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.)

Salmon and Your Health

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The modern North American diet is one that is rich in saturated fats, deep fried foods, and high sugar drinks. Cola, alcohol, and fast food have all taken their toll on the overall health and fitness of the North American population, and now a full two thirds of the population is considered overweight or obese, with nearly ten percent of the population being morbidly obese.


The mere mention of a change in diet immediately instills fears of ultra-strict calorie pinching and meal planning, yet it does not have to be so. The right combination of foods, combined with moderate physical activity, is all that one needs to get back into shape and back on track with their health.

BENEFITS OF SALMON

Salmon is high in lean protein, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. A four ounce fillet of Salmon contains almost half your daily supply of most essential nutrients, and over eighty percent of your daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains a full day’s supply of vitamin D. What's best is that it does all of this while only packing 261 lean, worry free calories.

The number of benefits that come from a regular diet of salmon is remarkable, and experiencing them only involves a few minor changes to your diet. There is no calorie counting, food blocking, or starvation involved with this diet modification, only the substitution of three meals a week that feature salmon as the entrée instead of three high fat meals.  

Eating salmon supplies your body with lean protein, allowing your muscles to develop without adding the layers of fat to go with it. The eventual result is the creation of lean muscle mass and a reduction in fat stores across the body. Though the consumption of salmon alone won't decrease your body fat index, if it replaces other, high-calorie and high-fat meals, it will certainly get you off to a great start.

The omega-3 acids and high vitamin content of salmon also gives your body an edge cardio wise. Your heart will pump healthier and more efficiently, and your risk for various heart diseases will be significantly reduced. Bear in mind that if you are consuming nothing but fast food and fried snacks there is nothing that anyone or anything can do to help.
 
HOW TO ADD SALMON TO YOUR DIET

There are many sources of salmon, such as fresh salmon fillets or canned salmon (similar to canned tuna). As a general rule, you want to focus on fresh wild Salmon as opposed to farmed salmon. There are many varieties of wild salmon, though we have become particularly fond of the deep, rich taste from Alaskan wild salmon.

Replacing three high-fat meals with a Salmon-based one each week is all it takes to enjoy the numerous benefits associated with salmon. There are many different and creative ways to prepare salmon, so search around for a recipe that tickles your taste buds. One favorite method is either grilling or poaching a six ounce fillet.

When everything is said and done, salmon is a versatile, hard-working part of a healthy lifestyle. It can be prepared many, many different ways, and it always tastes great. The best part, however, is knowing that you can enjoy salmon without having to feel guilty.

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