The Best and Healthiest Vegetarian on the Block

Vegetarians have always held a special place in my heart, the part of my heart that cries out WHY? I don’t understand the appeal, especially the more extreme vegan types. It doesn’t seem natural. I love red meat and all that it represents: power, lust and supremacy over the earth.

I know what you are going to say, I am being too harsh, but that’s what you love about me. I will now get serious and offer my amends by offering some tips to make you the best and healthiest vegetarian on the block.

There are some benefits to a vegetarian diet, an emphasis on grains and plant proteins and Bessie gets to run free. There are however some downsides. Some veggie heads just avoid red meat but will have fish or eggs and others will be stricter such as vegans with no animal products whatsoever. With vegans I have the biggest health concerns, but all should take care to ingest adequate nutrients.

The most common deficiencies that than occur in most vegetarians are:

Vitamin D- found in egg yolks, fortified milk. Veggers must try fortified foods, sunshine or supplements. Take special care for breastfeeding vegan moms.

Vitamin B12, and riboflavin B2-found red meat, poultry seafood and milk products. Veggers should try dark leafy greens, enriched whole grain breads, legumes and nuts.

Calcium- found in milk products. Veggers who avoid milk should drink fortified soy beverages, dark leafy greens and fortified foods.

Iron- found in red meat, poultry, and seafood. Again stick with fortified foods, leafy greens like spinach in particular. Also try raisins, prune juice and tofu. Note that non- heme iron in plants is less well absorbed than heme iron in meat. Also it takes a larger amount of plant product to reach an equivalent in a smaller meat portion.

Protein- found in larger amounts in animal proteins, can also be found in many milk product. Plant products like soy and legumes for have protein but ounce per ounce not as much as animal protein of the same amount.

Zinc-found in shellfish, red meat, dark meat poultry and egg yolks. Veggers can use nuts, legumes or whole grain cereal.

Most vitamins can be successfully acquired from a vegetarian diet; the two big concerns still remain iron and protein. Vegetarians who are pregnant or breastfeeding are at higher risk to create protein or iron a deficiency for their fetus. Some vegetarians do change their eating habits during their pregnancy.

In terms of weight loss, be aware that many packaged or frozen veggie foods are filled with sugars. In addition the vegetarian diet is high in carbohydrates and not always low in fat, which is a bad combo for weight loss. Protein builds muscle and muscle burns fat, so a lack of complete proteins may affect your muscle tone and fat burning.

My best advice is eating some meat, after all it is what allowed us to evolve and the truth is that if Bessie had the chance she would eat us too! Hee hee!

Fiorella

Starting Slow Will Keep You On Track

The New Year is almost here and we all have good intentions of living
a healthy lifestyle, getting back to the gym and working on our weight
loss.

But this sounds familiar doesn’t it? It’s exactly what we said last year,
but here you are with no real results. I have found that the best intentions,
if not reasonable will not work. If you are 20 pounds or more overweight,
start slowly so it won’t be such a shock for you.

Emptying your fridge, throwing out all your goodies, and replacing them
with cottage cheese will last about a week. You want to create a foundation
with your weight loss efforts so they will endure the long run. Without
chucking all the food out of your cabinets, start here and you will see big results.

Trade your white foods for brown foods: Nowadays whole grain foods
are very easy to find. Pick brands that are highest in fiber, compare and
read labels. The great thing is that almost all white foods like rice,
breads and pastas all have very tasty brown alternatives. Try brown
rice, whole grain pastas, whole wheat breads or bagels. With trial and
error you can find a type or brand that fits your tastes. These slowly
digested carbs will keep your blood sugars steady and help you feel
full.

Don’t drink your calories- This step cannot be stressed enough. Have
you ever looked at the sugar content in one can of soda or glass of
juice? These beverages can make or break weight loss progress. Try
added no sugar flavor mixes to your water. Pick flavored seltzer waters
if you need carbonation or real juices with no added sugar. Diet sodas
are also an option if you don’t mind the taste.

There was a time when all I would drink was soda all day long. Once I
removed it from my diet, I saw dramatic results.

Reduce your portion sizes- In a super-sized world, this can be very
difficult, but this is where preparation is key. Start with smaller
plates (I am not kidding) and fill most of the plate with veggies. If
you make a large portion of any food, separate the food into portions
and put them away in the fridge or freezer as individual servings.

Do not wait until you are starving to eat because you will be more prone
to overeat. Creating little baggies of food, that you can take with
you during the day will keep you from feeling too hungry

Limit sugar- We all love the sweets but lets be honest, do we need all
the extra snacking and seconds on desserts? Moderation is key, when you
want to kick start your weight loss program. Snack on fruits that will
relieve your sweet tooth as often as possible. If you trade in a juicy
piece of fruit for those m&m’s in the afternoon five days a week, it
will help your progress. Sugar calories add up very quickly and have no
nutritional value. I have dessert once a week, but it has taken years
for me to get on this track. I really do not miss the daily sweet
indulgences, instead I look forward to a savory lean steak or fresh
fish.

Get up and moving- In the beginning, it takes as little as walking to
start seeing results. Start at 30 minutes a day and keep pushing up the
time as the weeks go by. If you want to start with gym but can’t afford
it, there are many fitness shows or videos that you can follow in your
own living room. My philosophy is that activity is important, not choreography.

Dance around like a maniac in your living room for a half hour and have fun!
Once the weight begins to fall off, we can begin to fine tune your fitness goals.

Fiorella

Getting Weight Loss Results: Learning to Eat Again

Stressful day at work?

Kids driving you nuts?

Relationship woes?

Whatever the case, it has caused us upset and driven us straight to food. We have all been there. Not surprisingly, the top reason women over- eat is stress and unfortunately we have learned to use food as comfort.

The good news is that it can be re-learned. The truth is, most of the time when we grab that bag of chips or that tenth cookie, it is not hunger we are satiating but rather our need to feel secure and calm. When we feel stress, anxiety, fear or anger a transmitter in our brain called neuropeptide Y is increased and leads to carbohydrate cravings.

In addition, high fat/ high glycemic index foods release serotonin and endorphins in the brain that create feelings of calm and satisfaction. Therefore we get conditioned to seek out these comforting feelings through food. This is usually what causes our overeating, not hunger.

We fool ourselves in believing in these temporary “highs”, instead of what is really happening , which is quite self-defeating. Sugary carbs set you up for “sugar highs’ followed by “sugar lows”. These “lows” create feelings of depression that just lead to more carb cravings and more eating. Since we can’t always avoid our stresses in life, we can change how we deal with them.

Let’s Begin:

GET REAL- Deal with the problem itself, whatever it may be. As you know, drowning your problems with food has never worked for you before. So try something new. Instead of treating that second slice of cake as a reward to a bad day, reward yourself with a delicious and nutritious meal. You have the power to change the way you live, the way you see yourself and change your relationship with food.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY/TRAIN YOUR MIND- Since we have established that that the true source of overeating is not hunger, we can proceed in a more productive way. If we find other comforting habits or pastimes to take the place of bad foods, we can learn to redirect our emotions. Train yourself to find other sources of pleasure.

Try a new hobby, learn to cook, indulge in a spa treatment. Just treat yourself without dumping bad foods into your body. Read an inspirational book or biography. Pamper and reward yourself in productive ways.

FIND SUBSTITUTES- I have never eaten something I did not like, and I eat healthy foods most of the time. With a little time and preparation you can love every nutritious meal you put into your body. Remember serotonin levels will rise even with complex carbohydrates but they will not give you the same crash. If you need something sweet, cottage cheese with sugar free jam is excellent or even some oatmeal with cinnamon or berries with sugar free whipped cream. If you love savory treats, put some lowfat cheese in that oatmeal, or spice up some hummus.

SET LIMITS- You can’t be everything to everyone. Women have been socialized to be nurturers and caretakers, which is not a bad thing unless you forget your own needs in the process. Help yourself first, then you can care for others more honestly. And don’t forget to ask for what you need from others to make you happy. Find time to nurture yourself.

EXERCISE, OF COURSE!- I guess you knew I would say that, but studies show that exercise is a natural endorphin releaser. Trust me, you may not always go into an exercise session in good spirits but you always come out feeling better. Again find a routine or activity that is fun and keeps your interest. If the treadmill seems like torture (it does to me) do what you love and stick with it, there are so many options out there.

These ideas are a great start. Realize what ails you and decide to be productive. Make the choice to live healthier and change your relationship with food. Remember, eating healthily can be nutritious and delicious; all you need is some preparation and good intention. Now, prepare to take yourself to the next level.

Fiorella Dicarlo