Drink Up! The Top 5 Drinks Of Summer
by TheDinnerDiva
Most people have a drinking problem.
I hope that got your attention! What I am talking about has nothing to do with martinis. I’m talking about developing a good water drinking habit. Water is first and foremost, the beverage of choice, especially when you’re trying to lose a few (or a lot) of weight. We can also add a few other refreshments that will tote up your liquid quota, without putting on the pounds or rotting your teeth.
But before I give you those lovely libations, let’s talk about water, shall we?
The fact is, your body NEEDS water. If you’re interested in making sure your body uses the nutrients you give it via food, you gotta drink water.
If you’re battling blemishes and want nicer skin, you gotta drink water.
If you’re wanting to avoid constipation -- or what I like to call the ultimate form of procrastination -- you’re gonna want to get friendly with water.
And the best part of being a water drinker is that water totally helps you to pare down the pounds. Never underestimate the very powerful tool of a handy water bottle.
But even a devoted water drinker is going to want a little something else in her glass -- yes, even me!
Top 5 Go-To Drinks For Summer And Anytime!
1) Smoothie Patrol! I love slurping a smoothie, especially first thing in the morning. Just a little plain kefir (good for your digestion) a big handful of frozen blueberries, a scoop of protein powder and some OJ and you’re good to go.
Sometimes I like it thicker and sweeter, so I’ll add a little overly ripe frozen banana. And sometimes, I add a secret ingredient that will make you gag (but you can’t taste it) but ratchet up the nutrients. Wanna know what it is?
Here’s the link to watch me make it!
2) Cranberry Cosmo. We all know the girls from Sex And The City liked theirs straight up, cold and with plenty of vodka! My version is sans vodka and mixed with a little orange juice. Take a glass, add crushed ice, fill half way with orange juice (orange juice is a super food, by the way!) and top with cranberry juice. For optimal nutritional punch, buy the kind in the health food store with no sugar.
3) Lemon Up Iced Tea. This one is simple, easy and extra lemon really helps with the vitamin C quota. Simply brew regular tea, let it cool, squeeze two lemons in a glass, add crushed ice and pour your tea over the top. If you prefer it a little sweeter, try using xylitol to sweeten it up. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and is available in health food stores. This is a safe alternative to artificial sweeteners for both diabetics and non-diabetics alike.
4) Green Gingered Tea. Brew some green, tea and set aside to cool. In a glass, add some crushed ice, grate a little ginger or sprinkle some dried ginger (you don’t need much!) and then add the cooled tea. You’ll be getting the health benefits of both green tea and ginger in one glass, as well as refreshing beverage.
5) Pomegranate Punch. The new darling of the nutrition world, pomegranate offers much more than a bunch of seeds that are hard to eat. The delicious juice actually has more antioxidants than green tea. Mix the juice half and half with either green or black brewed tea and you’ve got a wonderful (and powerful) antioxidant drink that is both refreshing and very healthy.
That’s it from me on the beverage front. I do need to mention however, that while I love everything listed above, water is my go-to beverage and it should be yours, too.
True Lemon also makes True Lime and True Orange. I have all of them. I can tell you they really do add that extra something to my water.
Stay cool this summer and remember, drink up!
Leanne Ely is New York Times Bestselling author and the Dinner Diva at SavingDinner.com. For more information, check out the website, www.savingdinner.com |
June 28, 2010
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Common Medication Making You Gain Weight?
by LionelBissoon
Last week I saw a patient who was having difficulty with losing weight. The young woman was in her thirties with little to no medical problems. The patient was very frustrated and wanted to start a treatment course of Mesotherapy to help facilitate her weight loss.
NOTE: Mesotherapy is a medical specialty which has gained popularity for treating weight gain and cellulite.
She has been steadily gaining weigh over the last three years. She knew of no reason why she was gaining weight and could not understand why this was happening. She was involved in a regular exercise program three to four times a week and was eating what she considered to be healthy. Her diet consisted primarily of protein and vegetables.
At the end of the visit and deciding she was a candidate for Mesotherapy, the patient casually mentioned she had a history of migraine headaches and she wanted to know if Mesotherapy would make her headaches worse.
I inquired about her headaches and how she was treating them. Her doctor put her on a course of Inderal 20mg once a day, which she has been taking for about three years. She was very happy with the success of the Inderal and even went as far as doubling her dose daily.
Suddenly the whole picture started to make sense. Three years ago she started taking Inderal, a medication which belongs in a class of drugs known as beta blockers. Beta blockers are routinely used to treat patients after heart attacks, high blood pressure, stage fright and apparently as prevention for migraine headaches.
Medications in this class block the beta receptor on the heart, which slows down the heart rate and decreases blood pressure. When prescribing these medications physicians tend to ignore the presence of Beta receptors on fat cells. The beta receptors on fat cells mediate the breakdown of fat. Once someone takes a beta blocker it indiscriminately blocks the beta receptor in the heart and on fat cells. This is the reason why patients taking this class of drugs find it extremely difficult to lose weight.
If you are taking a medication for high blood pressure or any cardiac disease you should look up the class of medication to see if it is a beta blocker. If it is, you may want to ask your doctor if it is possible to safely switch to another class of medications.
I have seen patients who were taken off beta blockers suddenly they started losing weight with diet and exercise, which was previously difficult to shed.
Pioneering the use of Mesotherapy in the U.S. to combat cellulite, Dr. Lionel Bissoon has helped thousands of women experience cellulite-free legs and buttocks. Complete with case studies, before-and-after photos and straightforward advice, his new book, The Cellulite Cure, offers hope to cottage cheese thighs everywhere. For more information, go to www.cellulite.md |
September 4, 2008
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Why You Can't Bowl Over Those Last 10 lbs.
by DoctorAbby
Have you ever been stuck at the point where you can’t lose those last 10 pounds? You know, the constant struggle, where no matter which diet you try, you always hit that damn plateau before you bowl over the last few pounds and get to goal weight?
Did you ever think about why you can’t lose those last 10 pounds? Your body may be trying to tell you something… and you don’t wanna listen!
So maybe it's time to change lanes and strike back at your plateau.
Finding your personal ideal weight and maintaining it forever is different from attaining an idealized cultural image, which we find attractive. You may think you’re striving for a realistic goal, but it appears that your body sees it differently.
Successful weight management has to be relatively comfortable. If you must create uncomfortable contortions to maintain a weight, which is so fragile that the smell or sight of food causes weight gain… there’s a problem.
Experts all think they have an answer for this.
Some say you’re still eating too much, and others say you’re eating too little so you’re body is conserving fat. Others say you’re not eating often enough to stimulate metabolism, or you’re not eating a good enough breakfast, or not exercising sufficiently.
All of these may actually be true… or not. But ask yourself if these changes are sustainable in the long run.
The ideal weight espoused through magazines, TV, movies and billboards makes us want to mirror those images. We all think we look better thinner than most of us can realistically maintain. Very few people are naturally thin, and I’ll bet that nobody reading this blog is!
We need to find a way to make peace with a reasonable, healthy weight, regardless of whether you like its appearance. Just decorate your body beautifully, and stop obsessing. Worrying about food, weight or body image is counterproductive to living a productive, enjoyable life. Your body is a vessel to carry you through interesting and passionate experiences. Don’t shoot the messenger! Just do enough to keep it working pretty well.
Dr. Abby Aronowitz is a psychologist, speaker and coach, who completed work at Columbia University. She holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. Previously a consultant to Weight Watchers International, Dr. Abby has been featured on WebMD.com and AOL Diet and Fitness. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Mensa. Information about her book, "Your Final Diet," and other products can be found at YourFinalDiet.com.
Act fast... Diet.com members get EXTRA OFF Dr. Abby books and products! |
August 15, 2008
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