Pray it Off 01/20/2011 Dr. Oz, 1500 Plan, Walking and Drinks

Dr. Oz's Top 5 Mistakes Dieters Make*
David M. Russel, Harpo Inc.

You ate and sipped your way from Thanksgiving to New Year's. The food was delicious; the eggnog and champagne divine. But now, well, now your pants won't zip. Holiday weight gain is hands down the most unwanted gift of all. Fortunately, you don't have to keep it. America's favorite doctor, Mehmet Oz, better known as the host of "The Dr. Oz Show," is here to share his most effective weight loss strategies for shedding those holiday pounds. Dr. Oz explains how to avoid the biggest dieting blunders so you're sure to start off your post-holiday weight loss plan right.

Mistake No. 1: You Crash Diet

Of course, diets that promise big weight loss fast sound great. After all, who wouldn't want to drop every pound you gained in just a few short weeks? And sure, if you radically cut your calorie intake, you will lose weight. But here's the catch: You can't eat like that forever. And once you go back to eating the way you usually do, you'll regain what you lost and possibly even more. "The fundamental problem these diets have is that you cannot overwhelm your biological drive to eat with willpower. That's why 98 percent of these diets fail," said Dr. Oz. "Any diet that eliminates an entire food group or that replaces meals with mysterious concoctions aren't good for long-term weight loss."

Want another reason: Our bodies are built to help prevent us from starving when there's not enough food to go around. But since our bodies don't know the difference between famine and a crash diet, they react the same way -- by slowing your metabolism, which makes it even harder to lose weight. "Your body is not going to let you waste energy, so it rapidly adjusts its metabolism based on caloric intake," Dr. Oz said.

Dr. Oz's Fix: Eat a variety of healthy foods so you don't feel like you're depriving yourself. Then track your calories with a food diary and find ways to eat just 100 fewer calories every day. "Every long-term weight study ever done in which people kept the weight off for more than two years came back to this same basic rule," said Dr. Oz. "It's not hard to do. And 100 calories is such a small amount, your body can't tell you're on a diet, so your metabolism doesn't slow down and you'll naturally lose the weight."

Mistake No. 2: You Skip Breakfast

You'd think that bypassing breakfast would be a quick and easy way to shave some extra calories -- except, you're actually more likely to consume those calories (and more) later in the day. Thinking you have some calories to play with because you didn't eat breakfast, you may supersize your lunch or grab snacks that aren't particularly good for you simply because you're hungry. In addition, skipping breakfast prompts your body to store fat rather than metabolize it. In fact, research shows that breakfast skippers tend to be heavier. While breakfast eaters consume more calories, they're also slimmer, more active and have healthier diets overall. In a study of people who'd dropped at least 30 pounds and kept it off, 78 percent said they routinely ate breakfast.

Dr. Oz's Fix: Eating something within an hour or so after waking up boosts your metabolism by as much as 10 percent. Go for things like oatmeal sprinkled with nuts and raisins or a tablespoon of peanut butter, a veggie omelet with whole-wheat toast, or low-fat cottage cheese with fruit. The mix of protein and fiber holds off hunger through the morning so you're less inclined to help yourself to the powdered doughnuts at the office or overeat later on. In a recent University of Connecticut study, when volunteers had eggs for breakfast, they consumed 100 to 400 fewer calories at lunch than when they ate bagels, even though both the bagel and egg breakfasts contained the same amount of calories. Other research suggests that fiber-rich breakfasts help you burn more fat when you exercise. No time to sit down to eat? Do what the Oz family does: Drink a Magical Breakfast Blaster as you head to work or drop off the kids at school. "It's fast, it's filling and has everything you need in the morning," said Dr. Oz. "It's purple so kids like it, too."

Magical Breakfast Blaster

This recipe makes two 136-calorie servings.


½ large banana, broken into chunks
1/3 cup soy protein
½ tablespoon flaxseed oil
¼ cup frozen blueberries
½ tablespoon apple juice concentrate or honey
1 teaspoon psyllium seed husks
1 cup water
Powdered vitamins (optional)

Put everything into the blender. Blend and drink.

Mistake No. 3: You Drink Extra Calories

When we eat a big meal, our body knows it's been fed and we eat less at the next meal. But that doesn't happen when we drink high-calorie beverages, which are estimated to add about 235 extra (empty) calories a day to our diets. Our bodies don't seem to register liquid calories the way it does solid calories. So even after guzzling a jumbo-size soda at the movies, we don't eat less when it's time to eat again. Specialty coffee drinks, fruit drinks, sodas, energy drinks and alcohol are some of the biggest calorie traps. Alcohol is actually doubly so because drinking relaxes our willpower. Have a few cocktails and suddenly having that slice of cheesecake seems like a pretty good idea.

Dr. Oz's Fix: Choose lower-calorie drinks. Like coffee? Leave out the whipped cream, syrups and chocolate shavings, and drink it black or with a little sugar. "A teaspoon of sugar is just 16 calories, a tiny amount," said Dr. Oz. "People aren't getting fat because of 16 calories." Can't give up your soda? You can have both soda and fruit juice if you add a splash of your favorite 100 percent fruit juice to club soda. You get the fizz with fewer calories. "If I'm sitting down to a meal, that's what I'll get," said Dr. Oz.

Mistake No. 4: You Don't Snack

Snacks get a bad rap because we think of them as junky foods we shouldn't eat. But nutritious snacks are actually a dieter's best friend, because eating frequently can actually help you consume fewer calories. "Thoughtful snacking keeps you from getting ravenous between meals and making poor diet choices later on," said Dr. Oz. "People who eat several small meals and snacks a day are more likely to control their hunger and lose weight." He should know. He snacks constantly. "I'd bet that at least half the calories I eat are snacks," he said. "I don't like being hungry, and I don't like the threat of being hungry, so I keep healthy foods near me all the time. Whenever I feel a little tinge of hunger, I throw a handful of something in my mouth." The snacks he relies on: apples, radishes, carrots and nuts.

Dr. Oz's Fix: Each day, pack several healthy snacks in small containers or snack-size baggies to keep in your purse or an insulated tote in your car. If you always have diet-friendly snacks at hand, you'll be less tempted to raid the vending machine. Just watch the portion sizes, cautioned Dr. Oz, "so you don't overdo it."

Mistake No 5:You Don't Drink Enough Water

The next time you feel hungry, take a big, long drink of water and you may not need to eat. Because the hormones in our intestines that tell us we're hungry are very similar to the hormones that let us know we're thirsty, we're not very good at distinguishing hunger from thirst, which is why we typically reach for food when we should be drinking. "Often hunger pangs are just your body screaming for a little extra H20," said Dr. Oz. And when we're not well hydrated, our metabolism drags. "Water is essential for burning calories," said Dr. Oz. "Adults who drink eight-plus glasses of water a day burn more calories than those who drink less."

Dr. Oz's Fix: Drink water before every meal and snack and a few more in between. According to a study done at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, overweight or obese study volunteers who drank a 16-ounce bottle of water before every meal lost 44 percent more weight after 12 weeks than volunteers who didn't drink water before dining. That may be because water drinkers ate about 75 fewer calories when they drank water before their meals, as another Virginia Tech study found. "I carry a water bottle with me wherever I go so I'm constantly sipping," said Dr. Oz.

If eight glasses a day seems daunting, try this mind trick: Drink from larger bottles, so instead of consuming eight glasses, you're sipping just three and a half bottles. Easy! And there's no reason to always drink it plain. "I completely get that people think water is bland," said Dr. Oz. "In our house, we make water more appealing by adding slices of fruit or a splash of fruit juice to give it a different taste."

*http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/12/26/dr-ozs-top-5-mistakes-dieters-make

Heart Healthy Meal Plan (1500 Calorie)*
Non Low Carb - Healthy Weight Loss Diet Plan

When selecting a heart healthy meal plan, make sure you are consuming a balanced and complete diet. Your assignment is to set realistic and attainable diet goals. Start by following the simple guidelines below.

Nutritional and Healthy Meal Guidelines

1. Commit to consuming 4 - 6 small meals and snacks every day.

2. To succeed, you must plan ahead by packing your foods the night before. Thus, you should always have fresh and low-fat foods around.

3. Keep it simple. Don't get too caught up on the specifics or your diet. Start by simply just counting calories.

4. Eat your foods slower.

5. Make healthier food selections like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and beans, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, low fat meats, fish and skinless poultry.

6. Avoid foods that are high in fat and calories.

7. Avoid foods that are high in sugars such as pastries, candy bars, pies and candy.

8. Use a variety of fruits and vegetables in your nutrition plan. Start by trying to eat 5 total vegetable and fruit servings every single day.
Here is a sample healthy low fat meal plan (1517 calories).

Breakfast Amount Item Protein Carbs Fats Calories
12 ounces coffee-w/caffeine 0.40 1.40 0.00 8.00
1 cup Milk 8.00 11.00 5.00 120.00
1 tbps cream,fluid,half and half 0.44 0.65 1.73 19.55
1 pack Oatmeal-instant,maple,brn sugar Quaker 4.50 31.60 2.10 152.00
Total: 13.34 44.65 8.82 299.55

AM Snack
1 cup Cottage cheese- 1%fat 28.00 6.00 2.00 164.00
0.5 cup Pineapple-canned, chunks 0 18 0 70
Total: 28.00 24.00 2.00 234.00

Lunch
2 each bread whole wheat-slice 6.00 24.00 2.00 140.00
1 cubic inch cheddar cheese 4.26 0.15 4.12 56.36
.15 cup mayo 0.32 8.47 11.77 137.37
1 ounce turkey breast/white meat 8.50 0.00 0.20 38.25
.25 small Tomato-small 0.25 1.43 0.10 6.50
Total: 19.33 34.36 18.19 378.48

PM Snack
8 each Cracker/Nabisco-Low Saltines 1.60 16.00 3.20 96.00
1 ounce Turkey/white meat 8.50 0.00 0.20 38.25
Total: 10 16 3.5 134.5

Dinner
5 ounces Halibut - broiled 37.5 0 5 198.5
1 cup rice-white cook steamed 6.00 62.00 0.00 164.00
2 tbps Thousand island-reduced cal. Kraft 0.00 6.00 2.00 40.00
0.5 cup Vegetables - mixed, frozen, boiled 2.60 11.90 0.10 54.00
1 small salad-sm. Garden w/tomato, onion 1.30 9.50 0.40 49.00
1 tsp Sugar-white 0.00 4.00 0.00 15.00
12 fluid ounces Tea-prepared w/tap water 0 1 0 4
Total: 44.80 82.50 7.40 470.75

Grand Total: 115.58 201.50 39.82 1517.04

Grocery List

Food Quantity
Apple - medium with peel 7 each
Banana - medium 8 inch 7 each
Bread whole wheat - slice 14 each
Broccoli 7 spears
Cheerios 10.5 cups
Chicken Breast / White Meat 28 ounces
Coffee- w/caffeine 84 ounces
Cream, fluid, half and half 7 tablespoons
Halibut - broiled 35 ounces
Mayo type, reg., w/salt 1 cup
Milk - 2 % fat 7 cups
Orange - medium 7 each
Sugar - white 14 tea spoons
Rice - white 7 cups
Thousand island - reduced cal. 7 table spoons
Turkey Breast / White Meat 14 ounces
Tea 82 ounces

*http://www.changingshape.com/dietandnutrition/mealplans/plans/1517.asp


Walking in Place: Maximum Results and Minimum Distance*

Can walking in place help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals? Without a doubt, it is a great way to add more steps to your day.


Fitness experts recommend walking 10,000 steps a day, which is equivalent to five miles, to maintain your weight and to enjoy the many benefits of fitness walking.

Walking in place is convenient – you can do it anywhere! Whether it’s dark and cold outside or you only have a minute or two for exercise, you can increase your daily step count by just by picking your feet up off the ground.

You may also want to try going in circles or moving 10 steps forward and 10 steps backward for some variety. Stepping backwards is a great way to work an additional set of muscles. It works the quadriceps and calves while moving forward targets the hamstrings and your gluteus maximus.

When you are able to achieve 10,000 steps per day, you may experience weight loss and you’ll notice many enjoyable outcomes, such as improved moods and a stronger cardiovascular system. You’ll also find you have more energy throughout your day.

As with any exercise, moderation is the key. Don’t replace all of your fitness activities for walking in place. Use it as a good warm-up, to add more steps to your day or for a 15-minute period of activity.

If you enjoy exercising in the comfort of your own home, consider purchasing a workout DVD or video. I highly recommend Leslie Sansone’s DVDs. She incorporates stepping along with many other exercises for a full-body workout that is just right for any fitness level.

This simple exercise is an efficient way to add more activity to your day when you’re short on time or space. It can help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals by incorporating exercise into your day no matter where you are or what you are doing.

http://www.the-fitness-walking-guide.com/walking-in-place.html

Three Drinks to Lower Blood Pressure* By Caroline H. Gottesman

What you can add to your diet for lower blood pressure.

When you want to lower your blood pressure, think beyond slashing salt, calories and fat—and also consider what you can add to your diet. More vegetables, fruits and lean protein, says the Institute of Medicine in a February 2010 report on preventing and controlling high blood pressure. Plus, recent research points to three beverages that also may help to lower blood pressure. Consider drinking more…

3 Drinks to Lower Blood Pressure

1. Low- or Nonfat Milk

Both supply potassium and calcium, two nutrients that are associated with healthy blood pressure, and are fortified with vitamin D—a vitamin that new research suggests promotes healthy blood pressure. Substituting low-fat dairy—including milk—for full-fat versions may also help lower blood pressure, reports a 2009 study in the British Journal of Nutrition. In healthy people, arteries are “elastic”: they relax (widen) and constrict (narrow) to keep blood pressure within a normal range. Full-fat dairy contains significant amounts of palmitic acid (much more than low-fat dairy), which can block signals that relax blood vessels, leaving them in a constricted state that may keep blood pressure elevated, explains study author Estefanía Toledo, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Navarra, Spain.

2. Hibiscus Tea

Drinking hibiscus tea
can significantly lower blood pressure, particularly when it is slightly elevated, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Nutrition. Diane L. McKay, Ph.D., lead author of the study, believes that anthocyanins and other antioxidants in hibiscus tea may work together to keep blood vessels resistant to damage that causes them to narrow. Many herbal tea blends contain hibiscus, which brews up bright red and delivers a tart flavor. McKay recommends finding one you like and drinking three cups daily. To get the full benefits of the hibiscus, steep for six minutes before drinking hot or cold.

3. Cranberry Juice


At your next celebration, raise a glass of…cranberry juice? Turns out, cranberry juice has the same blood pressure–lowering effects as red wine, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (The study was partially funded by Ocean Spray.) Both beverages—as well as apple juice and cocoa—boast antioxidants called proanthocyanidins, which inhibit synthesis of a compound called ET-1 that plays a role in constricting blood vessels.
*http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/blood_pressure/three_drinks_to_lower_blood_pressure


PHOTOS: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/magical-breakfast-blaster, hopefitnesstraining.com, davidsonstea.com