HealtHy livingmontHly

January2011

your Healthy living tipChocolate Milk Refuels Muscles After A Workout

Fat-free chocolate milk beat out carbohydrate sports drinks at helping to rebuild and refuel muscles after exercise, researchers report. the combination of carbohydrates and protein in low-fat chocolate milk appears to be “just right” for refueling weary muscles, says William lunn, PhD, an exercise scientist at the university of Connecticut.

Source: WebMD

Doctor’s ordersWhat You Need To Know To Lose Weightby Christopher Coulter, m.D., m.P.H.

many people heading into 2010 want to lose weight, either because of long-term weight problems or because of holiday overindulgence. achieving a healthy weight can be one of the best improvements you can make in your life, and it’s a goal well worth pursuing. there are a lot of programs and approaches that can help you achieve your goals, and any of them will be more successful if you know a few things about weight loss.

First, set an appropriate target. anyone who is serious about losing weight will recognize that the answer to weight loss is not “30 pounds in 30 days.” We may wish it were that easy, but for most of us it took years or decades to become overweight or obese, and it will take months or years to reverse it. Weight problems result from a lifetime of bad eating habits, and a month or two of a quick-fix program is not going to reverse them. Studies have shown that many diets will result in weight loss, but that most of the weight that is lost returns within a year. Successful weight loss demands a long-term change in our activity level and how we eat. Knowing your weight loss numbers is important:

3,500 – there are about 3,500 calories in a pound of your body fat. if you eat 3,500 fewer calories in a week than your body uses, you will lose one pound of body fat. your scale may show more weight loss or weight gain, depending on your water weight and other factors, but in the long run, if you want to lose a pound of body fat per week, you must consume 3,500 fewer calories than your body uses.

January2011

In thIs edItIon:

Doctor’s orders: What You Need To Know To Lose Weight

your Healthy living tip

8 Ways to Boost your metabolism

recipe of the month

recipe of the monthFragrant Fish Soup

8 Ways To Boost Your Metabolismalthough you can’t control your age, gender, or genetics, there are other ways to get a boost:

1) Build muscle: every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day

just to sustain itself; each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily.

2) Kick your Workout up a notch: High-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer increase in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate workouts.

3) Drink more Water: the body needs water to process calories. if you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down.

4) eat less, more often: Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day.

5) Spice Up Your Meals: Spicy foods contain chemical compounds that kick the metabolism into high gear.

6) eat more Protein: the body burns up to twice as many calories digesting protein as it uses for fat or carbohydrates.

7) Drink Black Coffee: the caffeine in coffee can cause a short-term increase in metabolic rate.

8) avoid Crash Diets: Crash diets often lead to loss of muscle mass. the lower your muscle mass, the slower your metabolism. Source: WebMD

1 cup jasmine rice 2 cups water Zest and juice of 1 lemon 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth 1 pound tilapia fillets, or other firm white fish4 cups bite-size pieces arugula, or watercress, stems removed 1 cup finely shredded carrots 1/4 cup very thinly sliced fresh mint 2 scallions, finely chopped

Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice.

meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer in another medium saucepan over medium-high heat. reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming. add fish and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. remove and break into bite-size chunks.

Divide the lemony rice among 4 bowls. top with equal portions of the fish, arugula (or watercress), carrot, mint and scallions. ladle 1 cup of the warm broth into each bowl and serve. makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 239 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 62 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 230 mg sodium; 572 mg potassium

Source: EatingWell.com

2,400 for a man, 1,800 for a woman – this is the number of calories, on average, that a person will burn every day. it will vary by age, activity level, size, and other factors, so look for an online calculator for an exact number (try the Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/nu00598).

the bottom line is that if you eat 500 calories per day less than your body burns, you will lose a pound per week. if you get enough protein every day so your body doesn’t break down muscle, that weight loss will be body fat. that’s a good place to start your weight loss plan. the rest of the story is keeping the weight off by changing your habits of overeating and lack of exercise once you achieve your goal. in the long run, that’s more important than your short-term diet.