Lunch-Packing Weight-Loss Tips

FitSugar|Jenny-Sugar

You're feeling pretty proud of yourself, strolling into work, carrying your new Bistro Bento with a lunch you packed from home - take that, crazy calorie counts at cafes! But wait - your lunchbox is filled with an 800-calorie serving of homemade mac and cheese. Yikes! While bringing lunch from home can be healthier than heading out at noon, it doesn't mean it's automatically the magic key to dropping pounds. Follow these three tips when packing lunch to ensure you lose weight.

1. Fill It With These Two Things

While a sandwich is one of the most popular choices on the bagged lunch menu, it's not necessarily the best choice for weight loss. Carbs may fill you up, but they can also make your brain foggy and your body feel heavy - which means feeling too tired for that afternoon run and an increased craving for a sugary pick-me-up later. Instead, go for fiber and protein. The fiber takes longer to digest so hunger pangs won't cause you to reach for more calories soon after lunch ends. And the protein will sustain your energy. Aim for at least 10 grams of fiber and at least 15 grams of protein.

2. Do the Math

Since weight loss is a matter of calories in vs. calories used up, it's important to count calories to make sure you're not exceeding your daily limit. Have a specific number in mind for each meal and snack so you don't mindlessly pack lunch - remember that even healthy foods can be high in calories. Depending on your daily calorie intake, this midday meal should be between 400 and 500 calories. Use a website such as Calorie King to help you add up your food, Calorie Count for recipes, or a trusted calorie-counting app to help you keep track of the rest of your meals and snacks.

3. Open Up and Smile

There's already a lot to consider: lunch needs to be healthy and filling, it needs to be low in calories, but it also has to taste good so that you want to eat it and feel satisfied when you're done. You have the best intentions when packing a baby kale salad, but if your taste buds aren't into it, your cravings will convince you to find something better. Speak to your specific desires, and find healthy ways to quench them. That may mean finding ways to lighten up your favorite comfort foods or throwing in a few squares of dark chocolate to satisfy your postmeal sweet tooth.
Here's a sample lunch that utilizes all three of these tips. In the vegan lunch shown in the photo above, the salad is packed with grapes for added fiber and topped with chickpeas and sunflower seeds for additional protein. On the top right is quinoa mixed with black beans, which offers even more fiber and protein. On the bottom right, there are fresh apple slices (more fiber) smeared with homemade mixed nut butter (more protein plus healthy fats) to satisfy dessert cravings. Here's the breakdown:
Salad:

• 2 cups baby spinach: 14 calories, 0.2 grams fiber, 0.3 grams protein
• 10 carrot slices: 12 calories, 0.8 grams fiber, 0.3 grams protein
• 5-inch celery stalk: 2 calories, 0.3 grams fiber, 0.1 grams protein
• 5 cherry tomatoes: 15 calories, 1 gram fiber, 0.7 grams protein
• 1/2 cup chickpeas: 130 calories, 5 grams fiber, 7 grams protein
• 8 grapes: 27 calories, 0.4 grams fiber, 0.3 grams protein
• 1/2 tablespoon sunflower seeds: 23 calories, 0.4 grams fiber, 0.8 grams protein

Total: 223 calories, 8.1 grams fiber, 9.5 grams protein
Side of quinoa:

• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa: 67 calories, 1.6 grams fiber, 2.4 grams protein
• 1/4 cup black beans: 55 calories, 3 grams fiber, 3.5 grams protein

Total: 122 calories, 4.6 grams fiber, 5.9 grams protein
Apple treat:

• 1/4 apple: 23 calories, 1.1 grams fiber, 0.1 grams protein
• 1 tablespoon mixed nut butter: 94 calories, 1.2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein

Total: 117 calories, 2.3 grams fiber, 3.1 grams protein
Lunch Total: 462 calories, 15 grams fiber, 18.5 grams protein

Are You a Mosquito Magnet? Natural Itch Remedies

FitSugar|Jenny-Sugar

If you're wary about smothering your skin with DEET to ward off mosquitoes, you probably end up with a few too many bug bites. The itchiness can drive you nuts, especially if you're hot or trying to sleep. Although scratching the affected area might offer immediate relief, it'll only cause more inflammation, which makes it itch even more. But worse, if you scratch the bite until it bleeds, opening the skin with your dirty fingernails can put you at risk for an infection. If you're a magnet for mosquito bites, here are some healthy ways to relieve that annoying itch.
Many of these are folk remedies used in the holistic community with little to no scientific evidence to back them up, but then again, many people swear these work. Instead of just suffering, it may be worth giving them a try.

• Alcohol: While pounding a few beers can help you forget about your itchy skin, that's not the type of alcohol I'm talking about. Grab rubbing alcohol or an alcohol wipe from a first aid kit and clean the infected area as soon as you notice you're bitten, and it can help prevent severe itchiness. No alcohol? Simple soap and water works well, too.
• Lemon or lime juice: Naturally anti-itch, antibacterial, and antimicrobial, a little bit of fresh-squeezed juice on the affected area can reduce itchiness and prevent infection. Use this remedy indoors since direct sun exposure can cause your skin to blister.
• Ice: To reduce swelling and numb the itch away, an ice pack does the trick. If you have too many bites to count, go for a cold shower or a dip in a chilly lake.
• Baking soda: For an inexpensive anti-itch remedy, make a thick paste with baking soda and water, and apply it to your bites for 15 minutes. Baking soda contains an alkaline compound that may help neutralize the pH of your skin, which can help ease inflammation.
• Tea tree oil: A natural anti-inflammatory that can help with acne or poison ivy, this essential oil can also help reduce swelling and prevent infection if you can't help but scratch.
• Toothpaste: If you don't mind little white spots all over your skin, apply dabs of peppermint toothpaste for quick itch relief.
• Salt: For fast relief, moisten the bite with a little water and gently rub it with finely ground salt. Or better yet, if you're near the beach, go for a saltwater swim.
• Aloe: The cooling effect of fresh aloe can soothe the itch and help heal the skin if it has been scratched open.
• Apple cider vinegar: Diluted in your bathtub, it not only can soothe sunburn, but the malic acid in apple cider vinegar can also soothe your itch. Not into taking a bath? Dab a few drops on a cotton ball and apply directly to the affected areas.
• Banana peel: Don't knock it till you try it! The sugars from the peel may help draw fluid out of the bite, so try rubbing the inside of a banana peel on the area.
• Saliva: A trick my brother used to use on me, spit a little on your finger, gently dab it on the bite, and let air-dry.
• Slapping: It may seem a little odd, but you can confuse your nerves by slapping the area with your hands, and your brain won't be able to discern between itch and pain.