Staying Fit During Back-to-School Transition

Move over summer…it’s back to school again. Getting back to the daily grind of homework, schedules and less free time for all can be an adjustment for all. Staying active and exercising can be even more challenging.
You may be tempted to hold out and wait for the perfect time to exercise but, believe it or not, it'll be a lot easier if you start right now.
Plan Ahead
Any parent knows that planning and preparation can make the difference between semi-control and utter disaster. Giving exercise that same kind of effort can help you make it happen:

• Make a weekly calendar of work, family and other responsibilities so you know what's on your plate.
• Look for times you can squeeze in exercise. Doing shorter workouts throughout the day can be as effective as continuous exercise. Even if you only find 10 minutes here or there, that's 10 minutes you'll be moving instead of sitting.
• Plan what you'll do and gather what you need the night before. Pack your gym bag or put your exercise clothes next to the bed so you can put them on as soon as you get up.
• Integrate exercise with other activities. If your child is at soccer or football practice, use the time to jog or walk around the field. If you're at the mall, add a few laps of walking to burn extra calories.
• Set up a home gym. Even if you prefer a health club, having some basic equipment available (think resistance bands, an exercise ball and some dumbbells) as well as a few quality workout videos means you're always ready for a workout.

These exercises stop fat burning! See which exercises burn fat best

• Keep extra gear at work or in the car. If you can find a few minutes at lunch or on the way home from work, squeeze in a quick walk at a nearby park or around the parking lot.

Get Motivated
Planning and preparation means nothing if you aren't motivated to exercise. Finding motivation is simpler than you think, especially if you realize that there are many good reasons to exercise. Plus, there are some other ways you can encourage yourself to stick with your workout:
Get a Pedometer
If you haven't tried a pedometer, you'll be amazed at how motivating it can be. You probably already know that experts recommend walking 10,000 steps a day and you wouldn't believe how hard that is if you have a sedentary job. Clip a pedometer to your belt, and you'll instantly walk more just to meet your goal for the day.
Consider Partner Training
A personal trainer can be a huge motivator, but many people are put off by the cost. One option is partner training, which costs less than one-on-one training. By enlisting a friend to do it with you, you'll have added accountability to exercise.
Use Your Imagination
Too often, people have narrow definitions of what exercise is, as though only certain things "count." For many people, that means if it doesn't last an hour or leave you breathless and sweaty, it isn't good enough. It's that kind of thinking that can limit your options so, open your mind and look for new ways to be active. I once had a neighbor who did walking lunges when she went out to get the paper. Another friend did push-ups while waiting for dinner to cook. A client of mine made it a rule that the whole family had to take a walk every night after dinner. Anything can be a workout if you work hard enough at it.
Create Efficient Workouts
Another way to motivate yourself is to create a workout schedule that fits in your life. If you plan long workouts that never seem to materialize, it's time to create workouts that make sense. If you're short on time, stick with strength training moves that give you more bang for your buck. Compound movements that work multiple muscle groups will help you save time as well as add functionality to your workouts.
The following exercises target multiple muscle groups to help you save time. To make a quick workout, do each exercise, one after the other, for 1 set of 16 reps, using enough weight that you can ONLY complete 16 reps. If you have time at the end, repeat the circuit.

• Squats
• Lunges
• Deadlifts
• Pushups
• Dumbbell Rows
• Tricep Dips

For cardio, increase the intensity for shorter workouts. Think of it this way: The shorter the workout, the harder you can exercise. If you only have 20 minutes, exercise at a higher intensity than usual or try interval training.
Whatever you do, don't wait until later to get back to your exercise routine. The longer you wait, the harder it gets and the more you get used to life without it. Make a commitment and do something today. It's never too late to get started.
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How Getting and Staying Fit Changes in Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

Your body—and fitness—changes a lot sooner than you thought. Read on to learn when you burn the most calories, if your muscle is already waning, and how you can become fitter, stronger, and faster with every decade.
In Your 20s...
Your Body's Built for Exercise
The 20s are prime time for fitness. (Okay, maybe you’ve gained a few pounds since you ran high school track, but some of that weight is probably from muscle.) That’s because, during your 20s, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, human growth hormone, and thyroid hormone are all working together to keep you in tip-top baby-making shape. As an added bonus, they improve your body’s muscle-building power, she says.Meanwhile, during your 20s, you are at your peak cardiorespiratory capability, says board-certified internist Sue Decotiis, M.D., a medical weight-loss and bioidenticial hormone-replacement therapy expert in New York City. Bring on the endurance races.
But Your Metabolism Is Already Slowing
Womp, womp. After 20, the average basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories you’d burn if you stayed in bed all day, drops by one to two percent per decade, according to the American Council on Exercise. Most of that dip may be due to the unfortunate fact that when most women and men enter the “real world,” they sit at a desk more and walk around less. At any age, increasing your activity levels and muscle mass can help keep your BMR high. Muscle makes up a large part of your body’s “engine,” so the more muscle you have, the more fuel you’ll burn, whether you are hanging out with friends or powering through a workout.
In Your 30s...
DHEA Declines
Levels of this guy, which is a precursor to both estrogen and testosterone, peak in your 20s and start tapering off once you hit the big 3-0. While it’s not clear if DHEA supplementation can have any effect on anti-aging, according to the National Institute on Aging, the loss of DHEA as you age may slow your exercise recovery time and increase your body’s muscle-to-fat ratio, says Decottis. To help combat fat gain, focus on strength training. In a new study from Harvard University, men who lifted weights each day for 20 minutes put on less belly fat as they aged compared to guys who spent the same amount of time doing cardio.
Babies Block Your Workout
With your doctor’s permission, you can keep up your workout routine with a bun in the oven. But pregnancy is not the time to start a high-intensity training program. Your body is going through enough changes as it is. During pregnancy, your hormones shift, and your body focuses the bulk of its energy on the pregnancy, not your muscles, says Kaehler. After the baby comes, breastfeeding can burn crazy calories, which helps some women lose the pregnancy weight. But still, it’s not the right time to push your workout to the max, says Hamilton. “Trying to train at a high level immediately after giving birth is risky because hormones are not balanced back to ‘normal’ as long as you’re breastfeeding," she says. "I’ve seen an increased incidence of stress fractures in women who push to train at a high level during the postpartum period. I recommend training be moderated until after breastfeeding has ceased and normal menstruation has returned, which to me signals that the woman’s hormonal balance is back.” Once your baby has permanently detached from your nipples, though, you can crank up your workout’s intensity.
In Your 40s...
Sarcopenia Sets In
A fancy word for muscle loss, sarcopenia is a natural part of the aging process—but it still sucks. While it doesn’t hit full force until around 75, The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging suggests that it can start as early as 40. Researchers believe most muscle loss comes from your fast-twitch muscle fibers, the ones that are responsible for powering high-intensity, largely anaerobic exercise. “In order to minimize the effects of sarcopenia, it is helpful to do strength training, which recruits different muscle fibers [your fast-twitch ones], compared to endurance training activities like biking, swimming, and running," as those train your slow-twitch, endurance-focused ones, says Hamilton. Increasing your protein intake may also help. Eating twice the current RDA of protein (1.5 grams instead of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) increases the rates of muscle growth and lessens muscle breakdown due to aging, according to research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
You Enter Perimenopause
Menopause isn’t an on-off phenomenon. It happens gradually, typically in the 40s (or sometimes even earlier) with perimenopause. Common symptoms, like irregular periods, are due to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, which can also cause weight gain and a lower metabolism, says Decottis. What’s more, during perimenopause, insomnia and night sweats can make finding the energy to work out more challenging, says Hamilton. Still, continuing to exercise will not only help you feel younger—after all, exercise can ease your hot flashes and sleep troubles—it may help you look and perform even better than you did at 20. “Some women don’t even start training until later in life,” says Hamilton. “Whatever your age, you can improve your fitness.”

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7 Healthiest Foods on the Planet

Some foods are so healthy they earn the title of “super foods.”
They’re edible ammo, the Power Rangers of the produce aisle—color-coded, disease-fighting ninjas with superior strength and unique weaponry to enhance immune function, combat an army of health antagonists and help you lose weight. They are, in fact, the healthiest foods on the planet. What are these foods? And how can you get your fill? Here’s the ultimate Eat This, Not That! list of the super-charged produce and the tips you need to maximize the benefits. Read em, eat em, and reap the bennies.
1. Apples with the skin on
An apple a day keeps the doctor away—at least if you keep the peel on. While traditional advice for saving the skin was based mainly on its fiber content (an average apple provides 4.5 grams, or nearly two servings of Metamucil), there’s a growing body of research to suggests its actually polyphenols in the peel—non-digestible compounds capable of doing everything from increasing sexual pleasure to reducing cholesterol—that are responsible for the apple’s doctor defense. In fact, one study showed 75 grams of apple reduced “bad” cholesterol levels by 23 percent compared to an equivalent serving of notoriously fiber-rich prunes. The health a-peel doesn’t stop there. New research suggests polyphenols can fight cancer, and promote the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut that aids weight loss. Get the Benefits: Tart Granny Smith apples reign supreme when it comes to healthy fiber and polyphenol content, research suggests.

2. Lentils

Lentils are like the Chuck Taylors of nutritional all-stars—old-school, somewhat pedestrian in style, yet hugely popular the world over. The edible pulse has been a part of the human diet for some 13,000 years—an inexpensive form of vegetarian protein and fiber touted by health experts for its ability to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, promote fat metabolism and dampen appetites. Lentils are a resistant starch, a slow-digesting fiber that triggers the release of acetate—a molecule in the gut that tells the brain when to stop eating. In fact, a systematic review of clinical trials on dietary pulses found that people who ate a daily serving of lentils (about 3/4 cup) felt an average 31 percent fuller compared to a control diet. And a second study found a diet rich in blood-sugar stabilizing foods like lentils could reduce disease-related inflammation by 22 percent! Get the benefits: Replacing meat with lentils can increase a recipe’s fiber content while lowering saturated-fat. Swap four ounces of ground beef (280 calories) for a cup of cooked lentils (230 calories) in your chili, and you’ll boost fiber by 16 grams while slashing 22 grams of fat from your meal.
3. Walnuts
The genus name for walnuts comes from the Roman phrase Jupiter glans, or “Jupiter’s acorn,” which shows you just how godly the Romans believed the nut to be. And still today, the meaty walnut is highly regarded for its nutritional awesomeness. In fact, a new scientific study suggests a handful of walnuts contains almost two times as many disease-fighting antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other nut! As one of the best dietary sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts have proven particularly good for the heart. One study showed a 2-ounce daily snack was enough to significantly improve blood-flow to and from the heart. And a second, five-year study found a 1-ounce portion of walnuts, three or more times per week could slash risk of heart disease by more than half! Get the Benefits: High temperatures can destroy walnuts’ volatile oils, while prolonged exposure to air can cause the nuts to become rancid. Buy walnuts raw and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a heart-healthy snack that loves you back.
4. Oats
Adults crave it, kids will eat it, even horses love it. What’s the heart-healthy whole grain seventy-five percent of U.S. households have in their pantry? You guessed it: oatmeal. Oats are rich in a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan and the anti-inflammatory compound avenanthramide—which, together, help prevent against obesity-related health problems including heart disease and diabetes. One 10-year study in the American Journal of Public Health found that eating one serving of oatmeal (1 cup cooked) two to four times a week resulted in a 16 percent reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes. A daily bowl showed an even greater risk reduction of 39 percent. And a second study showed that three servings of whole grains per day, including oats, was as effective as medication in lowering blood pressure, reducing risk of heart disease by 15 percent in just 12 weeks. Need one more reason to trade in your Wheaties? A Colorado State University study showed that oats lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels more effectively than wheat. And research in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests oatmeal may be the most filling breakfast in the cereal aisle—resulting in greater and longer-lasting feelings of satiety than ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. Get the Benefits: Steel-cut or rolled oats are the least processed, and will get you the most bennies for your buck; the nutrition stats are almost identical, with steel-cut oats sitting just a tad lower on the glycemic index. And think beyond the breakfast bowl: use rolled oats as a swap for breadcrumbs, or pulse into flour for baked goods!
5. Watercress
Recently crowned superfood numero uno, watercress may be king of the produce aisle as a nutrient powerhouse. A study report published by the Centers for Disease Control that ranked 47 fruits and vegetables by amounts of 17 disease-fighting nutrients positioned watercress at number one. Kale didn’t even make the top 10! Gram for gram this mild-tasting and flowery-looking green contains four times more beta carotene than an apple, and a whopping 238 percent of your daily recommended dose of vitamin K per 100 grams—two compounds that keep skin dewy and youthful. The beauty food is also the richest dietary source of PEITC (phenylethyl isothiocyanate), which research suggests can fight cancer. Results from a trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest a daily dose of 85 grams of raw watercress (that’s about two cups) could reduce DNA damage linked to cancer by 17 percent. Get the Benefits: A cup of watercress provides 4 calories. Yes, FOUR. So go ahead and eat the whole bag. Exposure to heat may inactivate PEITC, so it’s best to enjoy watercress raw in salads, cold-pressed juices and sandwiches.
6. Olive Oil
The world’s first Olympians circa 776 BC were rewarded jugs of olive oil for their athletic feats. And today’s health experts consider regular intake of the “liquid gold” equally valuable. Regular intake of virgin olive oil—a monounsaturated fat characteristic of the Mediterranean diet—is associated with low incidences of cancer, heart disease and other obesity-related problems as well as a lower risk of stroke. A recent study in the journal PLOS ONE showed that firefighters, a group known to have a high prevalence of obesity, who adhered to a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil showed a 35 percent decreased risk of metabolic syndrome, as well as a 43 percent lower risk of weight gain. Research suggests oleic acid in olive oil can even spot reduce belly fat! The health benefits have a genetic basis. Studies show phenols in virgin olive oil can effectively “turn off” genes associated with inflammation seen in metabolic syndrome. Get the Benefits: "Extra virgin” refers to olive oil that’s been cold-pressed from olives, and is considered the freshest and fruitiest. Additionally, look for a dark tin or bottle, an estate name, the USDA organic seal and a date (don’t buy anything pressed more than 2 years ago). Then drizzle and dress (and don’t be afraid to cook) with your EVOO; researchers found it to be more stable for pan-frying at high heat than corn, soybean and sunflower oils.

7. Tomatoes

Of all the non-starchy “vegetables," Americans eat more tomatoes and tomato products than any others. And that’s good news, researchers say, because tomatoes are particularly rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that, unlike most nutrients in fresh produce, increases after cooking and processing. Dozens of studies suggest a relationship between regular intake of lycopene-rich tomatoes and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, skin damage and certain cancers. One recently published study showed men who eat over 10 portions a week of tomatoes have an 18 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer. And a second study showed a tomato-rich diet may help protect postmenopausal women from breast cancer by increasing levels of adiponectin—a hormone involved in regulating blood sugar and fat levels. Need one more reason to love lycopene? Researchers found a concentrated “tomato pill” improved the widening of the blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease by over 53 percent compared to a placebo. Get the Benefits: In addition to cooking your tomatoes, consider splurging on organic. Research suggests organic tomatoes may have higher levels of disease-fighting polyphenols and vitamin C than conventionally-grown varieties.
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The Maximum Amount of Weight You Could Realistically Gain in One Day

Of course you try your very best to stick to a relatively healthy diet and exercise plan. But some days, you're bound to go overboard—after all, you're only human. Perhaps it’s that time of the month and you just can’t stop munching; perhaps you had one too many margs at happy hour and find yourself housing enough tacos at dinner to win an eating contest; or perhaps you’re so overtired that you double up on breakfast because your stomach feels like a bottomless pit. Point is, everyone overindulges on occasion. But while it’s easy to freak out and think you "blew your diet," don’t—because you didn’t. We asked Samantha Cassetty, R.D., M.S., nutrition director at Luvo, just how much weight you can realistically gain in one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad (eating) day. And it turns out, you’d have to take in a ridiculous amount of food to gain even just a pound in one day.
It’s virtually impossible to gain weight overnight, even if you really blew it on bar food. “The reason comes down to calorie math. Though it’s not 100 percent precise, the basic principle stands true: In order to gain weight, you’d have to eat 3,500 more calories than you typically eat and burn off to maintain your figure." So let’s say you eat 2,000 calories per day on a normal day. You’d have to eat 3,500 additional calories, totaling 5,500 calories, to gain a single pound. And that's not even taking any physical activity into account
What does 3,500 calories look like, exactly? “To get 3,500 more calories, you could eat your regular diet and then also have three glasses of wine (370 calories), two chicken wings (110 calories), some onion rings (340 calories), a portion of chips and queso (290 calories), one burger with the works (860 calories), and a slice of chocolate cake (795 calories). That’s a lot of food—and you haven’t even hit the mark yet!”
There’s even more scientific evidence that it’s pretty hard to gain real weight after one day of overeating: Although people typically say they gain five to 10 pounds over the six-week holiday period, the best study to date, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that, on average, most people gained just one. "Fewer than 10 percent of the study participants actually gained more than five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day."
Of course, a bad diet day could leave you feeling incredibly bloated and just “ugh” the next day. But as long as you course correct the next day—i.e., you eat responsibly and get back to your fitness routine—you’ll keep the real pounds from piling on. So as you go into the holiday season, remember: It’s okay if you love your mom’s cooking so much that you eat a lot of it. Just don’t make a habit of it, and be sure to stay consistent with your gym routine.

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7 Unhealthiest Foods On the Planet

Some danger zones are pretty obvious. Iran, for example. Or North Korea. Or Panem. If you decide to go there, and something weird happens, nobody can say you weren’t warned.
But some danger zones aren’t so self-evident. Take, for example, the aisles of your local supermarket. You know the candy bars aren’t doing you any favors, and you can’t eat butter by the spoonful. But there are plenty of other products that seem entirely harmless—in fact, most are marketed as healthy, or at least as less-bad-for-you alternatives to other foods.
That means they must be okay—after all, the good folks in the federal government wouldn’t let stores sell this stuff if it wasn’t proven safe, right? But the truth is more unfortunate: federal guidelines leave it up to the food manufacturers to decide if a food is safe—and “safe” doesn’t mean “good for you.” It just means, “Won’t make your head instantly explode.”
The team at Eat This, Not That! magazine identified some seemingly innocent foods that should be placed on our personal No-Fly zone. Here’s the essential list:

Unhealthiest Food #7: Microwave Popcorn

Because it: Might Mess with Your Mind

If you thought the movie you were watching was terrifying, you probably haven’t taken a very close look at your popcorn. Yes, popcorn can be healthy: When air-popped, this snack has filling fiber and whole-grains we love, but the microwaveable varieties are an entirely different beast. Many major brands line their bags with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the same stuff found in teflon pots and pans; some studies have linked it to infertility, weight gain, and impaired learning. Speaking of learning trouble, butter-flavored popcorns are almost always laced with diacetyl (DA), a chemical that has been found to break down the layer of cells that protects one of our most vital organs: the brain. Now that’s some scary stuff!
Eat This Instead: Air pop kernels or make your own microwavable popcorn. Here’s how: Add your favorite popping kernels to a small paper lunch bag, fold the top down a few times. Then, zap it in the microwave until you hear only a few pops every five seconds. Challenged in the kitchen? We’re also big fans of Quinn Popcorn. It’s one of the only microwavable popcorns that’s free of chemicals and won’t wreak havoc on your waistline.

Unhealthiest Food #6: Colorful Candy

Because It: Puts Your Child at Risk of ADD

Yes, all sugar can turn your charming little toddler into a home destructo unit. But not all candies are created equal. While chocolate bars may be doing your child no favors, some candies may be causing real harm. A few years ago, researchers discovered that the artificial colors Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 promote Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in children. In fact, Norway and Sweden have already banned the use of these artificial colors, and in the rest of the EU, foods containing these additives must be labeled with the phrase: “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
Eat This Instead: Amy’s Natural Creamy Candy Bar. While this bar has about the same amount of calories, fat and sugar as a regular candy bar, it’s free of all artificial colorings. Or check out Unreal’s Candy-Coated Milk Chocolates, which are similar to M&Ms but free of artificial colors. And here’s some good news for fans of SweetTarts and Butterfingers: parent company Nestlế recently stepped up to the plate and announced that by the end of 2015, the company will have phased out the use of all artificial dyes.

Unhealthiest Food #5: Jelly and Jam with Added Sugars

Because It: Deprives Your Body of Nutrients

Oh, come on! The nice lady at the farmer’s market swore these were all-natural, and made from raspberries grown right in her own garden! Yep, but the nice farmer lady then took her raspberries and added in a heaping helping of sugar and another significant ingredient, pectin, a natural fruit fiber that makes the spread nice and sticky. What’s so bad about a natural fiber? Well, just as it causes jelly to stick to your fingers, pectin also sticks to health-boosting antioxidants like beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, carrying them out of your system before your body can benefit from them.
Eat This Instead: Mash up a handful of blackberries and smear the mess onto your peanut butter sandwich. It tastes exactly like jam, but without the added sugar or pectin. Sliced bananas can serve the same purpose. Not willing to ditch your spread? Try Polaner All Fruit Spreadable Fruit Apricot. Apricots are naturally low in pectin and the spread is free of added sugars.

Unhealthiest Food #4: Diet Soda

Because It: Is Linked to Obesity

What do synthetic estrogen, flame retardants and rocket fuel all have in common? As we learned in the book Zero Belly Diet, they can all be found in a can of your favorite diet soda. BPA, the synthetic estrogen, is used to soften the plastic that lines the can; colas contain caramel coloring shown to cause cancer in humans; and citrus-flavored sodas contain BVO, a flame retardant used in rocket fuel that may reduce fertility and negatively affect thyroid hormones. Nearly all popular diet sodas contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener that raises glucose levels, overloading the liver and causing the excess to convert into fat.
Drink This Instead: While Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have agreed to phase BVO out of their sodas, it’s still actively used in sodas from Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Inc. Even so, all these drinks contain aspartame, and that’s just not something we can get behind. If you’re sick of plain ol’ H20, opt for unsweetened tea or coffee instead.

Unhealthiest Food #3: Fortified Kids’ Cereal

Because: The Vitamins Are Fake, but the Sugar Is Real

What could be wrong here? A beloved cartoon character touting a wholesome breakfast treat fortified with essential vitamins and minerals! Why, it’s just good, clean fun!
Except that most kids’ cereals are fortified primarily with sugar. The vitamins and minerals touted on the box? They’re sprayed on at the end, and most of them wash off in the milk (drink the milk, kids!). And all those bright colors? They come from such wholesome, natural ingredients as Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) or BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), ingredients that are banned in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and much of Europe because they are thought to be carcinogenic. Check the label, and ban anything with these chemicals from your child’s breakfast.
Eat This Instead: Cascadian Farms Chocolate O's and Nature's Path Peanut Butter Panda Puffs are both flavor-packed, low-sugar picks that don’t contain any scary chemicals. To treat the occasional stubborn craving,

Unhealthiest Food #2: Coffee Creamer

Because It: Can Raise Your Cholesterol

Coffee creamer and sunblock have more in common that you would think. As it turns out, they both contain titanium dioxide, an ultraviolet radiation blocker that doubles as a whitening agent. The additive has been proven to cause liver and tissue damage in mice, and may also have health implications in humans, according to a recent review of the chemical. Coffee creamer is also typically packed with trans-fats, often hiding under the guise of its lesser-known name: hydrogenated oil, which not only raises cholesterol but has been shown to diminish memory in adults under 45 years old. If you’re working hard to build your career or don’t want to forget where you parked your car, this is one ingredient you should steer clear of.
Eat This Instead: Plain ol’ cow’s milk or unsweetened, organic soy milk both make for healthy additions to your morning cup. If you’re looking for a hint of flavor, stick with a tablespoon of one of Coffee Mate's Natural Bliss creamers. They are all made from nonfat milk, heavy cream, sugar and natural flavors—that’s it!

Unhealthiest Food #1: Processed Meats

Because It: Bloats Your Belly—and Your Diabetes Risk

Many brands of bacon, sausage, hot dogs and deli meats contain nitrates, a preservative that interferes with the body’s natural ability to process sugar, which increases the risk for diabetes. It can also increase up your odds of thyroid and colon cancer. If that wasn’t bad enough, most processed meats are also loaded with sodium, a known contributor to hypertension that can make you bloat and set you up to develop heart disease.
Eat This Instead: Read the ingredients and look for meats that are free of nitrates. At the deli counter ask for Boar's Head All Natural Roasted Turkey Breast. It’s free of nitrates and relatively low in sodium. Applegate Natural's Natural Slow-Cooked Ham and Organic Bacon are also good picks that can be found in the meats and cheese section of your grocery store.

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10 Ways to End Overeating Forever

Your stomach, like your car's gas tank, shouldn't just be entirely full or empty.
Between I need this now work deadlines and standstill traffic, our culture encourages you to think about speed in extremes. But food is about enjoyment and nourishing your body. Here's how to find the middle ground between zero and stuffed so you can get back on track toward your weight loss goals and learn to enjoy an occasional scoop of ice cream without polishing off the whole pint.

1

Slow
down!

With a jam-packed schedule, it’s easy to rush through meals. But slowing your pace gives your body time to register its fullness. In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers measured how many times they chewed while snacking on pizza rolls. When participants chewed twice as many times as normal, they ate 15 percent less. “Take frequent pauses during your meals,” suggests Sharon Richter, R.D., a dietitian in New York City. “Put down your fork or have a sip of water between bites.”

2

Scale down
your dishes

When it comes to reining in your appetite, bigger isn't better. Research shows that people polish off about 92 percent of what’s on their plates, and you’re more likely to load up a large dinner plate than a smaller salad one. Case in point: Research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that people served themselves at least 34 percent more when given a 34-ounce bowl than one half the size.

3

Grab a
smart snack

“Having something between meals can keep you from getting too hungry, which can cause you to binge at your next meal,” explains Richter. She recommends eating a 250-300 calorie snack about two hours before heading to dinner or that holiday party. A few smart options: turkey slices rolled up with avocado, low-fat Greek yogurt with almonds and fruit, or a hard-boiled egg with whole-wheat toast.

4

Drink
more H20

Signs of dehydration—think zapped energy—can mimic hunger, which can dupe your brain into craving food. Avoid the mixed signals by sipping H20 throughout the day. “Have a glass of water or two before your snacks and meals,” suggests Richter. The liquid will fill you up, which can keep you from overeating. In fact, Virginia Tech scientists found that people who drank two glasses of water right before a meal ate 75 to 90 fewer calories than those who didn’t.

5

Limit your
options

Variety may be the spice of life, but it can also be a dietary downfall. “People tend to eat more when they have a number of different options in front of them,” says Richter. Headed to a holiday buffet? Limit yourself to just a few of your favorite dishes. “Fill half of your plate with veggies, and the rest with lean protein and a starch,” she says.

6

Go to
bed

Yes, Jimmy Kimmel is hilarious. But staying up to watch his show can rev up your hunger the next day, according to a study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Researchers found that people ate 549 more calories on the days after they slept 80 fewer minutes than usual. Other research shows that sleep deprivation increases the body’s production of the hunger-stimulating hormone gherlin while decreasing its amount of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone—delivering a double-whammy to your self-control.

7

Pump up
the protein

Stave off overeating by adding a small amount of protein to every meal and snack. When researchers from the University of Washington had volunteers get either 15 or 30 percent of the daily calories from protein for two weeks, they found that the latter group reported feeling more satisfied throughout the day—and dropped more pounds. “It takes your body longer to digest protein, which can keep you satisfied for longer,” explains Richter.

8

Fill up
on fiber

Choosing whole-wheat over white bread may help slow down your fork during dinner. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who started their day with high-fiber cereal ate 31 percent fewer calories’ worth of pizza at a following meal than those who dined on white bread. Your body takes longer to process a fiber-rich meal, prolonging that sense of fullness, explain the researchers. Experts recommend getting at least 25 grams of the rough stuff each day from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

9

Get a handle
on stress

Between work projects and social obligations, your stress-meter may be at an all-time high. This spurs your body’s production of cortisol, triggering cravings for sugary foods. And a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience found that it may also heighten levels of gherlin. To keep your stress level in check, remember to schedule in some downtime into your busy day. Feeling like you’re about to blow your lid? Take a few deep breaths. Julie Chen, M.D., a San Jose, CA-based integrative medicine physician, recommends this technique: Breathe in for a count of four, then breathe out for a count of eight. Repeat for a few minutes.

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Ditch
distractions

If you’ve ever polished off a bag of chips during that Sons of Anarchy marathon, you know that food goes down all too easily when you’re preoccupied. In fact, eating while distracted can up your intake by 39 percent, according to a review of 24 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. So step away from your computer or television, and take the time to savor every bite.

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10 Lazy Ways to Burn More Calories

You might think losing weight is all about hard work at the gym and having a strict eating regimen, but sometimes, even just the smallest amount of effort can deliver major pay-offs. Check out these incredibly simple ways to burn more calories.

Slurp some java

Caffeine can help boost calorie burn for up to three hours. Not into joe? Try tea.

Sit on a Stability ball

Using a stability ball can kill 260 more daily cals than parking your butt in a chair.

Go Carb free for a day

Cut carbs two days a week. Odds are, you'll lose more than full-time devotees.

Grab some gum

Chew to thwart snacking. Translation: You'll likely eat up to 10 percent less.

Dial the temparature down

The room temperature sweet spot for melting fat: a cool 64 degrees.

Order Thai food

Spices in this tasty grub can spike your metabolism by 23 percent.

Stay sane/Meditate

Stressed women work off about 104 fewer calories than those who are calm.

Skip the second brew

Knocking back two beers may slow down fat blasting by 73 percent.

Get fidgety

Tapping your feet or pacing can burn hundreds more cals than being still.

Sweat for 10 minutes

Just 10 minutes of moderate exercise helps rev metabolism for an hour.

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