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.)


Constipation Is Hazardous to Your Health

Three out of four people struggle with constipation either occasionally or chronically. The first question that a nutritionist or any other health practitioner should ask you on your first visit is, “how many bowel movements do you have each day or each week?”

Constipation is hazardous to your health. How? Without good regular bowel movements and colon function, you will create illnesses, a toxic colon, and diseases – including constipation.

Your colon provides nutrients and water to all parts of the body. If your colon is toxic, the blood will also be toxic. If your colon is toxic, these toxins will gradually reach all parts of your body through the blood and lymph liquid.

The result is the body and various organs affected will become less efficient. Overtime this decreased efficiency will cause the body to become diseased and you will lose your good health.

Since the colon is basically the body’s sewer system, keeping it cleaned out will reduce the risk for disease. Switch your diet to one that is rich in fiber and reduce your intake of processed foods. This will keep your digestive system free of toxins.

How do you add fiber to your diet? Use the tips below to increase your fiber intake:
*EAT WHOLE GRAINS. Use food made with whole grains such as whole grain breads, cereals, wheat germ, barley and brown rice. Always check food labels.

*EAT WHOLE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Avoid fruit juices except fresh fruit juices made in a juicer. They can be high in sugar content. 
 
*EAT BEANS. Most varieties of beans are a rich source of fiber, especially kidney beans, black beans and garbanzo beans.
 

*AVOID SUGAR, PROCESSED FOODS & WHITE FLOUR. There is no fiber or nutritional value in these foods making them very unhealthy for your body.

*REDUCE MEAT AND DAIRY. If you eat too much meat and dairy products you will not get enough fiber in your diet. You either need to reduce the amounts you eat or increase the amount of fiber you eat.

*DRINK LOTS OF WATER. You must drink plenty of water throughout the day to help push the fiber through your body. Water also eliminates toxins and speeds up the metabolism. Drink at least 8 glasses a day.

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