Could Your Phone's CAMERA Help You Lose Weight?

One study seems to suggest so!

When people in a small study snapped a picture of everything they ate for 1 week, something interesting happened.  They took better stock of their meals -- and ate less or ate more healthfully because of it.



Worth 1000 Words (and Calories) 
Just think of it as a digital version of a food diary -- but it forces you to think about what you are eating before you put it in your mouth, instead of after.

In the study, the simple act of taking a picture caused people to pay closer attention to how much they were eating, how diverse their food choices were, or how healthful the food was.  And that extra thought and attention actually helped them eat better.  Here are some more slim-down tricks to try:

• Pace yourself ::  Speedy eaters in one study who typically noshed until they felt full were 3 times more likely to be overweight than people who ate at a more leisurely pace. Speed demons also consistently consume more calories overall.

• Be regular ::  Research shows that people who eat meals regularly throughout the day tend to have smaller waists than people who sometimes skip breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Not only do they weigh less and have smaller waists, but they are also less likely to develop metabolic syndrome or experience insulin resistance -- conditions that can pave the way for heart disease and diabetes.

• Learn to decode labels ::  In a study of NYC fast food patrons, customers who looked at posted nutrition information while waiting in line tended to make more calorie-conscious purchases when they stepped up to order. When calorie counts for select menu items were posted, customers who reported seeing the information ended up eating 52 fewer calories.

So next time you start to eat, take out your phone. . . and start snapping your way to slimmer hips and a flatter belly!

References ::
Think before you eat: photographic food diaries as intervention tools to change dietary decision making and attitudes. Zepeda, L., Deal, D., International Journal of Consumer Studies 2008 Aug 27;32(6):692-698.
The joint impact on being overweight of self reported behaviours of eating quickly and eating until full: cross sectional survey. Maruyama, K. et al., BMJ 2008 Oct 21;337:a2002.
Eating meals irregularly: a novel environmental risk factor for the metabolic syndrome. Sierra-Johnson, J. et al., Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 2008 Jun;16(6):1302-1307.
Purchasing behavior and calorie information at fast-food chains in New York City, 2007. Bassett, M. T. et al., American Journal of Public Health 2008 Aug;98(8):1457-1459.
:: Information in this post can be found on RealAge.com. Check out their site for more great information!

Spice Up Your Knees

Can herbs and spices be good medicine for your joints? Possibly. One new contender for soothing creaky knees is ginger.

When people with stiff, sore, osteoarthritic knees took a ginger extract for 6 weeks, they felt significantly better than their placebo-dosed pals who got fake ginger.

Anti-Inflammatory Action

Long used in Eastern medicine to treat musculoskeletal problems, ginger contains a complex mix of compounds that researchers suspect helps thwart inflammation in several ways. And in the study, side effects (stomach upset) were mild.

Ginger Goodness

Along with its inflammation-cooling properties, ginger may have anticancer powers, too. And the ginger ale your mom dispensed when your stomach was upset? There is science behind that as well. Ginger is a well-known nausea reliever. Find out about the special anticancer compounds in ginger.

Recipe Corner

You can find fresh ginger root in the produce section of grocery stores. Not sure how to use it? Try one of these quick and fresh recipes from EatingWell.com:

• Marinate your meats in this simple-to-make Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce.
• Give poultry a punch by turning it into Ginger-Coconut Chicken.
• Dress up a traditional meal with Ginger Fried Rice.
• Make your own 10-minute salad dressing: Ginger-Orange Dressing.

Find more ways to use ginger as a home remedy.

References ::
Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Altman, R. D., Marcussen K. C., Arthritis and Rheumatism 2001 Nov;44(11):2531-2538.

2 Keys to Eating Better

Getting more goodness into your meals could be as easy as these two steps: Plan ahead, and eat at the dinner table.

If you are like many people, you have no idea what you are going to eat for dinner until you rummage around the kitchen at 5 p.m. But you will eat more fruit and veggies if you are a planner. That is exactly what happened in a recent study when women decided in advance what they were going to eat and shopped for meals ahead of time.

When a Plan Comes Together

Planning was key to healthful eating. But it also helped if the women ate dinner at the table and enjoyed cooking. So make a plan, hit the store, and stick with it! Bonus: Adding more fruits and veggies to your diet could help you lose those stubborn pounds in time for bathing suit season!

It is Easy Being Green

Need help planning meals that fulfill your daily veggie quota? These easy and delicious veggie-crammed recipes make it a snap to plan ahead:

• Make a quick main dish using a delicious combination of mashed eggplant and shallots: Eggplant-Shallot Stew.
• Turn Saturday morning brunch into veggie time with this satisfying vegetarian tart: Leek and Gruyere Quiche.
• When you are in a bind and need to turn freezer food into dinner fast, try this side dish: Vegetable Stir-Fry.

References ::
Which food-related behaviours are associated with healthier intakes of fruits and vegetables among women? Crawford, D. et al., Public Health Nutrition 2007 March;10(3):256-265.

Greek-Style Quinoa Salad

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
3 tbsp. olive oil
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed in a garlic press
¼ cup kalamata olives
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
7 ounces sheep's milk feta cheese, cubed
¼ cup diced red onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place quinoa in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Add water and quinoa to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes until quinoa is almost translucent.

Spread cooked quinoa on a large dinner plate and place in freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and garlic. Toss with quinoa.

Add olives, scallions, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onion; gently mix ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Tip:
Feta cheese may be too salty for some. To lower the sodium count, soak it in water overnight.

Nutrition Score per serving:
(1 ½ cups): 331 calories, 19 g fat (52% of calories), 6 g saturated fat, 31 g carbs, 11 g protein, 10 g fiber, 233 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 488 mg sodium

Health Benefits of Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah):
Although not a common item in most North American kitchens today, quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked.

A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors.  Quinoa is high in protein, but more importantly, the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids.  Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair.

In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients.  Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

:: This is one of my favorite salads to make!  It is fun to watch a person's face contort into skeptical confusion when I mention Quinoa... and then melt into blissful delight once they take their first bite!  Oh yeah... and it is DELICIOUS, too! 

An Easy, Tasty Way to Cut Calories and Fat

Here is a simple way to slash major calories from some of your favorite comfort foods -- and you will not miss a thing.

When you are making lasagna, sloppy joes, chili, and other ground beef dishes, use chopped mushrooms instead of meat. If you are like the people in a recent study, you will naturally eat about 420 fewer calories with these mushroom-enriched meals.

People in the study also said the mushroom makeovers tasted just as good and kept them feeling full just as long as the beef versions did. And not only did the mushroom-based dishes mean a lower-calorie meal, but the mushroom eaters also ate fewer calories and less fat throughout the day than the beef eaters did.

Savory Substitutions

Switching beef for mushrooms is just one way to cut calories and fat. Here are some other easy substitutions that can help your health and tame your appetite:

• Cheese pleaser :: Skip the whole-fat cheddar and try these healthier -- but just as creamy -- cheese options:

1. Boursin Light:
A home run for cheese fans and garlic lovers alike. Just a schmear of this creamy spread goes a long way on a whole-wheat cracker or slice of baguette.

2. Trader Joe's Fat-Free Feta:
These moist, cheesy crumbles make a perfect final flourish for a spinach salad tossed with berries, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette.

3. Treasure Cave Reduced Fat Crumbled Blue Cheese:
Great on salads and burgers, yet it has roughly half the fat of regular blue cheese. As with all blues, you must be a fan of salty and stinky to enjoy this one.

4. Mini Babybel Light:
These rounds of creamy, semisoft cheese are perfect with a handful of grapes and a couple of almonds.

5. Jarlsberg Lite:
Replace your usual Swiss slices with these thin, deli-style slices -- they have a mild, slightly nutty flavor and an almost sweet aftertaste.

6. Sargento Reduced Fat Provolone:
This mild Italian favorite maintains a nice buttery taste with a minimal amount of fat.

• Sausage saver :: Switch to these guilt-free supermarket sausages:

1. Jimmy Dean D-Lights Turkey Sausage
This comes already assembled, breakfast-sandwich style, complete with a whole-grain muffin, egg white, and cheese. It tastes so good, and even though the patty is small, the sandwich is plenty filling. Plus, the bread cooks up nice and fluffy in the microwave. Admittedly, it has more sodium and saturated fat, but it is a major improvement over a Sausage & Egg McMuffin, which is just 0.7 ounces bigger but has almost four times the fat!

2. Trader Joe's Sweet Bell Pepper & Onion Chicken Sausage
TJ's chicken sausage mixture tastes different from pork sausage -- but good different -- because it is full of flavor, not grease. One hefty all-natural link is enough to satisfy anyone with a good-sized appetite on Sunday morning. Boiled, broiled, or lightly sauteed in a nonstick skillet and plopped on a bun or sliced into pasta sauce, it makes a great lunch or dinner, too.

3. MorningStar Farms Sausage Links
These veggie links are too crumbly to mistake for real sausage, but they have a mildly spicy flavor with a hint of sweetness that is yummy -- and flavor is what it is all about. Your taste buds will not remotely realize that the links are made mainly of textured vegetable protein, egg whites, and corn oil.

• Smart snack :: Just say no to Cheese Nips and Oreo Thins, and grab one of these wonderful 100-calorie treats instead:

Ø 5 Hershey's dark chocolate Kisses or 2 Dove Promise dark chocolate miniatures

Ø Mini pita bread with a quarter of avocado

Ø Two rice cakes with one wedge light cheese

Ø 1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup blueberries

Ø Herbalife Creamy Chicken Soup Mix

Ø 10 soy crisps with a small peach

Ø Toasted whole-grain waffle with a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar

Ø 1 heaping cup of cherries or 12 dried apricot halves

Ø 12 almonds

Ø Herbalife Peach Mango or Wild Berry Protein Beverage

Ø 1 Dannon Light & Fit Raspberry Smoothie

Ø 1 Klondike Slim-a-Bear fudge bar or 2 Dole frozen fruit juice bars

Ø 48 Rold Gold pretzel sticks

Ø 3 hard-cooked egg whites with a little Dijon mustard and a sliced tomato

Ø And if you crave nothing but pickles (for whatever the reason!), you can happily munch and crunch through 8 medium dills

Source :: RealAge.com

References :: Lack of energy compensation over 4 days when white button mushrooms are substituted for beef. Cheskin, L. J. et al., Appetite 2008 Jul;51(1):50-57.

Sweet Bean Burritos

Okay, I have been begging my sister for this recipe! She has made this dish for us quite a few times now... and each time, it just keeps getting better! It is incredibly delicious and so filling... and super healthy! It is perfect in it's simplicity!

Sweet Bean Burritos

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion - chopped
3 cloves garlic - pressed
2 cans black beans - drained
2 medium sweet potatoes - cooked and mashed
1 teaspoon cumin
6 whole wheat flour tortillas
6 tablespoons cilantro
6 tablespoons low-fat cheddar cheese

In a skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and cook onions and garlic until soft.  Add beans, stir in the mashed potatoes, add cumin and mix well.

Heat tortillas and spoon bean mixture inside. Add cilantro and cheese, roll up burrito-style, and serve.

Make these burritos for dinner... use the left-overs as breakfast burritos... or treat yourself to burritos for lunch! The sweet potato and black bean mix tastes great as a side dish, as well! Thanks, Lisa!

Get Smarter By Noon

Get Smarter By Noon

Looking for that magic "smart pill" to get you through your day?? Well, look no further! Stir some blueberries into your breakfast cereal, low-fat yogurt, or morning smoothie, and do not be surprised if you get a genius idea for work or whip through your inbox faster than Hollywood gossip can spread. That is because people who eat a lot of fruit and have a high intake of flavonoids perform better on tests of verbal fluency, logical reasoning, and visual memory -- three skills that translate into doing your job better, faster, and smarter.

Flavonoids are antioxidants that are packed into fruit, and they are widely thought to fight disease and mental decline. They are in plenty of different fruits, but blueberries are little superheroes when it comes to antioxidant power and your brain. The compounds in this tiny fruit may help protect you from two processes linked to brain-cell aging: inflammation and oxidation (both are also linked to Alzheimer’s). Back up blueberries with this breakfast chaser: an omega-3 supplement -- either 2 grams of fish oil or 600 milligrams of DHA. You’ll likely gain even more smarts.

Blueberries are ranked No. 1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables. That means a serving of blueberries has more of the antioxidant power you need to fight aging, cancer and heart disease.
1 cup (143 grams) of blueberries is 84 calories (technically, kcal). Blueberries contain no cholesterol or fat and are also low in calories. Blueberries are high in dietary fiber, Vitamin A and niacin. They contain iron and other trace minerals and are a source of Vitamin C.
Blueberries have a diverse range of micronutrients, with notably high levels (relative to respective Dietary Reference Intakes) of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber (table below). One serving provides a relatively low glycemic load score of 4 out of 100 per day.
Blueberries contain anthocyanins, other antioxidant pigments and various phytochemicals possibly having a role in reducing risks of some diseases, including inflammation and different cancers.
Blueberries may have anti-disease effects, too. Researchers have shown that blueberry anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, flavonols, and tannins inhibit mechanisms of cancer cell development and inflammation in vitro.
Similar to red grape, some blueberry species contain in their skins significant levels of resveratrol, a phytochemical with increasing evidence as an anti-cancer compound.

*All that... AND it is PEAK SEASON for blueberries... so go out and get your farm fresh blueberries! If you are here in Rhode Island, head over to Macomber's Blueberry Farm for some of the tastiest and freshest blueberries around! You can enjoy a relaxing day picking your own... or buy them freshly picked. I was just there yesterday... and WOW!! Blueberries as far as the eye could see... and super tasty, too! Visit their website for more information. *

:: Information in this post is from RealAge.com and Macombers Blueberry Farm.

Weigh In On What You Know

Weigh In On What You Know

Take this quiz to see how much you know about weight management. From calorie counting to metabolism to exercise, a little knowledge can help you go a long way.

Answer true (“T”) or false (“F”) to the following:

1. Eating slowly can help you feel full with less.
   (T) (F)
2. Watching television, reading or working while you eat can help distract you from eating too much.
   (T) (F)
3. Low-fat and fat-free foods have just as many, if not more, calories as their full-fat versions.
   (T) (F)
4. Metabolism slows with age.
   (T) (F)
5. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator has little impact when it comes to burning calories.
   (T) (F)

______________________________________________________

ANSWERS

1. TRUE: When you eat too fast, your brain doesn’t get the signal that you’re full until it’s too late and you’ve already overeaten. By savoring every bite, you can save yourself from too many calories.
2. FALSE: These activities can distract you while you eat, but they have the opposite effect: If you don’t focus on your meal, before you know it, you’ve actually eaten much more than you wanted to.
3. TRUE: Eating low-fat or fat-free foods doesn’t necessarily mean you’re consuming fewer calories. They tend to have as many calories as their fullfat counterparts, and oftentimes, fat is replaced with sugar, which drives up the number of calories.
4. FALSE: A slower metabolism isn’t inevitable. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, the faster you burn calories. With age, people have a tendency to exercise less, or less vigorously, meaning fewer calories burned per day. As activity levels and intensity go down, loss of muscle mass can occur. Simply put, the less muscle you have, the lower your metabolism.
5. FALSE: Little things can mean a lot! You might be surprised to learn that it’s possible to burn more calories simply by becoming more active in your everyday life – such as by walking to the mailbox instead of driving; walking to a co-worker’s desk instead of calling or emailing; or, in this case, taking the stairs instead of using the elevator.

:: This quiz was taken from Herbalife.com.

A Growing Problem

A Growing Problem

• In the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States doubled in adults. – National Center for Health Statistics, 2006
  
• Currently, 2 in 3 adults (66%) are overweight or obese.
  – National Center for Health Statistics, 2006
  
• Only 26% of U.S. adults engage in vigorous leisure-time physical activity three or more times per week (defined as periods of vigorous physical activity lasting 10 minutes or more).
  – National Center for Health Statistics, 2005