Smart Eating Solutions

How are your New Year’s Resolutions holding up? If, like many others, your goal was to lose a few pounds, try not to give up! It might seem tough right now, but the more you stick with it, the easier it will be. And you can use a few easy tricks to help yourself along the way:

Brush your teeth right after a meal. The minty flavor of the toothpaste will help satisfy your sweet tooth.

Drink more water. If you have a glass before every meal, you’ll improve your digestion and feel fuller longer!

Avoid distracted dining. Turn off the TV, set aside your smartphone, and savor your food—you’ll be less likely to overeat.

Eat with your other hand. Studies have found that if you use your non-dominant hand, you’ll eat 30 percent less food.

Savor the smells. Frequently sniff an apple or a banana, and you’ll trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten.

Use a bowl. Never eat directly from the package. It’s too easy to mindlessly munch and consume more than you intended!

For more terrific tips to help you whittle your waistline and stay fit as a fiddle, check out our bestselling book, Amazing Antidotes! You can even try it out FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview.

Snack Healthy, Snack Happy!

We all know (I hope!) that to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. Recently, though, scientists have discovered that even slender folks can build up dangerous amounts of internal fat if they don’t get regular exercise. So get moving!

Whether you’re walking, cycling, or playing soccer with your grandkids, you can suddenly find yourself craving an energy boost. So keep a few of these tasty and nutritious Homemade Energy Bars tucked in your pocket, purse, or backpack, and reach for one whenever you need a power fix.

Ingredients:

Butter or vegetable oil

1 egg

½ cup of brown sugar

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

1 cup of granola

½ cup of chopped, dried fruit*

½ cup of chopped nuts*

3 tbsp. of dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

Generously rub the butter or vegetable oil onto an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan. Crack the egg into a medium-size bowl. Add the brown sugar and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Stir in the granola, dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips, and mix until combined. Scrape the mixture into the baking pan, pressing it firmly with your hand, making sure that the surface is covered evenly. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°F. Cool, cut into squares, and wrap each one in wax paper or aluminum foil.

*Use your favorite kinds!

Peel Off the Pounds with 4 Fat-Fighting Fruits!

At one time or another, just about every American adult has been on a diet to lose weight. And many of us may succeed in dropping some pounds, only to find them creeping back up a few months (or years) later. In this never-ending battle of the bulge, it’s time to enlist these fridge-friendly fruits:

APPLES. Believe it or not, eating apples actually subtracts calories from your diet. That’s because the calories your body uses to break down the fiber in the apple exceed those contained in the fruit. Bottom line: The more apples you eat, the more weight you lose. Just don’t get carried away—after all, man (or woman!) cannot live by apples alone.

AVOCADOS. Mash an avocado and mix it with lemon or lime juice and your choice of herbs. Then use it to replace higher-calorie spreads and toppings like mayo and cream cheese.

LEMONS. Drinking a glass of lemonade (homemade from fresh-squeezed lemons and sugar is best) between meals can cleanse your system of toxins and impurities, conquer cravings for junk food, and speed weight loss.

STRAWBERRIES. Studies show that smelling strawberries before you exercise causes you to burn more calories. So before you head off on your next power walk, or hit the treadmill at the gym, pull some berries out of the fridge, and take a good long whiff!

We’re five weeks into the New Year, so it’s a good time to ask—how are you doing with your 2014 resolutions? Losing weight is the number one resolution folks make each year—year after year. But if you’re finding it tough to stick to your weight loss plan, consider switching to the Mediterranean diet. Here’s why: It’s not one of those regimens that forces you to count every calorie that goes into your mouth and swear off all the foods you love most. Rather, it’s a way of life that emphasizes healthy foods and minimizes the ones that aren’t so good for you.

Here’s a quick overview of the life-extending guidelines:

• Help yourself to heaps of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and herbs.
• Enjoy a variety of fresh, in-season, and locally grown foods whenever you can. This helps ensure the maximum delivery of health-giving micronutrients and antioxidants.
• Use plenty of extra virgin olive oil wherever you can.
• Eat moderate amounts of cheese, milk, yogurt, fish, poultry, and eggs.
• Consume only minimal amounts of sugar, saturated fat, and red meat.
• Drink red wine in moderation (optional).
• Be physically active to maintain healthy weight, muscle tone, and overall well-being.

Here’s a handy visual to help you plan your daily Mediterranean diet menus:

For a larger version, click here.