In Italy the Lav, the League antivivisectionist, organized the first “network” of parents through the vegetarian group mammeveg “on Facebook: to meet on vegetarianism and vegetarian nutrition during pregnancy.

While in the U.S., San Francisco, there are those who propose to establish a vegetarian on Mondays, in Italy the Lav, the League antivivisectionist, organized the first “network” of vegetarian parents through neogruppo “mammeveg” on Facebook, to share experiences and convey instances to bring to the attention of doctors and institutions.

The network “mammeveg was opened Saturday, April 10 at W veg jelly “, a popular event on ‘vegetarian food in children, held in Rome (Technotown toy library in Villa Torlonia, Via Spallanzani 1 / to, hours 10:30 to 13:30) in which invited experts provided information on how to plan nutritious meals and balanced weaning to adolescence, also highlighting the ethical aspects of vegetarianism for their children.

“The idea of these two initiatives’ information ‘comes from reports of difficulties of parents of vegetarian children who have turned to the LAV because unsupported or even often discouraged by their pediatrician, clearly uninformed, the risk that the elusive’ vegetarian food would have on the health of a child. In contrast, the scientific literature is rich in studies on the benefits of vegetarian cuisine for children “, says Robert Bartocci, head LAV Vegetarianism sector.

Unfortunately, despite scientific evidence, the vast majority of pediatricians do not recommend a vegetarian diet, forcing many parents to surrender, or to a risky “DIY”. Because there is too much misinformation on this issue and common preconception, the LAV will help foster a more correct information in the interests of all stakeholders: parents, doctors (pediatricians, nutritionists, dietitians) to institutions such as dealing the cafeteria.

This project is part of the campaign for LAV vegetarian option at the cafeteria (eg school meals) Public and private in relation to which the Association is sponsoring the bill 1467 “Regulations on the Protection of vegetarian and vegan food choices” – the first signatories On.li Sarubbi, Giammanco, Viola and Mancuso – and local initiatives aimed at ensuring a balanced and varied vegetarian meal to users who request them, as provided for other children, including those who profess religions which include exclusions or have allergies or food intolerances.

In Italy the opportunity to access a vegetarian menu in school canteens is still opposed, at least in some situations: if the Municipality of Rome, the vegetarian option was introduced ten years now, and in other areas but this is not even provided on request , as in Emilia Romagna and elsewhere even prompted self parents requesting a vegetarian menu, to lift the table from any health problems (!). These factors are indicative of a worrying ignorance, and sometimes real demagoguery, not acceptable by parties concerned in the management of public canteens.

Scientific studies on vegetarian nutrition in childhood, confirming the benefits of this power, which ensures normal growth of children.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA), one of the most authoritative sources on nutrition, said:
- “Diets  lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan meet the nutrient and energy needs of pregnant women;
- Birth weight of infants from well nourished vegetarian women is similar to the birth weight of infants of non-vegetarian;
- Vegan diets and lacto-ovo-vegetarian, plan appropriately, meet the nutritional needs of infants, children and adolescents and induce normal growth, any nutritional deficiencies are seen more likely in populations with very restrictive diets.
Another study indicates that:
- Feeding vegan children may reduce the risk of some chronic diseases of adulthood (eg diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease), which have their origins in childhood;
- Vegan children introduce lower amount of total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than omnivore children, who typically have revenues in saturated fat and total fat above recommended levels by dietary guidelines;
- Vegan children also have higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, as is documented by their higher vitamin C intake.
- Vegan food makes contact with the children a variety of whole plant foods that can help them establish healthy eating habits for life

executives, students, all the time “I just don’t have time to eat right and exercise!” No one seems to be able to find the time to lose weight. With all of the responsibilities and events packed into our busy days how are we to keep ourselves healthy and maintain an optimal weight?

When people think weight loss, they think diet and exercise, both of which already sound time consuming. Well after 10 years of seeing clients I will tell you with 100% certainty that if a client follows their nutrition plan without exercise they always lose weight but if they don’t follow their nutrition plan but are consistent with their workouts, there is no weight loss. Anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight without changing to healthier eating alternatives knows this is true. Trust me, I’ll be the first one to tell you all the reasons why exercise is so important but following a healthy eating regimen must be priority number 1!

So if nothing else, the following easy adjustments in your nutrition plan will help to take off, at the very least, an initial 5-10 lbs to get you well on your way to your health and weight loss goals:

1. Only drink water as your beverage (with the occasional unsweetened tea or black coffee).

Eliminating all sugar drinks, “diet” drinks and sodas will automatically cause a dramatic weight loss. Studies have shown, when all else is kept constant, people lose up to 10lbs just by giving up diet coke. But it has no calories you say? Equal (Aspartame) and all other artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Sweet and Low are toxins to your body and cause weight gain, even more so than sugar!

Squeeze fresh lemon in your water or make flavored herbal teas and cool them to make ice tea to make water drinking much easier. Always consume ½ of your body weight in ounces of water per day to experience adequate hydration and weight loss (ex. If you weigh 150lbs, you must drink 75 ounces of water each day).

2. Eliminate the 4 white devils

White Flour, Refined Salt, White Sugar, and Dairy. If you just stay away from these 4 things, you will automatically see a drastic drop in weight and will instantly feel more energetic throughout the day. Most people are well aware of the harmful effects of flour, refined salt and sugar but dairy? Doesn’t it do a body good? Definitely not! Dairy is one of the number 1 reasons people have such a hard time losing weight. It causes inflammation in the body, digestive problems, clogged arteries, and weight gain. Get your calcium from leafy greens and avoid dairy at all costs. When moms bring in their children to see me with weight and health problems one of the first things I do is take them off dairy. The results are miraculous! Chronically sick kids are now automatically better. And those who have had such a hard time losing weight experience automatic weight loss without dairy.

3. Know exactly where to find the healthy food!

It is honestly just as easy to run in to the local supermarket and get a bag of carrots and some almonds as it is to run into a Quickie-Mart and buy some harmful processed food. You can go absolutely anywhere now and find healthy meal options but you must know what you are looking for. Stay away from most packaged foods as the label indicates more of a science experiment than anything that would be close to food. No one needs all of those toxins in their body. Labels should have 2 – 3 items, at most. And the best foods don’t have labels.

Don’t let time be your excuse. If you stop to eat 2-3 times per day and snack in between it is just as easy to find something healthy as it is to find something harmful. Don’t let your body come to a shrieking halt before you decide to do anything about your weight and your health. You know what will be a huge impediment on your time? If you or a family member becomes ill due to poor nutrition and lifestyle habits. So tackle the problem now before it really does begin to affect your time and your life! You can replace cars, homes and all material items, but you only get one body! Take good care of it.

Be well on your way to achieving your own Fat Loss and Health Goals with these http://tinyurl.com/3yx9fb3

So the long awaited day finally came and I had my meeting this morning with the plastic surgeon. I really liked him and felt comfortable with him and all the things he told me.

Last night my gorgeous man helped me write a list of questions that we googled – we found that the surgeon answered almost all of them in his explanation to us, the few questions we still had he was happy to answer, so all in all it felt pretty straight forward and clear.

He told me to be a realistic weight when we do the proceedure and not to starve myself leading up to the operation just to pile weight back on after. Ok, that makes sence. Could a good goal be for me to be around 80kg on the day of the surgery? That would be a nice weight for me. if I then get a flatt tummy, I will look good. I’m pretty tall.
We’ve set the date for the operation to 14 dec. That means I will take time off just before Christmas, so minimal effect on work etc.
Also gives me 3 months to prepare mentally, physically and financially. My insurance company will cover hospital stay, so my out of pocket will be around $11,000. Final figure to come.

Wowhooaa, I’m so excited! It’s really happening!!

Would love to hear from anyone who has had a tummytuck or who is thinking about it! Til next time, be good

Dietitians have been trying to get people to eat more fiber for a long time. It is recommended that we get 25-30 grams per day. Dietary fiber is found in foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.

Fiber helps with lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, and promote digestive regularity. Also, when you eat fiber, you are more full and satisfied. You tend to eat fewer calories and maintain a healthy weight. Despite these benefits, many people don’t eat enough of these foods. In fact, 70 percent of Americans do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake. There’s a good chance they may not be getting enough fiber either. This is why one of the reasons companies are adding fiber to food products.

The fiber that is popping up in our toaster pastries, yogurt, white bread, juice, and granola bars is called inulin. Inulin is a versatile isolated fiber naturally found in plants (asparagus, jicama, onion, leeks, and garlic, to name a few). It is very versatile. Food processors can morph it into anything from a fat substitute to a prebiotic fiber.

Inulin has not been proven to lower cholesterol or even help digestion. But, according to package labeling regulations, isolated fibers (inulin, oat fiber, maltodextrin) are allowed to be included as “dietary fiber” on food packages.

Here’s the bottom line: give priority to fiber from natural sources. Make sure you get a blend of soluble and insoluble fiber.

• Eat more fruits and veggies (especially the skin when appropriate)! A single pear has five grams of fiber.
• Look for “whole grain” or “whole wheat” on the label of bread and other baked products.
• Oatmeal is filling, fiber-packed, and delicious!
• Popcorn is a great naturally fiber-packed snack (seven grams in four cups).
• Choose wheat pasta, brown rice, and other whole grains like quinoa and cous cous.
• Fill up on beans and legumes, leeks, garlic, onions, and jicama.

A product with a little inulin added here and there won’t hurt you, but you should know that adding in too much fiber too quickly can cause GI upset and gas. Assess your pantry and your plate. If there are lots of boxes with lots of ingredients serving as your main fiber source, reconsider what else you may be missing that is in the foods that naturally contain fiber and inulin.

All rightee! Listen up you lot!  After an absence of over a month from my  soapbox, I am back in full voice! You poor people!

Have endured damn nearly 3 months of pure hell business-wise. No, rather make that work-wise; business is good. The pace has slowed down very slightly from  barely concealed hysteria to the usual controlled chaos!

I also had what I am resolutely calling My Pitstop for the last two months. A slight weight gain over the period which I have firmly decided I will not beat myself over the head about. Various reasons for this and I am fully aware of all of them! Here are a few:

No food journal. Too busy to take time to record what I was eating. It was so easy to just mindlessly eat whatever was put in front of me with my left hand while my right hand was wielding the mouse at literally all hours of the day or night!

No meal planning. No proper shopping trips to make sure we had the right food in the right quantities in the house! Increased incidence of takeaways when we were too exhausted to bother with cooking which was a lot of the time.

Not enough pure water. Too many mugs of coffee (also mindlessly consumed while wielding the mouse!) and not nearly enough portions of fruit and vegetables to make up for the drought. The 500ml Aquelle bottles are now back on my desk – I try to swallow 4 bottles through the day. I particularly like the Aquelle bottle shape and they go to gym with me too.  

No regular exercise. I kept up the mandatory 2 days a month at Virgin Active but did little else there. We went walking several weekends – up the mountain, walked on the beach and over the rocks from Llandudno to Sandy Bay, climbed up above Simonstown to Admiral’s waterfall… All spectacular stuff and we have amazing photos to show for it but it was not nearly enough. We plan another walk this Sunday – out Hout Bay/Llandudno way again. Looking forward to that and do hope that the weather co-operates.

I also joined a unique ladies gym called Adrenalynne. The owner is an amazing person called Lynne who is not young enough to be my daughter which is a plus for me!! She is a previous Mrs Fitness SA title-holder and the fabulous framed photos and qualification certificates in her well equipped home gym have to be seen to be believed! I go (try to get to!) to a twice-weekly class of ladies who call themselves the Golden Girls. Enough said! The first couple of times I went, I thought the gentle dance/stretch routines were a little tame for me. I very soon changed my mind however and have left several classes quite puffed and feeling lekker ‘loose’ all over from all the stretching we do.

Zero self care. Hurtling from one day to the next; battling one computer issue after another. Dealing with multiple and extraordinary client issues all coming at me at once. All culminated in severe stress, fatigue, serious night leg/foot cramps from all the sitting for hours on end and weight creeping stealthily up each day on the scale – that is when I did weigh myself in the mornings!  Most days, I was already at my PC by 4:30am and often stayed right there until midnight.

As I prepare for my resumed onward and downward Odyssey, I am looking at a number of things:

Body Fat Percentage – as opposed to plain old body weight which can be deceptive.

The Metabolism Miracle – a New York Times bestseller by Diane Kress, RD, CDE.  I have never been one for fad diets and I could not care less about NY Times bestseller lists but this book resonates with me and it is anything but a fad diet.

Nutribase software – yeah, yeah, OK. I know. Just do it Eileen!  Don’t mess around with theory. Or get too technical/analytical.

Well, I see it this way for me, myself and I!  I achieved a 25kg weight loss and have almost brought the real Eileen back to life by making a big deal of plotting on graphs, keeping food logs; weight logs; BP logs; Glucose logs; examining food labels minutely, etc. etc.  It works for me and millions of others as well if we go by the sheer volume of health-based software available on the www.  So I let you’all know how it goes!

So do let me know how things have been for you over the worst of the Winter? Or the best of Summer for those of you in the Northern hemisphere?

Talk again soon, have a great day, Eileen

This girl had 2 points left today.

Even though I’ve only been on Phase II with the HCG drops for two days (nearly three since I’m posting so late in the evening), I decided to keep weighing & reporting on Thursdays.  So you won’t see a significant loss until next week.

So here’s what has happened since I started the HCG drops.  The first two days, I was loading.  I gained exactly 5 pounds during this phase (Phase I).  Tuesday I lost 4.1 pounds and Wednesday I lost 1.6 pounds, which gets me to .4 pounds beneath my pre-HCG weight.  (From 163 to 162.6.) Not too shabby for two days work!  And tomorrow I’ll find out how much I lost today.

It’s not all sunshine and roses, however.  The first day I was starving.  It didn’t help that I made three dozen chocolate chip cookies and two loaves of honey oatmeal bread and I could have none of it.  (I even wore latex gloves while baking, as touching fat or putting lotion on with fat in it can halt your weight loss when you’re using the HCG drops.)  The second day I wasn’t so hungry but I felt really weak.  I think my main problem that day was lack of sleep.  Today I’m feeling stronger and my energy is back, but I’m still feeling hunger pangs.  I’m hoping by the end of the week, my hunger pangs will be gone–as the diet has reassured me and as many people have reported this happening.  If they don’t reduce, I will have to take more doses of the HCG, which I don’t want to do because then it won’t last as long.  So I’m crossing my fingers that the hunger will eventually cease.

I’ve taken some pics of my meals (below) but didn’t include the pics of fruit I’ve been eating.  There are only three types of fruit allowed, and I’ve already been eating all three: strawberries, apples and grapefruit.  There is also a specific list of vegetables I can eat.  Although all fruits and vegetables are healthy, some can interrupt the HCG in your system and cause you to stop losing weight.  Artichokes, for instance.  A very low-calorie vegetable that most dieters love including in their meal plan (like me), but cause a stall in your weight loss when you’re taking HCG. Crazy, huh? 

Anyway, besides two helpings of fruit a day, here’s the meals I’ve been eating:

It looks sad. And it was sad. The steak was dry and hard to chew and I put too much lemon & salt on the kale. But the tomato was heaven!

Now we're talkin! This chicken was so juicy and I was amazed at how wonderful the plain mustard tasted with it! Since we're not allowed sweets, I really noticed how naturally sweet the romaine lettuce was, especially in comparison with the spicy radishes. No dressing! I feel like a kid again (we weren't allowed dressings growing up).

Looks like a plate of veggies, right?

Tricked you! I packed 4 oz of deli turkey inside the lettuce leaves, along with some mustard. This is my favorite thing to do so far, as I don't like meat much but do love processed meats. I'm weird.

Another lean 4 oz steak, improved with my favorite salsa! I also poured some over the cucumber slices. It's hard for me not to be able to use any dressings or sugar!

Looking at this picture makes me want to vomit, but it was really delicious! I made a lean roast in the crockpot with some onions and celery, poured beef broth over--it was so tender and flavorful!

If you want to know the ugly truth, I’m eating about 500 calories a day.  Scary, I know.  But take comfort in knowing that as long as I’m taking the HCG, my body won’t go into starvation mode.  It’s opening up the highway to the abnormal fat and releasing it into my system.  I guess some of it’s just going straight out without being used because there is 3,500 calories in a pound of fat and to lose a pound a day would mean I was burning 4,000 (including the 500 I’m eating) and I know that’s not happening.  I used a calculator once to find out how much calories I burn in a day and it’s about 1500 (only if I sleep all day–I burn more if I move).  It’s kinda weird how the HCG bypasses our normal body functions but I’m down with it as long as I can get this weight off for good. 

These meals are small and simple and I think they would get boring if I had a lot of weight to lose and would have to repeat this process more than once, but since I only have about 30 pounds to lose, it is likely that I will not have to repeat it and that makes me glad.  Fat be gone!

The newest culinary celebrity to hit the red carpet is a cute little sandwich called the Double Down, courtesy of KFC. A fast-food chicken lover’s dream and a health foodie’s nightmare, (DIR actually called it “frightening”), the Double Down is cheese, sauce, and baconbetween two pieces of chicken, either fried or grilled.

The Original Recipe (read: fried) Double Down has 540 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, 1,380 mg of sodium, and one gram of fiber. The grilled Double Down (for the health conscious, of course) is 460 calories, nine grams of saturated fat, 1,430 mg of sodium, and zero grams of fiber.

Not sure what those numbers mean? Well…  its over a half day’s worth of salt in a palm-sized sandwich (if we can call it that, considering the lack of a bun).

A blogger has recently disputed the above info, calling “bulls***” on KFC, claiming the fast food chain is not being truthful about the (ahem) nutrition facts. They came up with their own calorie counts, which pins the grub at upwards of 1,000 calories!

I actually have to respectfully disagree with that blog critic, however. This “double down” is pretty small and I bet that the blogger overestimated its portion size. The only way to really test if KFC is being truthful would be to burn it up in an incinerator and measure the kilojoules of energy burned. Not very practical. I guess you could also buy a sandwich, weigh and measure the ingredients and look up the info in a database, but that’s a lot of work!

Some eateries have, in fact, been off with their calorie counts. The sad truth is restaurants don’t have to be accurate with their nutrition facts, unlike food you buy off the shelf. But if you take a look at a video of the Double Down, you’ll see that the pieces of meat are barely larger than your hand.

So big deal, a fried chicken, bacon, and cheese sandwich may have errors in their nutrition info. Would you really think you are eating healthy if that palm-sized fast food sandwich took up a half day’s worth of saturated fat and sodium?

If your goal is to eat healthy, then this sandwich, regardless of any potential for errors, is not exactly the way to go about it. Not a health food. There is a serious lack of veggies, no carbs, and no fiber.

But far be it for me to tell you what you should put into your body. If you have a burning desire to try it, split it with a friend and pair it with a salad. You’ll get to taste a “double down” without doubling over.

I’m getting frustrated with myself, I can’t seem to get on the ball of exercising… more than just walking to school. I did a few reps last night, in some simple things… but I want to take this seriously and my mind’s all “I’m writing down and watching what I eat, be happy with that.” I can’t be happy with that because I want to build more muscle, lean muscle rather than bulky muscle, but I can’t get my mind off it’s couch and in a “Yeah, let’s do this!” kind of mood. Apparently being healthy isn’t a good enough motivator for me… I’m going to have to try something else, I don’t want to be set back a week.

Also, blister on my toe from walking to and from school today >.<