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.)


How to Prevent Heartburn

Many of us suffer from heartburn, some more frequently and more painfully than others. We reach for the antacid and hope that it helps, the quicker the better. However, there are ways to reduce the risk of experiencing heartburn.

Despite the name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It is a painful, burning feeling that occurs in the lower chest area and is usually accompanied by a sour taste in the throat or mouth.


FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HEARTBURN

*Overeating

*Being overweight or obese

*Eating certain foods that are heartburn triggers

*Smoking

*Stress

*Bending over

*Wearing clothes that are too tight


WHAT CAUSES HEARTBURN?

The food we eat is passed from our mouth down a tube called the esophagus. In order for the food to enter the stomach, it must go through a gap that is between the esophagus and the stomach.

Normally, this gap closes as soon as food passes through it. If it does not close, stomach acid can rise up through the opening back into the esophagus. This is called reflux. The stomach acid causes irritation to the esophagus, causing the feeling of heartburn.


HOW TO REDUCE HEARTBURN SYMPTOMS

*AVOID HEARTBURN TRIGGERS. There are foods and beverages that can increase your risk of reflux: alcoholic beverages (Alcohol relaxes the lower esophagus, allowing reflux. It also increases the production of stomach acid.), coffee and sodas containing caffeine, chocolate, tomatoes, onions, and spicy and fatty foods. Since you probably know what your triggers are, try to avoid them.

*DO NOT STUFF YOURSELF. A full stomach puts extra pressure on your esophagus, increasing the chance of reflux. Eat smaller portions at regular intervals throughout the day.

*LOSE WEIGHT. Being overweight or obese puts more pressure on your abdomen, pushing the contents of the stomach up into the esophagus.

*DO NOT EAT NEAR BEDTIME. Lying down too soon after eating increases the chance of reflux.

*ELEVATE YOUR HEAD WHILE YOU SLEEP. When you lie down flat, the contents of your stomach are pressed against your esophagus. Elevating your head reduces this pressure.

*DO NOT WEAR TIGHT CLOTHES. If you wear clothes that are too tight around your middle, it pushes the food in your stomach up into your esophagus, causing reflux.

If your attacks of heartburn are infrequent, then it is probably nothing to worry about. If you experience it regularly, you can damage your esophagus, causing trouble with swallowing. It can also be a symptom of acid reflux disease or a peptic ulcer.

For most people, there are effective over-the-counter medications that can provide relief by neutralizing their stomach acids. Antacids are the most popular choice for most people. Some brands of antacids that are widely used are Maalox, Mylanta, and Rolaids.

If antacids do not provide the relief you need, ask your physician or pharmacist for suggestions. If you have any of the symptoms listed below, see your physician:

*Episodes of heartburn that occur more than several times a week

*Difficulty in swallowing

*Dizziness

*Shortness of breath

*Vomiting blood

For most people, heartburn is experienced infrequently and can be avoided by following the guidelines above. If you know what your triggers are, try to stay away from them as much as possible.

0 comments:

Post a Comment