"The Skinny"
on Weight Loss!

September 2009

Welcome to "The Skinny", our "new" monthly newsletter! I guess we're not so new anymore, since we're already on issue #7! We have received excellent feedback about our previous issues and hope you continue to enjoy our monthly e-zine! Our goal is to provide you with tips, tricks, and techniques you can use to help you achieve your wellness goals!

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• I continue to be fascinated with the Mediterranean diet! I have read everything I can find on the subject and have found nothing detrimental. Eating an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, and extra virgin olive oil has been easy and it has inspired me to cook! I have wiped out most processed foods from my diet (at least for now) and don't miss them at all. So, my first tip would be to encourage you to give this "diet" a try--you won't be sorry!

• When trying to lose weight, don't rely completely on your scale! Notice the little things, like how your clothes fit, or if your rings are looser. Notice how much better your eyes look when your face is less puffy. Use a tape measure once a month to accurately gauge your success. Too often, scale numbers are affected by fluctuations in bodily fluids instead of fat.

• If the thought of depriving yourself is too overwhelming at this point, or if you're already discouraged by too much failure, focus instead on changing your eating habits. Start incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your meals and snacks. Start drinking more water each day. Start opting for lean protein instead of higher-fat protein. Limit those pizza or Mexican nights to once a week. Limit alcohol consumption. Give yourself a cut-off time each night for eating. By not depriving yourself on portions at first, it will be easier to make some significantly healthy changes in your overall consumption.

• Take advantage of the cooler weather and spend more time outside. Any activity you choose to do will be better than sitting. Rake the leaves, pull the weeds, wash the car, sweep the porch, walk your dog or borrow your neighbor's dog! Add a short walk after dinner each night. Get up and stretch during commercials. Just look for easy ways to get more movement into your day!

• Continue to enjoy the ten "power foods" of the Mediterranean: almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, and whole grains.

My friend, Marian, recently told me that she couldn't find any Mediterranean diet cookbooks in the local library. I was able to check out two that I really liked, but that prompted me to add a page of Mediterranean diet books to my website. You can see a fairly comprehensive list here:

Mediterranean Diet Books

I also added a long page of easy, delicious, healthy Mediterranean diet recipes to my website. You can enjoy them here:

Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes

In addition, if you missed my Mediterranean diet meal ideas last month, you can find them here:

Mediterranean Meal Ideas

I hope all this information encourages you to give the Mediterranean cuisine a try!

I came across this website while doing an online search for something else. They cover topics on natural health, family health, nutrition and diet, fitness and exercise, and health and beauty. I discovered some very interesting and informative articles and plan to visit often.

Health News

This next website has nothing to do with weight loss, but certainly relates to wellness! Check out this comprehensive site called Flu.gov

The September '09 issue of Prevention Magazine includes an article entitled, "The Youth Nutrient" by Susan Allport. This extremely interesting article explores the possibility that many of our weight issues (for youths and adults alike) can be attributed to the disappearance of Omega 3s from our diets. Food manufacturers often remove Omega 3s, which have a short shelf life, and add Omega 6s, which can last a long time.

The author refers to Omega 3s as the "spring fats." They are found only in the green leaves of plants. (Some fish are rich in Omega 3s because they feed on phytoplankton.) The spring fats speed up our metabolism. We use them to get ready for a time of activity.

"Fall fats", or Omega 6s, originate in plants also, but in the seeds instead of the leaves. The fall fats are storage fats for plants. Because they are slower and stiffer than Omega 3s, they promote blood clotting and inflammation. Inflammation has long been attributed to heart disease.

As humans, we need a good balance of both Omega 3s and Omega 6s, but Omega 6s are taking over. For example, in our great-grandparents time, cows were raised on grass and other greens, which made them produce meat, milk, and cheese rich in Omega 3s. Chickens used to eat predominantly grass too, so our eggs were rich in Omega 3s.

The result is that our diet is designed to store calories instead of burn them!

You can read the Prevention Magazine article here!

I continue to enjoy my new commitment to avoid processed foods whenever possible. It has become quite easy, actually, and I have enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen (surprisingly). When I don't feel like cooking, I can be completely satisfied with a large salad as the possibilities are endless.

Below are three simple recipes that I put together for tailgating. I needed something healthy to go along with the chicken wings that everyone else wanted to eat. I'm especially proud of the potato salad as that was my own creation.

Gail's Bean Salad
(8 servings)

I mixed about 1 1/2-2 cups of edemame beans (soybeans, shelled) with one can of dark red kidney beans and one can of garbanzo beans, both drained and rinsed. I added about 1/2 cup of chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper,and 1/2 chopped (or sliced) onion. I added 3 cloves of garlic, minced, salt and pepper to taste. I added 2 tablespoons of olive oil with about 4-5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. I like mine tangy. Mix it up well and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before serving.

Gail's Tapenade Potato Salad
(8 servings)

This potato salad was an experiment that turned out wonderfully, so I'll do my best to describe it. I boiled about 2 pounds of small red potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes. (Just wash the potatoes and cut the larger ones in half.) While the potatoes are boiling, chop 2 stalks of celery and one half onion. In a blender or processor, combine one jar of mixed, pitted olives, drained, (green, Greek, and black) with 4 cloves of garlic, sliced. Add about 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 T. of honey, and 4-5 T. of white wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the vinegar to your taste. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and add to the celery and onion. Add the olive mixture and stir until mixed well. Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving, or even overnight. (Note: Store bought tapenade should work well too.)

Gail's Roasted Mushrooms and Peppers

This is so delicious that I just wanted to share it! I went to Sam's Wholesale Club and purchased a container of white button mushrooms and a bag of mini bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange). I washed the mushrooms and cut off the stems. They were large, so I cut them in half. I washed the peppers, cut off the stems, cut them in half, and pulled out the seeds. I then put the peppers and mushrooms in a large bowl and added olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I added salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I mixed them well and poured them onto a large, foiled cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. I roasted them for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. They were fantastic! They will be good in the fridge for most of the week!

If you're interested in more easy ways to enjoy the Mediterranean diet, check out these healthy, delicious, free Mediterranean diet recipes!

Smoothies are a great way to enjoy plenty of fruits, especially blueberries and strawberries, two of the Mediterranean power foods! Click here for some delicious smoothie recipes!

Be Thin by 2010:Easy Weight Loss Tips

I would love to include a "Subscriber's Success Story" each month. If you would like to be featured here or if you know someone who would, please reply to this email or use my contact page. Pictures aren't imperative, but they sure are inspiring!

• Recent research indicates that "thunder thighs" may equal longer lives! Yes, you heard me correctly, larger thighs may protect against heart disease and premature death! Men and women whose thighs are less than 23.6 inches (60 centimeters) have a higher risk of premature death. In the study, the measurement was taken on the right thigh, as high up as possible. The study actually claims that cardiovascular death risk is more strongly related to thigh circumference than waist circumference.

  Click here to read more about this interesting study!
  
  

• Almonds are one of the very best nondairy calcium sources! They also deliver plenty of protein, copper, zinc, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins!
  
  
• To assist with weight loss, your plate should be no larger than 7 inches for breakfast (or a 2-cup bowl) or 9 inches for lunch and dinner. Visualize your 9-inch plate at dinner time. Your dinner should consist of 30% protein, 20% whole grains, and 50% vegetables.
  
  
• When shopping for bread, not only should it be 100% whole grain, but it should also contain a minimum of 2 grams of fiber per slice. If it doesn't meet these specifications, it's not dense enough to be considered a "power food."
  
  
• One of the very best diet motivators is to track your food and exercise. Keeping a food and exercise journal may actually double the number of pounds that a dieter loses according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. If writing down every calorie you eat is too labor-intensive, don't despair! Recording your food and the approximate amounts is just as effective as long as you record everything you eat. It's no surprise that those tastes and bites add up! For a convenient way to record this information, see our Easy Weight Loss Tips' 30-Day Food & Exercise Log!

Thank you for subscribing, and I hope you enjoyed this issue of "The Skinny" on Weight Loss! Please join us again next month for more weight loss fun!

Remember, if you have comments, ideas for future issues, or any kind of feedback, I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this e-zine and tell me what you think! You can also reach me through my contact page.

For comprehensive information about weight loss and wellness, please visit, Easy Weight Loss Tips!