It's never too late!

Whether you are in your 20's, 30's, 50's or 80's, you can make life choices that will affect your health and longevity. You may think you are limited as you get older, but there is PLENTY that you can do - even at 80! You can make decisions right now that will have immediate positive consequences in how you feel about yourself, both physically and mentally. In your 20's you may not give much thought to this, but as early as 30 years old, your metabolism begins to slow down, and you will lose 1/2 pound of muscle a year (and add 2.6 pounds of FAT) unless you are getting regular exercise - these figures only get bigger as you get older and your metabolism slows even more. The best way to avoid this is to develop some good habits in your 20's, and build on these; most of us, however, did not have the benefit of all the health and nutrition information, gyms, healthy foods, etc. that are readily available now. The good news is that you can start whenever (today is a good time!) and you will see improvements within two weeks of working out and eating better - and you will actually FEEL better within three days!! Simple things such as remembering to stand and sit up straight can make a huge difference - what you train your body for now is what you can expect from it down the road. You have to prepare yourself - make time for cardio, do some resistance training and start eating better. You may be a little sore at the beginning, but as you get stronger you will prevent all sorts of injuries later. It's a decision - how tall, strong and healthy do YOU want to be when you grow up? Melissa

Water, water and more water!

I had a comment to my last blog with regards to what counts toward your water intake, and I thought it was important for everyone to know. It is recommended that you drink between 8-10 glasses of water a day, and more if you exercise and/or live in a warm climate. Anything that is caffeinated (coffee, tea, regular or diet sodas) act as a diuretic and do NOT count toward your fluid intake. In fact, if you drink a lot (or all, as in my case) of these, you should drink an extra glass of water to offset this. You might think you will be floating, but your body will adjust to the increased intake and most of you will slow down on your trips down the hall. Juices and other drinks do not count as your fluid intake either, because they have to go through the digestion and metabolism process, which uses water. Plain water or sparkling water DO count, although make sure the carbonated water is sodium free. Add a lime or lemon, a small amount of juice for flavoring. Honestly, I do get tired of drinking water after awhile, but I know how good it is for my body, so I just do it anyway. Keep a water bottle with you, and drink a glass any time you pass the sink. If you don't like it cold, make some hot water with lemon. Whether it's cold or hot, it actually burns calories while bringing it to normal body temperature, so it actually increases your metabolism - yeah!! I would suggest drinking most, if not all, your water before 6:00 p.m. so that you aren't getting up all night.
Water is crucial to your body - every process and all of your cells require water to do their job. Your body is approximately 65% water (70% if you have a lot of muscle). It is especially important for the digestion and metabolism of food, but also works to eliminate toxins from your body. When you exercise, the glycogen that is stored in your muscles requires water to help turn it into fuel for your muscles. You won't be able to perform at your peak if you are dehydrated. Don't wait until you feel thirsty - by then, it's too late and you are already dehydrated to some extent - drink it anyway, and often. Water helps to control appetite by filling you up, and thirst is often mistaken for hunger - so drink water first, and then see how you feel. Fruits and vegetables contain water, so eating several servings a day help to control your weight - they fill you up without a lot of calories. Protein foods contain water, and take a long time to digest - take advantage of all these. I'll see you at the water cooler! Melissa

Controlling Hunger

Again the weekend is upon us and yet another chance to indulge, but here are a few ideas to help you do it wisely so you don't blow everything you worked so hard for this week! First, don't let yourself go ANYWHERE starving - if you haven't eaten anything within three hours of going out, have an apple, a slice of cheese, some nuts, or maybe a hard-boiled egg - apples are great at stabilizing your blood sugar, and the fat and protein combination of the other foods is extremely good at making you feel satisfied without making you too full; both are slow to digest, which helps particularly if you are having cocktails before your dinner. If you eat a really heavy, fattening, rich and delicious meal, follow it by five healthy (but still delicious!) meals - this will ensure you are eating the right way at least 80 percent of the time. Second, make sure you drink plenty of water, and I'm talking eight to ten glasses a day (in addition to anything else you drink). Many times when you think you are hungry, you are really thirsty, so reach for a water glass before the leftovers!! Then, if you are still hungry, think about eating a big juicy steak - if it sounds good to you, you are probably hungry; if it doesn't, go find something else to do - you're not that hungry. Third, when you are hungry, eat something that you like. You can eat all the rice cakes in the world but you won't be satisfied - your brain isn't happy, and neither is your stomach. Even if what you really want is high in fat and sugar, have a small portion. Just one spoonful of ice cream satisfies the pleasure center of the brain, so enjoy what you eat. If it's too difficult for you to spoon a half a cup of ice cream into a dish while not eating another half a cup off the spoon while you're doing it, buy individually wrapped portions of your favorite foods. Sure it's more expensive, but it's nothing compared to the regret and frustration of giving in and eating the whole thing. Next, clean out your refrigerators and cupboards of all the junk that tempts YOU - it's not the same for everybody. That way, if you have to jump in your car and go get it, it has to be really worth it to go to the trouble. And last, keep a positive attitude - be optimistic, challenge yourself, socialize. When your stress levels are low and you are busy having fun, you won't be focused so much on food. This way, when you do eat, you aren't fighting with yourself - you are better able to decide if you want to go forward or backward. Hope this is helpful! Melissa

Sticking to it...

Lucky for me, most days I can get out of bed and head to the gym with no problem. However, every once in awhile it's the last thing I want to do. If you have to force yourself into the gym, here are a few tips to make it easier: (1) Go to bed earlier. This is pretty much a no-brainer - you'll wake up refreshed, energetic and enthusiastic; (2) Don't check your Blackberry or e-mail before you head out or you'll never get there - trust me, I've seen it happen; (3) Schedule it on your calendar a week ahead so you leave time to exercise at least four days each week; (4) ATTENTION!! You don't have to work out an hour or more to maintain your fitness. Give yourself 30 minutes at a HIGH intensity - you will build more muscle and burn more fat this way, and you are more likely to go if you know you can go for a shorter period of time; (5) Don't let yourself get bored with your workout! Change it up, meet a friend, book a session with a trainer - you can do something different every day of the week; (6) Put new music on your IPOD!! You will work out longer and enjoy it more when you exercise with music. Make it fast and loud - get pumped up and get to work; (7) and last, you WILL feel better after your workout!! Your endorphins (feel-good hormones) will be jumping around like crazy, you will be in a better mood and you won't be kicking yourself later in the day that you didn't get your workout in. You'll be able to pat yourself on the back - good for you!! Melissa

Lower Sugar Juices

It's getting harder and harder to pick the best juice to start your morning with...case in point, Tropicana's 50% less sugar OJ has just hit the shelves. If you look closely, the first ingredient is filtered water; down the list are added vitamins and minerals, and finally artificial sweetner. For myself, I'm all about the lower sugar juices and other bottled drinks because I don't want the extra calories. However, some of you might find the flavor also "lighter", or not want the artificial sugar. In your case, I would suggest cutting the amount you drink per day in half, or adding a little water to the real thing. To enhance the flavor of either, you might consider adding a packet of Emergenc-C (a vitamin packet that fizzes in water and a great energy booster to kickstart your day - I like the tangerine flavor best), or a packet of True-Orange - this is new on the market, and found in the sugar section of the grocery store alongside True-Lime and True-Lemon (also great added flavorings, and all three have no calories or artifical additives). Remember that no juice beats a piece of real fruit when it comes to fiber, and the actual eating process is a lot more satisfying to your stomach and your brain. However, if you do choose juice, read the labels and know what's in your drink - many of them have a lot of extras, and a lot of extra sugar. Melissa

An Apple A Day...

The apple is pretty much a perfect food (one day I'll give you my list, so now you have to keep reading these!!) - the main reason for me is because they are perfect for cutting your appetite when you're starving an hour before you planned to eat!! The pectin in the apple slows absorption, so it takes longer to digest and stabilizes your blood sugar so you feel the benefits immediately - it might be one of the best appetite suppressants around, and they are SO good for you! While other fruits are higher in vitamin and mineral content, apples and pears have the highest fiber content, and this pectin fiber is the best for lowering blood cholesterol levels. Apples act as an anti-inflammatory, they fight bacteria in the intestines and they aren't sticky so they are great for your teeth. There are more than 7500 varieties in the world, and 2500 in the U.S.; sixteen of these varieties are found easily - try them all! Smaller apples have more flavor, and if kept cold, will last up to six weeks; don't limit yourself to one a day - these are cheap, delicious, easy to carry around, and go perfectly with almost any other food - so chomp away!! Melissa

Work Out Harder

Just what you want to hear on a Monday morning, huh! However, your body is only going to change and you will only get the results you want when you put increased stress to your muscles - not in duration, but intensity. If you are bored with your workout, do something different. Try changing it up every 15 minutes, for example, changing machines, doing intervals or having a goal of so many reps - whatever it is, you want to constantly be pushing yourself. Remember that as you start to run low on energy, what you are running low on is glycogen - this is the first source your body uses for energy; but as you run low on glycogen you begin to burn FAT - so don't give up! Your brain might tell you to quit, but your body actually has a lot more left. To keep yourself motivated, have a goal - you are going to burn so many calories, you are going to run so many miles, or do some other form of cardio for so many minutes - and then DO IT! To get motivated and keep your energy levels at their highest, you must be properly rested - go to bed earlier and try for at least seven hours. The earlier you go to bed, the better you sleep, and those who get more sleep eat around 200 calories less per day - it also allows you to get out of bed in the morning ready to hit the gym - try it tonight! Melissa

Bring on the weekend!!

Don't forget to schedule an afternoon to go to the arboretum - the flowers are always gorgeous, and it's a great place to have a picnic - when is the last time you did that?? Just don't use this as an excuse to jump in the fried chicken (hopefully you haven't done that in awhile either...) - there are so many ways to put together a tasty and healthy meal, and simple - go online under "healthy picnics" and there are a million ideas - be creative (make a k-bob out of everything or a wrap - it's a great way to sneak in some veggies and you might even fool some kids!) and don't forget a frisbee - it'll help you burn off the brownie that will still find it's way into the basket!! Have a nice weekend - m.

The Incredible Egg

Most of you (the girls, anyway) have probably had all the hard-boiled eggs, grapefruit and canned tuna to last you a lifetime! However, you should give the egg another chance and here's why - there are more nutrients per calorie in an egg than any other food, and it is the perfect protein - all other proteins are measured against the egg. It is a common myth that eggs are a big culprit in raising cholesterol levels - in fact, your genetics play the biggest role. For MOST people, you would have to eat a lot of eggs before they would influence your cholesterol levels (more than two per day). While the egg white holds most of the protein, most of the nutrients are found in the yolk (as well as the flavor and the fat) - some of which are hard to come by in many other foods. One of the most valuable is choline - a vitamin that does two fantastic things - one, it aids in turning fat into energy instead of storing it (bring on the eggs!!!) and it's the "memory vitamin" for the brain. Eggs are inexpensive, easy to digest and, as long as they are kept cold, easy to pack in a lunch (or have later for a snack). People who start the day with eggs eat fewer calories per day. An egg is the perfect combination of fat and protein - the very best way to control hunger for a longer period of time than any other food - and it is portion-controlled - how incredible! Melissa

Coupons...

I used to cut coupons all the time, but over the years I've slowly quit - with the kids gone and my low desire to really "cook" it just seemed too time consuming. However, if you don't already know this, you can actually go online to your grocery stores (at least the big chain ones - Tom Thumb, Kroger, HEB, King Soopers, etc.) and you can download coupons weekly to your shopping card (ex. Tom Thumb - Reward Card). No more clipping, organizing, standing in the aisles (or even forgetting them at home...) - they are downloaded onto your card and automatically taken off at the checkout - how easy is that! It's crazy not to do it, so take advantage of this money-saving tip from me (of all people!!) - m.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of St. Patrick's day, eat something green that will make your body want to celebrate too! The Fiber One yogurt in key lime is a great start, a nice big salad for lunch, a pear in the afternoon, some LIGHT green beer at night with your Irish stew (there's a great recipe from Men's Health you should check out!)- don't forget all the green vegetables you can choose from, and maybe a little lowfat mint chocolate ice cream from Dreyers for dessert...have a great day! Melissa

Spring - yeah!

Well, after a long week of rain, we have a beautiful, warm and sunny week ahead. As it warms up now might be the time to work on making your evening meals lighter - in volume, but also calories and fat. Remember that the most important meal of your day is breakfast - it gets your metabolism going, and when you raise your metabolism, you are burning both calories and fat. Breakfast is followed by a snack, lunch, another snack and then a light dinner - this allows you to raise your metabolism FIVE times during the day!!! If you miss one of these opportunities, your metabolism slows down, and actually stores fat - who wants that??? The other problem with skipping a meal is that you will be more likely to overeat at the next meal, and/or eat too heavily later in the day - but your body can only process so many calories at one time (400-500 for females, and 600-700 for males - at the most), so any extra calories are stored as fat. This is, of course, for active adults - if you aren't working out, the figures are lower. You can actually lose weight eating more because your body is burning these calories when you feed it regularly, and the smaller portions mean your body is using everything. You want to be hungry when you wake up, feed your body during the day and then slow down at night when you are less active and don't need as many calories. See you tomorrow at breakfast! M.

Ymmmm...

Well, sorry I didn't get to my blog yesterday - I was gone all day and had a birthday party last night. I have to confess cake icing is pretty much my favorite food (sick, huh!!) and I'm almost hyperventilating right now just thinking about it...wow - but just wanted you to know we all have our favorite thing that causes us to slip, and sometimes you just have to go with it. Fortunately for me I don't get tempted with cake icing every day (it's all about the icing, forget about the cake part!!) so I'm pretty safe most of the time. I can eat an amazing amount, but it has to be the rich, goopy, buttercream stuff - none of the whipped for me!! Enough about that, now you know.
On to the weekend - thank goodness it's going to stop raining! Everyone - get out and get some fresh air - we might even see the sun - remember what some exercise will do for you - and it's all good! Have a nice weekend and I'll see you Monday! M.

Rainy Days...

Well, if daylight savings isn't dreary enough, now it's raining, and supposed to rain all week! So, the best way to keep your spirits lifted is to avoid stress, but you have to prepare yourself in advance with some ammunition. Of course, coming from me, the best way is to get some exercise - anything cardio, and at least for 30 minutes (45 to 60 even better!) and watch what you eat. As I mentioned yesterday, high stress = weight gain. This is because stress raises your cortisol levels (cortisol is a stress hormone) and causes you to eat more - what you eat more of (usually) are junk-food carbohydrates because you think they calm you down. What THEY really do is raise your blood sugar, slow your metabolism, and increase fat storage in your abdomen - abdominal fat is "heart attack fat" - so pretty much the worst kind. So, it's very important to keep your stress levels low. Keep a variety of healthy snacks around you so when you need something quickly you reach for the best thing for you. In addition to exercise and eating, a couple of other weapons are: increased intake of Vitamin C as it reduces the amount of cortisol released in the body, and consciously avoiding situations that cause stress. Walk away and calm down when you feel yourself becoming upset, take 3-5 deep breaths and slowly let them out, and then YOU decide if the situation is important enough to you to make you stress out over it. Maybe it's just really not. Instead, go find a friend and do something fun, or call them and have a good laugh. It's supposed to rain all week so you'll have plenty of chance to practice! M.

Daylight Savings

Sorry this is so late, but I had "writers blog" - haha - but it's all the fault of daylight savings. I haven't been able to hardly MOVE the last two days - no sleep, no motivation, no energy, no nothing!! You might not think one hour could make a significant difference in how you feel, but it can actually take weeks to adjust (hopefully not!) - the effect on your body is related to both external light and your internal clock, and can result in mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, and even depression. Healthy people listen to their bodies, so LISTEN!! Trick your body by having dinner a little earlier and letting it think it's later and take some melatonin an hour or so before you go to bed to help reset your body clock. Turn on some bright lights in the morning as soon as your alarm goes off. The effects of daylight savings (in the Spring) have more to do with darker mornings than longer light. Keep your stress levels low (high stress = weight gain!!), make sure you exercise - even if not at your usual level, and drive carefully - it is a proven fact that more traffic accidents occur the first three days after daylight savings in the Spring. If you can grab some extra sun, the extra absorption of Vitamin D will give you a little more energy - that might be difficult since we are expecting a week of rain, so remember to turn your lights on! A little more protein will help wake you up, so scramble an egg with your coffee...Melissa

My New Favorite Drink

I bet you thought I was going to say something about wine...but no, it's from Fuze - the flavor is Pomegranate Acai Berry, it's low in sugar and FULL of everything that's good for you!! The Acai Berry is the new power food from the Amazon and is full of antioxidants, increases energy and aids in digestion (which increases your metabolism); this drink also has chromium, Citramax and L-carnitine - all which are fat burners and increase metabolism - AND has 100% of your vitamin C. Now, I'm not saying this drink will make you lose weight or let you jump off tall buildings in a single leap - but it can help, and if you want a great replacement for diet sodas, this is perfect. The more you can substitute nutrition-packed items for products you are already using with absolutely no nutritional value, the better you will feel. If you miss the carbonation, mix it with some sparkling water - add a lime and you have the perfect cocktail - well, sort of...but really, it really tastes great! (It's on sale at Kroger) M.

Hungry Girl

Hey, there is a website I keep meaning to tell everyone about - it's hungrygirl.com - it's full of great info on new products, recipes, new stuff coming out on (mostly) nutrition-related topics - just a really great website - put it into your favorites and they will send you something each week day - don't roll your eyes - it's so worth it! And don't forget to take advantage of this nice warm weekend - get out and walk that new dog (I have some if you need to borrow one...) or whatever else will get you outside - have a nice weekend! M.

It's a GORGEOUS day!!

Okay, everyone, it's starting to warm up, it's staying lighter longer, and the tulips are popping up - in Texas, anyway!! So, this means no excuses for not getting outside and working up an appetite - anything you want just so long as it's outside and at least 30 minutes. Remember that the very best way to increase your metabolism, burn fat AND feel better is to get some exercise - and, it doesn't cost a thing!!! M.

The Wagon

A few days ago I received a comment from one of my friends that mentioned "falling off the wagon". Yes, it IS easy to do, and it's important for everyone to change your mindset so that it can also be EASY to get back on - it's a much more positive attitude that could be the key to success in the long run. The more positive you are, the happier you are, and the happier you are, the better to handle the pressures, ups and downs, or whatever it is that causes you to get frustrated, give up and/or quit trying to reach your goals. Falling off the wagon can actually make you more determined to stay on track when you do get back on - and "practice makes perfect" has never been more appropriate. You can't do one thing about what has already happened, but it's entirely up to you what you do from here on. Learn from your mistakes but don't spend any more of your precious time and energy thinking about them - spend it on making a conscious decision that you are going to feel good and just start by doing one thing - one little thing - towards that goal. You CAN do it! Melissa

Supermarket Survival Guide

This is the best book - everyone needs to get this and keep it with you when grocery shopping! Even as much as I know about healthy foods, they know more! The guide takes you aisle by aisle, breaks down the reasons to pick one food (or brand) over another, and has great pictures and information to back it all up. It's a small book, so easy to carry - and it's so easy to read! Melissa

Never Go Hungry...

It is not my intent to always talk about some new product every day, but I did have something this last week for breakfast I have to tell you about. If you are like we are, we rush out the door in the morning with coffee and a banana, and take some kind of bar to eat after we work out. Well now you can actually have WARM oatmeal in a bar! I was shocked to see how good these are - apples and cinnamon, brown sugar cinnamon and rasberry streusel (Quaker Oatmeal to Go) - you pop these in the microwave in their wrapper for 10 seconds and off you go! These are whole grain and vitamin-packed - add a yogurt to this or a latte, and you have a real meal!! The other thing I had was a South Beach Fiber Fit bar - oh my gosh, it was soft and sweet - and delicious!! They come in mocha or s'mores, and PERFECT for a late morning or afternoon snack - or dessert! - only 120 calories and nine grams of fiber, so really fill you up.

Part of the reason I get so excited about these bars is that for the longest time it seems we only had Power Bars or Clif Bars to snack on if you wanted something you could stash in your car or gym bag for hunger attacks, and they just got old after awhile; but now, there is no reason to not have a nice variety of healthy, great tasting snacks you can eat anytime and actually enjoy. Honestly, most of the new 100-calorie packs of oreos, cheese-its, m&ms, etc. are all still 100 calories of junk - that is 100 calories of fat or sugar that go pretty much 100% to everywhere you DON'T want it go, have no nutritional value and no staying power - who wants that?? With the exception of pre-packaged nuts, stay away from the rest of it and try some of these new things - last week I talked about the Fiber Plus bars from Kelloggs, and the new yogurts that have come out. And don't forget to throw an apple, grapes or a banana in that bag - it might be hard to get all your vegetables on the go, but your fruits are easy - have a good week! Melissa