What a Healthy Diet Looks Like with Dr. Oz

What a healthy diet should look like: Inside and outside of the body!

Spinach May Help Reduce Stress

Spinach is low in calories, yet high in vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Spinach contains magnesium that helps reduce the effects of stress on the body by keeping your blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in North Carolina. By eating 3 cups of spinach, you consume 40 percent of your body’s daily magnesium needs.
1 cup of raw spinach contains:
• 7 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams cholesterol
• 24 mg sodium
• 1 gram fiber
• 1 gram protein
• 56% daily value of Vitamin A
• 14% daily value of Vitamin C
• 5% daily value of Iron
• 3% daily value of Calcium
• It also contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
photo credit: Clearly Ambiguous

Eat to Lose Weight

Some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but this practice is more likely to cause a weight gain. Eating breakfast actually reduces your overall calorie intake. Studies have shown that thinner adults, adolescents and children are more likely to eat breakfast than their overweight counterparts. Skipping breakfast makes weight control more difficult because it makes snacking harder to resist and skippers typically eat larger meals during the rest of the day to compensate for their hunger. Some studies have shown that people who eat fewer, larger meals tend to accumulate more body fat. Eating breakfast also improves your performance during the day. Sometimes teens, especially girls, will skip breakfasts to lose weight. It is important for parents to educate their children on the importance of eating breakfast and its role in maintaining good health and preventing obesity. It’s also very important for children to eat breakfast instead of sleeping in. Studies show that kids who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more than kids who eat breakfast. If you still don’t have time to make breakfast for your kids, consider enrolling them in a school breakfast program. Remember—eating breakfast is important no matter what your age!
photo credit: lepiaf.geo

Attention Carbo-phobes!

Many people have bought into the Atkins Diet mindset—thinking that carbs are bad for you. Well, good news! You can dig into a bowl of pasta without guilt! New data from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois suggests that a substance called glutamic acid found in grains may be good for your heart. They found that people who consumed more of this amino acid had lower blood pressure. Other foods also contain this particular amino acid, but to a much lesser degree. A cup of macaroni has five times more glutamic acid than broccoli. Pasta also contains more calories, so to get the most nutrition for the calories, eat whole grains. Look for whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole grain breads. Whole grains also contain significant amounts of fiber and B vitamins, which are also good for your heart and your digestion. Whole grains keep your energy levels more stable than refined carbs.
photo credit: visualpanic

Apples a Healthy Appetite Suppressants

A question that I seem to get often is "are there any safe appetite suppressants?"  And usually there is an advertisement that they have read or some bizarre herbal remedy that is supposed to cure all their weight issues with by taking a pill.

However, while I do not suggest any of those products or herbal remedies; (in fact I would suggest that you will benefit your body more if you run in the opposite direction) but there is one natural appetite suppressant that occurs naturally in apples.  Apples have a lot of phytochemicals that benefit the body and they just happen to help suppress the appetite a bit.  In college I had an interesting discovery.   I could buy a large Fugi Apple(my favorite) and a orange from the grocery store and if I ate the orange first I could then finish off the apple or at least be close to it. However, if i ate the apple first I would feel full enough that I wouldn't feel hungry enough to want to peel the orange.

Now granted I would pick out the largest Fugi apple I could find because they were my favorite.  But I would find it would hold me over if I didn't have time to go and get lunch till much later in the day.  Later one of my wellness professors talked about the benefits of doing an "apple fast" to reset the metabolism for a day.  While I don't think I'll be signing up for an apple fast anytime soon I think the old saying has more benefits than we give it credit.  An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  While it may not keep the doctor away you my find that it has a positive impact on the waist line over time.
photo credit: leoncillo sabino

Dr Oz Helps a Man Change His Lifestyle and Save His Life

Amazing changes can be made when lifestyle changes are made.  Rocco a meat loving cowboy makes drastic changes for drastic results!

Calorie Bomb for Breakfast

Having a big breakfast can help carry you through the day and can even aid in weight loss. Make sure you get the most out of the calories you have for breakfast, or it could backfire on you. A breakfast that includes carbs and lean protein and comes in around 600 calories is the best for losing weight.
A sausage, egg and cheese sandwich with a latte packs 1,140 calories and 54 grams of fat. These are the culprits:
• Medium vanilla latte: 330 calories
• Bagel with cheese baked in: 340 calories, 6 grams fat
• Sausage: 210 calories, 20 grams fat
• Butter: 100 calories, 12 grams fat
Healthy alternatives for a big breakfast:
• 2 Kashi GoLean Strawberry Flax waffles with 2 tbsp. peanut butter on them, 1 banana, 8 ounces of skim milk: 539 calories, 20 grams fat
• Mexican omelet (2 eggs, ¼ cup shredded mozzarella, 4 tbsp. chunky salsa), 1 whole wheat English muffin, 1 orange, small nonfat cappuccino: 527 calories, 17 grams fat
• Parfait (6 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt, ¼ cup Bear Naked Apple Cinnamon granola, ¼ cup raw almonds, 1 cup berries), coffee with skim milk: 535 calories, 24 grams fat

Source: Beware the 1.140-Calorie Breakfast! Glamour Magazine, September 2009
photo credit: orangeacid

The Mental Game to Eating Healthy

A few weeks ago I was talking to an individual who was really struggling at making good food choices.  There were just too many tempting foods that he was falling victim too and it was effecting him reaching his health goals.  Chances are there are a few things we know we should be doing better with our food choices.  With the gentleman that I was working with all we did was put into place one strategy(which has served him well these last few weeks, he has dropped several pounds!!).

The strategy is simple: "Think before you eat".  You may say well duh!  But it amounts to this there are so many good tasting foods out there unless the food is going to benefit your body why put it in??  I can go down a pint of ice cream which will taste good but we all know there isn't any health benefit from that, in fact its likely I will put on some weight.  However, I can go make a fruit smoothie where I can enjoy those nice fruit flavors and cold creamy texture and benefit my health with all those nutrients.  Sure there maybe times where some of those not so healthy foods are worth it to me.  I may decide to have a small piece of pie on my birthday or other very special occasions.  It may be worth it to me, or it may not be.  But being deliberate and analyzing each food item that you put into your body in this light may help you make some positive headway on your healthy eating goals.  photo credit: Just a Temporary Measure

Little Berry Has Big Benefits

As the U.S. continues to face an obesity crisis due to a lack of healthy diets, Dr. Sean Kenniff reports on a West African berry which makes healthy foods such as spinach or broccoli taste like candy.


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TV Dinner or family dinner?

Yale University did a series of experiments to test the effects of TV food commercials. They found children between the aged 7 to 11 who watched 30 mins of cartoon with food commercials ate 45 percent more snack food. The increased amount of snacking could lead to a weight gain of 10 pounds a year, may be it's time to turn off the TV and have a good old fashion dinner with the family. What do you think?
photo credit: 416style

15 Foods That Burns More Calories Than They Contain

lHere are 15 treats that actually burn more calories in their digestion than they offer.

• Celery


• Oranges


• Strawberries


• Tangerines


• Grapefruit


• Carrots


• Apricots


• Lettuce


• Tomatoes


• Cucumbers


• Watermelon


• Cauliflower


• Apples


• Hot Chili Peppers


• Zucchini

photo credit: the tria

4 Tips to Avoid Weekend Weight Gain

Weekends can be a great time to get in some extra exercise, prepare healthy food for the week, and get some much needed relaxation time in.  However depending on what is going on in your life it also can be a time of weight gain.  The neighbors BBQ, the girls movie night(this can often turn into a junk food fest), and the birthday party that you just couldn't get out of; may not be easy on your waist line.  Here are a few tactics to help you stay more conscious during the weekend:

Weigh in either Friday morning or Saturday morning depending on which day your weekend is officially going to start and know that you are going to do the same thing Monday morning.  This will give you some extra accountability.

Plan on eating a light meal(lots of fruits and veggies) before you go over to an event.  This way you will not be hungry and be tempted to eat a lot of those high calorie junk foods.

Offer to bring something specific; this can be a new healthy recipe, a salad or fruit tray.  This will give you a healthy option and may start the next trend with your friends.

Plan events or activities that will involve movement or getting some extra exercise.  A few ideas would be getting a group of people together for a afternoon hike or meeting at the community pool for a swim.  If the heat has been really bad you may want to plan going to a rink to roller skate/blade.
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Video Health Tip Ep4 - Exercise & Antidepressants

YzFIT Ep4 - Exercise & Antidepressants from YzFIT on Vimeo.

Power Smoothie, Boost your Immune System

Do you have a good blender?  Have you been putting it to good use?

One of the simplest and most enjoyable beverages can also be very good for you (if you are putting in the right things) and a very enjoyable summer treat.  The benefit of blending is that you get the whole food; all the fiber and nutrients in a broken down form.  Because of being broken down it makes it easy for the body to finish breaking it down and for the body to absorb all the nutrients.

There are many different ways you can make a smoothie, but ill share with you what I put in mine.  This simple smoothie is low in calories and high in nutrients, great for boosting the immune system and help eliminating some extra calories if replacing a meal.

2 cups mixed frozen fruit (I usually buy a mixed bag, warning- Black Berries & Raspberries have seeds and will make it gritty)

1 Ripe Banana (the more brown spots the better, this makes it sweeter)

2 Handfuls of spinach fresh or frozen

Water to blend or sometimes Almond milk (water keeps it even lower in calories)

The reason for the spinach is to increase the amount of nutrients I am consuming and I find it keeps me from being hungry longer.  Because of the nice ripe banana you can't taste the spinach although it does make it a funky color.  If color bothers you put a lid on it and you wont even notice =) If your blender is not amazing place the spinach and water in first to blend then add the fruit.  Fruit chunks are fine, but who wants green chunks!  If you are going to be making a lot of smoothies you may want to invest in a high powered blender such as a Vita-mix, BlendTec, or some other industrial blender.  I've found it to be totally worth the investment!


photo credit: tiffanywashko

Video Health Tip - Ep3 - 2% Milk

Avoid Weight Gain While Traveling

Traveling is a big part of our culture.  And it is not just a luxury but often times a necessity to decrease stress and rejuvenate from a hectic work schedule.  Personally I am returning from a wonderful weekend in Chattanooga with lots of friends.  But like every traveler I face the same obstacle how to enjoy my trip and not gain weight.  So I thought I would share some tips that I use to avoid gaining the travelers bulge.
photo credit: Gúnna

1. Avoid "junk food"!  chips and soda may travel well but it's calories will travel with you a lot longer.  Good alternatives bring snacks such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumbers, and radishes.

2. When choosing a restaurant think about where you know you can get some nutrition not just a low calories meal; think fresh fruit and vegetables.

3. If you are eating with friends or family make the conversation and the company the center of attention not the meal.  I am not saying that you should not be paying attention to what you are eating(you should be careful when putting food on your plate, focus on good foods and a portion control if only high calorie foods are available ).  What I am saying is that if the conversations and the people are the focus you will eat slower, feel full sooner and not over eat.

4. If fast food is a must look up nutrition information before hand, know what you are taking in.

5. Plan activities that keep you moving.  This trip we played Frisbee, went walking, and some even canoed!

6. Make sure that you are getting real exercise! Schedule it in, even if it is only 10-15 minutes here and there, getting some solid (pushing yourself) strength training as well as aerobic activity will help burn some extra calories and keep you on track to get right back on your normal routine when you return home.

Is your TV a snack sacrificial altar?

We are creatures of habits, according to Yale University, if you watch food ads on TV , you consumed 45 percent more snacks, that increased amount of snacking would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year! So pay attention to yourself next time when you watch TV, see if you can catch yourself walking towards the pantry or refrigerator. Remember, no one gains 10 pounds in a day, every little steps you take help prevent weight gain. Do you have any anti snacking tips? Share them in the comment area!

photo credit: ginnerobot

Are you an emotional eater?

I think we should be more self aware, to understand why we do what we do. For me, I tend to snack when I'm watching TV, therefore my activity trigger my snacking habit. Are you an emotional eater? Do you find yourself eating based on your mood? Here's a great article by Jillian Michaels - the Biggest Loser trainer, she made a great point about emotional eating:

We are always willing to justify eating crap by saying, "I had a rough day. I deserve this." Deserve what? Heart disease? Cellulite? Diabetes? Come on! Would you reward your loved ones this way? I bet not. What do I do to make myself feel better?

Here's the full article.  photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Women's battle with weight & Image

MSNBC just recently reported a poll showing that women are considerably more concerned about their weight than their physical health.  While sure our society places a high priority on being thin and appearance but we as a culture need grasp the fact that its not just about size but about quality and length of life.  Skinny women are not always healthy.  Yes maintaining a health weight is important to health but its just that, important to health.  If you are a woman reading this please know that you are valuable and that weight is just that, weight.  Take care of yourself because you are valuable.  A great place to start is nutrition.  The poll reported that only 8% of the women eat the recomended amounts of fruits and vegetables.  Both fruits and vegetables are nutrient rich and low in calories.  Set a goal of increasing the amount of servings of fruits and vegetables you eat daily.  Keep a little journal for accountability.  You will feel better and be on your way to a healthier lifestyle and waistline.

photo credit: Duru...

Recent news attributes nations weight gain to excess food, not lack of exercise

Recently in a paper presented at the European Congress on Obesity, researchers attributed weight gain in America solely to the increase of calorie consumption and not lack of exercise. Article While this study clearly shows that we are consuming too many calories I really hope it doesn't dissuade individuals wanting to lose weight from also starting a good exercise program.  Consistent exercise has been shown to be a key in disease prevention and longevity.  So what do you think about the study?