Spring Clean your Body!

I look forward to the weather changing! Winter is harsh, your body suffers and your mood suffers. Spring is fresh, new and full of vitality all around you! It is one of the best times of the year to change your eating and lifestyle practices. Start with a 3 day cleanse and if you can tolerate a 5 or seven day cleanse that rids your body of sugar cravings, salt cravings, meat cravings and fat cravings. It can be a homemade juice cleanse or one that consist of delicious fruit smoothies, salads with lemon juice dressing, bean soups and stews. No matter what kind of cleanse you choose it should not include anything processed, any sugars other than what is found naturally in fruits and vegetables, no carbohydrates unless it's of the vegetable variety and no, potatoes are not included. Avoid adding salt or other sodium products to your foods, drink plenty of water 6-8 cups, snack on raw nuts, seeds, dried fruits and absolutely no meat or animal by products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. You can do it! Let's Go!

Green Monster Smoothie consist of: 

1/2 green Granny Smith Apple 

1/4 cup kale

1/4 cup carrots chopped 

1/4 cup frozen pineapples and strawberry 

Water can be used to adjust thickness. Blend and drink! 

Twin Doctors Test Diets

This is an awesome display of why diets do not work! Read the story on Yahoo Shine. See link below!


http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/twin-brothers-act-guinea-pigs-sugar-v-fat-190600102.html

Validation that the Whole Body Nutrition concept is on point with its message! Healthful living, eating whole foods, having an active lifestyle, a positive outlook and eating less process and convenient foods will help fight the war on fat (fat gained not fat eaten!)

Treat Winter Blues With These Low Calorie Comfort Soups

Winter Blues?

Try these easy soup recipes, they will put a smile on your face and keep calories at bay!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium butternut squash peeled (can also leave skin on)
1 cup soy or almond milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cinnamon stick for garnish

Peel and rinse butternut squash, or wash thoroughly if you choose to use squash with the skin.

Slice butternut squash into chunks and add to boiling water until cooked.

You can also roast squash in the oven for a more robust flavor. Keep in mind that it will take longer to roast the squash in the oven about 40 minutes to an hour.

Once the butternut squash is cooked, drain the water and blend it in a blender or a food processor.  The soy or almond milk can be added during this process, or you can add a small amount of water to get squash to desired consistency in the blender or food processor.

Pour butternut squash mixture into a saucepan and reheat for about 5minutes adding the salt, black pepper. Pour in the soy or almond milk slowly to gage the thickness.  If 1 cup is not enough feel free to add more.

Once cooking process is completed let soup cool for about 10 minutes, serve and enjoy!

*this is a very versatile soup, to add more interesting flavors use sweet cinnamon and cloves instead of salt and black pepper! Add fresh ginger for a spicy desert like soup. Try it!

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

2 medium sweet potato peeled, rinsed and sliced into small cubes

1lb bag or fresh frozen corn (kernels only)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic mashed and chopped into tiny pieces
1 small shallot chopped into small pieces.
2 cups low sodium vegetable of chicken broth
1 cup water

In a medium saucepan, add water and broth, bring to a boil.  Add sweet potatoes, garlic, and shallot.  Cook until sweet potatoes are soft enough to mash. Once potatoes are cooked, use a fork to mash some of the potatoes then add corn, salt and pepper (Taste mixture before adding salt, salt is always optional. Only add salt if you find the recipe a bit bland and in need of more flavor).

Cook until soup is slightly thick, don’t want it too thick. If overcooked and too thick just add more broth or water to get desired consistency.

 I love this recipe! The color and taste is fantastic! Hope you enjoy it!

 
Lentil and Roasted Tomato soup

1 cup dry lentil peas (preferably the brown or greenish peas, not the colorful ones)

1 cup tomatoes chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bay leaf
cloves garlic mashed and chopped
1 small onion chopped
 ¼ tsp cumin
 3 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth or water
 Salt to taste

Rinse lentil peas and combine with the broth or water, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Cook for about 30 on medium heat.

In a small baking or roasting container add tomatoes, chopped garlic and onions, coat with olive oil and roast in a 360 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You want tomatoes, onions and garlic to look roasted not burned. (Can also opt for a can roasted tomatoes seasoned with garlic and onions)

Once lentils are cooked add the roasted mixture, the cumin and a dash of salt (as needed). Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, cool and serve. 

*This is not a thick, pasty soup, if lentils are overcooked that will increase thickness. To avoid this, try not to overcook your peas and if you do so just add a bit more broth or water to get desired consistency. Bon a petit!

 

 

****pictures taken from internet, recipes all mines*****

 

 

 

 

Success with Weight Loss!

The absolute truth about weight loss is that it takes time, tenacity, will power and sheer motivation!  Weight loss also requires the ability to “start again”.

The first step in the weight loss process is contemplation.  One has to want to lose the weight even before they begin the process.  Specific reasons for the weight loss should be identified.

Ask yourself these questions:

Why do I want to lose weight?

Am I trying to lose weight because I feel pressured by family, friends, or society?

Do I need to lose this weight, is it affecting my health?

Am I comfortable with my weight, with the way my clothing fit?

Regardless of what anyone says or think your weight loss journey should be yours. Your reasons for wanting to lose weight should fit your ideas of what healthy, normal, and fit means to you!

If you are unsure of what normal, healthy or fit is, speak with your doctor, a dietician, Nutritionist or someone specializing in exercise physiology. 

Try to avoid getting advice from self made experts unless they too have struggled with weight and have successfully lost it.

Do not follow FADS!

Following fad diets are not beneficial. You will see results in the beginning but most fad diets are not maintainable and some are downright dangerous.

Choose healthy eating and physical activity

The fact still remains that when combined, eating healthy and exercising regularly, delivers the best results.  However, exercising alone can give you decent results but there’s a catch.  In order to lose weight and burn excess fat one has to work very hard.  Thirty minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity will burn calories from foods eaten that day but it will not get into stored fat.  In order to burn stored fat, activities must extend into the one hour, hour and a half mark. 

For any physical activity program remember, the key is to start slow and pace yourself.  Do not engage in long drawn out activities until you have conditioned your body to do so.  This will decrease the risk of injuries and lessen the chances of becoming burned out and un-motivated.

The best form of exercise is one that is enjoyed.  If the gym is not your thing save your money, wanting to lose weight will not make it your thing!  Find the activity that keeps you going and do it daily if permissible. 

The key is to remember there are no quick fixes! Weight loss is a process that takes time and results are based on your vested efforts! It's your body, and you are worth it!

 

 

WEIGHTY ISSUES!

If you are like me, female, in your thirties, and have recently gained weight in areas of your body that you did not expect and cannot get rid of, here is why!

One thing assured with aging, whether you are male or female is extra weight. Men will gain weight just as women do but they retain muscle mass longer, therefore, the added weight is not quite as apparent as with females.

As women our bodies expand with age and with child birth. Consequently, this expansion changes your body’s frame size and the way weight is distributed. We begin to lose muscle mass and with the loss of muscle we gain fat!

Where we gain weight has a lot to do with our body’s shape. By now most of you have heard about the apple, pear, hourglass or the triangular shape. These are descriptions that can help you visually determine where you will gain most of your weight. However, they are not customary; it is possible for individuals to have a combination of these shapes.

For women gaining an extra 10-20 pounds does not necessarily mean you are fat. Take into consideration we gain weight in our arms, stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks and the heaviest of all our busts. For many of us an A cup weighing between 7-10 pounds become a C or D cup adding an extra 12-15 pounds. The same thing happens with our hips and buttocks. Moral of the story is some of that extra weight could be added benefit. I mean, who doesn’t want more curves and bigger bust? However, it is important that you remember; the extra weight gained with age has a lot to do with the change in your body’s shape but it is also affected by your diet and lifestyle practices.

Avoiding the body nature provides is next to impossible controlling body fat content is not! Eating healthy and exercising regularly can help you avoid the extra fat build-up under your arm, around your waist, hips and thighs. Being physically active; combining strength training and cardio will help you build muscle. Although building muscles does not necessarily mean less weight, it could however mean smaller inches. Remember muscle mass weighs more than fat. If you are exercising regularly and the scale is holding steady at 150 or going higher do not panic. Arm yourself with a tape measure and document inches loss instead of focusing on weight.

Tips

1. For those just starting exercise, begin slow, 15 to 30 minutes a day is satisfactory. You can also divide your activities throughout the day. A 15 minute walk in the morning and a slow 15 minute jog in the evening.

2. If you are currently active, adjust your routine and work out slightly harder or longer. Our bodies become easily conditioned to an activity we repeat for long periods. Participate in activities that work different muscle groups. If you run start swimming, playing tennis, or boxing.

3. Eat consistently, 3 meals within a 4 hour period or 6 small meals throughout the day if you enjoy snacking.

4. Eat a combination of foods; include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy or dairy substitute like soy or almond milk in your diet.

5. Drink plenty of water 6-8 cups everyday.

6. Snack on healthy fats like nuts and seeds.

7. Eat leaner cuts of meat and add fish like salmon and tuna to your diet 3 days a week.

Guilt Free Holiday Eating

It is a myth that the holidays will cause you to gain an extra ten pounds, at the most a pound or two unless you are binging callously and using the holiday as a reason to not be mindful and active. Whole Body Nutrition is providing you with a few tips to make this holiday season more festive and less stressful:

Enjoy a guilt free holiday by:

1.  Not overeating, eat what you want but eat small portions of it. Smaller portions leave room for some of the higher calorie treats we like to have during the holidays.

2.  Exercising as usual, and if that is not possible spend time ice skating, shopping, cooking, dancing or site seeing with your family.

3.  Plan ahead, if you know an office party or a dinner is coming up have a game plan to prepare for that day. Eating light for breakfast and lunch will leave room for a few extra calories. Just as important is, not skipping meals. Skipping meals will lead to overeating due to hunger.

4.  Control the things you know you can when cooking. For example use low fat milk, and cream, where necessary use only egg whites, use fruit and vegetable alternates to add sweetness to baked goods; bananas, applesauce, pumpkin and carrots are ways to sweeten naturally.

5.  Don’t panic, be positive and enjoy the season. It only comes once every year! Stressing and worrying too much can lead to emotional eating. People who eat because of their emotions tend to eat more and often choose foods higher fat, sugar, and salt.

Eating and enjoying food during this short holiday season will not make you fat or fatter. Weight gain is relative to the individual based on how much they eat each day, and how active they are during these days. We all know, doing nothing and eating a lot leads to weight gain, so do as much as you eat and enjoy t

he time with family and friends! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Coming to Terms with My Changing Body!

Maybe I should title this post I'm not only a Nutritionist I'm a client too!  I am beginning to experience the pressures of wanting to lose weight and not being able to. It was not always like this, and that my friends seem to be the line of the century. "It wasn't always like this," I use to be able to eat what I want and not gain but now it’s like the weight just stay stuck to my hips, thighs and buttocks. My bra size has increased and I am really wondering if I have thyroid issues; probably not, just needing an explanation for this body mother-nature is trying to give me.

I have always been active, and for the most part I eat healthy daily. So what gives? I saw a family member experience something similar a while back; she was a tiny, voluptuous little thing until she hit the thirty year mark. It was incredible for me to see her body change, and change so radically.  It is that experience however, that comforts me and help me understand that weight gain is a part of the process for some of us.  I have come to terms with the fact that my somewhat perfectly shaped hips and thighs contoured over the years running, is no longer a reality unless I am willing to put in that 5 miles a day 6 days a week as I had once done. Speak about unrealistic, five miles a day, six days a week, yeah right!

Although I am not content that my size 6 is now closer to an 8 I have made a conscious decision to accept this transformation.  I will be more attentive when I eat, and give more thought to what I am eating daily.  It is that simple for me, recognize the change and be in acceptance of it or drive myself crazy trying to lose 10 pounds! Maybe it’s cowardly of me, maybe I should tackle and devour those 10 pounds the way I tackle and devour my favorite meal of the day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Truth is I don't want to, it takes too much effort and honestly I don't need to. I am in great shape, I am healthy and so far I am not at risk for anything other than a larger pant size.

The point is get comfortable! 

Become comfortable with your body, when we are uncomfortable with our bodies we tend to want changes now, and that is not reasonable.  Understand what works for you as an individual. Eat clean, fresh foods that are minimally processed and stay active. Accept that changes should be made but understand that going from a size 16 to a 12 takes time.

Exercise because it keeps your heart healthy, promotes flexibility, burn calories and can reshape your body. If running 5 miles a day is no longer possible then run 2, or walk 3. Our bodies need and want to be challenged. Combine Yoga, Pilates or a toning exercise with running or walking add light weights for resistance. 

Set goals one at a time and work on mastering that goal before you move on to the next one. Pressure is wanting a flat tight tummy, shapely hips and thighs after having children, motivation is knowing you are at your best mentally and physically when you are living and eating healthy!

Smoothie Delight!

Refresh and energize this summer with a refreshing fruit smoothie.

Yogurt, fruits, soy milk, low fat milk, coconut milk, protein powder, raw oats are all ingredients for a low fat, low calorie meal substitute or snack that can be ready in under 10 minutes.

Stay cool with these delicious recipes:

Tropical Fruit Smoothie

1 ripe mango

1 banana

1/4 cup pineapple

½ cup 100% pineapple or orange juice

¼ cup coconut milk fresh or canned

About a cup of ice

*1/2 cup mango nectar can be substituted for a whole mango.

Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth, pour into a glass and enjoy!

Berrylicious Yogurt Smoothie

1/4 cup strawberries

¼ cup blueberries

8 oz low fat plain or vanilla flavored yogurt

½ cup ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If shake is too thick add low fat milk to get desired consistency.

*this smoothie can also be made with 100% orange or pineapple juice instead of yogurt. If using juice instead of yogurt increase fruits in recipe by ¼ cup.

If dairy is not your thing, but you still want to fuel up on protein, soy milk or almond milk can be used in place of dairy products. Substituting soy or almond milk will also benefit those needing or wanting more calcium.

Soy milk Smoothie

1 cup regular or low fat soy milk

1 and a half ripe banana

1/4 to a ½ cup raw oats

2 tsp honey or brown sugar to taste

Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Ice (as desired)

Blend ingredients together in blender until smooth. This smoothie is a greater starter for a busy morning, full of protein, potassium and fiber!

The Green Smoothie

2 kiwis pealed and halved

1 ripe banana

8oz plain or vanilla flavored low fat yogurt

Ice (as desired)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and enjoy!

Avocado Smoothie

1 small avocado pealed and pitted (seed removed)

1/2 cup low fat milk (soy or almond milk optional)

2 tsp honey, brown sugar or agave to taste

Blend avocado, milk, and sweetener in a blender with ice until smooth. If you find this mixture too thick adjust milk as needed for consistency.

Fruits make a great accompaniment to yogurt, low fat milk or soy milk but so do vegetables. Try adding kale, spinach, or carrots to any smoothie mixture for an exciting new flavor, texture and even more nutrients.

Power Up your smoothie with flax seeds, flax seed oil, protein powder, raw or roasted pumpkin seeds and spirulina. These ingredients can be found at health food or specialty stores.

For more delicious smoothie recipes, visit natures-health-food.com. They have a variety of smoothie's that include fruits, vegetables, yogurt, peanut butter, almond butter and even chocolate, yum! Some of the recipes are very high in calories because they are geared towards individuals that are active or athletic. Simply adjust the recipe to fit your desired calorie intake and enjoy!

6 Foods for a Healthy Diet!

1. Oats

Cooked in low-fat milk or soy-milk, no sugar added. If you need sweetness try adding raisins, dried or fresh fruits. Bananas are great!

Oats contain fiber. Fiber keeps us regular and is also good for people with high cholesterol, and diabetes.

2. Fruits

3. Vegetables

An additional source of fiber, fresh, cooked or raw you cannot go wrong with fruits and vegetables. They are naturally low in calories, and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Half of all your meals should be vegetables and fruits should be eaten at least twice a day. Vitamins such as A, C, E, K as well as minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc are all found in a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The fundamental rule for fruits and vegetables are:

Choose them fresh or fresh frozen, canned are edible too but they often contain added salt and not as many nutrients as the fresh varieties.

 Eat an array of fruits and vegetables by choosing from all the different color groups; reds, whites, purple, blue, green, yellow and so on.

4. Eggs.
 Eggs get a bad rap because they are high in cholesterol and saturated fats, but they are also loaded with nutrients, like vitamin B 12, riboflavin (A B complex vitamin), minerals like selenium (an antioxidant that reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease) phosphorus, zinc and iron.

b. Scrambled, boiled or prepared into a vegetable omelet, eggs is a great source of protein.

* If you are at risk for or have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease limit the amount of eggs eaten daily, use egg substitutes or fresh egg whites in place of whole eggs.

5. Fish
Whether it is salmon, sardines, fresh tuna, or snapper, fish is always a great choice. They are protein packed, low in unhealthy fats and high in fats that are good for you. Fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon, and sardines are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acid.

Omega 3 fatty acids are known to protect your heart from cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure and aid in brain function.

Fish can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lox with low fat cream cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and whole grain bagels in the morning, seared tuna tacos with avocado, lettuce and tomato for lunch, baked snapper fillet with brown rice and green beans for dinner.

6. Low - Fat Milk
Milk really does a body good, except if you are lactose intolerant. For those who cannot tolerate milk nor have dairy products at all, finding a good source of Calcium and Vitamin D is important.

Some non-dairy sources for calcium are:

Fortified cereals
Fortified soy, almond or rice milk.
Canned salmon and sardines with bones
Green leafy vegetables such as collard greens will provide some calcium, not a significant amount
Navy, black turtle, white and cooked soy beans, tofu
Nuts and some seeds
Cabbage, broccoli, greens (turnip, kale, or collard), okra

Vitamin D can also be found in fortified non-milk beverages, cod liver oil tablets, salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna. Spending time in the sun also helps our body make Vitamin D. (Spending too much time in the sun without sun block can cause, skin damage, skin cancer, burns etc)

Is Your Job Making You Fat?

If the most activity you get from an eight hour work day is the walk you take from your desk to the printer, copier, fax machine or lunch room then your answer should be yes, “my job is making me fat.”

Most of us spend our days at work sitting, then we go home and sit some more. Well, that is unless you have children, and even then you find a way to rest because you are so tired from your busy, but not so busy day at work.

The average American work an eight hour work schedule with an hour or more out for lunch. We do this for fifty two weeks a year. The dietary recommendation for healthy active adult females is approximately 1600 to 2000 calories, and 2000 to 2500 for healthy active males. The average person eats far more than what is recommended, a good 500 more. Exceeding calorie recommendations is easy, most of the time we eat and we are not aware of what we are eating. Many of foods we think are healthy are very unhealthy often loaded with extra calories. We eat out more than we cook and often times we overeat because of the large portions most restaurants serve. Calories in should equal calories out and calorie intake is usually based on individual height, weight, gender and activity levels. If you are consuming 2000 calories and burning only 1000 a day expect to gain weight. Calories that are not being used by the body, are stored as fat.

Food is energy, one of the main reasons we eat is because we need energy to do work. Eating 2000 calories daily for 52 weeks adds up to approximately 520,000 calories, which turns out to be an extra 149 pounds a year. It is recommended that if we want to maintain our current weight we should consume the same as we are exerting, if we want to lose at least a pound a week then we would have to reduce our total intake by 500 daily.

Confusing, maybe, but if you do the math 7(days in a week) x 500calories is 3500, and 1 pound of fat is approximately 3500 calories.

Aside from inactivity, stress is a major factor when it comes to work related weight gain. Stress can lead to dependency on foods that are not good for us. Our work environment plays a major role in relation to how and what we eat. We spend a good majority of our day sitting, snacking at times and interacting with others who may also influence our choice of foods daily. Realizing our work habits and the negative impact they may have on our health is important in the fight to eat healthy and stay healthy.

Now that you know your job is contributing to your weight gain what can you about it?


There are simple steps workers can take to begin burning more calories, eating healthier and increasing activity levels.

1. Start a walking routine during lunch break.

2. Skip the taxi, or bus and walk to work if it is reachable without transportation.

3. Get off bus or train 2 or 3 blocks before your destination and walk the rest of the way.

4. If you drive park at least 15 minutes from the office and walk the rest.

5. Utilize your company’s health programs, most large companies offer discounted gym membership, while others may have a gym onsite. Participate in health fairs or educational seminars geared towards health to increase your knowledge. The more you know the more effective you will become.

6. Start packing lunch and snacks for work. Preparing a healthy meal at home along with healthy snack options put you in control of how many calories you take in each day.

7. Find a healthier alternative. Eating out is an option for most because of time constraints, finding foods that are healthy on a one hour lunch break can be challenging but it is possible. Visit the salad bar and prepare a healthy salad with a lean protein and low fat salad dressing or skip the dressing all together. Choose low sodium soups and sandwiches made with whole grain breads and lean meats with added vegetables. A healthy balanced lunch will give you the energy you need to make it through the rest of you day.

Let’s eat and move with purpose!

If at first you don’t succeed, try again!

Admittedly, we all fall short when it pertains to accomplishing goals we have established for ourselves. There are those of us who have the drive and the motivation to stick it out no matter what, but the truth is, a good percentage of us will begin, stop and then start again. There is absolutely nothing wrong with falling of the weight loss, healthy eating or healthy lifestyle wagon. It happens, the gift and lesson learned from starting over is knowing you have the courage and the will to begin again.

There are many factors in our daily lives that will continuously contribute to us neglecting our goals for short or long periods of times. Recognizing that you fell short and making the decision to start again, could prove to be the best success story, involving your continuous effort to improve your health and daily life.

My message to you is to continue starting new. If you find that you are not as focused, that you lost 20 pounds a few months ago but have gained back 15, use these simple tips to START AGAIN.

1. Focus briefly on where you were, and what caused you to fall short of keeping the weight off.

2. Recognize factors that contribute to you losing focus, it could be stress, boredom with the way you were eating or you simply just needed a break from your daily disciplined eating regiments. Understanding why you lost focus will assist you in staying the course longer the second of third time around.

3. Establish a new goal for yourself now that you are aware of where you went wrong.

4. Counting calories can be tedious and discouraging, instead eat healthy fresh foods, eat smaller portions, replace juices and sodas with water and include healthy snacks along with daily meals.

5. Find a workout partner or someone who is willing to help you stay focused, whether it’s a nutritionist, a health coach, a friend or co-worker having someone to offer encouragement or insight will keep you motivated.

6. Find simple, healthy and easy recipes that fit your busy schedule. Whole grain cereal with fruits in the morning, salads with protein for lunch, bake fish and vegetables for dinner. Learn how to eat healthy without it being burdensome or feeling too much like work.

7. Lastly, stay positive, be patient and don’t get discouraged. Losing a small amount of weight continuously over a longer period of time proves to be more affective than losing 20 pounds in 3 weeks.

Let us start again!

Weight Loss Tips from Whole Body Nutrition!

The first step to successful weight loss is to be mentally ready. Losing weight is as mental as it is physical and knowing that you are ready to start the process is the first step.

Once you are ready to begin follow these simple steps to find success:

1. Eat consistently. It’s ideal to eat 3 meals a day but better to eat 6 small meals instead. A consistent eating schedule will prevent hunger and overeating. Eating regular meals will also prevent sluggish metabolism.

2. Drink more water. By now this is very cliché but we all know water is a vital component in our diets. It prevents dehydration which can lead to other problems, but it also keeps our bodies and skin healthy. Water with meals instead of juice or soda will help you cut back on total calorie intake.

 

3. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables daily. They are low in calories, and loaded with important nutrients and antioxidants.

4. Avoid processed foods as often as possible. Process foods are higher in fats, sugars and sodium than freshly prepared foods are. Limiting process foods requires limiting canned foods, frozen meals, boxed or pre-prepared foods and even fast foods.

5. Exercise.  Exercising should be just as consistent as eating regular meals. Engaging in an activity that increases your heart rate 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week will begin the process of weight loss.

Finally maintain a positive attitude and outlook, and view everyday as an opportunity to start new.

Your Holiday Guide to healthy eating.

What will you do to stay healthy this holiday season?

It is the season of Christmas parties whether at work or at home and of course ringing in the new years. All of these events are usually accompanied with great food, great friends, family and alcohol. If the thought of all the drinking and eating of the holiday season stresses you out, don't let it. Hopefully by now we have all started a healthy routine that will carry us not just through the holidays but through the rest of the year as well. If you have not started a healthy regiment there is no time like the present. Healthy lifestyle practices should not be abandoned or forgotten because we get caught up in the spirit of the holiday season. In fact it should be revisited and renewed. Look at what you are doing or not doing now and set some realistic goals in place for the coming year.

For the most part we know what to do to improve our health: eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less processed products, drink plenty of water, and limit sugary drinks and sodas and exercise. With countless number of treats and our hectic holiday schedule, this can become challenging during the holiday season.

Do not despair. Follow these simple tips to continue eating healthy, get some physical activity in and reduce extra stress.

1. Do not show up to any event hungry, if you are attending a holiday party it is wise to eat a small well balance meal prior to arrival. Hunger leads to over-indulging.

2. Drink wine and other alcoholic beverages in small amounts. We all know alcohol is loaded with calories so limit your intake.

3. Replace traditional ingredients like white sugar with more natural ingredients like raw cane sugar (brown sugar), honey, maple or brown rice syrup or use apple sauce, bananas, and even 100% natural juices to add flavor to treats without the sugar.

4. Nix the margarine, and the butter use natural oils such as olive, sunflower, canola or another vegetable variety in moderation.

5. Try new and healthier recipes for your main courses and treats. Visit websites like: www.bhg.com/recipes/ , www.foodandwine.com/cooking_guides/healthy or www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating.

6. Take advantage of winter activities such as ice skating, sledding, building a snowman with children or other family members or taking a walk in the brisk air.

7. Indulgence in small amounts is fine. Savor every meal and every treat in moderation.

8. Remember what the holiday is all about, sharing with family and friends don’t let the stress of hectic schedules, and counting calories make you lose sight of all the things you have to celebrate and be thankful for.

9. Plan ahead. Planning will help avoid unnecessary stress, which can lead to overeating and indulging in unhealthy foods.

10. Hydrate every day with water, dehydration can cause headaches, and tiredness. Drinking up to 8 glasses will keep you energized and focus on all your holiday activities.

Whole Body Nutrition wishes everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season!