Living Your Dreams

Life Is in the Journey
From Jillian Michaels

Life is in the journey, guys, not the destination, so do what you can and take it one day at a time. Go slow; do it right; make it permanent -- then help out others who are where you were. I'm so psyched to have a great example of one member doing just that! Read on and get inspired:

"I've found that if I don't set goals and write them down, I lose sight of what I'm working for. Goal setting makes you more accountable to yourself. Short-term goals will boost your confidence, as well as help you achieve your long-term goals.

I always try to remember that when anything is being built -- whether it's a house or a better body -- it starts with a solid, firm foundation, and that's what I'm trying to create. My short-term goals include working out three times each week, eating a healthy meal once each day, walking an extra five minutes today. My long-term goals are usually stuff like: lose X pounds, or run/walk X miles without stopping.

If I mess up and, say, eat a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (oh, Ben and Jerry are evil people!), I acknowledge that I'm not perfect. I might revise my short-term goals to include: Don't walk down the ice cream aisle at the grocery store. And then I get back on track and move on.
Remember, success starts with a thought that is then turned into words. And the words are turned into action. So go get those goals written down and start achieving your success!"

LLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY

Living Your Dreams
Setting goals is essential for living the life of your dreams. I mean, how are you going to get anywhere in this life if you don't identify your destination? Think of your ultimate goals as destinations, and your short- and long-term goals as a road map to the life that you want to live. -- Jillian Michaels

How to Devein Shrimp

From the Sonoma Diet: Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day

Deveining Shrimp

It's not dangerous to eat shrimp with the vein in, but they can have a gritty, unpleasant texture. Taking the vein out, however, is an easy job. After you remove the shells, use a sharp paring knife to make a shallow cut along the back of each shrimp. From there, you should be able to pull the vein out with your fingers or with the tip of the knife.

JI

Why many fruits can be both sweet and Zone Diet -appropriate

The Best Sweetener?
From the Zone Diet

What's the healthiest kind of sweetener to use in coffee or tea? According to Dr. Sears, "The best type of sweetener is none -- if you can do without it." If you can't, Dr. Sears recommends using small amounts of fructose, the primary carbohydrate found in fruits. Sold in crystalline form and available in most supermarkets, fructose has the lowest glycemic index of all the natural caloric, carbohydrate-containing sweeteners. Here's why: "Fructose has to be converted into glucose before it enters the bloodstream in the usable form of glucose," says Dr. Sears -- which explains why many fruits can be both sweet and Zone Diet -appropriate. He also recommends using stevia, an herbal-based sweetener that you can find in many health-food stores.

Of all the artificial sweeteners, sucralose (sold as Splenda) is your best choice, though Dr. Sears says he still prefers fructose because it's natural. He suggests using Splenda in moderation, since it's 600 times sweeter than sugar, and strongly cautions Zone Diet members against using other chemical-based, artificial sweeteners.

MEMBERS GET MORE! You'll find hundreds of Zoned healthy living tips and ideas on Dr. Sears Zone Diet Advantage*

Sonoma Diet Dinning Tips

Dine in Style!

From Sonoma Diet

Forget, for a moment, about what you eat, and think about how you eat. If you eat breakfast in the car, lunch at your desk, and dinner standing up in the kitchen with a take-out container in your hands, it's time to reevaluate your mealtime habits.

Think about your dream dining space, one that's reserved only for the enjoyment and appreciation of food. A table, comfortable chairs, plenty of light, and lots of room for you to move are basic needs. Now take it a step further. You won't have a relaxing meal in a spot that's draughty, too warm, too cold, or cluttered. If your dining area is any of these things, a lamp, a space heater, or comfortable cushions can go a long way toward making your mealtimes more enjoyable. Even a small investment, like a pretty tablecloth or fresh flowers as a centerpiece, can make you more likely to take a seat, relax, and enjoy!

South Beach Quick Breakfasts, All PHases

Breakfast On the Go

From the South Beach Diet

Running late for work? Trying to get the kids off to school? Do these scenarios sound familiar? Too often, the pace of everyday life leaves us with little time to cook and prepare healthy meals -- especially breakfast. Often, it seems easier to grab a bagel or donut on the way out the door, or to skip breakfast altogether. But both of these practices can sabotage your healthy lifestyle. Eating refined carbs may cause cravings and skipping breakfast may encourage you to overeat throughout the day. Fortunately, there are a number of delicious South Beach Diet-approved breakfast options that are perfect for eating on the go. Here are some Phase-specific choices:

Phase 1:

• Precooked deviled or hard-boiled eggs (Hard-boiled eggs will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.)
• Celery sticks with natural, no-added-sugar peanut butter
• Single-serve nonfat or 1 percent cottage cheese cups
• Precooked turkey bacon
• Individual low-fat cheese slices or low-fat cheese sticks
• Sliced turkey or other low-fat meats
• Tomato or vegetable juice cocktail in single-serving cans
• Low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt

Phases 2 and 3 — all of the above, plus:

• Low-fat or nonfat artificially sweetened, flavored yogurt (Limit to 6 ounces daily and make sure to avoid yogurts with added sugars.)
• Whole-wheat sliced bread or whole-wheat English muffin topped with low-fat cheese or part-skim ricotta cheese
• Fresh berries or other seasonal fruit
• Steel-cut or slow-cooking oatmeal (Season with cinnamon and artificial sweetener to perk up the taste)

Sonoma Diet. Restaurant Tips and Techniques

Brought to you by Sonoma Diet - a brand new and flavorful weight loss plan that brings together the art and science of flavor and nutrition.


If you're still anxious about eating in restaurants while you're on The Sonoma Diet, here are a few more pointers to get you started. Remember, with a little bit of willpower, you can have all the health and flavor of The Sonoma Diet even when the food comes from someone else's kitchen.

1. 
   Order for two. If you know in advance that the portions will be too large, consider splitting a meal with your dining partner.
2. 
   Ask for what you want. Don't be a slave to the menu. If it indicates that white rice comes with the salmon, ask for brown or wild rice instead. If that can't be done, ask your server if vegetables can be substituted for the rice. Manipulate your order to approximate the grain/protein/vegetable/fruit proportions appropriate for The Sonoma Diet wave you're on.
3. 
   Eat slowly. Slow, pleasure-oriented dining is always a must on The Sonoma Diet. Enjoy your meal and the conversation that goes with it.

Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day: A Call for Health

Not sure whether a restaurant offers healthy meal choices? Give them a call. Try during nonpeak hours and ask to speak with someone who's familiar with the menu. Explain your dietary needs and determine what works with your meal plan.

Quinoa Cooking Tip

Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day

Quinoa Cooking Tip

From Sonoma Diet

Now that you're in the quinoa club, don't forget this important step before you start cooking: Give this healthy grain a good rinse. While it's still on the plant, quinoa has a bitter-tasting resin called saponin on its surface. Most of this is washed away before quinoa ever makes it into stores, but some of the residue can be left behind. Use a fine strainer and cold water and wash away!

Antioxidants in Olive Oil

Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day

Brought to you by Sonoma Diet - a brand new and flavorful weight loss plan that brings together the art and science of flavor and nutrition.

Olive oil -- particularly the extra-virgin kind -- is rich in the same antioxidant phytonutrients that make all the other Sonoma Diet power foods so effective in preventing heart disease. Olive oil also contains carotenoids (like beta-carotene) and vitamin E. In addition, olive oil reduces the risk of high blood pressure and inflammation.

Every extra second you take during any meal makes it that much easier to keep your weight down

Dr. Guttersen (Sonoma Diet) Tip of the Day

Make Time in the Morning

Yes, you're rushed. Everybody's rushed in the morning. But do you really have to be rushed to the point of semi-panic? Take time to enjoy your coffee or tea, and take it easy. Every extra second you take during any meal makes it that much easier to keep your weight down.

Sonoma Diet Tips -- Peppers

Pass the Pepper

Brought to you by Sonoma Diet - a brand new and flavorful weight loss plan that brings together the art and science of flavor and nutrition.

Pepper, along with salt, can be found on almost every American dining table and is a culinary tradition around the world. But did you know that the simple act of grinding your own pepper when cooking or seasoning a meal delivers more flavor than pre-ground pepper? The explanation is simple -- the pepper you grind is fresh, whereas the pepper you buy at the store may have been sitting on the shelf for months before purchase! Look for white and black peppercorns. Peppermills vary in price, but inexpensive plastic models can be purchased at your local supermarket.

Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day

Pick a Pepper

There are three types of pepper: black, white, and green. Black is the most common and strongest -- a bit hot with a hint of sweetness. White pepper is milder and less pungent, while green pepper is cured in brine and has a fresher flavor.

Zone Diet Tips on Grilling Safety

Safe Summer Grilling
From the Zone Diet

Summer is a time for fun outdoor barbecues, but it's also a time to be extra careful when preparing food -- bacteria and other harmful microbes thrive when the weather is hot. Here are tips from the FDA for safe summer grilling:

• Marinate foods in the refrigerat or, not on the counter or outdoors. If you plan on using some of the marinade later on the cooked food, be sure to separate it from the batch and put the portion aside. Don't reuse marinade that was used on the raw meat, poultry or seafood.
• Don't use the same platter and utensils that previously touched raw meat or seafood to serve your cooked meats and seafood.
• If you partially cook food in the microwave, oven, or stove to reduce grilling time, do so immediately before the food goes on the hot grill.
• Grilled food can be kept hot until served by moving it to the side of the grill rack, just away from the coals where it can overcook.
• When it's time to cook the food, cook it thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached an adequate internal temperature. Here's what to look for:


• Beef, veal, and lamb steaks and roasts -- 145°F for medium rare, 160°F for medium, and 170°F for well done.


• Ground pork and ground beef -- 160°F.


• Ground poultry -- 165°F.


• Poultry breasts -- 170°F.


• Whole poultry (take measurement in the thigh) -- 180°F.


• Fish -- 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.


• Shrimp, lobster, and crabs -- cook until pearly and opaque.


• Clams, oysters, and mussels -- cook until the shells are open.

MEMBERS GET MORE! You'll find hundreds of cooking tips and recipes on Dr. Sears' Zone Diet Advantage.