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.)

Nutrition and the Elderly

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As we get older, our nutrition is impacted by several factors, one of them being a change in body composition. During the later years in life, the body loses bone and muscle tone and gains fat because the hormones are not as active as they once were.

Use the tips below to help you lead a healthier lifestyle, no matter what your age.

WATER. Water in the body decreases with age, consequently many older folks become dehydrated very easily. Sometimes they won't feel thirsty, while other times it's too much work to pour a glass of water. With this in mind, it's recommended that they drink at least 1 ounce of water for every 2.2 pounds of weight.

PROTEIN. At this stage in life, protein is very important. It is needed to support a healthy immune system and prevent the wasting of muscle tissue. Since energy needs are less, the elderly should eat high quality protein such as eggs, lean meats, poultry, and fish.




CARBOHYDRATES AND FIBER. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the entire body. You can find them in bread, cereals, pasta, and other grain products. A diet that's high in fiber and water will help to prevent constipation as well.

FAT. Fat intake for the elderly should be limited, but not eliminated. You can limit fat by choosing lean meats, low fat dairy products, and food preparation methods that don't include frying.

IRON. For the elderly, appetite usually decreases. The result of this is iron deficiency because not enough foods (and not enough variety of foods) are eaten. Good sources for iron include lean red meats, organ meats, breakfast cereals, and beans.

ZINC. Zinc intake is normally low with the elderly, and to make matters worse, it's not absorbed very well. Meat, poultry, and fish should be a part of your diet to help you meet the requirements for zinc.

CALCIUM. Calcium is one ingredient that most elderly folks simply aren't getting enough of. Most believe that milk upsets their stomach, and therefore they avoid it. They should be getting around 1,500 mg of calcium a day. Nonfat powdered milk can be used in recipes as a substitute for milk. Other foods that supply calcium are yogurt, low fat cheese, and broccoli.

VITAMIN B12. Most elderly people suffer from a deficiency in B12 because they have a condition known as atrophic gastritis. This condition causes inflammation of the stomach, bacterial overgrowth, and the intrinsic factor. Without the intrinsic factor, this vitamin can be absorbed.

Each one of the above nutrients are needed to keep an aging body in good health. Elderly individuals should try to stay active and strive for a well balanced diet. Even though their body isn't the same as it used to be, proper care and the right nutrients can help the elderly enjoy a healthier and longer life.

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