Who is better at dieting men or women The answer may surprise you

Men are better at dieting than women, a study has revealed.

Researchers have found the age-old stereotype of women being the ones to leap on the latest diet bandwagon and watch their figure is dead and buried.

The role reversal emerged following a study carried out among 1,850 adults which showed men lose weight faster and find it easier to keep off.

It also emerged men seem to have more willpower than women when it comes to fighting the battle of the bulge.

A large percentage of men even went as far as to declare that dieting is ‘easy’.

The extent to which men are breaking down barriers of the once female dominated world of dieting was revealed after researchers asked respondents a host of questions about their last or current health-kick.

Experts grilled the panel on the frequency and length of their diets, their chosen method of weight-loss and the end result.

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The stats showed men are better at losing weight over both long and short timescales.

And it also revealed if men do start putting a few pounds back on after reaching their target weight, they do so more slowly.

Combining exercise with a healthy diet was by far and away the favourite diet method of men (28 per cent) while the second most popular choice was walking more (23 per cent). Cutting out fat was third (20 per cent).

However men and women were both as reluctant to give up booze in a bid to lose weight with a mere 13 per cent prepared to give up alcohol.

And more women than men are eating their five a day in a bid to beat the bulge - 15 per cent compared to 9 per cent.

A spokesman for Marks and Spencer, which carried out the research in conjunction with the launch of their New Year diet ranges, said: “We know that January is the month most people start their new year’s resolution to lose some weight.

“In some cases those New Year resolutions start to wane and fall by the wayside after a few weeks as people begin to crave their favourite treats - takeaways, burgers and chocolate desserts, but we’ve come up with a solution to overcome that.

“Historically it has been women who have been the most vocal in their bid to lose weight, with the M&S Count on Us range proving popular, however in recent years, we have seen a shift in consumer habits, with more men expressing their desire to shift the pounds, and keep them off, through healthier eating.

“Our Balanced For You range has been created with men and women’s cravings in mind. Featuring all the delicious ‘dude food’ favourites such as burgers and pizza, that people crave on a diet but with the right balance of carbs and protein so they can eat their favourite foods and still lose weight.”

But the survey revealed that a plus point for women was that they tend to set more realistic weight-loss targets but they did admit they often lack the willpower to stick to their planned diet schedule.

Women were also more likely to combine exercise with a healthy diet than men, with almost four in ten revealing this as their chosen weight-loss method.

It also emerged a larger percentage of women than men were happy to ditch carbohydrates in a bid to shed the pounds.

Slightly more women than men said they made an effort to walk more regularly whilst dieting.

The study also looked at how the different sexes judge their weight-loss.

While women can frequently be found reaching for dresses which they have previously struggled to get in to, men will be stepping onto the bathroom scales.

Around one in three of the men who took part said they were happy to diet, but didn’t go as far as to measure their weight-loss, preferring instead to gauge their success by notches on their belts.

Another interesting detail to emerge was the fact that the average man and women who want to keep trim, diet on average ONCE a year.

And the figures also revealed women are more likely than men to start a diet in January after over-doing it during the festive period.

The spokesman added: ‘We were surprised to see that men were becoming just as vocal as women in the fight against fat. However it shows that there is a demand for diet food that suits male tastes, as well as the more traditional low calorie options.’

By Adam Gillham

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/who-better-dieting---men-4910964

Take A Fresh Look At Peas And Carrots Young English Peas Make All The Difference!

Fresh English peas and tender young carrots on quinoa.

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Its Time For English Peas
Fresh English peas are starting to appear in the markets here in Northern California. And if you planted your garden early enough, there may be some in your backyard. 

While shucking peas, I always ask myself if its worth the trouble or if I should bother my blog followers with such a time consuming task. But then I see that small but beautiful pile of bright green peas and I immediately have the answer.

Perfection inside a pea pod.

Peas and Carrots
I was looking for something to cook for dinner last night. All I had in the house was a pound of fresh English peas and some carrots. I thought to myself, hmmmm, peas and carrots. How simple, how cliché. But sometimes the simplest dishes can surprise and delight us. 

When you think of peas and carrots, a frozen box of vegetables comes to mind - not a pretty picture. But when you shuck a pound of fresh English peas and chop tender young carrots into pea-size pieces, it is a beautiful thing to behold!

Shucked English peas and small diced carrots.

So here is a very simple dish of fresh peas, chopped carrots and some seasoning and a squeeze of lemon that when put on a bed of fluffy cooked quinoa, will make a surprisingly tasty meal rich in protein and dietary fiber.

                       *                      *                       *

Fresh Peas and Carrots with Quinoa
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 vegan bouillon cube*
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup small diced onions
1 pound fresh English peas (about 1 to 1 1/3 cups)
1 full cup small diced carrots
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* I use 1 serving (half a large cube) of Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with sea salt and herbs

Prepare the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse in cold water for several minutes. Place in a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until all of the water is fully absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered.

Meanwhile, prepare the peas and carrots.
Make broth in a small cup by dissolving the bouillon cube in the boiling water. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan that has a lid. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the peas, carrots, parsley and the broth. Bring to a boil. Lower  to a low boil, cover, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 or 6 minutes.

Cook fresh peas, carrots, onions and seasoning
in a small amount of broth

When tender, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the peas and carrots. Season with salt if needed (remember, the bouillon cube already has some salt) and freshly ground black pepper.

Fluff up the quinoa. Serve the peas and carrots over the quinoa.

Per serving: 162 calories, 4.5 g total fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 114 mg omega-3 and 1,126 mg omega-6, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 187 mg sodium (from bouillon cube only, no added salt). 

Lose Weight At Night with Snack

We can put to bed the old notion that its bad for you to eat before you go to sleep.

In fact, many experts now say, a late night snack could help you sleep better and actually lose weight.

We can snack at night? What do you eat?

"Chocolate is a definite," one person said.

"Im weaning myself off ice cream every night," another person said.

"Normally I get nightmares if I eat at night," a man said.

So minus the nightmares guy, a lot of us are snacking, and now doctors are learning night munchies are fine and can be great for us.

"Having a healthy snack at bedtime can improve sleep and improve metabolism," said Dr. Jeffrey Morrison, of The Morrison Center.

Wait, snack at night to sleep more and weigh less?

Dr. Jeffrey Morrison knows how the chemistry of food can help or hurt us.

He snacks at night and is very lean. He clarifies a snack like a cup of blueberries with skim or almond milk is an example of what hes talking about.

"Its a great natural sleep aid better than drugs and can help you lose weight too," Dr. Morrison said.

Small protein shakes are good, unsweetened brown rice cereal is great, also with skim or almond milk, or something called chia seeds, similar to flax seeds.

Also he says low cal high protein night snacks are perfect for people who get up in the morning to exercise and even better for metabolism.