Eat Smart! Finding hidden food traps
Unless you take time to measure everything you eat, you may be falling into “hidden food traps”.
People don’t realize how much they are eating, according to Brian Wansink, PhD, whose research has focused on perceived consumption vs. actual consumption.
One study Wansink conducted found that something as simple as the shape of a glass increased the serving size. Even though both glasses had the same volume, people poured about 37 percent more liquid in short, wide glasses than in tall, skinny glasses.
“Most of us have too much chaos going on in our lives to consciously focus on every bite we eat . . . The secret is to change your environment so it works for you rather than against you,” said Wansink during a presentation at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.
So how do you make this work for you? By making these few changes, participants in a Wansink study lost up to two pounds a month.
- Eat off of salad plates instead of dinner plates
- Keep healthier food at eye-level in the fridge and cupboards, and keep unhealthy food s out of sight
- Eat in a dining area and not in front of the TV
You Know You’re A Stepper When….
LaTonya M. Baldwin (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan participant)
It’s the middle of January already. As I mentioned in a previous blog, this is a hectic month at work. It seems I do little more than work and sleep. Despite the madness, I’m steppin’. How do I get it done? I just do because I’m a stepper and you know you’re a stepper when:
You wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is reach over to your nightstand and grab your pedometer and then your glasses.
You know you’re a stepper when you walk to the gym to work out. 
You know you’re a stepper when you don’t care how you look dancing at the bus stop while waiting to be picked up.
You know you’re a stepper when you go on break at work and you walk instead of sit.
You know you’re a stepper when it doesn’t feel natural not to walk.
What about you? You know you’re a stepper when…..
Move Smart! Keep walking instead of hibernating
Overcast skies, more snow and rain in the forecast. Staying motivated during the long dull weeks ahead can be a challenge. So how do you overcome the urge to crawl under the covers or grab the TV remote? Maybe one or two of these tips will do the trick.
- Set a goal. You did it before, you can do it again. Your pedometer is a great tool for this so make sure you wear it from morning till night.
- Remember what got you started and embrace that energy again.
- Grab a buddy, someone who will spur you on, and in turn, you can encourage them.
- Exercise outside when the sun is shining. The natural sunlight can be a great motivator.
- Try journaling. Seeing what progress you made, or haven’t made, just might get you up and going.
- Change up your routine, or find a new one. Your local library has lots of exercise DVDs or maybe your community center has a drop-in zumba or yoga class you always wanted to try.
- Be nice to yourself. Getting out and exercising when you don’t want to is hard, so reward yourself.
- Set up a regular time and stick to it. You can get through anything if you know when it will end.
- Break down your walks to 10 minutes segments (about 1,000 steps) throughout the day. Before you know it you will have reached your goal.
No Fat Cat Here
LaTonya M. Baldwin (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan participant)
In my house, our cat Patches rules. That is until I got a pedometer, remembered how much I love dancing and discovered Deep House Cat music. I’m a stepper and dancing is one of the most fun ways I boost my aerobic minutes. I’ve mentioned a few other sites and I’m introducing another because as much as I love steppin’ and the benefits of exercising, the reality is, I have to keep working out fun and varied or I lose interest (and the body becomes very efficient when it comes to aerobics so variety matters). If you haven’t given serious thought to music and how it impacts your workout, revisit the issue and while you’re researching the effects of music on working out, check out Deep House Cat music. Each podcast offers a different guest dj with club music that will keep you steppin’ for forty-five to sixty minutes. 
You can download podcasts from iTunes or Deep House Cat’s website.
On my early morning walks, I often listen to classical. For the treadmill or the bike, it’s rock. During lunch or my break, I tap on my Nano and select one of my Deep House Cat mixes. It’s twenty minutes of pure dancing pleasure.
Depending on intensity and goal for a walking session, I choose a different tempo and style of music. What about you? What moves you?
Eat Smart! Another reason to rethink your sugary soft drink choice
Here is something to think about before you pop open another bottle of your favorite sugary beverage. A new Danish study suggests drinking regular soda pop not only adds weight but contributes to belly fat – the kind of fat linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The study focused on ectopic fat – the unhealthy fat that builds up in the abdomen and liver, around the heart, and in muscles. It is more dangerous than the subcutaneous fat found under the skin. Excess fat in the liver also increases risk of liver disease.
Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark asked 47 participants to drink either a liter of water, skimmed milk, diet soda or regular soda every day for six months.
Results showed that the regular soda drinkers had more than double the amount of fat in their liver and muscle tissue compared to the other participants. The regular soda drinkers also had higher amounts of abdominal fat and increased cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood.
The study noted skimmed milk drinkers had no negative effects on the fat in the liver, muscles, abdomen or blood. They also noted that the diet soda had almost the same effect as water.
The study’s conclusion: Drinking regular soda every day increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease; therefore you should keep your intake of these drinks to a minimum.
So, before you grab that regular cola, consider switching to a club soda (carbonated water) or unsweetened iced tea or even a tall glass of icy cold water.
Recent Comments