Stop Winter Weight Gain: 3 Foods To Avoid!

Where weight is concerned, Winter is always a testing time - when cold weather and gloomy skies tend to make us yearn for hot comfort foods and treats. Believe it or not, that although conditions like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may make us turn to food, it's a myth that our body is pre-disposed to gain weight during winter. Weight gain during winter is usually a result of decreased activity due to a more indoor lifestyle during the colder months. In addition, we have the tendency to eat as a 'pastime' rather than for pure nutritional purposes. More hours in front of the TV eating snacks is going to contribute toward winter weight gain! However, if you want to maintain a healthy weight and not gain extra by the time summer arrives, you need to aim for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet (for average height and build female) and a 2,500-calorie-a-day diet for men. This diet plan should have no more than 66 grams of fat, (less than 20 grams saturated); 2,400 milligrams of sodium; and 300 grams of total carbohydrate, including sugars per day.

Prevent Winter Weight Gain - 3 surprising foods to avoid!

We've found 3 foods to avoid during the winter months (and all year round in fact). You'll be as surprised as we were to discover the hidden fat and sugar content in these food items. Here they are in no particular order...

1. The so called 'Healthy Granola'
We all know how healthy granola looks - but is it kind on our waistline? Granola is a tricky one. Granola is practically synonymous with health, but depending on the particular brand, it may contain a startling amount of sugar per serving (in the form of dried fruit) and fats (if the nuts are copious). One serving of a brand we found contained: 18 grams of sugar, (that's as much as a single Twinkie!) 

A 2/3-cup serving of standard granola contains: 210 calories, 3g fat, 4g protein, 3g fiber—but 18g sugar! Choose this better option instead: A 2/3-cup serving of pure organic rolled oats with Raw Unprocessed Honey and apple cubes: 120 calories, less than 1g fat, 2g sugar, 6g fiber. Add cinnamon for a real treat! 

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2. The so called 'Healthy Winter Soup'
Soup is a highlight of Winter for many, yet if you choose incorrectly, you can drastically consume too many calories from fat, not to mention extremely high salt levels in just one serving. One 1/2-can serving of creamed soup: 140 calories; 10g fat, 8g saturated; 580mg sodium. Choose this healthier option instead: Lentil and vegetable, make your own, and use low-sodium soup stock from Ina Paarman. You can then add to it so that it's chock-full of veggies, but with no cream you cut down the stats to: 2g fat, 0.5g saturated fat; 340mg sodium per serving. Soup is an excellent take-to-work option during the colder months especially if you pair it with a low GI slice of wholewheat nutty bread! Delicious!

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3. The so called 'Low Fat Yoghurt'
This is a common mistake. You see "low fat" chocolate chip yoghurt and you dive in. According to the food label regulations, a company is required to label a product as low fat if it has under 12g of pat per 100g. However, to be truly low fat, doctors recommend under 4g per 100g. This means that a store bought "low fat" yoghurt may be up to as much as 11.9g fat per 100g and still be labelled as low fat - creating a deceptive caloric value. In addition,many low fat products are packed with sugar to make them taste better -'low fat' does NOT mean 'low sugar'! Always read the labels - the best bet is to choose: non-sweetened plain FAT FREE yoghurt (around 120 calories per 175mls) - add Raw Unprocessed  Honey and fruit for a sweet breakfast or skip the honey and try adding dill pickled cucumbers and tomato with black pepper for a savoury sauce to accompany salads, really delicious!

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4. A special note about 'Health Drinks'
We also had to include drinks in our list of foods to avoid: especially Vitamin Water. You may be tempted to drink one post-workout and feel really chuffed that you're being 'healthy', but Vitamin Water uses the old trick on the information label - it's based on a single serving size, but the bottle contains multiple servings! Each bottle contains 2.5 servings of the sugar-sweetened water, so a whole bottle delivers 33 grams of sugar (a can of Coke only has 6 more)! That’s a lot of extra calories to go straight to your hips. Vitamin Water: One bottle (2.5 servings): 125 calories, 32.5g sugar. Choose this instead: Hot herbal teas, with lemon and ginger for fat-burning brilliantness. Water with lemon or cucumber in it is also a great diuretic to help shed kilos and flush out toxins - no calories at all! (Add our herbal Detox Drops to cleanse and set up a platform for weight-loss, plus EcoSlim natural herbal slimming drops for maximum fat-burning action through the day).

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Is there a way of losing weight fast, but safely?
Absolutely! 
The key during winter is to remain focused and keep your hunger at bay by eating regular, healthy meals. Make sure your diet is balanced and nutritious. Yo-yo diets DO NOT work. Plan ahead, prepare your meals for the week and be sensible. The other great tip during winter is to find a natural herbal product that can tame your appetite safely to take the edge off, while still helping your metabolism to burn calories. One such remedy is EcoSlim herbal slimming drops containing natural tested ingredients to maintain healthy, steady weight loss. There is also a FREE slimming meal plan to follow, email us here for it.

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What other helpful tips can I try to lose weight during winter?
Try a natural detox program too, in combination with a weight loss regime. When you detox your body, your system hits the "reset" button and so weight loss is encouraged more easily. Detox Drops are powerful but at the same time a safe way to start supporting any weight loss effort. There is also a FREE detox meal plan to follow, email us here for it. During winter, try cooking with Pure Organic Coconut Oil  - which has actually been shown to promote weight loss (as seen on Dr OZ) and hailed as a marvellous ingredient to cook with too. Pure Organic Coconut Oil is available at most health shops, and we have it in stock. (Pop into our store at Unit 6, Westlake Lifestyle Centre, Westlake, Cape Town 021 797 0193).
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