Author: ybevolution

  • New year. New you: Your survival guide for dining out (part 1)

    New year. New you: Your survival guide for dining out (part 1)

    How to lose weight faster.

    Most people love dining at restaurants. It’s always fun to try new foods, socialize with friends, family or business contacts while dining out. Of course, it also saves the time and effort of cooking a meal, especially for those who regard cooking as more chore than hobby. But for anyone hoping to lose weight faster this year, I’ll repeat a mantra that I share with my patients here at Your Body Evolution virtually every day. The one word that embodies success on our diet is: COOK! Dining out too often is a sure-fire way to pack on unwanted fat and pounds. That’s because most restaurants cook with taste in mind, not proper nutrition—and certainly not in a way that suits the needs of the average person trying to lose weight.

    There are a couple of caveats to that rule, however. First, a meal or two once in a while at your favourite restaurant is not going to derail your weight-loss success. On the contrary, the right restaurant food might fit perfectly into your weight-loss regimen. The key word there is right—which brings us to my second point: Not all restaurants are created equally. Some serve healthier fare than others, and almost no fast food chains that I’ve ever seen provide more than one or two semi-healthy options. In other words, they’re best avoided altogether when trying to lose weight. The troubling trend is that many people continue to opt for high-fat, high-sugar, high-sodium fast-food when dining out. A recent survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that on average, American adults consumer more than 11 per cent of their daily calories from fast food. The numbers are similar here in Canada.

    That said, it doesn’t require a pilgrimage to the Golden Arches to order nutrionally-challenging restaurant food. Even dining in finer establishments can be a diet buster. Consider the chicken parmesan with pasta or the Caesar salad that you simply have to have when you visit your favourite eatery. The former is fried and full of fat and less-healthy carbohydrates, while the latter, seemingly healthy option, can serve up more fat and calories than a Big Mac. It’s important to remember that restaurants aren’t on a mission to make people fat. But most love to cook with ingredients such as cream, fat, salt and sugar—not to mention using cooking methods such as deep frying to ensure quick service—because those methods and ingredients tend to make food taste better and send diners’ brains into a veritable state of chemically-driven euphoria. The food industry uses the same tactics to hook people on their processed or pre-packaged foods. If you’re interested in learning how, I recommend Michael Moss’ best-selling book Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. For both restaurateurs and food conglomerates, the happier and more satisfied their customers, the greater the odds they’ll pay a return visit. Salt, fat and sugar are also popular additives not just because we’re hooked on them and they make food taste better, but because they’re incredibly cheap substitutes for better-quality ingredients.

    In other words, it’s not the restaurants themselves that are necessarily the problem. The problem is what you eat at those restaurants, not to mention how often. We see patients virtually every day who, for various reasons from business commitments to family outings, eat at restaurants more than five times per week. That’s far too much.
    If you love eating out, allow yourself a treat once a week, and when you do indulge, follow these rules to pick the right restaurant:

    Be wary of most chain restaurants—I’m not just talking about burger joints. Even many fine dining chain eateries use pre-packaged and processed food, or rely on deep frying when cooking. Opt instead for independent restaurants where there’s greater chance that meals will be prepared on-request and with fresh, unprocessed ingredients.

    Do your research—Let’s say a client has invited you to a lunch meeting, but you aren’t sure about the menu options and don’t want to draw attention to yourself by spending 30 minutes choosing a diet-friendly entrée. Don’t panic. Whenever possible, think proactively and suggest a couple of diet-friendly restaurant options, or book the reservation yourself. To paraphrase Sun Tzu’s Art of War, the war is often won before the battle. The restaurant choice is out of your hands? Simply visit their website in advance and find options that suit your nutrition needs. If you can’t find the perfect, choose the healthiest possible option and request modifications to suit the Your Body Evolution food groups and intuitive portion sizes. If necessary, call the restaurant in advance and explain that you have food sensitivities or allergies and need special dietary accommodations (whether it’s the truth or not). The point is to use whatever tactic necessary—even slightly sneaky ones—to avoid derailing your weight-loss objectives.

    Avoid stubborn chefs—A little advance restaurant reconnaissance is also useful because some restaurants have a no-modification policy. That means they’re run by chefs who feel their recipes will be compromised by any kind of modification. What you see on the menu is what you get. This can be a problem for dieters, especially if the eatery is known for deliciously creamy sauces and other scale-busting culinary indulgences. Whenever possible, try to choose restaurants that will be happy to accommodate your dietary needs. But there are very few chefs who won’t accommodate a food allergy. Remember my aforementioned advice and don’t be afraid to use a little fib now and then to keep your diet on track.

    In my next post, I’ll delve into a few of the finer points of restaurant meal selection. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your body evolution.

    Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
    Your Body Evolution
    Weight Loss Through Wellness

  • Hoping to keep the pounds off over the holidays?

    Hoping to keep the pounds off over the holidays?

    Follow Your Body Evolution’s 12 Ps of holiday weight-loss wisdom

    The holidays are a time for kindness, reflection, enjoying time with family and indulging in more than a few tempting treats—think everything from an extra helping of turkey to mom’s Christmas cake.

    In other words, the season can pose a major challenge for anyone trying to maintain their hard-earned weight-loss results, as well as those hoping to continue shedding pounds. December is the time of year when most of us are shuttling from office parties to family functions, eating more than we normally would (and should), not to mention indulging in our fair share of sweets and other tasty bits.

    But I’m not here to play nutritional Scrooge. On the contrary, I think it’s OK to stray from our diets a bit over the holidays. Instead, the key focus for any dieter should be moderation, while also taking a strategic approach to how, when and what you eat.

    Sound too tough to manage, especially when you want to avoid seeming rude by not turning down food at a party or at a family gathering? Not to worry. Here are my 12 P’s of holiday weight-loss wisdom to guide you through the most nutritionally-challenging season of the year:

    Plan—Take out a calendar and mark down the nutritional obstacles that lie ahead between now and New Year’s (perhaps into the New Year if your culture’s holiday celebrations or work office holiday party fall in January). That could be everything from that aforementioned office gathering to a visit to your friend’s house and an inevitable offering of egg nog. Knowing the weight-loss challenges that lie ahead will help you plan to manage them. That could mean dieting a bit more before the holidays to shed a few extra pounds in anticipation of a slight seasonal caloric binge, or even alerting your hosts that you’ll be bringing your own food to their place for dinner. If they’re friends or family who support your weight-loss ambitions, they’ll be happy to help you succeed.

    Permit—Allow yourself to be nutritionally naughty. After all, you’ve been mostly good for the entire year, so giving yourself permission to have a good time and relax your dietary restrictions will provide a nice break from the rigours of a strict weight-loss regimen. But again, moderation is key. Overindulging only threatens to sabotage your hard-earned gains and will leave you with extra weight-loss work once the holidays are over.

    Prioritize—Make your food list, check it twice and ask yourself: ‘What are the two or three items that I simply have to have over the holidays?’ Once you have your list, go ahead and enjoy those delicacies in moderation. If egg nog is your must-have, enjoy a cup or two; if Christmas cake is your seasonal obsession, have a small slice and don’t think twice.

    Participate—When you have the opportunity, help plan your festive meals to ensure there’s plenty of nutritionally-friendly choices on the table. If going out to lunch with a group of friends poses a challenge, try to help pick a restaurant with healthy dining options.

    Pre-plan for events—Dining out for your office holiday party? If you’re not on the party planning committee and weren’t able to help choose the venue, be sure to do a bit to reconnaissance and take a sneak peak at the menu online. Know what you’re going to eat before you arrive, or even call the restaurant in advance and explain your dietary dilemma. Better restaurants will find a way to accommodate your needs. This is a simple step, but one that can help keep inches off your waistline.

    Practice portion control—From salads to meats to cranberry sauce, remember that it’s OK to indulge, just not over-indulge. Enjoy salads with dressing on the side (remember that those delicious creamy toppings can hide hundreds of unwanted calories) and use no more than a tablespoon. Opt for lots of vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower, and use the palm method when dishing out meat (that means the portion of turkey on your plate shouldn’t exceed the diameter of your palm). Lastly, keep your consumption of starches such as stuffing and potatoes to a minimum, but when you do dig-in, time them to the end of your meal.

    Prepare for pre-meal appetizers—Grabbing appetizers and finger foods off cocktail party trays is a major danger area for dieters. But if you do nosh on those tiny pre-meal delights, stick to high-protein options such as shrimp or chicken skewers, and be sure to avoid high-calorie cheeses or crackers.

    Prepare for post-meal desserts—Hosts often pile their dinner tables with a range of baked desserts at holiday meals. That doesn’t give you license to eat like you’re dining at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Use the same portioning approach I outlined earlier and keep slices of cake or cookie portions to the size of the palm of your hand, then use a teaspoon to help you eat slowly. The latter is a simple technique that helps trick your mind into thinking it’s eating more, but without the concern of adding extra calories.

    Pick the perfect potent—Many of us drink a little extra over the holidays, but alcohol can be a diet derailer—particularly libations such as egg nog or sugary cocktails and coolers. Try to keep your consumption to two standard-sized drinks (less if you’re driving, of course), and limit your options to light beer, dry red wine or spirits mixed with diet pop. Remember that drinking your calories will only leave you craving more food, putting your weight-loss ambitions at risk.

    Play defence against saboteurs—Your family and friends all undoubtedly love you, but that doesn’t mean they won’t inadvertently try to sabotage your weight-loss ambitions by offering you every seasonal treat imaginable (while insisting you eat them!). It can be tough to say ‘no’ to great food, but if you’re offered something you don’t want, say you’re full or explain your weight-loss goals to help them understand why you’re taking a pass. Some hosts may still reply with a familiar refrain like: ‘Oh, come on, it’s the holidays. Live a little!’ If necessary, feign a food sensitivity, take the treat to-go and toss it as soon as you get home, or if it’s a sealed and boxed item such as chocolate, re-gift it.

    Prepare your pantry—Prepare for the holidays by cleaning out your pantry and remove problematic foods. When people give you gifts such as chocolate or cookies, don’t store them in your pantry to be eaten in the New Year, re-gift them, head straight to your local food bank and make a donation, or drop them in your office food-drive bin.

    Practice—Make and keep your New Years’ resolutions about practicing healthy habits and use the tactics I’ve outlined here throughout the year. Your body will thank you for it!

    Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
    Your Body Evolution
    Weight Loss Through Wellness

  • Unusual Tips For Losing Weight While Driving

    Of all the crazy methods, programs, and diets you might have tried to lose wright with, chances are it never crossed your mind to do it while driving. Yes, it is possible to drop some pounds while driving, especially if you are forced to take long daily, drives commuting to and from work every day. Also, if you have to travel a lot due to personal or professional reasons, and you do it from behind the wheel, you also have reasons to keep reading this.

    Stay Away From Snacks!

    While this might sound like a weight-loss truism for most people, it is something that a lot of people tend to ignore, particularly when behind the wheel. Since we are mostly focused on the wheel and keeping our eyes on the road, we tend to ignore our hands and mouths and indulge ourselves into an entire bag of snacks without even realizing it. Hitting the drive-through is also something a lot of drivers tend to do to make the time pass. Not to mention that sitting in traffic on its own is prone to prevent you from burning any real calories. Speaking of sitting in traffic, is your vehicle prepared to fight against potential carjackers or roadside thieves with their eyes on your bag or expensive smartphone?

    Secure Your Car With These Tips

    • Talk to an automotive locksmith that solely specializes in car locks and keys repairs, or opt for a more complex locksmithing business that has a well-developed automotive service branch. One such example is the 24/7LocksmithFinder company that handles all types of home, car, and business locksmithing services, including transponder key repairs you can read more about here https://www.247locksmithfinder.com/transponder-car-key.

    • Give them a call as they cover all U.S. states and cities and answer 24/7 emergency calls, or opt for a different service if you already have a reliable one in your area. Have them come over and assess the state of your car door locks, trunk and ignition, as well as transponder and car keys. If you are dealing with a slightly jamming ignition that tends to get stuck from time to time, or your key is not responsive all the time and you cannot start the engine, get things fixed right away.

    • You do not want to be sitting in a traffic jam, having some healthy snacks that will ultimately help you lose weight, and have the laptop on the seat next to you get stolen by a passer-by, as you couldn't lock your door properly.

    • See that your window rolling mechanism is working fine as well, and remember to always keep the windows rolled up and the doors locked when at a stop sign or when sitting in traffic.

    How Can Your Car Help You Slim Down?

    • Always have a reusable water bottle in your cup holder and sip water whenever you feel like snacking on something unhealthy.

    • Speaking of snacks, they do not have to be necessarily unhealthy. Stash nonperishable healthy snacks inside your vehicle and grab those instead next time you get the munchies and you feel like hitting the gas station mini-mart or the drive-through. Opt for nuts, granola bars, trail mix, almond milk, or whole grain snacks, especially when you know you will be in your car for several hours.

    • Also have a packed healthy meal ready; it is proven science that eating every few hours helps keep the hunger at bay and also prevents you from overeating at the time of a real meal.