No More Diets - Fresh and Pure

22nd September 2006

Contents

Feature Article:

* Fresh and Pure

Recipe of the Week:

* Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Braise

New posts on the Think Slim Blog this week include...

* The Panacea Diet
* Snap Your Way to Weight Loss
* Vinegar and Weight Loss
* Another Reason to Avoid White Flour

Hi!

The kitchen is STILL not finished (we are in the 4th week of our kitchen remodelling) but I am managing to cook a bit - at least the odd pasta dish or stir fry. Now and again the washing machine even works and I can do a load of laundry :)

Even with the all the hammering and banging going on, the house seems quiet this week as son No 2 is away at camp with his class. How can a 9 year old make so much noise? Somehow you always know when they are there :)

Have a great weekend

Love

Janice Elizabeth
Personal Weight Loss coach

http://www.SimplySlimming.com

"The friendliest place to lose weight on the web"

P.S. I'm so excited about the results everyone is getting on my 8 week coaching program "The Weight Loss Handbook". Check it out at http://www.weightlosshandbook.com

P.P.S If you've missed any issues of this ezine, you can find all 55 of them on the No More Diets back issues blog at http://nomoredietsezine.blogspot.com

Feature Article : Fresh and Pure

You can lose weight without following a complicated diet regime if you remember a few simple principles when you choose your food.

All food needs to be filling and satisfy your taste buds but as you know, a lot of junk and fast food will do that without helping your weight loss efforts.

So the main question to ask yourself about any food choice is :-

How fresh and pure is it?

If you make your choices from the huge range of fresh and pure foods available you are almost guaranteed to have a healthier and more satisfying diet than if you ignore these criteria.

If the food is loaded with preservatives and has a shelf life beyond a few days, it's far from fresh. Give it a miss. This will cut out all kinds of junk from your diet. Products with a long shelf life which pass the pure test though are Ok. Examples are dried goods such as whole grain cereals, pulses, dried fruits and nuts. Frozen and canned fruit and vegetable produce with no additives are good too.

But most of the stuff which piles on the pounds is far from the state which nature intended. In fact, for most of the packaged and processed food on offer if you can pronounce all the ingredients you probably have a diploma in chemistry.

If you cook your meals from scratch using pure ingredients you will do your health and your waist line more good than if you load your shopping basket up with canned sauces and ready meals.

When you're going about your day making those decisions to eat on the spur of the moment keep repeating to yourself "Is it fresh? Is it pure?" to help you make the right choice not to sabotage your weight loss efforts and your health with poor nutrition. And if you don't know whether the food is fresh or pure chances are it is not.

• An apple or a few nuts and raisins pass the pure test. A chocolate bar from the vending machine does not.
  
• A homemade burger and potato wedges is OK. A fast food "goodness knows what's in it" burger and chips is not.
  
• A glass of fresh juice passes the fresh and pure test. A diet cola does not.
  
• A cheese omelette and salad is on the mark. Reconstituted cheesy pasta misses by a mile.

Once you have followed the fresh and pure way for a day or so, just see how much better you feel. It's amazing what a difference fresh and pure makes to your energy levels and sense of well-being.

Decide to feel that way all the time.

Of course there are a few other things which help you feel good too - like not stuffing yourself too full even with healthy food. But if you follow your body's lead, losing weight can be a by-product of deciding to feel good all the time.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

By putting in place my simple system you will lose weight steadily week by week and stay in great shape without dieting for the rest of your life.

Discover the 24 keys to permanent and healthy weight loss at http://www.weightlosshandbook.com

Recipe of the week : Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Braise

An easy dish to prepare and cook. Serve with green vegetables.

Serves 4

380 calories a serving

2 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters
4 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1 sweet potato peeled and cut into sticks
3 strips of lemon rind
450ml (3/4 pint) chicken stock (broth)
Olive oil spray
8 chicken drumsticks or thighs without skin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons creme fraiche (low-fat if you can)

Heat the oven to 190 degrees C (375F/Gas Mark 5). Place all the vegetables and lemon rind in a large oven-proof dish and pour on the stock. Put in the oven to cook for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile spray a non-stick pan with a little oil and fry the chicken pieces until browned on all sides. Place the chicken on top of the vegetable mixture, sprinkle with a little freshly ground black pepper and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender (about 25 to 30 minutes). Stir in the cream and the parsley, remove the lemon rind and serve.

New on the members' site this week

In the Recipes section:

* Brussels and bacon soup
* Cod and Tomato Stew
* Baked chicken with Red Pepper crust

On The Forum (Exercise and Activity Tips Section)

* 20 Minute Workout for All Levels

On The Forum (Anything Else to Share Section)

* What to Wear this Season

Have a great week

Love

Janice Elizabeth

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know.

P.S. Know anyone else who would like a copy of this ezine? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can get your own copy at http://www.SimplySlimming.com Look for the link to "Free report".

Legal and admin

Copyright 2006, J. Small All Rights Reserved.

This newsletter provides information for general purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical or health advice from professionals. The accuracy, completeness and suitability of the material for your needs has not been assessed or verified and cannot be guaranteed. This disclaimer also applies to any recommendations or links within the newsletter. You bear responsibility for your own health research and decisions. Please consult with a professional health care advisor before embarking on a weight loss or exercise program or making any personal health decisions. No liability can be accepted for the use made of any information contained within the newsletter or obtained by following any links or recommendations within it. If you do not wish to accept the above conditions you may not use our materials.

No More Diets - What Are You Really Hungry For?

15th September 2006

Contents

Feature Article:

* What Are You Really Hungry For?

Recipe of the Week:

* Rainbow Macaroni Cheese

New posts on the Think Slim Blog this week include...

* How High Protein Diets Work
* Ready Meals for Weight Loss
* The No "S" Diet
* 15 Ways to Love Vegetables
* Healthy Dinner in 5 minutes flat

Hi!

The kitchen building work saga continues. Is it only me who gets stressed out by having a handful of workmen (nice though they are) hammering and sawing away all day and then even more stressed when they don't turn up. Anyway it's starting to look more like a kitchen and less like a building site now so we must be getting somewhere. And they even asked me to choose paint yesterday so they must be thinking about decorating sometime in the future :)

Never thought I'd miss cooking so much (or at least eating the end product so much) but I do.

My two boys are missing the dishwasher most of all because they are having to help wash up every evening - I keep telling them they are lucky because I was 30 before I had my first dishwasher :)

Have a great weekend

Love

Janice Elizabeth
Personal Weight Loss coach

http://www.SimplySlimming.com

"The friendliest place to lose weight on the web"

P.S. I'm so excited about the results everyone is getting on my 8 week coaching program "The Weight Loss Handbook". Check it out at http://www.weightlosshandbook.com

P.P.S If you've missed any issues of this ezine, you can find all 54 of them on the No More Diets back issues blog at http://nomoredietsezine.blogspot.com

Feature Article : What Are You Really Hungry For?

I had an interesting email exchange this week with another weight loss coach who is moving onto pastures new - looking at the whole field of human potential. She reminded me that when people who are overweight find what they are really hungry for, weight problems are often no longer an issue.

So many of us eat too much because we are unhappy or stressed or bored without noticing how many calories we are putting away. We say we can't help ourselves but often we are looking in the wrong place. Overeating can be a symptom of something deeper that is wrong rather than just a cause of being overweight.

Of course, these emotions are part of the normal human condition and it's the rare being who is always happy (and quite honestly if we were happy all the time we wouldn't enjoy it so much - the contrast in our experience helps us appreciate happiness when we have it).

But if you are feeling less than great most of the time and eating to make yourself feel better, you will do better to tackle the root cause of your problems rather than trying to tackle your overeating with diet and willpower. Sometimes it just takes facing up to the issues you have been sweeping under the carpet rather than numbing your emotions with food.

Think hard about what you need to change in your life and then start tackling your issues one small step at a time. Get help if you need to.

And if you think your weight problems are just because you love food and you eat too much, then pause for a moment and consider this.

At the very least if you are unhappy with your weight then you are not valuing yourself enough to make the choices about food and exercise which are in your own best interests. What is it that makes you do that when every human being is as precious as the next?

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

By putting in place my simple system you will lose weight steadily week by week and stay in great shape without dieting for the rest of your life.

Discover the 24 keys to permanent and healthy weight loss at http://www.weightlosshandbook.com

Recipe of the week : Rainbow Macaroni Cheese

The addition of vegetables makes this version of macaroni cheese more nutritious and lighter than the traditional one. Serve with salad.

Serves 2

490 calories a serving

125g (4oz) dried macaroni
125g (4oz) small broccoli florets
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
50g (2oz) frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour
200ml (1 cup) milk
100g (3.5oz) half fat Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh bread crumbs

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile steam the broccoli, peas and carrot for about 6 minutes until tender. Melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the flour and cook gently, stirring for one minute. Gradually add the milk stirring all the while until the sauce is bubbling, thick and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and then add three quarters of the cheese and stir until melted. Drain the macaroni and add to the sauce along with the vegetables, heating through for a while if necessary. Pour the mixture into a heat proof dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bread crumbs and brown under a hot grill (broiler).

New on the members' site this week

In the Recipes section:

* Ten Minute Couscous
* Wine, Tomato and Mushroom Pasta Sauce
* Peach and Strawberry Crunch

On The Forum ( Anything Else to Share Section)

* Take the Confidence Test

Have a great week

Love

Janice Elizabeth

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know.

P.S. Know anyone else who would like a copy of this ezine? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can get your own copy at http://www.SimplySlimming.com Look for the link to "Free report".

Legal and admin

Copyright 2006, J. Small All Rights Reserved.

This newsletter provides information for general purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical or health advice from professionals. The accuracy, completeness and suitability of the material for your needs has not been assessed or verified and cannot be guaranteed. This disclaimer also applies to any recommendations or links within the newsletter. You bear responsibility for your own health research and decisions. Please consult with a professional health care advisor before embarking on a weight loss or exercise program or making any personal health decisions. No liability can be accepted for the use made of any information contained within the newsletter or obtained by following any links or recommendations within it. If you do not wish to accept the above conditions you may not use our materials.

No More Diets - Hunger Busting Food

6th September 2006

Contents

Feature Article:

* Hunger Busting Food

Recipe of the Week:

* Low Calorie Caesar Salad

New posts on the Think Slim Blog this week include...

* I'd hate this diet but...
* What Weight Loss Can Do for You
* Which Diet Foods to Choose

Hi!

My kitchen building work is progressing well which means I have been unable to cook anything for over a week and no sink to do the washing up either - a definite challenge for healthy eating (in fact, a challenge for much eating at all as there are always either workmen or missing floorboards in front of the old fridge!). Thank goodness we have been invited to eat every night by my parents in law otherwise it would have been wall-to-wall take-aways on throw-away plates and eating out.

And then we shared our weekend with the guy laying the floor tiles ... but anyway I hope the electricity is less erratic this week so I can actually get some work done on my PC and finally get this newsletter out.

Hope you're having a good week

Love

Janice Elizabeth
Personal Weight Loss coach

http://www.SimplySlimming.com

"The friendliest place to lose weight on the web"

P.S. I'm so excited about the results everyone is getting on my 8 week coaching program "The Weight Loss Handbook". Check it out at http://www.weightlosshandbook.com

P.P.S If you've missed any issues of this ezine, you can find all 53 of them on the No More Diets back issues blog at http://nomoredietsezine.blogspot.com


Feature Article : Hunger Busting Food

When you want to lose weight it's no good eating food that leaves you feeling empty and unsatisfied and just living with the inevitable hunger which follows. Sheer willpower may get you through the first few days but if you have a reasonable amount of weight to lose you won't be able to keep your motivation going through weeks and months of feeling hungry or unsatisfied all the time.

This is where your choice of food comes in.

You CAN lose weight simply by eating less of your usual foods but sometimes you have to eat a lot less if you have been eating large portions of unhealthy foods. If this leaves you hungry, how long would it be before the portion sizes creep up again and the weight loss stops?

You CAN lose weight by eating a lot of salads and vegetables and plain grilled chicken or fish - but how long before you bore yourself out of your weight loss program?

You CAN lose weight by cooking new delicious healthy recipes which are both satisfying to your taste buds and fill you up. But how much time do you have for this and how long will it be before you start relying on your old familiar quick-to-get-on-the-table meals?

The answer is to compromise. Eat a little of the familiar food you love. Fill up with salad and vegetables and some whole grain carbohydrates. And mix it up on other days with some new healthy recipes for a change and the odd quick meal with plain grilled chicken or fish. If you don't have much time make sure you plan ahead so that you always have a healthy meal of some kind available.

You don't have to follow a rigid plan but some kind of meal planning to suit your own preferences and circumstances definitely helps.

When you're planning your meals, try and remember ...

1. Warm foods tend to be more satisfying than cold - especially in cooler weather. Sometimes salad just doesn't feel like a meal. Think of how you feel after a bowl of warming soup versus a plateful of lettuce leaves and shredded carrots. Stews are good too. If you want to serve salad on a colder day think about adding some warmer ingredients such as cooked mushrooms, chicken or bacon.

2. If you know you're going to feel like something sweet after dinner and will need it to feel satisfied (despite all the diet books saying have a piece of fruit), plan for your treat. Decide on a single delicious handmade chocolate, a small scoop of ice cream or whatever and enjoy it - slowly - to get maximum benefit from the calories!

3. Always eat some lean protein at every meal. It makes a more balanced meal and helps keep you satisfied for longer. If you eat only carbs you'll be hungry again within a short time.

4. Plan for some healthy snacks too. Snacks such as a handful of mixed nuts and raisins, half a hard boiled egg and an apple or peanut butter on a rye crisp bread will keep you going without adding too many calories provided you're taking care with your meals too.

5. Remember portion sizes and don't buy or cook too much unless you know you can stop eating when it counts.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

By putting in place my simple system you will lose weight steadily week by week and stay in great shape without dieting for the rest of your life.

Discover the 24 keys to permanent and healthy weight loss at http://www.weightlosshandbook.com


Recipe of the week : Low Calorie Caesar Salad

Add chicken or chopped ham for a more substantial lunch.

Serves 4

175 calories a serving

1 large cos or Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
3 slices bread, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
half teaspoon garlic salt
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 hard-boiled egg, shelled and quartered
half a cucumber, chopped
20 black olives, pitted
half a red onion, sliced
4 tablespoons grated low-fat cheese

Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
8 tablespoons low-fat soured cream
8 tablespoons skimmed milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Heat the oil in a pan and toss the bread with the garlic salt and a little black pepper until golden brown all over. Meanwhile whisk all the dressing ingredients together. Put the lettuce in a bowl and mix with half the dressing. Top with the tomatoes, cucumber, olives and onion slices. Drizzle on the remainder of the dressing then add the cheese, croutons and egg quarters.

New on the members' site this week

In the Recipes section:

* Mediterranean Chicken Ragout
* Potato and Bacon Salad
* Carrot and Sweetcorn Chowder

On The Forum ( Anything Else to Share Section)

* How Clutter Affects Your Weight

Have a great week

Love

Janice Elizabeth

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know.

P.S. Know anyone else who would like a copy of this ezine? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can get your own copy at http://www.SimplySlimming.com Look for the link to "Free report".

Legal and admin

Copyright 2006, J. Small All Rights Reserved.

This newsletter provides information for general purposes only and is not intended as a substitute foe medical or health advice from professionals. The accuracy, completeness and suitability of the material for your needs has not been assessed or verified and cannot be guaranteed. This disclaimer also applies to any recommendations or links within the newsletter. You bear responsibility for your own health research and decisions. Please consult with a professional health care advisor before embarking on a weight loss or exercise program or making any personal health decisions. No liability can be accepted for the use made of any information contained within the newsletter or obtained by following any links or recommendations within it. If you do not wish to accept the above conditions you may not use our materials.