Top 12 Easy Food Tips & Swaps for Weight Loss

My Top 12 Easy Food Tips & Swaps for Weight Loss — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted catherine-morgan.com)

If you are the kind of person who loves to take the time to cook and try new healthy recipes — that is great (I honestly wish I were like that).  If that is you, then you are super lucky, because there are thousands and thousands of healthy eating cookbooks (and just as many of them are free on Amazon with Kindle Reading App).  But, if you’re like me, and you don’t have the time or the inclination to go out and buy specific foods and ingredients to whip up exciting healthy recipes — then you are in luck.

Here are some of the ways I eat healthy without following recipes.  For me it’s all about having my staple healthy foods always available so I can easily make quick and healthy meals.

My top 12 easy food tips and swaps.

1.  We all know how important eating fish is.  It is a high protein food that is also very low in fat and calories.  My problem was that, whenever I bought costly fresh seafood, it either didn’t seem very fresh or I didn’t eat it quickly enough…so I ended up wasting a lot of money that way.  Then one day, I found out that most (or all) of the so-called “fresh” seafood was merely thawed-out frozen seafood.  I also found out that I could get the exact same fish still frozen, and then I could keep it frozen until the time I wanted to eat it, so I would never waste any of it.  Now what I do is buy individually wrapped frozen fish (I like salmon, tilapia, cod, mahi, and shrimp), I thaw it when I am ready to use it, season it, wrap it in foil, and then cook it in the toaster oven.  It is quick and easy, and it always turns out tasting wonderful.

2.  I also like to buy 97-98% lean ground turkey.  If I have time, I make it into patties and cook them on the grill or frying pan, and then I put some in the freezer and some in the fridge to be heated up whenever I am hungry.  If I don’t have time to cook the ground meat all at once, I separate it into single servings and place into storage bags and freeze.  Then I can quickly make one burger by thawing out an already portioned amount of ground turkey.   Once I have my burger ready, I put it on one of those low calorie roll-thins, and top with spinach, salsa, and avocado.

3.  I try to keep several low calorie frozen dinners on hand for times when I feel I need something fast, but have little time to cook.  Of course, it is much healthier to avoid processed foods, but a low calorie frozen dinner is still better than fast food or other high fat/high calorie foods.  These meals are also great to take to work for lunch when you don’t have time to prepare something. TIP:  Whenever possible, add fresh or frozen vegetables to your frozen meal (this will make it much more filling, as well as add to the nutritional value without adding too many calories).  Keep an eye out for sales on these meals, rather than paying full price.

4.  Chicken breast is another easy and lean meat you can prepare ahead; keep some in the freezer and some in the refrigerator.  You can do so many things with chicken breast: add to salad, heat with vegetables, make a hot or cold sandwich on a low calorie bun, or just keep bite size pieces in the fridge to munch on when you need a healthy snack.  I often get my chicken breast frozen; this way I always have some in the freezer.  Like I said before, one of the best tricks to eating healthy is never running out of healthy food.

5.  Instant oatmeal is a quick and easy meal.  You can eat it alone or with fruit, and it is basically one of the best sources of fiber you can get.  It’s also something you can easily bring with you to work.  TIP:  Eating breakfast is the best way to get your metabolism started in the morning, and studies show that people who eat breakfast lose more weight than their breakfast-skipping counterparts.

6.  Pre-washed lettuce, spinach, and other greens can come in handy if you are too busy to clean and chop it yourself.   And if you are hungry, being able to make something fast can be critical.   You can also buy cleaned and chopped bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and more.  IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SPINACH: Most experts say that if you can’t get organic spinach, then don’t get it at all (chemicals and pesticides make most spinach unhealthier for you than healthy, so the benefits of eating it don’t outweigh the risks). I’ve been buying organic spinach from my grocery store, and it is a bit more costly, but worth it.

7.  I like to buy fresh and frozen vegetables that come in microwavable bags.  This way, they can be quickly added to any meal with very little effort.  You can also get frozen rice that cooks in just a few minutes in the microwave.  TIP:  Keep an eye out for sales; I like to stock up when they are buy one, get one free.

8.  What about bread, pasta, rice?  On many diets, you are encouraged to eat little or none of these foods, but as long as you are keeping track of your calories, these carbs can be eaten in moderation as part of your healthy diet.  However, you NEVER want to eat the “white” version of these foods.  Don’t eat white bread; find a whole wheat bread.  Don’t eat regular pasta; take some time to acquire a taste for whole wheat pasta.  

9.  Mrs. Dash seasonings have many flavors, and they are all salt-free.  Using these specially combined seasonings is the easiest way to add a wonderful flavor to your food.  My favorite is Hot & Spicy (I add it to just about every meat and fish I cook).  And, if you Google “Mrs. Dash.” you will find an unlimited number of recipes.

10.  If you haven’t already, try some of the Laughing Cow spreads.  They are very low in calories and fat, and can really enhance a plain sandwich that you might have previously used mayo or cheese on.  There are at least a half a dozen different flavors to choose from.

11.  We all know that salad dressing can quickly add to your calorie and fat intake.  Always buy light dressings…and if you can, water them down even more.  I try to keep an empty bottle or two, and then make my own dilution depending on the dressing.  You may be surprised at how quickly you begin to enjoy the watered-down versions of your favorite dressings.  TIP:  When you are out at a restaurant, you can discretely dilute your dressing by using lemon wedges.

12.  Avocado is a great way to add healthy fat and omega-3s to your salads and sandwiches.  The problem is that avocados are often expensive, are hard to peel, and go brown quickly. Instead of using avocados, I have been buying fresh guacamole I find in the produce section…the one I buy is 95% avocado.  It’s just another way you can get the benefits of a healthy food without the time-consuming preparation.

Update:  If you are a South Beach Diet Fan, you have to check out Kalyn’s Kitchen (she has the best healthy recipes around).

So, there you have it.  I hope you find these tips and swaps helpful.  Do you have any personal food swaps or tips for losing weight?  If so, please share them with us in comments.

**If you like these tips, you will love my new book (coming in November) Love the Diet, Lose the Fat.  For a pre-release offer to get the book for $1, go to the Love the Diet website and sign-up with just your email address.

Healthy Low-Fat Chicken Recipes

Healthy Low-Fat Chicken Recipes — by Catherine Morgan

Here are some great low-fat, low-calorie chicken recipes from Love the Diet…Lose the Fat.

Chicken Salad Wrap

Calories per serving:  180

Fat:  4g

Sugar:  4g

Protein:  27g

What you need…

4 ounces cooked chicken (cubed)

¼ cup baby spinach

2 tablespoons tomatoes (cubed)

2 tablespoons frozen peas

1 tablespoon light ranch salad dressing

What to do…

Combine chicken, spinach, tomatoes, peas and dressing.  Wrap in a whole-wheat tortilla.  Enjoy.

*Change it up and try kale instead of spinach.  Kale is an excellent source of antioxidants.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli

Calories per serving:  285

Fat:  8g

Sugar:  6g

Protein:  40g

What you will need…

4 ounces chicken breast

1.5 cups steamed broccoli

½ cup low fat cheddar cheese

¼ cup water

What to do…

Just chop your already fully cooked chicken breast into cubes and place in small sauce-pan.  Add steamed broccoli, cheddar cheese and water.  Heat on medium-low until warm, and serve.

You can also add spinach and other vegetables you enjoy.

*I like to boil my chicken in sodium free chicken broth until it is fully cooked.  When you do this, you keep a few pieced in your refrigerator for use with both cold and hot chicken recipes.

Weight Loss Book: Love the Diet…Lose the Fat

My first book is completed and will likely be available by the end of September.   The book is all about healthy weight-loss.  Anyone who would like to be notified of the day the book will be available for just $1 can add their email to the Love the Diet…Lose the Fat website.  The day before the book goes on sale for $12.99, people on the list will be able to get the Kindle version for just $1.

I will post more about the book in the coming days.

Healthy Recipe: Greek Yogurt Parfait (low-fat)

Healthy Recipe: Greek Yogurt Parfait (low-fat) — cross-posted from catherine-morgan.com

Easy to make, low-fat, low-calorie Greek yogurt parfait recipe.  This is a great recipe for losing weight and eating healthy.

Here is some nutritional information for this Greek Yogurt Parfait recipe…

Calories per serving:  215

Fat:  2g

Sugar:  31g

Protein:  13g

Here is what you will need…

1 cup Greek Yogurt

½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

¼ cup sliced bananas

1 teaspoon ground flax-seed

What to do…

Simply layer the yogurt, blueberries and bananas.  Sprinkle ground flax-seed, and enjoy.

Try this with just about any combination of fruit you can come up with.

FYI:  Greek yogurt has about twice the protein as regular yogurt.

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Are you drinking enough water?   Are you sure about that?  Believe it or not, most people are not drinking enough water.  Do you get headaches, suffer from fatigue, or sometimes feel a little weak or dizzy?  If so, you may just need to start drinking more water.  So, before you reach for the pain medicine for a headache, try drinking a tall glass of water, it may be all you need.

But remember, not all hydration is created equal. For example; one cup of coffee is not equal to one cup of water. That’s because coffee is a diuretic – so are many other beverages, such as tea and soda.

How do you know if you are drinking enough water? And how much water do you need to drink.

Use this Hydration Calculator from About.com to help figure out how much is right for you.

Obviously, staying hydrated is essential to any good exercise program…I found an interesting recipe for making your own sports drinks at WebMD. It’s as easy as mixing one can of frozen concentrated juice with nine cans of water (instead of three).

Click here to read full post on hydration at catherine-morgan.com

Eating Healthy in Three Easy Steps

Top Three Tips For Eating Healthy — by Catherine Morgan

I am a firm believer that the number one thing any of us can do to promote good health…Is to eat a healthy, well balanced diet. Regardless of your weight (even if you are thin or at an ideal weight), it’s important that we all try to eat healthy. Unfortunately, that is sometimes the hardest thing for many of us to do.

It can be overwhelming for someone with “questionable” eating habits to make the changes necessary for good health. But, it’s also the best thing you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and chronic illness. So, what can we do? Well, I recommend you take it slow, and not put too much pressure on yourself.

Don’t decide today to make radical changes in your eating habits. If you do that you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, let’s look at what I believe are the top three changes you can make that won’t be hard for you to stick to. Once you have conquered these three things, you will become empowered to continue taking a step at a time toward healthier eating habits and a healthier life. So, let’s give it a try.

Four Health Tips To A Longer Life

Four Tips To A Long Life — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I was surfing the health and wellness news trying to decide what to post on tonight, and I came across this Reuters article… Four Health Changes Can Prolong Life 14 Years. Who wouldn’t want to prolong their life by 14 years?

So, would you make a “resolution” to make four lifestyle changes, if it would increase your life by 14 years? Better than a New Years Resolution, this would be a “Life Resolution”.

What are the four changes to a longer life?

1) Stop Smoking

2) Eat Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables a Day

3) Exercise

4) Limit Alcohol Consumption

The lifestyle change with the biggest benefit was giving up smoking, which led to an 80 percent improvement in health, the study found. This was followed by eating fruits and vegetables. Moderate drinking and keeping active brought the same benefits…

Well, that seems pretty simple. While we’re on the subject, why not surf around for some other ways to live longer?

Reducing Stress is a good place to start…

There are few things that cause you more stress and worry than your weight. If you gained a few pounds over the holidays, don’t panic…..yet. According to an article (reprinted below) about a study published last November, people who are a little overweight actually live longer.

Could you live longer if you walked faster? Apparently so…

New research following 500 older people for nearly a decade found quicker walkers were less likely to die. Nine years after initial gait speed was measured, 77 percent of slow walkers had died, compared to only 50 percent of medium speed and 27 percent of fast walkers.

Here are Ten Tips For Aging Consciously and Successfully…

As our population ages, our society is finally recognizing that old age is a gift. Despite some of the negative images in the media, it really is possible to embrace our elderhood as a creative and spiritual journey.

People who have aged successfully share common characteristics.

There is no question that most of our lifestyle choices are what will determine whether we age in good physical and mental health or fall prey to sickness and disability. Although it may be a cliché, moderation is the key in everything. By practicing moderation and following these ten tips, you too can be a “long-liver” and, more importantly, enjoy your elder hood in the process.

See the Ten Tips For Aging Consciously and Successfully

If those ten tips weren’t good enough for you, here are ten more — 10 Tips on How to Live Longer and Happier

Well, there you have it.

No excuses for not living longer now.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at CatherineBlogs.com and The Political Voices of Women

Have A Happy Thanksgiving.

This Holiday Season…Give The Gift of Green

This is a post from Izzy Mom about giving reusable shopping bags as gifts…I think that sounds like a great idea. And if you are going to do it on a large scale (and buy more than 100), you can even have them personalized just like the supermarkets do (for as little as $0.99 each).

You know the holidays are coming up, right? And you KNOW what that means, right? Yep, shopping. Lots and lots of shopping. And lots of bags. Paper and plastic.

The paper bags from everyone in America buying groceries for Thanksgiving alone will probably set us back a few frillion trees and a lot of oxygen, ya know?

And then Christmas and Hannukah…more bags. Especially plastic ones from malls, department stores etc.

So I have this idea!

I’m suggesting that instead of, or perhaps in addition to a regular gift, that you give the gift of re-usable bags to your friends, family, kids’ teachers, the mailman, the lawn guy — anyone! Everyone!

READ FULL POST

Lose Weight and Lower Your Cholesterol With Dr. Oz on the Oprah Winfrey Show

Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness, But It Does Buy Healthy Foods — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

When I hear Dr. Oz is going to be on Oprah, I usually try to watch. So today my daughter and I tuned in. One of the things Dr. Oz was talking about, was how eating eleven pounds of vegetables a day can be helpful in losing weight and in lowering blood pressure. At that time a big platter full of fruits, vegetables, and nuts was brought out and put in front of Dr. Oz and Oprah. It looked yummy to me.

It was when that platter of fresh fruits and vegetables was brought out that it occurred to me…I love all of those foods…So why do I have such a hard time sticking to a healthy diet? If it isn’t because of the taste, could it be because of the cost?

For several years now, I have been battling uncontrolled hypertension and high cholesterol. And as a nurse, I know the best way to conquer these problems is with a healthy diet. So Dr. Oz wasn’t really talking about anything I didn’t already know, just something I haven’t really been able to “stick” with.

Can someone actually lose weight by eating eleven pounds of food a day?

Catherine’s Top Three Tips For Healthy Living

Hi everyone. I was honored to be asked to write a guest post for Life Learning Today, and this is what I came up with.

Catherine’s Top Three Tips For Healthy Living

1. You are what you eat, and it is never too late to start eating healthy. Every day, try your very best to put healthy foods and plenty of water into your body. When you have a choice between something healthy and something not healthy, go with the healthy choice. But, don’t be too hard on yourself on the days you fall back into old habits. There is no rule that says, to be healthy you have to be perfect. Even if you are eating healthy 50% of the time, that is still better than none of the time.

If you are one to never go for the healthy choice, then start today with a commitment to eat one thing that is good for you (just one thing that you would normally not eat), and do that for a week. After a week, start eating two things that are good for you, and so on, and so on. Before you know it, you’ll be eating healthy half the time…And that’s a great start.

You can start today, loving yourself and your family enough to stop poisoning your body with unhealthy foods. Heart disease is the number one killer in our country. And 80% of heart disease is due to eating an unhealthy diet that leads to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Start today, and take a bite in the right direction…Your heart will thank you.

UPDATED INFORMATION: The Alli Diet Pill — Pharmaceutical Profits & Propaganda

Alli — “The Diarrhea Diet”

image from

I’m not going to try to sugar coat it, I’m an opinionated person. Back at the end of May when I saw an article about an over the counter diet pill being approved by the FDA, and peddled by a pharmaceutical company, my skepticism antenna went into overdrive.

The result was a post I did the same day on why you should just say no to diet pills, which included several links of other recent drugs the FDA and pharmaceutical companies had claimed to be safe, and later were taken off the market. In my opinion this happens much too often. And the main thing that sets me off is, it seems to be all about money. (Shocking! Not so much.) The FDA takes money from the pharmaceutical companies to “study” and approve their drugs, then the pharmaceutical companies make millions (even billions) off the American people, then voila, the drug that was once “safe” is no longer safe. It’s a very interesting phenomena.

Dieting, Weight Loss, and Healthy Living. All kinds of links, for all kinds of dieting and nutritional needs.

image from Low Carb Diets & Recipes

I didn’t lose any additional weight this week…but don’t worry, I didn’t gain any either. Not much to report this week so I thought I would do something a little different. Here are some links to articles with tips, inspiration, facts, and links to other dieting sites. Some you may have seen before, some you may not have. I’ll be back with next weeks “dieting update” as usual.

Until then, here are some great weight loss blogs for you to check out.

Dieting Update (week four) – Good News About Taco Bell.

OK – Quick recap…Giving up sugar, and eating healthy food is my main goal. But, when I first started this plan I ran into a bit of a glitch.

I’m not really a fast-food person, but this week I fell into the fast-food trap. Actually, it was the Nacho Cheese Chalupa trap. (Truth be told – I fell into this trap twice this week.)

This is the story. (And you’ll see it was really not my fault at all, it was obviously all my daughters fault.) My daughter loves Taco Bell and I love Chalupas. My daughter wanted to go to Taco Bell, so we did. I ate a couple of Chalupas. Moral of the story – Don’t eat Chalupas when you are on a diet.

Since this “laps of the Chalupa”, I have been really good. Eating little to no sugar, increasing my fiber intake, and eating a lot of vegetables and healthy foods. I’m also doing good about not eating too close to bedtime.

Bloggers Blogging on Dieting, Weight Loss, and Nutrition.

image from

A Recipe For Weight Loss — by Catherine Morgan

I don’t know about you, but even though I know exactly what to eat and what not to eat, I still eat a bunch of stuff I know I shouldn’t. Since I really want to lose a few pounds, I recently started blogging once a week on my struggles and desires to “Take it Five Pounds at a Time“. I need all the motivation I can get with this venture to lose weight and eat healthy, so I looked through the BlogHer Blogrolls for some inspiration, and found a lot of it. For those of you also struggling with weight issues, I hope you can find some inspiration and ideas from these great blogs.

Join me in taking a look at some of the BlogHers blogging on diet and nutrition, I am going to introduce you to a dozen or so in this post. I also encourage you to check out the Health and Wellness BlogRoll where you can find many other great blogs.

3rd Week DIET UPDATE — Taking It Five Pounds At A Time

Well, it’s the third week and I lost one more pound. So altogether I lost three pounds in three weeks, that’s not so bad.

Some of the things I did right this week were; I stayed away from sugar and the Taco Bell, I increased my veggie intake, and I started taking a fiber supplement.

I don’t think I did anything “wrong”…but I am going to do a few things better this week.

#1 – I’m going to stop eating food after 8PM at night. I know that sounds late, but I am often up until 1am or 2am…so it won’t be easy.

#2 – I’m going to start swimming a few laps in my pool. Swimming is the one exercise I am able to do without affecting my medical condition, and now that it is warm out I can use the pool.

#3 – I’m going to try and eat Wild Salmon at least twice a week. I can get individually wrapped Salmon at our Walmart, and that works good for me since my kids don’t eat it.

Hopefully with these adjustments I will lose another pound. Wish me luck.

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See original post:

Taking It Five Pounds At A Time

1st Update

2nd Update

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Important News On Dieting and Weight Loss – New Study On Glycemic Load – with additional links and articles.

New Study On Glycemic Load and Weight Loss

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – When it comes to losing weight, the number of calories you eat, rather than the type of carbohydrates, may be what matters most, according to a new study.

Healthy Dieting – Tips, Articles, Links, and YouTube Video

picture by © singnpray

HEALTHY DIETING –(CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL ARTICLE)

Five a day keeps the pounds away.
Trash the junk food and buy lots of fruits and vegetables! Five or more servings of fruits and veggies aren’t just a good idea to help you lose weight – they’ll help keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy. Other suggestions for eating well: exchange white bread for whole-wheat; drink lots of water and make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. Don’t skip breakfast. (Having low fat cereal and milk and a piece of fruit is a much better idea than inhaling a donut as you run to the bus stop or eating no breakfast at all!) A registered dietitian can give you lots of other snack and menu ideas.

Eat Healthy And Lose Weight — With The All-You-Can-Eat Diet Plan

picture by © evaaase

 

THE-ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT DIET PLAN — by Catherine Morgan

You heard right. All you can eat. And it’s not a gimmick. How can that be? All you can eat diet? No diet is all you can eat? Well you are right, and wrong. No starvation or quick fix theme diet, is ever going to be an all you can eat diet. And we all know there is no pill or powder that allows you to eat anything you want and still lose weight. So, what exactly is an ALL YOU CAN EAT DIET?

Women and Heart Disease — Knowing The Facts Could Save Your Life

picture by © photows100

 

WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE — KNOWING THE FACTS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE — by Catherine Morgan

You should know that…Women are at a very high risk for heart disease and heart attacks. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women over 65. American women are 4 to 6 times more likely to die of heart disease than of breast cancer. Women are also less likely to survive a heart attack than a man.