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321. SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
Another easy way to reduce your sugar and caloric intake is by using sugar substitutes. Even though some of them, like Aspartame, have received a lot of negative press, they are among the most tested food compounds in the world and are for the most part are considered safe. One teaspooon of sugar contains about 15 calories while artificial contains virtually no calories. The ideal situation would be to avoid both table sugar and artificial sweetners.
322. THE GREAT PUMPKIN - NOT JUST FOR HALLOWEEN
One of the easiest ways to fortify your diet with minerals, including zinc, is by consuming pumpkin seeds, otherwise known as pepitas. Pumpkin seeds also contain essential fatty acids that help kill parasites. For maximum nutritional benefits, seeds should be eaten raw since roasting can convert the fat into arterial-clogging plaque.
323. TAKE IT AWAY!
If you eat out and the server brings a basket of "free" bread, have them take it away. If it's not in front of you, you won't be tempted to eat it. Bread is not "free". Your waistline will "pay" for it later!
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324. BROILED OR BAKED
Try to order your food broiled, steamed or baked. Broiling and baking removes fat as the cooking takes place, whereas frying and deep-frying add extra fat calories.
325. SEPARATE SAUCE
If you are ordering a meal that needs sauce, have the server bring the sauce on the side. Odds are you will add less to your meal than the kitchen staff will. Saying "no sauce" is the best route to go.
326. LIMIT YOUR ALCOHOL
Don't turn your eating out session into a drinking session. A glass of wine or a light beer may be acceptable, but excessive alcohol not only adds extra calories, it interferes with proper digestion and it impairs your judgement - making you more likely to order deep-fried foods and desserts. Besides, your workout the next day will suffer.
327. TAKE YOUR TIME
Gulping down food only results in larger pieces of food enterng your stomach. This is not only bad from a digestion and absorption viewpoint, it can leave you with cramps and/or unpleasant gas problems.
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328. EARLY OR LATE, DOES IT MATTER?
An enduring myth is that you must not eat carbs after 6pm. The theory is that since you probably be doing less exercise later in the evening there is a greater chance that any excess carbohydrate will be stored as fat. Keep in mind that the most important variable in gaining fat is your total daily caloric intake. If you intake was low earlier in the day, and provided you don't completely pig out on carbs, there is nothing wrong with having a small meal with carbs in the evening.
329. KEEP YOUR HOUSE OR APARTMENT JUNK-FOOD-FREE
Most readers have probably heard the line: "If you build it they will come," from Kevin Costner's film, "Field of Dreams". The same holds true for junk food." "If you buy it you will eat it." If you get a craving for junk food late at night and you know it's there in the cupboard above the fridge you'll probably break down and eat it. It takes a great deal of willpower to say no to chocolate or chips late at night. On the other hand, if you have to get dressed and drive to the all-night store, chances are you'll pass
330. HEALTHY ON HAND
To combat the late-night junk cravings try to have such healthy snacks as raisins, grapes, assorted nuts, and low-fat low-sugar cookies available. These healthy substitutes will kill your cravings without piling a load of extra empty calories into your system
331. DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY WITH FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Vitamins are inorganic substances that are used by the body to start, maintain, or finish the various chemical reactions necessary for life. Vitamins can be divided into fat and water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins (The B vitamins, C, and H) cannot be stored by the body and must be consumed in the diet on a regular basis. Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) can be stored and can reach toxic levels if amounts become too excessive.
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332. VITAMIN C - HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
While some experts stop just short of saying it will cure cancer, most sources hold a more moderate view. Vitamin C is essential for growth and repair as well as for keeping the immune system in good health. But most current research does not support the notion that mega-dosing on vitamin C offers any benefits over traditional amounts. Keep your intake in the 500 to 2000 milligram range.
333. FIBER FOR REGULARITY
Fiber is a catch all phrase that refers to a variety of plant materials that can't be digested by the body. A diet high in fiber has been shown to reduce heart disease and cancer, prevent diabetes by controlling glucose levels, and improve digestive and excretory reguarity. Try to consume a diet high in whole grains, flax seed, peas, nuts, and fruits.
334. KEEP SALT INTAKE TO A MINIMUM
Although a certain amount of salt is needed for such chemical processes as nerve impulse conduction and muscle contraction, you'll get more than you need in your diet without consciously trying. For example, two slices of bread supply more than the daily requirement. Excessive salt has been linked to heart and kidney disease. Don't add table salt to your food.
335. WATER - THE MOST IMPORTANT NUTRIENT
Water makes up over two-thirds the mass of the human body. Just about every chemical reaction in the body takes place inor involves water. Humans can live for weeks without food but only a few days without water. Try to drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day - more if you train outdoors.
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336. REMOVE AS MUCH AIR AS POSSIBLE FROM AIRTIGHT CONTAINERS SUCH AS FREEZER BAGS
The moisture in the trapped air absorbs odor from food and will form a frost. If the bag loses its airtight quality that frost will give off odors that will be picked up by other foods in the freezer.
337. LIMIT YOUR CONTACT WITH PLASTIC
One of the perils these days for meals is exposure to what are called environmental estrogens. In simple terms, many of the synthetic plastics that we use for storing food are laced with chemicals that increase the level fo the female hormone estrogen. Ironically much of the food we eat is stored in such containers. To reduce your exposure to such estrogen-raising compounds, try to eat only fresh food and limit your reliance on stored food. In addition, most herbicides and pesticides mimic estrogen. Avoid using these products around your home and try to eat as much organic food as possible.
338. COOL IMMEDIATELY
If you prepare large amounts of food in advance, release as much air as possible and then put it in the fridge or freezer immediately. Do not let it cool at room temperatures.
339. NUTRITIOUS BUT QUICK
One way to guarantee healthy but quick suppers is by pre-cooking and freezing. Set aside one day a week for cooking. Prepare large amounts of stews, soups, and casseroles. Divide them into meal-sized portions and place them in airtight containers or freezer bags. You can either take them out before you go to work or school in the morning so that they are thawed out when you come home, or pop them into the miscrowave at dinner time. Pre-cooking nutritious food ensures that you won't succumb to grabbing something fast and junky.
340. DO NOT OVERLOAD YOUR FREEZER
Placing too much food in the freezer not only prevents proper freezing but often leads to food being left there for long periods of time. Freezing food should be for short-term, not long term storage.
341. ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE AND AFTER HANDLING FOOD
Germs are everywhere and they just love to multiply in the presence of food sources. That doorknob you just touched could harbor any number of little nasties.
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342. AND YOUR COOKWARE
You probably wash the pots and pans, but how about the cutting board? Likewise, the knives and forks you use to eat with will be placed in the dishwasher but how about the large knife you used to slice the tomatoes? Any cooking utensil, no matter how large or small, needs to be throughly washed - and not just wiped - when you are finished with it.
343. POWER SETTINGS
For most frozen, pre-cooked foods such as soup and stew, a microwave power settings of eight for about three minutes should suffice. Even though this time will vary, at least you will know that the food was cooked beforehand and you will only have to heat the meal until it suits your needs.
344. BEWARE OF "GOOD FATS" FOR COOKING
Until recent researchers condemned all saturated fats as bad and said to cook with only polyunsaturated fats. New evidence suggests that the "good fats" are not all that good. When polyunsaturated oils are heated they undergo oxidation. This produces various new compounds that may be harmful. It has also been proven that vegetable oils can accelerate the aging process. Other studies have shown that while people who switched from saturated to polyunsaturated fats for cooking had lower levels of heart disease, mortality rates remained the same. So our advice is to only use the minimum amount of oil to cook with and drain all excess oil from food afterwards.
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345. EGGS - STILL ONE OF THE BEST
Eggs have received a bad rap over the years. All the talk about the dangers of cholesterol has turned people away from eggs in droves. While eggs do contain cholesterol, they also contain choline and lecithin; two substances that keep the cholesterol in eggs emulsified and "moving" when it enters the bloodstream. Eggs are ones of the healthiest foods available and should be part of the diet of all hard training bodybuilders.
346. EGG WHITES
If you are still worried about cholesterol , or if you just want to cut down on your fat consumption, try egg whites. Throwing away the egg yolk gets rid of all the fat and only half the protein. Many bodybuilders will make an omlet containing one egg yolk for texture and color and four or five eggs whites. Vegetables can be cooked in to improve taste and nutritional value.
347. MEATS FROM BAD TO GOOD
In the hierarchy of fatty meats, pork is more fatty than beef, beef is more fatty than poultry with skin on it, poultry with skin is more fatty than skinned poultry, and skinned poultry is more fatty than fish. Within the categories of poultry, dark meat has more fat than white.
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348. COMPLETE PROTEIN FOR VEGETARIANS
Vegetarians need to be very creative to ensure they are eating a balanced diet. One of the richest sources of plant protein is legumes. When combined with seeds, nuts, or grains, all the amino acids are obtained. Likewise, rice with beans or brown bread and peanut butter provide complete protein.
349. BUYING VEGETABLES
To ensure maximum nutrient content, try to buy only fresh vegetables. Don't buy unripe vegetables. Unlike fruits, most vegatables will not ripen in storage. Likewise, only buy vegetables that are in good condition. Bruised or damaged vegetables tend to be reduced in nutrient content.
350. STEAMED OR RAW
Try to eat your vegetables uncooked when ever possible. Cooking destroys much of the nutritional content. If you must eat your vegetables warm, try steaming rather than boiling. Boiling will leach out 50 to 75 percent of the nutritional content. You'll end up pouring the best part fo your vegetable meal down the drain!
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351. GREEN AND SPROUTED
When buying root vegetables like onions or potatoes, don't buy the ones that have sprouted. Never buy green potatoes either. The green and sprouted parts contain a poisonous chemical called solanine. If this has happened after storage cut away all green or sprouted parts before cooking.
352. IN THE WASH
As soon as you bring vegetables home from the store, wash them. This is not only helps get rid of pesticides, dirt and germs, but also the nasty creepy crawlies that sometimes hang out in plants. Insects such as spiders and centipedes have been known to pop out of grapes and cabbages when least expected.
353. MORE IS NOT BETTER
Unlike meat, which should always be cooked for health reasons, vegetables and fruits should be consumed with the least amount of preparation as possible. Heating plant material not only destorys much of the nutrient content but also removes much of the taste. Carrots, for example, become tasteless after boiling.
354. STORING MEAT
For both health and taste reasons, meat shouldn't be kept for more than two to three days. For maximum freshness keep it in the coolest part of your freezer or refigerator. As with vegtables it's a good idea to rinse the meat with water as soon as you bring it home. It's also a good idea to discard the store wrapping and rewrap the meat in foil. Under no circumstances should you put cooked meat back in the origional wrapping. That's a great way to get food poisoning.
355. A BIGGER BIRDIE?
When buying poultry such as turkey or chicken, it is more economical to buy large birds, as you get a higher percentage of lean meat as opposed to fat and bone.
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356. BEWARE OF BOTTOM-FEEDERS!
Despite their reputation as aphrodisiacs, oysters and other shellfish should never be eaten raw. Shellfish are examples of what are called bottom, feeders. They take in surrounding water and force it back out through special filters. In this manner they capture tiny particles of food. The problem with this is that shellfish become a dumping ground for toxins and over time such compounds as mercury can rise to dangerous levels.
357. CAN IT
Although fresh is better there are times when you'll have to get your fish from a can. The two best examples of this are tuna and salmon. Tuna has been a staple of bodybuilding diets for decades. When buying canned fish, always look for fish that is packed in water alone. Avoid oils or sauces as they tend to be high in fat and salt. Once you open the tin, transfer leftovers to a sealed container and refrigerate. Don't store it in the origional tin - this not only increases the risk of food poisoning but may also give the meat a "tinny" taste. While many call light tuna "catfood grade," it carries 1/3 the amount of mercury as does albacore.
358. GETTING FRESH WITH FRUIT
Fruit are no different from vegetables and meat, the fresher the better. Unless you plan on using it for baking, give the old, on-sale fruit a pass. The nutrient content may have deteriorated by 50 percent or more.
359. KIWIS - THE WONDERS FROM DOWN UNDER
If you're tired of apples and oranges, try kiwis. Gram for gram, kiwis provide more vitamin C and minerals than oranges, apples or pears.
360. EAT DRIED FRUIT SPARINGLY
Dried fruits have become popular in recent years and if prepared properly retain most of the nutrient content of the hydrated version. The only drawback is that the natural sugars have become concentrated (this is why raisins tend to taste sweeter than grapes). As expected, this increases the calorie content significantly. If you're trying to lose fat, keep your dried fruit intake to a minimum.
