Pastor Rick Warren lost 60 pounds and helped his congregation to collectively lose about 250,000 pounds last year with Saddleback Church’s weight loss program. And as he plans to shed 30 more pounds this year, he is encouraging other churches to use the Daniel Plan’s website.

Churches can now download a six-week study guide and DVDs from the website of the Daniel Plan, which Warren launched in January 2011.

The website offers guidance and educational resources with numerous suggested foods, a sample two-week plan, recipes and menus, besides supporting subscribers with professional doctors, small-group studies, tools, resources, and an online community.

Earlier last year, we reported that Rick Warren had been criticized for using a doctor to help him lose weight who supposedly promoted “unbiblical values.”  “The Daniel Plan” may well be Warren’s answer to that criticism.  To find out more about The Daniel Plan, go to this website.

Warren planned the program with cardiac surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, brain expert Dr. Daniel Amen, and metabolism expert Dr. Mark Hyman.   He decided to lose weight and help his parishioners lose weight in November 2010, when he baptized over 800 people and realized how heavy they were–and how heavy he was.   The below video outlines “The Daniel Plan.”



The plan says that losing weight helps you to glorify God with a healthy temple.   The site also says “The Daniel Plan is not a diet. It’s a lifestyle. By addressing the causes of illness rather than the symptoms, you can treat, and in some cases, reverse a wide variety of chronic illnesses. With discipline and motivation, you can sustain your physical and spiritual health for a lifetime! And it will become contagious! Learn how to make The Daniel Plan yours for life.”

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View full sizeMichael Lloyd/The OregonianKen Gordon, owner of Kenny and Zuke’s Deli, was diagnosed with diabetes early this year. He will keep a diary of his efforts to help improve his condition with diet and exercise.

So my Jan. 12 visit to Portland naturopath Martin Milner — at the urging of my wife, and my first doctor’s appointment in seven years — for a routine physical came as quite a shock.

After analyzing my blood work-up, Dr. Milner informed me that my cholesterol levels and triglycerides were high, and that I also had borderline high blood pressure. This I already knew. What he also told me, and was news to me, was that I was diabetic. Type 2. Me, whose idea of moderation was cutting back at breakfast from six slices of bacon to four.

After a half-hour of self-pity and a couple of “what’ll I do’s,” I took account of my life and made some crucial decisions. First, I was going to beat this thing. This was not born out of false heroics or gratuitous boasts, but out of pure necessity and self-interest: I intended to go on living. Second, I realized that I’m perfectly suited to tackle this problem. I’m determined, almost to a fault. I’m optimistic. (Being in the restaurant business for 34 years is pretty much the definition of optimism.) And, I’m a project-oriented person by nature, having opened or helped open 11 restaurants to date, and thrive on challenges.

Except now, I was the project!

Within an hour of my diagnosis I devised a plan: I would embark on the first diet of my 57 years on this planet. Now, as a somewhat accomplished chef, I figured that if anyone could make a diet taste good and be satisfying, it would be me. And though I had quit my three-fourths-pack-a-day cigarette habit seven years ago, I was recently backsliding with a few smokes here and there. That stopped immediately. As for exercise, I’d always done it sporadically until I got bored by the routine, hurt myself or got too busy. Not anymore. Now, it would be a 2-mile brisk walk daily, to start with. Every day. Plus some vitamins and fish oil and various anti-oxidants.

The goal, to lose 40-50 pounds, get healthier and reverse the diabetes in a span of six months to a year. Max.

I’d like to take you with me through this journey. With descriptions of my regimen, the progress and backslides in my condition and efforts, maybe some recipes, some discoveries, some tips. The effects on my marriage and family and friendships. Some recommendations for eating out and satisfying substitutions for the things I crave. Some doubts and revelations.

I believe that who I am and how I’ve lived make me uniquely qualified to write this. First, we caught the disease in its fairly early stages. I’m also not, to put it bluntly, too far gone. I’m overweight, but not severely. I’m out of shape but remember what it was to be in shape. I love food, and I’ve never been on a diet and, in general, disdain them and refuse to do completely without the foods I love.

This will not, in fact, be a “diet,” but a change in the way I eat, the way I look at food. Part of why I’m doing this is to get myself in good enough shape to indulge in the occasional burger or side of bacon or pastrami sandwich, though in perhaps a smaller portion size and less frequently. I think there are a lot of people with whom this will resonate. People who are in my condition, or on their way there or a bit past it.

Why do this? I think it will help some people. Give them a perspective they can relate to. Perhaps encourage them to examine their condition and lives a bit. The key is moderation — not deprivation — and it’s OK to indulge once in a while. Just not daily and grossly.

There’s a risk in going public with my condition, à la Paula Deen, whom I’ll deal with in another column. Can I really now extol a lifestyle of health and moderation while continuing to serve delicious, fat-laden food at Kenny Zuke’s, and expect my business to continue to grow and prosper? On one level, I feel a bit like Hugh Hefner endorsing abstinence. But I think it’s not a contradiction, and that a healthy diet and occasional indulgences can coexist. But we’ll delve into this and other questions in future columns.

I hope readers will find the columns entertaining and helpful in dealing with their own health and dietary challenges. Each of us has different issues, but we all share the dilemma of how to remain healthy and live long lives while still enjoying the things we love.

I think both are possible.

Next: The new me: What I can, can’t, will, won’t and have to eat: Part 1.

– Any questions about Ken’s regimen or, well, anything? Email him at kgnyport@aol.com 

It may seem like many of the kids at school talk about the latest popular diet and weight loss plans. These fad diets usually restrict your food choices and might require special foods, pills, or supplements, too. In return, the promise of a quick and easy way to lose weight probably sounds good. But, a fad diet will always go out of style.

“A lot of teens try every diet out there and feel like failures when they don’t work,” says Linda Schander, LRD, CDE, outpatient dietitian with Sanford Health Eating Disorders Institute, Fargo, N.D. That’s because fad diets are too good to be true.

Like other teens, you may jump from one fad diet to another, and another, hoping you’ll find the right weight loss diet plan. But, you may not even need to lose weight.

For many overweight teens, the first step is to simply hold your current weight. If you’re still growing, as you get taller your weight will spread out and that will lower your BMI (body mass index), which is a measure of your body fat. Increasing your activity, choosing healthy foods, and limiting your portion sizes will help you stop gaining more weight. And that alone could be enough.

In fact, newer science shows the whole concept of “dieting” doesn’t really work for anyone to lose weight or even stay at a healthy weight. Fad diets, at best, offer a temporary fix. Almost everyone who goes on a fad diet gains back every pound they lose — and sometimes more.

The problem is that many people think of a “diet” as short-term. But it really isn’t. What works best to lose weight, scientists find now, is an overall healthy lifestyle plan. It’s not just about what to eat today and tomorrow and while you’re “on a diet.” It’s about learning how to eat well all the time. It’s about how to make healthy choices that help you for the rest of your life.

Plus, fad diets fail to meet kids’ nutritional needs, Schander says. The poor nutrition you get from a fad diet can cause many health problems. While you’re on a fad diet, you run the risk of becoming dehydrated, having diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and headaches, or feeling tired all the time. In the long run, a fad diet could lead to weak bones, anemia, or keep you from growing as tall as you should.

A good, healthy diet, which should be part of your larger healthy living plan, is one that you — and your body — can live with over the long haul, not just a few weeks. It includes balanced nutrition from a variety of foods, which will give your body and brain energy to move and think. The right healthy living plan will also help you learn skills, like how to be physically active, to help you get to a healthy BMI and stay there.

How can you tell if your weight loss plan is a healthy or harmful one? Try This: Is It a Fad Diet?

Facing questions from the Opposition in the House of Commons about newly released internal records showing she killed a government plan in 2009 to impose strict limits on trans fats in food products after the voluntary approach didn’t get the job done, Aglukkaq said she won’t add a “regulatory burden” to industry.

Aglukkaq’s predecessor, Tony Clement, gave the industry two years to meet targets established by the government’s trans fat task force or face regulations.

When the two-year mark passed in 2009, Health Canada concluded regulations were needed and developed a plan for mandatory limits to be in place by the fall of 2011, records obtained by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest under access to information show.

“Despite progress made” voluntarily by the food industry, “Health Canada recognizes that further action is needed,” Aglukkaq said in the draft release prepared on Oct. 1, 2011. It was titled “Health Canada announces regulations to limit trans fat in Canadian foods.”

After that was shelved, top officials at Health Canada pressed Aglukkaq at a ministerial briefing in December 2009 to “move forward with regulations,” saying the move made fiscal sense and was good for public health.

In addition to a “net benefit” of $5 billion to $9 billion over 20 years, the department estimated the move would prevent more than 12,000 heart attacks.

Aglukkaq rejected the recommendation, the records show.

“Health experts are clear, the provinces are onboard and families are trying to make healthier choices for their kids. In fact, there was a plan in place but the large food companies complained and, guess what, the minister killed it. In 2009, the minister wrote, ‘further action is needed.’ Can the minister tell us if she was wrong then or is she wrong now?” NDP health critic Libby Davies asked Aglukkaq during question period Tuesday.

Saying Aglukkaq’s record on the file “lacks conviction,” deputy health critic Anne Minh-Thu Quach added that the move is “irresponsible and goes against her prior commitments.”

Aglukkaq defended her decision, saying the industry has made “real progress” in reducing trans fats in processed foods. “I have also instructed my department to engage with stakeholders to identify the challenges and how best to overcome them without adding a regulatory burden,” Aglukkaq added.

The final data of Health Canada’s Trans Fat Monitoring Program, released in December 2009, showed that 73 per cent of pre-packages foods selected for review met the targets, but the success rate in some categories — like pre-packaged baked goods — were dismal.

For example, 75 per cent of croissants failed to meet the target, compared with 67 per cent of doughnuts, 64 per cent of pies and 55 per cent of brownies.

The compliance rate was higher for other snacks, but still showed a significant percentage of products failing to meet Health Canada’s target, set at no more than two per cent trans in the fat content of vegetable oils and spreadable margarine and five per cent in all other foods. This included 42 per cent of popcorn products and 35 per cent of packaged cookies.

Trans fats, created by pumping hydrogen into liquid oil at an elevated temperature, raise the levels of low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol in the body and can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease.

In 2004, the House of Commons passed an NDP motion calling on the government to regulate trans fats. Most Liberal MPs and 18 Conservative MPs voted for the motion.

sschmidt@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/SarahSchmidtPN

TAMPA, Fla., Feb 08, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Neutra Corp.


/quotes/zigman/5770282 NTRR
-20.00%



, an emerging nutraceuticals provider, is
excited to announce that clinical trials are now underway on its debut
weight-loss supplement, Pure Plus.

Volunteers will test the supplement by taking a single dose once a day.
One group will test the regular Pure Plus formulation and the other
group will be given the supplement with the addition of the sub-atomic
Bio-energy infusion. Neither group will know which of the formulas they
have received. The trials will take 30 days to complete and results will
be compiled within 30 days after test conclude.

Once testing and analysis are complete, NTRR will begin plans for the
retail launch of Pure Plus. The revolutionary supplement will be the
first in a product line of superior, all-natural nutraceuticals that the
company is working to offer consumers as quickly as possible.

Neutra Corp. is developing Pure Plus and other new products to compete
in the fast-growing nutraceuticals industry alongside Herbalife Ltd.



/quotes/zigman/361145/quotes/nls/hlf HLF
+0.03%



, Vitamin Shoppe


/quotes/zigman/562145/quotes/nls/vsi VSI
+0.66%



, Nutraceutical International
Corp.


/quotes/zigman/66543/quotes/nls/nutr NUTR
-0.42%



and Schiff Nutrition International Inc.


/quotes/zigman/1493163/quotes/nls/wni WNI
+2.61%



.

For more information on NTRR’s nutraceuticals initiative, please visit
www.neutracorp.com/investors .

Follow NTRR on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/neutracorp .

About Neutra Corp.

Neutra Corp. (
www.neutracorp.com )
is a healthy lifestyle company that specializes in the development and
marketing of nutritional supplements, nutrient boosters, herbal remedies
and other natural wellness solutions. The company is currently working
to produce a full range of products to address every component of a
healthy lifestyle, including muscle building, weight loss and general
wellness through a daily nutrition regimen. For investing information
and performance data, please visit
www.neutracorp.com/investors .

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking information within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
including statements that include the words “believes,” “expects,”
“anticipate” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that
may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company
to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. In addition, description of anyone’s past
success, either financial or strategic, is no guarantee of future
success. This news release speaks as of the date first set forth above
and the company assumes no responsibility to update the information
included herein for events occurring after the date hereof.

SOURCE: Neutra Corp.

        Neutra Corp.
        Cindy Morrissey, 713-821-1486
        President and CEO
        info@neutracorp.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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“Next Wave Fitness was born out of my own struggle to live in a healthful and satisfying way. Through a series of small, positive changes that I made to my life, I went from stressed-out and perpetually overweight, no matter how frantically I exercised, to balanced and content. I learned about organic natural food and how to make the healthiest meals that still tasted good, and also received training in physical education. I was my own first client, and now it’s my goal to work with other women who are unhappy with their lives and often find that they act negatively towards themselves, whether by eating emotionally or over-exercising as a form of self-punishment. Through my different plans, I work one-on-one with clients to help make healthier lifestyle adjustments and also end the cycle of negativity,” said the healthy lifestyle coach and President of the diet and fitness training program, Maripili Rodriguez.

The holistic physical fitness program is unique and notably stands out from other diet and exercise plan offerings because of its three-prong, holistic focus. Nutrition is the first focal point of the program, which encompasses custom menus, diet plans, and advice on cooking healthfully without neglecting flavor. The program’s second aspect is fitness, with each client receiving exercise tips and strategies based on personal goals, whether the client is aiming to run a mile or a marathon. The third focus of the program is perhaps its most distinguishing aspect; working to foster a positive mindset, Rodriguez helps her clients maintain self-confidence while conquering fear of failure and other obstacles.

Next Wave Fitness’ new line of diet and exercise plan programming starts with the Beginner Plan, which was designed especially for women who are relatively new to fitness and are eager for exercise tips and ideas on how to portion control, in addition to making other healthy lifestyle changes. With a focus particularly on mending negative relationships with food, the Beginner Plan helps clients learn how to order food in restaurants, recognize binge triggers and disarm them, feel energized without sugar and caffeine, and select the tastiest and most health-enhancing foods. With a gentle and supportive focus on beginning a new, holistic healthy lifestyle, the Beginner Plan is an ideal first-step for those who have less experience meeting fitness and health goals.

The wellness program continues with its Intermediate Plan, designed for women who have some background in physical fitness and positive eating techniques but who are looking for new guidance and tips to maintain their focus. The aim of the Intermediate Plan is to continue to mix-and-match healthy foods in delicious ways, to supercharge metabolism, and to gain a clearer sense of portion control and satiation with an additional focus on maintaining fulfilling relationships within the personal realm.

Next Wave Fitness is also promoting its third and final diet and exercise plan, the Maintenance Program. Created specifically for women who want to break out of a rut and rejuvenate efforts to lead a healthier life, the plan is a good way to enhance a mindful and balanced life with the quickest and healthiest meals and fitness tips well-suited for busy parents and professionals.

All of Next Wave Fitness’ plans are available in three, six, nine, or 12-month packages, and include monthly menus, personalized diet plans, unlimited email support, and regular consultation sessions. Women interested in pursuing a new weight management program are additionally eligible to download a complimentary copy of Rodriguez’s book, the Health Lifestyle Starter Kit, instantly online.

To connect with the wellness and physical fitness program for a free quote, go online at http://www.NextWaveFitness.com or call 855-WAVE-855. Next Wave Fitness also maintains a social presence on Facebook and Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/NextWaveFitness and http://twitter.com/NextWaveFitness.

###

When Janet Holwell first joined Weight Watchers seven years ago, she lost 43 pounds in one year and considered the popular commercial weight-loss plan “miraculous.”

“I felt like I had found the magic key, the secret that eluded me all of these years,” said Ms. Holwell, who has maintained most of her weight loss by continuing to adhere to the program.

But the magic disappeared when Weight Watchers overhauled its weight-loss plan little over a year ago. Under the new system, called Points Plus, Ms. Holwell, has not been able to lose the five pounds she recently gained.

“It just doesn’t work for me,” said Ms. Holwell, 61, a research consultant who attends weekly Weight Watchers meetings in Middle Village and Glendale, Queens.

Millions of people around the world belong to Weight Watchers International, ranked best commercial diet plan by U.S. News World Report last year, and even nonmembers look to it for guidance and recommendations. It is best known for its points system, which assigns specific values to different foods and permits each member a daily allotment. At its weekly group meetings, healthy eating and exercise are emphasized over rapid-fire results.

The latest iteration of the weight-loss plan, called Points Plus, was intended to steer people toward more healthy food choices, encouraging people to eat more fresh fruits by giving them zero points, as most vegetables already were. But many longtime members who were familiar with the earlier plan, like Ms. Holwell, have been grumbling about slow weight loss under the revised plan.

“I have been doing Points Plus for about a month and keep gaining and losing the same few pounds,” a commenter at one weight-loss Web site complained shortly after the new plan was introduced. Others chimed in to reassure her she was not alone.

In December, in a move that seemed to acknowledge the difficulty many dieters were having with the new system, Weight Watchers recommended that all members consider reducing their daily food intake, or points allotment, by 10 percent, not counting fruits and vegetables. (For those who’ve missed a few meetings, that means most women might cut their daily Points Plus allotment to 26 per day, down from 29.)

Although Weight Watchers officials say the change in points allotments was optional — that members could adjust their daily points up or down — and insist that it was not a response to members’ failure to lose weight, many longtime members unhappy with the newer plan say they feel vindicated. “I think they miscalculated,” Ms. Holwell said.

Many members said they were not given a choice. “One day we came in and they said there were changes, and suddenly I had 26 points,” said a member in New York City who asked that her name not be published to avoid alienating those in her group.

Company officials insist that the only reason Weight Watchers modified the plan was because they had become convinced members were getting more than adequate nourishment under the new plan and would not be harmed by eating less.

“We chose to be conservative when we introduced the plan, because we wanted to make sure that the things we stand for, nutritional health and well-being, weren’t going to be compromised,” said Karen Miller-Kovach, a registered dietitian who is chief scientific officer of Weight Watchers.

Still, she said the company had been following the progress of members who use online tracking tools and had found that dieters have been gaming the new system. “People were having to circumvent the system in order to lose weight at a healthy rate,” she said.

Judy Weinstein, a Manhattan opera director in her 50s, has attended Weight Watchers meetings regularly for nearly eight years and is very committed to the program. But while she found it enormously helpful when she first joined, losing 33 pounds, she has had less success with Points Plus.

So six months ago, she committed what was once the ultimate Weight Watchers no-no and cut her own points allotment. That Weight Watchers has now suggested this for all members, but as an option instead of providing clear guidance, disturbs her.

“That’s not really helpful,” Ms. Weinstein said. “People wouldn’t be here if they could do it on their own.”

Fruit has been a particular conundrum for dieters on the new plan. As fresh fruit “costs” zero points, dieters can have as much as they’d like, “within reason,” Ms. Miller-Kovach said. Many members dislike the vagueness of this recommendation, since they tend to overeat when left to their own devices. But people who are overweight did not become fat because they binged on fresh fruit, said Elizabeth Josefsberg, who leads meetings in New York City.

“You know how it is with a cookie — you want six cookies,” she said. “When you finish a banana, you don’t say, ‘Gosh, I want another banana.’ ”

Other experts are less sanguine. “No single dietitian I know would count fruit as a ‘free’ food if someone is on a diet and trying to lose weight. You have to account for it,” said Marjorie Nolan, a New York City dietitian who speaks on behalf of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She expressed surprise that even bananas (which used to cost two points under the previous Weight Watchers plan) are zero points.

“That just doesn’t make sense,” she said. “They’re a denser fruit.”

But Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick, vice president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, said there was no evidence that indulging in fruit impedes weight loss.

The reason fruit and most vegetables are zero points is that the formula actually “prepays” those points, Ms. Miller-Kovach said; the daily points allocation already includes an allowance for what the plan has determined is a typical daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. Ms. Miller-Kovach said she could not divulge the number of fruits and vegetables used in the calculation because the information is proprietary and not revealed even to participants.

But since average consumption of fruit is low in this country, usually not reaching the five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day recommended by government health experts, the prepayment may underestimate the effect of more liberal fruit consumption on waistlines.

Results of randomized clinical trials of the new Points Plus program have not been published in peer-reviewed journals. But two brief reports have been presented at scientific meetings on obesity, and the authors found no difference in weight loss between the old and new points plans.

In one of those studies, participants lost an average of 8.2 pounds over 12 weeks and saw significant improvements in their total cholesterol and triglyceride measures. But only 111 overweight adults completed the 12-week trial, and only 55 people were following the new Points Plus program.

Weight Watchers officials said the number of participants was sufficient to provide statistical proof that the new diet system works.

The new Points Plus plan also was evaluated in an earlier unpublished trial, Ms. Miller-Kovach said. And Weight Watchers has been following more than 12,000 members in Germany since the introduction of the new Points Plus program there. So far no differences in weight loss have been found between users of the new and old programs, she said.

The transition to a new system seems to have been traumatic for many members. Ms. Holwell is optimistic that the plan will work again for her but wonders now if it will need further revision.

“The jury is still out on the 26 points,” she said.

Have an idea for a future consumer column? Send an e-mail to consumer@nytimes.com.

This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: February 8, 2012

The Consumer report on Tuesday, about criticism of changes to the Weight Watchers weight-loss program, described the government’s recommendation for daily produce consumption incorrectly. The five to nine servings that people are advised to eat daily involves fruit and vegetables, not just fruit.

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Hello, swimsuit! Bye bye, parka! With the holidays behind us, bathing suit season is just around the corner. To help you get a jumpstart on your beach body, SENSA® Products, LLC has launched the SENSA® Beach Challenge, a 6-month weight-loss challenge designed to help any and everyone get beach-ready by summer.

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SOURCE SENSA Products, LLC

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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Leslie Beck’s Healthy Kitchen (PENGUIN)

Size does matter, especially when it comes to food portions.

“It is really distressing to me to look at the past decade and really see how portion sizes have increased,� says nutritionist Leslie Beck, a well-known Toronto author, columnist and broadcaster.

“You just have to look at the size of a loaf of bread at the grocery store or a muffin at a coffee shop to realize how they have grown,� she says. “So what that means is we are all unknowingly consuming extra calories than we once did because big food is now the norm.�

In her private practice, Beck delivers nutrition workshops to corporate groups as well as providing consultations to businesses and corporate groups across North America.

Her latest book is “Leslie Beck’s Healthy Kitchen: 250 Quick and Delicious Recipes Plus Essential Kitchen Tips� (Penguin Canada, $28, paperback). Her recipe developer is registered dietitian Michelle Gelok.

On the positive side, Beck is heartened somewhat that it appears more Canadians want to improve their diets and lifestyles.

“We are becoming overwhelmed with information on how certain foods can either benefit one’s health or those that are detrimental to our well-being,� she says.

However, although people are trying to improve, “there are still many things in our diet that we are not doing well,� Beck says.

For example, she adds, in many cases fibre intake is still too low and the number of servings of fruits and vegetables are inadequate.

She has included a list of 15 power foods for readers to add to their diets with tips on how to include them in their daily meals.

“They are foods you will want to add to your grocery list and build your meals around,� she says. These include almonds, blueberries, broccoli, dark chocolate, green tea, lentils, kale, steel-cut oats, red bell peppers, quinoa, salmon, soy beans and sweet potatoes.

“Also, I think more people are trying to switch to whole-grain foods,� she says.

Home cooking is suffering because of a perceived lack of time, Beck suggests.

“People are so busy with work, rushing their children off to extracurricular activities, that I don’t think they spend time planning meals or even cooking them because they don’t have the time.â€�

But Beck argues that to make a healthy eating plan work, consumers should take a little time during the weekend to map out weekly dinners and apply this to their grocery shopping.

“Once they do that, they are going to eat better and will be encouraged to try simple easy recipes and realize what a difference it makes in saving time during the week.�

This soothing drink from Beck’s book is ideal when you are feeling under the weather or just want a caffeine-free alternative to tea or coffee. Serve it warm or hot and double the ginger for a spicier version.

Lemon Ginger Infusion

500 ml (2 cups) water

45 ml (3 tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice

15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh ginger root cut into large chunks

In a small saucepan, combine water, lemon juice and ginger root. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and scoop out the pieces of ginger before serving.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional information per 250-ml (1-cup) serving: 8 calories; 0 g fat; 3 g carbohydrate; 8 mg sodium.

Attempting to avoid sweets entirely can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term, explains Prof. Jakubowicz. Adding dessert items to breakfast can control cravings throughout the rest of the day. Over the course of a 32 week-long study, detailed in the journal Steroids, participants who added dessert to their breakfast — cookies, cake, or chocolate — lost an average of 40 lbs. more than a group that avoided such foods. What’s more, they kept off the pounds longer.

The scale tells the tale

A meal in the morning provides energy for the day’s tasks, aids in brain functioning, and kick-starts the body’s metabolism, making it crucial for weight loss and maintenance. And breakfast is the meal that most successfully regulates ghrelin, the hormone that increases hunger, explains Prof. Jakubowicz. While the level of ghrelin rises before every meal, it is suppressed most effectively at breakfast time.

Basing their study on this fact, the researchers hoped to determine whether meal time and composition impacted weight loss in the short and long term, says Prof. Jakubowicz, or if it was a simple matter of calorie count.

One hundred and ninety three clinically obese, non-diabetic adults were randomly assigned to one of two diet groups with identical caloric intake — the men consumed 1600 calories per day and the women 1400. However, the first group was given a low carbohydrate diet including a small 300 calorie breakfast, and the second was given a 600 calorie breakfast high in protein and carbohydrates, always including a dessert item (i.e. chocolate).

Halfway through the study, participants in both groups had lost an average of 33 lbs. per person. But in the second half of the study, results differed drastically. The participants in the low-carbohydrate group regained an average of 22 lbs. per person, but participants in the group with a larger breakfast lost another 15 lbs. each. At the end of the 32 weeks, those who had consumed a 600 calorie breakfast had lost an average of 40 lbs. more per person than their peers.

Realistic in the long run

One of the biggest challenges that people face is keeping weight off in the long-term, says Prof. Jakubowicz. Ingesting a higher proportion of our daily calories at breakfast makes sense. It’s not only good for body function, but it also alleviates cravings. Highly restrictive diets that forbid desserts and carbohydrates are initially effective, but often cause dieters to stray from their food plans as a result of withdrawal-like symptoms. They wind up regaining much of the weight they lost during the diet proper.

Though they consumed the same daily amount of calories, “the participants in the low carbohydrate diet group had less satisfaction, and felt that they were not full,” she says, noting that their cravings for sugars and carbohydrates were more intense and eventually caused them to cheat on the diet plan. “But the group that consumed a bigger breakfast, including dessert, experienced few if any cravings for these foods later in the day.”

Ultimately, this shows that a diet must be realistic to be adopted as part of a new lifestyle. Curbing cravings is better than deprivation for weight loss success, Prof. Jakubowicz concludes.

Source: American Friends of Tel Aviv University