How to Lose Weight With One Simple Change

I’m going to tell you how to lose weight, but we aren’t gonna talk about what you eat. Well, not yet, anyway. We’re gonna talk about what you drink. Beverage sales are through the roof all over the country. You see a coffee drink in every hand on your commute daily, energy drinks fuel a decent portion of our workforce every afternoon, and a soda with dinner is commonplace in many homes every evening. Not to mention the various bottles and cans than inhabit desks and car cupholders throughout the day. We’re all on something – juice, coffee, soda, sweet tea – so let’s take a minute to really think about what we’re pouring down our throats. I recently asked a client, “Is it acceptable to you to be drinking 4 Diet Cokes in the morning?” Her reply was that she hadn’t thought much about it. She was drinking them for the caffeine and it had just become a habit. It seems that this is common for many of us. Calories aside (yes, I know there are no calories in a Diet Coke), if you really push yourself, you’ll probably agree that it is not human nature to drink Diet Coke (or whatever is in your cup) at all. In fact, humans are the only animals that drink anything other than water or nursing milk in the food chain. Our biology agrees with that line of thinking: in nature, calories are designed to be metabolized through the foods we chew. The process of digesting and processing those calories starts in the mouth but most of the food molecules are broken down in our stomach and small intestine. When you drink your calories, the molecules are already mostly broken down and so they shoot right into your blood and don’t sit in your stomach very long at all. We now know that these calories get stored in fat cells more rapidly than the calories from food, which is why so many of us are trying to figure out how to lose weight. If you are thinking that your beverage doesn’t have calories in it, because it’s artificially sweetened, you’re not off the hook. Is it human nature to be drinking chemicals? Those chemicals are contributing to an increased appetite and cravings, and they may also be messing with your palate by keeping you from being satisfied from naturally sweet foods. How to Lose Weight With One Simple Change: Critical thinking 101: If you are chugging something (other than water) ask yourself  ‘is it reasonable to me to be drinking ____ x ____ times per day?’ Critical thinking always brings me back to human nature and biology — the only thing we should drink like water IS water. Still, we are at the top of the food chain for a reason, and so we should make the most of our critical thinking and large brain capacity. There is still room for delicious drinks in your Nutritious Life. I promise. Choose water, seltzer and tea the majority of the time. Incorporate greens juices and a glass of wine into your healthy eating plan. A glass of wine with a nutritious meal or an all green juice with a handful of nuts for a snack. Leave the juice, sports drinks, novelty drinks and the rest in the rarely to never category. Break your beverage habit. If you start with healthy drinking, it will lead to healthy eating, and you’ll find yourself suddenly with an overall healthy diet. I promise that if you go back to your natural drinking nature, you’ll shed some extra weight and feel like king of the jungle.  

Your Thanksgiving Guide to Not Gaining Weight

Thanksgiving is probably the biggest day of eating in the USA. No shocker there, right? With all that ridiculously yummy food on the table, it’s hard to figure out what to do with your hands besides, well, eat. Good thing you’re here now, because I’m sharing 5 tried and true weight loss tips that are sure to get you through Thanksgiving without stuffing yourself like that bird. Tip #1: Feast on good company I always encourage my clients to make the company the focus of the day, rather than the food. For real this time. Be in the moment. Laugh. Really listen to your cousin’s story about his recent trip. Ask your grandma about what Thanksgiving was like 50 years ago. Challenge your nephew to spell cornucopia. Challenge your niece to say it three times fast. Make eye contact, connect and engage with every person who is special to you in the room and make sure that you leave the day full of love, rather than mashed potatoes. You don’t have to treat the meal like your last supper to be satisfied, nourished and giving thanks. Tip #2: Have a plan (and share it with Aunt Millie) I can’t tell you what to eat, how much to eat or what it will take for you to feel successful on Thanksgiving. I customize that work for each and every one of my clients individually (though I do have some go-to Thanksgiving recipes that I recycle each year). I will tell you that going into Thanksgiving with a plan of attack for what goes into your mouth will give you the opportunity to be successful. Without a plan, you cannot set yourself up for success or stay on track with your healthy diet. You can be the Thanksgivophile (just made that word up, permish to use granted) who plans to eat a small serving of all of the offerings. You can be the parade watcher who plans to eat only the healthy snacks, crudites and desserts. You can even be the marathon football watching fan who snacks from morning to night in planned combinations of portion-controlled holiday favorites. Make a plan so you can stick to it. Tell this plan to someone who will be celebrating the holiday with you. It will keep you accountable and on your healthy eating task. Tip #3: Use your hands for something besides eating Eeeeek. Turkey’s resting for 30 minutes. It smells soooooo good. You’re surrounded by snacks: nuts, cheese, something puffy that’s oozing parm and pancetta. Code red. Remember your plan! Rather than eating whatever’s nearby, keep a glass in your dominant hand (preferably seltzer with a few pomegranate seeds tossed in, a little wine spritzer or an herbal tea). It will keep you from munching mindlessly. Other ideas to keep your fingers from putting unwanted items between your lips: take holiday wish lists from your friends and relatives to make your shopping easier; help the host; bring your knitting, a puzzle, craft or an origami activity to do with the kids; pull out old board games; or look at old photographs. Thanksgiving is a good day to go old school here. Tip #4: Fab your gorgeous self out Take a few minutes before the company arrives, or you head out into the world to your turkey soiree and make sure you feel good about how you look. Celebrating your Thanksgiving in sweats and bed head isn’t going to inspire you to feel your best, make good food choices and propel you into anything other than a food coma. Think about someone you admire who exudes health, confidence and positivity (with a little sex appeal thrown in) and take a little inspiration. Why not feel amazing on the outside?! You’re amazing on the inside! Keeping your appearance on the forefront of your brain may help you make good food choices. Tip #5: Take a nap There are many reasons I recommend a little mid-day shut eye on Thanksgiving. Yes, obvi you cannot eat and sleep at the same time. A little siesta also honors that you’re taking a day off for enjoyment, and quiets the stress hormone cortisol, which is linked to holding on to extra belly fat in your bod. Rested bodies are also better able to fight off germs and keep you well as cold and flu season starts knockin’ on the door. You don’t have to be anti-social — a 30 minute break from the festivities should be enough to refresh you (and maybe help get you out of doing some of those dishes). Happy Thanksgiving, friends. You can celebrate this one without a souvenir extra pound or two to remember it with. Cheers to you — you can practice these tips for all of the holidays to come!

How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Really Need?

How many hours of sleep do you get every night? 5? 6? 7? How many pounds do you want to lose? 5? 15? 50? Guess what? These two numbers go hand in hand. So many of my clients are terrible sleepers. They can’t fall asleep because their minds are racing or they fall asleep, but can’t stay asleep. Or they wake to use the bathroom and then wander into the kitchen at 3AM. Or they sleep OK, but wake exhausted. And they eventually end up in my office, asking for diet plans and how to lose weight. This is yet another example where I preach, “It’s not just about the food!” “Sleep deep” is a Nutritious Life pillar because how many hours of sleep you get affects your wellness and waistline as much as the healthy foods you eat, the exercise you practice and the stress you manage does. See, sleep deprivation messes up the hormones that regulate hunger, causing an increase in appetite and specific cravings for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods. So after a long night, there is indeed a reason you are reaching for the bagel and cream cheese at 7am instead of your normal healthy breakfast of hard boiled eggs and berries. Research shows that sleeping only 4 hours per night for 2 nights causes leptin — the hormone that tells your body to stop eating — to drop 18%. And levels of ghrelin — the hormone that says “eat more”– jump 28 percent. Again, there is a reason you can’t stop chowing after pulling an all-nighter. Buh-bye healthy eating, so long balanced diet. Now keep in mind this happened after just 2 nights of sleep deprivation…just imagine what happens after weeks and weeks of missing sleep! No wonder your pants are tight, right?! So, how many hours of sleep do you need to be the healthiest you possible? Adults are supposed to get about 7-9 hours of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. If you only get 6 hours, your risk of developing obesity rises 23%, if you only get 5, it increases 50%, and if you only get 4, it increases a whopping 73%! The thing is, if you want to improve your sleep, you’ve gotta work on your nighttime behaviors, just like you practice brushing and flossing or washing and cutting fruits and veggies right when you get home from the grocery store. What can you work on to better up your shut eye? If you wake up to pee, stop drinking 2 hours before bedtime and try to go right before you turn in for the night. If you fall asleep, but wake up a few hours later, give up all alcohol for a few days and see if it helps, or jot down your biggest stressors in a journal immediately before you turn in to quiet your mind. If you’re sleeping, but not feeling rested, flip your mattress, adjust the temperature in your bedroom, buy yourself new pillows or invest in snore-strips for your wake-the-dead, apnea challenged spouse. If you’ve flipped the mattress and that isn’t working, I’ll let you in on a secret – invest in an Essentia mattress. They are the only organic memory foam mattress available and I’m telling you, you’ll sleep like a babe. Can’t fall asleep? Ditch the caffeine after noontime and exercise in the morning, rather than the evening. Tonight, I want you to stare at the inside of your eyelids with the curtains drawn, in your favorite jammies, with your iPhone silenced, no matter what. Stop making lists in your mind or preparing for tomorrow’s presentation or folding the laundry. Tonight is about sleep. That’s it. If you sleep well, you’ll eat a better breakfast tomorrow morning, which might motivate you to eat a better lunch, which might motivate you to hit the gym, which might make you sleep better tomorrow night, which might help you drop those pounds you’ve been struggling with. Done and done.

Ditch Deprivation: 5 Delicious Foods That Actually Support Weight Loss

Eat foods to lose weight? Yep. Aren’t you tired of NOT eating things you love so you can reach your weight loss goals? I am. The more I think about not eating my favorite chocolate chip cookies, the warm baguette, the salted caramel ice cream or the cheesy lasagna — oh, I could go on and on and on — the more I think about how much I want them. Instead, I find it helps (myself and my clients!) to focus attention on what I CAN do to look and feel good. I can look forward to my bed at the end of the day. I can enjoy drinking water with lemon, green tea and seltzer. I can squeeze in a workout even on tough to schedule days. Thinking about healthy activities and foods actually makes me want to go in that direction, too. When I get a little momentum, and a little positivity from upping my wellness game, I crave the feel good that comes from it. The good news is you can indeed eat foods to lose weight. Here are five foods to lose weight that you CAN chow down on regularly: Avocado Avocado is a best way to lose weight. The great fats help to pull fat out of your cells to use for energy. Guac it up. Slice it in your omelet. Dice it in your salad. Stick to ⅓ of a medium fruit. It’s all you need to rock & roll the benefits. Dandelion Dandelion  is one of those famous detox healthy foods for good reason. It pulls extra fluid from your bod and rids you of unwanted bloat. I love it as a tea, but the greens are also delish in a salad. While I’m at it, greens are also uh-mazing at helping you slim down. They’re full of satisfying fiber and loaded with vitamins which rev your metabolism. There’s a green for everyone. From chard to kalettes and iceburg to arugula, eat ‘em all for maximum results. Citrus Citrus is tops on my weight loss tips list. A squeeze of lemon in your water, a half a grapefruit with breakfast or clementines with your snack offer a great dose of vitamin C and antioxidants. Citrus helps you break down carbohydrates and sugar in your bod and lower insulin levels. Add ‘em to your healthy eating list! Beets Beets are a great addition to your healthy diet, thanks to betalin, a phytonutrient that lowers inflammation and benefits your ticker and detox efforts. If you’re a beet newbie, start with a few bites at a time and increase from there as the fiber may take a bit of getting used to. Dates Dates are a surefire go-to if you must have something sweet, healthy and supportive to your less of you look. Yes, they’re high in sugar and calories. No, you don’t get to stuff your cheeks like a chipmunk. They’re also loaded with fiber (there’s almost 2 grams per date) and they’re great for digestion and your heart. Plus, they’ll help curb your appetite for butter cream. Add them to your healthy snacks list.

Easy Breakfast Ideas for Breakfast Haters

Alright breakfast haters, this one’s for you. I’m determined to make you a breakfast can’t-live-without-er. You don’t need me to tell you to eat a healthy breakfast. You’ve heard it a million times. Why Eat Breakfast? I’ve told you before that eating a snack or breakfast within an hour of waking up is important to kickstart your metabolism, which has been in rest mode while you’ve been recharging with some shut-eye. You’ve also heard that people who eat breakfast maintain healthier weights than those who do not. Of course you also know that people who are regular breakfast eaters perform better at school, work and play. You get a gold star if you eat breakfast even though you aren’t hungry when you wake up, or if you don’t have any time, or if you don’t care for breakfast foods. For those of you who are starless, I’m with you that breakfast is the one meal that can feel less than inspired. I mean, you’re already yawning in the morning because, well, it’s morning. You shouldn’t be yawning because, well, toast. Again. In an effort to add some excitement into your morning food routine, teach you how to eat healthy and maintain a balanced diet, and turn you into a breakfast lover, I’m giving you some easy breakfast ideas. So easy, that you’ll be out of excuses not to eat brekkie. Feeling challenged? Good. Look, breakfast may never be as exciting as finding 20 bucks in your back pocket, but, hopefully this will bring a little glimmer to your 6 a.m. self. Think of it like beauty sleep, but for your belly. Easy Breakfast Ideas Egg Breakfasts If You Have No Patience To Make Eggs Easy microwave eggs: You want to eat a healthy diet, but there’s no chance of turning on your stove while you’re still wearing pajamas? No problem. Spray the inside of a ramekin with cooking spray and crack an egg into it. Zap in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and voila! If you have leftover vegetables from dinner, toss them into the microwave at the same time on a separate plate and splash with a little hot sauce. Delish! Make-ahead eggs: On Sunday night, pull out your 8 x 8 pan that you usually reserve for brownies. Coat it with cooking spray and pour in a dozen eggs, scrambled with a little water or milk. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake for 20 minutes. Let it cool and cut it into nine pieces. When you wake up, take a piece out of the refrigerator and put it on a plate. Get showered, dressed and ready. It takes about 20 minutes to come to room temperature and requires no additional heating. Pair it with a cup of fruit sprinkled with a tablespoon of flax and you are good to go. The best part is that this simple recipe makes 9 servings, so you can feed a family easily. Prep you hard-boiled eggs: Make a bunch of hard-boiled eggs over the weekend. Put your eggs in a pot and just cover them with water. Bring the water to boil on high heat. When the water boils, turn off the burner and leave the eggs in the water for 10 minutes. Take them out of the water and peel them under running cool water. When you are ready to eat them, they’re ready to go, so make them interesting. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a high-fiber cracker. Top with your hard-boiled egg and favorite seasoning (paprika, wasabi, cayenne) or fresh herbs. Dairy Breakfasts If You Are So Over Yogurt     Add some ricotta or cottage cheese to your morning: Getting tired of the same ole yogurt? Substitute the yogurt with ricotta cheese or cottage cheese. You can go in a savory direction by adding leftover steamed or sautéed vegetables and tossing it in the microwave. You can also make it sweet with a quick grind of cinnamon or cocoa powder and a drizzle of agave, and serve with melon for a delicious start to your day. Or, you can use the ricotta as a condiment by topping a slice of high fiber toast with a tablespoon of nut butter and a tablespoon of ricotta. Yum! Kefir, anyone? While Kefir is technically yogurt, it may not have made it into your fridge yet.  Kefir is more tart and tangy than the average smoothie or yogurt drink, which might surprise your taste buds. Have a cup of Kefir with a ½ cup of steel cut oats cooked in water and 10 almonds. The whole breakfast will take minutes to prepare, but will keep you satisfied without feeling too full. And who doesn’t love a breakfast that can be pronounced 10 different ways?!   Whole Grain Breakfasts That Aren’t Boxes of Cereal Muesli magic: Muesli is a really misunderstood food. People never know what to do with it (or how to spell it), but it’s delicious, so I’ll make it easy for you. Tonight, take ½ cup of whole oats and whatever you think would be yummy with oatmeal (flax, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, etc.) and add a couple of teaspoons of it to the oats. Mix with 1/4 cup of milk or yogurt and toss into the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, it’s ready to go.  I prefer it cold (although you could heat it up if you wish). It’s delicious with berries or a little bit of honey. Ancient grains are the new rage: Instead of oatmeal, make a bowl of hot quinoa, spelt, barley, or farro. Make it just as you would make oatmeal, but use the 2:1 liquid-to-grain ratio that you would for rice. (You can use water or milk as your liquid). Stir it until it boils and comes to your desired consistency. For an added boost, toss in some flax, chia seeds or hemp. A dollop of yogurt on top makes it really satisfying. OK, there you have it. Nobody likes a