MARCH 24, 2008

Drink two glasses of water before every meal.
This will do two things: keep you hydrated and make you eat a little less. A Dutch study showed that drinking two glasses of water can make you feel less hungry, possibly reducing your food intake and aiding weight loss. Whenever you eat fast food, drink two glasses of water afterward. Big Macs, subs, fries, and pepperoni pizza are all loaded with fat and sodium, which can be bad for your heart. You can't do much about the fat once you've eaten it, but you can flush away some of the excess sodium by drinking plenty of fluid afterward, says Tina Ruggiero, R.D., a New York City dietitian. (Men's Health)

DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST! Why? Because in the morning your energy stores are depleted by as much as 80% from the night before. Without food, your body shifts into starvation mode, which means it begins to conserv energy and burn fewer calories. In other words: your metabolic rate takes a nosedive. That may be why, in one study, breakfast skippers were 4 1/2 times more likely to be obese than breakfast eaters. For more long-lasting energy, include whole grain complex carbohydrates into your breakfast.
(Prevention)

WHEN TO EAT WHAT? According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the USDA, most leftovers should be consumed within 4 days. Pizza and cooked meats and poultry are good for 3 to 4 days. Lunchmeats, eggs, tuna, macaroni and potato salads, 3 to 5 days. Basically, nothing should be eaten after 5 days.

For comments, questions or suggestions . . . please email Allen