Butter versus margarine

I have recently visited a friend who remarked that i too should replace butter with the "slimming " margarine., but I dislike margarine and would rather have my toast dry. I prefer butter even while trying to lose weight because margarine is more often than not made with various emulsified and/or hydrogenated oils, now these oils still pack a fair amount of calories but they have been chemically altered, this chemical alteration is to remove the health damaging trans fats.

Why are these oils being emulsified?
It is so that those oils can be blended and will spread easily, just as you would butter. In order to achieve this a chemical catalyst is used, that chemical is also know to be carcinogenic. Many people who suffer from high cholesterol have been advised to replace butter with margarine, but when it come to high cholesterol butter is not the only culprit and replacing it with margarine will not make a difference.

Why go through all this trouble to have fake butter?
I would suggest to eat less butter, simply scrape the excess butter of your toast and do not use it in cooking, instead add some cold pressed olive at the end of cooking if you wish to add flavor.

Some great butter replacements that are natural and healthy as well:

• Low fat cottage cheese, great with sweet or savory
• Low fat cream cheese
• Cold pressed olive oil, try it with sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper, for that bit extra rub some garlic on your toast first.
• Nut butters, raw macadamia is my favorite.

Whenever possible eat food that is unadulterated, if you like butter that is fine,just have less of it.

Here are some facts on butter:

• It is a milk product made from churning the milk fat [cream] until it separates into butter and whey.

• One tablespoon of butter (14 grams) contains 100 calories, of which 7 grams are saturated fat.
• It has a shelf life of about 2 weeks when unsalted
• It is high in cholesterol [not so good for your heart]
• Becomes a carcinogenic when overheated and burned

All in all, it is best to have butter in moderation, replace it whenever possible with a good cold pressed oil [olive, sunflower, safflower], this works fine in most cakes and pastries.

Acid/ alkaline diet

Our modern diet is mainly acid and this can lead to a lot of health problems, high acidity can cause premature aging, allergies, heart and muscles problems and obesity and fatigue.
Food is categorized as acid or alkaline depending on their residue left in the body after they have been metabolized. Our diet should reflect the PH of our blood which is between 7.35 and 7.45 in order to maintain optimum health.
The ideal balanced diet is 75% alkaline and 25% acid. The best way to look at this is if you divide your dinner plate into 12 sections just like a clock, you would have from 12 to 3 acid foods and the rest from 3 to 12 would be alkaline.
By boosting the intake of alkaline food you will not only raise your energy levels but you will also lose weight in the process.
Now the key to a good diet is balance, you will need some acid food but only a much smaller part then the alkaline component.
The best rule of thumb if is to cut out all processed foodstuff as it is mostly acid and eat a lot more green vegetables.
Some research conflicts as to whether some food items are acid or alkaline such as brown rice, almonds, soybeans and honey, however to complicate matters there is a scale that goes from very acid to very alkaline with some food being neutral.
Unless you are very keen on studying the subject I would suggest that an easier way is to cut out most unecessary acid foods and increase the alkaline food intake.

Here is a very brief list of acid food

Sugar
Dairy
Most animal products [meat]
Nuts [some are more acid then others]
Oils
Processed food
Preserves in vinegar
Coffee
Chocolate
White flour products [pasta, bread, cakes, cookies]
Soft drinks
Potatoes
Most grains
Alcohol
Tobacco [not a food , I know but it still is processed in the body and forms acid]

Alkaline food

Green vegetables, the highest on this list is broccoli.
Figs [dried also]
Dates [very alkaline]
Carrots
Cabbage
Mushrooms
Sweet potato
Celery
Eggplant
Cantalope
Blackberries
Turnips
Oranges
grapefruit
Lemons [even though lemons are acid in their normal state they become alkaline once metabolized in the body]

Eating a more alkaline diet helps the body to expell excess acid which otherwise can cause so many health problems, another way to assist this process is to get enough sleep and reduce stress where possible.The Acid-Alkaline Food Guide: A Quick Reference to Foods & Their Effect on pH Levels

An apple a day...

We have all heard the saying:" An apple a day keeps the doctor away".
Apples are a wonderful aid to weight loss, packed with fiber and natural sugars and pectin, they make the perfect adjunct to a healthy diet.
The humble apple is a super food packed with antioxidants and cancer fighting compounds, they help to lower cholesterol and now research has shown that they are a great food in combating Alzheimer.
To get back on how apples can help you to lose weight, try to snack on an apple if you have hunger pangs, they fill you up and give you that much needed energy boost mid morning.Try eating an apple about half hour before a meal, it will fill you up a little and you will be less likely to over eat.
An apple after a meal instead of dessert will help in digestion.
Depending on the size of the apple and the variety, they contain about 85 calories and up to 25% in fiber.
Apples are of course best eaten raw with their skin on, but for the winter try making an apple compot with cinnamon and honey.

Affirmations for weight loss

Affirmations for weight loss
Loosing weight is as much mind training as it is physical, I would even venture to say that it is more so. Affirmations are a good tool to help in your weight loss journey, affirmations are cost free and they can stay private, this is your way to retrain your mind.

It is so easy to fall into this negative thinking trap of repeating to yourself:

"I am fat,
I can't loose weight
I am hopeless
I am just a blob..." etc, with this kind of self talk you can be sure that your mind will oblige. Let's not forget that your mind makes no distinction between your thinking a thought and your having taken an action.

Those negative thoughts will ensure that no matter how much you diet and exercise the weight will not shift and if you do lose some weight, the negative mind talk will bring it back.
But don't worry, it is fixable, you can retrain your thoughts and change that negative self talk to a more positive and helpful one.

Here is what you can do:

* Find some affirmations that you feel for, they must resonate within, by this I mean they are significant to your particular situation.

* Write them on a piece of card that you will carry around with you.

* Make some A4 size little posters that you put near your bed and another one for your bathroom and if you will one on your fridge.

* Say them to yourself whenever you see the poster or card, make sure you repeat them first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

* Once you feel a particular affirmation has become a little stale replace it with a new one.

Affirmations to get you started:

Everyday and in every way I am getting better and better

I now eat only healthy foods

I enjoy a healthy diet and my body is responding positively

I love to exercise daily

My body is my temple and I honor myself by eating only the best and healthiest foods

I am now making amazing progress in my fitness and health

My body is easily reaching my ideal weight and fitness level

Breakfast is the best meal of the day

Breakfast is the best meal of the day for me. When I get up in the morning I always start with a cup of tea and a toast. This I then enjoy while sitting on my veranda watching the sun rise.


About an hour later I get into the serious business of making my breakfast, I have a few different menus on hand:

* Oatmeal with berries and almonds

* Scrambled eggs and baked beans

* Omlette with cheese and ham

* Smoked salmon on sourdough

* Fruit salad and muesli

* Muesli with berries and yogurt



According to studies conducted at the Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, U.K. researchers found that eating a large breakfast can be part of successful weight maintenance . The study involving 6,764 men and women concluded that those who ate the largest breakfast put on the least amount of weight even though they consumed the most food through the course of an average day. The research has revealed that skipping breakfast will starve the body of nutrients and leads to the increased storage of fat from subsequent meals.
It has been shown that children who skip out on breakfast do poorly in school, have little concentration skills and are low in energy, these children then may go on to become obese as they will get hungrier and therefore eat more at their other meals in order to over-compensate at missing breakfast.

By eating a good meal in the morning, you ensure that your body has the fuel to get started for the day, you will also avoid the mid morning slump when it is so easy to reach for a sugar snack.
I find myself often eating the same breakfast for a while then switching to a different one depending on the season and whether I have time for a more elaborate meal. No matter how time pressed never skip breakfast, I much rather wake up earlier and take time to have a meal.
We have now whole aisle in the supermarket dedicated to "breakfast food", in my humble opinion you may be better off to eat the box they come in for all the nutrition value in them. Have a look at the ingredients, how much fat and how much sugar is in them? Look at the value per 100 grams not serving size! There are a few a good brands that could be could purchased to have as a filler once in a while, but all in all I find most of the breakfast cereals not worth the bother.

My soup recipe

Some studies have found that eating a lighter meal in the evening can aid weight loss. If this suits you, soup is a nice hearty meal.

Basic ingredients:

Chicken or vegetable stock [homemade or bought is fine]

1 cup cooked lentils or chick peas

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

2 or 3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 chopped onion

1 cup barley

1 inch piece of grated ginger

1 inch piece of turmeric

1 or 2 tlbs of dark miso [ this is a soy bean paste, you will find it in Asian or health food stores]

Cook all the ingredients in a large pot until just tender, adding the miso at the end] then blend the soup if you like.

Serve it with plenty of chopped fresh herbs and a dollop of yoghurt.
Bon appetit!

Add cayenne and fresh herbs before serving

The variations to this basic soup are endless, try:

- mushrooms and broccoli

- add cumin and paprika for a Moroccan favor


This soup can be frozen quite easily, I often just have a cup as a morning snack in the colder months. Freeze it in individual portions, this way you can have it as a small meal with a slice of wholemeal bread.
Please note that I do not add any oil to this soup, however good oil is essential for health, try a small drizzle of virgin, cold pressed olive oil.
By adding the oil at the end you get all the benefit and you won't change the nature of the oil by cooking it.

Keep evening meal light

This is a tip I found very useful in my own weight loss journey, by keeping the evening meal light you give your body a chance to recuperate overnight.

Large meals late at night will give you a feeling of heaviness and digestion is slowed down.
Try to eat a light meal between 6 and 7 pm and only have a cup of herbal tea around 9pm. I suggest that if you feel like having a small snack an apple would be perfect.
Many health professionals recommend a cup of warm milk as it contains tryptophane to help you sleep, that is fine if you like milk and can keep to skimmed milk, a cup of chamomile will do the same for me [ zero calorie] and it helps digestion too.

The ideal evening meal is a good home made soup, by making your own big batch you can freeze some for later use, also making your own will ensure it is low in fat and sodium. Many commercially produced soups contain excess sodium [salt] and fat as well as preservatives and sometimes msg.

I will write out my favorite soup recipes in a later post.

Drink green tea

Studies conducted at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation. One of the main active compounds in green tea is a polyphenol called EGCG,or epigallocatechin gallate if you prefer the longer version. This same EGCG is helping you to burn fat by stimulating your body's production or noradrenaline.

• Lowers cholesterol
• Improves metabolism
• Speeds up calorie burning
• High in antioxidants
• Anticarinogenic and more...

I could go on about the benfits of green tea, there is a lot of good reputable information on the web about it.
The recommended amount is at least 4 cups per day, try to use the organic tea leaves if you can. You can add various other herbs to give it flavor, for example I add fresh mint and stevia[a natural sweetener] or a cinnamon stick. Cinnamon is also very good for weight loss as it regulates blood sugar levels making it a great helper in the fight against weight gain.

White tea is of the same plant [Camelia Sinensis] as green tea, it is made of the white tips and buds of the first leaves. White tea is thought to contain even more of the health properties of green tea.

Brewing method

1. Boil some water and let it sit after the boil until it reaches about 85%C. I dont measure the temp, but I just let it sit while I rinse the tea pot and add the tea leaves.
2. Pour over the tea leaveas
3. Add you fresh mint or whatever herb you may wish to add; ginger, cinnamon, dried fruit peel...
4. Let it sit for 4minutes
5. Pour and enjoy

I know some will be tempted to add sweetener, it is best not to, once you are used to you lovely tea you wont need any. Ok, if you really have to use a wee bit of honey, at least it is better for you than sugar, just remember that honey has the same amount of cal as sugar, it just is a lot better for you. Another great sweetener is a herb called Stevia, it sweetens without any cal and is great in tea, to obtain some try your local health food store.

What weight loss diet to follow?

What to eat and what not to eat is always a little confusing and various weird diets on the market do not help in improving matters. In some instances you just about need to become a food chemist in order to get by.
When it comes to weight loss diet the best is to use common sense, eat healthy, cut out junk food, limit your fat and sugar intake and you will already see a difference.
Here is a list of food to avoid, please note I don't say never have those food items, but I reckon that once you get used to eating a healthy diet you will not anymore crave any of the "bad food".

Fast food and take away.
You never quite know what amount of fat and sugar is in fast food. There are people whose sole job purpose is to make this burger or pizza so very addictive by the addition of sugar and fats so that they will sell you more. How many times have you eaten one of those burgers and did not feel sated? Did you eat more? It is because they are laden with bad fats, sugars, salts and flavor enhancers to make you want to eat more. If you want to lose weight this kind of food is best avoided. If there is no alternative and you must eat take out food go for the grilled meats or fish and healthy salads.

A take away burger may have 25 to 35 grams of fat, this is about half the amount of fat an average woman should have in a whole day, the average fat intake for men is 95gr/day!

Soft drinks and flavored milk
Soft drinks are full of sugar and flavorings, again these are designed to make you crave more. Avoid sugared drinks and replace them with a healthier alternative: water, yes plain old H2O.
Water is needed by the body to remove toxins and to keep our cells hydrated, if you find water too plain try herbal teas, for example peppermint tea is said to curb hunger.
Chocolate milk and coffee milk from the fridge at your local store are also full of sugar, fats and artificial flavors, if you want coffee try a good home made coffee with skimmed milk or learn to appreciate a good espresso. Coffee in moderation can be beneficial, but only the real coffee made from coffee beans.

Dairy foods
Now this could be a bit of a shock to some but one of the biggest source of saturated fats comes from dairy food such as butter, cheeses, full cream milk, ice cream etc.
I am always astounded at the amount of dairy spreads being used and the amount of cheese people consume.
Try to replace the lashings of butter on your toast with a low fat cream cheese or just simply have a lot less of it. As for cheese, personally I don't like the low fat variety, i found it a lot easier to just eat less cheese and when on occasion I must have some, as on pasta for example I use just a little grated Parmesan, keep it to smaller amounts and a lot less often.
As for milk, if like me you like your cups of tea [black tea with milk] you may find that using full fat milk can add as much as 80 to 100 cal, this can make a huge difference on you scales.
Drink your tea black or if you must, have skimmed or low fat milk.

Menopause Weight Loss Tips - How to Lose Weight After Menopause

Weight loss after menopause is not easy and most people start to gain weight when entering into peri-menopause due to changes in hormonal balance. On average a woman will gain 1 to 2 pounds a year during those years of change and weight gain around the abdomen is one of the most common complaints of menopausal women. The sooner this is addressed the easier the transition past menopause.

Tips on how to lose weight after menopause:

• Walk as much as possible, park your car a little further and walk. Join a walking group if you don't feel confident walking on your own. Now is the time to purchase a pedometer and walk 10.000 steps a day
• Take the stairs
• Avoid sugar or artificial sweeteners
• Eat a sensible diet: more green vegetables, less "bad" fats
• Learn to relax with meditation, stress can lead to more sugar consumption and over eating
• Cut back on bread and pasta
• Drink more water, eight glasses a day is recommended
• Cut back on coffee and try to drink it black or use skimmed milk
• Drink green tea
• Take up regular exercise, dance to your favourite music for 30 minutes a day
• Replace TV snacks with raw vegetables and fruit
• Completely give up sodas of any kind, they contain a lot of sugar or aspartame both to be avoided
• Replace your evening meal with a homemade vegetable soup
• Eat more small meals as opposed to 3 main meals a day
• Choose wholemeal pasta and bread
• Add more omega3s to your diet by eating more sardines or salmon, these can be purchased fresh or if in cans decide on the ones in spring water instead of in oil.

To lose weight after menopause takes some work and maybe some lifestyle changes. The rewards are not just weight loss but also improved health, with those changes you will find your well being greatly enhanced as a result. There are many things you can do to not only lose the weight and keep it off, but you can also find out how to live a better and longer life while staying fit and healthy.

I've gone through menopause myself, i know how hard it can be to lose weight after menopause. To find out how to lose weight after menopause visit my lens at how to lose weight after menopause

Middle aged spread

We are all getting older, this is a fact, and unfortunately some of us are also getting fatter.

How often do we catch our reflection in a shop window or mirror and wonder what happened? We may just try to suck in our large gut and if you are like me head for the coffee shop and a large latte followed by that lovely chocolate mousse cake.

I want to look the way I used to or at least closely to what I used to. I am so fed up going to my closet and finding clothes the size of a small tent and shopping for new stuff has become quite an ordeal, not many fashion clothes are for the fat and middle aged . The most frustrating of which is the smirking sales assistant:

"Sorry Madam, we don't make those jeans in your size!" This is usually delivered by some young person, barely out of nappies and in dire need of a good feed.

I am sure that some of you reading this know what I mean.

B y the time we reach 40, we have acquired some bad habits: fast food, lack of exercise, maybe even too much alcohol to unwind from a stressful job. All this will contribute to middle aged spread and the weight gain.

Now is the time to do something about it, there is no need to panic, but a change of diet to more wholesome food and a good exercise regime will set you on the way. I have already started to lose weight, it is slow but steady.

Inform yourself as much as you can about what food should be avoided and what foodstuff is good for you, it need not be unpleasant; a lot of traditional recipes can be adapted for weight loss. Diet alone will not do it however, use all the well tried and tested means at your disposal to make your life better and your body healthier.

By losing weight and getting some exercise you may just prolong your life and you will get to enjoy your best years without the health problems associated with fat and middle aged weight gain.

To find out more on weight gain after middle age read more here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maya_Couzins

How can I lose weight?

How can I lose weight is a question often asked and there are so many answers, enough to make your head spin and lead to serious confusion. This may well in itself lead to an extra slice of chocolate cake.
There are some simple steps anyone can take, the first one is making the decision to shed the weight, assess how much weight you wish to shed, it may only be 20 pounds or it may be 100, the steps are the same.

Make the decision, I will lose 30 pounds by Chrismas [this is my aim]
Consult your doctor to make sure there are no underlying health problems such as diabetes, thyroid problems, heart problems etc

Inform yourself, find out what your biggest issue is when it comes to your weight, why you want to lose weight.

Take a good and honest look at what you eat, write a journal of every food item you put into your mouth, every soft drink, coffee, small snack. By being very honest with yourself you will easily establish what food habit has to be eliminated. For example I got into the bad habit of eating a pastry with my daily espresso, it is only small, but I found out it contained 30 grams of fat and a lot of sugar too, another habit is munching while watching TV, my favorite here is toast with nutbutter and honey often followed by a piece of chocolate. By eliminating these 2 snacks I cut probably 500 to 600 calories out of my daily allowance.

Exercise: 20 minutes a day at least 5 days a week, walk or swim or cycle, it doesn't matter, it is best to alternate and exercise in an enjoyable way. Exercise must be fun.

Keep motivated, often people get discouraged after 2 weeks, too many changes and maybe the results don't come up to expectations. A good way to stay motivated is to start your own weight loss group, maybe some friends with whom you could take daily walks with or maybe join a salsa class, it make exercise more fun and on the days when you feel a little lazy there is someone to urge you along.

How can I lose weight is not the catch phrase anymore, change it now to: I am on my way to lose weight in a healthy and effective way