Your Questions... Answered!

Question: What is the best way to eat for someone who works a desk job and has not yet made regular exercise a habit and needs to kick start his metabolism and help him lose weight?

Answer:

1. Add in exercise. Exercise will help to boost lean muscle mass and muscle burns calories while sitting still which will kick start your metabolism.
- Try sneaking in exercise to get started: instead of fast-forwarding through commercial breaks, do crunches or push-ups.
- Consider enlisting the support of a personal trainer to help you create an exercise routine that is right for you!
- A bit more extreme but interesting is treadmill desks; check out this recent article from NPR on companies that are providing treadmill desks for their employees.

2. Sip on green tea.  Adding in plain green tea to your routine is linked to boosting metabolism; the benefits seem to be from the most abundant catechin in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Research shows the link to metabolism boosting when about 5 - 6 cups of green tea is consumed per day (Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2007)!

A word of caution... each cup (8 fluid ounces) of green tea has about 25 milligrams of caffeine. If you are drinking other caffeine containing beverages, cut back on other sources of caffeine coming from soda, coffee and skip energy drinks.

3. Sleep. Getting enough sleep (7-9 hours per night) is linked to helping keep weight in part by controlling appetite hormones. This partly because during sleep appetite hormones are regulated - specifically leptin (keeps you full) and ghrelin (makes you hungry). Without enough sleep here is what happens: leptin levels in the body decline and ghrelin levels increase... the result a bigger than necessary appetite!

Do you have a nutrition question you would like answered? Sumbit your questions at my Web site: http://www.creativenutritionsolutions.com/contactus.aspx

The Skinny on Snacking

The healthiest eaters snack more, in fact, 36% more per a new report out by The NPD Group. As we all head into the holiday season which kicks off next week with Thanksgiving, try sticking with a snacking routine to help you through the holidays without packing on the pounds. Here are some suggestions of what to snack on:



photo from healthyappeture.com

- Trail mix popcorn: Pop a batch of air popped popcorn and then in a large bag or container, toss in a handful of dried cranberries and a handful of your favorite nuts! Then place 2 - 3 handfuls of the snack in a bowl for a sweet and salty treat.

- Salsa hummus with sliced veggies: Combine equal parts hummus and salsa for a delicious dip for cucumbers, red peppers or carrots. Tip: every few days slice a bunch of vegetables and keep them in a clear container at eye level in the refrigerator to visually remind you to snack on them!

- Peanuty pear slices: Slice a pear and then thinly spread crunch peanut or almond butter on each slice (about 1 tablespoon total) for a tasty twist to the traditional pear. 

- ALT skewers: On tooth picks or mini skewers add a cube of avocado, a few bite size pieces of lettuce and finish with a grape tomato. These are fun to serve to guests! Tip: Eat or serve these quickly because avocados brown quickly once they are sliced.

- Fruit and nut bars: Keeping a bar or two in your purse, work bag or car is a must! It will provide a single serving snack that will fuel you up and keep you going. Some of my favorite brands: KIND Snacks bar, Larabar or Clif Mojo Bar Peanut Butter Pretzel. When you are in a hurry this can even stand-in for lunch, pair it with a piece of fruit and a bottle of water!

Eat, Drink, and Still Shrink

The rush of the holidays has ended, yet there are more parties around the bend, first up... Super Bowl! Then onto Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day, and the list goes on. Try these strategies to allow yourself to eat, drink, and still shrink!

• Snack first: Going to a party hungry can wind up being a recipe for disaster, before heading out, grab a quick snack. Aim for about 200 calories or less. Quick ideas: a cup of low fat Greek yogurt, an apple and piece of 50% reduced fat cheddar cheese, or a fruit and nut bar.
  



• Game Plan: Upon arriving at the party, check out the food line-up and create a game plan. Where do you want to spend your calories? If you're a sweet lover, take it easy on the appetizers and save some wiggle room to enjoy a dessert or two!




• Balance: If you're planning the party when preparing your menu, think about balance. A mix of splurge items with plenty of lighter options too like: fruit kabobs, hummus and fresh vegetables, a roasted vegetable platter, or mini cups of trail mix.




• Water: After each alcohol containing drink, have a glass of water. This will help to keep you hydrated and lessen the number of drinks you have. Or better yet, volunteer to be the designated driver!

Refreshing Summer Drinks

On average Americans swallow down over a 5-pound bag worth of sugar per month! That breaks down to about 23 teaspoons of sugar per day. A majority of sugar intake comes from what we drink. Here is a watch out: a 16-ounce sweetened iced tea has about 16 teaspoons of sugar!

Shake up what you're sipping on this summer with these refreshing options:

1. Unsweetened Tea: Sip on green tea, passion tea, or ginger peach tea instead of sugar heavy weights. When grocery shopping look for unsweetened bottled teas and for at home made a pitcher of your favorite type to keep on hand.


2. Mineral Water: A personal favorite type of mineral water is Gerolsteiner. Look for mineral water varieties that have fresh flavors added like lemon, lime, or other citrus fruits. Mineral water offers light carbonation without any added calories. Look for these on restaurant menus and in the grocery store too!

3. Add Fresh Flavor: What do cucumber, lemon, lime, raspberries, and strawberries have in common? They all can add refreshing fresh flavors to a glass of water without adding virtually any calories. Keep an assortment on hand and it is a perfect solution for effortless entertaining.

4. 120 or less: Help your waist line with light drink options like: red wine, white wine, champagne, light beer, or vodka & club soda... all weighing in at 120 calories or less.




Check out a segment that I did this week on the 10! Show in Philadelphia:

View more videos at: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/?__source=embedCode.

Eat Right With Color

Happy National Nutrition Month! The theme of this month long event is "Eat Right With Color"... which I personally think is an awesome message. We know that people are not eating enough fruits and vegetables yet they provide important nutrients like: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber! Plus fruit and veggies are filling and have a relatively low calorie price tag (many are only 50 calories or less per serving). Check out these simple ways to add more color to your eating routine:

• Top blackened salmon with mango salsa.
  


• Add sliced avocado, tomatoes, onions, or dark leafy green lettuce to your sandwich.
  


• For snack: grab a small handful of walnuts and dried cranberries.
  


• Fill the bottom of your cereal bowl with sliced fruit like strawberries or bananas, this will help your bowl to seem full while keeping your portion of cereal in check.



• Instead of crackers, choose apple slices with low-fat cheese.
  


• Great side for lunch: red pepper slices with hummus (personal hummus favorite: roasted red pepper).
  


• Mix in fresh fruit to yogurt.



• Add a side of fruit at dinner like: applesauce, fresh berries, or sliced mango.
  


• Fill at least half of your plate at dinner with fruit and/or veggies!



• Add a handful of frozen veggies to prepared soups to up the veggie content!

The Skinny Rules, Pre-sale!!!

You can buy a copy of The Skinny Rules! It's available now for pre-sale from amazon.com!! It will come just in time to give you a boost this Spring to get you ready for bathing suit season.

Easy, Healthy New Years Resolutions

If you are looking to calibrate your resolutions or are still thinking of one. Check out this article from Family Circle, the tips are realistic and attainable and include: getting organized, stall the snack attack, swallow a supplement...! Check out my expertise in tip #9.

New Years Resolution Solutions

Have you been sticking with your New Years resolution? If not, not to worry and surely don't give up! Here are a few quick tips to get you started again!

• Set small, achievable goals! If you started the year with a weight loss goal, for example: losing 30#'s, break it down and change it to: this week I'm going to start exercising at least X times per week or instead of the afternoon soda, I'll have a large glass of water. This will help you to re-focus on smaller goals and see accomplishments that will all lead towards your ultimate goal!
• If saving $$ was a goal of yours, at the grocery store try buying fresh produce in bulk like: carrots, apples, potatoes, and oranges. This will allow you to still get all the health benefits while keeping your cost down.
  
• Eat a home! This will help you accomplish weight loss and saving $$. When eating out people tend to consume 25% more calories than eating at home! Crazy, huh? If you're crunched for time try making a few big meals on the weekend that can last you throughout the week or freeze leftovers which can make a great meal in a pinch.
• Check out my book, Choose Right at: www.chooseright.com for a lot of practical tips and solutions to choosing healthier foods!