BITS-O-WISDOM: "Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again" -- James R. Cook

Could Allergies Be Keeping You Fat?

Sometimes your inability to lose any weight can be due to what you're eating, but how can you know for sure? An Elimination Diet might be the answer. I recently found FoodIntol.com, a wonderful site with specific diets and journals enabling you to not only track what you're eating but match it to specific symptoms and truly identify your food intolerances, if any. Plus, and more importantly, having someone to ask if you have a question is invaluable. Much like my courses where you get a coach, this is a personal coach for discovering if you have any food issues that could be obstacles in reaching your weight loss goals. I wish this were part of my site, it's that good.

Are the Foods You're Eating Making You Sick?

A Portland, Oregon Naturopath, Dr. Martin Milner runs The Center for Natural Medicine and offers an allergy test for the Panel IgG, Test 48 food allergens with state-of-the-art methods, US BioTek Laboratories

Dr. Milner is very knowledgeable about thyroid issues (which is why I see him). If you've had difficulties in getting a proper prescription for your low thyroid, contact Dr. Milner. With blood tests he can work with you over the phone. Center for Natural Medicine

YorkAllergy.com: IgG ELISA Food Intolerance, Gluten Sensitivity, Celiac Disease, Helicobacter Pylori, IgE Immediate-Onset Allergy and Metabolic Analysis laboratory immunoassays based on patented finger-stick collection technology - A FULL BLOOD DRAW IS NOT REQUIRED!

Setting an Anchor - NLP Exercise for Weight Loss

Setting an Anchor gives you the ability to change your mental state in an instant. Why is this useful for weight loss? How many times have you simply felt rotten and it drove you to eat? What if you could change the way you feel in an instant? That's what the NLP process known as anchoring can do for you. It's similar to what happens when you hear your favorite song, or when you think of your upcoming vacation. You'll experience a surge of endorphins that bring that experience to life, even if only in your mind, it still makes you feel as if you are there. Positive experiences can be reused at will once you learn how to set an anchor.

Read entire Article or check other new weight loss articles

Calories Used in Everyday Things:

Riding the gravy train ..... 25 calories an hour
Running to Catch but Missing the boat ..... 125 calories an hour
Rubbing your nose in it ..... 50 calories an hour

Supplement News

Are pharmaceutical companies inventing new diseases? That's a question asked by Lou Dobbs on CNN and many others are beginning to wonder the same thing. CNN.com reported that over 40% of adults are taking at least one prescription medication every day. That's up from 39% from 1988 and 1994, but what worries me is the prevalence of children taking medication for everything from depression to Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder. When I was a kid it was called being a kid.

Who wants to sit still all day listening to boring lectures? No one, but it's not an excuse to drug our kids. Perhaps checking what they're eating would be a better first step. Many kids are drinking several soft drinks every day which contain caffeine and which in turn wires them up to be restless, distracted, and generally exhibits symptoms of ADHD. Some kids also could have food and chemical sensitivities that may cause these behaviors. See my above reference to FoodIntol.com and check whether you or your kids are experiencing food related symptoms first.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2004 report states, that "Boys were prescribed drugs to treat attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD) twice as often as girls." Since it's no secret that boys are more aggressive than girls, it's not surprising they'd be more often labeled as hyperactive. I think it's wrongheaded and myopic thinking to prescribe drugs for kids without first checking what they're eating.

Are they involved in after school activities like school plays and/or sports, or do they come home to an empty house with nothing to do but snack and watch TV? What about you? Do you come home from work exhausted and plop yourself on the couch for the rest of the evening? Get up! Move around. Dance to the stereo. Anything active will get you feeling much more alert in no time. It could be that it's not ADHD at all but simply boredom. We all get sluggish if we don't move around.

School athletic programs, kids' only outlet for physical activity are phased out of many schools due to budget cuts. This is wrong! Call your School Board and complain loudly. Our kids are our future. Let's do right by them.

Don't be so quick to choose pharmaceuticals over a healthy diet and exercise plan. Check diet first, then sleep and stress patterns, and finally are there any emotional issues where you could use EFT? EFT is easy to teach to kids and goes a long way toward resolving many of those early-age conflicts and stressors.

Learn EFT Basics for Weight Loss

Instant Cooking Remedies

Sauces & Gravy

Lumps: Pour gravy through strainer and mash out lumps with wooden spoon. Lumps form when you either don't mix your flour/water carefully, or you have too high heat. Heat gravy slowly, pour in thickener and stir constantly while you slowly raise the heat.

Too much fat: Cool it down, using an ice bath (put gravy in one bowl, ice cubes in bigger bowl and place smaller bowl inside the larger), or put it in the freezer for awhile. Fat solidifies when cool, then just skim it off and reheat gravy. It still tastes delicious but you can save a lot of calories. Not necessary unless you see the fat swimming on top though.

Too much salt? Add a fairly large piece of potato (so you can scoop it out later). Potato absorbs salt. You can also add a wee bit of vinegar and sugar to neutralize the salt, but I'd try the potato trick first. Next time, go easy on the salt. It's far easier to add more at the table than take it away.

Cakes

Avoid cracks in the top by not opening the door just to check. Drafts in the oven temperature cause problems during baking. Avoid the temptation to "check how it's doing."

Cheese cake same thing; Cracks form when the cake cools too quickly. After baking, simply turn oven off, then place the handle of a wooden spoon in the oven to create just a small opening for the heat to slowly reduce. This won't cause the cake to over cook. I've done this every time and it's never failed me. Leave cheese cake for several hours in the oven to slowly cool. If you're putting topping on the cake, cracks don't matter so much anyway but you don't want craters.

Eggs: Short one egg for your recipe and don't have a handy neighbor? Just substitute one teaspoon of cornstarch

Gayle's Miracle Truffles: No-Guilt Treats

Finally, summer's gone (unless you live in Australia) and we can again order chocolates from all over the world. Here are truffles with only 30 calories and 5 grams of fat per truffle, sugar free if you count carbs, and so delicious you'd never guess they're better for you. Enjoying these yourself or give them as gifts:

90% less fat, 80% less calories and low carb too!
GaylesMiracles.com

Food Trivia:

From an ad for Minute Tapioca in American Cookery, circa 1927:

"Little folks choose their food by appearance, even more than grown-ups. They love to eat desserts that look good and taste good. Tapioca desserts readily lend themselves to alluring and enticing arrangement."

Think now, when's the last time you saw some alluring tapioca arrangement? The photo accompanying the ad shows a bowl with five slices of what looks to be grapefruit sections or perhaps crab claws (it's hard to tell) artfully arranged around the edge. Nice presentation. I'm sure the kiddies will gobble that up.

New in Food News:

Cheetos Edge
Frito Lay's new low carb entry. Made from soy and corn. Not much difference nutritionally, except in the way the calculate carbs, regular has 10 grams of fat and 160 calories per "serving" and the new Edge has 11 grams of fat and 160 calories per serving. The main difference I see is the Edge has more sugar (even though they claim lower carbs), so go figure. Frankly, these don't seem much improved. They still contain transfats too. Just work on reducing how much you eat when you do choose Cheetos. Eat two bowls full if you must, but work on breaking that entire bag habit and you'll be doing yourself a big favor.

Health & Wellness Web Site Spotter

CookingLight's December 2004 issue featured something called the Kitchen Showcase. In it they had some innovative ideas such as putting freezers in drawers, or low-temperature warming ovens in drawers. Both are great ideas, so if you're got the means, go get your kitchen decked out this year. Get that issue for a better look. The site for Kitchen Showcase doesn't go into much detail - at least I didn't find it.

KitchenShowcase.com

+++ -------------- Ending Emotional Eating -------------------- +++

Waiting until the New Year to start your weight loss program? Why
weight? The holidays are the perfect time to learn to eat as a person
without a weight problem. You'll not miss anything during the holidays
except the usual weight gain.

Learn EFT and NLP techniques that can help you glide through this
year's holiday season and have everyone asking you how you do it?

Join now and you can put-off your start date if you choose - just let
me know. Special rate for the remainder of December is $89 for the
8-week course! Save ten bucks by signing up now, and even if you don't
start until January, you can lock in that rate.

Now is the right time for you to end your obstacles to way8t loss
success. Make a commitment now and get started today.

http://onemorebite-weightloss.com/weightloss-class.html More Info
http://onemorebite-weightloss.com/register.html To Register

+++ ----------------------------------------------------------- +++

Recipe Sites:

Here are some of my favorite sources for new recipes

AllRecipes.com - My favorite hands down winner. I love this site because people leave their opinions on the recipes, plus give ideas for how they altered them for better results.

Epicurious.com - Use their recipe search. They have much more difficult recipes but sometimes they are so excellent it's worth the extra effort. You can also sometimes alter the recipes to take out some of the steps and simplify.

Interestingly, Epicurious.com had only one recipe for mashed cauliflower while AllRecipes.com had hundreds.

Vegetarian Lifestyle at VegSource.com

RecipeZaar.com - Healthy Recipes

FoodFit.com Recipe Makeovers! They have a nifty recipe makeover section. Learn how to make the cookbooks you already own work for your diet preferences today by following along and learning the substitutions that make the most difference

Remember: Indulge responsibly.

Using EFT to Tackle those Pesky Cravings

How I used EFT to deal with the craving for foil wrapped Christmas chocolate balls.
I also tried this with Halloween candy and got the same result. Don't be afraid you'll permanently lose your desire for goodies. That won't happen. You can enjoy the holidays rather than deprive yourself, but at the same time maintain your weight, rather than gaining 15 pounds. It's true. Get the worksheets and The Daily Bites (mini lessons in how to use EFT) and you'll be sailing through the holidays this year.

Book Review: Cookbooks

Simple Treats, a Wheat-free & Dairy-Free Guide to Scrumptious Baked Goods
by Ellen Abraham
Excellent assortment of recipes for treats that work well for anyone, but especially for those who either should or must avoid wheat and dairy.

Good Food Cookbook for Dogs
by Donna Twichell Roberts
Frankly, most of the recipes in this book sound like they'd be fine for humans. One especially unique idea is a meat loaf cooked in cake pans, then "frosted" with mashed potatoes. Your dog will have the happiest birthday ever! Recipes for dog treats and more.

Christmas is Going to the Dogs

Here are some ideas for your tail wagging companions this Christmas. Doggie bakeries are popping up everywhere because who doesn't want to buy their dog treats? Three Dog Bakery even has the Tummy Rub Club where you can register your dog for a newsletter (?).

Check out Barbara Berg's new book, Good Treats Cookbook (why not just bake your own doggie treats, eh?) and check out Boston Baked Bonz.

Sugar Alternatives: Splenda Shortage

There's no better way to ensure a shortage than to pre-announce it as the makers of the major component of Splenda have done by Tate & Lyle PLC, the world's only manufacturer of sucralose, release that interest has so out paced expectations the company won't take on new U.S. customers until it has doubled production at its plant in McIntosh, Ala., sometime in early 2006. That's sure to encourage those who depend on Splenda, consumers and manufacturers alike to run quick to stock up while supplies last.

Xylitol to the rescue. I prefer Xylitol for many reasons, foremost it leaves no aftertaste and does nothing but sweeten your food. Doctors and health practitioners recommend Xylitol for its health giving properties not to mention its use as a sweetener substitute for sucrose (ordinary table sugar). Xylitol provides beneficial bacteria which reduces dental carries (cavities), it has 2/3 less calories than ordinary sugar, and it does not increase the insulin response as ordinary sugar, making it an ideal sugar substitute for diabetics and others who must reduce their intake of sugar.

Xylitol.com provides this overview:

The usage of Xylitol as a sugar substitute has the following physiologic advantages:

1. Xylitol has a pleasant taste and a sweetness which equals that of sucrose.
2. With correct Xylitol dosage, carbohydrate tolerance is increased.
3. Small Xylitol doses stabilize the metabolic situation in unstable diabetics.
4. Xylitol has antiketogenic properties and is non- and anticariogenic(inhibits the production of dental carries).

Taste it for yourself. Splenda sometimes leaves a noticeable taste, while Xylitol simply tastes like the sugar you're already used to.

You can find Xylitol is most health food stores, and as it gains in popularity, you'll start to see it in your bigger super markets as well. It's also sold online. Check BodyBuilding.com for their current special (current as of Dec. 2004).

And yes, it costs more than ordinary sugar. Get over it. You should be cutting back on sugars entirely, and switching to those that can benefit your health in the long run. The reason sugar has been added so liberally to almost all processed foods is because of its low cost--but in the end, it's costing us more in our ill health and rapidly approaching epidemic levels of obesity.

Tips for Shopping When Hungry

If you've ever made the mistake of shopping while hungry then you know how everything looks so much better! If I shop just after eating I barely bring home any groceries, but when I'm hungry I tend to stock up on snacks and treats. One trick that works well for me is to plan that I'll eat a banana or something else easy to have as soon as I get back outside. Bananas are great because they are easy to eat in the car, don't make a mess, and are actually good for me.

Knowing I'll be having something soon helps me deal with those impulse buys. It helps me make a slightly better choice for something to eat right now. Yesterday I was shopping while hungry and I wanted to get something like Carmel Corn. Sweet and salty my favorite food groups. I even returned to the aisle to get them after I'd finished my shopping, but then I thought it over. I thought about the upcoming holidays and all the goodies I already have at home, not to mention all the upcoming holiday treats. Once I thought about it for a moment I decided to eat one of the large pretzel sticks I was already getting, and that could ward off the cravings until I got home and ate dinner.

There's nothing wrong with going ahead and having something when you feel like you're literally starving (you're not, BTW). Sometimes I'll eat a big dill pickle while dinner is cooking, or have a few spoonfuls of ice cream, even a piece of chocolate. Hard candies are good too, if you force yourself not to bite down! Bananas are my No. 1 choice after getting groceries.

If you think it's a bad idea to have those extra calories right before dinner, think again. If it takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the message you're eating, then having something while cooking dinner gives your brain a head start to sending the "I'm full" message. You may find you feel satisfied with your meal sooner, thereby actually saving calories in the end.

Yours in good eating,
Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP