diet 4u news letter 12

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Since incorporating a variety of activities into your fitness plan increases long-term compliance, three to four days of aerobics is enough for most people. Use the in-between days for strength training or long walks.

For more diet tips, go to Diet 4U Online’s Tips 4U Changed every Monday

"Decide how a stressful situation can become a catalyst for positive change. Use it to rethink what is important to you, what should have priority in your life."

Editor's Picks for August

World Breastfeeding Week (1st-7th): sponsored by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action and La Lech League International to raise awareness of the rights of all mothers and children to breastfeed. For more info: www.lalecheleague.org/

Maine Lobster Month - Contact the Maine Lobster Promotion Council at http://www.mainelobsterpromo.com for more information or email mlpc@mint.net.

Use the "bring your own lunch savings" calculator at
http://www.interest.com/hugh/calc/lunch.cgi to show how much money you can
save by not eating out. Bringing a lunch to work for $1.50 per day versus
spending $5 per day from eating out will save you $875 for one year - this
includes an investment yield of 10.5%.

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New & Noteworthy:

http://www.frugalitynetwork.com/food.html - excellent tips to cut your food cost

http://www.preparedfoods.com/archives/2001/2001_6/0601newprod.htm - new product news

http://www.nabiscorecipes.com/encyclopedia_list.asp?op=8051 - food encyclopedia - use this to look up unfamiliar terms or check spelling

http://www.lowsodiumfoods.com/ - resource for low-sodium foods

Nutritional News of Interest

Losing weight without the gimmicks

By Kay Quinn

ST. LOUIS -- Americans spend billions of dollars a year on products and programs to help them lose weight, and many end up losing nothing but money instead. So when the gimmicks don't work, what is the secret to losing weight and keeping it off? Two St. Louis area women have found success by focusing on lifestyle changes instead of the scale.

"I wore a size 18 at my wedding."

Overweight all her life, Kary Amburn eventually spiked to 250 pounds. Wearing a size 26 at just 29, she clearly remembers how bad she felt.

"Filled with shame and embarrassment, would look at myself in the mirror and just be disgusted and cry," says Kary.

"At the same time I would comfort myself with eating."

Four years later, she's lost 120 pounds. This mother of three never exercised a day in her life before she was 29. Now she works out almost every day and loves it. After years of trying every diet, and even a weight loss drug, Kary finally lost her weight the old fashioned way: cutting calories, increasing activity and keeping close track of changes in a journal.

"I pretty much went off junk food, fast food, sugar, simple sugar, things like that," says Kary.

She credits a conversation with her sister for this tremendous change.

"She came to me one day and she just said you know it's really sad that you're 29 and you can't move from here to there."

"The best way for anyone to lose weight and keep it off long term is the old fashioned approach to changing your lifestyle," says Dr. Samuel Klein, director of the Washington University School of Medicine Weight Management Center.

Dr. Klein says the most successful self-starter will stick to these three steps: a low-fat, low calorie diet, exercise more than 200 minutes a week, and keep a daily journal of food and water intake as well as exercise. But don't make all three changes to your lifestyle in one day.

"Start slowly, set small, short-term, realistic goals and go from there," Dr. Klein believes.

It's advice that applies to those even wanting to shed even a few pounds. Nicole Long, 29, realized her weight had gotten out of control by accident.

"I was out shopping at Sam's Club with my husband one night, stepped onto, we were looking at scales and I stepped on a scale and it was shocking," says Nicole.

Four years later, she's joined a gym for the first time. She's quit smoking, and made diet changes, like skipping a nightly bowl of ice cream. She's lost 17 pounds, but is much more excited about how she feels.

"I'm happier, I feel great all the time and I love life."

Whether it's losing dozens of pounds or just a few, Kary, Nicole and most weight loss experts agree, losing weight through dieting alone is difficult if not impossible.

Both Nicole and Kary, women with no life-long history of exercise, are now certified trainers. Nicole is mother to four year old Azreal. She plans to run the Chicago Marathon in October. For them, exercise isn't just to stay fit; it's now part of which they are.

"It really is the key, The exercise is really what kept me on my diet, kept me eating healthfully, handled stress," says Kary.

Kary also teaches a weight loss class these days.

"For a lot of people, it is 100 pounds or more and it's a long way. And unless there's someone that can inspire them that they can do it, a lot of people do give up hope."

Kary's hope is to show others that it's never too late to lose weight.

If you're unsuccessful trying to lose weight on you're own, Dr. Klein recommends starting with the least expensive and most sensible weight loss resources first.

Try a visit with a dietitian, or groups like weight watchers or an online program such as Diet 4U Online before considering a university of hospital based weight loss program.

If you have a chronic illness or are in poor health, see your doctor before starting a diet and exercise program.

Diet 4U Online provides Meal Plans of three meals and three snacks a day including all the foods recommended by the latest cutting edge nutritional research, so you do not have to worry that you are missing the latest information for your health. Let us do it for you!!
Start your program NOW by going to Diet 4U Online's secure server and pay by credit card.

Chocolate could be good for your heart

Chocolate could be good for your heart: new study
From Canadian Press

Chocoholics who have given up their favorite food, thinking it's bad for their health, can take heart - a new study suggests some chocolate may actually be good for you.

Or at least for your cardiovascular system.
That's because chocolate and cocoa are high in flavonoids, compounds found in plants that promote healthy cellular tissue throughout the body.

''It turns out the flavonoids are very, very high (in chocolate and cocoa),'' says Carl Keen, a professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. ''The concentration greatly exceeds what you'll find in most fruits and vegetables.
''After all, it is a plant food. It's a legume,'' says Keen, whose research team has been looking at the effects of chocolate and cocoa on the cardiovascular system in a series of studies.

In research to be presented tomorrow in Winnipeg at the Congress of the International Society for Heart Research, Keen's group found that cocoa reduced the tendency for blood platelets to clump together, a process that can cause small particles to break off in the bloodstream.
It also slowed down blood coagulation, Keen said from California. Reducing the clumping of platelets and slowing coagulation is important in preventing blood clots that can contribute to heart attacks and stroke.
The researchers compared their findings with those of another study on baby Aspirin, taken by many people to help prevent cardiac arrest.

Keen's group found that cocoa - given to about 20 test subjects in a fairly high-concentrate drink - showed the ''same magnitude'' of effect on blood as the Aspirin.
In their latest study, the researchers found platelet activity and blood-clotting time were also reduced using a moderate amount of chocolate - in this case, 25 grams of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips.

''It is suggestive that even a modest amount of a flavonoid-rich food may really have some benefit,'' said Keen, one of many researchers around the world looking at chocolate's effects on the body.
But is all chocolate created equal?

And as for chocolate's reputation as a sinfully fatty concoction that's bad for your health, Keen said many products actually contain ingredients that are fairly low in cholesterol.
''Our data with chocolate and cocoa suggest that with moderate consumption, it can be part of a healthy diet,'' said Keen. ''So you lose the guilt. It's OK.''

Diet 4U Online has been showcasing a different diet each month to help you make more informed choices on the meal plan you choose. This month we are instead, taking the opportunity to tell you about our Pay by credit card on our secure order page. Diet 4U Online's order form uses secure server technology with a digital SSL certificate. You may view the properties of the order page to verify the certificate. You no longer have to go to Amazon to order your Meal Plan!! We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express, or you can send check or money order!!

Why not give it a try now, and get in shape for the summer!!

http://www.diet4uonline.com/sign_up_now.htm

It's all about feeling better, looking better and living better.

Recipe of The Month

Frosty Chocolate Mocha Cooler

Makes 4 servings

16 fluid ounces chocolate, vanilla or coffee nonfat sugar-free frozen yogurt

2 cups skim milk

2 packets sugar-free hot cocoa mix

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In blender, combine frozen yogurt, milk, cocoa mix, instant coffee and vanilla; puree on high speed until thick and foamy. Serve immediately.

EACH SERVING PROVIDES: 167 Calories, 0 g Total Fat, 0 g Saturated Fat, 2 mg Cholesterol, 209 mg Sodium, 78 g Total Carbohydrate, 0 g Dietary Fiber, 11 g Protein, 427 mg Calcium

Our prices are: For Weight loss or weight gain/sports Plan
Only $75 for 12 weeks, this is only $6.24 a week for an individualized program!

For our Clinical Nutrition Program:
Only $75 for 8 weeks, this is only $9.38 a week for an individualized program!

For all our six week programs, $24.95, this is only $4.16 a week with unlimited emails to a professional dietetic counselor.

When you join our program you will receive individualized attention through your E-mail by a professional dietetic counselor (see more about our credentials)
Do not confuse us with the other programs out there that supply you (and hundreds of others) with the same web page meal plan. Our plan is TRULY for you only, with your weekly personal meal plan sent to you at your e-mail address. (a small credit card handling fee will be added to total)

For more diet tips, go to Diet 4U Online’s Tips 4U Changed every Monday

Editor's Picks for August

Nutritional News of Interest

Losing weight without the gimmicks

Chocolate could be good for your heart

Recipe of The Month

Frosty Chocolate Mocha Cooler