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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.)

Why You Should Meditate

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Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused.  You can experience increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook in life.

Meditation is commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines.  However, you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits and you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it. 

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same. The most important principle is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus.  This clears the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

The negative thoughts you have, worrying about money, bossy office mates, that parking ticket you got, and anxiety all contribute to the ‘polluting’ of the mind. Shutting them out allows for the ‘cleansing’ of the mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts.

MEDITATION GUIDELINES

You don’t need to wrap your body in a painful-looking contortion. The principle of meditation is to be in a comfortable position that is conducive to concentration. This may be sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, or even walking.

POSITION. If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that would be a good starting point.  While sitting or standing, the back should be straight, but not tense or tight.  In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep.

CLOTHING. Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up and make you feel tense.

PLACE. The place you perform meditation should have a soothing atmosphere.  It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in. You may want to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

QUIET. Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine.  Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so stocking up on aromatic candles isn’t such a bad idea either.

MANTRA. The monks you see on television making those monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra. This is a short creed or a simple sound that holds a mystic value for these people. You do not need to do this, however, focusing on repeated actions such as breathing and humming help the practitioner enter a higher state of consciousness.

FOCUS. The principle here is focus, focus, focus. You could try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight.

One sample routine would be to silently name every part of your body and focusing your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body. Mentally visualize releasing this tension. It works wonders.



BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

IMPROVED CONCENTRATION.  A clear mind makes you more productive, especially in creative disciplines like writing.

IMPROVED HEALTH. meditation reduces stress levels and alleviates anxiety. If we can reduce stress, many health benefits follow.

NO LONGER SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF.  Do you get upset by little things? Our minds tend to magnify small things into serious problems. Meditation helps us detach. We learn to live in the present, rather than worrying about the past or future. We do not worry about meaningless things, but see the bigger picture.

KNOW THY SELF. Meditation enables us to have a deeper understanding of our inner self. Through meditation we can gain a better understanding of our purpose in life.

Meditation is a risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort. It reduces tension, anxiety and stress and has beneficial physiological effects on the body. In all, a win-win experience.

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