Eating Out Successfully - Restaurant Tips

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.

Rodin

Eating Out Successfully - Restaurant Tips

 

People are always looking for the perfect time to make changes. There is no perfect time! Yesterday I said today and today I say tomorrow! Life is now, it’s time to press play and never look back unless you are planning to go that way!

Eating out can be a part of YOUR LIFE. Especially with the holiday season coming up, here are some tips for making it through the potential pitfalls of any menu.

Eat before you go
This may sound counterintuitive, but having a healthy snack before you go out can make it easier to resist the menu's more tempting offerings.

Say no to the breadbasket
This also goes for the bottomless bowls of chips and salsa offered at many Mexican restaurants. There's no need to fill up on empty or fat-filled calories before your meal even starts.

Know the lingo
Read the description for each dish, and avoid ordering anything that contains these words: Buttery, creamy, cheesy, fried, au gratin, alfredo, con queso or sweet-and-sour.

Split an entrée
Restaurant portion sizes are often double what you actually need. Keep your portion sizes in check by sharing an entrée with a friend, or asking the server to take half and put it in a doggy bag before you begin your meal.

Watch out for the salad
Ordering a salad seems like a healthy option, but when it comes loaded with fatty dressing, bacon, fried chicken, cheese or tortilla chips, it could be worse than eating a simple hamburger. Request the dressing on the side, and ask for low-fat versions of your favorites, vinaigrettes or olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stick with grilled chicken, lean steak, fish or seafood. Go all-out on the veggies, and skip the bacon, cheese and other toppings. And by all means, if your salad comes in a fried tortilla bowl, don't eat the bowl.

Don't be afraid to ask
It's OK to request substitutions, such as steamed vegetables, extra vegetables or a side salad instead of rice or potatoes. You can ask for your chicken, beef or other protein choices to be grilled or broiled, and instead of fatty or creamy sauces, ask for a side of salsa or Worcestershire sauce to boost the flavor.

Save it for your free day
If you're craving an unhealthy dish at your favorite restaurant, do like me; go out on your “cheat day” to enjoy it, without substitutions!

I like my General Tso’s chicken when eating Chinese, or my chicken Parmigian for my Itialian dish : )

Time and words can't be recalled, even if it was only yesterday.

Yiddish Proverb

To review some of my previous “mervmails”, please go to;  http://mervmail.blogspot.com/

Tried and True Tips for Staying On Track

There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity.

Buck Rodgers

 

Tried and True Tips for Staying On Track

Focus on progress, not perfection

If you had to skip a workout, that’s OK. Focus on getting back to your normal routine as quickly as you can, and make each workout as intense as you can. If you missed a few healthy meals, instead of using this as an excuse to slip back into your old eating habits, pick up where you left of and plan your healthy meals.

Problem solve

This is a good time to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t working with your nutrition and exercise plan. Have you had a challenge working out first thing in the morning? Schedule your workouts after work or at lunch instead. Has it been hard to do all your shopping on Sundays? Split your food shopping into two shopping trips during the week instead. Coming up with new solutions to your challenges will increase your motivation to make the most of this life-changing experience.

Try it on

Do you have an item of clothing that was tight or that you were unable to fit into at the beginning of your program? This is also a great measure of your progress. Try this item of clothing on periodically; you’ll probably see that it starts to fit better and better.

Change happens at your own pace

Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you are not making as many changes as you would have liked to at this point. Everybody experienced their changes at different times. Small changes do lead to big results.

Learn how to adapt

If situations are popping up every week that threaten to derail your program, it may be time to sit down and figure out how you can plan ahead so that you are better prepared. Evaluate your mission all the way to surroundings levels (see mervmail 10/25; setting goals) to make adjustments.

Don’t give up!

Stick with the program, and commit to making small changes. You will be amazed at the changes you make to your body and your life.

Do continue to believe that with your feeling and your work you are taking part in the greatest; the more strongly you cultivate in yourself this belief, the more will reality and the world go forth from it.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Thanks Giving feast

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

Joyce Brothers

Contrary to how you may feel after Today’s big feast, it’s impossible to gain weight in one sitting. The shift that you may see on the scale is due to an increase in blood volume, which typically happens after a large meal. Fear not! Your body carries a handy fluid regulating mechanism, called the fluid-electrolyte balance, which gets you back on track in no time.

Often, people associate this festive time of year with about a 5 to 8 lb. weight gain. Through research, the National Institutes of Health actually pinpoints that number at about 1 to 1.5 lbs. Yes, this is good news but don’t forget that if this happens every year, over time it can add up!

I hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.

Brad Henry

10 SIMPLE HOLIDAY RULES

You would not have the wisdom and knowledge you now possess were it not for the setbacks you have faced, the mistakes you have made and the suffering you have endured.

Robin Sharma

The holidays are amongst us and with it comes the parties, overeating and the 5-7 lbs of weight gain.  As much as I love the holidays and socializing with my friends and family I also cringe thinking of all the food and the weight gain that comes with it.  In the past I have tried all the right tricks to prevent the excess and unwanted weight and have successfully failed each and every time, until recently. So what was different this time?  I decided to take a look at where my downfalls were and what I can do to prevent this from happening to me yet again.  Mistakes are never a mistake if we can learn from them and stop them from occurring over and over again. So I became AWARE of my behaviors. Awareness is the #1 step when making lifestyle changes.  First you must look at what you are doing and why.  Without this step you will not be able to follow my simple holiday rules below and get the results you want.

10 SIMPLE HOLIDAY RULES:

1. DON'T skip meals. Eat as your normally would and do not go to a party hungry. Hunger and low blood sugar lead to overeating.  Before you leave home, eat something light and also drink a great deal of water the day of the party.

2. Don't over exercise. Everyone thinks exercising extra hard and long will help burn the calories but in reality it will make you hungrier causing you to overeat.  Take a nice walk and move your body with the activities you love.

3. DO eat a taste of everything you LOVE. Taste and love are the key words in that sentence. Take a little of those things you absolutely love and can only get on this holiday and leave the rest. 

4. DON'T forget that lots of holiday foods are healthy. Turkey, ham, roast beef, seafood, sweet potatoes, cranberries, green beans, pumpkin, roasted chestnuts, apples to name a few.  Just keep an eye on the way these dishes are prepared.

5. DON'T skip the fat.  Eating moderate amounts of fat during the holidays will satiate the appetite and prevent overeating of carbs.  

6. DO offer to bring a dish.  Choose to bring a traditional dish and make some modifications to improve the dish's nutritional stats, by minimizing the sugar.

7. DON'T drink too much.  If you aren't careful, you can drink all your meal's calories before dinner is even served. Sip your beverages slowly and you will have a clear head when you head to the meal.

8. DO move away.  Don't stand around the appetizer trays.  If you are there, you will eat mindlessly.

9. Do take a breather. Take a meditative moment at least 1 time everyday to breathe deeply, clear your mind of all the clutter.  We tend to overeat when consumed by our thoughts.

10. Do enjoy yourself.  Enjoy the season, friends, and family and not just the food.  

It doesn't matter where you have been, it is where you are now and the direction in which you are heading.

Donald S.Neviaser

A man can't retire his experience. He must use it. Experience achieves more with less energy and time.

Bernard M. Baruch

The 5-Minute Guide to Vitamins

Overview

Vitamins are essential for your body to work properly. These organic compounds, found in plants and animals, aid in growth, health and general well-being, as well as help prevent diseases and health problems. The body is unable to manufacture the majority of vitamins, so it's necessary to add them through diet or supplements. Some common vitamins include vitamin D (found in milk) for healthy bones, vitamin A (in carrots) for improved eyesight, vitamin C (in oranges) for healing wounds and vitamin B for protein and energy.

theogeo / flickr

Vitamin Types and Sources

Vitamins are classified as either water-soluble (folate, B-6, niacin, B-12, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin C) or fat-soluble (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K).

• Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and must be replaced each day.
• Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fat and potentially pose a serious health threat if an individual takes too much of a particular vitamin.

The best way to get all the necessary vitamins is to eat a variety of foods. The American Dietetic Association recommends food as the source of vitamins over vitamin supplements. But if you're not sure about getting an adequate intake of vitamins, a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement is generally safe and may ensure that you get what you need.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

• Folate: Fruits, vegetables, fortified breads, cereals
• B-6: Meats, whole wheat bread, pasta, vegetables, nuts
• Niacin: Lean meats, poultry, fish, peanuts
• B-12: Meat, eggs, dairy products
• Thiamin: Fortified breads, fortified cereals
• Riboflavin: Meats, dairy products, leafy green vegetables
• Vitamin C: Fruits, vegetables

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

• Vitamin A: Milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits 
• Vitamin D: Milk, eggs, salmon, tuna
• Vitamin E: Vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables, milk, eggs, nuts
• Vitamin K: Leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils, wheat

Dietary Reference Intakes

The recommended vitamin intake varies greatly with age and gender. For example, men between the ages of 19 and 70 should get 90 milligrams of vitamin C daily, while the recommended vitamin C intake for women in the same age range is 75 milligrams daily.

Tips for Supplementing with Vitamins

• Generic vitamins are just as effective as name-brands.
• Look for a USP symbol. This means that the vitamin has been approved by the United States Pharmacopoeia and has been tested in laboratory conditions.
• Make sure you're getting 100 percent of the recommended daily amount from the vitamins.
• Take them with a meal, and take them at the same time each day.
• If you're taking a multivitamin with iron, don't take calcium

Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.

Denis Waitley

Are you getting enough of these essential vitamins and minerals?

Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals, and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.

Les Brown

Key Nutrients Every Man Needs

Are you getting enough of these essential vitamins and minerals?

CALCIUM
Why you need it: Best known for bolstering bone strength and thickness, calcium also plays a role in normal muscle contraction, nerve transmission,

and a regular heartbeat.

How much you need: 1,000 milligrams daily, and no more than 2,500.

How to get it: Three servings of dairy (8 ounces milk or yogurt or 1.5 ounces hard cheese) provide the calcium you need for the day.

Fortified OJ has as much calcium (and vitamin D) as milk, and so do some soy beverages.

POTASSIUM
Why you need it: Potassium

is part of every cell, vital for fluid balance, healthy blood pressure and to keep your brain,

nerves, heart, and muscles in working order.

How much you need: 4,700 milligrams (mg) a day.

How to get it: Fresh and lightly processed fruits, veggies, dairy and meat have the most potassium, such as 6 ounces cooked pork tenderloin (766 mg);

sweet potato (694 mg); 6 ounces cooked salmon (652 mg); white potato (610); ½ cup white beans (595 mg); ½ cup plain yogurt (579 mg); 1 cup OJ (496); 1 cup cooked broccoli (431 mg); and a medium banana (422 mg).

FIBER
Why you need it: To guard against constipation, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Fiber curbs your appetite because it keeps you fuller.

How much you need: 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed. For example, on 2,000 calories a day, aim for 28 grams of fiber.

How to get it: Include fresh and lightly processed fruits, vegetables, and grains, and beans at every meal and snack, such as ½ cup cooked navy beans (10 grams); 1 cup whole grain breakfast cereal (5-10 grams); medium apple, 1 cup strawberries, medium white potato, or 2 slices whole wheat bread (4 grams each).

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.

Harold S. Geneen

Food and Supplements

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
 Michael Jordan

Law of Exercise: Food and Supplements

You are what you eat! Food and supplements are your fuel. The right fuel gives you proper energy, aids recovery, and helps balance brain chemistry.
Even though my job title is Personal Trainer, I put a lot of time and energy into diet and supplementation. We need energy and enthusiasm to exercise. That energy and enthusiasm is determined by the quality of fuel we choose. Your fuel intake is a key component to your success. Healthy, nutritious food provides the energy you need to get through a hectic day. Poor food choices causes napping.
Everything you put in your mouth—all the food, snacks, liquids, supplements, and even drugs (prescription or otherwise)—affects your quality of life. Excess quantities of low-quality food and drink can and will lead to weight gain, excess fat stores, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even things like arthritis, osteoporosis, and Parkinson's disease. A poor diet will affect mood, energy, and strength, and destroy healthy sleep patterns Recent studies have also shown that a poor diet leading to extra pounds increases your risk of cancer of the breast, prostate, colon, esophagus, ovaries, uterus, kidneys, and possibly more.
Eating high-quality foods, combined with proper supplementation, greatly reduces the risk and the possibility of developing and/or dying from such health problems. High-quality foods and supplements assist in lowering fat stores, losing weight, increasing energy, recovering from workouts, and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints. Supplementation and eating well also reduce bouts of depression, sadness, and anxiety while promoting psychological well-being.
I take my supplements every day (such as BCAA, muliti vitamin, Omega3, CLA, glutamine, creatine, and others). My belief is that going without them is like going without water. They supply us with the nutrients required for living a healthy lifestyle. The vitamins and minerals in supplements work together with food to supply us with the energy we need to do a week’s workout program. Supplements are NOT drugs. A prescribed drug is taken when your body and/or mind is no longer capable of functioning normally. Supplements are taken to subtly assist the mind and body to reach beyond everyday activities.
When it comes to food, I have never been a calorie counter. I have enough things to think about, and keeping track of calories is not one of them. If you really care about your health, you must clean up your diet. If you consume high-quality fuel, your mind and body run smoothly. Low-fat chocolate cake is NOT a healthy choice. Fat-free potato chips aren't healthy either. Bacon, for example, is not the best way to start your day.
Don't get caught up in all the fad diets and weight loss pills. Long-term success doesn't happen with Atkins, Slim-Fast, or the Coconut Diet. It happens when you consistently eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Showing up for several workouts a week requires great discipline. It's also important to show restraint and discipline in your choices regarding food and supplementation. Our bodies don't run on exercise, they run on the fuel we put in our mouth. You cannot substitute good exercise for a bad diet. Good diet and exercise have to happen at the same time. If you bring the same level of consistency and discipline to your daily fuel intake as you do to your workouts, you'll greatly reduce a lifetime of health risks, improve your overall quality of life, and see much greater physical change in a shorter period of time.

It is not a question of how well each process works, the question is how well they all work together.

Lloyd Dobens

5 Ways to Stoke Your Metabolism

Simple strategies are the secret to a healthy lifestyle. No earth-shattering breakthroughs that are impossible to implement here. Just easy ways to get your metabolic fire blazing. Make these five tips habit and you'll burn more calories, boost energy, and look and perform better.

1. Don't skip breakfast.

When you wake up in the morning, rested or not, your metabolism is running at the lowest gear of the day. The second you eat something, your body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate.

2. Eat every three hours.

When the body has to digest food, it has to work to break it down into a usable form. The fancy term for this is "the thermic effect." It simply means that every time you eat, your body has to rev up the furnace to break that food down. That doesn't mean you should eat huge meals every three hours. Simply eat a combo of high-fiber carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats in portions that are correct for your size and activity level.

3. Include a lean protein source with every meal.

Eating protein is like throwing lighter fluid onto the fire in that wood burning stove. When choosing your protein, remember that fewer legs equals better protein. In other words, fish have no legs and are a lean and healthy source of protein. Turkey and chicken—also healthy choices—have two legs. With anything that is or comes from an animal with four legs, be selective. Lean cuts of red meat and low-fat or non-fat dairy are the only way to go.

4. Perform intervals.

For a period after training, the body burns more calories during what's called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). The magnitude of the EPOC can change with different types of training. Weight training and circuit training will rev up the metabolism, as will interval training. Bottom line: All training will create EPOC, but these exercises will give you the most bang for your buck. Try to do them four days per week and save the long easy sessions for your recovery days.

5. Drink green tea.

Green tea has a natural component that helps to speed up the metabolism. Not the box tea, but brew-it-yourself with boiling water and a tea-bag-type tea. Green tea contains substances called catechins that stimulate the body to burn calories (rev up the metabolic furnace). A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that drinking four cups of green tea per day reduces body fat. Added bonus? Catechins have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, anti-cancer properties, and may help control cholesterol levels.

Useful wisdom isn't developed overnight but through experiencing life's ups and downs and still continue to move forward without hesitation.

Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.

Keri Russell quotes

5 Keys to Fat Loss

You may think you’ve tried everything for losing weight, but what about sticking to basic, proven methods? Forget magic diet pills and exercise fads. These are your new guiding principles for burning fat.

1. Create a caloric deficit.

No two ways about it—you must burn more energy than you consume.

2. Attack fat from both sides.

The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise.

3. Hoist iron.

The biggest determinant of calorie burning is your metabolism. And the biggest factor in that is your lean muscle mass. Build more lean muscle, increase your metabolism. So weight training has to be a part of any effective fat loss program.

4. Eat clean, eat often.

Your diet should consist mainly of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Keep starches and refined carbs to a minimum. Drink plenty of fluids (primarily water), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day. This will help your body maintain blood sugar levels and keep burning fat.

5. Stoke your metabolism.

Interval training and metabolic resistance training will provide the most efficient use of your training time. Steady state aerobic training (going at a slow, steady pace) just doesn't burn enough calories, and splitting up your workouts by body parts will be less effective than total body training for fat loss.
Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.