Tips and tricks to try today
Have your cake…
…and eat it for breakfast. Israeli
researchers put two groups of women on 1,400-calorie diets, but had one group
follow a low-carb plan with a smaller breakfast and a larger dinner, while the
other group ate protein – and carbohydrate-rich foods with a breakfast that
included cake, chocolate, or a cookie and then a smaller supper. Both sets of
dieters lost weight, but once they were off the plan, the small-breakfast group
regained about two-thirds of what they’d dropped. The morning feasters,
however, lost an additional 15 pounds over the next four months. The protein/
carb combo helps satisfy hunger, explains study author Daniela Jakubowicz,
M.D., and having a treat in the morning keeps cravings from building during the
day. Also, metabolism and weight-regulating hormones are more active in the
A.M., so you burn off that cake more readily.
Just chill out
Sip
icy water as you work out – it can also keep you going
In a Stanford University study of 24 obese
women, those who kept cool with a special device that pulled heat from their
bodies were more likely to stick to their exercise routines than their
overheating sisters. As a result, after 12 weeks they’d upped their walking
pace, dropped average of three inches from their waists, and lowered their
blood pressure. An easy way to get the same effect? Sip icy water as you work
out – it can also keep you going.
30 minutes or less – healthy in a hurry
Grilled steak Salad
Fat-free
dressing gets a flavor boost from maple syrup
Summery meat ‘n’ potatoes: Even committed
carnivores will dig into this of juicy beef and fiber-rich sweet potatoes atop
crisp greens. Bonus: Romaine delivers loads of vitamins A and K
Total time 30 minutes
Makes 4 main-dish servings
·
4 med. sweet potatoes (2 to 3 lbs.), scrubbed
and cut into ½ - in. slices
·
2 pts. cherry tomatoes (24oz.)
·
3 tbsp. lower-sodium soy sauce
·
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
·
1 tbsp. beef flank steak
·
2 bags (10 oz. each) chopped romaine lettuce
- Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling
on medium-high. In large microwave-safe bowl, combine sweet potatoes and ½
cup water. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on High 10 to 12
minutes or until tender. Drain.
- Meanwhile, fold 30” by 12” sheet of
heavy-duty foil crosswise in half. Place tomatoes on double thickness of
foil; bring long sides of foil up and fold several times to seal well.
Fold over ends of foil to seal in juices.
- In small bowl, whisk soy sauce, vinegar,
syrup, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
all over steak; place on hot grill grate with tomato packet and sweet
potatoes. Grill steak and tomatoes 10 minutes for medium-rare steak (1400F),
turning steak over once; grill sweet potatoes 5 minutes, turning over
once.
- Toss one-third of dressing with lettuce.
Divide lettuce among plates. Top with steak, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and
remaining dressing.
Each serving:
About 390 calories, 30 g protein, 51 carbohydrate, 8 g total fat (3 g
saturated), 11 g fiber, 65 mg cholesterol, 950 mg sodium.
