Lose My Belly |

It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense

of healthy eating on vacation.  Although you may

strive for healthy eating, it’s easy to drift off

and grab an ice cream cone here and there.  There

are however, ways to watch what you eat on 

vacation.

It’s easier than ever these days to request a low

fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights.  If 

you choose to instead drive to your destination, 

the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more

complicated.

Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for

nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler

full of ice packs.  Fruits and vegetables, crackers,

yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with 

you on the road.  

Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do 

yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down - as

this helps to avoid the temptation.  If your hotel

offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits,

cereals, and proteins.  If your hotel has a stove

or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy

food with you.

If you simply must eat out, do so only when you 

are hungry.  Restaurants will usually serve large

portions, so be careful.  If you do go a bit over

on a meal, simply cut back on the next.  

If you find it hard to fit in three square meals

a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks,

as your body needs fuel every four hours or so.

When you eat out, avoid appetizers.  Whatever you

do, do not miss any meals.

When it’s possible, you should avoid eating large

meals at night.  When your body gets ready for 

sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a

much slower pace.  Never eat bread before bed, and

make sure to avoid the butter.  Choose fish or

poultry for your meal instead, and include 

vegetables as a side dish.  

Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on

vacation isn’t really that difficult.  All you have

to do is use a little will power, and pass up

foods that you know aren’t good for you.  This

way, you’ll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy

lifestyle wherever you go.

The next time you go on a vacation, always remember

that eating healthy is a way of life.  You can 

afford to get something you crave, although you

shouldn’t make a habit of it.  One ice cream 

cone or a pizza isn’t going to matter - as long as

you know when to stop.

If you go out to a restaurant to eat, you probably

watch your calories very closely.  To assist you

with your calorie watching when dining out, these

tips will help you make the most of it.

-  Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side, 

as this way you have control over how much you add

to your meal.

-  When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you

should ask that the food be grilled without butter

or oil, or prepared with very little or either or.

-  Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout

for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based

sauces.  Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat

and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted

as a vegetable!

-  You should always try to drink water, diet soda, 

or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain 

alcohol.  

-  If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half 

of the dessert will equal half of the calories.

-  When you choose a soup, remember that cream 

based soups are higher in fat and calories than

other soups.  A soup can be a great appetizer, as

most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty

fast.

-  When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead

of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon.  Salsa

is very low in calories and provides a healthy

alternative with plenty of flavor and spice.

-  When you are full, stop eating.  Listen to your

body and what it tells you.

-  If you get full, take half of your meal home.  

The second portion of your meal can serve as a second

meal later.  This way, you get two meals for the

price of one.

-  If you’re looking to eat less, order two appetizers

or an appetizer and a salad as your meal.

-  If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked

potato or steamed vegetables instead of french 

fries.  

-  Always look for food on the menu that’s baked, 

grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed.  These types

of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and

are usually much lower in calories.

-  Plain bread or rolls are low in both fat and

calories.  When you add the butter and oil, you

increase the fat and calorie intake.

-  As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes

with fruits and vegetables.  Both fruits and 

vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as 

well as many vitamins and minerals.

-  Choose foods made with whole grains, such as 

whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice.

-  If you crave dessert, look for something with 

low fat, such as berries or fruit.

-  Always remember not to deprive yourself of the

foods you truly love.  All types of foods can fit

into a well balanced diet.

A lot of studies and research has shown that kids

who eat breakfast perform better in school and 

have a healthier diet.  Eating breakfast will help

promote the proper growth and maximize school 

performance as well.  

Breakfast is often times a victim of the morning 

time crunch.  Even though you may be tempted to 

skip breakfast, you can simplify your morning 

routine by following these 8 tips:

1.  Finish homework and pack school bags

at night.

2.  Decide on what your children will 

wear to school before you go to bed and locate 

lost shoes for the following day.

3.  In the morning, get up 15 minutes

earlier.

4.  Give up computer games and morning 

television.

5.  Have healthy foods on hand.  You 

should also shop for breakfast foods with your kids

and take into account their personal preferences.

6.  Set the cereal out the night before.

For younger children, fill a zippered plastic bag

with her portion, then add the milk in the

morning.

7.  Allow your children to use the 

microwave often, as most breakfast foods can be

prepared in under 5 minutes.

8.  Allow your kids to eat in the car or

on the way to school.

There are several foods that you can eat for 

breakfast, even leftovers from supper if they 

are sufficient.  You can eat bagels, pizza with

fruit juice, pretzels, or the normal bacon and

eggs that breakfast is known for.  Most foods are

a snap to prepare, and won’t take you but a 

few minutes.

The next time you are in a hurry in the morning, 

remember that you are probably about to skip the

most important meal of the day. If you follow the

tips above, you’ll find that you have plenty of 

time for breakfast.

Grocery shopping is something we all have to do, even

though choosing the right foods can be very hard 

indeed.  To assist you with your healthy grocery

shopping, the tips below can indeed help make things

easier than ever before:

1.  Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

2.  Select canned fruits and tuna that are packed in

water, not oil or syrup.

3.  Look at the labels for the words “hydrogenated”

or “partially hydrogenated”.  The earlier you see

them appear on the list, the higher the amount of

unhealthy trans fatty acids the food will contain.

4.  Don’t buy turkey with the skin on it, and if 

you plan to buy chicken - buy a chicken breast

meal.

5.  When you select frozen dinners, select those 

that are not only low in fat, but low in sodium

and cholesterol as well.

6.  If you aren’t consuming enough dairy products,

go with calcium fortified orange juice instead.

7.  Go for whole grain breads, cereals, and rolls.

8.  Give cantaloupe a try.  With just 95 calories,

half of the melon will provide more than a day’s

supply of Vitamin C and beta carotene.

9.  Don’t be tricked into buying yogurt covered 

by nuts or raisins, as the coating is normally

made of sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

10.  Get some of the low fat treats, such as 

pretzels, ginger snaps, and angel food cake.

By following the above tips when grocery shopping,

you’ll avoid the bad foods and get those that you

need.  There are many different healthy foods at

the grocery store, all it takes is the will power

to go past the bad foods and on to the good ones.

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you

eat to keep your body in great health.  With healthy

eating, you’ll have energy all day, get the vitamins

and minerals you need, stay strong for activities

you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you’ll find tips designed to help you with

healthy eating.

1.  Don’t skip any meals

Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal

way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight.

When you skip meals and get hungry, you’re more

than likely to choose foods that aren’t very good

for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with 

you or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2.  Learn about how to prepare foods

Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying,

microwaving, baking, and even boiling.  You should

also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to 

add flavor to your food.  Before you eat any type

of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off of 

it.

3.  Avoid a lot of sugar

Drinks that contain sugar are a major source of

empty energy.  What this means, is that the drinks

contain a lot of energy that your body may not

need, and it doesn’t contain any vitamins or 

minerals.  If you plan to drink sugary drinks,

don’t go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.

4.  Avoid thinking about diets

There are no good food nor any bad foods.  All 

food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten

in moderation.  You don’t need to buy any low 

carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods

normally have lots of other added ingredients 

to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.