Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss

1.  Drink Water – hunger is often confused with dehydration. Next time you feel like a sugary snack, have a glass of water. Mild dehydration can alter your body’s metabolism. Drinking water before meals can help promote weight loss.

2.  Eat Real Carbs – replace refined carbs like white bread, pasta, bagels, cereal and pretzels with complex carbs like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes (grains and legumes are optional). Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which slows digestion and promotes stable blood sugar levels. They’re also packed with antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation in the body.

3.  Choose Healthy Fats – a common misconception is that fats should be completely eliminated. Actually, we can’t live without fat. Good fats promote several health benefits such as protection against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression, as well as reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Plus, your brain is made up of 60% fat. Choose sources such as nuts, seeds, fish, avocados, coconut oil and unfiltered cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.

4.  Protein – contrary to belief, protein is not only in lean meat, but in leafy greens, beans and legumes, organic whole grains, nuts and seeds.

5.  Eat Breakfast – By eating a healthy breakfast, you’ll give your metabolism a jumpstart and be in better control of your cravings.

6.  Eat Frequently – it is important to balance your food intake throughout the day to help maintain normal blood sugar (cinnamon is good for balancing your blood sugar) and decrease the chances of binging when hunger strikes.

7.  Exercise your Spirit, Soul, and Body – exercise has enormous benefits for your spirit, soul, and body that boasts decreased body weight, smaller waist circumference, lower resting heart rate and blood pressure, and it boosts your mood! Strive to be active at least 30 minutes, your can always increase to a hour, every day to help keep your body strong and lean. 

8.  Sleep – research shows that those who sleep 5 hours or less, weigh 5 pounds more than those getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. And, over time, weight increased more rapidly in those who get 5 hours of sleep when compared to those getting 7 hours.

9.  Learn to Cook – cooking meals at home allows you to control portion sizes, the quality of the ingredients, and cuts your intake of sodium, fat, and calories. Discontinue frying foods and roast, braise or grill, eat more raw foods to boost flavor and cut calories. Use herbs and spices to reduce salt intake.

10.  Watch what You Eat – become a food detective and investigate what you choose to put into your body. Read labels and avoid ingredients that are loaded with sugar, trans fats, high-frutose corn syrup or long chemical names that are hard to pronounce. The healthiest foods are those found just as nature intended…whole and unprocessed. You’ve never seen an ingredient list on a stalk of broccoli!

Top 10 Reasons to Exercise

Exercise may be the closest thing to the fountain of youth. Not only does regular activity strengthen your muscles and improve heart and lung function, but it can also reduce your risk of major diseases, stimulate the growth of new brain cells, and even add years to your life. Studies show just 30 minutes of physical activity on most days is all that's required to reap big benefits.

The range of health bonuses now attributed to exercise has surprised even doctors. Research suggests that workouts may do the following:

1. Keeps you young. Workouts such as brisk walking or cycling boost the amount of oxygen consumed during exercise. Improving your aerobic capacity by just 15 to 25 percent would be like shaving 10 to 20 years off your age. Aerobic exercise may also stimulate the growth of new brain cells in older adults.

2. Reduce infections. Moderate workouts temporarily rev-up the immune system by increasing the aggressiveness or capacity of immune cells. That may explain why people who exercise catch fewer colds.

3. Prevent heart attacks. Not only does exercise raise "good" HDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure, but new research shows it reduces arterial inflammation, another risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

4. Ease asthma. New evidence shows that upper-body and breathing exercises can reduce the need to use an inhaler in mild cases of asthma.

5. Control blood sugar. Exercise helps to maintain a healthy blood-sugar level by increasing the cells' sensitivity to insulin and by controlling weight. Regular brisk walking can significantly cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

6. Protect against cancer. Exercise may reduce the risk of colon-cancer by speeding waste through the gut and lowering the insulin level. It may also protect against breast and prostate cancer by regulating hormone levels.

7. Combat stress. Regular aerobic exercise lowers levels of stress hormones. For many people, exercise helps relieve depression as effectively as antidepressant medication.

8. Relieve hot flashes. Increasing fitness by walking or practicing yoga enhances mood and reduces some menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats.

9. Protect men's health. Pelvic exercises help prevent erectile dysfunction and possibly benign prostate enlargement, a common cause of urinary problems.

10. Prolong life. Studies lasting many years have consistently shown that being active cuts the risk of premature death by about 50 percent for men and women.

Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss

1. Drink Water – hunger is often confused with dehydration. Next time you feel like a snack, have a glass of water. Mild dehydration can alter your body’s metabolism. Drinking water before meals can help promote weight loss.

2. Eat Real Carbs – replace refined carbs like white bread, pasta, bagels, cereal and pretzels with complex carbs like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which slows digestion and promotes stable blood sugar levels. They’re also packed with antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation in the body.

3. Choose Healthy Fats – a common misconception is that fats should be completely eliminated. Actually, we can’t live without fat. Good fats promote several health benefits such as protection against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression, as well as reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Choose sources such as nuts, seeds, fish, avocados, coconut oil and unfiltered cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.

4. Protein – contrary to belief, protein is not only in lean meat, but in leafy greens, beans and legumes, organic whole grains, nuts and seeds.

5. Eat Breakfast – By eating a healthy breakfast, you’ll give your metabolism a jumpstart and be in better control of your cravings.

6. Eat Frequently – it is important to balance your food intake throughout the day to help maintain normal blood sugar and decrease the chances of binging when hunger strikes.

7. Exercise your Spirit, Soul, and Body – exercise has enormous benefits for your spirit, soul, and body that boasts decreased body weight, smaller waist circumference, lower resting heart rate and blood pressure, and it boosts your mood! Strive to be active at least 30 minutes every day to help keep your body strong and lean.

8. Sleep – research shows that those who sleep 5 hours or less, weigh 5 pounds more than those getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. And, over time, weight increased more rapidly in those who get 5 hours of sleep when compared to those getting 7 hours.

9. Learn to Cook – cooking meals at home allows you to control portion sizes, the quality of the ingredients, and cuts your intake of sodium, fat, and calories. Discontinue frying foods and  roast or bake, eat more raw foods to boost flavor and cut calories. Use herbs and spices to reduce salt intake.

10. Watch what You Eat – become a food detective and investigate what you choose to put into your body. Read labels and avoid ingredients such as sugar, trans fats, high-frutose corn syrup or long chemical names that are hard to pronounce. The healthiest foods are those found just as nature intended…whole and unprocessed. You’ve never seen an ingredient list on a stalk of broccoli!

WHY GREEN TEA HELPS WITH WEIGHT LOSS

When green tea is consumed, it increases thermogenesis or the rate at which your body burns calories. This means that you can do the same level of activity but burn more calories throughout the day.

In one study, participants were given green tea on a daily basis, but made no changes to the food they ate or exercise they did. At the end of 90 days, participants lost an average of 2.64 pounds, ¾ inch from their waistline and reduced their body mass index—not bad considering that no dietary or exercise changes were part of the study.

In another 12-week study, participants were placed on a diet where they were provided three meals per day. All the food was prepared for the participants. Half of the group consumed green tea. Those in the green tea group lost significantly more weight—24 pounds—over the 12-week period.

Aside from weight loss, there are many health benefits to drinking green tea, including preventing cancer, reducing inflammation, and overall heart health.

Selecting Green Tea

• Selecting green tea can be confusing because there are several different forms, including matcha, tea bags, and tea leaves. Your best option is to use matcha, which is a more concentrated, powdered form of green tea. You’ll also want to be sure to choose matcha with caffeine, as studies show that green tea containing caffeine is more effective at supporting weight loss. 

Preparing Green Tea

• If you’re using matcha green tea powder, simply add 1 teaspoon of the matcha powder to a tea cup. Then pour hot water that is just under a boil into the tea cup. (You never want to use boiling water when making green tea.) Stir and enjoy. If you would like to sweeten it, add coconut nectar, stevia or a bit of raw honey. Drink the tea immediately, as it will get bitter if it sits for a while.