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You might not have to completely strike out all sugars; your body does need some after all. Here a few experts can help you skimp on some treacliness, thank you Kristie Scott-Dixon (director of education at Precision Nutrition), Brian St. Pierre (registered dietitian at Precision Nutrition) and Dr. Holly Lofton (director of the Medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone Medical Center).

Welcome your cravings but keep an eye on the quantity

Holding a hand back on your cravings has never been an easy task and it seems like the effort has been made since forever; it has been too long since I had those lemon bars, I haven’t had my favorite triple chocolate cake in ages! So what really happens when that chocolate cake sits in all its frosted splendor in front of you. A slice, or two. Or three. One big fat slice equal to half the cake. You definitely would not be the only one doing that.

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Your mind tells you to treat yourself to an animalistic helping after thinking that you had held back long enough and the speed by which the sweet is downed can be compared to a running cheetah. That speed does not allow you to thoroughly enjoy what you are eating and so you keep taking more and more of it. St. Pierre tells us that a reasonable amount taken on a regular basis would be better than totally lashing out periodically but the key here is to truly savor it. Go slow. Taste every bite and munch. Really value your intake. “Don’t gobble the chocolate; nibble it and let it melt in your mouth. Be present with it,” says Scott-Dixon.

Track your eating habits that draw you to sweets and tackle them

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May be your way of tending to being idle is by taking a trip to the kitchen where you can find a sweet nibble, may be sweetness comes as a savior in stress eating or may be you feel the need to satisfy your sweet tooth every time you see something sweet. Try to counter whatever your habit. Swap out the sweet picks for healthier alternatives and snacks. Calm yourself down with a warm shower, bathe in a tub, talk to a friend when stressed. Keep the sweets out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind!

Work on omitting stress eating by keeping away from tantalizing foods

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Lofton tells us about combating stress eating by cognitive-behavioral therapy, “You can make a new brain pathway, which means making a new behavior”. For example if you are disturbed, sad, tense or angry and by habit you grab your jacket, hit the road, walk to a nearby shop and buy a sweet treat, you can train yourself by doing this act exactly in your habitual pattern but don’t end it by getting yourself that sweet. Pull on the jacket, walk to the shop, buy a bottle of water or some herbal tea and head back. This will condition the mind that one can go to the store and walk out with just water.

Perhaps don’t totally wipe out the sugar and carbs

We always set unrealistic targets for ourselves that we end up, nearly always, ruining. Then comes the stress of not doing well and evidently comes the stress eating. Vicious cycle. By putting a big red cross on sugar, like mentioned earlier, you will make yourself splurge more. Don’t paint that red cross all over; work towards a balanced diet.

A better idea would be to have “about a handful or two of slow-digesting, high-fiber, nutrient-rich carbs like beans, legumes, potatoes or sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, etc. at each meal. A banana at breakfast and a cup of chickpeas at lunch might save you a 3 p.m. run to the candy machine,” says Scott-Dixon.

Make sure you are fitting healthy alternatives in your diet

That granola bar was a healthy fix, I can surely have a double-patty cheeseburger now. Yeah, not the right way to go about things. Sometimes we let us treat ourselves with junk and what not after having something good for the body. Be mindful that the job is not done there; the whole purpose of eating something healthy is so something too malicious isn’t sitting in the body. Try not to feel too king after healthy and successful swap-outs.

Artificial sweeteners are not THE answer

“Keeping very sweet tastes in your food routine means that your palate never really adapts to things being less sweet. You’re still always expecting everything to be super-sweet and you’re disappointed when it isn’t,” says Scott-Dixon. She suggests trying out artificial sweeteners and noticing if they really help on holding back the sweet urges.

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Don’t let your surroundings of tempting food stab your motivation; change the surroundings

Scott-Dixon recommends making that kind of food totally inconvenient. If you have to head out on car or on foot to buy a chocolate bar, you’d be less tempted to do so considering you have to ‘go to them’. Also, with healthy alternatives in reach, the chocolate bar far off is less convenient. One in the hand than two in the bush.

Lastly, allow yourself to feel human and consider getting help if you feel the need

Sugar can feel incredibly compelling and powerful, like a drug, Scott-Dixon says. Consider getting consulting a nutritionist/dietician to help channel your food intake and eating patterns. Don’t be afraid to reach out, it could be life-changing!

The post Staying Fit: How to Cut Back on Sugar and Find Suitable Alternatives appeared first on Suggestive.com | Everyday News and Entertainment.

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Head of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman has been imprisoned since January in Altiplano prison in central Mexico. Being behind the bars is not something that is new to him; as this is the same prison in which he broke free from in July 2015.

He made good his “spectacular” escape by moving along on a tunnel that the cameras couldn’t capture – very Hollywood style (but what’s the use if you are going to get captured again?).

And so consequently, the systems have tightened up on him now. With 400 new cameras installed and 600 more to come by April, El Chapo Guzman has brought about a thousand new eyes to the facility.

The flooring has been steel-clad with steel shafts and his attorney Juan Pablo Badillo tells the Mexican Radio that a dog has been guarding his cell. Guzman has been kept in seclusion and gets moved to different cells with only a few hours spent in the same cell. But all of this is not what the drug lord is objecting on most.

The guards wake him up around every two hours at night, so much so that Guzman calls it physical and mental torture. “My head and my ears always hurt and I feel bad all over,” said Guzman. “He said ‘what I want is for them to let me sleep. They are making me into a Zombie’,” Badillo quotes Guzman. He says further that this is the same torture applied to prisoners of war in Guatanamo. “I feel like a sleepwalker”.

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Badillo speaks of only getting 25 minutes to speak to his client which did not allow them to discuss key issues in relevant detail. Previously Guzman describes of being allowed 1.5 hours regularly for attorney counsel which has apparently taken a hit after recapture. Badillo argues that the Constitution states that inmates are allowed however many lawyers and direct communication with them for appropriate defense while Guzman gets a weekly half hour.

The weakness of Mexican prison systems should not result in infringement of prisoner rights. It comes to no surprise that Guzman is taking legal advantage of the harsh measures to rule matters in his favor.

The post Drug Lord El Chapo is a Zombie?! appeared first on Suggestive.com | Everyday News and Entertainment.

Champion your slow cooker for healthy options, not just heavy rich ones.

You think meaty chili, ribs and more chunky meats when it comes to slow cookers. Let loose on the hefty meals by trying some lighter options like slow cooked lean meats. Ditch the creams in soups for a broth or lentil base starter. Swap out meat items for vegetables and legumes. Make lettuce wraps out of pulled pork/chicken instead of slopping it between buns.

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Follow an Instagram account for everyday meal planning.

Meal Prep on Fleek catalogues photos from users which will give you an array of easy and healthy ideas for appetizers and main courses whether it’s dinner to the table in 20 minutes or make-ahead meals.

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Accentuate the healthier side of fruits in healthy desserts

Use fresh fruits for an automatically refreshing finish to your meal. Or try a baked fruit recipe. Opt for recipes where the fruits are the highlight so they wouldn’t need calorie-ladled ingredients to make them delicious. Do treat yourself to a small helping of brown sugar and butter sauce or a small dollop of cream to make the sweet course just that bit more indulgent.

Make a food log

Consider jotting down your eating habits. It can be up to you how frequently you want to log in your comestibles; make that anything from couple of times a week to couple of times a month or more regularly for a little period of time. This is only to bring to light your eating habits and eating patterns. This can be after all quite an intriguing scheme! You might be more prone to snacking throughout the day if you didn’t have a good breakfast; you might eat more when you sleep less; you might be cheating more than you thought; you might be eating much lesser than you calculated.

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There’s a great spread of online food journals out there which would be an easy kick start to channel this idea.

Looking for quick brekkie that sings health?

Go grain-free on muffins by using bananas to back up the bulk and a blender to create the batter. Refrigerate by storing these in an airtight container over 5 days. Heat, eat and head out! Easy peasy, healthy squeezy!

Spike up today’s breakfast by last night’s leftovers

Use meat and/or vegetables from dinner along with eggs for a filling frittata or with potatoes for a delicious hash.

Watch the drinks!

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No need to go utterly sober on yourself if you can’t keep away the pints and bubbles, but try to make it a point to keep an eye on the calories. It can be quite a turning point!

It is worth mentioning here that the smallest size of Coke’s can contains 90 calories. That is a nightmare if you are looking to stay in shape. Alternatively you should look into soda water! Literally no calories, no sugar, and just as satisfying as any other carbonated drink.

The post How To Eat Healthier Without Even Noticing appeared first on Suggestive.com | Everyday News and Entertainment.