Archive for the ‘Diet’ Category

Newer Entries »

Guilt Free Holiday Eating

Monday, November 24th, 2008

Holidays are times when most of us are faced with overindulging, in food and drink, and feeling guilty for it come January.  There are a couple ways to look at this situation and remain guilt free.  You can allow yourself one day to eat everything you like and vow to go back to healthy eating the next day, or you can still try to eat right and be strong for the Holidays.  Either way, you have to do what is right for you.

If you decide to let go and “overindulge” at a holiday gathering, do it for that one event and not again!  Thanksgiving and Christmas are good days to consider this.  If you eat everything you really crave, then you won’t feel like you’re missing out and you can comfortably go back to your normal eating plan the next day.  It may take a few days to begin to feel good again.  You may suffer from a food hangover for quite some time, but once back to your healthy eating and exercise routine you’ll likely realize that the food wasn’t worth how it made you feel after.

If you decide to try to be strong and still eat right during the Holidays, there are a few tricks you may want to put into play.  If you don’t LOVE something don’t eat it.  Save your appetite and the calories for small amounts of the foods you love. You should also try to pace yourself.  Make your plate and try to make the food on it last for 20 minutes.  Putting your fork down between each bite helps you feel full faster.  Sipping your water in between bites is another calorie cutting trick. Don’t wear loose fitting pants.  If your pants fit snug you are likely not to feel comfortable if you overeat.  And whatever you do DO NOT loosen your belt. If eating buffet style, use the smallest plate available.  A salad or dessert plate may be best.  You won’t tend to overload it and therefor you will consume fewer calories.

However you plan to attack the guilt of Holiday eating is a totally personal decision.  Just make a plan and stick to it.  It seems that if you deviate from the plan just once, that sets the tone for the entire Holiday season and you are likely to really have a problem once it’s all over.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Diet, Exercise, Healthy Eating | No Comments »

Tips For Insomnia

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Insomnia is a sleep condition in which you have trouble falling or staying asleep. Those experiencing insomnia may fall asleep easily but wake up too soon and cannot get back to sleep. Other patients may have just the opposite problem, or possibly they have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. In any case, the end result is poor-quality sleep that doesn’t leave you feeling refreshed when you wake up to begin your day in the morning.

Insomnia affects nearly all of us at some point in our lives. It can be caused by many different factors including stress, diet, weight gain or loss, chronic pain, climate, as well as a chemical imbalance.  Although there are over the counter and prescription medications that will help with sleep, these mediactions are not always the safest methods for dealing with insomnia.  Some can become habit forming and should only be used with caution and as directed by a Dr.. It is best to get to the bottom of what is causing the sleep problems and deal with that directly.

There are a few steps you can take to make the most of your sleep environment and help with the sleep problems before seeking medical help.  These steps include:

Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep.  Clear the room of any clutter or other distractions. Be certain the room is dark enough; cover the windows with some type of room darkening material to ensure lighting is not causing a problem.

Check out your mattress and pillows.  If your mattress or pillows need replacing this could be the culprit.  Be certain your mattress is the right type for you.

Use the bed only for sleeping.  Do not eat, or work in bed and if you read in bed, be sure it is only pleasure reading.  No thought provoking self help books or tragic stories in the newspaper. This is conditioning yourself for rest.  If you can’t sleep, get out of the bed.  Go into another room to watch television, thus associating the bed only with sleep.

As tired as you may be, resist the urge to nap.  You need to set a normal sleep cycle for your body and napping will only disrupt it.

Caffeine, alcohol and cigarette smoking all lead to restless sleep patterns.  Limit all of these, if not eliminate them completely.  Alcohol may make you feel tired and help you fall asleep, but as the body processes it, it will in turn cause sleeplessness

Exercise is a must.  Exercise will definitely help with sleep, however do not do it right at bedtime.  No strenuous exercise within 3 hours of bedtime is recommended to avoid a surge of hormones that can cause sleeplessness.

Establish a routine of winding down every night.  Try to free your mind of any troublesome or distracting thoughts, by meditating, reading or watching a pleasurable program (just don’t do these activities in the bedroom).

All of these suggestions are meant to help create a soothing relaxing environment for a restful night’s sleep.  If your sleep problems persist, the advice and help from a medical doctor may be the only way.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Diet, Exercise, Sleep Habits | No Comments »

Kids and Eating Healthy

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

It is said that our eating habits are formed when we are young.  If this is so then why do we feed our kids nuggets, fries and pizza on a regular basis? And why don’t adults eat these items daily as most kids do?  Either way, it is important to teach kids good healthy eating habits, and how to make good food choices.  But how in the world do you start with a 4 year old who is reluctant to try a new flavor of ice cream, let alone a new vegetable?

A few steps to get your child on the road to a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits are as follows;
* Start by being a good role model. Be sure you are in the habit of practicing the eating and exercise habits you’d like your children to have. The example you set is your child’s most powerful learning tool.
* Increase active time. Make physical activity a necessary part of your family’s daily life. Set time limits on your child’s daily inactive time. Give them a schedule for  TV and computer time to no more than 2 hours a day.
* Eat breakfast together as a family. Having breakfast with your child will  help them learn a lifelong habit of good eating. We all know you HAVE to eat breakfast in order to fuel your body.
* Involve your child in planning the family meals and grocery shopping. When your child is old enough, teach him or her about how to prepare food, cooking and food safety and, later, how to use and understand food label information. While allowing  your child to have a a role in the meal decision making, remember that you must still have the final say in food planning.
* Involve your child in the cooking. This is very important. Children enjoy helping their parents out, and they learn more easily with hands-on experience. They will also sharpen other skills, such as reading and math, when counting or measuring ingredients.

When attempting to have your child try new foods at a meal, you should also be sure to include a food that your child likes. Don’t be discouraged if it takes several tries before your child will actually accept and eat a new food. On average, it takes 8 to 12 tries for a child to accept a new food.  This is one of those tough lessons in life where you as a parent have to be strong.  This is one case where it IS worth the challenge to get your child to develop good habits for a healthy life and a long future.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Diet, Exercise, Healthy Eating | No Comments »

Weight Loss Charts

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

Weight loss is one of the toughest battles to fight.  There are so many ways to go about losing weight, and none of them work for everyone.  The basic belief of “calories in and calories burned” is just too much work and too slow for most people.  The diet and weight loss industry is a multi billion dollar a year industry.  We all want to be thinner, but we don’t really want to work to hard to achieve it.

I believe that we are all genetically predisposed to a certain body type.  Some women are pear shaped, or apple shaped…etc. Some of us are just big boned and are never going to look like a supermodel.  Not that we want to, but that seems to be the standard most of us measure ourselves against. Honestly supermodels are too thin in most cases.  They are not considered a healthy weight for their height and mostly considered underweight.

It’s important to know your body type before you look at some chart to determine what your healthy weight should be.  We all know muscle weighs more than fat, right?  So if you are the same height and weight, you could still realistically wear totally different size clothing than someone with more or less muscle than you.

Taking a wrist measurement can help you decide what type frame you have.  Then you can go on to find your healthy weight for your bone structure or frame type. You can add 10% for large frame or subtract 10%for small frame to determine your ideal weight based on your frame size.

To determine the body frame size, measure the wrist with a tape measure and use the following chart to find your type- small, medium, or large boned.
Women:
height under 5’2″
small = wrist size less than 5.5″
medium = wrist size 5.5″ to 5.75″
large = wrist size over 5.75″
height 5’2″ to 5′ 5″
small = wrist size less than 6″
medium = wrist size 6″ to 6.25″
large = wrist size over 6.25″
height over 5′ 5″
small = wrist size less than 6.25″
medium = wrist size 6.25″ to 6.5″
large = wrist size over 6.5″
Men:
height over 5′ 5″
small = wrist size 5.5″ to 6.5″
medium = wrist size 6.5″ to 7.5″
large = wrist size over 7.5″
Using the above formula, you can determine your desirable body weight. The formula provides an approximate desirable body weight for height. Your perfect weight range can vary on an individual basis.

Body mass index (BMI) is also important when developing your own weight loss goals. BMI is calculated by using your height and weight and can be done by visiting  http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ , or numerous other sights on the web.

Weight loss is a personal struggle that more than 60% of americans face every day.  Above all you need to be comfortable with yourself and your size, no matter what the medical charts may suggest.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Diet, Exercise | No Comments »

Depression Thoughts

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

Have you or a loved one ever suffered from depression?  True clinical depression, not just a down mood? If you have, then you know it is not just a state of mind.  Depression can be caused by many factors, but mostly it is linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Some people are genetically prone to anxiety and depression issues. If you or a loved one are in danger of developing any depression, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms before it becomes out of control.

Part of dealing with depression is the ability to get treatment.  A depressed person, in most cases, will not ask for help.  In the beginning, it may be easier for them to ask for help, but part of the problem is the denial.  Depression manifests itself by causing the denial.  Those struggling with it will make every excuse in the book why they can’t function normally.  Whether it’s sickness or exhaustion or injury, they truly believe they just can’t get out of bed.

In my experience with a depressed family member, it seemed she could never get enough rest.  A simple shopping trip was all she could handle in a day.  Her whole life was falling apart.  She couldn’t work; therefore she called in sick 3-5 days a month.  She eventually had to quit her job.  Her house became cluttered and filthy beyond belief. Her life was truly not her own.  She was not living, merely existing. As a close family member, I tried to talk to her and all I got was the denial along with all the excuses.  Finally several family members had to step in and provide an intervention.

Clinical depression can ruin your life or family if not recognized and taken care of. There are multiple medications available for treatment and they do work wonders.  It is important to discuss any and all changes with your medical provider once taking a prescription because they can and do lose effectiveness after a period of time.  Some people can take the same drug and get great results while others need to change medications often.  Depression is nothing to play around with.  It should be taken seriously and treated before it takes over and it becomes too late.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Diet, Exercise, Mental Health | No Comments »

Low Carb Lifestyle

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

For me a low carb diet is best.  I have been eating a very healthy low carb diet for over a year and I have managed to lose 60+ pounds and keep it off.  Of course I also exercise regularly, but not strenuously. The low carb diet is relatively easy to understand and stick to.  Basically you just can’t eat anything with bleached flour or sugar.  No bread, no pasta, no sweets.  There are limitations and exceptions to these basic rules, but you have to be careful.  Once you reintroduce large amounts of carbs into your system, it can make you gain weight and cause a chemical change in how your body metabolizes fat and calories.

When you are on a low carb program, there are many different thoughts on exactly what is and is not allowed.  I prefer to eat mostly lean protein.  I’m actually watching calories and carbs, but not counting calories at all.  Just making the low carb selections that are low cal as well.  Some chose to go all out ant eat as much protein as they want.  Unlimited amounts of any food are not good for you, period.  Weight loss and healthy lifestyle are always about moderation.  So, for those who eat a pound of bacon with their tripple quarter pound burger, more power to them, but it’s not for me.

Occasionally, like everyone else, I just absolutely HAVE to have a bowl of pasta, a loaf of bread or a big ol’ piece of chocolate cake.  At this point, I do allow myself one full day of poor choices. However, the next day, I immediately go back to NO CARBS for 2-3 days then reintroduce the good carbs, like veggies, slowly. Honestly, I feel miserable when I am ingesting a lot of high sugar/high carb foods.  I get sluggish and tired.  I become moody and just awful to be around.  Carbs are not my friends and I try to remember this every time I want to binge on sweets.etc. It doesn’t always stick, but I do try to remind myself of how awful it makes me feel.

The decision to diet and lose weight is a personal one and there are many schools of thought out there on what works, and why.  I believe for me and my husband too, this is the best way for us to stay trim and feel healthy and remain active.  It changed our lives and we are such better partners and parents because of it.  I would recommend a low carb lifestyle to anyone considering weight loss.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Diet | No Comments »

Newer Entries »