Secrets of Mind and Reality

It seems that obesity has become one of the leading problems amongst Americans today. There are so many different diet plans, diet pills, meal replacements and miracle cures being advertised that it is impossible to know where to begin if you need to lose weight. One health magazine will report that low carbohydrate diets are not safe, others will claim that low fat diets have too much sodium others claim vegetarian meals is the only way to go, no wonder most people give up before they even begin to diet.

My solution is to use common sense. Include foods in your diet that you enjoy, and allow for a wide variety of foods so you will not get bored. Use low calorie recipes to cook foods that you enjoy and always give in to little cravings. I have found that if you do not give in to little cravings you end up binge eating on other things. There are many low calorie recipes that involve making common foods cooked in a way that is better for you and lower in calories. Many of the low calorie recipes will substitute a higher fat or calorie food with one that is more figure friendly. For example I love my zucchini lasagna recipe. I think it is as good as regular lasagna and it is much better for you. I use ground turkey in place of hamburger in the sauce, I use skim ricotta cheese and skim mozzarella cheese. In place of the lasagna noodles I use zucchini that has been sliced lengthwise. The dish is assembled the same as any other lasagna. I have found that if you microwave the zucchini for a few minutes before assembling it the dish does not get as watery. Noodles themselves do not have much flavor; they absorb the flavors of the sauces they are served with. Zucchini is the same way; it tastes like whatever it is paired with. It makes a great substitute for many pasta dishes and can turn many dishes into low calorie recipes.

As with all things in life dieting has to be done in moderation. Make changes in your intake amount and increase your activity. There are no magic cures to losing weight it is the simple combination of less food and more activity. If you give your body less calories than you need for daily activities it has to turn to stored fat, this causes the reduction in weight. So if you are looking to lose a few pounds look up low calorie recipes and dust off your walking shoes.