The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to embark on the path to a healthier lifestyle and in light of that Health Plus is launching our new blog filled with diet, exercise and lifestyle tips, health information and the latest on healthy activities in the Portland area. Expect to find two or three new posts every week, and if you have any topics that you’d like to see highlighted on the blog, feel free to contact the Healthplus staff with your suggestions!

December can be a challenging time for people trying to lose weight, and even those of us who’d like to maintain our current weight! With social calendars bursting with festive dinners and holiday parties, it’s really hard to resist just a couple more of those gingerbread cookies, or that extra glass of eggnog. If your holiday festivities are reflected in what you see on the scale, here is a list of easy to implement diet suggestions to help you get back to where you want to be from one of my favorite health bloggers on tumblr, <maeveaflavgetsreal.tumblr.com>

1. When cooking eggs, use only the white. I love eggs as much as the next person, and cutting out the yolk can really reduce fat and calories
2. Try whole wheat breads, rice and pastas which are higher in fiber than their white bread counterparts. Another great carb substitute is quinoa which is low in fat, high in iron, and can be whipped into all kinds of tasty concoctions
3. Cut back on soda and juices, which are full of sugar and empty calories, and try water and teas instead. Water has zero calories and is essential for metabolic functioning. Teas are often caffeinated, so make sure to drink plenty of water during the day as well. Green tea has the added benefit of being loaded with anti-oxidants
4. Popcorn is a fantastic substitute for other higher calorie, higher fat carb rich snacks. My personal favorite popcorn recipe is stove top popcorn with nutritional yeast, soy sauce and cayenne pepper, but if that sounds too adventurous for you, plain popcorn with salt is always a safe standby. But don’t kid yourself; drenching your popcorn in butter does not make it a healthy snack
5. Instead of French fries, go for baked fries which are much lower in fat. To switch things up, try baked sweet potato fries!

Best of luck getting on track with those New Year’s weight loss goals

Jennifer