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.

HG Alert! The average person attending a summer BBQ will consume at least one beer, a hot dog, a burger, chips, coleslaw, potato salad, and dessert. That can easily exceed 1,500 calories. No worries. You can still enjoy the festivities (and the food!) without going overboard. HG’s here with the need-to-know BBQ info…

Guilt-Free Grill Guide - Typical BBQ meat options include hot dogs, burgers, and chicken. Grilled chicken is definitely your best bet. Try it bunless on a plate loaded with veggies like tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. Or, if you’ve gotta feed a starch craving, pile your chicken and veggies onto half of a bun, and enjoy an open-faced sandwich. If you are going to have a burger or dog, try to stick with ground beef that has a small percentage of fat or a hot dog that is at least 97% fat-free.

Side Dish Dos and Don’ts - Run screaming from (or just politely decline) mayo-soaked sides like slaws, potato salad, and macaroni salad. Each tiny serving of those is crammed with fat and calories. Instead opt for sweet corn on the cob (swap the butter for a squirt of lemon and some salt & pepper), baked potato with salsa (sweet potatoes ROCK, and they taste amazingly good without any add-ons), and grilled veggies.

BBQ Beverages - Just because your neighbor can’t stop yapping about her fantastic homemade margaritas, that doesn’t mean you need to cave to that crazy cocktail. Margaritas contain hundreds of calories (thanks to sugary mixes and assorted alcohol). Instead, whip up your own low-cal cocktail by combining seltzer with a shot of rum or vodka, and then flavoring it with a few lemon & lime wedges and any other fruit you can get your paws on. As for beer, stick with the light kind. Beck’s Premier Light has just 64 calories per bottle, and Miller’s latest light one (Miller Chill) is a rockin’ 110-calorie Mexican-inspired brew. Bring along either of those, and you’ll earn instantly party cred with the other calorie-counters!

Sweets in the Heat - Desserts don’t have to be calorie-catastrophes — or BORING. Grilled fruit kabobs are INSANELY good. Grilled mango, banana, pineapple and more are an awesome alternative to plain fruit salad. The fruit will taste sweeter and have groovy grill marks too! Also, choose icy treats (like sorbet and ice pops) instead of creamy & carby ones (ice creams and cake) — you’ll save oodles of fat and calories that way.

Product Picks for Your BBQ!

d’Oni Specialty Sauces - These low-cal, fat-free marinades are PACKED with flavor. Use ‘em on chicken, seafood, veggies and more! HG’s fave? Bold as Love Honey-Habanero-Mustard. Click here to find stores near you that stock ‘em, or here to order online. As for a supermarket staple, go for Lawry’s awesome marinade line-up, and also keep an eye out for the tasty new marinades from Newman’s Own.

Amy’s Texas Veggie Burgers - Meat-eaters and vegetarians will flip for these barbeque-flavored patties packed with soy protein, veggies, oats, and walnuts! All that adds up to just 120 calories and 2.5 fat grams each. We also dig Gardenburger’s line-up of veggie burgers (especially the Black Bean Chipotle one!), and we love Boca’s burgers, too.

Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Beef Franks - These 50-calorie pups taste EXACTLY like the real thing but have just a fraction of the calories and just 1.5 grams of fat each. No BBQ should be without ‘em! (Pssst… make sure you get the 97% Fat Free ones and not the Reduced Fat dogs — those have WAY more calories and fat!)

Weight Watchers Sherbet and Ice Cream Bars - These portion-controlled pops combine creamy vanilla ice cream AND fruity sherbet. We’re OBSESSED with ‘em. Each bar has just 60 calories and a half-gram of fat. (FYI, they come in Strawberry, Key Lime, and Passion Fruit.)

Some estimates suggest that half of adult men and a third of adult women in the U.S. are snorers. Snoring is commonly only a minor social problem that disturbs a sleeping partner or causes embarrassment to the snorer.

But sleep deprivation in the snorer’s partner can lead to discord, and homicides have been described because of snoring. I have been embarrassed when my children have told me that my snoring has kept them awake in an adjacent room.

At its worst, snoring can be a manifestation of sleep apnea — periods of arrested breathing during sleep that are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular problems.

More than 300 remedies for snoring are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. Some of these patented products, and many others as well, are described at Web sites on the Internet.

Included among them are hypnosis; a 3-CD set of anti-snoring exercises; “Singing for Snorers” (a complete program of singing exercises); Snore Freeâ„¢ (a plastic ring with magnets that is attached to the nose); AntiSnoreâ„¢ (a therapeutic ring worn on the little finger); the Snore Stopperâ„¢ (”a natural biofeedback sleep aid device” worn on the wrist); and the Silent Niteâ„¢, a device that can be custom-made by some dentists.

Frankly, I would not try any of these remedies for my own snoring without some evidence that they work. Their effectiveness is supported only by personal testimonials and a few studies sponsored by the manufacturers of the products. What is needed is research done by individuals who have nothing to gain, or lose, from the outcomes of the studies. At least one such study has been done.

This research tested three different, commercially available devices in 40 snorers: Snorenz™, an oral spray lubricant applied to the back of the throat before bedtime; Breathe Right® Strips, a nasal dilation strip applied to the nose to keep the nasal valve open; and Snore-No-More™, a specially shaped pillow that positions the head just so. The authors of the report concluded that none of these devices significantly reduced the amount or volume of the snoring.

What are the other options? The following anti-snoring techniques are frequently recommended by doctors and worth a try:

Lose weight if you are overweight.
Stop smoking.
Avoid alcohol, tranquilizers, anti-histamines, and heavy meals before bedtime.
Don’t sleep on your back. (Suggestions to avoid this sleeping position include fastening a tennis ball or a rolled-up pair of socks to the back of your pajama tops.)
Raise the head of your bed.
Eliminate nasal obstruction with treatments for allergies or with a decongestant spray when you have a cold. You may need to consult an allergy specialist for tests and treatments.
Maintain a good flow of fresh air into your bedroom and possibly use a humidifier to help moisten your nasal passages.
To be perfectly honest, most of these measures have not been proven to be any better than the devices mentioned earlier. In studies of weight loss, for example, snoring improved in some of those who lost weight, but not many — and most of the individuals did not lose significant amounts of weight.

But weight loss and smoking cessation are certainly good general health measures, anyway.

The other techniques all make sense and are recommended because they have reduced problems in people with sleep apnea. Severe sleep apnea is a serious condition, and people suffering from it need to consider surgical methods to maintain an open airway while sleeping. 

For many less serous snorers, the most effective solution may be for those trying to sleep nearby to purchase earplugs.

  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pimientos, rinsed and patted dry
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 2/3 cups cooked crab or lobster meat, picked over (see Ingredient note)
6 cups mixed salad greens
Lemon wedges for garnish

Cooking Directions:

Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, pimientos, garlic, salt and cayenne in a blender. Blend until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and mix in crab (or lobster). Adjust seasoning with salt and cayenne.

Divide mesclun among 4 large plates and spoon salad on top. Serve with lemon wedges.

Yield: 4 servings

Still Hungry:

Pimientos and a touch of cayenne enrich a light creamy dressing for a luxurious but healthful seafood salad that makes a sensational lunch or light supper.

Notes:
Ingredient Note

Four 1 1/4-lb. lobsters yield 2 2/3 cups cooked meat.

Ingredients:

3 large baking potatoes
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cooking Directions:

Cut potatoes lengthwise into thin 1/4-in. strips. Pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine the egg whites, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Add the potatoes; toss to coat.

Place in a single layer in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and tender, turning several times.

Yield: 4 servings

Still Hungry:

‘These tender potatoes are excellent with everything from beef tenderloin to hot dogs,’ remarks Mae Dean Williams of Charlotte, North Carolina. ‘They’re delicately seasoned.’

Notes:
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 190 calories, 98 mg sodium, 2 mg cholesterol, 39 gm carbohydrate, 7 gm protein, 1 gm fat. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats plus
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole flaxseeds, ground (see Ingredient notes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk (see Tip)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pitted dates (see Ingredient notes)

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Spread 1 cup oats and the walnuts, if using, in 2 separate small baking pans. Bake, stirring once or twice, until light golden and fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes for the nuts and 8 to 10 minutes for the oats. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, flaxseeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, orange juice, oil, orange zest and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in dates, the toasted oats and nuts, if using. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups (they’ll be quite full). Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons oats.

Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

Still Hungry:

Toasting the oats for this hearty muffin enhances their nutty flavor; orange zest contributes a citrus fragrance that plays well with the sweet dates.

Notes:
Ingredient Notes

Flaxseeds are one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They provide both soluble fiber, linked to reduced risk of heart disease, and insoluble fiber, which provides valuable roughage. Flaxseeds are perishable, so purchase whole seeds (instead of ground flaxmeal), store in the refrigerator and grind in a clean coffee grinder or dry blender just before using. Look for packages of chopped pitted dates in the dried fruit section of your supermarket. Whole dates are sticky and cumbersome to chop.

Tip

You can use buttermilk powder in place of fresh buttermilk. Or make sour milk: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.