I thought this was an interesting clip from NBC on Diet myths, which is the series that I had started a while a go.

Hope you enjoy!

Question: What Diet Myth do you struggle letting go?

Diet rules and tips are everywhere you turn. Checking out at the grocery store, television commercials, and billiards all think they have the best diet rule to lose the most inches in the shortest amount of time. There is the no-carb diet, the fat-free diet, the liquid diet and more, yet americans are continuing to expand their waste lines. It’s very important for us to take each diet tip or diet rule as a grain of salt and really explore these tips before jumping head first into them.

These next few posts are going to be aimed at diet rules that should be broken.

Diet Rule #1: Don’t ever eat after 7pm

7pm is the magical number. Stop eating after 7pm and you will melt away the fat in no time

. . . FALSE!

Late night eating is a problem that most people face. In fact, a lot of people will double their daily caloric intake during the evening. So, eating late at night is something to be cautious. But 7pm is not a magical number. Research says that one should avoid eating 2-3 hours before bed time. 7pm is the magical number because the typical bedtime is around 10pm. But why? Well research has not proven that avoiding late night snacks will prevent weight gain. This 2-3 hour rule is strictly for personal comfort. Going to bed on a full stomach can cause indigestion, gas, and an upset stomach.

So, can you eat after 7pm? Sure. . . if you have self control.

Most temptations succeed in the evenings when one is exhausted or no one is looking. To prevent a binge fest, create a short list of health snacks to have late at night. Some healthy late night snacks might include air popped popcorn, carrots and celery, a piece of fruit, 60-calorie pudding cup with cool whip, yogurt, or a 1/2 cup of ice cream. Being prepared ahead of time will prevent overeating late at night.

Question: What is your favorite late night snack?

Currently mine is Special K crackers… I’m addicted

We have all heard about the dread Freshmen 15 and I’m sure those of you that are just starting out college would think that you would never gain 15 pounds in one year. But pride comes before a fall my friend!

Gaining 15 lbs during your first year of college is so easy with the all you can eat cafeteria, vending machines around every corner, late night donut runs with all your friends, and pizza nights… the list could go one. Between the newness of being off on your own and the stress of a new environment and classes, it’s so easy to gorge yourself with food, especially when all your friends are doing it too.

Whiles gaining the freshmen 15 at college or on a university campus can be easy, it is not inevitable. Here are some great tips to prevent weight gain during your college life:

Hit up the gym. Most universities / colleges have free gyms available to students around the clock. Check out your class schedule and plan at least 30 minutes of daily workout into your schedule. This will also give you a little bit of leeway in your diet as well.

All-You-Can-Eat College Cafeteria. Get rid of the “All-You-Can-Eat” mentality and go for only one plate full. For me this was hard because I know that I was not getting my money’s worth, but I also wasn’t paying for my waistline to expand as well. Your plate should consist of 50% greens, a choice of meat, and the other 25% whole grains. Watch your portion sizes as well. Don’t be fooled either, most foods are full of lard and fat. I was shocked when I asked what our cafeteria put in the eggs and the cook said mainly cream, butter, and lard. Dont be afraid to ask what is in the food! Stay clear of un-identifiable meats too! GROSS!

Avoid Late Night Eating. When everyone is hanging out till 3 in the morning, the best thing to do is go for late night pizza or donut run. Don’t deny yourself food if you are craving it, but also don’t over indulge. Healthy eating is about moderation so go have fun with your friends but only have a few bites. Or better yet, fill up on water.

Vending Machine Snacks. Sometimes vending machines is the only option while on campus. Go for something wholesome and nutritious. Skip out on the candy and go for pretzels, reduced-fat popcorn, or granola bars. When it comes to drinks, avoid those full of sugar such as gatorade, soda, and go for water, milk, or unsweetened iced tea.

Keep Your Dorm Free of Junk Food and Unhealthy Snacks. Loading up on healthy snacks will cut out unwanted temptations that call out your name when you studying and is great to have on hand when everyone is heading for ice cream late at night. The freshman 15 increases with every unhealthy snack you eat. Load up on fruits, veggies, oatmeal, low sodium soups, yogurt, string cheese, and fat-free popcorn.

Don’t Skip Meals. Ironically those that skip meals are more likely to gain weight. This increases your changes of overeating later when you are starving and want to grab anything in sight. Make sure to wake up early enough to grab something on the go for breakfast and plan ahead for healthy meals if you have a class during lunch or dinner.

Avoid Stressing Eating. With all the stress of a new environment and college class, food can become your best friend… especially those powdered donuts. Make sure that you become aware of when you are stressed and then decipher if you are really hungry or not. If you are stressed and want to turn to food, chew on some gum to relieve the stress.

College life is some of the best years of your life, so make sure that you are not taking away from that by stressing yourself out over your weight and appearance. Just stick to these tips and you will be be sure to avoid the Freshmen 15!

Asia, North America, South America, and Europe.

All four of these countries were brought together by Crofters to create an amazing flavor blasting blend of superfruit spreads. These spreads are an antioxidant power house. . . as much as twice the amount as other fruits! Crofters Superfruit Spreads are all organic and have 1/3 less sugar than your regular jams. With only 30 calories and 7g of sugar you are sure to get a great taste without paying for it on your waistline.

Each contains different fruits from the four countries and all four Superfruit spreads are mixed with Morello Cherries and Red Grapes. Here are the four fruit spread blends:

From Europe we have Black Current and Pomegranate Blend.

This combination has been known to lower the risk of age-related diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Asia brings Raspberries and Yumberries Blend.

Evidently Asia use to use this combination to maintain and restore health! Yumberries are known to help treat digestive problems and control blood sugar.

North America brings Wild Blueberries and Cranberries Blend.

This combination blend is loaded with Vitamin C which helps you fight the common cold as well as aiding in preventing cancer, cataracts, and lowers blood pressure.

South America contains Maqui and Passionfruit Blend.

Maqui fruit is known to have as much as twice the amount of antioxidants as acai berries and improve cardiovascular health, stabilizing blood sugar and fight inflammation.

I thought I would try each one out and decide which one was my favorite, but I have to say that I really did enjoy every single one of them. They each had their own unique flavor and what I loved most is the chunks of fruit mixed in. If I absolutely had to choose just one I would have to go with Crofter’s Superfruit spread from South America (Maqui and Passionfruit Blend)

If you are looking for a sweeter fruit spread, I would recommend going with South America’s Maqui and Passionfruit. For a more tart flavor, go with North America’s Wild Blueberries and Cranberries blend. I guess if I absolutely had to choose just one I would have to go with Crofter’s Superfruit spread from South America (Maqui and Passionfruit Blend)

So what are you waiting for, go out and experience these different cultures through Crofter’s SuperFruit Spreads!

Question: Of all four blends, which one do you think you would enjoy the most?

Since It’s Wednesday and all, I thought you might enjoy a little laugh to get your though the week. . . only two more days till the weekend.

Question of the Day: How often do you weight yourself?

Has anyone tried Fiber One’s four newest additions to the family?

In honor of my previous post on the important of fiber, I am pleased to announce that Fiber One has joined up with Yoplait yogurt to create four great tasting yogurts… and it’s Hungry-girl approved!

Personally I am not a huge fan of Yoplait yogurt, but when I saw that Fiber One came out with these bad boys I thought I might just give them a try. Most Yoplait yogurts are loaded with sugar, but these are only 4g! With a whooping 50 calories, 0g fat, and 5g of fiber you are sure to stay within your calorie range for the day.

Unlike most loaded fiber products, these taste nothing close to cardboard or chalk … really, none of Fiber Ones products that I have tried come even close to those descriptions. I tried their strawberry flavor, which was amazing! They also come in peach, vanilla, and key lime.

Since we are on the topic of my one true love, I though I would share with you one of my favorite yogurt recipe that is extremely simple to make!

Yogurt Pie . . . A sweet, low fat, low calorie dessert that is to die for!

PIE SHELL

Ingredients:

* 2 cups Fiber One Cereal

* 4 tbsp. LAND O LAKES Whipped Light Butter; melted

Directions:

- Begin by preheating oven to 350 degrees.

- In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency.

- Combine crumbs with melted butter and stir until well mixed.

- In an oven-safe pie dish sprayed with nonstick spray, evenly distribute Fiber One mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to press & form the crust. Use your fingers to press it into the edges and up along the sides of the dish.

- Bake pie shell for 10 minutes. Set aside.

PIE FILLING

Ingredients:

* 2 containers (6oz each) Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt

* 1 tub (8oz) Fat-Free Cool Whip

Directions:

- In a large mixing bowl, combine fat-free yogurt and cool whip

- Pour mixture into pie shell and freeze

- Place in refrigerator (uncovered) at least two hours or until set

For this recipe, strawberry yogurt is my favorite but any flavor works.

What flavor would you choose?

Did you know that our body lacks the enzymes to digest fiber?

This is huge for the weight loss community because this means fiber doesn’t have any calories and causes one to become full faster and stay full longer. A diet high in fiber will naturally bring down the calorie, fat and sugar intake.

It’s all about “mind over matter” at this point. Our mind and our stomach need to be connected. Once your plate of chicken and veggies is complete, listen to your stomach and not your mind. Since fiber will make you full faster and longer, our minds can start to play tricks on us, telling us that we should eat more… but listen to your stomach it the real voice to reason ?

Therefore a high fiber diet will not make you lose weight, but it will help you lose weight if you listen to your stomach and not your mind.

So, where do you find fiber?

Fruits: Apples, Avocado, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Mango, Oranges, Peach, Pears, Raspberries, Strawberries, lemons. Wild berries has twice the amount of fiber compared to other fruits.

Veggies: Broccoli, Beans, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Green Beans, Green Peas, Greens, Legumes, Peas, and Potatoes with Skin

Nuts: Almonds, Peanuts

Whole Grains: Brown Rice, Wheat bread, Bagels, low-fat popcorn, whole-grain pretzels

Not too sure how much fiber you need? Check out this cool FIBER CALCULATOR that will give you a more precise recommendation.

If you are planning on upping your fiber intake, make sure that you are increasing your water intake as well. Fiber is considered a natural laxative because it move food through the body and aid digestion by attracting water to the small and large intestines. Together fiber and water keep your food bulky and soft, so it can move easily through your system without putting too much pressure on your intestines.

Don’t take my word for it, go eat your fiber for the day and let me know how much better you feel!

I have to admit… I am a recovering frozen yogurt addict soley on the fact that frozen yogurt is a half hour away. Stating that I have an obsession with frozen yogurt would be a huge understatement. At one point I had it every day. Soon enough I just ended up getting a frozen yogurt machine to save me money.

Frozen yogurt has become the new starbucks craze for many areas. Many people are talking about Golden Spoon, Pinkberry, Yogurtland, Red Mango, and Mojos. Some are served for you, others you serve yourself, and the latest one I found had a coldstone feel where they mixed in your toppings for you. You can get sweet flavors, fruity flavors, or the tart ones.

I love how there are so many options at each place!

With all the talk of frozen yogurt, the best part is that there are so many health benefits to them. Here are some to name a few:

* Aids in digestion

* Boosts immune system

* Has Beneficial Metabolic effects

My dad and I always go to Golden Spoon when I come to visit!

* Lowers cholesterol

* Low in sodium

* Low in calorie

* Overcome lactose intolerance

* High in calcium for strong bones and teeth

* A good source of protein

* Stops acne

* Contains the vitamins B12 and riboflavin.

* Contain live and active bacteria cultures including S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. lactis and L. acidophilus

So, with all these health benefits, is frozen yogurt

any healthier than ice cream?

Frozen yogurt’s nutritional content is different for each place, so be careful. While most are fat-free, there are several out there that are not. Many frozen yogurts are high in sugar as well, so look for those sugar-free signs.

A normal serving of ice cream is anywhere from a half to a cup of ice cream,  but when it comes to frozen yogurt, many people are getting double to triple  the amount, especially with those self-serve places. A large frozen yogurt can  add up to anywhere from 225-325 calories! It might be the fact that frozen  yogurt has been coined “healthy” so people feel that they can eat more.

Personally I think the frozen yogurt industry has taken the word “yogurt”  and stretched it as far as it can to make people think that they are eating  natural yogurt, so people tend to over eat it and consume way too much

… speaking of myself, I can consume 32 oz of Golden Spoon in one sitting!

So, in conclusion, yes frozen yogurt has many health benefits and yes it is much lower in calories and fat in comparison to ice cream. But like everything, it is good in moderation… so swap that large cone for a small.

*

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Have your mexican food and eat it too!

Mexican food doesn’t have the greatest reputation in the health realm. With those deep fried tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, and greasy cheese you are destined to a heart attack at an early age! But wait one second before you throw all mexican food out the window and avoid it all together.

I found these great low calorie tortillas called the Low Carb/Low Fat La Torilla Factory Tortillas for a whopping 50 calories. They are also loaded with fiber and protein to keep you full longer.
As for the taste, they are amazing!

I love them… and there are so many different ways to use with them.
Here is one of my favorite taco recipes that I make with them… more recipes are to come!

Click HERE to find Low Carb La Tortilla Factory Tortillas Nearest You!

The Skinny Taco

Ingredients:

* 1/2 original boca burger patty- 50 calories
* Low Carb La Tortilla Factory Tortilla- 50 calories
* Shredded Lettuce- 15 calories
* Taco Sauce- 10 calories

Directions:

* Heat tortilla in skillet for a few seconds
* Cook boca burger in skillet and ground up
* Spread laughing cow cheese over tortilla and add rest of ingrediants

This is a great home-made taco that is huge and filling for only 125 calories!

Add some fruit with light yogurt and you have one great healthy meal

…ENJOY!

With summer in full swing, that means more roadtrips and vacations.

This can be a nightmare for most people that are on a diet and eating healthy.

Here is a short video clip from the Biggest Loser’s Jillian Micheals.

She gives great tips on how to eat healthy while on roadtrips or vacation!