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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 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 am 58 years old) 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. 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.)

List of Fat-Burning Foods:

Apples
Bell Peppers
Berries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Citrus Fruits
Eggs
Garlic
Green Tea
Hot Peppers
Oatmeal
Onions
Spices


HOW TO TURN YOUR BODY INTO A FAT-BURNING FURNACE


How to Bust Belly Fat

7:21 AM  , , ,  No comments

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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