6 FOODS WITH HIDDEN SUGARS

By Joe Wilkes

The average American eats approximately 1,500 pounds of food every year. Of that, 160 pounds are primarily sugar. Of course, sugar is delicious, and I know I'm the happier for its existence, but of all the things we consume, it has the least nutritive value. In fact, except for the energy in its calories, there's not much to recommend about sugar. It's a prime source of empty calories. And for those of us who are trying to lose weight by committing to a healthy diet and an exercise program like 10-Minute Trainer® or Slim in 6®, sugar's the first thing we should start trimming from our diets. But here's the problem, despite our best intentions to remove excess sugar from our diets, the food industry has found more and more devious ways of slipping us the sweet stuff. Whether the food industry calls sugar by another name or adds it to foods we never thought would have needed it, our sweet teeth are constantly being bombarded. Fortunately, with stricter labeling laws, we have a fighting chance at cutting back on sugar.

Why does the food industry want us so full of sugar?

It's basically the same as any other industry. For the oil industry to make more money, it needs us to use more of its product by driving more miles. And the food industry needs us to use more of its products by eating more calories. The problem is that the American food industry is already producing around 3,900 calories per person per day, which is way more than we need. One solution to this surplus is to sell the food cheaply overseas, which the industry does. The other solution is for Americans to eat more calories. And sugar and its corn sweetener brethren are great calorie delivery systems—they pack a huge caloric punch, without causing much satiety or fullness. (Check out Steve Edwards' "Sugar vs. Fat" article, in Related Articles below, for more about why sugar is the world-champion fattener.) Most people would probably stop eating steak after they reached 1,000 calories, because they'd be stuffed, but after drinking 1,000 calories from their Big Gulp cups, they'd still have room for dinner. The other reason the industry pushes sugar so hard is that it's cheap to produce, and the cheaper the calorie, the larger the profit margin.

Sugar in labels—hiding in plain sight

One of the best ways to disguise the amount of sugar in a product is through something the government already requires—printing the information in grams. Most Americans only have the foggiest idea of how much a gram is, because Americans are unaccustomed to the metric system. So when we pick up a can of soda that contains 40 grams of sugar, we pretty much shrug our shoulders and pop the top. And that attitude is all right with the soda industry! But what if the label said that it contained over 10 teaspoons of sugar? If you saw someone ladling 10 teaspoons of sugar into his or her morning coffee, you'd think he or she was crazy, but that's how much people consume in a typical 12-ounce can of soda. In a 64-ounce fountain drink that you'd get at a movie theater or a convenience store, you get over 53 teaspoons of sugar—that's almost 2 cups! Naturally, people would probably think twice if the nutritional information on products were given in measurements that were meaningful to them. But until our heavily food-industry-subsidized government decides to change its policy, it's a metric world, and we just live in it. But we can take note that 4 grams equals 1 teaspoon. So when you check out a food label, divide the grams of sugar by four, and that's how many teaspoons you're consuming.

Sugar, by any other name, would taste just as sweet

Another strategy the sugar pushers use to get us to consume more calories is to rename the offending ingredient. We know to stay away from sugar, but how about molasses, honey, sorghum, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, glucose, fructose, lactose, dextrose, sucrose, galactose, maltose, or concentrated juices like grape or apple? Another profit path that the food industry has discovered is that instead of harvesting relatively more expensive sugar cane and beets, the industry produces sweeteners in a laboratory more cheaply and with just as many calories as beet and cane sugars. And with some sweeteners, especially the popular high fructose corn syrup, it is believed that your body will be less likely to reach satiety than with sugar, so you can consume more. Mo' calories, mo' money. Another advantage to these doses of "-oses" is that, aside from the fact that many people won't guess they're just different forms of sugar, they can be spread out in the ingredient list—under what the law requires—so that it won't be as obvious that what you're consuming is pretty much all sugar. When you look at a list of ingredients on a product, the manufacturer is required to list them in order of amount, from highest to lowest. So they can bury a 1/4 cup of fructose, a 1/4 cup of sucrose, a 1/4 cup of dextrose, and a 1/4 cup of corn syrup in the middle of the list. You won't be as likely to notice that when you add them all up, the main ingredient in the product is sugar.

Hide and seek. You're it.

So, if you're like me, you may have sworn off soda, except on special occasions, and turned the candy bowl into an unsalted-almond bowl. No more sugar, no more problems. Except for this problem: The food industry has cleverly snuck its sugars and corn syrups into products we never would have thought contained sugar. It's good for the manufacturer. It jacks up the calorie load, can enhance the product's appearance (high fructose corn syrup gives hamburger buns their golden glow), and can keep our sugar jones simmering at a low boil, in case we ever decide to go back to the real thing. Here are some types of products whose labels could bear more scrutiny.

1 - Spaghetti sauce. A 1/2 cup of store-bought sauce can contain as many as 3 teaspoons of corn syrup or sugar. While some of the naturally occurring sugar in tomatoes and other vegetables will show up on the nutrition label, most of the sugar is added. Look for brands that don't include sugar or its aliases, or make your own from fresh or canned tomatoes.

2 - Ketchup. Ketchup can be 20 percent sugar or more. Not to mention that you'll get 7 percent of your daily sodium allowance in 1 tablespoon. Look for low-salt, no-sugar brands, or make your own using pureed carrots to add flavor and texture to the tomatoes.

3 - Reduced-fat cookies. Most brands of cookies now offer reduced-fat versions of their regular products. Nabisco even offers its own line of low-fat treats, Snackwells. But while you're patting yourself on the back for choosing the low-fat option, check the label. The sneaky food manufacturers did take out the fat, but they replaced it with, you guessed it, sugar. Many times, the reduced-fat cookie is only slightly less caloric than the one you really want to eat. And because there's no fat to make you feel full, you'll be tempted to eat more "guilt-free" cookies. And just because there's less fat, it doesn't mean you'll be less fat. Fat doesn't make you fat. Calories make you fat.

4 - Low-fat salad dressing. Like the cookies, manufacturers have taken the fat out of the dressing, but they've added extra salt and sugar to make up for it. Check the label to make sure you're not replacing heart-healthy olive oil with diabetes-causing sugar—because that's not really a "healthy choice." Your best bet? Make your own vinaigrettes using a small amount of olive oil, a tasty gourmet vinegar or fresh lemon juice, and some fresh herbs.

5 - Bread. Most processed breads, especially white hamburger and hot dog buns, can contain a good bit of sugar or corn syrup. That's what gives them the golden-brown crust. As always, check the ingredient label, and consider getting your bread at a real bakery or a farmers' market—it's the best idea since, well, you know.

6 - Fast food. Needless to say, fast food is generally not good for you. But even if you're staying away from the sodas and the shakes, everything from the burgers to the fries to the salads is a potential place to hide sugar. Check out the ingredients carefully at your favorite restaurant. You may be getting more than you bargained for.

10 Healthy Snacks for Couch Time

By Joe Wilkes

Fall is upon us, which means that the new TV season has begun, baseball is heading into the postseason, and football is starting up. The weather's getting cooler, and the couch will soon call for you to lie down in it with a warm blanket. Now keep in mind, we're not encouraging any couch potato behavior. We'd prefer that you pop in a 10-Minute Trainer® video and use the couch as a towel rack. But we're all human, and it's almost impossible to resist the siren song of a playoff game or the return of Dancing with the Stars or Grey's Anatomy. Just because you're taking a couple of hours off to flatten your gluteal muscles and sofa cushions doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself with chips and cookies or other bagged diet killers. Here are 10 tasty and healthy snacks that are great for TV downtime.

1. Popcorn. It's not just for the movie theater anymore. In fact, you're better off skipping it at the movie theater. A bucket of oil-popped movie theater popcorn can contain as much fat as three to five double cheeseburgers. But air-popped popcorn is a pretty benign treat. Three cups of popcorn have just 93 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. Air-popped popcorn doesn't have much nutritive value outside of the energy you may get from the calories and some dietary fiber, but it can satisfy your munchies without getting you too far off the diet path. The best popcorn comes from your own hot-air popper—and with no additional fat or salt, unless you add it later. If you're going for microwave convenience, make sure you read the label carefully. Even some of the "healthy" brands contain a fair amount of fat and salt. And many microwave brands contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to cancer. You might be better off making your own microwave popcorn. Just put 1/4 cup of popcorn into a brown lunch bag, fold the top over tightly, and microwave at your usual popcorn setting. Try to avoid salt and butter. Instead, enjoy your favorite herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice with some garlic powder or cayenne pepper.

2. Bean dip. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and they don't have tons of calories. One cup of canned pintos only has 206 calories; it also has 12 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber—almost half of your recommended daily allowance. And beans are incredibly filling. Even prepackaged bean dips are pretty decent (of course, always check the label for the fat and sodium contents). You can make your own dips, hot or cold, by food-processing canned black or pinto beans (my favorites are the ones canned with jalapeños) and adding water to create your desired consistency. You can also use fat-free refried beans. You could add some chopped bell or jalapeño peppers, green onions, or canned corn to add a crunchy texture or some chopped tomatoes for a little extra flavor and vitamins. Instead of fatty tortilla chips, use baked chips or, better yet, some raw, crunchy veggies like carrots, celery, sliced bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower.

3. Salsa. This is the perfect mix of tomatoes, onions, and peppers—all members of the top tier of Michi's Ladder. And the great thing is that salsa is so low in calories and so high in fiber, you can basically eat it by the cupful and not gain weight. If you buy it at the store though, watch out for the salt content—that's the secret ingredient in most canned and jarred salsas. You're much better off making your own pico de gallo. Just dice tomatoes and onions and mix with as much minced jalapeño and/or garlic as you can stand. Add fresh cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste and toss the veggies in the juice of two limes. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can eat it with baked chips or the crunchy veggies that also go great with the bean dip. The salsa and the bean dip also complement each other well, for the double dippers among us.

4. Crispbread crackers. These crunchy treats (including Wasa® and Rykrisp® brands) have around 30 calories a cracker (depending on the brand, flavor, and style) and a couple of grams of fiber in each one. For the Top Chef in you, they make great bases for some healthy ingredients from your refrigerator. Try a dollop of fat-free cottage cheese with a dash of hot sauce; a slice of turkey breast and roasted red pepper; a "schmear" of hummus and a couple of pitted olives; or a slice of tomato and a fresh basil leaf with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Even the pico de gallo recipe above with some shredded nonfat cheddar will make a tasty treat. By being creative with some wholesome ingredients, you'll forget all about the halcyon days of eating Ritz crackers washed down with aerosol cheese right from the can (sigh).

5. Pistachios. Pistachios are a great heart-healthy snack full of antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fats (the good kind). A 1/2-cup serving (with the shells, assuming you don't eat them) only has 170 calories, with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber; however, that serving also has 14 grams of fat, so don't go nuts chowing down on a whole bag. Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, and other nuts all have their nutritional upsides, too, but the reason I think pistachios make great snacks are the shells. The shells are difficult to open, so rather than shoveling handfuls of pre-shelled nuts down your throat, eat shelled pistachios so that you're forced to slow down. Keep an eye on the sodium content when you buy the nuts. Either buy unsalted or low-salt versions. And forget those disgusting pink ones that taste like lipstick. Who needs to leave hot-pink fingerprints all over the couch? A lot of stores also sell flavored versions that aren't too salty. Chili-lime is one of my favorite flavors.

6. Edamame. The Japanese have one of the healthiest diets in the world, and soybeans are a great staple of that diet. Edamame, the steamed or boiled soybean pods, contain all the essential amino acids, many essential fatty acids, and soy isoflavones. And 1/2 cup of beans only contains 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 9 grams of carbs, with 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Truly one of nature's perfect foods. And like pistachios, you can serve them in their shells, which slows down your face stuffing, giving you time to feel full before you've overeaten.

7. Mini-pizzas. Forget the frozen food section. Anyone with a toaster oven or a broiler pan can be his or her own Mama Celeste or Chef Boy-ar-dee®. Just take half of a whole wheat English muffin (67 calories; 2 grams of fiber), add a little tomato sauce or low-sodium pizza or spaghetti sauce and a sprinkle of low-fat or nonfat mozzarella cheese, and voilà—tasty and healthy pizza! As with the crispbread crackers, your imagination's the only limit for toppings. Fresh herbs like basil and oregano are delicious. Peppers, mushrooms, and anchovies are popular and fairly healthy. Just stay away from processed meats like pepperoni, which are often loaded with saturated fat, carcinogenic nitrates, and sodium.

8. Pita chips and hummus. Now you can open a Greek taverna in your living room. While some stores sell pita chips now, you can easily make your own with very little fuss and muss (and usually with much less fat and salt). A large whole wheat pita has 170 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and less than 2 grams of fat. To make chips, cut around the edge of the pita with a small paring knife, so you have two discs. Then with a knife or pizza cutter, cut the discs into eighths or smaller chip-size pieces. Arrange the pieces on an aluminum-foil-covered cookie sheet, lightly spray with some olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with a little salt or low-fat Parmesan cheese or your favorite dried herbs. Cook in the oven or toaster oven until lightly browned and crispy, and serve with your favorite hummus or dip recipe.

9. Relish tray. Some of my favorite snacks are pickled or brined anything—cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, artichoke hearts, carrots, okra, baby corn, cornichons, cocktail onions, olives, sauerkraut, kimchi . . . even herring and hard-boiled eggs! Extremely low in calories, a plate full of pickled veggies on the coffee table is great for snacking. But watch out for the sodium! Certain store brands have more than others. The more ambitious might try marinating their fresh veggies in vinegar and a little heart-healthy olive oil, to control the amount of salt involved. If you use salty brands, you might consider rinsing them to get rid of some of the salt or mixing them on a plate with some fresh, unpickled vegetables to mitigate the salt intake.

10. Deviled eggs. Eggs, having once been considered a scourge of the heart-healthy diet, are now getting a better rap. What's indisputable is the health value of the whites. If you take the yolks out of the equation, the egg whites can prove to be small, healthy, high-protein delivery systems suitable for all kinds of nutritious creamy fillings. Cut a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in half, lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the yolks. Try mixing some nonfat cottage cheese with your favorite mix of mustard, curry powder, garlic, paprika, pepper, salt, or other spices, and blending or food-processing it until it's creamy. Spoon or pipe the mixture into the egg whites where the yolks used to be, and you'll have a high-protein snack without the fat and cholesterol. You can also use the empty egg whites as scoops for your favorite healthy dip or salsa.

Of course, you can enjoy even more snack food if you can work some exercise into your TV watching. During playoff season, don't just save the stretching for the seventh inning. Try some exercises like Debbie Siebers' Slim in 6® Slim and Limber throughout the game. Or if you're settling in for a night in front of the tube, make a deal with yourself—you can veg out and watch The Office and 30 Rock if you turn off Jay Leno. If you watch a show like Heroes that motivates you to kick some butt, schedule some Turbo Jam® time immediately after the show while your adrenaline's still pumping. Or if, like me, you've become enslaved to your DVR or TiVo®, use it to your advantage and do a cooldown stretch to your favorite show as a reward for a well-done workout.

Your Scale Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

By Whitney Provost

When it comes to weight loss, the scale can be a good measure of progress, particularly if you have a lot of weight to lose. But if you place too much emphasis on your weight and not enough on your body composition (the ratio of fat to lean muscle), you're only getting half the story. Plus, dreading your weigh-in or obsessing over the number on the scale is unproductive and can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as bingeing or starving yourself. Losing pounds doesn't always mean losing fat. Here's why the scale can be misleading.

• The scale doesn't tell you how much fat you have. Your scale does exactly what it's supposed to—it tells you how much you weigh. But in addition to measuring your weight, the scale weighs bone, water, muscle, organs, and undigested food. When the number on the scale goes up or down, it doesn't represent only fat loss or muscle gain. It measures fluctuations in glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and water, and it even measures how much that breakfast you ate weighs.

  You may wonder about scales that claim to measure your body fat. These send small electrical currents up one leg, through your pelvis, and down the other leg to determine your body's density. Then a formula is used to estimate your body fat. The problem with these scales is that they're notoriously inaccurate. However, they are usually consistent in their readings, so they can be helpful as a measuring tool. Even though the body fat reading might be off by as much as 5 or 10 percent, if the number trends downward over time, you know you're on the right track.

• The scale can't tell if you've gained muscle. A pound of muscle is like a brick, small and compact. A pound of fat is like a fluffy feather pillow, bulky and lumpy. When you gain muscle and lose fat, your body gets smaller and tighter. Building muscle also makes it possible to drop clothing sizes without a big change in weight. Perhaps after a 90-day fitness program, the scale says you lost 7 pounds, which may not sound like much. But what if you actually lost 12 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle? That's a remarkable improvement in your body composition, but you wouldn't know it if you only used your regular bathroom scale to track your progress.

• You didn't really gain 5 pounds of fat overnight. You may step on the scale one morning and shriek in disbelief because the number is five digits higher than it was the day before. Stop panicking. Unless you ate an extra 17,500 calories the previous day, you didn't gain fat (a pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories). Your scale is registering water, stored carbohydrates, and food. Also, cheap bathroom scales may have measurement errors, giving slightly different readings even when you're at exactly the same weight.

• Your body's water levels are constantly changing. The scale can move up or down depending on how much water you drink, how much salt you consume, how much you sweat, and how many carbohydrates you eat. An average person can see a daily fluctuation in water weight of about 2 pounds, without any changes to diet or exercise habits. These fluctuations do not signify fat loss, and watching the scale move up and down every day can be frustrating for many dieters.

If you're trying to achieve a healthy weight and improve the way you look, you should focus less on what the scale says and more on developing the good habits that will produce results. To get lean and strong, with low body fat and nice muscle tone, there are three things you should do:

1. Cardio plus weight lifting (or other resistance training). Cardio workouts raise your heart rate to help you improve your fitness level, burn calories, and shed fat. Resistance training builds muscle, which boosts your metabolism and helps you burn even more calories. Fitness programs like P90X®, ChaLEAN Extreme®, and RevAbs™ all use cardio plus resistance training to improve muscle mass and burn fat.
2. Healthy diet. No matter how much you exercise, you'll never reach your fat-loss goals if you don't follow a healthy diet consisting of protein, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. The right foods in controlled portions will fuel your body as it shrinks.
3. Track your progress. If you don't use the scale, you need to do something else to check your progress.
   • One of the best ways to keep track of your changing body is to use a tape measure. Record your chest, waist, hip, thigh, arm, and wrist measurements in a journal or the guidebook that comes with your workout program. Update the measurements every 30 days to see how your body changes.
   • Pictures are also good indicators of progress. Have someone take front, side, and back photos of you every 30 days and keep these with your body measurements.
   • Body fat testers can also be used regularly to track your fat loss. Monitoring your progress with tools other than the scale will give you a more realistic assessment of your weight loss success.
   • Hydrostatic (underwater) testing and DEXA (X-ray) scans use advanced technology to measure your body fat with a high degree of accuracy. An Internet search can help you find testing centers in your area.
   • Notice how your clothes fit. This is a foolproof way to prove that you're losing weight. If your clothes are getting looser, your body is shrinking, even if you don't see a big change in the mirror yet.

Too many people are slaves to the scale. They can't resist weighing themselves, only to feel guilty, angry, or demoralized when the numbers don't move down quickly enough. If you're one of those people whose weigh-ins lead to loss of motivation or a feeling of helplessness, then you need to reconsider using the scale for your progress checks. Success is more than just a number.

A Little Planning Can Lead to Big Weight Loss

By Whitney Provost

Here are five tips for planning your meals in advance to keep your energy up and your hunger at bay:

1. Cook in bulk. When you prepare meals, make double and freeze half in individual containers. Use the weekends (or any free time during the week) to plan your meals with your family. Decide what you're going to eat, then shop accordingly so healthy food is always on hand. As you prep for one meal, cook more vegetables and meat than you'll need, and use the leftovers in the next day's food plan. You can also chop extra vegetables and store them raw in the refrigerator for a quick salad later.

2. Portion food into single servings. Measure out cereal, nuts, Whey Protein Powder, vegetables, and fruit into bags or containers. When you're in a rush to leave the house, just toss what you need into your bag or car. You can also keep protein bars on hand for a convenient on-the-go snack.

3. Bring one container; eat twice. If you're going to be at work all day, bring one large container of food and eat half at lunch and the other half later in the day. It's one less meal to plan.

4. Keep it simple. You don't have to prepare a multicourse feast five times a day to eat well. When you're on the go, choose things that are portable and don't require a lot of fuss, like:

hard-boiled eggs and whole-grain toast
oatmeal with berries and nuts
grilled chicken and a salad
canned tuna or chicken and brown rice
sandwiches on whole-grain bread or wraps
nuts and dried fruit
string cheese and whole-grain crackers
yogurt and fruit
Whey Protein Powder
vegetables and hummus
Shakeology® (take one of the new single-serve packets or a scoopful in a plastic bag or your shaker cup)

5. Anticipate busy days. If you know your kids have soccer practice every Tuesday evening, then make that night's dinner quick and easy. Perhaps that becomes your cheat meal and you order pizza (better yet, have the ingredients on hand to make your own healthy version. The kids will love creating their own pizzas). Or you can simply defrost a meal you've frozen ahead of time, so it's ready to throw in the oven when you get home. Plan ahead so your busy schedule doesn't get in the way of your weight loss.

HOW TO RAPIDLY SPEED UP FAT LOSS

If you are carrying too much fat on your body and are starting an exercise program, then your daily nutrition is just as important as your training program when it comes to fat loss. If you don't eat right and give your body the right nutrients and proper amount of daily calories, you will not lose the extra fat no matter how good your training program is. If I've said it once, then I have said it a thousand times: You will never reach your fitness goals without proper nutrition.....proper nutrition and exercise HAVE to happen at the same time. YOU CANNOT SUBSTITUTE GOOD EXERCISE FOR POOR NUTRITION!

It is essential that you plan your daily meals in advance, and I highly suggest cooking and preparing food several days in advance....especially the meals that you eat in between breakfast and dinner. If your day suddenly gets hectic, then the more prepared your are the better. I personally like to pack a small cooler and put a meal or two in Tupperware and also take a piece of fruit or a healthy snack. Another great tip for being prepared when hunger strikes; put 1 oz servings of almonds in zip-lock bags and take them with you when you are on the go.

Here are a few more quick tips to speed up fat loss:

1. Forget doing slow cardio, if you want to lose fat fast, then do High Intense Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT is the king when it comes to burning calories. This is what I was able to do by adding just 30 days of HIIT training 3 times a week (20 minutes total) to my weekly training routine.

Please read my Ezine article to learn more details about HIIT Training.

2. Increase the weight you are using for each exercise, and decrease the amount of reps you do....8 to 12 reps per exercise is perfect. Choose the amount of weight that makes your muscles fatigued by the time you are in this range. Building muscle burns fat! Women are often afraid to get "bulky", and I have never seen a women get bulky while doing P90X...lean and ripped, yes...bulky, no!

3. Incorporate body weight workouts to your strength routines...these have great benefits for building muscle and gaining strength: Dips, Push-Ups (multiple variations), Pull-Ups, Abs (P90X Ab Ripper X is a great routine...follow this link, then scroll and click on the "12th DVD icon" to see a video preview).

4. Eat 5 small meals a day to build a healthy 'fat burning' metabolism and plan these meals in advance.

Commit to eating healthy and exercising daily, along with these few guidelines, and you will start losing fat a lot faster and be on your way to living a fit and lean life!

10 SIMPLE TIPS FOR EATING AND LIVING HEALTHY

1. Drink more water. I try to drink between .75 and 1 gallon of water a day.
2. Eliminate processed foods...eat more natural foods.
3. Drink less alcohol, and make better choices when you do. Choose red wine over beer and clear hard liquor over the dark...there is less sugar in clear alcohol.
4. Even out your calories and eat at least 5 meals a day. Divide your daily calories by 5 and then try to eat that amount all 5 meals. This is the secret to building a healthy 'fat burning' metabolism.
5. Eat a fruit or a vegetable with all 5 of your meals.
6. Make sure you are getting enough fiber in your diet. Men should get at least 35 grams/day and women should get at least 25 grams/day. Fibrous foods will help keep you satisfied with less craving in between meals.
7. Take a multi-vitamin supplement each day to fill in the nutrient gaps that your diet might be lacking.
8. Eat wild caught fish 1-2 times a week. Supplement Omega-3 if your don't eat enough fish.
9. Plan your meals in advance. Make extra food when you are cooking and refrigerate or freeze leftovers for later.
10. Have more veggies and less starchy carbohydrates after 5 pm.