Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip # 14

You know when you're craving a mid afternoon snack and you have already had lunch and dinner is still a few hours away?  The perfect snack for this time of the day is carrots. You can buy the already peeled and washed baby carrots or get regular carrots and wash and peel them yourself. Either way it is a very easy snack to prepare in no time. Carrots have the highest source of beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body and helps prevent cancer. Carrots are also good for you eyes, lungs, heart and skin. A great way to enjoy carrots is by combining them with delicious dips. You can also drink carrot juice to get the great benefits from this vegetable. Lose weight by grabbing carrots instead of chips or cookies and also help your skin and hair look great. Start living healthier today!

Nutrition - How to lose weight tip #13

Reduce your television viewing hours to a maximum of two hours a day in order to shed off some extra pounds. While you are watching TV you are missing out on activities that can burn calories, even if it is as simple as walking around the house. Not to mention that along with watching TV we all love to munch on food that our body doesn't really need. This is what leads to mindless eating and causes us to over eat and gain those extra pounds that are so hard to get rid of. If there are certain shows that you must watch then try and do some activities during the commercial breaks. Instead of staring at those commercials for junk food ads or the fattening ice cream sundae ads, you can put your TV on mute and do some crunches, sit ups, or push ups. If you own a stability ball try to watch your TV show while sitting on the ball. This way you are engaging your muscles in a work out and watching TV at the same time. 

Nutrition - How to lose weight tip #12

We've all heard about antioxidants and how they help protect our body from free radicals that cause cancer. Blueberries have the most antioxidants compared to other fruits. Blueberries are also a good source of vitamin, minerals and fiber. Add them to your daily diet and you will be doing your body a huge favor. Blueberries are also the one of the lowest calorie foods, so you can eat as many as you want without effecting your calorie count. You can eat them plain or add them to your yogurt or your cereal.

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #11

We have all heard of "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," but is this really true? Apples are filled with antioxidants and fiber to help protect you from diseases. They also make great low calorie snacks that fill you up, and help fight weight gain. Apples are known for strengthening your bones and help prevent osteoporosis according to a scientific study.  Eating an apple a day can also lower bad cholesterol in your body. Nutrients in apples help protect you from various kinds of cancers in the body. It is also great for managing diabetes in individuals. A study shows that people who incorporate apples in their diet plan are more likely to lose weight than those who do not eat apples. They also keep your teeth and gums healthy, so you can even keep the dentist away. Apples help digestion so they can also help solve any constipation problems as well.

Just remember that the skin of the apple is the part with all the nutrients so don't peel your apples. If you don't want your apples to brown too quickly place then in a bowl of cold water with a little bit of lemon juice. That should do the trick. Try adding apple slices into your salad for some great flavor. Also apples dipped in peanut butter make a very healthy snack that keep you full for a long time. Now there you have it! A miracle fruit that can keep you away from the doctor's office!

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Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #10

Do you find yourself buying lots of vegetables at the grocery store, but not really getting around to eating any of them? You're not the only one. There are lots of people who make a pact that they will start eating more vegetables but they never do it because either they don't know how to prepare it, or they just don't like eating them and keep putting it off until the veggies are all old and soggy and you have to throw them out. If you are skipping out on your vegetables you are not getting enough Vitamin A and Vitamin K. You are also possibly missing out on folate and essential fiber in your diet. Not everyone likes all the vegetables that are out there, so try to eat a lot of the ones that you do like. For example if you love carrots try to eat them more often. Although its better to get your essential vitamins directly from fruits and vegetables, but if necessary you can attain your daily requirements from multivitamins. If you are eating no vegetables at all, then make sure you are also taking a fiber supplement. The vitamins and supplements are not comparable to the real vegetables but they can help prevent disease so make sure you are taking one or the other.

Some tips to help you eat vegetables is to buy the vegetables that are in season so that they taste fresh. If the time is an issue then get pre-cut and pre-washed veggies in order to save time and have veggies ready to eat on the go. If you are tired of eating them raw, then lightly steam them with a little salt and pepper for some flavour. Always have a vegetable option at every meal, and try to keep cut up veggies in the fridge so when you're craving a snack you are more likely to reach for the veggies and not the bag of chips.

Nutrition- How to lose weight Tip #9

Its perfectly fine to have some junk food around the house for those days where you are absolutely craving it. However, you should keep the junk food out of your sight on other days. Put it in a coloured bag so that its not easy to see. Keep it on the top shelf in the pantry, or in the back of the fridge or freezer. Keep all cookies in a non see through jar and candy in closed containers. Keep all the healthy food in the front of the fridge and pantry and place the unhealthy food towards the back. Doing this will keep junk food off of your mind and you will only eat it once in awhile when you are really craving it. If you are someone who has no or very little control on your cravings then it is a better idea to just not bring the junk food home. If you want to train yourself then keep the junk food near you and practice controlling the temptation. Try imagining the body you wish you had in your head and instead of reaching for the junk food, eat an apple. I hope these tips help you stay junk food free!

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #8

The worst thing you can do for your weight loss plan is skip your meals. I know it sounds like an easy way to lose weight because if I'm not eating then I'm not getting fat. Wrong! All skipping a meal does is makes you really hungry at the end of the day, and causes you to over eat at night, which is the worst time for over eating because you don't want your food to remain improperly digested in your stomach while you're sleeping.

Eating smaller meals 3-4 times a day can help you control your appetite better than skipping meals. If you eat frequent healthy meals then you will not feel hungry at any certain point of the day. The worst meal to skip is breakfast because in the morning your body is in fasting mode and your metabolism is extremely slow from the long night's sleep. In order to rev up your metabolism and start burning calories you need to eat a hearty breakfast to fuel your system. By skipping meals you are depriving the body of the fuel it needs to function properly. Missing your meal also causes you to have low blood sugar. No to mention that it makes you feel really sluggish and cranky. This causes you to have a really unproductive day. Skipping meals causes you to be extremely hungry late at night where you feel like eating anything you can find in your fridge or pantry, and most of the time its junk food. At this time your hunger takes over you and you eat without thinking about what you're eating and how much you're eating.

So if you are one of those people who thinks that skipping meals is a good way to lose weight, then you might want to rethink your weight loss plan because this plan is back firing on you and you may not even know it. It is also leading you to develop really bad eating habits which can have a negative effect on your health in the long run.

If you want to lose weight, make healthy meal choices, eat small meals every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism working, and exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Make this a part of your daily routine and you will never feel the need to diet again!

Written by: Sadia Khan

Photo source: Creative Commons

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #7

One easy way to control your portions is to eat in smaller plates and drink from tall skinny glasses instead of short wide ones. A regular portion looks too little on a big plate but if placed on a small plate it looks like a lot of food. This is a great way to trick your mind into thinking that you're eating a lot of food. However it would be a good idea to use large bowls for your salads and vegetables to make sure that you are meeting your recommended daily servings of vegetables. I found an excellent website on eating in small plates. Check it out http://smallplatemovement.org/

Reverse Lunges

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Hand book for 2010 (guide to nutrition, health and personal wellness)

Here's an email forward I received today and I thought I'd share it. Its called the HANDBOOK FOR 2010. It has many tips for personal health and wellness. If you haven't picked your new year's resolutions or want to expand your already made resolutions, then this might be a great list for ideas.

 

Health:

1.    Drink plenty of water.

2.    Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner

        like a beggar.

3.    Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less

        food that is manufactured in plants.

4.    Live with the 3 E's -- Energy,  Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

5.    Make time for prayer..

6.    Play more games.

7.    Read more books than you did in 2009.

8.    Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9     Sleep for 7 hours.

10.  Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11.  Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what

        their journey is all about..

12.  Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.

        Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13.  Don't over do. Keep your limits.

14.  Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15.  Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16.  Dream more while you are awake.

17.  Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18.  Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her

         mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19.  Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate

         others.

20.  Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21.  No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22.  Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems

         are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like 

      algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23.  Smile and laugh more.

24.  You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

25.  Call your family often.

26.  Each day give something good to others.

27.  Forgive everyone for everything.

28.  Spend time with people over the age of 70 &under the age of 6.

29.  Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30.  What other people think of you is none of your business.

31.  Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your

         family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32.  Do the right thing!

33.  Always speak the truth even if it leads to your death.

34.  GOD heals everything.

35.  However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

36.  No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

37.  The best is yet to come.

38.  When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

39.  Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #6

Believe it or not, but sleep has a lot to do with weight loss. The recommended 8 hours of sleep are required in order for our body to function properly. Although skipping sleeping hours don't show effects right away but in the long run it can cause many health problems. Not enough sleep throws off your system and increases your appetite causing you to crave high fat, and high sugar foods all day long resulting in weight gain over time. Sleeping also increases your immunity and prevents you from catching a cold and flu because adequate sleep helps your body fight off the germs. Skimping on your sleep hours also effects the way your body handles sugar, which can result in more serious problem such as diabetes. Not to mention that a sleep deprived person is more cranky and gets bags under their eyes making them look older than they really are.

In order to get a good nights sleep try eating a heavy breakfast and a smaller meal before dinner so that your body doesn't use up energy to digest food at bedtime but instead relaxes making it easier to fall asleep. Ever notice how we start to feel sleepy right after lunch and dinner? Whole grain cereal is a great night time snack because carbohydrates make you sleepy faster. Avoid caffeine and spicy food right before dinner so you can drift off easier. Taking a warm bath  or shower can also help you fall asleep faster. Turning off the computer and TV early is also a great way to get your much needed sleep. Please share your tips for falling asleep faster, and longer during the night.

For more tips on how to fall asleep easier check out http://www.prevention.com/100waystosleep/

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #5

Since weight loss is mainly based on how many nutrient dense calories you take in compared to how many calories you burn during the day, it is essential that we limit our calorie intake to no more than you actually need. The best way to do this is by making sure that you keep all the starchy and fatty food items in the kitchen, and bring out only the salad and vegetable entrees to the table. Plate all the starchy and fatty food items that you need for the meal in the kitchen, so that while you're at the dinner table all you have in front of you is the vegetables. This little tip will prevent you from getting up from the table and walking to the kitchen to get second helpings. Instead you will be more inclined to fill up your plate with salad and veggies if you still feel the need for more food. Also, having fruits at the table will fulfill your dessert craving without spiking your calorie intake. This will also help you meet your daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Make this a daily habit and you feel and see the results in no time. Happy Eating!

Written by: Sadia Khan
Photo source: Creative Commons

Tone Your Abs

 Video source: http://www.realage.com/videos/?bclid=5030523001

Excercise Tip #1

Add this exercise to your daily routine for fast and effective results:

Shoulder Press

1) Hold dumbbells, one on each side of your shoulder, with your upper arms lined up with the shoulders. Have your elbow below your wrist lined up.
2) Push dumbbells upwards until your arms are fully extended over your head, then bring your arms back to starting position.
3) Repeat this 15 times then take a 30 second break and repeat for another 15 times.

* If you do not have dumbbells, you can use two cans from your pantry that are easy to hold.

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #4

Try to stop eating two hours before bedtime, in order to lose weight effectively. This is a goal you should create for your self so that you start eating mindfully. Most of us eat mindlessly right before bedtime, either because we are bored, or watching TV and need something to snack on. Eating right before bedtime keeps the food from being digested properly and can cause bloating, gas, and stomach cramps. The bloating alone can make you feel fat in the morning when you're trying to fit into your jeans. If you eat right before bed you will prevent yourself from getting a good night's sleep because your body will use energy to digest the food instead of relaxing. While you are sleeping your metabolic rate slows down therefore the food you ate right before sleeping does not get digested properly. The food that does get digested is stored as fat because you only burn very little calories while sleeping. An easy way to prevent eating before bedtime is to brush your teeth 2 hours before and that way you will keep yourself from eating anymore!

Written by: Sadia Khan

Picture Source: Creative Commons

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #3

Its very easy to eat extra calories during the day. We do it all the time! While cooking, walking through the kitchen, while looking in the fridge or while we are preparing lunch or dinner. Sometimes we shove food into our mouth without even thinking about it! The best way to avoid this is by chewing gum while you are cooking or baking. When you have gum in your mouth you wont want to put other food in your mouth. You wont be tempted to lick the bowl or the batter filled spoon. This will decrease the amount of calories you take in during the day, and you will also have minty fresh breath!

Written by: Sadia Khan
Picture Source: Creative Commons 

Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip # 2

If you love drinking juice, mix it in with half water, and you will decrease your calories in half. You can also freeze juice in ice trays and add it to your water to add flavour. In no time you will decrease your calorie intake and notice the difference on your scale in a few months!

Written by: Sadia Khan
Picture Source: Creative Commons