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.)

Heart Healthy Diet

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Following a heart healthy diet is something everyone should try to do, especially since it can help improve poor health and reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. A diet high in saturated fats will raise your cholesterol, a primary risk factor for heart disease. Another risk factor is obesity. People who are obese significantly increase their chance for heart disease.

To help prevent the risk of heart disease and stroke and improve your overall health, use the tips listed below:

Eat fish. Herring, sardines, and salmon are all excellent sources of omega 3 essential fatty acids.

Avoid “bad” fats. Eating saturated fat increases the risk for heart disease. It's found in meat and butter. You should avoid saturated fats completely until your cholesterol levels are down and you are at a healthy weight. Try to cut down on your intake of red meat and increase your intake of seafood, beans and nuts for protein.

Eat healthy fats. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil or canola oil will help you protect your heart. Use extra virgin olive oil for cooking instead of corn or vegetable oil.

Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber can help you control your cholesterol. You can find fiber in whole grain products. Fiber helps your digestive system run smoothly, supports long-term colon health, and helps control blood-sugar levels that help keep your digestive system healthy.

Choose complex carbohydrates. Avoid simple carbohydrates or sugary foods like candy, cookies, cakes and pastries. Eat complex carbohydrates like whole grain breads, pasta, brown rice and lots of vegetables. Try to make fruits and vegetables the main focus of your eating plan.


HOW TO COOK YOUR FOOD

Another component to eating a heart-healthy diet is to be careful of how you cook your food.

Stir-fry with olive oil. Cut up some carrots, broccoli, garlic and mushrooms. Stir-frying properly retains much of the food’s nutrients and is a delicious alternative to frying.

Never fry in butter. Bake, steam, roast, broil, or grill instead. If you cook chicken, remove the skin and bake it in the oven.

Steam your vegetables. Steaming retains most of the vegetable’s nutrients.
Avoid heavy fats like creams, sauces or lots of butter. When eating vegetables, squeeze lemon juice or balsamic vinegar over them, or sprinkle your favorite seasonings on them.

As you make the proper changes to your diet, keep in mind that it takes time for them to become habits. Eating healthy is a wonderful thing to do for your body and your lifestyle, especially when it comes to your heart and the prevention of heart disease.

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