Here’s yet another reason that people should watch their weight and focus on eating healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. A recent report released by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research found is this: diets based upon fruits, vegetables and whole grains and that go easy on red meats, dairy products and fats protect against heart disease, diabetes and cancer. They also found that being as lean as possible (a healthy lean) by keeping your BMI between 21 and 23 is extremely important, as is exercise in keeping yourself cancer free.

Most people don’t understand ALL of the risks involved when they’re overweight or obese, especially the link between cancer. When asked what caused cancer, the participants in this study came up with all kinds of things.  71% thought it was the pesticide residue on produce, and 56% thought it was caused by stress. Neither has been proven to cause cancer. When you go to the grocery store next time, remember to fill your cart with foods that you know are good for you. Not only will they help you lose weight, they’ll also help protect you from cancer and other harmful diseases.

Source: Reuters (Cancer doesn’t “just happen”)

We all know that most of what fast food restaurants offer are loaded with fat, calories, sodium, and other things that are bad for our health. Given that, I think you’ll be surprised at some of the “fast food shockers” we’re going to talk about today. I came across this information on AOL’s Body site where they had a quiz called “Test Your Fast Food knowledge” So here we go…

Which has the fewest calories?

A. Big Mac
B. Grilled Chicken Club
C. 20 McNuggets
D. Large Fries

Answer: Big Mac - That’s right, a Bic Mac  with 540 calories has fewer calories than a grilled chicken club.

Which has the most calories?

A. Corn muffin
B. Glazed doughnut
C. French Toastix
D. Egg McMuffin

Answer: A corn muffin has the most- 500 calories! 

How many calories are in a packet of Wendy’s honey mustard dressing?

A. 80
B. 180
C. 280
D. 380

Answer: 280

A Whopper with cheese has how many fat grams?

A. 17
B. 27
C. 37
D. 47

Answer: 47

Which pizza topping adds the most calories?

A. Onion
B. Sausage
C. Green Pepper
D. Mushroom

Answer: Sausage

Which Taco Bell item has the most calories?

A. Taco Salad
B. Soft Taco
C. Gordita
D. Chalupa

Answer: Taco Salad

Are you being realistic with the weight-loss goal that you set for yourself? Being realistic is one of the most important things to take into consideration when you’re setting your goals. If your goals are unrealistic, you’re likely to fail. You deserve to achieve the goals that you have made for yourself, so set yourself up for success! If you weigh 210 pounds and your goal is to weigh 110 pounds in six months, it’s not going to happen. Realize that you should only lose about two pounds per week for healthy weight loss.

According to the Mayo clinic, to lose weight, cutting back on calories is needed.  Below is a table that shows what your daily calorie goals should be, based upon your weight, if you want to lose weight:

Eliminating breakfast to save yourself calories for the rest of the day is one of the worst things you could do for yourself! What you’ll need to do is incorporate healthier foods into your diet that are lower in fat which means they’re lower in calories. Take out all the fast food and the junk processed foods and start eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and you’ll have no problem achieving your daily calorie goal, all while feeling satisfied!

When I first started losing weight, I dropped my calorie intake to about 1,200 calories as suggested and then I started eating healthy whole foods and started exercising. In no time, the weight started coming off and I was able to meet the realistic weight-loss goal that I had set for myself.

I don’t know about you, but when I exercise, I need to be watching or listening to something. At the gym that I go to, there are personal TVs attached to all of the cardio equipment which is super nice because then there are around 70 channels and I get to choose what I want to watch. I find that if I can find a show to really get into, the time flies by and it makes exercising seem like less of a chore (and yes, for me, it’ll probably always be a chore!). Usually I watch the news, The Travel Channel, or some classic rerun of Fresh Prince or Everybody Loves Raymond, but lately I’ve gotten into watching something else…

Music Videos! I’ve never been one to sit and watch music videos, but I’m telling you, my workouts fly by when I watch them.  Maybe because there’s some great music playing and something to watch at the same time? I find that it’s so easy to get caught up in video after video, and before I know it, I’m done and I’ve gotten a great workout.

I also found that I’m not the only one that has realized the greatness of watching music videos! A recent article over at the Ultimate Fitness Blog for Women’s Health magazine discussed the same thing - “Exorexic and it’s all Justin’s fault.” The author talked about how she got caught up in Justin Timberlake music videos while she was working out and how the time just flew by - and I could totally relate! She also had a great idea for giving yourself a more intense workout.  You know how they say that it’s not necessarily how long you exercise but the intensity that you do it at? So as you’re watching music videos, up the intensity after each one so that you’ll burn more fat. Nice, huh?

Next time you exercise whether it be in your own living room or at the gym, try watching music videos on a channel like VH1, MTV, or even the Country Music Channel. It may not work for everybody, but for me, watching music videos while I exercise is my new favorite thing!

Most people underestimate the nutritional value (or lack there of) of the fast food that they eat despite the fact that most fast food restaurants make this information readily available online. Perhaps it gets ignored on purpose? If people only realized the amount of calories, fat, and sodium that they were putting into their bodies, they’d likely think twice (at least I’d hope so) about the choices that they made. Below you’ll find nutritional information for some of the most popular items at fast food restaurants. It came from the fast food vendors themselves, and you can easily find this information yourself at www.mcdonalds.com, www.burgerking.com, www.wendys.com, and www.arbys.com.

Amazing, isn’t it? Of course none of the items I listed would be considered a “healthy” choice at these restaurants, but unfortunately, the majority of people choose these types of items over salads or grilled chicken options. The next time you’re thinking about pulling up to a drive-thru, take the time to visit the restaurant’s website so that you can view the nutritional information and get an idea of what you’re putting into your body. And remember, it’s not just the calories that count - it’s the fat, trans fat, and sodium that you should be looking at as well. Keep in mind, eating fast food (unhealthy) regularly is definitely something that could eventually cause you problems with your health.

When it comes to sources of fat, not all are created equal.  Fat is a necessary nutrient, but too much of the harmful fats aren’t good for us. Here’s Figure Friendly Club’s list of “Healthy fats” or the good fats, the ones that are best for your body. These fats are divided up into three different categories which include Monounsaturated fat, Polyunsaturated fat, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

–Healthy Fats–

• Monounsaturated fat: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocados, most nuts
• Polyunsaturated fat: vegetables oils like corn oil, soy oil, sunflower oil
• Omega-3 fatty acids: flaxseeds, flax oil, walnuts, and cold-water fish like salmon and herring

Now that you know what the healthy fats are, here’s our list of the harmful fats that you should try and stay away from.

–Unhealthy, Harmful Fats–

• Saturated fat: found in red meats, whole milk, butter, poultry
• Trans fat: often found in cakes, crackers, cookies, french fries, and other fried foods
• Dietary cholesterol: found in meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter

Source: Mayo Clinic

I’ve written about Dr. Oz before - you know, the Dr. who makes an appearance here and there on the Oprah Winfrey show and offers some tips on over-all health and living? Last time, we talked about Dr. Oz’s “excuse-buster” list which includes excuses people come up with not to exercise, and then the “excuse-buster.” It’s a great list, and definitely one worth checking out if you find yourself making excuses not to exercise.

Today we’re going to go back to Dr. Oz for some more advice. In his “One minute to better health” episode on the Oprah website, he talks about a harmless trick that you can play on your body to feel full longer, and it’s simple. He says, “If you have a little of the right kinds of fat right before you eat, you can play a trick on your hormonal system by sending a signal to the brain that you’re full.”

CCK is the hormone involved which sends that all important signal to the brain to stop eating because you’re full. When food hits your intestines, this CCK hormone is produced, so for this trick to work, you need to eat the healthy fats about 20 minutes before you plan on eating so that the fat has time to reach your intestines. One great source of healthy fat is walnuts, but we’ve got a whole list of healthy fats here that you can check out.

As always, remember to slow down when you eat anything! The average person is done eating well before 20 minutes which is how long it takes for your brain to get the signal that you’re full.  When you eat slow, not only are you able to enjoy your meal, but you’re giving your body the time it needs for the hormones to kick in to prevent you from over-eating.

Thanks for the tip Dr. Oz!