A Possible Reason For Weight Gain…

You work out regularly. You eat healthfully (most of the time) — so, why are you gaining weight? For starters, check your mood. A forthcoming study of 787 people conducted by Cornell University found that People in a good mood are 77 percent likelier to eat healthy food than those feeling bad. 

“When people are upset, they want immediate relief, which may include grabbing what’s easiest and most comforting,” Brian Wansink, PhD, author of “Slim by Design:  Midless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life,” tells Yahoo Shine. “However, people in good moods feel optimistic and tend to make choices that benefit their overall health.” Of course, there’s no magic bullet for perking up before you reach for the cookies, but the study also found that taking a moment to ponder a happy thought helps steer people away from the kitchen.  

Don’t worry - be happy:)

Until Monday - Keep thinking veggies and protein! 

Can’t Whine About Red Wine…

Is red wine a cure-all? The notion could easily be dismissed as fantasy if not for numerous studies trumpeting its benefits. The latest: a study to be published in the journal “Cancer Cell International,” which suggests that red wine slows the speed of lung cancer.  Tell us more of what we want to hear!

Co-author Evangelia Litsa Tsiani told us that her team examined the effects of red and white wine on six culture plates, which each contained millions of human lung cancer cells. The experiment was duplicated four times to ensure the results were not a fluke.

Tsiani said that the plates treated with wine demonstrated “60 percent inhibition” of the cells. Translation: the wine dramatically reduced cancer cell growth. The effect was much more pronounced with red wine than white (pass the Cabernet).

What else might red wine be good for? Pour yourself a glass and read on:

Red wine may promote heart health.  Studies suggest that a compound in red wine called resveratrol may function as an antioxidant, lowering cholesterol levels and staving off blockage in heart vessels. The result: a lower risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

It may reduce men’s risk of developing prostate cancer.  Research published in “Harvard Men’s Health Watch” found that men who drank an average of four to seven glasses of red wine a week were half as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as those who didn’t drink the stuff at all.

Drinking a bit of red wine on the regular could keep the blues away. Last year, a study published in the journal “BMC Medicine” found that people over 55 who drank a glass of alcohol a day were less likely to be depressed than those who drank more or less. One possible explanation: resveratrol may have neuroprotective properties.

Even if you eat a ton, red wine might add years to your life. A 2006 Harvard study found that mice on a high-calorie diet lived longer when they consumed reseratrol.  (This one’s like having your cake and eating it, too.)

It goes so well with your food.  The Mediterranean Diet, which experts say is one of the healthiest out there, is all about drinking a glass of wine with dinner every night.

We can’t say yet if red wine is a magic bullet for health, but these studies are certainly encouraging. We’re cheers-ing to you tonight, science.

Mornings...

When it comes to exercising, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who work out in the morning and those who'd rather not get up before the sun. No matter which category you fall into, what you do in the morning can help or hurt your metabolism!  

Morning exercisers or not you might want to consider eating breakfast almost as soon as you wake up.  Either start off with a good breakfast or a good workout! If you're going to work out within an hour of waking up, then don't eat. But if you can't work out within an hour of waking up, then eat. Either your workout or eating a healthy breakfast is going to jumpstart your metabolism.

If you are a morning exerciser, skip eating if you normally experience stomach discomfort while you exercise. If I am going out for a long run - more than 6 miles I do fuel before a workout, a piece of toast with  alone butter or a hard boiled egg are my go to!  If you can burn off what's stored from the day before, then you're better off than just burning off what you ate for breakfast!  Never thought I would become a morning person!

How to Choose the Healthiest Bread...

Grains are an important part of a healthy diet. They're a great source of complex carbohydrates and key vitamins and minerals.

Whole grains are the healthiest grains because they're unrefined and haven't been milled or stripped of their nutrients. Whole grains can be found in single foods like brown rice, or as ingredients in products like whole wheat bread.

Whole grains are a good source of fiber and other important nutrients such as selenium, potassium and magnesium. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that whole grains make up half of your total grain consumption. To meet your whole-grain requirements, make sure to consume a variety of breads, pastas and cereals.

Although carbs can sometimes get a bad rep, bread can absolutely be a part of a healthy diet. The key is to learn which breads to choose, which isn't always an easy task.

With so many products on the market it's easy for consumers to get confused. The best way to find healthy bread is to look at the nutrition label.The ingredients appear in descending order based on volume. This means the first ingredient on the list is the most prevalent. Therefore, the first ingredient in whole-grain bread should be whole grain.

Look for breads that contain whole-wheat flour or 100-percent whole-wheat flour. This means the bread has no refined white flour. The ingredient list should not include wheat flour, enriched bleached flour, unbleached wheat flour, multi-grain or stone-ground wheat flour. Just because the bread is brown and has the word wheat on the package doesn't necessarily mean it's a healthy, high-fiber, whole-grain choice.

My breads of choice are multi grain slims and Trader Joe’s protein bread!

Lemons…

They are a as much a staple in our kitchen as garlic and onions!  The lemon adds a citrusy brightness to a finished dish that neither vinegar nor salt can replicate.  But, you can also clean your counters and cutting boards! Out of paper towels?  Not a problem! Slice a lemon in half, squeeze a bit of its juice on a cutting board, and use the half as a scrubby sponge for instantly cleaner surfaces.