BITS OF WISDOM: In New Jersey it's against the law to slurp your soup. -- From "It's Against the Law," by Dick Hyman, Readers Digest 1971

Calorie Counting Back to Basics

In her 1918 best seller, Diet and Health with Key to the Calories, Lulu Hunt Peters said, "Any food eaten beyond what your system requires for its energy, growth, and repair, is fattening, or is an irritant, or both." Nuff said.

Those timeless words hold true today. Many people shun calorie counting in favor of other methods (counting carbs or fat for instance) but tracking calories made sense in the early 1900s and still makes sense 85 years later.

You don't need to be a nut case about it; simply estimate your calorie needs based on your activity level, height and age, (see earlier articles for how to calculate how many calories to lose weight), then make an effort to reduce your intake or increase your expenditure by just 500 calories a day. Exercise or activity for the calorie burn and less sampling can be all it takes in the quantity.

Simple reductions such as using low or non-fat milk instead of cream in your coffee, not eating from the plates when you clear the table, and tasting while you cook. Mindless nibbling is all you need avoid, and there you go. Best of all you can still eat what you love while dropping the weight.

For software to track calories, I use My Food Diary

For online calorie tracking, you might like one of these:

1. CalorieKing
2. The Daily Plate

Longevity Estimator

How do you stack up? Check the longevity estimator calculator based on lifestyle and your current health. Be honest, then check again to see how minor lifestyle changes can affect the result. Remember a quality life is about balance, not simply living to be a grumpy 100-year old lump, but rather a spry, lively, 100-year old with a sparkle in your eye and a knowing smile on your face.

Pinot Noir Next Good-for-you Food

You may have heard the rumors: red wine is good for you. Even dark chocolate is getting fave reviews for its healthful benefits. Portland Monthly magazine (not to be confused with Portland magazine in Maine) compared the antioxidants in Oregon pinot noir to those found in common fruits and vegetables. Artichoke hearts came out on top with one cup needing three and-a-half glasses of pinot to be its equal.

One cup of strawberries (80 calories) has the same antioxidant properties as two and-a-half glasses of wine (250 calories).

The entire list seems to favor fruits and vegetables, so if you're drinking wine for its health benefits, think again. Don't get me wrong. Pinot noir is my favorite and I truly love a good glass of wine, but I'm not under any illusions that it's for my health that I imbibe.

"All you see, I owe to spaghetti" -- Sophia Loren

Andrew Waterhouse, a chemist at UCDavis explained how chocolate came to be considered healthy in an interview when he said, "That really happened on a fluke. We were studying these chemicals in wine and we needed to get a chemical standard to do this one analysis."

More on the health benefits of chocolate.

Nutrition in Red Wine

Multi Purpose Meat: Food in Everyday Items

had a T-Bone Air Freshner and Bacon Strips Adhesive Bandages

Gag gifts (no pun intended) never go out of style.

The Skinny on Alternative Sweeteners

What are these: erythritol, maltodextrine, sorbitol and what are they doing in my foods? They are all alternative sweeteners, but should you be eating them?

The important facts are that these sweeteners are considered good for lowering calories in products requiring sweeteners, and they are not absorbed which means diabetics can usually use them. The downside is they can cause many intestional symptoms, sometimes masking illness such as irritable bowel syndrome. If you have any digestive upset, check what you're eating. If they don't cause you any distress, substitute some of the sugar in your recipes to see if you can reduce calories while still enjoying a sweet treat.

Erythritol is derived from certain fruits, and is a white, odorless powder used in the U.S. in commercially prepared foods since 1990. It has the benefits of being low in calories (.2 calories per gram -- sugar has 4 calories per gram), it has a high digestive tolerance meaning it is rapidly absorbed and excreted unchanged (it doesn't affect blood sugar), it is safe for people with diabetes (can cause a laxative effect so don't go crazy) plus it does not cause tooth decay.

Make sure you noticed what was just said, "laxative effect." Some people cannot tolerate it at all, so taste and wait. Do not eat an entire batch of brownies sweetened with erythritol (or any of these other sweeteners) unless you wanted an intestional cleanse to go with your dessert.

Maltodextrine is made from corn. Here's a nice, detailed scientific explanation about maltodextrine, if you like that sort of thing.

>Maltodextrine alone isn't the easiest thing to find, but guess what? It's used in making beer:

Sucralose is the basic ingredient in Splenda: sucralose plus maltodextrine for bulk. Because sorbitol is sweeter than sugar to use it in a recipe you must make up for the difference in bulk. The patent for Splenda has expired so there may be a source of bulk Sucralose sometime in the future. Meanwhile, if you want to experiment, I'd recommend switching to about half Splenda, and maybe a few splashes of other sweeteners.

Next month, Stevia (the best of the bunch with none of the side effects).

More about and where to find alternative sweeteners...

Supplement News

Losers: Fake Hoodia Winners: Real Hoodia

The debate about whether real Hoodia is available continues. Since there's no harm in checking it out, that's what I've done. Here's my most recent take on the Hoodia scene.

Nutrition Bars 101

Nutrition bars or MRB (meal replacement bars); we eat them like crazy. I get 12 at a time, which got me wondering whether it makes better sense to make them myself.

They're great for when you can't cook, don't want to cook, or you need a quick snack/meal on the go. I usually have a few nearby for emergencies. I like to think of them as survival food. In fact, I've told everyone in my office, if we ever have trouble, you can come here for food becaues I've got a full pantry in a desk drawer from all the various things I've brought for lunch but never eaten including cans of tuna, soups, pineapple chucks (surprisingly I've mixed these with tuna and it was good), and so on. You can usually find a few food bars in there as well, and the occasional stray chocolate, although enough people know about my food stash and the chocolate sometimes vanishes without warning.

The trick to these food bars is not to eat them like candy bars. They are concentrated nutrition, jam packed with goodness--and need to be treated with respect. If you intend to have one, eat it slowly, sip water with it, take nibbles not big bites if possible, draw out how long it takes you to eat it, and then wait at least a couple hours before you eat again. Yes, meal replacement means it's a meal.

Now, a meal means different things to different people. If you eat six times a day a meal could be an apple and ounce of cheese, or if you eat three times a day a meal might be that same apple, ounce of cheese some meat, vegetables and a slice or two of bread (sandwich), maybe even chips on the side or a pickle chaser. The idea is you'll eat the same basic amount of calories but splitting it up into more eating events gives you six meals. Many folks are confused that they'd be eating more food and that's not the case. Getting used to the idea of smaller quantities is a good idea in any event.

If you eat a couple food bars during the day, plus your regular meals, you'll put on weight not take it off, so stop it. If you cannot stop reaching for that second bar (they aren't exactly huge), then maybe food bars are not for you.

I think making them yourself is a smart plan, but if you have discipline problems when it comes to multiple bars waiting on the counter, than you may be better off paying more money for the individually wrapped bars.

That said, there is a whole lineup of decent bars. Find flavors and textures you like. Some are better nutritionally, and it's easy enough to see when you compare the back of an average candy bar to an average food bar. Some food bars (supposedly good-for-you brands) have more calories and more fat than a regular candy bar. So do some frozen food meals while we're on the subject. I looked at a "Hungry Man" by Swanson's dinner fully expecting the calories to be huge and it was surprisingly low compared to the Maria Callendars. Always check labels, so at least you can say you're an informed consumer.

For making food bars at home, check the rest of the story for recipes and ideas

Learn EFT Basics for Weight Loss

Here's How You Talk Yourself Into a Binge

You talk yourself into being hungry, admit it. We all do this. We start to think of what we might want to eat, or we're stuck without the ability to get something to eat so suddenly it looms large as the most important thing in the world. Once you get your mouth set for some taste or flavor, it's usually not going to end until you either have what you are wanting or you eat everything else in sight instead, then have what you wanted in the first place the next day.

We talk ourselves into eating all kinds of things, especially those we were making an effort to stop eating. You can trick yourself out of the idea of a sweet though by having something sour (peppermint gum works too). It simply turns the "idea of a specific taste in your mouth" right on its ear.

What if you've convinced yourself you want it, more than anything. What if you know you'd like to lose some weight but now you want a cupcake, or some cookies, or a big sandwich and a beer or two. What about that? It can be a mental tug-of-war, so don't beat yourself up over it. Just accept that sometimes, you're going to go ahead and have what you want, and be okay with it. The more often you admit you want it, decide to have it, and then be okay with your decision, the easier it becomes to get it through your head that you can eat what you want. There is no shortage and no need for deprivation. You can also sometimes decide to wait, or have it tomorrow instead of right now. You do have a choice.

I teach many techniques for dealing with these types of things in the 8-Week Ending Emotional Eating course. Sometimes I'm far hungrier than other times. It doesn't mean squat doodley. It doesn't define what kind of person I am. I don't fear my appetites, and neither should you. There is an alternative and that's taking back control.

Check into the 8-Week Ending Emotional Eating course to learn how to stop this and start losing the weight you want.

Ganache for Lips

Try Ganache for Lips" yummy flavors for when you want the flavor, but are willing to simply enjoy the scent. My trick? Add a bit of Gymnema powder (eliminates the ability to taste sweet for up to two hours) and you've just given your taste buds the one-two punch. First a bit of flavor, then, whoosh, it's over and done.

Spilling the Beans on High Protein

According to The American Dry Bean Board, Americans trail the world in bean consumption. The new U.S.D.A. Guidelines recommend up to three cups of beans a week, or approximately half a cup a day. Beans are an excellent source of fiber, and unless you eat plenty of whole foods you are lacking in that most important nutrient.

Fiber keeps everything running smoothly, plus it helps you feel full when you eat.

An easy way to add beans to your diet is just toss a few in here and there. For instance, Garbanzos and Kidney beans are great on salads. Mix a three or four varieties, add an Italian style dressing and you've got 4-bean salad! Add slivers of green pepper and onion if you want to get fancy.

Black beans are another excellent salad extra, and they make an excellent side dish.

From the American Bean site: "Tuna salad: Place canned white beans over a bed of lettuce and sprinkle with vinaigrette. Top with canned tuna, red onion slices and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley."

Rock Paper Scissors: No Longer a Kid's Game

The Competition Gets Serious at the Rock Paper Scissors Convention

The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide

Virtual Rock Paper Scissors (various games)

Rock Paper Scissors Game (this one has a pop up)

Rinkworks Rock Paper Scissors online Game

Food Trivia:

Eagle Brand Condensed Milk was created to combat the common problem of spoiled milk. According to The History Channel, "Mass production of modern refrigerators didn't get started until after World War II." I recall an ice truck broke down once outside our house and I couldn't believe they delivered these big blocks of ice, but even in the early 70's people still had ice chests.

For great edutainment, check out The History Channel. Learning can be fun.

Health & Wellness Web Site Spotter

Sport Stacking: Learning Plus Fitness

If you thought Rock Paper Scissors was odd, wait until you see "Sport Stacking" previously known as "Cup Stacking." I saw a clip on TV and couldn't believe it. These kids are moving so fast you can't really see their hands move. Some have question whether this should qualify as a sport but hey, anytime you get kids focused and wanting to learn a skill, that's a good thing. Here the hand-to-eye coordination, plus mathmatical skills and concentration add up to more than just a fun activity. It's a learning experience, coupled with games and fun that makes it a wonderful activity and worthwhile pursuit.

"PE teachers are increasingly asked to define what they are doing to tackle this country's obesity issue. 'On The Move With Speed Stacks' addresses that question head-on by combining cardiovascular exercise with sport stacking in innovative and fun ways.

If you've taken seminars, read books, bought gadgets, and tried everything to lose the weight, but still nothing works, the answer may be discovering and resolving the negative emotional issues that have kept you stuck, until now.

The One More Bite 8-Week Ending Emotional Eating Workshop and/or private sessions may be the answer.

Is this the right time for you to end your obstacles to weight loss success? If yes, get started today.

PowerPops & Other Ridiculous Weight Losing Schemes

Okay, so you want an easy weight loss aid, who doesn't? But does candy make sense as a diet aid? Apparently the makers of Power-pops think so. Their candies, 50 calories each, are supposed to be used five to six times a day (that's the eqivalent of an entire meal, but instead you get more sugar). This isn't a smart plan, IMO.

Better ideas are apples, as snacks or even just before eating (a few slices of apple for instance to whet the appetite). Soup is also a great food to add as a first course. People who eat soup, especially broth based soups, just before dinner on average lose weight easier than those who don't choose soup.

Save Some Money Online

No matter what you're thinking of purchasing, right before you do, go online to your favorie search engine, Google.com or Yahoo.com and type the name of the product and the word "rebate" or "coupon." Often you'll find savings you didn't realize were there.

Examples of queries:

"schwinn airdyne" rebate (type it exactly as shown, quotes included) stairstepper rebate

I use a site called Dealnews.com which sends me a message everytime there is a listing for what I want (I'm looking for a laptop now, so I've got that as my criteria).

Book Review: 3-Hour Diet, by Jorge Cruise

"Low Carb Diets Make you Fat and Timing Makes you Thin," trumpets the headline. Is that true? Does it matter what time you eat, or how often? In a nutshell. No. What matters is making better choices the majority of the time. That said, another catchy title catches the media's attention and a media star is born.

Jorge Cruise is a nice enough fellow, don't get me wrong. But it just seems like if you want to get fixated on what you're eating and become even more obsessed about it, get this book. If you want to learn to eat on the timeline that works best for you, skip it.

Now, that's not nice, so I better add more. He suggests four animal crackers as a snack, or get this, 1/2 tablespoon of chocolate chips. LOL. That's rich. This is almost a comedy. How about two gumdrops? I seriously doubt he actually wrote these suggestions because they are plain dumb.

He suggests some ideas for better choices at fast food restaurants. I suggest eating at fast food restaurants as a special treat (once a month or less) and ordering whatever you really want. Case closed.

He does recommend using the buddy system which is smart. If you can find someone like minded, it's a good idea to have another person you can talk with, share ideas, plus share successes and work through the exercises you are learning, whether online or off (see below about my One More Bite Board starting up), so if you know someone who's open to the idea of learning to eat like a person without a weight problem, get them doing EFT with you.

+++ The Daily Bites are mini-lessons in how I use EFT to maintain my 80 pound weight loss. Twice weekly and free +++

His nutritional advice is sound, but most people don't have the time or energy to put into planning a six times a day eating plan. Of course, I recommend eating smaller amounts more often, but that's when you aren't having a big dinner or lunch. That's when you eat on-the-go the majority of the time and having food bars (mentioned earlier) in your briefcase, plus fruit and other easy to carry foods with you so when you get hungry, there's something worthwhile nearby. Then, yes, it's a great idea, and makes a lot of sense.

Most people who use something resembling the six times a day eating plan use either meal replacement bars and/or protein powders because it's simply too time consuming to bother with fixing "real" food multiple times a day. Good protein powders and good supplements aren't easy to find either.

I've been contacted by someone who's got me scheduled for an interview online coming up in late May. I'll send details when they are confirmed, so if you'd like to hear about a company that has some quality supplements, protein powders, etc. and put this type of program into practice, stay tuned for more information ...

Fun Food Facts to Know and Tell

Did you know that powdered sugar is granulated sugar plus a bit of corn starch (prevents clumping) which is finely ground? So, if you are making frosting and find you're all out of powdered, you can make some in a jiffy. Here's a quick recipe:

The ratio is typically 3% cornstarch to 97% granulated sugar. So for ordinary powdered sugar mix 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon corn starch in blender or food processor until powdery, stirring often.

For Diabetic Safe Powdered Sugar try this blend:

• 1 cup (500 mL) nonfat dry milk powder, soy milk powder, rice milk powder, etc.
• 1 cup (500 mL) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar replacement to equal 1/2 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and whip until well blended and powdered. You may need to add a bit more sweetener, but once you get the right amounts for your taste, you can use this anytime you please. Typically store bought powdered sugar is more costly than granulated, so why not sidestep the middle man?

And for a Non-dairy version of powdered sugar use the same ratios but substitute soy or rice milk powder (1 part milk powder, 1 part cornstarch and 1/2 part sweetener substitute, or ordinary sugar if you're so inclined).

Forum: EFT for Weight Loss Opening Soon

Finally, an online forum to get ideas, encouragement and support for using EFT for weight loss, self-esteem, eating disorders, out-of-control eating, and all the other issues that affect us regularly.

The One More Bite EFT/NLP Forum will do just that. I'm putting on the finishing touches but you're welcome to come on in and register to participate. You will need to register to read posts, simply to weed out those who drop by and leave a mess, but anything

There will be a private area for clients, and a public area which if it doesn't become a problem I'll leave open I'd like to offer a series of teleclasses to introduce more of you to EFT, since I get lots of basic questions, plus my bulletin board will be ready in a week or so, and I'd also like to field more questions in that forum since more can benefit from the exchange of information in an open forum than by individual e-mails. So, if you'd like to give me input, such as when you'd prefer a class (time of day, day of week), please send me your thoughts here

Isn't it Time You Learned How to Use EFT for Weight Loss?

People are Talking About One More Bite Weight Loss:

Dear Kathryn,

" I took your course some months ago for weight loss. I had a bit of a struggle with using EFT, and I decided to try some other programs :) You can guess what happened. I was second guessing myself. I bought Tom Venuto's ebook, and I really liked it and still do. However, I tried to implement the eat every 3 hours thing.. and control calories. Aaargh.

...That just makes me feel like i'm surrounded by rules and that I'm being deprived. So, I went up a few pounds... only 3 or 4 because of this feeling of being bound in and of rebelling (the child in me of course). I also don't like the feeling of "having" to eat at a set time, I have now realized that.

I have come to a real light bulb moment in the last week. I am back to trusting my own intuition and body and to using EFT. I am not following any program. I'm just trying to make healthier choices and care for myself. It is working (as it was when I first began with you and then got scared and wanted to do a "program" again!)

Thank you for your valuable insights. I am truly learning to trust myself for the first time and my body. I am finding that in the last week, I have lost weight and inches effortlessly, just by listening to my body's cues of hunger. I can trust it! I think I finally "get it!" Thanks so much -- Lisa

Sometimes it just takes a little nudge or the right words at the right time. Maybe working with a private weight loss coaching is right for you, right now. Whether the 8-week Ending Emotional Eating course or the course plus personal coaching is what you need, you can get started at any time, so why not right now?

Yours in good eating,
Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP

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