Start Date

I bet you’ve already decided on your resolution for next year.  Lose weight?  Eat healthier?  Quit smoking?  Save money?  Maybe all of the above?

So what’s your plan for the next week?  Party, indulge, eat and drink like it’s your last meal and lay around while you still can? 

We love to have a “start date”.  That day when we start something new, re-start doing what we should, or get back on the wagon.  A start date somewhere in the future gives us hope.  We look toward it with anticipation of the changes it brings, and just know that when the day comes we will face it with all the motivation and determination of Secretariat at Belmont.

Planning for start dates are fun but rarely successful.  According to research conducted by author Stephen Shapiro, only 8% of people are always successful in keeping their resolutions.  

How many times have you started your new diet, bought a new running suit, or thrown that last pack of Marlboro Lights in the trash.   

The problem I’ve had with start dates is the simple fact that the longer I wait to “start (insert resolution here)” the less I really want to do (that thing).  

I’ve found that the minute I realize I need to do something, whether it’s sending a note to a sick friend, calling my mother, or checking on my suspiciously quiet children, the time to act is NOW.  As soon as I let the moment pass, my friend is better, my mom’s out to lunch, and my children have torn apart the couch (really!).  

The same holds true with life goals and aspirations.  

Statistically, people who set resolutions are more likely to make positive changes in their life in general.  My advice to you is this..... don’t wait for January 1.  If you want to lose weight, if you want to invest more time in exercise, start eating well, quit smoking, you name it- if you are ready to make a big change in your life, start today.

Big changes require small steps, taken consistently.  This week, as you prepare to celebrate, think of just one small step you can take to follow your dreams.  

If improving your health through good nutrition and exercise are part of those goals you can find some inspiration in my list of Top 5 Survival Tips for the Holidays.

This day, make a list of 5 things you can do this week to reach your goals.  Make every day your start day, an you’ll have no trouble meeting your resolutions!

Eat Well     www.sickofspaghetti.com   Spend Less

Weight Loss Begins with S-L-E-E-P

Another study has confirmed that sleep is a weight loss aid.   I know what you're thinking. It's hard enough to find the time to make special meals and get to the gym, now I'm expected to work in naps?   

No. 

We SHOULDN'T be making special meals.  We SHOULDN'T be going to the gym, and we SHOULDN'T have to take naps.

Our bodies are designed to work intuitively with our environment, and our environment provides everything that is essential for our bodies to thrive (physically and emotionally).  Naturally, we are meant to feed on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat.  We have the musculature to run, jump, climb and swim.  And we have an internal clock that winds up and slows down in communion with the sun.  We need no special routine if we follow our natural instincts.

Its the unnatural rhythms of  contemporary life that get in our way, and bring us to our current condition.  And the sad truth is, we look at our lives today as "normal".

The study referenced above refers specifically to the timing of sleep- and suggests that people who go to bed earlier (before midnight), sleep longer, make better food choices,  and weigh less.

What, I ask you, is the take home message here?  Is it that we should all start visiting nap pods during our lunch hour, stop by the gym to run like a rat on a wheel, and then go home to our Nutri System frozen meal? 

As we embrace the modern conveniences that continue to evolve in our own brave new world, I would encourage all of you to remember one important thing.  We cannot manipulate nature.

The take home message here is this- give your body what it needs, and it will give you what you want from it.

Nutrition:  We cannot burn calories when we don't have the necessary fuel.  The fuel comes from whole foods, fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products that provide all the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your metabolism needs to work effectively.  Processed foods, sugars, excess salt, preservatives and chemicals slow down metabolism and interfere with nutrient absorption.

Physical Activity:  Just move on a daily basis.  Find activities to use your muscles regularly.  Many of us find we need a gym or fitness class to help in this department.  But don't let that be your crutch.  Add physical recreational activities to your free time as well.


Rest:  Sleeping gives our physical and emotional bodies a restart.  All of the damage we do to ourselves during the day is repaired, and we should wake fresh and ready to go.  Try to follow your bodies natural sleep cycle, and get in bed before 11pm.

Weight loss is much more complicated than eat, play, rest.  But if we start by getting back to the basics, we give our bodies a leg up on the process.

Pina Colada Anyone?

Lose weight with drinks on the beach?  Sounds too good to be true, but scientists are learning what islanders have known for centuries- coconut milk is a good weight loss aid.

Shunned for years in America as an artery-clogging, hip-widening saturated fat, coconut products have been out of vogue for a few decades.  But recent research is shedding light on some unexpected beneficial side effects of coconut milk and coconut oil in our diets - weight loss.

The fat in coconut products is largely in the form of medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s).  Other oils, like olive oil contain mostly long chain triglycerides (LCTs).  The name simply refers to the length of the molecules that make up the fat. 

So far, we know that MCT’s help in weight loss in two ways.  First, they are not converted to fat as easily or rapidly as other fatty acids (like those in olive or canola oil).  Both animal and human studies have shown that  diets rich in MCT’s, when used in place of LCTs, help in weight loss, especially loss of abdominal fat.

Second, MCTs increase the amount of calories burned following a meal (called thermogenesis).  When we eat, our metabolism rises slightly as our bodies digest the meal.  MCTs have been shown to increase our metabolism up to three times greater than other fats.

The good news is that you don’t have to go all the way to Fiji to get the benefits (although don't you want to?).  You can incorporate some coconut into your daily routine with these easy tips:


Use coconut oil in cooking.  Coconut oil has a high smoke point, which makes it great for cooking.  Extra virgin coconut oil is the least processed, and most beneficial, but will impart a slight nutty flavor to your meals.  This goes great with baked goods, and curries.

Refined coconut oil is commonly found on the grocery shelves, and has a milder flavor- more suitable for everyday cooking.  Its important to find a high quality product, though, as some refined coconut oil actually contains hydrogenated oil.  Look for labels that say the oil is refined using a “natural” process.

Coconut milk is an excellent ingredient for smoothies.  Look for canned coconut milk found in the Asian section of the grocery. Read the labels!  Look for products with no added sugar.  The ingredient label should read like this:  coconut milk, water


Here is a great recipe for a Coconut Green Drink, that will make you think you’ve just stepped onto the beach!  You’ll never know its healthy.


Coconut Green Drink
makes one serving
$ 1.20 per serving

This is a great way to start your day!  The good fat from the coconut milk, and healthy carbs and fiber from the fruits and vegetables will keep you full all morning. 

1/3 cup regular coconut milk ( not light- remember, the fat is the good stuff here!!)
2/3 cup filtered water
1/2 cup fresh washed spinach
1/2 cup frozen dark cherries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup frozen banana (optional)


Mix all ingredients into a blender, and enjoy!

Nutrient Analysis

355 calories
4 grams protein
19 grams fat
26 mg sodium
7 grams fiber


Eat Well        www.sickofspaghetti.com        Save Money

Molasses as a Weight Loss Supplement?

Australian researchers are one step closer to discovering a cure for obesity.  Dr. Richard Weisinger and several of his colleagues at La Trobe University in Australia have found that the addition of molasses extract to the food of mice raised on a high fat diet resulted in weight loss and  reductions in body fat.

These researchers discovered that when molasses supplements were added to the mice feed, calories were actually being lost in feces, rather than being absorbed.

According to Dr. Weisinger, “Supplementing food with molasses extract might therefore be a way of tackling the world-wide increase of obesity and metabolic syndrome which has huge cost for our health systems”.

Clinical trials, funded by the Australian Research Council, will begin next year to determine if supplementing with molasses extract really works in humans.

For many, this comes as very good news.  A supplement that will really work to help us lose weight!  A supplement that keeps my body from absorbing calories?!

But stop and think about this for a minute.  Remember Alli (Orlistat)?  This is a supplement that works by preventing our bodies from absorbing fat.  Sounded great right?  Or how about the fat replacer- Olestra- designed to make our favorite chips and snacks fat-free?

“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!”

If you’re old enough to remember the old Chiffon Margarine commercials, you’ve witnessed the transitions from real food to fake, processed foods, and have likely been affected by it personally.

Side effects of Alli include “gas with an oily anal discharge”, and “hard to control bowel movements”.  We see the same effects of Olestra (found in fat free potato chips and nacho corn chips).

What might the side effects of another supplement that blocks absorption of calories be?  Are you willing to find out?

More importantly, we need to look at the BIG picture.  These researchers report that they have added this supplement to foods that as part of a high fat diet fed to mice.  If we translate that into human terms, its like adding a weight loss supplement to boxes of Hamburger Helper...........................(let that really sink in for a moment)

Its like trying to fight a fire with water, while feeding it with gasoline at the same time.

Even if we are able to produce a product that will prevent half the calories from a slice of pizza or piece of pie, are we really helping ourselves?

One of the things we often overlook when it comes to weight loss is the power of nutrition.  Our bodies are complex machines that require just the right balance of nutrients to work effectively.  Too many diets fail because of a lack of nutrients, limiting the metabolic processes that dictate how our food calories are used or deposited.

While there is no one-size fits all weight loss approach, there are basic nutritional needs that are universal, and these needs have been provided for us in nature.

To read how people have used the power of nutrition to lose weight and cure disease, click here.

Let these stories encourage you, and remind you that we will never win the battle of the bulge armed with artificial foods and meals that were created in labs.  As you walk through this struggle remember this, we can never outdo nature!






Eat Well       www.sickofspaghetti.com        Spend Less

Dads Responsible for Kids' Obesity???????

New research is supporting an idea that moms have known for years.  Dads are responsible for encouraging bad habits in children.

Actually, what the authors of a new study have suggested is that fathers are more likely than mothers to have an impact on their children’s obesity, as fathers tend to be more lenient regarding food choices. 

Specifically, the study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, looked at parents’ use of time and how it impacted meal choices, and found that fathers are more likely to indulge their children with fast food, which is linked to weight gain.

Some have speculated that dads choose fast food to please their children, others feel it has more to do with laziness, that dads would rather go through a drive thru than make a home cooked meal.  Regardless of the motive, many of us moms know that dad’s food choices tend to be in conflict with the healthy habits we try to instill in our children.

So maybe now we can be a bit vindicated in having some real scientific proof that the dads need to wizen up!!!

According to Alex McIntosh, study leader, “Traditionally academics have blamed mothers for everything that goes wrong with children, especially when it comes to food” and suggests that fathers need to be the “target of education just like mothers.”

The thing is, we all know that fast food is bad for us and that cause weight gain.  Fathers, you don’t get a pass this time for lack of information. 

There are many ways to treat your children, but giving them something that is harmful is not one of them.  Here are a few great ways you can spend quality time with your children, while instilling healthy habits at the same time.

Picnics at the park- Kids love picnics, and they’ll even pack their own meal.  It doesn’t have to be spectacular.  Let them decide what goes into the sack, but give them guidelines, like 1-protein 1- whole grain, and 1 fruit or vegetable, and water or a low sugar drink


‘Make your own’ night-  Kids enjoy cooking, so have a night in which the kids make dinner.  Make it simple, like eggs and toast with fruit salad, or have a baked potato bar loaded with great toppings like leftover chicken, broccoli, cheese and salsa


A family walk after dinner-  Dads - give busy moms a break and enjoy time with the kids at the same time by taking them for a walk after dinner.  You will be teaching your children good habits that will last a lifetime, and remind your wife that you really are a rock-star!!!
Are dads really responsible for their children’s weight problems?  Of course not!  But we do need to recognize the influence we have over our children, and take every opportunity to encourage good health. 

For more ideas on how to keep our kids healthy through good nutrition and fitness, visit


Eat Well        www.sickofspaghetti.com         Spend Less

Portion Control can Help You Lose a Pound a Week!

Portion control, or limiting the amount of food we eat in one sitting,  is one of the most effective ways to lose weight.  We all know that if we just left a little more on our plates every time, the pounds would melt off, but for some reason we just don’t do it.

Here are a few tips that can help you meet your goal.

1-  Use smaller plates and glasses- have you ever noticed how a child will often leave the dinner table with food on her plate? At some point in our lives, we have learned to override our internal cues for hunger and satiety and will typically eat everything on our plates.  Switching from a large dinner plate to a salad plate can help you cut your calorie intake by 20%, which can mean big gains, or rather losses, in the weight loss battle.

2-  Use portion controlled serving utensils - I love ice cream scoops- they make portioning so easy.  Whether I want to make sure that I’m getting enough of a vegetable portion, or not too much of a starch, I can get the right portion every time.


3-  Never eat out of the bag - when you want a snack, make sure you put your portion into a separate, appropriately sized container,and put the original container back in the pantry.  This helps avoid eating the whole bag.


4- Portion snacks into bags immediately after purchase- also, when I get home from the grocery store with a bag of snacks, I often make the time right then to portion out the entire bag into reasonable snack-sized bags, eliminating any concerns of eating too much at one time.  This is really helpful for keeping costs down with your children’s snacks too!

If large portions are your problem area, putting these four tips into practice could help you lose up to a pound a week, without “dieting” or depriving yourself!

Eat Well            www.sickofspaghetti.com           Spend Less           

3, 5, or 6 meals a day????

Are you trying to lose weight and confused about how to plan your meals.  Not sure whether you should eat 3 regular meals a day or 5-6 small meals a day? Well Iʼm hereto tell you the best answer depends on you.

The practice of eating 5-6 small meals has been recommended for itʼs metabolism raising benefits. Our metabolism rises about 10% after every meal, due to the extra work of converting the meal to energy- this is referred to as the thermic effect of food.

The fact is, however we divide up our calories, the total calorie level we take in should remain the same, and therefore, the  overall thermic effect of food will be the same, whether we have 3 or 6 meals.

So the real answer to the question - should I eat 6 small meals or 3 regular meals a day really depends on your personal preferences, your schedule, and your lifestyle. Some days you may find yourself only getting to a meal 3 times, while other days you find yourself grazing all day. The best eating plan for losing weight and keeping it off is one you will keep for a lifetime.