Eating healthy — sure we’d all like to, but who the heck has the time? Grabbing an on-the-go meal is simply a much more feasible option when you’re always, well, on the go. The downside of that option, however, is the consumption of too many calories, unhealthy fats, and fast-digesting carbs. Sounds to me like it’s time to make time for eating healthy.

Weight Watchers magazine offers some easy, time-saving tips for whipping up a healthy meal in a pinch. Here are a few you can use for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast Time-Saver. Hard boil five eggs on Sunday evening (they’ll last one week in the fridge), and portion one-cup servings of cereal in plastic bags. Each morning, just grab an egg and a cereal bag for a fast and satisfying breakfast you can eat on the run.

Lunch Time-Saver. Double your dinner recipes, then reinvent leftovers for a lunch you can eat on the fly the next day. Grilled chicken can become chicken salad (simply add low-fat mayo, celery, and diced apple). A turkey burger can be ground up and repurposed as a turkey taco salad by tossing the meat with romaine, black beans, salsa, and vegetables.

Dinner Time-Saver. When shopping, look for convenience foods that are high in fiber and low in preservatives, calories, and unhealthy fats. Whole grain pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, frozen vegetables, and frozen fruit without added sugar, are all great fast-lane options.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) (a goverment body) worked alongside the Department of Health to set strict criteria. The restaurant chains and catering companies taking part must:

• Show the number of calories in each portion in writing that is clear and at least as prominent as the name or price of the product
• Display calorie information for most of the food and drink they serve
• Print calorie information on menu boards, paper menus or on the edge of shelves

The FSA lauds the eighteen companies as “trailblazers” and says:

The list … includes workplace caterers, sit-down and quick-service restaurants, theme parks and leisure attractions, pub restaurants, cafes and sandwich chains.

(You can find the full list on the FSA’s site, Restaurants and caterers to display calories on menus.)

It’s particularly good news to see work canteens signed up to the scheme, with recent reports that desk jobs are partially responsible for rising obesity rates. The list also includes ISS Mediclean who supply a number of hospital restaurants in London: encouraging, as hospital restaurants are often criticised for not providing enough healthy options for visitors.

As Tim Smith (CEO of the FSA) says, the aim is to make sure that consumers have all the information they need to make a healthy choice:

Our aim is to ensure that consumers have better information so they can make informed choices to improve their diet when eating out, whether that is a snack on-the-go, a meal in a staff restaurant or at a table being served by a waiter.

And just for fun (not for a “what to eat” guide!) The Guardian has published The Pizza That Could Feed You For Two Days … which includes details of a 4,392 calorie pizza and a 2,130 calorie burger.

This makes the exercise advice published by the National Institute of Aging (NIA, one of the Institutes that makes up the NIH) a welcome breath of reality.

People of all ages can, do, and should exercise. In the introduction to the new guide, Senator John Glenn says:

I am pleased to recommend Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging as an excellent manual for anyone who wants to take those first steps toward an active lifestyle. … This guide contains valuable information about how exercise and proper nutrition are crucial for staying healthy as we age and provides useful tips on establishing and maintaining a regular exercise program.

The guide is written in everyday language by doctors and experts at the institute. There are five chapters in the guide, and it’s available for free online, from the NIA: Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging. It covers:

• What Can Exercise Do For Me?
• Is It Safe For Me To Exercise?
• How to Keep Going
• Sample Exercises
• How Am I Doing?
• What Should I Eat?

The authors of the guide emphasise how exercise contributes to a better quality of life:

Research suggests that growing older does not mean you have to lose your strength and ability to do everyday tasks and the things you enjoy doing. But an inactive lifestyle does mean that you probably will lose some of your strength and ability, and that you will be at higher risk for diseases and disabilities.

If you find that most exercise advice is tailored to people younger than yourself, or if you know someone older who might appreciate this guide, check it out.

Tom Venuto: “Mainly, it’s not a diet book at all. It’s not a bunch of recipes and menus. My new book was designed more to help you stick with whatever nutrition and training programs you choose and make them an effortless part of your daily lifestyle.

Most of your readers already know they should eat more fruits and vegetables, eat lean protein, get enough fiber and eat healthy fats. Simple stuff. The question is, do you easily stay motivated to follow healthy eating habits with enough compliance to get the results you want, or do you find yourself blowing it on weekends, giving in to cravings, falling off the schedule when traveling, eating when stressed, or doing anything else that sabotages an already good nutrition plan?

That is what separates The Body Fat Solution from other books on the shelves. You learn about the emotional, psychological and even social (how people influence you) aspects of “staying on the wagon.”

To make this a total lifestyle program, I did include one concise chapter on nutrition and extensive food lists in the appendix so you know what to eat and how to categorize the foods. I also included a strength training and cardio program. But in this book, I teach “Principles” not fancy or advanced diet tactics or strict calorie-counting and number crunching. It’s very different from the by-the-numbers approach of my first book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle and for a much broader audience.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a “fluffy” book. It’s scientific and was meticulously researched, even the behavioral, psychological and sociological aspects.”

Editor: “You are a respected natural bodybuilder - known for having incredible motivation and discipline. Do you think you can truly identify with the average man or woman who struggles in this area?”

Tom Venuto: “I already do. And they identify with me as soon as they get to know me and my personal background. One of the responses I’ve heard over and over again from my readers, customers and members is that when they heard I was actually a lot like them, not only could they identify with me, but that’s what motivated them to read my book, start my program and change their lives.

Today I’m a successful fitness professional, author of two books and natural bodybuilder with 28 competitions under my belt. I keep my bodyfat under 10% all year round and drop as low as 3.5-5% for competitions. But it wasn’t always that way. When I was a freshman in high school, I was on the chubby side and was embarrassed to take my shirt off for swimming class. So I took up weight training and put on about 25 pounds of muscle and lost most of the fat during high school.

Then I went to college and discovered beer… and pizza, and cheese fries and subs… and I got fat again. Only it was worse than before because by then I was a self-proclaimed weight lifter and amateur bodybuilder, so my college buddies made fun of me. They called me “fat boy” or “beer belly” or “Bob’s Big Boy” (home of the famous big boy sandwich). I just laughed at myself right along with them, but the truth is, I was silently humiliated.

It all changed when my other group of friends – my buddies from the gym – encouraged me to compete in a bodybuilding competition. That’s when I learned the type of nutrition and training it took to reach low single digit body fat for the first time. It was not easy because I felt that I had the “endomorph” body type where anything I did wrong, I paid the price for it and gained fat overnight. But I did it. I competed at age 20 while I was still in college and things were never the same after I became a competitive bodybuilder.

So, I’ve never been seriously overweight, but I can relate to what it’s like to hate your body, what it’s like to have trouble losing fat and even what it’s like to be in shape and then get fat again.”

Editor: “You have an expanded section on emotional eating. Could you briefly outline some of the key points for us?”

Tom Venuto: “Emotional eating is eating for the wrong reasons, and the danger is you usually don’t even know its happening. It’s unconscious behavior.

The right reason to eat most of the time is for physiological needs such as providing nutrients, delivering cellular and muscular building material and for fuel. But most people eat for all kinds of reasons that have nothing to do with physical hunger or physical needs. They eat because they’re bored, tired, depressed, lonely, and especially when they’re stressed.

People also eat for social reasons, to celebrate, as a reward, and sometimes for no reason at all – you eat mindlessly like in front of the TV or wander to the refrigerator late at night just because it became a habit .

The solution to emotional eating is to understand the right reasons for eating and ingrain them into your belief systems and into your mind subconsciously. The big reason to eat is for FUEL. Food is fuel. Food is for energy. Another reason for eating is building material. You are what you eat. No matter how cliched’ that statement has become, you can’t say it enough times. You are what you eat, literally. Food is also for nourishment – it gives you every nutrient you need. Food is the best medicine. Food is a cure. Imagine if you thought about food this way and you ate for those reasons instead of the reasons most people eat. You would have an amazing body and spectacular health wouldn’t you? You’d also never have to worry about disordered eating because you’d realize that food is not something to fear; food is not the problem; high quality food is actually the solution.

The starting point of fixing this is to increase your awareness. You have to pay attention, be a conscious eater, or to borrow a concept from Zen, practice mindfulness. . This way you can catch yourself and that gives you time to pause and think before you act. I elaborate on this more with a 5-part formula for beating emotional eating in chapter four of The Body Fat Solution”

Editor: “In your previous downloadable book Burn the Fat - you espoused a program of frequent eating (5-6) meals a day, and high amounts of cardio training (along with a regular strength training program). Is this something you still advocate - or is there a different approach for the Body Fat Solution?”

Tom Venuto: “I absolutely advocate the 5-6 meal per day, carefully calculated macronutrients and calories, strength training and cardio training approach. Basically that philosophy is: eat more, burn more; Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. It’s the bodybuilding - fitness - figure method of improving body composition. It’s how I achieved the condition I reached in 28 competitions and it’s how thousand of my success story clients reached their goals. It works so well that I would never change a thing in my own personal approach.

But after many years of working with a wider range and larger number of clients, with different personalities, who were not bodybuilders, I realized that all they needed was a handful of daily behavior changes and a shift in mindset. I could create the most scientific, sophisticated and effective nutrition program in the world, but if someone can’t follow it, because it doesn’t suit their lifestyle or personal disposition, that’s not very helpful.

So instead of just recognizing the physiological type of individuality from person to person, I looked at the differences in lifestyle and created this new program to accommodate people with every day challenges like high stress, lack of time, emotional eating and sporadic motivation. I used the 80-20 principle which says that 20% of your actions will give you 80% of your results. The rest is minutia. So for the average person, let’s just get those fundamentals in place first and not worry about the small stuff. That’s enough to get you 80% of the way there. You want to be in the top 5%? Then you’ll have to join me with a more regimented program

But with the new approach I took in The Body Fat Solution, it’s one of the most flexible programs that you will ever find on bookstore shelves. No dogma. Or, as one reviewer said, “It’s not a program that looks like it came out of the third Reich!” Anyone can do it. It really is a lifestyle.”

The Body Fat Solution is available from Amazon for $16.47

What we tend to forget is that this goes for our eyes as well. If we only eat burgers and fries, we wouldn’t be doing much for our eyes’ well-being. Thankfully, nowadays we know what we have to get into our system to maintain perfect vision.

Let’s take a closer look at what we can eat to stay as healthy as possible. Who knows – we might even be able to avoid having to use contact lenses or glasses.

Eye Friendly Foods

It is, of course, a good idea to discuss this issue with an eye doctor, but a simple rule of thumb to keep in mind is to try eating a rainbow of colorful foods (naturally-colored, that is). For example, food that contains antioxidants can help you in avoiding age-related macular degeneration or in the worst case scenario, blindness.

First of all, you have to eat enough Vitamin A. If you’ve ever felt as if your vision gets blurry at night it might be a result of Vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A can be found in vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

When we start to get close to 40 years old, it’s not unusual to have issues with glaucoma. That’s yet another sign that you haven’t been getting enough Vitamin A.

The other vitamin that is crucial for good vision Vitamin C. It can, for example, prevent you from getting a cataract, a clouding of the eye, which is an eye disease that is becoming increasingly common. If you have diabetes, you also risk getting an edema of the retina if you don’t eat enough Vitamin C. Good sources for this are citrus fruits, rose hip, and various berries.

Omega 3 fatty acids are also of high importance for healthy vision and it can be found in salmon, mackerel, flaxseed, and walnuts.

So, if you want healthy eyes and are not sure what to eat for dinner, why not eat a colorful salad and serve it with salmon? If you do, you will treat your eyes with the best natural eye care possible.

Contributed by Anders Wedin, Optician

However, the vast majority of this research uses prolonged cycling despite evidence to suggest that CHO supplementation is most effective within intermittent exercise.

Consequently, this article will consider the effectiveness of energy drinks in relation to high-intensity intermittent exercise.

Diet & Supplementation – Do athletes need both sources of carbohydrates?

Some argue that CHO should be obtained from a balanced diet and indeed CHO from an appropriate diet is an integral factor in an athlete’s (re)fueling. However, energy drinks generally require less digestion than food minimizing disruption of blood flow to active muscles.

They are also able to deliver fuel quicker to the active muscles and are less likely to cause stomach problems before/during exercise. In addition consuming an energy drink limits the use of muscle glycogen stores by gradually delivering ‘top-up’ energy which is important as muscle & liver glycogen stores are limited and thus supplementary CHO is one way of obtaining extra fuel.

Carbohydrate Supplementation and Intermittent Exercise – Is it as good as the manufacturers say it is?

Pivotal research evaluating a energy drinks and intermittent running capacity was completed in 1995. 9 males completed the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Protocol (LIST), a pattern of intermittent running similar to that of soccer, basketball or field hockey. Participants who drank a 6.9% CHO drink ran for 33% longer during part 2 of the LIST as opposed to the placebo.

However, when you examine the evidence carefully, you will notice that, in reality people will not consume the energy drink in the same pattern to those in the experiment. Therefore, although the drink does work in certain circumstances, it is unlikely to work to the level that is widely promoted by the manufacturers.

Supplementation and Optimal Performance

In summary, there is evidence that highlights the effectiveness of ingesting CHO for high-intensity intermittent exercise, both pre and during exercise. However, it should be pointed out that consuming energy drinks does not guarantee enhanced performance. In reality performance is a complex mix of factors of which nutritional intervention, and hence increasing exercise capacity is just one part.

Indeed, whilst the marketing pressure by the sports nutrition industry promotes the widely held belief that intake of dietary supplements is an essential part of optimal performance, research highlights that supplementary CHO only provided performance benefits in 2 out of 3 cases. Therefore, both athletes and coaches need to examine the appropriate literature and construct a nutritional strategy that is most likely to help optimize performance, which may or may not include utilizing CHO-based energy drinks.

Written By Matt Higgins

Getting a workout partner is the best way to convince yourself to go outside and get some exercise. When you have a friend you can depend on, working out becomes much more exciting.

Have you ever noticed that everywhere you go and see people exercising, they have a partner? Go to the track, the park or the gym and you will see people working out together.

The main problem you may run into when searching for a partner is finding someone who shares the same commitment and enthusiasm as you. This can be one of the biggest barriers when it comes to working out. However, there is one partner that you can always depend on to be ready to exercise whenever you are, your pet.

Your Pet As Your Partner

Exercising with your pet is the perfect way to stay in shape. A healthy dog is always ready, willing, and anxious to go for a run, play ball, or even a hearty walk. They will never be too tired or too busy to spend time playing with you. This should give you encouragement and make you more enthusiastic about getting outside to enjoy the fresh air.

You’ll quickly realize that when working out with your dog it doesn’t matter what you do. You can spend time in the backyard, visit the park, or go for a long walk on the beach where they can run and stretch their legs. Dogs provide comfort when you’re sad, companionship when you feel lonely, and they make one of the best exercise partners you could ever find.

Tips and Suggestions

When looking for tips about exercising with your dog there isn’t much to say other than get up and start moving. Your pet doesn’t care where you go; all he cares about is the fact that you are spending time with him. If you can go for a walk on the beach or a stroll through the park, that’s perfect. If not, try walking around the block or playing right in your own backyard.

If your pet is large enough you can teach him how to play Frisbee. If there is a place to go swimming (that allows dogs) in your area, it’s also an excellent activity to share together.

Ideally jogging with your dog would be the perfect activity, but throwing the ball is also a great one. When running with your pet they’ll normally stay at your pace, although they can run much faster. A dog has lots of stamina and can really move when they want to. Knowing this can be an incentive for you to push a little harder each day to see how much you can improve.

The Bottom Line

Exercising is necessary to maintain a strong healthy body. For many people it’s hard to be enthusiastic about working out or even going for a walk, but a dog can change that. They can provide you with the encouragement and the motivation needed to get you off the couch and get moving. Their eagerness to run and play will get you excited. Before long you’ll be looking forward to the activities you share together. There’s no one better than man’s best friend.

About the Author

John Bolt is the publisher of the website www.goldendoodletime.com. He shares his experiences and information about things such as dog crate training, grooming, and other health issues for dogs. His wife Carolee and dog Daly, an F1 goldendoodle are his biggest supporters and constant companions in everything his does.

The purpose of the book is to provide basic information and skills necessary for attaining a healthy weight range. It is centered on behavior change and does not go into specific eating or exercise guidelines. Goldman outlines a 10 step approach that covers everything from willpower and stress management to social networks and addictive behavior.

The book is filled with some very useful information and tools to help build the psychological armor people will need for long term success. Most weight loss books do not address this all-important issue and for this reason alone, this book is stands above most others that I’ve seen in the category of “weight management”.

Strengths of the Book

• Non-faddish, simple and succinct information that most anyone can follow.
• One of the book’s highlights was the section on willpower and self-change. Goldman introduces concepts such as “willpower fatigue” and relates our willpower to our muscles in that it gets stronger when we exercise it.
• An impacting section on emotional eating and binging. He gets into why we are prone to it and how to break away from the cycle.
• He provides some pretty sound basic information on portion control, exercise the reality of dieting and where to find decent information on the subjects.
• The information in the book is very current, with many references from within the year.

Weaknesses of the Book

• While I have high praise for the simplicity of the book, it comes across to me as being a little too clinical. With all the great information on changing behavior, I think there is more room for some inspiring dialogue
• Although Goldman only gets into the basics of exercise and diet, perhaps a little more information may be warranted to leave the reader with a little better stepping stone on how to proceed.

Final Thoughts

This is a very important book for anyone who is serious about making healthy living a lifelong pursuit. I would classify Weight Management for your Life as a book to read BEFORE you follow another program. This book will not be enough for those looking for dietary and/or exercise strategies.

All in all I think this book will serve as a great primer to help people develop positive habits towards attaining and maintaining healthy weight. But like anything else, you have to be willing to learn and apply the strategies.

Reviewed by Mike Howard