Cheddar cheese - it is high in essential nutrients, and it packs 12 grams of protein and about 360 milligrams of calcium into a single serving. Choose a lighter version and you will cut the fat in half and reduce the calories by 1/3
Cottage cheese - A premium source of protein with 16 grams per 1/2 cup. Cottage cheese is also low in fat and calories.
Brie/Camembert- These creamy, spreadable cheeses are good source of protein (10-14 grams) and calcium (90-200 milligrams) but be careful not to overindulge because they also contain up to 200 calories and 12-14 grams of fat per serving.
Cream cheese - is not considered a proper serving of dairy due to its low protein (2 grams) and calcium(24 milligrams) counts per 2 tablespoon serving
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Good Mood Diet
Try raising your mood-lifting serotonin levels a couple of times a day by doing the following
-include protein in each of your three meals. this will raise blood levels of tryptophan , a chemical that eventually turns into serotonin. The best sources of tryptophan are poultry, seafood, and lean meat.
Also Have a small carbohydrate snack about 3 or 4 hours after each meal and about 1 hour before your next one. Make sure that your stomach is empty and that you eat no protein between meals. The carbohydrates should be easily digestible- such as one or two oatmeal cookies, or a piece of whole wheat bread. This will cause tryptophan in your blood to enter the brain,where is is metabolized into serotonin. Elevated serotonin will improve your mood within 20 - 30 minutes.
If you follow the rules, you will also fall asleep more quickly at night, because at the end of the day, your brain metabolizes serotonin into the natural sleep aid melatonin.
From happy to sleepy, all by way of a cookie. It doesn't get much cheerier than that.
(Prevention magazine - July 2008)
-include protein in each of your three meals. this will raise blood levels of tryptophan , a chemical that eventually turns into serotonin. The best sources of tryptophan are poultry, seafood, and lean meat.
Also Have a small carbohydrate snack about 3 or 4 hours after each meal and about 1 hour before your next one. Make sure that your stomach is empty and that you eat no protein between meals. The carbohydrates should be easily digestible- such as one or two oatmeal cookies, or a piece of whole wheat bread. This will cause tryptophan in your blood to enter the brain,where is is metabolized into serotonin. Elevated serotonin will improve your mood within 20 - 30 minutes.
If you follow the rules, you will also fall asleep more quickly at night, because at the end of the day, your brain metabolizes serotonin into the natural sleep aid melatonin.
From happy to sleepy, all by way of a cookie. It doesn't get much cheerier than that.
(Prevention magazine - July 2008)
Weight Loss Hormone
It is called Lepin and it tells your brain to suppress hunger.
Leptin is a chemical that could be the "master hormone" for your appetite. Produced in the body's fat cells, leptin travels to the brain after a meal to suppress hunger. As the meal is digested, leptin levels fall and appetite rebuilds.
This system can be easily disrupted. A major culprit?- Elevated triglycerides in the blood, which prevent leptin from reaching the brain, allowing hunger feelings to persist.
Here is how you can takes steps to bathe your brain in leptin
-Eat foods low in triglyceridws: be wary of foods high in dairy fat (like whole milk and ice cream) which is 95% triglycerides
-Get hooked on fish oil: It may lower triglycerides and also facilitate leptin's passage to the brain
-Exercise- regular activity lowers triglycerides and helps the brain absorb more leptin
-Sleep about 8 hours- anything less is associated with lower levels of leptin in the blood and brain
An additional bonus to maintaining robust levels of leptin in the brain is a flatter belly. When appetite (and thus food intake is suppressedby leptin, the body first turns to its most readily available source of body fat, which is stored around the belly, for fuel.
Leptin is a chemical that could be the "master hormone" for your appetite. Produced in the body's fat cells, leptin travels to the brain after a meal to suppress hunger. As the meal is digested, leptin levels fall and appetite rebuilds.
This system can be easily disrupted. A major culprit?- Elevated triglycerides in the blood, which prevent leptin from reaching the brain, allowing hunger feelings to persist.
Here is how you can takes steps to bathe your brain in leptin
-Eat foods low in triglyceridws: be wary of foods high in dairy fat (like whole milk and ice cream) which is 95% triglycerides
-Get hooked on fish oil: It may lower triglycerides and also facilitate leptin's passage to the brain
-Exercise- regular activity lowers triglycerides and helps the brain absorb more leptin
-Sleep about 8 hours- anything less is associated with lower levels of leptin in the blood and brain
An additional bonus to maintaining robust levels of leptin in the brain is a flatter belly. When appetite (and thus food intake is suppressedby leptin, the body first turns to its most readily available source of body fat, which is stored around the belly, for fuel.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Maximize Light to enlarge spaces
Electric light can effectively increase space. Highlight each of the four corners of your room to expand its size and brighten dark nooks with spotlights to create a more expansive feel.
Pare Down your Windows to enlarge a space
A simple blind, or sheer fabric drapes will help keep windows defined and allow the maximum amount of light to filter through. Larger drapes consume too much wall space and absorb lots of light, further reducing perceived spaciousness.
Trick your eyes to enlarge a space
Change perspective by hanging a series of landscape pictures with long narrow scenes to make you feel you are somewhere much larger .
Reflect on Your Space
Mirrors in any form, are great for bouncing light.
Glass tables, and even glass accessories, will increase the overall feeling of space thanks to their transparent qualities.
Glass tables, and even glass accessories, will increase the overall feeling of space thanks to their transparent qualities.
Blend Features to make spaces seem larger
Simplify your space by painting walls, trim and detailing in slightly different shades of the same colour. Paring down in this way softens decorative impact and helps promote a more generous feel.
Keep Walkways Defined for space enhancing
When you actually see floors, rooms appear larger so ensure you can move easily through space without running into abstacles.
Keep taller, bulkier items on the walls, and go low with sofas and case goods to keep lines clear.
Keep taller, bulkier items on the walls, and go low with sofas and case goods to keep lines clear.
Make Small Spaces seem larger
Maximum Storage
If you want to be orderly, go large on storage, especially where square footage is tight.
Install floor to ceiling bookcases, shelves and cabinets to provide loads of usable stash zones without devouring too much floor space.
If you can, try wall-mounted shelves instead of floor standing sideboards to further enhance floor space.
(Toronto Star - Nov 1,2008)
If you want to be orderly, go large on storage, especially where square footage is tight.
Install floor to ceiling bookcases, shelves and cabinets to provide loads of usable stash zones without devouring too much floor space.
If you can, try wall-mounted shelves instead of floor standing sideboards to further enhance floor space.
(Toronto Star - Nov 1,2008)
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