Drink Your Greens!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of frozen cranberries
• 1 apple (peeled)
• 1 pear
• 2 leaves of collard greens
• 1 bunch of mixed baby greens
• 3-4 mint leaves
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of coconut water
• 1 cup of ice
•  2 Scoops ThinStick™ Shake

Tart Lemon Ice Cream Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

Directions

1. Combine the lemon zest and sugar in the container of a food processor. Blend until the zest is very fine. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and milk until sugar has dissolved, then stir in the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff but not grainy. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture until evenly blended.
2. Pour the mixture into a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 3 hours, or until firm. 

Thank you, allrecipes.com 

Why Marina Loves ThinStick

"I am so grateful that you introduced me to ThinSticks. I noticed a HUGE difference as soon as I starting using them. I noticed from the very first one that my evening cravings were GONE. I often feel like I want something sweet after dinner and that night I didn’t! I noticed over the next few days that my appetite was reduced for several hours and I was able to go 3-4 hours without snacking. I am hooked and am excited to receive my next shipment."

- Marina James-Galvin, Nutrition Consultant & Personal Trainer

What's your craving personality?

1. A friend gives you a small box of exquisite chocolates. You count them and think, I can make these last for two weeks if I have one a day. Then you:

* a. Set aside a few minutes every evening to sit in your favorite chair and enjoy one piece of  chocolate. It's a great two weeks.
* b. Eat one, then later in the day, another couple. The box lasts a week.
* c. Have one, then another...whoops, it's 10 minutes later and they're gone.

2. At the last big cookout, your hosts served all kinds of salty goodness in great big salad bowls. You:

* a. Scooped some guacamole onto a plate, counted out 15 chips, and really enjoyed them.
* b. Realized, after your third handful, that you'd put away so many calories you were already into the next day's allotment, so you got yourself a glass of diet soda.
* c. Were so engrossed in conversation, you're really not sure how many you ate.

3. You're at the mall, where the air is infused with the scent of baking cinnamon buns. You're finding it very hard to resist, so you:

* a. Enjoy the smell, but hurry on to the kitchenware store.
* b. Buy one, cut it in half, and share with your shopping companion (or, if you're alone, save it for breakfast the next morning).
* c. Buy one and try to eat half, but before you've reached the kids' clothing outlet, you've eaten the whole thing.

4. You ordered a salad with grilled chicken and your friends are splitting a pizza, which looks and smells delicious. You:

* a. Enjoy your salad but ask for a few more Parmesan shavings to feed your cheese craving.

* b. Pick at the half slice your friends left.
* c. Order a slice for yourself.

5. It's been a busy week. On Friday afternoon, you're exhausted, so you:

* a. Take a brisk walk or meditate for about 10 minutes.
* b. Head down to the kitchen, cafeteria, or vending machines for a cup of coffee and some crackers and cheese.
* c. Buy a chocolate bar and eat it.

6. There's a slab of coconut layer cake in the fridge from yesterday's birthday party. You are:

* a. So busy you've completely forgotten it's there.

* b. Aware you're thinking too much about it, so you get engrossed in mah-jongg on the computer.
* c. So totally obsessed with the thought of it, you cut yourself a slice.


Scoring:

If Your Answers Were Mostly A's: You have it under control. You can safely sample $60-a-pound chocolates and still lose weight. But if you occasionally need help resisting temptation, check out the "Give In" tips.

If Your Answers Were Mostly B's: You're clearly not a mindless eater (that's good), but you sometimes bite off more than you should be chewing. You can follow the "Give In" advice unless there are particular foods that call to you. If so, familiarize yourself with the "Give It Up" tips.

If Your Answers Were Mostly C's: You have a tendency to go one truffle over the line, so you need to stick with the "Give It Up" advice until you master the tricks for staying in control.

If You Can Safely Give In...


* Have a little bit of really good stuff. You're more likely to be satisfied with a small amount of the real thing. "Otherwise, what can happen is that you say to yourself, 'I want chocolate, but I don't want the calories,'" says Joan Salge Blake, R.D., associate professor of nutrition at Boston University. "So you start with some cocoa, then go on to other foods that don't satisfy your craving, and you end up having the chocolate anyway."

* Never eat a treat by itself. Feed your yen for chips, but have only a few with a low-fat dip (like hummus or a yogurt-dill mix). Include something healthy and low-calorie, too, like red pepper strips and celery, recommends Susan Roberts, Ph.D., director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University. Filling out your snack will help you resist downing a bag of chips. And the veggies are full of fiber, which will make you feel full — all for a few calories.

* Go the distance. Don't keep treats in the house. "It's like living in a bakery," says Blake. "You won't be able to resist them." If you really want something special, go to the store and buy a snack-size amount — just one small pack of cookies or chips.

* Clear your palate. Once you've had your little taste, have a drink of water or brush your teeth, suggests weight-loss coach Janice Taylor. "If the taste of that food lingers in your mouth, it will trigger more eating."

* Schedule your delights. Plan your daily menu, and include a couple of 100- to 150-calorie treats. A group of dieters in Roberts's program not only gained more control over their trigger foods doing this, but also lost, on average, 22 pounds in 16 weeks on a 1,400-calorie diet. "Even people who thought they'd never be able to eat chocolate again lost 20 pounds while occasionally indulging," says Roberts.

If You Need to Give It Up...

* Tap your forehead. It may sound woo-woo, but there's science behind this five-second trick to displace your craving thoughts. Since the working memory is small, you can crowd out your food desires by placing the five fingers of one hand on your forehead, spaced slightly apart, and then, at intervals of a second, tapping each finger while looking upward and watching it. You may need to do some reps "until your thoughts go elsewhere," says Roberts.

* Walk for 15 minutes. That's how long it took for a group of 25 chocoholics to exercise off their desire for a chocolate bar. And their resistance was severely tested: In the University of Exeter study, the scientists had teased the subjects with mental challenges (stress triggers cravings) and an actual chocolate bar — which participants had to unwrap.

* Take a whiff of mint. A study at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia found that people who sniffed peppermint periodically throughout the day ate 2,800 fewer calories during the week. "When you focus on the scent, your attention is driven away from cravings," says psychologist Bryan Raudenbush, Ph.D. (Peppermint inhalers are available at sportsinhaler.com and in sporting-goods stores — mint also can improve athletic performance — for about $10.)

* Call a friend. Studies in rats suggest that eating comfort food reduces stress response, which may explain why turmoil sends you to the kitchen for your best friend, cookie. "It does help you temporarily," says diet expert Elizabeth Somer, R.D., "but better to vent with a girlfriend. That always works."

* Be at peace with your cravings. A study done at Drexel University found that people who'd been taught to use techniques similar to mindfulness meditation were better able to resist a treat — in this case, a package of Hershey's Kisses — than those who didn't have the training. Mindfulness teaches that thoughts are just thoughts and don't require any rush to judgment or to action. "If you try to make them go away, all your focus is on the food," says researcher Evan Forman, Ph.D. "But if you just exist with the thought, it loses its power." One way to make that easier: Think about what you want out of life that feeding your craving might deny you. To be fit enough to hike with your kids? Slim enough to wear a slinky red dress to your cousin's wedding? "Identifying what's ultimately important to you will allow that goal to direct your behavior, rather than a food craving," says Forman.

* Never be hungry. That's the other lesson from the Roberts program in which participants lost weight while still enjoying their favorite foods. And it's the one tip that will allow you to go from depriving to indulging yourself — even having chocolate every day if you like — without fear of bingeing. "If you eat the right foods, you won't be hungry," says Roberts. "The people in my program were eating three meals a day with two snacks, and almost 100 percent of them said their cravings weren't bothering them anymore." Won't it feel nice to finally get that Chunky Monkey off your back?

Article found at http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/conquer-your-food-cravings
Picture found at www.younglivin.org.uk/.../binge_eating.htm

Appetite Thermostat

All of us at one point or another, have been told that if we overeat, we stretch our stomach out. So then what's our next step? We consume less, thinking the opposite effect will take place, that is, our stomach will shrink. Well guess what, neither one of these ideas are true! Take a look at your fist, what you are seeing is about the size of your stomach.

"Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably," -Michelle May, MD.

"Once you are an adult, your stomach pretty much remains the same size -- unless you have surgery to intentionally make it smaller. Eating less won't shrink your stomach, but it can help to reset your "appetite thermostat" so you won't feel as hungry, and it may be easier to stick with your eating plan. - Mark Moyad, MD

Let ThinStick help you reset your "appetite thermostat" and stick with a reasonable, healthy eating plan!

Healthy Eating

*The word "diet" just means eating healthy and lower calorie meals.
By: Mayo Clinic Staff

"Your weight is a balancing act and calories are part of that equation. Fad diets may promise you that counting carbs or eating a mountain of grapefruit will make the pounds drop off. But when it comes to weight loss, it's calories that count. Weight loss comes down to reducing extra calories from food and beverages and increasing calories burned through physical activity. (ThinStick helps to control your appetite so you can keep your calories under contol. ThinStick completly supports a healthy diet and also regular exercise)

Once you understand that equation, you're ready to set your weight-loss goals and make a plan for reaching them. Remember, you don't have to do it alone. Talk to your doctor, family and friends for support. Also, plan smart: Anticipate how you'll handle situations that challenge your resolve and the inevitable minor setbacks.
If you have serious health problems because of your weight, your doctor may suggest weight-loss surgery or medications for you. In this case, you and your doctor will need to thoroughly discuss the potential benefits and the possible risks.
But don't forget the bottom line: The key to successful weight loss is a commitment to making permanent changes in your diet and exercise habits."

When changing your diet for the better ask yourself if it...

• Includes foods from the major food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein sources, nuts and seeds
• Includes proper amounts of nutrients and calories to help you maintain a healthy weight
• Includes foods you like and can easily find in your local grocery store
• Fits your lifestyle and budget

Cabbage Anyone?

Cabbage

Nutrients: 1 cup shredded cabbage has 18 calories, 2 g fiber, 43% DV vitamin C, 8% DV folate

Health benefits: Cabbage is one of the highest sources of glucosinolates, compounds found to inhibit tumor growth. Specifically, lower rates of colorectal, prostate, lung, breast and ovarian cancers have been found in those who eat the most cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage.

Quick-prep ideas: Combine shredded red and green cabbage with lemon juice, olive oil, and your favorite spices for a healthier version of traditional coleslaw.
Or saute shredded cabbage in olive oil until soft and translucent. Next remove from heat and top with chopped, toasted walnuts and sesame seeds.

What to look for: Firm, dense cabbage heads with crisp, shiny leaves. Should have no cracks or bruises.

Where primarily grown: New York, Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, California

http://health.slides.kaboose.com/217-feel-good-foods-wonderful-winter-food/9

Frequent Migraines??

The more news and articles I read regarding health, the more I realize that it really all comes down to eating, sleeping, and exercising. All help prevent disease, health conditions and obesity. They can determine your mood and the way you treat those around you. So eat right, sleep the right amount, and exercise daily.

THE HEADACHE-FREE DIET:

• Eliminate tryamine-containing foods known to trigger headaches, such as herring, organ meats, aged cheeses, peanuts and peanut butter, fermented sausages, such as bologna, and pepperoni, chocolate, sauerkraut, and alcoholic beverages.


• Avoid caffeine-containing beverages, misuse of alcohol, and tobacco smoke.


• Eat frequent, small nutrient-packed meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and other "real" foods, and low in fat, and processed foods.


• Limit ice cream, since it can trigger migraines in some people. migraine sufferers also should avoid drinking icy cold beverages, which stimulate the nerve center at the back of the palate that controls blood flow to the head.


• Fasting, or even allowing more than five hours to elapse between meals, can trigger a migraine attack.


• Get regular and adequate sleep.

- Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.