Next time you eat out at a Mexican restaurant, pass on the nachos. This is the equivalent—often 1,000 or more calories—of eating a giant plate of chili cheese fries for dinner. Instead, order a tostada. This dish is made by taking a crispy corn tortilla, and loading it with a heap of beans, meat, cheese, and salsa. Ordinarily that sort of pileup approach would lead to trouble, but with the tostada, the perimeter of the corn shell halts the expansion before it gets out of hand. The result: A delicious, spicy meal for about 300 calories.
Archive for Healthy Tips
Healthy Tip
Eat foods that provide zinc. If you lack zinc in your diet, you will have a very short “fuse.” You will be irritable and easily angered. See if you can improve your bad mood with some zinc-containing whole-grain bread, a glass of milk, an egg or two, or even some oysters.
Source: 201 Secrets to Healthy Living by Don Colbert MD
Healthy Tip of the Day
Eat a healthy breakfast every day. Breakfast eaters perform better at work or school and find it easier to control their weight, since a good breakfast jump-starts your metabolism after your overnight fast.
Source: 201 Secrets to Healthy Living by Don Colbert, MD
Mommy Monday
Everyone wants to raise a good eater. One way to encourage your little one is to start their meals with the food you most want your child to eat (meat, veggies) and don’t show her the next until she’s finished. The idea? If she’s hungry, she’ll eat—and learn to like—what’s in front of her.
Source: Parenting Magazine
Healthy Tip of the Day
Start each dinner with a mixed green salad. Not only will it help reduce your appetite for more caloric foods, but it also will automatically add veggies to your meal.
Mommy Monday
Bringing home a new baby can be stressful for new parents, but don’t forget that your pets will be going through a real change as well. Play your dog a CD of baby sounds so he gets used to it and doesn’t become too excited when the baby cries. Also, be sure to remove dog toys that look like baby toys (fluffy or squeaky) and replenish his supply with pet-specific ones like bones or ropes. Your pup should respond consistently to “sit,” “heel,” “stay” and “no” commands before bringing your baby home to ensure your newborn’s safety.
Source: Babytalk Magazine
Healthy Tip of the Day
Are you addicted to sugar? Addiction to sugar is probably more common than you think. Americans consume an average of 20 to 30 teaspoons (about ½ cup!) daily of this substance, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), attention and memory problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression. Breaking free from a dependency on sugar is easier said than done. Eat enough healthy food to satisfy your hunger. Eat healthy, whole food snacks like fruit, carrots, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, dates, and dried fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Drink plenty of water, too. Add a little fruit juice to sweeten iced tea, carbonated water, and other sugar-free drinks. Frozen fruit, whole or pureed, makes a delicious alternative to ice cream. Once you have cleared sugar from your system, your taste buds will become more sensitive, and these whole natural foods will taste sweeter and more satisfying. If you slow down and eat mindfully, you’ll enjoy these foods even more.
Healthy Tip of the Day
In your teens, twenties and thirties, you need to take care to build as much bone density as you can. And from there, onward, you need to work to hold onto what you’ve got. The best way to do both is to make sure you do some weight-bearing activity (like running and jumping) several times a week.
Source: http://helpyourselfin5.msn.com/#/calendar/2010-07-05
Mommy Monday
August 20th is National Lemonade Day! Why not consider setting up a stand and letting your kids experience the fun of making a little money? A great tip is to put out some cool water for dogs. The owners may patronize you out of gratitude!
Source: Parenting Magazine
Healthy Tip of the Day
Summer is the season to enjoy your favorite produce, but remember to wash all parts of your fruits and vegetables. Bacteria can live on the outside of a watermelon or the skin of a cucumber, for example. Though you may peel them away and toss them in the trash, the bacteria can be transferred from the outside of the fruit or vegetable to the knife you use to cut them, and then onto the parts you will be eating.
Misha Biden, RD, LD