A hot snack that will fit into any diet is a can away. Just get some chicken broth. Swanson’s is really tasty, has only 10 calories, no fat and 1 gram of carbs. When it’s cold out or when you just need a quick snack it can’t be beat. Keep some cans on hand at work and at home. If you want to add some more substance to it its easy to chop up some veggies. Celery and onion are great, sliced mushrooms different, mix up the choices to add to the low calorie soup. Anything works. Crack an egg and you’ve got some more protein for a hearty snack that will keep you going.
TODAY: DO SOME STRETCHING EXERCISES AND TRY A COUPLE OF PUSH-UPS.
It’s “The Incredible Edible Egg”. Low carb diets are a lot easier thanks to these protein packed babies. I start the day with two, sometimes with cheese, sometimes with bacon or sausage. My previous experience with the Atkins diet gave me so much egg cooking experience that I never need a spatula to turn them. Just a small saute pan with rounded sides, a dollop of butter and a flick of the wrist after they are a little solid. (You can tell when they are ready to flip because they will slide around the pan easily when you swirl it.) Don’t add any salt, we want to reduce the sodium. Besides you can add any low carb condiments later. God old yellow mustard adds a great flavor to fried eggs. But it doesn’t stop there.
Think of eggs as the base for many meals. If the kids are having pizza, you can too. Make a thin omelet and add the pizza toppings. It will satisfy the cravings and still be low carb. Same for tacos. Those two strong flavors will go a long way. Besides it makes eating eggs a lot more pleasing than that scene from Rocky where Sylvester Stallone drank the glass of them. I always wonder how many takes that took.
TODAY: DO SOME STRETCHING EXERCISES. TWIST YOUR TORSO SIDE TO SIDE, BEND OVER AND TOUCH YOUR TOES (okay… TRY) THEN STRETCH UP ON YOUR TOES AND REACH FOR THE CEILING. THEN REPEAT TEN TIMES
Salad dressings can add so many calories to that pile of fresh veggies that it destroys much of the salad advantages for your diet. Sure, the fact that you’re eating something that isn’t battered, fried and served on a bun has some benefits. But you’re missing out on a lot when you drench it in goo. The surprise I have found is the simplicity of a dash of salt and pepper. Believe it or not vegetables actually have unique flavors that can be very satisfying when the minamalist approach is applied. Those grinders with mixed spice varieties are also a nice option.
TODAY: HAVE A SALAD WITH NO DRESSING
Non starchy vegetables like celery, peppers, broccoli and carrots are great snacks. They’re easy to keep on hand, satisfying to crunch and have great flavors to savor. They may keep you out of trouble over the weekend. Remember, if you’re starting Atkins this doesn’t apply to you. You’re limited to a cup a day of dark green veggies. But you can have some hard cheese, beef sticks or pork rinds!
TODAY: DO YOUR STRETCHING EXERCISES THEN TAKE A BRISK WALK THAT IS ONE THIRD LONGER THAN YOU HAVE BEEN WALKING.
BONUS: IF YOU HAVE A DOG, GO OUT AND PLAY FETCH FOR A HALF HOUR. IT’S GREAT FOR YOU BOTH!
If you can do a good thirty minute walk you can get more exercise value out of it by adding some different speed to your routine. Walk in intervals of slow and fast and push yourself a bit. Speed walking has as much aerobic value as jogging, and is a lot easier on your joints. Here’s how.
- Walk at your usual pace for three minutes.
- Increase the speed for one minute.
- Go back to your normal speed for three minutes.
- Repeat this till you hit your 30 minutes.
As you get more fit increase the fast time and decrease the slow. Of course ask your doctor about pushing yourself to a faster pace. I think you’ll find that your doctor is pleased with your efforts. They don’t hear that a lot.
TODAY: TRY AT LEAST ONE FASTER INTERVAL OF WALKING.
If you haven’t tried smoking meats yet, take some time to try it this weekend. It’s easy, doesn’t require expensive cuts of meat, gives you delicious results and a number of low cal, low carb meals. I don’t need to go into a bunch of details because there are ample sites for that along with simple instructions and recipes that come with a smoker or grill. But the skinny (pun intended) on the process is it’s meat cooked slow under low (250 degree) heat with a little wood for smokey flavor. Don’t overdo the smoke. A little goes a long way. I’ve also found that I add the wood smoke after the meat has been cooking for a while. Seasoning rubs are the low calorie choice for flavoring.
Once done, wrap the flavorful meats in foil NEVER PLASTIC WRAP OR BAGS. Plastic will give it an odd taste. Foil leaves it pure and fresh tasting. It will freeze well too, so don’t eat it all at once.
TODAY: (This weekend) TRY SMOKING SOME LOW CALORIE, HIGH PROTEIN MEATS.
A lot of different foods that is. It will keep you satisfied. Eating the same kinds of food or the usual stuff doesn’t give you the satisfaction you crave, so you’re tempted to eat more. So try something different like tuna mixed with diced apples. The tastes actually complement each other. Just toss some different crisp vegetables.
Try some new flavors you may have not had in a while, like sardines, kipper snacks, cottage cheese, cold leftovers from the grill. Then add sides like fresh fruits, melon, nuts and even dried fruits. The protein will keep you satisfied longer. Just be careful about the portions.
TODAY: EAT SOMETHING NEW OR THAT YOU HAVEN’T HAD IN A WHILE.
Daily Nag, Healthy Recipes | Diet Nag | 
January 6, 2011 6:00 am | 
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