When on a training program or diet, it is important to give in to your cravings once in a while.  It is recommended that once a week, you have any meal of your choosing.  A cheat meal can keep your body going by upping your metabolism and curbing your cravings.  However, far too often people either overdo it (think: 15 rounds at an all you can eat buffet) or don’t do it at all.

When a person eats clean 100% of the time, the calories act more as maintenance to keep your body going.  Fat loss will typically stall.  A cheat meal, full of fried, greasy, fatty substances will kick start that metabolism and get it working to its full potential.  Your cheat meal is also your time to eat whatever it is you want, guilt free.  Go out on a date to a restaurant, take that trip to Popeye’s, share an ice cream cone with your dog.  It doesn’t matter what you do, just make sure you are enjoying yourself and not feeling guilty.

Remember, your cheat meal has an actual purpose in your attempt to get healthy.  Not only is it great for mental well-being, but it is physiologically important to maintain your metabolism and realize greater levels of fat loss.

As if you needed more of a reason to avoid fast food…

The burger on the right is a homemade burger.  The one on the left, Mcdonald’s.  Both have been sitting in a room temperature room for 11 straight days.  The homemade burger is obviously rancid…but McD’s?  Looks exactly like it did when it was first bought.  Even BACTERIA and FUNGUS won’t decompose this burger.  And you REALLY think it’s a good idea to be eating this?  Get real people.

Experiment courtesy Snack-Girl.com

There are enough fad diets and bogus advice out there to make anybodies’ head spin.  It is uninformative and confusing at best; downright harmful and a waste of time at worst.  The scope of this article isn’t to make specific claims about what and when you should be eating.  Each individual is different, which is why the best diet approaches come from dietitians who are able to talk 1-on-1 with a client.  What this article aims to do, is share 8 successful principals that will get your health and body in order.  These will help maxmimize weight loss, keep you motivated, and have your ready for beach season which is just around the corner.

1.  Know Your Body

Whether you are in tune with it or not, your body responds to everything you do to it.  Sometimes you feel great, happy, and healthy.  Other times you feel lazy, slow, and de-motivated.  Think how you feel after going out drinking all night, stuffing your face with late night burritos, and getting 5 hours of sleep.  Now think how you feel after running 5 miles after work, having a healthy dinner, and getting a good night’s rest.  It’s like night and day.  Be attune to your body and it’s demands.  Opt for the healthy choices far more often than the poor ones.

2.  Eat more often

Starving yourself is the worst thing you can do for a metabolism and weight loss goals.  By not eating all day, you will program your body to go into survival mode.  Your body will actively seek out muscle to consume for energy.  The goal is to eat 5-6 small meals a day.  Consuming calories requires thermal activity in your body, which burns calories.  You will keep hunger pangs at bay and maintain a high metabolism all day.  Win, win.

3.  Know your caloric intake needs

For just one week, write down everything you are eating in a journal.  Write down the times that you eat as well, so you know if you need to include more meals into your diet.  At the end of 6 weeks, plug all your food into a caloric calculator to see how many calories you are getting.  Determine how many calories you need to reach your goals and aim for that every day.  You can’t reach your goals if you don’t know what you have to do to reach them. 

4.  Portion Police

In theory, weighing every morsel of food is the best way to know exactly how many calories you are getting.  For practicality purposes however, this is not possible.  Follow the below list to properly portion your food. 

• Cereal 1 cup = a baseball
• Salad Dressing 2 Tbsp. = a shot glass
• Cheese 1 oz. = a golf ball
• Nuts 1 oz. = 1 cupped palm
• Hamburger 3 oz = mayo jar lid
• Beef 3 oz.  = deck of cards
• Rice 1/2 c = ice cream scoop
• Sweet Potato = computer mouse
• Butter 1 tsp = a waterbottle cap
• Pasta 1/2 cup = a tennis ball

5.  Cravings

It’s okay to give in to cravings….IF you give in only once in a while.  You do not have to eat like a juiced up bodybuilder to get into great shape.  Constantly avoiding temptations will only make them stronger, and your life more miserable.  Once or twice a week, have the foods that you are really craving.  By eating healthy the rest of the week, the bad meals will be more than compensated for.

6.  Study Nutrition

You don’t need to get a PhD in the matter, but know the difference between brown rice and white rice, which fruits are best, what to eat after a workout, etc.  Most often, the people who have a clear, conscise vision of nutrition are the ones who look best in a swimsuit.  Know ing why and how to complete a task makes it much easier  to be successful than simply following along to someone else’s instruction without a clue why.  Read blogs, books, and talk to dietitians to really up your own personal knowledge.

7.  Know what not to eat

Stay away from “foods” that aren’t on the food pyramid.  We’re talking about high-fat, overly processed junk.  Opt for a diet rich in vegetables and little red meat.  Keep in mind, those who consume a lot of alcohol or caffeine will have a higher propotion of toxins in their blood.  These toxins make your body hoard fat and leave you feeling bloated. 

8.  Keep a Journal

As mentioned above, keeping a journal for a week or so is a good way to get your average caloric intake and needs.  Keeping a journal longtime however, will keep you honest and give you the best possible idea what you are putting in your body.  Studies show that those who keep a diet journal make the greatest gains in terms of fat loss and muscular gains.

We hear it on the news like a drumbeat: Millions of kids eat out too much, lack access to fruits and vegetables, and it seems no one’s teaching them how to make healthy choices.

Childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes are on the rise like never before. “This may be the first generation that has a shorter life expectancy than their parents,” said an author of a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In February, first lady Michelle Obama introduced an initiative called Let’s Move! to do something about the situation. She even laid it on the line when she spoke to the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association last week, “We need you … to entirely rethink the products that you’re offering, the information that you provide about these products, and how you market those products to our children.” The Grocery Manufacturer’s Association says it’s on its way to compliance.

But you don’t need the first lady or an industry trade group to tell you how to improve your diet. You can have your own ambitious plan. You can start at home, by learning how to cook.

Time-strapped and seduced by “quick” prepared foods, many dismiss home cooking as inconvenient and old-fashioned, something Grandma did because she lacked options. As a necessary chore, cooking is one step below vacuuming in the household hierarchy.

But make no mistake: Cooking is power. By preparing dishes in your own kitchen, you can improve your family’s health, save a ton of money and encourage your kids’ development in ways that go beyond the kitchen. Grandma was on to something.

First and foremost, cooking gives parents control over ingredients, preparation and serving sizes of household meals.

Home chefs — like you — can emphasize whole foods and avoid additives like high fructose corn syrup (Who cooks at home with this? But processed food is loaded with it) and trans fats (same here). Cooking keeps loved ones out of restaurants and fast food joints, where nutrition is questionable and portions can be large enough to feed half the soccer team, never mind a single kid.

In a country where we spend 49 percent of our food budget eating out, home cooking saves staggering amounts of money. Don’t believe it? Log on. There are leagues of dedicated parents feeding large families for a fraction of what many people spend on themselves. The process takes time and a little planning, but can potentially help reclaim hundreds of dollars every week.

Meal prep as a family affair not only teaches kids about cooking, it equips them with valuable skills, promoting lifelong health and self-sufficiency. What’s more, eating together strengthens communication and tightens bonds. According to a study by Columbia’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, teens who eat with their families five or more times per week claim to enjoy better relationships with their parents and are less likely to drink and do drugs. Not too shabby for a plate of spaghetti.

Did we mention people like people who cook? With culinary aptitude a little sparse these days, roasting chicken is practically a magic trick. Serving it can be a gesture of love as well as an extension of friendship. You also can stretch that leftover chicken into several days of delicious dishes. Your kids will thank you for these skills.

Still afraid to try? Remember: Cooking is a learned skill. Few of us come into life knowing how to correctly dice an onion. Trial and error are key, as is a willingness to hang in there when things don’t come out perfectly.

To learn, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on cookbooks, either. If you don’t know anyone who cooks who will let you hang around and watch, check your public library, yard sales, Craigslist, and Amazon for used classics, or try one of many online book swaps like Goodreads, BookMooch and SwapTree. Some of our favorites include “Betty Crocker Cookbook,” “Cook’s Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe,” “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian,” and Cooks Illustrated magazine. They’re easy to follow and the recipes will impress the pants off your friends.

YouTube is rich with instructional videos. Type in “julienne” or “blanch” (or any other woman’s name that is also a cooking technique) and you’ll be chopping away, fingers intact. PBS and Food Network produce a wealth of shows to inspire you and remove a little of the intimidation factor. “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Lidia’s Italy,” “The Barefoot Contessa” and “Good Eats” top our list. Their food is simple and stellar.

Start small, with the most important meal — breakfast. It’s easy to prepare in advance with recipes like Overnight Oatmeal or Oat, Pear, and Raspberry Loaf. Move on to packing lunches and making simple dinners. Cooking doesn’t have to be a big production. You will find that it is perfectly easy to whip up sandwiches rather than open up your wallet and order them already made. A homemade pasta dish with fresh vegetables can have you sitting at the table in less than a half-hour.

Set up a lunch-prep assembly line in the morning before school, or share the vegetable washing or peeling duties before supper. Set aside a weekend afternoon to cook several meals for the week and wrap them tight in the fridge. Kids will feel pride and accomplishment when they’ve invested time and care in the food they eat.

They’ll know the difference between a zucchini and a yam. And they’ll know the difference between good food and junk.

Ultimately, a family’s health depends on a vast web of interrelated factors, only some of which we can easily influence. Cooking is one of those controllable things. Learn how, and you’ll put your nearest and dearest on the right track for life.

Start today. Here is an easy recipe for dinner tonight.

Via CNN.com

Many of us get so engulfed in maintaining an impeccable physique that we often forget about the more important aspect of our body; those things on the inside that keep us alive.  Every person alive has some degree of plaque in our arteries.  For some it may be very little, for others it may be nearing emergency.  That being said, many of us also have some extent of cardiovascular disease (CVD). 

The CDC estimates that 25% of adults have CVD.  Men are at an even heightened risk of a) developing CVD and b) dying of CVD.  These are troubling numbers, however the good news is that we can significantly alter our fate through diet.  The better your diet the less likely you are to succumb to CVD.  Below are 10 heart-friendly foods that you should eat more of to improve your heart function.

1.  Fatty Fish: Halibut, Albacore Tuna, Trout, Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna Steak.  Studies show populations with a diet containing lots of fish have low rates of CVD.  The types of fish listed above contain omega-3 fatty acids which are effective in lowering triglyceride levels as well as blood pressure. 

2.  Legumes: Lentils, Peas, Beans.  Legumes are low fat and high in a variety of nutrients that benefit your health.  They contain high levels of fiber, protein, potassium, iron, vitamin B, and phytochemicals which help prevent a variety of conditions, including CVD.

3.  Teas: Black, Green, White.  These teas are chock full of antioxidant polyphenols.  Antioxidants significantly alter free-radicals which compromise various cells in the body.  It has also been shown that these antioxidants prevent LDL (bad cholesterol) from oxidizing, which in turn prevents plaque formation that can clog our arteries.

4.  Bananas.  This potassium rich food helps us maintain a lower blood pressure.  Studies show that diets lacking potassium leave a person at rick for elevated blood pressure.  Potassium helps keep cell fluid balance constant which directly keeps our blood pressure in check.

5.  Leafy Greens: All varieties.  Some of the best foods on the planet for good health.  Tons of fiber, folate, carotenoids, potassium, calcium, and phytochemicals can be found in this food group.  The antioxidants found in carotenoids are shown to decrease levels of plaque build up and heart attack.  Aim to consume 3 cups of green vegetables each week. 

6.  Whole grains.  Diets rich in whole grains are benefitted by lower blood cholesterol.  This also help prevent CVD.  Always be sure a nutrition label says “whole grain” or “whole wheat” on the back.  Oats, oat bran, quinoa, barley, brown rice, and whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta are great foods to work into your diet.

7.  Garlic.  Compounds found in garlic have been shown to affect risk factors that lead to CVD.  Some of these factors include cholesterol and platelet activity.  To get the most from your garlic, try putting it through a garlic press.  Stay away from microwaving foods with fresh garlic as this will decrease the levels of heart healthy compounds.

8.  Berries: Gogi berries, raspberries, blue berries, strawberries, black berries.  Most berries contain more antioxidants and heart healthy phytochemicals than other fruits out there.  Sure, you can take your antioxidants in pill form, but it is always preferable to get them through the original food source.  Berries have been attributed to increase in HDL (good cholesterol) and a lowered blood pressure.

9.  Olive oil.  The cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet.  Olive oil is full of healthy, monounsaturated fats.  These healthy fats are related to lower levels of CVD and decreased LDL oxidation.  You should strictly be using olive oil in place of vegetable and other oils in the kitchen.  Feel free to sprinkle some on salads, pasta dishes, or fish, for instance.

10.  Oranges.  Extremely high in Vitamin C, folate, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and potassium.  They will also help you keep your cravings for sweet foods at bay.  Increased potassium intake is responsible for lower blood pressure levels.

All around you, there are diets that are telling you to beware of carbs.  They seek out to demonize all carbs, regardless of where they come from.  They want you to fear them, to stay away from them at all costs.  These diets are fads.  Sure, they may help to take some initial weight off, but there is no way a person can go their life without carbs.  As soon as you fall back into old habits, the fad diet goes out the window and the weight comes back on. 

Understanding the fundamental differences between good carbs and bad carbs will alleviate your need for the latest diet craze and set you on the right track towards a a happy, healthy life.  Remember, you don’t want to change your diet, you want to change your lifestyle.

Bad Carbs

First, we’ll take a look at the bad carbs that are responsible for giving all carbs a bad rep.  Another word for bad carbs would be simple sugars.  They are broken down quickly in your body which causes a spike in blood sugar levels.  Excess blood sugar in the body will signal the body to retain fat.  More nutrients you take in will be saved as fat cells instead of muscle cells for instance.  It’s no wonder people who consume lots of baked goods with white flour, candy, sodas, white pastas, white rice, white potatoes (notice a trend here?).  They are usually highly processed and have lost a large portion of their nutritional value in the process.  A quick tip to avoiding bad carbs; stay away from most white foods. 

Think of bad carbs as empty calories.  They taste great, but once inside they do little more than spike your blood sugar which promotes fat retention.  You receive much less nutritional supplementation from them than you would complex carbs.  In addition, for those with chronically elevated blood sugar levels, the possibility of developing diabetes is a serious threat. 

Good Carbs

Anything that is a complex carbohydrate is considered a good carb.  They have a more complex molecular chain, and therefore are harder to break down by your body (this is a good thing).  The result is the absence of a spike in blood sugar levels.  They are typically high in fiber and other nutrients your body craves.  Fiber works in several ways to positively impact your health.  First, soluble fiber binds to fatty substances in the intestines and carries them out as waste.  This helps lower low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol.  A high fiber diet will also keep hunger pangs and blood sugar levels in check.  Adding good carbs and cutting out bad carbs may be confusing for the uninformed.  Below, we’re going to show you some very easy and beneficial ways to make the switch from bad to good in your diet.

• Start your day with whole grains.  A bowl of steel-cut oats or even rolled oats are a great way to start your morning.  If you want  cold cereal, try anything that lists whole oats, whole wheat, or another whole grain first on the ingredient list.
• Ditch the white for wheat.  This applies to a wide array of products.  Look for breads that list WHOLE wheat first on the ingredient list (be sure it says WHOLE wheat).  Eat brown rice instead of white.  Wheat pasta instead of white pasta.  Go whole grain whenever possible.
• Pass the potatoes.  If you want a carbohydrate with dinner, for instance, pass on the potatoes.  There are a variety of other grains that are much healthier and tastier than a plain white potato.  Look for bulgur, wheat berries, quinoa, or cous cous to mix it up.
• The magical fruit.  Sure, they might make you toot, but they pack tons of slow-digesting good carbs and nutrients in them.  Beans are a great food for a high-fiber, low blood sugar level lifestyle. 
• Eat your veggies.  Vegetables are an excellent source of good carbs.  In addition they pack in tons of anti-oxidants and other nutrients that are shown to lower cancer and lead to a healthy heart.  We should all strive to eat as many vegetables as we can.  They are truly the cornerstone to good health and happy living.