Slimtrack

The courage to keep going

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:36:00 +0200

How many of us have been tried getting into a neater shape, only to slip up after a relaxing holiday, a sumptuous dinner party or a social weekend? As we all know, it's difficult to stick to a diet or exercise programme. Trying to change the way you usually eat and exercise is much easier said than done. First of all: half-hearted dieting never works. If you wish to lose weight, commitment is crucial. Be clear on your goals and always keep them in mind. Even if you are determined to succeed, it will take time before you will see results, which makes it difficult to remain motivated. If you are hungry and tired and feel like quitting when temptation comes your way, just stop and think for a moment. Remember why you want to lose weight, and ask yourself whether it is worth giving up your goals for a few moments of pleasure. The faster you lose weight, the faster you will reach your goals and the more you will be motivated. Every positive decision you make will strengthen your motivation to stick to your diet. Choose a realistic weight-loss plan to avoid losing motivation. Changing your lifestyle overnight usually doesn’t work. Rather make gradual changes by choosing a plan that fits your lifestyle and eating preferences. Your weight-loss plan should be flexible enough to fit into your lifestyle and timetable, and incorporate a degree of fun. If the plan requires attending a boot camp at 06:00 and you hate getting up early in the morning, rather do some exercise later in the day. And as far as your diet is concerned, don’t try to be too restrictive – this is very often counter-productive. If you cannot stand the taste of something, substitute it with something else that is healthy. Slimtrack’s eating plans provide a wide choice and will provide you with all the necessary nutrients that your body needs. Keeping track of your eating patterns can help you to identify particular times or situations that make it difficult to stick to your diet. It will help you to avoid social occasions where you will be tempted to stray from your eating plan. A record of your eating patterns will also help to identify the foods that you should try to avoid or only allow yourself as a special treat. For example, you might decide that you should only eat dessert on weekends, or that soft drinks should be avoided altogether. Don’t compare yourself with others, especially wafer-thin models and actresses who present an unrealistic body image. You will soon lose motivation when you start doing that. Every individual is different and nobody is perfect. How other people look is irrelevant. The only competitor in the game is you and only you can be the winner. Let go of the past. You might have slipped up on your diet yesterday, last week or when you were on holiday. But that is in the past and there’s nothing you can do about it. Even if you have gained a few kilos, it is still possible to lose weight. Each new day gives you the chance to start anew. Winston Churchill said: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. You too will have the courage to continue if you are motivated and surrounded by supportive people. Slimtrack’s online forum is there to provide you with lots of support and advice about losing weight. So sit down, put your goals in writing and get started. Then, KEEP GOING!

Simple carbohydrates

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:42:00 +0200

All carbohydrates are not equal. Some are complex and some are simple, but both consist of sugars and starches and can be found in either a natural or refined form. The difference between them lies in their chemical structure and how quickly they are digested and absorbed in the body. Simple carbohydrates contain only one or two sugars and are therefore quickly broken down and digested. They are not as healthy as complex carbohydrates and have less of a slimming effect. Complex carbohydrates contain three or more sugars and therefore take longer to digest. Many dieters avoid carbohydrates, but they are an essential part of a healthy diet. Their primary function is to provide energy for the body, especially to the brain and the nervous system. Our digestive systems break down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar) which is then transported to our body cells where they are converted into energy. The slower the release of glucose and hormones, the more stable and sustainable the energy levels you’ll experience. The reason why carbohydrates are such an ideal source of energy is because they convert more readily into glucose than proteins or fats. A further advantage of carbohydrates is that, gram for gram, they contain less calories than fat and protein. However, regardless of what food group you get your energy from, eating too many calories will lead to weight gain. Simple carbohydrates cause peaks and drops in your blood sugar level and upset the energy levels in the body. A diet too high in simple carbohydrates disturbs the delicate balance of your body's blood sugar level, resulting in fluctuations in energy and mood which leave you feeling irritated and tired. Think of the “sugar high” kids get after eating too many sweets at a birthday party. Sugar isn’t the only culprit – most starchy foods are rapidly broken down into sugar. Processed and refined foods are particularly unhealthy and fattening. In the refining process some of the dietary fibre and many vitamins and minerals are lost, and the more refined the carbohydrate, the faster glucose is released into your blood. Many foods, such as cakes, pastries, chips, roast potatoes, sandwiches and chocolate are doubly bad for you because they are high in both sugar and fat. The following products have very little nutritional value and it's therefore advisable to limit their consumption to small quantities:

Brown and white cane sugar
Biscuits
Cakes
Pastries
Chocolate
Honey and jams
Sweets and snack bars

Jellies
Products made with white flour
Prepared foods and sauces
Soft drinks
Fruit juice
Packaged cereals

Many simple carbohydrates in packaged foods go under names such as corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, invert sugar, lactose, maltose or sucrose. One way to avoid eating them is to read the ingredient lists on food labels. If there are any of these in the ingredient list, you will know the food has added sugars. Foods such as fruit, milk and vegetables also contain simple carbohydrates, but are much healthier because they contain natural sugars plus vitamins, minerals and fibre. It is better for you to get your carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible, for example from fruit instead of table sugar or sweetened fruit juices.

Tips for avoiding simple carbohydrates

Refined products should make up only 11% of your daily diet.
Most of your carbohydrate intake should come from vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.
Choose water instead of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.
Have a piece of fruit for dessert and skip desserts with added sugar.
Choose breakfast cereals that contain no or less added sugars.
Learn to enjoy unsweetened tea and coffee.

Join the resistance!

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:40:00 +0200

The more toned your muscles are, the easier it is to control your weight. Getting those muscles into shape actually helps you to lose weight because your body burns calories more efficiently as you gain muscle. Regular strength workouts are therefore an excellent way to lose fat and strengthen your muscles and bones. What is strength training? It is exercise that requires resistance to a specific muscle or muscle group to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of your muscles. Pitting your muscles against a weight or other type of resistance increases muscle strength, and a variety of exercises and types of equipment can be used to do this. Go slowly when you start doing strength exercises and warm up before you start. Even if you're unfit when you begin, keep it up and, before long, you'll be able to increase the intensity and efficacy of your exercise routine. To keep improving, push yourself a little bit by increasing your repetitions, sets, or weights. When you can easily do more repetitions of a specific exercise, gradually increase the weight or resistance. Many resistance exercises can be done without equipment. An easy way to start strength training and maximize the benefits of walking is to walk with hand or leg weights. Choose a weight that makes it more difficult to walk with ease and add more weight as you go along. Another easy way to gain strength is by improving your posture. Good posture is nothing more than keeping your body in alignment. Concentrate on keeping a straight back, square shoulders, your chin up, your chest out and your stomach in when standing, walking or sitting. It will strengthen the muscles across your upper back and shoulders and also help you to look slimmer. After a slow start, you can gradually add exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats to your fitness routine. Build up the number of repetitions you do, but pace yourself and know your own limits. Give your muscles time to recover between exercising sessions and listen to your body. It is recommended that you exercise to strengthen your muscles at least two days a week. Although mild muscle soreness is normal, you will soon know if you overdo it. Barbells and dumbbells are the classic strength training tools, but any type of weight can be used for resistance – even a small cooldrink bottle filled with sand works well. Rubber resistance bands or tubes are inexpensive and available in nearly any sporting goods store. At the gym you can use resistance machines or you could even invest in a weight machine for use at home. Strength or resistance training has many health benefits. All physical movement depends on healthy muscles and a healthy skeleton, which provide the sturdy frame that supports your body. If your lower back is aching, if carrying heavy objects is an effort or if walking any distance causes you discomfort, the main cause is usually weak muscles. As you strengthen the muscles in your body, it increases your bone mass and density, firms trouble spots and improves your stamina. Strength training also helps to reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. And, as with all other forms of healthy exercise, resistance training also boosts your mood and lowers your blood pressure. Another important advantage of strength training is that it is possible to achieve a really good workout in a relative short period of time. Expect to see quick results and noticeable improvements in your strength and stamina in just a few weeks’ time. You will soon feel leaner, stronger and healthier.

Five gym mistakes to avoid

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:35:00 +0200

1. You always stick to the same workout

It’s difficult to get yourself to the gym in the first place, and – if you're not used to it – it’s an intimidating place. So, when you find a routine that makes you feel good, it’s understandable that you like to stick to it. This is not a good idea. If you don’t change you programme after four to six weeks, you risk getting into a pattern and you stop getting results. You can either change your workout, or you can do some cross-training. Or, if everyone is talking about zumba – why don’t you give it a shot?

2. You go every day

You might be all fired up to get the results, and believe that going to the gym every day will help you get the body you want sooner. But working out every day is simply not sustainable – neither physically nor mentally. If you go every day, you won’t be able to maintain a useful intensity and you’ll soon get bored. It becomes a chore and you’ll start missing sessions, beating yourself up about it and losing motivation. Incorporate proper rest days into your schedule. That will help you get the most out of your gym sessions and enjoy them more.

3. You use the gym for socialising

When you first go the gym, you won’t believe this is a trap that you could fall into. But if you go to your local gym often enough, you get to know the people who go at the same time as you do. Soon you might be looking forward to seeing your new friends, rather than getting a good workout. Nothing is wrong with socialising, but make sure that you don’t spend your time chatting rather than training. Make sure you remember why you are there… to burn kilojoules (calories), to get fit and to look your best.

4. You exercise aimlessly

Exercise is enjoyable for its own sake, but going to the gym just for the sake of going gets dull. Define short term and long term fitness goals to keep you motivated, and chart your progress. Make sure your fitness goals are different to your weight-loss goals. A short term goal might be to improve your treadmill speed by a notch. It’s a good way to keep yourself working towards your long term goal. If you are struggling to define your goals, ask one of the trainers at the gym to help you.

5. You work out when you are sick

You are doing yourself no favours if you are working out when you're not well. A useful rule of thumb is the "neck rule." Symptoms below the neck (such as chest cold, bronchial infection, body ache) require time off. You can actually damage your heart when you train when train with these symptoms. Symptoms above the neck (runny nose, sneezing) don't pose a risk. Still, nobody will think less of you if you take time off when you are sick (even if it IS only a runny nose). If you’re feeling ill, eat well and take two days off to recover so that you’re fully fit to begin training again.

Sticking to your diet

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 20:32:00 +0200

All dieters fervently wish to stick to their diets, but it's not always easy. Why do you keep on overeating even when you want to stop? The reason can be described as a lost war of emotions between two desires. Yes, you want to stop, but you still want to keep on enjoying rich food because of the enjoyment and pleasure it brings. Bad eating habits play a big role. A habit is any behaviour or thought pattern that you have repeated so often that it becomes automatic. Then you do certain things, such as delving into the refrigerator, without thinking. Fortunately there are strategies that will strengthen your desire to stick to your diet. To break a bad habit you have to become aware of your actions, and what you are thinking and feeling when overeating or reaching for unhealthy snacks. Constant self-awareness is necessary to break a mindless eating pattern. Watch yourself for slip-ups, and remind yourself every time why you want to lose weight. This will help to develop the persistence and motivation you need. Don’t underestimate the power of support from others. Online support forums such as Slimtrack’s Members’ Forum can be of great help when you want to give in to temptation. Others have been there, let them help you! Focus on building good habits rather than eliminating bad ones. Create positive habits to replace negative habits. Think of something pleasurable to do every time that you reach for that extra helping or treat, and be consistent. Urges to eat come and go. They’re strong, but they’re also temporary and usually last about a minute or two. When you get the urge, switch to a new habit immediately, every single time. New habits could be deep breathing, self-massage, eating some frozen grapes, taking a walk, exercising, drinking a glass of water, calling a friend or posting on the Forum. If you really have to give in, smaller snack portions are just as effective to decrease food cravings or hunger pangs. If you wait for 15 minutes after you’ve eaten a very small portion of a snack such as potato chips, apple pie or chocolate, you will feel just as full on a much lower kilojoule intake. Fifteen minutes after eating a considerably smaller snack, you will have eaten much less, but will feel equally satisfied. Failures are just as important as successes when it comes to changing your eating habits. You will falter once, twice or even three times, but don’t let failure and guilt stop you. Learn from your mistakes, plan for success, and try again. Visualisation is a very helpful tool. It means using your imagination to see a picture in your mind’s eye of your behaviour during your diet and the end result of your efforts. Vividly picture yourself as enjoying healthy meals, exercising regularly and a "slim and trim you" at the end of it all. It will focus your attention on the steps needed to reach your target weight. It's easy to fall back on old ways during times of stress, but it only creates a false sense of satisfaction. When you hit a rough patch and feelings of boredom, loneliness, depression, or when any kind of stress takes over, it often overrides good intentions. Don’t use food to help you cope with the situation and rather deal with the stress in other ways that work for you. Reward yourself when you engage in positive behaviour, but not with food. Over time, your brain will start to associate the new, positive behaviour with the pleasure associated with the reward. Once you've established a positive eating pattern, you won't need to reward yourself as often.

Meet the Cabbage Family

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:06:00 +0200

The cabbage family may not be the most popular of vegetables, but it's one of the best choices to include in your meal plans. Dieticians and nutritionists love recommending them because all varieties are very low in kilojoules and a must for anyone trying to lose weight. A serving of roughly one cup contains only about 70 kilojoules. On top of that, these veggies are an outstanding source of nutrients and very affordable. Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bok-choy (Chinese cabbage), kale, cress, and broccoli are all members of the Brassica family of vegetables. These vegetables are hardy cold-weather crops that are easy to grow and therefore cultivated and eaten by almost all cultures around the world. All kinds of cabbage should be cooked lightly. Steaming and quick stir-frying are considered the best methods for keeping their kilojoule count low and preserving their nutrients. To temper cabbage's sometimes unpleasant smell, steam it for a short time and do not cook it in an aluminium pan. Uncover briefly, shortly after cooking begins, to release the sulphurous smell which can cause problems. There are several varieties of cabbage to choose from, including green, red, and Savoy. Fresh cabbage leaves can be sliced or grated and added to salads. It is a regular ingredient in stir fries, soups and in dishes made with minced meat. Savoy cabbage with its wrinkled leaves tastes like ordinary cabbage, but has a milder flavour. Red cabbage has a mild, sweet taste and its beautiful pigment adds colour to salads. The florets of broccoli and cauliflower are usually steamed, boiled lightly or stir-fried, but they can also be eaten raw. Cauliflower and broccoli mixes well with vegetables, lentils and meat. Their florets are added to pasta bakes, casseroles and used to make curry and soup.

Bok choy or Chinese cabbage is extensively used in Asian cooking and is now also appearing on our supermarket shelves. The whole plant has a long cylindrical shape comprising of short, compact leaves. Bok choy is a routine addition to Chinese recipes and tastes lightly of celery.

These vegetables are powerhouses of nutrients. Science has proven beyond doubt the health benefits and therapeutic value of cabbage, being so rich in nutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. This family is rich in vitamins A, B, C and E and packs more vitamin C than oranges. It also contains iodine, folic acid, potassium, calcium, biotin, magnesium, manganese, iron and sulphur – all essential minerals for effective bodily function. In addition it has a high fibre content which helps the body to remove waste efficiently. The significant medicinal qualities of the Brassica family boost the immune system and kills bacteria and viruses. Studies have shown that cabbage is extremely effective in the treatment of peptic ulcers. Just as important, a high intake of the cabbage family protects you against cancer. Cabbage contains powerful anticancer compounds known as glucosinolates. Regular consumption of cabbage has been proven to the lower the rates of cancer, especially breast, lung, colon, and prostate cancers. Epidemiological studies have found that men living in China and Japan, where these vegetables are regularly eaten, experience a much lower rate of prostate cancer than their American counterparts. Similar data has been gathered regarding breast cancer rates among women. It is therefore sensible to include a serving of the cabbage family in your diet at least once or twice a week. Experiment a bit with cabbage recipes and regularly enjoy the health benefits of these versatile cruciferous vegetables.

Walk away the weight

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:03:00 +0200

As a nation of largely sedentary workers we South Africans tend not do use the 26 bones and the 50-odd muscles within each foot as we should, and consequently miss out on one of the best kinds of exercise available to us. Walking is safe, easy to do, cheap and doesn't require practice. Young or old, overweight or not: anybody can put on a pair of comfortable walking shoes and start walking. It's by far the best exercise anyone can do to get into shape. It helps with weight loss, tones your muscles and lightens your mood. It's definitely possible to shed unwanted kilograms by embarking on a walking programme. Start slowly and gradually work up to a more intense programme. Go for a walk a few times a week and then start doing faster and longer walks that include a few uphill climbs. Adding incline or speed to your walks will help to burn more kilojoules (calories). Because walking is low impact exercise, it does not have the same potential for injury as jogging, particularly for over-50s. Regular walks are just as good for the body, if not better, than strenuous jogging. If you maintain a moderate to high intensity pace, it burns the same amount of kilojoules as jogging or running. Walking reduces stress on the spinal discs caused by negative pressures on our spinal cord due to a sedentary lifestyle. Walking is better for the spine than running. Your feet also have to be exercised to keep them healthy. Walking is kind to your feet. If you don't exercise them regularly they will become weaker, which could eventually lead to many painful foot problems. This is especially true if you constantly wear high heels that distort the muscles and joints in your feet. Walking is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to fit regular exercise into your daily routine. An early morning walk is a wonderful and relaxing way to wake up and start your day. Instead of driving to a nearby destination, go on foot or go for a walk around the block during your lunch hour. A long walk in pleasant surroundings is one of the most restful ways to recharge over weekends. A walking partner or walking with a group of friends will make it easier for you to keep up your walking programme . If you have made a commitment to link up with other walkers you are less likely to cancel. It is easier to make excuses and put off a walk if you go it alone. Walking has many benefits. A brisk walk does your overall health a world of good. Although it is a gentle, low-impact exercise, it still provides a good workout. Like most aerobic activities, regular walking is good for you because the cardio-vascular exercise it provides strengthens your heart and lungs, lowers your blood pressure and increases overall fitness. Walking also improves muscle endurance as well as muscle strength, and strengthens your bones, especially in the lower body regions. Other benefits are that walking stabilises your cholesterol levels by lowering the bad and raising the good cholesterol levels. There are also psychological benefits to walking. Just like other forms of exercise, an invigorating walk improves your mood. It releases the natural happy hormones, serotonin and endorphins, those feel-good chemicals that lift your state of mind at the end of an energetic exercise session. Start walking and keep going for a couple of weeks and see how the centimetres melt away. Remember: your results will depend on your commitment, your individual level of fitness, your age, how fast you are walking and how often you put on those walking shoes.

The secret of portion control

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 19:06:00 +0200

Do you really register how much you're eating? Research has shown that people often underestimate how many kilojoules they consume each day. One of the best ways to lose unwanted kilograms and maintain a healthy weight is through portion control. It is necessary to learn how big a healthy serving size of food is and how many kilojoules such a serving contains. Sensible portions ensure that you get enough food energy to maintain good health, but don’t over-eat. An easy way to establish what a sensible serving should be, is to study food labels and measure out an appropriate serving. This may not sound like much fun, but after a while it becomes easy to look at the helpings on your plate and know whether there is too much or too little. A simple rule is to divide your plate in half. Fill one half with fruit or vegetables, leaving the rest for equal parts protein and starch. That will enable you to see what a properly balanced meal looks like. Spaghetti and bolognaise sauce? Fish and chips? That is only half a meal because the fruit and vegetables are missing! Portion sizes can also be estimated by using objects as a point of reference, such as the size of your hand. For example, a healthy serving of meat should not be larger than your palm. Carbohydrate servings such as pasta can be measured by fistfuls – and one fistful is enough. You could also fill a measuring cup with a properly sized portion of vegetables, rice, etc. and empty it onto a plate. This will help you learn what these serving sizes look like. Even if you only do it once, this will help you in future. There are other strategies you can practice at home. The failure to control portions is often caused by emotional factors such as a depressed mood or boredom. To avoid overeating triggered by emotions, plan your weekly menus ahead and shop accordingly. It has also been determined that people eat less if their food is served on smaller plates, especially if they eat until their plates are empty. If a reasonable portion of food is served on a big dinner plate, it looks very sparse, so you’re likely to dish out a bigger portion to fill the plate. Only prepare enough food for each meal and don't go back for seconds. If there are leftovers, put them out of sight. Don't keep platters of food on the table; you are more likely to pick at it or have a second helping without even realising it. It is more difficult to limit portion sizes at restaurants and parties. Try to limit your choices at such occasions. The more options there are, the more you want to try. If you’re at a party and only one dish or cake is served, you’re likely to stick to one helping only. But if there’s an array of delicious treats on the table, you will probably try more. Choose only one course in restaurants and order half or smaller portions. Do not start nibbling on the bread – rather ask to have it removed from the table. Many restaurants often serve portions that are big enough to provide meals for two days. If a huge portion is served, ask for a doggie bag even before you start eating. Go slow on the wine and skip the dessert or share it with a companion. Simply by being aware of how much you eat, you will have taken an important step forward in managing your weight.

As slim as an Easter bunny!

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:35:00 +0200

Easter eggs have a long history. In pagan times eggs were a symbol of fertility and rebirth. With the rise of Christianity in Western Europe, the egg came to represent the Resurrection during Easter as a symbol of new life. Traditionally dyed or painted chicken eggs were made for Easter celebrations, but since the 19th century chocolate eggs have slowly been taking over the market thanks to the development of new chocolate manufacturing technologies. Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. The raw beans are processed into cocoa butter and cocoa solids and then mixed with sugar, fat and many other ingredients to make the chocolates and chocolate beverages that are sold in the shops. Chocolate is a complex food and contains over 300 chemical compounds. It is rich in antioxidants that are good for your heart and cardiovascular system. It contains endorphin and serotonin that help to lift the spirits. Unfortunately it is only the cocoa that provides the health benefits and not all the other ingredients that commercial chocolate is made of. A bar of chocolate therefore contains only a tiny amount of all these wonderful health benefits! There's no denying that many people regularly indulge in chocolate. Although by no means the stuff of most diets, chocolate is not all bad news if enjoyed in moderation. Also, dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate, and much healthier than white chocolate. Apart from Easter, chocolate is a popular gift and is often enjoyed at joyous celebrations such as birthdays, dinner parties and engagements. More good news is that chocolate has positive psychological effects. It is comforting during emotionally stressful situations when we are feeling down. The trick is to manage that craving. If a chocolate craving really hits, the key is to only have a small treat. A little chocolate, but only a little, will satisfy your sweet tooth and make it much easier to stick to your diet the rest of the time. Look for smaller serving sizes and don’t buy a whole slab that will entice you to finish it all in one go. Another option is to try lower-kilojoule chocolate alternatives such as low fat chocolate mousses, low kilojoule chocolate treats, dark chocolate-covered coffee beans and hot chocolate drinks. Totally denying yourself chocolate could lead to binge eating and thus eating far too much of it. Rather plan for a small weekly chocolate indulgence in your weekly kilojoule quota. Limit yourself to one or two pieces and enjoy an occasional guilt free treat. If you eat half a bar of chocolate a day, you must balance those additional kilojoules by eating less of other goodies and have more healthy fruit and vegetables. You can also make up for that extra chocolate by doing some hard physical activity such as a workout or running. This helps to burn up those additional kilojoules, and then you can enjoy that sweet bite in the knowledge that you've earned it!

End your bad habits now!

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:44:00 +0200

Letting go of bad eating habits are often easier said than done. It requires patience and commitment and does not happen overnight. But don’t give up! People often eat mindlessly. When they're busy and on the run, they easily forget to focus on what they're eating. So, the first step is to analyse when and why you tend to slip up on your eating plan. Make an effort to note which situations trigger mindless eating and what you eat when that happens. Keeping an accurate food diary is a great way to do this. Skipping meals is another typical bad habit. You should always eat at least a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. If ou don't eat regularly, your hunger increases and it affects your blood sugar level. Many people compensate for this by eating larger meals later in the day, or through excessive snacking. Constant snacking is a very common pitfall. When you snack too often on unhealthy food, you’re more likely to exceed your daily kilojoule allowance and skimp on proper meals. Unhealthy snacks such as chips and chocolate bars won’t keep your hunger at bay. Simple carbs may give you a short burst of energy, but your blood sugar levels will slump soon afterwards, leading to a cycle of hunger, overeating and weight gain. Keep a selection of healthy snacks on hand to nibble on if you are really feeling hollow and try to limit yourself to two small, healthy snacks between meals. Many dieters eat carefully all week and then undo the good work over the weekend. Weekends often revolve around occasions that involve food. Plan ahead how you’re going to handle social temptations. Have a small meal before you go out and offer to be the designated driver to limit your alcohol intake. Another mindless habit is speed-eating. Eating on the run makes it easier to eat more. Speed-eaters usually consume big portions and seldom chew their food well. Your brain needs at least 20 minutes to register that you have had enough. If you gulp down your food, your brain doesn’t have enough time to register that your stomach is full. Consciously try to slow down. Sit down at a table when you are eating, put your utensils down and pause between bites. Chew your food well and slowly savour each bite. Bad moods often signal an overeating spree. Many people then turn to simple carbohydrates, which is used by the brain to manufacture serotonin, a hormone that helps to regulate your moods. Such a fix may help for a moment, but won’t really lift that dark cloud. Feeding your frustrations with carbs will only lead to a steady weight gain. Think about what’s bothering you before you open the food cupboard or buy a snack. Find ways that don’t involve food to relax yourself. Try a non-food mood booster, such as talking with friends, meditating, exercising or listening to music. To give yourself the best chance for success, change just one habit at a time. Decide which bad habit you’re going to change, set specific goals for yourself and devote your energy to fighting that one habit for a full month. Once you experience how good it makes you feel, you have a much better chance of success. Before you know it, all those unwanted kilograms will start to melt away!

Know what you're eating!

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:52:00 +0200

South Africa's current legislation on food labeling and advertising was introduced about a year ago and enables consumers, and dieters in particular, to make more informed decisions when shopping for packaged food. The nutrition label on most packaged food provides information on the foodstuffs’ nutritional values and enables dieters to choose foods that are low in energy, fat and saturated fat. All information and health claims on food labels must be accurate and not misleading. No food manufacturer may make a claim about its food product unless that food has been analysed in an accredited laboratory. Labelling has the added advantage that all food labels now have to conform to the same format, which makes it easier to compare one product with another. Keep a close eye on what is displayed on food labels. Study labels and become familiar with lists of ingredients and energy values before you buy. The Cal/kJ content as expressed per serving or per 100 g will help you to calculate your energy needs more precisely. Food may only be labelled as Low in energy if it contains not more than 170 kJ per 100g (solids) or 80 kJ per 100 ml (liquids). The specifications for fat make the selection of low-fat foods much easier. Foods may only be labelled as Low fat if they contain not more than 3 g of total fat per 100g (solids) or 1.5g of total fat per 100 ml (liquids). For saturated fat, the food may only be labelled as Low in saturated fat if it contains not more than 1.5 g per 100 g (solids) or 0.75 g per 100 ml (liquids) and not more than 10% of the energy content. Fat free foods should contain less than 0.5g fat per 100g. Watch out for labels that say reduced fat or 90% fat free because this does not actually mean that it is low in fat. Also look out for the term hydrogenated vegetable oils in the ingredient list, as this is merely another term for trans fatty acids. It used to be unclear whether a product contained sugar or not. Legislation now prohibits the display of a No added sugar claim on any foodstuffs that contain sugar in any form, such as honey, molasses, sucrose, coloured sugar, fruit juice concentrates, deflavoured fruit juice and concentrates, high-fructose corn syrup and malt. For example, fruit juices that contain no added table sugar, but have high levels of fructose, fruit concentrates, etc., may no longer display a No added sugar claim on their labels. Common allergens also have to be indicated on food labels. Anyone with an allergy triggered by common allergens such as gluten, milk, eggs, soya, peanuts and tree nuts, shellfish or crustaceans, wheat, rye, barley and oats now only have to check the list of ingredients to see whether a product contains one or more of these. Additives such as tartrazine, MSG, sulphur dioxide and related compounds must also be declared. As consumers we can all press for more comprehensive food labelling to protect ourselves again exploitation by unscrupulous food manufacturers. Getting food labelling right is an ongoing process. Meat products are not yet well regulated by law, but if enough pressure is exerted, it will be addressed in later phases of regulations when other important issues such as food advertising to children and the glycaemic index (GI) are also considered.

Active child, happy child

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:55:00 +0200

All parents want the best for their children, and one of the greatest gifts we can give them is good health. Active children are healthy and happy, with a positive outlook on life. Small children hardly ever stop being busy, but as the years roll by, this unfortunately changes. Nowadays children spend less time running and playing. Fewer children walk or cycle to school and excessive time is devoted to watching television, playing computer games and using electronic devices – often at the expense of physical activity and participation in sport. More time spent indoors contributes to the alarming increase in childhood obesity. Apart from keeping children’s weight in check, regular exercise has many other physical, mental and emotional benefits. Active children tend to be more confident, with a positive outlook on life. They feel good about themselves, are less anxious and stressed and sleep better at night. Regular exercise improves children’s cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness and builds healthy bones, muscles and joints. Exercise stimulates greater blood flow and transports more oxygen and nutrients to all the body’s cells, which gives them more energy. All those nutrients and oxygen also go to the brain cells, resulting in better brain function. Active children have improved memory and the ability to concentrate much better in school. Fitter children’s bodies detoxify better than those of sedentary kids. This contributes to a stronger immune system. It enhances the body’s ability to fight disease, with the result that active children are less prone to colds, allergies, and diseases.

What parents should do

Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intense physical activities per day to improve their fitness, strengthen their muscles and bones and ensure healthy development. More than 60 minutes will have even more benefits. Parents should try to make a healthy lifestyle an easy choice for their children. Firstly they should set a good example by being active themselves. Make sure your children get the required physical activity each day by establishing a regular schedule for physical activities. Encourage them to take part in organised sport or planned exercise routines like dancing. Let them play outside and fool around by playing games that allow them to run, turn, jump and climb. If possible, let them walk or bike to school. Limit TV, video games and computer time for kids to no more than one to a maximum of two hours of quality programming per day whether at home or school. Do physical things together as a family – it will benefit you as well. Go for a walk in the park or to the shops, spend a weekend on a hiking excursion, go swimming together on hot summer days and play games with them. Introduce physical activities into daily household routines by giving them things to carry, jobs in the garden and household chores to do. Even if it means putting in a little extra effort, a fit and healthy body is a gift that will last them a lifetime.

Go lean with protein

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:52:00 +0200

A big advantage of protein is that it takes longer to digest, which helps you to feel full for longer. A diet with more protein and fewer carbohydrates will also reduce your body's need to produce insulin. So, every time you enjoy protein with a meal you lower the blood sugar impact of the meal, which assists you in managing in-between-meals snacking.

Wise choices from the protein foods group

Lean protein is obtained from both animal and vegetable sources and contains less than three grams of fat per serving. Have seafood at least twice a week, especially those rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout and herring, as your main daily protein. Salmon steak or fillet, salmon loaf and grilled or baked trout are also good choices. Often use pulses or soy products as a main dish or a meal accompaniment . Some options are chilli with beans, stir-fried tofu, soups made with split peas, lentils or beans, baked beans, chickpeas and kidney beans in salads, veggie burgers and hummus. White meat is healthier than red meat. Boneless and skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices and very versatile because there are many ways to prepare them. Buy skinless chicken portions or trim away all of the visible fat before cooking. Eggs provide around five grams of protein per serving and can be part of a healthy diet. The yolks contain the fat and cholesterol. Use the whites only – it yields most of an egg’s protein. Eggs are a budget-friendly protein source, easy to prepare, and can be prepared in many different ways. Unsalted nuts and seeds can replace meat or poultry in main dishes. They can also be enjoyed in small quantities as a snack, a garnish on salads vegetables or in the form of a nut butter. Low-fat cheese, milk and yogurt are ideal sources of lean protein because most of the saturated fat has been removed from them. They provide vitamin D and calcium (which may help you lose weight). Low-fat diary products are staples of a healthy diet as they can be incorporated in almost any meal or enjoyed as healthy snacks. Red meat contains saturated fat, but that doesn't mean that you have to give up meat. Just stay within your daily calorie limit and stick to two servings of red meat per person per week. Choose cuts that have less visible marbling. Trim any visible fat before you cook it or ask the butcher to do so. When choosing beef mince, look for "lean" or "extra lean" on the label. Trimmed pork cuts such as pork loin, tenderloin and centre loin are also relatively fat free. Today's lamb is much leaner than it was thirty years ago because of new breeding technologies and improved production strategies.

When you prepare protein, keep it lean:

* Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying and drain off any fat that appears during cooking. * Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies. * Fried chicken and fish sticks are full of fat and not a good choice. * Frying meat coated in crumbs soaks up extra calories and adds unhealthy fats. * Do not add fat when cooking pulses or soy dishes. * Most processed cold cuts such as polony or salami are unhealthy sources of protein because the fats and ingredients used to make them.

Slim and healthy at any age

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:14:00 +0200

Twenties

This is a busy time for most women and healthy eating habits are often low on the priority list. In those years women’s active lifestyle and high metabolism rate mean that they often take their good health and trim figures for granted. But the bad habits learnt in these years will eventually lead to fat and entrench those habits. A high percentage of women in this age group do not consume the 5-a-day target for fruit and vegetables. They also often skip breakfast, which reduces their fibre intake. To keep your overall body fat down it is important to avoid refined sugars (alcohol, sweets, biscuits) and complex carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, rice) and make time for a healthy breakfast. Ensure that you're getting enough calcium because your bones continue growing until your late twenties. At this age exercise will produce great results with only a little effort. It is also important to concentrate on your posture. Poor posture can result in spinal and joint dysfunction as a result of muscle changes. Good posture has the added advantage that it will keep your looking taller and slimmer with minimal effort.

Thirties

On the whole women’s activity levels dip as they reach their thirties. Most of them have less free time due to growing career, family and social demands. Yet the eating habits of thirtysomethings often stay the same as in their twenties, which equals weight gain. Members of this age group need to adapt their eating patterns to the changing circumstances in their lives and concentrate on eating more vegetable-based meals, with a palm-sized serving of lean protein, and also avoid too many complex carbohydrates or refined sugars. At this age women should try to vary their exercise – you need a mix of cardiovascular and flexibility exercises. Relaxing exercises are also a good idea as it reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and therefore stress.

Forties

Many people in this age bracket start to suffer from middle-aged spread as their metabolic rate drops and their lean muscle mass starts to decrease. As we grow older, good nutrition and regular exercise become even more important. The longer you wait before you tackle excess weight, the harder it becomes. Now is the time to invest in your future good health. A diet rich in antioxidants will help protect against problems like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cataracts and certain types of cancer. Avoid complex carbohydrates and refined sugar and only eat lean protein that provide the building blocks for lean muscle mass. Fish and fish oil supplements supply omega-3 and omega-6 that help to regulate insulin levels and reduce inflammation. At this age strength training and flexibility exercises are important. Both increase your lean muscle mass, which results in a more efficient metabolism. This ensures that your body burns up fat quickly and prevents unnecessary weight gain.

Fifties

Health problems become more common in this age group. In your fifties, your joints may also start to become stiff and sore. A low-fat, low-GI diet, which includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, is the best way to prevent and treat all of these problems. Meals should be small, with as many coloured vegetables as possible, along with some lean protein. You also need calcium-rich food to reduce your increased risk of osteoporosis caused by the decline in oestrogen levels that accompanies the menopause. Regular weight-bearing and resistance-based exercise, such as brisk walking, will also help to keep bones strong. It will increase your lean muscle mass and release serotonin (the feel-good hormone) into your system. Such exercise will also leave you with a strong core, which will protect your joints from injury.

Sixties

If you are sixty or older, three of the most pressing health issues are to retain mental sharpness, not be slowed down by arthritis and to keep cholesterol and blood pressure in check. A healthy diet and regular exercise are the most effective tools to retain a active and healthy lifestyle. The fitter and lighter you are, the more effectively your organs will function and the less pressure there’ll be on your joints. To retain good health, sixty-plussers should keep up the good eating habits they acquired throughout their life – high in fruit and vegetables and low on sugar and fats. Sufficient fibre and plenty of water will take care of digestive problems. Watch your sodium intake - older people’s sense of smell and taste becomes less acute and they tend to add extra salt to their food. As people get older they tend to spend less time outside, so make sure that you get enough exercise. Regular, relaxing low-impact activities will help to maintain your functional and mental health. It reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes and improves balance and bone strength.

The wonder of avocado

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:45:00 +0200

Over 75% of the fat in avocados is mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated. An average avocado contains 2 100 kilojoules and 30 grams of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, and is free of trans fats and sodium. These beneficial unsaturated fats are associated with improved blood cholesterol levels and other health benefits. If you're trying to lose weight, it may be wise to keep your total avocado intake to between 30g and 40g a day, which will add about seven grams of fat to your daily intake. Half an avocado contains 3.4 grams of soluble and insoluble fibre, both of which your body needs to keep the digestive system running smoothly. Soluble fibre slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in your body, helping you feel full for longer. Avocados also contain oleic acid, a fat that activates the part of your brain that makes you feel full. Healthier unsaturated fats containing oleic acid have been shown to produce a greater feeling of satiety than less-healthy saturated fats and trans fats found in processed foods. Avocados also contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can contribute to the nutrient quality of your diet. They have the highest protein content of any fruit, and contain lutein, an important nutrient for healthy eyes, as well as more potassium than bananas. These leathery green-skinned fruits with their pale yellow-green flesh are indigenous to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for over 10 000 years. A mature tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year. The size of their pear-shaped fruit vary enormously, weighing anything between 100 grams and a full kilogram. Fresh avocados are hard and they do not ripen until picked. Once an avocado is picked, it takes between 7 and 10 days to ripen. When selecting avos, choose those that feel heavy for their size. Look for an even and unblemished texture over its entire surface. Avoid any with bruises or soft spots, and those with a hollow between the flesh and skin. Lightly shake the avocado to test. If the pit is loose, reject it. Ripe fruits bruise easily and it is therefore best to ripen them at home. To ripen avos, place them in a brown paper bag and store at room temperature for 2 to 5 days, away from direct sunlight. Adding an apple or banana to the bag will hasten the ripening process. Ripe fruit may be stored in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. The flesh of the avocado quickly darkens when exposed to the air but the addition of an acid, such as lemon, retards this process. To freeze avocado, puree the flesh with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per avocado, and place in an airtight container. Frozen avocado can be kept three to six months at zero degrees Celsius. Avocados are cultivated in sub-tropical climates free of frost and with little wind, such as Limpopo and Kwa-Zulu Natal. There are hundreds of varieties of avocados, but only five types are regularly sold in South Africa: Fuerte, Hass, Pinkerton, Edranol and Ryan. Although the prime season for fresh avocados is early autumn to late spring, they are readily available all year round. Avocados are nutrient-dense and a great substitute for foods rich in saturated fat. Eating avocados in place of foods containing saturated fats is a simple and tasty way to help limit the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Try fresh avocados in the following ways to reduce your intake of kilojoules, saturated fat, and sodium: • Substitute as a spread on sandwiches and toast • Add a serving to a salad, soup or sandwich • Serve guacamole as a dip for wholegrain chips, crackers or vegetables • Add to an omelette • Blend into a smoothie • Use as a fat replacement when baking The South African Avocado Growers Association promotes the use of these healthy fruits and is a good source of tasty avo recipes.

Slimming oil the way!

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:53:00 +0200

All types of fat are high in kilojoules, but a little fat is not always bad for you, provided you exercise portion control and stay within the limits of your eating plan. Also keep in mind that there are good fats and bad fats – the trick is to choose the healthier types of dietary fat and use them in moderation. Most of the fat you eat should come from unsaturated sources: polyunsaturated fats and mono-unsaturated fats. When choosing your cooking oils, go for the unsaturated ones. Mono-unsaturated fats such as olive and canola oils are high in healthy nutrients such as oleic acids and omega-3 fatty acids that help to lower the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Polyunsaturated fats are also good for you. Soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and flaxseed oil are derived from plants and provide a healthy alternative to animal fats. They are high in omega-6s and omega-3s. Saturated fats are primarily found in animal and solid fats such as margarine, but also in coconut, palm and palm-kernel oil. This type of fat clogs your arteries, boosting the risk of heart disease and stroke. Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oils, changing it from a liquid into a more solid form, such as margarine. Trans fats are considered even worse for heart health than saturated fat. Most trans fats are found in shortening, commercially prepared baked goods, margarine, snack foods gravy mixes, cake and pancake mixes and processed food.

Choosing the right oil

More natural methods of extraction, like cold pressing, is the healthiest as it yields the highest mono-unsaturates. Therefore rather choose products made with cold-pressed, expeller-pressed or naturally pressed oils. Chemically extracted oils often involves the petrochemical hexane, which is also used as a cleaning agent and as a solvent. Commercial vegetable oils that are not certified as pure oils are often mixtures of unidentified blended vegetable oils that have been extracted with chemicals. Such oils are not good for you. In South Africa three types of oils are typically found on supermarket shelves – olive oil, canola oil and sunflower oil. Most oils have a limited shelf life and can become rancid if stored too long. Therefore, check your oil's production date, and do not keep it for longer than a year. Oil should be stored in cool, dark places, preferably in the refrigerator. Extra-virgin and virgin olive oils are completely natural and unrefined. Cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil is the healthiest oil you can buy, even though it's also the most expensive. Extra-virgin is made from the first pressing of the olives in a heat-controlled environment to preserve its flavour, aroma and nutrients. Canola is the next best choice as it has a high polyunsaturated fat count. It can be used as a salad dressing and for baking and frying. This neutral-tasting oil is obtained from the canola plant, also called rapeseed. Sunflower oil is a mild-flavoured oil and high in vitamin E. The high-oleic version is your best choice, since it is largely mono-unsaturated. Many other specialist oils are available, such as nut, sesame, avocado and grape seed oils. Most of these are high in healthy mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, especially the oils that are made from nuts.

Shorten the distance

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:47:00 +0200

It's ironic that a chocolate bar often costs less than a helping of fresh fruit. No wonder that many would-be slimmers, especially those of us that have to watch our pockets, find it difficult to stick to our eating plan. When choosing a quick snack it is much more tempting to go for the cheaper chocolate bar instead of a healthier but more expensive option. The ready availability of affordable, fresh and healthy food can make a big difference in the quest for a slimmer, healthier you. Fortunately, we can vote with our knives and forks to ensure fresher, more affordable, nutritious food on our tables. Meat, eggs, dairy, and fresh produce increasingly travel long distances to the shops and from there to your dinner plate. It is estimated that, on average, fresh food travels hundreds of kilometres before it's consumed, which reduces its nutritional value in the process. By buying food produced closer to home you can be assured of a healthier diet. Local foodstuffs are usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested and eaten at the height of ripeness. Such food tastes better and contains more nutrients. Local food is also often safer to eat because smaller farms tend to use less chemicals, added hormones and antibiotics than the large factory farms that are owned by corporate institutions. Transportation, distribution, processing, packaging, refrigeration and marketing all add to the cost of food, whereas locally grown fruits and vegetables are usually cheaper. When you buy locally produced food you pay less and the farmer gets more. Farmers receive only a small percentage of the retail price that you pay in the shops. When you buy from local sources, your money stay within your community, and strengthens the local economy. By making informed choices about the food you buy, you can improve your dietary intake, lower energy use, lessen your carbon impact, contribute to urban greening, add to the local economy and support socially responsible farmers. How to support locally grown food: • Buy food that is more likely to grow in your area. • Buy in season. It might be tempting to buy peaches in the middle of winter, but it will lack taste and will be expensive. • Avoid products with more than five ingredients. Packaged foods typically contain preservatives or ingredients that are unhealthy and unnatural. • Regularly shop at your local farmers’ market, co-ops or farm stands. • Ask for what you want. Don’t be shy about asking for local foods grown through sustainable practices. If enough customers ask, the store will possibly stock it in the future. • Ask your grocer or favourite restaurant what local foods they carry, and support restaurants and food vendors that buy locally produced food. • Preserve seasonal crops (freeze, can or dry) to eat later in the year. • Encourage the growing of food in cities. Food production should not only happen in rural areas. • Grow your own food in your garden. • Go with real organically grown food whenever possible. It may cost a bit more, but the benefits are worth it.

It's never too late to start

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:45:00 +0200

Nothing adds more to a youthful appearance than a slim figure. As we get older, it unfortunately becomes harder to stay trim. Our metabolism slows down and we tend to live more sedentary lives, with the result that the dreaded middle age spread slowly starts to settle in. Many adults think that physical activity is something that only young people should be concerned about but, if you wish to retain your youthful looks and vigour, you should follow a regular activity programme. The sooner the better! It's never too late to start. While being active from an early age will ensure a neat figure, regular movement and activity will keep it that way. The benefits of physical activity can be enjoyed even if you start late in life. Even if it is hard at first, you will soon not only notice the difference in your waistline, but also enjoy the many other benefits of regular exercise. Of course, the improvement you’ll see will depend on the type of physical activities you choose. The question is what should you do and where do you start? Are you up to a moderate or an intense activity programme? This will depend on your previous exercise experience and your fitness level. Moderate-intensive physical activity requires a moderate amount of effort and noticeably accelerates the heart rate, while vigorous-intensive physical activity requires a large amount of effort. It causes rapid breathing and a substantial increase in heart rate. The table below gives you an idea of what different activity programmes entail:

Moderate-intensive physical activity

Vigorous-intensive physical activity

Housework and domestic chores

Playing games with children

Brisk walking

Dancing

Gardening

Walking the dog

General building tasks

Carrying or moving lighter than 20 kg loads

Planned exercise routines

Running

Fast cycling

Aerobics

Fast swimming

Competitive sports and games

Climbing briskly up a hill

Strenuous exercise routines

Heavy digging

Carrying or moving heavier than 20 kg loads

Recommended levels of physical activity for adults are 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity spread throughout the week. As you can see from the above table, many of these activities fit neatly into normal household routines. Alternatively, you could choose a programme that consists of a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities. For additional health benefits, you could try to step up your activity programme to higher levels. The older you get, especially after the age of 65, the more important it becomes to keep up a regular exercise programme. Older adults are unfortunately prone to unpleasant age-related conditions, such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, hypertension and brittle bones. Regular movement and physical activity has been shown to improve their quality of life. It certainly helps to relieve the stiffness, disability and pain associated with many of the diseases that older adults suffer. Apart from a more attractive and younger looking appearance, regular physical exercise contributes to improved health, more brain power and a better quality of life. A more active lifestyle can also do wonders for your social life. It creates opportunities to meet new people, make new friends and interact with people of all ages. If you are feeling low, then physical activity will help you to improve your mental health and could even help to manage depression and anxiety.

What a berry good idea

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:23:00 +0200

One cup of strawberries contains only 193 kilojoules and therefore make for healthy desserts. To enhance their flavour, try pouring a little balsamic vinegar over them or sprinkle them with some finely grounded black pepper. Another treat is to dip strawberries in plain yogurt and then into a bit of brown sugar. Strawberries (which technically are not berries, but fruit) can also be enjoyed in other ways. They are a great snack and add colour and flavour to healthy salads without contributing unwanted kilojoules. Strawberries are also delicious on cereal, in a smoothie or in a fruit salad. Also try them in savoury dishes, like salads or salsas. Strawberries are readily available in the summer months. When shopping for strawberries, freshness is the key. Choose firm berries that are bright red, plump, and firm. Once picked, they won’t ripen further. Strawberries are highly perishable and don't keep well and are therefore best eaten soon after picking. Rinse the strawberries quickly in cool water just before using, pat dry and hull them just before eating. Strawberries are packed with goodness. They are sodium-, fat- and cholesterol-free and full of essential vitamins, fibre and cancer-fighting antioxidants. Their beautiful colour is due to natural plant pigments found mainly in their skins and seeds. These pigments consist of complex chemical compounds that protect and nourish the human body. These lovely little fruits are packed with vitamin C – almost 25% of your daily requirement. Just one serving of about eight strawberries will provide 14 mg of vitamin C, which is more than you will get from a whole orange. Most of us don’t get enough fibre in our diets. A handful of strawberries will go a long way towards meeting your daily fibre requirements. One cup of strawberries contains over 13% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of dietary fibre that will help to keep your digestive process regular, your heart healthy and your cholesterol in check. Strawberries are also a good source of two important minerals, manganese and potassium, that have anti-oxidant properties. Anti-oxidants work to neutralise free radicals in the body. These are unstable molecules linked to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and age-related diseases. The high levels of manganese play an important role in bone development and in converting the proteins, carbohydrates and fat in food into to energy. Strawberries may also have anti-inflammatory effects, inhibiting inflammation The combination of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents helps to fight the onset of many forms of cancer. With so many benefits contained in a few small berries, there is only one thing to do – enjoy your strawberries with a clear conscience! What a tasty way and elegant way to beat the bulge.

You CAN live a better life

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:15:00 +0200

The new year is always a good time to look back to past events and, more importantly, forward to the future. It's a time to reflect on the changes we wish to make in our lives. After a season of lazing around, holiday parties and huge meals, one look in the mirror might be enough to make you vow to lose weight and get fit! Unfortunately we often don't stick to our new commitments. By the end of January attendance at the gym is usually down, many of us haven't found the time for a daily exercise routine and we've fallen back on fatty takeaways for lunch. The new year is not only a time for celebration, but also for reflection. Why aren’t you able to stick to your resolutions? The two most important factors to make a weight-loss program work are to set reasonable goals and to stay focused. A resolution that you are going to lose 10 kilograms within three months' time is unlikely to work. Rather set small, measurable goals, such as losing 500 grams a week. More realistic resolutions are much easier to achieve and will provide you with a sense of success. Another good idea is to make your goals public and drum up support from your family and friends.

Some smaller, measurable goals could be:

* Lose weight slowly. Quick weight loss is more likely to be temporary, leading to yo-yo dieting. It is easier to keep it off if it goes slowly. * Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes before your brain realises your tummy is full. How quickly you will begin to feel full depends on how quickly you eat. So eat slowly, savour your food, and enjoy it. * Watch your portion sizes. If a portion is too big, cut it in half before you start eating. When dining out, ask for a doggie bag, or split the meal with a friend. * Eat a very small helping of your favourite foods every day. This will keep you from feeling deprived, which can lead to food cravings. But keep those portions small, chew your food well and savour and taste every bite. * Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day. Drinking a lot of fluids makes your stomach feel fuller, thus decreasing the inclination to overeat. * Keep healthy foods on hand to avoid making irresponsible food choices. Plan meals in advance and make a shopping list. Stock the kitchen with more fruit and vegetables, whole grains, dried beans, non-fat dairy and fish or lean poultry. * Drink less. Enjoy an occasional glass of wine or light beer only if it's a special occasion. * Make sure your focus is in the right place. Health and vitality, not appearance, should be the main focus of your weight management programme.

A healthy Christmas!

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:00:00 +0200

As South Africans we celebrate Christmas or other festive season events in the sunny southern hemisphere. Yet we persist in serving the traditional rich and kilojoule laden dishes that people in the north eat to keep themselves warm during their long, icy winter months. Why spend all that time and effort to put a fattening feast on the table instead of enjoying the lovely, lazy summer days or spending time with your loved ones? With a little planning Christmas can be different – more relaxed and less fattening. When it gets hot, the last thing most people feel like is a big, heavy meal. Rather consider light but tasty meals. It will keep you away from temptation in the kitchen and maximize time spent with family and friends. During the summer months there is an abundance of delicious fresh produce available. Serve a taste of summer with salads, chicken and fish, pulses and legumes, fresh vegetables and fruity desserts. Steer clear of dishes that are that are fried, swimming in oily marinades or doused in rich sauces. Other diet hazards during the festive season are all the rich extra munchies that are so readily available. You can easily nibble on them without thinking, but those fruit mince pies, slices of dark fruit cake, party snacks and drinks will quickly raise your kilojoule tally and soon cancel out the advantages of lighter meals. Even if you do decide to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner, it is possible to cut out a lot of kilojoules without sacrificing taste. Firstly and most importantly, just have a small portion of each dish and savour it slowly. The taste is just as good and the damage much less! Turkey or chicken is a healthy choice for your main protein component. Most of these birds’ fat is in the skin. If you remove the skin, you can save a lot of kilojoules per portion. Or, before you cook the meat, prick the skin to allow the fat to drain out and cook it on a trivet or upturned ovenproof plate so that the bird is not sitting in the fat. Light meat also has slightly fewer calories than dark meat, so choose breast instead of leg or thigh. Stuff your bird with a fruit-based stuffing instead of sausage meat and pour off the fat that rises to the surface of the gravy. Another option is fish. A whole fish on the grill is delicious and will feed a crowd. Serve plenty of vegetables with your Christmas meal. If you don’t smother them in butter they will be low in kilojoules and fat. If you decide to serve potatoes, go for baked potatoes. They are just as tasty as potatoes that are roasted in oil or fat, but much better for you. Salads are a filling, low-kilojoule option, but not if you use starchy and rich ingredients. Choose bright greens and healthy, crisp veggies for your salads — tomatoes, sweet peppers, broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers and red onions are all great choices. But go slow on the salad dressing — most dressings contain more kilojoules and fat than you think. When it comes to dessert, enjoy a very small helping of Christmas pudding with low-fat custard, made from semi-skimmed milk or fat-free Greek yoghurt instead of brandy butter or double cream. Even better, end your Christmas dinner with a colourful fruit platter. Lastly, since Christmas is a time of giving, think of others who would also prefer to start the new year without an extra roll around the waist. Don’t buy fattening presents. Forget about those chocolates, tins of butter biscuits, special wines and expensive bottles of liquor and rather consider presents that have nothing to do with food!

Festive Eating Plan

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:41:00 +0200

The basis of Slimtrack's philosophy is that you will lose weight if you burn more kilojoules than you consume. Our tools will work out exactly what your required daily kJ allowance is, given your personal statistics and your desired weight loss. We have a floor value of around 4500 kJ per day - we don't believe you should eat less that this daily, as it may lead to your metabolism actually slowing down in order to protect you from starvation. We strongly recommend that you use the tools to determine your ideal kJ allowance before continuing. For more advice on choosing an eating plan, go here. We welcome any comments and suggestions - please go to our forum and let us know what you think! View or download the eating plan here.

DON'T drink and diet!

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:35:00 +0200

Alcohol is nearly twice as fattening as carbohydrates or protein and contains a lot of empty kilojoules that have no nutritional value. It's the easy way to ruin your weight-loss project! On top of that, alcohol alters the normal digestive process and quickly turns the extra kilojoules into unwanted body fat. Normally the body slowly digests and absorbs carbohydrates, fats and proteins, but when alcohol is consumed this process changes. The body immediately processes the alcohol, coverts it into body fat and deposits it on your hips and tummy, before it starts to break down the other food groups. Another disadvantage of alcohol while you’re on a diet is that it reduces your willpower and stimulates your appetite. If you drink before or during a meal you are likely to eat more, without thinking. Salty snacks that often accompany social drinking such as peanuts and chips make you thirsty and can start a vicious circle, encouraging you to drink even more. Saving on your kilojoule "budget" for drinks later is also a bad idea. Even worse is to save up for a weekend binge by skipping a meal or two. Having your week’s quota of alcohol on weekends will just affect your willpower.

How to save on kilojoules

Alcohol abstinence is the best way to lose weight, but you can still have an occasional drink without losing track alltogether. Some tricks to limit your alcohol intake are:

Stick to your eating plan even when you are dining out.

Avoid hard liquor altogether. Rather go for healthier choices such as red and white wine, sparkling wine or light beer. Preferably add a few ice cubes to your white wine or mix your wine with soda water to make a spritzer. Watch those portions when your drinks are poured. Learn what counts as a standard drink so that you can accurately assess how full your glass really is.

Stay within your kilojoule limit by sipping your drink slowly and making it last longer. Don’t use alcohol to quench your thirst. That’s what water is for! Another trick to cut down is to space your drinks. Slow down your consumption by drinking a non-alcoholic glass of water, juice or soda between alcoholic beverages.

When dining, have a pitcher of water on the table, pour one glass of wine and then keep the wine bottle out of sight. Even better, to avoid stimulating your appetite and overeating at the dinner table enjoy that drink after you’ve had your meal.

You are going to be in situations in which someone is going to offer you a drink or expect you to drink with them. Learn how to politely say "no thank you," and really mean it. Tell everyone you know that you’re cutting back on your drinking. Hopefully this will prevent people from urging you to have “just one” or “one more for the road.”

It's a good idea to avoid situations in which you are used to drinking. There are many ways to do that. Meet friends, dates, or business associates at a coffee bar and order a non-alcoholic drink, like ice tea, coffee or juice.

Apart from being fattening, alcoholic beverages affect your body in other negative ways. It is a diuretic that causes water loss and dehydration. Along with this water loss you also lose important minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc that are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions and muscle contraction and relaxation. Excessive alcohol use can lead to serious health problems, including stomach ulcers, liver disease, and heart trouble. Spend your kilojoule budget on something healthier AND keep losing weight!

Three elements of fitness

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 16:57:00 +0200

We associate fitness with a lean, thin and attractive appearance. While it is true that excess body fat can be reduced with regular exercise, fitness is much more than that. Fitness is a function of how well the body’s muscular, circulatory and respiratory systems are functioning. Being fit enables you to perform everyday tasks effectively and without undue fatigue and stress. Who wouldn't want that! Most children naturally practice all the elements of fitness in their everyday life. They run, climb, and jump and explore their environment by bending and stretching. Unfortunately most adults tend to lead more sedentary lives when we get older. A fitness programme therefore makes sense: you lose weight and improve your overall quality of life.

What is fitness?

Fitness is being healthy and in good physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition. It is the body’s ability to perform physical activities without becoming excessively fatigued or breathless. Your level of fitness is a reflection of how efficiently your heart and muscles are using oxygen and expending energy. Fitness consists of three elements: endurance, strength and flexibility. A variety of activities are necessary to acquire these three components of overall fitness. It is therefore important to choose an integrated training programme that combines these three elements to provide you with the best results. The type of activities you choose and how vigorously you participate in them will determine your fitness level. If you regularly follow such a programme you’ll see a great improvement in your fitness levels and health over time.

Endurance

The first element of fitness is cardiovascular endurance and is probably the most important of the three. It describes the heart's ability to deliver blood and oxygen to all the body’s cells and working muscles. Cardiovascular fitness is dependent on aerobic activities and is the most important element of fitness as it enhances all the other components. When you regularly engage in aerobic activity, it strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to sustain continuous movement, such as running long distances. Further advantages of improving your cardiovascular endurance are a reduced risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other heart-related problems. And of course better weight management! Cardiovascular exercise burns kilojoules and will help you to shed those unwanted kilogrammes.

Strength

Strength is the second component of fitness. It describes the ability to lift, carry, push, or pull a heavy load. By contracting and relaxing, your muscles are able to overcome resistance which enables them to control the movements of your body and exert force or pressure. The goal of strength training such as push-ups, stomach crunches, pull-ups and other exercises is to increase physical strength and tone your muscles. This results in improved posture and alignment; increased tendon and ligament strength and higher bone density that reduce the risk of back problems and joint injuries. Important for slimmers is that developing this element of fitness result in an increase of muscle mass, which means a decrease in fat mass.

Flexibility

Flexibility is an important element of fitness for everyone, regardless of age and gender. It enables your joints, the surrounding muscles and connective tissue to move, bend, twist, and stretch with ease. Overall flexibility enhances agility and mobility while lowering the risk of injuries. Strong and elastic muscles can usually absorb the shock of sudden contractions, while stiff ones may pull or tear, resulting in injury and pain. Stretching exercises will help you to maintain a good range of motion. Yoga and pilates are excellent ways to increase your flexibility. Because excess tissue such as fat can impede your flexibility, it is an extra motivation to lose that extra weight and improve your general well-being.

Eat your greens!

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 21:05:00 +0200

Many of us remember with dread those unappetizing helpings of brown cabbage or limp carrots that we had to eat when we were little. But bad memories should not stand in the way of eating vegetables! There is such a wonderful variety of tasty vegetables available that even the most picky of eaters should be able to serve and enjoy fresh vegetables every day. Vegetables play an important part in a healthy, balanced diet and are especially useful when trying to lose weight. Most vegetables (except potatoes) are low in kilojoules and fat and high in fibre, making them ideal for use in a weight-loss programme. They add bulk and volume to your diet, but don't provide loads of kilojoules. A plate filled with vegetables will leave you satisfied and still those hunger pangs when you’re trying to lose weight. Not only are most vegetables low in kilojoules and fat and high in fibre, they are also a wonderful source of minerals, vitamins and micro-elements. Green, yellow and orange vegetables are rich sources of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, beta-carotene, vitamin B-complex, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K, all of which are important to help you look and feel your best. Vegetables also help your body to fight stress and diseases such as cancer because they contain many antioxidants. In addition, vegetables are packed with soluble as well as insoluble dietary fibre which stimulate the secretion of digestive juices that helps maintain the normal function of the intestine. If you are on a high-protein diet, it is important to eat lots of vegetables. Almost all vegetables contain small amounts of carbohydrates, which will help you avoid the kidney and gastrointestinal problems that are often associated with a protein-rich diet.

What to choose

If you want to stay fit, thin and healthy, try eating at least four helpings of vegetables a day, plus of course fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. To ensure a good mix of nutrients, go for a wide variety of vegetables and colours (green, red, yellow purple and orange) on your plate. Some vegetables, like avocados, sweetcorn, carrots and peas, are high in kilojoules but are still an important source of nutrients that will fill you up and make you less likely to snack on kilojoule rich or fatty foods. Just include those kilojoules in your daily total of you Slimtrack Food Diary. All vegetables, including fresh, frozen, dried, canned and juice, can count towards your daily servings, but fresh vegetables are always the best choice. Seasonal vegetables are the best option because they are fresher and also cheaper to buy. Always buy small quantities. Vegetables have a short shelf life and prolonged storage quickly reduces their vitamin content. Choose vegetables that are fresh, bright in colour and feel heavy in your hands. Look carefully for blemishes, spots and signs of mould. Always wash vegetables before you prepare them to get rid of dust, sand and any residual chemical sprays. As many as 25 to 30 people could have handled the vegetables from the farm to the greengrocer before they end up in your kitchen. Prepare your vegetables to make the most of their benefits. For the maximum preservation of vitamins and minerals, contact with air should be avoided. Therefore cut up your vegetables just before use, preferably into large chunks. Vegetables can be eaten in salads, boiled or baked or as juice. To retain their nutrients, the best way to cook them is to steam or bake or to eat them raw. If you need to cook vegetables, cook them in their skins and for no more than 10-15 minutes, as prolonged cooking destroys most of their nutrients. Boiling is not advised as it leaches most of the nutrients. When serving your veggies, do not add unnecessary kilojoules and spoil their natural flavour with the addition of salt, sugar, oils or butter. Rather flavour them with lemon juice, herbs and spices. Go for those healthy, tasty veggies to lose weight!

Apple, pear or hourglass?

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:12:00 +0200

Your body type influences how your body responds to diet and training. Knowing what your body type is can help you get rid of unwanted kilograms and to choose a dietary plan that suits you best. Different body types assimilate food in different ways and also react differently to training.

Endomorphs

Those who want to lose weight usually see either tummy or thighs in the mirror. If you've always had trouble losing weight, you're probably an endomorph. Typical (but not all) endomorphs are short and solidly built, with poorly defined muscles. An endomorph naturally has a soft and rounded body with a high degree of body fat. Fat usually accumulates around the middle section and female endomorphs are more often than not a pear or hourglass shape, with wide hips and big breasts. This body type tends to have a slow metabolism and therefore gains muscle and fat very easily. Because of their slow metabolism, endomorphs usually struggle to lose weight and find it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and shape. They have to watch their kilojoule intake carefully and follow a healthy diet containing the minimum amount of fat and carbohydrates. Endomorph body types who consume large amounts of sugary foods, carbohydrates and fast food will quickly find themselves on the road to becoming obese. High repetition of set exercises and aerobic exercise will burn kilojoules and avoid building bulky muscles.

Ectomorphs

Ectomorphs are those lucky thin people who can eat anything and not gain a gram. Usually ectomorphs have a small bone structure with flat chests, long, thin limbs and narrow shoulders, waist and hips. Their fast metabolism burns up kilojoules very quickly and enables then to stay thin even if they eat a lot. They may lack shape due to their low muscle mass. They need a huge amount of kilojoules in order to gain weight, which they lose very easily. Although this may not sound like a problem to most of us, many ectomorphs wish for a little more shape. Their aim is to gain weight and muscle mass and build strength and endurance which they can do by eating large portions of healthy, muscle building foods and doing muscle building exercises.

Mesomorphs

The mesomorph is a combination of the other two body types. If you tend to be more muscular and athletic, then you are probably a mesomorph who gain and lose weight easily. A mesomorph is naturally strong with broad shoulders and chest, a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Due to the amount of lean muscle they carry, mesomorphs tend to have a fast metabolism. However, they do gain fat, not as quickly as endomorphs, but more easily than ectomorphs. When they put on weight they usually carry it around the hips and thighs. The classic pear shape is healthier than an apple shape where fat accumulates around the waist. This means that mesomorphs must watch their kilojoule intake carefully and try to maintain a balanced diet with plenty of protein while following a regular exercise programme.

Combinations

Most people fit into one of these three classifications although many others’ bodies are a combination of two body types. Combination body types have the characteristics of two body types, usually either ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph.

Fighting fat with fibre

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:24:00 +0200

Fibre is a great help in weight control. High-fibre foods slow down the release of blood glucose after eating and ensure more stable blood sugar levels. If energy or glucose is released slowly and steadily it gives your brain time to register that your stomach is full and prevents hunger pangs and tiredness. In many cases people who are overweight or obese have been shown to lose significant amounts of excess body fat simply by increasing the amount of dietary fibre, especially soluble fibre, in their daily diet. Fibre-rich foods tend to slow down the rate at which you eat as well as your digestion. The longer the transit time of food through the digestive system, the longer you will feel satisfied and full, which will prevent you from overeating and snacking on fattening foods. The extra chewing time that is often required of high-fibre foods also helps you to feel satisfied. A person on a high fibre diet is therefore likely to eat less and, at the same time, cut down on kilojoule intake. A further advantage is that foods rich in fibre are generally low in fat and kilojoules and do not make you put on weight.

What is dietary fibre?

Dietary fibre, also called bulk or roughage, is made up of the indigestible parts of plants, which pass relatively unchanged through our stomach and intestines. Animal foods such as meat or eggs contain no fibre. The main function of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy by speeding up the excretion of waste and toxins from the body. There are two major types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. Some forms of fibre are water soluble and aren’t rough at all, such as in oats. In countries with traditionally high fibre diets, diseases such as bowel cancer, diabetes and coronary heart disease are much less common than in typical Western countries. By holding extra water, fibre also provides bulk that helps to prevent constipation, haemorrhoids and diverticular disease, and may also be protective against bowel cancer.

How much fibre should you eat?

Although most people only eat around 20 grams per day, adults should aim for an intake of 30-35 grams per day. Your fibre intake can easily be doubled without increasing your kilojoule intake just by being more selective about the food you eat. If you are going to increase the amount of fibre in your diet, make sure that you drink enough water every day. Fibre soaks up water like a sponge and may cause constipation if you do not have an adequate water intake. Read more about water and weight loss here. Just as too little fibre in the diet is not good for the body, so is too much. If your current diet is low in fibre, introduce fibre gradually into your diet to help avoid abdominal discomfort or wind. Start off by slowly adding more fruit, vegetables and cereals to your diet. Foods such as beans can lead to excessive flatulence if the body is not used to them. The problem should only last for a few days until the body has had enough time to adjust. Consuming large amounts of pure or unprocessed bran is not the way to go. Too much of a good thing can lead to a deficiency in important minerals such as zinc, calcium and iron.

Ways to increase your fibre intake

Dietary fibre is found in cereals, fruits, vegetables and pulses or legumes. Here are some simple suggestions for increasing your daily fibre intake:

Start the day with cereals that contain barley, wheat or oats or wholewheat bread.
Switch to brown rice, brown bread and wholewheat pasta.
Add an extra vegetable to every evening meal.
Snack on fruit, dried fruit, nuts or wholewheat crackers instead of low-fibre cakes and biscuits.
Try to eat more legumes.
Eat more portions of raw and dried fruit.
Eat potatoes and fruit with their skins intact.
Add chickpeas, pearl barley, linseed or lentils to salads, stews and curries.
Buy foods containing whole grains.
Add seeds and nuts to salads.
Limit your intake of meat and eggs.

Pimp your plate!

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:44:00 +0200

One of the easiest and healthiest ways to add taste to your food is to flavour it with herbs. While adding lots of taste, it adds very few kilojoules. It's also a healthy alternative to salt, which you should eat less of when trying to lose weight. On top of that herbs are great for garnishing and makes your food look more appealing. Herbs are a good source of nutrients and antioxidants and add lots of zing to low-salt dishes.

Fresh herbs

Nowadays fresh herbs are available year-round in supermarkets. Buy fresh herbs only as you need them and store them for several days by immersing the stems in a glass of water or by putting them in the fridge in a plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel wrapped around their stems. Alternatively fresh herbs can be frozen. Remove the leaves from the stems, rinse and dry the leaves, and then place them in sealed plastic bags. Herbs can be frozen up to six months and although their colour darken they retain much of their flavour. An even better idea is to have fresh herbs at your fingertips by planting a herbal window garden. Potted herbs last longer than cut herbs, but they need to be cared for as houseplants. They need a sunny window sill, and at least six hours of sunlight a day. Do not use any insecticides or pesticides on or around plants that you intend eating. If you're using fresh herbs, don't be shy. It usually takes more than you think to flavor a dish. Start with about one teaspoon until you get a better feel for how much you like. If you're cooking with soft herbs, wait until the end of the cooking time to add them, in order to retain their delicate flavour. More robust herbs such as bay, sage, rosemary and thyme are best when added during cooking.

Dried herbs

When fresh herbs aren't available, dried will do, but use them judiciously as a little goes a long way. Store dried herbs and spices in airtight containers, away from heat and light. The flavour of dried herbs tends to fade faster than that of dried spices. Rather buy new bottles and packets of dried herbs each year, as they become stale quickly.

Herbs in cooking

Any herb can be used on its own or in combination with other herbs. Matching herbs to specific foodstuffs or dishes is a matter of individual choice. Many combinations have become traditional, such as tomato with basil, but feel free to experiment with different taste combinations until you find the ones that work for you. Although there are many more varieties to choose from, the following seven easy-to-grow herbs will provide you with the basic ingredients for maximum sing:

Basil

Sweet basil is one of the most popular culinary herbs. Basil is used in many Italian recipes and goes well with all tomato dishes, pizzas, salads and pasta dishes.

Chives

Chives are a mild member of the onion family and has many uses. Add them to soups, salads, omelettes, chicken, egg dishes and cooked vegetables, especially potato and tomato dishes.They blend well with cottage cheese or low-fat yoghurt as a topping on vegetables.

Mint

Mint comes in many varieties such as peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, lemon mint and even chocolate mint. It is traditionally served with roast lamb or fish, green and bean salads, fruit salads and jellies.

Oregano

Oregano has an aromatic scent and warm taste and has been used for flavouring fish, meat and sauces since ancient times. It is generally used in Mexican, Italian, Greek and Spanish dishes. Oregano goes well with vegetables, roast beef, lamb, chicken, pork and veal.

Parsley

Parsley is a great all-round herb. It quickly adds a touch of colour and texture to virtually any recipe. Its delicate flavour combines well with other herbs. Flat leaf or Italian is used primarily in cooking because of its more robust flavour and curly parsley as a garnish.

Thyme

The tiny greyish green leaves of garden thyme have a subtle aroma and taste. Thyme is any important component of Provençale cuisine. It is often used in soups and sauces, with meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and salads.

Coriander, cilantro (dhania)

Fresh coriander leaves lend an exotic flavour to many South Asian, Mexican, Indian and Chinese dishes. A garnish of chopped coriander adds a wonderful flavour to curry dishes. The dried seed of the plant is used as a spice.

You call THAT exercise?

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 22:19:00 +0200

Exercise is a form of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive and purposeful. But we can also be constructively active as part of playing, working, travelling or doing household chores. Our bodies expend or use energy (measured in kilojoules or calories) through physical activity, which is vital to successful weight management. The more frequent and intense this activity is, the more energy we use. In other words, exercise is a highly effective way for our bodies to expend energy, but by no means the only way to do so. Physical activity makes us feel more energetic. It improves our balance and is essential to maintain bone and functional health. It also reduces the risk of many illnesses, inluding hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer and depression. High costs are a common excuse for not being physically active. Yes, special equipment and facilities can be expensive, but many alternatives are cheap or even free. Walking is a good example: easy to do, very beneficial and costs you absolutely nothing. You DON'T need to go to a gym, pool or any other special sports facility to be physically active. Another excuse for not being active is that physical activity takes too much time. One solution is to set aside several shorter periods instead of one longer period: a brisk 10 minute walk three times a day; or 20 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes later in the day. And remember the consequences of NOT making time! Inactivity is a growing problem everywhere, often because urbanisation and technological advances are making it easier than ever to slack off. Here are some more tips for being more active: * Find opportunities for activity during your working day. Physical activity can be done almost anywhere and does not necessarily require equipment. Do a few stretches, climb the stairs instead of using the lift or walk around the block during lunchtime. Look for a safe, convenient recreational area close to your work or home. * Look for alternative transport. Riding a bicycle to work or walking part of the way is an easy way to accumulate activity minutes and can form part of your regular daily routine. And don't forget to record it in your Slimtrack Exercise Diary. * Put in some effort! Hang your washing on the line rather than putting it in the clothes dryer, and sweep your floors or wash your car. * Limit the time you spend being inactive, such as watching television or sitting in front of a computer. Or combine watching television with running on a treadmill or other exercise machine. * Encourage your children to play outdoors and participate in sports. You can join them! * Choose recreational activities that involve physical activity. By being more active, you will look and feel better and live longer. What's stopping you?

You skipped WHAT?

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 22:15:00 +0200

Maybe it's the rush to get the kids to school and be ready for work. Or perhaps you're one of those people who don’t feel like food so early in the morning. Others skip breakfast because they think it will help them to lose weight. Whatever your reason may be: Skipping breakfast is a bad idea. Doing so means you start the day on an empty stomach. Thus, by the time you're sitting at your desk for work, your blood sugar levels are falling fast. The result: you need an instant fix, which often means a chocolate bar or some other unhealthy option. One trick is to prepare a nutritious breakfast that you can eat while going through your morning routine, perhaps even on your way to work. If you prefer a relaxed breakfast at home, make it the night before or get up 15 minutes earlier than usual. Breakfast literally means “breaking the fast”. It helps to replenish your energy levels, which depletes overnight. Eating a morning meal is a good habit if you're watching your weight. Regular breakfast eaters tend to be leaner, are more successful at losing weight and more likely to maintain a healthy weight. A nutritious breakfast speeds up our metabolism with the result that kilojoules are used rather than stored. A healthy breakfast also helps to prevent binge eating by regulating those mid-morning hunger pangs. Unfortunately some breakfasts do more harm than good, such as too sugary or carbohydrate-filled breakfasts. Sweetened cereals, breakfast bars and muffins provide nothing but empty kilojoules. You will start your day with a high blood sugar level, which will then quickly drop and leave you exhausted. The sausages, fried eggs, bacon, and cheesy omelettes that are usually eaten as part of a traditional English breakfast are loaded with saturated fats and should not be part of a healthy breakfast. So, what should you be looking for in a healthy breakfast? * Whole-grain carbohydrates * Low-fat dairy * Fibre and nutrients * Protein without lots of saturated fat * Whole-grain, high-fibre cereal Any whole-grain, high-fibre cereal is a good choice because it releases energy slowly, making you feel fuller for longer. Oatmeal, brown rice or barley can be cooked in the microwave the night before and topped in the morning with some raisins, sliced apple, a sprinkling of cinnamon or a tablespoon of dried fruit (30g) and a little low-fat milk. Oats are a good source of insoluble fibre and may help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Oats could also be soaked overnight to speed up their cooking time. Combine ½ a cup of rolled oats and ½ a cup low fat milk, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning add some grated apple, ground flax seeds or chopped nuts and mix well with 100g of low-fat yoghurt. Yoghurt Save kilojoules — and unnecessary sugar — by choosing plain low-fat yoghurt. Low-fat yoghurt provides calcium, protein and is low in fat, making this a healthy way to start the day. If you need a little extra sweetness, try adding fresh fruit and, on top of that, a sprinkling of low-fat granola or other healthy cereal. If you are really stuck for time in the mornings, assemble the ingredients the night before, put it into a plastic container and eat it at your desk when you get to work. Another option is to make a fruit smoothie. Chop fruit of your choice, add one teaspoon of ground flax seed and a cup of natural yoghurt and blend with a cup of crushed ice. Fresh fruit Slice up any combination of your favourite fruits: apples, melons, berries (blueberries and raspberries work well), melon, pineapple, oranges, pears, bananas or grapes. Add a few drops of lime or lemon juice. Alternatively, serve your fruit of choice with low-fat cottage cheese, passion fruit pulp or natural yoghurt and a small handful of muesli. Fruit eaten at breakfast counts towards your aim of eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Vegetables Although not usually regarded as breakfast fare, vegetables contain vitamins, fibre and a range of minerals. Slice and grill mushrooms, red and green peppers, tomatoes, onions or whatever vegetables you enjoy. Grilling is a quick and healthier way to cook. You could even have some leftover veggies cooked the day before sprinkled with a drops of lemon juice. Protein shakes Blend whey powder with low-fat milk, some frozen blueberries and perhaps some ground flax seeds or oatmeal. Eggs Eggs make for a quick breakfast, but limit your intake to one or two eggs a week. They are a good source of protein and will keep you feeling satisfied for longer. A plain boiled egg is a good standby and travels well if you are in a hurry. A scrambled egg made with a little olive oil and sprinkled with black pepper and a teaspoon of ground flax seeds makes a satisfying meal. Egg whites are healthier than whole eggs. Make a white omelette by whisking together two egg whites and then pour into a non-stick pan that has been coated with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once the omelette is starting to brown on the edges, flip it and toss in some leftover vegetables. Sandwich Last but not least is the trusty sandwich, made with whole-grain bread and a scraping of butter. Round off with a healthy filling such as lettuce, lean chicken or turkey slices, cottage cheese, cucumber and/or sliced tomatoes.

Are you eating enough fat?

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:39:00 +0200

A growing number of researchers are saying the emphasis on low-fat foods and avoiding saturated fats might be having exactly the opposite of the intended effects. In the United States, it is pointed out, the low-fat trend has been very strong, yet that country is experiencing runaway epidemics in both obesity and diabetes. A leading proponent of this idea is prof. Frank Hu from the department of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, who is on record as saying: “The USA's big low-fat message backfired. The overemphasis on reducing fat caused the consumption of carbohydrates and sugar in our diets to soar. That shift may be linked to the biggest health problems in America today.” Likewise, dr. Edward Saltzman, associate professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University, told the Los Angeles Times: "Dietary fat used to be public enemy No. 1. Now a growing and convincing body of science is pointing the finger at carbs, especially those containing refined flour and sugar." Yet another expert agrees that fat "is not the problem". Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, says: "If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks from their diets, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases." This would suggest that low-fat in itself is not the problem, but rather the shift towards other foods it caused. This in turn might partially be caused by the fact that low-fat foods are often not as filling as their full-fat counterparts, which could lead you to eat more of it and thereby thwarting your weight-loss efforts. Take cheese for example. Alan Aragon, weight-loss coach for the American edition of Men's Health magazine, says the combination of protein and fat in regular, full-fat cheese is filling and satisfying."As a result, eating full-fat cheese holds your appetite at bay for hours, and I've found that it cuts down my clients' food intake at subsequent meals." His advice: full-fat cheese can be a good snack option if you're trying to lose weight. Just don't eat "mindless" amounts! Common sense should always be your guide. As leading dietician Lila Bruk points out: "Nutrition is an ever-evolving science and new developments arise all the time. The realisation that fat can be healthy does not mean we should start slathering on the butter. Trans fats, as opposed to saturated fats, are probably among the biggest causes of chronic disease and other healthy problems today, but we also can't discount large bodies of research that implicate saturated fat in such illnesses as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. We should still all use common sense when approaching this issue and still prioritise the unsaturated fats (such as avos, olives, olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds) and limit the saturated and trans fats (such as found in butter, red meat, commercial pies and biscuits).

Garden away the fat

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:21:00 +0200

That's why the Slimtrack exercise tools make provision for recording and measuring the impact of a wide variety of everyday activities. You can think of these as "bonus" exercises, because they are typically things that you already do or can easily add to your routine without much effort. One popular example is climbing the stairs at work instead of using the lift (find something else to do if you don't have stairs at your place of work!). If you search "climbing stairs" when updating your Slimtrack Exercise Diary, you will notice that climbing stairs for a given length of time will result in a certain number of kilojoules being burned. This is calculated by taking into account your current weight, as provided by you and linked to your profile, as well as the so-called Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET). This is a measure of the energy cost of any specific physical activity relative to a reference metabolic rate (or "base" metabolic rate). (Of course, you can also input the more accurate reading from your heart rate monitor, if you happen to wear one while at work and climbing stairs!) Now, climbing stairs has an MET of 8.0, which indicates a fairly vigorous type of activity. In other words, climbing stairs for a good length of time will result in a meaningful number of kilojoules being burned. By comparison, something like "mild stretching" has an MET of 2.5, while cycling at top speed has an MET of 16 or more. Here are the sometimes surprising METs of some other everyday activities, as an indication of how you could be adding to your number of kilojoules burned: Mowing the lawn with a power mower: 5.5 Mowing the lawn with a hand mower: 6.0 Wheelbarrow garden work: 5.0 Woodwork (sawing hardwood): 7.5 Ironing work: 2.3 Moving furniture or carrying household items: 7.0 Making beds: 2.0 Enthusiastic playing with your children: 5.0 Cleaning gutters: 5.0 Violin playing: 2.5 Drum playing: 4.0 Fishing: 3.0 Vacuuming: 3.5 And here are the METs of some sports: Badminton (social): 4.5 Badminton (Competitive): 7.0 Golf: 4.5 Rugby or soccer: 10.0 Squash: 12.0 Keep in mind that the MET of any activity is only a part of the formula for calculating how many kilojoules you actually burn. The TIME spent on it and the LEVEL OF INTENSITY are as important. Also, do your own searches in the Exercise Diary. Some of your own favourite activities might be in there!

Vegetarian Eating Plan

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:01:00 +0200

Another eating plan compiled by dietician Lila Bruk. This one is especially for vegetarians and limits your intake of kilojoules to 5000 a day. Or adapt it to suit your needs better.

Spring clean your diet

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 01:38:00 +0200

To start off with, consider any food, ingredients or snacks that have been on your shelves or in the fridge or refrigerator for many months. If you bought it before you decided to lose weight, does it still fit in with your new lifestyle? If not, throw it away or give it to someone who has a use for it. If it does fit in with your weight-loss efforts, is it still fresh enough to be beneficial? For instance, something like cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil has many slimming benefits, but the beneficial antioxidants begin to break down after about six months in the container, thereby negating its benefits. Don't forget about baking ingredients such as flour. Replace old flour of any kind with fresh whole-wheat flour, which has more antioxidants than refined grains as well as fibre that improves digestion. The downside is that whole wheat flour can spoil up to four times faster than white flour, so use it within three months unless you have frozen it in a sealed container. Speaking of frozen food in containers: Mark anything you put in the freezer with a date so that you don't end up throwing good food away because you're uncertain whether it's still safe to eat. Another example: nuts, which are a great source of healthy (mono-unsaturated) fat. But exposure to heat or light or too much time in the cupboard will cause them to lose their taste as well as their health benefits. Get rid of temptation. Those chocolates, cookies and potato chips at the back of the cupboard WILL get eaten unless you remove them and replace them with slimming-friendly snacks. And what about those rows and rows of green glass bottles you have in the "spice rack"? Many herbs and spices have tremendous health and slimming benefits, and are a great way to add taste to food without adding kilojoules. But especially dried and ground spices lose their flavour and health benefits quite rapidly. Either use whole spices you can grind as you use it, or – even better – grow your own. Parsley, thyme, coriander, green peppers and many types of chillies are easy to grow at home and will almost always be tastier and healthier than the dried stuff you buy at the shop. Then, have a looked at your canned foods. Some, including seafood such as tuna, sardines or salmon, are low in kilojoules and should be a staple. So should most types of canned beans, unless it contains too much added sugar – check the label and the kilojoule content. Be careful of canned soups and even fruit, both of which are often high in kilojoules, unless stated otherwise. Lastly, your refrigerator and freezer. Aim for a quick turnover of fruit, vegetables and especially greens, both fresh and frozen. And stay well stocked with everything in your eating plan, including meat, dairy, berries, nuts and seeds, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and carrots. Remember: Eating considered quantities of fresh, wholesome food is a great recipe for weight-loss success!

Is your body beach-ready?

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 23:13:00 +0200

Now is the perfect time to get your life, your health and your body into the shape you deserve. No more hiding beneath layers of thick winter clothes! If you have not already done so, ask yourself: What is my specific, realistic weight-loss goal? It's not good enough that you "want to look good in swimwear", for instance. Later, it might be very easy to fool yourself into believing you had achieved such a vague goal when in fact you had made little or no progress. There's also no point in setting an unrealistic goal such as giving yourself a month or two to get to the same weight you were ten years ago. You can only set a specific goal if you have an accurate indication of where you are and where you want to get to. One such indicator is your Body Mass Index (BMI), which gives you a general idea of how close you are to your ideal weight. Use a good quality scale that gives consistent readings, and remember to weigh yourself at the same time every week, such as on Monday mornings just before breakfast. We recommend updating your weight at least once a week. Having discovered your BMI, you now have a more accurate idea of how many kilograms you need to lose. Next, go to your Slimtrack profile, where you can input your current weight, your goal weight and the rate at which you want to lose weight, for example "250g a week". Remember, this calculator will NOT allow you to lose weight at a higher rate than is healthy. The Slimtrack tools will now show you a date by which you will reach your goal weight, given the information you have supplied and provided you stick to the suggested daily balance of kilojoules consumed and burned up. Slimtrack also tracks your progress over time and plots it on a graph. DON'T stop weighing in just because you haven't followed your plan, because an increase in your recorded weight might well help you to regain motivation. It's also good to post about your weight loss (or gain) on the Weigh-Ins board on the Community Forum. Share your triumphs or get some sympathy for when it didn’t go that well! Research shows that slimmers who share their ambitions and get encouragement from other slimmers improve their chance of success. More about setting goals here. Next up, adopt an eating plan. If you're not already doing so, start using the Slimtrack tools to record everything you eat and drink and stick to your indicated daily allowance. Use one of Slimtrack's set eating plans or use one of them as a guide for developing your own plan. Finally, adopt an exercise plan. Even a little exercise is better than nothing, but for the best results you will HAVE to work up a regular sweat. The Slimtrack Exercise Diary is a great way to see what the effects of your chosen activities have on your weight-loss project. Here are some more links to help you on your way to a slimmer spring: Ten ways to change your life Getting the best out of Slimtrack Why it works to keep a food diary

Vicious to virtuous cycle

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:57:00 +0200

The golden rule for losing unwanted weight is to eat better and exercise more, which is exactly why Slimtrack’s free weight-loss tools are so effective. In a world obsessed with “miracle diets” and quick solutions, however, many people convince themselves they could lose weight through a change of eating habits alone. The reality is that very few people manage sustained weight loss without also introducing regular, challenging exercise into their lifestyle. So why don’t people exercise? Popular excuses are: they don’t have time, it’s too expensive or they’re too shy to go to the gym. Well, if you’re going to be looking for excuses for not exercising, you WILL find them. However, if you’re really struggling to find the right exercise to make a regular part of your life, we would like to suggest cycling. Here are some of the reasons why cycling has become an extremely popular form of exercising, especially for South Africans: • Riding a bicycle requires no special skills. If you are very unfit, you can start off by riding slowly over shorter distances and smoother terrain. Increase your speed and distance as you get fitter. • We typically have access to good, safe cycling roads or trails. Cycling on public roads can be dangerous, but even a park can be a pleasant cycling space. Alternatively, cycle at home by putting your bike on an exercise stand or go off the tar road on your mountain bike. • You can cover much bigger distances in the same time than by jogging, for instance. Bigger distances mean less monotony and more fun. If you have a car fitted with a cycling rack, you can add even more variety by driving to new starting points further away from where you live. • Because the cycling community is big and growing, it’s easy to find others you could join up with. It’s just as easy to cycle on your own, if you prefer. You can also be as sociable or as competitive as you wish, and there are many regular cycling events all around the country catering for all kinds of riders. • Cycling equipment can be very expensive, but a good basic model won’t cost more than say six months’ worth of membership at a gym. (Get advice from a specialist cycling shop on what to buy, and don’t buy something cheap at the supermarket – you will regret it!) A bicycle requires no petrol, and you might even be able to use it to get to work or for short trips or to the shops. • Cycling is great for your heart, burns lots of kilojoules and has low impact on your joints. Search “bicycling” in Slimtrack’s Exercise Diary and you’ll notice that even just 30 minutes of leisurely cycling with light effort will burn up almost 1 000kJ! • Some useful sites: Ride magazine (general cycling) or www.mtbroutes.co.za, which lists some great mountain biking routes.

OMG, it's a bad idea!

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 23:09:00 +0200

You’ve probably heard about it: the OMG diet. It’s the newest diet craze from the UK and it's causing even more than the usual controversy. The OMG gets its name from the self-published e-book Six Weeks To OMG: Get Skinnier Than All Your Friends, written by British actor and celebrity personal trainer Paul Khanna, under the pen name Venice A. Fulton. (“OMG” is the astounded reaction you supposedly get from your friends after having followed the diet for six weeks). While dieticians and medical experts warn that the OMG diet is potentially risky and focussed on short-term success only, the book has been storming to the top of the best-seller lists in Britain and is now set to to the same in America. Locally, articles about it has been featured in You and Huisgenoot magazines, among others. Why? Well, firstly it makes the predictable claim of quick success. Follow the OMG diet for six weeks, Khanna contends, and you could lose as much as 10kg and reduce your cellulite. Secondly, the title, which clearly appeals to impressionable teenagers and encourages (unhealthy) competition. Thirdly, Khanna’s suggested methods are quite easy to follow, yet convinces dieters they are sacrificing in order to achieve success. A good examples of this: having to sit in a cold bath in order to trick your body into burning stored fat. The main pillars of the OMG diet seem to be: • Drink black coffee when you wake up in the morning, but don’t eat anything yet. (This is supposedly to boost your nervous system). • Then exercise (on an empty stomach, in other words); • After exercising, you’re not allowed to eat for another three hours. The (flawed) theory behind this is that it forces your body to burn stored fat; • The actual eating part of the diet: no fruit (!), limited carbohydrates and lots of protein. While the OMG does contain some sensible advice (such as recognising the kilojoule content of many kinds of alcohol), its overall approach is unhealthy and even dangerous. A quick-fix diet will probably produce results in the short term, but it can also: • Make you regain all the weight you’ve lost as soon as you resume your normal lifestyle; • Be unsustainable for longer periods (in this case more than six weeks); • Upset your metabolism, which will make sustainable weight-loss even more difficult in future; • Lead to illness and disease because you starve your body from the necessary energy. • Lead to eating disorders because it will cause craving and consequent binge-eating. Slimtrack suggests: • DON’T attempt to follow this or any other diet that promises such quick results based on quirky methods. You WILL regain the weight you lose and it could damage your health permanently; • Change your lifestyle in a sustainable way by eating less, eating healthier and exercising more; • Include fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet; • Eat a healthy breakfast every day; • Don’t try to starve your body; • Drink more water and less caffeine.

Olympic-sized problem

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 01:54:00 +0200

The sight of all those athletes in top physical condition at the Olympic Games might have inspired some of us to get off the couch and get active, but it's just as easy to be demotivated by the thought of all the hard work it takes to get to that level. At least those athletes don't have to worry about their weight, right? Well, it turns out even top-class athletes sometimes struggle with their weight. A good example is 18-year-old British diver Tom Daley, who recently revealed that he lost more than 7kg in the months leading up to the Games. The result was an Olympic bronze medal in the 10 metre platform dive. The weakness that almost cost him his medal? Ice-cream! Daley recently revealed how Russian team coach Alexei Evangulov had warned him at the beginning of 2012 that he was "getting sluggish" and needed to lose weight. His improved diet – mainly cutting back on ice-cream – soon translated into better diving. "I used to have one (ice-cream) every weekend and then I cut it out and said I'd only have one after each competition," he told UK newspaper the Daily Mail. "I had to have healthy, balanced meals, which I was anyway, but I cut out the snacks in between and cut down on portion sizes, so that I got to my fighting weight." It's one thing to hear criticism like that from your coach, but being told by the media or even opponents can be difficult to handle. Especially when your weight is not detracting from your performance. Take Australian swimmer Leisel Jones, who has just become the first Australian woman ever to compete in four Olympic Games. Yet she recently had to endure the humiliation of an Australian newspaper, The Herald Sun, running an online poll asking readers if they thought she was fit enough to swim, and suggesting she had put on weight. The paper published photos of her taken during her first training session for the London Games and compared it to a posed shot of her taken in 2008 at the Beijing Games. Following incensed reaction from readers, the poll was quickly removed. Alice Tait, herself a former swimmer, commented on Twitter: "Questioning Leisel Jones' fitness due to an unflattering photo is exactly why many girls have body image issues! Makes me so angry!" Jones' coach, Michael Bohl, also came to her defence: "She's a different sort of athlete. She's not a young 14 or 15-year-old girl that's doing 10 really hard sessions a week." At the age of 26 Jones' swimming career is certainly nearing its end, but she still did her bit to help her country win a silver medal in the 4x100m Medley Relay. The point here is also that it's possible to be fit and healthy without necessarily being thin. The Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF), a UK charity which promotes female participation in sport, say only 12% of British girls at age 14 do enough exercise. The WSFF says an important reason for this is the twisted message in popular culture that it is more important to be thin than fit. This negative attitude even applies to women athletes at the Olympics who are in peak physical condition and with healthy body images, yet are criticised for being "fat".

Choosing the right plan

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:20:00 +0200

Most importantly, do NOT simply choose the plan with the lowest daily kilojoule budget. If this or any other plan does not match your personal requirements and situation, it will NOT lead you on a healthy and sustainable path to weight-loss success. So how DO you choose the plan that is best for you? Firstly, use the Slimtrack tools and the guidance it provides. These tools were developed in consultation with a dietician and are based on proven principles of nutritional science. It takes into account variables such as your length, current weight, level of activity, your weight-loss goal and the time in which you aim to achieve it. It is therefore important that you supply accurate and truthful information. The Slimtrack tools will NEVER recommend a daily kilojoule budget of less than 4 200kJ, regardless of which values you enter. Anything less than that would constitute a hunger diet for almost any healthy individual, and would be therefore be unhealthy and unsustainable. The Slimtrack philosopy is NOT about starving yourself for short-term benefit, but rather to eat the right amounts of the kind of healthy and nutritious food that will help you reach and maintain your ideal weight. Also remember that your initial daily kilojoule allowance does not yet take into account any physical activity, which is why it should used it in conjunction with our Exercise Diary. This tool allows you to also determine how many kilojoules your body has burned every day while doing specific exercises of specific duration. This daily total gets added to your basic daily dietary allowance, and guides you towards an ideal situation where the number of kilojoules you take in through eating and drinking is somewhat less than the number of kilojoules you burn up through exercise and other physical acitvity. The level of this difference is determined by the speed at which you want to lose weight, within the limits dicussed above. Trying to increase this difference to beyond the recommended values, such as by using an eating plan not suited to your situation, or by drastically increasing your exercising levels without taking in more food, is counter-productive and can be dangerous. Gradual weight-loss takes longer, but is healthier and increases your chance of affecting a real lifestyle change and maintaining a healthy goal weight – not just achieving it. Lastly, remember that we might not yet have a suitable eating plan for your specific needs. If the Slimtrack tools recommend a daily kilojoule limit of more than any of the existing plans allow, you will have to adapt them by increasing the amounts. Alternatively, wait for a plan that better suits your needs, as we will soon be adding more eating plans. • For more help on using the Slimtrack tools, read USING SLIMTRACK • View or download the 5 000kJ plan • View or download the 5 800kJ plan • View or download the 6 700kJ plan • View or download the vegetarian 5 000kJ plan

6 700kJ Eating Plan

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 02:16:00 +0200

This plan should be used in conjunction with Slimtrack's other tools, especially the Food Diary, which will help you determine what your daily kilojoule intake should be. This daily "budget" is personalised for you and takes into account factors such as your supplied current weight, goal weight and level of regular exercise. View or download the 6 700kJ eating plan. Also available: View or download the 5 800kJ eating plan. View or download the 5 000kJ eating plan.

7 habits for slimmers!

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 11:49:00 +0200

Covey passed away in July 2012 from injuries sustained in an earlier bicycle accident. He was highly regarded by the public and experts alike for his clear thinking on how we can improve our lives. What can we learn from him when trying to stay motivated towards reaching our weight-loss goals? A habit, Covey wrote, “is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do it), and desire (want to do).” And all seven his famous habits are relevant to anyone trying to achieve a personal goal. The first three Habits are about moving from dependence to independence: Habit 1: Be proactive. This is about taking responsibility for your life, not allowing life just to happen to you. You start taking the initiative when you realise that your decisions are the primary determining factor for effectiveness. Take responsibility for your choices and the consequences that follow. For example: You’re not overweight because of your genes or how busy you are, you’re overweight because you have not taken the necessary decisions to live a healthier life. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. This is about having a vision of where you want your life to go. For slimmers, this means having a clear vision about becoming that slim and healthy version of yourself. Habit 3: Put First Things First. This is about setting priorities, and doing so according to the vision you have of your future self. Importance rather than urgency should guide you. If it does not propel you toward your goals, then perhaps it is not really a priority. “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Habits 4 to 6 have to do with interdependence, in other words the importance of working with others. “Dependent people need others to get what they want. Independent people can get what they want through their own efforts. Interdependent people combine their own efforts with the efforts of others to achieve their greatest success.” Habit 4: Think Win-Win. Search for mutual benefits in your interactions with others. For slimmers, this could mean finding others who have similar goals to your own and sharing your knowledge and experience with them. It’s NOT about comparing and then despairing, but about the realisation that each one of us can help all of us. As a slimmer, it’s not about losing more weight than others, or about delighting in others’ failures – we can ALL win. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. This is about becoming better listeners and achieving better communication. That way, we help create an atmosphere of caring, respect and problem solving. Habit 6: Synergise. This has become a cliché, but achieving such a collaboration means that as a team we can achieve goals that a single person might have struggled with. Synergy is also about realising that all of us can live as leaders, even if it is just in our small group or situation. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. In Covey's own words: “Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual.” For example: Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, resting Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others Mental: Learning, reading, writing, teaching Spiritual: Spending time in nature, expanding your spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer or service to others. • Have you already applied these ideas to your slimming efforts? Let us know! • Order The Seven Habits here

Is your belly a flop?

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 11:56:00 +0200

It is important to make a distinction between subcutaneous fat, which is stored between skin and muscle; and visceral fat, which accumulates around your internal organs, especially the liver. A “beer belly” is usually a clear indication of an excess of visceral fat – and a warning of impending disease. These include tumor growth, aging, dementia, Alzheimer's, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. You don't want any of these! Because visceral fat accumulates around the liver, it impairs liver functions, such as the processing of fat. The liver consequently has to keep processing these fats by which it is surrounded, together with low-density lipoproteins, commonly known as LDL or “bad cholesterol”. This leads to hardened arteries and what can be called a chronic low-level inflammatory state. Your waist circumference is a good general indicator of accumulated visceral fat, even though it’s not entirely accurate. According to webmd.com a high-risk waist circumference is over 102 cm for a man and over 88 cm for a woman, but remember that any increase could be a sign of increased risk as well. (To measure your waist circumference, use a tape measure. Start at the top of the hip bone, then take the tape all the way around, level with your belly-button. Make sure the tape is not too tight and that it is parallel with the floor. Don't hold your breath while measuring.) So how do you get rid of it if you have it? The short answer is the one you know already: more exercise and a kilojoule-controlled diet. The long answer is that it is impossible to target fat loss. An improved lifestyle will begin to reduce the amount of fat in your body, but in the reverse order that it put it there in the first place. Thus, if you gained belly fat first, that will be the last unwanted fat to go. This means that belly-targeted exercise such as sit-ups or any of those abdomen-machines will burn no more visceral fat than bicep curls, for instance. Instead, you should focus on high-intensity cardiovascular exercise: any exercise where your body uses up the energy in the muscles and then needs to “plunder” the fat stores around the body for more. Cardiovascular exercise includes aerobic exercise, running (especially sprinting) and cycling. With regard to a belly-fat-fighting diet, here are some tips: • Lots of fruits and vegetables that vary in colour from dark green to orange to yellow. • Lots of fiber. • Lean meat and low-fat dairy. • More baked or grilled food, less fried food. • Less processed foods. • Crash diets are especially bad for you when it comes to losing visceral fat. • Avoid high-kilojoule beverages, especially soda drinks. • Avoid anything with lots of kilojoules but low nutritional value, such as cakes and pastries. • If you want a treat, go for dark chocolate and red wine, but still in moderation. • Record everything you eat and drink and every exercise in your Slimtrack Food Diary and Exercise Diary.

Emotions and your weight

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 11:31:00 +0200

One of the reasons we like looking at such pictures is the comfort we find in knowing that even famous and beautiful people are also just less-than-perfect human beings like we are. But imagine how distressing it must be for one of those celebrities to walk into a shop and see such an unflattering picture of themselves for the world to ogle at. Indeed, may celebrities who have suffered from weight problems ended up with the realisation that there were emotional reasons that caused them to over-eat and gain unwanted weight. The rest of us are no different! American psychologist dr. Lisa Firestone is an expert in the study of emotional eating and self-destuctive thoughts. She is the author or co-author of highly successful books such as Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice (New Harbinger, 2002). In a recent article on www.psychalive.org, of which she is a co-founder, she recounts the story of a woman who had struggled with her weight for most of her life. “One of her earliest memories is of being barely over a year old and crying through the night for her bottle, while neither her mother nor her father woke to feed her. Night after night, hungry and alone, she would wait, but no one came. Finally, one morning when her mother brought her bottle, the child took the bottle and, even though she was starving, she refused it and threw it on the floor. She recalls that something shut down in her, and she never wanted food from her mother again. As she grew up, her relationship with food was further complicated by her mother’s own struggle with weight and consistent focus on her young daughter’s figure. As a result, the woman grew up suffering from binge eating, over-feeding herself with a desperation that indicated a disconnectedness from her body. She had trouble distinguishing her real feelings of hunger from a desire to fill herself up.” Of course this is an extreme example, and many of us are overweight for much simpler reasons. But the point is that our emotions play a big part in our attitude towards our body and weight issues. Firestone continues: “To have a healthy body, it is necessary for us to take action of a physical level with diet and exercise, but to have a healthy relationship with food, it is necessary for us to understand ourselves on a deeper emotional level or to uncover why we eat the way we eat. If we challenge the behaviors alone through diet and exercise, the emotions we were using eating to cover up won’t just go away. Once we identify the feelings and inner voices that perpetuate the cycle of self-hatred and the insensitivity to our body, we can gain control of self-destructive eating habits and not react adversely to pressure and triggers that lead us to abuse food.” * Read the complete article here.

Eating Plan: 5 800kJ a day

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:06:00 +0200

The basis of Slimtrack's philosophy is that you can lose weight if you burn more kilojoules than you consume. Our tools will work out exactly what your required daily kilojoule allowance is, given your personal statistics and your desired weight loss. Our tools are set to a floor value of around 4 500kJ per day since we don't believe you should eat less than that daily. If you eat too little, your metabolism might actually slowing down in order to protect you from starvation. View or download the eating plan here.

Winter motivation

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:03:00 +0200

Slimtrack users will know the basic truth about losing weight: move more, eat less. Both can be a bit harder to do in the cold of winter, but still entirely possible. Stick with your weight-loss plan in winter, and you will see the results in summer! Winter is indoors time, especially if it’s the rainy season as well. Staying indoors means we’re not as likely to go for a run, a swim, a walk or a a bicycle ride. To counter this, focus on ways to keep active indoors. Getting to the gym might be a bit more unpleasant than usual, but once you’re there, you are indoors. If you usually find the gym environment intimidating or unfriendly, winter is actually a better time to join than summer. Warmer winter gym clothes are a great way to hide those parts of your body you’re not yet proud of, and you’ll find less of the show-off crowd around than in summer! Unfortunately, those thick winter clothes can be a demotivational factor as well. We all want to look our best, and this drives us to live a healthier lifestyle. But in winter, it’s easy to avoid looking at your own body and having others see it. This gives us a false sense of security because we don’t immediately notice the effects of being less active. Yet weight put on during the winter months are a lot harder to get rid of than most people realise. What’s more, if you’ve maintained your weight during winter, you will have an advantage when spring comes around again. Whenever your motivation seems to be lacking – at any time of the year – make sure you have clear answers to these questions:

Why do I want to lose weight?

If you do not have a clear, compelling answer to this question, you are unlikely to be successful. Some possible answers are: * You want to regain your self-confidence * You want to look and feel better * You want to feel alive and energetic * You want to look sexy for your partner ? You want to avoid weight-related illnesses such as diabetes or heart problems.

What exactly is my goal?

Once you know exactly why you want to lose weight, you can progress to the how, and again you must have a clear, specific and realistic goal: * Use Slimtrack’s Progress tool to set a goal such as “I want to lose 5kg by 1 September”. * If you have previously set a goal but you feel you’re not making progress, try and try again! Remember, other slimmers also failed before they were successful, so use the Forums, talk to others, learn from their mistakes and be inspired by their successes. * Record your weight at least once a week and update your Slimtrack profile with the new info . Once you start seeing your progress on the graph, it becomes a lot harder to use winter as an excuse to give up on the gains you made in summer.

Cereal offenders

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 01:04:00 +0200

If you look at the Lila Bruk eating plan for 5 000kJ a day that we recently published, you will notice items such as cooked oats, fat-free yoghurt, fresh fruit, bran flakes and muesli. What DON'T you see? That's right, there's none of the popular breakfast cereals that so many people like eating. While some of these cereals are healthier than others, you should definitely scrutinize the nutritional information on the packaging of your favourite cereal. Specifically, see how much sugar, fat and salt it contains. You might be in for a surprise! Gretchen Chriszt, a dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio in the USA, told www.everydayhealth.com that you should be on the lookout for not-so-obvious sugar sources and hidden processed ingredients. “What you want to see: One serving should provide at least 3 grams of fibre (5 grams or more is considered “high-fibre”), less than 10 grams of sugar, and less than 200 milligrams (mg) of salt.” What's more, we feed the WORST of these to our children as well. In 2011 the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an American activist group, conducted a study of 84 cereal brands that are popular with children, and the results are extremely concerning. Many, if not most, of these brands are popular in South Africa as well, amongst adults as well as children. Ranked according to the percentage of sugar per weight, the EWG found the ten worst cereals to be: 1. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks — 55.6 % 2. Post Golden Crisp — 51.9 % 3. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow — 48.3 % 4. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s OOPS! All Berries — 46.9 % 5. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Original — 44.4 % 6. Quaker Oats Oh!s — 44.4 % 7. Kellogg’s Smorz — 43.3 % 8. Kellogg’s Apple Jacks — 42.9 % 9. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries — 42.3 % 10. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Original — 41.4 % The worst offender contains more than half the sugar per 3/4-cup serving of what the American Heart Association recommends children eat for an entire day! What's more, it contains only 1 gram of fibre and 2 grams of protein. To get on the right cereal track, world renowned nutritional expert Marion Nestle suggests looking for: 1. A short ingredient list (added vitamins and minerals are okay). Too many ingredients usually mean lots of hidden sugar. 2. High fibre content. 3. Cereals with little or no added sugars (added sugars are ingredients such as honey, molasses, fruit juice concentrate, brown sugar, corn sweetener, sucrose, lactose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup and malt syrup). Among the best simple-to-prepare breakfasts are fresh fruit and high-fibre, lower-sugar cereals. Or, as Lila Bruk also suggests, pair fruit with home-made oatmeal.

Ignorance is a killer

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 22:09:00 +0200

If there’s one thing that unites all South Africans, it’s our high levels of inactivity and our poor eating habits. The result is that we are a nation of overweight, disease-prone people. Scientists like prof. Andries Monyeki from the School of Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science of the North-West University (NWU), believe that South Africa has the third highest obesity figure in the world, after America and Britain. Monyeki is conducting a long-term study into the activity levels of South African children and the link between inactivity and obesity and other health problems in later life. “It has been proven that an inactive lifestyle in a child largely tends to wash over in the adult phase. An unhealthy lifestyle can in turn have a huge impact on personal and state finances, because individuals become ill more often. It is important that we create, by means of this research, awareness of a healthy, active lifestyle especially in children,” Monyeki says. Similarly, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa is so concerned about our bad eating habits that it will soon be distributing a free recipe book called Cooking from the Heart, compiled by dietician Heleen Meyer. The HSF says at least 80% of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancers could be prevented by healthy diet, regular physical activity, and not smoking. In South Africa cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death after HIV/AIDS. The book will be launched in September, which is National Heart Awareness Month, and distributed free of charge by the HSF, with the financial assistant of Pharma Dynamics, a manufacturer of cardiovascular medicine. The recipes will also be accessible on mobile phones at http.//heartrecipes.mobi. The need for such public education is underscored by a study by the Chronic Diseases Initiative in Africa (CDIA) and the Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle Unit of the Medical Research Council (MRC) in partnership with the HSF and Pharma Dynamics. This reveals alarming misconceptions among many South Africans about the links between certain chronic conditions and poor diet and lifestyle. Lead researcher Anniza de Villiers, senior scientist at the MRC, says: “A few respondents recalled being told to eat less salt and fat and to drink more water. Some came away with the understanding that they were now prohibited from eating a long list of foods, which they found demotivating, unrealistic and unsympathetic.” De Villiers points out some other misconceptions: * All foods should be boiled. In fact, steaming and grilling are healthier. * Olive oil is the only healthy oil. In fact, sunflower and canola oils are just as healthy and far cheaper. * Brown sugar is healthier than white. In fact, there is hardly any difference between the two. * Spices such as cinnamon, mustard, black pepper and cloves should be avoided. In fact, some pre-mixed spices should be rather avoided, because of added salt and preservatives. * A healthy diet is bland, tasteless, not filling and expensive. In fact, healthier food can be at least just as tasty, as proven by dietician Lila Bruk’s eating plan for Slimtrack users!

5 000 kJ Eating Plan

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:34:00 +0200

The basis of Slimtrack's philosophy is that you can lose weight if you burn more kilojoules than you consume. Our tools will work out exactly what your required daily kJ allowance is, given your personal statistics, and your desired weight loss. We have a floor value of around 4500 kJ per day - we don't believe you should eat less that this daily, as it may lead to your metabolism actually slowing down in order to protect you from starvation. When we asked you - our users - what enhancements you would like from Slimtrack, the one feature that stood out was that you'd like eating plans. This is the first in a series of three eating plans (to be published in June, July and August 2012), that will give you guidelines to eat within three different kJ budgets. The first one will look at a kJ budget of around 5000 kJ daily, the second one 6000kJ daily, and the third one around 7000kJ daily. We strongly recommend that you use the tools to determine what is the ideal kJ allowance for you. (Gentlemen on the site, 5000kJ is probably NOT enough for you.) We welcome any comments and suggestions - please go to our forum and let us know what you think! View or download the eating plan here.

Your questions answered!

Sun, 27 May 2012 23:51:00 +0200

Is Slimtrack really completely free or are there hidden costs? Slimtrack is indeed completely free and there are no hidden costs. We require new users to complete a quick online registration, but this is also free. Slimtrack earns income from advertisers, but we will never sell nor otherwise compromise users' private information. While most of the advertisements on the site are automatically fed by services such as Google's AdSense, Slimtrack will not hesitate to block advertisers that use unethical methods. These include trying to trick our users into paying for services that are available for free. Please report any such advertising at help@slimtrack.co.za immediately. How can I get support or help? If you need our assistance on any matter, please contact us at help@slimtrack.co.za. Registered users are also encouraged to post their questions on the Community Forum. What exactly does Slimtrack offer? Slimtrack offers South African slimmers a collection of free online weight loss tools comparable to the best similar sites overseas. We are the only site that offers free access to a searchable database of food and drink items found on South African shop shelves, together with relevant nutritional information. Similarly, our extensive exercise database was compiled with South African conditions and requirements in mind. Together with our Community Forum and other tools, these allow users to easily calculate their daily nutritional requirements and to keep track of their daily intake and expenditure of kilojoules. By doing so, would-be slimmers have access to a clear plan on how to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way. I have registered, but I am still waiting for my validation email so that I can log on. After registration, you should have received a validation email within minutes. If this has not happened, check the spam folder of your email program. If your spam filter has indeed blocked our email, adjust your settings to allow mail from Slimtrack. If your spam filter is not the cause of the problem, please contact us at help@slimtrack.co.za. Please send me the Slimtrack diet, because I need to lose weight fast! There is no "Slimtrack diet". We do offer a range of eating plans that are available on the site and to which we regularly add. These plans were compiled by dietitian Lila Bruk and are aimed at slimmers who have used the Slimtrack tools to determine the personal daily kilojoule allowance that will help them reach a specific weight-loss goal. For more on how to choose the plan that best fits your needs, go here. I need to lose weight FAST. Please help! While rapid weight loss is possible by using the Slimtrack tools, we strongly advise a slower approach that includes a lifestyle change and is more likely to deliver lasting results. For more on how to use our tools, go here. Do I really need to exercise, or will improved eating habits be enough? We strongly recommend more exercise in addition to better eating habits. Our basic approach is that in order to lose weight, you need to constantly take in less kilojoules through eating and drinking than you expend by exercising. All our tools are designed to make it easy for you to keep an accurate record of how much you can eat or drink and how much you need to exercise in order to reach your weight-loss goals within a specific time. For any other questions you might have, contact us at help@slimtrack.co.za

So you survived Braai Day...

help@slimtrack.co.za — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:10:00 +0200

Feeling a bit guilty about eating too much braaivleis over the long weekend, thereby ruining all your slimming efforts?

Well, relax.

It's quite possible to fit the occasional braai into your eating plan and still keep your weight-loss project on track. The important thing is not to let go of your overall Slimtrack routine, which should include accurately recording all your meals and exercises. Even (especially, in fact!) if you've done a lot of eating and very little exercise over a lazy long weekend.

Why? Because an up-to-date Food Diary and Exercise Diary tells you exactly what you need to do in order to maintain your weight loss. You can tell, for instance, that a single braaied chop could have added more than 800kJ to your energy intake for the day. You can also see what the effect on your total allowance for the day would have been, as well as how much exercise you need to do to to stay on course. You will also see that how much you eat is as important as what you eat.

The bad news is that you might well have to work a bit harder in the following week if you want to counter the effects of a weekend with lots of high-energy foods and no exercise.

By "high-energy foods" we mean standard fare like fatty lamb chops, wors or steak. A good braai could also include foods and ingredients with less dramatic effects on your allowance. (Remember this the next time you have a braai, at least!) Also keep in mind that grilling meat and other food over an open fire is actually a relatively healthy way of cooking, since no cooking oil is involved and excess fat drips off and is burned away, rather than being contained within the food.

Here are some more ideas for your next braai:

* Sosaties (kebabs) can be a great alternative to the traditional chops and wors. Try adding lean meat such as chicken without the skin, fish or fruit and vegetables, including mielies, greenpeppers, potato, asparagus or even garlic.

* A smaller piece of boerewors might not hamper your weight-loss efforts as much as a plate full of lean chicken. Portion sizes matter!

* Don't overlook the effects of marinades, especially those with a high fat content. Like everything elso you eat, these should be recorded in your Food Diary.

* Add lots of vegetables and green salad to your plate, but be careful of too much mayonnaise or salad dressings that are high in kilojoules.

* Avoid snacks before the meal, especially crisps and fatty dips.

* STOP FEELING GUILTY if you have overdone things. Guilt gets you nowhere, so rather put some extra time and effort into your exercise routine and get right back on track.

Getting enough sleep?

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:29:00 +0200

Slimtrack users know that when your energy intake is regularly greater than your energy expenditure, you will gain weight, and vice versa. “But,” says dr. Kristen Knutson of the University of Chicago, “an additional factor may be inadequate sleep.” Knutson was the lead researcher of a study into this subject, and the results were recently published in a special issue of the American Journal of Human Biology. The study explored how lack of sleep can cause weight gain because it impacts on appetite regulation, impairs glucose metabolism and increases blood pressure. “A review of the evidence shows how short or poor quality sleep is linked to increased risk of obesity by de-regulating appetite, leading to increased energy consumption,” Knutson says. Other research has found similar links between poor quality sleep and weight problems. This includes a 2008 study by professor Jacques Montplaisir of the Université de Montréal in Canada, who is also the director of Sleep Disorders Center at Sacré-Coeur Hospital. He found that the relationship between sleep and weight could be explained by a change in the secretion of hormones that’s brought on by lack of sleep. “When we sleep less, our stomach secretes more of the hormone that stimulates appetite,” Montplaisir was quoted as saying by www.sciencedaily.com. “And we also produce less of the hormone whose function is to reduce the intake of food.” Another study found that people who don’t get enough sleep are less likely to cook their own meals and consequently eat more fast food. The resulting lack of nutritional value in their meals may cause weight and other health problems in the long run. Knutson’s study found an association between getting fewer than six hours sleep and increased body mass index (BMI) or even obesity. Sleep restriction experiments also confirmed that inadequate sleep causes more secretion of two “signal hormones”: Ghrelin, which increases appetite, and leptin, which plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure in the human body. The result of this sleep restriction is increased food intake without the compensating energy expenditure. This in turn leads to weight gain. The United States has a well-documented obesity epidemic, and it may be no coincidence that it also has an estimated 18% of its adult population that gets less than 6 hours of sleep a night. While the science of sleep is not well developed in South Africa, international studies estimate that around 10% of the world’s population has a diagnosable sleep disorder. If you suspect you may have a sleep disorder, visit the South African Sleep Centre Network. “Sleep disorders are usually effectively treatable, but due to a lack of education and training, recognition of these disorders by medical professionals is still very low,” the Centre says on its website.

How do I get motivated?

Sun, 06 May 2012 23:46:00 +0200

Simply put, motivation is a desire for a result that is so strong that it leads to action and ultimately results in reaching a goal. This means: 1. If you've been thinking of trying to lose unwanted weight for weeks, months or even years, but have not actually done anything about it, then you are not motivated. 2. If you cannot envision a realistic and desirable goal as the result of your efforts, then you will not become motivated. 3. If you have a goal, but no clear plan of action on how to achieve it, then you won't stay motivated. Point (1) is about having the desire to lose weight. Of course you want to lose weight, but is that desire strong enough? Do you really understand all the consequences of being overweight? Do you understand that being overweight adds tremendously to your risk of serious illness or disease? That it reduces your life expectancy? That it detracts from your quality of life? That losing weight can make you feel years younger? That even a slight weight loss will have tremendous and immediate benefits? If you still need convincing, Slimtrack's regular articles on these issues will help you strengthen your desire to lose weight. So will reading the comments from other Slimtrack users on the community forums. If your desire to lose weight is really strong enough, you can go to Point (2): Setting a realistic goal. "Realistic" means achievable and without putting your health at risk. If you are a registered user, you have already been awarded a daily kilojoule allowance based on your body mass index, how much weight you need to lose and at what pace. If you have not updated your profile with your current weight in a while, go do so now - it's a great motivator in itself! Some other tips to strengthen your resolve: Look at yourself in the mirror every day. Find a picture of yourself looking your slim best and look at that every day as well. You can even keep this picture in your purse or somewhere else where you'll see it every time you want to buy some fattening snack. Lastly, you already have the clear plan of action that Point (3) requires: Your Slimtrack food and exercise diaries. Even if you have not begun to eat better or to exercise more, updating these every day is a great way to motivate you towards a healthier lifestyle and is quick and easy to do. The daily habit of updating your diaries will soon become the daily habit of balancing your "kilojoule budget" - and thus sustained weight loss. Every time you lose motivation and give up - and it happens to everyone - simply log in at www.slimtrack.co.za, work your way through these three points again and resume your online plan of action. The Slimtrack tools will give you the facts about your progress and what you need to do to reach your goals, the rest is up to you!

Fat people CAN lose weight!

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:39:00 +0200

Most Americans are overweight, right? And doing nothing about it, right? Well, yes and no. More than a third of Americans are indeed obese, and it is true that obesity has reached epidemic proportions in that country. Yet a study recently published in the authoritative American Journal of Preventive Medicine has some very good news for overweight people everywhere: Americans are trying and succeeding in losing weight. And they are doing so with exactly the sort of strategy that Slimtrack advocates. Researchers from the highly regarded Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston used a nationally representative sample of 4 021 obese Americans aged 20 years and older who participated in the US government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. “Despite the popular perception that obese people are unable to lose weight, a substantial number of participants in our study did report successful weight loss, suggesting that some obese U.S. adults can and do lose weight,” says lead researcher dr. Jacinda M. Nicklas. Between 2001 and 2006, about 63% of the members of the sample group were trying to lose weight, and 40% managed to lose at least 5% of their body weight. And 20% of the participants lost 10% of their body weight or more. What worked for this group? They ate less, especially fat, and exercised more. A very small number used prescription weight-loss medication, but a significant percentage reported drinking lots of water! What was less successful? Fad techniques like 30-day liquid cleanses, taking nonprescription diet pills and eating “diet” foods. Those who lost at least 10% were also more likely to have joined a weight-loss program or support system. “Although national guidelines recommend a loss of 10% of body weight for improved health in the obese, studies have found that even a modest weight loss of 5% can lead to health benefits,” Nicklas said. “Interestingly, although participants engaging in formal weight loss programs may be required to consume certain diet products or foods, adults in our study who said they used diet products were actually associated with being less likely to achieve at least 10% weight loss.” “This suggests that the structure of being in a program may be more important (than the actual diet). It is possible that some dieters may be overeating diet products because they believe they are healthy, or low in calories.” “If you look at the people trying to lose weight, using diet foods and products was actually detrimental to weight loss. We call it the ‘health halo’ effect,” Nicklas told Time's Healthland. “When a food is labeled as diet or low fat, people think that eating it will make you lose weight. So they end up eating a lot more than they should.” All of which is perfectly in step with Slimtrack’s core approach:

Use the food diary to record how many kilojoules you take in through eating and drinking
Use the exercise diary to record how many kilojoules you burn up through exercise
Use the diaries in combination to stay within your daily kilojoule budget
And engage with the rest of the community to help you stay motivated!

Ready for winter training?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:29:00 +0200

So how do you overcome the urge to simply hibernate and keep exercising?

Make a commitment to yourself to keep going.
Designate a set time every day.
Designate a suitable area in your home.

Let’s start with exercises without any equipment:

As with any training session, you need to do a warm-up. 5- 10 minutes of aerobic-type activity will suffice. You can step up and down a step in your home, do jumping- jacks (if you don’t suffer from knee or back pain), skip with or without a rope or jog on the spot. The warm-up concludes with dynamic stretches which gradually take a joint through its range of motion. Stand with you feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.

Starting with the shoulders: Place your fingers on your shoulders and roll the shoulders backwards, first 10 times and then repeat going forwards.
Keeping the hands up, rotate your trunk to the left back, to the centre and then to the right (repeat 5 times). Now bend your trunk to the left like you are trying to touch your bottom rib on your hip. Back to the centre and then to the right (repeat 5 times). REMEMBER TO KEEP THE KNEES BENT AND TO KEEP YOUR MASS CENTERED – DO NOT SHIFT WEIGHT FROM ONE LEG TO THE OTHER.
Now for the legs. Holding your arms out in front of you to assist with balance, bend your knees and lower your glutes (buttocks) to the ground in a squat movement. Keep your heels in contact with the floor and only go down as far as you are comfortable, but not lower than a 90ºangle at the knee. The emphasis here should be on a slow, controlled movement. If you require more support, you can hold the back of a chair OR even sit down on chair and stand up repeatedly in a squatting action.

If you are a little more adventurous, watch any professional soccer team warm up – that repertoire of dance-like movements is dynamic stretching. Now for some resistance training. It is advisable to do the routine in the format of a circuit to keep the intensity high and to alleviate boredom. Do each exercise for 30 seconds and have 5 seconds rest between each.

First circuit

Push-ups: Can be down with the knees down until strong enough to do full push-up.
Squats: Only go down as low as comfortable
Dips on a table or a chair: You can start with knees bent and feet flat on the ground
Lunges: Start off as a static lunge and progress to alternating lunges
Abdominal crunches: Lying on your back, with your feet on top of a chair and your knees bent, with hands at the base of the neck. NB: do not pull on the neck to lift your trunk. Instead think of a string from your waist pulling your sternum towards your knees.
Bridge/ plank: Place elbows and forearms flat on ground and lift your body so that the only other points of contact are your toes. The idea is to suck your belly button into your spine to activate the transverse abdominis that provides stability. Do not hold your breath.

Second circuit

Push ups with hands staggered i.e. one hand in line with chest, the other closer to your waist with the elbow against your side.
Squats with alternate leg lifts- squat down slowly and as you straighten your legs lift one leg so that the thigh is parallel to the ground. Squat again and lift the other leg.
Dips – as before except that your knees should be straight and only your heels on the ground.
Lunges – Alternating with hands behind the head and back straight. As your lead foot is securely on the ground, rotate your trunk so that you turned across that leg i.e. lunge with left leg, turn your trunk to the left.
V- crunch – seated on ground place hands either side of you for support. Straighten legs and lift of the ground. Then bring your knees into your chest then straighten the legs again.
Side bridge – lie on your side with your elbow beneath your shoulder, forearm on the ground. Lift the body so that only the sie of your foot and the arm are in contact with the ground. Keep the belly button pulled in tight.

A circuit like this can be repeated 2-3 times a week, but not on consecutive days. You can also increase the work time to 40 seconds or eliminate the rest time to increase the difficulty. Remember that your breathing is very important. Breathe in on the lowering phase and out on the exertion phase. Never hold your breath. Finally, end off with static stretches that will assist with recovery and keep you flexible. Hold for 30 seconds.

Stretches:

Knees in chest (individually) – lying on your back, pull knee into your chest and hold. Change legs.
Pretzel – place left foot on right knee and pull right knee towards your chest. Hold and then swop.
Hamstrings with towel (x2) – place towel across the arch of your foot and pull the leg towards your stomach. Do it with the knee straight first and then bent.
Groin – seated with the soles of your feet together and pulled in towards your groin. Try to get the knees close to the ground.
Toe touch – seated with legs out straight in front of you, touch the toes.
Quads (front thigh) – standing hold the ankle of one foot and bend the knee.
Calves – place toes against step and, while keeping the knee straight, lean over the foot.
2 back stretches – holding on to ballet bar or the door-handles, lean back. Keep knees bent.
Chest stretch – place arms against door frame and step through.
Posterior shoulder – pull arm across chest.
Neck pull – turn chin so that you are looking under your arm and apply light pressure to your head.
Crucifix – lying on your back, bend your knee to 90° and pull it across your body with the opposite arm. The other shoulder must be kept on the ground.

Winter training: Shivering does burn calories, but not as much as a good training session!

(Consult your doctor before you start an exercise regime and never exercise if you are ill)

Less stress, more sense

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:45:00 +0200

Go into any serious book store and you’ll be overwhelmed by the choice of authors offering advice on weight loss. Some are better than others, but here’s one that seems particularly interesting, and not just because it’s by a South African: Dr Luc’s Promise: Lose The Weight & Keep It Off, by Cape Town anaesthetist dr Luc Evenepoel. That’s right, he’s an anaesthetist, not a dietician. But he’s also quick to point out that nothing he says is revolutionary, and mostly just common sense. And most of it is perfectly in keeping with the Slimtrack approach. “This is not a diet book. It is not just a weight-loss book either. It’s a book that tells you how to keep the weight off. With 85% of all dieters piling all the pounds back on within two years, and 95% of them doing that within four years, this book hopes to change the world,” Evenepoel says of his book. Some of his advice is familiar, but other ideas are unexpected. Slimtrack users, for instance, will be familiar with the importance of keeping a diary when trying to lose weight, but Evenepoel goes further when he says “a diary is mightier than a diet”. He emphasises the importance of finding your “ideal weight” rather than striving to be lean or thin. He advocates eating just 12.5 % less and moving just 12.5 % more. Doing so, he says, gives you the same result as a 25 % kilojoule deficit of going on a low kilojoule diet, which he says is not sustainable. Evenepoel also hints at some interesting answers as to why it is that in an age obessed with being slim, more people than ever are obese. At the launch of his book earlier this year, he said: “Relax about your weight. Desperate measures are not sustainable, they are destructive.” In other words: Deprivation doesn’t work! And don’t underestimate the role of watching television, he said, citing a study in Fiji which noted that previously unheard of eating disorders appeared just three years after inhabitants strarted watching TV. Here are some more challenging ideas from his book:

In a butter croissant the butter is actually the part that is good for you
Diet drinks make you gain weight
Stopping gym visits might be exactly what you need
You lose weight from spending more time asleep
You can lose fifteen kilos in a year by simply changing your crockery
Eating should be a celebration and as stress-free as possible

Evenepoel maintains that changes in behaviour, whether the amount or type of food consumed or how much exercise you do, will not be maintained if they steer you too far away from your personal situation. And he belives that weight loss is 80% about proper eating and only 20% about exercise. “Listen to your body’s signals of hunger and satiety. Water is the only thing you should drink against thirst. Your heaped meal should fit in your cupped hands. If you think you shouldn’t eat it, don’t eat it. Never skip breakfast, and healthy food is the best preventative medicine there is.”

The secrets of chocolate...

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:12:00 +0200

Can it really be true, that people who regularly eat chocolate tend to be thinner? That's exactly what a recent US study suggests. And yes, it was a serious, scientifically conducted study, done by qualified academics and published in a proper academic journal. The researchers, led by dr. Beatrice Golomb from the University of California at San Diego, studied a sample group of 1018 men and women aged 20 to 85 years from San Diego, California, without known cardiovascular disease, diabetes or similar health problems. They were asked to fill out a lifestyle questionnaire about things such as diet and exercise choices. They were weighed as part of the research and their body mass index (BMI) was recorded. Because chocolate contains lots of fat and sugar and thus kilojoules, the general assumption is that eating it is just about the quickest way to add unwanted kilogrammes and ruin your weight-loss project. But Golomb's study found the opposite: Those who ate chocolate a few times a week were on average slimmer than those who ate it only occasionally. This remained true even when their level of exercise was taken into account. The suggested explanation for this is that the benefits of modest and frequent chocolate intake might include reduced fat deposition, thereby offsetting the effects of the additional kilojoules. "Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories (kilojoules), not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight," Golomb said. Before you rush off to include chocolate in your weight-loss arsenal, it's important to note a couple of things about Golomb's study: • It does NOT find that eating chocolate will make you lose weight, only that there is a link between regularly eating chocolate and having a lower BMI. In scientific terms: There is a correlation, but not necessarily a causation. • The sample group is very small, and the results will need to be independently confirmed and verified by using bigger groups and even clinical studies. • It relies on the honesty and accuracy of information supplied by the participants. • Actual kilojoule intake was not measured, but estimated based on the information provided via the questionnaire. It is also important to note that Golomb and her co-authors suggest – but have not set out to prove – that antioxidant compounds called catechins (which are found in dark chocolate) might help explain the results. This idea is based on previous studies done on rodents, where mice fed with these antioxidants showed improved lean muscle mass and better physical fitness. But this has not been proven in humans, and Golomb herself told the Wall Street Journal that an additional study – designed specifically to see if chocolate leads to weight loss – would be necessary before any concrete assertions about the weight-reducing benefits of chocolate could be made. Until then, Slimtrack's advice is: By all means eat chocolate in moderation, but record the type and portion size in your food diary so that you may know how it affects your kilojoule allowance for the day. And don't change your eating habits every time some new study pops up!

Going against the grain

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:23:00 +0200

The High Protein, Low Carb diet such as recently proposed by prof. Tim Noakes is not a new one – it keeps on coming back into fashion. But like many fashion trends, it is one of those diets that it would be best to forget (shoulder pads, anyone?). Yes, the initial weight loss is appealing, but much of this is water – rather than fat – that is lost. Yes, low carbohydrate diets can help to prevent or manage diabetes, but so can having the right kind of carbs (such as low GI carb-based diets). In addition, there are various risks associated with High Protein diets:

Constipation. Due to the low fruit, vegetable and wholegrain consumption when on this diet, one’s overall fibre intake is low, which in turn easily results in constipation.
Bad breath. This is due to the ketosis process, which causes the breath to have an unpleasant odour. (Ketosis is a natural process that occurs when fats are converted into energy by the body, usually when there is not enough glucose to provide for the body's energy needs.)
Gout. The high animal protein and high fat consumption can cause or exacerbate gout.
Deficiencies in various vitamins and minerals, due to the low fruit and vegetable intake.
Kidney stones. High protein diets have been found to be linked to kidney stones and kidney disease.

The "carbohydrate resistance" that Noakes refers to is a bit of a misnomer – as far as modern medicine goes, this term seems to be one that has been unheard of until Noakes starting use it. In addition, it is not practical to stave off carbs indefinitely – would you honestly be able to never have bread, cake, baked potatoes and pasta ever again? Such drastic measures are not necessary, practical or sustainable. What has been proved time and time again is that the key to successful weight loss is eating in moderation, a reduction in calories, regular exercise and an overall lifestyle change. Keep this in mind before embarking on a High Protein diet!

Lila Bruk is a registered dietician and nutritional consultant. She is the chairperson for the Gauteng South branch of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) and a member of Slimtrack's advisory panel of experts.

Short-cuts that work... or not

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:13:00 +0200

True or False? 1. Some foods increase your metabolic rate, which allows your body to burn kilojoules faster. Most dieticians and nutritionists agree that this is FALSE. While some foods might indeed accelerate your metabolism, the increase is not enough to help you reach your weight-loss goals. Such foods, such as celery or green tea, might be very healthy; just don't expect miraculous results from them! 2. Eating smaller portions. Not surprisingly this is TRUE, though easier said than done. If you reduce your portion sizes, your intake of kilojoules will decrease by the same margin. Slimtrack's food diary allows you to track the size of the portion as well as the type of food that you consume. Knowing how many kilojoules you take in through eating and drinking versus how many you burn up through exercise is the single biggest factor determining your weight-loss success. 3. A good diet pill means you don't even have to exercise Completely FALSE. Many products have made this claim, but in the long term no pill or other product has been proven to be a substitute for a healthier lifestyle that includes a sensible diet and regular, proper exercise. Besides, exercise has many advantages apart from helping you lose weight. 4. Diet pills are tested and safe Some pills are safer than others, but generally this is FALSE. Even in effectively regulated markets such as in the United States, such products often make it onto the shelves, at least for a while. With the South African market being much less effectively regulated, you simply can't trust something just because your supermarket or pharmacy stocks it. Have a look here for a sobering list of products that the American Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers against. The health risks posed by the active ingredients in some of these products include high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), palpitations, heart attack or stroke. Some ingredients have also been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and have even resulted in death. And by the way, see if you can find one of these products that does not have some variation of the words "only effective in combination with a kilojoule-controlled diet" on the label. 5. Cut down on the drinks TRUE for normal soda cooldrinks and alcohol, FALSE for water. A 340ml can of Coke or a similar cooldrink contains 345 kilojoules. An ordinary (not light) beer of the same size contains even more at 570 kilojoules. That's a big part of your daily allowance if you are keeping an eye on your kilojoule consumption, as you should! Water, on the other hand, contains no kilojoules and is just about the healthiest substance you can put in your body. Read more here . 6. "I do passive exercise" FALSE. Those vibration plate machines do have some advantages, but its no substitute for real exercise and are unlikely to help you lose weight. The bad news is that there aren't really any short-cuts. The closest you'll get is this: Use a tool such as Slimtrack's to record everything you eat and drink and how much you exercise. This will help you EAT LESS and EXERCISE MORE. It's not going to be easy, but it IS as simple as that.

Upsetting the carb cart

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:52:00 +0200

Media coverage of renowned sports scientist prof. Tim Noakes's new book, Challenging beliefs - Memoirs of a career (co-authored with Michael Vlismas), has caused a stir because of his advocacy of what he calls “the low carbohydrate revolution”. The tag “Tim Noakes” even trended on Twitter in South Africa on Sunday after the topic was featured on Carte Blanche on M-Net. Noakes is a respected authority on the science involved in improving athletes' performance levels, especially through his work at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. So when he takes such a firm position, it is no surprise that people pay attention. Simply put, Noakes argues that the popularity of carbohydrate-rich diets are responsible for the plague of obesity in many societies today. Carbohydrate typically includes food that is rich in starch (complex carbohydrate), such as pasta, cereals and bread, or simple carbohydrates, such as the sugar found in sweets and desserts. (read his article here). "It has taken me 61 years to suspect that bread and cereals – the Biblical staff of life – as well as rice, pasta and refined carbohydrates, may not be healthy for me personally as I had always believed,” he is quoted as saying. Instead, Noakes now advocates an eating plan that includes increased protein and fat intake through sources such as meat (especially white meat), fish, dairy products and eggs. Noakes stresses that this approach would only work for someone who is “carbohydrate resistant” (CR) such as himself. He is also a pre-diabetic, which means that he needs to restrict carbohydrates in any event. “My biology is such that I am unable effectively to clear from my bloodstream the breakdown product of ingested carbohydrate, glucose.” While it is unknown how many South Africans indeed have such a metabolic “abnormality”, Noakes suggests that it may even be a majority. If so, most South Africans would benefit from an according change in their eating habits. Nevertheless, Noakes is careful to point out that those without CR might not benefit from this approach, and that some people might even lose weight by doing the exact opposite of what he proposes. “A number of people have asked me to provide a specific eating plan. I am reluctant to do that because I am not a professional dietician and I do not see this as my role. Instead, my advice is that one should consult a registered dietician for help.” Indeed, Noakes has been criticised by some dieticians, who point out that there is no substitute for a varied, nutritious diet containing items from all of the food groups, including proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and in moderate amounts. Plus regular exercise, of course. Above all, remember the Slimtrack philosophy: If you continually consume less kilojoules through eating and drinking than you burn up through exercise, you will lose weight. Success is certain if you keep record of what and how much you eat and how much you exercise. And use the power of the community to stay motivated!

Excuses, excuses...

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:33:00 +0200

You don’t have time to work out The oldest and most popular excuse. You don't even have ten minutes? Not even five? Like the saying goes, if you don't find time to exercise now, you might have to find time to cope with illness a couple of years from now. Really, you don't have to spend hours at the gym every day. Shorter, more intense workouts burn more kilojoules than longer, more relaxed ones anyway.

You don't have time early in the morning, which is when you burn most kilojoules, right?

Even if this were true, doing nothing at all is always going to be worse. Research has shown that exercising later in the day can actually help you burn more kilojoules. This is because most peoples' muscle strength and energy levels peak in the afternoon. Even so, some people like exercising in the morning and others later in the day. Do what works for you.

You’re afraid it will make you hungrier than usual

The opposite is true. Exercise suppresses appetite and cause you to eat less. Only if you regularly exercise extremely intensely – which very few people do – will it increase your appetite, and that's because your body is burning an enormous amount of kilojoules and needs lots of nutrients to recover. As long as you're eating nutritious foods, you won't negate your hard work, even if you eat a bit more. And that's exactly what Slimtrack's diaries are for! You don't want big muscles Women use this one often! But you won't suddenly get huge muscles from exercising. What does often happen is that losing body fat makes existing muscle more visible. Face it, muscles are always going to be better looking than flab. But if this still concerns you, just use lighter weights and more repetitions when training. You do a lot of walking Yes, walking is a form of exercise and burns some kilojoules, but it's not nearly intense enough. The exception is extremely unfit people who start walking as a way to prepare for real excercise. But that's not you, is it? Remember, walking between restaurants when shopping is definitely NOT exercising! You can't stand the pain

Some soreness or discomfort while your muscles are adapting to unfamiliar activity is normal, but pain isn't. Nor does pain necessarily mean you're getting a good workout. Chronic pain means your muscles are not recovering, so you may need to slow down a bit.

You're too tired after work You're not too tired to exercise, you're tired BECAUSE you don't exercise. Exercise releases neurotransmitters in the brain which will improve your mood, reduce fatigue and boost your energy levels. If you are fit, your body becomes more efficient at energy production and converting nutrients into fuel. It’s difficult to break the cycle and start, but you’ll notice an improvement almost immediately. Exercising might even become a (good) addiction! Your routine is not regular enough Yes, you travel a lot. And the hotel doesn't always have a gym. But it's not difficult to have a special exercise routine while travelling. A skipping rope takes up very little space in your suitcase, and exercise such as push-ups, crunches or even just stretching require little or no equipment. In high school, there was this incident with... There's always something else, isn't there? Stop making excuses. Don't wait till tomorrow or next week or next month. Start NOW!

Tips when eating out

lilabruk@yahoo.com — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:08:00 +0200

1. Don’t arrive hungry Try having a small snack before you go out to eat (e.g. a fruit and yoghurt). This will allow you to make healthier choices and will also keep you from being ravenous by the time you eat. 2. Starters x 2 You may wish to order 2 starters instead of a main – you will still end up with a substantial meal, but may very well save on calories. 3. Don’t eat more than you need Rather than trying to clean your plate, try to only eat to point of feeling satisfied. If your concern is wasting food or not getting your money’s worth, get a doggie bag, which brings us to our next point… 4. Ask for a “doggie bag” You may wish to ask for half your meal to be put in a “doggie bag” before you’ve begun eating. This will prevent you from overeating and will also save you time as you can have your leftovers for lunch the next day. 5. Don’t be afraid to ask Many restaurants will be only too happy to accommodate special requests. Here a few requests, which can make a meal substantially healthi

Ask your food to be cooked with less oil or “dry-grilled”
Ask for any sauces or dressings to be served on the side
Avoid words like jumbo, giant, deluxe, or super-sized when ordering and rather order the normal size

6. Drink to your waistline Alcohol is high in calories, so rather stick to sparkling mineral water. If you must have alcohol, have a glass of wine or a spirit (e.g. whiskey) with soda as a mixer. 7. Low in fat, low in calories Avoid foods cooked with high-fat methods (e.g. fried or battered). Always choose rice, baked potato, salad, stirfry, or grilled or roasted veggies instead of chips, mashed potato or creamed spinach. 8. Buffering the buffets If you are confronted with a buffet:

Only eat those foods you want
Take small portions – you can always go back for seconds
Avoid standing near the buffet table and chatting as you may mindlessly nibble on snacks from the table without even being aware of it.
If you must stand near the buffet table, hold a drink in your dominant hand and standing with this side closest to the table. For example, if you’re right-handed, hold a drink in your right hand and stand with the right side of your body closest to the buffet table. Reaching over for food from the table with your non-dominant hand feels awkward and thus will help prevent mindless snacking

9. Just desserts If you have a sweet tooth, try choose fresh fruit or sorbet as a dessert. Bon Appetit!

Yet another miracle drug

help@slimtrack.co.za — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:46:00 +0200

What makes this remarkable is that the FDA is notoriously strict on such products. In fact, the last time it approved a weight-loss drug for use in the USA was 13 years ago. In this time it has also forced countless products to be withdrawn from the market because of concerns over heart risks and other side effects. (The FDA usually follows panel recommendations, but may decide not to do so. It will make a final decision by April 17.) The recommendation is indicative of the level of desperation in a country where obesity has escalated out of control. Qnexa’s possible side effects are serious and well-documented and it was rejected by the same agency in 2010 after a 10 to 6 vote against its approval, which included about half of the same members as this time round. But last week, the panel agreed that the health risks of obesity and the benefits of losing weight outweighed the risks posed by the drug. That is chilling, given that these possible health risks include heart problems, birth defects in babies of mothers who takes the drug while pregnant and mental effects such as lack of concentration. Since the 2010 decision, Qnexa’s manufacturer, Vivus Inc., has undertaken to try to minimize those risks through measures like clear labelling and an additional trial to investigate cardiovascular side effects. And, they point out, the risks of untreated obesity is even higher. Part of the dilemma is that possible negative effects will not stop Qnexa from being an immediate and spectacular success – and making Vivus very, very rich. “This is far from a great drug,” dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center, told Associated Press. “The FDA panel recommended approval of Qnexa only because the ranks of useful weight loss drugs are so thin, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Approval of Qnexa would reflect that: desperation.” Qnexa is a cocktail drug that combines the effects of the appetite suppressant phentermine and the anti-seizure drug topiramate. Vivus Inc. claims its product helped patients lose at least 10% of their weight after a year of treatment. Yet phentermine was also found in Fen-Phen, a notorious combination of drugs once popular in the 1980s. Prescribing the Fen-Phen combination was later prohibited because of damaging users’ heart valves and causing spikes in heart rate and blood pressure and resulting in heart palpitations. For South Africans, Qnexa poses another important question: If a product this controversial battles to win approval in a tightly regulated market, yet promises only 10% weight loss after a year of use, what does that say about the dozens and dozens of “miracle” pills and potions available freely and without prescription on local shelves?

Are diet drinks dangerous?

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:21:00 +0200

Before you read any further: it has NOT been proved that diet soft drinks cause heart problems or strokes. Having said that, a widely reported study published in the American Journal of General Internal Medicine on 27 January makes for scary reading. A team of researchers led by dr. Hannah Gardener of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine found "an association" between daily consumption of diet soft drinks and heart attacks and stroke. A total of 2 564 adults with an average starting age of 69 years were studied over more than a decade, and it was found that those who drank diet soda every day were 44 % more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than non-drinkers. "What we saw was an association," Gardener told Reuters. "These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits." Put another way, it means that people who are at risk to begin with may be more likely to drink diet soft drinks. After all, not many people would prefer the diet version over the usually tastier ordinary version unless they were already concerned about their health in some way. The study set out to look at "vascular events", which include heart attacks, strokes and deaths from cardiovascular causes. Out of the 2 564 people in the study group, 163 drank diet soda regularly at the start of the study. And out of these 163 people, 50 (or 31%) had such a vascular event. Out of the group who rarely or never drank diet soda, only 22% went on to have such an event. For those who drank diet soda less than once a day or only drank regular soda drinks, no increased risk was found. Gardener stresses that further research needs to be done before any conclusions can be drawn. The results may not be because diet soda itself is harmful, but only because it is linked to other behaviour that increases risk, such as regularly eating junk food. For anyone who is kilojoule-conscious, this is still bad news. A typical 340ml can of diet or "zero" cola contains about 60 kilojoules at most, whereas the regular version can contain almost ten times as much. The researchers – careful not to claim anything that their research doesn't back up – say they "don't think people should change their behaviour based on this study". But these results are at best unlikely to make you rush out to buy a can of diet soda. And other studies are even suggesting that diet drinks can cause weight gain, though the reasons this might be so are also unclear. What to do then? The only consensus seems to be that drinking water is much better for you than soda drinks!

10 ways to change your life

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:47:00 +0200

1. Move more, eat less. Yes, it’s as simple as that. If you take in less kilojoules every day through eating and drinking than you burn up through physical activity, you will lose weight. 2. Start keeping a food diary. This works for two reasons: Firstly because a food diary makes it a lot harder to deceive yourself about how much you really eat. Secondly because it allows you to know your intake of kilojoules and therefore also how much you need to exercise. 3. Start keeping an exercise diary. An exercise diary will allow you to know how many kilojoules you burn up through exercise. Together with (2), it makes (1) a lot easier – especially because Slimtrack offers tools for all three! 4. Stop trying to do it by yourself. Involve your family and friends so that they can support you and understand what you are trying to do. Slimtrack’s online community forums are also a great way of finding support from others facing similar challenges to your own, with the added bonus that you can remain anonymous if you prefer. 5. Stop looking for short-cuts. Most fashionable diets and miracle pills work only for a while or not at all. These quick-fix solutions often cause you to gain even more weight later on, and some even have negative side-effects. And all of them only work “in conjunction with a kilojoule-controlled diet” anyway. 6. Build more exercise into your life. The gym or sports field is not the only place where you can exercise. Small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking instead of always driving can add up to a whole lot of kilojoules being burned. Slimtrack’s exercise diary allows you to record even simple physical activity – every little bit helps! 7. Drink more water. Water is a wonderful slimming aid. It contains no kilojoules, helps cleans your body and aids your digestive system. Drinking a glass of water before a meal will make you feel fuller than you really are, thus causing you to eat less. 8. Don’t skip meals. This is the worst possible way to try cutting down on your kilojoule intake. In fact, you will achieve exactly the opposite of what you intended. When your stomach is empty, such as when you’ve skipped a meal, your body will release a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin will cause your body to try and compensate for the empty stomach by craving high-kilojoule foods. What’s even worse, is that ghrelin makes your body store more fat than usual. 9. Eat breakfast. OK, so this sounds like a repetition of the previous point, but breakfast really is especially important. A healthy breakfast means less cravings during the rest of the day, so helps you stick to regular intervals between meals. It boosts your energy levels and aids concentration. And if you're not hungry early in the morning, maybe it's because of late-night meals and snacks! 10. More natural and fresh , less processed. Generally speaking, natural, fresh food of good quality is more nourishing and will help you reduce the volume you feel you need to eat.

Why keep a food diary?

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:39:00 +0200

Keeping track of what you eat can greatly benefit your weight loss. In fact, a 2008 study of over 1000 overweight adults showed that those who kept a record of what they ate lost double the weight of those who didn’t. Clearly food logs work, but the question is how and why are they so effective? 1. Kilojoule check: A food log helpf you to track how many kilojoules you’ve consumed and what foods are making up the majority of these kilojoules. 2. Mindful munches: A food log forces you to be conscious of what you’re eating and stay aware of how much you’re eating at a time. 3. Binge beater: Knowing that you have to record what you eat makes you think twice before eating those foods you shouldn’t. 4. Motivator: If you log your food regularly, you have an excellent record of how far you’ve come and the progress you’ve made in losing weight and improving your eating habits. Also, your food log shows you what you’ve eaten during those weeks that you lost weight, so it acts as your own, super-personalised eating plan that you can follow with success. 5. Trouble-shooter: By looking back at your food log, you can identify those times when you have a tendency to overindulge, as well as to determine which foods you tend to find it hard to eat in moderation. In this way you develop strategies to cope with these specific times of day or how to handle these specific foods. 6. Keeping in balance: Your food log allows to determine whether your diet is nutritionally balanced or whether you’re eating too much or too little of a specific nutrient (for instance too many carbs and too little protein) 7. Plateau-beater: Many individuals find that their weight loss slows down after a few months despite their keeping to their diets and exercise regimens. By keeping a food log, you are able to honest with yourself about those extra kilojoules that may be creeping in. Yes, those 2 spoonfuls of dessert, the remains of your child’s cheese sandwich and that forgotten handful of crisps all add up and can all thwart your weight loss efforts and could very well be the reason for your plateau. You may even unconsciously be having larger portion sizes than you were initially which could also be the reason that your weight loss has halted and that by being honest with your current portion sizes you can pick this up. This of course means that you have to be 100% honest with your eating and record everything – yes that means everything that you’ve eaten. 8. Commitment-booster: When you fill in your food log regularly, it is a daily reminder of the commitment you’re making to yourself and your weight loss journey and thus in itself keeps you on track. 9. Workout watch: By being able to record not only how many kilojoules you’ve eaten, but also how many kilojoules you’ve burned during exercise, you are able to determine whether you’re perhaps overestimating how many kilojoules you really burned during your spinning class and whether you’re perhaps overcompensating for those burned kilojoules by eating too much. With all these advantages, it is clear that keeping a food log is an indispensable weight loss tool. And you won't find a better way to keep a food log than right here at Slimtrack.

Make training a project

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:39:00 +0200

It's a new year and time to get back into action. For most of us this means putting on our training kit and joining the masses at the local gym, all the while cursing our lack of discipline during the holidays. Sound familiar? And now that you are back in the gym, how do you make this activity a permanent part of your lifestyle? There are a number of things you can do, but first you need to change your approach: You need to plan your training. “Ah, I have done that before”, you say. But did you follow that plan? This is the era of project management, so make your body the project. The project requires a plan that is flexible and, like any other project, requires ongoing progress reports. You can do this in the form of a training diary. As with any project you need to get the advice of specialists in certain areas. Go to a reputable personal trainer or sports scientist to have a comprehensive fitness assessment and get them to design a program just for you. You do not have to start spending huge amounts of money on seeing a trainer 3 times a week, just get a personalised program you can work with. If you cannot afford a trainer, then do some research on the internet. There are many reputable sites where you can download such programs. Just remember that these programs are generic and you might need to change a few things to best suit your specific project. Slimtrack will be posting such programs on this site as well, so look out for those. The next thing is to start logging your workouts either with an old-fashioned diary or on your i-Pad, tablet or smartphone. With Slimtrack you can store this data online and you become part of a community of active, like-minded people. You could even meet up with a training partner in cyber space. Your exercise diary should have the following components: • Date and time • Exercises with intensity (cardio) and volume (sets and repetitions; resistance training) • Resting heart rate and blood pressure ( at least once a month) • A description of how you feel: tired, energetic etc. This can be useful in explaining changes in your performance. By using the diary you will be able to monitor your progress weekly instead of waiting 6-8 weeks for another assessment. This is great for motivation and also to see if the program is working for you. If it is too hard or too easy you can adjust it. All of this may seem like extra administrative work, especially since training is hard enough on its own. But remember: Tools like the ones Slimtrack provide will definitely make you more diligent in following your program. And all the other users can help you do it!

Don't skip meals

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:24:00 +0200

Smaller meals eaten more often during the day will help you lose weight. Starving yourself and then overeating is the worst thing to do!

Be consistent!

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:24:00 +0200

Speed or hard work is not effective when only done occasionally. Consistent repetition works. Keep at it and you WILL see results!

Start slowly

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:23:00 +0200

Whatever your eventual weight-loss goal might be, focus on losing only a little at first. Around 5% of your starting weight is a good initial target.

I lost 31 kilograms

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:54:00 +0200

Name: Yvonne* Age: 48 Weight before: 116kg Weight after: 85kg Time to achieve: 7 months Yvonne (not her real name) lost weight by using a foreign website that provides similar tools to Slimtrack.co.za. Her story is told here to show Slimtrack users what is possible, but we would love to tell the stories of actual Slimtrack users here. If you want to share your Slimtrack success with others (anonymously if you prefer!), please let us know at help@slimtrack.co.za. Lifestyle before: I was an overweight child, weighing in at around 80kg when I was 11 years old. When my mother realised I was not going to grow any taller, but was continuing to grow wider, she gave in and took me to the doctor. He did what most doctors in the 1960s or 1970s would have done and put me on pills, presumably some sort of amphetamines, and I did lose weight on them. I also started to train by swimming around the same time, but the weight crept back on after I stopped the tablets. I did have a brief spell of losing weight successfully when I was in my final year at university, though I didn't exactly do it healthily. When I left university I was at the lowest weight ever in my adult life, 63kg, and could just squeeze into a size 10. Once I was out in the real world, I started to put the weight back on, and despite occasional desultory attempts to do something about it, that's pretty much how I continued for the next 26 years, steadily piling the weight on. How did you make the change? I started on this change of lifestyle initially because I moved to a new area and had to get a new GP. The GP insists on a general check-up for all new patients, and the nurse who conducted it didn't like the look of my blood pressure. I had to make a series of monthly appointments to get checked again, and by December of 2005 it was becoming clear that the reading was not a blip and I had a serious problem. We talked about what I might do, and the nurse suggested that if I really didn't want to be put on medication, I had to lose some weight. I wanted to get off to a flying start, and she offered to try me on a weight-loss drug and with instructions to adopt a healthy diet. How has losing weight changed your life? Twelve months later I had lost 30% of my original weight and my blood pressure is now normal. I'm a little over 7kg away from my ideal weight range and I've never felt better. I love being able to buy size 14 jeans, and I love the way my body is now; it seems to work really well, and I've rediscovered my hip-bones, to say nothing of my cheekbones! What did the website do for you? When searching for a way of checking what I was eating, I initially tried one of those weight-loss clubs, but I needed a way of figuring out healthy portion sizes and didn't want to do it without the support of others. In my frustration I did an online search for a kilojoule counter and found the website. I signed up the same day. The site is incredibly useful in letting me know how much I'm actually consuming. And was that a shock to begin with! When I first started recording my diary, I was quite clearly, to quote a friend, "digging my grave with my own teeth." The site has been instrumental in teaching me what a sensible portion is and reminding me of the principles of good nutrition. I love logging my exercise too, and seeing how that can allow me more kilojoules. I've also learned a lot from other members about what works for weight loss, and what doesn't. What is your advice for people who just start their journey? Be scrupulously honest when filling in the diaries. Use the community forum and don't be afraid to ask questions. There is a wealth of support out there for you. Use it. Enjoy it. Contribute to it when you can. Be in the right frame of mind. You have to want to do it. Drink lots of water, at least 2 liters a day - it's important to keep your body properly hydrated if you expect it to work properly. That way it will cope with the other changes you are making so much better. Get active. Walk. Run. Swim. Whatever. You need to move more to burn off more kilojoules. It doesn't matter what you look like in your kit. What matters is to get that body moving.

I lost 14 kilograms

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:51:00 +0200

Name: Debbie* Age: 43 Weight before: 80kg Weight after: 65kg Time to achieve: About 3 months * Debbie (not her real name) lost weight by using a foreign website that provides similar tools to Slimtrack.co.za. Her story is told here to show Slimtrack users what is possible, but we would love to tell the stories of actual Slimtrack users here. If you want to share your Slimtrack success with others (anonymously if you prefer!), please let us know at help@slimtrack.co.za. Lifestyle before: When I joined the website my weight had been up and down for many years. When I was younger, losing weight would involve eating nothing or very little for weeks at a time, and it worked well for me. But now that I'm older, this method doesn't work because I get hungry! My health was probably average before. In our household we tended to eat well(ish), but when the children were younger there were far too many take-away meals. When I look back on it now, I don't know how we survived! My fitness wasn't too bad either. After having children, I got into running after joining a soccer team. I needed to run in order to play, so I started jogging. However, I still hadn't really linked running and eating better. And I think I drank too much! My weight fluctuated and when I wasn't running (for various reasons) I piled on the kilograms again. It wasn't until I discovered the website that I put everything together. The rest, as they say, is history! I didn't become overweight until I left home and went to college. Hot chips at the canteen daily were my downfall. Although I'd always eaten healthily at home, my parents being health freaks, on my own I ate rubbish. Too much take-away pizza! I think the website tools worked because it gave me the ability to know the kilojoule values of food and to make better choices. It also gave me the strength and knowledge that one bad food choice shouldn't be the catalyst for giving up completely. I'd log the food and often discovered things weren't as bad I thought and could then make adjustments to the rest of the day's food. How did you stay motivated? I'm the sort of person that really thrives on being able to record everything I eat and drink and to watch how it all adds up. As long as my weight was coming off, I was happy to keep writing it all down and let the website do the calculations for me. The discussion forums on the site also helped because I could follow other users' ups and downs. What are the benefits of online weight-loss tools? I loved the online approach because I didn't have to make time to go to slimming meetings or see other people. I'd done that before with a weight-loss club, and it was often difficult to find the motivation. I would often starve myself for half the day if I knew I had to go to weigh in that night. On the website I could weigh in when it suited me, and in private. How has losing weight changed your life? I equate weight loss to better running. Running is my life! What is your advice for people who just start their journey? Stick with it. It won't happen instantly. Stay with the diary and use it to see what works for you. Follow the patterns over time. Don't get discouraged if you have a meal or day or week that's "off". Just get back on the wagon and don't be afraid to keep going. Most of all you have to realise that it's more about a lifestyle change than a diet change!

YOU'RE not fat, I'M fat!

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:36:00 +0200

If you do, you're not alone. A study by US researchers Rachel Salk of the University of Wisconsin and Renee Engeln-Maddox of Northwestern University suggests that more than 90% of college women engage in such “fat talk”. The researchers define fat talk as “women speaking negatively about the size and shape of their bodies”. And they come to some interesting conclusions: • More than half of the participants who engaged in fat talk believe it made them feel better about their bodies. In other words: It helps them cope. • Fat talk generally makes women more dissatisfied with their bodies and more likely to have internalised an unrealistic, ultra-thin body ideal. • The frequency of fat talk is not related to someone's actual Body Mass Index (the generally accepted measure of an individual's weight health). In other words: Overweight respondents did not do more fat talk than others. “The most common response to fat talk was denial that the friend was fat,” the researchers note, “most typically leading to a back-and-forth conversation where each of two healthy weight peers denies the other is fat while claiming to be fat themselves.” This ties in with separate research by Tracy Tylka from Ohio State University and Casey Augustus-Horvath from the Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which indicates that the most powerful influence on women's appreciation of their bodies is not an objective measure such as their BMI, but rather how they believe other people view them. "Women who focus more on how their bodies function and less on how they appear to others are going to have a healthier, more positive body image and a tendency to eat according to their bodies' needs rather than according to what society dictates," Tylka says. So what should you learn from this? • Firstly, don't assume you are overweight. Use a tool such as Slimtrack's BMI calculator to find out if and by how much you might be overweight. And be honest when you measure and weigh yourself! • If indeed you are overweight, make work of losing the unwanted kilograms – not just to look better, but also because you will be healthier. Record what you eat and drink by using Slimtrack's Food Diary and record your physical activity by using Slimtrack's Exercise Diary. • Stop talking fat! Rather try to benefit from other slimmers' experience by joining constructive conversations such as those you would find on Slimtrack's Members' Forums.

Alcohol can make you fat!

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:35:00 +0200

In reality, alcoholic drinks are not much different to other types of beverages when it comes to weight management. While you must be aware of the general effects of alcohol use, there is no reason why you cannot fit alcohol into a healthy diet plan. But be careful: Beverages in general (NOT just alcohol) can be surprisingly high in kilojoule content and thus easily cause you to gain weight if you're not careful. The Slimtrack approach is first of all to know exactly what goes into your body. This is slightly more difficult to do with alcoholic beverages, since the packaging of wine, beer and spirits usually carry no indication of kilojoule content or other nutritional information. Fortunately Slimtrack users can easily search our Food Diary for this information. Here are some of them: • Castle Lager or similar (340ml can): 570kJ • Castle Light (340ml can): 440kJ • Dry white or red wine (typical 125ml glass): 350-500kJ • Semi-sweet white wine (typical 125ml glass): 780kJ • Whisky, brandy, vodka or gin (25ml tot): 250kJ • Typical mixer, such as Coke or lemonade (200ml): 345kJ If you study this list, some useful tips become apparent: • The sweeter a drink, the more kilojoules it likely contains. • Serving size is important. A can of beer contains more than double the kilojoules of a tot of whisky. And a 500ml draught beer will contain more kilojoules than a 340ml can of the same stuff. • Watch what you use as a mixer. A tot of brandy with 200ml of Coke added contains MORE kilojoules than a typical beer. Soda water can be a nice alternative mixer and contains no kilojoules. Here are some more ideas to keep in mind about alcohol: • Guys (especially), forget about that "liquid diet" as a way to lose weight. Beer is not a replacement for meals, and you will likely gain rather than lose weight. • Drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks. It's healthy, contains no kilojoules and helps fight the dehydration caused by alcohol. • Don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Food in your stomach means you stay sober for longer, and you are less likely to have a hangover if you over-indulge. • Alcohol will lessen your will-power and self-restraint. That greasy meal after leaving the club might do worse damage to your slimming ambitions than the drinking itself! • Planning your alcohol use is not only clever when trying to lose weight, it also means you stay in control and lessen the chance of developing a drinking problem. And NEVER drink and drive.

Choosing the right exercise

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:35:00 +0200

Losing weight without exercising is possible, but difficult and probably even unhealthy. Even a small amount of regular exercise will improve your general health, help you lose weight and improve your quality of life. Keeping an accurate diary of your daily physical activities is an excellent way to improve the effectiveness of your exercise program. This is exactly what Slimtrack's exercise diary offers registered users: Simple, easy to use online record keeping of all the exercise you do every day plus the effect it has on your slimming progress. Simply search for the particular activity from Slimtrack's exercise database and click on it to add it to your diary for the day. Add the duration or level of intensity, and Slimbook will calculate the number of kilojoules your body would have burned. Or enter the kilojoule reading from your electronic monitoring equipment for even more accurate numbers. Slimtrack compares this kilojoule count with your specific daily kilojoule allowance, which is calculated based on your body mass index (BMI) when you become a member. Remember: Exercise increases your allowance for the day; eating and drinking reduces it. Slimtrack makes it easy to know if you have kept to your kilojoule allowance on any given day - and keeping to your allowance means losing weight!

Eating smart

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:33:00 +0200

Keeping an accurate food diary is one of the best ways to ensure enduring weight loss success. By simply recording everything you eat and drink, you are already on your way to a healthier diet and weight. And recording your actual kilojoule intake will make the slimming process even more effective. Slimtrack makes it easy to keep a simple, accurate food diary. Simply search our database for the specific items and portion sizes of what you have eaten, and click to add it to your diary. Every item is recorded into your diary along with its kilojoule count and is kept on record for as long as you remain a Slimtrack user. As your kilojoule count increases during the day, you can constantly see if you are still within your allowance for the day. By also recording the kilojoules that you burn through your Slimtrack food diary, you can see how exercise increases your food allowance "budget" for the day - the more you exercise, the more you can eat and still lose weight. When recording the kilojoule content of everything you eat, you quickly discover how to eat smarter. This might mean avoiding certain types of food during certain times of the day or week, or eating the lower-kilojouled of two similar types of food. And if you do indulge by eating something not-so-smart, you will still know how to make up for it!

The drink that causes a stir

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:33:00 +0200

Water is probably be an effective weapon in losing unwanted weight. This is not exactly a new idea, but scientists have only recently begun to properly investigate water as a weight loss aid. On the face of it, the facts in favour of water seem obvious: * Drinking water makes you feel full, thus reducing your appetite * It helps reduce your intake of high-kilojoule foods * It serves as a substitute specifically for sweetened, kiljoule-containing beverages such as carbonated cool drinks * It contains no kilojoules in itself * It aids your body's burning of kilojoules * It seems to increase your appetite for fruit and vegetables * It is cheap, easily accessible and only has side-effects in extreme cases * Apart from weight loss, water is of almost countless benefit to your health in general. Surprisingly, it was only in August 2010 that serious research confirmed what most people had suspected: Water can be a powerful weight loss weapon. A group of scientists including dr. Brenda Davy, associate professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, presented the results of their research to the American Chemical Society (ACS). "We are presenting the results of the first randomized, controlled-intervention trial demonstrating that increased water consumption is an effective weight loss strategy," Davy told the ACS. "We found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals three times per day lost about 5 pounds (roughly 2,3kg) more than dieters who did not increase their water intake." That might sound very technical, but Davy has very clear advice on the subject: “People should drink more water and less sugary, high-calorie (high-kilojoule) drinks. It’s a simple way to facilitate weight management.” Following this, the obvious question is: How much water should you drink every day, be it to lose weight or just because it's good for you? A healthy level of water intake depends on variables such as your health, your level of activity and the weather. Still, here's a useful general rule: Divide your weight (in kilograms) by 30 to find your water intake per day in litres. Someone weighing 80kg would therefore need to drink about 2,7 litres of water per day -- more than that if the weather is hot or if you've been more active than usual. Don't believe the story that "they" say you should drink 8 or 9 litres a day. There is no scientific basis for drinking that much water. The best approach is to drink water consistently throughout the day, and especially before meals. And remember: Fluids containing alcohol or caffeine cause dehydration, which counteracts the positive effect of water. So cut down on those or compensate by drinking even more water.

How to set goals

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:26:00 +0200

Firstly, we calculate your body mass index (BMI). BMI is short for Body Mass Index, which is a basic indicator of an individual's weight on a spectrum ranging from underweight to overweight. Your BMI is calculated by dividing your mass in kilogram by the square of your height. The resulting figure allows a weight comparison between individuals while taking into account their height differences. A BMI of lower than 20 usually indicates someone is underweight; A BMI of 20 to 25 usually indicates optimal or ideal weight; A BMI of more than 25 usually indicates someone is overweight; A BMI of more than 40 usually indicates someone is morbidly obese; Slimtrack then uses your BMI to calculate the daily kilojoule allowance on which your "body budget" is based. This daily allowance is used in conjunction with Slimtrack's two most important tools: • We help you to keep an accurate online food diary by selecting what you've eaten - and how much - from our searchable database of thousands of South African food and beverage items. Your diary includes the number of kilojoules per portion, which means your food diary automatically counts your kilojoule intake and tells you if you are within your "food budget". • We help you keep an accurate online exercise diary by selecting from our list of hundreds of exercise and other activities. Select the type and duration of your activity from our database, and automatically see how this influences your kilojoule allowance for the day. Remember: The more kilojoules you burn through exercise, the more you can eat while still losing weight! Of course Slimtrack also allows you to keep track of your progress by regularly entering your actual weight. Watch that line on the graph drop as you lose the kilograms! Over time you can even draw nutritional reports based on your food diary. If you use the Slimtrack tools to accurately record everything you eat and drink and all your physical activities, and keep to your daily allowances, weight loss success is inevitable!

Write it down to get it down

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:26:00 +0200

If you've ever tried any kind of diet product or slimming aid – like many people have – you will have seen the words “Only effective as part of a kilojoule-controlled diet”. Often, it's hidden in the fine print. Why would that be? The first reason is a cynical one: It is a convenient escape clause for the manufacturer or endorser of the product to shift the blame to the consumer if it turns out not to work. “It's your own fault for not using it the way we told you!” The second reason is one that those same manufacturers would prefer you not to consider too much: If you actually stick to such a kilojoule-controlled diet – and many people don't – that might well be the real reason for your eventual success, and not their product. There are many ways to lose weight. Some straightforward, some complex. Some healthy, some downright reckless and dangerous. Some work for many people, but not a single one works for everyone all the time. Despite this, you would not find many dieticians, nutritionists or health care professionals who would argue with this principle: If you continuously burn more energy (as measured in kilojoules or calories) than you consume through eating and drinking, you will lose weight – and you will be healthier. This is a simple truth, but applying it in practice can be difficult because it requires knowledge and discipline: You need to calculate what a healthy, attainable and sustainable goal weight for you would be. You need to know what a sensible daily kilojoule allowance for your body would be. You need to know how many kilojoules your meals contain. You need to know the size and number of your portions. You need to know how many kilojoules are burnt through specific exercises. You need to know the cumulative influence of all physical activities on the kilojoule allowance in your diet. You need to keep track of your progress and, perhaps most importantly, you need motivation to keep going. Dr. Christopher J. Mosunic, a weight management and diabetes specialist at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut, is one of the international experts who have recently come out in support of this approach. He says keeping a daily journal of snacks and meals is one of the things successful slimmers have in common. "I can split my patients into two groups. The food diary keepers and the non-keepers. The people who keep diaries are usually very successful and I work with them for about 12 weeks. The people who don't are people I sometime see for years," Mosunic says. “Dieters who keep journals are more successful because they're willing to acknowledge every bit of food they eat, which clearly shows them how many calories (kilojoules) they are consuming per day. One of the key behaviours we can identify and address is how binge eating happens. You can see by looking at something as simple as what people ate for breakfast why their blood glucose goes low and they end up binge-eating in the afternoon.” Mosunic stresses three key aspects: Keep your food journal simple, record even the smallest amounts of food and share your journal with an expert on weight loss and nutrition. The internet can be a great tool for doing exactly this, and it is no surprise that especially American and European consumers are spoilt for choice in this regard. However, until now South Africans have had no local slimming website dedicated to providing this kind of content. Slimtrack changes all this. Not only does it provide online slimming tools and resources equal to or better than foreign sites, but its food and exercise databases are built on South African content and conditions. If you have not yet registered, go here. And remember, its's free!

What are kilojoules?

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:23:00 +0200

Understanding how your body consumes and expends energy, as measured in kilojoules or calories, is crucial to the Slimtrack way of managing your weight. A kilojoule (metric) or a calorie (non-metric) is a unit of energy. Our bodies take in energy by eating and drinking, and expend energy through physical activity. In both cases the level of energy can be measured in kilojoules (or calories, if you prefer). In the case of foodstuffs or beverages the level of energy is determined by type and quantity. For instance: a 340ml can of Coke contains 585 kilojoules, but the same sized can of Grapetiser contains 762 kilojoules. Two cans of Coke contain double the amount of energy of one can of Coke. Similarly, in the case of physical activity the level of energy is determined by type and duration, although measurements are less exact and varies more between individuals. Ten minutes of fast running will burn up more energy than ten minutes of walking, but a fit athlete will burn up less energy than an unfit individual when doing the same exercise for the same length of time. The Slimtrack approach takes these differences into consideration by allowing you to record your personal profile of key variables such as your age, gender, height and general level of activity. Because South Africa uses the metric system, the kilojoule is more commonly used. South African law prescribes that the energy content of foodstuffs or beverages must be displayed on the packaging in kilojoules, though calories might be used in some imported items, typically from the USA. Slimtrack allows you to set up your personal preference for either unit. 1000 joules = 1 kilojoule 1 calorie = 4,2 kilojoules 1 kilojoule = 239 calories

Tutorial

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:08:00 +0200

1. Register as a user

Before you can start using Slimtrack's free online weight-loss tools, you are required to register as a user. This is quick and effortless, and is necessary in order for Slimtrack to provide you with the best possible service free of charge. You may Register now, or continue reading for more detail on what Slimtrack offers.

2. Create your personal weight-loss profile

When registering as a user, you will choose a user name and password, which will soon after be required when you log in to the full version of the site. (Privacy policy.) When you log in for the first time, you will be asked for some personal information: your age, weight, height, activity level, gender, goal weight, the rate at which you want to work towards your goal and whether you prefer calories or kilojoules. You may change your chosen preferences such as your goal weight later, should you wish.

3. Get started

Once you have entered your basic personal information, you will be taken to your personal Overview page. This is also your default landing page every time you log in. Before you can start, it is important to understand that the tools and functions on the site are based on a fundamental principle: In order to lose weight, your body must consistently take in less energy (measured in kilojoules or calories) through eating and drinking than it burns up through physical activity. Based on your personal profile, Slimtrack provides you with the information and tools to stick to this "body budget". The next step is to look at your daily summary. This summary will be different every day, depending on how much eating, drinking and exercise you record in your Slimtrack diaries. In the daily summary box you can see how many kilojoules (or calories, depending on the preference you selected) have been allocated to you daily, based on your personal profile. You will also see: • Your exercise bonus for the day (which will be 0 until you enter the first item in your exercise diary). • Your kilojoules consumed for the day (which will be 0 until you have started your food diary). • Your kilojoules remaining, which is automatically calculated using this formula: (Your allocated total) PLUS (Your exercise bonus, as calculated in the Exercise Diary) MINUS (Kilojoules or calories consumed, as calculated in the Food Diary) This means that by updating your Food Diary and Exercise Diary throughout the day, you can immediately see if you are on track for losing weight. A positive number at the end of the day means weight loss. A negative number means you have taken in too many kilojoules (calories) and you need more exercise to avoid weight gain. Based on the information you enter over time, you will soon also be able to withdraw a weekly summary, a nutrient report and a history report. These reports are valuable for evaluating your progress and staying motivated and inspired.

4. Food Diary

Keeping an accurate record of your daily consumption of food and beverages is a proven strategy for real, sustainable weight-loss. And Slimtrack's Food Diary is by far the easiest way available to South Africans to keep such a record. Ideally you should record your food and beverage consumption throughout the day, but many people find it more practical to update their diaries at the end of the day or after their last meal or snack. And remember, record EVERYTHING you eat or drink! To update your Food Diary, click on Food in the orange bar. Search for the first item under: • Generics (such as "chicken", "milk" or "brown bread") • Brands (such as "Marmite") • Favourites (any combination of items that you have previously recorded as a Favourite, such as "brown bread with butter and Marmite" • In the event that an item is not found in our database, you will be able to add it yourself. Once this information is verified, it will be included in our database so that you will find it in future searches. Next, select from the search results the description that best matches your actual meal or drink and add the portion or serving size. Once you have done so, your Food Diary will automatically be updated with the item as well as its kilojoule, protein, carbohydrate, fat and fibre contents. Your daily summary will also be updated with this kilojoule count.

5. Exercise Diary

The Exercise Diary works similarly to the Food Diary. Simply enter the type of exercise in the Search box and click on Go. Then select from the list the item that best describes the actual exercise you did. Keep in mind that the database provides a typical rather than actual number of kilojoules (or calories) burned up by a given physical activity. If you have access to a more accurate measure of actual kilojoules burned, simply enter it manually. All entries will automatically be reflected in your daily summary. As with the Food Diary, the ideal is to record all your physical activities throughout the day, but many people find it more practical to update their diaries at the end of the day. And remember, climbing the stairs at work or pushing a shopping trolley is also exercise!

6. Community

Staying motivated is essential if you want to reach your weight-loss goal, and there is no better way to stay motivated than through interaction with like-minded people who face the same challenges as yourself. As a registered Slimtrack user, you will have unlimited access to the Community forum, where Slimtrack members are available day and night to make friends and share ideas, suggestions, recipes or whatever else pops up. And if you want to stay anonymous, you can do so by clicking on Profile on the Community page and adjusting your settings. The Community is also a great place to get help on using the Slimtrack tools in the best possible way.

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you still have questions about how Slimtrack works, try our list of Frequently Asked Questions or contact us by email.

Our philosophy

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:32:00 +0200

Slimtrack is a collection of free online weight management tools especially set up for South African slimmers. Registration is QUICK and FREE, there are no hidden costs and you can start within minutes. All these tools and functions are based on a fundamental principle: In order to lose weight, your body must consistently take in less energy (measured in kilojoules or calories) through eating and drinking than it burns up through physical activity. This implies A NEW WAY OF LIFE that is healthy, scientifically sound and sustainable. To achieve this new way of living, Slimtrack offers you: • The tools to create your own personalised weight-loss profile. This is based on factors including your current weight, your target weight and the rate at which it would be healthy for you to lose weight. From this, Slimtrack calculates a clear target on which your “body budget” should balance every day and over time. By regularly recording your weight in your profile, you can also see a graph of your progress as well as draw nutritional and other more advanced reports. • An easy-to-keep online food diary. Once a day (or even after every meal or drink), simply search each consumed item or dish from our extensive list of South African foodstuffs and beverages. Every item you select is automatically added to your food diary, together with its nutritional information. All information is available every time you log in to Slimtrack, which means no paperwork and no hassle. Keeping such an accurate food diary has been proven to be crucial for sustained weight-loss success. • An online exercise diary. This is as easy to use as the food diary. Choose from an extensive list of physical activities that varies from gym exercises to working in the garden or climbing a set of stairs. Every item you select is automatically added to your exercise diary for the day together with the duration of the exercise as well as how many kilojoules (or calories) your body has burned up in the process. • Access to our Community Forum, where you can ask for advice or information and find inspiration or motivation from like-minded slimmers at any time of the day. If you still have questions, please read our Tutorial or Frequently Asked Questions. If not, Register right now and start losing weight!