3 Not-So-Ordinary Ways to Lose Weight Fast

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The summer is creeping up on us and if you are like most people, you don’t feel like your body is quite ready to put on full display. That’s okay – there are ways to lose weight fast without compromising your health (or your sanity).

You can lose weight fast, but in an all-natural, healthy way with these tips, but like any weight-loss regimen, be sure to complement these suggestions with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds,  legumes and lean meats as well as exercise. And always consult with your primary care physician before embarking on any weight loss plan.

1. Drink Fruit-Infused Water

Water may just be your best tool in losing weight. It is free of calories and helps to alleviate water retention, which otherwise leads to bloating and puffiness. Studies show that water consumption increases weight loss and reduces how much calories you consume in meals. However, as much of a savior as water is, it can get kind of boring. To remedy this, simply infuse your water beverages with fruit! The water absorbs the essence of the fruit and gives you a more delicious (and calorie-free) experience. Pour a pitcher of water and add in chopped strawberries, blueberries and mint. Let the water sit at room temperature as such for about an hour before consuming. Fill a water bottle with the fruit-infused water and carry it around with you all day long to make sure you’re drinking plenty.

2. Sit out in the Sun

Scientists discovered that early morning light helps to lower body fat and jump start the body’s metabolism. What does this mean for you? Wake up early and sit outside in the sun for 20-30 minutes between 8 and 10 a.m. Researchers have found that morning light triggers the body’s internal clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which also control energy balance. Getting light in the morning helps to synchronize your body clock and put your metabolism on the right track for the day.

3. Take Cold Showers

A long, hot and steamy shower is quite the amazing ritual, but as the days get longer and hotter, you may soon be begging for a wash down in cold water. And it turns out you may lose weight while you are at it too! White fat in the body is a result of eating more calories than your body needs to function – this fat isn’t burned for energy. Brown fat, however, is the good fat, which is burned for energy and essentially used to keep our bodies warm. Brown fat is activated when we experience extreme cold. Cold showers promote brown fat activity. In a 2009 study, it was observed that exposure to extreme cold temperatures stimulated brown fat and implicated that one could lose up to nine pounds per year if they continued to take cold showers.

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5 Delicious Foods that Actually Promote Weight Loss

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Is dietary supplementation appropriate for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

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Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often picky eaters, which can lead parents to suspect that their children might not be getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. This sometimes leads parents of children with ASD to try nutritional supplements and dietary regimens such as gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diets without professional supervision. In the largest study of its kind, researchers report that these well-intentioned efforts can result in both insufficient nutrients and excessive nutrients. Despite supplementation, children with ASD still were deficient in calcium, for example, while some were consuming excessive amounts of vitamin A and other nutrients.

“Many families try a GFCF diet in an attempt to improve symptoms of ASD,” explained lead investigator Patricia A. Stewart, PhD, RD, assistant professor of Pediatrics, the University of Rochester Medical Center. “While 19% of all Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (AS ATN) participants were reported to be on a GFCF diet, 12% of the children in the subgroup participating in this study were given a GFCF diet and were significantly more likely to use nutritional supplements (78% vs 53%), however, the micronutrient intake of children on or off the diet was remarkably similar.”

A total of 368 children between 2 and 11 years of age were recruited from five AS ATN sites at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, University of Arkansas, University of Colorado, University of Pittsburgh, and University of Rochester. All had been diagnosed with Autistic Disorder, Asperger Disorder, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder as defined by the DSM-IV.

Three-day food records were completed for the children by their caregivers. A registered dietitian nutritionist trained the caregivers to record the amount of all foods, beverages and nutritional supplements consumed including brand names and recipes used for food preparation. In the case of nutritional supplements, photographs of the labels were taken to insure that ingredients were accurately recorded. Registered dietitian nutritionists verified these records and immediately called families if clarification was needed.

By examining these detailed eating records, investigators found that the children were consuming similar amounts of micronutrients as children without ASD. They also had the same deficits in vitamins D, E, calcium, potassium, and choline as the general pediatric population. Although ASD children are given supplements more often (56% vs. 31-37% of the general population), even after supplementation, 40-55% were lacking in calcium and 30-40% were lacking in vitamin D.

Children on the GFCF diet consumed more magnesium and vitamin E. This may be due to the substitution of soy and nut-based products. Children on this diet were more adequately supplemented with vitamin D. Calcium supplementation was equally inadequate in those on and off the diet.

Despite different eating behaviors, children with ASD received much of their needed micronutrients from food consumption. This might be due to the high levels of fortification in the modern food supply, where vitamins and minerals are often added. This fortification may also be responsible for the overconsumption of certain nutrients by children with ASD. For the supplement users in this study, many exceeded the Tolerable Upper Limit for safe intake levels of vitamin A, folic acid, and zinc.

“In clinical practice, each patient needs to be individually assessed for potential nutritional deficiencies or excess. Few children with ASD need most of the micronutrients they are commonly given as multivitamins, which often leads to excess intake that may place children at risk for adverse effects. When supplements are used, careful attention should be given to adequacy of vitamin D and calcium intake,” Dr. Stewart noted.

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The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Patricia A. Stewart, PhD, RD; Susan L. Hyman, MD; Brianne L. Schmidt, RD; Eric A. Macklin, PhD; Ann Reynolds, MD; Cynthia R. Johnson, PhD, BCBA-D; S. Jill James, PhD; Patricia Manning-Courtney, MD. Dietary Supplementation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Common, Insufficient and Excessive. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, June 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.03.026

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Importance of a balanced diet for mental health

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The importance of nutrition for maintaining mental health has been highlighted by recent research. The human brain needs an adequate intake of key nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, essential amino acids, B-group vitamins (B12 and folate), vitamin D and minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron. A balanced and high-quality diet, such as the Mediterranean, provides all of these, the researchers note.

An international study involving the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Valencia, recently published in The Lancet Psychiatry, highlights the importance of nutrition for maintaining mental health. Lecturer of Psychiatry Vicent Balanzá has participated in this study.

Lecturer of Psychiatry Vicent Balanzá, also a psychiatrist at La Fe University Hospital, participated in the scientific review made by members of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR) on the importance, research and future of nutritional medicine, as “it has been proven that the quality of diet and the deficiencies in certain essential nutrients are determining factors for physical and mental health.”

In fact, nutrition “has become a key factor for the high prevalence and incidence of very frequent mental diseases, such as depression. A balanced diet is as important in psychiatry as it is in other medical specialties such as cardiology or endocrinology,” says Balanzá.

ISNPR is a scientific society founded in 2013, the purpose of which is to promote high-quality scientific research on the prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorders by means of nutritional interventions. Balanzá is a member of its executive committee and he claims that in order to supply optimum performance, the human brain “needs an adequate intake of key nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, essential amino acids, B-group vitamins (B12 and folate), vitamin D and minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron. A balanced and high-quality diet, such as the Mediterranean, provides all of these, but in cases of deficiencies, nutritional supplements are advisable.”

A broad approach to Psychiatry

With this publication in ‘The Lancet Psychiatry’, the world’s experts in nutritional psychiatry propose a debate on the growing role of diet in psychiatry and mental health. “At the population level, we had scientific evidence that Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cognitive impairment. Now we also know that it reduces the risk of depression. These are strong arguments to preserve a cultural -and wholesome- treasure that has been transmitted over time,” stresses Vicent Balanzá.

Moreover, the aetiology of mental illnesses is extremely complex and, therefore, so is their treatment. “Expecting that anyone with mental health problems would recover only with medicines is a very limited view of reality. In our article we argue that the future of psychiatry requires a broader approach in which nutritional factors are essential in order to provide better health outcomes, functioning and quality of life,” concludes the researcher.

Vicent Balanzá Martínez is an adjunct lecturer of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Valencia since 2005 and is accredited as a lecturer. Since 2002 he has been working as a psychiatrist in the Mental Health Unit in Catarroja, which he coordinates. He is also researcher at the Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM).

His research lines focus on neurocognitive functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as on interventions aimed at improving cognitive deficits. More recently, he has been concerned with the staging models in bipolar disorder and with nutritional interventions (nutritional psychiatry). He has published over 50 scientific articles in international journals that have received more than a thousand citations and his Hirsch index is 19.

Balanzá has participated in numerous research projects and national and international conferences on psychiatry. He is part of the board of directors of the International Society for Nutritional Research Psychiatry (ISNPR) and of the working group on staging of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD).

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The above story is based on materials provided by Asociación RUVID. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jerome Sarris, Alan C Logan, Tasnime N Akbaraly, G Paul Amminger, Vicent Balanzá-Martínez, Marlene P Freeman, Joseph Hibbeln, Yutaka Matsuoka, David Mischoulon, Tetsuya Mizoue, Akiko Nanri, Daisuke Nishi, Drew Ramsey, Julia J Rucklidge, Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, Andrew Scholey, Kuan-Pin Su, Felice N Jacka. Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2015; 2 (3): 271 DOI:10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00051-0

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Why drug for type II diabetes makes people fat

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Medication used to treat patients with type II diabetes activates sensors on brain cells that increase hunger, causing people taking this drug to gain more body fat, according to researchers. The study describes a new way to affect hunger in the brain and helps to explain why people taking a class of drugs for type II diabetes gain more body fat.

Medication used to treat patients with type II diabetes activates sensors on brain cells that increase hunger, causing people taking this drug to gain more body fat, according to researchers at Georgia State University, Oregon Health and Science University, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center.

The study, published on March 18 in The Journal of Neuroscience, describes a new way to affect hunger in the brain and helps to explain why people taking a class of drugs for type II diabetes gain more body fat.

Type II diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, affects 95 percent of diabetes sufferers. People with type I or type II diabetes have too much glucose, or sugar, in their blood. Type II diabetes develops most often in middle-aged and older adults and people who are overweight and inactive, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The research team found that sensors in the brain that detect free circulating energy and help use sugars are located on brain cells that control eating behavior. This is important because many people with type II diabetes are taking antidiabetics, known as thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which specifically activate these sensors, said Johnny Garretson, study author and doctoral student in the Neuroscience Institute and Center for Obesity Reversal at Georgia State.

The study found peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ϒ (PPARϒ) sensors on hunger-stimulating cells, known as agouti-related protein (AgRP) cells, at the base of the brain in the hypothalamus. Activating these PPARϒ sensors triggers food hoarding, food intake and the production of more AgRP. When AgRP cells are activated, animals become immediately hungry. These cells are so potent they will wake a rodent up from slumber to go eat, Garretson said.

TZDs help to treat insulin resistance, in which the body doesn’t use insulin the way that it should. They help the body’s insulin work properly, making blood glucose levels stay on target and allowing cells to get the energy they need, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

“People taking these TZDs are hungrier, and they do gain more weight. This may be a reason why,” Garretson said. “When they’re taking these drugs, it’s activating these receptors, which we believe are controlling feeding through this mechanism that we found. We discovered that activating these receptors makes our rodent animal model eat more and store more food for later, while blocking these receptors makes them eat less and store less food for later, even after they’ve been food deprived and they’re at their hungriest.”

The research team includes Dr. Timothy Bartness, director of the Center for Obesity Reversal at Georgia State; Johnny Garretson and Drs. Brett J. W. Teubner and Vitaly Ryu of Georgia State; Dr. Kevin L. Grove of Oregon Health and Science University; and Dr. Almira Vazdarjanova of Georgia Regents. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Georgia State University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. J. T. Garretson, B. J. W. Teubner, K. L. Grove, A. Vazdarjanova, V. Ryu, T. J. Bartness. Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor   Controls Ingestive Behavior, Agouti-Related Protein, and Neuropeptide Y mRNA in the Arcuate Hypothalamus. Journal of Neuroscience, 2015; 35 (11): 4571 DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2129-14.2015

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Georgia State University. “Why drug for type II diabetes makes people fat.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 March 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150325131411.htm>

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When you lose weight, where does the fat go?

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Even with a worldwide obsession with diets and fitness regimes, many health professionals cannot correctly answer the question of where body fat goes when people lose weight, a UNSW Australia study shows.

The most common misconception among doctors, dieticians and personal trainers is that the missing mass has been converted into energy or heat.”

“There is surprising ignorance and confusion about the metabolic process of weight loss,” says Professor Andrew Brown, head of the UNSW School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences.

“The correct answer is that most of the mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide. It goes into thin air,” says the study’s lead author, Ruben Meerman, a physicist and Australian TV science presenter.

In their paper, published in the British Medical Journal today, the authors show that losing 10 kilograms of fat requires 29 kilograms of oxygen to be inhaled and that this metabolic process produces 28 kilograms of carbon dioxide and 11 kilograms of water.

Mr Meerman became interested in the biochemistry of weight loss through personal experience.

“I lost 15 kilograms in 2013 and simply wanted to know where those kilograms were going. After a self-directed, crash course in biochemistry, I stumbled onto this amazing result,” he says.

“With a worldwide obesity crisis occurring, we should all know the answer to the simple question of where the fat goes. The fact that almost nobody could answer it took me by surprise, but it was only when I showed Andrew my calculations that we both realised how poorly this topic is being taught.”

The authors met when Mr Meerman interviewed Professor Brown in a story about the science of weight loss for the Catalyst science program on ABC TV in March this year.

“Ruben’s novel approach to the biochemistry of weight loss was to trace every atom in the fat being lost and, as far as I am aware, his results are completely new to the field,” says Professor Brown.

“He has also exposed a completely unexpected black hole in the understanding of weight loss amongst the general public and health professionals alike.”

If you follow the atoms in 10 kilograms of fat as they are ‘lost’, 8.4 of those kilograms are exhaled as carbon dioxide through the lungs. The remaining 1.6 kilograms becomes water, which may be excreted in urine, faeces, sweat, breath, tears and other bodily fluids, the authors report.

“None of this is obvious to people because the carbon dioxide gas we exhale is invisible,” says Mr Meerman.

More than 50 per cent of the 150 doctors, dieticians and personal trainers who were surveyed thought the fat was converted to energy or heat.

“This violates the Law of Conservation of Mass. We suspect this misconception is caused by the energy in/energy out mantra surrounding weight loss,” says Mr Meerman.

Some respondents thought the metabolites of fat were excreted in faeces or converted to muscle.

“The misconceptions we have encountered reveal surprising unfamiliarity about basic aspects of how the human body works,” the authors say.

One of the most frequently asked questions the authors have encountered is whether simply breathing more can cause weight loss. The answer is no. Breathing more than required by a person’s metabolic rate leads to hyperventilation, which can result in dizziness, palpitations and loss of consciousness.

The second most frequently asked question is whether weight loss can cause global warming.

“This reveals troubling misconceptions about global warming which is caused by unlocking the ancient carbon atoms trapped underground in fossilised organisms. The carbon atoms human beings exhale are returning to the atmosphere after just a few months or years trapped in food that was made by a plant,” says Mr Meerman, who also presents the science of climate change in high schools around Australia.

Mr Meerman and Professor Brown recommend that these basic concepts be included in secondary school curricula and university biochemistry courses to correct widespread misconceptions about weight loss among lay people and health professionals.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of New South Wales.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. R. Meerman, A. J. Brown. When somebody loses weight, where does the fat go? BMJ, 2014; 349 (dec16 13): g7257 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.g7257

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University of New South Wales. “When you lose weight, where does the fat go? Most of the mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide, study shows.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 December 2014. >.

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Too much screen time? Unhealthy behavior learned from parents

Unhealthy behavior may be cross-generational. Researchers found the risk of obesity in boys’ linked to their fathers’ obesity, while girls’ obesity was linked with both parent’s obesity.

Children whose parents spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer or other screen are more likely than other children to have excessive screen-time habits, as well as associated risks for heart and blood vessel disease, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014.

“Screen time of children is significantly associated with parental screen time,” said Masao Yoshinaga, M.D., Ph.D., the study’s lead author and chief director of pediatrics at National Hospital Organization, Kagoshima Medical Center in Japan. “To reduce screen time in children, parents should reduce their screen time.”

Researchers also found the risk of obesity in boys’ linked to their fathers’ obesity, while girls’ obesity was linked with both parent’s obesity.

Participants included more than 1,000 healthy children –540 boys and 574 girls — between the ages of six and 12 years old in seven different regions of Japan.

The researchers measured participants’ height, weight, waist circumference, and heart and blood vessel risk factors, as identified by blood tests. Both participants and their parents wore a pedometer for a week and answered questionnaires about their screen-time and sleeping habits.

In addition to decreasing screen time, researchers suggest increased walking and more sleep may be a first-step approach for helping elementary school children to lower their future cardiovascular risk.

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American Heart Association. “Too much screen time? Unhealthy behavior may be cross-generational.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 November 2014. >.

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How to lose weight without affecting blood sugar levels?

Article contributed by RDiety

Diet and Nutrition (Photo credit: fantasyhealthball)

The presence of excessive fat content within the body leads to various ailments. Diabetes is a condition occurring due to abnormal blood sugar levels. With the increase in body fat, the body reduces the production of insulin, a hormone that is responsible for converting food into energy. This improper functioning of the digestive system leads to the development of heart ailments, blindness, renal failure and even death. It is necessary to maintain proper height to weight ratio. A diet meal plan to lose weight concentrates on the reduction of calories and increase in intake of proteins. It is necessary to prepare a well-planned diet program that suits the lifestyle of an individual.

Most people are reasonably active. However, it is necessary to consume an appropriate calorie level in a single day to reduce the abnormal functioning of blood sugar level. This is possible by cutting down unwanted foods that are rich in calories. The 2000 calorie diet program ensures that the patient produces energy to keep going through the day and at the same time gain control over high blood pressure levels and cholesterol. The diet program concentrates on inclusion of food products rich in fiber content. An increase in fiber content elevates the efficiency and functioning of the digestive system.

Classification

It is essential for an individual to classify the Fords into six different groups – vegetables, fruits, milk products, starches, fats and lean meat. A fixed quantity of serving from each of the categories has a similar proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The diet meal plan to lose weight includes food products from these categories to create a perfect balance. As the body receives its actual share of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, reduction in the abnormal functioning of the digestive system is possible. Such an action lowers the accumulation of calories, which in turn prevents the occurrence of various ailments.

Intake counting

It is a good habit to count the number of calories consumed by an individual body. This gives the opportunity to axe on the food products that are rich in carbohydrates. A healthy diet meal plan to lose weight focuses on the reduction of carbohydrates. The diet plan includes a six meal program. The six meal program is an effective tool to drop weight at a quicker pace without affecting the overall health. This method helps the body to produce energy at frequent intervals. The production of energy consumes unwanted calories within the body. Moreover, inclusion of exercise also helps in shedding excess weight. 

There is a necessity to create a diet meal plan to lose weight that distributes the carbohydrate servings. Dividing the three large meal course into six small meal program is a great way to reduce the intake of carbohydrates. Readjusting the carbohydrate intake lowers the abnormal functioning of blood glucose. The diet program which is rich in fiber ensures an effective tool to keep a check on blood sugar levels. Creating a balance between carbohydrates, fats, proteins and calories ensures good health.

Author Bio:
The following is written by a representative of Rdiety who is a professional writer and a member of the company’s marketing department. We are here to help you with your plan to successfully and painlessly lose weight and keep it off! R.DietY’s Registered Dietitians and nutrition experts use the latest scientific research to create a satisfying and complete diet plan.

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Dieting: Planning Your 2014 Eating Habits

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another year, another diet. The endless cycle of diet fads spins around and around. And with every year, another diet goes discredited. What can we salvage from the ghosts of diets past? Thankfully, quite a bit. Every famous diet got famous for the same reason: to some degree or another, it worked. But when it comes to deciding your 2014 diet, some will help you more than others.

Diets of Yesteryear

The Good, the Bad, and the Insulin: South Beach

Dr. Arthur Agatston designed the South Beach Diet to specifically address the difficulties faced by people with heart conditions. The basic theory appealed to many, however. Agatston promoted “good carbs” and “good fats” over “bad carbs” and “bad fats.”

Bring on the Beef: Atkins

The Atkins craze went viral in the early 2000s. A diet where you could eat nothing but burgers and bacon–minus the bun and sans ketchup, granted–and still slim down? Everyone wanted to sign up. Unfortunately, bacon won’t help anyone lose weight, no matter how many carbs they cut out of their diet. The Atkins diet has received a great deal of criticism for its wholesale elimination of an important food group.

Diets We Love Now

Keeping it Real: Raw Food

Foods lose nutrients when cooked. For this reason, Raw Foodists consume up to 3/4ths of their diet in raw, uncooked, plant-based foods. Many Raw Foodists are also vegetarians, or vegans. This diet eliminates a number of fats, oils, and sugars added during the cooking process, while preserving the full nutritional value of various ingredients.

Back to the Stone Age: Paleo

With its heavy emphasis on protein-based foods, the Paleo diet resembles the Atkins at a glance. But where Atkins crossed carbs entirely off the grocery list, the Paleo diet maintains them in the form of simple carbohydrates. Think whole grains in place of processed carbs.

Your 2014 Diet

Well? What’s really good for you, and what’s really bad? It comes down to keeping an eye on what you eat. South Beach and Atkins focused on pure nutritional composition. The Raw Food and Paleo diets enforce choices that lead to eating healthy prepared foods. Both strategies have value.

Whatever you choose to do, consult your doctor at the Seymour Health Centre Ltd. before starting a new diet. As a health professional, they can help you plan the diet that will best benefit your body.

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10 Steps to Becoming an Intuitive Eater

Fresh vegetables are important components of a healthy diet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Article contributed by Savannah Marie

Health is something that more and more people are becoming conscious about. With the growing rate of obesity in America, watching what one eats has become a necessity. Cutting carbs, fat and sugar, while adding protein and vitamins has become a standard way to diet. It’s also a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle, while trying to lose weight. 

But, even when people watch what they eat, there remains the very real difficulty of knowing when to eat. A healthy eater is just as susceptible to snacking and munching throughout the day as anyone else. Even though what they eat is considered good for them, eating too much is never a good idea. In fact, one of the best ways to stay in good shape is to know when to eat. This means becoming an intuitive eater. Just as a gastric band is used to inhibit one’s ability to overeat, becoming an intuitive eater will keep you from binge eating.

So, how do you become an intuitive eater?

1. Forget About Dieting

When one diets, many things can go wrong. Many dieters acquire the false hope that they will become thin quickly and that the process will be easy. Above all, they tend to believe that the results of dieting will be permanent. When these beliefs end up proving false, many become depressed, viewing their struggles as a failure. Another negative aspect is the constant wonder if a different diet will provide better results. This either leads to self-doubt or a constant shift in diet that shows zero results. Instead, ignore diets and focus instead on becoming an intuitive eater.

2. Learn How to Be Hungry Again

People tend to eat all the time, particularly when they are bored. They forget what it is like to actually be hungry because there always seems to be food nearby. If you start waiting until you are actually hungry to eat, you will accustom yourself with a normal eating schedule that doesn’t include unnecessary snacking.

3. Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Don’t put restrictions on what you can eat. If you want that cheeseburger, go for it. If you want that cake, then grab a plate and dig in. Don’t deprive yourself of what makes you happy. However, be mindful of moderation.

4. Destroy the Nutritionist in Your Mind

You know that voice in your head that never fails to tell you when you are eating something unhealthy? Ignore it! Don’t think about what you are eating. Be free!

5. Pay Attention to Your Body’s Signs

Food tastes good and it is difficult to stop eating once you’ve started, particularly when there is more food in front of you. All you can eat buffets? Forget it! It’s impossible NOT to overeat! But try. Listen to your body and learn to figure out when you have eaten enough so that you are no longer hungry. Perhaps after each portion, consider how you feel and whether or not you are satiated.

6. Eat Tasty, Not Healthy

It’s been said before, but not putting restrictions on the types of food you can eat is essential to becoming an intuitive eater. Good foods make you happy and pleasure is a necessary key in acquiring a truly healthy lifestyle.

7. Food is Not Always the Answer

Bored? Sad? Angry? People often tend to address their emotions by shoving their mouth full of something comforting, but food is not the answer. If your body is not truly hungry, you should not be eating. Find other ways to address your emotions and feelings.

8. Accept How You Look

This seems like a strange concept, as most people tend to diet and eat healthy because they are unhappy with how they look. But, a man 7 feet tall can’t expect to fit in a crawl space. If he tries, he would just fail and be miserable. While weight is not as set in stone as height is, the message is the same. If you try to focus on something you have hardly any control over, you will just be upset. One needs to maintain a positive outlook in order to truly lose weight and become a healthier person.

9. Don’t Move to Exercise, Move to Move

People who wake up each morning thinking that they will try to move a lot to burn calories are not nearly as successful and happy as those who move just to move. It’s hard to stay motivated when you find the process so trying. It’s much better to enjoy moving around without focusing on the outcome. Join a work kickball team or play Frisbee with your dog. Any activity that gets you moving and makes you happy is the perfect choice.

10. Know Your Health

Eat foods that you find tasty, but try to stay healthy. A treat here and there will not have any significant effect on you and it’s good to spoil yourself now and then. But, your primary source of nourishment should contain healthier options that enhance your health. You can even make eating healthy a fun activity! Check out your local farmers market for yummy produce, or start your own garden and grow organic fruits and veggies to add to your table.

Some of these tips might seem surprising, but ultimately, they will help you to become an intuitive eater. You might even consider trying some of these tips the next time you eat. 

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Four Of The Best Activities To Keep You Slim

Article Contributed by Madyson Grant

In these contemporary times, the health and fitness industries are thriving as more and more people seek information and advice regarding how to lose weight and get a shapely physique. Although there are numerous ways that this goal can be accomplished, one of the most effective is physical activity. Below you will find four great exercises that can help you stay slim.

Weight Lifting

Although broadly defined, weight lifting is basically physical activity involving barbells and lifting weights. Weight lifting aids in the process of keeping you slim by enabling you to build muscle mass, the act of which increases the number of calories you burn each hour.

 Swimming

Swimming is a wonderful way to keep you slim. This is the case because swimming is a cardiovascular activity, which means that it enables you to burn calories. On average, you can expect to burn anywhere from 400-500 calories per hour, depending on your level of expertise. If you live in the NYC area and are interested in becoming an expert swimmer to make the exercise easier for you, consider taking adult swimming lessons in NYC.

Running

Running is a wonderful way to keep yourself thin. As a cardiovascular activity that engages the muscles and glutes, running will also help burn calories so your abdominal muscles become more visible. When you run, you can burn around 500-600 calories, depending on your weight. Although there are many exercises that people do not enjoy, running tends to be a popular form of physical activity. This may be because it can be done outdoors or with a friend. If you’re interested in beginning a workout program that incorporates running, consider entering a marathon. Marathons are great because of the training that is necessary to be successful during the actual event.

 Tae-bo

Tae-bo is a great form of exercise that can play a profound role in keeping you thin. Tae-bo involves high-intensity cardiovascular workouts that include kicks and punches that you complete with your arms and legs. In addition to keeping you slim because of the cardiovascular activity involved, tae-bo helps you tone major areas of your body, including your arms, legs, and abs.

Conclusion

Although you may think remaining slim is a difficult or impossible task, it does not have to be. By practicing one or all of the physical activities, you will likely be able to maintain a healthy weight and develop the shapely physique that makes you look good and feel great. Good luck!

About the Author:

Madyson Grant is a small business owner and a professional writer. Her passion for helping others fuels her writing and her search for more helpful information.

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Four Of The Best Activities To Keep You Slim

In these contemporary times, the health and fitness industries are thriving as more and more people seek information and advice regarding how to lose weight and get a shapely physique. Although there are numerous ways that this goal can be accomplished, one of the most effective is physical activity. Below you will find four great exercises that can help you stay slim.

1. Weight Lifting

Although broadly defined, weight lifting is basically physical activity involving barbells and lifting weights. Weight lifting aids in the process of keeping you slim by enabling you to build muscle mass, the act of which increases the number of calories you burn each hour.

2. Swimming

Swimming is a wonderful way to keep you slim. This is the case because swimming is a cardiovascular activity, which means that it enables you to burn calories. On average, you can expect to burn anywhere from 400-500 calories per hour, depending on your level of expertise. If you live in the NYC area and are interested in becoming an expert swimmer to make the exercise easier for you, consider taking adult swimming lessons in NYC.

3. Running

Running is a wonderful way to keep yourself thin. As a cardiovascular activity that engages the muscles and glutes, running will also help burn calories so your abdominal muscles become more visible. When you run, you can burn around 500-600 calories, depending on your weight. Although there are many exercises that people do not enjoy, running tends to be a popular form of physical activity. This may be because it can be done outdoors or with a friend. If you’re interested in beginning a workout program that incorporates running, consider entering a marathon. Marathons are great because of the training that is necessary to be successful during the actual event.

4. Tae-bo

Tae-bo is a great form of exercise that can play a profound role in keeping you thin. Tae-bo involves high-intensity cardiovascular workouts that include kicks and punches that you complete with your arms and legs. In addition to keeping you slim because of the cardiovascular activity involved, tae-bo helps you tone major areas of your body, including your arms, legs, and abs.

Conclusion

Although you may think remaining slim is a difficult or impossible task, it does not have to be. By practicing one or all of the physical activities, you will likely be able to maintain a healthy weight and develop the shapely physique that makes you look good and feel great. Good luck!

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How to Start Being Healthier in 24 Hours

Article contributed by Emily Carmichael

Sometimes the daily routine can get tiring. And you might already know one thing: happiness and healthiness are intertwined. But in all honesty, waking up one day and deciding you’re going to be healthy is nearly impossible. It takes time, dedication, and more than telling yourself that you’ll give up greasy food for one week. Read on for five tips on how you get start being healthier in the next 24 hours.

Your Next Meal

Whatever meal is coming up next in your day, commit to making it a somewhat healthy one. I’m not saying you have to go all out to start, but incorporating more and more nutritious food into your diet will go a long way over time. You’ll be decreasing your chances of heart disease, increasing alertness, losing weight, and more. So even if your next meal is just adding a piece of fruit – it will be a start. Be sure you’re drinking water too – not soda!

Exercise

After work? Before work? It doesn’t matter – people exercise at all different times. Take a bit of time out of the next day to go on a jog, a bike ride, or a simple walk. Start increasing the time you spend every day, and you’ll be building endurance so you can last longer. Nobody is expecting you to be a track star if you haven’t run in 10 years – all that matters is you get out and try it. And if you someday get to a point where you’re exercising for an hour a day, just remember it’s only 4% of your day. You’ll be losing weight, lowering your blood pressure, becoming happier, and getting much healthier.

Sleep 8 Hours

To put it simply, you need sleep to be healthier. You might be one of those people who can feel alright with less than 8 hours of sleep, but it’s not good for your body, and you won’t be as sharp as you could be. In turn, people who are more tired tend to be more lazy about what they eat, and what they do the rest of the day. Make sure you eat 3 hours before bed, that way the proper digestion is happening in your body. Exercising will make you sleep better at night as well.

Good Hygiene

Does flossing after dinner sound like a foreign practice to you? It’s something you should be doing all the time. Brushing your teeth twice a day and using mouthwash? Do that too. And constantly washing your hands – please, never forget that. Make sure all of these things are part of your daily routine. You won’t get sick, so you’ll be happy and healthy. I think that’s a winning situation.

Do Something Fun

Try to do something really fun, really soon. It doesn’t matter if it’s going to the movies with your friends, going on a boat, or working on your car. Remember what the beginning of this article said. Happiness and healthiness are intertwined. Make sure you’re always committing a bit of time to enjoy what’s around!

Emily Carmichael is a health enthusiast and freelance writer. Emily takes natural health supplements from Forrest Health to increase her energy for her highly active and busy schedule.

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Five Tips To Lose Weight and Still Eat Your Favorite Yummy Foods

Some people are under the impression that losing weight involves eating a bunch of tasteless and unsatisfying meals.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While it is true that you must adjust your eating habits, it is a misconception that you are limited to a diet that consists of flavorless foods. Here are five tips to lose weight and still eat your favorite yummy foods.

Eat home-cooked meals

Many people get into the habit of eating out instead of preparing their own meals at home. Not only is this not cost-effective, but it could also be contributing to your weight gain. The benefit of cooking at home is that you have total control over the ingredients being used to prepare the meal.

Control your portions

Feasting on a buffet-style meal is never a good idea if you are in the process of trying to lose weight. Although there is nothing wrong with having a slice of pie, going back for multiple servings is a definite no-no. As the old saying goes, your eyes are bigger than your belly.

Eat healthier snacks

Unhealthy snacks could be quietly disrupting your weight loss goal. Instead of snacking on cookies and potato chips, opt to eat fruits and vegetables whenever you begin to feel hungry. The bad thing about most of the unhealthy snacks is that they contain empty calories, which means that there is no nutritional value.

Substitute foods

Substituting fattening foods in favor of healthy alternatives is an effective way to shed the pounds. For example, eating brown rice instead of white rice will make a big difference in the long run. Ideal Shape meal replacement shakes are good alternatives to eating greasy fast foods. The truth of the matter is that some reduced fat meals are still just as tasty as the regular versions.

Plan ahead

Before you even begin to develop a meal plan, you should first determine your ideal daily intake of calories. This will help you to select foods that do not put your weight-loss goal in jeopardy. Always look at the nutrition facts for each item before purchasing it.

Hopefully these tips will help to guide you along in your weight loss journey. While these tips are very effective, there are still other factors that affect your ability to lose weight. Implementing an exercise program into your life is also very important.

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4 Foods To Avoid When You’re Trying to Lose a Few Pounds

Deep fryer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Whether you’re just trying to trim a few pounds from your figure to look your best for a special occasion, or you’ve embarked upon a mission to refashion your entire body image, there are a number of healthy tips and tricks that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine that will help you reach your goal more quickly and easily. This article explores one of these—how to avoid certain foods and preparation methods that pack on the pounds.

 

Skip the Deep Fryer

 

While no one doubts that deep fried foods can be delicious, they are a big source of empty calories from fat. Not all fats are bad, and some of them can even aid you in losing weight. However, what comes out of the deep fryer isn’t on that list. Simply eliminating food choices that use this style of cooking can bring immediate results for your figure! If you have the option, especially when preparing your own meals, go with baked, grilled, or even pan sautéed options.

 

Pasta Sauce and Other Prepared Foods

 

Read your labels. Grocery shopping can be a chore, but it shouldn’t be counterproductive to your goals of weight loss, however large or small your goal may be. Many prepared foods add sugar and salt to increase flavor and preserve foods. One major offender is pasta sauce, which can have as much sugar as three brand-name crème sandwich cookies. The closer to the top of the ingredients sugar or salt are listed, the more of it that food contains.

 

Don’t be Fooled by the Light

 

As most of you know, refined or processed sugars go directly to fat in the body—do not pass go, do not collect $200. If you’ve just got to have a little sweet, opt for fruit with plain, unsweetened whipped cream or plain yogurt with vanilla extract or even a nice portion of a bar of extra-dark chocolate. Most foods that are labeled “light” have removed fat and added sugar or artificial sweeteners to deceive your palate. Both of these are bad news.

 

Avoid Empty Food

 

Some processed foods are alright to eat occasionally. However, you should avoid empty foods. That means foods that have no natural nutrients, such as highly processed snack foods and boxed dinners. Your body usually ignores added nutrients, because they are not readily absorbed. Replace a few of these with whole fruits and vegetables or raw nuts and seeds.

 

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5 Tips To Help You Be Smart With Your Diet Plan

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Dieting is a reality for most people at some point in life. Whether the objective is to simply lose weight or to also gain muscle along with physical fitness, the task can be challenging. The tips outlined below can be helpful when trying to stick with a diet plan.

Set Realistic Goals

The main reason people give up on a diet plan is because there are no instant results. Success from dieting is a process that occurs over the long term. The best approach is to decide how much weight must be lost in total then set small, realistic goals as milestones. One per week weigh-ins will better show progress and help boost motivation.

Eat Small, Frequent Meals

Shifting to a low-fat diet plan requires an adjustment period. Eating four to five small meals per day can help dieters avoid feeling hungry during this transition. Some find juicing offers enough variety to stay on track while reducing calories and fat intake.

Consume Sufficient Calories

While it may not seem logical, a successful diet plan does not mean eating as few calories as possible. If the body does not receive sufficient calories, this will trigger a starvation response, which works by slowing the metabolism and holding onto fat. Eating at least 1,250 calories per day will counteract this effect.

Eliminate Temptations

To prevent falling back on bad habits, dieters should remove all tempting foods from the household and replace them with healthy alternatives. It is also advisable to break counterproductive routines such as eating while watching television or reading a book, as both can lead to eating too many calories.

Get a Diet Buddy

By far the best way to stay on a diet is to enlist the help of a friend or family member. Dieters can benefit from objective advice on what is being eaten, keeping goals realistic and when they may be going off track. If the other person needs to lose weight, too, both can support each other.

Whether a person needs to lose a small or large amount of weight, following the tips above can yield great results while keeping the experience in perspective. Anyone wishing to begin a diet plan should first check with a doctor to ensure optimum health, especially if there will be regular, vigorous exercise involved.

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What’s The Fuss With Elevating HDL?

English: HDL (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Article contributed by Collins Miller

HDL cholesterol (the nice cholesterol – which refers to High Density Lipoprotein) helps to protect you against your arteries from getting clogged on account of LDL (the poor cholesterol – which refers to Low Density Lipoprotein). This is done through removal of the surplus cholesterol lining the walls of your arteries, then getting it back to the liver for reprocessing.

As a result, this aids in keeping your arteries away from a sticky build-up. And even, should your levels of HDL be adequate (a level of 40 and over in males, 50 and over in females), it may also reduce the possibility of a stroke.

Increasing HDL levels is essential and I will explain to you why: For each one-point surge in HDL, you will find there’s three percent decline in a person’s odds of having a deadly stroke.

The 7 Good, Quick, Simple, Fast & Reliable Approaches To Boost Your HDL Levels…

Physical exercise

You just have to do 20-30 minutes of some exercise, 3-4 days in a week. Going for walks is very useful… picking up weights, going for a swim, taking part in sporting activities, and many others are very beneficial. Decide on anything nice and follow through with it. Stay consistent!

Get rid of Extra fat/Tummy Fat

Moreover, getting rid of unwanted fat will significantly decrease your cholesterol levels, triglycerides and HDL/LDL ratio. Eat better, exercise a lot more and consume risk-free fat-burning supplements that can help in elimination of obstinate tummy fat fast.

Take in Healthier Fats

First, you need to cut down or remove unhealthy fats including: Trans Fatty Acids. Look at the food labels and refrain from things with hydrogenated oils, shortenings, margarine and majority of baked/fried goods.

Secondly, take in better fats, which include nuts, seeds, fish oils (Omega 3 fatty-acids), olive, and avocado, along with other natural fats which are not heated.

Decrease Simple Carbs

Cookies, cakes, white breads, rice, pastas, highly processed cereals, and a lot of stuff that can be found in a box are simple carbohydrates. It’s good to keep clear of or decrease these types of foodstuffs.

As an alternative, take in extra fruit and veggies, beans, brown rice, and whole-grain breads. It will lower your cholesterol levels, triglycerides, in addition to allowing you to reduce weight as well (which will further better your HDL/LDL ratios).

Take in Extra Fibers

This is pretty easy and offers a number of positives. First of all, this can be managed by consuming a lot more veggies and fruit… whole-grains and nuts also.

Further, it is simple to incorporate specific fiber supplements during the course of the day. It’s basic, uncomplicated and practical. Plus, it assists with weight loss, together with lowering cholesterol levels and triglycerides.

No Smoking!

Oh… think about it people, nothing could be helpful with regards to smoking and when you think of the heart. It reduces your nice HDL and elevates your poor LDL all at once. The complete opposite of what you wish to accomplish. Very bad… Give it up!!!

Make use of Herbs & Natural Supplements – necessary!

This has produced the largest impact for my father and mother. There are roughly half dozen pretty good, medically tested herbs and natural supplements that enable bringing down cholesterol levels, triglycerides and enhancing HDL/LDL ratios:

• Policosanal (from sugar cane extract)
• D Pantethine (vitamin B5)
• Phytosterols (40% extract from non-GMO pine tree extract)
• Artichoke Leaf Extract (at 15% Chlorogenic Acid, 5% Cynarin)
• Garlic Extract (at 5% alliin)
• Red Yeast Rice (at 2.5% extract) 

When you become older and due to hormonal shifts, your body demands particular substances to help in managing and decreasing your cholesterol levels and triglycerides. Maintaining a diet is good; however it is not good enough.

Natural herbs are the fastest, least complicated, trusted and most hassle-free technique to reaching your goal of a heart healthy.

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Getting Into Shape – Getting Out

Article contributed by Izzy Smith
Getting into shape and losing weight is often perceived as too difficult, this perception makes it impossible for some people to even begin. This negative attitude about the matter reflects their intentions and at the end of the day no action is ever undertaken. The problem is that they do not even start even though the motivation for losing some weight is available. The reasons are plenty, but the result in the end is only one –no action = no results.

The lack of money or lack of time are classical excuses not to start getting in shape and losing weight. Equipment is touted as another obstacle for those who desire to get into shape. Well, we would like to tell something to all of these people – you do not need any special equipment, you do not need so much time to spare in the gym, you do not any gym or money to invest into your program for losing weight, as a matter of fact. All you need is your strong will and your big dream to get into shape immediately!

If you want to get into shape, the very first thing you have to is to get out. Staying at home may help you reduce the kilos of your body only if you have some active daily exercise program that you may perform at home. Having some active training outdoors, though, is even a better alternative. Walking, for instance, may be a good start for those who have not trained for a long time and some muscle building is needed. Make some afternoon or evening walks though your neighborhood, because such an activity is both – good for your body and for your soul. On the other hand, some of the biggest cities across the world have already undertaken the imitative to build up and form some outdoor fitness centers.

The good part about them is that they are absolutely public and free of charge and meanwhile, they consist of totally the same equipment as we have already seen in the classical sport center for working out. Doing some exercises outdoors is possible even if a public outdoor fitness center is not available in your city. If you live in the countryside or in a house with a patio and a garden, you may practice some simple exercise outside, and enjoy the fresh air . Jogging is the last suggestion we should recommend you. Besides all of the benefits it comes with, which are the same as the benefits from the outdoor fitness or outdoor exercise program, jogging is extremely efficient for quick loss of weight.

Author Bio:

Izzy Smith is a working mom, writer and adventurer, loves to travel, smile and enjoy every minute of her life 

Written for Holland park removal firm

If you would like to contribute to the ever-growing Enlightened Lotus Wellness community, read our guidelines,  and send your submission to submit@enlightenedlotuswellness.com

BE WELL!

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Success Strategies: Healthy Weight-loss

The first week of the new year is behind us and I hope everyone has been successful thus far implementing their personal strategies for success in 2013. If losing weight is your focus for the new year we have some awesome resources and tips to help along the way.

Setting SMARTER Weight-Loss Goals

Instead of dieting, begin to incorporate healthy eating strategies into your lifestyle. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to learn better eating habits that you can maintain for a lifetime.To lose weight, you must use up more calories than you take in. Since one pound equals 3,500 calories, you need to reduce your caloric intake by 500—1000 calories per day to lose about 1 to 2 pounds per week

Setting SMARTER weight-loss goals, is the same process one can use when setting goals of any type, just follow the SMARTER mnemonic:

• Specific-Be clear about what you want. I want to lose 20 lbs instead of I want to lose weight. A reasonable goal for most people is to lose 10% of body weight, even with this modest amount functional improvements in blood pressure and blood glucose levels can be achieved.
• Measurable-How will you know when you have reached your goal? Tracking your weight-loss will help you visualize your progress. Try taking a full length picture weekly to help you see the changes you may miss on a daily basis.
• Attainable– Is your goal challenging but still realistic? Losing 50 lbs. in a month is not just unrealistic, it is unhealthy. Aim for 1-2 lbs. of weight-loss per week, a healthier and more sustainable rate.
• Rewarding– Is the goal rewarding enough to you that you are willing to put in the effort needed to be successful? The benefits of changing have to outweight the benefits of the status quo.
• Timely-What is your target date? When will this goal be accomplished? Keep in mind the healthy rate for losing weight of 1-2 lbs. a week.
• Engaging– How will you stay motivated? Do you have the support system you need? How will you fit healthy eating into your current lifestyle?
• Reevaluate– What is working and what is not? Don’t be afraid to try something new when what you are doing isn’t working.

Need Help with Staying Motivated?

May be just what you need! SlimKicker is  a level-up game and point-based program. You start by tracking your diet, where whole foods are worth more points than processed foods. It’s similar to Weight Watchers, but in reverse.

But diet, and fitness are half of the battle. Most people regain weight because they never learn long-term habits. SlimKicker solves this by taking habits as quitting soda, and turning them into 7-30 day challenges. Like a regular game, the challenges start out easy, and gradually become harder, with more points. SlimKicker also gives you personalized advice so that you can achieve your weight-loss goals.

Want to Win Money for Losing Weight?

Do you have a competitive streak? Does competition drive you to try harder? If so, you will love Diet Bet!  DietBet is a game where you’ve got 4 weeks to lose 4% of your starting weight. To begin, everyone puts money into the pot. After four weeks, whoever’s hit their 4% goal is a winner and splits the pot. Join a game now or start your own.

All you’ll need…

a scale (preferably digital)

a digital camera or smartphone

A full-length mirror or someone to take your photo

Lose weight and win money?!?! Sounds like a win-win to me!

Healthy Eating Strategies

However you choose to stay motivated keep in mind our healthy eating strategies

• Read nutritional labels- Educate yourself on what you are eating, there are many surprising things allowed in our food supply, find out what you’re ingesting. For example, Purdue researchers found that Olean, used in some brands of light and fat-free potato chips, can trigger GI side effects in portions of the population, but also can make you gain weight. The study found, rats who were fed potato chips containing Olean as part of a high-fat diet, ate more overall and gained more weight than those who were fed a high fat diet and consumed regular, full-fat potato chips. Why? Fake fats and chemicals screw with our body’s ability to digest and metabolize food, making us more likely to retain weight from what we eat rather than burn off the calories. To learn more about nutritional labels, please visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/NFLPM/ucm274593.htm
• Don’t eat “diet food”– According to www.slim-fast.com, the fourth ingredient in slim-fast shakes is Canola oil, additional ingredients include, fructose, Hydrogenated soybean oil, and High Fructose Corn Syrup. A healthy diet should not include any of these ingredients regularly, especially when weight-loss is the goal.
• Switch to whole grains– Scientists at the University of Copenhagen found in a randomized clinical trial, participants eating a diet with whole grains verses refined ones, lost more weight and saw a more significant decrease in body fat compared to those eating refined grains exclusively.
• Cut out the sweetened beverages- Too much sugar is not good for you, adding calories without nutrition, but studies have proven that artificial sweeteners make you gain more weight than consuming regular sugar, indicating that when your body gets a hit of sweet taste without the calories to go with it, it adversely affects your appetite control mechanisms, causing increased food cravings.  If you can’t give up sweetened beverages completely, reduce your daily intake as much as possible, a 12 ounce soda can have 100-180 calories per can so reducing your soda intake also reduces your calorie intake significantly.
• Get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables– Weight loss is not the only benefit of eating more fruits and vegetables. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health. Aim for 2 ½ cups of vegetables daily and 2 cups of fruit.
• Eat a variety of foods from all the major food groups- Visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx to get a personalized Daily Food Plan.
• Keep a food journal- Research has found those that keep a food journal lose almost double the weight of those who don’t, and are more successful in keeping it off.
• The USDA also offers the SuperTracker, a free website, which can help you plan, analyze, and track your diet and physical activity. You can look up individual foods to see or compare their nutritional value, find recommendations for what and how much you should eat, compare your food choices to these recommendations and to your nutrient needs, and access personal physical activities and identify ways to improve. Find recommendations for what and how much you should eat. For more information, visit https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/

If you need individual attention or more personalized support and motivation, let us help!

Schedule your FREE CONSULTATION today!

BE WELL!!

Infographic by greatist.Browse more data visualization.

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2013 Success: Realistic Resolutions

Unlocking Your Potential

by Setting Realistic Resolutions

Many Americans will make New Year’s resolutions, but just as fast as they are made, many resolutions are broken. In fact, a mere 46% of Americans will be able to maintain their resolutions into the summer and only 8% of those who make resolutions report overall success. Not very promising statistics, so how can you insure your success for 2013 ?

Take a New Approach

Many people set themselves up for defeat because they fail to spend time thinking about what they really want out of life.  Let’s look at the Top 10 Resolutions set in 2012:

1. Lose Weight
2. Get Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Staying Fit/ Healthy
6. Learn Something Exciting
7. Quit Smoking
8. Help Others in Their Dreams
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend More time with Family

While all worthy pursuits, setting a resolution to fall in love?!? NOT VERY REALISTIC! So rather than set ambiguous resolutions, set realistic goals!

Realizing Your Potential

Finding success and unlocking your potential can be achieved through goal setting (aka Realistic Resolutions).  Setting goals gives you the vision and focus to stay motivated when times are tough.  So what now?  Start with setting some long-term or lifetime goals.  Think about all the aspects of your life that are a priority to you, use this list or create your own using categories that are important to you.

• Family– Are you a parent? Do you want to be? Are you a good parent? Do you have fulfilling relationships with your own family?
• Career– What do you want to achieve in your career? Do you have the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to achieve this?
• Education– Is their any knowledge or skills you would like to acquire? Do you need any particular knowledge or skills to be able to achieve goals in other areas?
• Financial– How much would you like to earn and by when? Are you in debt? Do you have a plan for your financial future?
• Health/ Wellness– Are there any health and wellness goals you would like to achieve? Are you in good health for your age? What steps are you willing to take to achieve better health and overall wellness?
• Giving Back– Do you want to improve your community or help others? How?
• Attitude– Are you your own worst enemy? Is your mindset holding you back? Is your behavior self-defeating?
• Enjoyment– Do you enjoy your life? Why or why not? What do you do for fun?

Spend some time reflecting on the areas above, think about the goals that you would like to accomplish. NOT what your partner wants, or your parents, or your boss. Spend this time deciding what you truly want, after all, you wouldn’t set out on a journey without having a destination.

This is a great place to start planning your success for 2013, tomorrow we will discuss how to set SMART goals so that you can increase your potential for success.

BE WELL!

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Unhealthy “Health” Foods?! & 3 Common Dieting Mistakes

Do You Fall Victim to These Common Dieting Mistakes?

Many people try to eat a healthier diet, either to lose weight or to improve overall health and wellness, only to become discouraged and unmotivated when results are less than stellar.  There are “diet” foods,  “health” foods,  as well as foods that are sugar and fat-free, so how do you know what products to buy and which ones to avoid? Consumers are bombarded with claims that these “miracle” products are all you need to become the super model you have always dreamed of. People are led to believe that full-fat natural products should be avoided and substituted with chemical-laden fat-free products. I have to break it to you, this is all a bunch of rubbish, mere fabrications of corporate marketing.

Mistake 1-Buying “diet” foods

More often than not, so-called “diet food” isn’t much like food at all, chock full of chemicals with very little nutritional content to speak of.  Instead of buying diet foods, focus on incorporating more fruits and veggies into your daily diet (preferably organic )

Mistake 2-Drinking Diet Soda

Soda in any form is not good for you but artificial sweeteners pose additional health risks beyond weight gain. Yes I said it, artificial sweeteners make you GAIN weight!

Mistake 3- Looking for Salvation in a Pill (or shake, or supplement-you get the idea)

While we may want to believe that by taking a pill and expending no additional effort we will be able to magically transform into a perfectly happy, healthy and fit version of ourselves, we hope and we faithfully indulge this fantasy-but to no avail. The real truth is there is no substitute for a whole foods diet that focuses on fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains and engaging in important wellness behaviors.

Wellness Package Giveaway Update:

There will be no drawing for the wellness package giveaway for November but instead we will be giving away two at the end of this month! If you are ready to transform your state of wellness this New Year, ENTER TODAY!

A big thank you to all of our community contributors!

If you have an article you would like to contribute to our growing community read our submission guidelines and send your completed article to submit@enlightenedlotuswellness.com

BE WELL!! ❤

Ellice

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Why Diets are Destined to Fail

Image courtesy of stockimages/ Free Digital Photos.net

Most diets take a one size fits all approach

Just because your sister or friend had success following a certain diet doesn’t necessarily mean you will have similar results. We all have different needs and dietary risk factors and a healthy diet takes these personal factors into account.

Additionally, most “diets” do not teach you healthy eating principles and practices. You only learn how to lose weight following that particular plan which may not be a nutritional or sustainable way to eat.

Behind every success story is a fostering and challenging environment

In order to succeed in your health and wellness goals, you need a good support system. If you don not already have a strong support system and are unsure how to reach your goals, let us help! Schedule your FREE consultation, we will design a program that provides you total support in pursuit of you health and wellness goals while addressing your needs and expectations ( and your budget!)

You are surrounded by negative people

Success depends on being surrounded by people who will challenge you and keep you accountable. Negative people prefer to drag you into their bad habits (misery loves company) and ultimately may not want you to succeed. Be honest with yourself about the toxic, negative influences in your life.

Unrealistic Expectations

If you are more than 50 pounds overweight and you give yourself 5 weeks to get ripped you are setting yourself up to fail. Choose to focus on healthy lifestyle changes, not quick weight-loss, losing 1-2 pounds a week is ideal.

You also need to be honest about your limitations, I will never be a size 2, I am just not built to get that small, and that’s ok .

Activity or Lack Thereof

Adopting a consistent exercise routine will help minimize your health risk factors as well as boost your endorphin levels, increase your energy, and help you manage stress.

Quick Fix

Dieting is a short term fix, changing your lifestyle and learning healthy habits is a long-term solution. Successful people don’t diet- they change their habits.

“Diet Food” is not very healthy

While the convenience of being able to open a box of pre-portioned “diet food” may seem appealing, these meals are often laced with artificial flavor enhancers and preservatives, which are not good for your health overall. Learn how to eat real food, prepare healthy meals for yourself  and your family at home where you can control the portions and ingredients.

You don’t track your progress

Studies have found people who track their progress often have double the amount of weight loss in comparison to those who don’t. Tracking your progress gives you motivation when times get tough and you are feeling discouraged since you are able to see how far you have come, rather than just how far you have yet to go to meet your goal.

As always I am here to help, send me an email or Schedule your FREE consultation today!

It is not to late…

Enter To Win a Personal Wellness Package! The first drawing is October 31!

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The Benefits of Pilates

 

The benefits of Pilates are endless! From injury prevention and weight loss to core strength and rehabilitation, Pilates is the one exercise that everyone should be incorporating into their lives and daily regimes. Pilates is the number one exercise in strengthening your core, by protecting your abdominals and lower back, you can build a stronger, more powerful body while also gaining balance and correcting your posture.

Pilates is a low impact exercise that can be done almost anywhere. In your home using a DVD, at the gym taking a class, in a Pilates studio using a “reformer”, on the road while you’re traveling, even in a park or on the beach!

Anyone from pregnant women and new mothers to professional athletes, dancers, and celebrities are taking advantage of the life changing results and health benefits of Pilates. Everyone can do Pilates, including kids, teenagers, adults, and the elderly!

Pilates is perfect if you’re short on time, too busy to go to the gym, or always traveling. You can see results with just 15 minutes a day! Pilates can build and tone muscles, relieve chronic pain, boost your energy and mood, gain flexibility, stretch tired and strained muscles, even lose weight.  Everyone from beginner to advanced can live a healthier and pain-free life with Pilates. So, with fall just around the corner, soak up the perfect weather, beautiful scenery, fresh air, get outside for some exercise, and give Pilates a try! Why not? You’ve got nothing to lose!

Kelly Roberts is a BASI Certified Pilates Instructor, Certified Raw Chef, and Holistic Health Coach. She lives in Berlin, Maryland with her husband and two small children. For more information about Kelly, please visit www.balancedlivinghealthandwellness.com or follow her blog at www.farmfoodieandfitness.com.