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WEIGHT LOSS TIP

It was reported in a recent study that dieters lost 15.5 pounds over the course of 3 months when they drank 2 cups of water before meals. Participants had a 44 percent increase in weight loss compared with those who didn’t drink 2 cups of water before their meals. Researchers say that kicking off a meal with water shrinks your appetite so you consume fewer calories.

 

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GO BANANAS FOR BETTER BPTo lower your blood pressure, don’t just eat less sodium — you should also increase your potassium intake, as it speeds up the body’s sodium excretion, say researchers at the Hypertension Institute of Nashville.   Some popular potassium-rich foods, besides bananas, include baked potatoes, tomato paste, lima beans, yogurt and cantaloupe.

BROWN IS BETTER

If you’re still eating white rice, here’s yet another reason to get on the brown bandwagon. Eating brown rice just twice a week could lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes by 11 percent, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Brown rice has more fiber, magnesium, and other nutrients shown to reduce the risk, and it causes your blood sugar to rise less rapidly after a meal than white rice does.

HEALTHY BACK TIP

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Women are more likely than men to suffer back pain because they tend to have weaker back muscles. When you’re heaving heavy items, kneel down to pick them up — don’t bend over from the waist — and tighten your abdominal muscles as you stand up to take the strain off your lower back.

HEART HEALTH TIP

30 percent of heart attacks worldwide are caused by poor diet, due in part to an overindulgence of two foods: fried and salty. To cut down, base meals and snacks around heart-healthy fruits and veggies — they’re associated with the lowest risk of heart attack.

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CALORIE FACT

A McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast has 1,360 calories and 64 g fat. With four vehicles for refined carbohydrates (biscuit, hash browns, hot cakes, syrup) this “deluxe” meal will send your blood sugar soaring. If you swap this deluxe breakfast for an Egg McMuffin you will save more than 1,000 calories. The Egg McMuffin has 310 calories and 12 g fat.

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Let’s start with some Diet Myths to make sure we all stay on task:

1 Brown sugar is healthier than white sugar

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It’s often said that brown sugar is a healthier option than white sugar. But the truth is that we are either falling for clever marketing or happily fooling ourselves. In reality, the brown sugar you’ll find in supermarkets and cafes is usually ordinary table sugar that is turned brown by the reintroduction of molasses.

Due to the molasses content, brown sugar does contain minute amounts of minerals. But, unless you eat a gigantic portion of brown sugar every day (not recommended), the mineral content difference between brown and white sugar is pretty insignificant.

2 Your ‘five-a-day’ can come from either fruit or vegetables

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Many people confuse this generalised recommendation because fruit and vegetables tend to get clumped together into the one category.

Your ‘five-a-day’ should be made up of both fruit and vegetables, not just one or the other. Ideally, a heavier emphasis should be placed on vegetables.  Clients I work with often get confused and don’t pay attention to a good mix of both.  Some prefer to eat fruit only and they forget all the nutrients in their vegetables.

3 Eggs raise cholesterol levels

Dietary cholesterol found in eggs has little to do with the amount of cholesterol in your body. Eggs contain relatively small amounts of saturated fat.

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One large egg contains about 1.5g of saturated fat, which isn’t high. Eggs are often served with other high-fat foods such as butter and cheese, or fried with bacon and sausage which is why they are often associated with high fat. Eggs are extremely nutritious, so go ahead and enjoy them guilt-free.

Boiling or poaching is best and yes, an egg a day is okay!

4 Coffee helps you lose weight

Coffee can raise the metabolism slightly, but it also depends on how you take it. Many of us think nothing of downing a couple of lattes per day and then wonder why our weight-loss efforts aren’t working. Remember, the average latte contains around 200 calories, if you consume two a day that’s as many calories as you’d find in a large croissant! Caffeine affects cravings for food — particularly the sweet variety. So if you’re wondering why you are craving chocolate this afternoon, it could have something to do with that coffee you drank with lunch.

5 Jellies are low fat so won’t cause weight gain

Fruit jellies or jelly sweets may be low in fat but they are packed with sugar which is one of the biggest contributors to weight gain. If you look at the ingredients list on your pack you’ll see that sugar is top of the list — remember, the ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount. The average tube of jellies contains approximately seven teaspoons of sugar. Many companies claim their products are ‘Fat Free’, ‘Natural’ and ‘High in fruit’ to make them sound healthy– don’t fall for it!

6 Red meat is bad for your health

 

 

 

Most of the ill effects associated with red meat are to do with the quality of the meat, quantity consumed and how it is cooked. Red meat is not unhealthy if it is raised naturally and consumed in moderation. In fact, it has many benefits. It contains the most absorbable form of iron and is also high in B vitamins. Naturally raised cattle tend to be leaner and have more Omega-3 fatty acids than their antibiotic and hormone-fed counterparts.

When it comes to meat go for quality over quantity — organic, lean red meat once or twice a week is fine, but avoid processed meats altogether.

7 Never snack between meals

On the contrary, five or six small meals are better than three big meals. When we eat small, regular meals the body is better able to digest and to make effective use of the nutrients within the food.

Even more crucially, this regular intake of calories balances our blood sugar levels, which means we have more energy and are less likely to feel moody. Your body doesn’t register as deep of hunger because of this balance.

8 Fruit juices are super healthy

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While fruit is extremely nutritious, it also contains a significant amount of sugar. This type of sugar is natural and gives us energy, but if we consume too much, it can lead to energy dips and weight gain. When a fruit is juiced, the fibre and pulp are extracted.

It’s the fibre in fruit which helps slow down the absorption of sugar and also keeps our bowel and gut healthy. So, glugging your way through a carton of fruit juice can give you a sugar hit, but then a subsequent sugar crash. In general, it’s best to stick to whole fruits or opt for juices that combine both fruit and vegetables.

9 We need three portions of dairy per day

This way of thinking comes from outdated food pyramids and guidelines supplied by dairy boards. The fact is that while children and teenagers may need this amount of dairy for calcium, the majority of adults do not.

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Dairy products can be beneficial to health when consumed in moderation but many of us over-consume dairy in this country, leading to a variety of digestive, skin and sinus complaints. There are many other ways to keep our bones healthy, they include avoiding the ‘S’ words: smoking, stimulants, sugar, salt and stress, which all leech calcium from the body. Good non-dairy sources of calcium include tinned sardines, nuts, seeds, pulses and green leafy vegetables.

10 Women need 2,000 calories per day

The daily number of calories the food industry recommends for women is 2,000. However, this is not to say that you should aim to eat that amount — the truth is that your body might need more or less than 2,000. Height, weight, gender, age and activity level all affect your caloric needs. For example, a female athlete in her early 20s who is training rigorously for a marathon may need more than 2,000 calories whereas a 40-year-old woman who never exercises, works at a desk all day and spends her evenings in front of the television may well need less.

 

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During my weight loss journey and often when people hear what I do “at my age” , I am asked how I can keep doing it.  This question always catches me by surprise as I rarely have a conscious thought about not doing what I need to continue to reach for optimal health.  A day wasted is a day lost.

Don’t get me wrong last week we helped some wonderful friends back and move their house.  This was a 4 day project after work.  Was a lot of lifting, stacking, packing, bending and all kinds of exercise.  So after the first day, I didn’t do my morning workout for 3 days.  I went to bed each night exhausted and feeling good about how well this old man humped all that stuff.

This morning I realized that my workouts are a lot like my life in general.  I have come to realize over the years that life is lived in moments.  Some moments are like the next rep of curling a dumbbell to my chin.  If it is the first few reps it seems easy enough, but as the set nears completion, it will become harder for me to complete that set with the full number of reps.  Now if I don’t increase the weight, it stays easy, but no progress is made.

Life is that way isn’t?  If we glide through it we get comfort zone results.  We live from what is easy.  There is little challenge, little growth and often no or very little progress.  Kinda of boring don’t you think?  That is where I used to survive from.  It seemed like it was all I could do.  Perhaps as you read this it is where you feel you are now as well.  Well I have some good news for you, it isn’t that hard to get more from life.

When obesity limited my life, I had no energy, no motivation and struggled each day with pain, depression, and various concerns of my health.  Had I given up I would have lived out my life in a much shorter time span.  I would have allowed the doctors and the pharmacy to control how my body “survived” for the time I had left.  I just had to make new choices and become more conscious that it really is about moment to moment living.

So ask yourself right now, what choices do I make in each moment to have a fuller, more fulfilled life.  Notice I didn’t ask where you are now.  I didn’t look for the reasons you got there, I asked what are you going to do to change it?  I don’t believe in being stuck in the past, or what someone just said that hurt my feelings.  I believe in the statement “If it is to be, it is up to me!”  What say you?

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Now normally I would have my Nike+ shoes and my Ipod Nano to record my mileage.  Gotta get those miles logged so people can see I live what I preach.  I am kidding, well kinda, I have to admit I like seeing the miles add up.  But, when you really take a look at it, it really only matters that I am working on my health to continue the journey I started.  So off I went for a slow, maybe painful walk to get some circulation going in my legs.  No music.  No measurement of time (how fast or slow I was going).  Just a walk to feel better was all I was after.

It is a sunny day in Boise today.  My walk during the day is almost always on the greenbelt and today was no exception.  It was a sunny 88 degrees and humid.  Little did I know that more than my legs were about to get restored.

I looked around, there where all kinds of things to see and hear.  First was the kayaker floating and bobbing along down the river.  A reminder of things still on my “bucket list”, one day to take either a white water rafting trip or lean to kayak and venture the wild waters in Idaho.  Then there was the man and his dog walking along the banks.  This one took me back to the recent lost of my dear pet and friend that recently passed away after being with us for 20+ years.

I walked on as my legs started to free up a bit and each step seemed a bit lighter.  I started thinking about some of the recent events in my life that needed quiet contemplation to come to some sort of decision.  No music, no concern about a pace, just walking along the river on a hot summer day.  As I searched my soul, that still quiet voice (note to self, you still have to get quiet to hear it) led me into the next steps and an inner knowing what to do next.

Getting ready to go around the bend I noticed the bike rider coming around the turn and waited in case he would go left instead of right.  He actually stopped for me to cross and we exchanged smiles that acknowledged we where both courteous to each other’s journey.  On across the old steel bridge, the boards creaked and bounced as I looked up and down the river noticing for the first time all week that the water level had changed and enjoy the flying cottonwoods as they floated through the air like angels guarding us along the way.

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On to the home stretch, sun beating down and body getting warmer now as the sweat started to form on my brow.  Half way and my walk would be done.  I was almost sad for it to be over till I hear all the birds signing and I became lost in the harmony of their song.  Be still they sang and enjoy the day.  Each step, took me closer to my destination.

Last bridge and only a few yard to the door.  As the real world approached I realized that the walk had done more for my health than getting the blood moving in my aching legs.  It had renewed my spirit.  It had reminded me of the sights and sounds of life being enjoyed around me.  As the sweat poured down my brow it also reminded me of the days when I would have never thought of walking off those aches and pains of life that I had just been released from.  And often never took the time to enjoy the sweet moments being active has to offer.

I hope in some small way this reaches one person and makes a difference in their life.  It reminds them to take a moment and enjoy their walk.  It doesn’t have to be for exercise.  It doesn’t have to be around a park.  It can be just for a brief moment when you hear the birds sing out to you or smell the fresh scent of the lilac trees as they send their scent through the air.  Oh and that still small voice, it is always in waiting for when you take the time to listen.  Be blessed and enjoy the journey!

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Often I am surrounded by people who think I live such a naïve form of life.  I have faith, I have hope and I am rarely concerned about my life in many ways these days.  This was not always the case.  If you have read this blog you often will hear me refer to the days before I lost my weight and changed the focus in my life.

I didn’t like the way I felt back then, but I still never gave up working on being excited about life and finding a way out.  Struggle is tough!  It sometimes takes all we have to keep going.  Heck there are still some days at the end of the day I am glad that day is over.  The good news though is even those days have something exciting happening and progress is made in some area of my life.

What’s the difference?  I get to set the pace!  I make the choices to stick to the plan I have or to take some time off from it.  I had to laugh yesterday I was told that I sure have myself in a lot of areas.  I work with clients, I am part of a team putting together a revolutionary life coaching plan, I do clinical hypnotherapy, have a full time IT position that put me on call, I watch what I eat and exercise, and recently have been asked to go back into ministry work.  Sounds like a full plate.  My response was that in one of my favorite life giving books I often read that if you are given talents you should use them or they may be taken away.  In the same book it tells me to whom much is given, much is expected.

With all that said than I control my life with choices.  I choose into my life to get all life has to offer.  Diet and exercise take time and planning.  So does being ill, it robs hope and joy along with time.  Everything has a cost.  I just look for the results rather than getting bogged down in the effort.  It is more fun to be fit rather than struggling with carrying around all that extra weight.  It was a small price to pay for the fullness of life I experience now.

Want control of your Life?  Take it, plan it, work it, and live it.  Start replacing disempowering thoughts with empowering thoughts.  Learn to breath.  Find out what faith and hope is again.  Stop the excuses, stop the self abuse, and take one step at a time.  Do it and keep going at it.  Perfection is not the mantra here.  It is all about the journey and what you learn along the way.  After all whose life is it anyways?

Not sure where to start?   Fill out a contact form and lets talk.  No charge!  Yeah, that is one more thing I do, help others to find a way to get started to enjoy their life.  After all, to whom much has been given, much is expected.

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