In a news article I found through yahoo, apparently there are 5 spices to help you lose weight/burn fat. Some of them are things that are spicy as in hot in your mouth and on your tongue. Personally I can't stand spicy foods most of the time. But maybe you do and these tips will be helpful!
Cinnamon- A 2003 study published in Diabetes Care showed that as little as one teaspoon of cinnamon per day can boost the body’s weight-loss ability by reducing blood sugar and promoting healthier processing of carbohydrates. It also lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by seven to 27% and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%. Plus, cinnamon has been shown to prevent the metabolic syndrome commonly seen in pre-diabetics.
Apparently they recommend a teaspoon of cinnamon a day, overload can cause problems so don't go too crazy!
Next up is: Cayenne, the main ingredient in spicy cayenne—capsaicin, which is also found in other hot peppers—has long been studied for its fat-burning abilities and thermogenic properties (the stimulating of the central nervous system to produce heat in the body, leading to an increase in calorie burning). For those like me not lovin' the heat, it is equally effective in capsule form! (Which is exciting for me, especially since it suppresses appetite!) Many think that cayenne pepper promotes weight loss because it’s simply difficult to overindulge in spicy food. However, later studies performed by the Journal of Obesity also found that the spice increases fat oxidation, “ramps up energy expenditure, and stimulates activity by the sympathetic nervous system”—all which help the body to shed excess weight.
Black Pepper
Among the dozens of health benefits of this common household ingredient is its ability to improve digestion and promote the absorption of nutrients in tissues all over the body. Plus, its main component—piperine (which gives pepper its pungent taste)—boosts fat metabolism by as much as 8% for several hours after ingesting it. If you want your pepper to pack the most punch, use freshly ground pepper, which has the most concentrated amounts of piperine.
Mustard Seed
Like the other hot ingredients on this list, spicy mustard helps boost metabolism and allows you to burn fat more quickly, thanks in part to its thermogenic properties. Scientists at England’s Oxford Polytechnic Institute recently found that eating just one teaspoon of hot mustard can “boost metabolism 20 to 25% for several hours after eating, resulting in an additional burn of about 45 calories if a 700-calorie meal is consumed.”
Ginger
Long used for its medicinal properties, ginger is also an effective diuretic (a substance that increases the elimination of urine). It improves gastric mobility (i.e. it pushes food and waste through the digestive system) and hinders the absorption of cholesterol. Although according to the Mayo Clinic, more study is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that this versatile spice helps to increase metabolism.
Definitely something to think about for that little extra in your diet!
Remember, health is more important than those skinny jeans and healthier choices are more important than a diet!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Slow Progress is Better than None At All!
It's been 4 or 5 days since I began eating healthier.
I have an obsession with weighing myself every day. It can be a blessing or a curse, you have a bad day, you're bound to gain a pound, but instead of seeing it as a failure I encourage you to see it as a learning point. Look at what you ate that day (hopefully you keep track of what you eat every day, even if you don't count calories, that's too involved anyway!) and by looking at it you can tell what your body stores quickly. Everyone's body is different, no 2 people will lose the same amount of weigh on the same diet. And by the same token, not everyone will gain weight the same way!
So if you are a serial scale hopper like myself, don't let it discourage you, let it fuel you, let it be your text book of learning, your weight everyday in proportion with what you ate. Look at what things are not feeding your body the right way and cut down on them or cut them out (cut down if you can't eliminate it yet from your diet). Look for what fuels your body, your energy and keeps you full.
The other day I found out I can make my salads healthier by adding raw spinach, I'm not too fond of spinach salad alone, I would prefer to mix it with other types of lettuce, but spinach itself is very low calorie, no fat and very healthy with lots of amazing nutrient properties!
I have had a few slips, ate pizza when I knew I shouldn't have, had fast food when I shouldn't have. But I'm back on my wagon today. I had lost 1.5 pounds from eating well for 2 days, then on the third and 4th I slipped, so I hopped back up. But I'm not freaking about it, definitely not. I know what is good for my body, what helps me lose weight and what will pack on the pounds. So I can use this to my advantage and tweak my daily diet.
I believe I mentioned this before but if not, remember you don't have to be perfect every day, or even every week, just make better decisions, after not too long, you will stay fuller longer, eat better things, lose weight and before you know it, your diet will be healthier than you ever thought!
Like I have said, I am a picky eater and making good choices used to be so hard, so I am slowly making better choices, finding out what healthy stuff I can eat with still being able to stand eating it! You can do this too, it's so easy. You just have to make the decision to work toward a healthier you.
Let's face it, the weight is a good incentive, but being healthy is even more so. Focus on health and your weight will follow!
I can try my best to motivate you but the bottom line comes down to you, you have to make the choices, you have to want to be healthier.
So if I can stress anything from this entry, it is don't be so hard on yourself! Changing your daily eating habits takes time, it doesn't have to be immediate, do it slowly, be consistent. You have been eating this way for years it's not going to change over night.
Remember, you are worth it!
I have an obsession with weighing myself every day. It can be a blessing or a curse, you have a bad day, you're bound to gain a pound, but instead of seeing it as a failure I encourage you to see it as a learning point. Look at what you ate that day (hopefully you keep track of what you eat every day, even if you don't count calories, that's too involved anyway!) and by looking at it you can tell what your body stores quickly. Everyone's body is different, no 2 people will lose the same amount of weigh on the same diet. And by the same token, not everyone will gain weight the same way!
So if you are a serial scale hopper like myself, don't let it discourage you, let it fuel you, let it be your text book of learning, your weight everyday in proportion with what you ate. Look at what things are not feeding your body the right way and cut down on them or cut them out (cut down if you can't eliminate it yet from your diet). Look for what fuels your body, your energy and keeps you full.
The other day I found out I can make my salads healthier by adding raw spinach, I'm not too fond of spinach salad alone, I would prefer to mix it with other types of lettuce, but spinach itself is very low calorie, no fat and very healthy with lots of amazing nutrient properties!
I have had a few slips, ate pizza when I knew I shouldn't have, had fast food when I shouldn't have. But I'm back on my wagon today. I had lost 1.5 pounds from eating well for 2 days, then on the third and 4th I slipped, so I hopped back up. But I'm not freaking about it, definitely not. I know what is good for my body, what helps me lose weight and what will pack on the pounds. So I can use this to my advantage and tweak my daily diet.
I believe I mentioned this before but if not, remember you don't have to be perfect every day, or even every week, just make better decisions, after not too long, you will stay fuller longer, eat better things, lose weight and before you know it, your diet will be healthier than you ever thought!
Like I have said, I am a picky eater and making good choices used to be so hard, so I am slowly making better choices, finding out what healthy stuff I can eat with still being able to stand eating it! You can do this too, it's so easy. You just have to make the decision to work toward a healthier you.
Let's face it, the weight is a good incentive, but being healthy is even more so. Focus on health and your weight will follow!
I can try my best to motivate you but the bottom line comes down to you, you have to make the choices, you have to want to be healthier.
So if I can stress anything from this entry, it is don't be so hard on yourself! Changing your daily eating habits takes time, it doesn't have to be immediate, do it slowly, be consistent. You have been eating this way for years it's not going to change over night.
Remember, you are worth it!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Life: You are Worth it!
There is something in the past week that has plagued my mind. It is about life, it is about health, it is about the dreaded 'W' word. It is weight.
I have been overweight most of my life. My husband and his family, as well as mine, have been through this as well. I know so many other people have also. You feel sad, you feel worthless, you feel out of control. You feel trapped, depressed, tied down. When I would eat, it tasted good, it felt good, I didn't think about how bad it was for me, whatever I was eating, it was good, it felt good. It wasn't until after, or later, in the mirror, sitting on the couch that I felt it. That feeling of desperation and failure. Sometimes you feel like "I'm not really that big, it's ok" and other times you feel like you are so big, and who could love such a big, fat mess.
I felt like this sometimes, not everyday but that happened sometimes.
I am not telling you this to scare you into buying my diet plan, buying my workout DVD, I'm not leading you up to a point where I can sell you my life changing book for just $49.95. I don't have any of those things. I am just an overweight housewife who is tired of feeling so bad, fat and unhealthy.
I am here to share my daily food intake, share my views on being an overweight busy mother who is ready to take control. In the hopes that someone, somewhere will see this and realize, you are worth being healthy. If you have kids, your kids are worth sticking around for. I never realized that very much until I had a daughter, I want to be able to run with her and not feel tired, I want to be able to encourage her to be active and healthy.
All that being said, I don't want to be a sugar nazi, a carb warrior or a fat abolish-er. I don't want to spend my days counting my calories and weighing my food. I just want to eat, enjoy my food, not be hungry, and be healthy.
At this point I want to share my idea of beginning to eat healthier and what it means with my food tastes, what I like and what I can afford.
Remember, eating healthier does not mean you have to limit yourself to celery and wheat grass. If you go from eating Mcdonalds everyday (which I have done in the past!) to making yourself salads and soup, or chicken/steak/seafood at home. Applaud yourself! That is amazing! It takes a lot of will power and mental strength to take away something that feels good and replace it with something that is still good but you're not used to doing.
If you used to sit on the couch and munch on a bag of chips but instead you start eating healthier snacks like wheat thins, or fruit. That is spectacular! Scream it from the rooftops! It sounds so easy but if you are stuck in the cycle of eating badly, if is a struggle to change that habit and eat something different, something healthy.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and if your somewhere is subway instead of Burger King. go for it. If you started at vinaigrette dressing on your salads instead of ranch, go for it! Not everyone eats exactly the same way so we can't start at the same place. Start where you are. If a change seems too big, make it smaller, and progress to where you want to be. It's better than never making that change at all. Right now soda is my weakness but I will work on that.
If you do not like things like fruit and nuts in your salads but you like cheese and bacon bits on it, go ahead. That's what I do, you can work your way to a healthier salad and a healthier you. It doesn't happen over night.
I am not a nutritionist, I'm not a personal trainer and I don't have any training or degrees in any of those things. I am however committed to helping myself, my husband and anyone else willing to change. I want to see people happy. I am not saying this after I lost an amazing 200 pounds, became a marathon runner and have a diet pill to push. I am still an overweight (technically obese) housewife, ready to change and I just want to help someone else change also, to be happy and healthy and able to help someone else.
If you aren't too overloaded at this point, I'd like to share what I've eaten so far to day, it is around 12:30pm.
For breakfast I had a S'more Quaker granola bar, (very good by the way!) and around 10:30am I had a salad with shredded cheese (only around 2 tablespoons) and some bacon bits, not the fake stuff but real crumbled bacon (around 1 tablespoon) and on top of that was hidden valley bacon ranch dressing.
Around 30 minutes later I finished my lunch off by having a broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast (lightly breaded and cooked in the over).
These aren't the best choices, they aren't the healthiest. I am very picky, I like these things but they are healthier than the pizza or pasta or the million other unhealthy foods that I love to eat.
I also drank Dr. Pepper with everything, again, my weak point and I'm working on it.
Tonight after my husband gets home I will be going to the complex (apartment) gym with him I hope. I'm dedicated and I hope I can motivate you to become dedicated too.
Thank you for reading this, I hope I encouraged someone today.
You are so worth this, I just hope you can realize it like I did.
I have been overweight most of my life. My husband and his family, as well as mine, have been through this as well. I know so many other people have also. You feel sad, you feel worthless, you feel out of control. You feel trapped, depressed, tied down. When I would eat, it tasted good, it felt good, I didn't think about how bad it was for me, whatever I was eating, it was good, it felt good. It wasn't until after, or later, in the mirror, sitting on the couch that I felt it. That feeling of desperation and failure. Sometimes you feel like "I'm not really that big, it's ok" and other times you feel like you are so big, and who could love such a big, fat mess.
I felt like this sometimes, not everyday but that happened sometimes.
I am not telling you this to scare you into buying my diet plan, buying my workout DVD, I'm not leading you up to a point where I can sell you my life changing book for just $49.95. I don't have any of those things. I am just an overweight housewife who is tired of feeling so bad, fat and unhealthy.
I am here to share my daily food intake, share my views on being an overweight busy mother who is ready to take control. In the hopes that someone, somewhere will see this and realize, you are worth being healthy. If you have kids, your kids are worth sticking around for. I never realized that very much until I had a daughter, I want to be able to run with her and not feel tired, I want to be able to encourage her to be active and healthy.
All that being said, I don't want to be a sugar nazi, a carb warrior or a fat abolish-er. I don't want to spend my days counting my calories and weighing my food. I just want to eat, enjoy my food, not be hungry, and be healthy.
At this point I want to share my idea of beginning to eat healthier and what it means with my food tastes, what I like and what I can afford.
Remember, eating healthier does not mean you have to limit yourself to celery and wheat grass. If you go from eating Mcdonalds everyday (which I have done in the past!) to making yourself salads and soup, or chicken/steak/seafood at home. Applaud yourself! That is amazing! It takes a lot of will power and mental strength to take away something that feels good and replace it with something that is still good but you're not used to doing.
If you used to sit on the couch and munch on a bag of chips but instead you start eating healthier snacks like wheat thins, or fruit. That is spectacular! Scream it from the rooftops! It sounds so easy but if you are stuck in the cycle of eating badly, if is a struggle to change that habit and eat something different, something healthy.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and if your somewhere is subway instead of Burger King. go for it. If you started at vinaigrette dressing on your salads instead of ranch, go for it! Not everyone eats exactly the same way so we can't start at the same place. Start where you are. If a change seems too big, make it smaller, and progress to where you want to be. It's better than never making that change at all. Right now soda is my weakness but I will work on that.
If you do not like things like fruit and nuts in your salads but you like cheese and bacon bits on it, go ahead. That's what I do, you can work your way to a healthier salad and a healthier you. It doesn't happen over night.
I am not a nutritionist, I'm not a personal trainer and I don't have any training or degrees in any of those things. I am however committed to helping myself, my husband and anyone else willing to change. I want to see people happy. I am not saying this after I lost an amazing 200 pounds, became a marathon runner and have a diet pill to push. I am still an overweight (technically obese) housewife, ready to change and I just want to help someone else change also, to be happy and healthy and able to help someone else.
If you aren't too overloaded at this point, I'd like to share what I've eaten so far to day, it is around 12:30pm.
For breakfast I had a S'more Quaker granola bar, (very good by the way!) and around 10:30am I had a salad with shredded cheese (only around 2 tablespoons) and some bacon bits, not the fake stuff but real crumbled bacon (around 1 tablespoon) and on top of that was hidden valley bacon ranch dressing.
Around 30 minutes later I finished my lunch off by having a broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast (lightly breaded and cooked in the over).
These aren't the best choices, they aren't the healthiest. I am very picky, I like these things but they are healthier than the pizza or pasta or the million other unhealthy foods that I love to eat.
I also drank Dr. Pepper with everything, again, my weak point and I'm working on it.
Tonight after my husband gets home I will be going to the complex (apartment) gym with him I hope. I'm dedicated and I hope I can motivate you to become dedicated too.
Thank you for reading this, I hope I encouraged someone today.
You are so worth this, I just hope you can realize it like I did.
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