So the weekend has come along and after all it’s been a long week, and you’re looking forward to happy hour and a small break from your diet. But what most people do not realize is that a night on the town and the calories in Alcohol can do some pretty serious damage. Still, going out with your friends and hitting the bars does not have to be a diet downer. With a little planning and foresight you can avoid diet disaster, and below I have listed some low calorie alcoholic drinks you should look at.

Most of us never realize how easy it is to overdo it. It’s pretty obvious to most of us that fast food and desserts are fattening. But when it comes to alcoholic drinks, sometimes the nutrition (or lack thereof) just doesn’t seem to matter. Nevermind that a single cocktail can do more damage than a McDonald’s grilled chicken burger. In fact, 1 gram of alcohol has 7 calories, compared with only 4 for a gram of carbohydrates or protein. Drinks are always typically overlooked as a source of weight gain and as result nobody looks out for low calorie alternatives. This is actually true for all drinks and not just alcohol. Below are some of the good and bad in terms of calories in alcoholic beverages. [Read more...]

Christmas is a well-known holiday for binge eating. It’s hard to stick to your diet when friends and family are gorging themselves around you. However, with some simple rules as outlined in our article below, you can minimize the negative effect of calories at Christmas. You’ll find that it isn’t necessary to say no to all of your favourite Christmas treats.

According to recent studies, women are the more susceptible gender when it comes to gaining weight over the Christmas holidays. An average woman gains approximately 2.3 kg over the holiday season. Although this is not a significant gain in absolute terms, it is enough to make you feel uncomfortable in your tighter fitting clothes, and maybe even enough to warrant searching for larger sizes. It is also quite disturbing that this happens over the relatively short time frame from Christmas through to New Years.

One of the ways in which you start packing on the pounds at Christmas is through buffets. It is almost inevitable that you end up eating more than necessary, and even more than is enjoyable, if you do not have well-defined portions. This is why it is well-advised to drink two or three glasses of water before heading for the buffet. In addition, you can try eating a salad or your choice of low-calorie dish prior to the party. The worst thing you can do is arrive hungry.

Calories Christmas Dinner

This is the one meal of the year where overeating is actively encouraged by society. Keep in mind that your Christmas dinner is a one off occasion, and as such you can allow yourself to eat more high-calorie foods than you are used to. The problem is that Christmas dinner tends to drag on for days! For one thing you’ll find yourself picking at the ingredients the morning of preparation. Then after the festivities are over you’ll be eating the leftovers for quite some time, and this is where the damage is done. Some studies have shown that the average person eats up to four times as much over the holiday season.

So how many calories are there in your average Christmas dinner? Obviously this will vary depending on exact ingredients and portions, but as a rough guide: a serving of roast turkey and stuffing will give you about 400 calories (kcal) on their own, with about 20g of fat. Roast potatoes with a side of gravy and cranberry sauce will provide an additional 200 kcal with 5g of fat. And for those of you who really like to indulge at this time of year, a helping of bread sauce, sausage and bacon will boost your intake by 250 kcal with 20g of fat. If you sum all of the above, and factor in the wine and desert, you’ll see why Santa needs all of seven reindeer to guide his sleigh.

Christmas Cake Calories

Christmas cake is a very popular exception that people will allow themselves, as a reward for their otherwise strict diet during the rest of the year. It’s also one of those foods that people would rather not know about in terms of energy contents – but here it is anyway. Your average Christmas cake (60g) contains 220 calories (kcal) and over 5g of fat. The carb content is very high at 40g – that’s about two thirds of the total mass! And for those of you that thought they would at least be getting a dose of fibre – think again – there is barely over 1g of fibre in this serving size. But once again, don’t let that stop you if you really only have it once a year.

Christmas Cookies Calories

Now this one is a real silent killer. The reason being first of all that they come in deceptively small portions, which can result in you consuming a hefty amount without even realising it. Secondly Christmas cookies are dangerous because they are not confined to the few days between Christmas and New Years, as you’ll find them being sold as early as November. Christmas cookies come in a variety of shapes, sizes and calorific content. The lowest calorie cookie is shortbread at 53 kcal per average serving, and the highest calorie cookie is the M&M cookie at approximately 200 kcal. So if you plan on snacking on these, make sure you read the package first.

Christmas Food Calories

It’s hard to find a Christmas food that isn’t high in calories. The best advice if you’re going to a party and are conscious about your calorie intake, yet don’t want to appear obsessive to your friends, is to fill your plate with a variety of low fat side dishes. Go for the celery and the fruit instead of the potatoes and the stuffing. Another obvious tip is one that you should follow all year round: avoid sauces. It’s very easy to consume just as many calories through sauces as you do through the food itself. Tis the season to mix carbs – a well known recipe for weight gain. So if you do eat the potatoes, go easy on the bread and vice versa.

Calories Christmas Pudding

A celebrated desert, the Christmas pudding will be unavoidable at the table during the holiday season. Contrary to popular belief, traditional Christmas pudding isn’t that high in calories, averaging at under 300 kcal per 100g. to put this in perspective, this is less than most big brand breakfast cereals. The fat content isn’t that high either, at 4%. Carbohydrates account for just over 20% of Christmas pudding and the fibre is low at around 1%. So it turns out this is one Christmas food that you don’t have to feel that guilty about.

The main thing to remember during the Christmas holiday season, as throughout the year, is to approach your food intake with moderation and keep your calories down wherever possible. Keep track of what you’ve consumed and try to satisfy your hunger with lower calorie foods and several glasses of water prior to meals. And if you should stray too far from your goals, you’ve got several months to make good before swimsuit season starts!

Celery is universally acknowledged as a healthy and rather dull tasting vegetable. It is certainly an acquired taste, yet if you can get used to it, celery is a great source of vitamins. Celery nutrition guidelines usually quote approximately 16 celery calories per 100g, with trace amounts of saturated fat and high levels of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Some studies have claimed that celery nutrition benefits are outweighed by the relatively high levels of sodium, usually quoted at 80mg per 100g. However, the current consensus is that these levels of sodium are not harmful, unless consumed in excessive quantities. Furthermore, the sodium gained through consuming celery is organic and easily digestable. One aspect of celery that you should be aware of, is that a significant portion of its calories originate from sugars.

One popular way to consume celery is in liquid form. The health benefits of celery juice are largely due to the fact that the body is able to absorb the liquid rapidly. However, it should be noted that plain water is absorbed at a higher rate. Celery juice nutrition facts also include the observation that the liquid is quite effective at neutralizing overly acidic stomach linings and intestinal tracts, due to its highly alkaline PH values. Celery juice has also been linked to reducing bad cholesterol levels in the body, as well as to overall improvements in digestion and blood pressure.

If you do not enjoy the taste of the raw vegetable, one way to introduce celery into your diet is through seasoning your regular meals with celery seeds. Celery seed nutrition data shows that it is highly beneficial to the circulatory and digestive systems. Celery seeds act as anti-oxidants, which aid in preventing inflammation. There have even been studies that have concluded that celery seeds can help to prevent carcinogenic growth under certain conditions.

One of the problems associated with eating dried fruits, such as prunes and raisins, is that one underestimates the total amount of calories consumed. For instance, the calories in prunes are more than expected, as one is consuming the same amount of food as if eating the untreated fruit. However, as the dried version has been drained of water, it is therefore smaller and does not seem as high in calories. This is a misconception, as the amount of calories in, for example, raisins is the same as in grapes. Yet one would never consume the same amount of grapes as raisins, due to their larger size.

It is this ‘density’ in calories that tricks the stomach into not feeling full, despite actually having consumed a significant amount of nutrition. It is this same phenomenon that renders prunes and raisins dangerous foods to snack on. It is quite easy to consume an entire packet of raisins and not feel satiated.

The calories in dried prunes vary according to type. However, a commonly accepted value is approximately 240 kcal per 100g. The standard serving quantity is taken to be around 50g, which corresponds to about six prunes of average weight. One aspect of prunes nutrition that is often omitted in dietary guides is the fact that they act as a reasonably powerful laxative. Therefore, it is quite possible that the calories gained through the prunes themselves, are compensated by the effective increase in metabolic rate.

If this laxative effect is the only effect desired, then one popular way of reducing the amount of calories is to consume only prune juice. This is achieved by soaking prunes in water for a few hours in order to drain the fruit of its juice. This will achieve a good result, whilst cutting out the calories contained in the meat of the prunes.

Experts on nutrition recommend not consuming more than three or four prunes on any given day. More important than quantity, is the regularity with which one eats them. This will optimise their positive dietary attributes, whilst minimizing any discomfort caused by over consumption.

A lot of people are concerned about the amount of calories in fast food. This is because they can’t help enjoying meals with high saturated fats, yet feel guilty due to the amount of bad press received by these types of restaurants. It is true that shops like McDonalds, Burger King and KFC produce food that is particularly unhealthy when eaten in large quantities. The oil used to fry the food is partially responsible for how many calories in a McDonalds cheeseburger are shown on the packages. The high calories are also largely due to the amount of trans fat contained in the cooking oil used to deep fry the meat and chips. Trans fat is especially unhealthy, as it both increases the bad cholesterol levels, and decreases the good cholesterol levels. This creates a double-barrelled injection of harmful ingredients.

If you are wondering how many calories in a McDonalds cheeseburger there are, the accepted value is approximately 295kcal per serving. This may not sound like much, yet if one considers the weight of this relatively light burger – which is conveniently not indicated on the package – then this is quite a high calorie dish. In addition, one cheeseburger contains 12g of fat, 31g of carbohydrates and 1.5g of salt, and is definitely one of the foods high in cholesterol. It should be noted that the latter is 30% of the daily-recommended salt dose. If fact, some nutrition experts claim that this exceptionally high salt content is one of the unhealthiest aspects of this type of junk food.

As with any diet, it is important to make decisions about which foods to consume, based on a daily allowance. Therefore, the calories in a McDonalds cheeseburger may seem high relative to other foods, yet when consumed in the context of an otherwise balanced diet it can be acceptable. However, keep in mind that some of the chemical ingredients used in the production of junk foods render the substances physically addictive. This means that it may be quite difficult to control hunger once the body is used to receiving this type of nutrition.

See the table below for the calories in Lobster and related nutritional information such as fat, protein and carbohydrates. The figures are for a serving size of 100g of cooked Lobster meat. The good news: Lobster is very low in Saturated Fat and is a good source of Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc and protein. The bad news: It is very high in cholesterol and high in sodium.

In normal day to day functions, iron is used by our bodies to produce red blood cells. An iron deficiency can hamper weight loss, and have you feeling lazy and tired all day. Here is a list of iron rich foods to supplement your iron intake, from plant and animal sources.

Food Item	Iron Content (mg)	RDA%*	Calories
Thyme ground	124	688*	276
Curry Powder	58	321*	233
Oat & Wheat Bran	45	250*	330
Apricots	3.5	19	160
Boiled Lentils	3.5	19	100
Hazelnuts	3.2	19	650
Almonds	3	17	600
Cinnamon ground	38	210*	n/a
Garam Masala	33	183*	380
Rosemary	30	167*	330
Paprika	24	133*	290
Sesame Seeds	10	55	11
Wheatgerm	8.5	49	300
Liquorice	8	44	310
Cashew Nuts	6.2	34	610
Blackcurrants canned	5	28	45
Figs dried	4.2	23	205
Soya Beans	3	17	140
Wholemeal Bread	2.7	15	215
Red Kidney Beans	2.5	14	100
Watercress	2.2	14	23

If you prefer your iron from protein sources:

Food Item	Iron Content (mg)	RDA%	Calories
Anchovies canned	4	22	310
Boiled Mussels	7	39	90
Fish Paste	9	50	170
Goose	5	28	320
Heart	7.7	43	180
Kidney	8	44	170
Lean Beef	2.5	16	240
Liver	9	50	190
Liver Pate	7	39	190
Liver Sausage	6.4	36	312
Pheasant	5	28	220
Pilchards canned	2.7	16	130
Sardines canned	4.5	27	180
Shrimp	5	28	95
Venizon	7.8	43	200
Whitebait	4	22	310