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.)

Winter Diet - Prevent Sickness

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Following a nutritious winter diet can be challenging especially if you consider comfort food to be mashed potatoes swimming in sour cream, a plate of homemade cookies, or macaroni and cheese smothered in cheese. How do you feel good and stay healthy when the weather is cold and gloomy?

When you think of winter food, do you think of thick vegetable soups and hearty stews? These are exactly the kinds of foods you should be eating during the winter months. Why? Your body needs the warmth from these types of meals. Because everything is cooked in one pot, it prevents the loss of nutrients. Also, the spices that are added increase your metabolic rate and send heat throughout the body.

WHAT TO EAT.

EAT COMPLEX CARBS. Your metabolism increases in cold weather. Carbohydrates are what your body needs and wants in winter. This is why you crave them. Listen to your cravings (carefully). Choose nutritious high quality carbohydrates like whole grains and orange vegetables like sweet potatoes, squash and pumpkin.

EAT/DRINK CITRUS. Because vitamin c enhances the immune system by increasing the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies, you should eat vitamin c-rich citrus every day. Excellent choices are oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. Other foods high in vitamin C are broccoli, papaya, mango, red bell peppers and kiwi.

EAT GARLIC. Garlic is a powerful antioxidant and is considered one of the world’s “superfoods” due to its high anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.



WHAT TO TAKE.

VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS. If you do not live in the sunbelt, you should consider taking a vitamin D supplement during the winter months. It is very difficult to reach the recommended level through food alone. Vitamin D can be found in egg yolks, fatty fish and fortified dairy products (Try to avoid too much dairy. See below.).

VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENTS. If you do not get enough vitamin C in your diet, take a supplement to ensure a stronger immune system.

WHAT TO AVOID.

Try not to eat too much dairy as it is mucous-forming and will not help if you get colds or coughing and bronchitis easily. If you are concerned about calcium, you can take a supplement or get it from beans and dark green vegetables like kale and broccoli.

PROCESSED FOODS. They have no nutritional value, are difficult for your body to digest, and are very unhealthy.

ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE. It is difficult for your lymphatic and immune systems to process alcohol and caffeine when they are so busy trying to keep your body healthy. It is also a good idea to reduce your intake of salt. Use sea salt instead as it is much healthier for your body and tastes just as good.

Try to keep it simple. Follow the guidelines above and you should sail through the winter months with nary a sniffle or cough!

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