Are your salads making you fat? It is not entirely impossible to believe. Just when you think you have this healthy eating thing down to a science you realize that after eating like a rabbit, you are still craving “energy” in the mid-afternoon hours and your weight hasn’t really changed much since you last checked. What gives?

One must overcome the idea that salads have to be dressed in order for them to be delicious. You must first begin by undressing your salad and giving it more nutritional value with foods that are packed with energy and flavor. You can start by purging all those creamy dressings that are taking up space in your fridge, that’s your culprit right there. Sorry mega companies who sell the creamy fatty dressings, I can’t support you on this one. It is nearly impossible to eat only the recommended serving of two tablespoons, once you start to drizzle it on, who knows how much dressing you’re really eating. I challenge you to measure next time you try to “drizzle” two tablespoons of creamy fatty dressing onto your salad.

Anyway, let’s first figure out how we dress our salads for success:

Typical salad ingredients–as much as you want: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Carrots, Cucumber, Celery, and maybe even some Mushrooms, yum, delicious.

Toppings: ¼ cup Shredded cheddar cheese, *6 Croutons

Dressing: 2 tablespoons of creamy ranch

*based on only one brand, still, who uses only six, who counts only six croutons?

Nutritional Value of this salad: Almost 300 calories and over 27 grams of fat, the only protein (16g) comes from the cheese. No way? Yes way. I did the math. Obviously there are many nutrients in this meal that are really good for you but wouldn’t you rather put those extra calories and extra fat into something more fun?

Here’s my salad redo, with a fancier dress and much cooler toppings to please the palate:

Choose your veggies:

Hearts of romaine lettuce and baby spinach—lots!

Carrots—baby, shredded, sliced, diced—it really doesn’t matter.

Bell Peppers—your choice in colors.

Tomatoes – they can be cherry, grape, yellow, orange or red—your choice here too!

Any veggies you want to add here is fine

Isn’t this fun, you get to decorate your meal—too cool!

Want to add protein?

Choose one: 2 hard-boiled egg whites OR about 3 ounces (handful) leftover chicken, beef, pork, or fish—which I’m sure was lean OR small can of tuna packed in water OR ½ cup beans such as garbanzo or kidney beans.

If you really like cheese in your salad try one made with part skim milk such as mozzarella or a fat free Feta cheese.

Now choose your toppings:

½ Granny Smith Apple- diced sliced or anyway you like it OR mandarin orange slices OR Berries, why not? Try it out, this is your meal.  Don’t have any fresh fruit?  Try raisins, craisins, dried cherries, fig..all good for you but watch out for added sugars.

1/8 cup chopped Walnuts. Walnuts are a great source of Omega-3. (Source: Worlds Healthiest Foods)

OK go ahead, give it a little outfit:

1 TBS Olive oil mixed with 1TBS Lemon or Lime Juice—that’s all the dressing up this salad will need.

Yes olive oil and walnuts have fat, but it’s good fat. Tim Moore from the Vitaminstuff shares great tips about olive oil and its nutritional values. The tangy and crunch taste of the apple or the sweet, citrus from the mandarin is a pleasant surprise to the palate as are the walnuts and dried fruits.

Toss it all together and voila! You have yourself a well dressed salad.  When you are done with this meal you will be satisfied, for a while. Enjoy and please, share your salad re-do with us.

Stay Well,

Spin Diva!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tom Parker of the Free Fitness Tips blog. 

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In my last Wellness Junction article I discussed four food groups that can help you boost your metabolic rate. Diet is a very important aspect of keeping your metabolism high and eating the right food is a big step in the right direction. However, you also have to make sure that you are avoiding foods which may hinder your success. In this article I will be discussing five food groups that can seriously slow down your metabolic rate.

1) SUGAR:- Eating too much sugar overloads your body and causes your blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. This in turn makes your body go into conservation mode meaning that you will store extra fat and burn less calories. To make sure this does not happen you need to reduce your intake of refined sugars as much as possible. That means cutting down on the candy, chocolate, cakes and cookies as much as possible. If you still want something sweet try eating some fruit. Unlike refined sugars, most fruits contain fructose which does not cause your blood sugar levels to rise.

2) WHITE BREAD:- White bread is made from wheat flour which then has the bran and germ removed. White bread is bleached to remove any yellow colour which destroys many of the vitamins contained in the wheat plus it is full of sugar. This means that it is very easily digested, has a low nutritional value and is low in dietary fiber. When processing white bread your body burns very few calories and it also causes your blood sugar levels to rise. I know you have probably heard it many times before but by substituting white bread for a wholemeal variety you can really boost your metabolic rate. Wholemeal bread is harder to digest (so burns more calories whilst being processed), has a greater nutritional value and most importantly does not cause your blood sugar levels to rise in an uncontrolled way.

3) FRIED FOODS:- Like white bread, fried foods are very low in nutritional value and easy to digest. They are also very high in calories and full of saturated fats. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, generally come from an animal source, make your body produce more cholesterol and slow down your metabolic rate. You really need to avoid fried foods for the sake of both your metabolism and your health. Next time you are craving fried food such as a beef burger why not replace this with a slice of grilled, lean beef on brown bread? Not only will it be better for you but I think it tastes a lot nicer too.

4) PROCESSED FOODS:- Processed foods include ready meals, crisps and chocolate bars. They are very popular because they are quick and convenient but guess what? The vast majority are also lacking in nutritional value, contain dangerous trans fats and are high in chemical preservatives. Again this combination of factors in processed foods means that they reduce your metabolic rate. I know that it can be very tempting to opt for processed foods when you want something to eat after a long, hard day but your body will really thank you if you take the time to cook something healthier. If time really is an issue then why not try cooking in large batches and freezing the leftovers? This will mean that you will still have access to quick, convenient foods when you are in a rush BUT they will be healthy.

5) ALCOHOL:- Alcohol is full of sugar and calories which (as you probably know by now) restrict your metabolic rate. Alcohol is also known to have a dehydrating effect and as I discussed in my last article, if you are not fully hydrated your metabolism does not work as effectively. Moderate consumption of alcohol is not going to have a huge effect on your hydration levels but excessive consumption will. For most of us there are going to be times when we over indulge on alcohol so I am not going to advise you to give up alcoholic beverages. However, you should make an effort to reduce the amount you are drinking.

Diet is a double edged sword when it comes to metabolism – it can be both a help and a hindrance. However, if you follow my suggestions in this article and my previous article you should be well on your way to formulating a diet that keeps your metabolism high.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Do you know of any further foods which slow down your metabolism? If so please share.

We’ve been added to the lovely Alltop website’s health category by Guy Kawasaki and co. Go check it out. It’s your place to catch up on everything that’s going on around the web – and world.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tom Parker of the Free Fitness Tips blog.

Photo from 

Harris Graber

Many people claim that they struggle to lose weight because they have a slow metabolism. Others are always looking for ways to boost their metabolic rate. But what do these people mean when they refer to metabolism and their metabolic rate?

In simple terms your metabolism or metabolic rate is the number of calories required by your body to maintain itself. The general calculation for working out your metabolism is to multiply your weight in pounds by 10 or your weight in kilograms by 22. So if you weigh 250 pounds then your metabolic rate will be around 2500 calories per day. However, this figure can be affected by a number of factors including age, genetics and lifestyle.

In this article I will be discussing how you can increase your metabolic rate by incorporating four different food groups into your diet.

1) SUPER FOODS:- Super foods are foods which are deemed highly beneficial to your health. They offer protection against a number of diseases, provide you with energy, are full of anti-oxidants and guess what? They can also help boost your metabolism. Some of the most popular super foods are blueberries, grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes and yoghurt. You can view a more detailed article on super foods and their benefits by clicking here.

Whilst super foods are a great way to raise your metabolic rate it is important to make sure that they are only a supplement to your diet. Eating only super foods will not do you much good in the long run. In fact it could even cause long term damage as you will be missing out on other vital nutrients. For the best metabolism boosting results make sure you introduce super foods to your existing healthy diet and you will notice the benefits. For example, you could add a few blueberries to your morning bowl of cereal, have a portion of grapefruit as a mid-morning snack or add some tomato to one of your favourite pasta dishes.

2) SPICY FOODS:- Most spicy foods have a mild thermogenic effect which means that they can help activate your body’s fat burning process. This article also suggests that spicy foods can help boost your metabolism by as much as 50% for three hours after you eat them. Therefore, spicy foods are another great option for you to consider if you want to increase your metabolic rate. Some great types of spicy foods you can try include Indian, Mexican and Thai. You can also spice up your daily dishes by adding peppers such as jalapeños.

Just like super foods you should not over indulge on spicy foods. Eating excessive spicy foods can really irritate your stomach and lead to acid reflux, heart burn and stomach ulcers. In the worst cases it can also damage your taste buds and digestive tract. Perhaps try having an extra curry for dinner once a week or adding some spices to your favourite dishes.

3) PROTEIN:- Protein has a number of metabolism boosting benefits. This study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that protein has a satiating effect meaning that by adding a little more protein to your diet you should feel less hungry. More interestingly, this article from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition states that “convincing evidence exists that protein exerts an increased thermic effect when compared to fat and carbohydrate” which in simple terms means that your body uses more calories when processing protein than carbohydrates or fats. So by increasing the amount of protein you eat each day you can suppress your appetite and burn the amounts of calories you burn.

As with the foods I have recommended above, I am not suggesting that you switch to an excessively high protein diet. Evidence suggests that this can cause damage to your kidneys and deprive your body of vital nutrients. Instead I am suggesting that you replace some of the carbohydrates and fats in your diet with proteins. For example, you could try having a slightly smaller breakfast but accompany it with a protein shake or try increasing the proportion of lean meats in your main meals.

4) WATER:- I know this is not technically a food group but it is a part of your diet which can make or break your metabolism. If you are not properly hydrated then your metabolism does not work as effectively and ultimately you burn less calories when resting. It is therefore really important to stay hydrated at all times if you want to maximise your metabolism.

To stay hydrated you need to make a concious effort to be drinking water regularly. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and top it up regularly. Also, try to limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol. Excessive consumption of either of these products will have a dehydrating effect and inhibit your metabolic rate. I am not suggesting that you give up caffeine or alcohol but perhaps try to substitute one of your daily cups of coffee or one of your glasses of wine with a drink of water instead.

I hope this article shows you that by making a few small changes to your diet can really help your body burn calories at an increased rate.  Try eating more super foods, consuming more protein, enjoying some spicy foods and filing up on water.  As long as you don’t overdo it you should notice a positive improvement in your metabolic rate.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Have you found any of these suggestions work particularly well for you?  Do you have any further tips for people wanting to boost their metabolism?  If so please leave a comment.

For more articles from Tom Parker, visit his Free Fitness Tips blog.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from SpinDiva of the Family In Shape blog.

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Photo by ginamig276

You started a fitness program which includes cardio and weight training exercises.  Your goal is to lose weight and tone your body, the problem is that after several weeks of tireless exercise you feel stronger but still weigh the same or maybe even a little more.  Looking at the scale at this point can be depressing and send you into a feeding frenzy.  There are a couple of reasons this could be happening such as the fact that muscle weighs more than fat and you may be building muscle faster than you are burning fat.  

I am going to focus on something a little different, nutrition.   You cannot do a 60 minute Spin class, burn 600 calories and then run to the nearest fast food restaurant for a 600 calorie lunch – it just doesn’t work that way.  Keep in mind that it takes 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat—yes, one pound, which means that you need a deficit of 500 calories per day for seven days to lose one pound per week.  That sounds like a lot and it is but it’s not difficult to do.

Here are few key points to consider:

Your meals are not errands or chores – sit, eat and enjoy what you eat.

Balance your meals throughout the day: Eat a light, balanced breakfast (1% or fat free milk with whole grain cereal; yogurt with granola or fruit; cottage cheese with fruit; egg whites with piece of toast, tea or coffee), followed by a lunch filled with raw foods, lean protein, and healthy carbs, and an equally healthy, balanced dinner.

Fuel your body with healthy carbs and protein before and after exercise: Healthy carbs such as fruits, whole grain foods, legumes; protein from lean meat, fish, poultry, and eggs; for the vegetarian this means protein from soy, legumes, nuts and dairy.

Stay away from fast food and specialty coffee shops — at least for a while: A frozen coffee can has as many as 350 calories, a burger with fries=over 1000 calories easy

Include lots of raw foods and whole grain in your diet: if you need a snack between meals or need that 3:00 pm lift you want to look at all fruits and vegetables (except potato) but including sweet potato; whole grain breads, brown rice, whole grain cereals, and low fat dairy products.

Log what you eat each day: Helps you stay on top of your nutrition goals.  Log every bite, every candy, every potato chip and every drink.  Do this for a couple of days just to see where your calories are going.

Read the food labels: Very important that you become familiar with food labels—how else will you avoid eating something you shouldn’t.