Research: Star anise may assist with weight loss.
Star anise may assist in weight loss by changing the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. There are many potential bioactive compounds in nature. Salicylates…
Nutrition
List: Seventeen Tips to Avoid the All-or-Nothing Mentality
Seventeen ways to avoid the all-or-nothing pitfall.
All-or-nothing usually ends in nothing but diet failure. The all-or-nothing mentality is the enemy of successful weight loss or maintenance. Unfortunately, this type of mentality leads to unrealistic expectations. Recently, I was required to take a trip for work. This trip required that I take a flight and you know airplane food is the most healthy food on earth. Of course, many of us feel that we paid for the food so we must eat the food so just like them, I ate the food that was served to me. I immediately felt regret and guilt. I took the rest of the trip off and soon spiraled. One week of a required work trip soon became the nightmare of binge and splurge.
Research: Cloves may inhibit fat deposition and lower insulin resistance
Cloves may reduce both fat deposition and insulin resistance.
Clove is one of the many key spices used in Indian cuisine. It is also found in many seasonal recipes in the United States. I love adding a dash to my eggnog. A little dab of ground clove goes a long way to maximizing the taste it adds to any recipe. For years, it has also been recommended as a potential remedy for multiple ailments to include diabetes and obesity. Beyond the great flavor, many of these health claims are poorly supported by research.
Research: Caraway may reduce appetite
Caraway may promote satiety.
Spices can make your food taste better. If your food tastes better, it might promote satiety. Caraway seeds have a pungent flavor that comes from the compounds that make it unique. Caraway is used to flavor bread, rice, and many sausages. Caraway seeds taste great, but could they weight loss and reduce body weight through increased satiety.
Recipe: Pineapple Strawberry Flax Smoothie
Pineapple Strawberry Flax Smoothie
This recipe combines healthy fats from chia seeds and flax meal. Flax meal is high in fiber and 73% of the fat is polyunsaturated. Chia seeds are equally impressive a decent source of protein and fiber. I have added a base of Fairlife milk and kefir. The fruit is simply 140 grams of unsweetened frozen pineapple and strawberries. The fruit adds enough sweetness to absolve the need for sugar. This simple smoothie has enough fiber and protein to keep you full all morning long.
Research: Can lemon water assist weight loss?
Lemon water may help with weight loss.
Lemons are often promoted as a magical weight loss food that will help the drinker lose weight with no addition of any other activities or changes to your diet. It sounds like a bridge too far. I discussed lemons water and the research behind it over a year ago. There are a few theories as to why lemons may help with weight loss, and we will discuss them and whether they are true.
Research: Commercial weight-loss programs are ineffective for meaningful weight loss
Most dieters fail to achieve meaningful weight loss on commercial programs
You have seen the ads for Nutrisystems with multiple stars claiming to lose the weight with their packages meals with minimal to no effort. Despite popular belief, most of the commercial weight loss programs are somewhat less effective than the ads will make you believe. The actors are paid for their endorsement and attempt to use the products, and I suspect even Dan Marino achieved weight loss with additional help that just the products he is peddling.
Research: Alcohol increases the intake of junk food.
Drinking alcohol increases grazing for junk food.
We have all had a night of debauchery in our youth where we spent the night out with friends hopping from bar to bar followed by a less than a healthy meal. Anecdotally, we know that drinking increase poor food choices. It just makes sense that sense that alcohol, which suppresses frontal lobe inhibition, would increase eating less healthy food choices and more yummy but unhealthy calorie-dense junk food. We suspect this is true based on experience, but today we have research proof.
Recipe: Peach Flax Smoothie
Peach Flax Smoothie
This recipe combines healthy fats from chia seeds and flax meal. Flax meal is high in fiber and 73% of the fat is polyunsaturated. Chia seeds are equally impressive a decent source of protein and fiber. I have added a base of Fairlife milk and kefir. The fruit is simply 140 grams of unsweetened frozen peaches. This simple smoothie has enough fiber and protein to keep you full all morning long.
List: Ways to avoid night grazing or snacking
Tips to avoid late-night snacking
The enemy of a healthy weight and losing weight in mindless grazing at night. Many of us find ourselves overeating late at night, even though we aren’t hungry. The stress or work and even idle time lead us to gorge ourselves. Nighttime eating can be a major cause of obesity because it causes us to eat more calories than you need and lead to weight gain.