Nutrition and healthy eating

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• May 17, 2013 6:23 p.m.

  Carrots did a wonderful job at filling me up; and to keep that extra flavor in, use fat free ranch dressing as the dipping for them. That will fill you up quick!

  - Crystal

• May 16, 2013 8:20 a.m.

  When I was 193 lbs 5 ft 2 inches. I started a fruit diet..I lost 12 lbs in 7 days. The following two weeks i started juicing vegies..thats when the challenge started..What helped me to keep up keeping focus on my my goals and where I wanted to be..When I felt tempted to cheat i did..BUT I never over did..I will take a tsp or a little piece of whatever i craved for and savored it in my mouth..Every week i rewarded myself with something to add value to my goals. within 2 1/2 months i lost 50 lbs

  - Jenny

• March 7, 2013 10:05 p.m.

  Where do you get the movie fat.sick and nearly dead?

  - judy

• February 23, 2012 2:20 p.m.

  As a person who has always hated the taste of vegetables and rarely ate salads growing up, I ate very poorly and developed intense cravings and addictions to sweets and heavily processed foods. I am only 27, but I have felt the effects of my diet rain down on me in full force the past couple of years. My immune system has been shot and I have gained weight rapidly no matter how hard I exercise on a daily basis. I finally decided I had had enough. I tried to get off of the sugar and processed foods cold-turkey, but suffered major relapses that would leave me frustrated and very ill. So I am now taking a more balanced approach and allowing myself a small treat if I am still hungry after eating my healthy foods (which isn't very often!). I used to think that the veggies weren't filling me up, but the problem wasn't that I was still hungry - but that I was having very specific cravings for sugar and processed foods. Over time, those cravings have started to decrease and I am finding that veggies are starting to fill me up much better. In fact, I am even starting to love the taste of veggies, which I thought was impossible! My body is changing rapidly for the better, I am losing weight, feeling better, and am so happy! I eat lots of veggies, limited fruits, non-allergenic grains like quinoa, healthy fats, and occasional treats in moderation. Don't give up - eating healthy is really hard at first but soon you will enjoy it and you will love the way that you feel!

  - Shellie

• February 8, 2012 2:30 a.m.

  The movie I watched was called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". Anyway, it was worth watching and Inspirational...

  - Allyson

• February 8, 2012 2:22 a.m.

  I also watched the movie," Fat, Tired, and Nearly Dead" with my husband. The next day, I began juicing and eating more plant based foods,including protein sources from nuts, beans, and hummus spreads to dip my veggies into. I drank water, took my vitamins, walked for 30 minutes and did this for a total of 4 days, until I began feeling awful. My husband told me to add Udo's oil or to take the supplements as well and drink more water. I also began adding olive oil and avocado into salads.Since I have been incorporating healthy fat into my new lifestyle, I have been feeling more balanced. Also, I have been more focused and clear in my mind, body, and spirit. A delicious recipe to try is thinly sliced Fennel, sliced Strawberries, sliced cucumber, and Orange segments, drizzled with some fresh squeezed juice from the orange,sliced basil or mint, and grated orange zest. Garnish with a sprig of basil or mint for color...

  - Allyson

• January 30, 2012 3:51 p.m.

  After a lifetime of health consciousness (food, exercise, emotional development) I find that in my 60's I continue to be blessed with no health issues. Nature & nurture have combined for this result, I believe. 2012 is my 12th year of freedom from 34 years of tobacco smoking which I accompanied by a rigorous daily intake of vitamins and antioxidants. I am currently surrounded by many older and younger people whose health habits especially with food are a laundry list of habits on the journey to avoidable, chronic health issues (heart & lung problems; liver & kidney issues; high blood pressure/cholesterol, etc) -- which they either live in denial of the long-term toxic impacts of, or struggle mightily to get "under control." I have great compassion for the challenges those so afflicted face. I try to show by example stress-free ways to reach beyond past health habits. I believe we do what we know. Often we are blinded to how to gradually flow into changes that can reflect healthier life habits and strategies. My quest for a healthy lifestyle was initiated by determination not to fall prey to diseases that afflicted my Southern-born family (Louisiana) from Black & Creole cultures (cancers, liver/kidney & heart issues of all sorts & stripes) for decades leaving generations in my family to be reared without parents and by their siblings -- a social issue with dire emotional etc consequences similar to what we see currently in families of

  - Darice

• December 2, 2011 7:43 a.m.

  I just watched the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. I must say that it was profoundly motivating! Just wanted to make one comment that I gleaned from watching the two main characters in the film as they juiced their ways to health through vegetables and fruit: one must be ready to change one's taste buds. It can take up to 2 weeks apparently to retrain your taste buds to enjoy REAL food (ie, picked from a tree or pulled from the ground). We all need to get back to reality when it comes to taking care of our bodies.

  - Sharon

• November 7, 2011 4:43 p.m.

  I found this tasty, healthy dish that you might want to try. http://imunchie.com/chicago-chef/munchies/chicken-shish-kabobs-kebabs

  - Lori

• October 21, 2011 7:49 p.m.

  I agree that adding some protein to the fruit or vegetable will help with satisfying your hunger. I am experiencing this same issue. Also, eating some almonds or walnuts for a snack can help.

  - Frieda

• August 24, 2011 11:35 a.m.

  Ladies - I need advice - My mother is eating bean soup twice a day. Period. She makes the soup by the gallons and keeps it in her refrigerator for weeks. Is this healthy? Oh - she will eat a fig newton for breakfast and an occasional milkshake. Do you have information I can print / share with her to let her know this is not healthy? I feel this is affecting her mental and physical health.

  - Mary

• June 22, 2011 1:01 p.m.

  Katherine, As you've done with other foods, Could you write about "How much is too much fiber and also too much fruit?" For a while now, I've been on a high fiber, high fruit and low fat diet, a nutritionist claims that it is not healthy but I have found no literature on maximum consumption of either besides making sure that one drinks enough water with high fiber consumption. Also, would eating too much fruit cause a high glucose level in the blood? What is the appropriate fasting glucose level? I have found both 100 and 110 mg/dL as levels to watch for prediabetes. Finally, does it matter if one eats all its daily intake of fruit in one meal, all veggies and protein in another and a third high in fiber? Or is the same for the body over a 24 hour period? Thanks.

  - Carlos

• June 14, 2011 5:10 a.m.

  I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. A balance diet refers to the intake of appropriate and adequate amount of foods and drinks that supply nutrient and energy to the body for maintenance of body cells, tissues and organs that support the normal growth and development of the body. These List of Health and Fitness Blogs are excellent. And the all mentioned points are very systematic as well. Health and safety Toronto

  - fergalemmanuel

• June 5, 2011 9:26 p.m.

  I can easily choose sweets and salty chips when I am tired, bored or am mentally drained from a stressful day at work. I know from experience it seems like a quick fix but it is short term. I recently hurt myself and couldn't exercise so realized I had to eat more healthy or I would easily gain as much as 20 pounds. I decided to try to eat more fruits and veggies. At first I was craving sugar but after only 1 week of eating and choosing fruit instead of ice cream and cake and veggies instead of chips I am doing okay. My favorites in season are strawberries and bananas and make smoothies with skim milk and they are sweet and very filling. I eat popcorn rather than chips but also found I love hummus with sliced red and yellow and orange peppers. It is easy and good while watching tv. I measure the hummus and veggies are freebies. I can now walk again so make sure I do 30 minutes minimum. It is good to take a monthly calendar and mark or check off each day I exercise. This along with eating healthy always makes me feel good. I believe if you can make 1 week on track then another before long 1 month is gone and you feel so good. I know what to do and I just turned 60. I have struggled my whole life with the sweet and salt addiction but I always get back on track. You can do it 1 week at a time. Good luck and I know you will feel better.

  - Cynthia

• May 7, 2011 8:32 p.m.

  Usually if I am still hungry after a a meal of only vegetables and fruits, I add a protein. Starting off eating healthy and making this life change can be very difficult for some because you always feel hungry. i feel if your body is craving a certain food item than you should not deprive your body completely of this but find almost a compromise or trick it. Let's say you are craving salt instead of dumping salt all over your food try a food that's naturally flavorful, or even a small amount. I find that if you don't give your body the craving or try to compromise it only gets worse and eating healthy because a struggle for you and you feel the need to not even try.

  - AmberH

• March 30, 2011 4:10 p.m.

  Relative to attempts to increase fiber, I am attempting to include more beans in my diet. However, examining the label on a can of red kidney beans, I found the salt content was 450mg! This is app. 1/3 of the daily recommended allowance for salt. If liquid is discarded and the beans are rinsed thoroughly, is the majority of the salt eliminated?

  - Steve

• March 24, 2011 10:16 p.m.

  The most obvious way to feel full is to eat a grain--brown rice is nice but so is popcorn. Then again, most of us eat bread, which gives the needed carbs full feeling. A great "veggie way" to feel full is to eat canned pumpkin (not the pie filling, just plain canned pumpkin). I heat it with cinnamon sugar on it. Definitely filling! And low cal and healthy.

  - Kathleen

• March 24, 2011 12:25 a.m.

  Nice Post! I really like your Efforts! Keep it up.

  - tips to lose weight

• March 16, 2011 8:32 a.m.

  Some fruits and veggies also leave me feeling hungry. On the other hand, some do not. When eating fruit and still feeling hungry, a banana will always fill me up. On the veggie side, a new potato does the trick. For those veggies that don't fill me up, a tiny bit of fat with them (don't use fat-free dressing, instead use full fat or vinegar and oil very sparingly) makes the meal feel more substantial.

  - Lita

• March 10, 2011 12:42 p.m.

  I hate to cook but know I need to eat more vegetables, so an easy way for me to prepare a meal to take to work is to add frozen vegetables to a frozen meal or to a can of soup. I also add a couple of ounces of extra protein to both. That way I don't get hungry and get more vegies. (By the way, I can't imagine anybody getting full chewing on just vegetables. I don't even think that's healthy).

  - Cheryl

• March 9, 2011 2:41 p.m.

  I love the idea of eating lots of fruit/veggies. Having trouble balancing that with living in Minnesota in the winter...i.e. nothing is IN SEASON. And even when it is in season, it's very expensive! Frozen or canned are mushy. What do you do with them? And canned veg have way too much salt! Ok I'm whining a little...but this is a major road block for me! (Now, if I were only feeding myself and not a family...it might look a little different...)

  - Susan

• March 2, 2011 6:42 p.m.

  Hi Katherine, like many people I find it hard to get the recommended 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables in my diet everyday. I personally have never eaten a salad in my life. I knows that awful but its a texture thing and I just cant do it no matter how hard I try! With that being said, I try to "trick myself" into eating more fruits and vegetables. I make smoothies a lot with fruit, almond milk, yogurt and protein powder. Very good and very filling. I also puree veggies and add them to things like Pizza and pasta sauce.

  - Julie