Read the Label: 5 Things to Check When Picking Healthy Packaged Food

1. CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT
Snacks and sweets should be low in sugar, while complex carbs such as pasta, breads, and crackers should be high in sugar. Choose snacks with less than 10 grams (g) of sugar per serving. Remember that you also get sugar content from your vital daily intake of fruits (2 to 3 fruits per day).

2. PROTEIN CONTENT
The higher the protein content, the better for building or repair of muscle tissue. Make sure to get at least 15g of protein (from fish, chicken, or meat) in each meal to meet your daily protein requirement. For carb products like bread or snacks like crackers and bars, look for at least 3g of protein per serving. For dairy items such as milk or cheese, look for at least 6g of protein per serving.

3. FAT CONTENT
Go for products less saturated in fat and, as much as possible, with less than 5g of fat per serving. If a product contains more than 5g per serving, don't eat too much of it. The rule of thumb is no more than 50g of fat per serving (a tablespoon of oil already contains 15g of fat).

4. SODIUM CONTENT
The lower, the better-try to go for less than 500mg per serving so as not to exceed more than the recommended 2,000mg per day. Stay away from food that's high in sodium, especially if it's also high in fat and content.

5. FIBER CONTENT
The more grams of fiber per serving, the better. Eat 25 to 25g of fiber per day. You can get significant amounts of these from vegetables and whole wheat grains.


source: femalenetwork

Exercising with a Friend May Help You Stick to Your Fitness Program

Summoning the will to exercise can be challenging at times, but according to a new study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, it becomes easier when you find someone to run the rounds with you. Researchers say that having an exercise buddy may help you stick to your fitness program more than exercising alone.

For the study, 58 women from university-based physical courses were gathered and asked to ride on a video game exercise bike under certain conditions. One group was asked to exercise with a virtual buddy; another group was paired up with a virtual individual and was told that their performance would be measured as a team. Meanwhile, the last group was asked to exercise on their own. The women who had exercise companions met their partners via a pre-recorded video chat and were told that they would be exercising with them at the same time in another lab. All of the participants were asked to cycle for as long as they felt comfortable.

Results showed that women who exercised as part of a team stayed, on average, two minutes longer on the exercise bike than those who rode the bike independently with a partner. Results also revealed that they stayed on the bicycle for twice as long compared to those who exercised alone.

The study presents strong evidence that finding someone to exercise with you and sharing your fitness goals is an effective way of sticking to your fitness plan. If you really want to make exercising a habit, find someone to join you. Having a friend or a family member makes even the most dragging of activities more fun.


source: femalenetwork

5 Brunch Mistakes To Avoid

1. You Overcook The Eggs—Even the most casual cooks can fry eggs decently—after all, it's usually just a matter of breaking a few into a skillet and then tending to them. But things get dicey when you're cooking brunch for a big crowd. Suddenly this simple task seems incredibly complicated—how do you deal with a large skillet overflowing with beaten eggs? How do you make sure the whole mess gets cooked through but not burned? And once you've got them cooked, how do you keep them warm without turning them into an inedible rubbery mess?

The easy fix? Make a brunch casserole! Rather than fighting your eggs, make them work for you—in a delicious casserole, strata or frittata. If your recipe is a good one, you'll take the guesswork out of cooking eggs perfectly and deliver something your guests will love. Plus, you'll have all the prep done ahead of time, so you'll actually be able to hang out with your guests!

2. You Burn the Bacon—Some people love crispy bacon and some prefer it chewy, but pretty much no one wants bacon burnt to a crisp. When you're running around attending to a million things at once, it's easy to char bacon without meaning to. A hot skillet and a distracted cook can be a recipe for the smoke alarm.

An easy way to avoid burning bacon is to cook it in the microwave. It's easy: Cover a microwave-safe dish with a couple of paper towels. Add bacon in a single layer. Cover the bacon with a couple more paper towels and cook in 2-minute increments until crispy. This method is actually healthier than pan-frying, since it allows much of the fat that drains from the bacon as it cooks to be absorbed. There's an added bonus to this method, too—less cleanup!

3. You Forget to Incorporate Healthy Foods—Pancakes! Bacon! Hollandaise sauce! With fun foods like these, it's easy to forget about simple things like, you know, fruit and vegetables. Your guests will thank you, however, if you remember to set out some healthy options.

Here's my simple rule of thumb: having protein and fiber together helps you feel full for longer, so make sure you have both elements at your brunch. The protein part should no problem (see the last two tips). As for fiber, think fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Your guests will appreciate you all day if you remember to include a fruit salad, a green salad and some whole-grain muffins.

4. You Miscalculate How Much Food You Need—This is probably the most stressful thing about cooking for a crowd. After all, no one wants to run out of food at a big get-together, but no one wants to blow a ton of time and money preparing way too much food either. And while most seasoned cooks are somewhat familiar with figuring out how much to cook for dinner (when chances are that most guests will be eating your main course and sides), it's a lot harder to gauge what people will eat at brunch.

Here are some basic guidelines. Generally speaking, 3 ounces cooked (4 ounces raw) is a healthy portion per person for proteins, so try to shoot for that. For eggs, that means about 2 medium eggs per person, so make sure you make enough of whatever casserole or frittata you've decided on for each person to have that. Try to stack the menu with make-ahead foods (think: muffins, quiches, salads, etc.) that'll be good for a few days after your meal. That way, even if you have leftovers they won't go to waste!

5. You Run Out of Champagne! I love having a special cocktail when I'm enjoying brunch—a peppery Bloody Mary or citrusy mimosa just makes the whole morning seem more special. That's why I hate it when people (myself included!) run out of drinks. I think that often people plan the rest of their brunch menu and then just pick up a bottle of Champagne the day before and hope they have enough.

If you're going to serve a mixed drink at your brunch, you may as well plan for it. By following a recipe (and doubling or tripling if need be, depending on the number of people you'll be serving), you'll be better able to make sure that your guests have enough to drink. Check out some great, summery cocktail recipes here.