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 Sleep

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Use the tips below to learn how to sleep well and never feel tired again:

1. Have a comfortable, good support mattress. . One of the easiest ways to ensure you get a good night’s sleep is to have a good mattress.  Go to a real mattress store and try out several for firmness, softness, adjustable, pillow top, etc. Lay on each bed. Go by what feels the best. Your good rest needs to start with having the best of the basics.

2. Have Fluffy Blankets.  Fluffy blankets help you get a better night’s sleep for several reasons. If they are fluffy then their material is an open weave that allows for breathing.  When material breathes, it releases hot air and you won’t overheat.  A fluffy blanket will be soft and feel good against your skin. 

3. Use a comfortable pillow.  Every person has their own preference for a pillow style.  Lumpy, firm or soft – it doesn’t matter as long as it is comfortable to you. Experiment until you find the perfect one!

4. Wear Comfy Pajamas.  Silk and satin may look good, but may not be the best to wear.  Pajamas need to be comfortable at night in order for you to sleep well.  Material that is too heavy or doesn’t breathe well can be miserable. Choose cotton blends and material that is comfortable on your skin. Avoid anything that scratches, pokes or doesn’t fit right.

5. Skip Caffeine After Dinner.  Don’t drink soda or coffee after dinner. That caffeine may keep you awake all night. Caffeine not only keeps your body awake but your mind, too. If you must drink something, drink warm milk or decaffeinated or herbal tea. Don’t drink too much or you will have to get up during the night to use the bathroom!

6. Avoid Late Nights Snacks.  You may think you are hungry, but it really may be boredom. When you eat late at night and then lie down, digestion of the food is slow and difficult, causing weight gain and problems like heartburn or acid reflux.

7. Eat an early dinner. The sooner you eat, the sooner your body can begin its digestion process and the sooner you can have a snack. Early evening snacks give your body the proper amount of time needed to digest and early dinners burn off more calories! Just don’t eat sugary snacks. They prevent good sleep no matter what time you eat them.

8. Eat a Small Dinner.  A small dinner will prevent you from feeling full and sluggish. Smaller meals digest easier, preventing weight gain and any digestion problems from creeping in later.

9. No greasy foods for dinner.  When you indulge in greasy food, you may feel like there is a huge grease ball sitting in your stomach. This is not conducive to a good night’s sleep. You can’t get comfortable and you can’t get to sleep. 

10. Skip Nicotine.  Nicotine interferes with good sleep. Because it is addicting, if you indulge before bedtime, it can make the body experience withdrawals and interfere with sleep. Use them at least a couple of hours before you go to bed. This gives your system enough time to process the nicotine and withdrawal without affecting sleep patterns. 

11. Use white noise.  Some people cannot sleep if there is total quiet. If this is you, use a noise machine. They offer a variety of sounds from ocean waves to heartbeats. Or if you prefer, play music. Keep the volume at a level that you can hear but that blocks out distracting noises.



12. Read a Book.  Pick a book where you can read a few pages or chapters each night before bed.  The quiet time relaxes your body and mind and focuses on what you are reading. Your body will fall asleep faster in a relaxed state and remain that way all night.  However, don’t stay up too late!

13. Put paper and pencil by your bed.  Are you one of those people who get the best ideas during the middle of the night?  Keep a pen or pencil by your bed with a sheet of paper. If you wake up in the middle of the night and have a great idea that you want to remember, write it down. Don’t lie in bed and try to remember it. Take the worry out, write it down, and go back to sleep.

14. Turn Down the Thermostat.  Night sweats can interrupt good sleep and being cool at night encourages better and deeper sleep. For most people, if they are too warm, they will have more difficulty getting to sleep. If it’s summer, keep it at a stable temperature that isn’t too hot or too cold. 

15. Try relaxation techniques.  If you are feeling stressed out, but it is bedtime, try some  relaxation exercises to calm yourself down. Deep breathing, focusing on one object and relaxing the muscles in your body can chase away the stresses so you can sleep peacefully. Another way to relax right before bedtime is to take a long, warm bath. Taking a bath is a wonderful stress reliever and can make you drowsy enough to get a good night's sleep.

16. Exercise during the day.  Keeping fit is important. Try to schedule at least 15 minutes a day to getting some kind of aerobic exercise like walking. It will help you sleep better at night, make you feel better and do good things for your body. Make sure you don’t exercise too close to bedtime. 

17. Wake up at the same time every day. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake–time even on weekends.

18. Keep the room dark.  Not everyone has the privilege of sleeping at night.  Many people work an afternoon or night shift, forcing them to sleep for at least part of the day.  If you are one of those people, keeping the room dark will help you get better sleep.  Hang dark colored towels or a blanket over the window.  If you have to, use duct tape to keep it close to the wall and no sunrays peeking in around the corner. 

19. Follow a routine.  Establish a routine and try to follow it everyday.  It doesn’t have to be any task in any particular order, just stick to it as many days as possible.  Following your routine will make your mind settle into a pattern. When you reach the end of the routine, it’s time to sleep a peaceful night’s sleep.

20. Give thanks.  No matter what religion you are or are not, say a word of thanks for your day and all the things you are grateful for. Think of your friends, your family and all the blessings you enjoy for just a minute or two. Let the thoughts relax you so you can fall into a long, peaceful sleep.

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