It can’t be denied that eliminating toxins from your diet, such as those found in pesticides and hormones used in much of the food we eat, is a healthy idea.  However, like my mother always said, it’s all about moderation.

If you are someone who consumes a great deal of a certain food or drink, like my wife with milk, I definitely recommend switching to the organic alternative.  If you are pregnant or nursing, organic options are a great alternative for obvious reasons.  Don’t go crazy with buying up the organic super market.  For items you eat and drink sparingly, it’s ok to purchase regular fruits and veggies from your supermarket and wash them thoroughly.  Remember, you don’t necessarily have to go to an oganic marktet to purchase these items.  Most chains like Wegmans, Shoprite and Foodtown now offer organic sections which offer the same great selections as the organic markets but for better prices.

I am a big fan of all natural peanut butter and almond butter.  The commercial types contain far too many hydrogenated oils, salt and saturated fats.  On their own, peanuts and almonds are good sources of protein, the raw, unsalted type.  Almonds especially are a good source of vitamin E which is great for your heart, hair and skin.

I was disappointed when I read the ingredient label for Skippy’s all natural peanut butter.  Although they have managed to eliminate most of their saturated fat, it still contains palm oil, sugar and salt.  Not the purest of ingredients.  Palm oil has unecessary saturated fat and why add sugar when peanut butter is normally paired with sugar infused jelly?  All natural peanut butter should just contain peanuts.  I really feel like the label on Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter is misleading.  When consumers see ‘all natural’,  they think of a product that is healthy.  Although the all natural version is healthier than their original formula, it still is not a good option for consumers looking to eliminate some of the junk found in commercially prepared foods.

In my house, we use Maple Grove All Natural peanut butter. It’s found right next to the rest of processed peanut spreads and for around the same price.  When you look at the ingredients for Maple Grove peanut butter, the only thing you will see is ‘peanuts’.  If you’ve never had all natural peanut butter, there are a few things to note.  First of all the taste is entirely different.  Once you try it, you will realize all of the chemicals that are added to commercially jarred peanut butter to get that texture and flavor.  It’s a very strong, peanut flavor. Second, the natural oils found in peanuts separate from the peanut butter and rise to the top.  This is a natural process since there are no binders used to prevent this from happening.  All you do is stir it right back in to your peanut butter. It adds to the creamy flavor and texture.

Smuckers also has a decent brand of all natural peanut butter, however salt is added.  If you are watching your sodium intake, stick with Maple Grove. Both brands offer chunky and creamy peanut butter.

Peanut Butter is packed with calories, so for dieters I recommend using peanut butter in small amounts in conjunction with a reduced carbohydrate diet.

Fitness and diet questions?  Email us your thoughts.

If you suffer from chronic, painful heartburn, see a doctor immediately. If left untreated, chronic heartuburn can cause sleep problems, chronic cough and even asthma. Even more startling, years of chronic heartburn can cause permanent structural changes to the lining of your esophagus, putting you at a higher risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma—a very aggressive and deadly cancer.

If you suffer from occasional heartburn, you can get some relief by doing the following:

1. Cut back on fried, fatty foods
2. Eat more complex carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes)
3. Reduce your intake of chocolate, peppermint, coffee, alcohol and raw onions
4. Reduce your intake of citrus juices and fruits
5. Avoid spicy foods
6. If you are overweight, losing 10-15 pounds may help your condition
7. Avoid lying down for at least 3 hours after eating, when you stand, gravity helps prevent acid reflux.  Sleeping with your head elevated may also help
8. Lie on your left side rather than your right side.  It sounds strange but it’s true.  It’s because the esophagus enters the stomach from the right, so when you lie on your right side, the esophagus is below the stomach opening, makeit it easier for acid to flow downward and into the esophagus. 
9. Avoid drinking alcohol and then going straight to bed

 Serves 4; Cook Time: 30 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 stick of celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 tbsp fat-free sour cream or yogurt
• 4 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

 Preparation:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, celery, chopped pepper and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Crumble the turkey into the pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano. Add in tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, mix well and cook on low heat for a further 5-10 minutes.

Mangia!

It’s not necessarily true that being a vegetarian will help you lose weight.  Sometimes vegetarians can supplement meat in their diet with carbohydrates.  They end up eating a lot of rice and pasta which can turn into unused calories and the pounds pack on.

Also, your body needs protein in order to maintain lean muscle.  Without lean muscle, your body can not burn calories efficiently.  Muscle burns more calories and burns them faster.

If you eat meat, you can get protein from chicken and fish (and red meat sparingly).  If you don’t eat meat, you’ll need to eat tofu to get enough protein. Some vegetarians argue that they get enough protein from beans, but again, beans are packed with extra carbohydrates and they are not a ‘complete protein’.  Generally proteins derived from animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, yogurt, and milk) are complete. 

So the bottom line when it comes to healthy eating is balance and portion.  If you want to be healthy, you need a balance of protein, carbs, good fats, vitamins and minerals.  Eliminating any of the above in its entirety is never a good idea (ex: carb free diets). 

Each of your meals should contain a small amount of protein, carbohydrate and good fat.  You can reduce or eliminate your carbs at night as long as you get a healthy dose during the day.

For example:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal (carbohydrate), 2 egg whites (protein), slice of smoked salmon (good fat)

Lunch:

Mesculan lettuce with grilled chicken (protein), small side of whole wheat pasta (carbohydrate), drizzled olive oil (good fat) and balsamic vinegar over your salad.

You get the idea….if you want to reduce your meat intake, I suggest you do your research on complete proteins and find out which vegetarian options (like tofu and beans) are your best source for a balanced diet.

Getting good fats (omega 3s) is the most challenging part for Americans.  The typical American diet contains very little, if any Omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3s are known to help prevent cancer, cardio vascular disease, boost immune function, enhance brain function and more. 

If you wan to get a good dose of Omega 3s, here are some foods that are high in the essential fatty acid:

•  Salmon
• Flax Seeds
• Walnuts
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Cooked soybeans
• Raw tofu
• Halibut

According to research, EGCG is known to help in reducing age spots, clarifying the skin, protecting against the suns UV rays, and lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).  There is also strong evidence supporting the notion that drinking green tea may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s.

A recommended dosage would be 300-400 mg of polyphenols daily to fully realize the anti-aging properties of green tea or green tea extract. One cup beverage contains about 50-100 mg of polyphenols, depending on the quantity and quality of tea leaves used.  I prefer to drink the caffeine free green tea, too much caffeine can cause feelings of anxiety and insomnia.

Green Tea May Help Rosacea Sufferers

A small study showed benefits of 2% polyphenone (via a particular type of green tea extract) in papulopustular rosacea. In particular, a significant reduction in inflammatory lesions was reported compared to those taking a placebo pill.

Homemade Green Tea Toner

Applying green tea to your skin may have anti-aging benefits.  A great home made Green Tea Toner can be made by applying freshly brewed green tea to your skin (make sure the tea is room temperature).  You can freeze the green tea as ice cubes to keep it fresh and use a cube each night after it thaws out. 

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For dieters, hidden sugars can spell disaster.  Even though it’s natural sugar, your body still treats it the same way.  The body essentially considers sugar a toxin.  Your body’s principal way of getting rid of sugar is to burn it. The sugar which your body can’t burn will be stored as glycogen, and when those glycogen reserves are full, sugar gets stored as fat.

Even though the naturally occurring sugars found in fruits (fructose) are not as bad for you as the confectionary sugars in sweets, you still need to be careful about how much sugar you consume each day. 

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than 8 teaspoons per day of added sugar based on a 2,000 calories/day diet.  That’s 32 grams if you’re reading labels. 

Below is a list of fruits that contain the least amount of carbs and sugar:

• Cantaloupe,
• Rhubarb,
• Berries,
• Watermelon,
• Melons,
• Tomatoes,
• Apricots,
• Grapefruit,
• Guava,
• Lemons,
• Limes,
• Oranges,
• Papayas,
• Peaches,
• Plums,
• Raspberries,
• Tangerines,
• Kiwis

 Stay tuned for my next diet and weight loss blog which will focus on foods that you think are healthy but are loaded with sugars!  These are foods that even sound healthy, but in actuality are destroying your diet!

I’m not talking drastic changes, I’m talking simple things you can do right now to help you shed the first few pounds.  See, once you shed the first few pounds by making these simple changes, you will be motivated. You’ll be asking me for the next set of tips to help you continue your weight loss.

So here they are, simple things you can change, swap out, or eliminate to help you shed some quick lbs.  And yes, these really do make a BIG difference!

1. Instead of cream and sugar in your coffee use milk and sweet n’ low
2. Instead of white bread and regular semolina pasta–choose whole wheat (every super market offers a wide selection of whole wheat pastas, breads, english muffins, hamburger buns, etc)
3. Change white rice out for brown rice
4. If you drink regular soda, switch to diet, or cut your total day portion by 50% if you don’t want to switch to diet
5. Before you eat each meal, drink a full cup of water
6. Try turkey meat or bison (buffalo) meat instead of regular beef (a lot of diners and chain restuarants now offer turkey burgers or buffalo burgers.  Bison (buffalo) meat is practially a dead ringer for red meat)
7. Instead of regular chips, get the baked..Doritos, Potato Chips, etc..they all now come in a ‘baked’ version that have less fat

These are just a few to start out with.  If I didn’t touch on anything that relates to you, send me an email and we can work up some more simple changes that you can use to help you shed pounds effortlessly.

njfitnessexpert@aol.com

www.fitnessdietsonline.com

Now imagine another scenario…you start your fire with a few pieces of wood, it’s blazing.  In a couple of hours, before the fire has a chance to slow down too much, you through another 2-3 pieces of wood in it.  What happens? It blazes again, nice and strong, burns the wood up real fast.

Think of your metabolism like a fire.  The less you feed it, the slower it burns (calories).  The more often you toss in a few small, sensible meals, it continues to blaze and burn off calories real quickly.

Don’t you hate those people who can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound?  They have a fast metabolism. You may not, but you can train your metabolism to speed up, just by eating the right foods frequently.

This is why you always here people saying eat 5-6 small meals per day.  Ok so what constitutes a small meal?  Here are a few examples.  Keep in mind portions, a portion healty portion should be the size of your fist or palm.

Examples of small meals:

• Breakfast- egg whites and oatmeal
• Lunch: sliced turkey, apples, broccoli
• Dinner: Salmon, brown rice, veggies

If you eat meals like this, you can eat 5-6 times a day.  You will never feel hungry or deprived, your metabolism will be stimulated to burn calories efficiently, and you will lose weight.

Email me for more ’small meal’ ideas.  njfitnessexpert@aol.com

By Carolyn Kylstra, Men’s Health

 Some foods just aren’t taken seriously.

Consider celery, for example—forever the garnish, never the main meal. You might even downgrade it to bar fare, since the only stalks most guys eat are served alongside hot wings or immersed in Bloody Marys.

Tip: There is something about Mary: The brunch beverage is loaded with nearly five times as much heart-healthy antioxidants as a large tomato. Enjoy a guilt-free glass with these creative takes.

All of which is a shame, really. Besides being a perfect vehicle for peanut butter, this vegetable contains bone-beneficial silicon and cancer-fighting phenolic acids. And those aren’t even what makes celery so good for you.

You see, celery is just one of six underappreciated and under-eaten foods that can instantly improve your diet. Make a place for them on your plate, and you’ll gain a new respect for the health benefits they bestow—from lowering blood pressure to fighting belly fat. And the best part? You’ll discover just how delicious health food can be.

Celery

This water-loaded vegetable has a rep for being all crunch and no nutrition. But ditch that mindset: Celery contains stealth nutrients that heal.

Why it’s healthy: “My patients who eat four sticks of celery a day have seen modest reductions in their blood pressure—about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic,” says Mark Houston, M.D., director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. It’s possible that phytochemicals in celery, called phthalides, are responsible for this health boon. These compounds relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase bloodflow, according to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. And beyond the benefits to your BP, celery also fills you up—with hardly any calories.

Tip: Celery is also the swizzle stick that can stir up your sex life. Learn why it’s one of the 10 superfoods that may help you have more fun in the bedroom.

How to eat it: Try this low-carbohydrate, protein-packed recipe for a perfect snack any time of day.

In a bowl, mix a 4.5-ounce can of low-sodium tuna (rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup of finely chopped onion, ¼ cup of finely chopped apple, 2 tablespoons of fat-free mayonnaise, and some fresh ground pepper. Then spoon the mixture into celery stalks. (Think tuna salad on a log.) Makes 2 servings

Per serving: 114 calories, 15 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber), 1 gram fat

Read the full article at http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cholesterol/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100242932&page=1