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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.)


Reduce Blood Pressure

Have you been diagnosed with high blood pressure? Are you taking medication to regulate it? If so, please know that there are also natural ways to help reduce blood pressure

What is blood pressure? Everyone has 'blood pressure'. It is a measure of how hard your heart has to work in order to pump blood throughout your body.

A “normal” blood pressure level is usually around 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic), although this can vary depending on age, stress and lifestyle. As a general rule, if your blood pressure is higher than 140 over 90, you should talk to your doctor.

How do you find out if your blood pressure is high? A person with high blood pressure can look and feel perfectly okay. There are usually very few obvious symptoms. The only way to know your blood pressure is to have it measured.

You should have it checked if you haven't had it done in the past two years. If you are aged 40 or over, you should get it checked about once a year, especially if you smoke, suffer from obesity, or drink to excess.

The most important thing to remember if you discover that you have high blood pressure is not to panic. High blood pressure is relatively common and is caused by a variety of factors. Fortunately, it usually responds very well to proper treatment, so - don't worry!

What are the effects of high blood pressure? High blood pressure adds to the workload of the heart and arteries. Over time, this can lead to an increased likelihood of heart attacks and strokes.

Family history of high blood pressure - If you have a family history of high blood pressure and your own blood pressure is high, your doctor may recommend drug treatment. This will usually be for life, although the risk of a stroke or heart attack is usually greatly reduced.

No family history - If your blood pressure is high but you don't have a history of high blood pressure in your family, your doctor may still recommend drug treatment. However, in most cases, your doctor will advise you to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

GUIDELINES TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE:

*Quit smoking: Smoking and high blood pressure are two serious factors for heart disease and stroke. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day gives you twice the normal risk of a heart attack and five times the risk of a stroke.

*Avoid being overweight: High blood pressure and stokes are twice as common in obese people.

*Eat less salt: Switch to low-sodium brands of salt. Don't add too much salt to food, especially processed food (processed food often contains high levels of salt). Spice your food with other ingredients.

*Eat more fruits and vegetables: Regular amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables help to maintain a normal blood pressure. They also help protect you against heart disease and cancer. Make lots of homemade soup (disguises the taste of green vegetables!) and eat lots of chopped fruit (chopped fruit is less frightening than whole pieces of fruit!)

*Get more active: Long term regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure. Provided you take it slowly to begin with and gradually build up to about 20-30 minutes a day, exercise has enormous benefit. Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

*Learn to relax: Stress is a major contributory factor to disease. Exactly how it affects blood pressure is not known, but anything that helps to ease your mind and reduce worry is GOOD. So go with the flow and start relaxing.

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