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.)

Reduce Your Risk of Cold and Flu

6:09 AM  , , , , , ,  No comments

If you are like me, a new year is always filled with excitement and anticipation of what's to come with resolutions I have made and goals I have set. Unfortunately, however, this time of year also comes with something not so nice - flu season - and now we are right in the midst of it.

Most people don’t make much distinction between the terms 'cold' and 'flu'. Though both the common cold and influenza are viral in nature, they are not terms that should be used interchangeably.

Colds generally involve symptoms that include a runny nose, a sore throat, and coughing, but they seldom involve a headache or a fever. A cold will typically last only about a week and symptoms are usually much less severe than those associated with the flu.

Influenza, or the 'flu' as it is commonly called, is essentially an acute viral infection of the upper respiratory tract or digestive tract. It is often accompanied by fever, chills, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain and excessive fatigue.

Naturally, many people look at the flu as being a negative situation due to its unpleasant side effects. However, according to holistic healing principles, a flu is often what is referred to as a 'healing crisis,' during which toxic waste products are eliminated.

Therefore, it is part of a periodic process of the body to find a greater level of health. While a flu or cold is often bothersome and sometimes painful, you should know that there is positive healing taking place. Knowing this allows you to work with the natural processes of your body.

In doing so, you can often enhance your immune function and shorten the acute symptoms. Experts recommend that you take the following proactive measures to help cut down on your risk of acquiring a cold or the flu:

* Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, using warm water and soap all over your hands and fingers. Washing your hands should take a minimum of 15 seconds.

* Avoid putting your hands near your eyes, nose or mouth as most germs enter through these areas.

* Strengthen your immune system with balanced meals, plenty of sleep, a good multi-vitamin and extra vitamin C.

* Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, your body can still become dehydrated and make you more prone to infection.

* Exercise every day! Regular and consistent exercise not only helps you look better and gives you more energy, but it also strengthens your body from the inside out, making you a less likely target for all the germs and bacteria that are floating around.

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