Articles & Info

The Crashing of Crash Diets

If you are a chronic dieter, you have probably noticed how quickly lost weight returns once the dieting stops. A study published in the august issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology demonstrated that those who favor low-calorie crash diets without intending long-term behavior changes tend to gain the weight back quickly. The results of the study pointed out the importance of behavior-modification training and exercise when considering a weight-loss program. Such training provides a better guarantee for permanent weight loss.

Losing weight is not always enough to create a slim dieter.

Sometimes the formerly obese maintain a picture of heaviness in their minds' eye even though they have lost great amounts of weight. There are others who find it impossible to adjust to slimness. These people feel they have not only lost weight, but they have also lost a part of themselves. While they hated being obese, it was a condition that was comfortable and secure. Years of studies have emphasized the important role that body image plays in the problem of obesity. Those who have conflicts in this area may benefit from long-term counseling; then they, too, can enjoy the total rewards that come from a healthy body image accompanying their new, slim bodies.

(Article 2)

A Short Cut At The Supermarket

When you're in a hurry at the supermarket and you don't have time to compare "% Daily Values," you can still get some quick information from the company's claims on the label.

The key is knowing what terms like "free" and "low" mean. The government has set strict definitions for terms that can be used to describe a food's nutritional content. Use the following guide to help you decipher nutrient claims.

Guide to Nutrient Content Claims
Term Definition
Free The product has none of the nutrient or an insignificant amount. What you'll see: Calorie Free, Sugar Free, Sodium Free, Salt Free, Fat Free, Saturated Fat Free, Cholesterol Free.
Low The product has a small enough amount of a nutrient that you can eat it frequently without concern that you'll go over the recommendations. What you'll see: Low Sodium (no more than 140 mg sodium per serving); Low Calorie (no more than 40 calories per serving); Low Fat (no more than 3 grams fat per serving); Low Saturated Fat (no more than 1 gram saturated fat per serving); Low Cholesterol (no more than 20 milligrams cholesterol per serving).
Very Low Used only with sodium claims. The product contains no more than 35 milligrams sodium per serving.
Reduced,
Fewer, Less		 The product has at least a 25 percent reduction in a nutrient compared to the regular product. What you'll see: Reduced Calories, Fewer Calories, Less Sugar, Less Fat, Reduced in Fat, Less Saturated Fat, Cholesterol Reduced.
Lean Refers to meat, poultry, seafood or game meats with less than 5 grams fat, less than 4 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams.
Extra Lean Refers to meat, poultry, seafood or game meats with lee than 5 grams fat, less than 2 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams.
High The product has at least 20 percent of the Daily Value for the nutrient. What you'll see: High in Calcium, High in Vitamin C.
More A product has at least 10 percent more of a desirable nutrient than does a comparable product. What you'll see: More Calcium, More Potassium.
Light A product has 1/3 fewer calories than a comparable product or 50 percent of the fat found in a comparable product.
Good Source A product has 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for a nutrient. What you'll see: Good Source of Fiber.
(Article 3)

How to Meet the Time Challenge

Time limitations pose some of the biggest challenges to eating nutritiously. You have too much to do and too little time in which to do it. Here are some of the symptoms of the time squeeze and how to deal with them.

Symptom: Skipping Meals
Beware! This behavior can be habit forming. It can damage your health and possibly your waistline. You'll eventually get hungry and pay the price later with sagging energy levels and the temptation to eat whatever is in sight. Since food is a basic instinct, it is almost impossible to beat the need to eat. Skipping meals also slows the metabolic rate, making it more difficult to lose weight. Eating all your calories at one meal overwhelms the body's need for fuel, forcing some of the excess to be stored as body fat.

Solutions:

  • Don't go longer than 5 hours without eating. If you do, blood glucose levels will dip, leaving you feeling weak, fatigued and mentally sluggish. In this state, you're less steady physically and your ability to make decisions is reduced.
  • Drink a glass of milk or juice as a kind of "mini-meal" that will give you important nutrients and energy.
  • Try grazing--eating nutritious snacks--to get you through a busy day.

Symptom: Eating on the Run
As people hurry through a day's work, they often leave little time for eating. Fast food and other available choices don't always provide good nutrition.

Solutions:

Here are some of the better choices for breakfast you could make at a few of the national fast-food chains:

  • Take it with you. If you can find time for coffee on your daily commute to work, you can give yourself a nutrition boost at the same time. Keep a ready-to-go snack/mini-meal parked beside the coffee pot. Or try keeping a week's worth of easy breakfast meals stocked in the car, your briefcase, or your desk at work.
  • If you are forced to make quick choices of fast food or other restaurant fare, realize that the many choices range from fat-free to fat-intense. Some items can contribute a full day's intake of fat.
  • Burger King--bagel; Carl's Jr.--blueberry muffin, bran muffin; Hardee's--pancakes; McDonald's--apple bran muffin, Cheerios, English muffin, hotcakes, Wheaties.
  • For lunch and dinner, side salads are usually safe choices from a calorie and fat standpoint, but ask if vegetable sticks are available. Vegetable sticks will provide more nutrition than the typical iceberg lettuce salad. Request a low-fat dressing (or carry your own) and go easy since even "low-fat" dressings can contribute large amounts of unwanted fats.
  • Choose grilled, broiled or baked chicken entrees--hold the special sauces and mayonnaise. Cheese pizza with vegetable toppings will be lower in fat than pizza with meat toppings.
  • For desserts, request fresh fruit, and choose a lowfat or fat-free frozen yogurt over cookies or ice cream.

Symptom: Little time to prepare meals
Too many people hold the common misconception that only foods prepared slaving over a hat stove qualify as nutritious.

Solutions:

  • Realize that cold meals as well as leftovers (safely stored and reheated) can be wonderful. Quick-and-easy meals do qualify as real meals.
  • Make the best use of frozen, purchased entrees, which can be a boon to the frenzied cook if used carefully. Keep two nutrition guidelines in mind: Choose meals that have no more than 3 grams of fat per 100 calories (this will ensure that not more than 30 percent of calories come from fat) and less than 500 mg of sodium.
  • Remember a few simple additions that will boost the nutritional value of frozen or quickie meals: a piece of fruit, a glass of juice or milk, a slice of fat-free or reduced-fat cheese, a pre-made salad or vegetable sticks from a salad bar or produce counter, a slice of whole-grain bread (no butter or margarine).

  • Be prepared mentally--it's half the battle. Use your "waiting time" to work on your meal plan. Take advantage of the time you might otherwise waste while sitting in traffic, waiting for an appointment, or waiting for the bus.

Shortcuts to speed meal preparation

  • Cook an extra chicken breast of other chicken parts in a crockpot with broth or water. Make soup with the broth and some of the chicken. Use the extra cooked chicken in a casserole, diced for sandwich filling, shredded in a tortilla, or in a pasts salad.
  • Use partially prepared foods--the pre-cleaned vegetables that you'll find in the supermarket's produce section and the diced onions and green peppers in the freezer section.
  • Cook double portions of casseroles and other dinner entrees and freeze for future use.
(Article 4)

Investing In a Healthy Heart

An excerpt from The American Medical Association Book of Heart Care by Douglas Gasner and Elliot H. McCleary offers the following advice for investing in a healthy heart:

  • "Have your cholesterol measured if you are worried about heart disease or if you have a family history of heart disease.
  • "Have your blood pressure checked, and take your pills if your doctor prescribes them.
  • "Find enough time to exercise.
  • "Find time to relax.
  • "Eat moderately from a variety of the four food groups: dairy products; grains and cereals; fruits and vegetables; fish, meat and poultry.
  • "Go to your physician if you have chest pain or find you are easily or suddenly fatigued.
  • "Watch your weight.
  • "Seek medical attention if you sense any disturbance in your heart's rhythm.
  • "Don't smoke; it robs your heart of oxygen.
  • "Don't count on magic cures; medical miracles are few and far apart.
  • "Don't believe that it can't happen to you; statistics don't play favorites.
  • "Don't ignore your body when there is a change in it; it's trying to tell you something."

Are poor dietary habits resulting in problems of overweight and obesity, a loss of energy or a feeling of always being tired or listless? You will be happy to know that Diet Center can help you lose weight and learn a lifestyle essential to weight maintenance and a strong heart.