The Dinner Diva Has The Dish On Fiber
by TheDinnerDiva
Fiber is essential to healthy eating, especially if you remember the other corresponding component to filling up with fiber—water. Think for a moment about your garbage disposal. In order to get it flushed out, you must run the water before flicking the switch. This is how you get things moving and cleaned out.
Your own personal waste disposal isn’t much different. Believe me -- you need both parts of this equation to make things work: fiber and water.
To bulk up the diet with more dietary fiber, it’s important to recognize that fiber is much more than just oat bran or whole wheat bread.
Types of fiber
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble fiber. Essentially that means that one is soluble in water and the other is not. Fact is we need BOTH in order to function optimally.
Soluble fiber sources includes apples, oranges, oatmeal, barley, dried beans and carrots. Insoluble fiber comes from bran, brown rice, popcorn, fruit and vegetable skins, and whole grains. Rather than obsess over which fiber is contained in which food, just keep in mind that having a well-balanced diet with an assortment of fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help you get what you need fiber-wise.
The typical American diet contains about 7-8 grams of fiber and yet the National Cancer Institute recommends 20-35 grams of fiber daily! For most people, a part of the solution can be as simple as changing out the white stuff for the brown stuff: out with the white bread, white rice and white flour and in with the whole wheat bread, brown rice and whole wheat flour. Adding a couple of grams of fiber here and there, do make a difference.
Developing good dietary habits in your children by including more fiber in the diet will pay off for a lifetime. Believe it or not, your little ones will start to prefer brown rice and brown bread!
Here are a few recipes to get you started filling your family’s fiber requirements.
Cashew Chicken
Serves 3
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves -- cut into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions -- chopped
1 large carrots -- sliced
1/2 celery stalk -- sliced
1/2 cup cashews
3 cups brown rice -- cooked
In a bowl, combine juice, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch and seasonings.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil until it begins to smoke. Stir-fry vegetables for several minutes until the onions become fragrant. Set aside.
Remove from skillet and heat another tablespoon of oil until smoking and stir-fry chicken strips until browned and tender.
Add cooked vegetables, cashews and sauce mixture. Continue cooking until sauce bubbles and thickens. Serve atop a one-cup serving of brown rice
Per Serving: 1121 Calories; 23g Fat (18.2% calories from fat); 54g Protein; 175g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 88mg Cholesterol; 817mg Sodium. Exchanges: 10 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
How about a salad for lunch?
Spinach Salad with Hazelnuts
Serves 4
DRESSING
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
SALAD
1 pound fresh spinach
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms
4 slices turkey bacon -- cooked crisp and diced
1/3 cup roasted and chopped hazelnuts
Combine dressing ingredients in small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Wash spinach and tear into small pieces. Combine mushrooms with spinach in salad bowl. Toss with turkey bacon and chopped hazelnuts. Add dressing and mix well.
Per Serving: 157 Calories; 11g Fat (58.1% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 518mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Bodacious Bran Muffins
Makes a dozen
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (available in health food stores; makes a nicer muffin than regular whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 slightly beaten eggs
2/3 cup skim milk
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup oil
Spray muffin pan with vegetable cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. Stir together all dry ingredients. Combine eggs, milk and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until moistened. Fold in raisins. Fill muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Per Serving: 166 Calories; 6g Fat (31.2% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 170mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates. |
August 21, 2009
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10 Ways To Boost Weight Loss Success
by JohnMc
A few weeks back I challenged my Diet.com colleague Bailey Apple to come up with 10 great ways a Diet.com Premium Membership can boost weight loss. Mission accomplished!
Wouldn't you love to shout out those words when you step on the scale and see the needle come to rest on the number you WANT to see? You can get there. And you can get there quicker if you link up with our premium membership and dive into these 10 great diet-boosting benefits.
1) Take The Quiz! Take Your True Diet Personality Quiz to discover the bad habits you need to combat before you can lose weight for good. Created by renowned obesity expert Dr. Robert Kushner, this insightful 70-question quiz reveals your dieting personality PLUS your fitness and coping personalities too. Take it today!
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6) Exercise for Every Body & The Coaching Corner. As Diet.com's medical director, Dr. Kushner is available exclusively to premium members to answer all your most pressing questions through his two message board forums. Ask him questions about exercise and fitness, as well as advice on following your Diet.com personality based diet plan.
7) Rate My Plate. Post your nutrition and diet questions to the message board forum hosted by our Registered Dietitian Janel Ovrut. She is there to help make good nutrition fun, easy and tasty! Leave her a post with a typical daily meal, and she'll weigh-in on it and make suggestions.
8) Video Demonstrations of Exercises. Conquer your unique fitness obstacles with an exercise plan customized to your exercise personality. Watch our video demonstrations and you can feel like you've got your own personal trainer right in the comfort of your home! You can also print out workout routines that you can bring with you to the gym!
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10) Premium Tips Newsletter. As a premium member, you have access to this set of healthy lifestyle tips every single week! Consider creating a special inbox folder for these newsletters. You'll have a convenient archive of tips right at your fingertips, whenever and wherever you need them!
Don't get overwhelmed by the vast content here at Diet.com. Knowing what to look for and where your resources are will keep you on the right track towards your diet and healthy lifestyle goals. For a video guide to your premium membership, click here.
To JOIN NOW and start losing weight today, click here! |
June 5, 2009
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7 Top Dieting Excuses: How To Avoid
by JohnMc
Dieting excuses are like snowflakes -- they're all different and they all melt the moment you turn up the heat on them!
Let's take a look at 7 common excuses for not dieting.
1. I love good food!
So? The person who uses this excuse is the same person who equates dieting with deprivation. The word DIET is a noun for the food we eat. It's not supposed to be a verb that means we need to actively cut things out of our menu.
Good food will keep you on a weight loss plan. More than likely, it's your portions that kill your diet... not the foods you eat. So cut back, don't cut out!
2. I have tried dieting so many times and I'm always falling back to my old eating habits before I've reached my weight loss goal.
You may have tried a diet -- or maybe 10 -- but you haven't tried changing all the factors that caused you to gain weight. The food we eat is only one of many issues. You need to also look at your habits such as your lack of activity and the way you deal with emotions.
The Diet.com plan got you covered. This 3-point program is based on your eating, exercising and coping habits. Take the 10-minute quiz to find your eating, exercising and coping personalities. Only then can you trend to each and make the changes you need to make for lasting weight loss!
3. I can't do my work when I am starving!
You fill up not out on good foods. And your brain will actually work better when it doesn't have all kinds of junk like preservatives and saturated fat running through it.
It's really a no-brainer. A good diet will make you more active and more productive, not hungry and brain dead.
4. It's a tradition for my family and me to hit Ruby Tuesday's on a Friday night!
So? Who says you can't dine out when you diet? Variety, my friends, is the spice of life. Give that up and you doom yourself to jump ship and blow your diet.
Savvy dieters know good food lurks just about everywhere. Yes, even at a Ruby Tuesday's -- just be sure to avoid menu items like the line of Colossal Burgers!
Diet.com helps you develop a sense of proper portions. We also serve up dining-out tips and rules to live and diet by. So, enjoy your family night out... but remember it's meant to be a time for fun and friendship, not an excuse to pig out.
5. I love a glass or two of cold beer after dinner.
Again, no one ever said you need to give up a food or drink to lose weight and get healthy. If you drink beer, make sure you switch to light beer... and stick with one or two small ones. That way you can burn off the extra calories with an evening stroll or some other activity.
This plan works for wine drinkers and those who prefer mixed drinks. The latter need to watch what they mix their favorite liquor with.
If you don't have a medical condition or drinking problem, CHEERS! Some studies show a drink or two actually has medicinal value. So clink glasses and drink to your health if the spirit moves you!
6. I travel a lot and rely on hotel or restaurant food many days.
See Excuse #4. A combination of knowledge and better eating habits will allow you to stay on track no matter where you lay your head at night.
The Diet.com program travels well. If you don't have your personal computer with you, there is always the hotel business center. Or print out your most important tools and guides before you head out. Happy trails!
7. I know a lot of fat people who seem to be very happy - why can't I just be happy with my weight too?
Can you be happy knowing your extra weight puts you at greater risk for a smorgasbord of medical problems including heart disease, diabetes and stroke?
Can you be happy with a wardrobe that doesn't fit... or theater or airline seats you need to wedge yourself into?
Can you be happy not being able to play with your kids or grandkids without huffing and puffing and turning a frightening shade of red?
I didn't think so.
Bottom line: Stop the excuses and start with a healthy living plan that fits your personality. Weight loss is a happy side effect of the Diet.com program.
Click here to take the quiz and get started losing weight today!
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June 5, 2009
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