Five Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

Actually, one rule will do: Lower each meal's overall score on the glycemic index (GI) -- an indication of how quickly a meal drives up your blood sugar -- and you'll feel full longer. The index ranks foods against glucose, a sugar that scores 100. Under 50 is considered low; 50 to 70 is medium; over 70 is high. The foods' scores are in parentheses below; for an expanded list, see The Glucose Revolution Pocket Guide to Losing Weight, written by leading GI researchers.

Be Wary of White
Such as white bread (73), bagels (72), Cream of Wheat (70), doughnuts (76) -- just about anything made with white refined flour. Ditto for high-sugar products such as Pop Tarts (70), colas (65), and sweet cereals (85). Also troublesome are white veggies and grains such as instant rice (72), baguettes (95), french fries (75), baked potatoes (85). Try new potatoes (57) instead. There are exceptions to the white rule, including dairy products (40 or less), and most pasta (40 to 50).

Eat Healthy Fat
Cook with olive and canola oil, snack on nuts, and make sandwiches with cheese, peanut butter or avocados. Also good is lean protein such as beans, fish, chicken, lean cuts of beef, and some luncheon meats. (All of these score low.)

Eat Fiber
That means whole-grain breads (53), long-grain or brown rice (55), vegetables (most score low), fruit (unsweetened and unjuiced, it's fine).

Snack Smarter
Skip jellybeans (80), Skittles (69), Lifesavers (70) in favor of Peanut M&M's (33), Snickers (55), Twix bars (44) or milk chocolate (34). For salty snacks, pass on the corn chips (72), pretzels (81) and rice cakes (77) in favor of a handful of nuts, another low scorer.

Think Balance
Having a baked potato on the side won't hurt if it's served with a salad and salmon. It's the overall score of your meal that counts.

Source from Reader's Digest

How to Stay Slim

It is not easy to stay trim and slim as it requires your self-control and discipline. You should bear in mind with some important points highlighted here

1. Avoid nibbling on sweet food like cakes, biscuits, sweets, lollipops, candies and chocolates. If you could not stop from a sweet tooth, then go for carrots, cucumbers or apples instead of sweetened foods.
2. Do not overeat. Prepare and cook only the amount of food you should eat, so that you will not be tempted to finish all the leftovers. Use a smaller-sized plate for a smaller serving purpose. Cut down unnecessary diet which will make you feel parts of your anatomy getting heavier. Do not encourage supper or any meals after 10p.m.
3. Exercise regularly to burn off extra calories. Alternatively, you can do some household chores such as mopping, washing and gardening. Apart from gaining health rewards, your slim waistline could be maintained by doing such consistent activities.
4. Increase food rich in fiber is a wise move to stay slim. Cut down on red meat and eat leaner meat in smaller portions. Avoid inflammatory foods such as trans-fats, deep-fried meals. Adopt diet rich in organic vegetables, fruit and grains.
5. It is advisable to boil, poach or steam food instead of frying. Food high in oil content not only makes you put on weight, but also increase your heart attack risk.
6. Always drink a glass of good water before a meal as it will make you feel full and cause you to consume less food

Remember! Do not eat for habit, but eat only for hunger. Do not overeat because of stress or as an antidote to boredom. Consider food as a source of energy; keep yourself discipline and self-control, if you are serious to make yourself look slim, trim and beauty.
An effective weight loss program requires positive attitude, consistent exercise and a low diet in sugar and fat content but rich in plant proteins, vitamins and fiber.

Author: CHAN LEE PENG

What will it take to stop obesity?

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in industrialized countries like the United States, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, decreased productivity and function, and soaring health care costs. In the United States, the explosion of fast food restaurants, with their high-fat, supersized portions containing little nutritive value, is considered a major contributor to obesity.

In ancient times, people were confronted with the simple challenge of finding food to satisfy their hunger. In modern society, people are bombarded with television, radio, and print advertisements that appeal to satisfying cravings at any time, with no waiting. A McDonald’s or Burger King sits on every street corner. This secured supply of calories coupled with our sedentary lifestyle equals extra pounds.

The results of one study indicated that people who dine can expect to be 1 kg (approximately 2.2 pounds) heavier in as little as 24 hours.1 People polled in another study admitted to consuming three or more fast food meals per week,2 which bears out the statistic that 7% of people in the United States dine at fast food restaurants each week.

As noted in a recent article, marketing executives of many types of restaurants have made larger portion sizes more affordable as a means of increasing profit margins.3 Has our society lost the ability to control its gustatory urges in an effort to get more for a buck? Should we look to food manufacturers to reduce portion sizes in the interest of pro-tecting the public’s health? Further, is portion size control all that is needed to confront the challenge of a rising obesity?


The battle against obesity will not be won by reducing portion sizes alone, but must focus on educating food man-ufacturers, consumers, and those medical professionals who care for obese patients.

Society must take responsibility for this epidemic; gov-ernment must establish weight control as a public health pri-ority by advocating an increase in physical activity, reduction in food intake, and a new emphasis on deriving nutritional benefit from natural foods rather than highly processed foods. Schools and employers must do their part by providing edu-cation and encouragement with a strategy to raise motivation. The food and drink industry must create healthier foods with portion control, which could be motivated by tax incen-tives.

Society—and health care professionals in particular— need to view obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease and not as a character flaw. This begins with physicians and patients setting realistic goals for weight loss. Achieving a minimum of 10% to 15% loss in weight can have significant impact on metabolic fitness,4 defined as the absence of biochemical risk factors associated with obesity (elevated fasting blood con-centrations of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, or high blood pressure). Let us help our patients shift their dietary focus from unrealistic, culturally based goals to goals that reflect new healthy practices.

Numerous studies have shown that any successful weight loss strategy begins with diet, behavior modification, and exercise. Behavior modification should begin with fewer visits to fast food restaurants. With this new focused agenda, people may be less inclined to supersize the next time they order from a fast food menu. There are healthier choices in foods and activity everywhere!

BY: Chad E. Potteiger and Christopher D. Still, DO

Source: 68 • JAOA • Vol 103 • No 4 • April 2003 Editorial