Okay, seriously, it wouldn’t be much if that’s all I said. I believe we all know, deep down, that we need to eat better if we stand a chance of shedding those extra pounds. Don’t worry, this is going to be as common sense as it is easy to follow. No fad diet nonsense, just what works.

Food is nothing more than fuel for the body. It contains the vitamins, minerals and calories we need to survive. We only get in trouble when we eat too many calories without burning them off. Some foods are better than others, but nothing is forbidden. Here’s how you can use food to put the odds of weight loss in your favor.

Start the day with something to get the internal furnace started. That means eating breakfast. There is no reason to skip breakfast. It takes virtually no time at all to grab a piece of whole-wheat toast and spread some peanut butter on it, then wash it down with a glass of orange juice. Or boil up some eggs for the upcoming week. Then have an egg, a banana and a granola bar. Even a ready made breakfast shake is better than nothing. The trick is to get your body used to burning calories for the day.

Now that you have your metabolism fired up, you need to keep it going by snacking. A light snack every two hours is all it takes. A small handful of nuts, some carrot sticks with non-fat yogurt, or a protein bar, are good choices. Regular snacking will prevent you from experience mid-afternoon burn out, too.

So, now it’s lunchtime and you’re feeling great! You’re eating food you like and you’re not hungry. Let’s keep going with turkey breast on whole-grain bread, romaine lettuce, tomato and a smear of mustard. Add a veggie-rich salad and a small glass of juice or skim milk and you’re all set.

Don’t forget your two-hour snack break.

For supper try some baked salmon brushed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Include some fresh veggies of your choice (bake them with the salmon if you like), and a cup of homemade soup. Yummy!

Remember to eat your next snack.

As you can see, this is all reasonable, simple eating. Food is there to keep you going, and it needs to be tasty, too. Remember, nothing is off limits. If you must have some ice cream, just keep the portion under control. Make it a habit to increase the better foods, and eat less of the not-so-good ones and you lose weight fast. Faster than you may have thought possible.

The very first thing you have to do is change your mindset. Don’t worry about what other people think about your jogging, or what your friends will say when you order grilled chicken for lunch. You know why you shouldn’t worry? Because it’s your body! Let them laugh. You can laugh with them or laugh back at them. Either way, you’ll get the last laugh and that’s the best kind.

Alright, let’s face it, you probably already like to eat, otherwise you wouldn’t have to be looking for ways to lose weight. This is just a guess, but what you probably don’t enjoy is eating more of the right foods and less of the not-so-good ones. You can give the good foods funny names, and vice-versa. You’re not eating broccoli, you’re eating “goody goody mini-greens”. And it’s no longer a doughnut, now that you call it a “sweetened lard bomb”. Go ahead, be creative.

Also, don’t deprive yourself. You can still eat all of the foods you enjoy, just not as much. If you try to cut them out all together, that wouldn’t be any fun at all. Instead you would be focusing on the deprivation and bury your head into a half-gallon of ice cream as soon as your willpower wavered. But when you eat a little of the things you like, there’s no need for willpower at all.

When it comes to exercising to lose weight the main key is to do something you enjoy doing. Just get moving. You don’t have to go for a three-mile jog or lift weights in the gym (unless you want to). Get out in the garden, go for a walk, toss the frisbee around, go swimming…any extra activity that appeals to you will burn off extra calories.

Finally, as you do these things more, it will get to be even more fun as you do them. And seeing the results is makes it even more worthwhile. So, don’t let others tell you that losing weight is hard. You know better, you now know just how fun it can be.

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Natural is a term associated with a number of fruit and vegetable products. Typically, this is simply a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. What you may be looking for is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore eating more healthy foods. However, organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget, skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. Instead, opt for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, however, make sure that you rinse off the food when you get home.

Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal (even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise function. All meat products have hormones. What the labels really mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, however, the milk and meat is safe for a person and not a violation of an animal’s rights.

Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged or penned. This does not make a difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These products may be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make humane decisions, this is the way to go.

Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make the best choices for you diet.

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Whether it’s in the bathroom, the basement or in the bedroom, it’s taunting you. Every day it beckons for you to step onto it. It’s the first thing you think of when you wake up and we always want to hop on the scale before bed.

This obsession is one of the reasons you should cut ties with the scale; set it free so you can set yourself free of its chokehold.

Daily weigh-ins are meaningless. Most people trying to lose weight really want to see a change in their body composition: In other words FAT LOSS.

Body composition changes cannot be detected by a scale on a day-to-day basis. Fat loss CAN be detected on a weekly basis, however, so if
you can have enough discipline to only hop on once a week, then you have my permission to keep your scale.

This is very tough however, so if you start to notice yourself weighing yourself more often, then hide it.

Did You Know that Your scale weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds in one day!

This is due to:

• Weight of food & beverages
• Water loss from exercise
• Water gain from menstrual cycles
• Water retention from high sodium intake

The scale is NOT the real barometer of progress.

You may believe that “the scale does not lie,” and that the number is objective. However, you can get more objective, more in-depth feedback from other measuring tools.

Here’s an easy way to do it at home: Be mindful of how your clothes are fitting. After all, it is pretty common for the scale “not to budge” for a person who finds she can suddenly fit with ease into a pair of formerly tight jeans.

Other effective measuring tools can be:

• How you feel after rushing up a flight of stairs
• Not tiring out as quickly when you play with your children
• Your new found ability to change the water cooler bottle at work without any effort!
• Diminished cravings for sugar

The scale can’t record these milestones. When you read the number on the scale, you will automatically associate that number with food. Yes, that’s right. If you don’t like the number, what thought pops into your mind? It almost always relates to food.

The scale is a harbinger of food obsession, which includes counting every calorie, and carb and fat gram. Before you know it, you’ll be carrying a calorie counter with you everywhere you go. Set a nutrition plan, know that plan, and stick with that plan. But don’t stress every calorie or fret over every carb. BIG PICTURE PEOPLE.

Focus on how you feel, milestones in your daily activities, improved muscle tone, better eating habits, and how your clothes fit, rather than an ambiguous number on a gadget.

For help in escaping the scale’s stranglehold and learning how to make REALLY changes in your body, give us a call today so we can help you with one of our customized programs!

Here for your health,

Greg

805 776 3676

Eating healthy foods begins with healthy ingredients, but if you are short on time, you may find that spending time in the grocery store does not fit into your schedule. To maximize your time, plan ahead for two weeks at a time. Instead of having to go to the store every time you need an ingredient, make a list and keep your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry stocked with good, healthy ingredients. You can make your shopping list during a meeting, while eating lunch, or while you are on the phone. A list will also help you cut back on impulse purchases which tend to be bad for us.

Along with planning your shopping list, plan your meals as well. If you find little time to cook during the week, you can instead try making a few healthy meals in advance on the weekend and than putting them in your freezer. Before you go to work in the morning, simply stick the frozen dinner in the refrigerator to thaw and then pop into the oven to cook when you get home from work. This will help you avoid having to pick up fast food.

When you do find yourself in the need of a quick meal and want to order out, look for healthy options. Instead of choosing a burger and fries, for example, look at the chicken options, preferably skinless chicken breast and not fried chicken. Some fast food restaurants also have salads and fruit, but beware of dressing, which can be high in fats. Keep healthy drinks on hand at home instead of purchasing a soda as well. Better yet, skip the burger, pizza, and Mexican joints altogether and opt for a sandwich or sub shop instead, where you can choose a wheat bread and ask them to hold the mayonnaise.

Eating healthy is not difficult but requires people to change their way of thinking and perhaps their routine as well. In the end it will be worth it.

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When driving or taking a bus, you may be tempted to stop at fast food restaurants and eat the foods found there. Avoid this whenever possible! While on vacation, you may wish to splurge a tiny bit, but having fast food more than one during a week can be bad for your health. If you must, choose the healthiest options available, like chicken breast, salad and water. Avoid fried food and sugary drinks.

Also, remember that you can take your own food when traveling. Carrying a loaf of whole-wheat bread or pita wraps, some lean lunchmeat, and low-fat cheese in a cooler is a great way to avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol junk food meals. These are much better choices and you’ll save a lot of money as well. Call ahead to ask if there will be a refrigerator in your hotel room.

Lastly, make smart choices when you eat out. If you choose salads or pasta get the dressing on the side and ask about low-carb options. In fact, many places print these dieting options directly in the menu for the health-conscious people. Control your portions by ordering lunch menu sizes or splitting the meal in half and getting a doggie bag. You’ll be well on your way to healthy eating, even away from home.

Yes, eating healthy foods when you travel can be a challenge. However, your health is worth it. When you eat healthy food, you will also avoid illnesses that you may encounter when traveling.

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Off The Couch

It may be tempting to allow your children to waste many hours on the couch watching TV or playing video games. For most children these activities will keep them quiet and entertained for hours. However, these activities, although require minimal supervision, are detrimental to a child’s health if done for long periods of time.

How do you get your kids off the couch? There are many options open to you and your children. The important thing is to focus on activities that they enjoy and will want to continue doing. Are few options are:

• Outdoor play with friends or siblings. Ball games, tag, hide and seek are all examples of activities that are fun aerobic exercises for kids.
• Join a club or sports team. Organized sports are a great way for kids to get exercise but also make new friends. Even if your child isn’t athletic clubs like scouts or cadets often participate in activities to get kids moving like hiking or marching. Girls may prefer dance classes or gymnastics.
• Family activities. Doing things as a family is great for building relationships but will also reinforce the importance of living healthy. Practice what you preach. Go for a family swim, bowling or even just going for a walk or playing in the park with your kids will benefit both them and you.

Exercise is important but it comes as a package with healthy eating. Enforce rules about healthy eating for your children. You have to make sure that your entire family is eating well, and that children are eating food that will help with their mental and physical development. You also have to make sure that you aren’t letting your children eat in front of the television or the computer.

The combination of a healthy diet and physical activity starting at an early age will set up your children to be healthy in their adult lives as well. Don’t assume that your children are getting enough exercise at school. Kids need more exercise than you may think. Not only will it help keep their weight down preventing future health problems but it will also use up their energy allowing them to sleep better at night.

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To get the most from your stepper workout try not to put too much weight on the handlebars. Supporting your body with your arms could cause an upper body injury but also doesn’t allow your legs to work at their full potential. Try to remain upright on the machine to maintain proper body alignment and positioning. This will prevent any straining on knees, hips and ankles.

You are able to manipulate the level of your workout by adjusting the resistance and speed. This feature is present on most stair climbers. The versions that are cylinder driven are less expensive. In this version resistance is produced via hydraulic fluid or air and a knob is turned to adjust the resistance level. Models that are more expensive are computer-controlled and have additional features like preconfigured workout programs and analysis indicating the calories burned along with your heart rate.

Although the main function of the stair climber is to provide adequate cardio training it also leads the way for the conditioning the muscles in the thighs, buttocks, and calves. You can further increase the toning capacities of this device by incorporating the use of ankle weight during your sessions. As you progress with your routines and you think you’ve achieved proper balancing you can gradually let go of the handlebars.

Treadmills are the commonly used to increase the heart’s performance but if you have undergone any trauma or injury on the joints of your lower body then chances are you won’t be able to handle the impact. In this case the elliptical trainer may help you get through the rehabilitation period while maintaining the appropriate workout for your heart. Plus you get to burn the same calories with a less effort.

Elliptical trainer machines offer other features that may not be present in common treadmills. It allows you to exercise in the normal forward motion but can also contain routines done in a reverse direction. The change of direction will give you the chance to target various sets of muscles thus your workout is revved up to higher levels.

To keep your cardio workouts interesting you can alternate using a different piece of equipment each time you workout. Also choose from the equipments program selections to get the most out of your cardio workout.

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Obesity, type-2 diabetes, and soda addiction have all risen together steadily and scarily over the past decades. Coincidence? Not a chance. Soda is sabotaging your body.

What’s so bad about a little bubbly liquid?
Lots and lots of calories and zero nutritional value. Sugary soft drinks account for almost 10% of the average American’s daily caloric intake. That’s a ton of empty calories that lack any of the nutrients, fiber, or minerals your body needs to function. Because soda’s missing what your body craves, no matter how much you drink you’ll still be left feeling hungry. So, on top of hundreds of empty calories, you pile on additional food that still counts against your ideal daily allotment. Remember, there is one absolute truth: if you take in more calories than you burn you will gain weight.

Your odds of becoming obese increase as much as 1.6 times for every 12 ounces of soda you drink over the course of the day. That’s because one small can of soda holds a whopping 140 calories of added sugar. Reality check: at most fast food restaurants, a 12 ounce serving of soda is considered the kiddie size.

Go directly to fat jail.
All these added sugars are simple sugars, meaning they are readily and easily absorbed. When you take in such a high volume so quickly your insulin spikes. Your body can’t handle the rapid influx, which leads to extra glucose being stored as fat. You don’t get any lasting energy from the liquid carbs; you get that familiar and inevitable crash. Instead of being ready to hit the gym to burn off any extra fat, you’re so exhausted you just hit the couch. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

I’ll just switch to diet soda!
Not so fast. Recent studies show that over time diet sodas still cause weight gain. If you drink 2 or more servings of diet soda a day you are 5 times more likely to increase dangerous visceral fat in your midsection. That extra fat puts you at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

Let’s say you only drink a single serving of diet soda a day. Diet soda is still high in sodium. The more sodium in your body, the more water you’ll retain. Which means if you’re trying to lose weight, diet soda can actually make it that much harder move the scale in the right direction. And let’s not forget the artificial sweeteners in diet soda – a BIG no-no!

Instead of sodas, why not reach for healthier and even more refreshing beverages?
If you won’t give up the carbonated bite of soda, mix two parts seltzer water with one part 100% fruit juice like cranberry or a renewal drink– like Prograde Fusion. You’ll get your pleasant pop and fizz along with rich antioxidants and vitamins. Embrace homemade smoothies made with fresh fruit and almond milk or greek yogurt for added protein.

Maybe it’s time you jump on the green tea train. Even if you sweeten your tea, you’re more likely to check your sugar intake when you’re the one spooning in the sweetener. Or reach for that oldie but goodie, pure H2O.

One thing is for sure: cut out sodas and you’ll start to feel lighter than carbonated air.

Let us help you rid yourself of the nutrition which sabotages your health and help you make better choices you can trust.

Call or email us today!

To Your Health,

Greg