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.)

Bad Fats and Good Fats

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In the past thirty years, nutritionists and the food industry as a whole have embraced the idea of lowering our fat intake.  This was a direct result of the information published by the government that encouraged less egg consumption because of the cholesterol found in eggs. 

After that particular piece of information, doctors discovered that when we consume fat, we have higher incidences of cholesterol problems. The logical conclusion they came to was that fat must be bad for you.  Thus, an entire generation has grown up with fat-free foods who believes that fat is what makes us obese, clogs our arteries, and causes ill-health.

Today, we have a whole food industry formed around low or no-fat food alternatives. These companies have large amounts of money invested in the production of these foods, and is not going to be willing to change that. Many companies would be out of business were they to try and reverse their food processing.

Consequently, these companies continue to perpetuate the myth that their low-fat food alternatives are the healthiest choices for you to eat. In reality, some of these so-called low-fat and no-fat foods contain ingredients that are not healthy and do not promote good health. Why are they unhealthy?

DANGERS OF LOW FAT FOODS

First of all, many of these “low-fat” foods are processed foods. Processed foods go through certain chemical processes where additives, chemicals and artificial coloring are added to them. These various additives can be dangerous to our health. People buy low-fat foods thinking they are healthier when, in fact, some of them are just the opposite.

How do you know what is in the processed food you buy? ALWAYS read the ingredients label. Food labels tell you exactly what is in the food you are buying.  For instance, if trans fats are in a product, they will be listed on the ingredient list.  Trans fats are found mainly in processed foods and should be avoided as much as possible. Why? Because there is a difference between bad fats and good fats.

BAD FAT VS. GOOD FAT

Today, we know that all fat is not created equally. There is bad fat and good fat. Saturated fats and trans fats are the “bad” fats. These fats are animal-based (meats, high-fat dairy, eggs) and increase the risk for heart disease, obesity, some types of cancer, stroke and other diseases. 

Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are “good” fats.  Examples of these fats include canola oil and olive oil.  These oils have heart-protecting qualities.  Many types of fish are also sources of good fat and fish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.  These omega-3’s promote good health and lower cholesterol levels.


TIPS FOR A “GOOD FAT" EATING PLAN

  • Reduce your intake of meats and increase your intake of fish.

  • Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Plant-based foods are necessary for a healthy diet. If you can't eat fresh, frozen fruits and vegetables rank a close second.

  • Get creative with seasonings to add flavor without adding fat or calories.  Garnishes like lemon juice, herbs, salsa or green onions are great toppings for vegetables and salads.

  • Instead of potato chips that are very high in fat, choose pretzels, or unbuttered popcorn.

  • In place of spreads like peanut butter and cream cheese, use fruit spreads, apple butter, or yogurt.

  • Instead of butter or sour cream, top baked potatoes with plain yogurt, steamed broccoli, cottage cheese, or salsa.

  • Use high fat toppings sparingly.  For instance, instead of using a tablespoon of blue cheese salad dressing, try using only a teaspoon.

  • Eat snacks that contain little fat.  Ginger snaps, angel food cake, vanilla wafers, fig bars, jelly beans, hard candy and gum drops are all excellent choices for a sweet treat.

  • Sometime low-fat products are better. For instance, avoid full fat dairy products whenever possible. Using skim milk or 2% milk instead of whole milk can make a huge difference in your daily fat intake.  Likewise, low fat alternatives to ice cream, such as frozen yogurt, provide all the flavor and none of the fat.

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