Healthiest Pizza Choice

To top things off, pizza comes in so many varieties that there's sure to be something that will suite even the pickiest eater's tastebuds.

Unfortunately, while pizza may definitely please the palette, this does not mean it pleases the waistline. Many varieties of pizza can be 200 to 500 calories a slice, depending on where you slice it and how large you slice it.

For those of you downing 2-5 slices in a sitting, you can easily see how this might translate to pounds added to the scale in no time.

If you choose a little more carefully however, you can have some pizza without completely destroying diet.

It is possible to enjoy healthier pizza, but probably not at a restaurant. One slice of pizza usually has at least 300 calories, so it doesn't take long to eat most of your day's calorie needs in one sitting. Interestingly, since it is also difficult for many people to estimate portion sizes for wedge-shaped foods, overeating can be very easy.

We don't typically think of pizza as a component of a healthy diet because it is high in total fat, saturated fat, sodium and calories. This is important to remember when planning family menus because high-fat diets lead to being overweight and obese.

ou can easily make your own healthier pizza at home. You may find that one slice really does fill you up without adding lots of unwanted calories and fat. Cut back on high-fat ingredients and add lots of low-calorie, high-fiber vegetables. Try these tips:

Use a whole grain crust. You can purchase a pre-made whole wheat pizza crust, or make your own by substituting whole wheat flour for part or all of the white flour in your bread-maker pizza crust recipe. Whole grains add fiber which will keep you feeling full longer and is crucial for a healthy digestive system.
Use lots of sauce. Tomato sauce is an excellent source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that may help to prevent some chronic disease.
Cut back on the cheese. Although cheese is an excellent source of calcium, a lot of the calories of a pizza come from the cheese. Use just a light sprinkling of cheese, or choose a lower-fat type of cheese to cut calories and saturated fat.


Once, your only options were sinfully delicious delivery and sad, soggy frozen pies. Not anymore. We scavenged the freezer aisles to find the tastiest and healthiest choices. Our picks:

Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Deep Dish Margherita Pizza
Per pie: 320 calories, 9g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 4g fiber

The fresh-tasting sauce has real diced tomatoes. Plus, the pseudo-metallic cooking surface actually produces a crisp, golden, deep-dish-style crust.

DiGiorno Harvest Wheat Thin Crispy Crust Supreme Pizza
Per slice: 250 calories, 8g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 4g fiber

If you have time to wait for an oven-baked pie, DiGiorno delivers a delicious made-with-whole-grains alternative to the standard white-flour crust.

South Beach Diet Harvest Wheat Crust Pepperoni Pizza
Per pie: 350 calories, 12g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 9g fiber

So it's a little higher in fat. The full-size slices of pepperoni, the evenly melted cheese, and the impressive nine grams of fiber are worth it.

Amy's Whole Wheat Crust Pizza Cheese & Pesto
Per slice: 360 calories, 18g fat, 4g saturated fat, 2g fiber

Pesto is a tasty twist. But beware: Organic means you're probably steering clear of pesticides and growth hormones, but it doesn't mean low-fat.

Best Time to Burn Calories

Is there a best day to lose weight? Of course! However, when the best day for you, it depends on your lifestyle. If you want to know the best day to streamline the waist and shrink the stomach, you need to look at your daily activities.

However, timing will affect how you feel and perform when you train. If you’re not properly fuelled going into a work-out, it can leave you feeling tired and shaky, and this will compromise the intensity and duration of your exercise. Whether that happens in the middle of a run or a weights work-out, it’s no fun, and it’s certainly going to compromise your weight-loss efforts.

To make sure that you have plenty of fuel in the tank, eat two to four hours before your work-outs. Include easily digested foods that are high in carbohydrates – such as pasta, cereal, yoghurt, and fruit and vegetables. To speed recovery, refuel immediately after your work-outs with more carbohydrate-rich foods, plus a bit of protein from foods such as lean beef, chicken or fish, and skimmed or soya milk.

But morning is the best time to exercise if you want to stick with your exercise habit. Surveys show we are more likely to exercise at all if we do it first thing in the morning, before other distractions eat up our free time or give us an excuse to not exercise.

Morning Exercise - Pros and Cons

Pros:
• The majority of people who exercise consistently do so early in the day. It is easier to form the exercise habit through morning exercise.
• Fewer distractions and schedule interruptions.
• Can make time for exercise by getting up a bit earlier.
• Raises your heart rate and metabolism to burn more calories earlier in the day.
• Gives a feeling of physical energy for hours.
• Improves your mental acuity for hours.
• Cooler temperatures in summer.
• Air pollution is lowest in the morning.
• The body adjusts to your exercise time, so if you are training for a morning sports event, train in the morning.

Cons:
• Body temperature is at its lowest 1-3 hours before awakening, making morning a time of naturally lower energy and blood flow.
• Cold, stiff muscles may be more prone to injury - be sure to warm up well before doing a higher intensity workout, and do gentle stretching.
• If you do not enjoy morning exercise, you won't easily form a habit by choosing a morning workout time.
• Because body temperature and hormones are higher in late afternoon, you probably get the same or better calorie-burning effects later in the day.

Soy Milk Disadvantages for Men

For years the media has spread the good news about soy. Although many people have added soy into their diets to replace or supplement protein, instead of becoming healthier, they may have hurt themselves. Soy products are flooded with anti-nutrients and natural toxins that block enzyme use and affect digestive health. In addition to these, soy milk affects estrogen levels and blood clotting, brain and thyroid function, and has been linked to several diseases and cancers.

As a disadvantage, soy milk phytic acid that can lower the absorption of certain minerals and vitamins. Soy also contains high levels of phytoestrogen that has negative effects on the production of sperm and on the amount of testosterone in men’s body. Some scientists also suggest that the isoflavones found in soy can contribute to the development of breast cancer, thyroid disorders and even leukemia. Others consider that soy consumption helps preventing certain types of cancer, including prostate and breast.

Unfortunately, soy has large quantities of estrogen. Men or boys who ingest soy products experience a suppression of testosterone. Although soy is said to reduce menopausal symptoms, no studies have gathered conclusive evidence to support this claim, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. In addition, soy milk has been linked to infertility, and giving an infant soy formula is equivalent to giving him five birth control pills per day. In addition, soy has been linked to breast cancer in women. Finally, hemagglutinin causes blood clots by promoting red blood cells to group and stick together, inhibiting oxygen and causing heart and vascular problems.