Eat-Right Flash

CEBU, Philippines - Calorie Vacation. If your weekend is a two-day holiday from eating right, your scale may put an end to the party. Dieters who say they eat consistently all week long are one and a half times more likely to maintain their weight within 5 pounds than people who diet more strictly on weekdays. Celebrate Saturday and Sunday with friends and family, not with chips and, well, sundaes. 

Dine-one-one. Fast food and deli diners are 50 percent likelier to report stomach illnesses than those who eat home-cooked meals. The number of sicknesses that wait-service restaurant patrons and at-home eaters logged was the same, so when dining out, opt for table service. 

Cereal filler. You don’t have to munch on mulch to reap fiber’s benefits. For every 10grams of fruit or cereal fiber you swallow daily, your risk of dying from heart disease falls by 27 percent. 

Can’t miss Swiss. Get a shot of heart-healthy fatty acids by snacking on alpine Swiss cheese. Made from the milk of cows that graze on mountain grasses, this cheese contains four times more alpha-linolenic acid than cheddar does. If your diet is otherwise low in saturated fat, 2 ounces daily could ante enough ALA to reduce risk for cardiac death. 

Plate expectations. Avoid portion distortion by serving supper on The Diet Plate. Despite the restrictive-sounding name, this dish won’t make dinner miniscule. It simply helps you visualize the right serving sizes with illustrated boundaries for protein and carbs. It’s not exactly heirloom china, but it can keep your eating on a healthy track.  

Cocoa Cravings. Hot for chocolate before your period? While 40 percent of women say they desire the treat just before, during or right after their period, only 4 percent of women in Spain do, indicating the desire isn’t fueled by a physiological need but a cultural one. Indulge your choco-lust by nibbling on a small amount or opting for nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.