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	Thursday October 06, 2011
How to Customize Your Calories One of the wonderful things about this world is that we're all different. Different sizes, shapes, personalities, and backgrounds. That also means when dealing with diabetes and managing our diets, each individual benefits from a customized approach. The factors that influence how many calories you need each day include weight, metabolism, and activity level. You can get a good idea of how many calories you need to maintain your current weight by using the "Rule of 10." Follow these three steps: 1. Do the math. Multiply your weight by 10. For example, if you weigh 175 pounds, you get 1,750. This is approximately how many calories you body needs to function at rest. 2. Rate your activity level. You need to know how many calories you're burning through physical activity. Rate yourself on the following scale: • If you're totally sedentary, give yourself a 3. • If you're moderately active, give yourself a 5. • If you're very active, give yourself a 7. 3. Add it up. Now take the activity number you chose and multiply it by 100, then add the result to the calories number from the first step. For example, if the first number was 1,750 calories and you're sedentary, add 300, which is three times 100. That equals a total of 2,050 calories per day. While this is a rough estimate, it will give you a good ballpark. Figures for men and women may differ because men tend to have more muscle which burns calories even at rest. Your next question is likely: How many calories should eat to lose weight? Consider this fact: A pound of fat contains about 3,500 calories so you need to cut 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat. Obviously, this is not an amount you can expect to lose overnight—or even in a week. But the slow and steady calorie deficit that you achieve with diet and exercise can gradually trim away those pounds. Weight control is essentially an energy-management issue that involves a simple law: If you want to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories, burn more calories through exercise, or both. As far as shaving off calories from your daily intake, don't make radical cuts. Try eating 100 or 200 fewer calories a day and see how easy that is to accomplish. Then, consistency is key: If you maintain that lower level of intake or burn a higher level of calories (or both) over, say, two weeks and you'll begin to see a reduction of weight without even thinking about it. Seared Fish Steaks with Tomato-Olive Sauce Firm fish like swordfish and halibut benefit from this easy two-step technique of first searing the steaks on one side and then finishing cooking in the oven, which keeps the fish succulent without using more fat. The spicy tomato sauce sets off the fish steaks beautifully. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon lime juice 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste Freshly ground pepper to taste 4 1-inch thick swordfish (4 ounces each) or halibut steaks (6 ounces each) 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Pinch of crushed red pepper 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles 1/3 cup water 1 tablespoon chopped pitted green olives 2 teaspoon drained capers, rinsed Lime wedges Preparation: 1    Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray. 2    Mix lime juice, 1 teaspoon oil, salt, and pepper in a shallow glass dish. Add the fish steaks and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes. 3    Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. 4    While sauce is simmering, cook the fish. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until nicely seared on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the fish to the baking sheet, seared side up. Bake until the fish is opaque in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. 5    Stir the olives and capers into the tomato sauce. Season with pepper. Top each fish steak with sauce and serve with lime wedges. Per serving (one fish steak and 1/4 cup sauce): 198 cal, 10 g fat (2 g sat), 6 g carbs, 22 g protein, 1 g fiber, 41 mg chol, 551 mg sodium 3 Ways to Cook Smarter Strolling up and down the aisles in the grocery store, you've done your due diligence by scanning labels and avoiding some high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium processed foods. You're taking home a whole cartful of healthy produce and lean protein. Now, here's something that might be a little surprising: You can ruin those nutritious selections by how you cook them. So, instead of sautéing and serving dishes gooped in sauce, try these three cooking options: Poached or braised Sautéed foods have extra fat. Restaurants are often heavy handed with the butter and oil because it makes the food taste better. We're tempted to do that, too. Instead, cook dishes in broth or wine. Steamed What would otherwise be a healthy dish can be loaded with fat. An extra spoonful of oil can add as many as 11 grams of fat. Blackened Also called "Cajun," this style of cooking means the meat has been coated in seasonings and seared in a red-hot cast-iron skillet. It's a great way to get lots of flavor without sauces, oils, or other added calories.   Until next issue, here's to good health! Neil Wertheimer Editor in Chief, Reverse Diabetes	Advertisement Reverse Diabetes Eliminate the root cause of your disease with this simple step-by-step plan. Healthy Heart Miracle Diet Lose weight, look fabulous and live longer– with delicious, filling food! Small eating changes that really work!        -- Healthy Heart Miracle Diet
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