Why Buy Fresh?

There are many great reasons to buy fresh foods, the best one is: fresh food tastes better! For instance, a tomato from the farmers' market really tastes like a tomato; whereas tomatoes from the supermarket often taste like watered-down version.

Fresh is the key word here, people. At your farmers' market you'll find food that has been grown locally, as opposed to packed up and shipped over the course of days from other parts of the country. The sooner you buy farm-fresh produce after the harvest, the more nutrients you and your family will have the opportunity to absorb.

Chow Time

Has anyone ever told you that you need to eat dinner early in order to lose weight? Well, they were wrong. It doesn't matter when you eat your calories, it only matters how many calories you eat. Look at the Europeans, they eat dinner at 10 p.m. , and they're skinnier than us Americans. The idea that you should refrain from eating late at night is an old dieting myth. Eat when you want, just keep track of your calories.

Grilled Veggie Salad
Serves4 (serving size is 1/2 cup)
You can be creative with the vegetables you throw into this healthful salad—use whatever is in season and locally grown.
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon raspberry-flavored vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 ears fresh corn, husked
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
1 small yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into quarters
1 medium eggplant, cut in half lengthwise (about 1 pound)
2 (1/2-inch) slices red onion
1 large unpeeled tomato, cored and cut in half crosswise
cooking spray
1. Combine rosemary, black pepper, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Brush ears of corn and the cut surfaces of the re­maining vegetables with half the olive oil mixture, and set aside.
2. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill over medium-hot coals. Place vegetables, cut sides down, on rack. Cook 5 minutes; brush with remaining olive oil mixture. Turn vegetables over, and cook an additional 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from grill; cut each ear of corn into 6 pieces. Cut each onion slice into quarters. Cut remaining vegetable pieces in half.

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 128 FAT 3.9 g PROTEIN 3.9g SODIUM 18mg FIBER 5,2 g CARBOHYDRATE 23.5 g

Even Keel

If you're still questioning how much to eat the golden rule is never to let your daily calorie allowance fall below 1,200 if you are a woman and 1,500 if you are a man. Falling below these daily allowances can do real damage to your metabolism and result in excessive loss of lean muscle tissue. Along the same lines as not eating enough and having an energy crash, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and chocolate are all known for mood-altering effects, ranging from waking you up to calming you down, but they can also trigger mood swings, irritability, and feelings of anxiety and stress.

No Skipping Meals

Skip breakfast? Not hungry for dinner? Not only does skipping meals slow your metabolism but it can lead to overeating, because when you do eat, you're overly hungry. There are a lot of theories out there about when and how often you should eat to maximize your weight-loss results. When you're trying to get to your weight-loss goals, it is essential to maintain blood sugar levels to prevent energy crashes and appetite cravings that could throw you off course. I've found the most effective way to do this is to eat every three hours, without skipping a single meal. This will help keep you fueled for the day and your workouts.

Sodium

Sodium know best as table salt, but salt and sodium are hidden in all kinds of products, including packaged, frozen, canned, and fast foods, condiments, and many others. Excess sodium can raise your blood pressure and slow your metabolism.
Your body needs a steady flow of water in and out to effectively metabolize your fat. If the water gets stuck in your cells, it will slow your metabolism and, therefore, your ability to burn fat. Now, don't make yourself crazy over this, because there is sodium in everything, you can't avoid it. Just be conscious of it and minimize it where you can.

Moderation, Not Deprivation

There are only two types of foods I really want you to avoid: processed foods and foods that are loaded with Trans fats. A glass of wine is not bad at all. As long as you can have things in moderation, you'll be fine. Who in the world would want to live a life without little indulgences? The key is to drink one glass of wine, not the whole bottle. Enjoy some organic peanut butter once in a while, not two or five servings each day, and most certainly not a whole jar. It's not so much about dieting as it is about learning to live differently.

Eat Enough

Remember not eating is the same sin as eating too much. So find your happy medium and stick to it. Have a great weekend, try to stay dry and be safe.

Shrimp and Asparagus Salad
Serves 4 (serving size is 1 3/4 cups)
If you cannot find white asparagus, you can use regular asparagus in this recipe.

1 cups (1 -inch) sliced asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups torn spinach
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 tablespoon cider vinegar


1. Steam asparagus, covered, 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 4 minutes. Remove from pan; place in a large bowl. Add asparagus, spinach, and beans to shrimp; toss well.
3. Place onion and garlic in skillet on medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add remaining pepper, broth, and the re­maining ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over the salad; toss to coat. Serve im­mediately.

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 205 FAT 2.8 g PROTEIN 21.5 g SODIUM 278 mg FIBER 5.5g CARBOHYDRATE 19.1 g

Are You Eating Enough? Pt. 4

By staying on this calorie allowance and exercising at least five hours a week. You probably won't lose much weight if at all for at least four weeks, but the good news is that you won't gain either, and hopefully you will have gotten your metabolism back on track permanently. After about four weeks or so, you should start to lose weight, and then you can begin to vary your daily calorie intake, as long as you never drop below 1,200 calories. Now, go get something to eat.

Are You Eating Enough? Pt. 3

You have a set number of calories that your body should have in order for all systems to run correctly, and you should not vary them too often. Much like I say about everything else, you will need consistency and time to get your metabolism back up to speed and set your body right again.

Are You Eating Enough? Pt. 2

Not eating enough calories will also force the body to cannibalize muscle and hold on to fat. The body considers muscle to be expendable material during periods of starvation, and it considers fat to be necessary to insulate your organs for survival.

A deficit of daily calories will lead to a horrible cycle of up and down or yo-yo dieting. You'll starve yourself and end up losing muscle, and when you begin to eat the right amount of calories, your body will pack on the pounds in anticipation of another "famine."

Are You Eating Enough?

We are all trying not to go over our allotted calorie amounts each day, but how many of you are having trouble eating enough calories? It may not seem like a big deal to consume a hundred or so fewer calories than you're supposed to each day, but that's a dangerous, and incorrect, assumption.

It is absolutely 100 percent essential to eat enough calories. If you don't, it will destroy your metabolism. It's like telling your body that you're starving. If your body thinks it's starving, your metabolism will slow and maybe shut down.

Are You a Binge Eater? Pt 3

Do something to screw up your binge. In other words, pamper yourself with something that's positive as opposed to self-destructive. Get a mani-pedi, go play golf, take a bubble bath, or go hunting. There are many places to go and activities to take part in that'll also lead you away from food temptations.

Real work takes time, so it's good to have some techniques to fall back on when life gets the better of you. Take it one day at a time. If you do end up in a binge, work out a little harder the next day. Every day is a new one.

Are You a Binge Eater? Pt.2

Decorate your fridge with stuff that motivates you. Besides the drawings I have from my nieces and few of the kids from church. I have words that I have cut out and put on magnets or have written in erasable marker. Words like: Think, push, power, strength. And I have pictures of people that motivate me, mostly my family. I have heard of people putting a picture of themselves on their frig or a role model they want to look like.

Call a friend. The next time you want to stuff your face, reach out for support and try talking through your feelings instead of anesthetizing them by bingeing. Plus a lot of time we just eat when we are board, so talking with someone will give you something to do.

Are You a Binge Eater? Pt.2

Decorate your fridge with stuff that motivates you. Besides the drawings I have from my nieces and few of the kids from church. I have words that I have cut out and put on magnets or have written in erasable marker. Words like: Think, push, power, strength. And I have pictures of people that motivate me, mostly my family. I have heard of people putting a picture of themselves on their frig or a role model they want to look like.

Call a friend. The next time you want to stuff your face, reach out for support and try talking through your feelings instead of anesthetizing them by bingeing. Plus a lot of time we just eat when we are board, so talking with someone will give you something to do.

Are You a Binge Eater?

If you're inclined to binge, the most important thing to do for yourself is to examine the emotional reasons behind your problem. I know that processing such emotions is hard and takes time, but here are some good techniques to help you modify your behavior and combat binge eating in the future:

Banish binge foods from your environment. Don't buy or store stuff that you can binge on. After all, you can't eat what's not there.

Try taking up a hobby. Keep yourself occupied so that rather than medicating yourself with food, you'll distract yourself with something productive.