We may not know how food is prepared and cooked in restaurants and takeaways but we do know that a lot of food choices on offer are likely to be higher in fat and calories and are larger portion sizes than if you were eating at home. Remember you are the paying customer so if unsure about a particular food choice i.e. how it’s cooked or what comes with it then ask. You can request changes so if you want your salmon served without a creamy hollandaise sauce poured over then say so, the same as you can request your salad to come without dressing.

It’s a good idea to not arrive for your meal feeling absolutely ravenous and that you could eat everything in site. So if this is the case, maybe have a piece of fruit beforehand and keep those hunger pangs at bay.

Portion sizes are considerably larger when eating out so consider sharing with a friend or ask for a smaller portion, many menus now have the choice of ‘light bites’ or smaller versions of the meal.

What to choose if having Italian:

• If having a starter choose something light such as olives or tomato salad, or breadsticks. A salad can be a good starter but hold the dressing.
• Garlic bread is often high in saturated fat and calories so maybe try some bruschetta, which is ciabatta topped with chopped fresh tomatoes and herbs.
• If going for pizza, choose thin crust over deep pan and choose toppings either with plenty of vegetables, fish, prawns or ham over one laden with cheese, pepperoni or ‘meat feat’ style.
• If going for pasta, choose a dish with a tomato-based sauce rather than cream based which tend to be laden with fat.
• Choose salad without an oil based or creamy dressing and opt for balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Remember to ask for any accompanying sauce for meat or fish on the side so you can control how you eat and choose potatoes and vegetables unbuttered.
• Avoid the extra sprinkling of Parmesan on your pizza or pasta!
• If having a dessert choose a sorbet or fresh fruit,

What to choose if having Indian:

• Choose drier dishes such as tandoori or tikka as they are cooked without extra fat.
• Avoid creamy curries such as korma, passanda, masala and dhansak. Better choices are jalfrezi, madras, dupiaza and rogan josh. Try and leave some of the sauce that way you won’t be getting all the fat.
• Try and avoid deep fried extras such as samosas, bhajis and pakora. You can ask for poppadoms to be grilled or microwaved rather than deep-fried.
• Maybe give the meat-based dishes a miss and opt for one made of dhal (lentils) or a vegetable based curry for a change.
• Choose plain boiled rice as opposed to pilau, biryani or fried rice.
• Choose a chapatti over naan bread, paratha or puris.
• If having dessert choose fresh fruit or standard ice cream. Indian ice cream (Kulfi) is usually high in fat.

What to choose if having Chinese:

• Many starters are deep fried or battered i.e. sesame prawn toast, dim sum or spring rolls. So if having a starter choose a satay dish or a soup such as Won Ton.
• For main meals look at the stir fried options as opposed to deep fried, sweet and sour dishes are usually battered and so not a good choice.
• Also choose options that are steamed i.e. fish, vegetables and rice.
• Satay and chow mein dishes whilst not as good choices in terms of calories as steamed or stir-fried they are preferable to deep-fried or battered choices.
• Choose plain boiled rice or noodles and avoid special fried rice varieties.
• If having dessert choose fruit.

What to choose if having Thai:

• Opt for stir fried or steamed dishes with chicken, fish or vegetables.
• Coconut milk can be found in Thai curries, which is high in saturated fat so if choosing one of these dishes try and avoid eating all of the sauce.
• Choose plain steamed rice or noodles.

 What to choose at the Fish & Chip Shop:

We are all aware that fish and chips is a high fat meal but you can make choices to make it healthier.

• Choose mushy peas or baked beans as an accompaniment.
• Try not to eat all the batter on the fish, as this is where a lot of the fat is.
• Instead of sausages or meat pies choose chicken and remove the skin.
• Choose a smaller portion i.e. in a tray or share.

What to choose at the Burger Bar:

Many establishments will provide you with nutritional information on their products so this will help you make an informed choice.

• Choose plain grilled chicken or fish burgers without cheese or a small hamburger as opposed to standard beef burgers with cheese, quarter pounders or whoppers.
• Fries are very high in fat, the thinner the cut of chips the higher the fat content.
• Opt for a salad but leave off any dressing or fried croutons.
• Avoid milkshakes and choose water, fruit juice or diet drinks.
• Some burger bars now offer fruit so choose this rather than donuts or other high calorie dessert.

What to choose if having Mexican:

• Good choices are grilled seafood or chicken dishes such as fajitas or bean burritos served with salad (watch out for any dressing though)
• Choose tomato based salsas, sauces or dips and avoid sour cream and limit the guacamole, tortilla chips and refried beans, as these are high in fat and calories.
• Avoid potato wedges or nachos covered in cheese or sour cream.

What to choose at the sandwich bar:

• Choose wholegrain/seeded bread varieties.
• Choose lean meat filling (i.e. beef, chicken, ham, turkey), fish or lower fat cheeses such as edam or mozzarella.
• Include salad.
• Say no to mayo or salad cream; choose mustard, pickle or salsa for example.
• If sandwich filling is moist say no to butter or margarine.
• When buying ready made sandwiches look at the labelling, sandwiches that are low in fat have 3g of fat or less per 100g, ones high in fat have 20g or more per 100g.
• Salt is another factor to consider, as ready-made sandwiches can often be high in salt, 1.5g of salt per 100g is a lot.

What to choose at a buffet:

It can be easy to overindulge at buffet when the table contains tempting snacks such as sausage rolls, quiches and deep fried mushrooms to name but a few. So again make sure you are not ravenous and maybe have a light snack beforehand.

• Choose sandwiches on wholegrain bread with lean meat and fish fillings.
• There is often crudités and dips to take advantage of, just don’t overdo it on the creamy dips.
• Chicken drumsticks without the skin can be a good choice.
• There is usually fresh fruit available such as melon, strawberries and oranges so fill up on these.

Take Home Pointers:

• Choose dishes that are grilled, steamed, boiled, poached and stir fried not deep-fried or battered.
• Choose sauces that are tomato based as opposed to cream or cheese based.
• Choose dry curries such as tikka and tandoori.
• Have vegetables and salads served plain, i.e. unbuttered or without dressing or ask for it to be served on the side so you can add what you want.
• Choose plain steamed / boiled rice or noodles.
• Choose boiled, baked potatoes without butter rather than chips, fries or dauphinois or sauté potatoes.

Importantly enjoy your meal and if you know that you will overindulge on occasion just eat less at other meals to make allowances for this.

Related posts:

1. Reduce the Amount of Fat in Your Diet
2. Guideline to Healthy Eating
3. Eating Disorder

If you’ve been running in cotton socks and putting up with blisters, soggy feet and poor fit, it’s time to head to your local fitness store and research your options.  Sport specific socks are now readily available to runners and are well worth the investment.

Why spend more than £10 ($18) on a pair of performance running socks? The #1 benefit is the elimination of blisters.  Running socks are designed with technical benefits to keep feet cooler, drier and more comfortable.  Running with cool, dry comfortable feet will eliminate blisters from your training.

The #2 reason to buy running socks is improved fit.  Your normal tube sock, tennis sock, or cotton gym sock doesn’t offer a snug customized fit.   Poorly fitting socks create gaps between the running shoe and the foot.  These gaps cause irritation and discomfort.  A well fitting sock molds to your foot and eliminates rubbing.

Climate control is the #3 reason to invest in running socks.  The new socks on the market place promise to keep your feet cool and dry.  Here’s how the new technical fibers, such as Coolmax® work. Technical fibers in running socks are designed to pull moisture away from the bottom of the sock. Moisture is redistributed throughout the sock allowing sweat to dry faster and your feet to stay drier.

Putting them to the test:

I laced up and put several pairs of running socks to the test. Here’s a brief recap of what is currently available. 

ULTIMAX® by WIGWAM

Sock tested: Performance Quarter

www.wigwam.com

They say:  These socks are recommended for general fitness, running and cycling.   The Ultimax Ironman sock has a patented Moisture Control System and a two year performance guarantee.  Wigwam touts their cushioned instep and ankle, saying the added padding protects the Crural ligament from stress and lace pressure.

I say: The sizing ran a bit large.  I wear an US 8 ½ running shoe. The size medium sock claims to fit a women’s US 6-10 (UK size 4-8). On the plus side, these socks were a great medium weight and the Ultimax® Moisture Control System kept my feet nice and dry.  The “Y” design heel pocket really did cradle my heel in comfort and the cushioned sole did absorb shock when I was running on pavement.  As far as design, the Ironman® logo at the ankle is cute and definitely sporty.

WRIGHTSOCK™

Sock tested: Double Layer™with Coolmesh®

www.wrightsocks.com

They say:  Wrightsock™ has a patented anti-blister system.   The Wrightsock™ is designed with two layers of fabric to absorb the friction of the foot rubbing against the shoe.  The inner layer of the sock is designed with Coolmax® intended to wick moisture away from the foot and spread the moisture out over four channels in the sock; thus giving sweat a larger area to evaporate. They also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

I say: TheDouble Layer™ construction made the socks seem a little slippery at first.  After a kilometer or so, I adjusted to the fit and was pleased with the socks performance. Wrightsock™ come in feminine colors (I tested a lavender and white pair)and I like the low rise, ankle hugging design.

THORLO

Sock tested: Crew Medium-Protectionlevel 3

www.thorlo.com

They say:  Thorlo® offers a 30 day no risk trial–if these socks don’t fit better than your ordinary socks you get your money back.  Protection Level 3 products are designed to help protect your feet from the damaging effects of impact, shear and blistering caused by running.  Thor-lon®fibers run throughout the sock to provide maximum durability and moisture management.

I say: If you like thick socks you’ll love Thorlo®.  The manufacturer suggests customers who opt for this sock may want to go ½ size larger in their running shoes. These socks were cushy and comfortable and did a great job controlling moisture.  As a matter of personal preference, I prefer thinner socks that make my feet feel more connected to my running shoes.

DEFEET®

Sock Tested: Cush 3-D™ with Low cuff

www.defeet.com

They say:  Their socks provide ample padding throughout the footbed.  DeFeet® offers a one year guarantee for socks to be free of defects. En·Duro·Skin™ construction reinforces the external heel and toe puncture areas.  These socks are durable and combine the benefits of CoolMax®’s breathability with FreshFX® bacteria fighting fibers.

I say:  Initially, I found the fit a bit loose, but again, this didn’t propose any problems once I began running.  Comparatively, I did notice my feet became the sweatiest in this sock.  What I liked…these socks have the coolest designs in the market.  The patterns on the “holographic cuff” become visible once the sock is put on the foot. Overall, I was drawn to the thin texture of these socks and their eye-catching colors (hot pink, turquoise, etc.).

NIKE

Sock Tested: Elite Running Sock

www.nike.com

They say:  Nike’s Dri-FIT technology wicks away moisturef rom the foot.  Nike’s foot strike cushioning technology was specially developed in the Nike Sports Research Lab using pressure point mapping of a runner’s foot strike.  These socks are designed with Cordura® nylonin the heel and toe to provide durability and to resist abrasion.

I say:  These were the thinnest socks I tried.  I found them to be the best fitting socks that I tested (note: I run in Nike running shoes so perhaps that had something to do with influencing my decision).  My feet stayed very dry throughout my workout. I liked the contoured toe pocket. My feet felt swaddled in comfort and not bound up inside of my shoes.  One trick with these socks—they are anatomically designed for the right and left foot.  If you loose ½ of a pair it may be hard to match them up with a mate from another pair!

Caring for your running socks:

Congratulations.  You’ve seen fit to elevate your running performance by adding technical socks to your gear.  Now, shouldn’t you take the time and energy to properly care for this investment?

Most manufacturers suggest turning the socks inside out before washing.  Washing socks inside out helps to fluff up the padding between runs.  When washing, use warm or cool water and no bleach.  Adding a liquid fabric softener can help to lubricate the sock’s technical fibers and extend their life.  After washing, tumble dry the socks under low heat or let them line dry.  Adhering to these care instructions will add to the lifetime performance of your socks. 

One note, since you are not using hot water and bleach, your socks may not stay pearly white.  What you are giving up in the way of whiteness, will more than be compensated for in comfort and durability. 

Updating your gym bag with sport specific socks will result in more comfortable runs and may even inspire you to add a mile or two to your workout. Next time you are at a sports store pick up a pair of running socks—your feet will thank you!

Related posts:

1. Pretty Polly – Blister Resist Socks & Running Socks
2. Thorlos Running Crew Socks with Thick Cushion
3. SealSkinz – Waterproof Breathable Thin Mid Length Socks