricks to avoid supermarket temptations. Before you go Plan your meals first. List what you will eat and drink for each meal over the next week. If you are using recipes, check to see which ingredients you have already and what you need to buy. Don’t forget breakfast. Healthy breakfast foods — like eggs, whole-wheat toast, whole-grain cereal, low-fat granola, and low- or nonfat yogurt — can help manage your weight. Look for breakfast foods without added sugars on the label. Stock up on sides and snacks. Smart snacks like nuts, pretzels, and sliced fruit are quick and easy. And don’t forget lots of vegetables that you can snack on raw, or steam, roast, or stir-fry. Whole grains, such as brown rice, bulgur, and quinoa also make deliciously healthy sides. Organize your list by food type. Organizing your grocery list by food types not only makes it easier to shop efficiently, it also makes it easier to skip the junk food aisles. For example, you could organize your list like this: fresh fruits and vegetables breads and whole grains canned goods frozen foods meat, fish, and poultry dairy and eggs What’s in store? Avoid the bakery section. To boost sales, stores make sure shoppers can smell the cakes and cookies in their bakery section. They may be fresh, but they’re full of sugar, fat, and empty calories. Head for the pre-packaged whole-grain breads instead. Don’t shop hungry. If your stomach is growling, you are more likely to buy unhealthy foods (and too much of them). Shop after a meal, or eat a small healthy snack before you go. Look high and low. Tempting items are often placed at eye level on the supermarket shelves. Check out the items higher and lower on the shelves, which can be better choices and less expensive, too. Stick to the edges. Try to shop around the outside aisles of the grocery store, where the fresh produce, dairy, and meat are usually found. Go down the other aisles only if you need a...
Read MoreThe Positive Choice Wellness Weight Programs are on the ballot for the San Diego Union Tribune’s BEST READER’S POLL, 2013. We could use your vote! We are listed under the Healthy Living/Weight Loss Clinic. You can vote once a day until July 7th. Click on the link below to cast your votes! www.sdbestpoll.com ...
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