5 Weight-Loss Secrets from the Mayo Clinic Diet

Quit yo-yo dieting for good with these foolproof tips from the experts at the Mayo Clinic.

Tell us if this sounds familiar: You commit to losing weight, start a diet, drop some pounds — and then regain them as soon as you go off the program. If you’re stuck in a cycle of losing and regaining the same 10 (or 15 or 30!) pounds, you’re not alone. Many people fall into this pattern because, let’s face it, it’s impossible to stay on a “diet” forever. That’s why the health experts at Mayo Clinic designed the Mayo Clinic Diet, which is less of a traditional “diet” and more of a healthy lifestyle change. The aim of the Mayo Clinic Diet is to help you lose weight and find a “diet” (as in way of life) that you can enjoy forever. The program was created to arm you with the healthy habits you need to reach your weight-loss goals. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, try these five tips backed by Mayo Clinic experts.

1. Never Eat While You Watch TV

You get home from work, make dinner, and watch a few episodes of Game of Thrones while you enjoy your meal. Sounds harmless enough, but according to Mayo Clinic experts, this could cause you to gain weight. One reason: Since you aren’t moving, there’s a good chance you’re sipping or nibbling on something without thinking about how much you’re eating. That’s why they recommend establishing a rule of no TV or “screen time” (that includes smartphones, tablets and computers!) while eating. You’ll focus on your food more and be less likely to overeat. Another rule they recommend: Only spend as much time watching TV as you do exercising. In other words, if you go for a 30-minute walk, you can have half an hour of TV time. This will help get you off the couch and moving more.

2. Eat “Real Food” Most of the Time

Chances are, you’ve heard the buzz surrounding the movement to eat more whole foods. And Mayo Clinic experts agree: Eating “real food” (or food that’s closest to its natural state) is healthier for you and your family. “Real food,” which includes fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meat, is packed with nutrients. Processed foods, on the other hand, have fewer healthy nutrients and can be loaded with added fat, sugar, calories, and salt. Processed foods include many boxed, frozen and fast foods. Mayo Clinic experts recommend limiting processed foods and filling your diet with as many fresh foods as possible. “I was very pleasantly surprised to learn how to cook healthy foods and realize that adding spices to flavor healthier foods helps them satisfy me more than the sugar- and carb-loaded diet I used to crave,” says Jan, a 55-year-old who lost 81 pounds on the Mayo Clinic Diet. If you do use prepared food products, choose items with the fewest number of ingredients and check the Nutrition Facts label to make sure the product isn’t loaded with excess sugar, salt, fat, and calories.

3. Set Realistic Goals You Can Commit to Right Now

When most people start a weight-loss program, they set what Mayo Clinic experts call “outcome goals”: those that focus on an end result like “I want to weigh 125 pounds” or “I want to lose 30 pounds.” While these kinds of goals can be helpful, they’re not as effective as “performance goals," or those that focus on a process or action such as “I will walk 30 minutes each day” or “I will eat four servings of vegetables each day.” When it comes to weight loss, performance goals are crucial because they provide the steps necessary to achieve your outcome goal. As you set your weight-loss goal (say, dropping 10 pounds), think about what actions will get you there and write them down in a notebook. Whether it’s “eat breakfast every morning” or “take the stairs instead of the elevator,” performance goals like these will help set you up for diet success. “As you learn more about what works for you, and as you start seeing progress, you’ll have even more motivation to set goals that both challenge you and fit realistically with your unique life,” notes Kristin Vickers Douglas, PhD, a professor and clinical health psychologist at the Mayo Clinic.

4. Stop Dining Out So Much

Eating out is convenient (and delicious!), but it’s also associated with weight gain. The sights and smells at a restaurant, deli counter, bakery, or food court may entice you to purchase high-calorie menu items (sometimes when you’re not even hungry!). That’s why Mayo Clinic experts suggest that you avoid dining at restaurants while you’re trying to lose weight. It may sound daunting at first, but with some smart planning, you really can eat more meals from home. An easy way to get started is to plan all your meals for the week (including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) on Sunday or whatever day works best for you. Strategizing your meals by week (rather than day by day) is more efficient and will help keep you on track.

“Your ability to control portions and plan meals will make or break your weight-loss efforts,” says Sara Wolf, RD, manager of clinical dietetics at Mayo Clinic. Cook recipes that yield more than one portion so you’ll have leftovers to eat for lunch, and prep healthy snacks in advance — slice fruits and veggies and parcel out portions of nuts, popcorn, and other healthy bites. That way, you’ll have something healthy to reach for the next time a snack attack hits. When you do eat out, make healthier choices: Pick broth-based or tomato-based soups instead of creamed soups and chowders, choose entrees that feature vegetables or fish, and try to skip dessert (if you just can’t resist, choose a fruit-based treat).

5. Engage in More Activity, More Often

You already know that exercise is crucial when it comes to losing weight. But what kind of workout is best for you? According to Mayo Clinic experts, the best exercise is the one you’ll actually do — and it doesn’t have to involve long hours at the gym. Any activity is good activity: Walking to the store, weeding the garden, and cleaning the house all count. “I started doing squats while waiting for my dogs to eat and taking the stairs instead of the elevator,” says Hilary, a 40-year-old who lost 77 pounds. In fact, some activities you already love may burn more calories than you think. For example, just one hour of leisurely biking burns 292 calories and one hour of dancing burns 219 calories (both are based on a 160-pound person). Make it your mission to do whatever you can to simply get moving daily — it truly does add up!

Source: EverydayHealth

Foods that fight inflammation

Doctors are learning that one of the best ways to quell inflammation lies not in the medicine cabinet, but in the refrigerator.

Your immune system attacks anything in your body that it recognizes as foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. The process is called inflammation. Intermittent bouts of inflammation directed at truly threatening invaders protect your health.

However, sometimes inflammation persists, day in and day out, even when you are not threatened by a foreign invader. That’s when inflammation can become your enemy. Many major diseases that plague us—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s—have been linked to chronic inflammation.

One of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes not from the pharmacy, but from the grocery store. “Many experimental studies have shown that components of foods or beverages may have anti-inflammatory effects,” says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Choose the right foods, and you may be able to reduce your risk of illness. Consistently pick the wrong ones, and you could accelerate the inflammatory disease process.

Foods that inflame Try to avoid or limit these foods as much as possible: refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries French fries and other fried foods soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages red meat (burgers, steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage) margarine, shortening, and lard

Inflammation-promoting foods

Not surprisingly, the same foods that contribute to inflammation are generally considered bad for our health, including sodas and refined carbohydrates, as well as red meat and processed meats.

“Some of the foods that have been associated with an increased risk for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease are also associated with excess inflammation,” Dr. Hu says. “It’s not surprising, since inflammation is an important underlying mechanism for the development of these diseases.”

Unhealthy foods also contribute to weight gain, which is itself a risk factor for inflammation. Yet in several studies, even after researchers took obesity into account, the link between foods and inflammation remained, which suggests weight gain isn’t the sole driver. “Some of the food components or ingredients may have independent effects on inflammation over and above increased caloric intake,” Dr. Hu says.

Foods that combat inflammation Include plenty of these anti-inflammatory foods in your diet: tomatoes olive oil green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards nuts like almonds and walnuts fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges

Anti-inflammation foods

On the flip side are foods and beverages that have been found to reduce the risk of inflammation, and with it, chronic disease, says Dr. Hu. He notes in particular fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, apples, and leafy greens that are high in natural antioxidants and polyphenols—protective compounds found in plants.

Studies have also associated nuts with reduced markers of inflammation and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Coffee, which contains polyphenols and other anti-inflammatory compounds, may protect against inflammation, as well.

Anti-inflammatory eating

To reduce levels of inflammation, aim for an overall healthy diet. If you’re looking for an eating plan that closely follows the tenets of anti-inflammatory eating, consider the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and healthy oils.

In addition to lowering inflammation, a more natural, less processed diet can have noticeable effects on your physical and emotional health. “A healthy diet is beneficial not only for reducing the risk of chronic diseases, but also for improving mood and overall quality of life,” Dr. Hu says.      

Source: HealthHarvard

5 ways exercise improves your quality of life

Exercise not only helps you live longer — it helps you live better. In addition to making your heart and muscles stronger and fending off a host of diseases, it can also improve your mental and emotional functioning and even bolster your productivity and close relationships. Read on for five ways in which exercise can improve your quality of life.

1. Wards off depression: While a few laps around the block can't solve serious emotional difficulties, researchers know there is a strong link between regular exercise and improved mood. Aerobic exercise prompts the release of mood-lifting hormones, which relieve stress and promote a sense of well-being. In addition, the rhythmic muscle contractions that take place in almost all types of exercise can increase levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which combats negative feelings.

 What can improve your mood, boost your ability to fend off infection, and lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer? The answer is regular exercise. It may seem too good to be true, but it's not. Hundreds of studies demonstrate that exercise helps you feel better and live longer. This report answers many important questions about physical activity. It will also help guide you through starting and maintaining an exercise program that suits your abilities and lifestyle.

2. Enhances sex life: Both libido and performance benefit from moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise. The Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study found that men who exercised 30 minutes a day were 41% less likely than sedentary men to experience erectile dysfunction. Exercise helps women, too: in one study, 20 minutes of cycling boosted women's sexual arousal by 169 percent.

3. Sharpens wits: Physical activity boosts blood flow to the brain, which may help maintain brain function. It also promotes good lung function, a characteristic of people whose memories and mental acuity remain strong as they age. While all types of physical activity help keep your mind sharp, many studies have shown that aerobic exercise, in particular, successfully improves cognitive function.

4. Improves sleep: Regular aerobic exercise provides three important sleep benefits: it helps you fall asleep faster, spend more time in deep sleep, and awaken less during the night. In fact, exercise is the only known way for healthy adults to boost the amount of deep sleep they get — and deep sleep is essential for your body to renew and repair itself.

5. Protects mobility and vitality: Regular exercise can slow the natural decline in physical performance that occurs as you age. By staying active, older adults can actually keep their cardiovascular fitness, metabolism, and muscle function in line with those of much younger people. And many studies have shown that people who were more active at midlife were able to preserve their mobility — and therefore, their independence — as they aged.

To attain all the effects listed above, aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week.

Whole nutrition: nutritional value of pear

Pear contain small amount of VitaminC, E and B. The most important of the minerals they contain are potassium, magnesium, and iron. Pears are actually higher in pectin than apples. This makes them effective in helping to lower cholesterol levels and in toning the intestines. It is a highly recommended fruit in cases of renal failure as pear helps stimulates renal function. Pear should be included in weight loss diets because of its mild diuretic action and its depurative effect.

#snacktime #weighloss #healthysnack #almondnut #lowerbloodpressure

Recipe Wednesday: Beet Carrot Ginger Juice

This “pretty potion” is loaded with nutrients to promote a gorgeous, radiant complexion. Get ready for your close-up with a hefty dose of beta-carotene, antioxidants, wrinkle-fighting vitamin C, and ginger — a potent anti-inflammatory to reduce puffiness.

    Prep time 5 mins
    Total Time 5 mins

This recipe makes 2 Servings

Ingredients:

    2 1/2 small beets boiled, roasted, or canned
    2 cup(s) carrot(s), baby (approximately 20)
    1 small apple(s), Gala cored, peel on
    1 slice(s) ginger root (1/4 inch by 2 inches long)
    1/2 medium lemon juiced

Preparation:

Cut all ingredients so that they fit in your juicer

Turn on juicer and add ingredients

Add back in some pulp for extra fiber

Drink!

Whole food nutrition: nutritional benefit of sweet potato

Sweet potato is very rich in beta-carotene (pro vitamin A), particularly in more yellow varieties. Their fat and protein content is minimal.

Sweet potato is quite digestible; it contains an appreciable amount of cellulose type of fiber.

Sweet potatoes protects against obesity. It is certainly a starch-rich food, with a good deal of calories. The sweet potato aids the obese in reducing caloric intake by producing a full sensation in the stomach and reducing appetite. It is necessary to eat sweet potatoes in controlled amounts so as not to exceed the daily recommended daily caloric intake.

Sweet potatoes are almost lacking in saturated fats and sodium. These are the two most pernicious enemies of the circulatory system. Regular sweet potato consumption is recommended in cases of arteriosclerosis, lack of adequate blood flow and hypertension.

5 Best and Worst Foods for “Skinflammation” By Dr Trevor Cates

Inflammation is the biggest trigger for skin issues.

We all know when something is inflamed on the outside, but the problem really starts inside the body. Internal inflammation can happen for a host of reasons such as from poor dietary habits, environmental toxin exposures, immune system overactivity (allergies, autoimmune disease), digestive problems and even hormone imbalances.

A high level of inflammation within the body can cause many health problems including “skinflammation.” One simple way to combat this is to eat more anti-inflammatory foods and eliminate the inflammatory ones.

But, what is an anti-inflammatory food? More importantly, what is an inflammatory food?

What you eat has a dramatic effect on your skin health. You may just think nutrition affects your internal health and your weight, but eating the right foods can also improve the quality of your skin and decrease inflammation.
5 Inflammatory Foods

 - Sugar is everywhere. Try and limit processed foods, desserts and snacks with excess sugar. Opt for fruit instead. Check out my blog on sugar and your skin for more information on reducing your intake.

 - Dairy promotes inflammatory biochemical pathways in the body. Milk (and other dairy products) is a common allergen that can trigger inflammation, digestive problems, acne, skin rashes, and even breathing difficulties.
  
- Barbecued and Overcooked Meat are age-accelerators and pro-inflammatory. Cooking meat at high temperatures, such as with barbecuing, increases advanced glycation end products (also know as AGEs). AGEs cause our skin to become less elastic and we become more prone to wrinkles and accelerated aging. In addition, research shows that meat cooked at high temperatures can become carcinogenic. Limit your intake of red meat to grass fed, and don’t overcook it.

 - Refined Grains have very little fiber and have a high glycemic index. They are everywhere: white rice, white flour, white bread, pasta, pastries… Try and replace with minimally processed whole grains or skip the grains altogether and eat more veggies!
   
- Trans Fats and Common Cooking Oils such as “vegetable oil,” soy, corn, and cottonseed promote inflammation. You’ll find trans fats hidden as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils. These oils are often used in packaged foods because they’re inexpensive and tend to have a long shelf life, but these oils should be completely avoided.

5 Anti Inflammatory Foods

- Berries have a high antioxidant content, which helps protect against and reverse oxidative damage associated with inflammation and premature aging. Aim for organic berries, as pesticides are hard to wash away due to their size.

- Sweet Potatoes are a great source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, beta carotene, manganese and vitamin B6 and C, these potatoes actually help heal inflammation.
   
-Ginger contains a host of health benefits. Among them, it helps reduce inflammation and control blood sugar. Ginger in food or as tea is a great addition to any diet.
   
- Wild Alaskan Salmon contains anti-inflammatory omega 3s and the antioxidant astaxanthin. Choose wild over farmed to reduce your exposure to inflammation-boosting environmental toxins and enhance the nutrient levels.

- Cruciferous Vegetables broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale and cauliflower are all loaded with antioxidants. Naturally detoxifying, they can help rid the body of possible harmful compounds.

This is just a small taste of all the great healthy and anti-inflammatory foods out there. By focusing on foods like these, and avoiding the worst inflammatory foods, you help banish the causes of skinflammation.