Sugar Makes You Fat and Does Other Bad Things To Your Body Too

Posted on July 31, 2013 by therapysoup

Excessive sugar in the diet is not the best idea when it comes to healthy living. Many people are consuming sugar in higher than moderate amounts. Worldwide, people we are consuming about 500 excess calories a day, just from sugar–which in turn, can cause you to gain a pound a week.

Sugar Also Can Do Damage in Other Ways:

1. Sugar can damage your heart
A 2013 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association displayed strong evidence that sugar can actually affect the pumping mechanism of your heart and could increase the risk for heart failure. The findings specifically pinpointed a molecule from sugar (as well as from starch) called glucose metabolite glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) that was responsible for the changes in the muscle protein of the heart. These changes could eventually lead to heart failure. Approximately half of the people that are diagnosed with heart failure die within five years.

2. Sugar specifically promotes belly fat
Adolescent obesity rates have tripled in the past 30 years and childhood obesity rates have doubled. . One factor that seems to inflict obese children is fat accumulation in the trunk area of the body. Why? One cause may be the increase in fructose-laden beverages– — setting the stage for a big belly and even bigger future risk for heart disease and diabetes.

3. Sugar is the true silent killer
Move over salt and hypertension, you’ve got competition. Sugar, as it turns out, is just as much of a silent killer. A 2008 study found that excess fructose consumption was linked to an increase in a condition called leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone that tells you when you’ve had enough food. The problem is, we often ignore the signal our brain sends to us. For some people though, leptin simply does not want to work, leaving the person with no signal whatsoever that the body has enough food to function. This in turn can lead to over consumption of food and consequently, obesity. And this is a silent killer because it all happens without symptoms or warning bells. If you’ve gained weight in the past year and can’t quite figure out why, perhaps you should look at how much fructose you’re feeding your body.

4. Sugar may be linked to cancer production and may effect cancer survival
In the world of nutrition, it’s hard to talk about sugar without talking about insulin. That’s because insulin is sugar’s little chaperone to the cells, and when too much of it is consumed, or our insulin does not work (probably because we’re eating too much sugar) and the body revolts. One connection that has been well documented in the literature is the link betweeninsulin resistance and cancer . A 2013 study found that sugars in the intestine triggered the formation of a hormone called GIP (controlled by a protein called β-catenin that is completely dependant on sugar levels), that in turn, increases insulin released by the pancreas. Researchers found that β-catenin may in fact affect the cells susceptibility to cancer formation.

5. Your sugar “addiction” may be genetic
If you’ve ever said, “I’m completely addicted to sugar,” you may actually be correct. A recent study of 579 individuals showed that those who had genetic changes in a hormone called ghrelin consumed more sugar (and alcohol) than those that had no gene variation. Ghrelin is a hormone that tells the brain you’re hungry. Researchers think that the genetic components that effect your ghrelin release may have a lot to do with whether or not you seek to enhance a neurological reward system through your sweet tooth. Findings with this study were similar to study conducted in 2012 as well.

6. Sugar and alcohol have similar toxic liver effects on the body
A 2012 paper in the journal Nature, brought forth the idea that limitations and warnings should be placed on sugar similar to warnings we see on alcohol. The authors showed evidence that fructose and glucose in excess can have a toxic effect on the liver as the metabolism of ethanol — the alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages had similarities to the metabolic pathways that fructose took. Further, sugar increased the risk for several of the same chronic conditions that alcohol was responsible for. Finally, if you think that your slim stature keeps you immune from fructose causing liver damage, think again. A 2013study found that liver damage could occur even without excess calories or weight gain.

7. Sugar may sap your brain power
Sugar may have accelerated the aging process. A 2009 study found a positive relationship between glucose consumption and the aging of our cells. Aging of the cells consequently can be the cause of something as simple as wrinkles to something as dire as chronic disease. But there is other alarming evidence that sugar may affect the aging of your brain as well. A 2012 study found that excess sugar consumption was linked to deficiencies in memory and overall cognitive health.

8. Sugar hides in many everyday “non-sugar” foods
While many of my patients strive to avoid the “normal” sugary culprits (candy, cookies, cake, etc.), they often are duped when they discover some of their favorite foods also contain lots of sugar. Examples include tomato sauce, fat-free dressing, tonic water, marinates, crackers and even bread.

9. An overload of sugar (specifically in beverages) may shorten your life
A 2013 study estimated that 180,000 deaths worldwide may be attributed to sweetened beverage consumption. The United States alone accounted for 25,000 deaths in 2010. The authors summarize that deaths occurred due to the association with sugar-sweetened beverages and chronic disease risk such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

10. Sugar is making us fat
The lack of other nutrients in sugar actually makes it much easier to eat gobs of it with no physical effects to warn us of the danger that lurks. Sugar will give you the calories, but not the feeling that you’ve had enough. That’s why you can have an entire king-size bag of licorice (with its sky high glycemic index) at the movies and come out afterwards ready to go for dinner.

Answer: You have to cut down on the sugary snacks, beverages and foods (Honey Nut Cheerios) and you need to start eating more foods that focus on better nutrients. Foods rich in fiber, fat and protein all have been associated with increased fullness.

Eat meat, fish, cheese, low-fat Greek Yogurt, vegetables, salad, and in moderation–beans, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and fruits.

Carbs Can Cause You Do Be Fat, Have Acne and Wrinkles!

Posted on July 30, 2013 by therapysoup

http://www.dailyglow.com/skin/are-carbs-bad-for-your-skin.html?pos=1&xid=nl_TodaysHighlightFromDailyGlow_20130729

According to dermatologist, Dr. Jessica Wu, carbohydrates are an important source of energy, but people eat too much of them and not enough protein. This can lead to high blood sugar and insulin levels, which then can make your body store fat and can affect the appearance of your skin.

Problem:

Besides making you gain weight or have trouble losing weight, carbs can cause acne and wrinkles!

Carbs (such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, muffins, and other baked goods) can aggravate acne breakouts.A high carb diet can cause an increase of androgens (“male” hormones that stimulate oil glands and cause acne) after just one week. Carbs are also broken down into glucose (blood sugar), which interacts with proteins in the skin, stimulating enzymes that break down collagen and elastic tissue and resulting in thinner skin that’s more likely to wrinkle.

The solution:

Avoid refined grains, such as white toast, pastries, white rice, and white pasta. Instead, choose whole-grain products, which are digested more slowly, thereby producing less dramatic blood sugar elevations. In fact, the most important key to keeping your blood sugar balanced is the composition of the carbs you eat. In other words, it’s good to add chicken to your pasta, or peanut butter to your toast, but it’s much more important that your pasta be made of whole wheat and that you choose brown instead of white rice, and whole-wheat bread instead of pastries or muffins. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you are going to eat grains, keep it at a minimum and count carbs because if you want to stay thin, then you should not be having more than 100g of carbs a day (50-100g).

Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal of the Day For Concentration and Skinniness

Posted on July 28, 2013 by therapysoup

Eating a balanced breakfast sets you up to succeed in your healthy eating and your focus for the entire day. Studies support that you need to start your day off with a healthy breakfast because there are many benefits to eating it.

The benefits of breakfast include:

IMPROVED MOOD:

Eating breakfast can lift your mood. People who don’t eat breakfast are more tired and irritable.

MORE ENERGY FOR THE DAY:

Before you eat in the morning, your body (like a car with little gas) is running on empty. You get energy from high-quality protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

BETTER CONCENTRATION:

Eating breakfast also improves your ability to problem solve. You will be more productive and better able to handle tasks that require memory. Going to work or sending your kids to school sets everyone up for a mismanaged workload and poorer performance than those who eat a healthy breakfast (pop tarts is not healthy!)

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:

Studies show that if you eat breakfast, you’re more likely to be at a healthy weight than people who don’t eat breakfast.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS:

Having an egg or two, with some low fat cheese or turkey (I put vegetables and/or spinach in mine) and a piece of fruit will give you great protein, minerals and vitamins. If you are able to put in some flax, chi or other seeds into your eggs, then you are adding good carbs and fiber. For those who are able to fit in the carbs for the day count of 50 to 100, you can have a slice of whole grain bread or just a small measured portion of oatmeal (depending on the brand is oatmeal, a cup of oatmeal is about 30g of carbs), whole-grain cereal (not the high sugar Honey Nut Cheerios). Try a little almond butter instead of butter. 2 tablespoons of peanut or almond butter equals 6g of carbs. Another great breakfast option is Greek yogurt. Strawberries and blueberries are great in yogurt, cereal and oatmeal.

Please pull out a measuring cup and become acquainted with how small a cup is vs. what you might thing a cup looks like in your mind.

Basics of a Quick and Balanced Breakfast

One of the most common excuses for not eating breakfast is being short on time to get to work or school. But breakfast doesn’t have to be fancy or time consuming. You can wake up just a little earlier to fit in a nutritious breakfast. The small investment in time in breakfast (and in you) pays off through the whole day.

If you really love cereal, then compromise and put a few for flavor and texture in your oatmeal or your yogurt.

Next time you’re racing against the clock, try these effortless and healthy breakfast ideas:

*You can make a quick smoothie with yogurt and fruit, with some ice cubes. Throw in some chi or flax seeds.
*Western Bagel and some low carb places sell low carb bagels. The Western Bagel Perfect 10 bagel is really good. Lots of fiber and protein and 10g net carbs. Get them at Westernbagel.com and refrigerate them.
*Have hard-boiled eggs available and ready to grab on the run. Places like some selected Costco and Trader Joes has them already hard-boiled and peeled, in bags, for those who really are super busy.
*Low carb shakes in a can (like Pure Protein) or low carb protein bars (like Power Crunch or Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate).
*Low carb Greek yogurt in a small ready-to-go containers (like Dannon Greek Light and Fit)
**Come on, scrambled eggs don’t take that long.

7 Ways to Help Food Cravings On a Diet

Posted on July 27, 2013 by therapysoup

I had a lady tell me recently that she wanted to lose weight, but was not willing to make the kind of changes necessary to her diet because it is “too hard” to give up foods that she craves.

I have written about how certain foods have been created by companies, after their own scientists have experimented on combinations of sugar, salt and fat, to the point of what causes pleasure to the brain–therefore causing the brain to crave those food items later when the pleasure is needed. People want to increase those pleasurable points especially in times of stress or boredom. But, how different is this kind of need to any other common addiction?
And if you don’t care about yourself, think about your kids. If continue eating this way, and teaching your children to eat this way, you are preparing them for a possible life of disease and early death.

Yes, it is hard to get through the first week or two (stage one) of a lifestyle food change (diet) because you are fighting off physiological and psychological cravings. So, besides taking an appetite suppressant temporarily until your boys is used to the correctly sized portions and the correct healthy foods.

–-7 ways to help deal with cravings.

1. Hunger can make you crave food, so eat every 3 to 4 hours

If you go longer than five hours without food, your blood sugar will drop and your cravings will begin, You need to eat every 3 to 4 hours. If it’s time for an allowed snack, choose food low in calories and fat.

2. Eat protein in every meal to fend off cravings.

You should include some source of lean protein, such as skinless chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, or low-fat cheese. Protein helps to control blood sugar patterns and can help prevent food cravings, Foods containing protein also help you feel fuller by stimulating production of cholecystokinin (CKK), a naturally occurring appetite suppressant.

**AND most IMPORTANTLY–always eat breakfast protein. Research shows that starting your day off with breakfast helps in burning fat and in cutting down cravings.

3. Drink your liquids.

Dehydration can cause some people to crave salty foods. The solution is simple: Drink more water. An 8-ounce glass of refreshing water can help you feel full and get your mind off your food cravings of the moment. In fact, what you think are food cravings may actually be thirst. Drink water and the food cravings should go away. Keep a water bottle handy throughout the day to make it easy to satisfy your fluid needs.

4. Keep busy.

When the craving is psychological, it is meeting a need different from hunger. Hunger caused by boredom, anxiety, or other emotions is by finding an activity that will take your mind off your craving without adding calories. Call a friend. Exercise. Tune into a ballgame. Listen to music. Read a mystery. Watch a movie. Find something to do.

5. Finding something you enjoy doing

Another way to beat food cravings when they are psychological is to replace eating with an activity you find pleasurable and emotionally satisfying, Do something you really enjoy that doesn’t involve an intake of calories: Take a bubble bath, read a fun magazine, do your nails, go have coffee with a friend.. Or look for options that burn calories, like taking a long walk with a special someone. It’s a way of being kind to yourself without sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.

6. Eat less refined foods and corn syrup and DO eat MORE FIBER

Research suggests that some people can become addicted to refined foods, such as white bread, white pasta, and white sugar. The more you eat, the more you want. Break the cycle. Eliminate refined foods from your diet and you could curb your food cravings. Go the extra step and refine your diet by replacing the refined foods with whole grains and fiber— eat more nuts, beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat foods. Remember that fiber makes you fuller and is great for your digestion.

**Fiber fill you up, makes you feel less hungry!

And when you’re scaling back on refined sugars, be sure to target high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is used as a sweetener in many foods, from bread to frozen dinners, because it’s inexpensive and increases shelf life. New research shows that high fructose corn syrup can be a trigger food in animals — having even a tiny amount will make them want more. Scientists are studying whether HFCS may have the same effect in humans.

7. Find healthy great-tasting alternatives

I have put up Jorge Cruz’ recipe for a small microwaved-made chocolate cake, which is low carb and delish. I have discussed cauliflower-based pizza, low carb tortillas and recipes using them. I have listed sites like Netrition.com, Carbessentials.net and Lindora.com, for example, which have food items for low carb cooking and baking. There are great tasting low carb alternatives for bagels (Western Bagel’s Perfect 10 bagel), low carb baking mixes, pancake mixes, pasta. I have put up different recipes and even mentioned low carb websites and cook/baking books.

I have discussed portion control and how you have to eat often and especially breakfast. I have discussed the importance of measuring g food and learning shortcuts for measurement (a portion of meat is the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards). I have also mentioned 4 small servings of veggies a day, two of fruit, which fruits are lower carb than others, etc.

If you insist on eating easy-to-buy and pre-made food items or fast food, (which are NOT diet friendly), despite your desire to lose weight or constant complaints about how you look or how tight your clothes look on you (and you think a little exercise is the only thing that will help–but for years now–it has not), then you are not going to lose weight.

You have to be willing to learn about new foods, look up carb counts, get out of your chair and stop being lazy. There are good alternatives out there, so get cracking at looking things up on Google and finally be skinny. Either use the tools or forever hold your peace. Find the time–you are worth it.

Low Carb Chicken Tenders

Posted on July 24, 2013 by therapysoup

In Arizona, my husband and I, stopped by a store called, “My Fit Foods,” and we had choices of correctly portioned pre-prepared breakfasts, lunches and dinners. They were already prepared for the day and ready for the microwave there or to bring home to eat. We ate our meals there. One meal that was tasty were the Chicken Nuggets. However, they were not deep-fried in bread crumbs. They were cooked in almond meal and flax seed. They were delicious.

So, I looked up the recipe. Sure enough, Dr. Hyman, who wrote the Blood Sugar Solution, has a great recipe. I look forward to creating this soon.

Dr. Mark Hyman’s Almond-Flax Crusted Chicken

Lower your blood sugar and fight diabetes and obesity with this comfort-food recipe from Dr. Mark Hyman’s book, The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook. The nutty crust keeps the chicken moist and tender, and using almond meal lowers the glycemic load and adds flavor, fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Bonus: Each chicken breast is just 350 calories!

Also, what is great is that the fiber is the same amount of grams as the carbs, so the met carbs are almost nil or nothing. One tablespoon of the almond butter is only 3G of carbs and that is for all of the chicken, so it is less than 1g of carb, per breast. Of this was made with bread crumbs, the carb count would be at least 14g of carbs and the wheat would spike your glycemic load or index count. Not good for maintaining diabetes, weight control, hunger issues, and mood. On the other hand, the almond meal and flax seed is great for the glycemic index.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 (5-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set it aside.

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound them with a kitchen mallet until the pieces are approximately 1/2-inch thick.

Pour the flax and almond meal into a small bowl and stir until evenly mixed.

In another small bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken breasts to this mixture and toss them until coated. (If time allows, marinate the chicken in the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes to further enhance flavor.)

Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer them to the baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the almond/flax crust over the tops of the chicken breasts and gently press the crust into each piece until evenly coated. Carefully turn the chicken over and repeat the process with the remaining almond and flax mixture.

Put the baking sheet into the oven on the top rack and bake until the juices run clear, 20 to 30 minutes. Any leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

And here is one other easy version that is very paleo…and a bit spicy (you can leave out the coriander and cumin, if you like).

Paleo Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

1 lb chicken tenders (or skinless chicken breast, cut into strips)
1 egg, beaten
½ cup Almond Meal
½ tsp Salt
¾ tsp Paprika
¼ tsp Ground Coriander Seed
¼ tsp Ground Cumin Seed

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine almond meal with spices on a plate or shallow dish. Place beaten egg in a separate shallow dish.
3. Dry chicken with paper towel. Dip in egg then dip in almond meal mixture, coating all sides. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken tenders are coated.
4. Bake for 16-18 minutes, turning once in the middle of baking, until completely cooked (interior temperature should read 180F).

Dr. Oz Detox Shake that has Protein, Fruit and Spinach

Posted on July 23, 2013 by therapysoup

Time to Detox! Let’s get the vacation wheat remnants out of my body.

Dr. Oz’ Detox Shake:

Ingredients

1 cup frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
1 to 2 loosely-packed cups of spinach
2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 heaping tbsp plant-based protein powder

Directions

Blend until smooth.

So, I just did it. Not hard. If you use fresh berries, I suggest you throw in a few ice cubes because it tastes really good icy and cold. This covered my fruit requirement for the day and helped fill in the gap for the protein hit, cutting down any hunger. I also feel it working its way through me to cleanse me, with about 10-12g of carbs due to the coconut milk and strawberries.

I Was On Vacation, But I Experimented With Wheat and Made a Discovery…

Posted on July 22, 2013 by therapysoup

Sorry for my absence, Skinny-Rules readers. I took a week off for my first vacation in years. In fact, it was my first vacation since I lost weight and my bathing suits (which are customized to my old body) looked ridiculous on me. I wore them and went to Arizona, hoping that the lady who made them would be there (Customized Swimsuits in Scottsdale), and sure enough–she was on vacation the SAME week as me. So, I still never got measured for a new suit. I am bummed. Off the shelf ones just don’t do it for me because I like a suit to fit a certain way and the suits now just don’t do it for me. I may have to go back soon to get this done!

However, it was nice to look decent in a suit for a change!

So, how did I manage my DIET LIFESTYLE on vacation for 6 days in a place that has the best Italian restaurant!? I gave up wheat as a choice to limit carbohydrates and because I felt that wheat was causing me stomach bloat and big fat wheat belly. So, I decided to experiment in Scottsdale a little bit.

1. I exercised every day! (One hour of elliptical and about 20 minutes of weights and Pilates)

2. We utilized the room’s fridge, and I went to the local Trader Joes and stocked up on:

Lite String Cheese

small bags of almonds

Peanut Butter Power Crunch bars

strawberries

Lite Greek Yogurt

almond butter

turkey slices

diet soft drinks and water

3. We ate breakfast at the Hotel Spa (breakfast package) and twice at local breakfast places. I completely recommend eating at the Breakfast Club in Scottsdale. So fun, nice and the food is amazing.

At breakfast: I had veggies, eggs, bacon, sometimes a little bit of fruit with GOBS of coffee, where I discovered the French Press (will blog about that soon).

4. Drank water all day long out in the sun, and brought snacks up to the pool and kept some in my locker. At snack times, we ate things like the almonds, the protein bars, or I brought with us strawberries and yogurt.

5. For lunch, we went out for a salad in the fridge from the night before, and put some turkey slices and/or cheese in the salad. Again, had one of our snacks later too and then went out to dinner.

6. For dinner, we went to my favorite Italian place, Oreganos. I couldn’t resist. I had not had regular pasta (except the low carb kind) in almost two years. I love this restaurant and their salads are great too. So, we shared a large salad and we either split a small pizza with veggies on it or a Garlic Chicken Lasagna. I did not eat the delicious looking garlic toast that came with it. I would not be surprised to find out that the half of a small pizza or half of the lasagna was minimally about 50g of carbs for me. I was careful the rest of the day and I did exercise my face off earlier, but I just knew that I was flirting with either putting on a pound or two on this trip or leaving about the same…but I took the chance and did it three days in a row. I even had a Carbolite-type desert as a sixth protein some days and on my last night, our meal was a salad with chicken and then we had the Pizzookie, which is a large melted chocolate chip cookie in a deep dish pizza pan, with vanilla ice cream and chocolate chips on top. It is decadent and I had not had one in 7 years.

I did enjoy my slight intentional derailment, although I tried to manage it with exercise and eating right the rest of the entire day and drinking tons of water and coffee. But, I do think that I was right about how bad sugar and wheat is for my body (and everyone’s). I went into this trip with a flat belly. I do Pilates 4 days a week, I do yoga two times a week and I am on the elliptical around 4-5 hours a week. My BMI is 20, so this is what my belly looked like by night 3 (and I only gained one pound on this trip and lost it as soon as I cleansed the day after I got home)…..

this is what my belly swelled to and took 24 hours or more to go down, until it got wheat again….

this was what I looked like before I digested wheat products!

I am happy to say that I look more like picture number two now, but mostly because it was a temporary eating thing….but this is exactly why I am now staying away from wheat products until maybe I go to Arizona, once in a blue moon. If it makes my bowels distend like that, what else is it doing to my body? (Number two became very irregular, and that also was painful).

So, I am back to my new normal of 6 proteins a day, two salads a day, two servings of fruits a day, four servings of veggies a day. My body is thanking me and I have more energy too and the weight is stabilizing.

Low Carb/High Protein Snacks (in between your daily three meals)

Posted on July 14, 2013 by therapysoup

You should be eating breakfast, lunch, dinner–all low carb/high protein. However, you are supposed to eat every 3-4 hours, so you need a snack before lunch, before dinner and after dinner…..6 protein meals in all for the day. What could you have as a protein snack?

15 Protein Snack ideas:

1. Skim or low-fat cheese sticks or mini Baby Bells. No carbs and about 80 calories in one.

2. Hard-boiled egg. No carbs and about 70 calories in one.

3. Turkey slices. 4 ounces. About 2-4g carbs and about 140 calories.

4. A quarter cup of nuts. About 4-9g carbs. About 180-200 calories. (25 pistachios is about 100 calories)

5. Cottage Cheese with Nuts or Flaxseed. Cottage cheese is packed with energy-boosting lean protein. Sprinkle two tablespoons of ground flaxseed or one tablespoon of nuts on a half cup of fat-free or 1 percent reduced-fat cottage cheese for a nutritious, filling snack. 4-7g of carbs. 130-140 calories.

6. Two tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter (on celery or on a spoon). About 6g of carbs, 150 calories.

7. A cup of Edamame. About 12g of carbs. About 15o calories.

8. Veggies with Guacamole or Hummus
Guacamole and hummus (made from nutrient-rich, high-fiber chickpeas) both make great snacking dips. Try a quarter cup of either with sliced vegetables for your next mid-afternoon pick-me-up. 13g of carbs, 120-150 calories.

9. Sunflower seeds, half a cup of shelled ones— is a good snack-sized portion. 4g of carbs, 120 calories.

10. Sliced cucumbers, baby carrots, or pepper strips and pair with a half cup of nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese. 10g of carbs (the veggies mostly) and 110 calories.

11. Sliced small apple and topping it with a level tablespoon of natural peanut butter. 22g of carbs (the peanut butter is 3g per tablespoon..it is the apple that carries the carbs here. 166 calories.

12. Six-ounce container of calcium-rich non-fat plain or artificially sweetened yogurt with two tablespoons of ground flaxseed . For added variety, swap the flaxseed for 1 tablespoon chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts. Greek Yogurt (depending on the brand, has less carbs–like Dannon Lite and Fit GREEK. 150 calories, 20 g carbohydrates. And most PLAIN Greek Yogurts are very low in carbs.

13. Sugar-free ice popsicles. 4g of carbs, 15 calories.

14. Sugar-free baked items. Examples: http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/chocolate-angel-food-cake.aspx, http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/sour-cream-coffee-cake-with-cinnamon-and-walnuts.aspx and http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/chocolatehazelnut-biscotti.aspx and my recipe https://skinny-rules.com/2013/05/28/you-can-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too/

15. Smart Carb frozen dessert (ice cream)

“I don’t have time to exercise!”

Posted on July 12, 2013 by therapysoup

How many times have I heard that excuse? I used to use it myself. But, at some point, i decided that i had to take care of my body. wherever i went, my body had to take me there. not finding the strength to fight fatigue and pain only made my health conditions worse, which led to a decay of my physical body, my spirit, my home and my relationships. putting out the energy helps your body to make more, better energy.

Also, if you wind up with the consequences of being heavy, that will make your life even more difficult, so exercise is a preventative measure. How do you think you would do with diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gastric heartburn, clogged arteries, a stroke, death? Fix yourself before you can’t? If only James Gandolfini (Sopranos) took his weight and being out of shape more seriously. RIP.

Starting is the hard part, so you need to start slow and easy. Don’t overdo it and then hate it. Just 15 minutes a day is a great start. it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I started with light stretching and yoga once a week, then twice a week, then added in a little walking the dogs daily, then added in Pilates too and after a few years, I was walking on an elliptical and doing Pilates and yoga. Now, I try to walk an hour on the elliptical at least 4 days a week and I am writing my blog on the elliptical right now.

I had to schedule exercise in just like a J-O-B and make it a part of my daily tasks…because if you don’t, the reverberation effect of that is that you will start to feel like is crap (and l started to look like crap too).

I have seen men (visual creatures) not attracted to their wives anymore when they get too big (and vice versa on the genders), despite the fact that the woman usually got bigger taking eating junk shortcuts throughout the day, quick snacks and not exercising….and doing too much around the house and for the kids– FOR the man.

It doesn’t matter, no matter how you cut it, exercise is a natural need for humans and it is better for your psyche, mental health, physical health and your self-esteem to exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Diet is important, as I write about how to do it almost every blog.

But today, we will go over ways to find 10 ways to find time to exercise:

1. Log off of Facebook. Get in and out. Don’t spend all day in there and don’t play those addictive games. You need to move! Just 15 minutes of weight-bearing exercises, walking around the house or in the yard, or doing an exercise DVD–just 15 minutes a day adds up to 7 hours a month. Set a timer because the Internet can suck hours out of your day before you know it.

(I use my IPad on my elliptical and therefore, I get an hour of walking in and that is when I do all of my email and Facebook stuff!–even Words with Friends. I stop at that game though, no time. I choose real Pilates over Candy Crush.)

2. Learn to JUST SAY NO! Seriously, stop doing so much. Someone wants you to drive them somewhere or needs to bend your bear over their relationship that they have discussed with you over and over and over again–STOP wasting precious ME time on that. Schedule your exercise if you have to and tell everyone, don’t bug me between 7 and 7:15 or more because I am tied up at that time. Put yourself first, because no one else will do it! Some of the NICEST people I know are the biggest and most out of shape because they are TOO nice and hardly ever put themselves first!

3. Number 2 leads to –PLAN OUT your day. Make your plans of what you will do for the day and make exercise part of the daily time schedule. Maybe doing it early helps, or maybe late after the kids have gotten home and your spouse is there to help. If you like to socialize. Instead of meeting a friend for lunch, meet them for a walk. Whatever works for you. I have all exercise planned on my Google calendar. Put it down on a calendar and therefore, you will feel more compelled to do it.

4. Record TV shows and watch with the commercials zoomed out and save time. Also, condense…..if you are watching more TV than you have time for and you find you can’t exercise, you are not taking care of yourself. You are being sucked into the tube. Sometimes, I exercise in front of my shows–then I feel like I kill two birds with one stone.

5. Don’t waste time on hobbies and unimportant projects to distract you until your home chores, time with family and your exercise are done. Exercise first and if there is time left over, then organize your wrapping paper or whatever it is you think you have to do. Chances are that if you exercise first, you will have more energy later to organize things. Many people think that they will be too wiped out after a workout. That lasts a short time, but the endorphins actually rev you up. I get more done after I have worked out than without working out.

6. Don’t be a perfectionist. You don’t have to have your house perfect or your workout perfect to out in -15 minutes a day. Even 15 minutes of light vacuuming can burn 50 to 100 calories, so for heaven’s sake…move your body. Challenge yourself and get a pedometer for a few bucks, put it on you and try to get in around 12,000 steps a day. If you only get 8,000–that is fine, just get started.

Exercise is a journey, it is the experience of doing it, not the destination that you should focus on!

The first thing people ever see is you (YOUR PHYSICAL BODY). Most people will not even see the inside of your house, so what is the urgency to make IT look perfect and not have time for doing the same to your body!?

7. You have too much housekeeping to do because you are a working mom? I hear that all of the time, but if you have money to go out to eat or drink, or have new cars or toys, then you need to budget it out to have a cleaning service come to your house at least twice a month and remove that burden of deep cleaning. You will gain 2 weeks worth of 15 minutes of exercise a day for not having to clean your tubs, toilets or sinks!

If you are super broke, then you need to ask for help. Tell your husband or wife that you need to work out and you need their help. Give your kids chores. I see way too many kids not doing anything, which will then lead to their laziness and weight gain too. Tell everyone, let’s all clean 15 minutes a day together. More will get done fast and you can all burn calories and fat. Four people at 15 minutes of clean up after dinner a day, five days a week equals 5 hours of cleaning the house each week.

8. Be more organized and find a place for everything so you don’t waste precious exercise time constantly looking for things that are misplaced. This also feels better mentally too.

9. Get up 15 minutes earlier to exercise.

10. Set out your workout clothes the night before to be ready and give you motivation to workout.

And say what you will, but nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels…but also, if you show love to yourself, it shows on the outside and your partner also sees it in more than a physical level. It shows up mentally and spiritually too. There is nothing sexy about a clean house, dinner on the table and a wife who has let herself go for those things to look good. So do average on the home and take that time for yourself physically. Because no one cares what level you are at on Candy Crush or WWF(are you addicted?) But, you won’t like clothes shopping or bikini season, when the time comes.

A Trick To Remember Protein Portion Size

Posted on July 10, 2013 by therapysoup

Today, a simple way to remember protein portion size. (6 protein based meals in per day)

When you eat meat, you should be aware of the size of the portion that you should have in one meal. That size is 4 ounces. If you don’t have a scale, then think of it as fitting the size of your palm or the size of a deck of cards.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: