Tag Archives: miracle

Be picky about fruit: Best ways to get your daily servings

It’s important to eat fruit throughout the year, and one of the perks of summer is there’s greater variety of fresh fruit to choose from.  According to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines adults on a 2,000-calorie diet should eat about two cups of fruit per day, and for optimal health benefits it’s a good habit to eat a colorful mix.  But watch how you get your fruit because some commercial fruit products lose nutrients in processing and pack a lot of extra calories from added sugar. Fruit drinks Many commercial fruit juices are not 100 percent juice; some are so watered down that their taste comes from artificial flavors and sugar. To know what you are getting read the ingredients list on the nutrition label.  Juicing at home gives you more control over freshness and quality, but be sure to juice fruit with the skin or you could be throwing away some of the best nutrients. Case in point: a whole apple has 4g of fiber while apple juice pressed without the skin may have little to no fiber. Frozen fruit Did you know that frozen fruit may actually be more nutritious than the whole fruit at the supermarket?  That’s because whole fruit headed for the produce aisle is picked before it is fully ripe whereas frozen fruit is processed right in the field with fruit picked at its nutritional peak. Canned fruit Canned fruits, like frozen, are usually harvested at when they are fully ripe, but be sure to check how it has been prepared and packed. Some canned fruits swim in heavy sugar-based syrup that adds extra calories. Your best bet is to go with fruit canned in light syrup or better yet its own juice.  If your canned brand does contain added sugar you can rinse much of it off right before eating. Fruit safety Sometimes harmful bacteria can contaminate fresh fruits during harvesting. Avoid buying fruit that is bruised or visibly damaged, and it’s best to keep perishable fruits refrigerated at or below 40°F. And wash your fruit thoroughly even if you don’t intend to eat it with the skin. For advice on healthy eating, drinking and weight loss, check out my new book The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with Fiber! Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in New York City and author of the Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with fiber as well as the bestselling F-Factor Diet. Become a fan of Tanya on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/11/be-picky-about-fruit-best-ways-to-get-your-daily-servings/

Woman gives birth to surprise baby after two-hour run

An aspiring half-marathon runner in Minnesota whose two-hour training session left her with a sore back was stunned to discover that the pain was not due to a pulled muscle or a slipped disc but that she was about to give birth. Trish Staine says she had no idea she was pregnant. The 33-year-old Duluth mother of three insists she gained no weight, felt no fetal movement - and that her husband has had a vasectomy. Staine says she noticed what she now realizes were labor pains after her run at noon on Sunday but she didn't go to the hospital until the following day. She gave birth to Mira - short for Miracle - at 3:25 p.m. Monday. Mira weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 18.9 inches long.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/woman-gives-birth-to-surprise-baby-after-10-mile-run/

5 ways to keep your salad skinny

Salad is the secret to a having beach-ready body, right?  Not necessarily.   Sure, salad greens and chopped vegetables are low in calories and great for weight control.  But what else you toss into your salad can keep it light or load it up with as many calories as a cheeseburger and fries!   It’s easy to go overboard on toppings – especially at a well-stocked salad bar – so choose with care:   Eat a colorful salad    Instead of adding nuts, cheeses, seeds, and crispy tortillas, get a variety of flavors with a colorful mix of veggies that fill you up on very few calories. A cup of raw, chopped veggies has just 25 calories compared to a handful of nuts at 250 calories or more. Great salad veggies include broccoli, carrots, cucumber, bell peppers and red onion. And by eating a colorful mix, you get greater variety in vitamins and minerals, too.   Choose lean proteins    Tasty as they may be, crispy chicken, tuna salad and crunchy bacon can make your salad a fatty disaster.  You can lighten up without sacrificing flavor by going with lean proteins such as grilled chicken, fish, egg whites, ham, turkey, shrimp and edamame. Go easy on cheese    Your bikini bottom will thank you for skipping toppings like goat cheese, cheddar cheese, and crumbled blue cheese – which are high in fat and have over 100 calories per ounce. Instead, opt for shredded, part-skim mozzarella or grated parmesan cheese – just a little bit adds a lot of satisfying taste. Pick fresh fruit rather than dried    No question dried cranberries and raisins add a sweet note to your salad, but at 60 calories for two measly tablespoons are they worth it

Snack before you shop

Maybe you’ve heard that going supermarket shopping while hungry can cause you to spend more money. But, did you know that researchers at Cornell University found that hungry grocery shoppers are more apt to slip high-calorie foods into their cart? You can keep your food bill and your waistline in check simply by eating something before heading out to the grocery store. Grabbing a quick snack is probably easier on the weekend than it is after work when you are tired and your stomach is growling.  Choosing sugary candy and cookies from the office vending machine isn’t very diet-friendly nor will these hold you for long. Your best bet is to plan ahead and have a healthy, satisfying grab-and-go snack at the ready.  Here are some simple and tasty ideas: String cheese and grapes This refreshing sweet and salty combo could not be easier to pack. You can count on the natural sugar in the grapes to give you a nice energy boost while the protein in the cheese will digest slowly, keeping hunger in check until you sit down to dinner. Hummus and veggies Talk about smart substitutes! Let some baby carrots or sliced peppers answer the call for something crunchy, and by pairing them with hummus you have a light yet savory alternative to a bag of fatty deep-fried chips. Apple slices with peanut butter Simply cut an apple in half and core it. Then fill each cavity with a spoonful of creamy peanut butter. You get the fruity-nutty taste of a PB&J sandwich without the bread, plus a lot more tummy-filling fiber and protein.   Gorp!   This acronym stands for “good old raisins and peanuts,” but with some creative license it covers a healthy trail mix, too. Prepare a batch in minutes by mixing some dried fruit, almonds, high fiber cereal, and whole wheat pretzel sticks. Then fill zip-lock baggies with 1/2 cup portions.   Strawberries and Cream Start with a single serving of Greek yogurt and top it with juicy ripe sliced strawberries.  Greek yogurt is creamier than traditional yogurt and much higher in protein, which keeps you feeling full longer. The berries provide natural sweetness and tang and feel free to add a drizzle of sugar-free chocolate sauce over the strawberries to make this healthy snack seem more like a decadent dessert. For more tips, delicious high fiber meal plans, recipes, and proven ways to lose weight and look great, check out my new book The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with Fiber! Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in New York City and the bestselling author of The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with fiber, and The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss.  Follow Tanya on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit her website Ffactor.com  source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/snack-before-shop/