Healthy Eating Facts - Trans Fat And Soda Wake Up Tips!

Regardless of the type of diet you may be on, or what your current lifestyle is, there are definitely some healthy eating facts that always stay the same. Saturated fat, for example, is not healthy for you, and it doesn't matter how active or sedentary you are, nor does it matter how much you weight or how many calories you eat per day. Facts are facts. Man-made trans fats are always unhealthy. Another fact is that restricting your calories too severely can take its toll on your body.

One thing that people didn't need to concern themselves with several years ago was trans fats; to be more specific, man-made trans fats, as there are some naturally occurring trans fats which aren't a major health issue. The good news is that trans fats are easy to spot on food labels, but only when you know how. The most recent labeling guidelines say that food manufacturers have to show how much trans fats are in each serving of their food. However, if it's under a certain amount, they are allowed to show it as 0 grams of trans fat, even if there is some of it in the food. While this is playing dirty with your health, there is a way you can know for sure. Simply read the full list of ingredients. If you see the word 'hydrogenated', then it contains man-made trans fats and you should leave it on the shelf.

Researchers first brought hydrogenated fats and oils to the market in 1911. At the time they solved a big problem: spoilage. Refrigeration was still fairly new, and a lot of homes had no way of keeping their food cool. This meant that most foods that contained fats would turn rancid on the shelf. Trans fats changed that. All of a sudden, people could have margarine, shortening, instant cocoa and various mixes at home.

Refrigeration is no longer a problem, but trans fats are. That's because researchers have found a link between hydrogenated fats and various diseases. This is most likely due to the fact that hydrogenation changes the molecular properties of otherwise natural fats. Even the government is starting to change the way it looks at trans fats.

Healthy eating facts don't end with trans fats, though. Another thing to avoid is carbonated soft drinks. If they are sweetened with sugar, then they can have up to 3 tablespoons of sugar in a 12 ounce can! And it's all empty calories. Even those soft drinks that have added nutrients aren't that great for you, because you are still getting way too many simple carbohydrates.

Most such beverages also contain artificial flavors, caffeine, artificial colors and other things that aren't any good for you. But what about sodas that use artificial sweeteners? They aren't good for you either. The jury is still out on various sweeteners, but so far it looks they are not worth the risk. Even if they aren't that bad for you, there are enough other bad things in carbonated beverages to make steering clear of them another one of the healthy eating facts you can rely on.

As always,

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Your Grocery List for Healthy Eating

Okay, so as promised listed below is your grocery list for eating healthy.  You can go online to find some really great recipes to make some delicious meals with the foods I’ve listed below. 

Dairy Products

Cottage Cheese

Eggs
Egg Substitutes
Egg Whites
Yogurt (nonfat plain Greek)

Lean Meats (Poultry & Beef)

Beef (extra-lean ground)
Chicken (lean ground breast)
Chicken Breast
Duck Breast
Turkey (breast, not deli)
Turkey (deli, low sodium)
Turkey (lean ground)

Roast Beef (low sodium deli)
Steak (cube)
Steak (flank, round)

Seafood

Salmon (canned in water)
Salmon (fillet)
Shellfish (clams, crab, lobster, mussels, scallops, shrimp)
Tuna (canned in water)
Tuna (fillet)
White-fleshed fish

And of course as many vegetables and fruits as possible.  I would stay away from bananas, the longer you have them the more they turn into sugar.

Take this list with you to the store, post on your refrigerator, do whatever you have to do to remind yourself of the foods that you should and should not be eating.  I promise, if you stick to this plan and allow yourself to form a habit of eating right all of the time,  you are going to be amazed at how awesome you look and feel in a very short period of time.  You can do this!

Live Fit Live Strong!!

What Not to Eat if You Want to be Healthy & Fit

If you want to start on your journey to a healthy and fit lifestyle, you have to start with eating right.  There are several foods that you MUST remove from your diet.  Each of the foods below, contain no nutritional value whatsoever and will in turn only make you fat, tired and out of shape.  Go through your kitchen cabinets and pantry and remove all of the following foods for a fresh healthy start.  Remove all of the foods listed below that contain the following ingredients.

Let's start with getting rid of all of the following:

Hydrogenated Oils
Maple Syrup

Corn Syrup
Raw Sugar

Brown Sugar

Honey
White Flour
White Rice
White Sugar

Also, don't forget these have to go too!

Baked Goods (cake, muffins, etc.)
Conventional white and wheat breads
Cookies

Chips
Crackers

Candy

Chocolate
Fried Foods
Frozen Meals (Processed Foods)

Ice Cream

Last, but not least!

Hard Alcohol

Beer

Wine

Juice

Soda

I know this is going to be quite hard, but you CAN DO!  I know you can; just imagine how great you're going look and feel.  It takes 30 days to form a habit, if you can commit to hang in there for no less than 30 days, I guarantee you will see a change and at that point, there will be no looking back.  Now, I know you're probably saying, "I can't treat myself ever again?".  No, that's not what I'm saying.  There will be days when you should allow yourself a cheat meal...not an entire cheat day.  However, first you need to get to a point where you CAN cheat without having a total meltdown.   I will post on tomorrow, all of the amazing healthy foods that you should have in your kitchen and on your grocery list.

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Yes! My Health Matters: 50 Healthy Snacks

Yes! My Health Matters: 50 Healthy Snacks: Snacks can be a dieter's best friend, if you choose the right ones. The list below offers 50 between-meal bites that will help you stay slim...

Part 2: The Benefits of Exercise

If you make exercise part of your day, you’ll already experience some noticeable benefits.  These include:

1. Waking up in the morning feeling refreshed

2. Having energy left at the end of the day

3. Feeling more optimistic about recreation

4. Sleeping more soundly at night

The benefits above are general.  Let’s examine the more specific benefits of exercise on specific parts of the body:

 Exercise prevents heart disease

The average ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) is about 4.5.  If this ratio doubles or reaches 7, you double your chances of developing coronary heart disease.  You reduce that risk by as much as 50% if your ratio is 3 or lower.

The lowdown on cholesterol:  not all cholesterol is bad.  You have the good one (HDL-1 and HDL-2), the not so bad one (VLDL) and the harmful one (LDL).  To get your ratios, divide the total amount of your cholesterol by your amount of HDL.  The lower the ratio you have, the better.

           

Exercise prevents osteoporosis

28 million Americans have osteoporosis. 80% are women.  Only ¼ of this 80% know they have the condition and only half are being treated.  The annual osteoporosis bill to the United States is $14 billion.

Studies have shown that sufficient amounts of calcium and regular exercise build strong bones.  While genetics play a major role in developing the risks of osteoporosis, individuals can control some factors that will help prevent the problem. 

Peak bone mass is attained in your 20’s.  Starting an exercise program while still young, even if you live in the fast lane, will help you avoid bone disease.

Exercise prevents diabetes

People are still debating how much exercise an individual needs, but for people with type-2 diabetes, exercising three or more times a week improves fitness and blood sugar levels.  If you have type-2  diabetes and are overweight, exercise done with the following parameters would be of tremendous benefit: intensity of 60%-70% maximal heart rate, with duration of 30 or more minutes, 4-7 days each week.

There have been hundreds of documented reports that reveal how people’s lives have significantly improved and the remarkable transformation that their bodies experience after they made the decision to take ownership of their weight and fat problems.  

If this isn't a wake up call for you, it should be!  Why wouldn't you want to live a long healthy life?  There is no way that I would risk living with any of these diseases if all I had to do was get up off of the couch and make time to exercise.  Work is going to always be there; if something happens to you tomorrow, trust me....they will have someone else to take your place without skipping a beat.

Your probably asking yourself, "How do I get started?"  Well, stay tuned...next, I'll explain how and a very simple way for you to get started.

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Guess What?

Words to live by.......Happy Easter!




Live Fit Live Strong!!

Part 1: How to Fit Exercise Into a Busy Schedule

Fit exercise into your busy schedule?  That’s as absurd as saying that there are eight days in a week.  I’m sure that this is what most of you are thinking.  I would hate to think that the most exercise you get is toting around a briefcase everyday for exercise.  No matter how sharp, elegant or sleek the briefcase may be, it's not providing you the exercise you need to live a long and healthy life. 

First, you're probably saying to yourself, "I've never exercised before or regularly played a sport".  Second, you’ve never been into the fitness crowd and third, you’re far too busy to even think about exercise. 

In other words, you're just not into it.  However, your friends talk about it and rave about the latest fitness craze, but you’ve seen it all too often, some of them are on the “on-again-off-again” treadmill, stair master, elliptical mania, and you wonder why they haven’t shed the fat that they’re desperately still trying to hide under their clothes.

After seeing what your friends go through and not seeing any results, you cling to the notion that your total lack of interest in exercising is justified.  You’re not the least bit inclined to engage in these circus-like contortions or do those mindless freestyle strokes in the water.  That would only encroach into your already busy schedule of juggling family, home and career.  With these three combined – husband/children/work; you tell yourself that they are your exercise.

Well before tackling the idea of fitting exercise into your busy schedule, it might be better if we start with the concept of self-assessment and then familiarize ourselves with the disease-prevention aspect of exercise. 

Once you’ve accepted the fact that exercise is good for your health, then you can consider the many ways you can include it into your life.

Lifespan and Physical Appearance

The average life span is 80 years, give or take a few years.  The truth is, a significant number of people look and feel 80 before their time. They have: 

Sagging dry skin

Unsightly posture

Uneven and unsteady walk

Aching joints

If their outward appearance is bad, imagine what the inside machinery is like.  Most likely, it’s even worse: 

Clogged blood vessels

Heart problems

Mounds of sugar and fat parked in or around vital organs

Conditions such as diabetes, nervous tension, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease that are silently brewing

If fitness authorities had it their way, they’d create legislation to make exercise mandatory as soon as a baby leaves the cradle, not during the teenage years when obesity is likely to strike.  But fitness shouldn't be associated with any age.  You can start at 10 or at 30 – even at 50 or 60. Fitness should not be seen as the cure for an illness you already have, but as preventative maintenance. 

Now let’s first start off my assessing your fitness level:

Brad King and Dr. Michael Schmidt in “Bio Age, Ten Steps to a Younger You” have devised a questionnaire for assessing physical damage to a body as a result of no exercise.  We will borrow some of their guidelines:

Start with the question, “How do I look?” Do any of these answers apply to you? 

Am I overweight? Do I look like an apple or pear?

Do I have a spare tire?

Has my skin become excessively dry, almost paper-thin?

Next, ask yourself: “How do I feel?”

Do my joints hurt before or after any physical exertion?  Or, when I awake in the morning?

Am I constantly worried and anxious?

Do I feel tired and sluggish most of the time?

Do I suffer from mood swings?

Last question, “How am I doing?”

Is walking and climbing stairs difficult?

Do I have problems concentrating?

Is running impossible for me now?

Am I unable to sit straight, preferring to slouch or stoop my shoulders?

Now that you’ve completed your basic assessment, you must be honest.  You would only be fooling yourself and that’s not going to do you any good or get you the level of fitness that will prolong your life.  Check back in later and I’ll explain the “Benefits of Exercise”, and the many diseases that can be prevented.

Live Fit Live Strong!!

Age Gracefully Without The Fountain Of Youth

The search for the fountain of youth has been a quest for many years. Consumers pay millions of dollars every year in hopes of finding the magic solution or remedy to aging. Some people resort to surgery to remain having a youthful appearance. Instead of spending money on the painful and expensive surgery, you can age gracefully with some attention to the needs of your body so you can age naturally and beautifully.


Start using sunblock with SPF everyday to prevent sun damage and skin peeling.  Use formulated sunblock for your face that allows you to apply makeup over the lotion. 


Moisturize your skin on daily. The benefits of moisturizers help to hydrate the skin, replenish the skin cells, reduce wrinkles, and create softer skin. There are quality moisturizers on the market that work effectively without the high price associated with many moisturizers. 


Exercise regularly to improve your health. Base your exercise regimen on your health conditions as you may have limitations. Use stretching exercises if you have difficulties with other forms of exercise. Use yoga and Pilates to increase your joint pliability.


Add meditation, yoga, or another stress relieving exercise to your life. When you learn to relax and reduce the stress in your life, you remove the risks of heart disease and stroke. This increases your chances of living longer. 


Add walking to your exercise program. Walk for thirty minutes four times a week. Buy walking shoes for proper support of your feet and back to lessen the risks of damages and possible injuries.  


Eat a balance low fat low calorie diet filled with nutrients and antioxidants to help your body keep the youthful skin and buoyancy. Eat foods that contain acai and dark green leafy vegetables that aid the body’s natural ability to age gracefully while they help to build your immunity.


Limit your intake of fats and sugars with your foods and beverages. Drink water to keep your body hydrated. Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day is the medical recommendation for optimal water intake. Reduce your consumption of coffee with added creams and sugar, sodas, teas with the sugars, and other drinks high in sugar contents.


Add a multi-vitamin and supplement to your daily regimen. As you age, your body needs different levels of essential vitamins and minerals. The age appropriate vitamins and supplements will help you have the right amounts daily so you can age gracefully with your healthy body and immune system.


Visit your physician for a regular checkup. Have your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugars checked. You doctor will have blood work done to monitor the level of your health and to help prevent any possible medical conditions. Discuss with your doctor any health issues you may be experiencing so they can be treated.


Live Fit Live Strong!!

Can You Now Have Carbohydrates On The Atkins Or South Beach Diet?

Low carbohydrate diets, like the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Weight Loss Plan, are not always that easy to stick to. The problem a lot of people have is how few carbohydrates they can have. They may be able to follow a low-carb diet for a few days, but then the cravings become more than they can handle. One possible solution people have been turning to is anti carb pills. Just so you know, these are not prescribed by a doctor, but are supplements that contain all-natural ingredients.

While the South Beach and Atkins diets don't get as much media attention as they once did, they are still popular diets. But why would people go on such diets if they're only going to end up having major food cravings? The reason is that the diets work quite well, but only when you stick to them. However, carb pills claim to solve that problem in a unique way.

It should be noted that newer low-carb diets allow people to have more complex carbs--whole grains for example. Still, it can be quote tempting to have a piece of cake every now and then. The idea behind the carb pill is that you can eat some of the carbohydrates you crave, and then the ingredients in the pill will prevent your body from absorbing the carbs in those foods. One such ingredient is white bean extract, which is 100% natural, and appears to be safe.

You should, ideally, take carb pills just prior to eating anything that has more carbohydrates than your diet plan allows. If you forget to take it before eating, you can still wait until after your meal, but it won't be quite as effective.

Here is a basic overview of how carb blocking pills work. Fat builds up in your body after carbohydrates are broken up by the pancreatic enzyme known as alpha amylase. These carbs can be burned through expending energy, but if you take in more than you can get rid of, then the extra gets stored as fat. Carb pills keep this from happening by preventing the digestive enzymes from going to work on the carbs. This allows them to pass through the body without getting absorbed; in theory, anyway.

So, the question is whether or not carb pills really work. The practical answer is "it depends". The medical and scientific communities have not done a lot of research on these pills, and therefore have not embraced them as a weight loss option. However, the companies that make these pills have conducted studies of their own. Their research has shown that as much as 45 grams of carbohydrates may not be absorbed by the body when carb pills are taken.

However, what these studies fail to test is how this carb blocking affects low carbohydrate diets like South Beach and Atkins. So, while they may help keep your body from storing extra carbohydrates as fat, there aren't any conclusive results in relation to specific diet plans.  If you're wondering if there are any side effects from taking carb blocker pills or capsules? There are many documented complaints that some people suffer from various minor side effects and discomforts such as stomach bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after consuming the carb pills as part of their weight loss program.  However, carb pill manufactures consistently claim that these symptoms are actually manifestations that carb pills are working well.  That being said, carb pills could still be worth trying.

Live Fit Live Strong!!