Tag Archives: diet plans

Weight Management Through Hypnosis: Does it Work?

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According to the Mayo Clinic, some studies have shown that those who participate in hypnosis to aid in weight management lose an average of 6 pounds. However, the Mayo Clinic cautions that the validity of many hypnosis-related studies has been questioned. So, is undergoing hypnosis a viable way to lose weight, or is it too good to be true? And is hypnosis safe?

The Hypnosis for Weight Loss Process

According to the psychology department at Vanderbilt University, hypnosis works in conjunction with other weight management programs to help you consume fewer calories and change your eating and lifestyle habits. Those licensed in hypnotherapy typically use deep breathing exercises and music that alters your brain waves in order to get you into a relaxed state. Once you’re in this relaxed state, hypnotherapists suggest various changes you can make in your life that will influence how you eat and how you live in order to help you lose weight. The idea is that hypnosis will help you get rid of the self-defeating thoughts that cause your unhealthy eating habits.

Those who have undergone hypnosis often compare the relaxed state they’re in while hypnotized to how to how they feel while meditating or on the verge of sleep. During hypnosis, you’re still fully conscious, and hypnotherapists won’t be able to make you do anything you don’t want to do. There’s no evidence to suggest that hypnosis is harmful or unsafe in any way.

Is Hypnosis Effective Enough to Try Out?

As previously mentioned, people who try hypnosis as a weight loss management strategy lose around six pounds on average. However, some people have had much greater success with hypnosis. A few years ago, ABC’s Good Morning America featured a story about a woman who lost a whopping 95 pounds through hypnosis, and you can find plenty of testimonials online from others who had similar success. Still, experts at the Mayo Clinic assert that you shouldn’t rely on hypnosis alone to reach your weight loss goals.

Overall, if hypnosis interests you, it may be worth it to give it a shot. Just don’t expect dramatic results overnight.

Sources:

  • “Weight-loss hypnosis: Does it work?” Mayo Clinic
  • “Hypnosis Can Help Shed Weight Without Pill Popping,” ABC’s Good Morning America
  • “Weight Loss Through Hypnosis?” Bianca Hitt, Vanderbilt University Psychology Department

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Free Menu Planner for Your Next Party

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Planning the perfect grocery list, running to the grocery story, and cleaning the house is hard enough when you’re throwing a dinner party. But now, it seems like there are more and more instances of food-related illnesses and diet preferences. “Celiac disease was rare, but it’s now more common in all age groups,” Dr. Murray says of the intolerance to gluten. Research suggests that, although celiac disease only affects one in 100 people, it is four times more common now than 60 years ago. Additionally, more people are eating gluten free, as about 10% of the U.S. population has a non-celiac gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. And that’s not all. The number of vegans and vegetarians is also on the rise. Now, about 3% of adults are vegetarians. With all these specific food preferences, what kind of menu are we supposed to prepare for our dinner parties?

There are plenty of healthy meals and delicious appetizers that you can serve at a party that will appeal to those with many different tastes. Luckily, we’ve provided you with a free menu planner that can help you serve dishes that everyone will love:

Appetizers

Kick off your menu with easy, simple finger foods that are fun and festive to set the mood for the rest of the meal:

  • Popcorn: Popcorn is naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly. You can flavor or spice your popcorn with nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon for a seasonal treat or make a vegan caramel sauce with cane sugar, vanilla extract, margarine, and soy milk.
  • Chips and salsa: Corn chips and salsa fresca is another healthy and fresh treat that appeals to almost anyone. You can also serve guacamole as another side for the chips. Both salsa and guacamole are extremely easy to make at home, too.

Main Courses

Instead of serving only one main course, why not serve a bit of everything so that everyone can have something to munch on? Omnivores, vegetarians, meat-lovers, and gluten-intolerant alike, the small dishes of our dinner party menu will give enough variety to satisfy just about anyone at your dinner party:

  • Cornbread Casserole: Diced tomatoes, kidney beans, onions, cornmeal, nondairy milk, sugar, and unsweetened applesauce make this a complete dish that can be prepared gluten free, dairy free, and meat-free. Just make sure that you pick up a nondairy milk substitute and double check your seasoning to make sure it doesn’t contain gluten.
  • Veggie Couscous: Couscous is one of the best bases for a main course that’s gluten free and delicious. Dress up your couscous with onions, cabbage, squash, chickpeas, sliced almonds, tomatoes, zucchini, and plenty of spice to make a complete dish with protein, grains, and veggies.
  • Millet Pasta with Eggplant and Sundried Tomato: Who says the gluten-free can’t enjoy a little bit of pasta? Gluten-free friends have discovered tons of way to make pasta without gluten, using millet or flax to create the classic Italian dish. Try making some millet spaghetti and pairing it with baked eggplant and sundried tomato for a colorful and delicious main course.

Serve your main courses with a vibrant green side-salad for some added veggies and enjoy your entrées with a nice glass of wine of your choice.

Desserts

Have you left enough room for dessert? It’s time for the best part of the menu planner: dessert! Even if you have gluten free or vegetarian friends, you can still serve a wonderfully delectable dessert. Check out these suggestions from our free menu planner:

  • Banana Brûlée: This take on fried bananas will make everyone swoon with delight. Simply cut a banana in half, line it with sugar, and take a propane torch to it until the fire creates a beautifully golden crust. Guests will be wowed by your torching skills!
  • Chocolate Nut Clusters: Instead of serving up cake, serve some chocolate nut clusters, comprised of hazelnuts, all natural coconut flakes, sugar, and chocolate (without milk added). These clusters will satiate everyone’s sweet tooth without dairy or gluten.
  • Fruit salad: Everyone is thankful at a party when at least one healthy dish is served. Dessert doesn’t have to be chocolate-y or rich to satiate our sweet cravings. Fruit salads are a colorful and delicious way to appeal with those with food allergies, gluten allergies, or other food preferences. Dice cherries, pineapple, or whatever is in season and crack open a fresh coconut to put coconut shavings on top.

There are options that appeal to everyone when it comes to planning out our menus for a party. After all, we should cater to the masses when we’re planning a party. Hopefully, this free menu planner has inspired you to create a menu of your own!

Easy Meal Planning: Guide to Perishable Foods and Preventing Food Waste

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No one likes to see food waste away in the fridge. As we all know, food waste is considered a huge problem in America. A study in Tompkins Country, NY, showed that 40 % of food waste occurred in the home and another study by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab found that 93% of respondents acknowledge buying foods they never use. Books have been written about it, research has been procured, and plans to convert our enormous amounts of wasted food into energy have been initiated–yet still, the average American wastes much of their food.

While letting food go to waste may be bad for the environment, it’s also bad for our wallets. When we throw a head of lettuce or some rotten apples in the garbage, we’re really throwing our money right into the dumpster. Instead of letting food rot in the fridge, gauge your easy meal planning based on the shelf-life or fridge-life of fruits and veggies. This will allow you to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your grocery shopping and, most importantly, adequately meal plan. If you buy an extremely perishable vegetable, for example, you should put it in your meals at the beginning of the week, whereas veggies with more longevity can be eaten on the weekend.

Fruits and Veggies that You Should Eat First

These produce items are healthy and wonderful buys, but you should plan to put them in meals that occur at the beginning of the week. If you’re doing your grocery shopping on the weekend, for example, plan on serving or eating these fruits in the beginning of the week. Plan to eat these fruits and veggies straight out of the grocery cart, as they’ll perish in a heartbeat:

  • Artichokes: Great for making artichoke dips or even eating with a drizzle of olive oil straight off the grill, they’ll start tasting a bit funky after about five days.
  • Asparagus: Raw asparagus is best used within two to three days for maximum freshness.
  • Avocados: If you’ve already cut an avocado, take out the pit and rub the surface generously with lemon juice to prevent browning. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. The avocado probably won’t last any longer than 36 hours.
  • Bananas: Buy your bananas a bit green at the grocery story if you plan on using them later in the week. Don’t throw out your old bananas! Overripe bananas can be used to make banana breads, muffins, or even banana ice cream.
  • Basil: Wrap the ends of basil in a wet paper towel to keep them moist. Even with proper refrigeration and storage, basil won’t last any longer than 4-5 days.
  • Green beans: This versatile veggie with probably only last in your fridge for several days without getting a rather off-putting sticky film. Not attractive. Plan to make your green bean casserole at the beginning of the week to avoid this refrigerator mess.
  • Mushrooms: Mushrooms, like green beans, are going to get a bit slimy if they’re bad. Make your mushroom-cream sauces or throw sautéed mushrooms into an omelet but don’t keep ‘em past five days.
  • Strawberries: Alas, this vitamin C-filled treasure is extremely perishable, only lasting us about 6 days, at best. Make strawberries into ice cream to preserve them, whip up some strawberry jam, or just throw the bulk of them into a fruit smoothie before they go bad.

Fruits and Veggies with Longevity for Easy Meal Planning

Plan to use these fruits and veggies at the end of the week. They’ll taste just as good as when you bought them!

  • Apples: Apples last weeks and weeks. Store your apples in a crisper drawer of your fridge to retain maximum freshness. When they’re getting a little testy, slice them and make them into applesauce.
  • Oranges: Oranges will last you about 4 weeks, whether you store them at room temperature or in the fridge.
  • Blueberries: When you’re blueberries are getting to the point of questionability, you can freeze them on a cookie sheet, then put them into a Ziploc bag. Use your frozen blueberries as ice cubes for lemonade in the summers–they’ll last for six months or so. Fresh berries should be eaten within about 9 days.
  • Grapefruit: Grapefruit keeps for about 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Eat with plain sugar, throw it in a fruit salad, or make a grapefruit cocktail.
  • Lemons: The basic rule of thumb for lemons is that they’re fine until they don’t look fine (shriveled, moldy, or brown). Throw leftover lemons in your drinks for a kick of vitamin C. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
  • Pears: Pears are great until they’re a bit yellow or soft. You’ll know that a pear is still good to eat when it has a great aroma and it’s barely tender.

Keep in mind that you can always get frozen veggies or canned fruits for your extremely perishable goods. When you’re drafting out your easy meal planning, make sure that you keep perishable produce in mind and plan from there. Knowing your food timelines will make easy meal planning easier than ever!

 

Meal Planning: Using Every Part of the Chicken

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There is a reason why people respond, “Tastes like chicken” to just about every delicious food. Chicken tastes great! Luckily, it’s extremely healthy, high in protein (about 67.6 % of the daily value in just 4 ounces), cancer-protective B vitamin Niacin (about 78% of the daily value), and Selenium, which is an essential component of several major metabolic pathways. Chicken is also versatile and can help us avoid wasting money on food left uneaten. Avoid food waste by using every part of the chicken. We’ll show you how, it’s easy:

  1. First, eat the chicken itself. Unwrap it, remove the neck and gizzards (making sure to save them for later) and treat the skin with whatever spices or herbs you prefer. Grilling the chicken is a great way to get a smoky, flavorful effect. Cut off the tastiest parts of the chicken, like the breasts, legs, and thighs, and serve with a side of grilled asparagus, blanched broccoli, or some pasta. Easy as pie.
  2. The carcass will still have a bit of meat on it — extract the pieces of cooked meat and save them in a baggie in the freezer. This stuff is the perfect base for any chicken dish, like a casserole, soup, or chicken salad.
  3. Throw the leftover carcass in a big pot with pepper, onion, celery, and carrots, and make homemade chicken stock, which can be used for any of your soups. Homemade chicken stock is substantially healthier than store-bought and you’ll taste the difference when you serve your soups. Just freeze your stock in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and defrost in the fridge when you’re ready to make a risotto, chicken noodle soup, or chicken pot pie.

Check it out: All three meals probably only cost you about $12 total. Wow! Now that’s a deal. All it takes is a little bit of meal planning to use every scrap of the chicken and avoid some major food waste.

 

Appetite-Curbing Foods for Your Diet Menu Plans

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If you’re just embarking on your diet, you may find it difficult to stick to your calorie limitations and avoid that chocolate cupcake. Instead of clutching your tummy with hunger, why not curb your appetite a bit? And no, we don’t mean by taking crazy diet pills. There are items that you can find at your grocery store that naturally suppress appetite. Next time you’re planning your diet menu plan, use these natural suppressants.

  • Salads before lunch and dinner: If you want to avoid overeating, try eating a small salad before a meal. The fiber helps slow the entrance of glucose into the bloodstream, making you less likely to be hungry. According to one study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, when 42 women ate a simple 100-calorie salad before dinner, they consumed 12 percent less calories during the meal, even without trying to diet or limit their intake.
  • Tea: Certain teas, like yerba mate and green tea are widely known to be appetite suppressants. They are also beneficial to digestion and they reduce thirst. If you’re still hungry after a meal, just drink a cup of green tea, instead and you’ll feel just as satisfied.

  • Soups: Another meal for your diet menu plan is soup. Weight loss and appetite control is all about staying hydrated, and soup helps us do just that. In fact, Research at Pennsylvania State University shows that men and women consuming two servings of low-calorie soup daily lost a whopping 50% more weight than those consuming the exact same number of calories with snack foods. Of course, favor lighter soups, like chicken noodle or miso soup, over their creamier counterparts, like clam chowder or cream of mushroom soup.
  • Powders: Protein takes longer for the body to break down, so it naturally keeps us fuller for longer. Try putting protein powder, like whey protein, in a breakfast shake to keep you full until lunchtime.
  • Apples: If you need something sweet on your diet menu plan, try having baked cinnamon apple slices. This high-fiber food will require extra chewing time, signifying to your brain that you’re full sooner than with other foods. The fiber will also help you stay full for longer, much like salads.
  • Flaxseeds: Toss flaxseeds in salads, throw them in smoothies, or sprinkle them over veggies for a filling addition. Flaxseeds keep us full because they have plenty of fiber. In addition they have omega-3 acids and treat many ailments, including ADHD, bladder infections, and high cholesterol.

Next time you’re planning out your menu for weight loss, implement these foods into your menu to suppress your appetite and help you lose weight without feeling hungry. Stay hydrated, eat your veggies, and keep these appetite suppressants in mind and you’ll be slim and trim in no time.