Dark Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate

Dark Chocolate Is More Filling Than Milk Chocolate And Lessens Cravings

ScienceDaily (2008-12-10) -- Dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods, according to new research. In other words, eating dark chocolate may be an efficient way to keep your weight down over the holidays. ... > read full article

This is an interesting study and provides more evidence to support choosing a nice piece of dark chocolate instead of a regular candy bar next time you are craving something sweet. Just don't over do it - even though the subjects ate 15% less pizza after the dark chocolate does not mean that they did not eat too much overall!

happy holidays!

burn more calories over the holidays

Here are five ways to burn an extra 50 calories -- which may not seem like much, but if you do them all you will burn 250 extra calories per day! That means 1/2 pound per week that you could lose or not gain! (values are for someone who weighs 155 pounds)

1. Do 10 minutes of low impact aerobics – try starting a tape and stopping after 10 minutes
2. Play with your dog for 15 minutes (Fido will be thrilled)
3. Bake for 20 minutes (just don’t eat everything that you bake which will cancel out the extra calories burned)
4. Do calisthenics for 12 minutes – I have hand weights by the TV and I do them during commercial brakes in addition to situps
5. Clean for 15 minutes – there is always something that can be cleaned in the house, right?

Just do anything you can to move more over the holidays so come January you haven’t gained five pounds!

new super bread

Oroweat’s new Double Fiber Bread is tasty and packed with fiber – 6 grams per slice which is 24% of your daily requirement. Have a slice for breakfast and a slice or two for lunch and you’ll be getting 1/2 to 3/4 of your daily fiber needs! And even though they are only 70 calories, the slices are not the tiny ones – they are substantial so you won’t feel deprived. Bon appetit!

TRX - home fitness equipment

My sister, a personal trainer, introduced me to this incredible piece of home exercise equipment which she swears has transformed her body. If you hate going to the gym you may want to consider this as it is literally a gym in a bag. The model she recommends is the TRX professional.

chocolite goodness

Anyone who knows me knows that I love chocolate. To me, a life without chocolate is not worth living (ok that’s a bit dramatic but partly true). So I’m always on the lookout for tasty lower calorie/sugar chocolate options as sometimes you need 2 pieces and at 70 calories plus per piece that adds up quickly. So I’m happy to introduce you to Chocolite products. At 30 calories each (2 per package) for flavors like chocolate crispy caramel and chocolate pecan cluster, this is a great option to satisfy that post meal sweet tooth guilt-free. Check them out at http://www.chocolitebars.com/ and let me know what you think!

metabolism boosters

Here are a few ways to boost your metabolism to burn 25-50 more calories per day. This may not seem like much but it really adds up over time.
-chili peppers: They can boost calorie burning, so add tabasco sauce or chili peppers to recipes like chili or soups.
-cold water: Your body burns calories heating it up (you can burn up to 100 calories for 2 liters water); and being dehydrated slows metabolism.
-green tea: Three cups per day increases fat loss, and total calories burned per day.
-coffee is ok: Caffeine does increase metabolism slightly and can really improve workouts, helping you work harder and burn more calories (just don’t add tons of sugar and milk – this will cancel out any calorie burning increase).
-build muscle: Each pound of muscle burns an extra 35-50 calories per day. So hit those weights at home or at the gym at least 2 times per week, and make sure you eat plenty of lean protein.
-interval train: You can burn up to 1.5 times the calories in the same amount of time by alternating high intensity spurts (1 min) and lower intensity recovery periods (1-2 min), during a 20-30 minute workout.

super salmon salad

I’m always inventing quick and easy and tasty things to eat. Here is my latest favorite -

1 bag fresh spinach (dark green leafy veggies are the best)
1 can starkist pink salmon
1-2 tbsp. gorgonzola cheese (a little goes a long way)

My dressing:
1 heaping tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsalmic vinegar

Mix dressing and put all 3 in a large tupperware container and shake so that its mixed well and each bite has lots of flavor. Enjoy, I know I do!!

great breakfast product

I always give my patients ideas on products that I love, so I thought why not share them with readers too! My new favorite breakfast product is Thomas’ Light English Muffin. At 100 calories and a whopping 8 grams of fiber, it only counts as one slice of bread in the exchange system I use and tastes terrific. Top with an egg or slice of melted lowfat cheese and you are good to go!