Tired of meetings and office get togethers where the only food on offer is cake, Danish, pizza, biscuits and other high fat snacks?
There's no need to feel unsociable or avoid these gatherings while you are trying to lose weight, if you plan ahead. Keeping nutritious snacks at the office can help you achieve your weight loss goals while everyone around you is letting their guard down.
Here are ideas about what to keep handy:
Water Bottle:
Most offices these days have water coolers where you can get yourself a glass of cool refreshing water whenever you want. The problem is, that sometimes you get so busy that you can go hours without filling your empty glass.
Drinking water is far too important to your overall health and weight loss aspirations to leave to chance and having a decent sized bottle of water at your desk all the time will help insure you're getting enough.
The other great benefit of using a large bottle instead of glasses or cups of water is that you can easily track how much you've consumed during your day. Having plenty of water within your reach at all times will keep you well hydrated and help you avoid the office munchies by keeping your stomach nice and full.
Fruit:
Each couple of days, bring a bag of fresh fruit to the office and store it at your desk. Try to be adventurous; don't just stick with the common fare of apples and mandarins. Berries, grapes, mangos and kiwi fruit will keep for several days, more if you have access to an office refrigerator, and provide variety to whet your appetite for something other than chocolate biscuits.
If you have a blender, take it to work with you and create a wonderful smoothie or fruit cocktail made with banana, pear, apple, pineapple, strawberries, orange juice and ice. Store it in the office fridge and it will stay good for a whole day or more.
Nutritious Snack or Protein bars:
You can also use these as meal replacements, but be careful to read the labels. Many "nutritional bars" are nothing more than candy bars in deceptive packaging. Stay well away from those with high levels of sugar and fat.
Vegetables:
Bring a couple of small ziplocked bags of sliced carrot, celery sticks or your favorite veggies.
Low-fat cottage cheese/low sugar yogurt:
Small containers of these on hand will provide nutritional meal options.
Ricecakes:
A bag of low-sodium ricecakes tucked away can satisfy a need to eat something crunchy. Just stay away from the ones loaded with flavored sugar coating.
Toothbrush/Mouthwash:
Apparently, this is an age old competitive bodybuilding trick. During pre-contest dieting, some bodybuilders attempt to deflect the temptation to eat blacklisted foods within reach by brushing their teeth. As you can imagine, the last thing they would want to do after brushing with minty toothpaste or gargling with mouthwash would be to eat a piece of chocolate or lollies. Not bad for keeping your breath fresh, too.
Utensils:
Make sure you have a serving or two of utensils at your desk, along with something to cut your food if needed.
Thermal-Lunch-bags:
If you don't have a fridge or cooking facilities at work, take an insulated lunch-bag or thermal to work. The lunch-bag will keep your fruit, sandwiches and other nutritional snacks safe and fresh until your ready to eat and a thermal is perfect for taking healthy vegetable soups to work for that perfect winter snack.
The first step to staying on track with your eating program, particularly at work, is planning ahead. You don't have the power to control what your co-workers bring into the office, but you can help ward off temptation by stocking up on a few items of your own.
Remember, the point is to not make your own desk resemble a supermarket aisle, but to have enough options on hand in order to substitute for the really bad stuff should the need arise.
Minggu, 23 November 2008
Fast-food ad ban may cut obesity in kids
WASHINGTON - Banning fast-food advertising on television in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 percent, researchers said on Wednesday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 13.9 percent of children aged 2 to 5 are overweight, 18.8 percent of those aged 6 to 11 are and more than 17 percent of those 12 to 19.
But the team at the National Bureau of Economic Research questioned whether it would be practical to impose that kind of government regulation -- something only Sweden, Norway and Finland have done.
"We have known for some time that childhood obesity has gripped our culture, but little empirical research has been done that identifies television advertising as a possible cause," said economist Shin-Yi Chou of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
"Hopefully, this line of research can lead to a serious discussion about the type of policies that can curb America's obesity epidemic."
For their study, funded in part by the federal government, Chou and colleagues used data on nearly 13,000 children from the 1979 Child-Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, both issued by the U.S. Department of Labor.
"The advertising measure used is the number of hours of spot television fast-food restaurant advertising messages seen per week," they wrote in the Journal of Law and Economics.
"Our results indicate that a ban on these advertisements would reduce the number of overweight children ages 3-11 in a fixed population by 18 percent and would reduce the number of overweight adolescents ages 12-18 by 14 percent."
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The percentages have been steadily rising.
Television watching is also known to raise obesity rates, both because children exercise less and because it can interfere with sleep.
Cheap eats: 7 diet tips from ‘Loser’ nutritionist
By Cheryl Forberg, R.D., for Prevention
Even on a good day, a nutritionist hears complaints about how much more expensive it is to eat healthy. I decided this is the perfect time to share ideas on how to eat healthy without breaking your food budget. Incorporating a few of these tips into your weekly routine can really save you some dough.
Buy in bulk
Bulk items are usually cheaper. That’s because there’s no expensive packaging included. Those savings are passed directly on to you. You also have the freedom to choose how much or how little to buy each time. Best buys include whole grains, dried beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, and cereals. Some health food stores sell spices in bulk as well.
Go seasonal
Out-of-season fruits and vegetables are sometimes imported, expensive and often tasteless. Plan menus and choose recipes around what's currently in season. You’ll enjoy better flavor AND lower prices, especially at this time of year.
Shop locally
Local grocers carry plenty of regional produce. Farmers markets are a great source for healthy bargains too. For the best deals, shop often and look for end-of-the-day specials.
Grow your own
Slash your spending even further by supplementing your produce purchases with homegrown items. If you don’t have space for a garden, you can at least grow your own herbs. Plant your favorites in small pots near the kitchen. Take a snip or two as needed.
Make it from scratch
Yes, it takes more time, but preparing a dish at home rather than picking up a pre-made version can save up to 50% or more. It also ensures your dish is healthier because you dictate the amount of oil or salt it contains. And best of all, this guarantees no hidden preservatives.
Shop the outer aisles
In most markets you'll find the healthiest ingredients on the perimeter of the store — fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins including fish and chicken, and fat-free and low-fat dairy products. The inner aisles contain most of the processed foods, including soda, candy, chips and snack foods. Aside from the fact that they contain empty calories, they also take a big (and unnecessary) bite from your food budget.
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