Tasty Tips to Lose Weight This Holiday Season

The word diet has come to leave a bad taste in our mouths. But there are some tasty tips that could get you out of the diet doldrums and into your favorite jeans this holiday season.

For three weeks we put these women to the test. There are some surprising food choices when it comes to counting calories. Cocoa Puffs or Vanilla Almond Crunch? It's okay to be cookoo for Cocoa Puffs. One cup has 120 calories compared to a cup of crunch at 266.

Adding Tabasco sauce or anything with chili peppers revs up your metabolism. An open face sandwich can save you 80 to 100 calories a day. That's nearly 700 calories a week.

"I cut out all the in between snacking and after dinner snacking," weight loss participant Gwendolyn Graham told Ivanhoe.

Veggie chips sound good but calorie-wise they're just about even with potato chips.

Many of us tend to eat fast. A timer can help you pace through your meal. "I tried to take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes," weight loss participant Freda Coppa said. The added time can reduce calories by 180 a day.

The buzz on sweets, instead of eating one four-inch chocolate chip cookie, savor four one-inch dark chocolate pieces. They're filled with disease-fighting antioxidants. Plus you will save about 120 calories.

"The word diet never came into the picture. It was just something here and there, little slight changes here and there that did the trick," weight loss participant Lila Jean Trivisonno said.

After three weeks all three women lost at least five pounds and can now zip up those favorite jeans. "I tried them on and I was so excited I was almost in tears," said Coppa.

Source: Ivanhoe News

Soy

People lost more weight when they added soy to their calorie-controlled diets than they added other protein-rich foods, like beef or whey powders.

It could be soy’s protein, since protein is much more filling than either fat or carbs. Also the protein in soy is lean, which is far superior to the greasy protein in most red meats.

What sets soy apart form other protein-rich foods, however, is that soy also has phytoestrogens, compounds that help burn body fat. The combination of protein and phytoesrogens is super powerful for weight loss, since it helps satisfy you on fewer calories and boosts metabolism. Soy also curbs elevated blood sugar and reduces blood cholesterol and insulin levels.

Beyond weight loss, soy has superpowers in boosting memory. It might be because of the phytoestrogens, or maybe it is the antioxidants in soy that protect the brain and possibly improve mood. People who eat soy-based foods (not supplements) show less damaging effects on brain tissue during stress, and their brains stay youthful even into their later years, which means better memory and thinking ability. And it’s never too late. Memory improves at all stages of life, even into your seventies or beyond, when soy is included regularly in the diet.

How much? 25 grams of soy protein a day, or the equivalent of three glasses of soy milk.

Eat more: Use soymilk to replace milk in meals and recipes, especially brands that are fortified with the omega-3 fat DHA. Sprinkle edemame (green soybeans) in salads and side dishes. Substitute mashed tofu for ricotta cheese in recipes or add to egg dishes. Snack on dry-roasted soy nuts. Or try any of the delicious recipes with soy.

Love Those Omegas

Omega-3 fatty acids are great for promoting heart health because they protect against deadly arrhythmias by making the heart cells more stable and less prone to overexcitement. In one study, those who ate fish just once or twice a week were 40 percent less likely to die suddenly from a cardiac arrhythmia. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids may decrease the risk of a stroke, and they are excellent at maintaining good blood sugar levels. Studies have even suggested that they may play a factor in weight loss. Thus, it’s important to make sure they’re a staple of your healthy diet. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in wild salmon, mackerel, herring, dried butternuts, black walnuts, soybeans, sardines, lake trout, Chinook salmon, cooked pinto beans, fortified eggs, flaxseed, and walnuts. These superfoods also have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.

Discontinued Advantra Z Product

The decision for USANA to discontinue the LEAN Formula Avantra Z in 2001 had nothing to do with safety or effectiveness. It was the result of a shift in philosophy regarding the idea of a simple pill, or "magic bullet," approach to weight management. With so many pills and formulas on the market that claim to magically and effortlessly melt away fat, USANA decided that it was time to disassociate USANA from them and get back to the basics of good health. An emphasis on proper diet, exercise, and nutrition will accomplish much more to legitimately improve a person's health than any single "weight loss" pill. So, although it might not have been a popular choice, USANA decided to reemphasize the true-health concept that maintains lifestyle choices, including a healthy diet and balanced nutritional supplementation, are the key to overall health and proper weight management.

It is true that there are many who find the addition of a tablet like the Advantra Z helpful in their efforts to lose weight. However, without changing dietary and exercise habits, that weight loss will be only temporary. Without other changes in lifestyle, a pill will do little by itself to provide long-term health and healthy weight management.

Dr. Wentz and USANA are committed to healthy weight loss. USANA strongly recommend that previous LEAN Formula customers stay on a high-fiber, low-glycemic diet combined with regular exercise. With research strongly indicating that this method of dieting will be much more beneficial in both the short and long term, USANA highly recommend that customers redistribute their purchasing toward USANA Foods, OptOmega, and other supplements that contribute to an overall healthy diet.