Losing Weight and Feeling Great

Archive for August, 2008

Wouldn’t you agree that cooking light is healthier for us?  Now, would you care to define what light cooking is?  I didn’t think so.  It’s hard, because to some people, it’s using fewer fats and oils.  To others, it’s about cutting calories.  And I guess they kind of do go hand-in-hand.

But don’t you also think that cooking light is also about more natural foods?  More fresh veggies, fewer canned foods?  At least, that’s kind of how I see it.

Today I have Gregory Spence as the guest author.  Greg will tell us something we’d probably all like to know; easy ways to start cooking healthier meals, without tummy rumbles in protest!

Three Easy Ways to Start Cooking Light

Healthier cooking is all about how cooking light can improve your health without producing boring or unattractive food. Today, more emphasis is being put on reducing our calorie intake and eating foods that are better for us. In order to achieve this we need to look at ways to do this that aren’t difficult.

Suggestion 1:  Oils and Fats

To start cooking lighter, why not substitute your regular high calorie or fatty ingredients with their lighter alternatives? There are many alternatives, and you’ll want to try reading labels (it can be an eye-opener). Choose those ingredients that have no trans fats and are lower in calories.

Dressings are particularly high in all the wrong things!  How about try a low fat mayonnaise or fat free ranch dressing in your sandwiches. Avoid using foods coated in oil;p anyone remember how all tuna used to be packed in oil?  it’s not just tuna that’s come a long way — many types of tinned fish are now packed in water rather than oils, and this significantly reduces your calorie intake.

The oil you use for cooking is also an important part of your lighter cooking style. Extra virgin olive oil is ideal but can be expensive.  A cheaper alternative is canola, which has lots of health benefits when compared to vegetable oils.  Still, if you can afford the extra-virgin olive oil for your cooking light, it’s worth it.

Tip 2:  What’s Your Fiber Like?

If you eat a lot of refined white bread then you will not be getting the fiber you need and your fat intake will be high. When choosing bread go for the oat-based alternative or the 100% whole grain variety.

Just because bread is brown does not mean it is healthier for you. Carmel colorings can do that without a drop of whole wheat.  By taking a true whole grain alternative your body will get an increased intake of fiber and lower amounts of fat. 

Idea 3:  Time to Bake

If you are into baking, try using Splenda instead of regular table sugar.  Splenda is a no calorie sweetener; you might also try stevia, which is all-natural.  If you’ve never tried it, unsweetened apple sauce instead of vegetable oil really does taste pretty good in most recipes.

Line your baking pans with no fat cooking spray instead of butter or shortening; better yet, use baker’s parchment paper for your oil-free baking.  That’s really cooking light!

Use semi-sweet or preferably dark chocolate in place of milk chocolate or (even worse) white chocolate.  Dark chocolate has antioxidants good for your body; just don’t over-indulge.

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Thanks, Greg, for those tips on cooking light.  It’s not always easy these days to get out the fresh veggies and chopping board.  I’ll agree, there are many days where fast food is tempting because I’l so tired.  But fast food is fat food (as I’ve mentioned in several recent posts like this one) so it’s a meal of last resort.

So, guess it’s time to clean out the cabinets again, of some of non-cooking-light foods.  So what will you do?  Are your going to make a more cencerted effort towards cooking light?

Have you heard of caralluma fimbriata?  No, neither had I before today.  But when I just did hear about it, I was intrigued.  Could this be another hoodia gordonii, but better?

Now if you follow me here at this blog and on my website, you know that I’m not usually overly impressed with weight loss supplements.  Not because they don’t work, but because they prey upon people’s wish for a “magic bullet”.  A way to lose weight without eating less or exercising.

I do believe, however, that supplements and diet aids can be part of a sensible, healthy diet.  Hey, we can all use a little extra help now and again.  Just so long as the help doesn’t become a crutch, if you know what I mean.

OK, back to caralluma fimbriata.  I got some information from Barry Crewse, who had compiled some information about this fascinating new supplement.  Without any further ado, here’s Barry’s report.

Caralluma Fibriata and Weight Loss

Caralluma Fimbriata.  Almost no one has even heard of it and those who have may be asking just what the heck it is.  The first thought for most people is just another fad diet gimmick.  But is it?  Instead, could it be pure gold in the world of weight loss? Let’s find out.

Caralluma belongs to the cactus family and is known as a succulent. It grows wild in much of India and even as far north as Afghanistan and the surrounding areas.

For literally hundreds of years it has been eaten by the locals of the region as a vegetable and can be eaten both raw and cooked (no reports as to the taste, though).  The green follicles of the plant are usually boiled, salted and eaten.  It’s also very popular for making a variety of different kinds of chuntney and pickles.

Here’s Where Caralluma Gets Interesting

For generations, the local people found this vegetable seemed to contain certain properties when eaten. Not only did it act like an appetite suppressant but also seemed to quench thirst while boosting their energy levels.

Because of this it became wildly popular as both a “hunting and famine food” sustaining the people when food stuffs became scarce.

Of course, modern science has now caught up with all the benefits of caralluma fimbriata.  The arrival of this “new” succulent is just now becoming very popular for not only being able to suppress your appetite and boost your endurance but it also appears to lower blood sugar.

Clinical Studies, Starting Up

Clinical researchers are discovering that the extracts of Caralluma actually act on the hunger centers within the brain reducing the feeling of being hungry. Further more, these studies have found that appetite suppression takes place without any known disturbances in the natural function of the neurotransmitters within the brain itself. This is surprisingly different than most appetite suppressants on the market today.

Clinical studies are also finding that one main extract of Caralluma, pregnane glycoside, is not only very effective in controlling appetite, obesity and weight gain but also is appearing as a major player in lowering your BMI, body fat, blood glucose levels and blood pressure as well. Reductions in hip and waste circumferences were noted as well.

Benefits do not appear to stop there as an increase in lean body mass, capillary health improvement, memory function and hearing improvement and the lowering of joint inflammation are also some noted as major benefits. Further studies are also concluding that there appears to be enhancement in HDL/LDL ratio’s in the blood.

Caralluma fimbriata is completely natural and contains no artificial ingredients. This supplement doesn’t contain any type of chemicals or preservative which are widely known to possibly interfere with your own body’s weight loss / dieting processes.

As of this writing, there haven’t been any recorded instance of an reaction or toxicity in the extensive safety studies. The fact that it’s been eaten for centuries should be proof of it’s benefits and long term positive effects on the human body.

Caralluma is just now coming onto center stage of the dieting world and I am sure you will be hearing much more about this future giant. Not only do I expect it to overtake Hoodia, which appears to be less effective and more expensive but also most other weight supplements which seems to be only minimally effective.

Finding Caralluma

I wanted to check a little more on it, but caralluma is kind of scarce at this point; I went looking and I found quite a bit of the cactus/succulent itself, but not a whole lot in the way of supplements.

Anyway, I did finally locate Caralluma Burn as a source for the caralluma fimbriata diet supplement.  So, if you’re curious, pop on over and take a look at the Caralluma Burn product.  You never know; maybe it would help you with the cravings.  But remember — supplements are just that — supplemental aids.  Not even Caralluma Burn is a miracle in a box!