What's your craving personality? Take our quiz and find out!

1. A friend gives you a small box of exquisite chocolates. You count them and think, I can make these last for two weeks if I have one a day. Then you:

a. Set aside a few minutes every evening to sit in your favorite chair and enjoy one piece of chocolate. It's a great two weeks.
b. Eat one, then later in the day, another couple. The box lasts a week.
c. Have one, then another...whoops, it's 10 minutes later and they're gone.
2. At the last big cookout, your hosts served all kinds of salty goodness in great big salad bowls. You:

a. Scooped some guacamole onto a plate, counted out 15 chips, and really enjoyed them.
b. Realized, after your third handful, that you'd put away so many calories you were already into the next day's allotment, so you got yourself a glass of diet soda.
c. Were so engrossed in conversation, you're really not sure how many you ate.
3. You're at the mall, where the air is infused with the scent of baking cinnamon buns. You're finding it very hard to resist, so you:

a. Enjoy the smell, but hurry on to the kitchenware store.
b. Buy one, cut it in half, and share with your shopping companion (or, if you're alone, save it for breakfast the next morning).
c. Buy one and try to eat half, but before you've reached the kids' clothing outlet, you've eaten the whole thing.
4. You ordered a salad with grilled chicken and your friends are splitting a pizza, which looks and smells delicious. You:

a. Enjoy your salad but ask for a few more Parmesan shavings to feed your cheese craving.
b. Pick at the half slice your friends left.
c. Order a slice for yourself.
5. It's been a busy week. On Friday afternoon, you're exhausted, so you:

a. Take a brisk walk or meditate for about 10 minutes.
b. Head down to the kitchen, cafeteria, or vending machines for a cup of coffee and some crackers and cheese.
c. Buy a chocolate bar and eat it.
6. There's a slab of coconut layer cake in the fridge from yesterday's birthday party. You are:

a. So busy you've completely forgotten it's there.
b. Aware you're thinking too much about it, so you get engrossed in mah-jongg on the computer.
c. So totally obsessed with the thought of it, you cut yourself a slice.

Scoring:
If Your Answers Were Mostly A's: You have it under control. You can safely sample $60-a-pound chocolates and still lose weight. But if you occasionally need help resisting temptation, check out the "Give In" tips.

If Your Answers Were Mostly B's: You're clearly not a mindless eater (that's good), but you sometimes bite off more than you should be chewing. You can follow the "Give In" advice unless there are particular foods that call to you. If so, familiarize yourself with the "Give It Up" tips.

If Your Answers Were Mostly C's: You have a tendency to go one truffle over the line, so you need to stick with the "Give It Up" advice until you master the tricks for staying in control.

Courtesy: WebMD.com newsletter

Have a Great weekend!
Jacques

Thanksgiving and other excellent quotes...

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily."
-Gerald Good

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence."
-Erma Bombeck

"The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"
-Henry Ward Beecher

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."
- W.J. Cameron

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice."
-Meister Eckhart

Have a great Thanksgiving!

"It's the little things that make the big things possible. Only close attention to the fine details of any operation makes the operation first class."
- J. Willard Marriott Sr., hotel executive

The Four Parts of Visualization

By Brian Tracy

There are four parts of visualization that you can learn and practice to assure that you use this incredible power to its best advantage all the days of your life.

How Often?

The first aspect of visualization is frequency, the number of times that you visualize a particular goal as achieved of yourself performing in an excellent way in a particular event or circumstance. The more frequently you repeat a clear mental picture of your very best performance or result, the more rapidly it will appear as part of your reality.

How Long?

The second element of visualization is the duration of the mental image, the length of time that you can hold the picture in your mind each time you replay it. When you deeply relax, you can often hold a mental picture of yourself performing at your best for several seconds, and even several minutes. The longer you can hold your mental picture, the more deeply it will be impressed into your subconscious mind and the more rapidly it will express itself in your subsequent performance.

"Relax and allow affirmations to go through your subconscious mind!"
According to whole brain research, you can learn subjects quite rapidly as a result of deep relaxation and music used in a systemized, organized process. Because of this, it is also possible for you to learn new belief systems using the same techniques.

How Clearly?

The third element of visualization is vividness. There is a direct relationship between how clearly you can see your desired goal or result in your mind and how quickly it comes into your reality. This element of visualization is what explains the powers of the Law of Attraction and the Law of Correspondence. The vividness of your desire directly determines how quickly it materializes in the world around you. Here is an interesting point. When you set a new goal for yourself, your image or picture of this goal will usually be vague and fuzzy. But the more often you write it, review it, and repeat it mentally, the clearer it becomes for you. Eventually, it will become crystal clear. At that point, the goal will suddenly appear in your world exactly as you imagined it.

How Intensely?

The fourth element of visualization is intensity, the amount of emotion that you attach to your visual image. In reality, this is the most important and powerful part of the visualization process. Sometimes, if your emotion is intense enough and your visual image is clear enough, your goal will immediately come true.

Of course, the elements of frequency, duration, vividness, and intensity can help you or hurt you. Like nature, the power of visualization is neutral. Like a two-edged sword, it can cut in either direction. It can either make you a success or make you a failure. Visualization brings you whatever you vividly and intensely imagine, whether good or bad.

Action Exercise

Continually feed your mind with clear, exciting, emotional pictures. Remember, your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions.

Courtesy: Brian Tracy Newsletter

Is Alcohol Good or Bad for Your Health?

By Ana Mantica, EatingWell.com

If you enjoy a glass of wine or beer with dinner, you’ve probably already heard the good news (it might boost your good "HDL" cholesterol)—as well as the bad (it could also elevate your blood pressure). Two new studies give more health reasons to sip—or skip—that alcoholic drink.


Glass Half Empty: Women who drink even one alcoholic beverage a day have an increased risk of some cancers (especially breast cancer), according to new research done at Oxford on nearly 1.3 million women. Says lead author Naomi Allen, Ph.D., "There is mounting evidence that even drinking alcohol in moderation can increase estrogen, which in turn directly raises the risk of breast cancer."


Glass Half Full: Cheers to stronger bones! According to a new study out of Tufts University, drinking alcohol in moderation might help keep bones strong—in men and postmenopausal women, who have lower levels of estrogen (which helps to maintain bone mass). The study found a stronger association between bone density and drinking beer and wine, compared to liquor, indicating that it’s more than just alcohol that boosts bone health. Beer and wine contain silicon, a mineral that promotes bone formation. Wine also contains polyphenols that may stimulate bone-building, explains lead study author Katherine L. Tucker, Ph.D.


Bottom Line: Alcohol, in moderation, can be part of a healthy lifestyle, Tucker says. But you have to weigh your personal risks: for example, if you have a strong family history of cancer, you may want to opt for mocktails more often.


Remember: A glass of wine or a bottle of beer contains calories—and maybe more than you think.


5 oz. wine = 125 calories

12 oz. beer = 150 calories

1 Mixed drink (piña colada, margarita) = 300+ calories



Courtesy: ArcaMax.com newsletter

Myth or Truth: Vinegar Helps You Lose Weight

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Can vinegar really help you lose weight? A recent study on mice gave hope to the idea that the acetic acid in vinegar may help trigger fat-burning genes. But until the effects are reproduced in humans, vinegar cannot be considered a weight loss aid.

Apple cider vinegar has long been touted as being good for weight loss, and several apple cider vinegar diets have circulated over the years. The acidic vinegar, along with the fruit pectin from the fermented apples, is supposed to have fat-burning effects.

In the mouse study, researchers gave either acetic acid (the main chemical in vinegar) or water to mice via a stomach tube. All the mice were fed the same diet. The researchers found that the mice that got the vinegar compound developed up to 10%less body fat than the other mice, although the amount of food they ate was not affected. It’s thought that acetic acid might turn on genes that produce proteins that help the body break down fats.

But this study cannot be considered conclusive evidence that vinegar is effective for weight loss. More and larger studies are needed before we can know for sure whether vinegar has any fat-burning benefits.

There's also no proof that taking a few teaspoons of vinegar before meals can curb your appetite or reduce cravings, as many cider vinegar diets claim. A few studies have shown that vinegar may have some impact on how quickly a meal affects blood sugar levels, but body weight was not affected.

The bottom line? Anyone losing weight on a cider vinegar diet is doing so because they are eating fewer calories, not because they're ingesting vinegar.

With only 3 calories per tablespoon, vinegar is a healthy, low-calorie way to add flavor to any diet plan. But taken alone as a daily tonic, it can be risky. Apple cider vinegar is very acidic, and may cause irritation to your throat and stomach, and even damage tooth enamel. (It should always be diluted with water or juice before you swallow it.) It also has the potential to interact with certain drugs, so be sure to check with your doctor before taking regular doses or supplements of cider vinegar.

Despite the sensational claims made for vinegar diets and other fad diets, there are no quick fixes to weight loss. Experts recommend losing weight slowly, at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week, for lasting results.

If you want to lose weight with vinegar, try eating more vegetable salads and topping them with a dressing that uses less oil and more vinegar. This will shave calories and encourage consumption of high-in-fiber, satisfying veggies.

Courtesy: WebMD.com newsletter

French Women Don't Get Fat...final thoughts...

What the Experts Say
First of all, let's get one thing straight, French women do get fat and the obesity rate in France is growing quickly, says ADA spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge. "French Women Don't Get Fat, like many other diet books, is a frustrating blend of real insight, shaky science, and sheer speculation."

Tallmadge, a weight loss counselor in Washington, D.C., points out that Guiliano is not a nutrition or weight loss professional and even though she doesn't claim to be, bases her advice on personal experiences and observations of life in France.

Some recommendations in French Women Don't Get Fat are right on target, like walking for exercise, weight training for women over 40, and eating vegetable soup. "Eating soup with lots of vegetables has been found to help reduce calorie intake naturally," says Tallmadge, author of the diet book Diet Simple. However, Tallmadge notes scientific evidence does not support the author's claim that leeks have a magical quality to cause weight loss, nor does chocolate contain serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter.

"I disagree with the recommendation to start dieting through a semi-fast of primarily leek soup because, while it will cause weight loss, it is not nutritionally adequate and it is not a solution to help people learn about habits that can be sustained long term," Tallmadge says.

Additionally, some experts suggest that the real reason many French women may be thin is because they smoke cigarettes to curb their appetite.

Food for Thought
French Women Don't Get Fat could be a helpful weight loss approach for women who love fine food, wine, and chocolate and want the flexibility and options to eat what they like.

With this plan, knowing that no food is off-limits could be very empowering to some as long as they can control portion sizes and the majority of food they choose is nutritionally sound, like vegetable soup and low-fat yogurt.

"People get bored on diets and go back to their eating habits, which are why diets don't work" says Guiliano. Her approach is simple: don't deny yourself favorite foods; simply learn -- over time -- to enjoy smaller portions.

Assuming that eating slower and more mindfully really will lead to recognition of satiety, weight loss with the French Women Don't Get Fat plan should occur slowly but surely. Becoming satisfied with smaller portions is the trick to making this plan work.

Courtesy: WebMD.com newsletter

Why French Women Don't Get Fat (Explained- continued)

What You Can Eat continued...

Guiliano also recommends eating a wide variety of healthy foods to be more satisfied without feeling deprived. "Eating the same foods is a bad habit," the author maintains, and she suggest trying new recipes, flavors, and herbs. There are no forbidden foods in the French Women Don't Get Fat plan, as long as the portions are kept in check.

Have a sweets craving? Satisfy it with a few bites or a small portion of the food you crave. Love wine? Enjoy it, Guiliano tells WebMD, but keep it to one glass. Slowly reduce portion sizes over time so you won't realize you are eating less.

It is inevitable that there will be splurges and when that happens, Guiliano recommends eating yogurt. "Yogurt is the perfect food, full of calcium, and French women eat 1-2 servings a day, especially after a night of too much, it is the perfect breakfast," she says. Guiliano includes a recipe for homemade yogurt and also recommends it as a great snack.

How It Works

The fundamental premise of the French Women Don't Get Fat non-diet plan is learning to enjoy the pleasure of eating delicious food in a relaxed environment.

Guiliano believes that American women would benefit if they slowed down, stopped speed eating and eating on the run, and took more pleasure in the dining experience, much like French women.

Eat with all of your senses and be more mindful of every bite so you taste and savor the food and recognize when you are full. "Three bites of food are all you need to really enjoy it," Guiliano says. Sit down, slow down, chew thoroughly, and eat without distractions – turn off the television, put down the book, and focus on eating.

With French Women Don't Get Fat, the aim is to forget our food guilt and substitute it with pleasure.

(To be concluded in our next post)

The "French Women Don't Get Fat" Diet Explained

It's a diet based on eating for pleasure and portion control. Experts explain how it works
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD WebMD FeatureReviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

If you have ever wondered how the French manage to eat cheese, butter, baguettes, and drink wine while staying slim, then French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, by Frenchwoman Mireille Guiliano, may be the book for you.

French Women Don't Get Fat is actually a non-diet book, loaded with pearls of wisdom from the chic and fit Mireille Guiliano, also CEO of the champagne company, Veuve Clicquot.

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As a teenager, the author came to the U.S. for school and returned home 20 pounds heavier than when she arrived, blaming large portions and too many sweets. Upon embracing the eating habits of French women, she restored her shape with a new understanding of food, drink, and lifestyle that she shares in her book.

The basic premise of French Women Don't Get Fat is that you should eat only good food of very high quality, eat it in small portions, and savor every bite.

From chocolate to champagne, eat slowly, with all your senses, and make every dining experience pleasurable so you will be satisfied with smaller portions of delicious food. No food is off limits, only large portions. No counting calories, no skipping meals -- just control what you eat.

Not a quick fix or fad diet, French Women Don't Get Fat is a three-month plan meant to reset your "body's dials" for a lifetime of healthy weight through slow, gradual weight loss.

Many will love the fact that this plan does not include fitness classes but instead just plenty of daily physical activity and lots of walking. The author shows how women can adopt the French style of eating, drinking and moving as the winning formula for weight control.

What You Can Eat
A two-day leek soup fast jump-starts the French Women Don't Get Fat plan, followed by meat or fish, vegetables, and a piece of fruit. During the initial phase, dieters are asked to evaluate their diets by keeping a food journal to identify where excess calories are coming from so they can make adjustments. "You can still have your favorite foods, but try to reduce how often or how much," says Guiliano.

After monitoring their eating habits, dieters are advised to make small healthy improvements, such as drinking more water all day long to stay hydrated and flush out toxins.

Throughout French Women Don't Get Fat, Guiliano describes the lifestyle of French women that leads to a trim waistline without denial or guilt. She offers a positive approach to weight control that includes wine, chocolate, and the oft-shunned white bread excluded in most diet books. She encourages readers to enjoy food and drink to the fullest while keeping portions in check. Fresh, wholesome, and seasonal ingredients are highly recommended.

Courtesy: WebMD.com newsletter
(Continued in our next post)