Macafiend"Never eat more than you can lift!" - Miss Piggy

Posts by macafiend

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Forum	Topic	Date	Replies
Foods	Diet Soda: Friend of Foe?	Apr 13 2007 17:47 (UTC)	2
The trouble with diet sodas is that altough they are low (and sometimes zero) calorie foods, the artificial sweeteners used are potentially detrimental to our health. Check out this link: http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-sweetene rs.html Aside from the potential risks of consuming these "non-foods", artificial sweeteners do not ween us off the sweet flavours that many of us crave. Therefore, even after our diet coke, we still want the cakes, cookies and chocolate that we're trying to avoid. Your best bet is to avoid them completely. If you're craving a sweet drink, have iced tea sweetened with honey, or fruit juice. Or better yet ..... water!
Foods	Things to put on lettuce...	Apr 13 2007 17:42 (UTC)	2
I really like using alot of different greens, or the spring mixes you find in the grocery stores. These greens have alot more phytonutrients than your run of the mill iceberg lettuce. Just remember; the more color, the more nutrition! For dressing, I love to mix 1 tbsp plain yogurt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp dill, a pinch of garlic salt, and pepper to taste. The taste is similar like a cross between tsaziki sauce and a sour cream dressing my mom used to make. Yummy! And of course, you can't beat oil & vinegar dressing using flax oil and apple cider vinegar. Just mix equal portions in a jar with whatever herbs and spices you like and enjoy!
Foods	Any Vitamin supplement recommendations?	Apr 13 2007 17:38 (UTC)	13
If you want a good, natural source and very complete vitamin, Natural Factors can't be beat. You can pick their multi-vitamins up at most health food stores. I take their high potency multi, and I find that it has a fantastic quality and quantity of the vitamins you really need. It also has a great amount of the B's, which help with mood and stress that can come from dieting. And they're relatively inexpensive, compared to some of the other brands out there. Regardless of whether you're on a calorie restricted diet or not, everyone should take a good quality multi and omega-3 everyday! Omega's will also help with mood and stress. Consider it your insurance policy for good health. Multi's are meant to "fill in the nutritional gaps" in our diet, ensuring a happy, healthy lifestyle!
Foods	favorite bars	Apr 13 2007 17:31 (UTC)	23
Renew Life's Fibre bars are awesome! They've got 14 grams of fibre per bar, and are very filling and satisfying. They also have new bars out called "FitLife" bars, that have 10 grams of fibre and 10 grams of protein .... very tasty and all natural!
Weight Loss	mono	Feb 26 2007 19:57 (UTC)	2
Your best bet with mononuceosis is to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids (warm broths, herbal teas and unsweetened fruit juices would be great), healthy, nutrient-rich foods when you are hungry, and make sure you avoid liver-irritantating substances like alcohol and fats. I wouldn't worry too much about your intake, because what I've heard about mono is that you're not going to be hungry anyways. So don't think too much about the weight loss, and just work on getting better! You could take some immune-support vitamins as well to help speed your recovery, such as vitamin C, zinc or echinacea. Hang in there!
Foods	Thoughts on Artificial Sweetners?	Feb 26 2007 19:50 (UTC)	1
Aspartame is bad bad bad! Studies have been done by Dr. John Olney at the Washington University School of Medicine, and found the intake of aspartame "to be associated with migraine headache, worsening of seizures in children with epilepsy, and increased risk of brain tumours in animals. " It has effects on the nervous system similar to MSG and altough there have been no direct correlations to artifical sweeteners and cancer, there are other artificial food additives (colorings, flavorings, etc.) that have. As for some of the new sweeteners on the market like Splenda, since there has been minimal testing and such a quick approval by the FDA, your best bet for your own health is to avoid these things. A low-calorie diet that is naturally sweet is your best bet for better health.
Weight Loss	What do you think of Canada's new food guide?	Feb 07 2007 19:23 (UTC)	1
I do think there is a bit too much emphasis on dairy products, but I do like that they have included "alternatives" under that heading. However, I think the amount is a bit high, as we now know that there are better calcium and protein sources. My only other gripe is that they are recommending 50% of bread products be whole grain and I think that is WAY too low. White refined flours are nutritionally VOID and promote obesity. We should all be thinking of them as "filler ingredients" and try to focus solely on whole grain products. Would you take a vitamin if you knew it was 50% filler? Just my 2 cents.
Weight Loss	Bad Influence Fiance....	Feb 07 2007 19:16 (UTC)	0
star1020, that's hillarious! Sounds so much like my FH... especially the part about trying to push foods on me that I don't want. My guy is nuts for big breakfasts! I'm talking eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and cheese.... he puts cheese on EVERYTHING!! He's always trying to get me to eat breakfasts with him and will not accept it if I just want toast or granola ... he's always trying to cram eggs down my throat ... usually slapped between bread with heaps of mayo and cheese! And then he lectures me that eggs are good for me and breakfast is important! Like HE'S the nutritionist in the family! Ha ha ha ... boys. Silly boys.
Weight Loss	Bad Influence Fiance....	Feb 07 2007 17:00 (UTC)	1
All good stuff! Maybe if I stop sitting with him while he's gorging that will help me out ... it's the same thing I did with his smoking! I stopped sitting with him because I don't like being around his toxic fumes (which is hard because I really like being around HIM) and he does smoke less now!
Foods	YUMMY, craving-busting Luna bars	Feb 07 2007 16:05 (UTC)	6
I agree .. they are fabulous! And rest assured, relatively healthy!
Weight Loss	Bad Influence Fiance....	Feb 07 2007 16:00 (UTC)	6
Great advice everyone ... thanks so much! It's difficult, because he wants to lose some weight too, and even though I have an education in health and nutrition, he often eats these nutritionally void, high calorie foods and won't listen much if I errr.. "nag" ha ha ha!It's most often in the evening, which is when most vulnerable. And even though I know better, I find myself indulging. Will power, you say?? Guess it's time to turn up the crank!
Weight Loss	Nemesis food	Feb 07 2007 15:26 (UTC)	25
Mine is definately cheese, or anything with cheese on it! I don't know what it is, because it's the only dairy food I'll eat, but I'm totally addicted to the stuff!
Foods	spicy foods	Jan 31 2007 15:34 (UTC)	2
Good news!! Capsicum (or cayenne, or tobasco) is one of the true natural stimulants of energy and metabolism!! Not only that, but it has been shown to lower blood fat levels when a high-fat diet is eaten, and may also lower the risk of hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. Not too sure about horseradish however, but if you like it, eat'er up!
Foods	Diet Pop?	Jan 31 2007 15:28 (UTC)	12
Aspartame is bad bad BAD!! It is actually considered a nerve toxin and in laboratory studies has been linked to seizures! It can also lead to energy problems and mood swings, which may account for the weight gain issue (if you're lacking energy, you're usually burning less of it!) It is much better to get your sugar fix from naturally sweet foods like fruits and honey ... since these provide not too many calories, but alot of nutrition! If you're looking for a low-calorie sweetener that has no harmful side-effects than try stevia, which is 100% natural and won't hurt your body the way aspartame will.
Weight Loss	No alchohol in Feb. Challenge!!!! Sign up here!	Jan 31 2007 15:19 (UTC)	66
I love the idea of doing this, but February will be a bad month for me since it's my Birthday shindig with my family this weekend, and then I'll be snowboaring in the Rockies with my friends for a week ... too much temptation I think. But if anyone wants to start this up again in March, I'm so in!
Weight Loss	The Up Day Down Day Diet	Jan 25 2007 16:59 (UTC)	39
My boss at my old job (A Nutritional Therapist) tried this diet with quite a bit of success. The theory behind it is that you minimize your caloric intake on your "off" days .. basically what he would consume was a greenfood drink throughout the day, and water or herbal teas. Then on his on days, he'd eat whatever he liked. The idea behind it is that you severely reduce your caloric intake by cutting nearly half of your calories, however you body never hits "survival mode" and stores everything you eat, because you're on the fasting portion for such a brief period (one day at a time). He lost about 10 pounds in only a few weeks, but whether or not he kept it off, I couldn't say. One thing I can vouch for is that on his "no food days" .... not the most pleasant person to be around! Ha ha!
Foods	wish-bone spray salad dressings...... in CANADA?!?!?!	Jan 25 2007 16:54 (UTC)	2
fmjess, I wouldn't bother. I took a look at the nutritional breakdown of these seemingly low-cal sprays, and here it is: On ALL THREE flavours, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP is either the first or third ingredient. Basically... sugar. The reason they are seemingly low-cal is because the amount you use is so low. You'd be better off to make a nice healthy low-fat dressing from scratch, and eliminate all the excess sugar. Allrecipes has some great ones, especially their honey mustard that I made last night. Cheers!
Foods	Quinoa	Jan 25 2007 16:41 (UTC)	7
Quinoa is the BEST! I got seriously addicted to that stuff last winter. What I ususally do is cook it as you would rice, but sauteeing some onion and garlic first in the pot you will use to cook the stuff, and then adding the water and quinoa and whatever herbs you like (I'm a big fan of black pepper and thyme). Meanwhile, I roast some veggies in the oven, usually red onion, red peppes, broccoli, zucchini, until they're nice and browned. Once the quinoa is ready, I toss it with the veggies and some low-fat feta or parmesan cheese..... FABULOUS!
Foods	Coffee Creamer!	Jan 24 2007 16:33 (UTC)	12
Silk brand soy milk makes an EXCELLENT creamer that's only 15 calories per tablespoon ... which is more than enough for the average cup o' joe. If you're co-workers are like mine, they'll stay far away from it's just because it's says "SOY" on the container. It tastes great and doesn't contain a bunch of transfats like the powder stuff does. Give it a go!
Foods	Lunch suggestions	Jan 24 2007 16:17 (UTC)	3
I agree with apointe .... If you can make a big pot of a healthy soup like a minestrone or something equally healthy, freeze it in individual portions, and take that to work! And if you do that a few times, you'll have a nice selection in your freezer so you don't get bored. I try to have at least 3 different kinds of soup in the freezer at all times. When I run out of one kind, it's time to make another batch! Just make sure it's a recipe that freezes well ... I had a bad experience freezing butternut squash soup ... blech! Another suggestion I could make is to take "snacky" things with you, rathar than a big lunch, and eat throughout the day. A handful of almonds here, a few baby carrots with hummus there ... that way you don't fill up and get the sluggish heavy feeling in the afternoon. I try to do this especially on days when I've got alot on my plate or alot of really "heavy thinking" to do.

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