Have a Better Life

There was an interesting documentary yesterday on TV about Anorexia Nervosa Disorder. The four cases that were shown were from four woman aged 15, 18, 23 and 32. The 32 years old is a person I know. I already knew she suffered for that disorder but I was never too close to ask for details.

All the four cases started with “a diet” just to lose a few pounds and the obsession for constant diet came afterwards when losing a few pounds wasn’t enough.

But what is Anorexia Nervosa?:

Anorexia nervosa is a type of eating disorder. People who have anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight. They severely limit the amount of food they eat and can become dangerously thin.

Anorexia affects both the body and the mind. It may start as dieting, but it gets out of control. You think about food, dieting, and weight all the time. You have a distorted body image. Other people say you are too thin, but when you look in the mirror, you see a fat person. Continue reading here.

What causes anorexia?

Eating disorders are complex, and experts don’t really know what causes them. But they may be due to a mix of family history, social factors, and personality traits. You may be more likely to have anorexia if:

Other people in your family are obese, have an eating disorder, or have a mood disorder such as depression or anxiety.

You have a job or do a sport that stresses body size, such as ballet, modeling, or gymnastics.

You are the type of person who tries to be perfect all the time, never feels good enough, or worries a lot.

You are dealing with stressful life events, such as divorce, moving to a new town or school, or losing a loved one.

Continue reading here.

How is it treated?

All people who have anorexia need treatment. Even if you or someone you care about has only a couple of the signs of an eating disorder, get help now. Early treatment gives the best chance of overcoming anorexia.

Treatment can help you get back to and stay at a healthy weight, learn good eating habits, and learn to feel better about yourself. Because anorexia is both a physical and emotional problem, you may work with a doctor, a dietitian, and a counselor.

There are no medicines to treat anorexia. But if you are depressed or anxious, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant medicine. Continue reading here

If you have teenagers, a relative, a friend that is on a diet and keeps trying to lose more and more weight, please make sure it is a simple diet and not a diet out of control. Those who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa can die if they don’t get help on time.

It’s time for another light recipe. This time I’ve chosen a dessert I adore: Tiramisu.

This is a LIGHT TIRAMISU from Better Homes and Gardens, delicious as all their recipes. This recipe is easy to make and the ingredients are not difficult to find. Here it is:

Ingredients:

* 2 8-ounce cartons fat-free sour cream
* 2 8-ounce packages reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup fat-free milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 cup strong coffee
* 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
* 2 3-ounce packages ladyfingers, split
* 2 tablespoons sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Combine coffee and coffee liqueur.
2. Layer one package of the ladyfingers, cut side up, in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Brush with half of the coffee mixture. Spread with half of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining ladyfingers, coffee mixture, and cheese mixture.
3. Sprinkle with sifted cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours. If desired, sprinkle serving plates with additional unsweetened cocoa powder. Cut dessert into squares to serve. Serves 15.

If you make this recipe please let me now your opinion. Enjoy.

It’s time for another low fat, low calorie recipe.

This time I’m leaving you here a recipe with one of my favorite ingredients: Tuna. We eat a lot of Tuna at home prepared in several ways. This recipe is from What’s Cooking America and it’s called Tuna Salad Sandwich. The ingredients are easy to find and the preparation is very simple.

Ingredients:

• 2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna, drained well
• 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon capers, drained and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves or basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or to taste
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, break up tuna into flakes. Add red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, capers, and cilantro or basil leaves; mix together. Blend in olive oil, lime juice, mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar, Tabasco, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to let flavors blend.

When ready to use, remove from refrigerator. Spread either on bread or stuff in a large tomato.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

I hope you enjoy it!!

Summer is just around the corner and “diet” is the most common word among women and also men. They want to be prepared for the bikinis and sunbaths and want to get rid of extra pounds and fat they have.

There are a wide variety of diets that can be done, healthy food is the best one in my opinion but, for some, diet pills is also an option. How do we know which ones are the best?

At consumerpricewatch.net you can read the reviews that were written about the Top 10 Diet Pills and Weight Loss Pills on the market. They were chosen from up to 200 pills available and ranked by the following factors:

1. Value
2. Ingredient Quality
3. Customer Feedback
4. Safety
5. Company Reputation
6. Reorder Rates
7. Customer Service
8. Product Sensation
9. Packaging
10. Long-Term Benefits
11. Product Convenience
12. Weight-Loss Potential

On this site you can also find the best price available for them.

Eat healthy food daily and you’ll see you won’t need diet pills.

Are you hungry but you don’t want to eat because you might gain a few pounds? I have great news for you. Lisa Lillien just released a new cooking book with more than 150 recipes specially for those that like to eat but they feel guilty when they do.Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World is a cooking book where you will find detailed recipes of several types of meals, like breakfasts, fast food, desserts, etc but all low fat and low calories. Detailed information regarding meal composition is given.

Don’t make sacrifices, eat guilt free with Hungry Girl. You can find this book at Amazon.

Integral cereals have less calories than the refine ones, they also are rich in nutrients therefore when you eat them you feel you are full and don’t need any more food for a while.

The nutrients they have are of good quality so the urge to eat is less and you can control your weight naturally and in a healthy way.

It seems that Spring is really here now. Although we still have a few windy and cold days, the sun shines and we have been having some hot days too.

In the backyard the garden is flourishing and it’s a pleasure to sit outside. With the laptop is easy to blog there, my daughter plays in the sandbox and my son plays soccer or rides the bicycle. Along with Laptops, MP3 players are a practical gadget, my son can listen to music while I type away in silence.

Although I sometimes blog while they are playing, I also love playing with them, but sometimes, we just need to do our own stuff, children and grown-ups. There is a time for everything.

Fresh recipes will be coming up on this blog, I’ll be using fresh and low fat ingredients so that you can enjoy summer without worrying with extra pounds. Enjoy outdoors activities and fresh air.