Wellness Thoughts

Antibacterial Products

2007-07-21T18:05:00.000+10:00

You probably use antibacterial products - including hand soap, household cleaners, and sponges - to keep yourself and your family safe from germs. But overuse of these products can lead to the development of "superbugs" that can't be easily killed by antibiotics and have the potential to spread disease.

The problem, say scientists, is that antibacterial products leave a residue behind. The residue continues to kill weaker bacteria, but allows a small sub-population that has immunity to reproduce at will.

(Source: CNN and Scientific American)

Spicy Roasted Potato Wedges

2007-06-17T08:53:00.000+10:00

We're dieting & I am craving everything I won't be having for the next 8 weeks!

Cyndi O'Meara (Changing Habits Changing Lives Cookbook) has a snack recipe that is healthy (NO trans fatty acids) and filling:

Snack It Out - Spicy Roasted Potato Wedges

2 medium sweet potatoes (white or red)
3 large potatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Mix oil and spices in a baking tray

Cut Potatoes into wedges and coat with oil – mix (I use my hands for this mix)

Roast until tender and golden brown (this depends on the size of your wedges)

Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with pesto, sweet chilli sauce, sour cream, salsa or avocado dip

These can be eaten hot or cold or tossed through salad mix or rocket mix.

Enjoy!

Thank goodness! Its got nothing to do with size!!

2007-06-11T14:03:00.000+10:00

Cleavage has little - if anything - to do with breast size. Women with concave ribcages usually exhibit cleavage, while those with convex ribcages don't.

(Source: That's a Fact Jack! A New Collection of Utterly Useless Information by Harry Bright)

Diet Coke - Why not?

2007-05-22T20:13:00.000+10:00

Today I caught myself haranguing my colleague, Angela, in my inimitable fashion, for drinking Diet Coke.

Angela suffers - like a great many of us - from a well endowed rear!
I have a theory - unproven but a theory nonetheless - that Diet Coke is in fact fattening. After all, how often do you see slim people walking around with a Diet Coke?
In fact, a little searching reveals a study from the University of Texas (published in 2005) that reveals that it is a fact! (Dr Mercola)

Diet colas are laced with Aspartame, also sold as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, Canderel, E951, etc

Now I find that it not only affects the liver, but is a well known neurotoxin that both mimics and precipitates multiple sclerosis.

There are millions of Diet Coke drinkers that are oblivious to how much they are harming themselves. A can of Diet Coke has less than 10kj, but contains artificial sweeteners, stimulates appetite and increases cravings for sweet foods.

In 2005, it was reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) delayed approval of aspartame (NutraSweet) for almost 10 years, because it was a proven health hazard. When it was finally approved, it was through political and bureaucratic manoeuvring - not on the basis of science.

In fact, Mary Stoddard (author of Deadly Deception - The Story of Aspartame) writes the following "Aspartame can sabotage weight loss attempts" (http://www.befreetech.com/aspartame_facts.htm)

We have to accept responsibility for our own health - and one way to do that is to become better informed.

Support your body nutritionally and you'll find a lot of your ailments miraculously disappears!

Body Lotion

2007-05-10T14:49:00.000+10:00

Every day the average woman applies 175 different chemicals to her body in the form of cosmetics and toiletries.

This body lotion is chemical free -- free from colourings, perfumes, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), lanolin, phthalates, alcohol, soap and formaldehyde

I keep six honest ....

2007-04-29T10:14:00.000+10:00

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.

I let them rest from nine till five,
For I am busy then,
As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,
For they are hungry men.
But different folk have different views;
I know a person small-
She keeps ten million serving-men,
Who get no rest at all!

She sends 'em abroad on her own affairs,
From the second she opens her eyes-
One million Hows, two million Where's,
And seven million Whys!

Rudyard Kipling

American report draws unhealthy conclusions on antioxidant supplements. - March 2007

2007-03-22T19:57:00.000+10:00

The study on the effectiveness of antioxidant supplements, released yesterday, draws conclusions that do not apply to Australia and is at risk of causing confusion among consumers.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the study is based on research conducted in countries where vitamins and minerals are not regulated in the same way as they are in Australia, says Dr.Tony Lewis, the Executive Director of the Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia (CHC), the national peak body for the industry.

“Australia has the most rigorous process in the world for regulating vitamins and minerals for the safety of consumers,” says Dr Lewis. “Many of the trials used in the JAMA study permitted much higher dosages than are allowed in Australia and they do not, as a result, relate here. We don’t agree with their conclusions, especially on mortality rates. Dozens of recent studies conducted in this country point to the positive benefits of antioxidants as low-risk supplements.”

The levels of Vitamins A, C and E, and Betacarotene and Selenium used reported on in the JAMA study are all cases in point—many are far above the levels permitted in Australia.

“We’ve looked at all the trials referenced in the study,” says Dr. Lewis. “When you remove the ones that permit higher dosages and disregard small trials with less than 500 participants you are left with only a few that can be applied in Australia. Some of these draw positive conclusions about the effectiveness of the products while the others are neutral.”

“The CHC is also concerned about the size of the studies and the segment of the population that participated in the clinical trials,” says Dr. Lewis. “As far as we are concerned, the samples are too small to assess mortality and many of the subjects were already in a high risk segment of the population which clearly affects results.”

“We often see overseas reports that on first glance sound alarmist,” says Dr Lewis. “However, the devil is in the detail and careful analysis regularly proves that many such reports simply aren’t relevant to Australia. The differences between the strict regulations in this country and other countries need to be appreciated.”

“As with all formal studies in this industry, we will review this one in-depth on behalf of our consumers, but our initial review clearly concludes there is no need to be concerned or alarmed. Consumers are well protected by the systems in place,” says Dr Lewis. “Safety continues to be a primary focus.”

Media contact:
Dr Tony Lewis, 0407 07 21 51
Wendy Johnson, 0414296857

Mammograms THE WHOLE TRUTH

2007-02-27T07:15:00.000+10:00

Having reached the age where everybody encourages you to have a mammogram, I've been avoiding the issue for the last few years. Vaguely conscious of the dangers of radiation that I'll be subjecting myself to, I was more concerned about the pain of having my (ample) breasts squashed flat between two metal plates and you can imagine the imagery going on in my head!

Now Chris Woollams of Iconmag.co.uk released his latest research findings on the use of mammograms and viable alternatives.

Please read his article and pass it on to any woman (or man) that you care about.

"One article - the very latest research. And there should be absolutely no doubt what the implications are for the Government screening programme! I'm very happy for you to take this straight down to the local screening centre and alert everyone to the latest research!!
I never like to talk about problems if I can't provide a realistic solution. So here is a piece on an alternative screening system that is 100% non-invasive - Thermography. "
http://www.canceractive.com/page.php?n=1419

Women are low on their own lists

2007-01-25T21:56:00.000+10:00

Women are low on their own lists. Somewhere below doing the laundry, making the beds, paying the car insurance. Are women more important than socks? Why do we get up early for a meeting but not a walk? Why do we happily spend hundreds on our boyfriends but can’t justify blueberries for our cereal? Why do we say yes when we want to say no? Why do we choose the burnt chop? Because we put ourselves last.

Being selfish used to be the worst thing you could say to a woman. But we’re going to celebrate it. Because doing something for yourself feels good. And if you feel good, you’re a better friend, a better mother, lover, workmate. You’re a a better you.

So exercise, eat well, and feel good. Special K. Remember You.

That’s the message put out by Kellogg’s Special K on Australian televisions, linking with a microsite, RememberYour.com.au

Women are low on their own lists

ellogg’s provide five key ‘Remember You’ tips:

1. Don’t skip meals and don’t deprive yourself. The key to success is balance, variety and moderation

2. During your work day try to get out for a brisk 10-20 minute walk at lunch time

3. Try to get a good nights sleep

4. Remember to eat regular meals and have breakfast every day

5. Remember to take time out for yourself and relax on a regular basis

Here's to 2007

2007-01-08T22:07:00.000+10:00

2007 is well and truly underway!
I hope your welcoming of the New Year was a joyful event and if you were like me, it would also have included some reflection on the year past and some planning for the year ahead.

And I'm excited! This year I am continueing to post bite sized snippets of health information that will make a positive difference to your health - if you choose to act upon it.
And therein lies the challenge - to act on the information, the ideas and the plans we get and make.

My primary resolution for 2007 is to act upon ideas. Apply even just one positive habit to improve my health - and considering I need to lose about 1/3 of my body weight, I've got a few options - and leave this year in better shape than I enter it in.

Here's wishing you all a year full of breakthroughs and breakouts.
Let's live a life full of risks, love and achievement!

Dry Eyes?

2006-12-22T13:32:00.000+10:00

Today I read two articles - both about eye health - and it led me to thinking about crying and eyesight.

Did you know that tears are made up of a precise balance of water, salt, proteins, mucus, and oil?
If this mixture somehow gets unbalanced, you could experience Dry Eye Syndrom. That's the name for tat irritating, gritty sensation under the eyelid. If it remains untreated for a prolonged period, it can damage the cornea and lead to vision loss.

A study by researcher's from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Schepens Eye Research Institute assessed the dietary intake of 32000 women between 45 and 84. They found that women who ate 5 or more servings of tuna per week has much less risk (65%) than women eating only one serve tuna per week.

I should tell my nutritionist, Peggy Lim - that might get us eating more tuna!

What is Stevia?

2006-12-09T08:41:00.000+10:00

I've been telling my colleagues about the dangers of too much sugar and recommending an alternative herbal sweetner called STEVIA.

Stevia is a shrub native to Central and South America. It specifically contains two extracts called steviosides and rebaudiosides, which are 250-300 times sweeter than sugar.

BUT, unlike sugar, stevia does not contain carbohydrates and will not cause dangerous spikes in blood sugar levels.

Be careful and read the labels of everything you buy, including vitamins and other supplements. And be conscious of added sugar.

Vit A for sun damage

2006-12-01T08:22:00.000+10:00

I've mentioned in previous posts that my upbringing under the African sun left me with permanent skin damage and recurrent nonmelanoma basal cell cancer.

Now a new study found that you can substantially reduce your risk of developing skin cancer if you increase your intake of Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential to the health of your eyes, bones, skin and immune system. Here are some vitamin A basics:

Fruits and vegetables with orange and yellow coloring, and green leafy vegetables contain beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A
The body poorly converts beta-carotene into vitamin A
The best dietary sources of vitamin A are animal products, such as eggs and liver
Cod liver oil is an excellent natural source of vitamin A
The problems with vitamin A toxicity are associated with supplements of synthetic vitamin A taken in high doses

Scientists at the Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona (UA), USA, reported that a previous study showed that vitamin A supplements significantly reduced the risk of squamous cell skin cancer in patients with moderately severe actinic keratoses which developes from occasional sunburns.

10,000 IU of beta-carotene vitamin A per day is adequate for most people.

Omaruru - Namibia

2006-11-14T19:08:00.000+10:00

The town where I was born - Omaruru, Namibia

I've always wondered what impact the location of my birth town and country have on my health and fortunes.

I suspect not much but that the country and its people influenced my psyche - that I am sure of.
And of course, my skin - I have a lasting legacy of that unforgiving sun with numerous basal cell carsinomas that have required surgery and continues to be of concern - even thought the insurance guy syas - that's not cancer!

Goes to show that what all of us mere mortals now accept as just one of the "normal" things a lot of us get, medicos refer to as malignant and insurance companies penalise us for that in terms of higher premiums.

The sun's impact is getting felt more keenly. Whilst we need Vit. D - and the best way to get it is to spend roughly an hour a day in the sun - please do it early morning or late afternoon.
You don't need to spend time in the sun during the hottest part of the day - especially on the Australian Eastern Seaboard where we are feeling the effects of global warming quite keenly - right underneath the whole in the ozone layer!

Slip, slap, slop people - but be choosey about your sun block!

Watch out for "yeast extract"

2006-11-03T10:32:00.000+10:00

Watch out for the 3 worst types of ingredients that food manuacturers are adding to our foods are:

Sodium nitrite = causes cancer and is commonly found in processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, sausage. It is also used to make meats appear red.
Hydrogenated oils = causes heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, general deterioration of cellular health, and much more. It is commonly found in cookies, crackers, margarine and many "manufactured" foods and is also used to make oils stay in the food, extending shelf life. Sometimes referred to as "plastic fat."
Excitotoxins = aspartame, monosodium glutamate and others.
Accrding to Dr. Russell Blaylock these neurotoxic chemical additives directly harm nerve cells, over-exciting them to the point of cell death. They're found in diet sodas, canned soups, salad dressings, breakfast sausages and many manufactured vegetarian foods. They're used to add "flavour" to over-processed, boring foods that have been cooked beyond recognition.

Once customers learned to avoid MSG / monosodium glutamate, food companies started using yeast extract. Some are now naming it "torula yeast" - still the same thing.

Other hidden sources of MSG include "Autolyzed vegetable protein", "Hydrolyzed vegetable protein", "Calcium caseinate", "Sodium caseinate", "Textured protein".

Don't drink cow's milk to get calcium!

2006-10-28T09:13:00.000+10:00

We all know we need calcium.

We are bombarded with "calcium enriched" products on the shelves everywhere, from milk to cereal!

Why do we need to if calcium is the most abundant mineral found in your body?Approximately 99% of the calcium in your body is found in your bones and teeth while the remaining 1% is found in your blood and remaining tissues.

Calcium helps to form strong teeth and bones
Calcium allows muscle tissue to grow and contract properly during physical activities
Calcium helps regulate blood pH, which is essential to your body's ability to properly transport oxygen and carbon dioxide
Calcium allows for proper blood coagulation
Calcium allows for proper functioning of your heart and nerves

Your bones and teeth serve as reservoirs of calcium that your blood taps into for its ongoing need for calcium. In the end, the amount of calcium that your blood gets from your bones and teeth is determined by the amount of calcium that your blood receives from your diet.

Obviously, the health of your bones is closely linked to how many calcium-rich foods you eat and how well you digest and assimilate them.

Here are some healthy, whole food sources of calcium:

Whole Food Sources Serving Calcium (mg)
Sardines 3 ounces 372
Chinese cabbage cooked 1/2 cup 239
Spinach cooked 1/2 cup 230
Rhubarb cooked 1/2 cup 174
Wild salmon canned with bones 3 ounces 167
Kale cooked 1 cup 122
White beans cooked 1/2 cup 113
Bok choy cooked 1/2 cup 79
Broccoli cooked 1 cup 70
Pinto beans cooked 1/2 cup 45
Red beans cooked 1/2 cup 41

Four additional healthy food sources of calcium are:

Broths made with organic bones
Organic, unpasteurized dairy from properly raised goats, cows, or sheep
Super green food products that contain a variety of organic green vegetables
Sesame leaves and sesame seeds

Eating plenty of healthy, calcium-rich foods does not guarantee that you will have healthy bones and teeth.

There are, however, a few concrete steps that you can take to promote healthy calcium and bone status:

Strive to eat some of the calcium-rich foods listed above on a regular basis. Don't forget to apply principles of how to eat for optimal digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Do some weight-bearing exercise every day. I don't know of a single better weight-bearing exercise than walking outdoors.
Ensure that you have a healthy amount of vitamin D in your system by getting some exposure to sunlight and eating foods rich in vitamin D on a regular basis.
Choose to eat iron-rich and zinc-rich foods before resorting to synthetic supplement forms of iron and zinc.
Soak whole grains overnight before preparing them to eat.
Find ways to effectively manage emotional stressors in your life. Be on the lookout for a new article on this topic that I will post in the near future.
Don't use large amounts of flesh meats, flour products, salt, and caffeine. Sugar is best avoided completely.

Industry push to curb trans fats | Health | The Australian

2006-10-27T09:36:00.000+10:00

This is great news for Australians!

Trans fats are found in foods that contain hydrogenated oils, usually added to make fried food crisper, and has been linked to several health concerns including increased LDL (bad) cholesterol and an increase in heart disease risk. Denmark banned food with more than 2 percent trans fats two years ago, but thus far has been the only country to impose such a severe restriction.

Industry push to curb trans fats | Health | The Australian

Sugar Buster Diet

2006-10-23T22:42:00.000+10:00

Sugar Busters! was originally self-published in 1995. With very little marketing, the book became a runaway success. In 1998 it was re-published by a large publishing house, and continues to be a bestseller.

The diet is based on cut sugar to trim fat. Excess refined suager is blamed for our global obesity problems. Similarly to the Glycemic Index, a rise in blood glucose, and the following insulin production, is blamed for weight gain.

But where the Glycemic Index is an accurately measured scale, Sugar Busters is more subjective. Absolutely no refined sugars are allowed; corn syrup, molasses, honey, sugared sodas, dextrose, glucose, maltodextrin, and beer. Also out are carbohydrates like refined flour, white rice, potatoes, corn, and carrots.

The only carbohydrates included in the diet are stone-ground grains and high-fiber vegetables, and some fruits. Brown rice, oats, and sweet potatoes are allowed in small quantities.

Sugar is Toxic
Counting Calories aren't necessarily the answer to weight loss. But this is nothing new - banning foods like carrots and reducing calorie intake are commonplace.

Alkalizing Diets

2006-10-20T15:25:00.000+10:00

All tissues and cells that make up the human body are composed of 16 chemical elements.

The balance of these chemical elements in the body is an essential factor in the maintenance of health and healing of disease. The acid-alkaline balance plays an intrinsic role in this balanced body chemistry.

All foods, after digestion and absorption leave either an acid or alkaline "ash" in the body depending on their mineral composition. The acid-alkaline balance for a normal body chemistry is approximately 20% acid and 80% alkaline.
In normal health, the blood is alkaline and that is essential for our physical and mental well-being.

Carbohydrates and fats form about nine-tenths of the normal fuel of the body. Normally, this is converted into carbon dioxide gas and water. Half of the remaining one-tenth fuel is also converted into the same gas and water.
This huge amount of acid is transported by the blood to the various points of discharge, mainly the lungs. Because of its alkalinity, the blood is able to transport the acid from the tissues to the discharge points.

Acidosis (accumulation of acid in the tissues) occurs whenever the alkalinity of the blood is reduced, even slightly, and its ability to transport the carbon dioxide gets reduced.
It is also known as hypo-alkalinity of the blood.

Its symptoms are hunger, indigestion, burning sensation and pain in the pharynx, nausea, vomiting, headache, various nervous disorders and drowsiness.
Acidosis is the breeding ground for most diseases.
Nepthritis or Bright’s disease, rheumatism, premature old age, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, skin disorders and various degenerative diseases are traceable to this condition.
It significantly impedes the functions of the glands and organs of the body. It increases the danger of infectious diseases.

The main cause of too much acid is faulty diet, in which too many acid forming foods have been consumed.
Acidosis can be prevented by maintaining a proper ratio between acid and alkaline foods in the diet.

For example, eggs leave alkaline ash and help in maintaining the alkalinity of the food, while others foods leave highly acidic ash and lowers the alkalinity of the body.
Cereals of all kinds, including all sorts of breads are also acid-forming foods , though much less than meats.
All fruits, with exceptions like plums and prunes and all green and root vegetables are highly alkaline foods and help to alkalinize the blood and other tissue fluids.

So - on an alkalizing diet your daily intake should consist of 80% alkaline-forming foods such as juicy, ripe fruits, tubers, legumes, green, leafy and root vegetables and 20% of acid-forming foods with concentrated proteins and starches such as meat, fish, bread and cereals.

The most agreeable and convenient means of alkalizing the blood are citrus fruits and fruit juices. The alkalizing value of citrus fruits are due to large percentage of alkaline salts, mainly potash, which they contain. Each pint of orange juice contains 12 grains of potassium, one of the most potent of alkalis. Lemon juice contains nine grains of the alkali to the pint and grape seven grains.

What is melanoma

2006-10-20T09:45:00.000+10:00

I know what basal cell cancers are - I've got more of those than you can poke a stick at (as my dermatologist so eloquently puts it!) - but I wanted to know what a melanoma is...

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in the part of the skin called melanocytes, which produce and contain the skin pigment melanin. Frequently, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of an existing mole.

In men, melanoma is often found on the trunk (the area between the shoulders and the hips) or the head and neck.
In women, it often develops on the lower legs but for both men and women it can occur on any skin surface.

So now you know too.

How to treat heel calluses

2006-10-20T09:40:00.000+10:00

Heel calluses are usually heavy calluses extending along the inside of the heel from near the back of the foot to the front part of the heel.

Now I've just read that heavy heel calluses is a sign of insufficient vitamin A over a prolonged period of time. The recommendation is vitamin A (not beta carotene) supplementation for individuals with this problem.

In many cases it can take three to four months to begin to see results, and complete disappearance of the calluses can take eight months or more.
Adults should take 75,000 units a day of Vit A until the calluses are gone. Then you can cut back to a "maintenance dose" of 15,000 to 25,000 units a day.

Please note, though, that heel calluses are not the same as having dry, cracked, and occasionally bleeding heels: That's a different problem.

What is the Atkins Diet?

2006-10-18T10:30:00.000+10:00

The primary concept of the Atkins diet is a strict restriction of carbohydrate intake including foods with sugar, bread, cereal, some starchy vegetables and pasta.

Weight loss on the Atkins diet is based on the process of Ketosis:

Reducing the main source of energy for our bodies (carbohydrates) forces the body to look elsewhere for another source of energy. The next obvious source of energy is stored body fat, thus forcing the body to burn fat. This process is called Ketosis.

Carbohydrates stimulate the creation of insulin. Insulin converts excess carbohydrates (carbs) to fat - less carbs - less insulin - less new fat.

Can you eat all you want?
There are no restrictions on portion size - you can eat a huge range of low-carbohydrate foods including chicken, steak, shellfish, pork chops, eggs, duck, turkey - any kind of meat, tasty salads, cheeses, high-fat salad dressings, some nuts, and of course high protein bars and shakes.

High Fat - High Protein
One of the most controversial issues with Atkins is that it is a high-fat diet. Most government health agencies recommend no more than 30% fat in our diet - yet with Atkins you can easily consume more fat than this. Atkins is not just low carb it is very low carb. It is difficult to see how a person could maintain healthy muscle mass on a diet such as this.

Diet.com Advantage: Get your FREE Diet Personality Assessment today!

Ever been on a Ketogenic Diet?

2006-10-16T22:19:00.000+10:00

A ketogenic diet is a diet high in fat and protein, and virtually no carbohydrate. This will force the body into a state of ketosis whereby ketones are used as a fuel source - rather than glucose.

Ketogenic diets have been used to treat epilepsy and for weight loss. Many body builders also use a ketogenic diet during their 'cutting' phase (attempting to burn as much fat as possible while retaining muscle mass).
Ketogenic diets have gained some popularity due to the extensive media coverage of low/no carb diets such as Atkins.

How healthy is a ketogenic diet?
A ketogenic diet is suitable for some people - but most definitely not all. Depriving the body of carbohydrates can place significant strain on the body - particularly liver and kidney function.

Many people will feel quite tired during the first few weeks of ketosis - the body will try to adapt to using ketones as a fuel source. Ketones are a byproduct of fat burning.

There are many opposing schools of thought about the safety of a ketogenic diet - but the fact that many epilepsy sufferers have successfully been using ketosis for years surely gives the diet some authority.

Follow the diet carefully. Many people who start the diet stop it within a few days due to the fatigue and difficulty encountered.

Do you also undermine your diet?

2006-10-09T20:45:00.000+10:00

Here are a few things we subconsciously do that undermines our dieting efforts!

Giving food power - it can't make you eat it. YOU have the power to say no.
Thinking there are "good" and "bad" foods. Wrong! Food is just food!
A diet is something you "go on." Permanent weight loss can only be achieved if you make your new eating and exercise habits part of your lifestyle!
Eating the exact same fruits and vegetables day after day. Increased variety will provide better nutrition.
All fats are BAD. Fact: you need some fats to stay healthy (e.g. omega-3 fatty acids). Trans fat - now there's BAD!! Beware of fast food and packaged foods - New York City recently banned the sale of any fast foods that contains trans fats - Way to Go!!

Make your diet easier

2006-10-07T19:57:00.000+10:00

Like many people who are trying to lose weight while improving their health too, I'm finding the healthy eating part the most challenging.

It takes some effort and time to plan and balance your nutrition, and it takes some knowledge about what foods to choose. Mostly, it takes a commitment on my part to make my health a greater priority than the inevitable daily obstacles that keeps me from eating well and exercising.

I found some simple rules that you can follow when you don't feel like keeping track of different foods, planning meals, or you just don't have time (or inclination) to buy the right foods:

Choose lower fat foods - People who eat diets of lower fats, higher carbohydrates diets often have lower body mass indexes.
Eat more vegetables - Scientific studies found that greater consumption of vegetables was a major factor in maintaining healthy body weight.
Read food labels - It was found in another study found that people who read nutrition labels of foods reported improved nutritional habits.

Remember this rule: Look for packaged meals that contain 15 grams of fat or less per meal, and look for packaged "side dish" or desserts that contain about 5 grams of fat or less per serving so that you don't get too much fat at one time.

I'm going to not let the blur of life become an obstacle to achieving my weight loss goals - I'll choose one of these three things to stay on track.