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 Eat Healthy on a Budget

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Do you want to follow a healthy eating plan for you and your family? If you, like most families, are on a tight budget and find it difficult to purchase healthy food at the grocery, learn how to eat healthy on a budget.

BEFORE YOU GO

Always make a list. Impulse buying can destroy a budget. Post a list on a bulletin board or refrigerator where other family members will see it. They can add items as they are needed to the list. Once you do your shopping, start a new list.

Use coupons and rebates. The Sunday paper has freestanding inserts of coupons almost every week. The Internet is also a good source for online coupons.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR COUPONS

Subscribe to the Sunday newspaper. When you receive the paper, cut out all of the coupons.

Organize your coupons into a box with dividers, such as dairy products, meats, canned soups, canned vegetables, boxed items, cereals, etc.

Go to the stores that offer double or triple coupon value when shopping with coupons.

Stock up on an item (Hide it until you need it!) if you find a good deal.



HOW TO SHOP

 Avoid single serving sizes. It is much cheaper to buy the large sizes. You can then fill small reusable containers.

Avoid pre-packaged junk foods and processed foods. They usually cost more. Learn how to read food labels. How many grams of sugar does it contain? How much fat does it contain? Does it contain any of the following ingredients? If so, be aware of the harm they can cause your body and consume sparingly: aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, trans fats, and refined grains (“white” foods like white rice, white flour, sugary cereal, etc.). Always choose foods with whole grains instead.

Buy a jar of popcorn. Instead of buying microwave bags, make your own popcorn, a much cheaper and healthier option.

Buy bags of frozen vegetables instead of cans. With bagged veggies, you can measure out what you need and reseal the bag. You are not paying for the extra packaging. Frozen vegetables retain their nutrients in the freezing process. Much of the nutrients are lost in the process of canning. Plus, canned vegetables contain added salt.

Buy meat in bulk (make sure it is the lean cuts of meat). Most groceries have large packages of meat available that are cheaper by the pound than their smaller counterparts. Divide the meat into one-meal portions, place in plastic freezer bags, and freeze.

Carry a calculator. Figuring out the total as you shop will ensure that you buy only what you need. When checking out, watch the scanner and go over the register tape carefully. Scanner errors do occur.

Choose produce by weight. Use the scale to get the best value on fruits and vegetables. One head of lettuce may be larger but less dense than another. Be sure to shake off any excess water before weighing fresh greens. Try to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season or on sale and buy in bulk if possible. That is when they are the cheapest. For instance, if bell peppers are on sale, buy a large quantity of them, wash them and chop them up. Put them in a freezer safe bag and freeze them. They can be frozen for up to six months and retain most of their nutrients. Use them for stir-frys, soups, stews, etc.

Drink water instead of soft drinks. You need to drink lots of water every day for good health. Most people do NOT drink enough water. Insufficient water consumption (dehydration) makes you tired, gives you headaches, and weakens your immune system. Water is the most important nutrient that our body needs in order to function properly. When the body becomes dehydrated, the organs become damaged, resulting in various types of degenerative diseases. Plus, it’s free!

Use beans instead of meat. You should use beans as a substitute for meat at least once or twice a week.  They provide protein, fiber and good nutrition for your body, help your digestive system run smoothly, support long-term colon health, and help control blood-sugar levels. Plus, beans are much cheaper than meat. There are many varieties to choose from and you can buy them dried or canned. Beans can be fixed in so many ways like soups, stews, salads, dips, etc.

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