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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.)

The Perfect Healthy Meal

5:15 AM  , ,  No comments

It's true what they say - you are what you eat. Good nutrition is vital to a strong and healthy mind and body. If you feed your body with low nutritional and sugary garbage, your body has nothing to work with and you'll end up eventually looking and feeling like garbage.


On the other hand, if you nourish your body with food that is packed with nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, healthy fats, whole grains and omega-3's, you'll notice a huge difference in how you look and feel...especially if you make this type of food a dietary habit.

How do you start eating like this at home? Learn how to make healthy meals at home using ingredients you buy at the grocery store, not frozen entrees. Only you can control exactly what goes into it. The end result is a meal that you know is nutritious and NOT packed with health-deteriorating ingredients.

A PERFECT HEALTHY MEAL YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME

You will need:

1 10 ounce bag of baby spinach
1 can of wild Alaskan pink salmon
1-2 teaspoons of olive oil
1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup of brown rice

Here's a breakdown of each food's health benefits:

SPINACH - Among the world's healthiest vegetables, spinach comes out at the top for nutrient richness. Rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, it is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection.

WILD ALASKAN PINK SALMON – This food is a powerhouse of good fats, protein omega-3's, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Selenium, and is low in calories and carbohydrates. The salmon you would normally buy is potentially high in mercury, which is bad. The Wild Alaskan form is free of mercury.

OMEGA-3'S are vital for healthy weight loss, brain health and a healthy cardiovascular system as well as normal growth and development. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

OLIVE OIL - A monounsaturated fat that protects against bad cholesterol and is filled with antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients that may protect you against illnesses. Olive oil can help protect you from heart disease, promote healthy digestion, lower gallstone formation and balance the fatty acids in your body.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR - Contains antioxidants that boost the activity of the digestive enzyme pepsin. This enzyme breaks proteins down into smaller amino acids, a process that enhances the immune system, metabolism, and cellular repair. It also contains acetic acid that helps the body absorb certain minerals that can strengthen bones.

BROWN RICE -  Is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, selenium, manganese, and the vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. Brown rice is a good source of dietary fiber, and protein.

Making the meal is easy. You simply lay the spinach out on a platter- you can more or less use however much you want- and drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the spinach.

Let this sit for 10 minutes or so- this gives the spinach a chance to soak up the oil and vinegar. While this is sitting, cook the brown rice and open up the can of salmon. When ready, simply spread the salmon over the spinach and put the brown rice either on the side or in a separate bowl.

This meal will take you 15 minutes max to make and each bite will nourish your body from the inside out. Once you get used to eating healthy, you'll find yourself experimenting with all types of different meals. Enjoy!

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