Is Your Job Making You Fat?

If the most activity you get from an eight hour work day is the walk you take from your desk to the printer, copier, fax machine or lunch room then your answer should be yes, “my job is making me fat.”

Most of us spend our days at work sitting, then we go home and sit some more. Well, that is unless you have children, and even then you find a way to rest because you are so tired from your busy, but not so busy day at work.

The average American work an eight hour work schedule with an hour or more out for lunch. We do this for fifty two weeks a year. The dietary recommendation for healthy active adult females is approximately 1600 to 2000 calories, and 2000 to 2500 for healthy active males. The average person eats far more than what is recommended, a good 500 more. Exceeding calorie recommendations is easy, most of the time we eat and we are not aware of what we are eating. Many of foods we think are healthy are very unhealthy often loaded with extra calories. We eat out more than we cook and often times we overeat because of the large portions most restaurants serve. Calories in should equal calories out and calorie intake is usually based on individual height, weight, gender and activity levels. If you are consuming 2000 calories and burning only 1000 a day expect to gain weight. Calories that are not being used by the body, are stored as fat.

Food is energy, one of the main reasons we eat is because we need energy to do work. Eating 2000 calories daily for 52 weeks adds up to approximately 520,000 calories, which turns out to be an extra 149 pounds a year. It is recommended that if we want to maintain our current weight we should consume the same as we are exerting, if we want to lose at least a pound a week then we would have to reduce our total intake by 500 daily.

Confusing, maybe, but if you do the math 7(days in a week) x 500calories is 3500, and 1 pound of fat is approximately 3500 calories.

Aside from inactivity, stress is a major factor when it comes to work related weight gain. Stress can lead to dependency on foods that are not good for us. Our work environment plays a major role in relation to how and what we eat. We spend a good majority of our day sitting, snacking at times and interacting with others who may also influence our choice of foods daily. Realizing our work habits and the negative impact they may have on our health is important in the fight to eat healthy and stay healthy.

Now that you know your job is contributing to your weight gain what can you about it?


There are simple steps workers can take to begin burning more calories, eating healthier and increasing activity levels.

1. Start a walking routine during lunch break.

2. Skip the taxi, or bus and walk to work if it is reachable without transportation.

3. Get off bus or train 2 or 3 blocks before your destination and walk the rest of the way.

4. If you drive park at least 15 minutes from the office and walk the rest.

5. Utilize your company’s health programs, most large companies offer discounted gym membership, while others may have a gym onsite. Participate in health fairs or educational seminars geared towards health to increase your knowledge. The more you know the more effective you will become.

6. Start packing lunch and snacks for work. Preparing a healthy meal at home along with healthy snack options put you in control of how many calories you take in each day.

7. Find a healthier alternative. Eating out is an option for most because of time constraints, finding foods that are healthy on a one hour lunch break can be challenging but it is possible. Visit the salad bar and prepare a healthy salad with a lean protein and low fat salad dressing or skip the dressing all together. Choose low sodium soups and sandwiches made with whole grain breads and lean meats with added vegetables. A healthy balanced lunch will give you the energy you need to make it through the rest of you day.

Let’s eat and move with purpose!

If at first you don’t succeed, try again!

Admittedly, we all fall short when it pertains to accomplishing goals we have established for ourselves. There are those of us who have the drive and the motivation to stick it out no matter what, but the truth is, a good percentage of us will begin, stop and then start again. There is absolutely nothing wrong with falling of the weight loss, healthy eating or healthy lifestyle wagon. It happens, the gift and lesson learned from starting over is knowing you have the courage and the will to begin again.

There are many factors in our daily lives that will continuously contribute to us neglecting our goals for short or long periods of times. Recognizing that you fell short and making the decision to start again, could prove to be the best success story, involving your continuous effort to improve your health and daily life.

My message to you is to continue starting new. If you find that you are not as focused, that you lost 20 pounds a few months ago but have gained back 15, use these simple tips to START AGAIN.

1. Focus briefly on where you were, and what caused you to fall short of keeping the weight off.

2. Recognize factors that contribute to you losing focus, it could be stress, boredom with the way you were eating or you simply just needed a break from your daily disciplined eating regiments. Understanding why you lost focus will assist you in staying the course longer the second of third time around.

3. Establish a new goal for yourself now that you are aware of where you went wrong.

4. Counting calories can be tedious and discouraging, instead eat healthy fresh foods, eat smaller portions, replace juices and sodas with water and include healthy snacks along with daily meals.

5. Find a workout partner or someone who is willing to help you stay focused, whether it’s a nutritionist, a health coach, a friend or co-worker having someone to offer encouragement or insight will keep you motivated.

6. Find simple, healthy and easy recipes that fit your busy schedule. Whole grain cereal with fruits in the morning, salads with protein for lunch, bake fish and vegetables for dinner. Learn how to eat healthy without it being burdensome or feeling too much like work.

7. Lastly, stay positive, be patient and don’t get discouraged. Losing a small amount of weight continuously over a longer period of time proves to be more affective than losing 20 pounds in 3 weeks.

Let us start again!

Weight Loss Tips from Whole Body Nutrition!

The first step to successful weight loss is to be mentally ready. Losing weight is as mental as it is physical and knowing that you are ready to start the process is the first step.

Once you are ready to begin follow these simple steps to find success:

1. Eat consistently. It’s ideal to eat 3 meals a day but better to eat 6 small meals instead. A consistent eating schedule will prevent hunger and overeating. Eating regular meals will also prevent sluggish metabolism.

2. Drink more water. By now this is very cliché but we all know water is a vital component in our diets. It prevents dehydration which can lead to other problems, but it also keeps our bodies and skin healthy. Water with meals instead of juice or soda will help you cut back on total calorie intake.

 

3. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables daily. They are low in calories, and loaded with important nutrients and antioxidants.

4. Avoid processed foods as often as possible. Process foods are higher in fats, sugars and sodium than freshly prepared foods are. Limiting process foods requires limiting canned foods, frozen meals, boxed or pre-prepared foods and even fast foods.

5. Exercise.  Exercising should be just as consistent as eating regular meals. Engaging in an activity that increases your heart rate 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week will begin the process of weight loss.

Finally maintain a positive attitude and outlook, and view everyday as an opportunity to start new.

Wheat Berries

Just found out I like this food. Had it for the first time in a salad and it was delicious!

What are Wheat Berries?

Wheat berries are essentially unprocessed wheat kernels without the hull.  Pasta, flour and breads are all products of processed wheat berries. 

Wheat Berries are categorized as white or red, soft or hard. Either of the white or red variety can be found in soft or hard. The hard wheat berry has more gluten and takes longer to prepare than the soft kind.

Wheat berries can be cooked like rice eaten as a side dish or added to soups and salads for a nutty, flavorful whole grain dish. 1 cup of wheat berries yields about 300 calories and it’s loaded with fiber, protein and iron. Remember for any starch such as rice, flour, oats 1/2 cup cooked is considered 1 serving.

Wheat berries can also be soaked in water and sprouted this too can be added to salads. The sprouts are supposed to be a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E.

Where to get Wheat Berries

Wheat Berries can be found at natural food markets, health food stores or in the natural foods section at your local grocery store.

NOTE: white wheat berries are not refined; it’s the natural lightness of the grain that lends to its name.

For recipe ideas visit the foodnetwork.com, eatingwell.com, cooks.com or just Google search wheat berry recipes.

Curry Tofu with Pumpkin or Butternut Squash

I love tofu. A lot of people find it tasteless and not very appetizing at all. The trick with tofu is seasoning because it takes on whatever flavor you add to it. My curry tofu is simple and delicious. You can use extra firm tofu or firm. If you want a different texture for your tofu freeze it the night before and watch what happens.

Curry tofu and pumpkin recipe:

1 pack of extra firm tofu drained and cut into cubes

1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash cut into smaller cubes

1 tbsp curry powder

1 dry bay leaf

2 clove garlic crushed and chopped

1/2 of a small onion chopped

1 sprig of thyme optional

1/2 tsp white pepper

Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a nonstick frying pan. Add bay leaf, thyme, garlic, onions and curry to heated oil. Sauté ingredients for 3-5minutes then add squash. Sauté squash for another 5 minutes then add tofu. Stir gently to prevent tofu from falling apart (if tofu was frozen the night before it will not crumble easily). Add 1/2 cup water cover and let simmer until squash is cooked.

This can be eaten with 1/2 cup brown rice and greens such as kale, or spinach.

Quick, Easy and Healthy Breakfast.

Recommending how to eat healthy is one thing, being able to prepare healthier foods is another. Some of the barriers to healthy eating are food preparation. To overcome this I almost always recommend following healthy recipes that can be found on line or purchasing a cook book that offer step by step directions on preparation of healthy foods. Find new ways to prepare foods you are currently eating that will make them healthy or healthier. Easy ways to enhance any food is to add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, replace salt and sugar with a healthier ingredient such as herbs, spices, honey or 100% maple or rice syrup.

Avoid deep frying, sauté, bake or grill your food. Plan, Plan, Plan and Prepare.

Here are a few quick healthy recipe ideas for breakfast

Egg Frittata

2 eggs (whole or whites) beaten

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 teaspoon chopped onions

1 small plum tomato cut into 4 pieces

2 teaspoon olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper for taste

Heat olive oil in frying pan. Add onions, broccoli, mushrooms and sauté on high for about 2 minutes then add tomatoes and beaten eggs and reduce heat cook until egg is no longer wet or runny. Frittata can be finished on stove-top or in oven at 350 degrees.

Frittata can be eaten as is or with whole grain toast, whole grain or blueberry waffles. You can add about an ounce of cheese to the recipe if you like. There are many variations to this recipe including adding potatoes or using spinach or asparagus instead.

Oats

1/2 cup regular oats

1 teaspoon raisin

1 teaspoon dried cranberries

2 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup (more might be needed if you like your oatmeal sweet) the recommendation is less sugar.

Cook oats in about a cup of water until done. 1/2 cup raw oats yields about 1 cup cooked (equivalent to 2 servings of starch based on the Food Guide Pyramid).  Sweeten with sugar or maple syrup. Serve with raisins and dried cranberries.

If you like your oatmeal creamy like I do use 2% milk or soy milk in place of water. For different flavor you can sprinkle cooked oats with brown sugar and cinnamon or add fresh blueberries or other sliced fruits on top.

Banana Pancakes

1 cup complete pancake mix

1 banana

Water for mix

This recipe is pretty easy mix pancake batter, add sliced or crush banana. Pancakes can be made on stove-top in a non-stick frying pan or on a pancake griddle. Non-stick spray such as Pam can be use in place of butter or oil.

Pancakes are great with fruits and you don't always have to put the fruits in the pancake. You can top plain pancakes with heated fruits soaked in maple syrup.

 Yogurt and Fruit Parfait

1 6-8oz plain or strawberry yogurt

1/4 cup granola

1/2 cup sliced strawberries (use 1/4 cup if they are frozen)

1/4 cup blueberries

In a cup or bowl add yogurt. Top with granola then fruits and enjoy

Breakfast does not have to be typical breakfast foods. Left over from previous night's dinner can be a great way to start your day. I have enjoyed spaghetti sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese and heated in the morning. Left over soups are also great substitutes for the typical breakfast foods.

If you have left over chicken from the night before, sauté a few pieces of onions, tomatoes and some vegetables and wrap in a whole grain tortilla wrap for a quick, easy, and healthy breakfast.

Boiled eggs with wheat thins or wheat crackers, sliced cheddar cheese and a half of an apple is not only healthy its filling.

Sardines with sliced jalapenos are a favorite of mines. I often pair it with water crackers and sliced avocados for a protein filled breakfast in the morning.

Eating should be fun and not a chore. Step outside the box and begin experimenting with different foods, and different food combinations. You just might create your family's next favorite recipe.

The Whole Body Nutrition Concept.

The Whole Body Nutrition concept encourages a healthy body, mind and spirit. We encourage you to learn and experiment with different ways to eat and live a healthier life, no matter what dietary path you are following.

With that said these 5 criteria will get you on your way:

1. Live Foods

Choose foods that are real, natural, fresh, seasonal and unprocessed.

Eliminate refined starches such as white flour, sugar and artificial drinks.

Limit canned foods, boxed or frozen meals as often as possible

2. Plant Base

Plant base foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes (peas, beans) seeds and whole grains are essential for a healthy, low fat, and nutrient rich diet.

When choosing plants choose a variety of color, more color means a wider range of nutrients.

Support local farmers markets. Fruits and vegetables are often fresher and cheaper when purchased from local farmers market.

3. Low Fat

Get your fats from lean meats such as fish, chicken, turkey lean beef, nuts, and low fat dairy products.

Avoid margarine and foods made with hydrogenated oils (trans-fat)

Substitute a plant base protein such as seitan (high protein wheat gluten), Tofu, vegetable burgers beans or peas for a meat occasionally

Limit fried and process foods.

4. Nutrient Dense (Nutrition Rich)

Choose foods with high nutrient content. Nutrients are the vitamins and minerals that the foods we eat provide. They are important for growth and development in children and maintenance of our health as we get older. Nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin c, and vitamin d just to name a few are essential to our wellbeing.
Eat natural fresh foods they have fewer calories and are rich in nutrients.
Use food labels to guide you when trying to improve your nutrient intake.

5. Live Active

Having an active lifestyle will keep you in shape, prevent excessive weight gain and help you feel better overall.

Whether it’s exercising, or doing one of your favorites activities such as bowling, dancing, skating being active is not just good for your body it’s also great for your mind.

New Year, New You!

Did you make a resolution to eat better, and live better this year? If not what are you waiting for.

It’s a new year, re-invent a new you. Resolutions are great if we stick to them and see them through. New Year’s resolutions should always be simple, realistic and attainable. Let’s resolve to stick it out and see our resolutions through for 2011.

If your resolution is to lose weight, eat healthier, increase fiber or start a workout regiment start by establishing simple goals. For instance weight loss can begin with an increase in activity or healthier eating. Goals such planning a workout 3 days of the week on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays before or after work is a great start. Establishing days and time will help get you organized and keep you motivated. Healthier eating can begin with simple steps such as eating out less, taking a healthy lunch to work twice a week, adding a vegetable to at least one of your meals, snacking on fruits or limiting sugar intake by giving up sodas or replacing current whole calorie drinks with a low cal version.

Remember to stay focus and keep goals to a minimum until they have been mastered. Document your healthy new start in a journal. Outline 10 significant, realistic lifestyle changes you would like to achieve and set at least 2 goals to accomplish each change. Take at least a month to work on your goals; once you have integrated that change into your daily routine, you are now ready to move on to the next item on your list.

You can achieve a healthier lifestyle in 2011, by just remembering to never give up. Stay motivated; share your success and even your failures. Remain positive and surround yourself with positive individuals.