Antioxidants have been popular in the world of weight loss lately and we have guests at our weight loss camps ask us if antioxidants are as beneficial as everyone is making them out to be. The answer is, it depends. Here are six myths and truths about antioxidants provided by ConsumerReports OnHealth to explain what we mean.

Myth: Antioxidants are all vitamins
Truth: There are thousands of antioxidants and only a limited number of them are vitamins. Antioxidants have the ability to block free radicals. Free radicals are unstable chemical fragments that cause damage throughout your body and can cause abnormal cell growth and reproduction.

Myth: All antioxidants are created equal
Truth: According to Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D. and director of the Antioxidant Research Lab at Tufts University says, “Different antioxidants fight different free radicals.” But what’s nice is that all antioxidants work together like a well oiled machine. For instance, vitamin C recycles vitamin E, meaning that when vitamin E blocks a free radical, vitamin C takes the remaining vitamin E and changes it back to its original antioxidant form.

Myth: Be sure to eat pomegranates, berries and other super fruits
Truth: There is no official definition of a ‘super fruit.’ It can mean whatever someone wants it to mean, therefore it does not hold any significance. All fruits and vegetables have a unique blend of healthy components and some of those include antioxidants. By only focusing on ‘super fruits,’ you are missing out on a variety of other beneficial fruits and vegetables.

Myth: You should amp up your intake with supplements
Truth: Don’t focus on supplements when you can get the nutrients you need from food. Clinical trials have shown that consuming nutrients in supplement form does not produce the same results that found when consuming them in foods. Why waste your money on a single supplement that may work when you can buy foods that can provide multiple nutritional benefits?

Myth: If some antioxidants are good, more is better
Truth: We’ve all heard the saying that “there is no such thing as too much of a good thing,” that saying does not apply to nutrients in supplement form. There has been some evidence to indicate that when taken in megadoses (which many supplements come in) it can cause antioxidants to become pre-oxidents which may actually increase the production of free radicals. The opposite result of what antioxidants are intended to perform.

Myth: Packaged food with labels that promise antioxidant benefits will boost your health
Truth: Just because a package advertises antioxidants, does not mean that they carry a health benefit as well. Since antioxidants are desired by consumers, manufacturers will add vitamin C or E and then advertise that their food contains antioxidants. They do this in hopes to drive up the sales and price of their product but in turn do not yield the benefits that consumers expect. Some products may already contain the antioxidant and the manufacturer is not even adding anything to the product.

We are still discovering more about how antioxidants work within our body so the best advice we can give you to promote a healthy diet and help you achieve your weight loss goals is to make sure that you eat a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes every day. Sometimes staying true to eating a balanced diet of whole, natural foods is still the best way to go.

By: Kim Lomas

This summer, you’ll likely be invited to a picnic,  barbeque,  birthday or graduation party. As joyous as these occasions may be, they are always surrounded by tempting treats and not so healthy foods to choose from. Here are some simple tips, from the original weight loss camp, to follow and help you create a balanced and nutritious plate:

• Avoid macaroni and potato salads that are often loaded with mayonnaise and full fat sour cream. Instead go for leafy greens or a ½ cup of bean salad
• Skip the meats and proteins smothered in thick sauces that add extra calories and sugar to your meal. Reach for grilled chicken or steak with the fat and skin trimmed instead
• Fill up on fresh choices like raw veggies and spice up sandwiches with low calorie toppings such as pickles, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion and peppers
• Brownies and cookies are full of butter and sugar. Grab some fruit salad with a spoon full of yogurt dip to curb your sweet tooth craving
• Don’t completely deprive yourself. Party foods are delicious and having a taste won’t spoil your day. If grandma’s homemade macaroni is your favorite, just take a small fork full or two. This way you can enjoy the taste without having a full serving and move on to the rest of your healthy plate
• Bring your own specialty! Whether it be a dip, dessert or a main dish, bringing your own creation allows you to control what ingredients go into the dish and you’ll feel good about what you’re eating without anyone having to know your being health conscience
• Keep busy. Don’t linger around the serving table and be tempted to pick at the foods sitting out. Make sure you catch up with all your loved ones, play with the kids or ask some guests to go for a walk and enjoy the summer weather

Follow these seven simple steps you’ll have more to celebrate this summer.

Here’s an original recipe from the original weight loss camps and resorts that’s great as a dip with baked tortilla chips, a topping for your fish or just as a side dish:

Black bean and corn salsa

1 15oz can of black beans
1 15oz can of corn
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 Medium red onion
1/4 c fresh cilantro chopped
1/4 c lime juice
1 tbsp chopped garlic
Salt to taste

Drain and combine the black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. Finely chop the red onion and cilantro and add to mixture. Then add the garlic, salt, and lime juice. Mix thoroughly and let sit in the fridge for an hour for flavors to marinate. Serve and enjoy!

By: Maggie Pinque – A guest blogger for Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts

It’s not a huge mystery why so many of us gain weight and have trouble with weight loss. It usually isn’t because we ate too much broccoli. Nah. It could very well have something to do with portion size though, and maybe chocolate. And these are just a few reasons why we search out weight loss camps.

There is an industry newsletter, Nutrition Action, which we subscribe to. Amazingly, it is not dull and it is jam packed with terrific articles. The article that REALLY caught my attention in the April 2013 edition is called, “Fooled by Food” by Brian Wansink. It’s a question and answer article relating to portion size, the types of food we are instinctively drawn to, food on your desk at work or at the dinner table and a myriad of other examples.

Did you know our brains prefer tall to wide. We are unintentionally tricked into thinking that if something is tall, it contains more. So, if I have an eight ounce glass of water in a short, wide glass versus the same exact amount of water in a tall, thin glass, my brain believes I am having more in the tall glass.

When I plate my food, if I use a standard dinner plate versus a salad plate, the same phenomenon happens. In addition, if I put the food on the table, I am more likely to eat more than if I left the food in the kitchen after I served it.

I began a weight loss and fitness journey in January 2012 working with a nutritionist and a fitness trainer. It was most certainly not my first attempt at such an endeavor. As a yoyo dieter I have a few tools in my arsenal, such as the Weight Watchers serving utensils that are a half cup and a full cup serving size and a mandatory food scale. They have made sporadic appearances throughout the years, but now I was all in. I “know” the tricks for guessing portion sizes while out and about. But, I confess; I will give myself an extra teensy bit if I can.

I began to really pay attention to what I was eating, how much of it, and most importantly, why I was eating it. This worked extremely well for months and months. In November, after hurricane Sandy, I found myself off the wagon. Wansick writes about the stress students are under in college and during the holidays.

“We usually assume that people gain weight over the holidays because there is so much food available, so many parties, so many varieties, and all your favorite foods are out. But I’m, increasingly convinced that some of the weight gain is due to the stress of having family visit, having to buy presents, having to finish up projects.
So, we should all be aware that we may be coming under the influence of stress eating, not just having a jolly old holiday time.”

Eureka! An answer to why I was behaving the way I did…which kept up until literally this past Monday. Stress…it makes us crazy in so many ways.

So, how do I make this all stop? Weigh and measure my food. Put cut up veggies in the line of sight in the fridge. Put fruit front and center on counters and the fridge. If I am buying in bulk, portion it out and then put whatever I am not eating out of sight – like in the basement. Use smaller plates. Create ambiance, dimming the lights and listening to soft music actually makes you eat slower and less. “…french fries taste great when they’re hot, but not so great when they’re cold.” You will be satisfied with what you ate because it tasted so much better when it was hot. Low-fat does not mean, “eat more.” Going for a walk after dinner is not an invitation to have an indulgent dessert.

What are we eating? Why are we eating it? Are we really hungry? Being mindful of all of this is probably the single most important hurdle we all have to clear.

For more information you can read Brain Wansink’s book, Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. Seriously though, you can only be mindless if you are being mindful. And if you feel like you need a push in the right direction, Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts is the right weight loss camp for you. We focus on helping you recognize underlying issues of overeating and how to make changes to help you lose weight and keep the weight off.

We’ve all heard of and maybe have tried the fad diets like SlimFast, South Beach and Atkins to lose weight. But they all seem to have some major nutritional holes in them that aren’t good for you in the long run. Recently, here at Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts, we have received a lot of questions about whether or not the Mediterranean diet is good for weight loss and the answer is, no. But, the Mediterranean diet is good for heart health.

According to an article from the Mayo Clinic, the Mediterranean diet focuses on getting plenty of exercise; eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts; replacing butter with healthy fats like olive and canola oil; using herbs and spices to flavor foods rather than salt; limiting red meat consumption to a few times a month; eating fish and poultry a minimum of two times a week; and drinking red wine, in moderation of course. They found that following this way of eating wasn’t necessarily correlated to weight loss but helped lower heart disease and other heart related problems.

How to get started:

• Eat your fruits and veggies and switch to whole grains: Your meals should consist of a variety of plant based foods that are minimally processed and bought in season. The goal is nine to ten servings of fruits and veggies a day. Start eating whole grain bread, cereal, rice and pasta products.
• Get nutty: Almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts are great to have on hand for quick snacks, plus they are filling. Instead of buying peanut butter that has hydrogenated fat, buy a natural peanut butter.
• Leave butter behind: Use olive and canola oils for cooking instead of butter or margarine.
• Spice up your life: Instead of using salt to season your food, use herbs and spices. Not only will they help make your food taste good, they contain health enhancing substances.
• Go fishing: Eat fresh fish a couple times a week. Stay away from fried fish, unless it has been sautéed in canola oil.
• Replace red meat: Switch red meat for fish or poultry. When you do have red meat make sure the portions are small and that they are lean cuts. Avoid high fat meats like sausage and bacon.
• Focus on low-fat dairy: Consume more skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low fat cheese.
• Raise your glass: Having a glass of red wine at dinner has been shown to help lower heart disease. As long as it’s okay with your doctor, it’s okay with the Mediterranean diet.

Approximately 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and fatalities from heart disease could have been prevented in high risk patents if the individuals had changed their diet to follow more closely with the Mediterranean diet.

The New England Journal of Medicine conducted a clinical trial to see its effects on various heart risks. They ended the study early, due to the startling results. They found that the Mediterranean diet did indeed improve the heart health of the individuals participating and that it was not necessary to continue the trial.

The important thing to remember when changing your eating habits, whether if it’s to improve heart health, lose weight or both, make sure you are getting the nutrients you need. Do some research and find some recipes before you start and you’ll have all the tools you need to be on your way to a healthier heart and life.

Question: What has a major impact on weight reduction, better cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, improved blood sugar control, stronger bones, a healthier heart, and more?

Answer: Exercise, pure and simple.

If that weren’t enough for you to slide on your sneakers, here are some more reasons to get moving, get healthy and lose weight. Every month new studies appear listing more benefits. Here is a sample of some discoveries during 2012.

• Arthritis: Aerobic and aquatic exercises reduce the disability of osteoarthritis in the knees and other forms of arthritis. The study form Annals of Internal Medicine also showed that strength training reduces pain and improves function. Adherence to an exercise program was the key to its success.
• Brain Health: According to a study published in Neurology, older people who are more physically active experience less brain shrinkage (linked to cognitive decline and dementia) then their sedentary counterparts. MRI’s revealed that participating in mental or social activities did not affect brain size.
• Breast Cancer: A large study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported that women who exercise regularly (both in the past and present), had a reduced risk of developing the disease. Maintaining a healthy weight is also essential, the study found. Weight gain, especially after menopause, nearly wiped out the exercise benefits, so it is important to work out and eat right on a regular basis.
• Dementia: A multi-nation European study reported in the journal Stroke, found that exercise was associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment and a 60% decrease in vascular-related dementia (such as those resulting from a stroke).
• Fatigue from Cancer: A study involving people with breast or prostate cancer confirmed that exercise like brisk walking or cycling can help reduce fatigue related to cancer and its treatments. This was a review of 56 different studies by the Cochrane Collaboration.
• Longevity: Analysis from the National Cancer Institute in PLOS Medicine used data from 650,000 people in six long-term studies and found that physical activity can add years to people’s lives. Those who exercised moderately (like walking briskly 150 minutes per week) lived about 4 years longer than their sedentary counterparts. Even those who did modest amounts 975 minutes of walking per week) lived about 2 years longer and the benefits were seen in everyone from obese to thin.
• Sense of Well-Being: Two studies from Penn State, published in Health Psychology reported that participants who increased their usual daily exercise by even modest amounts, reported a greater sense of satisfaction with life and positive attitude.

So log off your computer and get moving! Not sure where to start? Search the Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts web site for fitness ideas, or come to one of our resorts to become inspired and to get a jump start on losing weight and getting healthy!

Sodium chloride (salt) is essential to the body. The sodium in salt helps transmit nerve impulses and contract muscle fibers. Working with potassium, it balances fluid levels in in the body. But you only need a tiny amount of salt to do this, less than one-tenth of a teaspoon. The average American gets nearly 20 times that much.

The body can generally rid itself of excess sodium. In some people, though, consuming extra sodium makes the body hold onto water. This increases the amount of fluid flowing through blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure. 28% of Americans don’t know they have high blood pressure which can lead to thicker muscle in the chambers of the heart which is connected to heart failure.

If you have fluid retention, high blood pressure, and/or kidney problems, the Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts Nutritionist will help you prepare to reduce your salt intake at home.

Most of the salt that Americans consume comes from restaurants and processed foods. The leading culprits include snack foods, sandwich meats, smoked and cured meat, canned juices, canned and dry soups, pizza and other fast foods, and many condiments, relishes, and sauces — for starters. But enough comes from the salt shaker that it’s worth finding alternatives.

Here are five ways to cut back on sodium when cooking or at the table:

1. Flavor without the shaker. Add flavor to your favorite dishes with spices, dried and fresh herbs, roots (such as garlic and ginger), citrus, vinegars, and wine. From black pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric to fresh basil, chili peppers, and lemon juice, these flavor enhancers create excitement for the palate — and with less sodium.
2. Rinse canned food like beans, tuna, and canned veggies.  You can reduce the salt by 1/3 or look for “Low –Sodium” or “No Salt” brands.
3. Go nuts for healthy fats in the kitchen. Using the right healthy fats — from roasted nuts and avocados to olive, canola, soybean, and other oils — can add a rich flavor to foods, minus the salt.
4. Check the Nutrition Facts panel. It lists then amount of sodium in mg. per serving and gives the “percent daily value” (set at 2400 mg.) that contributes to the total daily limit. Since serving sizes are small, you may end up with consuming 2-3 times more than listed.
5. Sear, sauté, and roast. Searing and sautéing foods in a pan builds flavor. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of many vegetables and the taste of fish and chicken. If you do steam or microwave food, perk up these dishes with a finishing drizzle of flavorful oil and a squeeze of citrus.
6. Avoid processed and packaged foods. Ten pretzels are 815 mg. One medium kosher dill pickle is 1,181mg. Try a Mediterranean-inspired whole-grain salad with chopped vegetables, nuts, and legumes, perhaps a small amount of cheese, herbs and spices, and healthy oils and vinegar or citrus. For breakfast, cook up steel-cut oats, farro, or other intact whole grains with fresh or dried fruit, and you can skip the toast (and the extra sodium).
7. Pick the right poultry. Many manufactures inject chicken with saline to make them juicer and weigh more. The result – a three oz. serving has 400mg. sodium before you season it. Choose an additive free organic brand or buy from your local farmers market. Untreated birds are only 50 to 70 mg. of sodium. Shop for peak-of-season produce from farmers’ markets and your local supermarket for a delicious fresh dinner.

Take these steps to lower your sodium intake and reduce the stress on your organs. Remember – if you don’t take the time for exercise and good eating habits, you will have to take time later for illness.  Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts can help you understand the “How” behind the “What”. This will lead to permanent change and improved quality of life and let’s face it, who doesn’t want that!?

Just when you think you have it all figured out, a test comes along to slip you up!  How wise are you to how many calories you’re consuming? If you have been keeping a food journal, you will probably do well. Take this quiz to see how smart you are at choosing what foods are best for reducing your waistline. Write down the food you think is higher in calories then find the correct answers below.

1. McDonalds medium French fries OR McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese
2. Two-egg cheese omelet OR two slices of plain French toast
3. Medium scoop low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt OR one medium, low-fat blueberry muffin
4. Half cup of granola cereal OR one regular cereal bar
5. Slice of cheese pizza OR two mozzarella sticks
6. One cup of cobb salad OR one cup of Caesar salad
7. One can of regular soda OR one cup of Minute Maid fruit punch
8. Peanut butter sandwich OR tuna salad sandwich
9. One ounce of almonds OR one and a half ounces of raisins
10. One medium brownie OR one Hershey milk chocolate bar

If you got one or two wrong, you have paid attention to the Shane Nutritionist.  If you missed four or more, plan a trip to a Shane Diet and Fitness Resort to brush up on your nutritional education. Shane will give you a personalized nutrition and physical activity plan, and provide more tips on making healthier choices. Contact Shane at 888-732-9034

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Answers:

1. Quarter Pounder = 520 kcal     French fries = 380 kcal
2. French toast = 312 kcal     Omelet = 271 kcal
3. Muffin = 288 kcal       Yogurt = 112 kcal
4. Cereal = 257 kcal         Cereal bar = 140 kcal
5. Mozzarella sticks = 302kcal      Pizza = 231 kcal
6. Caesar = 184 kcal       Cobb = 262 kcal
7. Soda = 189 kcal      Fruit punch = 90 kcal
8. Peanut Butter sandwich = 342 kcal      Tuna Salad Sandwich = 267 kcal
9. Almonds = 172 kcal      Raisins = 129 kcal
10. Chocolate bar = 210 kcal         Brownie = 129 kcal

For the first time in human history, overeating is now more of a global health threat than hunger.  According to medical journal, The Lancet, more than 3 million deaths in 2010 were attributable to excess body weight, three times the death toll due to malnutrition.

We live in a world of an over-abundant amount of cheap food.  Where gorging at the buffet is a practiced on a regular basis and heart disease and type 2 Diabetes is on the rise among young people. With all of the options out there, why do we make the choices that lead us to illness?  If we just knew how to change our bad habits and move toward healthy lifestyle changes. Shane Diet and Fitness Resorts can help you do just that!  We have lectures and workshops that help you understand how, why and what to do every day to keep you on track. Our counselors help you discover what obstacles are getting in the way of achieving your personal fitness and weight loss goals.

Millions of Americans will try to achieve their New Year’s resolution, pledging to lose weight, spend less money, quit smoking, exercise more…making overnight changes require enormous amounts of self-discipline and support, which can be hard to find. Studies have shown that willpower is a depletable resource. Setting challenging goals can quickly use up your stores of willpower and all your best intentions will fall by the wayside. Here are some tips to staying motivated to creating solid positive changes for 2013.

• Make tiny goals that can sneak under the radar of you mind. Exercising for five minutes instead of an hour might seem worthless, but you are much less likely to resist it.  Studies show that five minutes here and there throughout the day still adds up. Five minutes today, will lead to 6 minutes tomorrow, to a half hour by the weekend. Motivation is fleeting and the largest barrier to reaching your goals. By taking small steps you will build up your willpower, create new habits and reach success.
• Search for a deep reason – something compelling – that is the reason for making the changes in your life.  Is it because you want to look good in an outfit or is it a matter of life and death!  Make it long term, like dancing with your child at their wedding, or being able to really play with your grandchildren.
• Test yourself every week.  Time yourself in a plank on your elbows, or hold a squat hovering above a chair. See if you can increase the time you can hold it every week. How about your balance? Stand on one foot. Too easy? Try to balance on the ball of your foot like a dancer.
• Drop the “All or Nothing” mentality. You have to discover what is manageable for you. Be honest with yourself and figure out how you can fit movement into your life.  Perform Squats while washing the dishes, raise up on your toes while brushing your teeth, walk the stairs for five minutes during your lunch break, stand while talking on the phone. Don’t overthink it, just find something you can do on a regular basis and don’t get discouraged if you stop – start up again as soon as you can.

Need more help? The Shane Staff is here to provide you with a Success Map to help you reach your diet and fitness goals. We will help get you where you want to go and will give you the tools you need to continue to reach those goals once you leave.

This time of year is hard enough to try to stay on track with our weight loss goals, because of the holiday parties and all of the food and treats associated with them. But to top it off, there is yet another thing getting in our way, the sun. Winter is the time of year when there is little to no vitamin D production due to atmospheric conditions that block UVB rays.  Now you might be thinking, ‘why does this affect my health and weight loss goals just like the holiday parties and food?’ It’s because vitamin D does more than just help us maintain our calcium and phosphorous levels. It has been found to be a key nutrient to weight loss and creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Since the winter months make it more difficult for us to get the vitamin D we need from the sun, Amber Ketchum, Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts Registered Dietitian for our Texas Resort made a list of 10 foods that can help us receive the essential vitamin D we need.

1. Salmon – This tasty fish is loaded with nutrition!  Just 3 ounces provides over 100% of your daily vitamin D needs.

2. Tuna – Canned tuna is a great option if you’re looking for a healthy, affordable, and versatile food.  One 3-ounce serving of tuna (packed in water) will provide almost half of your daily dose of vitamin D.

3. Fortified Milk – Most cows’ milk these days is fortified with vitamin D since it is essential for absorbing calcium in the body.  If you don’t drink cow’s milk, many milk alternatives such as soy or almond milk are now fortified with Calcium and Vitamin D as well, just be sure to check the label.

4. Fortified Yogurt – Just like milk, many yogurts are fortified with Vitamin D, but just make sure to double check the label on this food to be certain it is fortified.

5. Fortified Orange Juice – This is a great way to increase your intake of vitamin D if you don’t drink any type of milk or consume fish.  1 cup (8 ounces) of 100% orange juice fortified with Vitamin D will provide about the same amount as 1 glass of milk.

6. Sardines – These small fish are an excellent source of both calcium and vitamin D. They may be small, but sardines are considered a fatty fish, which means they provide big nutrition in a tiny package!

7. Liver – Liver may not be one of the most popular food choices, but it is one of the few foods that naturally contains Vitamin D, along with many other essential nutrients.

8. Egg (whole, including yolk) – Sometimes eggs get a bad reputation due to the high cholesterol content of the yolk.  However, eating the whole egg provides many vitamins and nutrients, including Vitamin D, that are simply not found in the egg white on it’s own.

9. Ready-to-eat fortified cereal – There are so many breakfast cereals available on grocery store shelves today.  Many of them are good sources of Vitamin D since they are fortified, just make sure your cereal is 100% whole grain and try to choose those with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

10. Mushrooms – There are many varieties of mushrooms that are now grown under tightly controlled conditions with exposure to UV light, which increases their Vitamin D content.  These are a delicious option as a plant source Vitamin D.  The package will say if the mushrooms are Vitamin D enhanced.

 
Try incorporating these 10 foods into your diet and you’ll be on your way to getting the vitamin D you need for a healthier life and weight loss.

Every day calories are consumed by the billions, and all too often at and between meals. Calorie information appears everywhere with an increasing frequency on food labels, menus, recipes and web sites. But few people understand what that information means and how they work. Especially how they have worked to create a population in which over 64% of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese. The human body does an impressive job making sure that it gets enough calories to meet its needs, but it does not know when the calories are in excess.

The average American spends about 10% of their disposable income on food and with food now being offered in places it never has before; such as, Staples, Bed, Bath & Beyond and book stores, it’s becoming too readily available. Portion sizes, especially in restaurants, are also out of control; for example, bagels are now on average 500 to 600 calories each and sodas are now available in larger sizes such as the 7-Eleven Big Gulp – a 64 ounce drink that is 800 calories. Individuals who check calorie information on nutrition labels often do not note the size of the serving it applies to. For example, a serving of ice cream is only a half cup, and uncooked pasta is merely two ounces.

“Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics” written by two experts Marian Nestle – a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at NYU and Malden Nesheim – professor emeritus of nutritional sciences at Cornell University, explains what calories are, where they come from, how different sources affect the body and why it is so easy to consume more of them than most people need to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.   As seductive as the current food environment is, with words such as ‘organic’, ‘low-fat’ or ‘heart-healthy’, it’s still easier not to gain excess weight in the first place.

Dr. Nestle and Dr. Nesheim also reviewed the weight-regulating effects of different sources of calories. Evidence was found to support the popular idea that any type of nutrient is responsible for our obesity. “The source of the calories may make a small difference in weight maintenance or loss, but appears to be much less important than the ability to resist pressure to overeat calories in general”, the authors wrote.  Since most people cannot come close to estimating how many calories they consume or expend in a day, a better way to measure intake and output is to regularly check the notches on one belt or numbers on the scale.  “It’s much easier to lose a pound or two than 20 or 30” says Dr. Nestle. Of course, the amount of calories consumed is not the only factor influencing ones weight.  Calories expended count as well. The more active people are, the better able they are to balance out.

At Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts we think that it’s not only important for you to exercise and learn about calorie intake and expenditure, but through our nutrition education classes, you will learn how to calculate your daily calorie intake, create a healthy eating and exercise plan as well as how to cook fresh healthy meals and snacks. Because knowing the why’s and how’s behind things are the keys to a successful weight loss journey.

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