The 10 Best Foods for a Flat Belly

Thursday, 18 May 2006

We still can strive to tone up our bodies with flat bellies, just maybe not the "six-pack abs" on those late-night TV commercials for tummy toners or on our favorite movie stars. Let's face it: flat tummies are more the norm than the six packs - and they're more attainable. Now, June's Fitness magazine gives the low-down on the best foods we can eat to help us take the high road to leaner and flatter abs. And the advice couldn't have come at a better time: at the start of swimsuit season. Of course, we must still exercise to tone up our bellies. Yet, we can help our efforts by eating the right kinds of foods that provide all the nutrients we need. According to Julie Meyer, a registered dietitian who wrote the article, her top 10 list includes: • Almonds. They contain protein, fiber, energy-creating magnesium, and vitamin E, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant. The magnesium also helps regulate the levels of sugar in our blood, which will ward off cravings for food. And many of us know what food cravings lead to. Meyer recommends 23 almonds a day, or about an ounce. That translates to 160 calories. • Eggs. The best protein source of 'em all. They provide essential "amino acids," proteins used by our bodies to create muscle fibers, brain chemicals and a bunch of other healthy material. Meyer recommends an egg a day. Folks who have high levels of cholesterol in their blood should first check with their doctors. An egg contains about 213 milligrams of cholesterol. Some nutritionists favor Eggbeaters, the egg product made out of the egg whites, not the yolks, therefore skipping cholesterol and fat. • Apples. Overweight women who added to their diets three apples or pears a day for three months shed more pounds than women who had the same diets but ate oat cookies rather than fruits, according to a study in Nutrition. Meyer suggests an apple or two a day, especially Red Delicious, Cortland and Northern Spy varieties with the highest antioxidant activity. • Soy. Meyer recommends roasted soybeans for snacks, shelled edamame in soups, and mixing tofu into a "smoothie." • Berries. Loaded with fiber. Health experts recommend between 25 and 35 grams of fiber a day, which allows our bodies to absorb fewer calories from other foods. Meyer recommends at least a half cup daily, which is 30 calories, of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, boysenberries, gooseberries and black currants. • Leafy green vegetables. Meyer's kudos go to spinach, broccoli, arugula and broccoli. • Yogurt. People who get calcium from yogurt rather than other dairy sources or supplements may lose more weight in the belly, suggests a recent study in the International Journal of Obesity. Healthy bacteria in most yogurts help keep our digestive systems in working shape. Meyer suggests one to three cups a day of low-fat or fat-free yogurt, especially unsweetened yogurt with live active cultures and splashed with chopped fruit. • Vegetable soup. People who eat broth-based or low-fat, cream-based soups twice daily lose weight more easily than people who consume the same amount of calories in snacks. Soup fans also maintain a total weight loss of 16 pounds after one year, according to a study at Penn State University. Meyer recommends at least one cup of low-calorie, low-sodium vegetable soup every day. • Seafood, especially "fatty fish" like salmon, tuna and mackerel, which are packed with omega-3 fatty acids that may help promote the burning of fat. An Australian study suggested that people who ate fish daily improved their glucose-insulin response, which helps folks avoid cravings. Meyer's tip is for two four-ounce servings a week. • Quinoa. A whole grain that contains five grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein per half cup. Pronounce it KEEN-wah. It has a nutty flavor and "crunchy-yet-chewy" texture, said Meyer, who recommends at least one-half cup serving. To find more than 6,000 ideas for healthy meals in which you can incorporate these foods for you and your family, visit the Nubella recipe repository. Don't forget to check out the popular Healthy Cooking recipes in the Healthy Eating center. What's more, if you have a healthy recipe with these foods as the focal points, share it with thousands of Nubella readers by sending it to info@nubella.com . Source: Fitness magazine Posted by: Steve Smith Website: www.fitnessmagazine.com Nubella News encourages all site visitors and readers interested in understanding the material contained within this article at a more detailed level, to perform additional research and investigation into the article topics, references, and any links provided within the material. Nubella News does not intend to offer medical advice. We recommend that all readers ask their doctor or medical professional for additional advice, guidance, and/or recommendations pertaining to this article.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 18 May 2006 )

Some Health Food Knowledge

Not going "number two" enough? New health guidelines suggest we should drink about eight glasses of water a day, about 64 ounces, and get 25 grams of fiber to stay regular and healthy. World-renowned heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz says that if we can work on our fiber and water intake, our digestive systems could dramatically improve.

"High fiber comes in vegetable form: artichokes, lima beans, soybeans," he says. "You can get fruits that have lots of fiber like grapefruit, blackberries and raspberries."

Another fantastic source of fiber is whole grains. Dr. Oz says that eating whole grains isn't just the latest craze?they offer multiple benefits to your health. You may have already heard about the health benefits of whole wheat bread and oatmeal, but now doctors say other whole grains like spelt, bulgar and quinoa can reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure and even help prevent heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. They say that whole grains help flush fat and cholesterol out of your system and provide powerful antioxidants that help you stay healthier, look younger and live longer. The USDA just recently recommended eating at least three servings a day.

One of Oprah's favorite whole grain choices is steel cut oatmeal for its crunchy texture. Dr. Oz says steel cut oatmeal and other whole grain foods are high in fiber?great for digestion.

"[Steel cut oatmeal] doesn't have a lot of calories, and it drags the food [you eat] along so it can't become like putty?until it gets to the very end," Dr. Oz says. "Whole grains are an insoluble fiber, so it pulls water with it and it binds to all the other stuff you're eating that may not be so good for you. It gets the whole bolus moving on."

Foods rich in magnesium like beets, raisins, dates and soybeans are important because they get your bowels moving! The more natural, the better, says Dr. Oz.

"The easy part of this message is all of these foods come out of the ground looking the way they look when you eat them," he says. "That's the only thing you have to remember. 'Does it look the way it looked when it came out of the ground when I eat it? There are no white bread plants!"

Dr. Oz recommends magnesium supplements when necessary.

Dr. Oz says you can reduce your chances of getting cancer by up to 50 percent by doing three simple things. The first is eating foods rich in folate. If you don't take it as a supplement, you can find folate in orange juice, spinach and other leafy green vegetables.

If more "number two" is a "number one" priority, add these foods to your shopping list now!

Learn more about Dr. Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen's book, YOU: The Owner's Manual.

Another cancer-fighting agent is vitamin D. Non-fat milk, orange juice or supplements are great sources.

"And you get vitamin D from the sun," Dr. Oz says. "So especially if you live in northern latitudes, you're not getting enough vitamin D unless you take supplements."

Dr. Oz says that since African-Americans have a darker skin color, they should probably be taking supplements in order to insure proper vitamin D intake.

If there's a magic pill for anything, Dr. Oz says it's the third cancer-fighting agent on his list?two baby aspirin daily.

"It's cheap and easy to take aspirin," Dr Oz says. "Aspirin has many, many helping elements. It helps your skin, it helps about anything you can imagine. It has some potential risks if people have sensitive stomachs. But for cancer, you've got to be on it."

Being aware of what our bodies are telling us and how to deal with those challenges is what Dr. Oz says is most important. As well as being good for the heart, foods with tomato-based products can help alert our systems to what might be wrong, Dr. Oz says. Tomato sauce is part of so many foods it's just a matter of incorporating it into our diets more often. Dr. Oz says tomatoes contain lycopene which has been shown to fight cancer. But you can't just put a few slices in your salad to reap the effect. The tomato needs to be cooked in order to provide the most nutrients.

Many people will stand up and cheer for this next Dr. Oz tidbit?coffee is actually good for you, in reasonable amounts.

Coffee actually has been shown to reduce liver cancer and to be effective with (or with symptoms of) Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases," Dr. Oz says. "So there are a bunch of different places where coffee can play a role. The reason it got a bad name is because it does have side effects, for example, migraine headaches and heart palpitations. But if you're not having them, coffee is reasonable."

Did we mention, it's good for those bowel movements, too? Dr. Oz suggests 24 ounces of coffee a day is a rational amount.

Dr. Oz is on the New York Presbyterian Hospital team that operated on President Clinton during his recent quadruple bypass operation. While in office, President Clinton underwent daily health screenings, but the tests never showed he was on the verge of a major heart attack. The President had experienced tightness in his chest after exercising that would eventually go away. He finally decided to consult doctors after experiencing tightness in his chest unrelated to exercise?a decision that saved his life.

"I'm much more careful about what I eat and I have resumed a vigorous exercise program," President Clinton says. "I'm convinced that if it hadn't been for the fact that I was in pretty good shape, I might not have survived it."

Dr. Oz says that the president had done the right thing in listening to his body and pushing to cure what seemed wrong. But President Clinton had stopped taking his medications after he had seen a drop in his cholesterol.

"Fifty percent of Americans don't take their medications the way they need to," Dr. Oz says. "And he's the President of the United States. He's as well tested as you can be. And that take-away point is you cannot test for safety. You've got to live to be safe. As clean as your arteries are, and his were three months before he had this problem, they can become problematic if you're not taking the proactive healthy living steps that we're talking about."

So what can you eat to make your heart healthy and happy? Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are the best, says Dr. Oz. Salmon, walnuts and hazelnuts are great sources. Keep nuts in your refrigerator so they don't oxidize. Garlic and onions are also heart-healthy.

You've heard it before, and we'll say it again?yay, red wine! So why is red wine healthier than white?

"Red wine has a chemical in it called rezveritrol, which is a very strong antioxidant that's also been shown to be heart-healthy," Dr. Oz says. "Red wine has the material from the skins of the grapes [the rezveritrol]. The white wine has that skin stripped away. So if you're going to drink wine and you're going to take the hit on calories, drink red wine."

Learn more about Dr. Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen's book, You: The Owner's Manual.

Source: Oprah.com

Mad About Work

Text: Wyn-Lyn Tan

At Family's first seminar, speaker David Oliver shed light on how work and family likfe can be a happy union.

Start by being happy at work. That may be the key factor in achieving a successful work-life balance.

David Oliver stressed the point when he spoke recently on Making "Home" Work at Family's first seminar, At Home With Family. The inspirational speaker and author of Work: Prison of Destiny, says, "When you're unhappy at work, it will inadvertently affect your family."

But not all of us have dream jobs, you say? Oliver rationalises that it's all about making choices and finding the right motivation at work. Choose to put passion at work, and passion will continue at home. But work with a heavy heart filled with overwhelming stress, and no doubt, these work "toxins" will spill over into your family life.

Oliver suggests some practical strategies to putting the spring back into work and managing work-life relationships.

Work with Passion
If work is starting to feel jaded, perhaps it's time to

• Have a change of attitude worth catching. Tell yourself you can do it, and you will.
• Remember that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And the longer we leave a task, the harder it is to get going.
• Give unconditionally. Share all your ideas and knowledge at work, for the more you give, the more you'll receive.
• Be a friend. Do to others what you would like done to you. Give a sincere compliment, for instance. Or do acts of kindness, such as giving a little note of appreciation.
• Keep an attitude of forgiveness. Life is too short to hold a grudge. Don't let others get in the way of your passion.
• Put people before things and spend time with them, even if it costs.
• Welcome change. Fear is what stops us from pursuing new things.
• Say no to debt we cannot manage. If we're constantly playing catch with the bank and credit card companies, the stress can have us in the wrong job, and drive the pleasure out of work.

Work and Family - The Twain Can Meet!
1. LOSE SOME GUILT It's not about stumbling on that perfect schedule, or that our family demands too much time. The reality is there is just not enough time for you to do everything you are convinced you need to do, or that everyone expects you to do. We have to accept that saying "yes" always means saying "no" somewhere else.

2. GO HOME ON TIME Tell yourself you'll leave the office by 6pm, and it'll give you the energy and motivation to be more productive and work more efficiently.

3. SHARE YOUR WORK WITH THE FAMILY "We often seperate work and family, and that creates tension. It would be ideal if you're working together with the family because it'll be like having a best friend at work. But if not, invite your family into your work place to let them know you're in this as a family. I'm 53 years old, but till today, I can still remember the great pride I had in my dad when he first brought me to see his office when I was 18."

4. LOVE YOURSELF "For me, being on my boat alone restores my soul. It's not wrong to love yourself - if you don't get it right for yourself, how can you do it for others?"

5. RESPECT YOUR PARTNER'S SPACE "Likewise, allow your partner to love herself. My wife like to do jigsaws to relax. Her stuff makes a mess, and it irritates me sometimes, but I must learn to give her space to restore her soul her way."

6. UNWIND BEFORE RETURNING HOME FROM WORK "Find somewhere away from the immediate noise to do what I call the 'the stone's throw', where you skip pebbles on the water. Or find other little routines to unwind before heading home from work, like listening to music in the car."




Extracted from Family:January 2006

Eat, Drink and Be Wary

Text: W.K Goh

You can survive Christmas without looking like Santa, or depriving yourself of that luscious eight-course dinner at grandma's.

If you're the guest
Instead of skipping breakfast and lunch so you can gorge at dinner
Why not eat light meals throughout the day. You won't feel so faint and you won't over-eat.

Instead of chomping on high-fat snacks as a security blanket
Why not drink water or choose fiber-rich food like vegetables, suggests Susan G. Berg in Food Smart: Savory Strategies to Defy Disease.

Instead of eating every dish at the table
Why not survey the spread. Go for healthy bites, but give yourself permission to take two or three sinful ones, says Berg.

Instead of starving yourself after a night of over-indulging
Why not Exercise more. Eat small, frequent meals that are low in carbohydrates, with a little protein and lots of steamed or lightly boiled vegetables.


If you're the host
Instead of getting weighed down by fatty snacks
Why not lighten up with baked chips, low fat dips, fruits and vegetables. Commercial chips and dips often have high salt levels, but it's easy to make your own. Get the kids involved and they'll be more likely to eat these healthy snacks.

Instead of serving an eight-course meal with turkey, honey baked ham and roast beef
Why not "make use of colourful fruit and vegetables to brighten and extend the main course. Use tofu or peas and beans to partially substitute for meat", suggests nutritionist consultant Louisa Zhang. Too much red meat increases your levels of bad cholestrol and ups the risk of heart disease, says Dr Fred Pescatore, author of Feed Your Kids Well. Zhang adds, "Too much protein causes more calcium to be excreted from the body and may also strain the function of kidneys."

Instead of converting carnivores into vegetarians
Why not "slice the meat in paper-thin slices to prevent overeating. Use smaller serving plates. Make your healthy dishes very colourful nd attractive to take attention away from the other dishes. Don't spoil the party, though, by not catering to the diehards," Zhang says.

Instead of using commercial thickeners or full-cream milk
Why not "add fresh fruit juice (orange, lemon grapefruit, pineapple) to commercial sauces," she says. "Jacket potatoes with sour cream mixed with low fat yoghurt. Mix full cream milk with plain fat-free yoghurt and use as cream for desserts."

Instead of adding butter, coconut or MSG, which are rich in fat or salt
Why not "Use mushrooms which are natural flavour enhancers. Vegetables which taste sweet include mashed pumpkin, mashed sweet potato, sweet corn, onions, carrots, turnips. Leeks, sweet peas and French beans may be used, too! To sweeten stock use dried longan, wolfberry, and figs," says Zhang.

Instead of serving all the courses at once
Why not do it restaurant-style, course by course, says Jeannes Jones in Cook it Right. You'll appreciate the flavours of each dish, and it slows down the eating process, so you'll be satisfied with less food.


What to do with the Kids
Instead of checking on every morsel
Why not organise activities to take their mind off food. This can be a simple as a game of musical chairs, a treasure hunt or indoor games. If you feed them well before the party and keep them busy during the event, they won't spend the entire time snacking.



Extracted from Family:December 2005

A-Z Health Food

APPLES contain pectin and fibre, which help to keep the blood pressure down by lowering serum cholestrol levels in the body. They also contain vitamins A, B1, B2, C and minerals that reduce dental decay.

APRICOTS (dried) provide instant energy if eaten raw. Their vitamin A improves skin texture, keeps hair glossy and prevents cracks in finger or toe-nails.

BANANAS help stop a craving for sweet things and an average fruit has only 94 calories. Researchers have proved that bananas can relieve pain and cure ulcers.

BEANS and lentils, the "pulses", are excellent protein foods and contain no fat. Eaten with grains and nuts, they provide iron, zinc and fibre and make economical meals.

BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES provid one of the richest sources of vegetable iron, copper, calcium, potassium and zinc and B vitamins. This "wonder food" can be used regularly as a sweetener.

BRAN is rich in fibre, B vitamins and minerals. Two tablespoonfuls of bran daily, with porridge or cereal or in muesli, will prevent constipation and bowel trouble.

BREWER'S YEAST is the richest source of all the B vitamins except B12. It also offers 14 minerals and is 36 per cent protein with almost no fat. Take powdered yeast or yeast tablets daily to increase energy, improve skin and hair, aid digestion and overcome nervous conditions.

BROWN RICE is the most nutritious of the different types of rice as all its B complex and E vitamins and minerals are retained. These improve health and relieve pre-menstraul tension.

CABBAGE is an excellent source of vitamins A, B and C, calcium and iron. Its high fibre content stimulates bowel action, so eating it regularly helps prevent or even overcome constipation.

CHEESE is the richest protein food, second only to soya beans, lentils and peanuts. It contains vitamins A and D and lots of calcium and zinc, so it boosts health and makes bones and teeth strong.

EGGS contain first-class protein, fat, iron, calcium, vitamins A, B and D and lecithin which helps to prevent fatty deposits in the arteries. Egg yolk is the best source of iron for a baby or young child.

GARLIC an onions boost general health, keep infection at bay, reduce blood pressure, aid digestion and soothe catarrh, colds and coughs.

HERRINGS and kippers are high in protein and in vitamins A and D, which help keep colds and flu at bay and prevent your skin getting chapped from too much air-conditioning.

HONEY is pre-digested and provides quick energy. Rich in minerals and vitamins, it can destroy germs and hasten healing.

KELP (seaweed) contains more minerals such as iodine, zinc and iron than any other food.

LIVER is rich in iron, zinc, vitamins A and B and other minerals. It enriches the blood, prevents anaemia, aids growth and improves the complexion.

MILK is good protein food and is rich in calcium and vitamins A and D, so it is invaluable for young children and older people. One pint of milk daily can supply a quarter of an adult's protein needs.

NUTS, especially peanuts and almonds, are concentrated protein combined with fibre, some B vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Try nut loaf, peanut butter, almond cream or nuts in salads.

ORANGES contain vitamin C, which is necessary for growth, strong teeth and clear skin, for iron absorption, to promote healing, to guard against infection and to help prevent stretch marks.

OATMEAL contains fibre, which lowers cholestrol levels in the blood and helps to avoid heart attacks. Serve porridge or muesli for your family's breakfast.

SEAFOOD enriches the blood, improves nails, hair and skin, relieves tension and aids digestion.

SOYA BEANS are as rich in protein as meat and contain no animal fat or cholestrol. Four ounces (100g) of soya protein contains 88 calories as compared to 260 calories in minced beef.

WATERCRESS is richer in vitamins and minerals than most other vegetables. Its vitamin A and iron purify the blood and improve the skin. The spicy flavour whets the appetite and enlivens dishes.

WHEATGERM is the vital heart of the grain. It contains the "youth vitamin" E, vitamin B-complex and minerals including zinc, iron and calcium. It boosts general health, improves the complexion and increases fertility and stamina.

WHOLEMEAL BREAD contains more protein, fibre, vitamins B and E and mineral salts than ordinary brown or white bread. It also provides energy and warmth.

YOGHURT was called the "elixir of health" by the Romans. Natural, unsweetened yoghurt is said to cure muscular pains, purify the blood, improve digestive troubles and insomnia. - IPS



Extracted from Family:May 2005

Aspara-gud!

If you're on all-out cancer-prevention regime, eat more asparagus. Of 15 veggies and seven fruits test by researchers at the University of Missouri, it was found to have the highest amounts of the antioxidant called thiols, which helps protect against cancer. The runners-up: Spinach and red capsicum. Papaya came tops among the fruits.



Extracted from Family:May 2005

Sleep Tight

Get enough sleep and keep your body mass index (BMI) healthy. A recent Stanford University study found that people who slept five hours produced 15.5 per cent less leptin and 14.9 per cent more ghrelin than those who slept eight hours.

Say what? Well, both are hormones linked to appetite. Leptin helps you feel full, and ghrelin induces hunger. Read: More ghrelin means more cravings for munchies.

A similar study by the Eastern Virginia Medical School found that people who slept just seven hours a night had higher BMI of 5.5 points on average, compared to those who slept eight hours.



Extracted from Family:May 2005

Weighty Issues for Guys

A healthy lifestyle is for men, too. Or didn't they know that?

Listen up, guys. If all that hard work in the office is your excuse for slacking off exercise, get a move on making changes! The recent revision of the body mass index (BMI) points to more of us being overweight than previously thought - and men are by no means exempt. So, how in tune are you with weighty issues? Ask yourself if you knew that...

When a man puts on weight, the rolls of fat tend to centre around his abdomen
For women, it is the hips and bum.
What's the problem: Studies have shown that men with waist sizes larger than 101.6cm are at increased risk of certain health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
What to do: Watch the calories, and exercise.

Men ought to eat lots of fruits and vegetables too
Cut the machismo! What's recommended by the Health Promtion Board for everyone else applies to you too: Two plus two servings (of fruit and vegetables) every day.
What's the problem: If you don't, you miss out on vitamins, minerals and fibre, all of which are found in abundance in fruit and veggies. When included as a diet staple, the two foods may reduce your risk of cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and diabetes.
What to do: Make a conscious effort to - yup - eat fruits and vegetables. You could:

• Include just one fruit in your breakfast as well as with your other main meals.
• Have fruit as a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Put a bowl of fruit on your desk at the beginning of the week, and make sure it's gone by Friday. Into your stomach, not the bin!
• Drink vegetable soup. Even soup with a vegetable base counts for something.
• Get whoever cooks in your family to grate a raw carrot or apple into the minced meat used for meatballs.
• Ask for chopped vegetables in the sauce when you're eating that kids' favourite, spaghetti bolognese.

Men need as much calcium as women
What's the problem: Osteoporosis. It's not just a woman problem. Without enough calcium, men can get whacked by the disease, too.

Osteoporosis weakens bones, making them more susceptible to fractures. According to the reowned Mayo Clinic in the United States, men need 1,000 mg of calcium between the ages of 19 and 50 and 1,200mg if 51 or older.

The vitamin D requirement is 200IU (international units) every day for the under-50s, and 400IU for those in the 51 to 70 age group (600IU if older).

What to do: Drink milk when your kids do, or chew on cheese and slurp up yoghurt. These days, even McDonald's has both. What else?

• Exercise. Not only do your muscles get a workout, your bones respond to the force of your muscles at work, and build calcium reserves. The overall benefit is that you become stronger and more agile, and your balance improves. Which means, your chances of falling and breaking a bone decrease.
• Cut out the cigarettes. Smoking accelerates loss of bone mass.
• Don't overdo the alcohol. Too much decreases bone formation and reduces the body's ability to absorb calcium. Says Kho Chenchill, dietician at Gleneagles Hospital: "A lot of men entertain, so they usually have liquor with very high alcohol content. "My recommendation is, keep it to just one or two small glasses a day. A standard drink is about 10g alcohol. If possible, try to have at least two alcohol-free days a week."

6 MEALS A DAY, NOT 3
Mini meals, not mountains, says a savvy GP.

While there isn't a Top 10 list of foods you should eat, "what's important is how to eat healthy if you are eating out", says Dr Chong Yeh Woei, a general practioner with the Pacific Healthcare group.

Instead, he advises his patients to:

Choose soupy options if at a hawker centre.

Order grilled food if at a restaurant, or choose tomato-based pastas.

To help people with weight problems or high cholestrol levels understand how their weights started climbing in the first place, he explains things this way.

"When you eat something, it goes into your gut. It's absorbed into the blood stream. Most of the time, if your diet is very unhealthy, a huge mountain of sugar enters your blood stream.

"The pancreas produces insulin, which is the key that opens the door to every cell in your body. The sugar flows into the cell. Your sugar mountain disappears."

However, overweight people who are not necessarily diabetic sometimes develop insulin resistance and "the keys do not work".

"The sugar can't go into the cells, and the metabolic syndrome kicks in. The cells are starving and telling the brain to eat more. You get the urge to eat more. You give in, and make things worse. It's a vicious cycle."

Dr Chong advises those who are serious about losing weight to abandon the three-meal-a-day habit and eat six small meals instead, reducing their caloric intake, and to make exercise a part of their lives.

"During exercise, the muscle cells open without insulin. All the sugar flows in, and you have overcome the need for the 'key'.




Extracted from Family:May 2005

Torn Between Two Offers

If you want a new job, you should go for more than one interview. But what to do if you get two great offers?

Hunting for a job can be just like waiting a bus. You wait a long time, then two come along at once. But when it comes to choosing which one to take, look at how far you want to go.

During each interview you go to, you may think your interviewers have covered all the aspects of the job you're targeting. But try to think of as many questions as possible to get a better picture of how you will fit in with the company culture.

Don't feel obliged to take up the first job offer on the spot. Taking a little time to consider each option carefully may prevent a hasty decision that could leave you wondering if you have made the right choice after all.

On the other hand, if you think about it too long, don't be surprised if you find yourself without either job and back to square one.

One of the first things most people take into account when choosing which job to go for is which has the best salary. But remember money isn't everything. You could pick a position purely for the pay and later find you are unhappy with the work - and stuck!

Look at the possibility of long-term career prospects. Is there a good chance of progressing within the company? Can they train you in new skills or offer you vital experience to help you step up the career ladder?

Also, try to find out as much as you can about each company. For example, has it got a high turnover of staff, when was the company set up, and most importantly, does it have a good reputation?

Some other areas you need to consider are what kind of benefits each company can offer you, such as health insurance, holidays, share options, family-friendly programmes or even a company gym.

The office environment is just as important as the job itself. When you go for a job interview, you are often nervous and concentrating so hard on sailing through all the questions, you don't always notice your surroundings.

But if you have a chance to meet some employees, try to find out what their attitudes to the company are. Ask yourself what sort of atmosphere the workers create and if it feels like the kind of place you could be happy in.

Trust your intuition. Even if you are nervous, first impressions can often be right. Travel may seem a trivial subject when looking for your ideal job. But if it involves extended periods away, it can mean drastic changes to your life.

Or if the choice between two jobs boils down to the location, ask yourself if it is only the hassle of commuting some distance every day that is preventing you from starting a brilliant new career.

If you have a family, you will also need to consider the effects of change on your partner and your children.

The most important thing: When you have made your choice, make sure you have a firm job offer before you turn the other one down.

You are at the strongest stage to negotiate terms such as salary, holidays and any probationary periods, but make sure the company puts all the agreements in writing before you sign on the dotted line. - IPS



Extracted from Family:May 2005

fad Diets

Where did most of the Diet programmes go wrong?
Generally, speaking, the diets you hear about do bring about weight loss; but they fail because they are not designed to sustain the weight loss in a healthy way.

Most diets permit a very low calorie content. But when calorie intake is severely low, the body's protective mechanism sets in, to save energy by slowing down the metabolic rate. A too-low calorie intake also means that you lose muscle, and this reduces the metabolic rate further. A lower metabolic rate means the body burns less energy and stores more of it than before - and this means weight gain. And when the weight returns, it returns as fat.

Some people gain weight faster while on a diet than when they are off it!

Then there are some diets which severely restrict carbohydrates. While there is a science behind this, doctors say that most people do not read or understand the method clearly, and face health problems which they blame on the diet or the method.

So what to do? Even as you control your food intake, you need to increase your metabolic rate so that your body burns more energy. And the only way to do that is with regular exercise. And since you are exercising, you need ensure you are consuming the nutrients your body needs to sustain itself through the increased physical activity.

Sounds complicated, but all this means only one thing: losing weight takes careful planning and discipline!

"People with a weight problem need to correct their eating habits permanently. It is not dieting, but a normalised eating style designed for humans, the way the human body was meant to be nourished. Exercise should not appear as something one does for a specific objective, but as a physical activity that the human body was designed to be doing every day," explains Dr Ajith Damodaran, a family physician in private practice.

Do's

• Substitute activity for snacking between meals. Call a friend, play the piano, or take a walk.
• Don't use food as reward. A handbag or a new haircut will keep you trendier, prettier and trimmer.
• Avoid "addictive" finger foods.
• Avoid sugar-laden and alcoholic beverages.
• Manage your stress, boredom or anger, or whatever emotions are making you seek out comfort in food. Try other palliatives.
• Don't upsize. Huge meals at fast food restaurants focus on perceived value for money, and make us forget that we're eating more than we need to.
• Stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
• Don't obsess about "cleaning" your plate.
• Don't think you can eat less fat and more of everything else. All food has calories - fat or no fat.

How much exercise?
For exercise to help in weight loss, strive for a minimum of five 30-minutes sessions per week. The good news is that three 10-minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30-minute session.

Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with. Walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

How and what to eat?
Focus on getting healthy, not thin. Eat to improve your chance of a long and healthy life. Many people become more successful at long-term weight loss when their motive changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset, and select foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your weight.

Cast aside the conflicting reports about which foods are good and bad for you. Balance, moderation and variety are still the key. Sensible and sustained habits shape our body composition and weight, not the skipped meals and the binges.

Smart Strategies

• Set attainable goals like two kilos a month, rather than 20 kilos.
• Record everything you eat, what you were doing at that time, and how you felt. This is a good way to learn about what tempts you and the emotional states that encourage you to snack. This enables you to identify - and kick - bad habits.
• Kill that urge for potato chips by brushing your teeth.
• If you feel hungry before meal time, wait 10 minutes to see if it passes.
• Serving your food attractively cuts down on the amount you eat, and makes you more aware of what you are eating. When a craving hits, opt for crunchy foods like carrot and celery sticks, rather than peanuts and candy.

Eat For Life

• Avoid foods with a high fat content, and trim all visible fat from meat before you cook.
• Non-stick pans mean less oil in cooking. Steam or broil rather than stir-fry.
• Reduce salt and commercial seasonings, and sbustitute with natural spices and seasonings.
• Limit your consumption of processed foods and avoid food in brine.
• Reduce sugar. Check labels for hidden sugars such as dextrose and sucrose, and avoid Aspartame, a sugar substitute.
• Reduce meat, and top up on the proteins from fish, soya and lentils.
  
• Eat at home more, so that you control your food and make healthier choices.
• Read food labels to become more aware of the nutritional value (or the lack of it) of the food you eat.

Extracted from Family:March 2005

Home Remedies

How well protected are you against the common cold and flu?
Here are five simple things that can help boost your immune system.

Fluids
Stay hydrated with plenty of liquids. Read: water and pure fruit juices. Hot beverages work better for some people, so consider chamomile or peppermint herbal tea, or just add a slice of lemon to hot water.

Citrus fruits
Increase your vitamin C intake with citrus fruits. Drink orange juice for breakfast, snack on half a grapefruit, or add tangerine slices to a lunch-time salad.

Ginger
Many people find frest ginger root helps treat the coughing and fever that often accompany colds and flu. Try making a ginger tea: Pour a cup of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger and let it steep for 5 to 10 minutes.

Hot and spicy food
Some people swear by garlic, horseradish, chillies or spicy sauces to help ease congestion. Cook Indian or other ethnic foods that contain these ingredients, or simply add a spicy sauce to foods for extra zip.

Chicken soup
Also known as nature's penicillin, it is at the top of the list for its curative powers. Hot chicken soup helps clear clogged airways, and the nourishing broth will give you more energy. Add plenty of vegetables, including onion and garlic, for extra healing power.


Remember, a daily routine of high-fat, high-sugar junk foods, skipped meals and lots of caffeine can mak you more susceptible to minor illnessess like colds and flue. So eat plenty of whole grains, fruit, vegetables and low-fat protein to keep your immune system strong. Think of nutritious foods as part of your cold-and-flu armour, and you'll be ready to do battle whenever illness strikes.




Extracted from Family:March 2005