EXCELLENT pdf on Food Plans and Recipes!

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/MiscPubs/FoodPlansRecipeBook.pdf

Good recipe sites for health and weight loss

Healthy Recipes from the Mayo Clinic

American Heart Association Recipes

American Council of Exercise Recipes

Healthy Recipes

Cooking the Heart Healthy Way

American Institute for Cancer Research Recipes

Recipe and Meal Planner Guide

Diabetic Recipes

Searchable by category (low fat, low cholesterol, etc)

Does diet or exercise plays a greater role in weight loss?

Think about it, then go see:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30826120/

Healthy Lifestyle Balance on Vacation

Decide what you want to do about alcohol.

Alcohol may lower self-control. If you drink, are you aware of the calories involved?

Try to balance rest with activity.

Look for ways to be active that you enjoy.

Healthy Lifestyle Balance on Vacation

If you tend to be tense on vacation, ask why and what you can do about it.

a. Avoid extended periods when you are doing what others want and not what you want. Be assertive about what you want to do.

b. Plan daily times to relax. Try not to get overtired (e.g., by doing too much sightseeing in a short period of time).

c. Plan regular breaks while driving. Carry low-calorie snacks and take breaks to get out of the car and walk.
~

Healthy Lifestyle Balance on Vacation

Have reasonable expectations for vacation.


a. Keep track of your eating and activity as much as possible.


b. Weigh yourself often, but remember that scales differ.


c. Plan to maintain your weight; don’t expect weight loss. Figure fat and calorie goals for maintenance.


d. Let go a little. For example, eat something special. Choose the best and leave the rest. That is, when you decide to eat a special high fat food, choose quality, not quantity. Choose the best thing available, take a small portion, eat slowly, and enjoy every mouthful.


e. Get extra activity. If you slip with eating a little, this will often compensate.

~

Healthy Lifestyle Balance on Vacation

Some of us vacation alone but most of have some arranging to do with family and friends. Have a family talk well before the vacation to discuss such issues as:

a. What did we like about our last vacation? What were the problems? Make a specific plan for what you will do on this vacation, including pleasures other than food and drink.

b. Discuss how you will handle food and eating out. How often will we eat out? What types of restaurants will we choose? Are there low-fat/calorie options for you? Can we split entrees or desserts? If eating in (e.g., if renting a beach house), will we have tempting high-fat/calorie foods like cookies, candy and cake in the house? If so, can they be stored out of sight and separate from other foods? Can family members agree to eat these foods only when eating out?

c. Can we find a fun way to all be physically active this vacation? Examples: bike riding, mountain climbing, hiking, walking on the beach, bird watching, golfing (walking the course), etc.

d. Get the family to agree not to nag you about what you eat or your activity plan.

e. Talk about positive ways your family can help (for example, praising you when you are sticking to your low fat food plan, going on walks with you, helping you out so that you don’t get too tired or stressed).
~

Healthy Lifestyle Balance on Vacation

Plan pleasures other than food and drink.

a. Plan the kind of vacation you want. One way to think about this is to ask yourself, What about your daily routine do you want to escape from? (For example, if your routine is a hectic, crammed schedule, it’s vital that you not repeat this pattern on your vacation. If you do a lot of driving on the job, you might not want to spend your vacation driving.) What kinds of pleasures and freedom do you want to escape to? (What do you like to do most? Go to a faraway, scenic spot? Or stay at home and enjoy some free time? Make lots of time for a favorite hobby or sport? Spend time with old friends?)

b. Think about what you like to do for physical activity. Can you find a way to make that part of your vacation?

c. Be prepared to be assertive with others about what you want to do on vacation if you are going on vacation with family or friends. Negotiate a compromise if necessary.
~

Great Resource on Exercise for all Ages

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/index.html

Healthy Eating on a Budget

1. Don’t shop hungry. If you shop when you are hungry, you are more likely to buy more than you need and possibly buy less healthy items that appeal to you at that moment.


2. Try to go grocery shopping without children. Stores put foods that many children like such as candy and sugary cereal where they can see and reach them. These foods are often advertised with characters that appeal to children. If you must bring children, grocery shopping can be a great way to teach them about food and nutrition (and colors, math, reading!)


3. Check out heart healthy recipes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help you plan your meals and shopping list at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/index.htm#recipes, or see my previous post on healthy recipies ( June 12, 2009).

Healthy Eating on a Budget

Other Related Websites on Healthy Eating on a Budget:

Eating Healthy on a Budget
http://nutritionservices.upmc.com/NutritionArticles/Habits/Budget.htm

Eating Healthy on a Budget
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=511

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Shopping and Menu Ideas
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/pdfs/PatientEd/Materials/PDFDocs/nut-diet/nut-other/EatingHealthyBudget.pdf

Emergency $45 menu - feed 4 for a week! www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

USDA 2000 calorie menu plan www.mypyramid.gov/tips_resources/menus.html

Health Information: http://coach4health.blogspot.com/

Stretching Your Food Dollars
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fcd/nutrition/ewfl/module_03/

Nifty & Thrifty Spark Team ( Community Message Board for Saving Money and Buying Healthy Food) http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/groups_individual.asp?gid=8011

Club Mom www.clubmom.com/display/232857

Healthy Eating on a Budget

1. Assemble snacks at home in small baggies using foods such as nuts and seeds, dried whole grain cereal, low fat cheese, dried fruit, fresh vegetables and fruits, rather than buying less healthy, more expensive prepackaged and processed snacks. Serve water, or low fat or fat free milk instead of calorically sweetened beverages. For more ideas on healthier snacks, try: http://www.nojunkfood.org/vendors/healthy_snack_list.html.
   
2. Cook once, eat twice. Serve moderate portions of meals, avoid seconds, and freeze leftovers to enjoy later. This will help you save money and calories!
   
3. Do "batch cooking" when the food budget and time allow. Cook large amounts of spaghetti sauce, divide it into family-size portions and freeze promptly for later in the month.

Healthy Eating on a Budget

• Buy milk (low fat or fat free) in the largest containers you can handle before it spoils (gallon or ½ gallon). Milk sold at convenience stores usually costs more than at supermarkets. (Fat-free dry milk is an inexpensive back-up choice for using milk in recipes.)
• Buy a whole chicken and cut it up into parts instead of buying pre-cut chicken (breast, wings, thighs, legs). Remove the skin before cooking or serving.
• Stock up on sale items of healthier foods that you may be able to use in a timely manner. Buy canned, frozen, or packaged foods in bulk for quality and value, but serve appropriate portions within estimated calorie needs. Buy produce, lean meats, and low fat or fat free milk and milk products in bulk amounts that you can eat before they spoil (refer to http://www.checkyourhealth.org/nutrition/portiondistortion/pd_movies.htm for more information on appropriate portion sizes).
• Use your food budget wisely. If you spend $7 on lunch 5 days a week for a year, you will spend a total of $1,820. You can save money and calories by bringing a healthier brown bag lunch from home.

~ Myths about Dieting and Food ~

Myth : Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight.

Fact: Many foods high in starch, like bread, rice, pasta, cereals, beans, fruits, and some vegetables (like potatoes and yams) are low in fat and calories. They become high in fat and calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Foods high in starch (also called complex carbohydrates) are an important source of energy for your body.

Tip: A healthy eating plan is one that:
Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
Is low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

For more specific information about food groups and nutrition values, visit http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

~ Myths about Dieting and Food ~

Myth: “Going vegetarian” means you are sure to lose weight and be healthier.

Fact: Research shows that people who follow a vegetarian eating plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than nonvegetarians. They also tend to have lower body weights relative to their heights than nonvegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian eating plan with a low fat content may be helpful for weight loss. But vegetarians—like nonvegetarians—can make food choices that contribute to weight gain, like eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value.

Vegetarian diets should be as carefully planned as nonvegetarian diets to make sure they are balanced. Nutrients that nonvegetarians normally get from animal products, but that are not always found in a vegetarian eating plan, are iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, and protein.

Tip: Choose a vegetarian eating plan that is low in fat and that provides all of the nutrients your body needs.

Food and beverage sources of nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian diet are listed below.

• Iron: cashews, spinach, lentils, garbanzo beans, fortified bread or cereal.
• Calcium: dairy products, fortified soy-based beverages, tofu made with calcium sulfate, collard greens, kale, broccoli
• Vitamin D: fortified foods and beverages including milk, soy-based beverages, or cereal
• Vitamin B12: eggs, dairy products, fortified cereal or soy-based beverages, tempeh, miso (tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans)
• Zinc: whole grains (especially the germ and bran of the grain), nuts, tofu, leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuce)
• Protein: eggs, dairy products, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, soy-based burgers

~ Myths about Dieting and Food ~

Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.

Fact: Low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole-milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones. Most milk and some yogurt are fortified with vitamin D to help your body use calcium.

Tip: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming 3 cups per day of fat-free/low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.

If you cannot digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy products), choose low-lactose or lactose-free dairy products, or other foods and beverages that offer calcium and vitamin D (listed below).

• Calcium: soy-based beverage or tofu made with calcium sulfate; canned salmon; dark leafy greens like collards or kale
• Vitamin D: soy-based beverage or cereal (getting some sunlight on your skin also gives you a small amount of vitamin D)

For more information on these guidelines, visit http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

~ Myths about Dieting and Food ~

Myth: Eating red meat is bad for your health and makes it harder to lose weight.

Fact: Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan. Red meat, pork, chicken, and fish contain some cholesterol and saturated fat (the least healthy kind of fat). They also contain healthy nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc.

Tip: Choose cuts of meat that are lower in fat and trim all visible fat. Lower fat meats include pork tenderloin and beef round steak, tenderloin, sirloin tip, flank steak, and extra lean ground beef. Also, pay attention to portion size. Three ounces of meat or poultry is the size of a deck of cards.

~ Myths about Dieting and Food ~

Myth: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.

Fact: In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Nuts are also good sources of protein, dietary fiber, and minerals including magnesium and copper.

Tip: Enjoy small portions of nuts. One-half ounce of mixed nuts has about 84 calories.

~ Myths about Dieting and Food ~

Myth: Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you “bulk up.”

Fact: Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more calories—even sitting still. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not “bulk you up.” Only intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background, can build very large muscles.

Tip: In addition to doing moderate-intensity physical activity (like walking 2 miles in 30 minutes) on most days of the week, try to do strengthening activities 2 to 3 days a week. You can lift weights, use large rubber bands (resistance bands), do push-ups or sit-ups, or do household or garden tasks that make you lift or dig. Strength training helps keep your bones strong while building muscle, which can help burn calories.

For more information about the benefits of physical activity and suggestions on how to be more active, read the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, available online at http://www.health.gov/PAguidelines.

~ Myths about Dieting and Food ~

Myth : Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.

Fact: It does not matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat.

Tip: If you want to have a snack before bedtime, think first about how many calories you have eaten that day. And try to avoid snacking in front of the TV at night—it may be easier to overeat when you are distracted by the television.