Fat Burning Food For Thought

Great article on how eating the right food - at the right time - promotes fat burning and natural, healthy weight loss...

From eFitness.com:

By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE

There are several factors to understand in losing body fat through intelligent nutrition. These factors will assist you in creating a strategy for success. I will not venture too deep into science, but just enough to provide you ammunition. Instead, I will focus more on a real life specific strategy you can implement. One that’s easy to manipulate.

1. COMBINE PROTEIN AND CARBOHYDRATE AT YOUR MEALS

You may have heard of the glycemic index. It's simply a scale that ranks carbohydrate sources according to the simplicity or complexity of its sugar, starch and fiber content. Foods high on the glycemic index are made up of primarily glucose, the smallest sugar molecule possible. These foods, when consumed in excess, raise blood sugar levels and require the pancreas to secrete excess insulin to reduce the blood sugar levels. When excess insulin is consistently produced, we get fat!

Foods high on the glycemic index are white bread, cereals, baked potatoes, white rice, pasta, etc. I'm not suggesting that you eliminate these foods. I'm merely proposing that you consume them in moderation and in proper balance with good sources of protein.

Foods low on the glycemic index are fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, skim milk etc. I recommend that you get a list of high and low glycemic foods for your personal meal planning. So, how do we continue to eat these foods but lose fat? One of the great things about lean protein sources is they not only assist in building muscle but also slow the entry rate of carbohydrates into the blood stream.

If you consume a large pasta meal, you will most likely spike your blood sugar levels. However, if you slightly reduce the pasta amount and add some lean protein such as baked chicken breast, you actually create a more balanced blood sugar level.

Another example: two cups of rice will have a very different affect on your blood sugar level compared to one cup of rice combined with four ounces of turkey. A bowl of cereal will have a very different affect on your blood sugar levels compared to one cup of cereal with some egg whites on the side. don't forget this vital point; if you control blood sugar, you control body fat.

2. MEAL SPACING

Now that you know how important combining your meals is, let’s take a look at when to eat these meals. If we want to control our blood sugar levels to lose fat, it’s important that the meals be not only balanced, but somewhat small. These meals should be spaced every three hours for tight insulin control.

Ever see someone go on very low calories and not lose body fat? Internally, the body is only concerned with survival. All it wants to do is keep you alive! If your body senses it's not getting enough calories, it will hold onto fat to make sure you survive what it perceives as a famine. By the same token, if you consume too many calories, the body will hold onto fat to protect you when that perceived famine takes place. It senses you are storing for the winter, and it is more than happy to oblige by putting on the fat!

If you want to make sure you are not on either end of this spectrum and more in a fat burning mode, how do you do it? Control blood sugar levels! Take in three small meals and three snacks spread every 2-3 hours. Do I sound like a broken record with the blood sugar theme? Excellent! Now, you know how important it is.

A sample meal schedule may look something like this:

6:30 Breakfast
9:30 Snack
12:30 Lunch
3:30 Snack
6:00 Dinner
9:00 Small Snack

3. CONSUME SOME MONOUNSATURATED FAT

One of the big myths in this society is that fat makes you fat. The truth is, too much of any nutrient can make you fat. In fact, there are some essential fatty acids that are the building blocks for specific hormones that control how much body fat you can gain or lose. Your body needs unsaturated fats to create these hormones! People who start consuming 20-30 percent of their calories from monounsaturated fat can actually burn more body fat than if they consumed a lesser fat percentage!

Monounsaturated fat is excellent for the immune system, cells and many bodily functions. A small amount of monounsaturated fat such as olive oil, natural peanut butter, unsalted almonds, avocados or flax oil will help keep you full until your next meal. Saturated fats, on the other hand, can lead to heart disease and increased body fat. Sources of saturated fat are bacon, fried food, butter, etc.

4. EAT THE FOODS YOU ENJOY

Use the points I've outlined above and simply eat the foods you enjoy. If you enjoy eating fried chicken and French fries every day, there’s not a lot I can do to help you lose fat. However, if you enjoy a variety of healthy foods, such as whole grain bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, chicken, tuna, turkey, cereal, peanut butter, olive oil fruits and vegetables, then you can construct a healthy and realistic program that works for you.

Don't like to pack a lunch? No problem, get yourself a turkey sandwich on rye with lettuce, tomato and mustard. Another example is a chicken sandwich on a small roll with a piece of fruit on the side. Use your imagination! Can't think of a good snack? Why not try some yogurt with a handful of almonds mixed in? The possibilities are endless, but you must plan. Once you understand the system, you will be losing body fat at a consistent pace.

Don't be one of those people who always struggle with fat loss and is always frustrated with their body. It’s not all that hard to implement and once you design a good nutritional program, you're on your way to increased body fat loss.

Learn more at eFitness.com...


-----------------
Related resources:

Glycemic Index
Good Carbs Guide

Study: Stress May Promote Aging of Cells

A new study helps to explain how chronic stress can lead to premature aging...

From the PNAS:

Chronic psychological stress is associated with accelerated shortening of the caps, called telomeres, on the ends of chromosomes in white blood cells -- and thus hasten their demise -- according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Telomeres promote chromosome stability, Dr. Elissa S. Epel at the University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues explain. Telomeres shorten with each replication of the cell, and cells cease dividing when telomeres shorten sufficiently.

The team investigated the theory that psychological stress affects telomere shortening and thereby contributes to accelerated aging.

Their study included 39 healthy, premenopausal women who were primary caregivers for a child with a chronic illness, and 19 age-matched mothers of healthy children who served as a comparison "control" group.

Stress was measured with a standardized questionnaire, and telomere length was measured in participants' blood samples.

Within the caregiving group, the longer that a woman had been a caregiver, the shorter was the length of telomeres.

In the 14 women with the highest stress scores, telomeres averaged 3,110 units in length; the 14 with the lowest stress had telomeres that averaged 3,660 units.

In adults, telomeres shorten by an average of 31 to 63 units per year, so the scientists estimate that the 550-unit shortening in the high-stress group translates to 9 to 17 additional years of aging.

These findings may have implications for human health, co-author Dr. Elizabeth H. Blackburn, also at UCSF, told Reuters Health, since telomere shortening is associated with premature death from cardiovascular disease and infections.

While the number of years that mothers had been a caregiver did matter, "not all caregivers fell into the high-stress group," she added. "This points to the importance of trying to use stress reduction interventions as much as possible."

Fitness Pro's Top 10 Tips

From eDiets.com:

By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro

In this fast-moving society, don’t we just love quick fitness tips? I know I do. So I’m cutting right to the chase and providing you my 10 top favorite fitness tips. You may see some tips about diet as well, but if you’ve read my articles in the past, you know I always mention that a successful workout and diet go hand-in-hand in order to achieve the best possible body.

Let’s get right to it!

Fitness Tip #1

Exercise alone will not provide the results you seek, nor will diet alone. Efficient exercise and an intelligently designed food plan that is realistic based on your lifestyle, is the solution to body fat loss, tightening muscles and increasing energy. One separated from the other will produce less than optimal results.

Fitness Tip #2

You know how there’s a food pyramid? If your goal is fat loss, you should think of your fitness routine as a pyramid too. The foundation is cardio exercise, at least 30 minutes each day (four to five days per week). On top of that? Stretching, to maintain your flexibility and reduce stress. At the top of the pyramid? Strength training, at least twice a week, and don’t forget, proper amounts of rest which surrounds the entire pyramid.

Fitness Tip #3

Weight training is essential to burn body fat. For every pound of muscle you gain, your body burns 30-50 additional calories per day. If you gain five pounds of muscle, you’ll be burning up to 250 additional calories per day. The cumulative effect is significant -- that’s about 84,000 calories over the course of one year. Most people are afraid of bulking up from weight training, but bulk is merely fat on top of muscle, so as you lose the fat, you’ll look lean and tight from your weight training -- not bulky. Weight training also combats osteoporosis and is the shapely/sexy woman’s best kept secret.

Fitness Tip #4

Whoever said exercise has to be complete drudgery? Find an activity you really enjoy and one that’s fun. For example, if you don’t enjoy traditional cardiovascular exercise, invest in an upbeat dance video tape, or take a belly dancing or archery class, for example. Think about what you consider fun and then just do it.

Fitness Tip #5

Concentrate on doing your very best in the time you allot for your workout. Exercise is a tool to get you the things you want. To make you stronger, leaner, healthier or more nimble doing things that you enjoy. It will allow you to play your sport, dance with friends, play with your grandchildren and accomplish your daily activities faster and easier.

Fitness Tip #6

Perform a realistic exercise program based on your lifestyle. Consistency is more important than total volume. Working out two to three days per week with consistency will produce more results than haphazard workouts such as five days one week, one day the following week, etc.

Fitness Tip #7

Having trouble getting motivated to exercise? Write down a 30-day fitness goal and keep it to no more than two to three goals. Also, make it quantifiable and realistic. For example, "I will work out two days per week every week for the next 30 days and I will perform 30 minutes of power walking for my workout each session with a goal of losing two pounds." At the end of the 30 days, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment because your goals were short-term, realistic and measurable. This natural progression will propel you to add a third day of exercise and dramatically increase your motivation and self-esteem. Remember to coax motivation and fitness -- not force it.

Fitness Tip #8

Ever hear of the expression "cardio queen?" It refers to someone who performs two hours of cardio per day. This person mistakenly assumes that this is the most efficient method to lose fat. In fact, it’s the most efficient method to lose fat and muscle! By the time you get to your weight goal, it makes you look soft with absolutely no firmness to your muscles. Always perform resistance training and cardio as part of your overall fitness program and don’t go over 50-60 minutes of cardio.

Fitness Tip #9

It doesn’t have to be overly rigid, but I highly recommend some sort of structured eating plan Monday through Friday. You can take some liberties on the weekend, but if you have a plan and know what you’ll be eating for each meal and snack, you’re less likely to reach for munchies at night. This may involve some meal preparation and planning, but I find it to be extremely effective in losing fat.

Fitness Tip #10

The key to losing body fat is controlling blood sugar and insulin levels. The best way to control blood sugar through your diet is to eat three small meals and two to three small snacks spread every two to three hours. This sends a signal to your body that there is plenty of food and that stored body fat and excess water can be released. Combine protein and carbohydrates at each meal and snack with some good monounsaturated fat and don’t let any meal go above 300 calories. In some cases the calories will need to be higher or lower depending on activity, height, etc.

There you have it. My top 10 favorite fitness tips that will hopefully put you on the road to better health and fitness.

Get more great fitness tips at eDiets.com...

How to eat more fruits and veggies

Few foods are as healthy as fruits and vegetables. Ounce for ounce they contain more beneficial nutrients - including fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytochemicals - than any other type of food! Yet many people have a hard time getting the recommended 5-10 servings per day of these great foods. Here are some practical tips for anyone who need to "bump up" their fruit and veggie intake...

From LifeScript.com:

5-A-Day Quick Tips

It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables are nutritious and healthy, so why don't people get enough to fulfill their daily dietary needs? Time and convenience top the list of why we don't eat enough of these amazing foods, but we have the 10 keys that will get the recommended 5-A-Day fruits and vegetables into your diet – without any strain on you!

1. Size Matters

When you're trying to be 5-A-Day savvy, the first thing you need to know is how much a serving size of fruit and veggies actually is! One serving of vegetables is equal to 1 cup of raw leafy veggies; ½ cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables; or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice. One serving of fruit is equal to 1 medium whole fruit; 1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit; 1/2 cup of dried fruit or 3/4 cup fruit juice.

So, what does a cup of fruit looks like visually? Use these 3 quick references to eyeball a serving of fruit

* 1/2 cup = 1 fist
* 1 cup = 1 baseball
* 1 medium fruit = 1 tennis ball

2. Individual Needs

A petite, inactive woman and a body-building man have very different nutritional needs, and therefore require different intakes of fruits and vegetables to maintain optimum health. For every 600 extra kcals that you eat over the 1,600 kcals/day minimum, you need to add one extra fruit and one extra veggie. Use this simple guide to figure out if you need more than 5-A-Day to satisfy your body’s needs:

* Kids, inactive women, and elderly who eat roughly 1,600 kcals/day need to aim for 3 veggies and 2 fruits daily.
* Teenage girls, active women & men who eat about 2,200 kcals/day need to aim for 4 veggies and 3 fruits daily.
* Teenage boys, active men, and extremely active women who eat about 2,800 kcals/day need to aim for 5 veggies and 4 fruits daily.

3. Starting your day

Besides being the best time to rev up your metabolism for the day ahead, breakfast is also a great time to get a head start on your 5-A-Day goals! Orange juice and other 100% real fruit and vegetable juices, such as low-sodium V-8 juice, will supply 1 serving of fruit or veggies. Plus, drinking calcium-fortified orange juice is the tangiest way to get your daily calcium requirements started. Try adding fresh fruits or berries to hot or cold cereal, home-made muffins, or whole-grain pancakes for an easy and tasty way to eat more fruits.

4. Lunch-it-up

Lunch is the perfect time to feast on a veggie-packed salad, especially in place of chips, fries or other low-nutrient foods. One cup of dark green leafy lettuce (preferably not ice-berg) equals 1 serving of veggies, plus adding a variety of toppings, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, sprouts, snow peas, and anything else that sounds good will add another full servings of veggies. You can also top sandwiches with crunchy vegetables, or supplement your salad with hot soup, which not only warms you “heart and soul” but also can supply up to 2 servings of veggies in just one bowl.

5. Snack-time

Bring whole fruit or cut-up fruits and veggies for lunchtime snacks. This is easy to do day after day if you keep cut fruits and veggies in the fridge and dried fruit in baggies for grab-and-go lunches. Plan to eat at least one type of fruit or veggie for your "after lunch and before dinner" snack, which will satisfy your afternoon hunger, and also give you energy to help you breeze through the afternoon. Apples work great for an afternoon snack, especially with peanut butter to top it off!

6. Do-it-for-Dinner

Dinner is a great time to have cooked veggies and maybe even salad, especially if you missed one for lunch. Cut up and grill fruits and veggies on skewers for added color and flavor to any BBQ. Add fruit in at dessert time, such as fresh fruit parfaits, fresh berries on angel food cake with low-fat whip, or sugar cookies with frosting and fresh sliced fruit for a dessert both kids and grownups will enjoy! You can put fruit on any dessert!

7. Eating Out

It’s not at all difficult to eat fruit and veggies when you're eating out. You can buy salads and fruit at most fast-food restaurants nowadays, helping to balance out the higher fat, fried options on the menu. Try a garden-burger or Boca-burger for lots of veggies and nutrient-rich soy. Add veggies to your pizza toppings for a healthy alternative to pepperoni, and ask for veggies or fruit in place of fries if your dinner automatically comes with them. If you're at a cocktail party, stay close to the veggie trays and fruit bowls, and if you're going to be drinking, try a virgin Bloody Mary for a tomato-rich drink that packs a lot of Lycopene.

8. Fun treats

Keep kids – and yourself for that matter – interested in fruits and veggies by getting creative. Make fruity smoothies with low-fat yogurt to cool them off on a hot afternoon. Create your own popsicles by pouring 100% fruit juice into popsicle molds, and let the kids help with this one. Keep veggie dips, such as low-fat ranch, and fruit dips, such as low-fat yogurt or light caramel dip, handy to throw in kid’s lunches, or even in your own!

9. Keep it Handy

Always have fresh, washed fruit handy and ready to eat, such as a fruit bowl on the dining table, or cut fruits and veggies in the fridge. Keep dried fruits and canned fruits handy in the pantry, and always have 100% fruit and vegetable juice in the fridge, ready to drink. Buy ready-to-eat prepackaged veggies at your local grocery store that can be popped in the microwave to steam and are ready in just minutes. Also, pre-washed salad mixes can save you a bunch of time and energy if you're in a rush to get dinner on the table.

10. Mix it up!

Don't just eat the same old thing time after time after time! Try different combinations of veggies, such as adding artichoke hearts to salads, or sautéing broccoli along with zucchini, summer squash and red onions for a steaming, tasty addition to your meat and potatoes meal. Try different combinations of fruit, such as strawberries and kiwis with yogurt dip one week, and blackberries and blueberries topped with yogurt and granola the next week. You have the ability to be as creative with these combinations as you wish, making eating fruits and veggies far from boring, and full of excitement!

Learn more at LifeScript.com...

The Best Appetite Suppressant

"What's the best appetite suppressant?" Many people ask me this question on a weekly basis. Some want to know about natural appetite suppressants, some are interested in finding out about herbal and even drug-based appetite suppressants. I tell them all the same thing: If you want to suppress your appetite in a healthy and safe way, stick with 2 proven solutions -- high-fiber foods and pure water. These are the best appetite suppressants around because they're what the human body is designed to consume and process. We are literally 'optimized' to eat lots of high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. We also function best when we consume a large amount of pure water.

So, if you want to be less hungry -- and eat less food -- the solution is simple. 20-30 minutes before a meal do one or both of these things:

1. Eat a piece of fruit, some fibrous vegetables, or a small salad (with low-fat dressing and no crutons, bacon bits, etc.).

2. Drink a medium-size glass of water.

You'll be much less hungry and less likely to overeat (or to eat the wrong things). You'll also feel great!

More about why water is one of the best appetite suppressants available...

From eDiets.com:

The BEST appetite suppressant in the world: Learn what it is and how to get enough of it to solve your weight loss woes!

To find out more about this incredible appetite suppressant -- this virtual MIRACLE weight loss aid, you are going to have to do some visualization with me for a moment, OK!?

First off, I would like for you to picture the ickiest, muckiest and smelliest pond that you have ever seen in your life. Picture the gook sitting on the top of the water’s surface, the murky greenish color that attached itself to every nearby vine and tree limb and became slimy and gross. Got a visual in your mind?

Now, picture a beautiful fresh water flowing river. Picture the water flowing over rocks, carrying healthy fish downstream, the sounds of the river -- ah, so refreshing and pure!

Got both of those pictures in your mind? Good!

Which of these two bodies of water would you rather jump into for a swim? Which of them would you rather take a drink of?

I am going to assume that you chose the fresh water river, correct!? That is the correct answer.

Water. It is such an important and integral part of our weight loss journey, yet it is the least discussed and most overlooked. Not anymore!

I had the pleasure of speaking with the renowned Dr. Batmanghelidj (Dr B. for short!), author of Your Body's Many Cries for Water and Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life: You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty! and he really opened my eyes about not only the importance of adequate water consumption, but also as to the reasons WHY we must drink so much of it.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj passed away on November 15. For the past 25 years he devoted his life to researching the health value of water in preventing and treating disease.)

On his website, www.watercure.com, you can find many testimonials about people whose health conditions were virtually improved through the consumption of adequate water. Let’s start with the basics, what is "adequate" when it comes to how much we should consume?

Dr. B told me that you should drink one-half your body weight in fluid ounces of water, therefore for my 150-pound body, I should be consuming 75 ounces of water a day (jeez, and I thought 64 was plenty!). I asked him if there was such a thing as drinking too much water and he said certainly there is, but that would be three to four gallons of water a day and not many people could, or would want to, consume that much, but that you don’t want to drink so much that you feel lightheaded.

I asked him what to tell the person who says they "hate" water. He laughed and said, "Ask them if they hate themselves!" I was confused and asked why that would help. He replied that our bodies are made up of 75 percent water and our brains are 85 percent water, therefore if you hate water, you hate just about everything about yourself. He advises that someone take a look in the mirror, see who he or she is and realize that water nourishes and serves them and they must drink it, no matter what.

It is funny that we take for granted other things that we do just because they are good for us, such as brushing our teeth, bathing, paying taxes, etc., but too often when it comes to our weight we have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to do that which is good for us.

Dr. B. went on to explain (most of which was way over my head!) that water is the main source of energy for human function and that without water, food has NO value! Water increases the energy content of everything it breaks down (apparently food with no water in it doesn’t give us energy -- like Twinkies?!). And, there is also a way to tell if you are getting enough water or are dehydrated. If your urine is dark or orangish in color -- you are dehydrated. If it is lighter yellow you are slightly dehydrated and if it is almost clear -- you are hydrated and that is a good thing!

He believes that education about water will change a person’s mind and therefore get them to drink the amount their body requires. He stresses that he has no commercial gain from telling people to drink more water -- you can merely turn on your tap and drink from it! He said it is purely personal preference whether one drinks tap, bottled, mineral or designer water.

Best news about water? Consuming the correct amount can attribute to weight loss of up to four pounds a week (sadly, not every week, but some!).

And, about that appetite suppressant I promised to tell you about? You guessed it -- WATER! Dr. B recommends drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water 20-30 minutes before a meal. Wait for the water to settle and you will realize a much-decreased appetite! Talk about good news! He states that while water isn't really an appetite suppressant, it replaces the energy in the food we eat and is a much cleaner source of energy.

He explained it to my very unscientific mind this way: water is like hydro or clean fuel and food is like fossil fuel that leaves pollution in its path. More simply put, "Obesity is the pollution of relying on food for energy."

All this talk has made me thirsty! Go get a bottle of water and drink it, it will do you more good than you realize!

Learn more at eDiets.com...


Related resources:

Wikipedia: Appetite Suppressants

Study: 'Good carb' diet good for heart & metabolism

Once again, science has shown that what really matters when you're trying to lose weight is the type of carbs you eat. 'Good carbs' are one of the keys -- along with 'good fats' -- to long-term weight loss and improved heart health...

From the Associated Press:

'Glycemic index' diet is touted: It's better for heart, metabolism, preliminary study seems to show

A diet favoring "good" over "bad" carbohydrates is better for the heart and less likely to slow down metabolism than a conventional low-fat diet, a small, preliminary study suggests.

The "glycemic index" diet recommends carbohydrates that do not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels after meals, such as old-fashioned oatmeal rather than highly processed sugared breakfast cereal. It is not as anti-carb as Atkins-style regimens, nor as fat-restrictive as standard low-fat diets.

Proponents call it a happy medium, though skeptics say the science doesn't prove that low-glycemic diets are superior.

The study involved 39 overweight people ages 18 to 40 who were paid $1,500 to eat hospital-prepared diets for about 10 weeks. Low-glycemic foods were given to 22 participants, while 17 got the low-fat option.

Participants in both groups lost an average of about 20 pounds. But glycemic-index dieters fared better on two risk factors for heart disease: They had a slight decrease in fats in the blood called triglycerides vs. an increase in the low-fat group, and they had a much greater reduction in levels of an inflammation-related substance called C-reactive protein.

The number of calories burned while resting decreased in both groups, a metabolism slowdown that commonly occurs while dieting. But the average decrease was smaller in the low-glycemic group, 96 calories per day vs. 176 in the low-fat group. Hunger pangs were less common among low-glycemic dieters.

The study's leader, Dr. David Ludwig, director of an obesity program at Boston's Children's Hospital, said that because of those differences, people on the low-glycemic regimen are more likely to stay on their diet and less likely to put the weight back on. But he said longer studies are needed to show if that is true.

The study appears in today's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Read more...

10 More Healthy Thanksgiving Tips

From Prevention Magazine:

10 Holiday No-Splurge Tips: Fill up on these without filling out...

Ghosts of binges past can turn you into a food Scrooge, dodging seasonal celebrations to avoid the fattening feasts that go with them.

"Holidays are for connecting with family and friends," says Christine M. Palumbo, RD, the Illinois chair of delegates for the American Dietetic Association. "Unfortunately, most events come with food attached." Follow her tips to make merry without adding a pound.

1. Scan the buffet for shrimp with cocktail sauce--virtually fat-free and high in protein, iron, and the antioxidant lycopene.

2. Switch out of holiday mode as soon as the party's over; don't turn Thanksgiving through New Year's into one long binge.

3. Save calories for only new, interesting foods; have one taste of each.

4. Take your camera and be the designated photographer; you can't eat while snapping wriggling kids.

5. Indulge in a single serving of your favorite holiday treat at a restaurant with a friend instead of testing your willpower by keeping it around the house.

6. Alternate alcoholic drinks with calorie-free sparkling water.

7. Destroy the plate. If you've had enough to eat but others are still picking, dump salt over any food you have left.

8. Brush up your small talk; talking slows down eating.

9. Don't arrive at the party starving; the fat in an ounce of nuts and the protein in a glass of skim milk will blunt your appetite, studies show.

10. Avoid feeling deprived and food-distracted all evening long--allow yourself one dessert or holiday truffle per event.

Click here to learn more with Prevention Magazine...

How to eat healthy on Thanksgiving

Want to have a healthier Thanksgiving tomorrow? Simply avoid the high-sugar, high-starch, and high-fat "extras" that make up a huge portion of the calories in a typical Thanksgiving dinner. These include things like gravy, butter rolls, white potatoes, cranberry sauce, 'candied' yams, etc.

Instead, fill up on lean proteins - like white turkey meat and baked ham - as well as non-starchy vegetables and salads with low-fat (or olive oil-based) dressing. Eat enough of these things and you won't be tempted to eat very much of the bad stuff. Of course, a small piece of pumpkin pie won't kill you -- especially if it's made with low-sugar pumpkin filling and whole wheat crust!

And, no matter what, have a GREAT Thanksgiving holiday!!

-------------
Related links:

ABC News: Making Thanksgiving Dinner Healthier

Great Weightlifting/Bodybuilding Workout Resources

There are many different ways to workout with weights. But your strength and muscle-building goals should determine which routines you choose. A few of the best weightlifting and bodybuilding workout resources on the Web include:

The Bodybuilding.com Workout Database:

An incredibly useful tool for finding the perfect weightlifting workout for what you're tying to accomplish. Choose how many days per week you want to workout, the type of program you prefer (split or full-body), how many sets/exercises you want to do, etc... then print out a free workout guide and get to work! Click here to learn more...

SportSpecific.com:

This is a very unique web site that provides a large collection of proven workouts for sports-specific training. Whether you want to get faster, stronger, more agile, or you just want to increase your overall power you can find the right weightlifting workouts here. Click here to visit SportSpecific.com


More good weightlifting workout resources:

Intense-Workout.com: Workout Routines

Exercise.About.com: Workout Center

High-Energy Eating Tips

Do you feel like you need more energy to get through the day? How would you like to have more than enough energy to workout at an optimal intensity level every time you go to the gym? In the article below you can learn exactly how to eat to energize your body, feel your best, and accomplish more every day...

From Prevention Magazine:

Fuel Up: 8 ways to energize your walks, your day, your life

Intro

You wouldn't try to drive your car with an empty gas tank--you know you'd never get out of the driveway. But chances are you've gone for a walk or two when you were out of gas and didn't get very far either. Unwittingly, you may have sabotaged your entire exercise program: After "I never have enough time," one of the most common excuses people give for not working out regularly is "I'm always too tired." And when exercise regulars lose focus and quit, the primary reasons are fatigue and dehydration.

Sometimes the problem is lack of sleep, but just as frequently it's diet. "You need calories and fluids to have energy and to feel good while you're physically active," says Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, director of sports nutrition for the Penn State University athletic department. So whether you're walking 2 miles a day to lose weight, training for a 5-K, or trying to keep up with an active family, here are eight eating tips to help you stay energized and rarin' to go.

1. Don't Go Hungry

"That's rule number one," says Dan Benardot, PhD, RD, associate professor of nutrition and director of the Laboratory for Elite Athlete Performance at Georgia State University. "It's extremely difficult to exercise when you haven't eaten enough or at all, so to keep your blood sugar from getting low and to sustain your energy, you need to eat small amounts of carbohydrate-containing foods throughout the day." He recommends having three moderate-size meals plus two snacks every day.

Pick complex carbs, "which will help sustain blood sugar levels," thereby boosting energy, advises Clark. "Choose whole grain products, such as a small whole wheat pita or a bowl of oatmeal with fruit; the fiber in these foods helps the carbs stick with you." (See "What's the Fuel of Champions?".)

2. Never Go Thirsty

Dehydration is a real downer. If you haven't had enough to drink, you can feel light-headed, headachy, dizzy, and confused and can have increased heart and breathing rates. "Any athlete who is ready to compete but isn't holding a drink is not fully equipped," says Benardot. That's because "even a small amount of water loss can impair your ability to perform at your best and feel good about exercising," says Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University.

When you exercise, don't wait until you feel thirsty: Drink 6 to 8 ounces of liquid before and after you walk. And sip something every 15 minutes while you walk.

3. Save Sports Drinks for Special Occasions

Plain water is a fine hydrator, but if you fatigue quickly when you exercise or if you sweat a lot (you're power walking, for instance, or it's warm out), a sports drink may be just the ticket. Sports drinks contain glucose, the sugar your body needs for energy, as well as electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which are lost when you perspire.

Another reason to sip them: You're taking a long walk or competing in a race and you don't have access to a bathroom; the sodium-rich drinks help you hold on to your fluids.

4. Watch the Calories

"Unless you'll be exercising for long periods of time, you don't need to drink a quart of a sports drink or eat a 300-calorie energy bar beforehand," says Rosenbloom. Energy snacks like these, especially the bars, are so high in calories they can cancel out the fat-burning benefit of your walk.

Instead, before you start, drink 6 to 8 ounces of fluid (such as water) and have an energizing snack of 100 to 200 calories if it's been more than 2 hours since your last meal or snack. Can you have an energy bar? "If you're planning to walk 40 minutes or longer after work and you haven't eaten since lunch, an energy bar that contains protein as well as carbohydrates is a quick-energy option," says Clark.

But keep an eye on calories. "I recommend to my clients that they eat half a bar. That way they can choose the one they want without overloading on calories," she says.

5. Pick the Perfect Protein

Protein doesn't give you the same burst of energy that you'll get from an orange or a slice of whole wheat toast, but it does give you staying power, which could make the difference between going for a mile-long walk every morning or sticking it out for 3.

"Protein helps to blunt the rise in blood sugar after a meal or snack, which aids in extending energy," says Clark, who recommends combining protein and carbohydrates in every meal and snack. For most people following a walking plan, eating 0.5 to 0.75 g of protein per pound of body weight per day is enough.

For a 150-pound person, that adds up to 75 to 113 g of daily protein. Good sources include poultry, fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, legumes, nuts, and nut butters. Lean red meat and poultry can have up to 8 g of protein per ounce, while low-fat milk contains about 1 g per ounce. (You can get a day's worth of protein from 1 cup of shredded wheat with a cup of fat-free milk, a small fast-food chili, a serving of chicken about the size of a deck of cards, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and ½ cup of cottage cheese.)

Bonus: Eating protein, particularly after exercise, can also help stimulate muscle building. And you know the rule: The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

6. Supplement

High energy comes from eating right every day. Since that's not always possible, take a regular multivitamin/mineral supplement for added insurance. "Having enough iron in your diet is essential for energy, and for premenopausal women, taking a supplement that contains it is a good idea," says Rosenbloom.

"Check that your multi also contains zinc, which is involved in the functioning of more than 200 enzymes in the body. We tend not to do well in getting this mineral in our diets." Both iron and zinc are most abundant in meat, poultry, and some types of fish.

Other nutrients you may need to get the most out of your walk: calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium. While walking can strengthen bones, it only happens if you have adequate amounts of D and these minerals in your diet. Depending on your age, you need between 1,000 and 1,200 mg of calcium every day (those over 50 need the higher amount).

You can get it from calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products, and a calcium supplement (take only 500 mg at a time so it will be absorbed). The best food source of D (you need 400 IU daily) is fortified milk; for magnesium (you need 400 mg daily), eat whole grain cereals, nuts, and spinach.

7. Eat Healthful Fish

Research suggests that antioxidants can help reduce the inflammation and stress that exercise puts on your body. To fully unlock their power, make sure you're eating enough good fats. Aim for two weekly servings of fish rich in omega-3s, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines.

8. Limit Fats

That's good advice for many reasons, but if you're eating for energy, fat (other than the omega-3s in fish) doesn't really have a place at your training table. In fact, it's likely to make you feel sluggish. "Fat is the last nutrient to leave the stomach, and it slows down digestion," explains Rosenbloom.

When you eat anything, the act of digestion requires that your body increase circulation to your digestive tract. "You don't want your body to increase its bloodflow to the stomach when you need it flowing to your muscles--this can drag you down," she says. On the other hand, if you're an endurance athlete or an avid hiker, a little fat can help; it powers longer-duration exercise and, like protein, it blunts the rise in blood sugar.

"The bottom line is to have a positive experience when you're exercising," says Rosenbloom. "If you're eating right, you'll feel good about what you're doing--and you'll want to do it again tomorrow." That, after all, is the whole idea.

What's the Fuel of Champions?

When it comes to giving you energy, carbs are the hands-down winner. The popularity of low-carb diets has given carbs a bad name, but there's no refuting the science. Your muscles are fueled by glycogen, which is a form of glucose--another name for sugar.

Carbohydrates such as grains, fruits, and vegetables break down into sugar in your body, giving you nearly instant pep. But it's a short burst: Ultimately, your blood sugar will drop, which can make you feel fatigued. For staying power, combine your carbs with protein, which keeps your blood sugar on an even keel--and you moving--longer.

Good-to-Go Gorp

What used to be "good old raisins and peanuts" has been dressed--and fattened--up with all kinds of dried fruits and chocolate (including M&M's). You can make your own energy-blasting gorp that's lower in fat and calories by combining ½ cup of Multi-Bran Chex with 2 tablespoons of dried cranberries and a dozen almonds (about ½ ounce). Makes 1 serving. Per serving: 229 cal, 5 g pro, 41 g carb, 8 g fat, 0.6 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 6 g fiber, 196 mg sodium

Want more great fitness and diet tips? Click here to save money on a subscription to Prevention Magazine...

Delicious Smoothie Recipe

From eFitness.com:

Your After-Workout Reward

If you're doing some serious sweating at the gym, you'll have a hunger to match after your workout. But, if you're watching your weight, you don't want to go hog wild and raid the kitchen, only to take back the calories you just gave your all to burn off. What's the solution?

When the timing of your workout doesn't coincide with a meal (say, you're working out at 3 p.m. and it's too early for dinner afterwards), whirl together a smoothie in your blender. Smoothies provide just the right refreshment, rehydrating your body and giving you a quick shot of nutrients and energy.

Of course, some commercially made smoothies can reverse your hard work too, packing more than 500 calories and 10 grams of fat. To play it safe and get what you need to fuel up and feel your best after a session at the gym, try this low-fat power smoothie -- you get fiber, protein, calcium and vitamin C in every sip.

Banana Split Smoothie

Makes 1 serving

1/2 cup fat-free cherry frozen yogurt
1/2 banana, sliced
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup frozen sour cherries
1 tablespoon whey protein powder

Combine ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

Why dumbbell workouts make sense

You can get a great workout using nothing but dumbbells. A few good sets of dumbbells (or just one set of adjustable dumbbells - like the Bowflex Select Tech Dumbbells) are all you really need to get a complete fat-burning, muscle-building workout at home. In fact, many fitness experts actually prefer dumbbells over barbells and weight machines for several reasons...

• Lifting dumbbells requires more coordination and balance than barbells and weight machines
• Dumbbell exercises recruit more stabilizer muscles and do more to strengthen joints
• Dumbbell exercises allow for a greater range of motion and increased flexibility
• Dumbbells force you to use better form, while working both sides of your body equally (this can help to correct any strength imbalances that you may have)
• Dumbbells are flexible - there are literally hundreds of exercises you can do with just a set of dumbbells, a small bench, or an exercise ball!
  

If you're interested in learning more about effective dumbbell exercises, here are a few useful resources available online:

The Complete Dumbbell Workout

Weight Training with Dumbbells

Tips For A Well Balanced Physique

Bowflex Select Tech Dumbbells

Recently, the Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells have become one of the hottest new fitness products on the market. Why? Because they're incredibly well-designed, well-made... AND they 'fit' just about anywhere! These new Bowflex dumbbells replace 15 pairs of 'normal' dumbbells, require very little floor space, and - unlike most other adjustable dumbbell sets - they actually look really good!

Update: Read our full review of the Bowflex adjustable dumbbells...

From the Bowflex company:

Bowflex Introduces New Select Tech Dumbbells, a Smart Pair Of Adjustable Dumbbells

Bowflex, best known for its innovative home exercise gyms, is now introducing a new style of free-weight dumbbells that are as stylish as they are practical.

The sleek Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells are equipped with selectorized dials that adjust the lifting weight from 5 pounds to 52.5 pounds, with the unused weight plates staying secure in an accompanying base. The space-efficient free-weight system functions as 15 pairs of dumbbells in a single, compact unit that is designed to reside tastefully in the family room, loft, or apartment where it can be used anytime.

"We introduced the Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells product concept on a limited basis earlier in the year and received a very positive response from consumers," said Tim Hawkins, chief customer officer and chief marketing officer for The Nautilus Group, which manufactures and markets Bowflex products.

"This product overcomes the challenge that free weights need to be kept out in high-use areas if they are to be used frequently," Hawkins said. "Because the Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells are stylish, compact and easy to adjust, you can leave them in high-traffic areas where anyone can adjust them quickly to address their workout needs."

Free weights are a staple in fitness programs and are the most sought-after fitness equipment item because they allow people to do multiple exercises at a reasonable price, Hawkins said. Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells take that a step further by helping people perform more than 30 exercises and 80 variations, including strength, cardiovascular and flexibility-oriented workouts.

"These Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells are so sleek, so attractive, and so easy that you just want to pick them up and experiment," said Tom Purvis, the highly-regarded "Trainer to the Trainers" who trains fitness experts on strength resistance. "This may be the product that gets more people to begin or intensify their fitness training program in a quality way that they can do for life."

A pair of Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells comes standard with a 90-minute training tape "Secrets of the 4 Step Rep" by Tom Purvis. It also includes a six-week satisfaction guarantee, two-year limited warranty on all parts, five-year warranty on weight plates, and a one-year warranty on labor. The retail price is $399 plus shipping, with optional accessories including a mat, chrome stand, and bench.

The Bowflex Select Tech Dumbbells can be purchased online at Amazon.com and shipped directly to your door.

Learn more about the new Bowflex dumbbells here...

Study: Carbs beat fats for appetite suppression

From WebMD.com:

Carbohydrates Appear to Suppress Hunger Longer Than Fats

The popular notion that carbohydrates make you hungry while fat keeps you full is being challenged by newly published research.

In an animal study, rats fed a fat-rich diet produced more of an appetite-stimulating hormone than carbohydrate-fed rats, leading them to get hungrier quicker after eating.

The findings offer clinical support for the idea that different foods affect fullness differently. But studies in rodents don't necessarily tell us anything about hunger in humans, a hunger expert tells WebMD, and the researchers did not examine the impact of protein on hunger. Recent research in humans has suggested that protein helps keep you feeling full longer.

The strongest clinical evidence we have suggests that eating protein is associated with more feeling of fullness, California endocrinologist Francine Kaufman, MD, tells WebMD. "That is certainly the basis of protein-based diets, but this study does not address this. It does suggest, however, that the other main assumption of these diets -- the idea that carbohydrates are evil and should be avoided -- is wrong."

Read more...

Study: Humans were born to run!

Although it's something scientists have suspected for awhile, a new study seems to prove that the human body evolved specifically for long-distance running. One of the most interesting conclusions of the study is that we have bigger butts because they provide better balance for running. If that's not irony I don't know what is...

From Reuters News:

Humans were born to run and evolved from ape-like creatures into the way they look today probably because of the need to cover long distances and compete for food, scientists said on Wednesday.

From tendons and ligaments in the legs and feet that act like springs and skull features that help prevent overheating, to well-defined buttocks that stabilize the body, the human anatomy is shaped for running.

"We do it because we are good at it. We enjoy it and we have all kinds of specializations that permit us to run well," said Daniel Lieberman, a professor of anthropology at Harvard University in Massachusetts.

"There are all kinds of features that we see in the human body that are critical for running," he told Reuters.

Lieberman and Dennis Bramble, a biology professor at the University of Utah, studied more than two dozen traits that increase humans' ability to run. Their research is reported in the science journal Nature.

They suspect modern humans evolved from their ape-like ancestors about 2 million years ago so they could hunt and scavenge for food over large distances.

But the development of physical features that enabled humans to run entailed a trade-off -- the loss of traits that were useful for climbing trees.

"We are very confident that strong selection for running -- which came at the expense of the historical ability to live in trees -- was instrumental in the origin of the modern human body form," Bramble said in a statement.

AGAINST THE GRAIN

The conventional theory is that running was a by-product of bipedalism, or the ability to walk upright on two legs, that evolved in ape-like human ancestors called Australopithecus at least 4.5 million years ago.

But Lieberman and Bramble argue that it took a few million more years for the running physique to evolve, so the ability to walk cannot explain the transition.

"There were 2.5 million to 3 million years of bipedal walking without ever looking like a human, so is walking going to be what suddenly transforms the hominid body?" said Bramble.

"We're saying 'no, walking won't do that, but running will."'

If natural selection did not favor running, the scientists believe humans would still look a lot like apes.

"Running has substantially shaped human evolution. Running made us human -- at least in the anatomical sense," Bramble added.

Among the features that set humans apart from apes to make them good runners are longer legs to take longer strides, shorter forearms to enable the upper body to counterbalance the lower half during running and larger disks which allow for better shock absorption.

Big buttocks are also important.

"Have you ever looked at an ape? They have no buns," said Bramble.

Humans lean forward when they run and the buttocks "keep you from pitching over on your nose each time a foot hits the ground," he added.

Motivation to stop smoking

Smoking is something that keeps millions of people from working out, improving their fitness and becoming healthy. If you smoke, you're unlikely to exercise because heavy breathing is hard to do with smoke-damaged lungs. Also, many people mistakingly believe that quitting smoking will automatically lead to weight gain. This does happen sometimes, but not if you replace bad habits with good ones. But, besides the health costs, the financial costs associated with being a smoker are ridiculous...

From MSN Money:

The high cost of smoking

If the threat of cancer can't convince you to quit smoking, maybe the prospect of poverty will.

The financial consequences of lighting up stretch far beyond the cost of a pack of cigarettes. Smokers pay more for insurance and lose money on the resale value of their cars and homes. They spend extra on dry cleaning and teeth cleaning. Long term, they earn less and receive less in pension and Social Security benefits.

Researchers at Duke University found that the total cost of smoking -- the cigarettes, lost earnings, impact on insurance on mortality, even the impact of secondhand smoke -- runs about $40 per pack for the average 24-year-old. The Centers for Disease Control estimates 46.2 million adults in the United States smoke cigarettes. The economic burden of smokers totals more than $75 billion per year in medical expenditures, and $80 billion per year from lost productivity.

Yet large-scale economic statistics may not prove any more convincing than large-scale cancer statistics. Better to add up the tally on your own.

Read more...

Study: Get enough sleep, avoid obesity

We've know for awhile now that lack of sleep leads to weight gain. Not getting sufficient rest causes low energy, overeating, and even a significantly impaired metabolism. Now, a new studied has shown that people who get less than 7 hours of sleep per night have a much greater risk of becoming obese. The solution? Get enough sleep - at least 7 or 8 hours per night!

From Yahoo! News:

Weight-loss experts have a novel prescription for people who want to shed pounds: Get some sleep. A very large study has found a surprisingly strong link between the amount of shut-eye people get and their risk of becoming obese.

Those who got less than four hours of sleep a night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who got the recommended seven to nine hours of rest, scientists discovered. Those who averaged five hours of sleep had 50 percent greater risk, and those who got six hours had 23 percent more.

"Maybe there's a window of opportunity for helping people sleep more, and maybe that would help their weight," said Dr. Steven Heymsfield of Columbia University and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

He and James Gangwisch, a Columbia epidemiologist, led the study and are presenting results this week at a meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.

They used information on about 18,000 adults participating in the federal government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, throughout the 1980s. The survey includes long-term follow-up information on health habits, and researchers adjusted it to take into account other things that affect the odds of obesity, like exercise habits, so that the effects of sleep could be isolated.

It seems "somewhat counterintuitive" that sleeping more would prevent obesity because people burn fewer calories when they're resting, Gangwisch said.

But they also eat when they're awake, and the effect of chronic sleep deprivation on the body's food-seeking circuitry is what specialists think may be making the difference in obesity risks.

Read the rest...

Related resource: Why Sleep Matters

Study: Low-fat vs. low-carb

From CNN Health:

Regardless of how they shed pounds in the first place, big losers stayed that way by limiting fat rather than carbohydrates, according to new research that could add fuel to the backlash against low-carb diets.

Dieters already have been turning away from Atkins-style plans as a long-term weight-control strategy, and the new study gives them more reason: Low-fat plans seem to work better at keeping weight off.

"People who started eating more fat ... regained the most weight over time," said Suzanne Phelan, a Brown Medical School psychologist who presented results of the study Monday at a meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.

The study used the National Weight Control Registry, a decade-old effort to learn the secrets of success from people who had lost at least 30 pounds and kept them off for at least a year. The registry run by doctors from the University of Colorado in Denver, the University of Pittsburgh and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

They studied 2,700 people who entered the registry from 1995 through 2003. Their average age was 47, most were women, and they had lost an average of 72 pounds initially. Doctors compared their diets to see whether one type or another made a difference in how much weight they had lost and how much they had regained a year later.

All reported eating only about 1,400 calories a day, but the portion that came from fat rose -- from 24 percent in 1995 to more than 29 percent in 2003 -- while the part from carbohydrates fell, from 56 percent to 49 percent.

The number who were on low-carb diets (less than 90 grams a day) rose from 6 percent to 17 percent during the same period.

The type of diet -- low-fat, low-carb or in between -- made no difference in how people lost weight initially.

But those who increased their fat intake over a year regained the most weight. That meant they ate less carbohydrates, because the amount of protein in their diets stayed the same, Phelan said.

"Only a minority of successful weight losers consume low-carbohydrate diets," she and the other researchers concluded.

Colette Heimowitz, a nutrition expert and spokeswoman for the Atkins diet organization, noted that the study considered 90 grams to be low-carb, while Atkins recommends 60 grams for weight loss and 60 to 120 for weight maintenance.

She said that for many of the dieters studied, "the carbs aren't low enough for them to be successful." They also should have replaced carbs with more protein rather than fat, she said.

Read more...

A Simple Remedy for Childhood Obesity

From SmoothFitness.com:

The Problem of Obesity

In the January 1, 2003 edition of USA Today, a report on childhood obesity was published. According to the report by the American Heart Association, 8.8 million youth in the U.S., ages 6-19, were considered overweight or obese. That means that, in January, 2003, 15% of children and adolescents in that age group had reached unhealthy weights and levels of body fat! That's a substantial increase in the number of overweight children and adolescents just since 1998, when 11.3% of 6 to 11-year-olds and 10.5% of 12 to 19-year-olds were found to be overweight or obese. Obesity in children is reaching epidemic proportions! What can be done about this situation?

Teach Good, Healthy Habits Early

According to the AHA, obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease...even in children!

Robert Bonow, president of the American Heart Association and chief of cardiology at Northwestern Medical School in Chicago, attributes the substantial rise in the number of overweight and obese children to a number of factors. Among these factors are less physical activity and the consumption of more calories and fat.

Part of the solution to this problem, therefore, would be to decrease the amount of calories and fat consumed by these children and to increase their physical activity.

It is the responsibility of parents to set a good example for their children and to teach them healthy habits early in childhood. Their lives depend upon this! What better way to set an example and teach your children about healthy lifestyles than by spending quality time with them...exercising with them, engaging in play with them, and eating healthy meals as a family!

Diet and Exercise

If you've been eating fast food for so long that you've forgotten how to prepare a healthy meal at home, you may always consult the USDA's Food Pyramid to use as a guide. If you train yourself and your children to eat the minimum servings from each food group, you'll ensure that you're getting the proper nutrients and adequate caloric intake. By following the Food Pyramid, you'll be eating a diet that you can live with for life!

Eat slowly and teach your children to eat slowly. Take time to taste each bite and to actually chew and savor your food. This will give your stomach a chance to let your brain know that you're full before you've eaten everything in sight! Keep healthy snacks...especially, a variety of fruits and vegetables...in your pantry and refrigerator. Try to avoid buying all that junk food you're so accustomed to keeping around! Eventually, you and your children will stop craving all those greasy potato chips and sugary chocolate chip cookies! And, your bodies will thank you!

Now, here's an even bigger challenge: exercise!!!! But, hear me out! Why not encourage the children to join you for a stroll through the neighborhood after dinner, instead of plopping down in front of the tv with a bowl of buttery popcorn and a soda? How about asking your kids to join you in some children's physical activities? Remember how much fun it used to be to jump rope or roller skate?

Oh, and don't forget the Hoola Hoop! There are so many fun ways to get the family members involved in moving their bodies and burning some calories. Be creative! Be playful! You can even teach the little ones some simple Yoga stretches! No one said that exercise had to be boring and monotonous! The point is, get up and get moving! And, take the children with you!

I know! I know! You've got a busy schedule, and it's difficult to find the time and energy to exercise or to prepare healthy meals. But, for the sake of your children's health, please...make the effort! You'll be glad you did!

Learn more at SmoothFitness.com...