Calorie Count on Menus?

Recently, The Globe and Mail published an article about a handful of U.S. cities including New York; San Francisco; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; and Philadelphia having passed menu-labelling laws for chain restaurants in an effort to curb obesity.

This means that restaurants would have to disclose the number of calories in each dish they offer on their menu. The hope is that people will make healthier decisions while eating out.

When you eat at a restaurant, you don't know how many calories you are ingesting. Some salads have more calories and sodium in them than a regular sized cheeseburger. So even if you think you are making a healthy choice, this may not be the case.

Some people argue that this initiative is useless because most people go to restaurants to indulge or they simply don't care. But for the people who are trying to lose weight or become healthier, calorie counts on menu items can prove to be extremely helpful.

Whatever your opinion is on this matter, it will be interesting to watch if this law will be applied in Canada and if it will have an effect on the obesity problem in the U.S.

Christmas and Holiday Survival

The holidays are just around the corner and that means family dinners, Christmas parties, work parties, and friend luncheons. During the holidays many people overeat, consume a lot of alcohol, and stuff themselves with treats.  I am definitely guilty of over-indulging in all of these areas.  But, you don't have to diet or deprive yourself, what you can do is make healthier choices. 

Here are some healthy holiday tips you can use this holiday season:

• Don't go to a party hungry: Make sure to eat something before going out, so that don't overeat. When you are hungry you tend to eat more, faster.
• Watch your portions: Treat yourself to a drink and dessert, but watch your portions. Eating smaller portions allows you to sample more.
• Limit high fat items: Try to avoid fried, cream-based, cheese-filled, and processed foods as well as eggnog.
• Limit alcohol: Try to stay away from beer, cider, Bailey, and Kahula. Try dry wine, Bloody Mary's or spirits with diet soda.
• Drink Plenty of water: coffee and alcohol can dehydrate your body.
• Physical Activity: Take walks with loved-ones to burn off some of those calories.

These are also great tips to follow all year!

Effects of Poor Nutrition: 

So why should you care about your health and diet choices? Because poor nutrition effects your health in many ways such as:

·         Cuts back your lifespan by a few years depending on how long you make poor diet choices.

·          Increases the risk of stroke or heart disease.

·          Poisons your liver and kidneys.

·         Causes diabetes

·        Thyroid dysfunction

·         Intestinal problems.

     It also affects your life, poor nutrition can effect or lead to:

·          Weight gain

·         Low self esteem

·        Effects you relationships

·        Bad moods/depression

·         Anxiety and lack of energy.

Did you know that college is bad for your health? Students are often too busy to eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. 

Why is it so challenging for college students to eat healthy?

·          No Time:  Students don’t have time to make healthy meals in between their school, part-time jobs, and homework. So they resort to fast food, unhealthy snacks, and quick fixes.

·         Unhealthy Options: Students are surrounded with cafeteria’s, vending machines, and convenience stores all carrying unhealthy snacks and foods.

·         Exhaustion and stress: Constantly on the go, tired, and stressed-out students rely on high calorie sugary snacks, coffee, and energy drinks to give them a boost.

·         Chaotic schedules: Students don’t have a organized and constant schedule or routine. Every semester your schedule changes on top of that you have to fit in your work schedule, random assignments, social and family events.

Tips and Tricks to improving your diet.

•    Eat a healthy breakfast: it helps concentration and helps you from overeating or       getting cravings for the rest of the day
•   Take multivitamins.
•    Drink plenty of water: Most people mix up thirst for hunger. If you feel hungry and   
•    just ate? It probably means that you are dehydrated so drink water throughout the day.
  
•    Opt for the low-calorie, low fat, and vegetarian options available around campus
  
•   Keep low fat and low calorie snacks in your locker or bag to keep energized throughout     the day and to help you stop your cravings.
  
•   Manage you portion sizes: the fist rule
  
•      Avoid binge drinking: it makes you gain weight.
  
•     Limit late-night pig outs, fast food, and emotional eating.
  
•     Don’t skip meals: so you don’t overcompensate on your next meal.