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.)


Vegetarian Weight Loss

A vegetarian diet is not necessarily healthy or less fattening. Cutting out meat consumption DOES have beneficial effects on your body. However, simply eliminating meat does NOT mean you are healthier. Guidelines for vegetarian weight loss are similar to the guidelines for non-vegetarian weight loss.

EATING PLAN GUIDELINES.

*Avoid junk food. Candy, cookies, cakes, fries, and cheesy pizzas make vegetarians fat, too!

*Do not fry with fat. If you must fry with fat, use extra virgin olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, water, or fruit juice.

*Make sure your daily diet includes a wide variety of foods. Why? Because no single plant food provides the nutrition of meat. If you do not eat meat, you must find a variety of plant alternatives to provide the same level of nutrition.

When you eliminate meat from your diet, your body will probably be nutrient-deficient in some areas. Nutrients normally found in animal products that are not always found in a vegetarian diet include: iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc and protein.

Below are vegetarian foods (if you are vegan, egg and dairy products are not allowed) that contain these nutrients:

*Iron - Cashews, tomato juice, rice, tofu, lentils, and garbanzo beans (chick peas).

*Calcium - Dairy products, fortified soymilk, fortified orange juice, tofu, kale, and broccoli.

*Vitamin D - Fortified milk and soymilk, and fortified cereals (or a small amount of sunlight).

*Vitamin B12 - Eggs, dairy products, fortified soymilk, cereals, tempeh, and miso. Tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans. They are low in calories and fat and high in protein.

*Zinc - Whole grains (especially the germ and bran of the grain), eggs, dairy products, nuts, tofu, leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, cabbage), and root vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, radishes).

*Protein - Vegetarians must eat a variety of plant foods over the course of a day to get enough protein. Plant foods that have the most protein are lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, tempeh, miso, and peas.

A balanced vegetarian diet contains all the nutrition you need. However, if for any reason your diet is not balanced or if you feel tired, ask your doctor whether vitamins and mineral supplements are appropriate for you.

Make sure you get enough exercise. Try to devote at least 15 minutes a day to some type of exercise. Walking is the simplest and most effective aerobic exercise and should be incorporated into your daily routine as much as possible. Be aware of any opportunities for exercise during your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to work, etc.

LEARN.

Teach yourself about nutrition. Vegetarian eating is becoming much more common. Libraries and bookshops are full of leaflets and books about healthy eating for non-meat eaters. The Internet is a great source of information, too. Take advantage!

ASK FOR HELP.

Get to know your local health-food store or health food section of your favorite grocery store. If you are not familiar with some of the vegetarian food options, get advice! Visit your local health-food store and ask them for advice on cooking and storage. Most stores are extremely helpful and offer all sorts of help.

1 comments:

  1. Yes,that's true a vegetarian diet is not necessarily healthy or less fattening basically the Vegetarian weight loss diet is perfect for anyone who enjoys vegetarian food, or wants to eat less meat, and who wants to lose body fat as fast and easy as possible.

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