How much should I weigh?
There is no straightforward answer to this question. Most of us want a definitive response but this depends on everything from health status to personal preference to how one feels about the subject. In short, your weight should be what works best for you. There are a number of ways to look at what your best weight might be. Body Mass Index (BMI) is one of the most studied and can be a guide…
How many calories should I be eating?
“Just what the heck is a calorie and what do I do with it?!” The calorie is a unit of measure of energy, sort of like the watts on a light bulb. It takes more energy (watts) to burn a brighter bulb just as it takes more energy (calories) to climb the stairs than using the elevator. But not everyone needs the same amount of calories. A 5 foot 4 inch woman needs less…
Menu Planning
So far we’ve gone over getting your day structured for eating breakfast and lunch as well as what makes sense for dinner. All of this takes some planning on your part and I believe that this is the most important part of eating healthy. The better you plan, the better chance that you will stick to eating healthy. People will plan almost every aspect of their lives. They know when they have to be…
What is a healthy breakfast?
Getting the day started with something healthy is backed up by research pretty well. While there are some conflicting studies much of the research on intermittent fasting has been disappointing. When you get up at 6:00 am it’s likely that you have not eaten for 8 to 10 hours and not only is your body in need of some calories. Going without food for that many hours appears to alter the body’s metabolic…
What is a healthy lunch?
There’s so much good to be said for how much you can change your health by making your own lunch. When you are getting started eating better it’s important that you make lunch and take it to work with you. By making your own lunch you are getting the highest quality calories. The easiest thing for most folks is to make a sandwich. Here are some guidelines for items that you should pick up…
What is a healthy dinner?
The old fashioned Blue Plate Special of “a meat and two veg” isn’t too far from what makes sense for a healthy dinner. We know that combining protein with carbs helps you to feel satisfied for longer after a meal. However, many people don’t know what to actually put on their plate. Contributing to the problem is that serving sizes have become so large in many restaurants. This has carried over into dinner tables…
What is the best way to lose weight?
There has been so much debate about what is the best way to lose weight that it’s no wonder that folks are confused. High fat? Low fat? No carbs? Some carbs? Good fat? Bad carbs? Low protein? Just what is right? There are countless studies on all types of diets and the results have been a bit confounding. The research is often too short (six months or less) or they don’t include a good…
Why is eating seafood good for you?
Seafood in the Mediterranean Diet Eat more seafood. Simple. This is not to say that those people who live in Mediterranean countries eat only fish. They do consume meats – beef, chicken, pork and lamb – but they consume less of it and consume more seafood. Not a lot more seafood, however. On average, it works out to eating at least two or more servings a week of fish (around 8 ounces per week).…
Why are cereals and whole grains good for you?
Whole Grains in the Mediterranean Diet It’s hard to walk through the grocery store without seeing packages labeled “whole grain” or “whole wheat.” The truth is that these two statements mean the same thing, but often the claim of “whole grain” is far overblown. Producers can claim that a product contains whole grains if there is only a tiny amount. The best way to know is to look for the statement “100% whole wheat”…
Which oils and fats should I keep in my pantry?
For years you have probably been told to eat a low fat diet or to not eat too much saturated fat. This is a great example of how science and our knowledge evolves. We now know that low fat diets are not healthier and are likely bad for you. There remains some controversy over whether a diet high in saturated fat is as bad for you as we once thought. While it does appear…
Which oils and fat are good for you – and when should I use them?
First and foremost, you should base your choice of fat on what you are going to use it for. Use a variety of fats, carefully and where they will do the most to enhance the flavor and the texture of your recipes. Here’s a guide to what to keep in your cupboard and fridge so you have the best choices available: Butter Butter is not bad for you. Too much butter is bad for…
Which nuts and seeds are good for you?
We know now that nuts and seeds are really good for you. One important study shows that nuts added to a Mediterranean Diet made a huge difference in preventing the development of metabolic syndrome (Arch Intern Med 2008:168;2449-2458). Keep in mind that nuts are considered fats and are higher in calories. Even so, the types of fat are so much better for you, since most are low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated…
Which meats should I not eat?
Meat in the Mediterranean Diet Decreasing the amount of land animal protein in your diet is a good idea. More importantly not eating processed meat is a really good idea Bologna is bad for you. Not a little bad, but a lot bad, and this holds true for most processed meats. Eating hamburger is OK, pork chops not bad, chicken is fine, but not most deli meats. A study published in the journal of…
Which fats and oils are good for you?
Oils and Fats in the Mediterranean Diet Research on diets in Mediterranean countries shows that the primary fat used for recipes is olive oil. The Mediterranean cultures do use other vegetable oils, and most use some butter, but it is generally used sparingly. Even so, the majority of the fat consumed is olive oil. As a result, much of the research has focused on the effects of olive oil on health, and there is…
Which carbohydrates should I keep in my pantry?
Carbohydrates are not your enemy. After years of research we do know what we have known for a long time – poor quality calories are bad for you. It doesn’t really matter whether the focus is on carbs or fat or protein, if the quality of the food is great, the food is likely great for you. So what are the best quality carbs for your pantry? Bread is a great place to start…
What is the best chicken or turkey for you?
It seems like a simple thing, choosing poultry. For years folks have thought that eating healthy means more chicken. This is somewhat true but eating healthy is not something that you can achieve by only eating chicken. It is best to limit land animal protein to one or two times per week (chicken, beef, pork, turkey, lamb). So what to choose and how? With chicken and turkey look for the freshest possible. Check the…
What is a healthy weekly weight loss?
If weight loss is your goal, it is true that you can lose weight and keep it off, but it takes time and it takes a little bit of effort. It also takes having realistic goals. What sort of targets? Generally speaking, no more than 1/2 pound to 1 pound a week. “Twelve pounds in three months” is not a very good sales pitch but “26 pounds in a year” is. Why? Because there’s…
Is drinking alcohol good for you or not?
Alcohol in a Mediterranean Diet Is it is safe or healthy for them drink alcohol. The short answer is yes but with some caution. First and foremost, drinking too much alcohol is bad for you. Even so, the best research we have shows that those drinking between 1 and 2 drinks per day for men or 1 to 1 1/2 per day for women live longer. The key is moderation. The earliest meaningful research…
Is drinking coffee good for you?
There has never been good evidence for telling people not to drink coffee. In fact, there’s a ton of research showing that coffee is likely good for you. In one study of coffee consumption, researchers in Italy enrolled over 11,000 recent heart attack sufferers in research lasting three and a half years. At the beginning of the study, and at regular intervals throughout, the subjects were interviewed regarding their diet, including specifically their coffee…
Soda is very bad for you.
It is clear that soft drink consumption is a major contributor to health problems. Industry representatives dispute this, but their argument that drinking Coke or Pepsi has nothing to do with obesity, diabetes and other health issues is fantasy. But they do make their living selling sweetened water: it is in their interest for you to continue to purchase their products. Here are a number of reasons to take soda out of your routine:…
Is eating dessert good or bad for you?
Desserts are an important part of eating well and eating healthy. The key to making dessert part of your healthy diet is that you should consider desserts as a special part of your life. Dessert is not something that should be eaten every day. A good goal is for desert is for them to be 200 calories or less per serving. Try to minimize simple sugars wherever possible. Using non-nutritive sweeteners like allulose can…
It is important to measure your ingredients.
Real chefs don’t measure. That’s a myth. Most chefs do measure, and when they don’t, it is because they have been cooking a long time or the recipe is very familiar. They understand the amounts of ingredients they are adding because they started out measuring. This is the primary reason you should measure – because you will learn how to cook better. As you are measuring, it is a great idea to begin learning…
Is red meat like beef or pork bad or good for you?
Land animal protein – beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, etc. – should be a smaller part of your diet, once or maybe twice a week. Beef It is best to not to eat beef more than about once a week and it is the amount of fat in beef that you want to keep an eye on, so choosing lean beef is the key. Keep your choices under 10 grams of fat with less…
What are legumes, and why are they good for you?
Legumes in the Mediterranean Diet The word legume refers not only to the species of plants, but also to any fruit that grows seeds lined up in a pod. (I find it interesting that peas and black beans are actually considered to be fruit.) Also known as pulses, legumes include beans, soybeans, lentils, peas, peanuts, snap beans, and any edible pod such as green beans, pole beans, and okra. Legumes are full of protein…
Are all fats bad for you?
There’s good reason to be confused about just what to eat and what not to eat. So many “diet” books focus only on the macronutrients: fats, carbohydrates and protein and over the last four decades there have been dozens of competing theories. The thing is they are just theories and the proof that a low fat diet is good for you has been soundly debunked. The low-fat wave, while well intentioned, wasn’t correct. The…
Are dairy products good for you?
Dairy Products in the Mediterranean Diet Dairy products are one of the nine elements of the Mediterranean Diet, and consuming less than about 8 ounces per day (around a cup of yogurt) gives you one point. Most of the dairy products consumed by those in Mediterranean cultures are more often in the form of fermented products like yogurt or cheeses, and many of those are made from goat or sheep’s milk. Cow’s milk is…
Are dairy products good for you?
The research on Mediterranean style diet does include good information on dairy products. The data says that including dairy in your diet is healthy, but most of the dairy in the Mediterranean Diet is lower in fat or processed, such as cheese or yogurt. So what are the best choices for having in your cupboard? Milk We now know that consuming low fat dairy is not as important as we once thought. Whole milk…
Are saturated fats are bad for you?
We know now that saturated fat is one of the culprits increasing the risk of not just heart disease and stroke but also some cancers. Unfortunately, people have gotten the idea that all fat is evil. As much or more of a problem are trans-fats. This type of saturated fat does occur naturally in small amounts, but most that is found in foods today have been manufactured. Food producers saturate vegetable oils by bubbling…
Are snacks good for you?
There is good research about snacking, and it seems most of us are one of two types. We are either sweet-snackers or salty/savory-snackers. About 10% of us are both and those who are like things that are both sweet and salty/savory at the same time (like kettle corn). Knowing which type of snacker you are can help you choose great quality snacks and also help you manage your weight by making sure you have…
Are unsaturated fats good for you?
In a word: Yes. The research has clearly proven just how good fat is for you. As with everything you choose to eat, it is the quality of the fats that’s important. We’ve come to know that unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats like Omega 3 fats, actually help prevent disease. Researchers studied 815 senior citizens to evaluate the role diet might play in Alzheimer’s Disease. They found a clear correlation between diets high in…
Can you lose weight with a smaller plate?
Portion control is important to losing weight and eating healthy. There’s many studies that show how well this can work for you. The natural extension of this might be not just the portion size of your food, but also the size of your plate. A lot of research has gone into this very question: does it make a difference whether you use a small or a large plate in how much you actually eat?…
Eat healthier by cleaning out your pantry
Research says that most people have an awful lot of cookies or other junk in their pantry. When researchers have studied people’s trash, they have seen a clear disconnect between what people will say they are eating and what ends up in their trash bins. So what should you do? Clean out your kitchen. Get rid of the stupid food. Start with the cupboard. If you have sugar laden cereals, get rid of them.…
How can healthy food taste good? Part 1
It’s common for folks to think that eating healthy means that food doesn’t have any flavor. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Understanding the flavors in ingredients and how they blend together is key to getting great results in your kitchen. There are five types of receptors on the tongue that sense the flavors that we taste. They are salt, sweet, bitter, sour and one called umami. Each of these flavors acts on…
How can healthy food taste good? Part 2
Umami…. Umami?…. Ooo MAH mee. Umami is defined as the taste of foods that are pungent or aromatic, like mushrooms or cheese or roasted chicken. It is sometimes described as “savory,” but it is much more complex. The umami taste buds have long been recognized by the Japanese, but only recently seriously considered by other scientists. The feeling of Western researchers had been that there were only the four other taste buds, sweet, sour,…
How can I keep my weight loss goal in mind and stay motivated?
There are a lot of fantastic reasons to make a change in what and how you eat. Everyone has their motivation. Looking at the most successful titles in the Diet and Nutrition section of the bookstore, the main reason that folks want to change how they eat is to lose weight. That’s is OK but for most people that means they want to lose a lot of pounds really fast. The concern is that…
How to choose the right portion size.
In the last few decades portion size has become a major health issue, with serving size in restaurants increasing dramatically. Forty years ago a 32 ounce milk shake with 1,160 calories would have been unusual. There was no such thing as a Quarter Pounder (let alone a Double Quarter Pounder) and getting a mountain of nachos would be rare. These huge plates have spilled over into how people serve themselves at home also. For…
How to keep a food diary.
Keeping a food diary has long been the cornerstone of many successful weight loss programs because it lets you know just how many calories you are eating. For some it can be a good tool to help identify where you can improve the quality of the calories that you are eating. Weight Watchers has used it as part of their offerings with great success with those who are really honest and thorough at writing…
How to set weight loss goals and make them happen.
The previous chapter talked about considering what motivates you. You might not have taken pen in hand and scribbled your goals on Post-it notes, but hopefully you thought about this. (If not go back and reread Setting Realistic Goals and come back when you have some clearly defined goals.) So, time to set your goals in action. If it’s eating healthier, take out your calendar and mark off the changes by week. How can…
How to eat healthy while eating out.
What should someone look for when choosing a meal? It’s easy when you are at home and can weigh your food. When you are looking at a menu it can be tough to know whether what you are reading will come out of the kitchen as you expected. The first thing to consider is planning. Being healthy is about having a plan, whether it is what you eat, exercise, or any other factor. Before…
Are vitamins and supplements necessary to eat healthy?
There are a lot of vitamins sold today. They come in all forms – pills, capsules, packets of pills and supplement drinks. We now have more and more good research that says they are pretty much worthless. We know that vitamins are good for you, but the research is now clear that getting your vitamins from food and not supplements is better for you. For instance, one study looked at the effect of Vitamin…
How to eat healthy while traveling.
People will often say how they can’t eat healthy while they’re traveling. This comes from people who only travel occasionally, for pleasure, as well as those who make a living on the road. Just like at home, planning is the key to eating healthy on the road. Thinking about what and when you are going to eat beforehand makes all the difference. You can eat well and eat healthy with a bit of planning.…
