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 Approach to Stress

5:26 AM  , ,  No comments

 We all suffer from stress of some kind every day. Different people get bothered for different reasons. A big sports game, an office presentation, deadlines at work, even other people and relationships --- all these can cause us stress.  


Stress, as a normal human reaction, is the body's reaction to rising challenges and tough situations.  People work, play, study, do things everyday, and it is impossible not to feel stressed at some point. When people do not want to experience stress, they turn to anti-stress medications.

A healthier approach to relieving stress is by practicing stress techniques that can maintain the person's state of balance and regulation in both body and mind.  Exercise is a stress technique that is not only good for your physical health but relieve a person's tension and frustration. 

Sports and other fitness routines are excellent ways to relieve tension.  Many people who want to manage stress go to a boxing class, join a cycling club, or engage in other exercise activities that would allow them to release their stress.

Aside from exercise, another useful technique is to practice deep breathing, giving the person a feeling of relaxation.  Proper breathing counts and rhythm is used as stress techniques that eventually lead to more relaxation. 

Relaxation activities such as Yoga or Tai chi can also eliminate stress by relaxing the mind and body, and thereby relieving stress patterns around the body.  Yoga and tai-chi also help develop concentration and positive body awareness.

These Oriental arts have been practiced by millions of people for centuries and medical research have documented the beneficial effects of these modes of exercise. By moving slowly with ease and always in a state of relaxation, the person performing these activities will feel good, and soon the feeling of relaxation will follow. 

Muscle relaxation, deep breathing and constant contraction and relaxation of different body parts, helps a person feel relaxed every after contraction, releasing stress. Massage therapy also helps fight stress. Massaging your scalp, putting pressure on your shoulders or even your eyes can really decrease stress in that part of the body. 

For those who have tried every massage or stress management technique, taking a prescription drug may very well be the last option. However, the use of these medications nearly always has side effects. With proper doctor's advice, the use of safe and proven drugs may help people who need stress relief.

 

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