As your brain burns fuel, such as sugar and oxygen, some by-products accumulate, just as soot gradually accumulates in a furnace. The burning is called oxidation; the by-products are particles called free radicals, a form of oxygen altered so that it always wants to combine with substances in the membranes of nerve cells.

This ’sticking’ to nerve cells not only damages how they function, but eventually kills them. Some substances, particularly vitamin C and vitamin E, can mop up free radicals caused by oxidation. Thus, they are called “antioxidants.”

These sensible suggestions will help you whittle away at the excess calories you probably don’t even know you’re eating every day. Over time, a few hundred calories shaved off here and there can all add up.

 Remember, most people can really only safely and effectively lose 2 pounds a week, which is 6000 fewer calories over the course of the week.

 So, if you were eating the FDA recommended 2000 calories a day, you would need to drop to 1500 for at least 5 days of the week, plus, if you boost your activity, you can burn even more.

 But let’s start with what you eat. Then we can look at your level of fitness and overall activity to see how much you’re burning.

 
* Look at the size of your dinner plate. Choose a smaller one and don’t pile up the food on it.

 
* Eat small portions of a variety of foods, to eliminate cravings or feeling deprived. That way, you allow yourself more variety in what you eat.

 
* Eat lots of fresh fruit. It has a high-water to calorie ratio, plus fiber to help you feel full.

 

* If you’re craving a sweet chewy snack, opt for a healthier alternative like prunes, apricots, or other dried fruits.

 

* Don’t punish yourself for “naughty foods”. there Should be no such thing. Instead, make a deal with yourself, like “I can eat whatever I want so long as I have a non-creamy soup and salad with low fat non-creamy dressing first.” Those two items will fill you up and stop you from over-indulging. (cream adds tons of calories from fat, so it’s best to avoid it!)

 

* Remember your ratio!

2000 calories 1 pound gained

3000 calories, 1 pound lost

Do the math to help you stay on track

 * Avoid commercial fast-food like the plague. Go for quick and easy recipes at home, and make enough for leftovers for lunch or dinner you can zap in the microwave quickly.

 * Always bring a healthy snack with you to avoid temptation in public places.  Or from getting so hungry that by the time you eat, you are out of control and wolf down your food.

 * Always eat salad and some lean protein before you go out for a party or social occasion like a dinner out in a restaurant. It will stop you binging, and the energy spikes that come with starving and then indulging.

 * Practice eating mindfully. Do not do anything else while eating, like checking email or talking on the phone. Chew your food slowly and savor the taste and flavor of every bite to get the most satisfaction and not be tempted to cram down a whole lot more.

* Fruit juice is a great pick-me-up by itself, or as a spritzer. Cranberry juice is fantastic for relieving cystitis and keeps your bladder in good working order. Just watch the high fructose corn syrup used to sweeten some brands, and juices which are not pure juice. You can get a small bottle of concentrated cranberry juice in health food stores.

 * Keep your toothbrush and mouthwash handy after every meal. Not only will it help keep your mouth fresh, in your medicine cabinet. Not only does mouthwash freshen your breath, food never tastes quite so irresistible before or after you’ve brushed your teeth. Especially that Starbuck’s coffee concoction with the 750 calories and more grams of saturated fat than a Big Mac!

 Little changes can add up to big results!

 

As your brain burns fuel, such as sugar and oxygen, some by-products accumulate, just as soot gradually accumulates in a furnace. The burning is called oxidation; the by-products are particles called free radicals, a form of oxygen altered so that it always wants to combine with substances in the membranes of nerve cells.

This ’sticking’ to nerve cells not only damages how they function, but eventually kills them. Some substances, particularly vitamin C and vitamin E, can mop up free radicals caused by oxidation. Thus, they are called “antioxidants.”

 

In recent years, advocates of nutritional approaches to health and wellness have encouraged the use of antioxidant vitamins in much larger doses than the minimum daily requirement for the prevention or treatment of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. On the whole, it’s probably best to say that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, when it comes to grandiose claims for what antioxidants, and drinks and supplements containing antioxidants, can do for you.

 

The most recent studies on these vitamins have pretty much shown that what we held to be true about them for decades in some cases, has not been proven. In fact, in terms of prostate cancer, for example, men taking multivitamins actually had a worse outcome than those who didn’t.

 

Therefore, not all vitamins are safe, just as not all ‘natural’ remedies are either. Buyer, and consumer, beware.

Losing weight can be a challenge for even the most determined person, especially when you have been starving, feeling deprived, and then all of a sudden, you hit a plateau and don’t see the scale budge for weeks, or worse still, see it go up.

It is NOT easy to lose weight. It is not all about willpower.  Metabolism and genetics as well as lifestyle all play a role in weight loss, but the only one you can control, or try to control, is the latter.

 While the basic equation of weight loss is simple, you have to burn more calories than you consume, the trouble is that a pound gained is NOT equal to a pound lost. It is actually 2000 calories to put on a pound and 3000 to take it off.

 The good news is that by adding a few new weight-conscious measures here and there every day to burn more calories, you can win the battle of the bulge and budge that pudge.

Increase your activity, and decrease your unnecessary calories.  Portion size is key. If you get a bit nibbly, those 100 calorie snack packs can help.

 The most successful dieters keep food journals to track exactly what they eat each day, and when. By becoming aware of your habits, you can see where you ‘lose control’ also where you can whittle down calories without losing out on nutrition. Also, the FDA is recommending a 2000 calorie a day diet, but is that really practical given how many of us lead a sedentary, inactive lifestyle? And it is 2500 for men!

 Once you pinpoint your “hungry” times, you can head them off with healthy snacks like carrot and celery sticks with low fat dressing. Soup is also filling, and we often associate soup and salad with going out to dine and so we can feel really satisfied with a lot less food if we start each lunch and dinner in this way, and make sure to avoid any cream based dressings of soups due to the extra calories from fat.

 Another method is to cut out all beverages other than water. Soda, juice, wine and beer add up to a lot of calories really quickly. They can also create havoc with your appetite, especially alcohol and it often giving people the munchies, or luring them into eating fattening snacks.

 Cutting out high-calorie beverages (including those supposed Vitamin waters that are full of sugar) and replacing them with water or seltzer, or adding seltzer to your juice or wine if you have to have it, make a refreshing spritzer,  will make a major difference to your figure,  while still supplying your body with the hydration it needs throughout the day.

 Liquids will also make you feel fuller faster. Studies also show that milk can help you eat less and lose weight, plus help you metabolize your food better.

 As for changing your activity level, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from the stores so you will be forced to walk, and move your feet from side to side when you are waiting for a bus or train.

Gardening, yoga, golfing, can all help you boost your calorie burn, plus, anything that gets you out of the house and away from the fridge is a bonus.

 Also, building lean muscle can help you  speed up your metabolism, because your body will run more efficiently and burn up calories faster as a result.

 You can also work different parts of your body each day, for best results. Try some of the workout programs on Fit TV, yoga, weights, aerobics.

 Or rent the fitness DVDS from Netflix on topics like Abs, legs, and so on. Find the ones you lke and do them in a daily rotation.

 If you incorporate even a few of these changes into your daily routine, you will begin to see those stubborn pounds slowly melt away, and better still, stay away. You will also have more energy and more muscle, leading to a leaner, firmer, more efficient body.

You are what you eat. What you eat does influence your brain’s function. The relationship is a two-way street: in turn, your brain helps to regulate when and how much you eat.

We hear so much about dietary supplements now, antioxidants and so forth, that are said to help with brain function. Even “smart vitamins” are being sold to students who want to get an extra edge over their peers.

Are there “brain foods” or dietary supplements that will make your brain function better, or prevent memory loss and cognitive decline as you age?

If you haven’t been one to take an interest in these questions, we think you should “stay tuned”: for anyone in pursuit of successful aging, it’s a busy new area of science, and we could see some interesting new studies coming soon to support the link between good sound nutrition and retaining your memory until well in your later years.

In this series of articles, we will look at different nutrients and the claims made as to their benefits in terms of improving or preserving memory in adults.

We are calling this area Eating Lifestyle rather than Diet or Dieting because we don’t want to suggest deprivation or misery, or a fast fix. Eating well means making conscious decisions, and taking charge of your health.

We all decide on the essentials, where we are going to live, what kind of home, what type of car we will drive.

In the same way, you are in charge of your nutrition and eating lifestyle. So why not go for the Rolls Royce instead of the Yugo, the mansion instead of the shoebox. You can live well and eat well, and maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight. All it takes is some education and a little forward planning.