The Joy of food

Water consumption

I don't know what the "right answer" is relative to how much water each person should drink each day, but here are some things I do know:

• Getting in the habit of drinking water every day will pay off in extra energy.  When you are dehydrated, your energy levels drop, your attention span lowers and you may experience dizziness or a headache
• You skin, hair and nails will thank you. 
• Drinking lots of water answers part of the challenge of overeating for those of us who struggle with this (as I do).  It satisfies the "putting something in my mouth" urge, and for a while you feel full.

There are suggestions from many sources that the best way to tell if you're drinking enough water is the color of your urine.  If it's a very light color to clear, your adequately hydrated.  If it's dark yellow, start drinking.

Popcorn

My favorite snack.  High fiber, low fat, and here are a few tricks.  I like to pop it in olive oil.  Don't need butter or anything else -just a little salt to flavor.  Use a "light" olive oil because it has a higher smoke point.  Smoking oil means you're probably destroying some of the goodness (monounsaturated fats).  I think olive oil popping works better with white popcorn since it has a more delicate flavor and is a lighter kernel.  It seems to pick up the flavor better.  Try this with truffle salt for a delectable indulgence. 

If you air pop, try hemp oil instead of butter.  It's got a great flavor, and is high in omega 3's, among other healthy fats here's what Dr. Weil says .

If these are too involved for you, the quick & dirty solution is Smart Balance microwave popcorn.  No hydrogenated oils, no Diacetyl .

The calcium/ fat equation

So, I am not embarrassed to admit I was watching Oprah & Dr. Oz the other day, and learned a little something interesting about the role calcium plays in fat excretion.  Dr. Oz  Seems that if you consume at least a gram of calcium/ day (and be sure to take it with .5g of magnesium), you could increase your fat excretion by 50%. If you want to do it the easy way, Rainbow Light has a great supplement that covers both bases.  Discount Rainbow Light supplements
Also checking out Weight Watchers again - they have a new program called The Core Plan and it's fabulous!  If you need just a little structure & guidance, and basically need to become conscious of your eating, this could work for you.  I'm testing it myself - I'd love to lose those last 10...