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.)


Healthy Eating on a Budget

Do you want to serve healthy foods to your family but cannot afford the prices? Many of us are faced with this problem. You want to provide the healthiest foods to your family but end up eating the foods that are cheapest. Unfortunately, the foods that are the cheapest are processed, empty-calorie foods that are detrimental to your health. However, there are ways to buy the foods you need. Use the tips listed below.

*Purchase water or milk. Do not buy sodas. Sodas and soft drinks are empty, unhealthy calories that contribute to obesity and obesity-related diseases. If you buy fruit drinks, check the labels to see what the sugar content is.

*Buy a juicer. A good alternative to sugared fruit juices is to make your own juice at home. A juicer will save you a lot of money and is a much healthier alternative to the fruit juices you find at the grocery store. Plus, you can create whatever combinations that you like.

*Fill up on foods that have a high content of water. All types of melons, grapes, and many fresh vegetables have a high content of water. Buy fruits in quantity when they are in season from your local farmers market. They are healthier and cheaper that way. You can freeze them and enjoy them all winter long.

*Shop alone. Since children and spouses are usually the ones requesting junk food, shopping alone will save you money, prevent you from purchasing unhealthy food choices, and buy only what you need.

*Never shop when you are hungry. Eat something before you go food shopping. Otherwise, everything will look good and you will overspend and buy foods that you do not need.

*Use coupons. The Sunday paper usually has lots of coupons. Use as many as you can.

*Buy what’s on sale. It can be cheaper to go to several different stores to purchase food on sale, instead of going to only one store. Make sure you buy in bulk, especially if it is fresh fruit or vegetables as you can freeze or can them. (Just don’t buy junk food in bulk!)

*If you cannot afford meat, buy beans as an alternative source of protein. Beans are a very healthy source of protein and can be used in many ways. Stores frequently have sales on canned beans although usually it is cheaper to buy dried beans. They are very versatile and can be used in soups, casseroles, tortillas, salads, etc. Beans are also a healthier form of protein than meat.

Eating healthier requires a little more thought and planning on your part, but is possible, even on a limited budget. You will find that the rewards for healthy eating are huge. You and your family will be healthier, you will feel better and you will reduce your risk for developing many conditions and diseases.
Healthy Eating on a Budget

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