It’s time for the big game, the Super Bowl! Whether your team made it or you just want to watch the commercials and have a good time with friends, don’t forget your eco-ness! Check out some of these fun and simple tips that can help save you money, as well as the earth this coming Super Bowl Sunday!
Decorate in your team’s colors with items you already have. Fruit and veggies are great in glass bowls (strawberries and blueberries for the Pats or oranges and blueberries for the Giants, etc.) Don’t purchase single use, disposable decor as they are toxic, wasteful of both money and resources and fill up landfills. Besides, you can eat the edible decor at the party!
Opt for reusable dishware. You can even ask guests to bring their own plates, utensils and glasses! But if you’re not in the dish washing mood and want to conserve water, opt for eco-friendly, 100% compostable dishes, napkins and utensils instead.
Buy local, organic produce for your salads, snacks and grillin’!
Recycle! Beer bottles, soda cans, etc – be wise and have a well labeled recycle bin placed in a convenient location at your party.
Grill green! A solar powered grill is the most eco-friendly way to grill, but if that’s not an option for, opt for a natural gas grill instead of a charcoal one as it burns cleaner. And if you don’t have an outdoor space or it’s too cold, invest in an indoor grill or a nice grill pan!
Make smarter drinking choices like juices with organic liquor, organic wines and beers and most of all, drink responsibly.
Opt to make a healthy dish to bring to the festivities. Pre-packaged sides and snacks are full of preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients as well as yucky plastic packaging that fills up our landfills. If you can’t cook, bring organic bagged lettuce, organic dressing, a big bowl and you’ve brought a healthy side everyone will appreciate ; )
What makes dieting interesting and even kind of fun is all the theories about weight loss that come and go. Some of the best ones, the ones that really work, have been around forever. For instance, there’s no denying that if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. Every diet that works has that at the core; the variations on that principle keep it interesting. Luckily, we now have science that proves which theories really work and why.
The Active Calorie Diet has an interesting new angle. It proposes—and research backs this up–-that certain types of food can rev your metabolism, curb your appetite, and help you lose more weight. Just the act of chewing foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can increase your calorie burn by up to 30%! In this diet plan, foods are broken down into four types of “active calories”–chewy foods, hearty foods, energizing foods, and warming foods. Here’s how it works:
Chewy Foods (Nuts, whole fruits and vegetables, and lean meats) These foods use up calories in extra chewing. To maximize the chew factor, choose food in its most “whole” state—apples instead of applesauce, for instance. High-protein foods really are your best ally in the Active Calorie Diet because they take more work to chew and longer to leave your stomach so you take more time eating—and have more time to register that you’re full.
Hearty Foods (Fruits, vegetables, brown rice, whole grains and cereals) In addition to being chewy, these Active Calories are packed with fiber, so they take up more room in your belly (compared to other foods with the same number of calories), and leave less room for second helpings. Foods that take more work to chew literally make your mouth work harder (ramping calorie burn by 10 %!).
Energizing Foods (Coffee, black and green tea, dark chocolate) You can get metabolism-boosting caffeine in coffee and black tea; just be careful not to load them up with milk, cream, or sugar. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily coffee or black tea can boost your metabolism by 5 to 8%—about 80 to 128 calories a day. Green tea doesn’t have much caffeine but it does contain catechins, an antioxidant that raises resting metabolism by 4% (about 80 calories a day). Dark chocolate contains both catechins and caffeine, but stick to 1 ounce per day to limit fat and calories.
Warming Foods (Peppers, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, cloves, mustard, vinegar) To fully activate the calories from every meal, add some heat. Dieters taking capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their burn, doubled their energy expenditure for several hours after eating, according to a new study from UCLA. Even mild peppers contain compounds that help erase up to 100 calories a day by binding to nerve receptors and sending fat-burning signals to your brain. Cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and garlic help with this, too.
Many other studies give us good reasons to eat these foods for weight loss and good health. But this added knowledge about chewy foods, hearty foods, energizing foods, and warming foods makes it all a little more interesting and a little more fun.
One of the best things you can do to maintain good health and to lose weight is to go on a Vegan Flush. When you cleanse your body of all its toxins, it can function much better so not only do you feel better, but much of the fat trapped in your body will leave. This gentle two-week detox will boost your immune system and restore your natural hormone levels. Click the link to learn a lot more about Vegan Flush. If you try it, you’ll feel better than you have in years!
Source: Prevention.com
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.
No matter how dedicated you are to getting healthier or losing weight, you can start to feel deprived and bored as the days go on. But there are some “easy” things you can do that will bring big results without big deprivation. Some of these might surprise you.
1. Skip through the commercials
Get up and move during the commercials while you’re watching TV. Skip, dance, go up and down some stairs, run in place, or do some housework—anything that gets your heart rate up. For each 2-minute break during a typical 2-hour TV night you’ll burn an extra 270 calories a day. That means a 28-pound weight loss in a year!
2. Brown-bag it once a week
You’ll save thousands of calories (not to mention hundreds of dollars) over the course of a year if you take your lunch to work once a week instead of going out for lunch. For instance, a chicken Caesar wrap from a chain restaurant has 610 calories, more than 40% of which come from fat. If you make your own with chicken breast on whole wheat bread, light mayo and romaine lettuce, it will amount to about 230 calories. That’s almost 400 fewer calories. In addition, you control the quality and portion sizes and reduce the amount of sugar, salt, and fat.
3. Eat fruit — don’t drink it
Skip juice and eat the whole fruit instead. You’ll not only get more heart-healthy fiber in your diet (3.5g for a small apple versus .5g in a glass of juice), you’ll also stay satisfied longer. Research shows that, fiber aside, liquid carbohydrates just aren’t as filling as solids. On top of that, drinking juice results in 48% more calories than eating the whole fruit.
4. Drink your coffee the pre-Starbucks way
A regular cup of coffee with a dash of milk and even a little sugar has hundreds fewer calories than blended coffees, which are practically dessert in a cup. One recent study of about 3,000 purchases from 115 coffee shops in New York City found that while servings of brewed coffee or tea averaged about 63 calories (including milk and sugar), the fancier drinks averaged nearly four times more, with 239 calories. A daily habit can translate to an 18-pound gain over a year.
5. Eat a treat and enjoy it
Give yourself permission to have a treat you really like once or twice a week. This will give you something to look forward to the rest of the time, and you won’t feel so deprived. It will cut down on your cravings, too. And while you’re eating, enjoy it to the hilt. Take a minute to smell it, look at it, and think about it. Take one small bite. Chew slowly, moving it around your mouth and focusing on the texture and taste, then swallow. When you take the time to slow down and be more mindful of what something really tastes like, you’ll feel more satisfied.
When you’re having that treat, why not try some of Claire Gosse’s delicious desserts from Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts). This book has 55 recipes, all as good as the Nanaimo Bars pictured above. How about Key Lime Cheesecake or Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes or Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies or Blueberry Pie? These are all worth waiting the rest of the week to enjoy. All the recipes have been tried by vegans and non-vegans…and everyone loved them!
Click the link for Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts) to see the beautiful photos and read the testimonials.
Source: Prevention.com
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.
Whether you’re trying to lose some weight or trying to eat healthier, food cravings that seem to come out of nowhere can undermine your good intentions in a minute. 91% of women experience these. Four things (stress, hunger, being tired, or bad habits) can make you vulnerable. If you know when you’re experiencing one of these states, you can fight the cravings before they bring you down. Here’s how Sally Kuzemchak RD explains it in Prevention.com.
One minute, you’re innocently going about your day–the next, you’re in the clutches of desire. Your object of lust: a chocolate cupcake with butter cream icing. Next thing you know, you’re licking frosting off your fingers. What just happened? You were clobbered by a food craving. And willpower isn’t the answer. These urges are fueled by feel-good brain chemicals. What you need is a plan that stops this natural cycle–and helps prevent unwanted weight gain. Ask yourself…
1. Am I stressed out?
When you’re under pressure, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which signals your brain to seek out rewards. Comfort foods loaded with sugar and fat basically “apply the brakes” to the stress system by blunting this hormone, explains researcher Norman Pecoraro, PhD, who studies the physiology of stress at the University of California, San Francisco. When you reach for food in response to negative feelings such as anger or sadness (like potato chips after a fight with your spouse), you inadvertently create a powerful connection in your brain. Face that same problem again, and your brain will likely tell you, “Get the Cheetos!”
Do This!
• Wait it out. People give in to cravings because they think they’ll build in intensity until they become overwhelming, but that’s not true. Food cravings behave like waves: They build, crest, and then disappear. If you can “surf the urge,” you have a better chance of beating it altogether.
• Choose the best distraction. “What you’re really craving is to feel better. Identify your current emotion–bored, anxious, mad–by filling in these blanks: “I feel ____ because of ____.” Then find an activity that releases it. If you’re stressed, channeling nervous energy into a workout can help; if you’re upset over a problem at the office, call a friend and ask for advice.
2. Have I been eating less than usual?
If you’re eating fewer than 1,000 calories a day or restricting an entire food group (like carbs), you’re putting your body in prime craving mode. Restrained eaters are more likely to experience cravings and to overeat the “forbidden” food when given the chance.
Do This!
• Lift any bans–safely. Plan ways to enjoy your favorite foods in controlled portions. Get a slice of pizza instead of a whole pie, or share a piece of restaurant cheesecake with two friends.
• Don’t “eat around” food cravings. Trying to quell a food craving with a low-cal imitation won’t satisfy your brain’s memory center. Munching five crackers, a handful of popcorn, and a bag of pretzels, all in the name of trying to squash a craving for potato chips, will net you about 250 more calories than if you’d eaten a single-serving bag.
3. Am I getting enough sleep?
In a University of Chicago study, a few sleepless nights were enough to drop levels of the hormone leptin (which signals satiety) by 18% and boost levels of ghrelin, an appetite trigger, by about 30%. Those two changes alone caused appetite to kick into overdrive, and cravings for starchy foods like cookies, potato chips, and bread jumped 45%.
Do This!
• Have some caffeine. It can help you get through the day without any high-calorie pick-me-ups. It won’t solve your bigger issue of chronic sleep loss, but it’s a good short-term fix until you get back on track.
• Portion out a serving. You probably don’t have the energy to fight it, so try this trick: Before you dig in, dole out a small amount of the food you want (on a plate) and put the rest away.
4. Am I a creature of habit?
You may not realize it, but seemingly innocent routines, such as eating cheese popcorn while watching TV, create powerful associations. “The brain loves routine. The thought of letting go of these patterns can cause a fear response in an area of the brain called the amygdala. Once the food hits your lips, the fear response shuts off in a heartbeat.
Do This!
• Picture yourself healthy. Every time the food you crave pops into your head, think, Stop! Then, picture a healthy image (say, you lean and fit). After a while, your brain will dismiss the food image and the craving will subside.
• Shift your focus. Australian researchers found that distracting your brain really does work. When a food craving hits, divert your attention to something visual not related to food, like typing an e-mail.
Have you considered doing Vegan Flush? Whether you want to live a healthier lifestyle or are trying to lose weight, this gentle, natural two-week cleanse is one of the best things you can do to achieve your goal. It will clear out the toxins that may have been in your body for years, causing sore joints, low energy, acne problems, constipation, and a compromised immune system. Click the link to learn a lot more about Vegan Flush. You’ll be glad you did.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.
It’s time for the big game, the Super Bowl! Whether your team made it or you just want to watch the commercials and have a good time with friends, don’t forget your eco-ness! Check out some of these fun and simple tips that can help save you money, as well as the earth this coming Super Bowl Sunday!
