Whole Eggs for Weight Loss

Whole Eggs for Weight Loss

In his article The 20 Most Weight Loss Friendly Foods on the Planet (authoritynutrition.com), author Kris Gunnars discusses foods that may be helpful to weight loss. His article references specific scientific studies, which is great for those of us who crave documentation. The first item on his list is eggs.

Eggs are a natural, protein-rich food that are also low in calories. A large egg has only 70 calories. They are also the perfect breakfast food. Starting your day with a protein based meal keeps you satisfied longer, and helps your body burn more calories throughout the day. If you want to lose weight, a protein based breakfast is a great place to start.

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For a healthy start to your day, poach your eggs. If you want to liven things up a bit, fill a skillet three-fourths full with water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to help the eggs hold their shape. Now, here’s where things get crazy. Add a teaspoon of salt and a cup of frozen mixed vegetables to the water. The vinegar will brighten their flavor. If you don’t want to use vinegar, you can substitute another acid, like lemon or lime juice. Bring the water to a boil and add your eggs. Let the water simmer gently for four minutes, then use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs to a warm plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then using the same slotted spoon, top with the mixed vegetables. For a variation, you could drizzle the vegetables with a little extra virgin olive oil. If you’re concerned about using too much, use an aerosol bottle like Misto.

Maybe you’d prefer your eggs fried. Using a non-stick pan and a quick spritz of cooking spray, you could turn the ingredients above into an omelet. Cook the vegetables in the microwave first, according to the package directions, and drain them before adding them to the pan. And you could still drizzle the finished omelet with olive oil, if you cared to.

Not in the mood for an omelet? Spritz a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-low heat. In the meantime, cook your vegetables in the microwave according to the package directions. When the vegetables are done, drain them and set aside. Turn your skillet up on high and add the eggs. Wait one minute, and then cover the skillet and turn off the heat for one minute. While you wait, arrange your vegetables on your plate, and then add the eggs. If you prefer your egg yolks runny, turn off the heat and wait 30 seconds. If you prefer the yolks firmer, let stand for a minute and a half.

No matter how you choose to cook your eggs, experiment and have fun with the preparation. Choose the ideal foods for your particular weight loss plan, and enjoy the journey.

16 Ways to Lose Weight

16 Ways to Lose Weight

In her article, 16 Ways to Lose Weight (Health magazine) author Jessica Girdwain features small tweaks that anyone can make which can lead to significant weight loss. The small changes work better than big ones, since people tend to rebel against big changes, even when they themselves have decided to pursue them.

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Out of the tweaks she has provided, the one I think is most important is having breakfast. A small breakfast that includes a balance of protein and carbohydrates is one of the best things you can do, because it boosts your metabolism and regulates your blood sugar levels.

Another tweak is to make better choices in snacks. Have a clear-out of your pantry and get rid of all the high carb, high fat snacks that are keeping you tired and unhealthy. Instead of buying those same snacks, switch to a healthier choice option that has a good balance of carbs and protein, like roasted nuts or kelp crisps. A sweet option might be a protein bar or a cereal bar, as long as it has that good balance of carbs and protein, and is not too high in sugar.

Another tweak is to add more vegetables to your diet. This is easier than it sounds. When making your food, simply add another cup of vegetables to the recipe. The extra fiber will fill you up faster, keep you regular, and provide extra nutrients.

Finally, if you are wanting to add some physical activity to your life, but don’t think you have time to join a gym, try yoga. Get some comfortable, loose fitting clothes and set aside 20 minutes. With practice, you will become stronger and more flexible, and you won’t be shelling out a load of money for exercise equipment that you hang your clothes on.

Small tweaks to your daily regimen can lead to big weight loss.

February is Heart Health Month

February is Heart Health Month

February is Heart Health month, and Herbalife is here to help with products designed to keep your heart beating in tune with your personal drummer. These products address the macro-nutrients associated with heart health. The first macro-nutrient is well known, and that’s water. I won’t talk about water here. We all know we should be drinking it. But if you don’t like the taste of water, and want to drink something to keep yourself hydrated and help you lose weight, too, try Herbal Concentrate Tea.

Fish Oil (Herbalifeline and Tri-Shield)

The first time I remember seeing anything about fish oil was a commercial on television. It was touting the low incidence of heart disease associated with the traditional Inuit diet, which is high in fat. That was so long ago, I don’t remember what year it was.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the compounds from fish oil that provide the benefits. Eating two servings of cold water, fatty fish each week is slightly better than taking a fish oil product daily, but if your diet doesn’t include two servings a week, a supplement is fine. The daily dose of fish oil is no more than 3000mg. You should talk to your doctor if you want to take more than that. Too much fish oil can cause nausea and diarrhea.

Some companies make a krill oil product. Krill is a small, shrimp-like animal from the Antarctic. Krill oil provides many of the same benefits as fish oil, but it also decreases inflammation and makes platelets less sticky, which helps reduce the formation of blood clots. It takes much less krill oil to provide the same benefit as much larger dose of fish oil. Because of this, people who have trouble swallowing pills prefer krill oil over fish oil.

Garlic (Mega Garlic Plus)

Garlic has been used in food and as medicine since ancient times. Garlic is used to help maintain blood pressure and to make blood vessels suppler, which can be useful in slowing the progression hardening of the arteries. Garlic is further used to help reduce cholesterol. There is no unifying medical theory that shows why garlic works, and although the medical community acknowledges the use of garlic as medicine, there is no agreement on its effectiveness.

Garlic is most effective when it’s crushed so that the compounds inside can mix. When garlic is heated above 140F, some of these compounds are destroyed. I love garlic, and I would eat it every day if I could. Of course, I’d be sleeping alone if I did. But everything has its own limits. How much is too much? 3 heads of raw garlic every day for 30 days for a 140lb person would prove fatal to the liver, as well as cause severe anemia.

Nitric Oxide (Niteworks)

Do a search on nitric oxide, and the first results you see are for supplement ads.  Nitric oxide is big business. It was originally thought to be a component of air pollution until its role in the body was discovered in 1980. In 1998, three American scientists were awarded the Nobel prize in Medicine for their research its role in the cardiovascular system. One of those scientists was Dr. Lou Ignarro.
Nitric oxide is naturally occurring in the body. It relaxes and opens the blood vessels.
Nitric oxide supplements supply two amino acids which promote the production of nitric oxide in the body.

All three of these macro-nutrients have other functions in the body besides heart health, including immune system support and memory function. This February, be good to yourself and good to your heart. After all, you can’t beat a healthy heart.