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.)


Healthy Practical Foods

Everyone who is trying to follow a healthy eating lifestyle understands the need to buy quality, healthy and practical foods.  Practical foods are those foods that are not only healthy but whose benefits extend beyond their mere nutritional value. 

Such foods are easy to use, and useful in a number of different recipes.  Healthy, practical foods, when used on a regular basis, form a great part of a healthy diet, and can lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other common illnesses.

TOMATOES

One great practical food is the tomato.  It may not look much like an orange, but the tomato is actually a citrus fruit as well.  As such, tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants.  In addition, tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, which has shown promise in preventing certain kinds of cancer.

In addition, tomatoes are easy to use, versatile, and inexpensive.  In addition to fresh, in season tomatoes, that are delicious as well as nutritious, tomatoes are available in canned and frozen varieties as well.  Tomatoes can be used in so many different ways, and in so many different recipes, that it is always a good idea to have a supply of them on hand in the pantry or the fridge.

PASTA

Pastas, especially the whole wheat varieties of pastas, are another great example of functional foods.  Pastas can also be used in a variety of ways, from simple preparations with simple tomato based sauces, to elaborate creations using shrimp, tuna and other seafood.

Of course, pasta dishes can be healthy or unhealthy, depending on how they are topped.  Toppings such as Alfredo sauce or rich cream sauce, should be avoided when trying to follow a healthy diet.  As with all foods, such heavy sauces are fine in moderation, but they should not form the bulk of your diet.

Luckily, there are lower fat alternatives to many high fat pasta sauces, and these low fat alternatives should be used whenever possible.  Substituting lower fat alternatives for fatty, unhealthy foods is an important skill when it comes to creating a healthy diet.

WHOLE GRAINS

Whole grain breads, flours and grains are also good examples of healthy, practical foods.  Stocking up on these staples when they are on sale will help ensure that you have everything you need to create the most healthy recipes possible for yourself and your family. 

Whole grain products should be substituted for more highly refined breads and cereals whenever possible, since whole grain breads, cereals and grains retain more of their important nutrients than do more highly refined foods.

Starting a healthy eating program using practical foods is easy.  Start by taking a personal inventory of your current diet, including where it is good and where it can use some improvement.  Learn to assess the personal health risks created by your current diet (your family physician can be of particular help here). 

It is also a good idea to use your interest in healthy eating to create and use exciting new recipes.  There are a great many healthy eating recipes available, both on the internet and in cookbooks.  Seek out some of these recipes and try using your favorite healthy staples to create some wonderful dishes.




For some ideas on how to use practical foods, try some of these great ideas:

Breakfast:

*Include some healthy staples and some healthy fruits in your breakfast.  For instance, pair healthy oatmeal with blueberries, or whole wheat or wheat bran cereal with strawberries or bananas. 

*Try mixing a healthy cereal like All Bran into your nonfat or low fat yogurt.  It will perk up your plain yogurt and give it a great crunch.  

*Fresh fruit is also a great addition to yogurt.  Try buying plain, nonfat yogurt and mixing in your own raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.  You will save money and enjoy a healthy breakfast.  

*Instead of high fat butter, spread your toast with apple butter or soy nut butter instead.  Always try to use whole grain varieties of bread like wheat or rye.  

*Drink a glass of 100% fruit juice with breakfast every day.  Orange juice, grape juice, apple juice and grapefruit juice are all great choices.  

*Blend 1% milk or soy milk with fresh pineapple for a healthy, delicious breakfast smoothie. These smoothies are great for people on the go.

    Lunch and dinner ideas: 

    *Make a great tuna salad with grated carrots, green peppers, red peppers, garlic and onion.   

    *Make a dish of fresh whole grain pasta and top it will homemade tomato sauce and fresh home grown herbs. 

    *Use healthy foods like onions and leeks, along with tomatoes, as a great side dish.  

    *Grill healthy fish and serve with a healthy side salad.  

    *Try some low fat soups like spinach and broccoli soup.  

    *Make a great vegetable stir fry with olive oil.

      Healthy snacks:

      Of course no plan for healthy eating is complete without some great healthy snacks.  Below are some great healthy snacks for those on the go:

      *A piece of fresh fruit, like an apple, orange or banana, always makes a great snack.  Keep a bowl of fruit on your kitchen counter for easy access.  

      *Try mixing nuts and dried fruit for a great homemade trail mix.  Hikers and non hikers alike will enjoy this healthy snack.  

      *Treat yourself to a great glass of orange, tomato or cranberry juice before you leave the house in the morning.  

      *Keep a supply of broccoli florets, baby carrots and other bite size vegetables, and some healthy dip, on hand.  

      *Make your own fruit salad with oranges, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and other favorites.



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