5 Seemingly Innocent Things That Lead To Weight Gain-Part 2

4. You Eat At A Crowded Table

Your mistake: You habitually dine with large groups. Imagine that you, a careful eater, go out for pizza with friends. Statistically speaking, here's what will happen, reports Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, in his book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Dining with just one friend, you'll eat about 35 percent more than when alone; with a group of four, about 75 percent more; and in groups of seven or more, 96 percent more. The reasons for overeating: spending a longer time at the table, mimicking our companions' pace often bite-for-bite, (especially in the beginning of a meal) and defaulting to the group average. 

The lesson: "Sit next to slow eaters," Wansink writes. "They can help you pace your eating, not the speed eaters who eat like they grew up in a family of 12."

5. You Saved a Bunch of Money

Your mistake: Looking at ready-to-eat multipacks makes you overindulge. Stockpiled food is consumed twice as fast as other food in the house, concluded Wansink and his colleagues after an experiment in which they supplied families with either large or small multipacks of food. (Think Warholian spreads of either 24 or 8 soup cans.) The problem is simple: Bulky packages consume too much kitchen real estate; we see them every time we open the cupboard, for instance. Visibility translates into impulsivity, and, before we know it, we're eating more than we intended. 

The lesson: Out of sight, out of mind. Move multi-unit packs of food out of the kitchen and into the basement, freezer, underground bunker...wherever that cluster of bright labels won't catch your eye. Wansink found that the feeding frenzy was worse in the first eight days that new multipacks are the house. After that, people became less attracted to the food, despite a still-ample supply, and ate about the same amount as they did of less-stockpiled pantry items.

Info thanks to the Huffington Post. 

Have a healthy and productive day! 

MJ

Learn how I lost 38 pounds with Shaklee! http://weightloss180.info

5 Seemingly Innocent Things That Lead To Weight Gain-Part 1

1. You Doubled Down On The Quantified Life

Your mistake: You believe wholeheartedly in the “If you can measure it, you can manage it” theorem. That's right, we're recommending that you ditch your digital scale with the two decimal places. When dieters at the University of Utah received a “health index score” that was pleasingly vague -- a weight range rather than an actual number -- they lost up to four pounds in just three weeks. In contrast, when participants received their score in the form of an exact number, they gained up to a pound on average. The fuzzier the feedback, the more room there was to interpret it optimistically, the study concluded. (“Almost there!”) As a result, the goal seems more achievable -- and we become more motivated. On the flip side, a precise number makes us aware of when we're not doing well -- which all too often drives our discouraged self to lapse or quit. 

The lesson: If you weigh yourself daily, even normal fluctuations could throw you off. Instead, get on the scale weekly and use a range as a goal (“I'd like to lose 5 to 10 pounds this year”).

2. You've Read The Research On Coffee

Your mistake: Inspired by coffee's health perks, you drink five servings -- or more -- a day. Research does indeed show that the coffee cup runneth over with health benefits: It's linked with a reduced risk of type-2 diabetes and some cancers, and improved cardiovascular function. But there may be a point at which coffee drinking backfires bitterly: around five cups. A polyphenol in coffee called chlorogenic acid (CGA) is the cause, suggests a study on rodents at the University of Western Australia. The good news is that CGA in moderation is beneficial and thought to aid weight loss. The bad news is that in excess it may actually worsen the effects of a bad diet. Lab mice that consumed the equivalent amount of CGA in five or six cups of coffee gained more weight despite the compound's reputation as a diet aid. They also developed worse pre-diabetes disorders (increased glucose intolerance and insulin resistance), compared with CGA-free mice that ate the same high-fat food. 

The lesson: Research on the interaction between food and the compounds in coffee is ongoing. But, to be safe, especially on days you're eating high-fat foods, consider limiting your intake to three to four cups. The cutoff also applies to decaffeinated coffee and tea, which, sorry to report, also contain CGA.

You Drink The Seemingly Right (But Wrong) Milk

Your mistake: You substitute skim or low-fat milk for whole or 2 percent. Wait, don't we drink low-fat milk to stay slim? Yet a study led by Mark DeBoer, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Virginia, found that children who drank skim or 1 percent milk gained more weight than those who drank 2 percent or whole (full-fat) milk. He points out that the same link -- fattier milk, lower body-mass index -- has also emerged in large, long-term studies on adults.) DeBoer's theory is that milk fat, compared with other calorie sources, makes us feel fuller, longer -- so we consume fewer calories overall. Instead, many of us drink the seemingly virtuous but unfilling low-fat stuff -- then stuff ourselves with refined sugars and starches afterward. 

The lesson: If you're a milk drinker, try whole or 2 percent in lieu of reduced-fat milk. A large Swedish study found that among normal-weight women, those who drank one or more cups a day of whole milk had a significantly lower chance of gaining weight than those who drank reduced-fat milk.

Info thanks to Huffington Post. 

Have healthy and productive day! 

MJ

Indulge yourself with Shaklee 180 smoothies! The perfect natural weight loss solution! Nothing artificial! See it at http://weightloss180.info 

What you should know about diabetes Part 2

Diabetes symptoms include fatigue, frequent urination, constant hunger, excessive thirst, blurry vision, tingling or numbness in hands and feet, and slow wound healing. Diabetics have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, sexual dysfunction, and nerve problems.

Prevention is the key!

There is much you can do to prevent and even reverse diabetes. Recent research shows that an anti-diabetic diet is not only good for diabetics, but also for anyone. (So start now!) Take a look at the risk factors above and see what you have control over: exercise, diet, and your weight—make changes here.

• Eat smarter: Avoid all white foods (such as white bread, white rice.) Focus on a plant-based diet and include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Beans and other good proteins help support a healthy blood sugar. Avoid sugary drinks (especially soda) and all desserts other than fresh fruit. Fiber is another great way to control blood sugar, make sure to eat plenty of high fiber foods.

• Exercise: Exercise not only burns calories, but has been shown to improve blood sugar control. Exercise that builds muscle can also help with blood sugar control.

• Lose weight: Being overweight can definitely raise your risk of type-2 diabetes. As always, choose a weight-loss program that offers tons of support and helps you maintain your lean body mass.

To me, type-2 diabetes is the disease that shouldn’t be. It is the most preventable major disease we have and there is no way 1 out of every 3 of us should be setting ourselves up for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, loss of eyesight, and amputations that this disease will potentially cause! Yes, it will take effort on your part to make the changes outlined above, but those changes have far-reaching effects on your overall health. So, make a commitment and get started today.

If you want help getting started, there are National Diabetes Prevention Programs all over the country that will help you learn how to eat more healthfully and begin a reasonable exercise routine. You can even attend a program if there is one in your area: recognized programs.

Info thanks to Shaklee Health Wise Blog 

Have a healthy and productive holiday weekend! 

MJ 

Shaklee, helping prevent diabetes and other diseases since 1957! 

See this difference at http://mjshealthyway.com  

What you should know about diabetes Part 1

Tom Hanks recently joined Paula Deen and Sherri Sheppard in announcing that he too has type 2 diabetes. Since November is Diabetes Awareness Month, I think it is a good time for us all to take a look at our diet and exercise routine and see if we are doing our best to avoid this all-too-common (and preventable) disease.

With 26 million children and adults diagnosed with diabetes and close to 80 million with pre-diabetes (that is almost 1/3 of all people in the United States) it is easy to think that this disease is unstoppable. But this is absolutely not true; in fact, type 2 diabetes is 100 percent preventable. Look at Sherri Sheppard; she now credits type2 diabetes with saving her life.

In her new book (How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes), Sherri tells how when she was diagnosed her doctor was blunt about her high blood sugar. She said, “Sherri, you love wearing those shoes, don’t you?” Sherri said, “Yes, I do.” Her doctor then said, “You won’t be wearing them with your foot cut off, because if you keep eating the way you are eating, that’s where you’re headed.” Sherri is now eating healthier, exercising, has lost a significant amount of weight, and feels better than she has in a long time.

What is diabetes? 

Diabetes can be defined as having abnormally high blood sugar because the body either does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar), or because the cells of the body do not respond properly to insulin (or both).

There are two types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes typically occurs in young people, although it can occur in later life (up to around 40 years old) and is a condition where the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas stop producing insulin. The destruction of the insulin-producing cells is thought to be an autoimmune reaction. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 10 percent of diabetics; type I diabetics will always require insulin.

Type 2 diabetes can happen at any age, although until very recently was quite rare under the age of 40. It develops first as insulin resistance in the cells of the body—meaning that the cells have a difficult time utilizing glucose from the foods you eat. This occurs as a result of eating a high-fat, high-sugar diet and becoming overweight or obese. If untreated, blood sugar levels will continue to climb until you are diagnosed with diabetes.

One of the biggest concerns with diabetes is that it is a silent disease in its early stages. Some estimates suggest that up to 1/3 of people with diabetes are not aware that they have it.  

You may be at risk for type 2 diabetes if you:

• Are overweight or obese

• Don’t exercise regularly

• Have high cholesterol or high blood pressure

• Are Latino, African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American, or Pacific Islander

  Have a parent or sibling with diabetes

Info thanks to Shaklee Health Wise Blog 

Tomorrow-Part 2

Have a healthy and productive holiday weekend! 

MJ 

Shaklee, helping prevent diabetes and other diseases since 1957! 

See this difference at http://mjshealthyway.com