Eat Smart Age Smart » Diet | Nutrition & Health Books

Have you tried Smart Gym?

eatSmart — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:00:56 +0000

The Smart Gym system has been specifically designed to give you perfect your body under the most progressive training style on the planet – smart muscle training.

Unlike other exercise elastic bands that give out quickly, the Smart Gym bands are covered by a sturdy sleeve that protects the tubing core from pre-mature breakdown, wear, and failure.

You can use the Smart Gym at home, at the gym, outdoors and when travelling. You can literally perform hundreds of exercises that will activate as many muscles as possible. Because you are working with resistance tubes, you’ll be activating your muscles and your brain at the same time because these exercises will require coordination.

This is not the first time I’ve written about the Smart Gym because I think it’s such a great piece of fitness equipment.

>>> Here is the link to my original review: Video Review: Smart Gym

>>> The Smart Gym package includes:

* 45 minute DVD, with athlete coach Peter Twist, which includes loads of coaching tips, monthly workout programs, training guidelines and step-by-step instructions.

* Foam door anchor to perform exercises at home

* Medium resistance tube

* Light resistance tube

* Smart Stick (TM) to allow for a wider range of exercises

>>> The Smart Gym is ideal for:

Personal trainers, coaches, athletes, fitness minded enthusiasts, kids, adults and even seniors!

>>> Smart Gym has helped me improve on these levels:

* My balance

* Muscle definition

* Because I work out my entire body, I can burn more calories (working this way is more beneficial for your entire body and you build muscle while burning calories … this is a great benefit if you are pressed for time when it comes to working out)

* I’ve improved my balance

* I can perform powerful exercises without worrying about my joints

* I’ve improved on my agility

>>> Who created the Smart Gym?

Peter Twist – has trained over 700 professional athletes including MVPs hockey legend Mark Messier, baseball star Justin Morneau and basketball superstar Hakeem Olajuwon.

>>> Here’s a recent interview with Peter Twist (you’ll really want to listen to his advice):

Douglas Brooks (author, international lecturer and trainer) had this to say about the Smart Gym:

“Training toys come and go, but the Smart Gym by Twist Conditioning is here to stay! Twist products and training style are grounded in science and have impacted how I train my clients and athletes. The Smart Muscle (TM) Training style is all about getting results you have never seen before. It works for me and is a direct reflection of a Twist training methodology that has evolved over 20-years. Training with Twist is not only better, it just got Smarter!”

You’ll find more details here on the Smart Gym: " target="_blank">Click here to visit Twist Conditioning

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip in an aggregator that collects content from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content from the REAL website at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com

Your diet can age you!

eatSmart — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:30:15 +0000

You diet cannot age you, but it surely ages your skin.

“Your Skin, Younger” presents clear, scientific evidence of the skin’s aging process and how it is directly impacted by diet, stress, intestinal function, and even cooking techniques.

“Your Skin, Younger” is written by top dermatology and nutrition experts and it reveals what you can do naturally to reverse bad effects for nourished, younger-looking skin.

This book is loaded with delicious and healthy recipes, creative food preparation techniques, stress-busters, exercise and personal training tips, and other habits that promote sound, restful, restorative sleep and better overall skin care, this is the one-stop resource for expert, need-to-know advice.

Your Skin, Younger also exposes many skin-care myths and the major chemical offenders in cosmetics and topical skincare products, as well as what to look for and what to avoid in oral dietary supplements and topical ingredients.

>>> Here are some of the topics you’ll find in “Your Skin, Younger”:

* A wrinkle is not just a wrinkle – what the age of your skin says about your internal aging

* Stress connection and how to manage it

* The importance of beauty sleep

* Is your cell phone wrinkling your skin? Also, malignant melanomas and cell phone use

* Youthful skin and the dietary acid load

* We thought chocolate was bad for the skin (not true)

* Have you heard of internal moisturizer?

* Healthy cooking techniques

* Historical perspective between the gut-skin connection

>>>> Here’s are some interesting facts from this book:

Japanese researchers showed in that oral plant ceramides improved hydration in the stratum corneum by 253% after 3 weeks (vs. placebo) in human volunteers!

A recent report from the Satou Hospital in Osaka, Japan, suggests that oral administration of plant ceramides can turn down the dial on inflammatory chemicals in young children with chronic skin inflammation.

Since oral ceramides can both lower inflammation and keep the skin well hydrated, they are one of the most exciting advances in the maintenance of youthful skin in recent years.

>>>> Authors of Your Skin, Younger:

1) Alan C. Logan, ND, FRSH is a board-certified naturopathic physician licensed in Connecticut. He graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Purchase, and as valedictorian from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. As an invited faculty member of Harvard’s School of Continuing Medical Education, he lectures in the mind-body medicine courses offered at Harvard. Co-author of The Clear Skin Diet (SourceBooks, 2007), he is the only naturopathic doctor to have his commentaries published in the four leading dermatology journals – Archives of Dermatology, the International Journal of Dermatology, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the British Journal of Dermatology. Widely regarded as one of North America’s leading cosmetic nutritionists, he has been featured in health and beauty magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle, W, Life & Style, as well as CTV and Global National Canadian television.

2) Mark Rubin is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Diego. In addition, he has a private practice devoted exclusively to cosmetic dermatology in Beverly Hills, California. Rubin is the author of two books and numerous articles on skin rejuvenation. He has personally trained more than six hundred physicians in his techniques for skin rejuvenation and has lectured on those techniques in more than ten countries. Over the past fifteen years, Rubin has been involved in clinical research including several FDA trials, and he is a consultant to multiple medical device, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical companies. He also has been a resource for leading health and beauty magazines.

3) Phillip Levy is licensed in internal medicine and dermatology in the United States and Switzerland. A pioneer in cosmetic dermatology, Levy is widely recognized for having discovered a variety of skin-rejuvenating techniques. Many of the esthetic dermatology techniques that he pioneered are now widely used by cosmetic dermatologists. An assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Universite de Franche-Comte in Besancon, France. He is the author of many scientific articles and book chapters on dermatology, and esthetic subjects. Currently practicing in Geneva Switzerland, he has been featured on many European TV programs and in newspaper and magazine articles.

Exercise equipment I cannot live without!

eatSmart — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Went it comes to my fitness, I spend most of my time at the gym, boxing club or outside (in the summer).

I’m big on using free weights for weight training and I also quite enjoy the cable machine at the gyms because I really like the definition I get from using them.

I’ve never really been big on exercise equipments until recently. But now I’d have to say that I cannot live with my skipping rope, my TRX suspension and my Smart Gym.

1) I love skipping rope because it’s an incredible challenge and gives me great legs as I age!

It’s true that I’ve had a skipping rope for a while, but it’s only recently (I’d say about two years now) that I’ve really been using it a lot and that I’ve been challenging my body.

I started with five minutes of skipping rope without stopping and I swear I thought I was going to pass out. I didn’t skip for weeks after that, but I went back at it a few weeks later and kept getting better at it and I kept extending the time I skip. I know can comfortably skip for 30 minutes without feeling exhausted (my legs will hurt and feel sore, but I’m not out of breath).

I have two skipping ropes at all times and I keep one if my boxing bag and one in my gym bag.

It’s a shame more people (and women) don’t skip rope regularly because it’s truly one of the most powerful exercises out there and it’s as low cost as it gets.

A skipping rope is so inexpensive. I couldn’t find the Nike skipping rope on Amazon, but I did find their best seller which is only $6.30 and honestly I encourage you to grab it and start skipping: Valeo Deluxe Speed Jump Rope

2) The TRX suspension has really shaken me out of my workout comfort zone!

I’ve been training for a very long time and I’ve never in my life tried anything as intensive as the TRX suspension. If you want to exceed what you think your body is capable of doing, I sincerely encourage you to try the TRX suspension training. In fact, the TRX suspension training is the workout of choice for “The Real Housewives of Orange County”.

>>>You can find out more on the secret weapon that keeps The Real Housewives of Orange County (and yours truly) lean, slim and fit here: TRX suspension training

If you’ve missed my posts on the TRX suspension, you can catch it here:

>>> Review: TRX Suspension training is VERY intensive!

>>> Real Housewives of OC workout

3) Smart Gym is an extension of founder Peter Twist’s philosophy about staying fit as you age:

I have to say that once you try the Smart Gym, you’ll never want to use any other type of resistance elastic bands for your workouts. Oh, if you are a frequent traveller, you’ll love the convenience and ease of these bands.

The Smart Gym is another piece of exercise equipment that is part of my secret stash of fitness goodies and I hope you’ll find one that will work for your lifestyle.

>>> You can read my full review on the Smart Gym here: Video Review: Smart Gym

>>> You’ll find more details here on the Smart Gym: Click here to visit Twist Conditioning

101 Things To Do Before You Diet?

eatSmart — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:00:49 +0000

Did you know that visible panty lines add pounds to the way you feel? So how does your panty line affect your diet and weight loss?

Well that’s exactly what 40-something British fashion and beauty journalist Mimi Spencer will attempt to answer in her book 101 Things To Do Before You Diet!

Mimi Spencer wrote this book as an antidote to a professional downside: Mimi Spencer has spent most of her life surrounded by catwalks and ultrathin celebrities-and she’s sick and tired of dieting (Amen to that). So she created the anti-diet book! In 101 Things to do Before You Diet, Spencer shares the tips, tricks, and solutions that finally helped her lose those last few pounds and shows women how to trim, flatter, and accept every inch of their bodies.

With 101 Things to Do Before You Diet: Because Looking Great Isn’t Just about Losing Weight this mother of two declares that she’s had enough of the countless fad diets and she’s ready to enjoy her body as it is (this should resonate with loads of women out there).

101 Things to Do Before You Diet: Because Looking Great Isn’t Just about Losing Weight has a humorous tone that you’ll enjoy … especially if you’ve put on your list of New Year’s resolutions to lose weight (again).

I think humour is in order when you consider that the “weigh loss industry” accounts for a whopping $50 BILLION each year, yet obesity is more out of control today than it ever is (do you think it’s because dieting does NOT work? Hint = dieting does NOT work).

Countless medical reports have proven that people who diet put back the weight within 5 years and that means loads of endless victims for the dieting industry!

>>> Here are a few of Mimi’s sense of humour you’ll enjoy:

“Love the skin you’re in”

“If you feel pekish, brush your teeth”

“Laugh at celebrity magazines”

“Put on your best underwear”

“Buy more food that has no label”

“Read food labels … use your common sense”

“Tape a picture of bad Britney (Spears) to your fridge … you will put down that slice of pie.”

>>> Here are a few of the more practical tips Spencer has to share:

“Stop! Develop new ways of behaving around food”

“Begin to see that you are beautiful already”

“Learn how to be at your best”

“ Eat more of the right things”

You’ll find a lot of very witty tips mixed in with experience from pop culture, and if you are depressed about how much weight you’ve gained over the Holidays or if in 2010 you are turning 40 or 50 or 60 (or anything birthday in between), you’ll get uplifted in this effort toward living a healthier lifestyle and learning how to love your body more.

Some interesting guidance Mimi Spencer provides in this book can be useful if you’re willing to implement them into your life. Things like stop watching The Food Network (ladies, all that food porn is NOT always all that healthy), imagine finding a bandage or fingernail in that unhealthy food you think you can’t live without (Paul McKenna teaches that theory as well), give up driving your car by carpooling or walking (Dr. Oz calls that getting your 10,000 steps a day), stop hanging out with your fat friends and family (don’t think you don’t get influenced by your surroundings), and squeeze liquid soap on your kids’ leftover food (that way you don’t end up picking in your kids plate).

Do these tricks work? Some will for sure in my opinion because they are common sense, but Spencer is convinced all of tricks work because she’s tried most of them herself (I’m not too sure about her advice about wearing high heels all the time to feel sexy. If you spend your life on 5 inch heels, when you age your feet will make you pay for all those steps).

Overall, I think women will enjoy Mimi Spencer’s 101 Things to Do Before You Diet: Because Looking Great Isn’t Just about Losing Weight and you’ll recognize yourself through Spencer’s rhetoric.

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com

Food, Inc. out on DVD

eatSmart — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:00:10 +0000

Food, Inc. is one of the most viewed video I’ve produced since the launch of the site. I created the video just after watching the movie that truly left me jaw-dropped and shaking my head.

I know that Food, Inc. wasn’t playing in all cities and many people weren’t able to take advantage of all the learning from this incredible film.

I already have the Food, Inc. and it truly makes for a great accompaniment to the film and I recently purchased the Food, Inc..

If you are looking to reach a healthy weight this year, do yourself a favour and get the DVD. It will be the most eye opening experience in your life and will certainly change the way you eat.

If you don’t believe me, check out some of the reviews of this amazing movie directed by Robert Kenner:

“Kenner takes you through these unsettling stories through a mix of articulate talking heads, cameras peering where Food Inc. doesn’t want scrutiny, citizens lobbying their representatives in Congress and entertaining graphics and animation.”– Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

3.5 stars out of 4 — “Kenner keeps his film bouncing with humor, music and graphics….The message he’s delivered with the help of nutrition activists, including Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan is an eye-opener.”– Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“The superb FOOD, INC. offers an elegantly constructed and absorbing analysis of the monolithic U.S. food industry.”– Nicolas Rapold, Film Comment

5 stars out of 5 — “It’s a sobering and worthwhile look at an important subject many have not even thought about….FOOD, INC.’s end credit sequence offers numerous ways the consumer can and should make a difference.”– Pete Hammond, Box Office

“An informative, often infuriating activist documentary….You’ll shudder, shake and just possibly lose your genetically modified lunch.”– Manohla Dargis, New York Times

“Kenner takes audiences deep into the ugly underbelly of American food production….Its heroes are realists who’ve found a way to be relatively humane within the system…”– Nathan Rabin, A.V. Club

“A smart, expertly shot documentary … The film gives an eloquent array of writers, activists and farmers time to enlighten us about the perils on our plates, but now without offering hope for a safer future.”– Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

>>> You can read my other reviews on Food, Inc below:

1. Video review of Food Inc

http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com/video-review-of-food-inc/

2. Review: Food Inc documentary

http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com/review-food-inc-documentary/

3. Food Inc documentary produced by Stonyfield Farm

http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com/food-inc-documentary-produced-by-stonyfield-farm/

>>> You can find get your hands on the Food, Inc. DVD at 43% off on Amazon by clicking here:Food, Inc.

>>> You can watch my video review for Food, Inc here:

The Mayo Clinic Diet

eatSmart — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:00:14 +0000

You’ve heard of the Mayo Clinic, right? You know the Mayo Clinic that’s constantly being quoted in the media when it comes to data/facts about healthy, diseases and diet?

Well, the Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy that the needs of the patient come first. More than 3,600 physicians and scientists and 50,000 allied staff work at Mayo, which has sites in Rochester, Minn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, Mayo Clinic treats more than 500,000 patients a year.

For more than 100 years, millions of people from all walks of life have found answers at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic works with many insurance companies, does not require a physician referral in most cases and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

Considering such an impressive resume, you’d think that the Mayo Clinic would know a thing or two about weight gain, obesity, and the difficulty of losing weight.

With all the medical work the Mayo Clinic has performed on hundreds of thousands of patients each year, it has been able to identify the critical habits of people who maintain a healthy weight, and the habits of those who don’t.

>>> Eat well, enjoy life and lose weight – that’s what The The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well, Enjoy Life, Lose Weight teaches you:

The The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well, Enjoy Life, Lose Weight emphasizes foods that are not only healthy, but also taste great.

Part 1, the “Lose It!” phase, is The Mayo Clinic Diet’s two-week quick-start plan. “Lose It” is designed to help dieters lose 6 to 10 pounds in just 14 days.

After dieters complete the “Lose It” phase, they move on to Part 2, “Live It”. This phase is designed to help dieters continue to lose 1-2 pounds each week until they reach their desired healthy weight. “Live It” offers a customized guide to using the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.

To make it possible for dieters to keep track of their goals and succeed with weight loss, The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal is available as an essential companion to The Mayo Clinic Diet. Like the Diet itself, The Journal includes both a “Lose It” quick-start section to monitor habits and a “Live It” section to record daily eating and exercise.

>>> The Mayo Clinic Diet breaks it down for you:

The Mayo Clinic Diet has boiled all the research down to five simple habits to help you take off the extra weight — and five habits to break so that you can keep it from coming back.

Plus, the book does the hard work for you by making things easy, because what works best when it comes to weight loss is keeping it simple (don’t be caught with all the science of weight loss because it gets so confusing)!

The Mayo Clinic Diet is composed of three sections to get you started, to keep you on track, and to give you the knowledge and tools you need to keep those unwanted pounds off for good

1. Loose it! is a two-week quick-start program designed to help you lose 6 to 10 pounds in a safe and healthy way.

2. Live it! is a long-term plan in which you continue to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week until you reach your goal. Then, you learn how to maintain your healthy weight for life.

3. All the extra stuff includes meal planners, recipes, tips on overcoming challenges and much more to help you along the way.

The The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well, Enjoy Life, Lose Weight puts you in charge of reshaping your body and improving your health — for a lifetime.

>>> You can get the book and the diet journal here by clicking on the links below:

1) The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well, Enjoy Life, Lose Weight

2) The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal

Superfoods by David Wolfe

eatSmart — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:00:31 +0000

I think that you can bypass the entire content of David Wolfe’s latest book and simply focus on the subtitle:

“The Food and Medicine of the Future”

I agree with David Wolfe and I also believe if more people integrated more superfoods into their lives they would help their bodies remain strong enough to fight off all sorts of medical issues.

Here’s what David had to say about superfoods:

“Superfoods are the greatest foods identified by the greatest civilizations in the history of the world. They are foods that have a whole array of tricks under their sleeve. They are extremely easy to use and agree with a lot of different body types and metabolisms. Foods like goji berries, hempseed, cacao beans (raw chocolate), maca, spirulina and bee products are powerful sources of clean protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, good fats and oils, essential fatty and amino acids, and other nutrients, they represent a uniquely promising piece of the nutritional puzzle.”

Now, I don’t want anyone to think that the only thing I do is sit around eating alfalfa sprouts and drink kale and garlic juice all day long because I don’t.

I’ll go further and declare that I really don’t like kale all that much but I adore superfoods like pomegranate and berries. I’ve also recently started my morning with cacao and macha green tea mixed into my morning Greens+ drink or my smoothie.

There are a lot of superfoods on the market if you have no idea what is a superfood and why you should really start feeding your body the goodness of these foods, let David Wolfe be your guide.

I think David is the modern preacher of good health. It’s no wonder that his personal goal is to “make raw foods, superfoods, super herbs, and the best chocolate ever an option for everyone on the planet.”

Basically, David Wolfe wants to make becoming healthy simpler, easier, and more fun than ever before. His “Superfoods” does exactly that and then some.

There is a lot of misunderstanding out there about “WHY” you need to eat more superfoods. They are often linked to anti-aging and beauty (Dr. Nicholas Perricone is notorious for opening Oprah’s eyes and the eyes of millions of North Americans on the benefits of supefoods), but there is a much more fundamental reason why you should make superfoods a part of your daily life: they support good health and help you age better.

David Wolfe’s “Superfoods” is honestly a must-have reference book:

* You’ll get a better understanding of superfoods that you’ve been seeing in the media like goji berries, cacao, maca spirulina, açai berry, aloe vera (yup, it’s not only for skincare), hempseed, coconut and honey.

* You’ll get a better understanding of superfoods that are not as well know such as royal jelly, spirulina, blue-green algae, marine phytoplankton, camu camu berry, chorella, noni and yacon.

* You get great recipes to help you integrate the superfoods in your everyday life.

* You’ll get full nutritional information on each superfoods David highlights.

* Photos of the superfoods to help you identify them.

I’m not going to lie, David Wolfe’s “Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future” is not for everyone. If you spend most of your time eating at fast food chains and you’re not really ready to make a commitment to your health, you should keep your money in your wallet. But, if you are ready to understand how food can better support your health, you’ll find so much valuable information inside the pages of “Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future”!

>>> You don’t have to take my word for it when it comes to the importance of David Wolfe’s book in your life. You can read the long list of illustrious testimonials of people who have worked with David Wolfe or who have been affected by his wisdom:

“Is there anyone more passionate, dedicated, or knowledgeable about the tremendous benefits of superfoods to our bodies, minds, and planet? Not likely. Wherever you are in terms of what goes in your mouth, David Wolfe presents a compelling claim to add a little more vitality to your plate.” —Angela Bassett, actress and author

“A path of visionary nutrition informed by David Wolfe’s book Superfoods will lift body and soul to a higher evolutionary vibration. Raw food and David Wolfe’s guidance have had a transformative power in our lives.” —Alex and Allyson Grey, artists and co-founders of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors

“David Wolfe is a nutritionist’s nutritionist. His knowledge in the fields of raw foods, superfoods, herbs, and chocolate are unsurpassed in the world.” —John Gray, Ph.D., author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

“David Wolfe’s commitment, not just to humanity but to Mother Earth herself, is second to none. He has discovered the gift of his true purpose and is unabashedly sharing it with the world. The energy of compassion and pure love that he pours into every plant and everyone is the same. I know few people more committed to us all finding our inner joy through the miracle of growing and eating the best food ever and thereby experiencing everyday as The Best Day Ever.” —Demian Lichtenstein, motion picture producer and director

>>> If you are interested in getting your hands on David Wolfe’s book, you can click on the link for more information: David Wolfe’s “Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future”

>>> Here’s a great video where David Wolfe talks about the top 10 herbs and top ten superfoods (this is a candid video):

>>> Here’s another video of David Wolfe talking about why raw foods are important:

Dr. Oz Fridge Makeover Tips

eatsmart — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:33:38 +0000

***I also talk about YOU: On A Diet Revised 2009 Edition: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management a little later in this post****

On Monday, January 4^th, 2010, Dr. Oz kicked off the New Year with a room filled with 200 people wanting to lose weight in the New Year (does this sound familiar?).

It was an interesting show and I always like it when Dr. Oz includes his partners Dr. Roizen.

Yesterday’s ‘The 14-day You Diet’ was filled with loads of information to help a lot of people struggling with their weight get themselves on the right path.

There was a lot of information to digest in Dr. Oz’s show, but I think that one of the segments was a quick-start that anyone can start applying today to start seeing some serious changes in their diet, weight and overall health in a short period of time.

Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen helped Alyssa and Gerard understand how to become better food shoppers. Alyssa is 45 and a nurse and a new mom, while Gerard is 55 and a doctor and he also happens to have had a heart attack one year ago. Despite the new baby (at a late age) and the heart attack both Alyssa and Gerard depend on the convenience of fast food, frozen foods and take-away/take-out food to help them with the weekly meal planning.

It’s true that juggling a busy career and parenthood is not an easy task, but there are ways to plan in advance and make better foods choices at the grocery market level to ensure that you and your family are eating healthy.

>>>> Here are Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen’s Fridge Makeover tips:

1. Eliminate sugar: Replace them with natural fruits that won’t spike your sugar levels so much.

2. Eliminate syrup: Syrup is one of the major ingredients of soda. Did you know that if you were to give up one 12 oz bottle of soda per day, you can easily lose 12 lbs per year effortlessly? Just replace that soda bottle with the water or green tea!

3. Eliminate white flour: When Dr. Oz looked inside Alyssa and Gerard’s fridge, he found pepperoni pizza rolls (the couple’s favourite). Of course the whole idea of pepperoni pizza rolls is about convenience and it’s not about quality or health. The dough is all refined white sugar and that’s just not a good idea for people who are overweight and struggling to gain a healthy weight. You can buy whole wheat pizza dough and make your own homemade pizza and that will make a huge difference on your overall health!

4. Eliminate saturated fats: Saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. A good example would be sausages. According to Dr. Roizen you can actually buy at the grocery store level sausages that don’t contain saturated fats. I’ve not yet come across those, but I surely will keep an eye open from now on.

5. Eliminate trans fats: The culprit in Alyssa and Gerard’s fridge was hidden in their favourite waffles. Since neither read food labels, they didn’t notice the words “partially hydrogenated oil” which is a dead giveaway. Basically food manufacturers take flexible fat and turn into solid to extend the shelf life of food, but the problem is that our bodies were not created to properly digest and metabolize trans fats. Dr. Roizen offered a better alternative to store bought waffles: rice cake, a bit of peanut butter and topped with raisins. He said it was a perfect snack because it contained protein and it doesn’t contain trans fat. One thing Dr. Roizen forgot to mention is that you NEED to buy peanut butter and rice cakes that don’t contain any hydrogenated oils … so you’ll want to make sure you read the labels before you buy food.

Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen have also just published a revised edition of their ‘You on a Diet’ book. You’ll find it at a discount on Amazon if you’re looking to start the New Year with a solid plan to lose weight: YOU: On A Diet Revised Edition: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management

Top photo of Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen from Dr. Oz’s web site