health & Beauty

Eat more, gain more, and lose the weight!

By Charlene Louis

June 2008

Are you stuck thinking that you must eat three meals a day? Are you following diet trends that require you to eat only certain colors or food groups at a time? Well its time to take these “diets” and throw them out! Many people get hung up on the misconception that eating anything beyond their three meals per day constitutes a dietary failure. It is true that eating empty-calorie snack foods between meals is sabotage to your diet, but so is eating a traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Instead, your new diet mantra should be “six is better than three”. 

In order to find your “inner six”, you have to first lose the idea of snacking. Snacking often consist of low-nutrition items (chips, candy, etc.) which won’t help you lose weight or supply you with the nutrition that your body needs. Another tip to keep in mind is that size does matter! Doubling your meals does not mean that you will be doubling your portions. Instead, take your normal three meals and divide them into 6. So in actuality, you are still consuming enough necessary calories but also allowing you metabolism to stay in constant motion!

Now that we are eating “more”, we need to gain more…from the food itself! This is called food synergy. This term is usually associated with wine pairings, but in this case, combining certain foods  can give you more bang for your buck! It is sort of like adding 1 plus 1 and getting 4 or 6 instead of just 2. Different components in a single food can work together to benefit our health, and so can components in different foods that are eaten together.

You may think that pairing broccoli with tomatoes may not be the best match in heaven, but  the Journal of Nutrition (December 2004 issue) showed that prostate tumors grew much less in rats that were fed tomatoes and broccoli than in rats who ate diets containing broccoli alone or tomatoes alone, or diets that contained cancer-fighting substances that had been isolated from tomatoes or broccoli. Another great match up is avocado and spinach. The high monounsaturated fat content in avocado helps you absorb more of the nutrients found in spinach. Specifically, you’ll absorb about five times more lutein and 15 times more beta-carotene, making each of these healthy foods worth enjoying together.

In summary, if your 3 square meals a day aren’t getting you the results you’re looking for, start eating more to keep your metabolism running, gain more from your food by pairing it correctly and start losing weight in the healthiest way possible!

Forget the Apples and bananas…try Apples and grapes!
 Studies show that pairing the two compounds may improve cardiovascular health by making blood platelets less sticky so they don’t clump together and clog arteries. 
Don’t care for apples and/or grapes? Other quercetin-rich foods include raspberries, buckwheat and onions.

The Power of Peanut Butter
Pairing peanut butter with whole wheat bread enables the body to get the proper sequence of amino acids, which are important in making protein. “Peanuts have the amino acids lacking in wheat. Together they make a whole.”

Spice Up That Burger
Ground beef—and many cuts of poultry and pork—often contains heterocyclic amines (HCAs), cancer-causing compounds that form when meats are cooked at high temperatures. Try sprinkling rosemary extract on ground beef before cooking it significantly reduces the formation of HCAs. J. Scott Smith, PhD, food chemistry professor and lead researcher on the study, says certain types of antioxidants in rosemary extract can block the formation of HCAs. Look for rosemary extract at health food stores.

Oranges can also do a body good!
Adding C-rich orange segments to a spinach salad can increase the amount of iron your body gets.

 Other great add ons…

- Whole Grains
- Veggies — Especially Dark Green Ones
- Nuts
- Olive Oil
- Fish
- Flaxseed
- Low-Fat Dairy

Arugula with Apples, Pomegranate and Toasted Walnuts

Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
1 shallot, finely minced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large bag (6-8 oz.) arugula
1 apple (with skin), cored and sliced into thin wedges
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. To make Vinaigrette: Put apple juice in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 20–25 minutes. In a small bowl, add apple juice, shallot, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Then, slowly whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

3. In large salad bowl, toss arugula and vinaigrette till leaves are coated Sprinkle walnuts over salad, and serve immediately.