Quiz: Rate Your Carbohydrates Intake

From HealthCentral.com

It isn't just how many carbohydrates you eat that counts in a healthy diet, it's what kind you choose. Nutritionally, carbs range from super-healthy to almost useless.

A balanced diet contains a proper mix of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Together, they give you energy and the building blocks for growth, maintenance and activity, which is why you need to eat significant quantities of each every day.

There are two basic kinds of carbs: complex - which include pasta, rice, breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables - and simple, which include cookies, candy, soft drinks and pastries.

The big health difference: Complex carbs tend to be rich in vitamins, minerals and often fiber, too. Simple ones tend to be sugary and low in nutrients -- but high in calories.

With a proper meal plan to guide you, eating the right kind, and correct amount, of carbohydrates is easy! I'm not a fan of counting calories or fat grams, etc. but if you want to get an idea of how much carbohydrate you should be consuming, take the test. My results showed the following:

Your daily carbohydrate requirement is: 248 grams. (A pound equals 454 grams.)

Send me your success stories!

Hey guys I’m updating my website and would love to hear from any of you that have had some success with the meal plans. If you’d like to submit a short video summary of what your experience was like and what the results were I’ll make sure you get broadcast from the website. Keep the video under a minute and either send it to me directly at makemefamous@nadeenboman.com or post it to YouTube and send me the link if it's too big. Can’t wait to hear your stories!

Who Wants Glowing Skin?

Eating right and drinking enough water are essential to healthy skin. In addition to finding a meal plan that works for you and your pores, a body scrub can be a prefect kick start when it comes to skin rejuvenation.

Here's a blend of four natural ingredients that I've found can really make the skin glow:

1. corn meal
2. honey
3. olive oil
4. salt

Simply mix these together and test on a small patch of your arm to find the desired consistency. Scrub, rinse, then wash your skin with soap and water. This natural blend will leave your skin feeling smooth and refreshed in just one day!

Slow down the aging process with Acai Berries!

The acai (pronounced "AH-sigh-EE) berry has twice the amount of anti-oxidants that blueberries have. Acai berries also have a strong anti-aging effect due to the high levels of anthocyanins and antioxidant vitamin content the fruit contains. Look for this power packed fruit as a new addition in upcoming changes to the Bulge Buster Meal Plan at www.nadeenboman.com.

Tomatoes, white tea, olive oil, and salmon are also super foods that keep you young longer. These foods taste good and incorporating them into your daily routine will get you looking and feeling great!

I took the "Would You Survive Bootcamp?" quiz on the Slice.ca website and wanted to share the results...



Take this quiz and others to see "What's Your Body Type?" and "Are You Good to Your Body?" It can be motivating and inspiring! Plus, it's a new month, a new quarter, and the start of a new season...the perfect time for a NEW YOU!

Your Bulge Buster Meal Plan Success Stories

Who completed the Bulge Buster Meal Plan successfully? This is the time to brag about your results and motivate others to get on the feel good train!

• Why did you decide to start the Bulge Buster Meal Plan?

• Was it difficult to follow or did you breeze through it?

• How did you feel in terms of energy levels?

• Did you see your weight drop in the first week or was the second week where all the progress was made?

• What was your total weight loss after 2 weeks?

• Would you follow the plan again to lose weight quickly?

• Who would you recommend the Bulge Buster Meal Plan to?
  

Watch Bulging Brides & The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp Online!

Full episodes of Bulging Brides (seasons 1 & 2) and The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp (first 3 seasons) are available on the Slice website. Both shows are currently airing in Canada, on Slice Network, and on Fine Living Network in the US.

Find Bulging Brides under the "Weddings" tab at Slice.ca Video Centre. The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp video is under the "Health And Fitness" tab. 

View Fine Living Network program schedules for your time zone:

Bulging Brides Schedule

The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp Schedule 

Nutrition is the HARDEST part!

I have to share with you this super insightful message from Lena G:

"The toughest part about diet and fitness is the nutrition part, let me tell you. Breaking bad habits (and many of them!) and learning to eat again is tough. I thought it would have been the fitness part for a couch potato like me but I've embraced that part. It's the food.

I watch The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp for a reason. In addition to exercise tips I watch closely to see what you're throwing out of those cupboards and what's in the meal plans you give people. Knowledge is power in the weight loss journey."

Lena is SO right and the nutrition aspect is under-rated! We're bombarded with so many messages every day from big corporations that want to have us believe junk food can be healthy. We all know that fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains are superior to anything that comes in a package - no matter what the fat content is!

With exercise we get the automatic sensation of elation as endorphins are automatically released. Eating right is not as quickly correlated with enjoyment for a couple of reasons:

1. If you've been eating like a trucker most of your life (greasy burgers, high fat foods, and limited fruit/veg) then your body may initially have a "negative" reaction to healthy foods.

A detox effect can sometimes result at first as the body adapts to a healthier, more nutrient rich diet. The worse your current habits are, the harder it will be for your body to accept change. Be confident though that it will get easier and you will feel better, usually right when you're about to give up :)

2. Eating right takes more time and effort than working out.

Starting a new diet regime often involves changing the frequency, portion size, and content of your meals - changes that require learning and self-restraint, so it's not a surprise that stress and general dissatisfaction can follow as a result.

You'll notice instant mental and physical improvements from exercising even just 90 minutes a week. Unfortunately the hardest part of changing your nutrition is making it through the first week or two. You need to tough it out, learn how to properly feed your body, and focus on the positives even when the effort seems to outweigh the payoff.

You should feel more energized, leaner, and healthier in general soon after loading your body up with necessary nutrients. Food is your fuel and is a key element in getting all essential vitamins and minerals the body requires to function. Change your mindset and expectations to set yourself up for success!

7 Nutrition Myths Busted!

I found these on iVillage and they are a great addition to the National Post nutrition myth busting article from the other day. Many of you will be surprised and enlightened...read on!

1. The food pyramid is for everyone. For many people, six to eleven daily servings of grains, breads and cereals is just too much. It has been known to cause bloat, fat and ill health.

2. There is a perfect diet that will work for everyone. Some people do fabulously well on vegetarian diets, and some people crash and burn. One size only fits the people who come in that size.

3. All low-carb diets are like the Atkins Diet. There are many ways to get the healthful, weight reducing benefits of eating fewer carbs without going on the Atkins plan.

4. Stress does not make you fat. The truth is that the stress hormone cortisol leads to carbohydrate cravings and overeating, as well as to abdominal fat.

5. Metabolisms are all pretty similar. Metabolisms have as great a range as cars. Some of us are Jaguars and some of us are SUVs. You need to match the right kind of gas (food) with the right kind of engine (metabolism).

6. Blood type does not make a difference. Actually, blood type does play a part in weight loss. People with certain blood types are more likely to be allergic or sensitive to certain foods. Those with type O, for example, are far more likely than other types to be hypersensitive to dairy.

7. A balanced diet will provide you with everything you need. It's possible to have reasonable health without supplements, but it's virtually impossible to have optimal health without them.

___________
ivillage.com
Jonny Bowden

Five meal myths that need to be shelved

Some additional tips on my contribution to the article for how to make healthy pizza:

1. Control your ingredients by cooking at home.
2. Go vegetarian or opt for lean proteins like turkey or chicken instead of high fat, high calorie pepperoni, sausage and beef.
   
3. Go "lite" on the cheese (avoid varieties with over 30% MF) and remember that a portion is just 1oz.
   
4. Unprocessed foods are a healthier option as a general rule so avoid choosing processed (marbled, softer, pre-shredded) cheese and pick hard, smelly brands to top your pizza.
5. Load up on the veggies! Peppers (green, red, yellow, orange), mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and onions are all good options...and don't forget that spices are fat and calorie free!
   
6. Use low sodium tomato sauce to reduce your salt intake. 
7. Make your own whole grain dough from scratch or try cutting a whole wheat pita in half. The thinner the crust, the better.
   
8. If ordering out, (it's still OK once in awhile), Panago is a good option as they now offer a multigrain thin crust dough along with fresh salads. 
   
9. Always add salad whenever possible and choose greens over caesar. You can modify your caesar and cut out tons of fat and calories by trashing the croutons and subbing the creamy caesar dressing for a vinaigrette.
   
10. Remember that just because you've made some healthy substitutions doesn't mean you can eat an entire pizza. Overeating on ANYTHING will trigger fat storage in the body.

So there you go, it's pizza for dinner tonight :)