Grow Some Horns! Bison vs. Beef

Bison

Cow

The average US citizen consumes about 67 pounds of beef every year.  That is a huge amount of beef which is most likely not grass fed, but rather corn fed and full of antibiotics and hormones.  The problem that the US has is simply supply and demand.  The beef industry cannot keep pace with the demand of beef in the US so manufacturers (I won't call them farmers) have decided to feed their cattle corn in order to make them bigger within a shorter period of time.  Obviously corn is not a natural and organic source of food in a cattle's diet, so their bodies react differently when compared to eating natural grass.  Since corn is not a natural dietary source of their diets, the cattle become larger and almost deformed when compared to normal grass-fed cattle.  By altering the cattle, disease is increased and manufacturers also inject hormones and antibiotics to help with the growing process and make sure that the cattle don't become sick.  This also adds a huge risks to human consumers because all of the hormones and antibiotics that is injected into the cattle is transmitted into the human consuming the meat.  Corn-fed cattle are also confined in small spaces because there isn't enough room for the massive supply of cattle needed for consumers.  Since they are not allowed to roam and eat natural diets they are reduced to confined spaces and are forced to stand in their own filth.  All of that filth and sewage is transferred to the final meat product and thus, you.

Beware of Recalled Meats

Every few months or so their is a massive recall of tainted beef and those are the only recalls we hear about, there are probably many more that the FDA and the government keeps under the sheets.  You may be asking why would they do that but the meat industry is big bucks, so it wouldn't surprise me in the least.  There is a solution to this mass productive debacle, you can buy grass-fed beef, but grass-fed beef is expensive and difficult to find.  The problem is the government funds these big business corn-fed beef "farms", and thus, it's even more of a challenge to find grass-fed and natural beef.  The best solution that I can present is instead of buying beef, buy bison meat.  Bison is more reasonable in price compared to grass-fed beef and it's also a game meat, which means it's naturally lower in fat and low in calories.  Bison meat is easy to find and purchase, and it's becoming more and more popular in the United States.  Bison is more tender and since it's so lean, you won't feel guilty about having a burger (and it even tastes much better than a dry beef burger).  Bison burger has less total fat than most meat products including pork, chicken and most fish.  Bison also contains more iron than most meat products.  Here is a brief nutritional statistic of a typical 3 oz. serving of bison meat:

• Calories 152, Total Fat 7 grams (3 grams saturated fat)

• Excellent protein with 40 grams, which is 84% of the daily value (DV) in a 2,000-calorie diet.

• 60 milligrams of cholesterol or 20% of the daily value.

• Ground bison is high in vitamin B6 17% DV, B12 35% DV, iron 15% DV, and niacin 25% DV

• Sources: Bisoncentral.com, Nutritiondata.com

Regular ground beef:

• Calories 230, Total Fat 15 grams (6 grams saturated fat)

• 22 grams of protein

• 75 milligrams or 25% of the daily value of cholesterol

• 12% iron for your DV

• Source: Nutritiondata.com

By consuming and purchasing bison meat or grass-fed beef, you can promote the organic and natural farmers in the US and this also promotes and helps the environment because if cattle and bison are allowed to live in open pastures and not in confined spaces, then other elements of the environment can strive and prosper.  So by eating bison or grass-fed beef you can be both eco-friendly and nutritionally sound.

Gigante Beans: Big on Nutrition

I recently found out about a new bean called the gigante bean, or in other words, a large white bean.  Gigante beans are large, flat, cream colored bean that are popular in the Mediterranean.  Beans in general are a great source of vitamins and essential minerals and should be incorporated within your daily diet.  Beans are a nutritional powerhouse containing great amounts of protein, fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, antioxidants, and all beans are naturally low in fat.  Gigante beans are naturally sweet tasting and can be found in many Greek dishes.  There are a few ways to prepare gigante beans and those include soaking them in cold water overnight and then boiling them or simply serving them at room temperature within a vegetable salad.  If you don't want to prepare the beans yourself you can purchase gigante beans already prepared at the antipasto bar at Whole Foods market.  Gigante beans are a great side dish or great served within a Mediterranean style marinated salad along with plenty of other vegetables.

The Whole Soy Bean Fact and Fiction

Raw Tofu and Soy Beans

Soy has always been viewed and categorized as one of the healthiest foods you can eat.  Asian countries have been eating soy beans for centuries and they live some of the longest lives in the world.  The fact is that soy is a great source of protein, essential vitamins and minerals and it is completely fat-free.  The amount of protein alone in soy is 5 times that of vegetables, but the main problem with soy is the way it's processed.  In East Asia where soy originated and has been grown and eaten for years is consumed in it's natural state.  The main problem is the United States sells 90% genetically modified soy (GMO) and the overly processed soy products include soy protein isolates, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), and textured vegetable protein (TVP).

So why should people avoid GMO soy products?  The main reason is that soy contains isoflavones, specifically genistein and daidzein and these substances have similar reactions to estrogen within the body, and with too much estrogen the body is prone to cancers, mood swings and emotionally unstable states, additional fats on the waistline, thighs, and hips (Casanova, Santell).  Soy may be connected with Alzheimer’s Disease and in studies in Japan and Hawai, men who consumed tofu at least twice weekly had more cognitive impairment than those who rarely or never ate tofu. (White, Markesbery).  Soy is also a mineral-deficient food, and contains phytin, which depletes essential minerals such as iron, zinc and magnesium out of the body before they can be absorbed.  This can potentially place soy in the category of a powerful cancer promoter of the breast, prostate, lung and colon (Yu).

Tofurky Products

A lot of people assume that soy is the main food source in Asian countries, but they actually use soy as a condiment rather than a main meal.  Japan and China on average has about 10 grams, which is two teaspoons, of soy per day.  The problem that Americans, especially vegans have is you're not suppose to replace a whole meal (meat products, etc.) with GMO soy products.  Asian countries also consume fermented soy, and like I mentioned earlier 90% of soy products sold in the United States is genetically modified soy.  Soy has been labeled as one of the essential health foods in the world but with so many soy products being overly processed, more risks are proposed rather than potential health benefits.  The best advice in order to get the most nutrients from soy is having fermented soy products or soy beans in their natural state (also known as edamame). 

Resources:

Casanova, M. et al. “Developmental effects of dietary phytoestrogens in Sprague.” Toxicol Sci, Oct. 1999, 51 (2): 236-244.

Santell, L, et al. “Dietary genistein exerts estrogenic effects upon uterus, mammary gland and the hypothalamic/pituitary axis in rats.” J Nutr, Feb. 1997, 127(2) 263-269.

White, L R., Petrorich, H, Ross, G W, and Masaki, K H. “Association of mid-life consumption of tofu with late life cognitive impairment and dimentia: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.” Fifth International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, #487, 27 July 1996, Osaka, Japan.

White, LR, Petrovitch, H, Ross, G w, Masaki, K H, Hardman, J, Nelson. J, Davis. D, and Markesbery, W. “Brain again and midlife tofu consumption.” J Am Coll Nutr, April 2000, 19(2): 242-2555.

Yu, H. “Role of the insulin-like growth factor family in cancer development and progression.” J Natl Cancer Inst, Sept. 20, 2000, 92(18)1472-1489.

Time to Switch Over to the Dark Side of Garlic?

Black Garlic

Recently people have been discussing black garlic claiming that it has more nutritional benefit than regular garlic.  Black garlic is not chemically altered and does not possess any colors or additives.  The garlic actually gets its black color through fermentation.  The natural amino acids and sugars undergo fermentation and produce melanoidin and gives the garlic a jet black color.  It's similar to the process of creating dried fruit.  Black garlic has a more tender texture and a slightly sweeter taste, almost like molasses after fermentation and it lacks the usual potent odor of regular garlic and does not give you bad breath.  On the side of health and nutrition, black garlic has twice as many antioxidants compared to regular garlic and it contains a compound called S-Allycysteined and other compounds that fight off cancer cells.

Black garlic is normally found in Asian cuisine and is now becoming more and more well known and popular in the United States.  A lot of expensive and exclusive restaurants have incorporated black garlic in their dishes because it adds a different texture and appearance to the dishes.  The foreign factor and health benefits make black garlic an intriguing and new ingredient for American cooks.  In Asian countries they utilize black garlic for the amount of antioxidants and typically put the crushed cloves in "energy" drinks.  On the Food Network's program "Iron Chef America", black garlic was introduced and turned into a sauce during the preparation of monk fish.

Stages of Black Garlic Formation

After 45 days of aging the fermentation process is complete, and the garlic turns into jet black garlic and has more antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals.  A raw head of garlic has .332 mg of S-Allycysteined (the cancer fighting nutrient), 5 mg of calcium, 40 mg of phosphorus, and 3.3 g of protein.  Those are all great numbers and regular garlic is one of the healthiest ingredients you can add to your food.  When you compare the amount of nutrients of regular garlic to black garlic there is a significant difference.  Black garlic has 5.84 mg of S-Allycysteined, 36.66 mg of calcium, 80 mg of phosphorous, and 12.3 g of protein.  So can black garlic be categorized as a super-food and superior to it's once crowned healthy processor, it seems we're heading to the dark side from now on.

Omega 3's: The New Found Fountain of Youth

  Omega 3s have become more and more well known and recommended throughout the past few years, but I'm not sure if people fully understand the health benefits and how to incorporate Omega 3 fatty acids into their daily eating habits.  There are several ways to easily incorporate Omega 3s into your diet without being forced to eating "health food".  Omega 3s are found in Wild Alaskan salmon, flax-seeds, walnuts, eggs, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and some organic cheese and milk.  Omega 3s can also be ingested through supplements such as krill oil and fish oil.  All of the fatty acids in Omega 3s are polyunsaturated which are good fats that the body needs to properly function.  Omega 3s have been linked to anti-aging, boosting your immune system, supplying energy, preventing several types of cancer, decrease risk of cardiovascular disease, increased brain function, and help with inflammation.  If you are unable to incorporate Omega 3s into your diet, Omega 3 supplements are just as affective and you can purchase either krill or fish oil pills.  If you decide to add Omega 3s into your food, you can easily do so by sprinkling flax-seeds on your food.  There is no need to panic because flax-seeds will not alter the taste of your favorite foods but it may change the texture a little.  In order to get all of the health benefits from the flax-seed, you have to ingest it all crushed up, you will not get any of the benefits if you eat flax-seeds whole because the body cannot properly breakdown the seeds.  Flax-seeds are a great source of Omega 3s but are also low in calories and high in fiber so you're adding Omega 3s and fiber to your regular foods that may not have a lot of fiber or any Omega 3s in them.  The best things to sprinkle flax-seeds on are oatmeal and Greek-style yogurt.  By adding flax-seeds to both of these items you're adding an extra dose of fiber and since Greek-style yogurt does not have any fiber, you're adding an essential amount of fiber along with a great dose of protein (Greek yogurt has about 15 grams per serving) so that translates to "you're going to be full!".

Another source of Omega 3s are found in walnuts, but you have to be careful with walnuts because they have a great source of Omega 3s and polyunsaturated fats and protein, but they are also high in calories so keep it limited to about less than a handful of walnuts (about 12 pieces per serving).  Probably the best source is hands down Wild Alaskan salmon.  Now don't get confused with regular farm raised salmon that many restaurants carry.  The farm raised salmon barely has any Omega 3s and has more mercury.  The reason why farm raised salmon doesn't have Omega 3s and more mercury is because the main source of Omega 3s is through krill that salmon eat in their natural environment and when they consume krill then the fatty acids are concentrated within the salmon.  Farm raised salmon has little if any nutritional benefit and shouldn't be consumed on a weekly basis because of the mercury levels.  If you don't like the taste of Wild Alaskan salmon you can also eat the more common canned, light tuna fish.  They also make Wild Alaskan salmon in canned or pouch form, so if you're curious about trying it the Wild Alaskan salmon is practically the same price.

Omega 3s are also found in eggs, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and some milk and cheese products.  Make sure that you purchase cage-free eggs in order to get all of the health benefits from the egg.  Another source of Omega 3s is Canola oil, but as I posted and talked about earlier the risks of Canola oil out way the faulty benefits.  Another source of Omega 3s that a lot of people don't realize is fresh basil, vegetable and walnut oil, spinach, tarragon, and anchovies.  So the next time you have pizza you can get you're serving of Omega 3s by adding fresh basil and anchovies, if that's your thing that is.

Get Yourself Out of the Coop and Buy Organic Chicken

Organic foods have become very popular and mainstream within the past few years. Everyone knows that their are certain fruits and vegetables that should be purchased organically (see the dirty dozen and clean fifteen list), but what about meats, should they also be purchased organically? If you walk into any grocery store you'll notice that there are a lot of chicken, turkey, and other meat products labeling themselves as "all natural". That statement sounds really healthy, but it's simply false advertising. It seems anything can be labeled "all natural" as long as it's actually naturally the meat itself. In order to get the healthiest product, look for certified organic meat products as opposed to the all natural slogan. I understand it's more difficult to siphon out all of the all natural products and locate the organic meat product, but it's worth the search when it comes to your health.

Organic meat such as chicken is not a product of mass production and thus contains all of the natural nutrients without the hormones and additives and it simply tastes much better. Chickens that are fed hormones and antibiotics transfer those same hormones and antibiotics to the humans who are consuming those chickens. The antibiotics and hormones could make bacteria and infections more resistant to treatments and actually create stronger strains of bacteria within the consumer. The antibiotics could make bacteria and infections more resistant to treatments and create stronger strains of bacteria. Organic chickens are fed a regular meal that consists of grains and then the chickens are able to roam and find food on their own. They eat insects, leaves, seeds, or maybe even some small fish or shellfish. Since the chicken eats foods actually provided by nature the chicken has a higher amount of beneficial fats that lower cholesterol, and higher amounts of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin A. Chickens that are not organic are given regular doses of antibiotics, vaccines, and other medications in order to become bigger at a faster pace. Organic farmers also benefit compared to chemically altered chicken farmers because they don't have to purchase all of those drugs and they can simply watch the health of their chickens in their own natural environment. The chickens get more exercise and this makes their nutritional content increase and the flavor of the meat exceeds. Organic chickens are not only good for consumption but also for the environment itself. Organic chickens eat insects and vegetation which affects the ecosystem. So search high and low for organic chicken and don't fall for the "all natural" label, just remember that it's "actually chicken meat". The health and flavor benefits you'll be giving your body outweighs the extra searching and few dollars.

Canola Oil for Optimal Health or Ultimate Hoax?

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the once called healthy canola oil recently. Canola oil was always believed to contain a healthy amount of monounsaturated fat and large amounts of omega 3s. There has been talk on the internet about canola oil not living up to it's healthy background and that the whole notion that canola oil is really good for you is coming from money hungry manufacturers. Has the public been duped into believing that canola oil is one of the best and healthiest oils? Let's explore the possibilities to see if canola oil is in fact essential for optimal health or if it's just an ultimate hoax by the oil manufacturers.

Here is a little history about what and where canola oil came from. Canola oil is derived from the rapeseed which is a member of the mustard family. Asian countries have been using rapeseed for centuries without any health problem backlash. The main reason for this is because of the rape seed being less processed compared to the United States where everything is highly processed for mass consumption. Canola oil was created by a Canadian scientist in the 1960s, 1970s(hence "Canola" oil). The problem with canola oil is it is used as a high temperature cooking oil here is the United States and since canola oil has omega 3s, at a high temperate (120 degrees) those omega 3s turn into trans fatty acids. The large amounts of omega 3s actually deodorize and transform into trans fat. The amount of trans fat is very high at 4.5%, which is even more than margarine! In some forms of canola oil, the temperature can comfortably reach a smoke point of 520 degrees, now that's trans fat city! (http://www.diabetesincontrol.com)

After the refining process of the canola oil, the next step in the process is called hydrogenation. That word might sound familiar to partially hydrogenated oils and "having a longer shelf life" might come to mind. This process of hydrogenation actually increases even more trans fats to occur within the food being cooked. The reason why supermarkets and food manufacturers are using canola oil within their products isn't because of the high amounts of omega 3s or monounsaturated (good) fats, it's because canola oil actually hydrogenates better than corn or soy oil. It is also cheap and good for shelf life, but not good for your health or mine. (http://www.diabetesincontrol.com)

According to Jonny Bowden, Ph. D, C.N.S. and author of the fantastic and informative book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, canola oil wasn't even close to making his list of healthy foods. This came as a surprise to me and probably to many others because for years we've been told that canola oil was filled with monounsaturated fats and large amounts of omega 3s. The more research and history behind the story of how canola oil originated and how it's being processed within the United States shows the ugly (and deodorized) truth behind canola oil. The fact that food manuafacturers are placing a cloak over the ugly truth behind canola oil is a disgrace. Telling people that your products contain canola oil and suggesting that it's a healthier product because of it is down right wrong. It's simply cheaper and hydrogenates really well, but when there is hydrogenation (like partially hydrogenated oils), there is a huge increase in trans fats.

Polydextrose: The Truth Behind the Smiles of Fred Flintstone and Toucan Sam

Recently on television and just roaming through the supermarket, you may have noticed sugary cereals by Post that have been boasting that they have a good source of fiber. You can just imagine how excited and grateful the thousands of mothers were across the country when they first heard the news. My child can have his or her favorite cereal and still get a good source of fiber per serving?! While your child is enjoying his or her cereal and you're smiling from ear to ear like a mirror image of Fred Flintstone and Toucan Sam on the cardboard box. Now I'm going to use the appropriate phrase here "You can't have your cake and eat it too". The reason why these cereals all of the sudden have fiber is because...well...it isn't fiber at all. The ingredient that is added is something else called polydextrose, and it supposedly acts similar to the process of fiber that the FDA call actually call this ingredient fiber, when it truly is not. This may seem confusing but I'll help to break it down.

The way that the cereal manufacturers make polydextrose is quite simple (well it should be if they are making a mass production and it's all about quantity and not quality now a days right?). Polydextrose is actually synthesized from glucose and sorbitol which is a low-calorie carbohydrate. Polydextrose is one of several new aged fiber additives (others include inulin and maltodextrin) showing up in dairy and baked-goods products that previously had little to no fiber in them at all. There are two different kinds of fiber known as functional and dietary. Functional fiber is where polydextrose, inulin and maltodextrin fit in and they all appear to act like fiber within the body and they are extracted from chicory root. Dietary fiber is basically where fiber comes from naturally, like fruits, vegetables, and grains. Since polydextrose is not an all natural source of fiber but rather a man made source, it does not show any evidence of enhancing cardiovascular health such as preventing heart attacks, high cholesterol, or lowering the risk of heart disease. Polydextrose acts like dietary fiber in one way by speeding up the body's gastrointestinal tract. The confusing part of this whole matter is the FDA is labeling the use of polydextrose, inulin, and maltodextrin as being dietary fiber. So the box of several Fiber One products, for example, will state on it's nutritional fact label that it contains up to 51% of your daily fiber intake and state that the fiber is dietary when it's actually functional. There is no evidence that consuming functional fiber provides any health benefits to our bodies like dietary fiber.

Polydextrose, inulin, and maltodextrin, and other other functional fibers are basically deceiving people into believing that the junk food that they're eating contains a "good source" of fiber (mainly dietary) and they all of the sudden think that their junk food has magically turned into health food. Well in my opinion junk food is junk food even if it claims to be health food. A word of advice to read the ingredient list on the back or side of the product. Those Post cereals I mentioned earlier still contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup along with added dyes, colors, and partially hyrdrogenated oils (trans fat in disguise) in the first few ingredients. If these ingredients are at the top of the ingredient list then that states that the product is mainly constructed of. Food manufacturers can lie all over their products, boasting that they have faulty fiber, contain 100% whole grains, and contain zero grams of trans fat (when they obviously do because they have partially hydrogenated oils), but the one thing they cannot lie about is the list of ingredients. If you look at the ingredient list first and notice if the list is short or a laundry list, if there are ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. Food manufacturers basically want to sell a product and sell in a product in mass quantities. In order for the food industry to do this they have to do some research and discover what the most and relevant trends and concerns that people have. Fiber is the example here but more recently Vitamin D is creeping up into and onto boxes of cereal and other products because people are now worried about not getting enough Vitamin D. The trend is shifting because Scott Monette, a spokesman for Ralcorp, which owns Post cereal brands said that his company is removing polydextrose from their products and they are instead adding higher doses of Vitamin D to their products because it is "more timely and relevant ingredient". These people don't care about your health, all they care about is selling a product. Keep smiling Fred Flintstone and Toucan Sam, because I know behind that smile is corporate greed, and I'm not smiling back.

Rice Milk: The Other White Drink

Do you keep hearing and seeing those milk ads that boast about milk and how many vitamins, minerals, and protein are in it? Well that's all true but the milk company is also a multimillion dollar company that has a lot of close connections with other big profit companies. The fact is people should not be drinking milk, plain and simple. There is no reason for human beings to be drinking milk once we're adults. Think about it, other mammals drink milk when they're born to get essential nutrients to grow and develop. After they grow and develop do they keep drinking milk? Do they keep drinking milk from another completely different animal? It's strange if you think about it in that respect but the milk industry wants us to believe that we need milk to survive and live a healthy long lasting life. Well I'm here to give you some milk alternatives that give you the same or even more nutrients than regular cow's milk, that originate from all natural sources such as rice, hemp, soy, and almond. The product that I believe is the best all around is rice milk, but others swear by almond or soy but when I compared rice milk to the others I found that it had better nutrients and a healthier calorie consistency.

Before I start to talk about milk alternatives, let me educate you on why cow's milk is bad contrary to what you've been told in the past. According to the book "Skinny Bitch", milk has "been linked to a host of other problems, including acne, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, ADD, ADHD, fibromyalgia, headaches, heatburn, indigestion, irritable bowel movement, joint pain, osteoporosis, poor immune function, allergies, ear infections, colic, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Crohn's disease, breast and prostate cancers, and ovarian cancer" (Freedman, Barnouin 57-58). So plain and simple, milk spreads disease instead of warding off disease and making us healthier. In a nutshell, we shouldn't be drinking milk from a cow. Another reason to not drink cow's milk is because it contains a toxic substance called Dioxin. All of the steroids, antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones you also consume when you drink cow's milk. It's basically the same as eating the cow, you get everything that's in the cow's system. With such a high demand of milk, farmers have transformed into mass producing fat cats. They inject the cattle with so many hormones and antibiotics that the cow's udder becomes so big in order to keep up with the high demand of milk production. The udders are so sore and bruised that they in turn become infected with disease and that disease is leaking into the milk that we drink (60).

Since all of the gross and unpleasant information about cow's milk is out of the way I can tell you about some milk alternatives that have even better nutrients and better overall taste than cow's milk. My favorite alternative is Rice Milk. Now you have to be careful when buying this product and the other milk alternative products in the supermarket. A word of caution when purchasing these products is don't buy the regular, but rather the unsweetened product. Unsweetened does not mean however that the product isn't sweet and is rather bland and unsatisfying, on the contrary, the unsweetened products do not have any added sugar and they contain vanilla extract which makes the product taste more naturally sweet. Unsweetened vanilla rice milk is a good choice when choosing a milk alternative. It has only 45 calories per one cup serving, as opposed to skim milk which has between 90-100 calories per serving. Rice milk also has zero grams of saturated fat and only 2 grams of total fat. It also has several important nutrients such as 20% calcium, along with 20% Vitamin D, 15% Phosphorus, 8% Vitamin A, and 20% Vitamin B12. One of the best elements that rice milk has over regular milk is simply the fiber. In one cup of rice milk you get 6 grams of fiber which is 23% of your daily amount. Regular milk doesn't even come close to that. So with half the calories, both Vitamin D and Calcium enriched, an all natural and organic source from rice, and 23% of your daily fiber, it's no question that unsweetened rice milk is a better alternative to regular cow's milk. The price of rice milk is also cheaper than the price of cow's milk. You can purchase rice milk at any supermarket that includes an organic section or a Whole Foods Supermarket. The Whole Foods 365 rice milk product is only $1.69 per 32 fl oz. container!

Spice Up Your Food Life!

Eating healthy foods such as whole grains, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables are all very important in achieving a healthy lifestyle. Consuming healthy foods is essential but you're really missing out on some great health benefits if you don't utilize the multiple spices that are out in the world. Now spices don't have to be "hot" or "spicy" but can actually be savory or sweet. When you add spices to your meals it brings out interesting and foreign flavors to the food and spices can even alter the taste of the food and put it in another level of tastiness.

The first spice that you should definitely incorporate in your daily diet is adding cinnamon to your meals. The health benefits of adding cinnamon to your food includes lowering your blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol with people who have type 2 diabetes. You should have between 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon on cinnamon a few times a day (Roufos). You can add cinnamon to several foods and even drinks. The easiest way to add cinnamon is mixing it into your oatmeal in the morning, or in your non-fat latte or even in your plain coffee. Cinnamon can easily be added to baked goods such as muffins, cookies, and you can even add into pancake mix.

Another spice that is not as commonly used or as popular as cinnamon is turmeric. This spice is mostly used in Indian cuisine but you can also add it to brown or wild rice or even quinoa. At breakfast time you can sprinkle turmeric over your eggs or egg whites. It will change the color of your eggs to a yellowish tint, which makes things different and more interesting to the eyes and the taste buds. You can also add turmeric to salads and bring out the textures and flavors of the ingredients. When you go to the store to buy this spice make sure that it isn't mixed with curry powder and that it's just pure turmeric. When it's mixed with curry powder there is really not much turmeric present at all. Turmeric contains curcumin, which may prevent the growth of cancer cells. You should try to have about 500 to 800 milligrams a day (Roufos).

Rosemary is another important spice, but it can also be very potent and have a strong flavor. Rosemary is great when preparing a rub for a chicken or even in tomato sauce. Rosemary stops gene mutations that may lead to cancer and it can also help prevent damage to the blood vessels that can raise your risk of a heart attack (Roufos). Oregano is another spice that is widely used mainly in Italian cuisine such as pizza and tomato sauces. What a lot of people don't know is that oregano has the highest antioxidant activity of 27 fresh culinary herbs according to a new study done by the USDA (Roufos). You can buy fresh or dried oregano, both are great and flavorful and nice on top of a healthy slice of pizza.

My favorite spice is packed with nutritional benefits and tons of flavors and it's...garlic! Yes garlic is packed with magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, tryptophan, selenium, calcium, and vitamin B1 or thiamin (WHFoods: Garlic). Garlic is great because it can be used whole or crushed. When you're cooking a meal and incorporating crushed garlic to the recipe make sure that you don't add the garlic right away because if you add it too soon you'll lose all the flavor of the garlic and more importantly you'll lose a lot of the health benefits it possesses. Garlic has been shown to lower your LDL cholesterol, prevent the formation of cancer cells, and reduce the risk of heart attack and heart disease (WHFoods: Garlic). You should aim at having about a clove a day and that can easily be achieved because garlic can be used in so many different recipes and it tastes great by itself.

Ginger is another spice that has multiple health benefits. Ginger, much like rosemary, has a strong and requires an acquired taste to fully enjoy. You can buy crystallized ginger, which is simply pieces of ginger with some sugar dusted on it, and skip the ginger ale. Ginger ale may be made with real ginger but it also contains a ton of sugar and calories so go with the crystallized ginger instead. You can also use ginger powder and add it into your recipes. Ginger can also decrease motion sickness and nausea and it can relieve the pain and swelling of arthritis. Ginger also reduces the risk of blood clotting.

Another one of my all time favorite spices is paprika. I enjoy my food really spicy so paprika, red pepper flakes, and hot peppers are some of favorite cronies in my food life. I usually sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes over my food instead of using black pepper. I find the red pepper flakes have more of a punch flavor wise and spice wise. These spicy spices contain capsaicin which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidants that lower the risk of cancer. There is no recommended dose of these hot spices so if you like it hot spice it up!

Sources: (Roufos, Anna, Fitness Magazine, May 2006)
(WHFoods: Garlic, www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60)

Unthaw Yourself With These Healthy Cooking Alternatives

Do you often wish you could make delicious and flavorful meals at home but you assume that the recipe must incorporate a lot of butter, salt, and fats to taste good? Well there are ways to cook delicious, flavorful, and most importantly healthy meals throughout the week. I must say that it's easier just to pick up a frozen pizza or a "healthy option" frozen dinner at the supermarket, but you can make a much better version of these meals without taking much time.

The frozen dinners (even the supposedly healthier options) in the supermarket are loaded with fat, chemicals, calories, sugar, and most importantly salt. In order for these frozen meals to last and stay on the shelf they "need" these preservatives and chemicals in order to have a longer shelf life. Now I put the word need in quotes because honestly the food manufactures don't have to add a whole laundry list of chemicals and preservatives to preserve shelf life because these items are being purchased within a week, not years, or even decades! In my opinion there really isn't a need or purpose to add high fructose corn syrup or any other scientific chemical compound to preserve these frozen meals. The more preservatives the more sodium there is in the food. On average a frozen meal is over 50% of your daily recommended amount of sodium for the day and with many products the average amount of sodium is close to 100% of your whole days worth of sodium.

So in order to unthaw yourself from the frozen chains of the food manufacturers you have to learn and create healthier cooking alternatives. The most popular meals that I have at my house are pizza, chicken, salmon, and pasta. Now all of these meals are typically associated as being labeled as unhealthy food, but that's only because of the way the majority of the public prepares it. A lot of people enjoy cheesy pizza loaded with pepperoni and greasy sausage, deep fried chicken, farm raised salmon, and white pasta. You can still enjoy these foods and not feel the guilt that goes hand-in-hand with the fatty truth.

When you purchase a prepackaged frozen pizza it's convenient but you also have no control over what the ingredients are or how much of those ingredients are on the pizza. You can buy a package of multigrain or whole wheat dough from Whole Foods Market, that is loaded with fiber and only a few natural ingredients. After you roll out the dough you can make a great Margarita pizza. All you need is fresh basil, one whole onion, some fresh mozzarella (preferably the baseball form), and a can of no salt added crushed tomatoes. A lot of people use tomato sauce on their homemade pizza but the problem I have with jarred tomato sauce is the incredible amount of sugar in the sauce. When you pour almost a whole jar of tomato sauce you're getting a ton of added and hidden sugar and salt that you didn't expect to get. The can of crushed tomatoes gives the pizza a nice fresh, light, and refreshing taste.

Chicken is a very popular dish in many households but you have to be careful with the preparation of this bird. The one thing you want to avoid eating is the skin because it's just pure fat. When you're eating a chicken that's been deep fried you're eating all that fatty skin. In order to avoid the sinful skin of the chicken you can buy Belle and Evans organic skinless chicken breasts and bake it in the oven. You're probably thinking you still crave the crispy sensation from the deep fried skin, well you can still get that sensation without the fat! All you have to do is coat the chicken breasts with olive oil and then cover them with a mix of breadcrumbs (preferably Ian's Panko breadcrumbs), parsley, black pepper, and chopped garlic. Then all you have to do is bake the chicken in the oven and enjoy a great tasting and flavorful chicken dish without the added fat. If you're tired of having chicken you can always make falafel which is basically crushed chickpeas and parsley.

Salmon is a very healthy meal but if you're buying farm raised (Atlantic) salmon you're not getting all of the nutrients such as Omega 3 fatty acids as you would if you ate the wild salmon. Farmed raised salmon is very popular in restaurants but you can buy wild salmon in the frozen fish aisle in your supermarket. It's usually not much more money than farmed raised salmon and it has more Omega 3 fatty acids and less mercury and other potentially harmful compounds. I find it easy to buy and cook the wild salmon burger patties (found at Whole Foods Market). You can simply have it as a sandwich or in a salad (filled with fresh vegetables of course).

Boost Your Health With The Mighty Berry

There are so many different types of berries out there and you may be wondering which berries are the best to eat. The truth is all berries are good, but some people prefer sweet over tart, and the simple texture and taste of certain berries. One of my favorite berries is the blueberry because it has the most antioxidants when compared to other berries. Other berries have on average 3 or 4 antioxidants, while blueberries have 20 kinds of anthocyanin or antioxidants (arthritistoday.org). Antioxidants are essential for obtaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and they can also help infection, inflammation, and other bodily problems. Berries also contain phytochemicals and flavanoids that prevent several different types of cancer (nutrition.about.com).

Besides antioxidants, berries also have a great amount of fiber and other essential vitamins. A very common berry that people tend to consume is the strawberry, which is packed with more vitamin C than an orange in a single cup serving! Blackberries and raspberries are completely loaded with...drumroll...a total of 8 grams of fiber per one cup serving! Now that's an easy and delicious way to incorporate fiber into your daily diet. With the amount of fiber in berries you will be more satisfied and full and your digestive tract will also be regulated and that makes us all feel good. Berries can also boost your overall mood because they are packed with so much nutrients, so incorporate a serving of berries throughout your daily eating habits.

Incorporating berries into your daily eating habits is easier than you think, for example at breakfast you can add berries to just about anything you would normally eat such as oatmeal, cold cereal, or yogurt. At lunchtime you can add berries into your salad for added sweetness, flavor, and texture. The natural sweetness or tartness of the berry will make you use less salad dressing which cuts down on added calories. Even for a sweet snack or dessert, you can add your favorite berry or a whole variety of berries with some whipped cream or just by themselves in a small bowl. Your dessert can turn out to be one of the healthiest things you'll eat all day (now does that sound like the perfect world to you! Well welcome to the wonderful world of berries!). You don't have to worry if a berry is in season either because you're actually better off buying frozen berries, similar to choosing frozen vegetables, because they are frozen at the peak of their nutritional excellence.

The New and Improved Food Pyramid You Should Be Following

There's a new food pyramid that you should be following instead of the traditional food pyramid that we all know too well. The new and improved food pyramid that I'm referring to is called the Harvard food pyramid and yes it sounds just as smart as it is. As opposed to the traditional American food pyramid, the Harvard food pyramid emphasises exercise and daily physical activity in order to maintain a healthy and consistent weight. The older food pyramid on the other hand, emphasises carbs...hmmm which one do you think is correct so far? Next the Harvard pyramid suggests that people should consume more good oils such as canola and extra virgin olive oil along with whole grains. The older pyramid simply states that you should eat carbs, but what you should really be consuming are whole grains paired with good and heart healthy oils. I believe that people are becoming more and more confused with the old food pyramid because they think that eating carbs (white and empty) are healthy and should be consumed throughout the day. The first thing that people have to pay attention to is maintaining a healthy weight through daily exercise and not so much on eating their 6-11 servings of "carbs". The Harvard pyramid places the white/empty carbs at the very top of the pyramid instead of at the very bottom. The bad carbs are just as evil as fats and sweets and should only be eaten in moderation.

Another good piece of advice to follow from the Harvard pyramid is the next section which is fruits and vegetables. I really like the fact that they don't give you a serving suggestion to vegetables, they simply state in abundance. The pyramid does suggest eating only 2-3 servings of fruit a day which I also agree with because as opposed to vegetables fruit can pack a lot of natural sugar but don't worry because if you eat the skin from the fruit you'll counteract some of that sugar with the fiber from the skin. Tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and coconuts possess more natural sugars when compared to other fruits such as apples. The Harvard pyramid then suggests the importance eating of nuts and legumes. Nuts are essential for heart health and they possess a great amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (good fats), along with protein and antioxidants.

One of the most important and biggest difference between the two pyramids is how much meat, poultry, and fish a person should consume on a daily basis. The Harvard pyramid suggests that you should consume 0-2 servings a day while the traditional pyramid suggests that you should eat 2-3 servings of both meats and dairy products. Now your mouths are probably wide open with shock because you believe with all your heart that you should follow the traditional food pyramid because you've always been told that eating meat, poultry, fish, milk, and cheese was essential to achieving a healthy diet. The truth is that you can obtain a healthy diet without eating meats and dairy products everyday. Now I'm not saying to completely rid yourself of these products but just have them every once and a while instead of having 2-3 servings a day. You'll find that if you consume more whole grains (also see quinoa in earlier blog entries) and vegetables you won't have to eat meats and dairy products everyday.

The Harvard food pyramid also places some interesting categories outside of the pyramid. It suggests that alcohol should be consumed in moderation, given the statistics that drinking a glass of wine a day can lead to better heart health and has shown weight loss success in women. The other category outside of the pyramid is the use of multivitamins, this can include a variety of different vitamins and fish oil pills. I believe that the Harvard food pyramid is a great start to achieving a healthy lifestyle. The traditional food pyramid has some good information, but I think it lacks more information when compared with the Harvard pyramid. The traditional food pyramid can also be confusing to people (all the carbs being at the bottom of the pyramid) and it doesn't offer how to achieve a healthy lifestyle with daily exercise and weight management.

Are Artificial Sweeters Too Sweet For Their Own Good?

Artificial sweeterners such as Splenda, Aspartame, Sucralose, and now Stevia or Truvia are everywhere in today's food market. It has gotten to the point where certain products are now boasting that they're using real cane sugar or just regular sugar instead of using artificial sweeteners. Most products should only consist of real cane sugar, but in today's world that's not the case because of one simple thing: money. Aspartame for example is a $1 billion industry according to the article "Aspartame...A Killer!" by Johnson. The food industry are being bombarded with large and profitable companies that are supplying these artificial sweeteners because these companies have large amounts of money and stocks. The reality of the matter is that it's never about people's health but rather about how much money these companies can make. Another problem is we really don't know the complete side effects that these sweeteners will have on our health (especially newer sweeteners) until further research is conducted and also only time will tell.

Now it's time for a little history lesson about the artificial sweetener Aspartame which is found in thousands of food products in today's market. If you pick up a sugar-free or diet product the chances are very likely that it contains Aspartame in the list of ingredients. The sweeteners NutraSweet and Equal are other compounds that also contain Aspartame. Now how much of this chemical is in the product and how much can our bodies tolerate before we start seeing side effects? Well we simply don't know and that mystery could be giving us several diseases, disorders, and even some cancers.

According to Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, the authors of Skinny Bitch, "The FDA denied the approval of Aspartame eight times...and despite the fact that three out of six scientists advised against approval, the FDA Commissioner overruled the scientific review panel and allowed Aspartame to be approved in dry goods and later in beverages without further testing on the chemical. In 1996 Aspartame was full approved without restriction despite the 92 different symptoms that resulted from ingesting the chemical." Some of those symptoms filed by the FDA are pretty serious including "memory loss, migraines, nerve cell damage, reproductive disorders, blindness, joint pain, mental confusion, brain lesions, Alzheimer's, food cravings, hair loss, nervous system damage, and lastly weightgain".

Sucralose or otherwise known as Splenda is another dangerous artificial sweetener even though it is touted as being calorie free. Don't be fooled by the false safety of this sweetener because it is still just as dangerous as Aspartame. The good thing about Splenda is it contains 98 percent pure ingredients but the other 2 percent include small amounts of heavy metals, methanol, and arsenic, according to "The Potential Dangers of Sucralose" by Mercola. Splenda and sucralose also cause and propose significant heath risks such as organ, genetic, immune system, and reproductive damage along with swelling of the kidneys and liver according to Mercola's article "Splenda - Here We Go Again".

Along with the proposed dangers and health risks of these artificial sweeteners, they cause weight gain and a degree of addiction. Depending on the person, the addiction can vary but these chemicals are used to alter the taste of food and are reeking havoc on our digestive system and overall health. Stevia or Truvia is a newer sweetener that is supposed to be safer and more of a natural sweetener because it is derived from the Stevia plant. We have to be aware and cautious of this new sweetener because we cannot trust the food industry and manufactures, given their past record with the other sweeteners.

Making Healthier and Tastier Food Choices

Now we all love and crave sweets, carbs, sauces, and other tempting food choices that we secretly know that are not the best choices for our bodies. What if I told you that you could still eat those types of foods and not give up your favorites? You can do just that just by choosing healthier options that will even taste better to you. I can sense that you're probably not believing everything I'm preaching but the food suggestions that I'm going to mention have better ingredients and this will translate into you feeling healthier. Once you eliminate your poor food choices and replace them with these new and better choices, you will begin to want and actually crave these new foods.

• Better Food Choice #1: Frozen Yogurt

Regular ice cream is a major indulgence and has almost half of your days worth of saturated fat (about 10 grams out of 20) for the "average", or as I would call it the "recommended" serving. The serving is pretty much always half a cup, which the average person isn't having I would presume. Instead of having regular ice cream, try frozen yogurt. I know what you're thinking, frozen yogurt has little fat but too much sugar. Well this notion is true to an extent but it depends which frozen yogurt you purchase. I recommend Stoneyfield Frozen Yogurt because the ingredients are all good and the frozen yogurt is organic (which is an added plus). There is zero fat and only 100 calories per half cup serving as opposed to the real ice cream that has half of your days worth of saturated fat and double or triple the calories. The frozen yogurt may have a little more sugar than the regular ice cream but the sugar is not made from high fructose corn syrup, but it is instead composed of real organic cane sugar (wow something that's not chemically altered for a change). Another interesting fact that you might like to know is the Stoneyfield Frozen Yogurt is healthier than their own regular plain yogurt, so you really won't feel guilty after eating this (nutritious) treat. I recommend the After Dark Chocolate, or the Vanilla flavor (both together is unreal).

• Better Food Choice #2: 100% Whole Wheat and Quinoa

Rice is usually a staple when it comes to Chinese or Japanese cuisine or as a side dish with chicken or fish dinner. Rice is not always a nice food choice especially when the rice is white. According to nutritionist Natalie [www.nutritionbynatalie.com] (who I always take advice from), every time you see white carbs, just think to yourself if it's white then don't even think about taking a bite. White carbs such as white rice have very little if not any nutritional benefits because all of those natural nutrients have been stripped by the food manufacturers. Instead of eating white rice or pasta that are all empty calories with very little amounts of fiber and other essential nutrients, try 100% whole wheat pasta or Quinoa. Make sure the pasta says "100% whole wheat" in the ingredient list and not just on the front of the package! By having 100% whole wheat instead of white carbs you'll be making a much healthier food choice just by the amount of fiber and protein. Quinoa is a much better food choice than having white rice because Quinoa is a complete protein and has more fiber than white rice and in my opinion has a much better taste because it acts as a absorbent and soaks up all the flavors and juices of the main course you're having.

• Better Food Choice #3: Oatmeal

You've always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, well you've heard correct because it is indeed! The reason why eating a nutritious breakfast is so important is because it acts as your food foundation for the rest of your day. If you start your day with a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, and most importantly fiber then the food choices and the amount that you eat later in the day can be controlled. Ideally you should eat within the first hour of waking up so your metabolism can start up. If you think about it your body has been in hibernation over the night hours and it's craving something full of nutrients to fuel up again. The poor choice that many people make is not having breakfast at all and that only leads to bad food choices and overeating throughout the days. Your body will crave carbs so it can get the energy it originally wanted in the morning hours, so many people overindulge in carbs (and usually not the good carbs). The best advice that I can give is to eat oatmeal in the morning. You should purchase the regular, old fashioned Irish oats or the steel cut oats. The colorful prepackaged and individually wrapped package oat meals are filled with terrible ingredients and pack a ton of sugar and calories with little traces of fiber, so avoid those tempting boxes and get the plain oats. Now I don't have to talk too much about other box cereals with the colorful animal characters, yes we all think they're cute but don't eat their chemically altered neon colored treats. When you make the oatmeal you can add frozen berries (blue/black/raspberry/strawberry) along with Cinnamon and ground up flax seeds. The berries supply fiber and antioxidants plus one of your servings of fresh fruit. The Cinnamon can help manage your blood sugar levels and also help your circulatory system to your heart. The flax seeds are packed with Omega-3's and fiber. All in all, you'll feel full and ready for the rest of your day beginning on the right and nutritious foot.

• Better Food Choice #4: Hummus
  

Hummus can be used not only as a simple dip for chips and crackers but can also replace butter, sugary spreads, cream cheese and even mayonnaise. There are different types of hummus on the market today and each one has a different taste and texture to it. If you prefer a creamier texture then I would suggest Joseph's Hummus or Cedar's Hummus spreads. If you like a more coarse and grainy texture then your best bet is Tribe Hummus. I love to mix a can of tuna with the creamy texture of the Joseph's Hummus in place of mayonnaise. The hummus has zero saturated fat and contains more fiber and protein from the natural chick peas. Try replacing your sugary and unhealthy spreads with hummus, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and will forget all about your past food accomplices.

Get Your Kids Eating Healthy and Save Them From The Obesity Crisis

Let me start out by addressing the childhood obesity crisis with this statistic: According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 16% of children (that's over 9 million) 6-19 year olds are either overweight or obese. This number has tripled since 1980, and in addition to this 16% of children, another 15% are highly at risk of becoming overweight and later on becoming obese. Everyone has seen this first hand in some shape or form in their everyday lives. Even just walking around a mall, movie theatre, or public area you can the disgusting and deadly American eating habits that we're teaching to our children. The issue of childhood obesity is becoming so dire and important of an issue that the first lady is addressing and acting to solve the ever growing problem in this country. We have to make a change in how and what we tell our children about what nutrition is and how it can actually taste good. Change is something that parents do not want to endure but parents also have to look at this country and their overweight or obese children and admit that something has to change and the solution to this problem is having parents learning how to cook nutritious meals and know what to purchase at the supermarket that their children and family will eat and most importantly enjoy.

Zero Doesn't Always Equal Zero

While shopping in the grocery store parents must realize that mostly all the cheap and sale items are usually in the front and most convenient aisles, and they don't do this to make your life easier but so you will buy their unhealthy products that have mostly zero nutritional benefits. These foods in the grocery store are always full of unhealthy options like processed food that are full of chemicals, dyes, saturated fat, terrible oils, and trans fats. Even if the package professes that it contains zero grams of trans fats, don't completely believe what you see because food manufacturers do not have to post the existence of trans fatty acids on food labels if the food has less than .5 grams per serving. Now the key words here are Per Serving meaning if you have more than the recommended serving then you could easily be eating several grams of trans fat. Trans fatty acids are a derivative of margarine and other highly processed oils such as partially hydrogenated oils. If the product suggests that it contains zero grams of trans fat and it has partially hydrogenated oils in it then it contains trans fats.

What to Avoid and What to Follow

Now that you're out of those aisles you must remember to look at food labels and understand what they mean. If you cannot decode a nutritional label then you should not be shopping for anybody. Try restricting your purchases to have less than 2.5 grams of saturated fat, less than 300 mg of sodium, less than 200 calories, and most importantly the product should have very few ingredients and ingredients that are familiar to you (these numbers are an estimate and only a general guideline to follow, but it varies on what the product is). You don't want a laundry list of ingredients full of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup. Don't be easily fooled by the 100 calorie snacks either because they may have 100 calories but they usually have a lot of ingredients that are chemically altered. Also try to avoid sugar free products because they are composed of sucralose or aspartame, which are regulated by the FDA but in my opinion shouldn't be.

Some Healthy Tips to Healthy Eating For Your Children and Family

Now that you're ready to accept change for the better you can start buying better products for you and your family that will translate into losing and maintaining a healthy weight and improving your overall mood and mental health. While shopping try to buy whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. You can also buy frozen vegetables for two good reasons; they are generally more nutritious and frozen at their peak of nutritional greatness and they also last longer when they are frozen. Try to steam your vegetables because then you will get the most nutrients out of them. Give your children whole fruit instead of fruit drinks because those drinks are filled with as much sugar as soda. Sure you're getting antioxidants and other vitamins but if you're not getting any fiber which counteracts the natural sugars in the whole fruit. So with the whole fruit your children are getting vitamins and fiber, which will counteract the natural sugar (which is still much less than fruit drinks). Another great meal option for your family is making Quinoa (keen-wah) in replacement of chicken or turkey. The Quinoa is a complete protein and it will make your children full the same way that meat does. Now you can still have chicken and turkey, but try to replace them with a whole grain such as Quinoa maybe a few times a week and see how you feel. You can add mixed steamed vegetables or even make a ratatouille which is filled with all of your favorite vegetables.

Now Playing, Triple F: Feel Full Faster

Have you ever had the feeling that you wanted to just feel full already and make your stomach stop growling and craving more food? Well I think that everyone has had this dilemma at some time in their life, but few of us have successfully tamed our stomachs and most important our minds into believing that we're actually full even when we're craving more food. We have to dissect this problem by looking at the stomach of course, but also the brain. In order for your stomach to feel the complete sensation of fullness, the brain must also understand that you mentally no longer want to eat. At this moment you will feel full and have no more cravings or sudden urges to stuff your face. There are several ways to achieve the goal of feeling full faster and most importantly prevent overeating. Here are a few tips you can try to help your stomach and your brain get on the same page.

Tip #1: Chew your food slowly and multiple times.

This is a very useful tip but it is also one of the hardest tips to follow in my opinion because in order to practice and use this tip you have to have a strong will power. For example, imagine your stomach is empty and your blood sugar is very low and the only goal you have in mind is to eat any thing and everything in sight. Well few of us would think to restrain ourselves and remember to chew every bite at least 15-20 times. I suggest trying this tip at dinner time when your blood sugar is at a normal level and you're not a complete food zombie. By chewing your food more, you'll realize that you enjoy and savor the flavors and textures of the food more rather than shoveling it down your throat and you'll feel full (mentally and physically).

Tip #2: Snack on whole foods before a meal.

This tip is for all of us who have little or no will power whatsoever. Before your about to eat a large meal (or so you think), try eating some snacks before hand and you'll feel fuller faster. Now you can't eat any snack you want like potato chips, cookies, processed crackers, or nachos, no those items (I'm not even gonna refer to them as food) are junk not snacks. Now what you can eat is fiber rich snacks such as 100% whole wheat or rye crackers (Wasa crackers are a good choice), about a handful of almonds/walnuts/pecans, carrots/broccoli/celery, and some hummus of your choice for dipping the crackers and veggies into.

Tip #3: Replace those fries for it's predecessor, the simple potato.

A major problem that people make is choosing poor and unhealthy side dishes at dinner or even lunch time. The problem lies in the fact that we're so used to eating fried foods such as french fries instead of having let's just say a potato. Instead of making poor choices, you can make better side item choices by serving sweet potatoes, a side of black beans, or a side of Quinoa. All of these side dishes are loaded with protein and fiber so you'll eat less and feel fuller faster (Triple F strikes again). You can be creative now and add any spices, seasonings, or sauces to you side items, on the other hand when all you could put on those nasty fries were sodium and sugar (high fructose corn syrup) loaded ketchup. Personally, I add Cinnamon to my cooked sweet potato, it gives it a nice spice and flavor similar to brown sugar but without being too sweet. If you really want and are seriously craving french fries try cutting up a sweet potato into similar french fry shapes and bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until cooked to your liking.