All Fun Stuff: Healthy Habits

Showing posts with label Healthy Habits. Show all posts

Monday, 17 December 2012

Little things you can do to you make better food choices

Change your grocery list. Instead of the chips get air popped popcorn and avoid and partially hydrogenated oils.
Choose high fiber foods. A good rule of thumb is try to aim for 2 or more grams of fiber per 100 calories.

Avoid High Fructose. It is just another way to add sugar to your diet.

Compare ingredients and go for the product with the shortest list, which means less processing fewer additives and frequently fewer calories

Make good nutrition convenience. Try banishing junk food and buying nutritious stuff for yourself and your family. Always have a full fruit bowl.

Be prepared. Have nutritious provisions at work and in the car if your need them.

Before a party - eat a yogurt or an apple to help curb your appetite.

Tips to battle depression

Research has shown that exercise has shown significant mood-lifting power. Duke University publishers produced results of a study in which they divided depressed patients ages 50-77 into three groups. The first group did 30 minutes of jogging or brisk walking three times a week; the second took the antidepressants Zoloft and the third group did both. After four months, patients in all three groups were doing equally well; the medication offered no particular advantage over working out except in relieving the symptoms a little faster. When researchers followed up later they found a major difference between the types of treatment. One-third of the patients that improved on Zoloft had relapsed whereas 92 percent of those benefiting from just aerobic exercise program were still doing well.

Be careful of diet pills

Just because something is sold over the counter does not mean that it is safe. In studies of diet pill one leading brand had a daily dose of what is equivalent to 30 cans of soda. Such high levels of caffeine can cause insomnia, tremors, stomach problems and headache. In addition to that some pills when tested have tested out to contain very high levels of chromium a mineral that helps regulate insulin and may aid in weight loss. In some cases there was up to 42 percent more chromium listed then on the label which can cause side effects like dizziness, flushing and even kidney failure.
The bottom line is to think twice before taking weight loss supplements.

Where to start? On the road to a healthy lifestyle?

Did you know that an unhealthy diet and lifestyle account for more then 80 of heart disease, 90 percent of type 2 diabetes and more then 70 percent of strokes.
What should you change first? It depends on what you are doing but the top of the list is stop smoking along with a combination of increasing physical activity and making dietary changes. Try eliminating or cutting back on margarines containing trans-fats, deep fried food, and commercial baked goods. Avoid unhealthy carbs which include sugar - especially when found in soda, beverages, snacks and desserts. Also focus on removing the refined starches such as white bread, white rice and pasta.. These starches behave identically to sugar in your body and are low in nutrients and low in fiber. Try replacing the refined starches with brown rice, whole grain bread, oatmeal and barley and quinoa.

One of the best things you can do is eat more fruits and vegetables in a wide array of colors - blueberries, sweet potatoes, kale, broccoli and carrots. To ensure more intake of omega 3 fats eat more salmon, sardines walnuts and flaxseeds.

Remember to make these changes gradually because you will more then likely keep up a habit that is developed over time rather then one that is developed overnight.

Tips for starting a new fitness routine

Remember - the 1st month is the hardest. Making exercise a priority and part of your life is a long-term commitment but if you can keep it up for a month you can do it for a lifetime.
When starting a new routine - don't skip meals and make sure you are getting plenty of water. Don't worry if you have a treat - enjoy it and don't saddle yourself with a lot of guilt.
If you can start with someone else it always helps to have a workout buddy or some kind of support system.

This will definitely increase your accountability.

Expect these types of emotions when starting a new exercise routine

Week 1 - you are excited and motivated about the new exercise regime but set realistic goals - it is better to exercise consistently 3 times a week then commit to do it five a week and fall off the wagon.

Week 2 - your still doing ok, maybe a little sore but feeling good about things. You may notice that your clothes feel better.

Week 3 - you may experience a plateau. Your weight loss may have slowed now but you are definitely feeling better and probably sleeping better. When in doubt - just show up for your work out.

Week 4 - Ask yourself questions like "what can I do better? Can I work out longer and harder? Set daily goals and keep them. Invite your mind into the exercise regime.

Do vegetables lose nutritional value if they are frozen?

The convenience of frozen vegetables does come at a small nutritional cost, but fresh vegetables that have been stored at your fridge for a week or in trucks, trains, warehouses or supermarkets for even loner are not at their nutritional peak either. The more produce sits around, the fewer nutrients it contains. From the moment vegetables are picked, enzymes begin breaking down their water-soluble nutrients. While the ideal option is to buy just picked produce from a local stand or farmers market and eat it the same day very few of us have that luxury. Fortunately, frozen vegetables are a sound alternative. Freezing preserves vitamins, minerals and fiber for about eight months so you should eat your vegetables even if they are frozen.

Tips to help make/keep you thin?

One treat at a time. It is ok to have a cheeseburger once in a while but don't use the justification that since you are already splurging that it ok to order the French Fries along with it. Allow yourself an occasional treat, as long as it is accompanied by smarter food choices like fresh fruit and vegetables.

If you can't just have one - avoid them. There are some treats that you can't just have one so it is best to just avoid those treats altogether. You may discover that a chocolate chip cookie triggers uncontrollable cravings but one square of dark chocolate appeases your sweet tooth quite nicely.

Don't lose weight for some one else. Reset your weight lost goals so they revolve soley around you. Sit down and figure out the benefits to you of changing your lifestyle. Writing down your goals can really help.

Avoid winter weight gain. Keep a bikini or a skimpy sun dress on the back door of your bathroom so you
can visualize yourself wearing it every time you head for the leftovers.

Genetics are not on your side but… there are still things you can do. First of all set realistic expectations. First of all, you may never be a size two but that doesn't mean you can't be a healthy size 10. Small things like walking to the grocery store, choosing the stairs over the escalator can really make a diiference. Research shows that people who are physically fit and maybe carry a few extra pounds as opposed to people who are their ideal size and not physically fit.

After that workout I can eat anything. Most people over estimate the amount of calories burned. After a great workout reward yourself with a bath or a massage not food.

Avoid buffets. Most people love buffets because of the variety but they also tend to overindulge. To be safe just avoid them.

Remember make lifestyle changes don't diet. Quite simply diets don't work long-term so you are better off to make simple lifestyle changes and keep them up over time.

Avoid the hefty salad. A salad heaped with tons of toppings can be just as many calories as a burger. Be realistic about what goes on your salad. Adding a ton of croutons and you might as well be eating a sandwich.

Sweet and Carbs boost your serotonin but thankfully so does exercise,sex and low-fat carbohydrates so choose wisely.

Just because you brought it at the health food section doesn't mean it is healthy. Organic potato chips have just as many fat grams as regular potato chips so be warned.

Pace yourself with the slowest eater at the table. Studies have shown that eating slower can be more enjoyable and led to less calorie consumption.

Let's meet for a walk instead of let meet for drinks. Either way you are getting the same social interaction but also doing something good for yourself. Studies have shown that having an exercise buddy can lead to longer exercise.

Top Beauty Foods

In addition to antioxidants helping fend off heart disease and cancer, while keeping our immune systems, the mind and eyes in good shape they also are know as beauty or power foods. The United Stated Department of Agriculture has put together a list of the 20 foods with the highest concentration of antioxidants.

The USDA's list:

Small red beans
Wild blueberries
Red Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Cultivated Blueberries
Cranberries
Artichokes
Blackberries
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Red Delicious & Granny Smith apples
Pecans
Sweet cherries
Black plums
Russet potatoes
Black beans
Plums
Gala apples
Walnuts

Foods that didn't make the top 20 but are also packed with healthy minerals and antioxidants include avocado, asparagus, broccoli rabe, and - dark chocolate.
There's another measure, called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), which determines how foods absorb. Foods high on this list include kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, beets and many of the same berries that have high TAC.

The perfect food ?

Foods with deep rich colors signify a very strong concentrated dose of antioxidants. And we have studies that show us that berries, in and of themselves, help prevent bladder infections and Alzheimer's, age-related brain decline. Berries have fiber, but the also have vitamins and minerals, and they're low in calories and they're sweet. So they're perfect." Beans, dried or canned, are wonderful. Canned beans are just as nutritious.
One way to get a lot of antioxidants in one sitting is through a delicious salad. People think of salads as lettuce and tomato, but you can make so many interesting salads with so many personalities by mixing all sorts of healthy foods together

How to avoid late night eating?

Does this sound like you? You inhale a light yogurt for lunch and eat hardly anything all day so by the end of the day you are so hungry that all your discipline goes out the window. You have a night eating habit and are someone who uses food not as fuel but as an antidote to stress. There are two troubling behaviors that come into play with night eating and those are mindless consumption and lack of portion control. This can make trying to lose weight extremely difficult and can also increase the likelihood of obesity.

Why do we eat at night?

Many women eat late at night because that is the only time of day that they get in any peace and carbohydrates offer stress relief because they raise the level of serotonin, the good mood chemical in the brain that makes us feel at ease. Other diet minded women eat very little during the day thinking their self -discipline will carry them through the evening, only to have the strategy backfire. Going for long period restricting food makes it harder to eat reasonable when you begin to eat.

Tips to stop night eating?

Don't starve all day. Make sure to eat breakfast, lunch and snacks so you are not ravenous in the evening. Curb your appetite- Try a drink that nutritionist call Citrus Chill which is a squeeze or lemon and lime and some artificial sweeter over crushed ice. Try on of these before dinner and after dinner.
Set a clear food cut off time - Try brushing your teeth at 7:30 pm and designate that as your food cut off time. This is hard at first but gets easier over time.

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