~*Love your partner but not his eating habits*~

On their first dates,her appetite will suddenly decrease.Those butterflies in her stomach will be more than enough to reach her satiety.

Once in a relationship,she will accommodate and realize that all their outings revolve around food.

If she decides to have a green salad,he’ll treat her as an anorexic and if she mimics his eating habits,she could end up piling on the pounds since at best,women burn 26% fewer calories a day than guys do.

Eventhough, the dilemma of men understanding women has never been solved,i have thought about solving food’s dilemma between every couple and present you with a few hints and tips in order to keep the man,but lose the fatty foods !

During non-stop prime munching

Before getting in front of the screen,he displays all types of munchies(ranging from chips,to nuts,to chocolate) on the table.
A study at Johns Hopkins University found that the more people were into what was on the tube, the less aware they were of how much food, they were inhaling.

No one, not even the Dalai Lama, can resist delicious, crunchy snack foods that are right in front of them. But a 120-pound woman burns only about 54 calories an hour watching TV (a 180-pound man burns 74 calories per hour).

Fill a giant bowl with some light microwave popcorn and munch away. Most brands contain just 20 to 25 calories per cup popped, so even if you scarf six cups, you've consumed only 150 calories — the amount in less than one-sixth of a can of Pringles.

You could,also suggest healthier munchies such as ChexMix, Frosties, baked chips, that are much lower in fat than their counterparts.You could also,go veggie with a low fat mayo-ketchup dip served with cherry tomatoes,cucumbers and carrots.

When it comes to drinking carbonated beverages every now and then,just remind him that besides all their harmful side effects ,they help increase the size of your stomach when consumed regularly and thus lead you to eat more and gain weight.

Drive me through

Most men live for the drive-through. A 2006 Mintel online survey of 2,000 people found that men eat fast food more often than women, and tend to choose burgers and French fries over salads and other healthy options.

Sharing a ride makes you captive to his drive-through addiction. One fast-food grilled-chicken club sandwich has 570 calories. You could eat a half-pound of skinless chicken breast, a half-cup of couscous and a cup of cooked green beans and still save nearly 300 calories (even without the fries or soda). Indulging even once a week means you'll be about one pants size plumper in a year.

Before you hop into the car, throw your favorite portable healthy food a granola or cereal bar, a banana,an apple in your bag.If you have something satisfying to chow on during his greasy rendezvous, you won't be so tempted to add to his order.

Also,when he comes over to watch a dvd,make sure to rent the movie : Supersize me !

The deal:You always chose the starters since most of the times he orders all the listed fried dishes.
When you have few dishes in front you,you tend to eat less,therefore avoid ordering a lot.
Remember,you should always eat 4 hours before going to bed.

Getting Tipsy

You can never,ever catch-up drinking with him,even if he insists on getting drunk with you.
When you compare men and women of the same height, weight and build, men tend to have more muscle and less fat than women. Because muscle tissue has more water than fat tissue, a given dose or amount of alcohol will be diluted more in a man than in a woman. Therefore, the blood alcohol concentration resulting from that dose will be higher in a woman than in a man, and the woman will feel the effects of that dose of alcohol sooner than the man will.

In the Stomach,the enzyme Alcohol Dehydrogenase, begins some of the metabolism of Alcohol.Women have less of this enzyme than men, this is the reason for which Alchohol passes through their stomachs and into their bloodstream quicker than in men.
Women metabolize about 10% of the Alcohol ingested while men metabolize about 30%.

Remind him that 1 g of alcohol provides him with 7 calories.

I suggest you read the previous posts for a better understanding of many topics related to heatlh and food !

by Dietitian Nicole Maftoum

~*Best fitness foods for women*~

Perceived as“God’s second mistake”,a woman remains to the whole world ,a vital character that plays a crucial role in ensuring the continuity of the species. Her body is not like any other ; its has a capacity for pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation … Nevertheless, being a woman is a terribly difficult task since, it primary consists in, dealing with men and ,secondly, suffering the discomfort of menstruation, as well as the horrors of gestation.Since, pregnancy,breastfeeding and menopause, all undermine women’s health and put her life at risk,exercising and choosing the right foods should be a requisite for every women who is willing to become a grandmother in the years to come !

Breakfast like a queen : in the world of rich,in fiber and minerals; whole grains cereals and breads,deliver a steady flow of energy over time.Include a hard boiled egg; the yolk is a good source of iron, and it's loaded with lecithin, critical for brain health.

Food’s haute cowture,invites you to Milk your diet: a glass of milk supplies calcium to keep bones strong and protein that along with exercise can help build lean muscle which are especially important when cutting calories.Fuel up with 3/4 cup of whole-grain cereal with 4 ounces of fat-free milk an hour before a workout, you will have more energy, so you can work out harder and perhaps longer.

A little snack strategically consumed before rampant hunger sets in, might just prevent you from over-indulging at lunch or dinner…Fingers crossed ?

-Skinny Dippers: carrots,broccoli,celery,red,green,orange or yellow peppers sticks they just need to stand strong to be a worthy dipper and in all cases,assist the body in it’s fight against toxins and cancer.In fact a study showed that carrots, pack complex carbohydrates that provide ,energy to muscles and, potassium to control blood pressure and muscle contractions.

-Nutty Nuts:10 dry roasted cashews or 15 natural almonds ;powerhouse of good nutrition they contain monounsaturated fat,vitamin E,folic acid,magnesium,copper,protein,and fiber, and are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals.

-Na’Fruity :a banana sliced in circles and half a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice reminds me about one of my favorite snacks at the age of 5 .However,back in time, I didn’t know that bananas, help replace sweat loss and keep you energized while oranges help repair muscle tissue.

-The red zone: strawberries,red berries,cranberries .Just a handful is needed to provide antioxidants, which protect muscles from free radical damage .Your body just need it after your workout.Also,cranberries have proanthocyanins, compounds that help prevent and fight urinary tract infections.

2h00 p.m, rush hour : a salad seems, real and interesting;With enough variety in colour and texture to give your mouth and mind something to chew over.Go green with lettuce, argula leaves ,mash ,spinach with some fresh basil leaves and mint.Add to it something wild and rich in omega-3 fatty acids,such as salmon or any dark meat poultry such as chicken or turkey that are ,low in fat and have all the iron, zinc, and B vitamins that women need in their diets. If you have a few boiled potatoes sitting sullenly in the fridge with no aim to their life,they can be transformed into heroes of your salad ;A medium potato has more potassium than a banana and it can be used with or without being peeled.And,oh yea,the green health bomb should definitely dive in your salad bowl ! 15 g of avocado would deliver the essential monounsaturated fats that would help lower bad cholesterol and might help lessen abdominal fat, according to recent studies.

Midnight feast: just forget about it before midnight ;you should always eat,four hours before going to bed! The stuff of your dreams:this sandwich that needs two hands and a large napkin tucked into your shirt collar - 60 g of pain de mie with 60 g of cheese,a handful of spinach leaves, slices of tomatoes,dill pickles and you’re set !

The last mouthful … and your body has it all : the proteins, carbohydrates, monounsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. What remains, is your seven hours of good sleep .Tomorrow, is a new,fresh day.Don’t forget to tell your neighbor about your new meal plan!And always remember that : You are what You eat !

by Dietitian Nicole Maftoum

~*Egg-Spensive or Ex-pensive foods ? *~

In your life, you might have met the tallest man in the world,seen the smallest jet aircraft,experienced the longest windsurfing journey and witnessed the highest jump by a pig… However,I am pretty sure that you might not have tasted the most expensive foods in the world or heard about them. Despite clear indicators that many parts of the world are suffering from dire poverty and starvation,there are still places where you can plunk down your money and get a decadent menu item.Astonished?Leave your exclamations till you finish reading the article !

1. Hamburger
At $99, the Double Truffle Hamburger at DB Bistro Moderne in Manhattan gives new meaning to the term whopper. The burger contains three ounces of rib meat mixed with truffles and foie gras stuffed inside seven ounces of sirloin steak and served on a Parmesan and poppy seed bun, with salad and truffle shavings.For penny-pinchers and calorie counters, the Single Truffle version is a mere $59.

2. Caviar
The world's most expensive caviar is a type of Iranian beluga called Almas. Pale amber in color, it comes from sturgeons that are between 60 and 100 years old.A 3.9-pound container will set you back $48,750.

3. Pie
In Burnley, England, you can find the world's most expensive meat pie.Based on a traditional steak and mushroom pie, the dish includes $1,000 worth of Wagyu beef fillet, $3,330 in Chinese matsutake mushrooms (which are so rare that they are grown under the watchful eyes of armed guards), two bottles of 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild at a cost of about $4,200 each, as well as black truffles and gold leaf. The pie serves eight with a total cost around $15,900, or $1,990 per slice, which includes a glass of champagne.

4.Bread
In 1994, Diane Duyser of Florida noticed that the toasted sandwich she was eating appeared to contain an image of the Virgin Mary. She kept it for ten years (it never went moldy), before selling it to Canadian casino for $28,000 in 2004.

5. Ice Cream Sundae
At $1,000, the Grand Opulence Sundae at New York's Serendipity certainly lives up to its name. Made from Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream covered in 23-karat edible gold leaf and drizzled with Amedei Porcelana, the world's most expensive chocolate, this indulgence is studded with gold dragets and truffles and topped with dessert caviar.

6. Pizza
The Luxury Pizza, a 12-inch thin crust, is the creation of Nino Selimaj, owner of Nino's Bellissima in Manhattan.It is covered with six different types of caviar that need to be specially ordered. The pie is also topped with lobster, crème fraîche, and chives at $1,000 a pie (or $125 a slice).

7. Boxed Chocolates
At $2,600 per pound, Chocopologie by Knipschildt Chocolatier of Connecticut is the world's most expensive box of chocolates. At $240 each, the dark chocolate truffle, with a French black truffle inside, is made of 70% Valrhona cacao, which is blended into a creamy ganache with truffle oil. The truffle is hand-rolled with a dark truffle on the inside and then dusted with cocoa powder.

8. Sandwich
The von Essen Platinum club sandwich at the Cliveden House Hotel near London is also the world's most expensive sandwich at $197. Weighing just over a pound, the sandwich is made of the finest ingredients, including Iberico ham cured for 30 months, quail eggs, white truffles, semi-dried Italian tomatoes, and 24-hour fermented sourdough bread.

9. Omelette
The restaurant Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien put itself on the map by offering the world’s most expensive omelette, or as they call it, “The Zillion Dollar Frittata”. This absurdly expensive breakfast item consists of a mixture of eggs, lobster and 10 ounces of sevruga caviar and a charge of $1000 on your bill.

10. Cake
And the award for the most expensive food goes to . . . a fruitcake! You may hesitate before plunking down the $1.65 million for a Japanese fruitcake, designed with 223 small diamonds .

by Dietitian Nicole Maftoum

~*I’ve got a beer-belly,what do You have ? *~

7h00 a.m:You experience the annoyance of the unwanted wake-up call from your alarm clock. Unceremoniously,you slap the snooze button,again and again.

9h00 a.m:You get stuck in a traffic jam ;stressed out and starving .Not enough time for breakfast.Cigaretts rock your empty stomach.

2h00 p.m:Another business lunch-A gastronomic indulgence on food and wine …Death by chocolate … You get the deal!

5h00 p.m:A quick nap on the desk .The obnoxious voice of your secretary wakes you up. Oups! It’s already 7h00 p.m-HAPPY HOURS … the guys are already at the pub…And, you still stand for the 10 reasons why beer is better than your woman…

Welcome to a Man’s World !

At the end of the day,all you get is a Beer-Belly;a prideful symbol of your greatest passion.You proudly display your rounded protuberances as a testimony to your excessive consumption of your chosen ambrosia.Yet,have you ever wondered if your beer-belly was only caused by the excessive intake of this foamy goodness ?

Most probably,you did ,while bumping into someone,with a huge beer belly and who doesn’t drink beer or someone else who drinks beer and remains slim.Thus,you could assume that beer isn’t the only evil brew that causes visceral fat.

In fact,any other fatty and unhealthy food may cause a beer-belly to appear. Men tend to carry extra body fat on the stomach developing the “apple” profile of central obesity,while women gain weight mostly around the hips and thighs developing more of a “pear”profile.

When present with both,fat and alcohol,the body stores the comparatively harmless fat, and rids itself of the toxic alcohol,by burning it off as fuel, resulting in a fat storage in the central abdominal area.In addition,it is important to note that ,a gram of fat and a gram of alcohol yield 9 and 7 calories respectively.

While your waistline gradually gets bigger,the risk for a number of serious health problems inceases,including : diabetes,stroke,hypertension and coronary artery disease.Actually,fat in the abdomen brings extra risk to the heart since its release in the bloodstream ,contributes to the blood’s daily burden of cholesterol carrying lipoproteins,LDL,thereby increasing heart disease risk.However,Fat layers ,lye just beneath the skin of the abdomen,thighs,hips,and legs also release fat,but sluggishly and so,theoretically ,may contribute less to blood lipids.

Waist circumference provides a measure of visceral (abdominal) fat, independent of body weight or body mass index (BMI). By locating your hip bone and snugly (but without compressing the skin) placing a tape measure around your bare abdomen,you get your waist circumference.
If your waist circumference is of at least 40 inches (102 cm) then congrats, you are another victim of the of the threatening diseases caused by excessive visceral fat.

The key of getting rid of stomach fat,doesn’t lie in the magical pill that you get from the drugstore or the fad diet that leads to gain weight once stopped.However,it is resumed by eating a healthy diet and exercising .

Remember,moderation is the key;eating in a balanced way doesn’t only make you feel good but it also amends the quality and quantity of your life.If you combine the efforts of eating a bit less and exercising more,you can reach your goal of getting rid of stomach fat.Be patient, though, since you tend to lose body fat last in the areas of your body where you store it first!

by Dietitian Nicole Maftoum