Don't Diet!

When you hear the word “diet” does it bring immediate thoughts of failure? How many times have you gone on diets, only to fail miserably? Could it be that “diets” just don’t work?  Diets don’t work. Don’t diet! Why?

If you go on a “diet” you are only setting yourself up for another round of failure. Never use that word. If you need to lose weight and become healthier, instead of going on yet another diet, you must make changes to your entire lifestyle or you will never be successful.

Making changes to your lifestyle is not just about changing how you eat, it is about your attitudes, your feelings, and your knowledge about what is healthy and what is not. It is about how much physical activity you get and whether or not you really want to improve your life.

WHY DIETS DON’T WORK.

Eating can be an addiction for many. Unfortunately, you can't give up eating the way a smoker can give up cigarettes. Think about how difficult it would be to try to give up smoking but be forced to smoke three a day.  You would probably decide that you might as well enjoy them every time the urge hits.

Unfortunately, you must eat in order to survive. This means that if food is a problem in your life, you must find a healthier attitude towards food. This is where diets fail. Diets do nothing to change how we view food. “Diets” are about deprivation. No one wants to feel deprived.

We punish ourselves when we slip up along the very narrow pathways upon which our diets place us. This means that we wallow in guilt over every little misstep we make until we give up all together and decide to over indulge once again and ignore the guilt all together. The answer, don’t diet.

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

If you don’t diet, to have real success, you must make lifestyle changes. Period. This is the only way you can lose weight without experiencing the guilt that so many dieters go through with their diets. Set new goals for yourself. Keep them aggressive but realistic for fitness, dropping pounds, and eating healthy foods.

Change your way of eating. Then change the way you see food and you will experience amazing changes in your attitudes toward your health, your body, and your fitness level. As the pounds begin to drop off, you will experience more energy and less pain when exercising. This will help keep you motivated.

 

KEEP IT STEADY.

Long-term weight loss goals are challenging. Take it one day at a time and begin again the next day. This means that even if you fall completely "off the wagon" today, you can start over tomorrow. The key to success is to stay the course more days than not and learning moderation and balance when it comes to straying from the straight and narrow.

How can you be successful if you don’t diet? There are many ways to fail when it comes to dieting. There is no way to fail, however, when you are making positive changes in your life that reap positive results. It may take weeks or months to reach your goal. As long as you are making steady and continuous efforts and progress, you are doing wonderful things for your health.

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Healthy Individuals

Wellness refers to the condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and habits.  Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do.  Our ability to provide the body with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes.  But what makes us healthy individuals?

NUTRITION

The first place to start would be examining your eating habits.  Since we are a product of what we eat, if our eating habits are unhealthy, we’re not going to be healthy individuals. Do you take in more calories than your body needs?  Are you taking vitamins and supplements to make sure you are getting your recommended daily allowances?  If you’re not taking care of your most basic nutritional needs, you aren’t a well individual. 

EXERCISE

Next, look at your exercise habits, if there are any.  If there aren’t any exercise routines to examine, there is no wellness.  Everyone, no matter what their age, benefits from exercise.  Whether it is organized sports or a daily walk, exercise is a necessary wellness tool.  It keeps our bodies conditioned, our minds sharp, and we get a boost to our cardio health, extra calorie burn, and more oxygen to those cells!

STRESS

Being able to handle the daily stresses of life helps keep us well.  Making sure we take the time to accommodate our needs for stress relief, such as downtime, therapy time, massage time, or simply take the time for a nice, hot bath.  The body tends to retain stress in the muscles of the shoulder and back.  Taking the time to relax, combined with physical exercise, will help you maintain a state of wellness. 

Our personal habits either keep us well or prevent us from being well. If you smoke, drink, or lose sleep to excess you’re not the well individual you could be.  Smoking, drinking, and loss of sleep work to our detriment, and it takes extreme discipline to stop.  Smoking fills our body with carcinogens, and works to keep us tired and lethargic. 

Giving ourselves adequate time to devote to all areas of our physical needs, from our nutritional intake needs, to our physical fitness needs, to the need for quiet time, contributes to our capacity for being healthy individuals.  How well we allocate time for these needs, and the choices we make in fulfilling these needs, keeps us well.

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10 Superfoods

You hear a lot about foods that are considered “superfoods” because they are so nutritious. The following 10 foods belong to this nutritional powerhouse list.

Avocados

Though avocados contain more fat than almost any other fruit, it's virtually all monounsaturated fat whose many benefits include raising good cholesterol, lowering bad cholesterol and preventing heart disease. It's high in fiber, low in calories, and higher than bananas in the blood-pressure-reducing mineral potassium.

Beets

Beets contain a greater range of nutrients than almost any other fruit or vegetable. The antioxidants that give beets their deep red color fight off free radicals that attack the body's cells. Free radicals can lead to aging and many diseases including cancer. Compounds in beets can lower blood pressure and heart disease risk, and help cleanse the body of harmful chemicals present in processed foods, such as nitrates.

Berries

Berries are full of antioxidants, versatile and delicious. Strawberries should be eaten for potassium, raspberries for vitamin C, blueberries for fiber and blackberries for vitamin E.

Broccoli

Broccoli is rich in dozens of nutrients, packing the most nutritional punch of any vegetable. It has vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium, and is a rich source of fiber. Beta-carotene and vitamin C are important antioxidants that have been linked to a reduced risk of numerous conditions, including heart disease and several types of cancer. Half of its fiber is insoluble and half is soluble, helping to meet your body’s needs for both types of fiber.

Lentils 

As we are increasingly hearing about the health risks of consuming too much red meat, lentils are a near-perfect substitute: When mixed with rice or another grain, they form a complete protein with all the amino acids the body needs. Lentils have no cholesterol, virtually no fat, and high proportions of soluble and insoluble fibers that help manage blood sugar, lower cholesterol and aid digestion. They're also packed with vitamins and minerals, including iron.

Nuts

Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts and peanuts are full of heart-healthy fats that boost "good" cholesterol. Adding a few servings of nuts a week can dramatically reduce people's risk of cardiovascular disease. Some studies have found that regular nut consumption actually makes people less likely to gain weight.

Quinoa

Many Americans never have heard of this grain. Quinoa is very high in fiber, protein and minerals, and very low in calories and in fat. Studies have shown eating a daily bowl can lower rates of obesity, breast cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Salmon

Salmon is low in contaminants and high in the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Regularly consuming salmon can help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation; and the fish oil provides a brain-nourishing compound that can slow the mental decline associated with aging.

Spinach

Spinach is full of anti-oxidants. It rids the body of free radicals and is packed with nutrients including calcium, vitamins A and K, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Tomatoes

Regular consumption of tomato products can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease due to its combination of vitamins and phytonutrients such as lycopene. Because cooking actually enhances tomatoes' health-promoting properties by making nutrients more easily absorbed, canned tomatoes are a good alternative to fresh.

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Fun Ways to Add Fruit and Vegetables to your Diet

March is National Nutrition Month making it a perfect time for you to find out more about healthy nutrition and how much it affects your life and your health. You probably already know more than you think about what you should be eating but for more information, there are dozens and dozens of sites online that will help you make informed decisions about what you and your family should be eating.

Listed below are some creative and helpful ways for you to add fruits and vegetables to your diet.

*MAIN DISH - Make your main dish a big, colorful bowl of salad. Start with lots of dark leafy greens. Then add tomato, bell peppers, green onions, celery, carrots, cucumber, or whatever you fancy. The possibilities are endless. For protein, add some beans or tuna. Top with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette.

*SANDWICH - For a healthy, delectable sandwich add sliced onion, tomato, bell pepper, avocado, cucumber or apple to a slice of your favorite cheese. Put it all on two pieces of whole grain bread, add a little seasoning and some low-fat dressing, and you have a delicious, nutritious masterpiece.

*SOUP - Make a big pot of vegetable soup. Saute some garlic, onion, bell pepper and chopped tomatoes. Add carrots, celery, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, peas, asparagus, mushrooms, etc. Use a small amount of high starchy veggies like corn and potatoes. One of the great things about soup is that you can freeze it.

*PIZZA - Make some homemade pizza and top it with loads of your favorite fresh veggies.

*SNACKS - For snacks, instead of eating unhealthy, fattening potato chips and dip, try munching on some fresh vegetables dipped in your favorite salad dressing, guacamole or hummus.

*BREAKFAST - For breakfast, add veggies like onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini to your omelet.

*BREAKFAST - Another option for breakfast is to whip up a fruit smoothie. Throw in a banana, a handful of strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or cantaloupe, some low-fat Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed.  Use frozen or fresh fruit. It’s delicious!

*DESSERT - Another delicious way to enjoy fruit is to eat it as dessert instead of something that is full of sugar like cookies, candy or cakes. Slice up a melon or a banana, add some berries and top with some low-fat yogurt. Yum!

As you can see, it is not that difficult to add more fruit and vegetables to your diet. Be creative. I’m sure you can come up with a lot more ways! Not only will you lose weight and be healthier, as your body gets used to eating more and more fruit and vegetables, it will no longer crave sugar and processed foods.

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Smart Snacks

People who are successful at losing weight do not skip meals and they do not wait until they are horribly hungry before they eat.  They spread their calories throughout the day. This keeps the body’s blood sugar at a consistent level and you will not feel like you are starving yourself.   

What are some ways you can beat snack attacks?

PRE-PLAN and PRE-PACK SNACKS. 

This is one of the best things you can do to lose weight without feeling deprived. When you come home from the grocery, before you put any food away, do this instead:

*     *Count out 100-calorie baggies of healthy snacks like pretzels, whole grain crackers, raisins, dates, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. 

      *Cut up veggies like carrots, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers,  etc. and bag them, either one kind to a bag or mix and match.

This is one of the smartest and easiest things you can do for yourself. Whenever you feel a snack attack coming on, grab a bag and munch away. This way you still get to snack but will never feel like you are depriving yourself. Plus, you will keep your body satisfied and your metabolism working efficiently.

HOW TO AVOID MINDLESS EATING.

This has always been my downfall. If I sit down in front of the television in the evening, I am doomed. I will start eating whatever food I can find, completely ignoring the fact that I am not hungry. 

Hunger has nothing to do with it! If you do this as well, you must make a deliberate effort to make some changes or you will not be able to maintain a healthy weight.

The first thing you must do is change your mindless eating to purposeful eating. Once you make yourself aware of exactly what you are eating, you will not be so inclined to indulge. If you must eat, grab one of your pre-packed snack bags and eat. If sitting in front of the television is a trigger for mindless eating, get up and do something else. 

      *Take a walk. If you can’t go outside in the evening to walk, walk around your house. Walk from one end to the other as many times as you can, or do a few jumping jacks, or run in place. The exercise is excellent for your body and will make you more mindful of what you eat later.

*Listen to music. Put some headphones on, close your eyes, and listen to your favorite band or listen to some soft music that will help relax you. It’s difficult to eat when your eyes are closed!
 

      *Curl up and read a book. It’s a lot more difficult to eat when you are trying to hold a book and concentrate on reading. If you don’t have a book, read a magazine or play around on the Internet. The idea is to do something that will take your mind off of food.

Smart snacking and purposeful eating will change the way you look at snacking. It’s all about taking charge of your eating habits.  Only you can control what you eat. Once you are aware of exactly what you are eating, you will begin to make the change from empty calorie snacks to healthy and nutritious snacks.

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This is What Your Plate Should Look Like

Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods contain the nutrients you need without too many calories. Over the day, include foods from all the food groups. 

Half of Your Plate Should Be Fruits & Vegetables.

Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange vegetables. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables all count. Fresh, of course, is always best, but frozen is a close second. Never eat regular canned because they are so high in sodium. Always choose "reduced sodium" or "no-salt-added" canned vegetables. Fresh is also best for fruits, but they can also be dried, frozen, canned in water or 100% juice.

Only Choose Whole Grains.

Choose 100% whole-grain breads, cereals, crackers, pasta and brown rice. Always check the ingredients list on food packages to find whole-grain foods.

Use Fat-Free Or Low-Fat Milk. Fat-free and low-fat milk have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but less fat and calories. If you are lactose intolerant, try lactose-free milk or a calcium-fortified soy beverage.

Eat a Variety of Lean Protein. Eat a variety of foods from the lean protein group each week, such as seafood, nuts and beans, as well as lean meat, poultry and eggs. Twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate. Keep meat and poultry portions small and lean.

Reduce Sodium and Avoid Empty Calories. Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Select fruit for dessert. Eat sugary desserts less often. Choose 100% fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks. Look out for salt (sodium) in foods you buy. Compare sodium in foods and choose those with lower numbers. Add spices or herbs to season food without adding salt. Make major sources of saturated fats such as desserts, pizza, cheese, sausages and hot dogs occasional choices, not every day foods.

Enjoy Your Food But Eat Less. Avoid oversized portions. Use a smaller plate, bowl and glass. Cook more often at home, where you are in control of what's in your food.

Eating Out. When eating out, choose low-calorie menu options. Choose dishes that include vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Write down what you eat to keep track of how much you eat. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so sensibly. Limit to 1 drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men.

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How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

If you are on a strict budget, you probably think that you can’t afford to eat healthy foods. A major issue for those who are trying to create a healthy lifestyle is the cost of healthy food. However, if you shop wisely, you can eat healthier than you ever have before and decrease your grocery bill at the same time. Nutritious eating doesn't need to be expensive.

SAVE ON MEAT:

Canned fish costs considerably less than fresh fish and still contains most of the nutrients. Canned tuna and salmon are cheap and are very low in fat and calories if you choose the varieties packed in water rather than oil. Chicken is much less expensive if you purchase a whole chicken and remove the skin yourself before cooking.

MORE VEGETABLES & BEANS, LESS MEAT:

Reducing the amount of meat you eat and replacing it with vegetables and/or beans is a great way to save money. Fresh vegetables are not nearly as expensive as meat or poultry and your body will thank you for it. Salad is another cheap, healthy food. The pre-packaged salads are more expensive than purchasing the lettuce and other vegetables separately and preparing the salad yourself. Beans are inexpensive, very nutritious, and can replace meat several times a week.  .

HOW TO BUY FRUIT:

Fruit can be somewhat expensive. If you buy fresh fruit, always buy what is in season. That will save you money. Apples and oranges are inexpensive compared to some other fruits and, of course, you can often find sales that will further reduce your expenses. If you buy canned fruit, buy the kind that is packed in water or less sugar. Never buy the kind that is packed in heavy syrup.

LESS JUNK FOOD, MORE SAVINGS:

By choosing healthy foods, you will automatically be spending less than before due to the absence of junk foods that you may normally purchase. Junk food like chips, donuts, cookies, cakes and soft drinks are expensive and can eat up a good portion of your grocery budget.

Healthy eating is not just eliminating certain foods from your diet; it is replacing them with healthy foods. Making these changes to your eating plan will not only help you save money, they will also do wonderful things for your body. You will lose weight, feel better and be healthier.

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What You Eat Determines Your Health

Somewhere caught up in your busy lifestyle, between your Blackberry, day planner, laptop, your kids sports, piano lessons, traffic jams, and household duties, being healthy got deleted from your agenda.  Instead of planning healthy meals and taking the time to sit down to eat, you’re on the go, driving through fast food joints eating combo meals, forgetting to eat lean protein, fruits and vegetables.  Unfortunately, those quick and easy foods are loaded with carbohydrates, sodium, sugar and fats.   

You must make the effort to change your way of eating if you want to be healthy. Here are some tips for healthy eating:

1.            NEVER skip breakfast.  Eating in the morning will jump-start your metabolism, giving you energy to get you through the morning.  Protein and carbohydrate in the morning is a great breakfast.  Breakfast should be your largest meal for the day. 

2.         Reduce your intake of caffeinated and carbonated beverages.  Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and is addictive.  Caffeine will make you hungry.  Carbonation prevents your body from absorbing nutrients.  Both caffeine and carbonation will cause your body to be in a more acidic state, something you do not want. 

3.         Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.  I personally drink distilled water and avoid tap water at all costs.  Filtered, purified, ionized and reverse osmosis water is also good.  Think of water as cleansing the toxins out of your body.  Water is water. It is not ice tea, coffee, or Crystal light. 

4.         Eat your fruits and vegetables daily.  A diet rich in dark green, orange, red and yellow choices are best.  Your body likes variety that comes in all colors.  Variety gives your body a greater amount of nutrients.  The most overlooked benefit of eating raw vegetables in your diet is the benefits of the enzyme activity in raw vegetables.  Eat at least 3 portions of raw vegetables a day. 

5.         Eat whole-grain products.  Your best sources are whole-grain breads, cereals, rice and pasta.  Stay away from enriched and white flour products.  Read the label.  Processed foods are not whole-grains.  All the healthy nutrients have been stripped away from processed foods.  Try to greatly reduce your intake of processed foods.

6.         Cut the “bad” (saturated) fats and increase the “good” (unsaturated) fats.  The bad fats include coconut and palm oil, butter, full-fat dairy products and animal fat.  Eat the good fats that include olive, canola and corn oils.  Read the label.  Anything fat that is solid at room temperature is best to avoid. 

7.         Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.  Alcohol has wasted calories and if consumed on a regular basis, adds unwanted pounds.  Alcohol also increases your blood sugar levels which is unhealthy for your metabolism. 

Try and make one change a week.  Or continue to work on one of these tips until it becomes a part of your healthy lifestyle.  Healthy eating takes some planning.  It’s very difficult to eat healthy on the fly.  Spend some time and plan your meals.  It’s well worth the rewards.  You are what you eat.  If you are eating unhealthy, don’t expect to stay healthy for long.  It’s easier to stay healthy than to try to get healthy once you are sick. 

With only a few simple changes, you can make a big difference in your daily eating habits.  Use your mind – if you think healthy, you will eat healthy.  Think of foods as fuel for your body.  Eating healthy foods will produce a healthy body. 

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How to Break Bad Habits and Create New Healthy Ones

Our brains are wired for habits. The ones that give us pleasure like eating rich foods, smoking and drinking alcohol, release the chemical dopamine in the brain. This floods the body with good feelings. Repeated behavior deepens the neurological grooves in our brain, making habits extremely difficult to break. Our brains actually prefer habitual behavior because it is comfortable and familiar.

Below are some tips on how to rewire your brain to kick bad habits:

1. First, you must figure out what your triggers are.  There’s a reason why you drink too much or eat too much. It could be to ease stress or relieve loneliness. Habits are formed when a behavior is linked to an emotion. A good way to figure out what your triggers are is to keep a daily journal that tracks what emotion or event triggers a habit.

2. Now that you have figured out what your triggers are, find a replacement habit.  We never actually break our habits, we simply replace them with other habits. So, if you have a bad habit, find a new, healthy one to replace it. Instead of sitting in front of the television with a box of cookies, take a walk after dinner. Work a puzzle, read a book, listen to your favorite music, knit, crochet; you get the idea! Repeating a healthy behavior is the best way to rewire your brain.

3. Don’t get discouraged. You need to recognize that the immediate reward you get from a bad habit is stronger than the delayed gratification that comes from changing it. To successfully kick a habit your must retrain your mind to think, not of instant gratification, but of future benefits. This takes time. Keep trying, and don’t think of a backslide as failure. Instead, call  it a “slip.” If people think they’re failing, they give up. After three weeks, the new habit should become second nature.

4. Exercise. Regular exercise raises the level of a key protein that encourages the growth of new neurons in the brain. New neurons are essential to rewiring the brain for healthy habits. To create those new neurons, you don’t have to run a marathon. Taking a walk 4 times a week for 30-40 minutes will do the trick, or riding a bike, skating, jogging or working out on an elliptical. Any extra movement you can incorporate into your daily schedule will help you tremendously.

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Take the 'Boring' Out of Exercise

Exercise is good for you – there’s simply no doubt about it!  However, most people who have vowed to dedicate themselves to an exercise program end up quitting after a month or so. Let’s face it, North Americans start and stop their fitness programs more frequently than they change their underwear.

It’s understandable that buying gym memberships and large pieces of fitness equipment is unaffordable for much of the population – especially when that membership loses itself in the back of your wallet or that high-tech treadmill is being used as the most expensive clothes rack your basement has ever had. 

Why can’t most people stick with a fitness program? Because most people associate exercise as something that is boring, tedious and a waste of their valuable time. Therefore, the key to a successful fitness programs is to make it fun!

For some reason fitness has negative connotations for many people. The excuse you will hear most often is that “I just don’t have the time” to exercise. The fact is that we all lead very busy lives and exercise is often figured into it as an afterthought behind work, family, and social outings.

If exercise is just another leisure activity on your weekly schedule it has to be something you’ll look forward to or you simply won’t stick to it. Try changing the word ‘exercise’ to ‘leisure activity’. You would certainly schedule a social outing with your friends, so why not get them together and go to a spin class or on a power walk?

In this day and age, fitness takes up approximately an hour, 4-days a week of the average person’s time. So it has to be fun or people simply won’t put in that extra hour. The good news is that entertaining workouts are available. Many are largely dance-inspired – including belly dancing, cardio strip, pole dancing and salsa dance workouts.

Pole dancing is far more challenging than it looks. It takes a large amount of upper body strength to keep yourself suspended from a pole, and swinging yourself around it is cardiovascular. The cardio strip is like a high-intensity cardio workout that includes hip thrusts, kicks and abdominal twisting.

These are just a few examples of why fitness can’t be fun. Start by searching your local community centers and gyms for an activity that you really enjoy. Try tango lessons with your partner or a high-octane cardio kickboxing session with your best friend – all followed by a healthy lunch. This way, you get your fun social gathering and your workout too!

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The Only Successful Way to Lose Weight

If you are carrying around extra pounds on your body, you are putting yourself at a greatly increased risk for many diseases and conditions; heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis, just to name a few.  To prevent and control these diseases, you must lose weight.

The only successful way to lose weight that will provide lifetime results is to set realistic goals. The quick weight loss methods that involve starving yourself, diet drinks and/or diet pills do not last, and in many cases, are dangerous to your health.

 How to lose weight the healthy way:

1.  Set realistic goals.

It is impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life. If your mindset is that you only want to lose weight the fastest way possible, you will fail miserably. Once you have decided on a weight loss plan, stick to it and follow your dieting rules. 

2.   NEVER starve yourself.

The key to being successful at losing weight is DO NOT DIET!

If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So, if you just eat one huge sandwich in one day, it will end up straight in your problem area (i.e. thighs, buttocks, hips).

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted flabs on your belly and thighs by skipping meals but remember that this will not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up everyday.

3.  Start your day with breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism. Your food intake right after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long so make it a meal that is high in good nutrition (i.e. no donuts!).

4.  Eat smaller, healthy meals frequently.

Five small-serving snacks per day is better for your body than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, prevents over-eating, increases your metabolism and makes calories burn faster. 

5.  Drink lots of water.

Your body needs sufficient water to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy.

6.  Avoid too much sugar.

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some whole grain bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you need, plus lean  meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only.

7.  Watch your fat intake.

Fat is not the culprit to being overweight. You need this to keep your weight at the proper level but here is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanut and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats that are so good for your heart. 

8.  Exercise.

Walk if you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or skate. Do these activities every day.  You will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane activities.

It does not matter how much weight you plan or need to lose. What is important is that you set realistic goals for yourself. Go slowly. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next 5 pounds.

Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health. The result is a new, healthier you.

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Lifestyle for a Healthy Heart

A healthy heart is necessary for a healthy life. Eating right and living a healthy lifestyle  to maintain a healthy heart is essential. The food you choose to eat should contain little fat, sodium, and calories but have a lot of fiber content.

HIGH FAT FOODS: Meat, butter, cheese, and milk contain high levels of “bad” fats and should only be eaten in small quantities as they increase your risk for heart disease. You must also reduce your intake of foods that are high in sodium.

LOSE WEIGHT: The incidence of heart disease increases greatly for those who are obese. It is essential to maintain a healthy weight. To effectively lose weight you must reduce your caloric intake. An easy way to do this is to increase foods that are low in calories and high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

EXERCISE: A major factor that leads to heart disease is a sedentary life style. With the advent of technology-based jobs, more and more people are sitting at their computers all day. If you are one of these people, try to take a break every 30 minutes and walk around your desk, up and down a hallway or up and down the stairs.

Some people try to relax by sitting before the television. Either you sit before your computer or in front of the TV. This is also an unhealthy habit. If you want to relax, try to take a walk outside. Walking is a wonderful exercise for your heart. A brisk walk for 30-40 minutes daily will change your life beyond your expectations. Try it.

There are other aerobic exercises that can be done to strengthen your heart. Some of the aerobic exercises are bicycling, jogging, jumping rope and skating. These exercises should be done for at least 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week. If you are overweight then it is time to a look at your work schedule and allot some time for exercise.

You will feel better, be leaner, have more energy, and you will have a healthy heart. By following this type of lifestyle you will also reduce your risk for many diseases and illnesses. A win-win situation for all.

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Cardio Boxing

Cardio-boxing is one of the best forms of exercise because it conditions the total body and provides a complete workout for your cardiovascular and endurance systems. The major benefits of cardio-boxing are increased stamina, strength and coordination.

The usual workout consists of the age-adjusted heart rate work starting with 10 minutes for beginners and leading up to 20 minutes for the more advanced.  For the second part of the workout, you’ll need to perform and practice 20 minutes of actual boxing techniques.

Cardio

The best way to measure the effects of an exercise program on your body is to check your pulse. The easiest way to do this is to place your index and middle fingers on your carotid artery or the wrist. Immediately after the exercise, count your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.

You can also check your pulse during the exercise but with safety as a first priority. Now you have your exercising pulse rate or heartbeats per minute.  We’ll be concentrating at the upper end of your pulse region: the 50% - 70% ranges. 

To figure this out, deduct your age from 220. Suppose your age is 40, deduct this from 220 and you get 180. 

50% of 180 is 90 beats a minute,

60% of 180 is 108 beats a minute,

70% of 180 is 126 beats a minute and so on.

Don’t jump into 70% work straight away. Start with 50% and slowly work your way up to the 70% upper limit.  Start with no more than 10 minutes, and work up to 20 minutes. Once you’re comfortable with working out for 20 minutes at 70% then try to increase the heart rate up to 80%.      

Boxing

The boxing stance is the posture a boxer takes before and after every action depending on whether you are left or right handed. We’ll be dealing with the most common; right-handed. For left-handed people, just reverse the instructions.

Position:

1.  Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, with your left foot in front of your right foot. Your right heel should be slightly raised with your left foot flat on the floor and toes pointing ahead.

2.  Bend your knees a little and balance your weight comfortably and evenly.

3.  Place your elbows close to your body with your left fist held at head height and in a position that corresponds to your left foot.

4.  The right fist should be at head height also and guarding the chin, with both elbows protecting your body and both fists protecting your chin.

This is your defensive and offensive position after throwing punches, so please practice this before going any further. 

Moving:

When moving forward in this boxing stance, the left foot moves forward first and then the right follows.

When moving back, the right moves back and then the left follows. 

When moving sideward to the right, the right foot moves first followed by the left. 

When moving sideward to the left, the left foot moves first followed by the right.

Practice this moving forward, back and sideward in the boxer’s stance until it is done smoothly and quickly. Remember to keep your guard up and elbows tucked in to your sides.

Keep your head at eye level with your upper body leaning forward slightly.   In boxing it is important that punches are thrown quickly and then bought back quickly to assume a defensive posture.

                                 

Punching:

A left jab has many uses, it can be used for both offensive and defensive actions. From the set stance the left arm is pushed quickly and forcefully forward, the weight is shifted to the front foot. The fist moves in a straight line and straight back again for defense.

At the moment of impact the back of the hand and the lower arm are in a straight line. Keep the right fist in the defensive position and elbow tucked into the body during the movement.

The straight right is also known as the punching hand and can be thrown with considerable force. The arm moves straightforward from the chin, the body weight is shifted to the front foot with the ball of the foot of the back leg pushing into the floor for more power.

The back of the hand is straight and pointing up at the moment of impact. The arm is then immediately pulled back for protection after the hit.

The left hook to the head and body is an effective punch for closer range work. From the set stance turn your left shoulder quickly and move your elbow up to shoulder height. The fist moves in a circular motion to the target, with the elbow bent.

Rotate your hip and body whilst pressing your front left down keeping the back of your fist pointing up and in a straight line with the lower arm. The left hook to the body is similar to the above but increases the rotation of the body

The right uppercut is also carried out at close range. Drop the lower part of your punching arm until the lower and upper arm is at right angles to each other. The back of your hand should be pointing away from you, now thrust your arm forward and upward to your target.

Shift your body weight to your front leg and rotate your hip and shoulder on the same side. Remember to keep your left fist guarding your chin during the entire movement. Now practice all your punches until they are done quickly and smoothly.

To develop speed and endurance, try punching straight left and right combinations into the punching bag. The duration of the exercise period is the same as the rest period i.e. 10 seconds exercise, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds exercise, 20 seconds rest, and so on. Move up higher as your condition improves.

Once you are comfortable with the moves and the flow, you will start to feel better both physically and mentally. Your body will become leaner and your endurance, strength, and coordination will all greatly improve.

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How to Bust Belly Fat

If you are like many people, you have too much fat around your belly. Belly fat can be very difficult to lose. This is the unhealthiest place to store fat on our bodies, but unfortunately it’s very common.

There are several things you can do to lose belly fat. You will have the most success if you use the right mix of dietary components but what matters most is what kind of calories you do eat.

Increase Water – You need to drink plenty of water and decrease your salt intake. Too much salt and too little water will cause you to become bloated.  Getting enough water also flushes fat and other toxins out of your system when you continuously drink water and keep your cells hydrated.

Increase Fiber – You must eat foods with plenty of fiber. Whole grain bread and pastas as well as fruits and vegetables (preferably raw) help you get the nutrients you need and help you to digest food properly. Most people feel bloated because they are not eliminating waste properly. If you eat a lot of fiber, you shrink your waistline.

Avoid Simple Carbs – Simple carbohydrates such as cookies, white bread, white pasta, and candy not only cause you to put on weight fast, they are stripped of their nutritional quality and are full of empty calories. 

Avoid Processed Foods – Like simple carbs, processed foods have no nutritional value and have additives that can actually do harm to your body. ALWAYS read the labels. The more ingredients that are listed, the less nutritious it is.

Eat Fish – When it comes to protein you should choose fish over red meat as often as possible. The mono-unsaturated fat in seafood helps eliminate cholesterol and shrink belly fat. Taking a cue from the Mediterranean diet, you can eat plenty of seafood and olive oil and use your diet to lose belly fat. 

Excess belly fat is more serious than fat in other areas of the body. While you may not like the fat that’s on your hips, thighs, and butt,  these areas don’t pose a major threat to your health. Fat around the middle of your waist, however, does pose a health risk and should be decreased as much as possible.

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30 Minutes to Good Health

America is becoming obese at an alarming rate and the rest of the world is following close behind. We are eating more, we are eating the wrong stuff, and we are not getting enough exercising. Our health is in steep decline, weight-related diseases are increasing exponentially and doctor and hospital visits are at an all time high.

You name it, we have it, and it’s getting worse. Heart and cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, out of control blood sugar levels, diabetes, obesity, and more. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends getting at least 20-30 minutes of moderate activity each day and most of us fall far short.

We just do not get the exercise our ancestors did a hundred or so years ago, plus we eat processed and refined foods that have no nutritional value. For many of us, most of the steps we take are from our couch in front of the TV to the fridge to get snacks. For others, we sit at a computer all day as part of our jobs.

Most fitness experts recommend we take a brisk 30-minute walk every day. This simple addition to your daily schedule will bring many wonderful changes to your life. You will lose weight, burn fat, improve your heart health, and release feel-good endorphins that will reduce your stress level and make you feel better all over.

Become creative on ways to increase your steps. At work, go for walks at lunchtime. Go for walks with your spouse or children. Walk the dog. Walk to the store instead of driving, or park at the far end of the parking lot. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. For me, I take brisk 2-mile walks around the neighborhood everyday.

Do whatever works best for you, but do it! Nothing is more important than your health.

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The Secrets that the Healthiest People Know

Everyone desires to be in good health. No one wants to suffer from sickness and disease and yet some people constantly suffer from illnesses while others enjoy good health. The healthiest people know the secrets of maintaining good health. What are those secrets?

They eat organic fruits and vegetables. The healthiest people eat lots of fresh, organic, and raw fruits and vegetables every day. Try eating four pieces of fresh, organic fruit and two big organic salads a day. Just doing these two things can help improve many medical conditions.

They juice. As most people know, our food supply is not packed with vital vitamins and minerals anymore. While organic fruits and vegetables don't have all the necessary nutrients, they do have up to ten times the needed vitamins and minerals when compared to non-organic foods. Therefore, when organic fruits and vegetables are juiced, needed vitamins, minerals, and enzymes are consumed. Drinking three to four glasses a day is best.

They get plenty of sunlight. Sunlight has enormous health benefits for the body. Obviously, lying on a lounge chair and baking in the sun for hours is not a healthy thing to do. However, getting 30 minutes of sun every day by doing activities outside such as walking the dog, working in the yard, or playing a sport, provides your body with a life-giving dose of Vitamin D.

They use natural Vitamin E. It is important not to use synthetic vitamin E products, but instead the all natural, full spectrum brands. Everyone is nutritionally deficit. Taking vitamin E can prevent heart disease and alleviate depression. They also are many other benefits as well.

They use whole food supplements. Whole food supplements supply our bodies with nutrients we do not get from our diet, all the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and phytonutrients that foods possess in a way that nature intended, in a whole food form.

They are active. The healthiest people get exercise every day in some form or another; by playing a sport, walking, jogging, biking, skating, or any one of a hundred other ways that incorporate movement into their daily routine.

They keep stress at a minimum. Stress is the precursor for an incredible number of illnesses, diseases and conditions. The healthiest people know how to keep their stress levels low by relaxing their minds and bodies. Try meditating, reading, listening to music, taking a walk, getting a massage or taking a long, warm bath.

Try to implement at least some of these secrets and you, too, can be on your way to becoming one of the healthiest people in the world!

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5 Tips to Excellent Health

While there are many lifestyle choices a person can make to stay healthy, there are five main behaviors that will increase our chances of staying in optimum physical health. These five healthy functions are essential towards maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

1. HYDRATION! HYDRATION! HYDRATION!

The human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. The body is made up of approximately 70% water. Water forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones. Since the body can’t store water, we need fresh supplies every day to make up for losses from lungs, skin, urine and feces.

Drink as much water as you can tolerate. Water is needed to maintain the health and integrity of every cell in your body. It keeps the bloodstream liquid enough to flow through blood vessels, helps eliminate the by-products of the body’s metabolism, helps to flush out toxins, regulates body temperature through sweating, lubricates and cushions joints, and carries nutrients and oxygen to the body’s cells. Drinking water plays a major role in reducing the risk of many diseases and conditions.

Dehydration occurs when the water content of the body is too low. Symptoms of dehydration include headaches, lethargy, mood changes, slow responses, dry nasal passages, dry or cracked lips, dark-colored urine, weakness, tiredness, confusion and hallucinations. Eventually urination stops, the kidneys fail and the body can’t remove toxic waste products. In extreme cases, the eventual result is death.

Try the flavored drinking waters. Many of these have extra vitamins, no sugar and no artificial colors or flavors. They are a great source for healthy fluid intake. Some are geared especially for women’s needs as well as the special requirements of the more athletic.

2. HOW TO EAT

Nourishment of the physical body is very important but the term “eat healthy” doesn’t really explain how we can get the best food into our bodies and stay healthy. Use the valuable tips below to help you make the best choices.

*Never stuff yourself. Overeating causes weight gain, reduces our energy down to a very low level, and creates dangerous imbalances and wreaks havoc on our metabolism. Always eat in moderation and eat smaller meals throughout the day.

*Eat a majority of healthy foods. Fresh raw vegetables and fruits, lean meats, and whole grains. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike should research and find the best foods for their bodies. Stay away from sugar and processed foods (anything in a box).

*Make mealtime enjoyable. If you look at food as something to be enjoyed, you are less likely to make meal time something you "have to do". Stop popping a frozen meal into the microwave. Learn how to cook. Have fun finding healthy recipes and experimenting with them.

Eating healthy means making wise choices for your body. Wise choices come from researching the healthy foods. There are foods considered "superfoods" that need to be part of your diet. Almonds, avocados, green tea, blueberries, raw vegetables and fruits, salmon, oatmeal, and cantaloupe are just some of these superfoods.

3. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS

Intake of the proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients are equally as important as finding healthy foods to eat. Your body requires some certain vitamins and nutrients that are necessary to not only stay healthy but to survive.

*Research and learn about vitamins and supplements and what your personal requirements are.

*Take a multi-vitamin everyday.

Read the label and be sure that:

* If you are pregnant you are either taking a pre-natal vitamin or one with folic acid.

* As a female you are getting the proper amounts of calcium for your age category and watch the iron intake. Women that are post-menopausal don’t need the extra iron.

*If you’re a male, make sure that you get the proper amounts of lycopene which has been shown to protect and maintain prostate health.

4. MOVE!

Exercise is as essential to the body’s good health as proper nutrition. We need cardiovascular exercise that increases our heart rate and stretching exercises that tone our body. but exercise also needs to be FUN. Remember, any amount of exercise is better than none. If you don’t want to go to a gym, try these suggestions:

*Put the remote control next to the television and leave it there. Get up to change your channels.

*Park in the furthest parking spot you can whenever you go somewhere.

*Use the stairs and not the elevators.

*Choose an activity you are passionate about. Did you take dance lessons as a child and just loved it? Find a dance teacher that will instruct adults after work.

*Did you go rollerskating as a child? Guess what? Adults can skate, too. Check out your local rollerskating or ice-skating rink.

*Ride a bike. Bicycling is one of the best aerobic exercises there is. Many cities have biking trails you can use or ride through the park.

*Take a walk every day. Go to the park, walk around the track at your local high school or walk around your neighborhood. Find a friend to go with you.

*Start using the pool in your neighborhood or local YMCA.

A minimum of 20-30 minutes a day is much better than nothing at all.

 5. GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Getting a good night’s sleep is imperative for good health. We simply don’t get enough. Our busy lifestyles have placed sleep at an all time low on our priority lists. 

Why? We have too much to do, too little time to do it, have too much stress in our lives and we simply do not know how to relax or reduce our stress levels.

Our bodies require rest and sleep. Sleep is the time our bodies repair themselves. These repairs can range from healing and thwarting off potential illness, rejuvenating our energy systems, and keeping our emotions in balance. Find out what you require in sleep hours and go to bed when you need to.

If you have trouble getting to sleep, find ways to relaxyour mind and body. Try taking a hot bath, listening to soft music, massaging your feet, or reading a good book before going to bed.

For many of us, implementing these five suggestions for healthy living may be difficult. Drinking enough water, taking the time to research what to eat, the proper vitamins to take, and finding the exercise routine that will get us moving may seem daunting at first. Adding to that, we must find the time to get enough sleep.

In order to live a long and healthy life these behaviors must become a part of our lives. The most important investment we will ever make in our lives will be the commitment to start healthy habits as a daily routine.

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