Measurable progress in reasonable time.

First bites, most calories: what we eat most of when we’re hungry

By Susan Bowerman , September 27, 2012

The foods you eat first at a meal can affect how many calories you eat overall.

Picture this: it’s lunchtime, and you’re really, really hungry.  You woke up late, you skipped breakfast, and you’ve been going all morning without a chance to grab a snack.  It’s finally time to eat, and you’re facing a buffet – some starchy foods, some proteins, and some veggies.  You load up your plate, sit down, and raise your fork – anxious to dig in.  Now, imagine what happens next, as you stare down at your meat, your starch and your vegetables.  Which food do you dive into first?

How Can I Keep Better Track of What I Eat?

 Thorin Klosowski

Dear Lifehacker,
I've been trying to eat healthy, but I'm having a hard time keeping track of everything I need to know. Is there a way I can use my computer or smartphone to eat better?
Sincerely,
Trying to Eat Right
Dear TER,
Eating healthy is always a bit tough, and while everyone's definition of "healthy" is slightly different, you can easily track what you're eating and get an idea of where you can improve. While a billion dieting apps exist, this is less about losing weight, and more about knowing more about the foods you're eating, how they're affecting your body in the long run, and using technology to keep yourself on track. There's no magic bullet for perfect health, but you can use technology to get a much better idea of your overall eating habits, and find the best ways to achieve the goals you want.

Track What You Eat for a Better View of Your Health

Health is Wealth

Don’t like plain water? Here’s how to get your 8 glasses a day

Posted By Susan Bowerman On September 20, 2012 @ 7:30 am

Water is important for your health, but do other beverages count toward meeting your daily fluid needs?
You’ve probably heard the old expression, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”.  Well, I’ve got plenty of clients who are just like that horse.  They knowwater is important to their health and they’ve heard the common advice that they should drink about 8 glasses of water a day. But, as one client said to me recently, “this is going to sound strange, but I just hate water – there’s no way I can choke down 8 glasses of plain water a day”.  Which leads to the question: does it have to be plain water?  Do any other beverages count?
In a word, yes – other beverages do count towards your daily liquid consumption.  Many people take the water advice a bit too literally and assume that, even if they are drinking other beverages, they still need to drink 8 glasses of plain water too.

Eating Fresh

Health is Wealth: Health Alert
by Nobel Laureate in Medicine Dr. Louis Ignarro and Naturopathic Physician Dr. Andrew Myers Eating Fresh 

What type of foods do you regularly eat? Are they fresh, natural foods? Or do you often eat processed food with ingredients you can barely pronounce? Our bodies were designed to eat fresh food, not processed food. As it turns out, fresh food actually tastes better than processed food though many people no longer remember what eating fresh tastes like.

Eating fresh is one of the most fundamental aspects of staying healthy, having energy, and feeling good. Eating fresh, healthy food is only one part of the equation. Individuals need to re-learn how to enjoy preparing, cooking, and consuming delicious food. How much fresh food should you eat? People need at least five to nine servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every single day to stay healthy and prevent cancer and other disease. This will provide a huge boost in vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes, and other nutrients necessary to thrive. Raw nuts and whole grains like brown rice are also nutrient-rich fresh foods.

 No matter what you are eating, it is a substance that was alive at one time. Imagine, for instance, walking to your backyard and tugging a bunch of sweet, orange carrots from the ground. You take them inside, rinse them off, slice them and add them to your salad. In this scenario, you are eating food that was alive just half an hour before eating. As you eat these carrots, they are passing their life-giving vitality directly into your body. The less your food is refined, the more nutrients it shares with you.

 Now, consider the frozen carrots in your freezer right now. These carrots were alive a few months ago. After they were picked they were hauled to a processing plant where they were rinsed with chlorine and other chemicals to eliminate contamination. They were then boiled, frozen, and sat on a truck and in a freezer for months at a time. These frozen carrots simply do not offer the same vitality that fresh, living food delivers.

Next time you eat, ask yourself how you feel.
Do you feel bloated and tired?
Do you suffer from constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, or low energy?

Simply adding more fresh fruit and vegetables to your meals can quickly reverse even the most irritating health woes.

Benefits of Fresh Veggies
Fiber to cleanse your body of toxins
Phytonutrients: health-protecting plant compounds Enzymes to fuel vital chemical reactions Essential fatty acids to help combat a host of diseases

Keys to Success 
Eat the rainbow: Consume as many different colors of fresh foods as possible. Each color represents different nutritional contents. A big variety in color can help to provide the nutrients necessary for long term health and vitality.

Shop the perimeter: When visiting the grocery store, the healthiest and freshest foods are always around the outer edge of the store. Produce, dairy, seafood, and the butcher are areas to focus on. Avoid the middle aisles which typically contain processed food that isn’t likely to be as healthy as the fresh food around the outside aisles.

Keep fresh food in sight: Keep fruit, vegetables, and nuts on countertops and coffee tables whenever possible. Seeing these healthy items means you’re more likely to snack on them. Add fruit to dessert and breakfast: Instead of trying to eliminate cereal and ice cream from your diet simply use it as a vehicle for delivering fresh fruit. Add strawberries, bananas, or blueberries to your regular meals for an easy extra serving of fresh food.

Sometimes small changes can have great effect...