Fitness Newsletter                                    September 2006

In this issue:

• 10 Healthy Habits To Fit Into Your Hectic Day
• Take-Out Tips
• Health Briefs
• Health Quiz
• Recipe: Applesauce Carrot Cake

10 Healthy Habits To Fit Into Your Hectic Day

Here are a few things you can start doing right now to make healthy habits a relatively painless part of your already hectic schedule:

1. Drink water throughout the day. It's great for your skin, your digestive system, and circulatory system, and aids in weight loss and cellulite reduction. If you feel fatigued during the day, it's often because you aren't hydrated properly. Sip water throughout the day from a large container. And if you don't like the "taste" of water, add a slice -- it cuts any bitterness and adds a bit of vitamin C.
2. Cut back on the soda and coffee. Sugar and caffeine dehydrate you and create energy rushes followed by crashes, which are ultimately energy-depleting. Substitute with water or green tea.
3. Remove high-sugar foods. Cutting back on the amount of refined sugar you consume helps reduce calories and weight gain and also helps you avoid the energy slumps that come from sugar withdrawal. Items high in refined sugar include most soft drinks, cereals, baked goods, and of course, candy and ice cream. Opt for healthy snacks instead.
4. Stock up on healthy, portable snacks. When you're grocery shopping, pick up bags of baby carrots, string cheese, nuts, fresh and dried fruit, single serving packs of applesauce, yogurt, wholegrain crackers, peanut butter, etc. Having healthy portable snacks around will help you avoid bad vending-machine, convenience store and fast-food options.
5. Take the time to plan healthy meals. Spend 15 minutes or so to map out your meals for the week. Keep it simple. Then, when you shop for groceries, make your purchases based on the meals you will make during the week. This will help you avoid relying on less healthy take-out or fast food choices.
6. Pack your lunch the night before. You'll have given yourself the gift of extra time in the morning and you will assure that you have a healthy meal during the day. Don't forget to pack snack items so you can avoid the vending machine.
7. Cook double batches. When you prepare dinner, especially on weekends, cook extra and freeze to use for another dinner or lunch. Then, you'll have a healthy meal ready to go when you are.
8. Give yourself some slack. If you are stressed out about preparing healthy meals every day, use what some experts call the "80/20" rule in your eating. If 80 percent of what you eat is healthy, then allow yourself to take it a little easier for the remaining 20 percent. You and your diet will survive.
9. Take a walk break during the day. Even 20 minutes can make a difference in your energy level, plus it gives you time to clear your head. If you walk with a friend or colleague, it also gives you time to socialize.
10. Get enough sleep. Even if you gain more time in your day by cutting back on sleep, you will be less effective throughout the day, as your energy level and cognitive functioning will be reduced. Insufficient sleep also makes you more susceptible to illness. By getting enough sleep, you become more efficient during the time you are awake.

Take-Out Tips

Here are a few general things to keep in mind when ordering out:

• Good things come in small packages. Unfortunately, most delivery food comes in large packages. Before you dig in, get a plate from the kitchen. Put a serving on your plate and put the rest in the refrigerator for another time. By removing the extra food, you'll significantly reduce the chances that you'll eat your way through 2 or 3 meals worth of calories straight out of the container.
• Watch your sides.  Don't get talked into the add-ons like egg rolls, breadsticks, or chicken wings.  
• Read the fine print.  Look for words and phrases like "steamed," "boiled," "all white meat," etc. Stay away from words like "fried," "crispy," "cheese-filled," "creamy," etc. Also, some menus include heart icons, next to the healthier items -- keep an eye out for those!
• Spice it up. Peppers add a lot of flavor, without adding sodium. Pick dishes that emphasize spice over salt.

Some tips for good things to order and bad things to avoid for pizza take-out:

• More veggies. Load up on veggie toppings like peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh garlic, jalapeños, etc.
• Less cheese. Ask for low-fat cheese or ask them to use half the cheese.
• Defeat the meat. Try and stay away from fatty meat toppings like pepperoni, meatballs, and sausage. Instead, try leaner options like Canadian bacon or chicken.
• Bust the crust. Not all pizzas are created equal, and neither are their crusts. Calorie counts from 2 pieces of a large cheese pie cut into 8 slices:
  • Domino's Thin Crust: 382 calories
  • Domino's Classic: 516 calories
  • Papa John's Thin Crust: 520 calories
  • Pizza Hut Thin Crust: 570 calories
  • Papa John's Original: 640 calories
  • Pizza Hut Hand Tossed: 660 calories
  • Domino's Deep Dish: 661 calories
  • Pizza Hut Pan Pizza: 780 calories

For Chinese take-out:

• Get steamed. Order steamed rice, not fried, and brown rice (it has extra fiber), if they have it.
• Veg out. Look for the dishes that are mostly vegetables and are steamed rather than fried. If you order dishes like beef and broccoli, ask them for extra broccoli.
• Soup it up. Egg-drop, wonton, and hot-and-sour soups are good low-cal, low-fat options (although they usually have plenty of sodium). Fill up on some soup and put away half your entrée for later.
• Skip the grease. Stay away from deep-fried dishes like egg rolls, crispy orange chicken, General Tso's chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, etc.
• Lay off the sauce. Watch out for sauces made with corn syrup or oil. Request little or no sauce. An order of kung pao chicken seems healthy but it's sautéed in enough oil that it can have up to 76 grams of fat -- more than an entire day's worth. If possible, ask how it's prepared.
• Pass up the salt. Ask for low-salt options. Don't use the full-sodium soy sauce packets that come with your meal. Instead, invest in your own bottle of low-sodium soy sauce. Also, make sure your restaurant is one of the many that no longer use monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their dishes.
• Switch it up. For dinner combos, see if you can substitute healthier options for the normal items. Ask for an extra serving of steamed vegetables instead of the side of starchy chow mein or fried rice that it typically comes with.
• Read on! A fortune cookie only has 30 calories, no fat, and potentially some good news or a daily affirmation -- treat yourself!

Health Quiz

Test your health and fitness knowledge. True or False.

        - The scale is the most reliable way to measure your progress.

Weight alone doesn't tell you the whole truth about your progress or fitness level. Forget your preconceptions about the number on the scale. Knowing your weight is good, but not crucial-you want to lose fat, not necessarily weight. If you must weigh yourself, don't make it a daily habit. Weight tends to fluctuate throughout the day, and from day-to-day, by as much as 5 pounds or so. Most of these regular changes are due to food and water. (False)

Recipe: Applesauce Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole grain flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups carrots, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine the applesauce, oil and eggs. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until the ingredients are well blended. Add the carrots and mix again.
3. Pour the batter into a greased 9" tube pan, or use a 9" x 13" rectangular cake pan, or two bread loaf pans, or a cupcake pan.
4. Bake the cake in a preheated 350° F oven for about 1 hour, 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack for five minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, and turn the cake out onto the rack to cool.

Nutritional Info :

• Serves 16
• Fat: 6g
• Carbohydrates: 21g
• Protein: 4g
• Calories: 145