Eat Healthier

Fruit bowl image via Wikipedia

Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to healthier living:

• Eliminate or significantly limit your consumption of sodas and other sugar-laden beverages: According to Calorie-counter.net one can (12 fl. oz) of Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola has 155 calories. You have to walk for 23 minutes to burn off one soda; or 45 minutes for drinking two a day. If you can’t live without soda, make it a weekly treat, not a habit.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables: The government recommends 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of veggies a day. Most people don’t eat enough of both. Increase your daily intake with mindful eating: One piece of fruit for breakfast; a fresh salad (add a low-fat dressing) for lunch; and veggie snacks during the day. Substitute veggies and fruits for sugary treats and watch your cravings for sweets slowly diminish or disappear altogether.
• Eat Less Refined Sugars/Sweets: Whether you’re a chocoholic, ice-cream lover or just plain crazy for sweets or unhealthy salty snacks, keeping these in moderation can be a tough balance. Who doesn’t love a sweet treat after lunch or dinner?

Read more about eating healthier at ACE Fitness

Help to quit smoking!

by Denise Austin
Boosting your fruit and vegetable intake right away may actually help you quit smoking! An interesting study from Duke University found that fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, and non-caffeinated drinks like water and juice made cigarettes taste worse to smokers, while caffeine, alcohol, and meat tended to make them taste better. So eating plenty of fruits and veggies and drinking lots of water may help you in your efforts to quit.

Don't wait for tomorrow to stop smoking. Quit right now - I know you can do it! It will be worth it, I promise!

More posts by Denise Austin
and books and DVDs by Denise Austin

Commonly Craved Foods

Potato Chips

Commonly Craved Foods in the United States

• Chicken wings
• Cheeseburger
• Chocolate
• Hamburger
• Ice cream
• Peanut butter
• Pickles
• Pies
• Pizza
• Potato chips
• Pretzels
• Soft drinks

Got a Craving? Forget Moderation!

The Sugar That Staves Off Hunger

Grain products: rich sources of complex and simple carbohydrates

Sugar is sugar, right? Maybe not. Turns out that there is one type of sweetener that helps fill you up, while another leaves you craving more.

The two sugars in question: glucose and fructose. Glucose appears to quell hunger, and fructose seems to ramp it up.

The sugars may affect your appetite differently because of the unique ways in which they affect malonyl-CoA, an important appetite-suppressing molecule in the brain.

Most dietary carbohydrates contain glucose. Foods high in carbohydrates include breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice and cereals. The primary food sources of fructose are fruits, vegetables, and honey.

Read more at Realage.com

Eat Right!

by Denise Austin

Best Bets for Healthy Snacking
Snacking is not a dirty word for dieters if you're careful about what you reach for! I can think of loads of nutritious, low-calorie foods that can help you feel full and boost your energy without ruining your day. Stick to a sensible serving size and you're good to go! Here are some ideas to get you snacking healthy!

• Cut up veggies with hummus
• Sliced fruit with nonfat Greek yogurt
• A few almonds or walnuts
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Air-popped popcorn
• Hard-boiled eggs
• String cheese
• Baked tortilla chips with salsa
• Homemade smoothies or fruit shakes

Try a few of these snacks this week, and a few more next week. Constantly switch things up so that you don't get bored — and you'll be all set to handle your next snack attack!