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SNACKS UNDER 100 CALORIES

Bread, Cereals, Grains, Rice, Pasta & Salad

Amount Calories

½ cup oat circles breakfast cereal

whole-wheat bagel

(3½ inches in diameter)

cinnamon raisin English muffin 68

with 1 tsp. of jam

3 cups air-popped popcorn 90

whole-wheat crackers, unsalted 71

graham cracker squares

or ginger snaps

brown rice and multigrain rice

cakes

2¼ cups salad (2 cups green/red leafy

lettuce, ¼ cup cucumber slices, 2

wedges tomato, 2 tbsp. fat-free

Italian dressing)

Source: NHI (National Health Institute)

Obesity by BMI (Body Mass Index), and Associated Health Problems

Obesity Class BMI (kg/m2) RISK

Underweight

< 18.5

LOW

Normal

18.5 – 24.9

LOW

Overweight

25.0 – 29.9

HIGH

Obesity I

30.0 – 34.9

VERY HIGH

Obesity II

35.0 – 39.9

VERY HIGH

Extreme Obesity III

³ 40

EXTREMELY HIGH

After determining your BMI (body mass index) rating to see what your risk level is, please note the different ailments that are caused by obesity:

Heart disease,

Type II diabetes,

Sleep apnea;

Gynecological problems

Osteoarthritis,

Gallstones

Strokes

Cancers of the breast, prostate & colon

Source: Nat'l Heart, Lung & Blood Institute, Obesity Education Initiative

RESOLUTIONS

Clean your medicine cabinet of expired medicine and nutritional products.

More than one-half of all poisonings handled by Poison.Org are from medications. Make sure

that you know how to safely use any medicines that you take.

Set a goal to eat more raw fruits and veggies. The USDA recommends 5 servings daily.

Start an exercise program, if you haven't already. Do it differently this time by setting a goal.

No texting while driving.

Eat more fiber. Great sources - oats, apples, brown rice, whole grain wheat bread & beans.

7 When you get home from socializing, get into the habit of washing your hands thoroughly. Also see to it that your children do the same.

8 Many of us unconsciously touch our nose, lips or eyes, which are major entry points for cold and flu viruses. Help a loved one out and make sure that they are not doing this.

9 Getting sick during your exercise routine can throw you off-track. Insure that you stay healthy by taking immune-boosting supplements.

10 Get rid of a toxic relationship, be it a "friend" or a lover. Remember: you are not anyone's punching bag.

Welcome to our New Year 2010 Special Edition

Oh, those delicious entrees, cakes, pies and more!. Now, it is time to get to business. This month's edition focuses on weight issues. 97 million adults are overweight or obese, according to the CDC. With the weight issue, comes health problems, self-esteem issues, relationship and social problems and in many cases, premature death. Let 2010 be the year that we take control of our bodies for a more healthful and fulfilling life! We will start off with this video from our partners at Answers TV Health.

Go Easy On the Diet Soda!

Many of us love to drink our diet sodas in hopes of eliminating hundreds of calories per week.

A recent study reveals that diets that are high in sodium and artificially sweetened soda is linked to kidney function decline.

Although you may call this study preliminary, it suggests that we need to limit our intake of sodium and artificially sweetened soft drinks. Try tea (either black or green tea), instead, since; (1) you can control the amount of sweetener that goes into it; and (2) they have 10 times the anti-oxidants of fruits or veggies.

Now, let's move down to food selection. Listed below, are (1) Healthy Baking/Cooking Substitutions, and (2) Snacks Under 100 Calories. Keep in mind that reducing the amount of calories from food and drinks by 500 - 1000 a day results in a loss of up to 24 pounds in 3 months! So, the suggestions below will help you achieve your weight loss goal; but you will lose even more with exercise.

Source: CDC (Centers For Disease Control)

Healthy Baking and Cooking Substitutions

Hey, girls and guys, this is too easy: You can substitute the ingredients in boldface -- with the ones listed underneath -- in your own favorite recipes to reduce added fat, sugars and calories.

1 cup cream

1cup evaporated milk, fat-free

1 egg

2 egg whites

Pastry dough

Graham cracker crumb crust

Butter, margarine, or vegetable oil for sautéing

Cooking spray, chicken broth, or a small amount of olive oil

Bacon

Lean turkey bacon

Ground beef Extra lean ground beef or ground turkey breast

1 cup chocolate chips 1/4 - 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup sugar 3/4 cup sugar (this works with nearly everything except yeast breads)

1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise

1 cup whole milk 1 cup fat-free milk

1 cup cream cheese 1/2 cup ricotta cheese pureed with 1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese

Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or margarine

Source: NHI (National Health Institute)

Which Weight Loss Programs Are Most Successful?

The previous section should be motivation enough for us all to either maintain our existing weight, or if we are overweight, it should motivate us to do something about it. Now, let's discuss the weight loss programs that you might want to try. Many of us will start the year 2010 off by investing heavily in books, videos, machines and gyms to lose or manage our weight. Look for a money back guarantee, just in case you find out that the plan is just not for you.

With that in mind, please note that the most successful programs for weight loss and weight management may have the following qualities:

(1)

The management of stress

(2)

The self-monitoring of your eating habits

(3)

Social support, to include a friend, relative or workout partner

(4)

The lowering of your daily caloric intake

(5)

Increased physical activity, I have come across one plan that advocates a 90-minute workout each day everyday. That may be okay for advanced participants, and those that have the time and/or will to commit to such a plan.

As stated earlier, this 5-point plan is the most successful plan there is, with points 2 - 5 being absolutely essential. You need to commit to it for 6 months before considering prescription drugs or other drastic measures. However, it is a good idea to increase your chance of success by combining your weight loss plan with a good nutritionally-based diet supplement.

Source: NHI (National Health Institute)

SNACKS UNDER 100 CALORIES (cont'd)

Fruits & Other Ideas

Amount Calories

1 large

orange

100

½ large grapefruit

1 medium apple

1 small banana

frozen fruit bar

¼ cup

raisins

½ cup

canned fruit cocktail 62

½ cup

red seedless grapes 52

1 cup

whole strawberries 46

celery sticks with 1 tbsp

peanut butter 100

baked tortilla chips, with

3 tbsp. salsa

We hope that we have provided you with useful information to get you started in the new year. With regard to diet and exercise, the easiest thing in the world to do is to give up and say that it is too difficult to diet; or to find excuses as to why you cannot workout, be it at a gym, a track, etc. To make it easier to achieve your goal with weight loss or bodybuilding, please check out the specials on our Diet | Nutrition page.

GOOD LUCK!