Friday, February 11, 2011

The Best Foods to Eat in Any Situation


You know you're supposed to eat healthy, which is no problem when you've got plenty of time on your hands. But what about on those difficult days, when you're on your way to the gym, slammed at work or battling a late-night snack craving? Read on to discover six common situations and the best foods dietitians and nutritionists recommend you nosh on.



Before a Workout
Whether you work out first thing in the morning or after work, you don't want to go to the gym on an empty stomach. "Before a workout, you want carbohydrates to fuel your muscles," says Ursula Whitney, RD, president of North Shore Nutrition Consultants in Danvers, Massachusetts. That means an English muffin with peanut butter for carbohydrates and protein, oatmeal with fruit or berries for staying power or even whole-grain pancakes. "You don't want to get bogged down, but you do want to get a good carbohydrate source," she says. 



After a Workout
Post-gym, your body has different needs. "You're replacing carbohydrates, so you can start building up your stored energy as well as getting some protein, to help with muscle repair," says Bethany Thayer, RD, a Detroit-based spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "A glass of milk is one of the best after-exercise foods," she says. "Even chocolate milk, which gives you a little more carbohydrates, is OK because you want to replenish the stored fuel in your muscles." Other good post-workout snacks include trail mix, crackers with peanut butter or chopped vegetables with hummus. 



Quick Lunch
Whether you're eating in a rush between meetings or your kids' activities, speed is often the name of the game. But that doesn't mean you want to sacrifice quality; seek quick options that still provide a healthy balance of nutrients. Whitney recommends no-cook meals like refried beans spread on a tortilla with cut-up veggies, hummus with crackers, an English muffin pizza (an open-face English muffin with pizza sauce and a sprinkling of low fat mozzarella), hard-cooked eggs or water-packed tuna in a pita. 



Afternoon Slump
It happens every afternoon—around 3 or 4 p.m., you hit a wall. A cup of coffee is tempting, but drinking it that late in the day is bound to keep you up half the night. Instead, "have something thats mells delicious, like an orange," says Lisa Cohn, RD, nutrition strategist at Park Avenue Nutrition & Spa in New York City. "It's a happy scent, it's hydrating and refreshing, it's easy to digest and it gives you a little sugar and vitamin C." If you're bottoming out, Whitney also suggests a carbohydrate and protein one-two punch for energy and lasting power. That means whole-wheat bread with nut butter, yogurt with a sprinkle of granola or an all-natural granola bar such as KIND Bars, which mix whole grains with nuts and a bit of honey,



Before Dinner
It happens time and again: You're so famished when you get home from work that you can't wait until dinner. You either gorge on cheese and crackers or end up dipping into what you're cooking. Either way, your appetite is shot. To curb your hunger without ruining dinner, Whitney suggests slicing up some fruit like cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon ahead of time so you have "something that's [appealing to the eye] and easy to grab, hand-to-mouth." Plus, the low-calorie, water-dense fruit will curb hunger pangs without filling you up. 



Late-Night Snack
Whether dinner just didn’t do the trick or you got home late from work, you don't want to eat too much close to bedtime. "It's important that you don't overeat, because that can really interfere with what kind of sleep you get," Thayer says. Instead of digging into cookies or leftovers, try a small bowl of cereal or a glass of warm milk, she suggests, which will sustain you but not fill you up. If you want something comforting, Cohn recommends part-skim ricotta cheese on toast with a drizzle of honey, plain Greek yogurt with a few berries or a sweet potato cooked in the microwave. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

My Exam Week!

Assalamu Allaikum,

I was forgot that i had my blog. Long time no see "My Incredible Life". Thank you to Kak Lia, She make me to remember to you. She passed by my status and trying to click the link, but it couldn't open since i was not completed to write down the link.

Well, what i want to say is Good Luck to All my friends, whose having Exam. I know you can do it my friends.

During Exam week, this below will always happen to me:

1. Eat more
2. Pimples more
3. Library become my boyfriends more than 12 hours spend with
4. Gain more Kg
5. Flu
6. Crazy + Stress!

But I'm quit happy, This is my last exam, Hope no more exam! Because my last semester before do my internship. My final year life in university before take one step further.

Last semester! Last semester! I'm happy but I'm sad in the same time.
this sem quit memorable for me. I have too much friends that love me.
Hope I'm not gonna be apart from them. I love you friends. Thank you for being my friends. YOU really accept me just the way I am. I'm Really GLAD that you are my friends

Monday, January 17, 2011

Top Diet Myths Exposed

hi there, I love to do copy and paste that something important things to share to others. I want them understand that Life is just One time. No one can buy your life except your health. If you healthy, you can do what ever you want. If you healthy, you can live longer than others. If you healthy, you can see your family generation. If you healthy, you can change people life. So what are you waiting for. Follow me. Contact me: gustania@ymail.com


Myth 1: Potatoes and bread are fattening.

Actually: It's just the opposite. Starchy vegetables and bread (whole-grain bread, that is) are quality carbs needed to fuel every part of you, from your brain to your muscles. What gets you into trouble is how you eat them: Smear butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread or deep-fry potatoes and you can double, triple, or quadruple the calories.


Myth 2: Drinking a glass of water before a meal curbs appetite.

Actually: Yes and no. Water tames appetite if it's incorporated into food, such as soup, or a thick drink, like V8 100% Vegetable Juice. Apparently, when water is bound to food, digestion is slower, explains Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet. That's why women in one study found chicken-rice soup more satisfying than chicken-rice casserole and a glass of water -- even though the soup had 27% fewer calories! One exception to this rule: It's easy to confuse hunger and thirst, so if you find yourself craving something -- but what? -- drink a big glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that's what your body really wanted.


Myth 3: Shellfish is high in cholesterol.

Actually: On the one hand, it's true: Just 3 ounces of shrimp delivers more than a third of your daily cholesterol. But there's a surprising flip side to this story: Shrimp is low in saturated fat -- the kind that becomes artery-clogging bad cholesterol -- and has a smidgen of heart-healthy omega-3s. In fact, University of Southern California researchers discovered that eating shellfish, such as shrimp, every week reduced heart attack risk by 59 percent!


Myth 4: The occasional burger and fries won't kill you.

Actually: It depends on your definition of "occasional." If occasional means every Friday night and then some, well, you may be pushing it. But if it means every few months, and you're fit, and you've got good numbers (i.e., weight, waist size, cholesterol, blood pressure), AND you're chowing down on vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other nutritious fare most other days, hey, you'll live. But few of us are that perfect. If you do occasionally indulge, offset the effects of a fat fiesta with a brisk 90-minute walk afterward.


Myth 5: Women naturally gain weight after menopause

Actually: While you can blame a lot of things on hormones (everything from acne to PMS), in this case, slowing down physically is far more likely the cause. Study after study has found that older women who exercise regularly and vigorously can maintain their figures.


Myth 6: Diet soda is worse than the real thing.

Actually: We all would be better off switching to water, diluted fruit juice, and green tea rather than drinking soda -- diet or regular. Both types increase kidney and heart disease risk, plus they contain acids that erode tooth enamel, inviting cavities.


Final Fact (this one's no myth)

Maintaining your weight, waist, and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

My Exercise is similiar with their Exercise

I'm of a big girl like them. Now, Im doing my daily exercise. It's put me up in great body shape, great health, great skin, never feel tired, and most important things is Im happy to change others life to be same like me. My exercise can help people over the world. My exercise can earn money. Everybody can do my Exercise. If you want to change your life, you can just e-mail me: gustania@ymail.com. I can Help you too.


If you’re trying to lose weight, health experts recommend writing down what you eat. Why? Because it works! A Kaiser Permanente study found that those who jotted down their intake lost twice as much as those who didn’t. The following eight people not only started a food or exercise journal, but did so for the whole world to see, sharing all or a portion of their weight-loss journey online. Read their powerful stories and check out the drastic transformations.

Roni, 34, from Baltimore
 
Blog: RonisWeigh.com; Total Pounds Lost: 70
How I Did It: I finally realized that not everything revolved around how I looked in a bathing suit. I stopped seeking some insane vision of skinniness and joined Weight Watchers with the intent of learning how to eat, not reaching a certain size. The small shift in focus made all the difference for me.

How My Blog Helped: I decided to post a weekly update on my blog to report my progress. This small commitment to post the good, bad and ugly was a huge part of my success. It gave me a place to face the emotional side of weight loss: I celebrated my losses, cried about my gains and vented when I felt like whining.

Top Tip: Set non-weight-related goals to build your confidence. Sometimes the scale will not be your friend, so you should set goals that are within your control: Sign up for a 5K, start a food journal or blog and commit to it, ditch the diet soda, have a four-day-a-week walking goal. Declare the goal, reach it and then set another.


Theodora, 27, from New York City
 
Blog: LosingWeightInTheCity.com; Total pounds lost: 55
How I Did It: I started working out with a trainer twice a week and doing cardio three or four times a week on top of that. I cut way back on fried food, refined carbs, dairy and red meat, and added in lots of fruits, veggies and lean protein. After a few months of being a gym rat, I took up running so that I could work out outside. A little over a year later, I’ve run three half-marathons, a marathon and countless other shorter-distance races.

How My Blog Helped: I started my blog for two reasons: to hold me accountable and to help me professionally. I was as unhappy with my career at the time as I was with my body. I started taking pictures of all of my meals and blogging about them, which kept me on track and helped me connect with other supportive, health-focused people. My blog also helped me land my current job as a social media specialist.

Top Tip: Remember that you don’t have to be perfect to lose weight. If you get off track, you just get right back on. Don’t let yourself sabotage the rest of the day or week or month. It’s like getting a flat tire—you fix it and move on, you don’t poke holes in the rest of your tires.


Ben Davis, 24, from Little Rock, Arkansas
Blog: BenDoesLife.tumblr.com; Total Pounds Lost: 120
How I Did It: I went from 15 hours a day of computer games to running, running and more running (short distances at first, then building up to miles). I also started applying healthy eating principles that I already knew but didn’t practice. I would walk in the grocery store and head for the fruits, vegetables and whole-grain breads rather than the frozen pizza section. Simple choices like that really put me in the mindset of eating smarter. I switched out Pop-Tarts and cereal for whole-grain English muffins and smoothies. I switched out McDonald’s for sandwiches and soups.

How My Blog Helped: I started the blog after I made a Christmas promise to my grandmother to get a grip on my life. It served as an easy way for her to keep up with me from New England on a day-to-day basis. Over time, I began to accumulate an audience, so it really kept me on track and helped me stay motivated. I didn’t want to let myself down; I didn’t want to let my grandmother down; and I didn’t want to let the Internet people down, either.

Top Tip: No matter what life change you need to make, do it publicly. Obviously you don’t have to start a blog for the world to see, but make sure you’re sharing your struggles with people who care about you. The natural thing for us to do is hide our vices and try to fix them in secret because we’re ashamed. But I’ve found that, more often than not, people are excited for you, and will be there to support you and help you in any way they can.


Lori, 42, from Fort Edward, New York
Blog: FindingRadiance.com; Total pounds lost: 105
How I Did It: Basically it came down to calorie counting. Since I had so much weight to lose, I actually worked my way through a few different programs like Nutrisystem. During that time, I picked out the things that I liked in each program and figured out how to make it work for me. It took me four years to lose 100 pounds, but I also knew that the changes I was making were changes that I could keep going with and love. I eat a diet that consists of whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats—with the occasional cupcake in there!

How My Blog Helped: I started blogging my daily eats and exercise instead of writing it in a physical journal to stay on track. When I began taking pictures of my food, I then began to plate it better and make the food look appetizing before I even sat down. I’ve also met some of the most wonderful people online that I would never have met had it not been for my blog.

Top Tip: Speak kindly to yourself. Expecting perfection is setting yourself up for failure. When you allow yourself to be imperfect and not beat yourself up, you will find it easier to make the right choices.


Katie, 22, from Charlotte, North Carolina
Blog: KeepingUpWithKatie.com; Total Pounds Lost: 50
How I Did It: Through portion control and exercise, I slowly lost 50 pounds over the course of about 14 months. Prior to starting my weight-loss journey, I had no idea what proper portions were. My idea of what was "right" was distorted because I was never educated about it. Once I started to pay attention to how many servings I was actually consuming, my body also learned what it really feels like to be hungry and full. I still eat the same foods as before, but less of them.

How My Blog Helped: My blog came after the weight loss as a means of maintaining. After reading several food blogs and being intrigued about the concept, I decided to start my own. It has evolved into my take on healthy living, which involves healthy eating, exercise, indulgence in moderation and spending time with family and friends. Through sharing my daily ups and downs in a public way, I have learned not only how to maintain my weight through exercise and healthy eating, but also to live life without fear.

Top Tip: Step off the scale! Judge your weight loss on how your clothes fit, how you feel both inside and out, and the choices you make. The scale is only a small indicator of what weight loss really means. Being healthy means living the life you’ve always dreamed of!


Lynn, 47, from Pittsburgh
Blog: LynnsWeigh.blogspot.com; Total pounds lost: 168
How I Did It: At first, I lost all of my weight through Weight Watchers online (I never attended a meeting). Only after I lost 110 pounds did I start exercising by walking with a friend at our local track. We started with a mile, and every week added a quarter-mile. I eventually built up the strength to walk a 5K in 38 minutes.
How My Blog Helped: I started my blog after being on Weight Watchers for 6 months (I’d lost 50 pounds by then) to get a big monkey off my back: my scale number. All my life I’ve been afraid to tell anyone what I weighed. What if someone found out? What would they think of me? But it’s not like you can hide 300 pounds, so by “telling my secret,” I found freedom and support from a number of people who were on the same journey.

Top Tip: Never, ever start “dieting” until you’ve done the inside work first. You’ve got to answer these questions first: Why do I want to lose weight? Is it out of self-loathing or self-love? If the answer is self-loathing, a diet won’t work. If you don’t love the “you” that’s 200, 300 or 400 pounds, you can’t take care of yourself the way you need and deserve to as you’re losing weight. Learning to love yourself—or at least care enough to work toward loving yourself—is key to successful weight loss.


Erika, 26, from Miami Beach, Florida
Blog: BlackGirlsGuidetoWeightLoss.com; Total Pounds Lost: 163
How I Did It: I lost my weight by dropping processed foods, cutting down on sugar, lifting a few weights, embracing yoga and becoming a runner!

How My Blog Helped: I began my blog as a way of keeping myself accountable for the things I was learning on my journey toward better health and a more fit body. I could never say "I didn't know that" if I knew I could turn around and read my own words, where it was essentially me writing and explaining it to myself.

Top Tip: Take stress management seriously! When we feel stressed out, it becomes more difficult for our bodies to burn fat. Find an outlet to relieve stress such as kickboxing, yoga, journaling or sports. Basically anything that will help you relieve pent-up tension and energy.


Amanda, 29, from Troy, New York
Blog: MyNewLife-Manderz.blogspot.com; Total pounds lost: 107
How I Did It: Ditching fast food and becoming active. After I had my daughter, I had takeout almost every night. I had no concept of portion control and often ate until I felt sick. I started to pay attention to portion sizes and weigh everything that I ate. It’s so easy to overestimate a cup of cereal, and if you overestimate 100 calories five times a week, that's an additional 500 calories! Once I lost about 50 pounds, I started running and eating more veggies, proteins and healthy carbs to fuel my body.

How My Blog Helped: I started my blog when I was already down 70 pounds to keep myself accountable. I was at a standstill with my weight loss and thought that recording what I ate as well as my thoughts would help keep me on track. Eventually my blog took a turn toward a running blog. I started to train for my first half-marathon and documented each milestone. I want people to know that if I can go from being 276 pounds to running marathons, they can too!

Top Tip: Add exercise to your life. Not only does exercise burn calories, but it also makes you feel good. There are so many times that I am in a bad mood and I lace up my sneakers anyway to go for a run.

Journey with MAKNA

13/10/2010
I’m in process learning

Second day I’m with MAKNA volunteers. Early morning me and mama gie off from Setapak Jaya to YouthPOD (patient of driven) program under privileged children and place outstation where volunteers staying. In youthPOD we did voluntarily clean the place to keep them tidy and suitable for stay over.  Actually there was a little bit emotion from mama’s face because those volunteers who stay on not take care the house with fully responsible. Who will be responsible if any virus that affects their life health?  It is not mama, me or other person instead themselves who responsible for their life. It’s possible to do voluntarism work if our body is not fit.

After everything finished, we take off to Cyberjaya. For thousand times I heard the same words from mama is “Process Learning”. It is like vaccination in my head and mind. Through her eyes, I can see a honest person that I ever met in my life. Such a strong woman by sharing happiness in every journey she went to. I’m quite jealous to her; I want to do something that won’t make me tired to do the same work everyday by making people to smile, laughing and share some a little tiny happiness in every face. Just imagine that, make me happy.

Other than words “Process Learning” that I had to hear, two important song that makes me inspired are “Teman Terima Kasih by Zawazi” and “Di Setiap Nafasku by Zawazi”. Those songs have been stay in my heart. I’m learning how to become a respectful person in every second of my life. I’m learning how to grateful in everything that I have. I’m learning how to share the little happiness in my face. I’m learning to love everybody by not looking down to others. It’s such a wonderful feeling that I had figure out by this journey. If somebody ask me what is the more important things in your life? Now I can answer those question with my fully heart, by making people happy. Thank you very much to MAKNA to the great opportunity brought me to a great journey.

Journey with MAKNA


12/10/2010
The first decision that I had made
Today, 12 October 2010, I am gustania from Indonesia who pursue my study in Multimedia University cyberjaya, Malaysia. For the first time I decided to joint MAKNA (Majelis Kanser National) to became one of their volunteer. I was really nervous don’t know what to do and how to get their office. In rush decision I took cab from Cyberjaya to jalan Ampang kuala lumpur and cost me amount RM40. Just wondering is it worth to spend RM40 instead take bus or train with more adventure experience? I just let it go through next experience during my journey with MAKNA later.
Once I reach in office MAKNA, I met abang Zul, one of the volunteers in MAKNA since 2008 and now doing his internship in MAKNA. I’m really sure he had a lot of experiences working with MAKNA whatever it is such as office work, volunteers meeting, home visit, technical and many more.  Actually, I have a lot of question in my head. Why I need to meet Zul? Who is he? What am I going to do? Well, it is nice to meet him; maybe later I can learn something from his experiences.
Around 11.30am, I started to learning and doing some administrative work such as key in data, photocopy, printing, sending letters to volunteers. It was a new experienced and I feel great about it. I never thought that I would do such work and feel very excited. I remember mama gie (senior volunteers) always told me about process learning and whatever kindness you did, it will give good outcome as well. I just want to do the best that I can contribute.
After such a long hours doing some work in office, me, mama, and three others volunteers meet at Setiawangsa. We are dinner together while discuss some of next project MAKNA to do the next day in Johor. A day had past and closed with stay overnight in mama’s son house at Setapak Jaya.