Cut out 100 Calories a Day and Save 10 Pounds

by Sheila | Dec 7, 2010 | Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized

Did you know that if you consume just 100 calories more than you burn every day, you’ll gain 10 pounds by the end of the year?! 100 calories is not that much. You probably wouldn’t even notice where the 100 calories come from – just a few extra bites at dinner, getting a large latte instead of a small and that handful of M&Ms are all it takes. This can be dangerous because that tiny amount can have long term consequences without you realizing it. But it’s also a really good thing because you can use these easy tricks to cut out that 100 calories and you won’t even miss them.

• Eat sitting down, with a plate and utensils. Research has shown that people eat 30% less on average when they take their time and treat whatever they’re eating like a meal rather than eating on the go. This is because we are trained to think that if we are sitting down for a meal, no matter what it is, we won’t need to eat again for a while. This also encourages mindful eating; you’re paying more attention to what you’re eating and are more aware of signals your body sends you when it’s full.
• If you have a cup of soup before your dinner, you’ll on average consume 20% fewer calories for the entire meal. Soup stretches your stomach, sending signals that you’re full. Make sure the soup is vegetable or broth based though – not cream based.
• Variety is a great thing and you should aim to eat a variety of different foods… just not at the same meal. Keep meals simple and balanced so you don’t have so much to try and eat. And avoid the buffets.
• Use smaller plates! We have gone crazy with portion size. Our plates have gotten bigger and bigger over the years. Have you ever noticed how the pieces grandma’s china are so much smaller than what we use today? A really easy way to cut down on calories is to simply use smaller plates. Trade in your dinner plates for salad plates and use smaller bowls. Even smaller serving utensils make a difference. It really works – in a study testing this theory, nutrition experts who were given larger bowls ate 31% more. When given larger serving utensils, they at 14.5% more no matter what size the bowl was.
• Put away the cookie jar. When these snack foods are out in the open they are much more tempting. So stash the cookies in the back of the pantry and replace the jar with a bowl of fruit.
• Stay away from low-fat versions of your favorite foods. People see low-fat labels as an excuse to eat more. 50% more in fact! So instead of saving yourself calories by eating low-fat versions, you’re probably setting yourself up to eat even more than if you ate the real thing.
• Smelling peppermint oil every two hours helped people at Wheeling Jesuit University eat 23% less over a five day period. Get some peppermint oil to keep at work or try this trick with some peppermint mints or tea.
• Spread out your food. Making it look like you have more food than you actually do will trick your brain into believing you really do have more food. Use shallow bowls instead of more cup-like ones and tall skinny glasses instead of short fat ones.

Source: Whole Living Magazine “Simple Tricks to Eat Less” Erin O’Donnell

Obesity Rates Growing Faster Than Expected

by Sheila | Dec 2, 2010 | Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized

Everyone who watches the news is aware of what the obesity epidemic is, but knowing about it has not been enough to get people to realize they may be part of the epidemic and need to make changes. Despite a recent goal made by health officials to work towards reducing the growing rate of obesity by 15%, more and more adults are joining 2.4 million obese Americans.

The numbers:

• 1 in 2 adults are overweight
• 1 in 6 adults are obese
• The rate of overweight Americans is expected to increase by 1% every year for the next 10 years
• The number of states where 30% of the population is obese has tripled from 2007 to 2009 (In 2000, zero states had obesity rates this high!)

Why are the rates growing so fast? The answer seems pretty straight forward to experts – We have an increased consumption and availability of high calorie foods and a decrease in physical activity. People don’t want to eat less or healthier and they don’t want to exercise. Because change is so hard for people, it’s estimated that 3 out of 4 adults with be overweight or obese in the next 10 years.

People should want to make changes – the potential costs of being overweight or obese are great:

• Overweight and obese adults die 8 to 10 years sooner
• More likely to develop diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer
• Health care costs are 25% higher than those with normal weights

Don’t be one of the 2.4 million. We need to work to decrease that number. We know change is hard and what works for one person will not work for everyone. We have had amazing results with the Optimal Body Balance Program and if you are dedicated to change we would love to help you achieve your goals. Check back for details on new program styles, including an online program and a group program!

Source: Life Extension Magazine “US Obesity Growing at an Alarming Rate” Jon Finkel
Nutraceuticals World “U.S. Tops ‘Fattest Country’ List”

Join us for the Healthy Feasts! Class on December 7th

by Sheila | Nov 26, 2010 | Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized

Celebrate the holidays with delicious foods that are special, festive and still figure friendly! The class will be held at Whole Foods but register with Sheila of Optimal Body Balance.

Our menu for this class includes radicchio salad with frisee and apples, creamy mashed cauliflower, kale with cranberries, stuffed mushrooms, carrot cake cupcakes and a sleigh driver drink. Most of the recipes eliminate the seven most common food allergens while still remaining yummy and beautiful. Recipes, shopping lists, tips and menu plan included.

OBB members – this is free for you and a friend. Otherwise $25 per person.

In addition to the Healthy Feasts class we will also be doing a repeat with a few twists of the Happy, Healthy Holiday cooking class on December 15th. See here and here to get an idea of what we made last time! This class is $15 per person.

Call 608.274.7044 x 12 for more information or to sign up!

Going Green This Holiday Season

by Sheila | Nov 23, 2010 | Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized

Here’s a little add-on to the holiday survival guide – a few simple ways to keep your holidays green.

Use real china and silver
Forgo the paper plates and plastic utensils for the real stuff. How often do you actually get to use those nice plates and glasses? It’s a cost free way to add festivity and decoration to the occasion as well.

Use cloth napkins and tablecloths
Also a great way to keep your garbage cans from overflowing. They also add decoration and clean up is easy; just throw them all in the wash machine. And you aren’t wasting money on holiday theme paper napkins – you have nice cloth napkins that can be used every year.

Don’t buy water bottles
Have a pitcher of filtered water available at the beverage station. It will save you money and people will be drinking water out of your nice glasses that you put out. Plus your filtered water is probably better than most bottled water anyway.

Use recycled aluminum foil
Reynold’s makes a 100% recycled aluminum foil that is great for heating up dishes the day of, keeping your food warm before serving and can also work as to go containers for your guests.

Go easy on the paper towels
Try to use real kitchen towels instead. Make them available around the buffet and beverage areas in case of spills.

Buy foods that are in season and organic
Local winter markets can be a great place to buy the ingredients for your holiday dishes. That way you know it’s fresh and you can tell your guests their meal was locally grown and made.

Decorations
Don’t spend extra time and money on decorations. Instead, decorate with things that you will use later or even during the party. Put out bowls of fruit or nuts, colorful squash or a homemade gingerbread house.

Your Holiday Hosting Survival Guide Part 2

by Sheila | Nov 22, 2010 | Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized

Part one of this guide outline tips to use when planning for the event. This part of guide will give you suggestions and tricks to use on the big day.

Clean out the fridge
Make sure you have ample space in the fridge for all the food you plan on serving. For food safety reasons, you’ll want to refrigerate all dishes until you are ready to serve them. Keep the cold dishes cold and heat up what you want warm just before serving. You’ll also want to make sure you have space for the dishes that your guests are bringing.

Tag team
Have a friend available who knows the plan and is wiling to help. Setting up and making sure everything goes smoothly is a lot easier when you have someone else there you can rely on. Not to mention it will be much more fun to have someone to cook and decorate with.

Buffet
Serving buffet style seems to be a popular and easy way to present the food, but there are a couple things that you’ll want to keep in mind. When setting up the buffet, you should put the plates at the beginning and the utensils and napkins at the end. This way your guests aren’t trying to carry more than they have to while serving themselves. Make sure you have space on the buffet table for guests to set down their plates too if they need to use both hands to serve themselves. You should also have an area apart from the buffet for the drinks and ice so that it doesn’t get too crowded or backed up while people are getting food. For food safety reasons, you’ll want to put out smaller portions of each dish and replenish it as needed. This way you can keep hot dishes hot and cold dishes cold. Any food should not be sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Put out a little at a time
Another thing you’ll have to think about with buffet serving is the amounts of food you’re putting out at once. You don’t want to put everything you have all out at one time; do it in stages and serve food during the entire party. Research shows that people are sluggish after too much food (we all know that feeling), so don’t overwhelm your guests with food all at once, put a few dishes out at a time, and let them know there will be more different choices as the party progresses. This will also help take pressure off of you as the host because you don’t have to try to get everything ready all at once; you can take your time and serve things when they’re ready.

Don’t be invisible
You’re guests actually want to see you and you should enjoy the party, so don’t spend it in the kitchen doing dishes — the dishes will be there later. Unless of course it’s tradition in your family, like it is in mine, for all the women to gather in the kitchen while they do dishes and gossip after dinner. Another way to make it easier for yourself is to put out garbage and recycling bins near the buffet where guests can clean up a bit after themselves.

Not hosting? We have a few tips for you too if you’re bringing a dish to pass.

If you need to do some final prep at the host’s house, make sure you bring everything you need. Don’t rely on the host to have it available for you.
Make sure you transport your cold and hot dishes separately in insulated containers to keep them tasting their best and to keep them safe to eat.
Slow cookers or crock pots are a great way to transport hot dishes and it makes the job of your host much easier because your dish can simply be plugged in once you arrive.
If you’re bringing a cold dish, take it straight to the fridge.