Ever heard of the “5 Bite Diet“?

This isn’t a new diet on the market, but it’s been bugging me for a while.

It seems there’s no end to the fad diet madness!

And, people really seem to be sucked in by its approach. Personally, I can’t understand why–but perhaps I’m too biased to understand.

In his book, “Why Weight Around,” Dr Lewis recommends this approach to weight loss:

• Drink as much of anything you want, as long as it doesn’t contain calories.
• Take 5 bites of any food at lunch.
• Take 5 bites of any food at dinner.
• Take one multi-vitamin every day.
• Eat a bit of protein a day “on average.”

Sounds pretty simple, right?

Well, I’m hungry just thinking about it!

But, alas, the good doc says after three days on his diet, you will no longer be hungry. Then, once you’ve reached your goal weight you can go back to eating normally. 

If you want to hear what Dr Lewis has to say, here’s an interview with Gregory Mantell:

He encourages people to eat Snickers bars for their meals–need I say ANY more?

All I can think right now is “QUACK!”

Well, I’d love to hear from you guys, what do you think of this diet? Could it lead to an eating disorder? Or, do you think it would be an effective way to kick-start your weight loss?

Please share your insights and knowledge…

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to lose the fat around your middle, you need to think again.  

There’s no question your health and overall appearance will improve once your stomach fat is reduced.

But, assuming you want to get in shape by learning how to eat healthy, focusing on losing belly fat is the wrong thing to pivot on.

Here’s why…

1. You can’t lose belly fat
That’s right – the notion that certain foods and exercises target your belly fat is a persistent myth.

The claim that it’s possible to spot-reduce body fat comes from fad diets, and bogus claims on diet pill bottles.

In reality, spot-reduction of stomach fat is only possible if you opt for liposuction, or some other form of cosmetic surgery, which isn’t something I would recommend doing.

So, if it isn’t impossible to get rid of belly fat by doing abdominal crunches and eating cabbage soup – what can you do?

• First of all, instead of trying to figure out how to lose belly fat, focus on making healthy food choices.
• Don’t think about what you can’t eat, but focus on the positive – what you can eat.
• Consume a wide variety of vegetables and fiber-rich fruits (berries are excellent), lean proteins (wild fish, grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, and poultry), healthy fats, and some whole grains.

2. Get moving
While you don’t need fancy exercise programs to get in shape – you don’t even need to go to the gym, in my opinion – you do need to be active.

Obviously, there are many ways to stay active, and if you have a favorite activity which keeps you off the couch, stick with it. If you don’t, walking is a great option. Aim for at least 30 minutes three times a week.

Daily, moderate-intensity exercise is the best way to reduce belly fat, because when you lose weight and tone your muscles, your belly fat will start to reduce too.

Some research suggests exercising with weights may be effective in trimming stomach fat. So, it could be worthwhile adding into your exercise routine as well.

3. Don’t focus on numbers
As you lose weight, your stomach size will decrease, but don’t be tempted to focus on the numbers. It’s so easy to jump on the scale every morning to check if you’ve lost anything, but it’s really enough to check your weight once a week.

If you haven’t lost any weight in a week, or maybe even gained a few pounds back, don’t panic. Your body needs time to adjust and adapt to your new eating habits and activity levels, which takes time.

Actually, it’s perfectly normal for your body to take a breather from losing weight for a week or so. Check out this article on weight loss plateau.

4. Believe in yourself
Remember, you don’t need a New Year’s resolution to get in shape – you can shape up on your own terms, anytime you want.

Believe that your body will treat you well if you take good care of it, by eating nutritious foods and being a little more active than normal.

This is a guest post by Jennifer O’Neill

sxc.hu: pnijhuis

Can you remember times when your mum harped on about being home for dinner on time? 

She had good reason to–children’s eating patterns are formed by the time they reach 12 years old. And, family dinners are the perfect way to set healthy habits for years to come.

Unfortunately, as we grow older, our habits become more and more difficult to change. So, now is the perfect time to set healthy habits for your children.

A Harvard study found that families who eat together are twice as likely to get five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, compared with families who don’t.

Those who ate together also consumed fewer fried food and soda, and less saturated and trans fats. They also got more fiber, calcium, folate, iron and several other nutrients.

Pretty interesting stuff!

Do you try to make family dinners a daily event in your home?

If your excuse is, “I’ve no time,” sorry–that simply won’t cut it!

The study pointed out the older children were, the less often they ate dinner with their parents. So, putting things off, may eventually mean you won’t be able to do anything to help your kids, even if you did want to.

Right now is the perfect time to act.

If you simply don’t know where to begin, here are a few tips:

Your main aim here is to make eating together fun and interesting…

#1 Involve your children
Pretty basic stuff, but get your children involved in the process wherever you can.

Granted, it’ll probably take you much longer than before. But, I think it’s a worthy investment, don’t you?

Your children can be involved in making decisions about what to eat, helping you shop, cook, and set the table.

Supermarkets, farmers markets and butchers shops are fantastic places for kids to see and learn about the different foods they eat.

If your children are young, they could perhaps help at home by stirring, or tearing up lettuce leaves. Older children may be able to chop, with your help, or arrange the table, etc.

#2 Play games
Are your kids stuck in a rut, eating the same foods all the time?

Try coaxing them to move beyond their old favorites with fun games, such as highlighting the favorite foods of each family member.

Or, how about combining eating with a geography lesson?

Why not put a map up in your kitchen and then mark off the countries from which you’ve tasted their culinary delights?

Here’s a few examples:

• Pita bread from the Middle East, chapatis from India and East Africa, rye bread from Sweden, baguettes from France.
• Then there’s pizza and pasta from Italy, haggis from Scotland, curries from India and Thailand, kangaroo from Australia. 
• Or, how about trying new and exciting fruits: cape gooseberries, dragon fruit or custard apples anyone?
• Perhaps you’d prefer collard greens or rutabaga???  
• If you’re really up for a challenge, go for the slightly query-some option of seaweed. (Interesting, but useless fact: dulse is actually extremely popular here in Northern Ireland!)

Anyway, I could go on, but I think you get my idea.

For a fascinating insight into what the world eats in pictures from, Time.com have put together a three part series, What the world eats, part 1, What the world eats, part 2, and What the world eats, part 3.

#3 Food group countdown
Get your whole family competing to see how many different foods they can eat from each food group during the day/week.

Your children may like to make a poster of the pyramid as a fun way to teach them about healthy eating, and also to keep a tally of everyones scores during the week.

The goal is to get everyone in your family to add more variety and balance to their diet. Perhaps you can celebrate with family workout, or a trip to the park.

#4 Tasting session
Have a family tasting party to introduce new foods to everyone. 

Try out some different foods, such as papayas, cherries, mango and raspberries. You can encourage everyone to take part by asking questions about the new flavours, colours, textures, and smells.

#5 Family catchup
Dinnertime shouldn’t be about gobbling up what’s on your plate, while slouching in front of the TV! Make it a chance to catch up with your partner and your kids, and show you care about what’s going on in their life.

What happened in their day? What did they learn? Is anything bothering them?

What are your tips for keeping family dinners a family time? Do you find getting everyone together a challenge?

sxc.hu: trublueboy

Do you feel, as I do, that health and fitness are often made to seem too complex?

It’s something that really irks me!

I’m sure I’ve said it here before, but it’s as if people refuse to be content with the simple message of healthy eating. To some, fad diets are the only way… which unfortunately isn’t helped by mainstream media.

Grrrr……

If you read lots of health blogs and magazines, you’ll be well aware of the confusing mix of advice, it’s enough to put your head in a spin.

One crowd will tell you not to eat carbs. Another will tell you raw is the only way. Yet another group will say eggs, butter and sausages should be the mainstay of your diet.

Then they’ll say running is good for you. Oh wait… no, it’s bad for your knees! Actually, weight lifting is the best way to get into shape.

And, don’t even start me on the exact proportions of your pre and post workout meals!

On and on it goes…

Personally, I believe such complexities are often a way of masking some really simple truths. Here’s an example–if you want to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit.

Yep, it’s REALLY as simple as that!

One things for sure, all this confusion certainly doesn’t inspire me to change my habits. In fact, it’s more likely to make me give up at the first whiff of uncertainty.

The good news is however, fitness doesn’t have to be a big complex deal.

Here are 2 simple rules, to make your life easier, healthier, and more stress free than ever:

#1 Eat a moderate amount of whole foods most of the time.

#2 Move your body regularly.

Isn’t that simple?

I think that’s pretty inspiring, if I do say so myself!

Surely this helps you to see getting healthier isn’t completely, utterly and totally out of your reach?

I certainly believe if we could stick to these two rules, we’d see a vast improvement in our health.

Make it your goal to do both most days of the week, and you’re well on your way.

• Try to eat whole foods most of the time, that are as close to their natural state as possible.
• This means a diet of processed junk food it out! No more refined, sugary, fatty morsels. 
• Your diet should focus mainly on vegetables, fruits, fish, lean meats, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds.
• Cooking at home most of the time will also help. Convenience foods are a no-go area in my book! Make it yourself, for a cheaper, far tastier and healthier meal.
• Also, stop eating so much! Reduce your portions and you’ll feel so much better.
• Try to do some kind of physical activity most days of the week, whether it’s dancing, housework, yard work, hiking, biking, whatever. 
• Just make your workout vigorous enough to get your heart rate up, and you’ll be doing something good. 
• Oh and enjoy yourself, if you possibly can!

So you see, it really is possible to be fit and healthy without the need for confusion, or silly diet plans.

Please share… what are your simple health tips?

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sxc.hu: obyvatel

It’s now 3 months since Elissa came into the world, and I’m so glad breastfeeding has worked out for us.

It’s certainly taken a lot of hard work and dedication to the cause. But, it’s also been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Something I’ve learnt is that when you breastfeed, you need to be prepared for others to voice their opinions on what you’re doing.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons breastfeeding rates are so low, I’m not sure!

Recently Lila was discussing the low numbers of breastfeeding mums on her blog. She pointed to stats from The Office for National Statistics which recorded: 

“Only 35 per cent of UK babies are being exclusively breastfed at one week, 21 per cent at six weeks, 7 per cent at four months, and 3 per cent at five months.”

But, why are breastfeeding rates so low, despite well-documented evidence of the benefits?

I totally agree with what Lila said. She thinks the reason for these low figures is the societal attitudes towards breastfeeding.

To me, the ability to feed my baby is a God given gift — this is exactly how God created us as women — and therefore breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world.

However, many people do not view it this way. And, in todays society, the women’s body has become more of a sex symbol, than anything else.

As a result, it seems many women are weaning their babies from the breast much earlier than they would like; the social pressures are simply too much.

According to an Australian survey, one in four Australians think breastfeeding in public is unacceptable (I’m sure these results represent similar views in the UK too). 

Apparently, people think the most unwelcome places to breastfeed are in a church, at work, in cafes or restaurants, and in a shopping centre. 

I have to say I’ve breastfed in all of the above places, without any negativity (that I noticed, at least).

Personally, I believe breastfeeding should be a normal part of everyday life. So, why is it okay to make women feel they are doing something wrong by breastfeeding their child in public?

In the early days, I was concerned about leaving home with Elissa in case she became hungry — I wondered if I could feed her in public places, without feeling completely embarrassed.

I’ve since learned to care little about those around me. My baby comes first!

In the UK, the law states:

1) There is not, and never has been, any law that prohibits a woman from breastfeeding a child of any age in public, for example in a cafe.

2) The 1975 Sexual Discrimination Act created legal protection for a woman under the provision of goods, facilities and services section. This protection covered a woman breastfeeding a child, of any age, by implication, and meant that she could not be discriminated against for breastfeeding in places such as restaurants, cafes, surgeries, libraries etc.

Here is a summary of breastfeeding laws in America.

Regardless of what the law states however, we do sometimes find ourselves a little anxious about feeding in public places.

Here are a few tips I’ve found helpful to overcome the public breastfeeding challenge:

• Realize the benefits of breastfeeding, and be happy that you are doing something good for your little one.
• Master the art of breastfeeding in public — dress appropriately with loser clothing, and work out how to adjust your clothing quickly and discretely. I find wearing two tops really helpful to keep myself covered up.
• Use a light shawl or blanket over your shoulder, if necessary.
• Act naturally and don’t wait until your baby becomes extremely hungry, as this will draw attention to the process. 
• Ignore any negative looks or comments — if people don’t like what you’re doing, they should look away!

What are your thoughts on public breastfeeding? Perhaps negative comments have prevented you from leaving home? Or, have you stopped breastfeeding early due to unhelpful attitudes?

Alternatively, you may have had a wonderfully positive experience, we’d love to hear your success stories too…

Along the same lines:

• Pregnancy: Are You Really Eating for Two?
• Breastfeeding Nutrition: What You Need to Know
• New Guidelines: Peanuts in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding