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 Relax

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Do you live a stressful life? If you work, have a family, pay bills, and try to balance it all, you probably suffer from stress at least part of the time. Stress could be affecting your health and you do not even realize it. 

How do you know if you have stress? What are the symptoms of stress? What are its effects on your body, feelings and behavior? When you learn to recognize common stress symptoms, you can take steps to manage them. 

COMMON STRESS SYMPTOMS

Physical symptoms:

*Back pain
*Chest pain
*Headache
*Heart palpitations
*High blood pressure
*Stomach problems
*Sleep problems

Emotional symptoms:

*Anger
*Anxiety
*Depression
*Forgetfulness
*Irritability
*Restlessness
*Sadness

Behavioral symptoms:

*Alcohol or drug abuse
*Chain smoking
*Eating disorders
*Uncontrollable crying
*Withdrawal from friends and family

HOW TO RELAX

If you do have stress symptoms, there are many things you can do to reduce your stress level. One of the most successful ways to relieve stress is to learn how to relax. Use the tips listed below to get you started. Remember, each of us is different. What works for you may not work for someone else.

*Listen to music. Do you have a favorite band or artist that you love to listen to? Put their CD in the player, sit back in your favorite chair, close your eyes and go wherever the music takes you.

*Take a long bath. Fill up the bathtub with your favorite scented oil or bubble bath. Light some candles. Lock the bathroom door, not just to lock out others but to shut out the noise. Close your eyes and lose yourself in the warm water.

*Walk. Studies have shown time and time again that walking is one of the most potent stress relievers there is. Walking helps increase the production of your brain's feel-good endorphins, greatly improving your mood. It also improves your sleep, one of the things most often affected by stress.

*Get a massage. It allows your body to unwind and get rid of the anxiety and stress that has been building up. You find yourself in a place of peace and relaxation that is wonderful. Massage therapists use their hands and finger to press, rub and manipulate your skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. The massage may range from light stroking to deep tissue techniques.

*Read. If you love to read, find a quiet spot, curl up in a comfortable chair (with good lighting), and allow yourself to be swept away by the story. Reading is a wonderful stress reliever that is also very good for your mind. If you like thumbing through magazines, checking out recipes or stories, try that instead.

*Laugh! Laughter is a great stress reliever. It stimulates circulation and increases muscle relaxation, both of which help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress. Laughter actually induces physical changes in your body by enhancing your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulating your heart, lungs and muscles.

What do YOU like to do? What makes YOU happy? Do you like to play board games or card games? Do you like to play a musical instrument? Do you like to get on your bike and go to the park with your kids? Only you know what gives you pleasure. You must learn to give yourself permission to do what brings YOU joy, happiness, and peace. No one can do it for you.

Relaxation techniques cannot only reduce your stress symptoms, they can help you enjoy a better quality of life. Learning how to relax helps decrease the wear and tear on your mind and body from the challenges and hassles of daily life. 

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