And... is alcohol FATTENING?!

 Yes, indeed! Each gram of alcohol contains 7 calories, so that if we take 100 mL of a beverage containing 50 % alcohol, we will be taking 50g of alcohol and 350 calories. This is equivalent to a full meal! And worst of all is that alcohol doesn’t nourish one bit.

Alcohol also gives calories (and makes us fat).  The only difference is that it doesn’t contain any nutrients.  It’s an “empty” food.

For example, if we go to a party and begin with a Rum & Cola( 50ml rum (111kcal ) and 100ml of Coca Cola (42Kcal ), during dinner we have 2 beers (200kcal) and finally a vodka on the rocks (126Kcal), we would be adding 479 extra calories to our day.  This is equal to eating 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of bread, a glass of orange juice, one piece of sweet bread and a cup of coffee.

It sounds terrible! All our effort to lose weight lost by a few drinks in an evening.

But not everything has to be banned, there are some tricks in order to be able to enjoy alcohol without sacrificing too much.  

Here are some tips:

• Choose low percentage alcoholic drinks like wine or beer.
• Choose low-calorie soft drinks or sugar free, such as mineral water, to mix them.
• If you mix your drinks with juices, look for those that don’t contain sugar.
• Avoid quenching your thirst with alcoholic beverages, try drinking a few glasses of water BEFORE drinking alcohol.

Here is a table with the most common alcoholic drinks and how many calories they provide:

DRINK	PORTION	KCAL
Anise	A cup ( 50mL )	131
Cava brut	A cup (100mL )	65
Cava semi-dry	A cup (100mL)	69
Beer	One can (250mL )	100
Light beer	One can (250mL )	55
Cuba libre cocktail	One glass (250ml )	347
Cocktail Daiquiri	A glass (100ml )	222
Gin Tonic Cocktail	A glass (250ml )	350
Cognac	One cup (50mL )	112
Geneva	A cup (50mL )	110
Sweet liqueurs	A glass (50mL )	116
Rum	A measure (50ml )	111
Sangria	A glass (200ml )	172
Cider	A small glass (100ml )	38
Dry Vermouth	A measure (100ml )	118
Sweet vermouth	A measure (100mL )	151
Table wine	A glass (100ml )	71
Sweet wine	A glass (100ml )	157
Fine Wine	A glass (100ml )	116
Moscatel Wine	A glass (100ml )	165
Vodka	A measure (50ml )	126
Whisky	A measure (50ml )	111

The lesson here is: Don’t ruin all your week’s effort to loose weight with some "drinks".  Just learn to choose the best option .

See you next week.

Eating sweet has never been so HEALTHY!!

This time I want to give you some ideas to remove sugar from your daily diet, without sacrificing the taste of your food.  Remember that if your family eats less sugar, they will reduce their risk for obesity, diabetes and heart diseases. So let’s begin:

• For this warm summer, you can make fun popsicles with stevia: Mix 1lt of water with the juice of 3-4 limes, add stevia until is sweet enough.  Put several pieces of fruit in the popsicle form and fill them with the lemon-stevia mix. Choose fruits of different colors and forms for a funny looking dessert.

• If you like fresh fruit desserts but think they are sometimes too sour, sprinkle stevia and it will improve the flavor.

• If you like clear water with a little flavor, add stevia to a liter of water and add slices of fruit such as lemon, orange, tangerine or watermelon.  Then add a lot of ice and enjoy!

• Make fresh fruit water blending your favorite fruit (lemon, orange, watermelon, cantaloupe, guava) and adding some stevia to sweeten.

• If your kids like chocolate milk, mix a glass of skim milk with a little stevia and a teaspoon or two of cocoa, so you will eliminate sugar completely and your children will still enjoy the drink.

• Make delicious smoothies by blending yogurt or skim milk, seasonal fruit and stevia.

• If you like baking and desserts, visit our page: postresano.com.mx and you will find low calorie recipes, prepared with stevia.

See you next week!

Something this simple can change the rest of your life...

This week I chose a video that made me change a few habits...

Let me know if you would like to read about something in particular.

See you next week!

Organic & Eco, are they REALLY the good ones?

Organic food came some years ago as an expensive and almost exclusive fashion. 

This “new wave” includes foods (fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat), cosmetics and cleaning products. Sold in most supermarkets, these are usually more expensive.

But I wonder: Is it worth paying more for these products? Do they offer benefits that no other food offers? 
Will my food be healthier if I choose them?

Before deciding if they are worth buying, let’s get to know them:Organic farming:

• Cultivates soil taking care of natural resources without using chemicals or genetically modified organisms (such as fertilizer or to control pests).

• Considers the quality of life of the farmer.

• Obtains chemical-free products.

• Maintains soil fertility.

• Respects the environment.

The objectives are to produce healthy food with a higher nutritional quality without chemicals or pesticides, grown with processes that help the earth and its farmers.

One of the most important aspects to consider is that by buying organic products, not only are you giving your family healthier and chemical free food, you are helping to improve the living conditions of farmers and thus benefit everyone involved.

The main differences between conventional and organic farming are:

  

CONVENTIONAL	ORGANIC
Use of chemical fertilizer to boost growth.	Use of natural fertilizers such as compost, to feed soil and crops.
Use of synthetic insecticides to reduce pests and diseases.	Use of natural insecticides, beneficial insects and birds to interrupt pest reproduction to reduce diseases.
Using synthetic herbicides to eliminate unwanted weeds.	Using natural herbicides and crop rotation.
Use of growth hormone in animals to increase growth and medications to prevent disease.	Feeding the animals with organic products and access to open spaces. Balanced diet and clean rooms to prevent diseases.

How to identify them?

Most of these products have green labels that include the words "organic" or "ecological".

It can be very expensive to switch completely towards organic food, if you want to include them I recommend you start with fruits, vegetables and meats, with which you will get the most benefit. 

Also I think in some circumstances you should consider them:

• Feeding children under one year.

• Persons with chronic diseases.

• Pregnant women

Have a great and healthy week!!!

Relax in less than 5 minutes

Here you have simple and easy ways to help you relax wherever you are:

Pet your dog/cat

Your pet not only gives you unconditional love, but he's also good for your health.  When you pet your dog/cat even for just a few minutes, your body releases feel-good hormones like serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin.  At the same time, it decreases the amount of the damaging stress hormones that are released, which helps lower blood pressure, less anxiety, and even boost your immunity.

Sing a song

Turn up the radio in the car or sing in the shower.  No matter how out of tune you are, singing can make you feel happier.  Choral members who were surveyed said singing put them in a better mood and made them feel less stressed.  Singing also can be good for your breathing and posture, as well as your heart and immune system.

Take a walk

Exercise is a great way to ease stress, it helps your body produce endorphins -- the substances in your brain that make you feel good.  It also forces you to focus, helping you forget what's making you anxious.  Exercising in warm, sunny weather can boost your mood.  And if you walk briskly for at least 30 minutes, you'll meet daily exercise recommendations, and increase stress-busting benefits even more.

Chew some gum

Chewing gum can do more than freshen your breath.  According to research, chewing a stick of gum also seems to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as improve mental performance during tasks

Take a deep breath

Aromatherapy isn't just for spas.  No matter where you are, taking a deep whiff of lavender or rosemary can put you into a more relaxed state.  Inhaling those aromas can lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. But just the act of breathing deeply is also a stress buster.  Deep breathing sends oxygen surging through your bloodstream, helping to calm your entire body.

See you next week!

Reference: webmd.com

Enjoy your VACATIONS without diets.

 Does the thought of taking a vacation remind you of snacks, soft drinks, alcohol, food and losing control of your weight? Do you predispose yourself to gain the weight you lost this last period?

Don’t freak out! This time I'll give some tips for you to go on vacation without guilt when eating and enjoying the most without gaining weight:

• Try to prepare healthy snacks with fruits, vegetables and healthy dressings.
• If you want to avoid small eating all day, choose the snacks that you like, put them on a plate and eat only that amount.
• Always choose snacks that contain vegetables and have a fat-free dressing.
• Choose fat-free dressings such as vinegar, chili powder, lemon, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
• If you know you're going out for dinner at a restaurant, try to have a very light lunch.
• Do not skip meals, try to eat at least 3 times a day, even a little.
• If you like alcohol, choose low calorie beverages such as wine and beer. Drinks with more degrees of alcohol like vodka, tequila and rum have much more calories.
• If you drink beverages containing soda, use those that don’t contain sugar.
• Whenever you can, drink natural water and add sliced fruit like watermelon, strawberry, kiwi, lemon, tangerine or orange to give it a little taste. You can add some Stevia to achieve the sweetness you want.
• Try taking a walk a day, at least 30 minutes and preferably after eating.
• Choose to be active this holiday, climb stairs, play with your children, do group sports, and go for a walk with your family.
• Relax and sleep.

Remember that holidays are to recover and take new energy.  If you go up a few extra pounds, that is no reason not to enjoy your family.  You will eventually come back home and start your healthy routines.

"There is only one life, sizes are many" M. Godoy

A little secret that will transform your diet...

This week I was thinking about those small details that we commit in our diets that lead us to failure. 

Today we will talk about PORTION SIZES.

You can choose the most wonderful diet, internationally proven, the diet of Hollywood stars, you can buy the most exotic food, but if your portion sizes are larger than indicated, everything falls apart.

The concept of a "normal portion" is entirely relative. A portion that is excessive to me may be small for someone else.

 

For example, a serving of meat is equivalent to 30g (the size of the palm of your hand) and it is a common belief that a portion of meat is 150g because that is the amount of a “small” Mc Donald's burger.

To make it simple, in recent years everyday objects have been used as reference for food portion sizes.

A poker chip = one serving of oil, butter, margarine or peanut butter = 45 kcal

A pack of cigarettes = 1 serving of meat (chicken, beef, pork, fish) or cheese = Approx 70 Kcal

A baseball or tennis ball = 1 serving of vegetables (25 kcal) or cereals (75 kcal)

A CD = one serving of breakfast bread (hot cakes, waffles, bagel) = 75-100 kcal

In this way, the next time you make a change in your habits, compare what you call a portion with what it really is and try to adapt to these new quantities.
A very simple way is to choose smaller plates, so that every meal you eat a little bit less.

 You'll see that your efforts will be well rewarded.

Best of luck!