Recently I was reading about foods that are considered to have a low GI – or a low glycemic index and how incorporating them into your diet can help you lose weight.  My first thought was, “is this another fad diet” or is this something we should be doing. Of course I’m no expert, but after looking into it, it appears as though it isn’t a fad diet. Instead, it’s just a way of eating that includes foods that will help keep you feeling full for longer. The whole theory behind a low GI diet is that the foods will slowly release sugar into your blood so that you have a steady supply of energy and you’ll feel satisfied for longer. Interesting, isn’t it?

Keep in mind though, some foods that have a low GI index are high in fat, so you’ll want to make sure you try to keep your fat intake to a minimum as well. So what foods are considered to be low GI? First you’ll need to know what the glycemic index range is.  A Low GI is 55 or less, a medium GI is 56-69, and a high GI is 70 or more.  This site has a great list of low, medium, and high GI foods broken down into different categories which is extremely helpful. Below are several examples of foods that have a low GI of 55 or under:

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”)

A few days ago we talked about the foods that are thought to be good for us, but only if we are mindful of how it’s prepared.  For example, a lettuce salad is great for you (assuming it’s made with dark greens), but not if it’s loaded with cheese, croutons, bacon, and creamy dressings.  Today I thought we’d take a look at some other foods that are food for us, but only if it’s prepared with health in mind. Here’s Figure Friendly Club’s list of “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.”

So where’s the ugly? Well, we could take each of the foods listed above a little further to make them ugly. Like fried fish slathered with tarter sauce, now that’s ugly! Or white refined grains like white bread slathered with butter, another ugly situation! Or how about a “fruit” drink from Jamba Juice like the Power Size Razzmatazz drink with a whopping 620 calories! Now that’s ugly!

When you think of fruit and salad, you automatically think that they are healthy for you, don’t you? I automatically think that those are two things that are good for me, and provide me with a lot of nutrients. While it’s true that those are both foods that are in fact good for you and offer a lot of health benefits, you need to consider how it’s prepared. There are certain foods that we automatically associate with health, yet not all of them are actually good for us! Today we’re going to take a look at some of those foods.

It’s Good for you, but…

1. Breakfast – is good for you, but… just because you eat breakfast doesn’t mean that it’s good for you. Cereals or yogurt that are loaded with sugar must be avoided!
2. Salad – is good for you, but… not if it’s loaded with cheese, croutons, bacon, and creamy dressings.
3. Non-fried snacks – could be good for you, but.. snacks like pretzels and baked chips are processed foods that go right through you and don’t provide much in terms of nutrients.
4. Fruit – is good for you, but… not dried fruit! Dried fruit is loaded with sugar. Stick with fresh fruits!

The one thing on that list that I always have a hard time with is cheese and creamy dressings on my salads.  I LOVE cheese, and I love ranch dressing so it’s hard for me to turn those things down. And of course when I have a salad with cheese and ranch dressing, I always end up feeling guilty, so I don’t end up enjoying it any ways. A good alternative for creamy dressings that I’ve been trying to have more often is simply a drizzle of good olive oil and vinegar.

Anytime there’s a food that you automatically label as a healthy food, stop to consider how you eat it and how it’s prepared! If you can say “It’s good for me” without any “but,” it’s probably a good choice.

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.

If your diet usually consists of making a run to the drive-thru or ordering take-out, you’re probably not getting your fair-share of fruits and veggies (and no, the lettuce and tomato on your burger don’t count). Eating healthy means leaving the junk behind and incorporating fresh produce as a staple in your diet, so it’s important that you know how to clean it. Unlike packaged/processed foods that require no work before you eat it, there is some work involved when it comes to your fruits and vegetables. Here’s a quick guide to getting all your produce clean so it’s ready for you to use. I recommend doing this right when you get home from the grocery store (there are a few exceptions to this) so that you don’t have to worry about doing it when you’re hungry and you want to eat.

Rule #1 – Wash everything! There really is no exception to this rule except maybe for mushrooms which I’ll explain below. If it came from the produce department, wash it!

How to wash nearly all vegetables: For most vegetables, you can fill up a clean sink or a large bowl with cool water and place your veggies right in the water and swish them around. For root vegetables like potatoes or carrots, you’ll need to get a vegetable scrubber and scrub them well before peeling. Just because you’re peeling the veggie doesn’t mean that you don’t need to wash it.  If there is bacteria on the vegetable, it can get on the peeler and spread to the part you’d eat.

Rule #2 – Always peel cucumbers unless you buy an organic cucumber that’s wrapped, or you grow your own.  There’s no way to get the wax off of regular cucumbers, and you don’t want to ingest it.

Rule #3 - Dry everything! Once it’s all washed, you’ll want to dry it unless you’re going to be cooking it immediately. For lettuce and greens, a salad spinner is a great way to dry them.  For other vegetables, just use a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to dry them well.

About mushrooms: Mushrooms are extremely delicate.  Use a damp paper towel or a damp kitchen towel to carefully get any dirt off of the mushrooms. Never run them under water.

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How to wash nearly all fruits: Most fruits should be washed similar to the way you wash vegetables.  Fill a sink will water and let them soak even if you’re going to end up peeling it or cutting it.

Rule #4 - Do not pre-wash berries.  When you bring berries home from the store, do not pre-wash them because they’ll get soggy, and they’ll mold quicker. When you’re ready to use your berries, give them a quick rinse before using them.

Rule #5 – If you plan on using the zest from citrus fruits like lemons, limes, or oranges, be sure to give them a good scrub.

It’s Apple season in America right now which means there’s no better time to eat them! Not only do Apples taste good, but they’re good for you too. And with so many varieties to choose from (over 2,500 different kinds), I’m sure there’s at least one kind that you’ll like.There are a TON of health benefits that come from eating Apples, so lets take a look…

1. Helps control weight gain – studies have shown that eating apples regularly will help you control gaining weight
2. Apples contain fiber – fiber helps you feel full
3. Low in calories
4. Great source of certain vitamins and minerals
5. Helps boost your energy
6. Includes disease fighting chemicals that help prevent cancer, heart disease, and more…
7. Helps lower blood cholesterol
8. May prevent wrinkles from forming

What’s listed above is only the start of all the healthful benefits, there are many many more. The more often you eat apples, the better, and that’s why the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is so true. To get the most benefits from an apple, remember to eat the skin. While it may not taste as good as the inside of the apple, it’s the best part for you.

Now that we know the benefits of eating apples, here are a few tips for buying the best apples and keeping them fresh:

• Apples should be hard when you buy them
• If there are any dents in an apple, it’s not a good choice
• One study suggests that red apples have more benefits than green – it’s your call which to buy though…
• Keep your apples refrigerated so that you get the longest life possible out of them
• If you slice apples and they’ll be sitting for a short amount of time before you eat it, squeeze some lemon juice and water over the apples to keep them from turning brown

Each year it seems studies reveal more and more benefits of eating apples, so I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t want to eat them. Find the different kinds of apples that you like, and find different ways to serve them such as slicing them and spreading a little bit of peanut butter on them, or dipping them in a low-fat yogurt or other healthy dips.

And remember, an apple a day… certainly does keep the doctor away. Hmmm… I think it’s time for an Apple!