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textThe Truth About Vitamin Water
by emilyplayscello
73199,240
Mar 28 2012 - 2:56pm
by emilyplayscello
textHealthy Recipe: A Smoothie Fit For Popeye
by FitSugar
3168
Apr 4 2012 - 10:45pm
by FitSugar
textReading Food Labels
by meetcasey
019
Mar 27 2012 - 2:33am
by meetcasey
textIs Organic Really Better?
by meetcasey
023
Mar 27 2012 - 2:34am
by meetcasey
textWater's Role In Losing Weight
by meetcasey
0113
Mar 27 2012 - 2:36am
by meetcasey
text6 Low Calorie Foods That Are Worth Eating
by meetcasey
040
Mar 27 2012 - 2:45am
by meetcasey

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meetcasey 6 Low Calorie Foods That Are Worth Eating Mar 27, 2012 2:45 AM The Huffington Post addresses foods that don’t seem “all that nutritional” but are actually worth eating: Mushrooms - at 20 calories per cup, mushrooms are a good “meat” replacement because of their flavor (think Lent when you want red meat but can’t eat it…add mushrooms!) Unsweetened Iced Tea - drinking tea regularly may help you reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and Diabetes Parsley - “Before you dismiss parsley as a purely decorative garnish on the side of your plate, consider this: just two tablespoons of parsley contains 156 percent of the daily value (DV) for bone-building vitamin K, 17 percent of the DV for vitamin C and 13 percent of the DV for vitamin A… and all for a mere 3 calories.” (Huffington Post) Whey- in reality you probably DO know that Whey is good for you (the term is often associated with weight loss supplements- it’s a type of protein) but what you probably DIDN’T know is that watery substance when you first open a yogurt- THAT’S whey as well. So next time don’t pour it off! mix it back in Celery- 16 calories per cup, it’s full of Vitamin K and luteolin which can help with your memory Radishes- a radish has just ONE calorie, but in addition to that, “Radishes are rich in naturally occurring nitrates — which, unlike unhealthy artificial nitrates found in processed meat, may be beneficial. In a study published in the Jan. 2011 issue of the journal Nitric Oxide , older adults who ate a nitrate-rich diet got a boost in blood flow to the frontal lobe of their brains — an area commonly associated with dementia. Poor blood flow contributes to age-related cognitive decline” (Huffington Post)   View Full Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eatingwell/healthy-food_b_1367068.html To good health! Casey www.meetcasey.com
meetcasey Water's Role In Losing Weight Mar 27, 2012 2:36 AM The amount of water you consume each day plays a huge role in losing weight and maintain a healthy weight. Water helps your body process nutrients and maintains good circulation. Water boosts your metabolic rate which gives you energy and helps you burn extra calories. When consuming enough, water can actually help your body burn calories 3% faster. Drinking 6-8 8oz glasses of water a day will help you replenish the fluids your body uses throughout the day. If you are working out, have a more active job, etc you need to drink more than that- between 8-12 8oz of water. Water for thought If you think you’re thirsty, you probably are. If you think you’re hungry, you’re actually probably thirsty as well. It is common to mistake hunger for thirst- the result is people get inadequate amounts of water and they overeat. What can this lead to? You guessed it: weight gain. DO this: Next time you reach for a piece of food, drink 8oz of water first. That means before a single bite goes in your mouth! The majority of the time the water will satisfy your craving. This is especially helpful when you’re dining out. You know- you sit down to dinner, they put a basket of bread in front of you and before you know it the bread is gone and you can barely finish your meal. Before touching that bread, drink your glass of water and see if you still feel the need to polish off the basket of bread.
meetcasey Is Organic Really Better? Mar 27, 2012 2:34 AM With access to the ridiculous amount of health information these days, it’s hard to figure out what’s legit and what’s just another “health fad”. Let’s dissect the “organic” debate. What does ‘organic’ even mean? “Organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don’t use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers may conduct more sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay. [mayoclinic.com] According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 100% organic product means it contains 100% all natural ingredients. Believe it or not, products that are just labeled “organic” can still contain 5% non-organic ingredients (5% is determined by the weight of the product)- as long as the “non-organic” ingredients are on the USDA’s list of “approved non-organic ingredients” Huh? Seriously. Let’s get down to the important stuff. If you are considering “going organic”, know that there ARE some products that are worth paying the extra money for..and there are some that are not. So here’s where to save and where to splurge: Save on: -organically labeled seafood -organically packaged foods- breads, chips, cereal Splurg on: -the “dirty dozen” (as named by the Environmental Working Group): apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries. The reason being that even after you wash these items, they have such a high rate of pesticide residue- EVEN AFTER THEY ARE WASHED - meat, poultry, eggs & dairy: these are also free of pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics Look for the USDA Organic logo on organic products- this logo indicates the product meets the strict government standards To good health! Casey www.meetcasey.com
meetcasey Reading Food Labels Mar 27, 2012 2:33 AM You hear how it’s important to read food labels, but seriously, how do you do it? What do you look for? Let’s break it down: Serving size/ Servings per Container: The information on the label (calories, fat, sugar, etc) is based off ONE serving. This is important especially when it comes to drinks and individually packaged foods. Most people thing that one serving is that entire 16oz soda or the entire protein bar- when in reality it’s usually only half of that drink or half that protein bar. The official serving size for beverages is 8oz- so if you drink the entire 16oz bottle you need to double all of information on the label. Same goes for small packages of crackers, candy, etc. The serving size is usually much smaller than what you think it is. Calories, Fat, Protein and Carbs: Again, along with all of the information on this label, it’s based off ONE serving. You see the total fat per serving as well as the total calories from fat. If an item has 250 calories per serving, and 135 of those are from fat you can see that over half of the calories in that item are from fat (not good!) Total carbohydrates is again, the total amount of carbs in that serving. Sugar is a carbohydrate so this is included in the total. Natural sources of sugar are included in both the amount of sugar listed and total carbohydrates. Natural sugar could be something like milk or fruit. When it comes to the amount of sugar in a product, there are two things to consider. First, the amount of sugar per serving- a good rule of thumb is to avoid processed foods with more than 10g of sugar per serving (milk and fruit are excluded- they are not considered processed, fruit juice however, is something to avoid). After you check out the amount of sugar in a serving, look at the ingredients list. If sugar is listed in the first 3 items, ditch it. OR if there are a couple versions of “sugar” in the ingredients list- ditch it as well. Some other words to look for that mean the same thing as “sugar” are: high fructose, raw sugar, syrup, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup, beet sugar, maltodextrin, sucrose. Fibers are also part of the total carbohydrate count. A product that has 5 grams or more of fiber in a serving is considered a “good source” of fiber. % of Daily Value: The % of daily value is the amount found in that product based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Now this is a problem. Most people DO NOT NEED 2,000 calories. In fact, most people should consume MUCH LESS than 2,000 calories. Obviously this varies a little from person to person, but the average female needs about 1,500 calories. But anyways, back to % of daily value..here’s an example. One serving (a cup) of creamy broccoli soup has 250 calories and 15 grams of fat. Now, 15 grams of fat is 25% of the amount of fat you should consume over an entire day! Can you imagine that? Hopefully you’re not hungry! If you eat 2 cups of this soup, you’ve used up 50% of your total fat intake for a day. Add two servings of peanut butter (4 tbsp) and you’ve hit 100%. Could you imagine eating 2 cups of soup and 4 scoops of peanut butter all day? Yikes. Sometimes I need visuals to fully grasp “food concepts”, so here’s a few for you: -every 5 grams of fat is equal to one teaspoon (imagine a teaspoon of butter. Yuck!) -every 4 grams of sugar is equal to one teaspoon (a 16oz soda or tea might have as many as 30 grams of sugar per serving (8oz). If you’re drinking that entire 16oz bottle, you’re looking at 60 grams of sugar- FIFTEEN TEASPOONS of sugar or just under 1/3 cup.)   To good health! Casey www.meetcasey.com
manishephp Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing Nov 11, 2011 4:25 AM   Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing Avocado is a bit like potato chips, "you can't just eat one" serving. If you love avocados and are now focused on learning more about portion control, this is test number 1 - can you actually use only 1/4 cup in a recipe? We're betting that you can! Remember, it is one of sources of mono-unsaturated fats (45 calories per 1oz or 2 Tbsp). Hey, but if you love avocados and ranch dressing, this Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing is for you! Makes 5 servings Ingredients : ¼ cup ripe avocado ¼ cup mayonnaise (try mayonnaise light - 45 calories per tablespoon) ¼ cup sour cream (try light sour cream - 40 calories per tablespoon) 1 tablespoon buttermilk 1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon dried parsley 1 pinch dried dill weed 1/8 teaspoon onion powder 1 pinch garlic powder Directions : Mash avocado in a bowl, then stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt, parsley, dill, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir until well blended, chill until ready to serve. Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving - 1 Tablespoon Calories: 125 Total Fat 12.9g Saturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 9mg Sodium 131mg Total Carbohydrates 2.3g Dietary Fiber 0.8g Protein 0.9g

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6 Low Calorie Foods That Are Worth Eating
Water's Role In Losing Weight
Is Organic Really Better?
Reading Food Labels

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