One of the most common frustrations in weight loss is when all progress halts and your weight levels off. Unfortunately, weight plateaus are quite common.

That’s because as you lose weight, your metabolism typically slows and you may need to adjust your caloric intake to a lower level. Simply put: the smaller you are, the fewer calories you burn.

If you’re diligently sticking with your plan and your weight is at a standstill, consider trimming 200 daily calories. Here are four simple strategies for breaking through a weight plateau:

1) Boost Your Metabolism
Since your metabolism naturally slows down as you lose weight, exercise is the obvious way to keep it stoked. Try adding an extra 10 to 15 minutes of cardio-exercise to your daily routine - you’ll burn at least 50 additional calories. Also, add two to three days of strength training.

As your weight goes down, you not only lose fat but also a small amount of muscle. Since muscle is critical to keeping your metabolism revved, losing it can reduce your metabolic rate and hinder weight loss. Strength training helps to preserve/build muscle and revs your metabolism.

2) Check Portion Sizes, Get Rid of Extras
After following a diet for a few weeks, we often loosen up and begin to grab this and that. It’s amazing how much extra food we can munch on without realizing it - so eat mindfully and consider keeping a food log for accountability. Also, pay attention to your beverages (alcohol included) - as well as what’s going into your coffee and tea. And get out your measuring cups and food scale again. Most dieters routinely underestimate portion sizes.

3) Remove All Starchy Carbs With Dinner
You’ll save a few calories when you omit pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, corn, and peas from your dinner. Instead, fill up on lean protein and lots of plain (no fat added) non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots, peppers, spinach, cauliflower, zucchini, and lettuce.

4) Don’t Eat After 8 p.m.
Try to eliminate nighttime snacking for a few weeks. When you’re through eating dinner, put closure on food by drinking an herbal, decaf tea. You can also try flossing and brushing your teeth; this is a good thing to do after all your meals, in fact. You may even want to try the “Crest White-Strips” after dinner - you have to keep them on for 30 minutes and you probably won’t want to eat after you take them off.

source:health.yahoo

Botox is the brand name of a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. In large amounts, this toxin can cause botulism, which is linked to food poisoning. Despite the fact that one of the most serious complications of botulism is paralysis, scientists have discovered a way to use it to human advantage. Small, diluted amounts can be directly injected into specific muscles causing controlled weakening of the muscles.

The FDA approved such usage in the late 1980s upon the discovery that Botox could stop ailments like blepharospasm (uncontrolled blinking) and strabismus (lazy eye). Cosmetic doctors have been using Botox for years to successfully treat wrinkles and facial creases. In April 2002, Botox gained FDA approval for treatment of moderate-to-severe frown lines between the eyebrows — called glabellar lines. However, Botox is often used for other areas of the face as well.

How Does Botox Work?
Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. As a result, the injected muscle can no longer contract, which causes the wrinkles to relax and soften.

It is most often used on forehead lines, crow’s feet (lines around the eye) and frown lines. Wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to Botox.

How Is the Procedure Performed?
The procedure takes only a few minutes and no anesthesia is required. Botox is injected with a fine needle into specific muscles with only minor discomfort. It generally takes three to seven days to take full effect.

How Do I Prepare for the Procedures?
It is best to avoid alcohol at least one week prior to treatment. Aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications should be stopped two weeks before treatment as well in order to reduce bruising.

How Long Does a Botox Injection Last?
The effects from Botox will last four to six months. As muscle action gradually returns, the lines and wrinkles begin to re-appear and wrinkles need to be re-treated. The lines and wrinkles often appear less severe with time because the muscles are being trained to relax.

What Are the Side Effects of Botox?
Temporary bruising is the most common side effect. Headaches, which resolve in 24-48 hours, can occur, but this is rare. A small percentage of patients may develop eyelid drooping. This usually resolves in three weeks. This development is usually caused by migration of the Botox and for this reason you shouldn’t rub the treated area for 12 hours after injection or lay down for three to four hours.

Who Should Not Receive Botox Injection?
Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a neurological disease should not use Botox. Since Botox doesn’t work for all wrinkles, a consultation with a doctor is recommended.

Will My Insurance Pay For It?
Insurance coverage varies for Botox injections, depending largely on the medical necessity of your condition. Botox is not generally covered by insurance when used for cosmetic purposes. Check with your insurance carrier for coverage details.

SOURCE:WEBMD

Carol Channing and Jerry Herman in November, 1979.
Words and Music by Jerry Herman, a documentary about the Broadway composer and writer of

Milk and Honey, Hello Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles will air tonight on PBS at 9:30

p.m. Mr. Herman wrote the words and music for some of the greatest Broadway musicals ever

mounted and is the winner of two Tony awards, including best composer and lyricist for

Hello, Dolly! According to press notes, with his ebullient, optimistic and hummable songs

that exemplify the “show tune,” Jerry Herman extended the Golden Age of Broadway almost

single-handedly, as new generations keep discovering his tuneful, optimistic and deceivingly

simple songs. Yet, as Michael Feinstein says, “Jerry has succeeded so well in his mission

that people don’t give him credit … because to be simple without being cliche is nearly

impossible.”

Broadway World reports:

Born on July 10, 1931 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Herman is the offspring of Harry

Herman who taught physical education in the New York City public school system and Ruth

Herman who was also a teacher for a while. In his memoir Showtune, Herman credits his love

of music to his mother, Ruth, and tells a story that was related to him by his cousin

Millicent: When Ruth was pregnant with him and experienced her first labor pangs, she went

to the piano and started playing a song. Her relatives were on the verge of hysteria and

couldn’t understand what this soon-to-be-mother was doing. Ruth Herman calmly replied, “I

want my child to love music.”

Jerry Herman on ’Words and Music With Jerry Herman’
by Robert Nesti
EDGE National Arts & Entertainment Editor
Tuesday Jan 1, 2008

Jerry Herman and Carol Channing (left) in a rehearsal photo from Hello, Dolly!. Jerry Herman

today (at right).
Jerry Herman and Carol Channing (left) in a rehearsal photo from Hello, Dolly!. Jerry Herman

today (at right).
In the Spring of 1969, Jerry Herman had three shows running on Broadway - similar in some

ways, yet different in others. Each was based on a famous play and had at its center a

larger-than-life female character. Hello, Dolly! (from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker),

Mame (from Auntie Mame), and Dear World (from The Madwoman of Chaillot). Without knowing how

to read or write music, Herman helped define the Broadway musical of the 1960s - big, brash

star vehicles rich in melody, humor and character that became known as Big Lady Shows. That

the stars in these cases were Carol Channing and Angela Lansbury only added to their luster.

Before Dear World opened, it seemed that Herman could do no wrong.

Yet Dear World failed, and Herman didn’t have another hit for another decade. It seemed that

his form of escapist entertainment worked like an antidote to the contentious 1960s, but as

times changed, so did the taste of the Broadway audience. Rather than be a harbinger of

things to come, Herman’s shows capped the era of the great Postwar Broadway musical. In the

year after Dolly! closed, Company opened and the era of Sondheim came into its own, with

Jesus Christ Superstar and A Chorus Line soon to follow. Herman wrote shows in the 1970s -

Mack and Mabel and The Grand Tour - but both failed. Had the parade passed him by?

Hardly. Herman came back with La Cage Aux Folles, a musical version of a popular French film

that brought a gay couple front-and-center to Broadway. It was a daring mood in 1983, at a

time when AIDS was decimating the gay community, especially in New York City. Yet from its

opening in Boston, audiences and critics loved the show, and it became an enormous hit. A

recent revival showed it still had legs, and come this Spring, it is to be revived by the

innovative Menier Chocolate Factory in London (the company that produced the highly

acclaimed revival of Sunday in the Park with George headed to Broadway this Spring). And

last summer’s critically acclaimed production of Mack and Mabel (under the direction of

Molly Smith) at Canada’s Shaw Festival may find its way to New York where it hopefully will

restore the musical’s reputation as one of Herman’s best works. In fact, it is likely that

there’s a Jerry Herman show playing somewhere in the world at any given moment.

“I just signed a contract for La Cage to play in Slovakia, and I’m not even sure where that

is,” Herman said from New York recently. “And they’re doing it in the Chocolate Factory in

London - a lovely place, a very successful, innovative theater. I am very excited that the

kids are alive and well.”

What prompted the interview is Words and Music by Jerry Herman, a 90-minute documentary by

Emmy-Award winning Amber Edwards (airing on PBS. Check local listing for broadcast times.)

Five years in the making, it uses interviews as well as rare archival footage to tell

Herman’s Broadway story. Edwards follows his life from his happy childhood in a New Jersey

suburb to his early struggles in the 1950s and his eventual success with Milk and Honey (his

first Broadway musical) and Hello, Dolly! and heartbreaking failures. She also interviewed

Herman and a stellar supporting cast of figures pivotal to his musicals: Carol Channing,

Angela Lansbury, Charles Nelson Reilly, Marge Champion, Arthur Laurents, Charles Strouse,

Fred Ebb, George Hearn, and Phyllis Newman; as well as Michael Feinstein, musical director

Donald Pippin, singers Leslie Uggams and Jason Graae, author Francine Pascal and historians

Miles Kreuger and Ken Bloom.

She also was able to find footage of Herman’s first show - a college musical written in the

early 1950s at University of Miami; as well as footage of Channing in Dolly!, Lansbury in

Mame and Dear World, and Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters in Mack and Mabel.

“I always regretted that anybody would ever really know what Angela Lansbury looked like

doing the opening number of Mame and sliding down the bannister, and that was not ever

captured on film,” recalled Herman. “And, of course, Amber found film that was illegally

done by someone in the balcony sneaking a camera into the theater. It’s just thrilling, even

though it’s not professionally done clips. They are the only chance we have to see what

Carol Channing looked like in the Dolly number and Angela in Mame and Bernadette Peters and

Robert Preston in Mack and Mabel. So the strongest part of the documentary is being able to

see these iconic figures on a stage as they were in those wonderful times.”

Herman saw a rough cut of the documentary just a year ago this week. “It was quite an

experience. I was thrilled when Amber told me she wanted to do this, which was five years

ago. I had very little idea of what she was going to do. I knew some of the people in my

life that she had interviewed, and, of course, she did many interviews with me; but aside

from that I really didn’t know much of what I would be looking at when she finally showed it

to me. It was a shock and a thrill at the same time to see the almost-finished work a year

ago because it really is a very rare opportunity for someone like me has to leave something

behind like this piece of work. And I feel that Amber has really captured me and the era

that I did my writing in, and that’s a very tough job and I am so grateful to her. Most

people who do what I do and write music and lyrics (or both) for the musical theater only

have cast albums to be remembered by; so this has given me an after life actually. So it’s

been a wonderful gift that she has given me.”

He did, though, have one change: in the original cut, the end credits featured Herman

playing a slow version of Hello, Dolly! That wouldn’t do for him, whose optimism may be his

most salient personality trait. “Yes. I didn’t think it fit the moment, so the only

suggestion that I made was to replace it with The Best of Times is Now. And she made the

change. It works, don’t you think?”

What Herman feels the documentary does best is capture the era when his name was synonymous

wit the big Broadway musical hit. “I feel it really captures a lot about that era. We took

for granted in the 1960s, for example, that these shows would be known forever. When Dolly

went into its seventh year at the St. James and I thought, Oh my God, this is going to be

seen forever; and, of course, it does play somewhere every night. But what Amber caught was

that giddy, happy time when shows were opening monthly - there was a new, exciting musical

opening that had melody and fun and color. It’s a time that really doesn’t exist anymore,

and she’s caught it. I think the audiences are in for a treat.”

WORDS AND MUSIC BY JERRY HERMAN

WORDS AND MUSIC BY JERRY HERMAN airs Tuesday, January 1, at 9:30 p.m. on WPBT/Channel 2 in

Miami

– Documentary Explores Life and Work of Legendary Broadway Composer/Lyricist and University

of Miami Alum, Jerry Herman –

Angela2 “When they passed out talent,” Broadway star Carol Channing says of composer and

lyricist Jerry Herman, “Jerry stood in line twice.” Herman wrote the words and music for

some of the greatest Broadway musicals ever mounted, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La

Cage aux Folles. WORDS AND MUSIC BY JERRY HERMAN, airing Tuesday, January 1, at 9:30 p.m.,

uses insightful on-camera interviews, behind-the-scenes rehearsal sessions, rare photographs

and never-before-seen archival footage of original Broadway performances to create a warm,

humorous and moving portrait of a living theater legend.

Five years in the making, this documentary by award-winning filmmaker Amber Edwards

chronicles Herman’s rapid rise from witty, topical off-Broadway revues during the 1950s to

his first Broadway hits in the 1960s (Milk and Honey, followed quickly by the

record-breaking Dolly and then Mame) through the less successful shows of the 1970s (Dear

World, Mack & Mabel and The Grand Tour) to his triumphant return in 1983 with La Cage aux

Folles, which made social and political history.

Jerry The “supporting cast” is a Who’s Who of Broadway: Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury,

Charles Nelson Reilly, Marge Champion, Arthur Laurents, Charles Strouse, Fred Ebb, George

Hearn, Phyllis Newman, Michael Feinstein, musical director Donald Pippin, singers Leslie

Uggams and Jason Graae, author Francine Pascal and historians Miles Kreuger and Ken Bloom.

Theater aficionados will marvel at the collection of archival motion picture footage: Carol

Channing and the original Broadway Hello, Dolly! company performing the title song; Angela

Lansbury in the only known footage of Mame and Dear World; film of the 1955 college musical

Herman wrote at the University of Miami; Robert Preston and a bevy of showgirls from Mack &

Mabel; and other material that captures these original, ephemeral theater performances that,

until now, existed only in the memories of those lucky enough to have seen them on stage.

Naturally, the film is filled with music, with original cast recordings and live

performances, while the piano underscoring is played by Herman himself.

True to the spirit of its subject, who describes himself as “a builder,” WORDS AND MUSIC BY

JERRY HERMAN creates a dramatic arc that honestly examines a career of hits and flops and

highs and lows, culminating in Herman’s final act as a Broadway composer/lyricist: La Cage

aux Folles (1983), which was not only a critical and commercial smash, but a political and

social turning point. Never before had two men held hands romantically in a musical or sung

a love ballad to one another. George Hearn’s star turn as Za Za, belting out the dramatic

act one closer, “I Am What I Am ,” still brings audiences to their feet with its forceful

call for tolerance and dignity — a surpassingly powerful statement from a composer/lyricist

who declared all along that he wanted only to entertain people. It was, Hearn recalls in

WORDS AND MUSIC, truly “the best of times” — until shortly after the show opened and cast

members began dying of a mysterious illness. AIDS swept through the theater community. Half

of the original La Cage chorus didn’t live to finish the run. Herman himself was diagnosed

HIV-positive in 1985; he is one of the fortunate ones who survived to see experimental drug

therapies take hold and is still, as one of his lyrics proclaims, “alive and well and

thriving.”

With his ebullient, optimistic and hummable songs that exemplify the “show tune,” Jerry

Herman extended the Golden Age of Broadway almost single-handedly, as new generations keep

discovering his tuneful, optimistic and deceivingly simple songs. Yet, as Michael Feinstein

says, “Jerry has succeeded so well in his mission that people don’t give him credit …

because to be simple without being cliché is nearly impossible.”

Read on to get over the old soap and water routine. Around 30 to 40 per cent of us are born with overactive oil glands and the situation is aggravated by hormonal changes such as those experienced during adolescence, pregnancy, and diet. Climate is a key factor too. It is said that oil production de increases 10 per cent for every one-degree increase in temperature, which makes residents of our part of the world very vulnerable indeed! But perhaps the most useful piece of new information is that washing your face too frequently can make the situation worse. It seems that while dermatologists were well acquainted with the composition of sebum (it’s made by the sebaceous glands located near the base of the hair follicle in each pore), they weren’t sure what actually caused it to be produced. Now there is evidence that sebum is produced when the sebaceous .a glands detect a lack of oil on the face. The sebum starts to flow precisely when the skin is clean and dry and free of oil. Therefore, if oily skin is your problem, take note: over cleaning and drying out the skin will only make things worse because they increase oil production, and a vicious circle will have been started. Don’t forget moisture: Lately, cosmetic companies have been trying to educate us on the virtues of gentler treatment of oily skin! And they’ve started giving us special grease-relief formulas as well, products that will cut the oil without drying, but at the same time make skin Feel fresh -important if you stop the constant washing, but still want to feel clean. Don’t forget that even oily complexions need some sort of moisturizer; this is particularly important if you are to avoid the drying that causes overproduction of oil. And a face that is too dried out will show even the tiniest wrinkle when makeup is applied. For efficient oil control and radiant skin, Estee Lauder’s 3 skin-care regimes are highly recommended. This is a simple, but powerfully comprehensive program, as is promised with proven clinical test results. These products will give you all the moisture needed by oily skin, but in a non-greasy, oil-free formulation. It almost goes without saying that Vichy Laboratories have taken a serious dermatological approach to the problem. Their Regulative oil control treatment is a complete program. For users of Chanel products, life is made easy with the Chanel Beauty Action Plan, which shows clearly and simply in color code what products to use according to skin type. Specially recommended is the Chanel Purifying and Clarifying Masque cream for oily and combination skin. Use once or twice a week, if necessary with a whole range of complementary cleansing, purifying, toning and mortifying products. Ever-thorough, Clinique identified no less than five degrees of oiliness: Oily Here and There forehead, nose, chin; Oily in Summer Only; Moderately Oily; Oily All Over All the Time; and Oil- Troubled Plus. Check out which one suits you. Spot Action: Too much makeup tends to coagulate. To avoid pooling of foundation, mix a dab in the cap of the bottle with water, and then apply sparingly on the face. When you use powder, make sure that it is ultra matte and that it doesn’t contain mica, which causes unnecessary shimmer on an already shiny skin. Check the labeling on the jar and make sure you use all oil-free products, from moisturizer to foundation to blush. The key for oily skin is that less is more! Activated Oil Glands: Oil glands can work overtime for a variety of reasons such as stress, changes in the weather, hormonal changes, and over- washing. Constant de-flaking and de-slicking is needed for the skin to look its freshest and clearest. The perfect way to tackle your skin’s ‘ oil spills is a daily / nightly application of a shine defeating defense treatment that will curb too-active sebaceous glands. The treatment products for this will keep the right level of moisture in your skin and give it a matte finish. Make sure that these products contain either salicylic acid or other oil-blotting components. Coming Clean: Soap and water treatment is not necessarily the answer to oily skin, but if you need that feeling of newly washed skin for real freshness, try out Estee Lauder’s Self-Foaming Face wash, a deep cleansing gel which reduces surface oil and shine; or n Clinique’s Refining Bar Cleanser, a clear yellow cleansing bar ‘e with similar properties. Then there is Lancome’s gentle purifying gel, clarifiance, which becomes a refreshing and silky ‘e mousse on contact with water. Soap-free and oil-free, it is also enriched with soothing extracts of seaweed. Then there is Nivea Visage Foaming facial wash, which with contact with water turns into foam leaving skin refreshed. Also recommended is Vitamin C foam wash, and Gentle Aqua cleansing Wash both from Gamier. And from Body Shop do try the Tea Tree Oil facial wash and the Pineapple facial wash, which are specially formulated for oily skin. Source: http://www.telepk.com/beauty_and_health/

Now that summer’s behind us, it’s time to embrace the hearty, warm comfort foods that are so satisfying the rest of the year.

This recipe offers a triple threat of cheesy goodness by incorporating cottage cheese with extra-sharp cheddar and Swiss. My friend, the comfort food aficionado and fellow cookbook author PJ Gray, made it for me from his book More Bear Cookin’. “It’s very easy to prepare, and quite versatile,” Gray says. “It’s one of those all-American dishes the whole family loves. It accompanies any meat or fish, and occasionally I add chopped onion or stir mixed vegetables into it during baking to make it a true casserole.”

So here it is:

TRIPLE-CHEESE MAC ATTACK
Makes 6 servings

2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 (7-ounce) package elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, egg, salt, garlic salt, and black pepper. Add cheddar and Swiss cheeses and blend well. Cook macaroni as directed on package and drain well.

Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture and blend until well coated. Add macaroni mixture to a greased 2- or 2½-quart baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.

When it comes to losing weight, everyone’s in search of a magic bullet. But don’t fall for the hype. Unfortunately, there’s no short-term fix for long lasting weight loss. So learn to identify these six red flags: 1. Diets that promote or promise drastic weight loss. When you start a diet, you can potentially drop a lot of weight during the first two weeks (some of which will be water weight). However, if you lose more than two pounds per week in the weeks that follow, you run the risk of losing “muscle mass,” and your metabolism will slow down in response. That’s why true health experts advocate losing weight slowly and gradually - so you melt away fat while sparing precious muscle. 2. Diets that claim to work because of special supplements, creams, or potions - no diet or exercise required! Or diets that make you buy mega supplements in order to follow the program. If it sounds too good to be true, it is! 3. Diets that differ entirely from the way you currently eat (or like to eat). If a plan is incompatible with your lifestyle, chances are slim you’ll stick with it. 4. Diets that are less than 1,000 calories. Too difficult to sustain and can often leave you cranky, irritable, and with a bad headache. Not to mention hungry and lethargic. 5. Diets that claim they are effortless. There’s no such animal. Losing weight takes focus and effort. Period. 6. Diets that cut out entire food groups, or focus on only a few foods. Not realistic for the long haul; the sign of a plan you’re soon to go off.

The little village that is Girl Meets Grape is just back from a jaunt to France, where I learned a couple of things about our Continental friends. Someone sent me a book awhile back about why French women don’t get fat; as I was pregnant at the time, I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret this gift. Regardless, it is true that French women (and men!) don’t tend to be as heavy.

How do these Frenchies do it? Here are a few tips:

1) Set the table, set the mood. The French don’t typically do fast food (though even that is changing thanks to la vie McDonald’s). They dine, and eating and dining are not the same thing. Taking the time to drink coffee from real cups, using cloth napkins and tablecloths no matter how humble the meal, is part of the charm.

2) Eat slowly. This is a tough one for me, especially as a new mom, as I find myself shoveling anything I can get down my throat. Not healthy. Portion your food and savor it in small bites. Better for your digestion and easier to control portions.

3) Sip, nibble, repeat. One of my best girlfriends in Los Angeles is an incredibly elegant woman from Burgundy who, despite twenty years in the States, has yet to develop our gulping patterns. Francoise dines. She sips, she nibbles, she repeats. And I love her enough to wait it out with her at times when I have long since polished off my own dinner. And yes, she is lovely and slim.

4)  Liquor is quicker, but wine is fine. A lot of the cocktails and aperitifs in France tend to be wine-based, like a kir or Lillet, rather than being made from the hard-stuff. They don’t swill the Grey Goose and Red Bull as a way of “preparing their palates.” A lovely glass of something bubbly wakes up your tastebuds, while a glass of red or white with food promotes better digestion. And the French drink in a very different way than most Americans. Wine is served at both lunch and dinner, every day, but the French take a long time over every meal, so that two-hour lunch makes a single glass stretch quite awhile. Much has been made recently of studies that show the health benefits of daily, very moderate wine consumption versus the weekend “binge” model of drinking that dominates our college campuses and Friday happy hours nationwide.

5)  Coffee is not dessert itself. I have a friend who works at Starbucks who once told me the zillions of calories to be found in one of those mocha-latte-caramel-whipped-cream-venti-crazyccino things. The French drink espresso or cafe au lait in small portions, that’s it. (I adored the lovely little automated coffee machines and café tables at the rest stops along the A4 motorway from Burgundy to Paris.) Ditch the calorie-filled, whipped cream dessert coffees, but take the time to savor the smaller portion you do order. And drink it from a real cup.

Of all our meals, breakfast is the meal we’re most likely to skip. Why? Who has extra time in the morning to make a meal? But unfortunately, the old adage is true: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is not only true for us adults but also for our kids.

Starting your day with breakfast confers many benefits. Eating in the morning actually jump-starts your metabolism so you are able to burn more calories during the first part of your day. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast eat less fat during the rest of the day and even have lower cholesterol levels than those who skip breakfast.

Research has also shown that kids who eat breakfast have better concentration and problem-solving skills at school, have healthier body weights, and take in more nutrients during the day. Kids who skip breakfast may even become more tired and irritable. 

And breakfast doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Use some of these quick meal ideas that can even be eaten on the run. 
Scrambled eggs in a whole-wheat wrap
Whole-wheat toast with peanut butter
Crackers and cheese
Oatmeal cooked up with some dried fruit
Whole-grain cereal with sliced fruit and milk
Fruit and yogurt smoothie
Bran muffin and a piece of fruit
Lean lunch meat on a toasted English muffin
Pita bread with hummus
A mix of dried fruit, nuts, and dry cereal
Yogurt with cereal sprinkles and raisins
String cheese and whole-wheat toast
Snack bars — look for bars that are high in fiber and protein and lower in calories
If you keep some of these items on your grocery list, breakfast can be a no-brainer! And remember, if you eat breakfast, your kids will be more likely to eat breakfast.

“This is an excellent recipe for blueberry pancakes. A delicious, nutritious and flavorful breakfast. When blueberries are out of season, use thawed frozen blueberries.”

Original recipe yield:
4 pancakes

PREP TIME  20 Min
COOK TIME  20 Min
READY IN  40 Min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat griddle over medium heat. Stir together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar, set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the egg, yogurt, milk and oil. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, then fold in the blueberries.
Pour batter onto hot greased griddle, two tablespoons at a time. Cook over medium heat until bubbles pop and stay open, then turn over and cook on the other side until golden.

Eat Right, Stay Well

Do you feel like you’re always hungry? Trying to curb your appetite for certain foods? Appetite is different than hunger. Hunger is that physiological growly feeling in your stomach.

Appetite is more about cravings for certain foods. Appetite can be affected by emotions such as boredom, depression, happiness, loneliness, or even by medications. Controlling your appetite can be tough.

But if you can learn to tame your appetite, you’ll be able to choose healthier foods and even to eat less and lose weight. Try some of the following tips to curb your appetite.

Listen to your body. Learn to know when you are truly hungry and when you just want to submit to your appetite. If you aren’t hungry, don’t eat. Learn to listen to your body by keeping a written record of the feelings - both physical and emotional - that accompany your meals.
Learn to deal positively with your emotions. If you eat because of feelings and not because of hunger, learn to deal with those feelings. Call a friend, go for a walk, catch up on your email, surf the web, but don’t enter the kitchen just because you’re feeling bored, lonely, or whatever. Post a list on your refrigerator of other activities besides eating that you can engage in when you feel like indulging yourself with some food.
When you do eat, slow down. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to the brain that it (the stomach) is feeling full. So wait 20 minutes before you serve yourself seconds. If you slow down your eating speed, you’ll start feeling full before you can eat a lot of excess food.
Remember: Out of sight, out of mind. Keep all the temping high-calorie snack foods in an inconvenient place, like a high cupboard that you can’t reach without a stool. If you don’t see the snacks, or can’t simply grab a handful while walking by, you are less likely to begin munching.
Watch where you eat. Try not to eat in front of the television or the computer, or in the car. You are more likely to overeat when your mind is focused on other things.
Taking control of your appetite can be challenging, but by using deliberate thought and action you can tame the beast.