holidays Archives - Amazing Health Advances

7 Tips to Avoid Gaining Holiday Weight

AHA Publisher — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 08:00:48 +0000

Lorie Johnson via CBN News – Research shows the average American gains three to five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Although many people plan to lose that extra weight in the new year, too often that doesn’t happen. That means after many years, a few extra pounds over the holidays adds up to what can be a serious weight problem, leading to a number of health issues including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Adrienne Youdim, M.D. an internist who specializes in medical weight loss and nutrition and author of the bestseller Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out told CBN News we can avoid packing on extra holiday pounds while still enjoying goodies in moderation by using seven common-sense strategies. 1. EAT PROTEIN: Eating plenty of protein like fish, beans or chicken makes us less likely to overeat sweets. “Protein is the macronutrient that curbs hunger most,” she said. 2. FILL HALF YOU PLATE WITH FRESH VEGGIES: These foods are low in calories, are very filling, and are loaded with nutrients. “I personally love arugula,” said Dr. Youdim, “I eat it every day. And one cup of arugula is two to five calories but has 30 vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.” 3. CHOOSE SPARKLING WATER INSTEAD OF ALCOHOL: Alcohol has “empty calories,” which means the beverages are loaded with calories with little to no nutrition. “Alcohol actually intercepts some of our hunger hormones,” Dr. Youdim explains, “Leptin is a hormone that’s released by the fat cell that tells our brain that we are full, and alcohol actually intercepts that hormone.” 4. DRINK A CUP OF HOT TEA AFTER A MEAL: Hot beverages, preferably decaffeinated herbal tea, help put the brakes on further eating. “It takes time for our stomach, or our gut, to receive food,” said Dr. Youdim, “A warm drink sends a signal to the brain notifying that the food has been received and those hunger hormones, or signals, should be shut off.” 5. GET ENOUGH SLEEP: Research shows people who don’t get enough sleep are more prone to overeat unhealthy foods. “They’ve also done studies where in just two nights they’ve noticed that hunger hormones go up by about 30 percent and when they surveyed these individuals, they craved highly palatable, or yummy foods,” said Dr. Youdim. “So when people are sleep deprived they’re more likely to go for doughnuts and for fries. You don’t crave broccoli when you’re sleep-deprived.” 6. EAT SENSIBLY BEFORE THE PARTY: Dr. Youdim says “saving calories” tends to backfire. People who are planning to attend a special dinner or party where the food will be fantastic may nearly starve themselves before the event, which can be a mistake. “That in and of itself can result in consuming way more calories than you otherwise would eat,” she said, recommending instead to drink a protein shake on your way out the door. 7. DONT EAT YOUR FEELINGS: Stop using food to feel better emotionally, because when emotions run high, we tend to overeat. “What are we really hungry for, right? We tend to use food to soothe many, many emotions, not just sadness, but often boredom,” said Dr. Youdim, who recommends learning to cope with our emotions by using creative outlets, exercise, and connecting with others. To read the original article click here.

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The “No Weight Gain” Holiday Eating Plan!

AHA Publisher — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 08:00:59 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – It may seem futile, difficult, or discouraging to eat healthy during the Holiday Season. But take heart, you CAN enjoy a wonderful Holiday Season and delicious foods without weight gain! We have a “No Weight Gain” Holiday Eating Plan for you today. It’s your guide to easy, healthy eating throughout December while still enjoying delicious festive foods. You can do it! Here’s how. The “No Weight Gain” Holiday Eating Plan How can you enjoy festive foods and not gain weight this Holiday Season? Try these 5 simple tactics with Holiday eating: 1. Avoid the All-You-Can-Eat Mentality It’s easy to overeat for 30 or more days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. However, this won’t help your health journey, and may sabotage all the hard work you’ve already done throughout the year. Instead, decide which days you’ll let loose a bit, and then stick with your normal healthy eating plan on the other days. For example, you may decide you want to really enjoy festive foods and gatherings on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. This accounts for only 3 days or less than 10% of the “season.” On the other days, remain steadfast with healthy eating. Then, enjoy these 3 days without guilt! 2. Avoid Refined Carbs and Stay in the Keto Zone® Believe it or not, it is possible to eat healthy and stay in the Keto Zone® during the Holiday Season. How? First, follow our first tip and eat as normal except for a few festive days (if you’d like). Then, try swapping out some of the typically sugar-laden holiday foods with Keto healthy versions. For example, try our: Dr. Colbert’s Keto Coffee with Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder – Caramel Spiced Keto Hot Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Delicious Holiday Appetizers Smart Holiday Foods Swaps Healthy Keto Zone Eating at Holiday Parties and Restaurants Bring keto dishes to parties so you know you’ll always have something to enjoy. Lastly, use our next tip to get right back on track when you do stray! 3. Use Smart Tools to Get Back & Stay in Ketosis: Intermittent Fasting, Instant Ketones and Anti-Bloat Smoothie We all know it’s easy to fall into unhealthy eating every once in a while. Perhaps, you’ll splurge at a spur-of-the-moment holiday party or get together. It’s okay, we have a plan to get right back on track! When this happens, do not wallow in unhealthy eating day after day simply because you fell off the wagon. Instead, make the next day count and get back to healthy eating with these tools: Intermittent Fasting: You can feel healthy and lean in no time with intermittent fasting. The easiest method is to stop eating at 7:00pm every night, and resume at 11:00 am every morning. During the morning before 11:00, you can have non-carb drinks such as Dr. Colbert’s Keto Coffee with Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder – Caramel. Intermittent fasting offers many health benefits, encourages healthy weight changes, and promotes ongoing healthy eating (1). Instant Ketones: If you fall out of ketosis, you can get back into it quicker than you might think. While reducing carbs, add Keto Zone® Instant Exogenous Ketones Powder. These exogenous ketones will help your body begin to use ketones as energy again, help you avoid the keto flu, and promote satiety. Ketones are a great tool to stay healthy during the Holiday Season. Anti-Bloat Smoothie: You can also use our Keto Zone Anti-Bloat Smoothie (add Keto Zone® Instant Exogenous Ketones Powder for even better results!) to help rid your body of excess fluid retention, while flooding it with nourishing ingredients. This mental shift from overeating to healthy foods can really help you get back on track. Then, once on track, start back with daily healthy eating using the Keto Zone Diet Book. It’s your one-stop-shop for a healthy, Keto Zone lifestyle! 4. Stay Social and Active It’s much easier to feel unhealthy, sulk, and go down the spiral of weight gain if you keep to yourself. Instead, stay active and social, as much as possible, in winter months. For example, maintain an exercise program by enlisting a friend or an accountability partner. It’s also much easier to stick to healthy eating when others are doing so as well during the Holidays. Find a friend who values healthy eating, too. Enlist others to encourage positive, healthy habits! 5. Keep Track of Holiday Eating & Don’t Quit! Another great tool for successful Keto Zone eaters is a food journal during Holiday eating. Why? A food journal helps you acknowledge what you’re eating and how it affects you, rather than losing track. You can use a pen and paper and write down your intake. Or try a food diary App. For even better results, become familiar with the carbohydrate values of foods and keep tabs of total carbohydrates per day as you go. There’s nothing magic about food diaries, but they do promote healthy weights and compliance to eating plans. In fact, food diaries have shown significant results in fat loss in those who keep a diary versus those who don’t (2). In addition, monitoring your weight is helpful, especially through the Holidays. Some studies have also found that daily weighing, just through the Holidays, helps those looking to stay on track (3). On the other hand, many people feel like it’s time to relax and sort of “quit” on the year in terms of healthy eating. They choose to wait until the New Year to tackle goals again. If you can manage, decide instead to get a jump start on the year and eat healthy now! Quitting on healthy habits will only serve as a set back once the New Year starts again. Want more encouragement for healthy Keto Zone eating? Check out these Tips to Stay on Track with Keto Zone from real Keto dieters! Why Do Some Adults Experience Weight Gain During the Holidays? Unfortunately, holiday weight gain is a reality for many adults. In fact, most studies show a gain of 1-5 pounds, with a lesser amount among young people, such as those who are college-aged, and more among adults who are already overweight (4, 5). Why do adults gain weight? And why do overweight adults experience this most? There are many reasons. They may include: Carbohydrate-rich sugary foods are even worse when your body is overweight, and your cells are insulin resistant. For many overweight adults, sweets are a downward spiral of fat storage and insulin resistance. More sweets equal more fat storage, more fat storage equals more insulin resistance, which equals even more fat storage when you eat sweets. See how this could be especially problematic during the Holidays? Of course, Keto Zone removes the sugar. Our bodies fight for homeostasis. When you make changes to an overweight body, unless drastic such as Keto Zone, it will fight to resist weight loss and maintain its mass. In fact, studies show that even if you’ve worked hard all year and achieved some weight loss, various neuroendocrine, metabolic, and behavioral mechanisms are set in motion to counteract it (6, 7). Unless, you’ve used a method that completely changes the way your body produces energy and metabolizes food, as with Keto Zone. Frustration can easily set in when you don’t see results. If overweight, and barely seeing the scale move, it can be especially tough to stick to a plan during the Holidays, when seemingly everyone else can eat what they want. Thankfully, the Keto Zone lifestyle produces results effectively and efficiently. The holiday season is hallmarked by food traditions. It can be especially tough for anyone who grew up with traditions and celebrations that center on eating. Foods are certainly a great part of celebrations, but you can take steps to take the focus off eating and increase activities together. Bottom Line It’s a wonderful time of year, full of wonderful foods. With the Keto Zone, you don’t have to miss out! In fact, you can enjoy delicious keto foods, Holidays feasts, and wonderful times with family and friends. Stay on track through the end of this year with our “No Weight Gain” Holiday Plan! To read the original article click here.

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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe

AHA Publisher — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 07:00:50 +0000

Kate Battistelli via Dr. Axe – This Vanilla Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes recipe is healthy, delicious and a favorite of kids! They are free of refined sugars and gluten free. INGREDIENTS: ½ cup coconut flour ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon sea salt 5 eggs ½ cup honey ½ cup coconut oil, melted ¼ cup coconut flakes, unsweetened 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 12 whole strawberries 2 cups whipped coconut cream DIRECTIONS: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Sift dry ingredients together into a bowl. Add the coconut separately. Separate the yolk from the whites of 2 of the eggs. Set the egg whites aside. Combine 3 whole eggs, two egg yolks, coconut oil, honey, vanilla and lemon juice with a hand mixer. Be careful that you don’t over mix. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry mixture and wet mixture in alternate batches until the batter has no lumps. In a small bowl beat the egg whites until thick, soft peaks form. (Using a hand mixer works best.) Fold into the batter very gently. Pour or spoon batter evenly into the 12 cupcake liners. Bake for about 20 minutes or until done. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove cupcakes from the pan. Cool completely. When the cupcakes are cool, cut a small circle off the top and scoop out a little of the cupcake and put one whole strawberry in the cupcake. Frost the cupcakes with the whipped coconut cream. To read the original article click here. For more articles by Dr. Axe click here.

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Healthiest Holidays Ever: What to Eat & How to Handle Falling Off Track (Part 2)

AHA Publisher — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 08:00:15 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – If you’re aiming to make this year your healthiest Holidays ever, we are here to help. Earlier last week, we started with a simplified frame of mind with our first post in this 4-part series. Today, it’s tips for what to eat during November and December, and how to get back on track if you fall off. This 4-part series will cover these topics for your Healthiest Holidays Ever: Part 1: Begin in the Mind: How to Slow Down, Simplify, and Get Enough Sleep During the Holidays Part 2 (this post): What to Eat and What to Do When/If You Fall Off-Plan Part 3: Healthy Habits for Staying Social, Holidays Meals, and Parties Part 4: How to End One Year With Gratitude and Peace, and Choose Optimism for a New Year 6 Easy Tips for What to Eat During the Holiday Months The easiest way to stay on track with eating through the Holidays is to focus on what you should eat, day to day. Remember, as we discussed in Part 1, the actual Holidays are only 2-3 days. For the rest of November and December, do your best to eat normally and stay on track (then, the 2-3 days won’t make a big difference in the overall picture). Day-to-day, you know what to do. Stay in the Keto Zone and/or on track with healthy eating. Here’s what to eat during the Holidays, and what to skip during these months: 1. Eat as much from home as possible. Anytime you eat out, you are risking eating foods that are laden in hidden carbs, sugars, processed fats, and more. You are in control of all of this at home. 2. Avoid processed, quick dinner if possible. TV dinners or other ready-made convenient ones are often high in unhealthy ingredients. Instead, save time with these kitchen time-savings tips. 3. Eat plenty of vegetables, at home, at parties, or when out. Bitter greens, kale, broccoli dishes, salads, fermented vegetables, like Keto Zone Sauerkraut, and more can be a great addition to the feast. If you’ve decided to bring a vegetable dish, use a fun, unique, delicious vegetable recipe to keep it lively and not drab. 4. Whether at home or away, find a healthy protein. Turkey, chicken, seafood, grass-fed beef, venison, and elk are all great choices that will fill you up and keep you from craving other foods. 5. Add healthy fats. Olive oil, avocados, MCT oils, nuts, seeds, and coconut oil are great choices. 6. If you have a get-together that involves sharing cookies or desserts, consider making a healthy one. Try our pumpkin cookies, Keto Zone Pumpkin Pie, Cranberry Tart, or Pumpkin Cashew Cookies. What to Do if You Get Off Track: It’s easy to get carried away and overeat during a holiday. But, if you’re trying to stay in the Keto Zone and eat a healthy diet, the indulgence can cause a host of issues in your body including: • Increased blood sugar and insulin • Increased fluid retention • Inflammation • Weight Gain If this describes your day-after-Thanksgiving condition, it’s time to get right back on track. One of the best ways to get back is a detox smoothie. Why? It provides both a physical and mental shift back towards Keto Zone eating. There’s no wallowing in guilt. Here’s what it is and why it works. Drink it, and consider yourself back on track. Keto Zone Anti-Bloat Detox Celery Smoothie Ingredients: • 1.5 cups almond milk • 1 cup spinach, loosely packed • ½ cup cucumber, sliced (appox. ¼ medium cucumber) • ½ cup celery, chopped (appox. 1 medium stalk) • ½ small avocado (peeled & pitted) • 1 scoop MCT Oil Powder OR 1 tbsp. coconut oil • 1 scoop Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder • 1/2 small beet OR 1 scoop Fermented Green or Red Supremefood (recommend: Apple Cinnamon) • Optional: 5-10 drops liquid stevia or low-carb sweetener of choice, to taste Instructions: 1. Into a blender, mix almond milk and spinach. Pulse to break down spinach and make room for the other ingredients. 2. Add all ingredients EXCEPT stevia. 3. Blend for about 1 minute or until creamy. 4. Taste it. If you’ve used flavored MCT Oil Powder and/or Green Supremefood, it may be sweet enough. If not, add stevia (or another low-carb sweetener), to taste. Nutrition Info: 375 Calories, 25g of Fat, 20g of Protein, 4g of Net Carbs Detox from Sugar Bloating If you’ve overeaten, eaten too many carbohydrates, or indulged in sugary desserts during Thanksgiving, there’s a good chance you’re not feeling so hot today. Don’t despair, we’ve got a secret weapon in our detox smoothie: celery. Sugar can cause damage to the body. But, celery can help you stop the damage, reverse it, and get back on track. Detox Celery Smoothie to the Rescue While I’m not encouraging you to ever overeat sugary desserts and carbohydrates, we all live in the real world and know it happens. Rather than pretend it doesn’t, let’s focus on a tool to get you back on track. One tool is celery and this Keto Zone Celery Detox Smoothie. Why celery? Celery has a gentle diuretic effect which quickly normalizes fluid retention without leaving you dehydrated. This beats the bloat. Next, it’s loaded with nutrients. In fact, celery is: • A nutrition powerhouse. It contains calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium. In addition, a plethora of vitamins: including vitamins A, C, E, D, B6, B12, and vitamin K as well as thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid and fiber (1). • Rich in Vitamin C, which promotes good immune function and works as an antioxidant to reduce oxidative stress. • A blood pressure reducer. It reduces stress hormones and relaxes arteries to make them more elastic (2). • A cholesterol-binder. Celery increases bile production which binds cholesterol in the gut and promotes excretion out of the body (3). A gentle diuretic. Detox Celery Smoothie Super Ingredients: The other ingredients in the Detox Celery Smoothie are not exactly slouches. They bolster it to the next level and provide a full-nutrition meal with healthy fats and protein. Cucumber also promotes gentle diuresis, helping you beat the bloat from extra foods and sugars. Avocado is full of vitamins and minerals along with health-promoting omega-9 fats and cholesterol-binding fiber. Spinach provides many phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It’s deep green hue is an indication of health-benefiting chlorophyll. MCT Oil Powder is a convenient and non-greasy form of the best MCTs available. They are easy-to-digest and produce ketones your brain can use as a super-fuel. Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder promotes healthy hair, skin, nails, joints, gut function, and more. Additionally, it provides amino acids seldom found in modern diets. Fermented Green Supremefood, a blend of fermented vegetables and wheatgrass, provides concentrated vitamins and minerals. The fermentation process “opens up” these natural superfoods to get more nutrients out. Plus, it contains healthy bacteria to support digestive and whole-body health. Bottom Line Feel better already? You should be. Just knowing you have a tool for such a case as post-Thanksgiving bloat is a good start. Don’t delay! Blend this up and drink it. This Keto Zone Anti-Bloat Detox Smoothie has all the nutrition you need to shed the extra water weight, boost energy, and get back into the Keto Zone. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

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Make This Your Healthiest Holidays Ever: Simplify and Slow Down (Part 1)

AHA Publisher — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 08:00:11 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Every year, people mindful of their health hope to enjoy peaceful, healthy Holidays. And like a wave crashing down, many feel swept up in the frantic pace, the materialism and expense, and eating habits that derail their efforts to be healthy. But this year, we’re going to explore tools to make it your healthiest Holidays ever. As we move into the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a great time to prepare both our minds and bodies for health. To proactively make choices and decisions that will help us slow down and enjoy it. We’ll also discuss how to feel in control of your eating no matter the party, social event, or busy schedule you face. Ready? This 4-part series will cover these topics for your Healthiest Holidays Ever: 1. Part 1 (this post): Begin in the Mind: How to Slow Down, Simplify, and Get Enough Sleep During the Holidays 2. Part 2: What to Eat and What to Do When/If You Fall Off-Plan 3. Part 3: Healthy Habits for Staying Social and Active During the Holidays 4. Part 4: How to End One Year With Gratitude and Peace, and Choose Optimism for a New Year Begin in the Mind: How to Slow Down, Simplify and Get Enough Sleep During the Holidays Simplify Your Holiday Health Outlook Sometimes, the “Holiday Season” can feel overwhelming when you’ve spent 10 months doing your best to be healthy. And often, this overwhelming feeling can derail us before Thanksgiving even arrives. But, if you simplify your outlook on the Holidays, you can enjoy them without the stress on your healthy lifestyle. Here’s what I mean: For most people, the Holidays are really only 2-3 days: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Take a simple approach and enjoy those days and feasts without stress. Then, it’s much easier to stay on track for the rest of the days that make up November and December. Two or three days will not derail or sabotage ten months of work. However, if you indulge every day for two full months it certainly can. Determine today to simplify the holidays vs. health conundrum: Aim to stay on track with eating each day through 2 months and enjoy the 2-3 Holiday days without extra stress. Agree? Slow Down What’s true with eating is true with life in general: If you’re in a rush, rush, rush state, it’s not going to be healthy. First, try slowing down when you eat during November and December. Why? This is good practice for slowing down overall, and it’s healthier. In fact, research has linked eating slower to smaller portions (1). Studies have also found that people make healthier food decisions when they eat slower (2). And lastly, fast eaters gain more weight, deal with more digestive problems and are less satisfied with food (3). So, slow down and enjoy it by: • Taking the time to put your fork down in between bites – don’t shovel in food • Drink a glass of water before going back for seconds • Enjoy the company of those around you, especially at the Holiday meals • Listen to your body and allow enough time for digestion. You’re likely full sooner than you think. • When you’re full, stop eating. By slowing down at meals, you may also find it to stop rushing around in general. Less rushing means less stress and more moment-by-moment gratitude. Let your meals remind you to be mindful when you eat and present throughout your day. Sleep There’s little doubt that we could also be healthier with more sleep. Let this darker time of year be a reminder to go to bed earlier if possible. In fact, a recent study found that those with existing high blood pressure and/or Type 2 diabetes were almost 2x as likely to die of stroke if they got 6 hours or less sleep per night than if they got more (4). This is incredibly alarming since almost half of Americans have these conditions, and most don’t get more than 6 hours of high-quality sleep. Are you one? Give yourself a great gift this year, and focus on getting more sleep. In addition, study after study has shown that less than 6 hours of sleep per night increases negative outcomes of heart disease and death in those with pre-existing conditions. Sleep is important at all times of year. It’s really the only time during each 24-hour cycle that our bodies can remove toxins from the brain, repair cells and tissues, and improve immune function immunity. During the winter, when we seem more apt to depression and stress, it’s a great time to fight back with sleep (5). Bottom Line We’ve started with our brains. As you think about how you can really enjoy the Holidays this year, and make them your healthiest begin with your thoughts. Keep these months as simple as possible. Slow down. And if possible, get enough high-quality sleep. This can set the tone for your healthiest Holidays ever. To read the original article click here. For more articles by Dr. Colbert click here.

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