[blindweightwatcher] fw think of it as eating healthier, not dieting

From: "Jan Bailey" <jb021951@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <blindweightwatcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:15:14 -0600
New Orleans Times-Picayune

Think of it as 'eating healthy,' not 'dieting'

By Karen Taylor Gist
Staff writer
Posted by The Times-Picayune January 10, 2008 10:15AM

It may be spelled D-I-E-T, but those of us pondering this four-letter
D-word at the dawn of 2008 may read it as Deprivation. Or Disaster.

Defeat. Dread. Even Depression.

So the first thing we do, let's do away with all the diets.

"There's no food you can never have, " said Dr. Sarah Holt, who
specializes in osteopathic, or holistic, medicine at Ochsner
Foundation, "but limit the bad stuff."

For those in generally good health, focusing on small steps instead
of drastic changes can lead to long-term improvement in eating
habits, which translates into weight loss and better health.
"I'm opposed to dieting, " Holt said. "I want my patients to follow a
healthy program and avoid junk, but 95 percent of diets fail. I try
to discourage that kind of yo-yo, up-and-down (dieting) that makes it
more difficult to lose weight."

And there are lots of good reasons to lose it. Even an extra 10 or 15
pounds, Holt said, can increase risk of heart attack, stroke,
diabetes, arthritis and even dementia. In men, sexual function can
also be affected.

It's not just what you eat, either. Lots of factors about the way you
eat and the way you live influence your weight. Here are some
suggestions.
Get enough rest. "People skimp on sleep, " Holt said. "That's been
shown in studies." Since tired people tend to look to food and drink
as pick-me-ups, chronic fatigue can lead to weight gain over time,
she said.

Eat breakfast. "You need carbs and protein to get you going, " said
Dr. Beth Reames, nutritionist at the LSU AgCenter. "Studies have
shown that skipping breakfast, you overeat and snack more later.
There are health benefits and performance benefits. Breakfast will
provide the energy you need, and you don't get a drop in energy and
loss of concentration you get without it." Skipping meals in general
can lead to overeating, she said.

Eat more consciously. A little snack from the pantry here, a little
nibble from the refrigerator there. "Lots of times you don't really
think about that sort of stuff, " said Ochsner nutritionist Erin
Shay. She suggests keeping a journal of what you eat -- everything
you eat. "When you see it on paper, it's eye-opening."

"Studies suggest that people overestimate the amount of activity they
get and underestimate the amount of calories they get, " added Holt.
"It's that lack of awareness. It's important for people to focus on
eating proper meals and then not snacking."

Know your triggers. Shay suggests adding another layer to the food
journal. "Write down what you ate and how you were feeling. Bored?
Upset? You can pick up on patterns and issues so you can make more
conscious choices."
"Prepare for the times you get in trouble, " Holt said. "Particularly
women in the evening consume significant amounts of calories between
6 and bedtime."

Plan ahead. Keep healthy foods on hand.
The number of calories you consume does count, but equally important
is where they're coming from, said Reames, who points to the U.S.
Agriculture Department's MyPyramid (
www.mypyramid.gov
) as a guide.
Recent research, she said, shows that American diets are short on
fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk products.
Substituting fresh fruit, steamed or raw vegetables and whole-grain
foods such as brown rice and oatmeal for prepared foods with added
sugars, salt and fats is an easy way to lose calories without
actually eating less.

. . . . . . .
Sesame rice crackers and wasabi peas add crunch and fire to this
version of an old favorite. Dried green peas coated with wasabi are
available by the pound in some supermarkets; if you can't find them,
the mix is fine without them. Rice crackers are crunchy and airy,
with the mild taste of rice. Look for them in the snack or Asian
section of your grocery store. This recipe, and the next two, are
from "Cooking Light."
[blindweightwatcher] fw think of it as eating healthier, not dieting

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