Eat Right! Right Now!

Finally, summer is here for those of us who do not reside in places where the sun is always shining. Hopefully by now we have all gotten our summer bodies in check. To be honest I tried but I am not completely there and if you are not close or completely there either don’t panic. Summer is a great time of year because it's hot, and when it's hot most of us eat less and we eat lighter. There is still time to improve on yourself and your quest to live a healthier life.

To cool down on those hot summer days try unsweetened ice tea. I recently started drinking unsweetened flavored ice tea and I'm finding that I don't miss the sugar. Try teas with natural fruit flavorings like pomegranate, peach, jasmine or passion fruits. Freshly made lemonade with a touch of mint is also a great thirst quencher with very little calories. Frozen fruit smoothies are a great cool me down, so are yogurts fresh chilled fruits and even ice cream. Eat ice cream and other naturally fatty and sweet foods in moderation. Do not eat them daily. Frozen fruit bars and ice pops made with 100% fruits juices are also delicious summer treats. Water, drink plenty of it. Water is one of the best ways to quench thirst and cool down in the heat.

For meals that are satisfying and don't require hours over a hot stove get creative. Try cold crisp salads with a protein source such as baked fish, chicken breast, and eggs cooked beans or cheese on top. Stir fry boneless chicken breast with vegetables. Put your grill to use. Grilling is a great way to reduce fat from meats; it is also an opportunity for you to increase your vegetable intake. Grilled vegetables are delicious and easy to prepare and they make a great side dish to any protein selection. Whole grain pasta salads are more than just a side dish, toss in cooked shrimps, crab meat or grilled chicken and you have a tasty meal that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.


If exercising outdoor becomes harder due to the heat then change your workout schedule. Choose to workout earlier in the morning when it is not as hot, or later in the evening when the sun goes down. This would also be a great time to join a gym, or invest in a workout video that can be done in the comfort of your home. Stay cool in the pool. Swimming or playing in the pool for 30 minutes or more will keep you cool and help you stay active in the heat.


The weather good or bad is no excuse to not stay motivated and dedicated to your quest for a healthier lifestyle. Lets begin to limit our excuses and stay focused on the task at hand, living our best lives possible.

Stress and Emotional Eating

Stress can be defined as the body's natural physiological response to situations or stimulus, which are perceived as "dangerous". Stress can affect anyone at anytime. Stress can be triggered by changes in our daily lives such as a job change, moving to another city, losing friends or family members, or just being overworked and burdened with the activities of every day life. Whatever the cause it is important that we understand the relationship between stress and unhealthy eating habits.

Unresolved stress can lead to depression and anxiety. Depression, Anxiety and Stress can all lead to us having an emotional dependence on foods. Emotional eating becomes a factor when we use foods to comfort ourselves instead of dealing with the actual triggers causing our anxieties, stress or depression. Emotional eating leads to overeating, which in turn leads to further weight gain and more stress. The first step in the battle of the bulge is to recognize what you eat, and when and why you that particular food.

If you reach for food when you are stressed then consider doing the following:

Keep a journal. Begin documenting everything you eat, the time you ate it, where you ate it and how you were feeling at that time. This will help you identify any stress, negative thoughts or emotions that lead to you eating the way you did.

Identify eating patterns directly related to stress, or emotional eating. Do you overeat after a stressful day at work, do you plop yourself in front of the television with food to watch your favorites show. If you recognize these triggers you can then begin to resolve them. Instead of going straight home from work after a stressful day, go for a brisk walk or a jog. Sign up for a dance or an art class, something you enjoy doing that will help you unwind and relieve some of the stress. Switching up your daily routine is also an effective way of dealing with stress.

Remove unhealthy foods from your home and avoid purchasing unhealthy foods when out or at work. Be prepared, if work is your biggest stress factor then that is where you will consume the most foods. Having healthy snack options at work becomes imperative. Purchase healthy snacks in advance measure them out based on serving suggestions from the label and keep them readily available at your desk. The same applies to the home. Avoid having foods around that are not beneficial to your health and your body.

Exercise. I cannot stress enough the importance of exercising not just for weight loss, or weight management but also for our emotional well-being. Exercising releases hormones that make us feel good. It’s also a great way to clear the mind of stress and worry.

Being tempted to eat certain foods due to stress is perfectly normal. Learning how to manage the temptation can be daunting but it is attainable. Start with small goals and take it one day at a time. Remember you are learning to undo something that have been ingrained in your daily routine for a very long time, understanding that there is no quick fix will help you stay motivated for the long run.

Treat your mind then the body will begin to heal! That’s the whole body concept.

Exercising for your health and longevity

Do you exercise? If yes great, keep it up. If your answer is no then ask yourself “why not”?
Research has shown over and over again that a successful weight loss plan is one that incorporates exercising along with a modified diet. Exercising along with healthy eating is a more efficient and reliable way to lose and control your weight. Remember everything we eat contains calories and calories translate into energy for our bodies to use. Everything we do with our bodies require energy, if we are not using the energy food supplies for our bodies we are storing them as fat. Exercising is a great way to burn the excess calories we take in daily. If you are trying to lose weight start with your eating habits first. Begin taking note of what you are eating, how much you are eating and why you are eating the way you are. Once you begin to take note of your diet, the process of modification can begin. Maybe it’s as simple for you as limiting or removing sugary drinks including sodas from your diet, or eating smaller portions of starches, whatever it is begin that process then move into exercising. Though some studies show that weight loss can occur with either modification to unhealthy eating habits, or an increase in activities the experts all agree that the two concepts work better as a pair and results last longer.

Other benefits of exercising:
1. One of my favorite reasons to exercise is relieving stress. Exercising helps us feel better, and look better. When we feel better as individuals we have a more positive outlook and is therefore able to deal with stress a lot better. Limiting stress also limits eating for comfort.
2. Regular exercise helps reduce your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. If you have high blood pressure exercising helps control and may even lower your blood pressure. Exercising improves your heart overall health and increase your heart working ability.
3. Exercising reduces fat, and can help to reduce and control the effects of type 2 diabetes.
4. Other benefits of exercising include increasing bones mass, treatment and prevention of back and joint pains and building strength and endurance.

Things to remember:
1. If you are already exercising make sure to switch up your routine. Our body easily becomes conditioned to routine activity. If you are walking a mile gage yourself, increase your pace and the number of miles you walk each week. Doing the same activity over and over again can cause you to stop the weight loss progress or slow it down. Continue to challenge yourself weekly or as it is fitting for you to do so.
2. Not yet working out thinking about it, start off slow. One of the easiest way to begin a regular exercise regiment is to do something you enjoy doing. It could be going for a 15 minute jog, walking for 30 minutes, dancing to your favorite songs as long as it gets your heart pumping and your breathing is increased it is physical activity.
3. To prevent injury start and end all workout with at least 10 minutes of stretching.

Exercising is one of the best ways to relieve stress, keep your heart healthy and lose weight. What are you waiting for? Get Moving!!

FATS: Part 2(The truth about low fat and fat free foods)

So I mentioned in my previous post how supermarkets and food makers are still marketing low fat and fat free items as a healthier alternative to higher fat products or foods with their natural fat content. If you are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle my advice would be to thread lightly when it comes to consuming products made with less calories because sugar or fat has been removed. Most whole foods should have some fat and some sugar in it. As I mentioned before fats are just as important in our diets as are protein and carbohydrates. The problem is usually the source of fat and how much we take in on a daily basis.

Low fat and fat free does not mean HEALTHY.

Fats are not bad for you, but fat free and low fat may be. The reason being we tend to over eat a particular food if we think it's healthier. When the whole concept of fat free diet came on the scene in the late 80s every one that wanted to lose weight jumped on the bandwagon. It was advertised to sound like as long as fat was missing the pounds would miraculously fall off. So we ate and ate only to find out years later that we were still indeed fat and gaining even more weight on top of what was already there. It happened because fats were replaced with sugars or as they like to call them carbohydrate additives. So instead of learning how to balance our daily food intake, we learned how to add more sugar to a diet that was already filled with refined carbohydrates (which is basically sugar in the form of a starch).

Next time you visit your local grocery store do a cross comparison. Compare the calorie content of a regular 8oz cup of yogurt to that of a fat free or low fat kind. Look at the ingredients, and the sugar contents. You will find that the two products are very similar in calorie content and that shouldn't be. Low fat or fat free should have a lot less calories than a regular cup of yogurt made with whole milk. That is not usually the case because the fat has been replaced with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates break down into sugar once digested and sugar amounts to calories. Empty calories. Another reason why these products are not the healthiest is, once you have altered a food you have also altered the nutrient content of that food. Removing fats from foods decrease the absorption of other nutrients. Nutrients like fat soluble vitamins, calcium and even protein all of which are important for proper functioning of our bodies systems.

Learn your foods, as consumers you should know what you are eating. One of the easiest ways to begin this process is to read food labels. Foods with all their natural ingredient and nutrients and have not been altered in any form are what we should all aim for.

FATS: Part 1

When it comes to healthy eating and the proper intake of fats the debate rages on. In the 90s the big trend was low fat and fat free and practically everyone trying to lose weight went for it. While browsing the supermarket the other day I realized that fat free and low fat items are still very prominent and are still being marketed to consumers as a healthier alternative to foods containing regular amounts of fats or higher fat content. Part one of this segment will focus on Fats and the importance of them in our diets. Part 2 will follow shortly and will focus on the truth about fat free and low fat foods.

Every thing we eat has some importance in our lives even FATS. It is when we are eating in excess that we encounter problems and ailments that debilitates us.
Fats are one of three nutrients used by the body as an energy source protein and carbohydrates are the other two. Fats are also important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K, and should comprise 20 to 30 percent of your daily dietary intake. Some health professionals will recommend as low as 10 to 15 percent.

What’s wrong with eating foods with its natural fat content? The answer is simple there is nothing wrong with eating foods that contain fats, but there is a problem with eating too many fats and eating too many of the wrong fats especially if you already have health problems associated with a high fat diet such as high cholesterol, heart disease and kidney disease among others. There are fats that are beneficial to your health and there are fats that are disadvantageous. For example trans-fats found in margarine, fast foods, deep fried and most process foods are said to raise total cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. Saturated fats found in dairy products, butter, heavy creams, meats and plant sources such as coconut and palm oil are high in cholesterol and can also contribute to heart disease.

Fats that are beneficial to your health are those found in foods such as coldwater fish, plant base oils that don’t thicken when cooled, nuts and seeds. Fats found in coldwater fish are known as Omega-3 fatty acids and they are prevalent in salmon, mackerel, herring flaxseeds and walnuts. Poly and Monounsaturated fats are two other fat source that offer health benefits and they are found in plant base oils such as olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. These fats promote heart health, and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

In your attempts to eat healthy you do not need to eliminate all fats from your diet. Use the healthier types in moderation along with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

SUMMARY
Consume less than 10% of your fats from saturated fat sources and even less from trans-fat sources.
Keep total fat intake between 20 to 30% percent.
Try to consume less than 300mg of cholesterol daily (that’s about 1 and ½ egg scrambled)
Bake or grill meats instead of frying.
Choose healthy fats like olive oils, peanut oils and not plastic fats such as margarine
Limit dairy food intake to 3 servings daily (8oz of whole milk, 1oz cheese and a 8oz container of plain yogurt is approximately 3 servings and total 90.5mg of cholesterol for a whole day) lower if you choose the low fat versions of these foods.