Cyd Notter

Author and Nutrition Educator, Founder of The "Plan A" Diet™

4 Things Necessary for a Successful, Healthy Diet

By Leave a Comment

Diets don’t work long-term, that much we know. Less than 3% of dieters keep the weight off long-term.

That’s because typical diets based on calorie restriction or smaller portions of the same unhealthy foods are not the answer for long-term weight loss OR improved health.

So what do we need to do?

Lifelong weight control and good health require permanent lifestyle changes, not a short-term, restrictive diet.

Perhaps you’re concerned because your weight is creeping up and you’ve just been diagnosed with hypertension/high cholesterol/pre-diabetes. You recognize that it’s time for a course correction and the time to make changes is now. If so, here are four factors to consider before choosing another, typical “diet” plan:

Continue reading here…..

Pop Quiz #3: Which food has the most saturated fat?

By Leave a Comment

Last week’s pop quiz (which food has the most fiber) was sort of a trick question. But at least you’re really on your toes, now, right?

This week’s quiz isn’t a trick, however. The question does have one right answer. It’s an important topic since saturated fat stiffens the artery walls, makes our blood viscous (thick), leads to high blood pressure and heart disease, impairs brain function, and contributes to type 2 diabetes and many other diseases.

Question: What food is the highest source of saturated fat in the American Diet?

a) Steak

b) Potatoes

c) Cheese

d) Fish

e) Chicken

f) Beans

g) Glazed donuts

So many choices on this one…..

Let’s see, it probably isn’t the beans……

Could it be the donuts? Maybe not?

Answer: Cheese. Cheese is an extremely fatty product and is the number one source of saturated fat in the American diet. About 70% of its calories come from fat, most of which is saturated fat, or “bad” fat. Americans eat more than 34 pounds of cheese per person per year – three times more than they did in 1970.

That’s not to say the steak, fish, chicken, and glazed donuts don’t contain a great deal of saturated fat. They do. But cheese is the highest source.

Fortunately, there are MANY delicious plant-based recipes for cheese, cheese sauce, nacho cheese, parmesan cheese, holiday cheese balls, and much more. Check out www.eatplant-based.com or www.thevegan8.com for some yummy recipes.

Next week’s Pop Quiz will be the final one of the series! Unless you want to keep going 🙂

 

Pop Quiz #1: Which has more sodium?

By Leave a Comment

The teachers in my grade school were big fans of “pop quizzes.” We never knew when we’d be asked to pull out a blank piece of paper and answer the questions being written on the board. Most of us dreaded those pop quizzes, but in retrospect, they did keep us on our toes!

In that spirit, the next few blogs will present a pop quiz question just for fun. See how many you can ace.

Question: Which product contains the most sodium?

a) A serving of broiled beef

b) a serving of baked all-natural chicken

c) a large order of McDonald’s French fries

d) a serving of pretzels?

(Think it over carefully as the Jeopardy music plays in your head)

(Are you sure you’re right? Don’t look just yet)

(Think again)

Ok, here’s the answer:

The chicken. According to Dr. Michael Greger, the poultry industry commonly injects chicken carcasses with salt water to artificially inflate their weight, yet the chicken can still be labeled “100 percent natural.” Consumer Reports found that some supermarket chickens are pumped so full of salt water that they registered 840 mg of sodium per serving.

Surprising, right?

The majority of our salt intake comes from processed food, animal products, and fast food. A whole food, plant-based diet provides all the sodium you need and even allows you to flavor your food with a little salt. A good rule of thumb is to salt your food at the table rather than at the stove top. Far less salt is used by flavoring the surface of your food rather than mixing/cooking it into the recipe.

Reasons to exercise other than weight loss, and how often

By Leave a Comment

New year, new resolution to exercise, right? It’s a commendable goal to be sure, but today I’d like to share a few reasons to exercise other than weight loss that will help keep your motivation strong.

All three types of exercise – aerobic, strength, and flexibility – provide some amazing health benefits you may not be aware of (a better mood, a boosted metabolism, a lower risk of many disease, stress management, more energy, and better sleep, just to name a few). What’s not to love?

How often to you need to exercise to see the benefits? Read more here……..

 

 

Planning to diet this January? Try this first!

By Leave a Comment

The holidays and the leftover desserts will soon be behind us, which means that many Americans will once again be resolve to make some changes beginning January 1. Several statistical websites reveal that the top three resolutions typically include losing weight, getting fit, and living life to the fullest. Fortunately, all three of those goals can be achieved with one lifestyle change….namely, diet.

Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash

There are hundreds of diet plans on the market today. In addition to the mainstream diet plans we see advertised with their celebrity spokespeople, other popular fad diets include calorie restriction diets, blood type diets, Keto, Paleo, anti-grain and caveman diets; all are typically low-carb, high protein, high fat plans which offer temporary weight loss at the expense of your health, as I’ve explained in previous columns.

Many people fall prey to these questionable, unhealthy diets as their unrealistic hunt for the next magic bullet continues. Fortunately, there is a MUCH BETTER way which leads to permanent weight loss and will greatly improve your health along the way. (Continue reading here)