3M N95 Mask – Swine Flu Protection

As a health fanatic, it is important to be aware of the H1N1 virus and the dangers it can carry.  Using the proper types of antioxidants and masks can help stop the spread of swine flu, and, keep you and your family healthy long term.  The following article will explain N95 masks and their role in slowing the spread of the H1N1 Swine Flu Virus.

How serious is the risk of the H1N1 swine flu? The H1N1 Virus, also known as “Swine Flu,” has already claimed the lives of some United States citizens.  Many in Mexico have been killed by the swine flu virus, as well, and the infection rates continue rise up each and every day.  How can you protect yourself from the H1N1 virus this cold season?  Many believe that an N95 mask can offer a viable shield.

There are many types of masks available that do not protect against the H1N1 flu.  Some surgical, isolation, and dental masks offer no protection from the swine flu pandemic.  In August of 2009, the CDC in collaboration with the WHO released a statement that suggested the N95 mask could be used as valid protection against the H1N1 Swine Flu Virus.

A 3M N95 mask is technically an n95 particulate respirator mask.  The N95 respirator mask is designed to provide protection from body fluid and blood penetration.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health agrees with the above statement, as they also believe that the N95 masks works effectively against Swine Flu.  The N95 mask, when properly used, can filter germs from the breath and put a halt to the spread of the H1N1 virus.

According to information released by UCLA, N95 is made by various manufacturers under different names (the 3M N95 being one of many).  The “N95″ is a simple government efficiency rating indicating that the mask blocks just about 95% of all particles that are at least .3 microns in size.

When using a 3M N95 Respirator Mask, or any N95 masks, certain guidelines should be followed.  First off, the mask should be removed and discarded immediately if it becomes physically damaged.  Second, masks should be disposed of as “bio hazard” waste and the user should always wash their hands immediately upon disposal.  Masks are only effective if they fit properly and are worn according to instructions.  While wearing an N95 respirator mask, be sure to avoid touching the eyes and nose, also, as these can be quick routes to infection.  In addition to 3M N95 masks, try an antioxidant to help prevent infections.

Liquid Vitamins and Minerals

The transformation of pill form vitamins to liquid vitamins and minerals is begging to take place.  The future of the health and supplement industry now seems as though it will be encompassed by more liquid, chewable, and powder vitamins.  Water soluble nutrient delivery technology makes it possible to absorb liquid vitamins and minerals at the highest concentration and potency.  It is quite important to realize that we should take liquid vitamin supplements versus standard pill form vitamins whenever possible, as they are much more beneficial to our bodies in the long run.

Vitamin intake is a major concern in the United States these days.  It is very difficult to take in the proper amount of vitamin b, c, and vitamin d through diet alone.  Supplementation is very important, and utilizing a liquid vitamin c, or liquid vitamin b can be much more beneficial that taking a tablet or chewable wafer.  Taking vitamins in liquid form – even a liquid multi vitamin – can yield great health benefits.

Everyone understands the importance of supplementing with vitamins and minerals, but, nobody wants to fight through swallowing ten horse-size pills just to get the proper daily intake.  In today’s culture, we tend to seek a single, quick alternative that makes supplementation easy and seamless.  Liquid vitamins seem to be the answer. 

Most experts believe that liquid vitamin mineral combinations absorb into the system much faster and more completely than pill alternatives.  Liquid multi vitamins, for example, tend to be accepted by the body at a much higher rate when compared to standard capsules.  Most vitamins in pill form carry no fats, carbohydrates or proteins, and thus, are not broken down in the stomach with enough bile for proper absorption.  Liquid multivitamins that are angstrom sized (see below) and ion charged are over 90% bio-available.  Most of these products are also natural and contain no artificial dyes or chemicals. 

As mentioned above, most liquid vitamins are angstrom sized, which allows the minerals to penetrate into the bloodstream almost immediately.  The exceptionally small particles are directly absorbed into our cells, and, they generally bypass digestion for a much greater rate of absorption.  Typically, liquid vitamins are bonded with pure water, and thus, the minerals are 100% water soluble.  This process is similar to what a plant would do during photosynthesis; breaking down nutrients into a form that can be used immediately without the necessity of digestion.  Replenishing the body’s vitamins and minerals this way is essential for good health.  The thin barriers maintained within our cells are only large enough to allow very small items to pass, and so, it is the reason that vitamin and mineral particle sizes are so small within a liquid multivitamin.

In the end, liquid vitamins b, liquid vitamin c, liquid vitamin d, and even liquid multivitamins are essential for proper vitamin supplementation.  Liquid vitamins allow for quick and proper absorption into the bloodstream, and offer the most effective way to get essential nutrients and vitamins into the body for processing.  Try liquid vitamins today – I can bet that you will notice a difference in vitality and energy right off the bat.

CoQ10 Benefits – Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an oil soluble vitamin like substance.  It is present primarily in the mitochondria and it is a component of the electron transport train.  CoQ10 participates in aerobic cellular respiration, generating a vast amount of energy from ATP; to put this in perspective, about 95% percent of a typical human’s body energy is generated this way.  First discovered in 1957 by Andrew L. Cane of the University of Wisconsin, coq10’s chemical structures were not reported on until 1958 by Dr. Karl Folkers of Merck.

Coenzyme Q-10 benefits are many times to the immune system.  CoQ10 has the ability to transfer electrons, and thus, it can act as an antioxidant within the body.  With that said, coq10 has been used widely as a nutritional supplement for many years.  Coenzyme Q 10, according to the mayo clinic, has been used and studied for many conditions over the years – though it remains controversial in many areas.  More clinical experimentation and evaluation is needed to determine just how good coq 10 truly is for healthy people.

With that said, coenzyme q 10 has proven beneficial to many people for various reasons.  CoQ10 seems to influence cellular power stations that are necessary to maintain healthy cells.  Thus, enzyme q 10 supplementation can potentially enhance energy at the cellular level.  Apart from its ability to generate energy, enzyme q10 stabilizes cell membranes, and, destroys free radicals in the body – acting as a type of antioxidant.  Building on this, coq 10 has been seen by many as an immune system booster, and it has been reported that it could potentially contain properties that prevent cancer cell formation.

CoQ 10 occurs naturally in many forms.  It is prevalent in our diet and the foods that we eat on a normal basis.  Mackerel, sardines, tuna, and salmon are all particularly high in coenzyme q10 concentration.  Other meats and oils also contain a pretty decent amount of coq 10.  Many nutritionists believe that people low in vitamins B, C, and E might not be able to produce as much coq 10.  Also, it should be noted that the amount of coenzyme q10 that we receive from our diet alone is not enough to treat certain cancers.  Thus, coenzyme q 10 is sometimes taken in supplement form to maximize it’s body exposure.

When taking a coenzyme q10 supplement, it is important to remember that dosage requirements will vary greatly based on your needs.  CoQ10 may be taken in pill form, as coq10 softgels, or as an injection.  Therapeutic doses for cancer range from 200mg – 600mg daily.  As a general nutritional supplement, dose amounts vary from 5mg – 500mg per day.  Those using the enzyme q10 supplement for periodontal health should probably take somewhere around 100mg, or 150mg each day.

As with any dietary supplement, it is important to take precautions when using enzyme q 10.  Firstly, make sure that you are not allergic to the coq10 supplement, as this may cause skin hives, rashes, etc.   Though no other serious coq 10 side effects have been reported, some who have supplemented with coenzyme q 10 have reported mild insomnia and upper abdominal pains, etc.  Make sure that coenzyme q10 is for you before starting a regimen.  Coq 10 supplements, when taken as directed, can be very beneficial to anyone who utilizes their cellular properties.  CoQ10 benefits are vast in comparison to many other supplements.

Safe Diet Pills

While Diet Pills have shown effectiveness over the years with regards to energy and weight loss, many would argue that the positive results do come with a price.  Several diet pill ingredients can cause mild side effects, even when taken in moderate doses.  In the following, we will review several of the ingredients in diet pill formulas, and, the safety/health risks that they pose.  The specific ingredients that we will look at are: Caffeine, Gymnema sylvestre, Rrhodiola rosea, Withania somnifera, and Garcinia cambogia. We will also take a look at some of the best diet pills on the market, and, give opinions on which are the most safe and effective when used correctly.

Diet Pill Ingredient Safety

Some diet pills contain large amounts of caffeine, present both in Green Tea Extract and Guranna.  While numerous studies have been conducted regarding the relative safety of caffeine, many believe that when taken in high dosage, such as in Hydroxycut, caffeine can have dire effects.  In a 2008 study, conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, it is made quite evident that high daily dosages of caffeine during pregnancy caused an increased risk of miscarriages.  The study controlled the pregnancy related symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and caffeine aversion; symptoms that tended to interfere with caffeine’s true effect on potential miscarriages.

The Kaiser Permanente study, which looked at 1,063 women in the California area, focused on individuals who did not decrease their caffeine consumption amounts even when they knew that they were pregnant.  Women who consumed 200mg or more of caffeine per day had twice the miscarriage risk of women who did not.  Most agree that one dosage of a typical weight loss pill contains about (2) cups of coffee with regards to caffeine amount (about 200mg).  Multiply this by 3 dosages per day, and, you can see why the product could be viewed as unsafe.

Caffeine’s side effects can deteriorate more than just an individual’s physical condition.  In a recent study, researchers found that people who consume caffeine in high amounts in some instances begin developing what they call a “Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde side effect”.  This simply means that when the caffeine in your system initially kicks in, you feel good – alive, alert, and ready to take on the world.  Once the caffeine subsides, though, many individuals begin to feel tried, irritable, and even depressed.  This phenomenon occurs due to the strong stimulant properties brought on by caffeine.  The stimulant wakens the mind, ultimately causing the brain to work faster and more efficiently so that it may finish all assigned tasks.  However, just like other stimulants, the burst doesn’t last forever – the high crashes fast, causing your brain to slow processes and interpret the feeling as tiredness and anxiety.

While many have viewed caffeine as a “stress reliever” in the past, the opposite is in fact true.  As stated above, caffeine can certainly induce stress and anxiety.  A new study at the Duke University Medical Center found that caffeine actually exaggerates stress.  The researchers concluded that the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee in a 24 hour period raised blood pressure for several hours.  With that said, if you take Hydroxycut, even as directed, you are consuming about 150% of the amount of caffeine needed to cause high blood pressure.  Pd.D. James D. Layne said of the study:

“The level of blood pressure change we saw has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease.  People consuming typical amounts of coffee and caffeinated soft drinks are probably raising their blood pressure by an amount equal to the beneficial reduction seen with antihypertensive drugs. So if you are taking blood pressure medication, it may not be doing you any good if you are drinking three or four cups of coffee a day.”

The Duke University study was carried out by recruiting 47 daily coffee drinkers for a 2 day period.  Half of the recruits were given placebo pills in the morning, while the other half were given caffeine pills. When caffeine and placebo users were compared, the researchers found blood pressure to be consistently higher in the caffeine users – an average of 4 millimeters (mm) higher for systolic pressure and 3 mm for diastolic.

Gymnema sylvestre, another ingredient in many weight loss pills, also seems to lead to increased blood pressure.  While short term side effects are subtle and sometimes nonexistent, one study conducted in 2001 shows that long term use of this substance, even in small amounts, gradually raises systolic blood pressure.  Gymnema sylvestre can also be very bad for diabetics, or worse, individuals who do not know that they have diabetic tendencies.  A 1998 study showed that this substance, with moderate use, can rapidly reduce blood sugar levels – which of course, is not a desirable for diabetic individuals.

Rrhodiola rosea, another prominent ingredient in some of the best diet pills, has been studied with regards to its effects as a stimulant.  A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, revealed that higher doses of this herb caused side effects which included a “jittery” feeling.  As with most stimulants, increases heart rate can be expected.  However, one of the more shocking revelations laid out in the study, indicated that the use of this herb could also increase heart palpitations.

The side effects of other substances in several of the best diet pills, though not as severe as many of the aforementioned, are still undesirable and can cause some minor health risks.  Withania somnifera, also known as Indian Ginseng, seems to cause slight nausea and impaired vision on many individuals when used in normal dosages.  Another culprit, Garcinia cambogia, seems to cause negative side effects for the babies of breast feeding mothers.  Further, large dosages of this herb over a prolonged period of time have been seen to cause diarrhea, laxative effects, and vomiting.

The Best Diet Pills

So which diet pills are the best?  Which ones should we use if we want to lose weight safely?  Not all diet pills are bad, and, many of the best diet pills on the market pose very little health risk when taken as recommended.   For the most part, diet pills with lower amounts of caffeine are probably the best for you health wise.  Try to stay away from pills that are not only high in caffeine, but also taurine and synephrine, as these can act similarly to amphetamines; typically causing increased heart rate, anxiety, and an overall jittery feeling.  Green Tea extract, though mentioned above is truly one of the best and safest supplements to use for dieting.  Other diet pills brands such as Hot-Rox Extreme offer a combination of effective and mostly safe ingredients.  FBlock, a fat blocking diet, pill is among the safest, as it simply blocks fat – rather than increasing metabolic rate or lowering appetite.  Finally, Twinlab’s Diet Fuel as long been touted as a safe and effective diet companion.  Others to consider might be AM/PM Weightloss formulas and Tru Hoodia Diet programs.  Good luck with you dieting!  With a little research and safety in mind, the use of diet pills can remain healthy and rewarding.

Whey Protein Powder Recipes – Protein Shakes

By using naturally flavored shakes supplemented with dietary protein, you will be able to cut down on your overall calorie consumption without sacrificing nutrient intake.  Protein is essentially to health muscle development, and you can almost never have enough of it.  With a quality whey protein powder and some fresh ingredients, you can create a wonderful shake that is not only good for you, but pleasing to the taste buds.  Below, you will find some tips on making protein shakes, and, quite a couple of my personal favorite recipes.

Mixing: When you are mixing specialized dietary whey protein isolates, add the protein isolates to the shake as the last ingredient to make sure to avoid harming the delicate protein bonds. Blend for only a few seconds on low speed, or just long enough to mix them in. Doing so will ensure that the high-quality dietary protein reaches your body undamaged by the heat created from the blending process.  Damaged protein is not nearly as beneficial to the body.

Nutrition Content: The macronutrient values listed with each shake give the approximate value of each nutrient. These recipes are not intended to be followed to the letter, as amounts will vary naturally. Use your own discretion when making these shakes, based on your past experiences individual dietary protein needs.

Chew: Though it may already be a liquid, always chew your shake for a few moments before swallowing. Doing so ensures maximum digestion, since digestion starts in the mouth through saliva. Food can’t help us lose fat if it isn’t digested and absorbed effectively.

Fruit: Using frozen fruit and ice cubes in your protein shakes gives them a smoothie quality.  Add as many varieties as you wish, and be sure to experiment with different flavors!  Fruit is good for you, and ice has no calorie content.  Avoid adding sugars or syrups, as they can have high caloric counts.  If you want more flavor, try using strawberry or chocolate whey protein powder over plain old vanilla.

Finally, here are two of my favorite protein shake recipes. All of them are under 500 calories, and therefore can be readily burned by your body without surplus calories heading to your fat cells. They are also balanced to contain all three of the macronutrients for maximum “fullness” potential. These liquid meals will supply your body with the high-octane fuel it needs to build muscle and burn fat all day long.  When beginning a regimen, it is important to supplement with protein daily, even on non-workout days.

All of the protein powder recipes below include the following base ingredients, 1 ounce unflavored or natural vanilla-flavored protein isolate powder, 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup water or two ice cubes.  Note that “EFA” stands for essential fatty acids when reading the recipes below.

Shake #1: (Add to Base) 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup blueberry low-fat yogurt, and 1/2 cup water. Calories: 445, Protein: 30g, Carbohydrates: 43g, EFAs: 14g.

Shake #2: (Add to Base) 1/2 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, and 1/2 cup water.  Calories: 450, Protein: 30g, Carbohydrates: 25g, EFAs: 14g.

Lose Weight Naturally – 4 Steps

Using an elliptical everyday and eating fewer calories is great, but how can you really lose weight quickly, and naturally?  Getting on a crash diet (only eating fruits, vegetables, no carbs, etc) is not the answer.  Restricting what you eat is not the right way to handle things either.  When it comes to trimming fat, and keeping it off, eating whatever you want is truly possible; as long as you exercise, drink lots of water, and understand the dynamics of calorie intake for weight maintenance.  I have broken this article down so that you can simple follow these 4 steps to lose weight.

1.)    For starters, you’ll need to find out what your “maintain weight” calorie intake is, then consume 500 calories less than this on a daily basis.  For years, it has been believed that taking in 2,000 calories a day was the standard for healthy a American.  This is not the case!  Based on your age, level of activity, and weight, taking in 2,000 calories a day may be too little or even a little too much to maintain your current weight.  You can easily find caloric intake calculators on the Internet that will ask you questions about your weight, activity level, etc.  Once you input this information, these calculators will compute a “maintain weight” calorie count; the amount of calories that you need to take in on a daily basis just to maintain your current weight.  For example, my “maintain weight” number based on my stats is about 3,200 calories – meaning than if I take in less than 3,200 calories on any given day, I will be burning more calories than “just enough” to maintain my current weight (and thus burning enough calories to lose weight).  Anything under 3,200, for me, is the correct calorie intake to lose weight.  Do a quick search and find out what your maintain weight calorie number is.  The number is likely between 2,000 and 4,000 calories, but it can be more or less.  Also, note that this number will lessen as you begin to drop pounds.  It is best to check back up every two weeks or so.

2.)    Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3-4 times weekly.  I know you’re busy…  but so am I.  The fact is, we’re all busy.  But, we all have those lax periods each week, each day, and even in the lazy evenings when we spend our time doing nothing of substance (this includes watching TV, using Facebook, etc).  Thirty minutes is not a long time, and 3-4 times weekly doesn’t even cover an entire workweek of days!  Get out and get exercising.  If you haven’t been active for a while, start out just walking and slowly build your way up to the exercise bike, elliptical or stepper machine, and eventually full on running.  Even if you never reach the point where you’re running on a treadmill or jogging outside, the elliptical is great for burning calories and increasing energy.  Exercising 3 or 4 times per week increases your metabolism, temporarily decreases your appetite, and releases “feel good” chemicals in your brain that will help keep you motivated.

3.)    Drink water!  Take your weight, and divide it by two.  Then, drink that number, in ounces of water, every day.  For example:

I weight 190 lbs.  My water equation would be… 190/2 = 95.  Thus, 95 ounces daily is the amount of water that I should be taking in if I want to stay healthy and lose weight.  Drinking bottles of water is probably your best bet as measuring in bottles makes things easier.  My 90 ounce water requirement, divided by 16 ounces (standard size of a bottle of water,) equals about 6 or so bottles daily.  Drinking out of bottle, purchased or filled, helps you in keeping track of your water intake.

4.)    When it comes to eating, make healthy choices.  As I mentioned before, eating what you want is not a problem, so long as you aren’t eating too much.  Breaking your meals down into 3 or 4, 400-500 calorie portions is a great option.  I would also include a couple of snacks each day, ranging from 100-200 calories each.  Try not to intake calories from liquids, either (stick with water, sugarless drinks).  Remember, everything is based on your “maintain weight” calorie number, and you’ll want to take in 500 calories per day less than this.  You can still eat the things that you like, but you really have to be calorie conscious.  Just because it’s healthy, good for your heart, organic, or anything else in the book, does not mean that it’s low in calories.  Juices may be “good for you,” but they’re packed with sugars and calories.  Making good choices can also mean choosing something grilled over something fried, not using sugar and or in your coffee, and even eating a bagel with cream cheese instead of butter (better yet, try eating in dry, as you’ll be just as full and you’ll feel a lot better about it in the end).

Weight loss is very black and white, even if it is a mental process.  You should take in fewer calories, and burn more calories – that’s really it.  If you take in less calories and burn more calories than your current lifestyle dictates, it is impossible not to lost weight.  Weight loss is a slow and steady process, but with exercise, water, and making the right choices, you will have no problem reaching your goals.  Making good decisions, becoming active, and eating healthier will make you feel better all around, even before the pounds start falling off.

Tips For Safely Improving Your Aerobic Capacity

Aerobic capacity, or VO2, is defined as the highest amount of oxygen that is consumed in one minute of aerobic exercise.

It’s often considered the standard test for determining aerobic conditioning.

The higher your aerobic capacity, the more the aerobic system will contribute to energy production. This means your endurance will improve no matter how high the intensity of your exercise.

Determining Your Maximum Aerobic Capacity

In order to improve aerobic capacity, you need to train at around 95% of your maximum aerobic capacity. To find out what your maximum aerobic capacity is, you need to perform a time trial.

Normally, this will take between six and eight minutes and you should be well rested beforehand. You’ll need to monitor your speed and heart rate. During this test, you will need to perform at the highest intensity you can for six minutes. Your speed and heart rate at this maximum, six-minute intensity will give you your maximum aerobic capacity.

Putting Your Maximum Aerobic Capacity to Use

In order to increase your maximum aerobic capacity, you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time performing at your maximum oxygen consumption. More than likely, you will need to raise your intensity and duration.

However, even when you are performing at a high intensity, it only takes about one minute and forty seconds to raise your oxygen consumption needed to increase aerobic capacity.

Two Ways to Maintain Maximum Oxygen Consumption

There are two ways that you can maintain your maximum oxygen consumption for an extended time. One is repeat training, and the other interval training. Repeat training has long repetitions, and a full recovery between sets.

Since you need about two minutes to elevate your oxygen consumption, your repeats must be quite a bit longer than two minutes. Interval training requires shorter repetitions at the same high intensity, but with shorter recovery times.

By reducing these recovery times, the maximum oxygen consumption will occur much faster during each repetition. This allows you to keep your oxygen consumption elevated for a much larger percentage of the set.

Performing at a Higher Intensity for Shorter Intervals

You should not perform at a higher intensity for shorter intervals. This will not help your aerobic capacity, but will actually increase your recovery time. The normal aerobic capacity set should be five sets at three minutes each. You should have a three minute recovery. This is a very difficult workout and you will need to build up to it.

Where to Begin

You should begin your aerobic capacity training slowly. It will actually be a very noticeable increase in intensity for most people. Consider shorter rest intervals, with a total “on” time of about eight to twelve minutes.

You should build your volume up slowly, but consistently. As you progress, you need to shift your sets to those with longer repetitions. Make sure you monitor how your body recovers very carefully. It can really vary between individuals. Even those athletes who are used to a high volume training program can break down very easily with aerobic capacity.

Syndicated via RSS From: http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com

What Can Choline Do?

Choline is actually classified as a B Vitamin. Much like tyrosine, dietary choline is an effective neurotransmitter precursor. However choline is responsible for the production of another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is released in the brain and at the neuromuscular junction and is responsible for many physiologically important events.

In trained endurance athletes, plasma choline concentrations can be reduced by up to 40% during training or competition. These reductions in blood choline could lead to a reduction in acetylcholine synthesis (as indicated above) and therefore focus, memory, and performance. Choline supplementation can replenish these reduced blood choline concentrations.

Due to its effects on brain acetylcholine levels, choline supplementation can enhance memory capacity in healthy humans and rats. Furthermore, choline, in conjunction with supplements that prolong the effects of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, may improve neuromuscular transmission. Since dietary lecithin can increase plasma choline concentrations and is better tolerated than choline, it is best to supplement with lecithin rather than choline itself. A great option is Twinlab Choline Cocktail.

5 Easy Ways To Walk Yourself Thinner

Don’t take the elevator, take the stairs! Opting for the stairs over the elevator will burn calories you wouldn’t have burned before. Taking just one flight of stairs will burn 20 calories. Just think if you climb 5 flights you would work off the oatmeal you had for breakfast!

Syndicated via RSS From: http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com

9 Tips for Losing Weight

How can I lose weight?  Many people ask themselves each day – what is the fast way to lose weight?  The best diet to lose weight, believe it or not, is a healthy diet.  Fast weight loss can be achieved without diet pills, and if you want to know how to lose weight fast, these simple tips can help you.  Diets for weight loss don’t have to be “diets” in the conventional sense…

Tips for losing weight:

1. Eat as much organic food as possible – this removes additives and artificial ingredients that mess with your metabolism.
2. Eat breakfast – not just any old breakfast, but healthy fats and protein.  Limit the refined sugars.  Protein Powder is a great alternative to sugary items.
3. Eat high fiber foods – this will fill you up fast, and keep you full longer.
4. Drink water – half your body weight daily in ounces.
5. Portion sizes – pay attention!  Make sure you’re not eating 2 or 3 servings.
6. Eat a lot – between 5 and 6 small to medium sized meals per day.
7. Don’t eat after 8 PM – Well, you pick the hour, but just don’t eat too late!  We don’t want to store calories late at night.
8. Avoid Soft Drinks – they contain tons of calories and sugars that impact hormones.  You’ll never feel full on soft drinks!
9. Keep junk foods as far away as possible – don’t keep them in your house, car, or even the office.

It all boils down to taking personal responsibility for your health.  Your habits, the way you were raised, and your metabolism are not excuses.