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by Freda Coetzee

3 Reasons Carbohydrates Causes Weight Gain

The common misconception that “fat makes you fat” has been well-proven to not be entirely true. Instead, research has shown that the real culprit behind weight-gain is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in many of the foods that we eat on a daily basis. Carbs are found in all kinds of food that range from cereals, toast, jam, milk, yoghurt, granola bars and fruits, to things like bread, pizza, rice, potatoes and pasta. Too much carbohydrates can cause weight gain. Here are the 3 basic reasons why carbohydrates can cause weight gain… Increased Hunger It’s rather simple: Eating carbohydrates causes the body to release insulin, which removes the nutrients from the bloodstream since it expects more nutrients to arrive, which makes you feel as if the meal was not big enough and wanting more. Not feeling full usually ends up with you eating more food, and this is what causes weight gain. Carb Addiction Consuming carbs triggers the release of a brain chemical called serotonin, which improves the mood and causes a relaxing feeling since it reduces stress, anxiety, and pain. However, it is possible to become addicted to this serotonin release, which leaves you craving more and more carbohydrates in order to get that “feel-good” feeling. By eating more carbohydrates, you can increase your weight-gain. Fat Storage Eating carbohydrates cause the pancreas to release insulin which is a hormone that regulates the sugar in the bloodstream. Insulin dictates whether the sugar in the food we eat gets used for immediate energy or stored as fat for later use. When there is more sugar in the bloodstream than what the body needs for immediate energy, the rest gets stored as fat. And the more excess sugar there is, the higher the fat storage. A Low-Carb Diet to Shake the Weight Research suggests that following a low-carb diet can help lower your calorie intake, reduce carbohydrate cravings, and keep you fuller for longer. Even if you are simply trying to maintain your bodyweight, a dieting-lifestyle with moderate carb intake can make this quest a whole lot easier.

by Freda Coetzee

3 Types Of Must-Eat Vegetables For Weight Loss

Don't eat less, just eat differently. Fresh vegetables are one of the most powerful weight loss tools. The right vegetables can fill you up without making a massive dent in your daily calorie allowance. Not to mention that they are great for your overall well-being. As with many things in life, not all veggies are equal. Be careful to just eat any vegetables. Use these as basic guidelines: Want to lose weight? Download our Free Weight Loss Guide. 1. Non-starchy Vegetables Non-starchy vegetables are the best for weight loss. They are the lowest in calories, but also high in good dietary fibre. Examples of good non-starchy veggies include: Spinach Mushrooms Green beans Carrots Celery Peppers Kale Cucumbers Beets Artichokes Broccoli and Cauliflower Onions Eggplant 2. Starchy Vegetables Although they may contain more calories than non-starchy veggies, they are still a much better option than processed foods and refined sugars. Some good starchy vegetables include: Peas Potatoes Winter squash Sweet potatoes Corn 3. Protein Supplement Vegetables You can supplement your meat or other proteins with veggies. This helps lower your calorie intake even further. Consider legumes like: Split peas Chickpeas Kidney beans Lentils

by Freda Coetzee

Choosing The Right Bread For Weight Loss

Nowadays there are a lot of opinions about what you should and should not eat when trying to lose weight. However, there is one thing that everybody seems to agree about, and that is bread. Most diets recommend that you steer clear of white bread when it comes to weight loss, since it is full of refined carbohydrates. While the ideal would probably be to stay away from bread altogether, we know that it is not always that simple. So the next best thing is to make sure that the bread you eat is as healthy as possible. Whole-grain and low GI breads are the way to go for weight loss. Bread and Satiety According to studies, bread is a great way to make you feel fuller after a meal. The studies tested bread against pasta and rice, and found that these two did not lead to the same level of satiety as bread. Calories in Bread Bread per slice is not necessarily high in calories, as it usually contains between 65 and 80 calories in a slice. However, we usually eat more than one slice of bread in a sitting, and thats where the calories start to add up. Whole-Grain bread vs. White Bread Although white bread and whole-grain bread contains roughly the same amount of calories, whole-grain bread is higher in fiber and protein, which helps you feel fuller and also helps with digestion. Furthermore, fiber calories aren't completely absorbed by the body, which means that it can help along your weight loss efforts. Recommended Servings of Bread There is no set amount of grains that you should eat, as everybody is different. The general idea would be to eat about 140 grams of grains if your daily calorie allowance is 1500 calories, and about 110 grams of grains if your daily calorie allowance is 1200 per day. Low GI for the Win If you are on a diet and still want to eat bread, take the Manna Blood Sugar Support Supplement with each meal to reduce the glycemic index (or the speed at which the glucose from the bread is absorbed into the blood stream). This product can also help to curb food cravings and suppress appetite the natural way without any side effects.

by Freda Coetzee

Fattening Foods To Avoid If You Want To Lose Weight

Summer foods which can derail your weight loss effort Ahhh, it’s summer: barbecues, cocktails at the pool, outdoor sports, and lots of fried chicken, ribs, potato salad, ice cream, hot dogs, and beer. The living may be easy, but you need to know about a few shocking calorie traps and better choices at a backyard barbecue or beach boardwalk. There are fattening foods to avoid if you want to lose weight. Fattening foods to avoid: High-Fat Meats on the Barbecue The bad news: barbecue can sabotage your waistline. A 500g T-bone steak can weigh in at 1,540 calories and 124 g fat. An average cheeseburger has 750 calories and 45 grams of fat. What about pork or beef ribs? They come from the fattiest part of the animal. The good news: You can go lean with cuts like tenderloin, skinless chicken breast, and lean ground beef. Take Me Out to the Ball Game Hot dogs and sausages are treats for many of us, but you might save them for cricket games. It’s not just about fat or calories – after all, you can choose low-fat versions. Most hot dogs, bratwurst, and other sausages are very high in sodium. Mayonnaise-Based Salads A small half-cup portion of typical potato salad has 180 calories and 12 grams of fat; the same amount of coleslaw has about 150 calories and 8 grams of fat. To cut calories, try making your salads with light mayonnaise; or mix mayo with low-fat yogurt, light sour cream, or chicken stock. Or why not try a German-style potato salad, using more vinegar than oil? Then toss lots of veggies into any salad to increase the fiber and nutrients. Frozen Concoctions Sweet, fruity alcoholic drinks (the kind often served with an umbrella) may go down easy, but the calories add up in a hurry. A piña colada can range from 245-490 calories, a daiquiri from 300-800 calories, and a Long Island iced tea can set you back 520 calories or more – with much of it from sugar. Instead of high calorie drinks, try wine, a wine spritzer, or a mixed drink with seltzer and a splash of 100% fruit juice. Satisfying Thirst Quenchers Staying hydrated is essential in summer, but those cold drinks can wreak havoc with your waistline. Be careful what you choose – if you’re drinking 350ml containers of sweet tea, sweetened soda, energy drinks, juice drinks, or beer, you’re probably taking in about 150 calories a pop. Smoothies, milkshakes, and cold coffee concoctions can go much higher. Try water or light versions of your favorite thirst quenchers. Refreshing Frozen Treats A cup of soft-serve ice cream can have 380 calories and 22 grams of fat. Make it a chocolate cookie dough milkshake concoction, and the calories soar to 720, with 28 grams of fat! You don’t need to give up frozen treats, just pass on the giant portions or high fat toppings. Look for frozen desserts like sherbet, fudge bars, fruit bars, or other treats under 150 calories per serving or fruit desserts like strawberry shortcake. Salad Toppers Salads can be the perfect summer dinner: light, refreshing bowls of veggies and lean protein. But high-calorie toppers can push a salad from lean to fattening in a hurry. Fried chicken strips, bacon, cheese, creamy dressings, and croutons are among the worst offenders. Instead, top your greens with grilled chicken, strips of lean meat, or eggs, then pile on the veggies and sprinkle with a light dressing. Mindless Munching on Snacks A handful of any snack won’t do much harm, but too much can sabotage your diet. 28gram of potato chips or cheese puffs is roughly 160 calories and 10 grams of fat. Cheese nachos can contain 692 calories and 38 grams fat. And a 10-cup box of movie theater popcorn can have 550 calories and 31 grams fat. Try snacking on fruits, veggies with light dip, or small portions of fat-free popcorn. Finger-Licking Fried Chicken A bucket of fried chicken is an easy way to feed a crowd, but it can wreak havoc on your waistline and arteries. So forgo fried chicken and toss boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the grill, instead. Marinades and spice rubs add flavor to these quick-cooking cuts of poultry. The nutritional differences are striking.Skinless chicken breast (100g): 167 calories, 7 g fatBreaded, fried chicken breast: 360 calories, 21 g fat Recommendation You need to be alert about what you eat if you want to lose weight and live a healthy life. Read through the free Manna Diet e-book and learn what the best foods are for optimal health.

by Freda Coetzee

How to Lose Weight Without Constant Hunger

It is terribly hard to lose weight while constantly feeling hungry. So how can we cut calories, but stay full? Taking in fewer calories is always part of any weight loss effort. The problem is, this can leave us feeling hungry. In some cases, it might actually just be that we can’t distinguish between hunger and boredom. Either way, if we want to be able to lose weight and keep it off in the long-run, we have to learn how to control our hunger. Let’s see how you can do just that… Tip 1: Track your food consumption This helps you identify when and at what times you usually feel hungry. It can also help you spot certain triggers that may cause you to feel the need to eat, as well as triggers that cause you to eat more than you should. Tip 2: Don’t skip breakfast Eat a nutritious breakfast that includes protein, dairy or whole grains. This will help to satisfy your hunger as soon as you wake up. Eating a healthy and balanced breakfast prevents you from becoming hungry later in the morning. This means that you don’t start snacking at 10 am, and it also prevents overeating when it comes to lunchtime. Tip 3: Stack up your veggies Make sure that at least half of your dinner and lunch plate consists of veggies or salad. This helps you to feel fuller while taking in fewer calories. Tip 4: Choose healthy snacks Snacking between meals is not always a bad thing. As long as you stay away from the processed, sugary, and refined snacks and rather go for healthy options. A good, balanced snack can help to fend off hunger between meals, and also help you to eat less when it is time for your next meal. Tip 5: Meal planning Pre-packing healthy meals in their correct portion sizes can be a lifesaver when it comes to losing weight. It means that you don’t have to think about your portion size or calorie count for each meal that you have. It can also help you save time during the day. Alternatively, you can go use a good meal replacement shake, like the Tip 6: Stop eating when you are full Most of us make the mistake of finishing our plate of food even when we feel that we have had enough about halfway through it. Start by dishing up a smaller portion. Next, begin to eat more slowly while focusing on your hunger. This will help you realize when you have had enough, and then STOP, even if there is still food on your plate. Tip 7: Fibre and protein Fibre and protein are filling foods that can keep you feeling fuller for longer. Replace some of your carbs with more of these in order to reduce your chances of feeling hungry shortly after eating. Tip 8: Stay hydrated Make sure to drink enough water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated. A lot of the time we think we are hungry when in fact we are just thirsty. It will also help you to feel fuller. Tip 9: Manna Blood Sugar Support For an easy-to-follow guide, get the FREE Manna Diet e-book. Also, take the Manna Blood Sugar Support supplement with each meal to keep you fuller for longer, curb cravings and suppress appetite in the most natural way. What is Manna Blood Sugar Support? The Manna Blood Sugar Support is an all-natural health supplement made from the pods of the Prosopis (Mesquite) tree, and it does not have any negative side effects like many chemical alternatives have. How does Manna Blood Sugar Support work? The Manna Blood Sugar Support supplement is the organic and natural way to help balance blood sugar levels. It does this by slow-releasing the sugar from the food we eat into our bloodstream. This means that it helps prevent the blood sugar levels from soaring through the roof after you have eaten something, and then also obviously helps avoid the subsequent sugar crash. This helps your body to avoid the need for the pick-me-up from a sugary snack that we know as a craving. If you can stabilize your blood sugar levels and avoid cravings, it makes losing weight a whole lot easier. When taken with food, Manna Blood Sugar Support gels with the food in the stomach to reduce the glycemic index of the food and drink you consume by up to 43%. It, therefore, helps to prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high. Manna Blood Sugar Support is uniquely formulated natural and organic supplement which helps Maintain balanced blood sugar levels, keeping you more satisfied after a meal, which means that the same meal can take you much further and help you to eat less, which can help with natural weight loss. Control cravings, helping you stay away from sweets and unhealthy food and lose weight easily.

by Freda Coetzee

What’s in your shopping bag?

Nutrition secrets hidden in your daily shopping bags You know you need to eat healthy food, but what is healthy food? More importantly, what is unhealthy food? These days there are so many different products to choose from, each claiming to be better or healthier than the next. So how can you make sure that you’re truly getting what you pay for? It basically comes down to reading (and understanding) your food labels. You need to make sure that you’re choosing food with the right ingredients and the nutritional content that meets your needs. Don’t just go for the one that says “low-fat” or “sugar free” – take the time to make sure that its contents supports its advertising. How to read a nutrition label It might seem simple enough, but companies often try and trick you into thinking their products are healthier than they actually are. Here are 7 tips for reading food labels like a pro… 1. Serving Size Almost all products give the nutritional information per 100g or 100ml, but how does that relate to the actual serving size? – Or to the entire product size, for that matter? Although it makes it easier to compare products based on 100g or 100ml information, always keep in mind how much you’ll actually be consuming. 2. Calories and calories from fat This is the energy content of the product and how much of that energy comes from fat. It’s often shown as kilojoules rather than calories. This is what you’ll need to use in order to decide whether something is truly high- or low-fat. Please note that fat is not always a bad thing. It might be that the fat comes from unsaturated fats, which are very beneficial to you. To determine which fat it is, you’ll need to study the label further… 3. Nutrients Nutrients refer to the amount of fats, carbohydrates, protein, sodium and fiber in the product. Fats – Fats are listed as: Total fats Saturated fats Trans fats Cholesterol Look for products with less than 10g of fat per 100g – ideally with less than 3g from saturated fat and minimal to no trans fats. Some products may also list other types of fats such as healthy omega 3s. Carbohydrates – Total carbohydrates and sugar content: Look for products with less than 10g of sugar per 100g serving if possible, although if the product contains fruit this is likely to be difficult. In this case aim for 20g or less. Protein – This is the total protein content or protein content per 100g/100ml Fibre – For carbohydrate based products such as cereals and bread look for more than 3g of fibre per serving. Sodium – Many processed foods contain a lot of sodium. Try to find products with less than 120mg of sodium per 100g for a healthy level of sodium intake. 4. Vitamins and Minerals Vitamin content like calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C are mandatory on food labels. However, some companies include other vitamins and minerals like niacin, folic acid and/or other B vitamins if a product contains high amounts of these. 5. Percentage of daily requirements Along with the nutrient content, many labels also tell you how much of your daily requirements for these nutrients are found in a serving. Always make sure that you understand this section of the label: you want the good ingredients to be a high percentage of your daily requirement, but the bad ingredients to be a low percentage. 6. Nutrient claims When it comes to labels that say “low fat”, “high fibre” or “sugar free”; the product must meet certain criteria: Claim Fat-free Low fat Less fat Saturated fat free Cholesterol free Reduced calorie Low calorie Lean Light (fat) Light (calories) High-Fibre Sugar free Sodium/salt free Low sodium Requirement Less than 0.5g of fat per serving Less than 3g of fat per serving 25% less fat than a comparable product Less than 0.5g saturated fat and 0.5g trans-fatty acids per serving Less than 2mg of cholesterol, and less than 2g of saturated fat per serving 25% fewer calories per serving than comparable foods Less than 40 calories per serving Less than 10g fat, 4.5g saturated fat and 95mg of cholesterol per 100g 50% less fat than comparable food 1/3 fewer calories than comparable foods 5g or more per serving Less than 0.5g sugar per serving Less than 5mg of sodium per serving Less than 140mg per serving 7. Ingredients All products are required to have a list of ingredients on the label. The label should start with the ingredient that is most abundant in the product and continues down to the ingredient which is least abundant. This is most useful if you are trying to avoid a certain ingredient such as gluten or corn syrup. A Guide to Good Food Labels: Whether you are trying to lose weight or just be more healthy, here is a guide to the labels you want to look out for… Fruits and vegetables All fresh fruit and vegetables are good choices. Choose the “no added salt and sugar” varieties of canned fruit and vegetables. Low GI foods are good for weight loss. Breads and Cereals 3g of fibre or more per serve less than 120g of sodium per serve Less than 10g sugar per 100g (20g if the product contains fruit) Choose multigrain or wholegrain varieties Choose untoasted muesli Drinks Don’t forget that drinks have calories as well. Find out which are the best weight loss drinks. Fats and oils Choose oils and spreads made from olive, canola, peanut, soy, sunflower or safflower. Dairy products (excluding cheese) less than 3g total fat per 100g less than 1.5g saturated fat per 100g Cheese Buy the variety with least fat and sodium per 100g. Meat, chicken, fish, nuts, legumes 10g total fat or less per 100g less than 3g of this of saturated fat less than 120mg sodium per 100g Choose no added salt varieties of tinned products Choose unsalted nuts Snacks and treat foods less than 145 calories per serving Compare products and choose those with the least saturated fats and sodium.