Thank You For Visiting Our Blog, FEEL BETTER AND LIVE LONGER!

The purpose of our blog is to share what we have learned about nutrition, weight loss, fitness, and health, in order to help you find ways to feel better and live longer. It is amazing how much our diet and lifestyle affect our health and well-being.

Did you know that you can reduce your risk and even prevent many diseases and health conditions simply by making some changes to your diet? Check back often for valuable tips and information.


HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT & KEEP IT OFF:

For the first time in my life I have found weight loss success. During my adult life I have tried dozens and dozens of so-called "diets" and none of them worked over the long-haul. Oh, I was able to lose weight with some of them, but once I went off of the "diet" I quickly gained back all of my weight (plus some).

I have finally learned that losing weight has to be a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. Crash diets and all the other crazy diets will not only cause you to fail, they are harmful to your health. To lose weight and keep it off you must NOT go on a "diet." What? Why? Because we all consider a "diet" a temporary thing. For example, how many times have you said, "Oh, I will go on this low-fat diet until I lose 20 pounds." Okay, what happens after you lose the 20 pounds? Or you simply give up? You go back to your old habits and gain that 20 pounds back.

The only way you will ever be successful at losing weight, with the added benefit of improving your health, is to make healthy changes that you can live with for the rest of your life. Period. Not for a week, a month or 3 months, but for life. For me, my initial goal was to lower my cholesterol level. I had to have a blood test for my insurance coverage and my cholesterol level had to be lower than the previous year's levels or I would have to pay a much higher premium. Well, that was a pretty good incentive for me make some positive changes.

I sat down and figured out what I needed to do. I knew I had to change the way I ate and I knew I had to exercise in some form or other every day. So, I made a list and I stuck to it. It was difficult at first. To make matters worse, I am a compulsive eater. However, as the days went by, it became much easier because my body stopped craving sweets and processed foods. For the first time in my life, I was never tempted to binge because I never felt deprived.

Use the list below and make whatever changes you need to make in order for it to work for you. FYI, my cholesterol level dropped 65 points after 7 weeks, and my triglycerides dropped 70 points!
Another benefit that I hadn't planned on was that after being an insomniac since my teen-age years, I now sleep like a baby every night!

MY LIST FOR WEIGHT LOSS SUCESS:

1. Avoid "white" Foods & Processed Foods.
These foods have no nutritional value and are "empty" calories. Sweets, anything made with white flour,and anything that comes in a package with a long list of ingredients.
Always read the food labels. Stay away from those long lists of ingredients. The longer the list, the more chemicals and additives are present. These are extremely toxic to your body.


2. Drink Lots of
Water. Water keeps your body's organs hydrated and flushes out unhealthy toxins. It helps to fill you up and reduces your urge to over-eat.


3. Eat a Healthy Breakfast.
Instead of coffee and donuts, try fruit, yogurt, grains like oatmeal or whole grain toast, and lean protein. NEVER skip breakfast. By eating a large, healthy meal when you get up in the morning, your metabolism will "rev up" and you will not be hungry by mid-morning. If you skip breakfast, your
body will go into starvation mode and store calories in your body as FAT, yes FAT! So do yourself a big favor and eat breakfast.


4. Reduce Your Stress Level.
So many of us live with too much
stress. Stress lowers your immune system, making it easier to get sick. It also makes us lethargic, tired, and depressed. There are a lot of simple things you can do and a lot of ways to feel better about yourself and your life. Take a long, hot bath, read a book, listen to music, get a massage. Do something nice for yourself. Giving yourself something to look forward to is a tremendous mental incentive.


5. Move!
Oh my gosh! There are so many ways to incorporate movement into your day, even at work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up every hour and walk around your floor, your hallway or your desk. Park your car in the farthest space from where you need to be. Walk or bike to work. Skate, dance, golf, jump rope, clean house, play tag. The best exercise you can do is to walk. Try to take a walk every day! The more you move, the more your metabolism will be your friend. (I walk 3 miles every day whether it is raining, snowing or freezing.)


Antioxidants and Beta Carotene

The cells in our body are constantly being challenged by substances called free radicals. To prevent free radical damage the body uses antioxidants as a defense system. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals, terminate the damage they cause to the body’s cells, and have the amazing ability to repair previous damage to cells.

They also turn the free radicals into waste by-products, resulting in their elimination from the body. Because antioxidants prevent cellular damage, considered to be the conduit for cancer, aging, and other diseases and conditions, they are vital to our body’s good health.

We extract antioxidants from food. Fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods deliver hundreds of antioxidants to our bodies. One of the most common vitamin antioxidants comes from beta-carotene. Since the body cannot manufacture this vitamin, it must be supplied from our diet and/or supplements.

Beta-carotene belongs to a family of natural chemicals known as carotenes or carotenoids. Widely found in plants, carotenes give yellow and orange fruits and vegetables their rich colors. Since beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, it converts to retinal, a readily usable form of vitamin A.

Though vitamin A has no antioxidant properties and can be toxic if taken in excessive doses, the body will only convert as much vitamin A from beta-carotene as it needs. This feature makes beta-carotene a safe source of vitamin A.

WHAT CAN BETA-CAROTENE DO FOR YOUR BODY?

*Fights early cancer cells and other diseases by protecting your body’s cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

*Protects skin from sunlight damage.

*Provides a source of vitamin A.

*Boosts the body’s immune system.

*Helps the reproductive system function properly.

*Prevents cataract formation.

FOODS WITH BETA-CAROTENE

*carrots

*cantaloupe

*squash

*pumpkin

*mangos

*sweet potatoes

*green leafy vegetables

*cilantro

*broccoli

*spinach

*kale

*tomatoes

*beets

*egg yolk

*liver

*whole grains

Fruits and vegetables should be eaten raw or steamed lightly. In general, the greater the intensity of the color of the fruit or vegetable, the more beta-carotene it contains.

Antioxidants acquired from food sources can reduce your risk of many diseases and conditions. The more fruits and vegetables you include in your diet, the healthier your body will be.

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