#newin90

A healthy snack - oatmeal and blueberries

In today's weight obsessed world, "snacking" has definitely become an unhealthy pastime, hasn't it?

That's a shame, because it's a nice substantive word and has a real feelgood factor about it.

The actual dictionary definition is "a small portion of food or drink or a light meal, especially one eaten between regular meals" - no mention of being unhealthy there so we think it's about time to get rid of the negative connotations!

The blame for the word's downfall can be laid at the food manufacturers/retailer's door...the term "snack" has been well and truly hijacked and used to sell us all sorts of foods and drinks that we cannot resist and are of little nutritional value to us. If you don't agree, then next time you're in a supermarket, head for the "snacks" section and quickly try to ascertain what proportion of the products on display are actually good for you from a nutritional point of view. If you're lucky, there'll be a handy "healthy snacks" section (although you can guarantee it'll be small in comparison) although the whole concept of "healthy" food sections makes a mockery of the retailer's assertions that they want their customer to eat healthily at all!

We strongly feel that most people know deep down what they should be eating...what's healthy and what's not. A fascinating programme last year by the University of Surrey studied a group of children eating their lunch. Half were offered chopped fruit and veg from a separate table and the other half  had all their healthy food in amongst the normal serving of hot food.

Much to the researcher's surprise, the second group of children picked nearly twice as much of the healthy options as the first...demonstrating that kids are likely to pick the healthy choices unprompted provided it's easily to hand.

What's the relevance of this?

Well, apart from illustrating that humans probably start off life with an innate sense of the right foods to eat (no baby is born with an inner desire to eat a chocolate bar) if left to their own devices and uninfluenced by adults or peers, it also shows that if you have plenty of fruit, veg and other healthy options readily to hand you're much more likely to snack on these first. And once you have eaten them, you're much less likely to snack on the bad stuff.

Likewise, our lives have developed around things called "mealtimes" which way back were connected with our physical requirements; get up, eat something, go out and hunt and if you were lucky eat something, go to bed.

The mealtimes and meals have stuck, but they're no longer the necessities they were. We tend to eat set quantities with no real correlation between what we eat and what our bodies need. If you were stranded on a desert island, snacking on wild fruit and impromptu meals based around successful hunting expeditions would quickly become the norm (and one's weight presumably would not be an issue after a relatively short time!).

What can we take from all this?

1. Snacking doesn't have to be bad for you...only the choice of snacks.

2. When you go shopping, load up the basket with "healthy" snacks from the fruit, veg and nut sections and COMPLETELY MISS OUT the crisp/biscuit/cake/fizzy drink aisles. Walk straight past them and don't look back. Once you've done this once, you'll feel great about yourself!

3. Bring out the child in you and make sure you make these snacks easily available. When you get home, take a minute (and that's all it is) to prepare the fruit and veg and have them ready to eat in the fridge or on the side.  That way you'll ensure that you are snacking on the good stuff, and won't be tempted (or, after a while, need) to seek out the bad.

4. Whilst your normal daily routine should consist of three meals with little in between, if you have snacked a lot during the morning (for what ever reason), then miss out your lunch...your body won't need it and will easily last until supper.

Good luck!

The New In 90 team.

Here's our current top three snacks...guaranteed healthy!

Grapes and walnuts No matter how much you love either, there are only so many you can eat. That's because grapes are super sweet and walnuts are even more filling. A small cup of grapes and a handful of walnuts together are a power-combo of natural sugars, fiber, healthy fats and protein — all of which make for more long-lasting energy.

Greek yogurt with raspberries Sweet, creamy, and filling, this duo feels completely indulgent. The combination of fiber, healthy fats and protein are sure to get you over any 3pm slump. Plus, the Vitamin C in raspberries increases your body's fat-burning ability, according to research in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Combine a single-serving container of Greek yogurt and small cup of raspberries.

Alice Thomson wrote a hard hitting article in The Times on Tuesday about the problems of children growing fatter. In it she makes some very sobering points including:

- One in ten children will start primary school and one in five children will start secondary school clinically obese.

- 3.4 million people in Britain suffer from type 2 diabetes, the primary cause of which is obesity.

- The NHS is spending £15 billion a year treating diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, cancers, liver failure, hip and knee joint problems, and other consequences of overeating.

She points out that, whilst Britain leads the way on tackling smoking (plain cigarette packaging would have been unthinkable five years ago), there seems to be an ominous silence when it comes to obesity and weight issues - politicians seem to be more relaxed talking about porn and sex education. GPs also find it difficult to talk about weight issues with their patients. They will refer people to smoking cessation services but rarely make suggestions for the obese. When the major of Oklahoma City, Mick Cornett, realised his city was on America's fattest list, he tackled the problem head-on and launched a weight-loss drive that helped his citizens become amongst the fittest in the US.

The talk of a fat or sugar tax, however commendable, will come to nothing because the food and retail lobby is much too strong and anyway, such taxes will always hit the poor hardest...and no politician will ever be part of that if they can help it.

So, like many things in life, it's down to us. We can be our own Mich Cornett by saying "enough is enough" and making the necessary changes that will see both us and our children get fitter, healthier and, by logical extension, slimmer.

We moan enough about the "nanny state" but when it comes to our weight and fitness, we are seemingly happy to sing to the food producers and retailers tune.

It's time things changed...and our philosophy is that it's not too hard if you approach it in the right way!

New In 90 team

A relatively small company called PureCircle hit the business headlines over the weekend because they have managed to corner approximately 80% of the global stevia market.

For those who don't know, stevia is an obscure plant-derived additive that's being hailed as the miracle of all artificial sweeteners...and is the key ingredient in the latest version of Coca Cola...Coca Cola Life which has about a third less sugar and calories than regular Coke.

Stevia is a plant native to South America that until a few years ago was mainly used in soy sauce. It's now in everything, from Heinz tomato ketchup to Wrigley's chewing gum and Tesco own-label yoghurt.

The substance is popular with food manufacturers because it's up to five times more efficient than sugar, meaning it's kinder on the environment to supply and can be used in much smaller quantities. All good news for the industry that's under huge pressure to reduce the overall sweetness of their products. Analysts reckon the demand for sweeteners could make this a £6.5 billion market in five years time.

That sounds good for the manufacturers and retailers but where does it leave the consumer?

If you're one of those people who has a lot of fizzy drinks, swapping out your regular favourite with one containing a third less calories is really not going to make much dent in your overall food and drink intake...not to mention the fact you'll still be drinking a load of artificial ingredients. Hailing stevia as a "miracle" cure for weight-related issues and problems is surely like reducing the amount of nicotine in a cigarette and saying "that's alright then".

The truth is, whilst we have all become used (some may say addicted) to a vast array of food and drink that's actually not that good for us, our bodies don't need unnecessary, high calorie drinks and foods. Drinking water instead of a Coke is infinitely better for you and, as long as you take it from the tap, considerably cheaper!

And, before we get shot down with such a "boring" suggestion, we'll be the first to say that a "healthy" eating and drinking regime is NOT about denying yourself any particular type of food or food group...it's about moderating how much, what and when you eat.

Get that right and you won't have to worry about which Coke you have, you can just get on and enjoy it!

Good luck!

New In 90 team

New In 90 is a three month plan devised by experts to alter your eating and activity habits and routines simply and easily. If you want to lose some weight and get a bit more active for the long term, then check it out here and read some of our testimonials.

We’ve been bombarded with requests to re-post some great tips and advice from one of our users, Sue from Hampshire. She reinforces the point that it’s not so much what you put in your mouth and how many calories it contains, it’s more about re-aligning your lifestyle and routines so that the food and drink doesn’t even get close to your mouth, let alone in it!

See what you think and send us any tips that have worked for you.

When it comes to yo-yo dieting, I am one of the very worst! I’ve tried them all over the last 10 or so years and have always “given in” to some sort of temptation or other…often within a few days of starting! It’s been hopeless.

However, doing New In 90 has made me change my whole approach and my new philosophy seems to be working! I have lost some weight, but more important, my attitude is changing…and I can see how a long term approach will not only get me fitter, but also make my weight adjust to what I consider to be “normal”. Once I realised this, all the pressure that most diets pile on you, disappeared and more motivation kicked in.

So here’s some tips that I’ve found useful…maybe they will for you as well!

On motivation:

You got to really WANT to change in order to change. If you are doing it on a whim or just “giving it a go”, then you probably won’t change anything.

If you have decided you DO want to change, then decide to START. Once you start, take each day as it comes and give yourself a big pat on the back when you go to bed. The first day is hard, but then the more you change, the more motivated you’ll become.

Think long term…think “this is for life”. If you do that, the “instant” results are not so important.

Take small steps…don’t immediately rush into marathons or starvation diets. Do things that you will be able to do rather than set yourself up for failure.

Get the support of those around you. It took a while to get my two boys and husband on board but once they saw the difference in me, they were really good…in fact they now help me!

Talk to yourself! Keep saying how good you are being and how you are going to feel in a few months, in a year, in five years. You are your own coach!

On temptation

Get rid of it! Stop buying treats, snacks and fizzy drinks. If you don’t have them in the house, then you can’t eat them. This is especially important in the first few weeks. Clear the cupboards out and throw away all those sugary temptations!

If you have a craving for something…don’t dwell on it and don’t try and ignore it. The first thing I do is to drink a glass of water…and that normally puts the genie back in his box. If that doesn’t work, get up and do something…anything (I find a quick walk is best) at all. Jump up and down and shout at yourself if that works!

Talk to yourself (again)! If you feel yourself giving in to temptation, give yourself a good talking to…tell yourself what you want to achieve and how you don’t really need what is tempting you.

Revel in resisting! Once the urge passes, congratulate yourself, particularly early on. The more you do it, the easier it will become…promise!

Give into it sometimes! Who wants to never have a treat ever again? Not me for sure, so I do have occasional treats but beware…make sure your treat is small and savour every mouthful.

Hope someone finds this useful!

Thanks Sue.

Do YOU have any great tips that you can share with us? What’s kept you going when things get tough?

However you want to look at life, virtually none of us live in a vacuum. We all have partners, friends, family and colleagues to either support, work  or live with and we form relationships, however superficial, to co-exist alongside them. We comment and have views on them and they on us. Our behavior influences  them and vice versa.

With this in mind, it stands to reason that if you're trying to make long term lifestyle changes in order to get healthier and fitter, you have to get their buy in and support. But, on many occasions, this just does not happen.

For starters, it's incredibly difficult to make the decision to change...so many of us say things like "I need to lose some weight" or "I really should take more exercise" and then leave it at that. To actually start the process is another matter entirely! So when you do take the plunge, the last thing you need is apathy or even hostility or resentment from anyone close to you. This could be anything from children or a partner moaning about the lack of morning fry ups or  sweets in the cupboard to colleagues at work pushing you into yet another morning coffee and muffin.

The ideal way to approach this is to sit down with the relevant people and explain what you are going to do, why you are going to do it and what you hope to achieve. Most people, when they know you're serious, will probably be very supportive (and maybe even a bit envious!), but you may also get some eye rolling or knowing smiles. However, if you've thought it out and are determined enough, you should be able to persuade them to see the benefit of your plan of action. Funnily enough, even if this process is hard, it will set a good marker in the sand for you to prove any doubters out there wrong!

Also, if you have spoken to your GP or a health professional in the past about any weight and fitness issues, it might well be worth telling them of your plans...they should be able to help you and the act of doing so will provide another incentive to really change things this time.

And don't underestimate how changing your eating and exercise habits may effect those around you. For example, a sudden absence of most processed food and sweet snacks from the menu may annoy other members of the family but it's important that whatever you do goes for everyone, whether it's you doing the cooking or someone else. Likewise if you decide to go for a walk instead of the coffee shop with a friend, then you have to handle that kind of situation carefully...of course, you can always persuade them to come with you and then have a treat together just once a week!

Remember, whilst you are the number one priority in all this, any healthy habits and routines will benefit everyone else as well...if not more in some cases! Most people (especially children) will adapt very quickly, particularly if they are noticing a difference in you...and maybe even themselves if they come on board as well.

Whatever you do, don't try and "go it alone"...you'll find the journey much harder.

Good luck!

New In 90 team New In 90

A new report (yes another!) just published in the Post Graduate Medical Journal (PMJ - see link to the article below) criticises the weight-loss industry for focusing too much on calories and not enough on good nutrition. The report also argues that crash dieting may well be harmful, a view we have always shared.

The American weight loss industry generates a staggering US$58billion in revenue annually even though long term studies (up to five years) show that most people on rapid diets regain much of the lost weight and about two thirds don't achieve any health benefits from their dieting. This might be an interesting fact for anyone thinking of "starting" a new diet on January 1st.

The research says that concentrating on good nutrition, rather than counting calories, combined with a regime of activity as part of your lifestyle routines and habits is the most likely strategy for long term success. They cite the "Mediterranean" type diet as particularly effective because it's full of fruit and vegetables, nuts, olive oil, poultry and fish - and not because it counts the calories of every piece of food and drink that goes into the body. It's worth noting that this particular diet is named after the area in which the population generally eat this sort of food (Italy, Greece, Spain etc.) rather than any faddish origins or "latest" celeb invention.

The continuing weight of evidence that points over and over again to the futility of calorie-only focused eating regimes, combined with the sheer difficulty of actually sticking to one, leads you to wonder when we are going to realise that the ONLY way for the vast majority of people to get healthier and fitter (and therefore slimmer) for the long term is to get more active, eat sensibly and do both these things as part of a lifestyle going forward in a way that a) doesn't disrupt it; b) is achievable and c) doesn't mean you have to cut all the little treats out of your life forever!

And how do you do that?

Well a good place to start is to have a look at 6 ways to kickstart a healthier lifestyle. Once you realise that losing weight is part of the process of getting healthier, rather than a process in itself, the mountain won't seem so hard to climb!

Good luck.

New in 90 team.

We are always saying that "losing weight" should never be the number one objective of any health and fitness kick...it should be one of the welcome results of such a campaign, along with the many other benefits that a healthy lifestyle can bring.

People who just want to lose weight in isolation and try to do so by going on a calorie counting or abstinence regime are probably not going to succeed in the long term and will most likely get pretty depressed at the same time. It's much better to get to grips with the reasons why you are unfit and overweight and end up with a more effective long term solution.

So saying, there's no point at all changing all your habits and routines and getting more active if at the end of the day you're still eating lots of all the wrong types of foods and drinks!

So it makes sense to follow some very simple eating rules - you'll have heard them all before but if they are followed in conjunction with other lifestyle changes, then you'll dramatically increase your chance of long term success!

1. Go for brown, not white: Brown/wholewheat bread, pasta, rice, flour and cereal. If something is white, then it means it's been processed and most of the goodness will have been stripped out. And remember to limit the amounts you have...just because it IS brown does NOT mean you can eat unlimited quantities!

2.  Eat breakfast - go for eggs, or yoghurt with some fruit and nuts. Cereals and porridge are fine if you have it unrefined (eg weetabix or shredded wheat) and have it with a small amount of skimmed milk and/or natural yoghurt. If you are in a hurry, grab a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit as you rush out of the house.

Avoid sweet or processed foods such as white toast loaded with butter and jam, sugary cereals and large glasses of fruit juice.

Some experts say that breakfast is not important and if you are someone who just can't face food first thing then that's fine, as long as the rest of your eating "day" is sensible. However, the trap comes mid morning when the tummy rumbles and a cappuccino and full fat muffin beckons!

3. Stop snacking! Eat three balanced meals containing the right things in the right quantities. If you must have something in between, then a try a glass of water, handful of nuts, a natural yoghurt, a piece of fruit or a raw vegetable.

OK, but what's life without the occasional chocolate biscuit, packet of crisps or ice cream? The answer is to keep it just that...occasional. If you snack on high sugar/fat items throughout the day then it's time to change!

4. Avoid processed foods. That pretty means any food that's had something done to it before you buy it. Occasional ready meals or pizzas are fine but only really once or twice a month.

5. Skip puddings. If you think the vast majority of puddings are a) sugary and b) normally eaten when you are probably full, then you'll know why this is a wise move! If you are desperate have a small piece of dark chocolate instead and eat it VERY slowly.

6.  Limit your helpings and STOP eating as soon as you feel a bit full. Nearly everyone puts too much food on their plates and then goes on eating after they feel full. Just don't!

7. Eat more chicken and fish. Limit red meat to once or twice a month.

8. Learn how to steam and stir fry.  A wok and a steamer are invaluable in the kitchen...they make cooking quicker, healthier and the food will always taste nicer.

9. When you shop make sure you stock up on the "healthy" stuff and avoid the "bad" stuff. If you come home from work and the only thing in the cupboard is a ready meal, then that's what you'll have. Come home to some chicken and veg, then you can cook up a tasty stir fry in the same amount of time as a ready meal in the microwave.

10. Eat sensibly but never "ban" anything, particularly your favourite treat or snack. If you get into the habit of sensible eating, then having an Indian takeaway or an ice cream blowout every now and again is fine!

You can find out more about sensible eating on our New In 90 Healthy Food List or The Healthy Eating Plate and Harvard’s great Healthy Eating Pyramid.