We often hear protein is an important part of a healthy diet. Here I explain what it is, how much you need and the right way to make it a part of your healthy lifestyle.
What is Protein?
Found in muscle, bone, skin, hair, pretty much every other body part or tissue
Makes up enzymes that are part of numerous chemical reactions in the body
As hemoglobin, it carries oxygen in your blood
Proteins are built of many amino acids; in which the amino acids come together, form a protein, and take on one its numerous roles in the body. Unlike fats and carbs, the body doesn’t store amino acids, so a daily supply is needed to make new protein.
In the U.S., we grow and produce millions of fruits and vegetables every year, but there are a few crops that we must travel beyond our borders to acquire. One of them is the nutrient powerhouse, the acai berry - a dark purple berry that grows in the Brazilian jungles. The acai berry is being praised by health experts all over the world for the comprehensive nutrient profile that it sports in such a tiny package.
A small California company called Sambazon, started by a few environmentally-friendly surfers, began selling acai products here in the States back in 1999, before the acai boom hit. But out of concern that Amazonian farmers were not getting a fair trade price for their acai crop, they worked out a plan with these farmers that would bring them more financial stability and would protect the biodiversity of the rain forest.
By no means should you neglect your sweet tooth on Thanksgiving day, you should just do it responsibly. Three helpings of your aunt’s pumpkin pie followed by a couple servings of brownies will leave you counting more than just your blessings. As with anything, moderation is key. So having a small serving of your favorite dessert won’t crash your weight loss efforts. You could also follow Mariah Carey’s “morsel diet.” When she wants to indulge, she just lets herself have one or two small bites of the thing that she’s craving and then she’s satisfied. So maybe, one bite of pie, one bite of brownie and one bite of cookie?
Whichever avenue you choose to satisfy your cravings this Thanksgiving, consider making one of these 10 healthier dessert recipes. Be mindful to follow recipes that don’t require a lot of heavy cream, butter, sugar or salt, and bake with whole grain flour when you can.
UPDATED: Watch now - DietsInReview.com interview with Coleen Skeabeck at the Biggset Loser Season 6 Finale.
Coleen is easily one of the most down-to-Earth, genuine individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking with. Not only do I follow Biggest Loser to keep all of you fans updated, but I’m an avid fan of the show and each week get even more emotionally involved than is healthy for one to have with a TV program. So last night as Coleen’s name was revealed on Amy C.’s tray, I cried like a big baby. Coleen is still at home working hard and says she has not stepped on the scale in a couple of weeks. Down from a size 22 and XXXL shirts that she wore at the start of Biggest Loser: Families, Coleen is ecstatic to share that she’s now wearing size medium tops and size 10 pants and dresses.
The biggest change in her daily routine has been that she’s very active. She used to just lounge around, but now she hits the ground running everyday. Part of that busy schedule is a lot of gym time, and she concentrates pretty heavily on cardio. She’s even staying on top of dad, Jerry, to make sure he’s active at the gym as well.
Granted, diet sodas are lower in calories than regular soda, but drinking soda isn’t really the best thing for you. I’ve said it numerous times that water should be your number one choice for hydrating yourself and quenching your thirst, but too often people grab a diet soda instead. Last Friday, Jillian Michaels wrote a blog on “meeting your soda quota”. Simply saying that she was addicted to diet soda and understands the struggles behind weaning yourself off them and off artificial sweeteners. Jillian recommends drinking unsweetened coffee and tea to get your caffeine fix or sweetening with xylitol and stevia because they are more natural than sucralose (Splenda).
Research has shown that consuming diet soda is a culprit for our society’s weight problems. The idea behind it is that drinking soda (regular or diet) doesn’t quench your thirst and, in fact, can play a detrimental role in altering one’s metabolism by somehow changing our brain’s chemistry.
Thanksgiving is equal parts counting our blessings and indulgence. No one questions you when you’ve filled your third plate with stuffing and pumpkin pie, no one bothers to ask why you ate your weight in turkey and chose a nap over a walk, and no one giggles when one of the things you’re thankful for is grandma’s made-from-scratch macaroni and cheese. One place you can avoid the calorie conundrum is to be mindful of your recipes.
1. Choose recipes that are rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources.
2. The turkey in-and-of itself is on the list of 14 super foods. So reap all its nutritional benefits and don’t deep fry it or soak it in butter. Use fresh herbs, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic and other seasonings to bring out the tender flavor of the bird.
3. Avoid recipes that call for heavy cream, butter and loads of sugar. Those rich flavors directly correlate to high calories and fat.
4. Keep the house full of fresh veggie and fruit trays, giving people something healthy to snack on and help them to not over indulge in the Thanksgiving buffet.
Here are 17 Thanksgiving recipes we find to be mouth-watering and so delicious. Some are classic favorites with a healthy twist, and others will become new favorites. They will be a perfect addition to your healthier Thanksgiving day spread, or offer some better ideas for leftovers.
We were as excited as everyone else to get our hands on the new Jillian Michaels for the Nintendo Wii- Fitness Ultimatum 2009. It seems anything Jillian touches turns to fitness gold. We’re huge fans of hers, and have always had nothing but nice things to say about her many other products. There’s no way to know how hands-on she was in the development of the game, if the developers rushed the job or if they did much consumer testing, either way, it doesn’t seem like much attention on any of those accounts.
When I launched the game, I was immediately struck by the graphics. That’s one of the most impressive characteristics of the Wii games. But this? Reminded me of the Duck Hunt days. Very grainy, unrefined images that didn’t reflect the quality we’ve come to expect from the Wii. We don’t want you to just take our word for it, hear the comments left on the review. “The graphics are horrible. The screen hardly moves at all when you’re exercising… you basically get to watch your avatar run/kayak/bounce in place just like you,” said Gin. Kurt agreed, “Graphics are on par with Atari I played as a kid.”
This month we’re pleased to have Lisa Chernick join us in the Diet Blog as our Featured Guest Blogger. Lisa is the Executive Food Editor at Weight Watchers, where part of her job is sharing nutritious and exciting dinner ideas in her series “What’s for Dinner?” Tune in to the Diet Blog every Tuesday in November to hear Lisa’s advice for living a healthy lifestyle.
OK, so what I didn’t mention last week (in 5 Tips for Surviving Thanksgiving) is that I’m having Thanksgiving dinner this year at a restaurant. In Philadelphia. Mind you, it’s a wonderful place where the food and the setting are undeniably fantastic. My six-year-old daughter thinks it’s the most glamorous thing. And I am a pushover for roast boar and venison, which they serve along with the turkey, not to mention the variety and excellence of their side dishes and desserts. It really is something.
However great it may be, part of me misses cooking. I love making stuffing and the way our house smells with a turkey roasting in the oven. And I love leftovers. I never tire of the parade of turkey sandwiches and salads. So this year after the holiday, when we’re home from Philadelphia, I intend to roast a bird with all the trimmings. OK, not all the trimmings, but some of the best. And I’m not making it a high-calorie blowout, either. We’ll have already done that. Rather, I’ll pick my Weight Watchers.com favorites and keep portions modest. And when it’s all over and I’m back on plan, I intend to make a pot of this amazing soup. It’s fantastic and has zero POINTS® values per serving. For that, I am very thankful.
This is the story of Ruby, a nearly 500 pound woman trying to completely overhaul her lifestyle in order to lose weight and save her life. Ruby has come up with a team to help her through this weight loss adventure. Her team consists of personal trainer Reese Brown, and weight loss physician Dr. Bradley (the founder of the Hourglass Weight loss and Fitness wellness program), Dr. Brewerton, a psychiatrist helping Ruby with the mental component for weight loss, her personal physician Dr. Corse, and finally her dietitian Helen Hussey. Ruby will run on the Style Network, where they have a great break down of every aspect of Ruby’s diet and exercise regimen, friends/social support system, her blog, bonus scenes from the show, and more. I will be providing weekly episode recaps for those interested in staying updated on Ruby’s progress.
We often hear protein is an important part of a healthy diet. Here I explain what it is, how much you need and the right way to make it a part of your healthy lifestyle.
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