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Volume No.

488

Studies have shown that inactivity is not the cause of obesity, the real cause is poor diet and overeating. But, overeating is often the result of stress and lack of self esteem – emotional eating. Sports and exercise can help to improve self esteem as well as improving confidence and other social skills. Check out the article on Dealing with weight loss issues in 2011.

Women Fitness team wishes you a Happy and Health filled Happy New Year. See you in 2011.

In Fitness,

Namita Nayyar

Instead of sticking with the standard three squares, make the switch to mini meals- five or six small meals spread over the course of a day. This style of eating has a couple of advantages, weight loss-wise. For one thing, you never get too hungry, since you’re feeding your body every few hours. For another, you avoid taking in too many calories in one sitting. This is important, because your body can use only a certain number of calories at a time to function.

Unconditional happiness

Happiness is not the result of favorable conditions. That's backwards. Favorable conditions result from happiness. So what does it take to be happy? Nothing more than a willingness to be happy.

Happiness comes from the way you respond to life. There are people who have every reason to be miserable, but who still live with happiness and joy. In every life, there is room for happiness.

Everyone has challenges. Everyone has disappointments. Yet they do not have to get you down. True happiness comes not from the absence of problems. True, enduring happiness comes in spite of the problems.
 

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"Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished."
-Confucius

Gazpacho Dip with Garlic Pita Chips

Makes: 2 cups (6 servings).

Ingredients:

• 2 whole-wheat pita breads

• 2 large garlic cloves, halved crosswise

• Cooking spray, preferably olive oil

• 1/8 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt

• 1 ripe medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped

• 1/3 cup finely chopped celery

• 1/3 cup finely chopped cucumber

• 1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

• 3/4 cup prepared salsa, hot or mild

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 tsp. lime juice

• 2 tsp. rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• Cut the pita breads each into 6 wedges. Separate each wedge into 2 pieces. One at a time, rub the rough side of the wedges with the cut side of a garlic clove and place them on a baking sheet in 1 layer. Lightly coat the pita wedges with cooking spray and sprinkle with the salt. Bake 6 minutes, or until the wedges curl at the edges and darken slightly in color. Cool on the baking sheet. The pita will crisp as it cools. Cover with foil and store at room temperature up to 8 hours.

• In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato, celery, cucumber, green pepper and onion. Add the salsa, garlic powder, lime juice and vinegar, and mix well. This can be done up to 4 hours before serving and the dip refrigerated in a covered container.

• Just before serving, mix in the cilantro and transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Place the bowl on a platter, surround with the pita chips, and serve.

Nutritional Information (Per serving):

• 42 calories,

• 0 g. total fat (0 g. saturated fat),

• 9 g. carbohydrate,

• 2 g. protein,

• 2 g. dietary fiber,

• 98 mg. sodium.

Courtsey: AICR

Dealing with weight loss issues in 2011

An obesity epidemic is sweeping across the Westernized world. More than ever, there is an acknowledgement that the regulation of body weight regulation is more complicated than ever imagined. The last decade has seen rapid progress in our understanding of how body weight is regulated; multiple organs are involved adding to the complexity.

Studies have shown that inactivity is not the cause of obesity, the real cause is poor diet and overeating. But, overeating is often the result of stress and lack of self esteem – emotional eating. Sports and exercise can help to improve self esteem as well as improving confidence and other social skills. Small changes, such as cutting 100 calories per day and adding 2,000 steps per day of physical activity, may help combat the obesity crisis.

The figures show that kids are consuming approximately 3 percent more calories than they did in the 1970s but getting a whopping average of 20 percent less exercise. And obese kids are 70 percent more likely to become obese adults.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 61 percent of obese young people have at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Additionally, children who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems. Obese young people are more likely than children of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults and are, therefore, more at risk for associated adult health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.

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