exploration for a healthier me

As I read article after article, it is so easy to get confused on what is the best way to eat, exercise, think, relax, and in general be healthier. I am finding it harder to believe what I read or even what the doctors tell me. They so often contradict each other or even themselves. I have decided that it is truly up to me to decide what is best for me. Everyone has advice for me, but some times i find that two doctors will say totally different things. And heaven knows reading articles in books, magazines, or on the internet will lead you to all most always finding opposite views and research, so it is hard to know what to trust. I have decided that I will trust myself most. I am the one living in this body. Next I will trust test that tell me what my actual amounts of things in my body are, not just ones that indicate that there might be a problem maybe. Doctors are people too and not gods, so I will listen to their advice, but understand that I have read more" cutting edge...

Each day we can make a choice on how we will live that day. And even if one day or group of days are not your healthiest, you get to start again the next day.  If you are like me, the days kinda sneak up on me and I don't always handle them in ways that are the best for my health. I am glad that a few bad days do not ruin my life because I can alway get back on track. Even if it seems that you take two steps forward and then end up going backwards, remember, you can always start forward again any tine you wish. Do not give up if it seems somedays impossible to make progress.  Though it does not seem fair, but going forward is harder than siding back. You can do it though, just one step at a time, one day at a time. If you find you are having trouble staying committed,reach out to someone for support, do little things (they really make a difference over long periods of time), be your own best friend, and stay positive. I know it is not easy and the farther you have to go , the ...

Stress is a major factor I have found for some of the unhealthy things that happen in life. I have come to realize that stress effects me in many ways. First, I have serious problems sleeping when I am stressed. I have had times where several times a week, I can not get to sleep or wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I then spent hours tossing and turning trying not to disturb my husband. The next day after a bad night, I have noticed, that I have very little energy, my mood is negative, and things get on my nerves easily. Second, for me, stress has the effect of craving foods. None of my cravings are very healthy! I am about 40 lbs over my "best" weight according to the doctor, my cholesterol is up, as is my sugar. I have tried to loss weight for years, but have usually ended up giving into cravings. This has been a serious cycle for me, over the years I have created the habit of eating to calm my nerves, when upset, or when I feel down. ...

We are our own hardest critics in most cases. I know I am. Today I would like us to treat ourselves with the kindness we would treat our best friends and would want them to treat us. Really would you hang out with someone who was finding fault with how you look, what go can do, etc. I would not, except with myself.  We all need to remember that we are always growing and changing, we are a work in progress, not a finished piece. There are things about myself I want to improve on and change, but I am working on supporting myself and not tearing myself down. I hope this is true for all of you. Sometimes it seems as we are not making much, if any, progress and it is discouraging. Remember we are here for the whole life and we take it day by day. If one day or more, we seem to be going the wrong way, stop and take a breath. Figure out if you can what went wrong and then step back on your trail to a better you. Instead of ragging on yourself about what you messed up on, congratulate your...

Today I was reading this special edition magazine by Time. I found a lot of it very interesting and I am going to reread it in a couple of days and see if it still strikes me as good advice. I have also been reading several yoga magazines and other health related magazines lately to try and find ways to help change my life for the better. This one on mindfulness hit a couple of chords I liked. They talked about life changes that were sustainable and have shown in a number of studies to be very helpful to the general health and well being of the study volunteers.  I will do some more research on it as I am finding that, for me, the changes have to be small and make sense in my life or I just won't stick with them. And I must make them a few at a time or they overwhelm me. So I am thinking of picking one change in each area I feel most need it.  like; eat healthy when I am hunger, try to get enough sleep, for me that about 8 hours I think, do some exercise each ...

Okay, hi guys, This post is to encourage you, but also a reminder to be wise and not get into to big of a hurry. To have a healthy lifestyle means to change your habits to create a healthier life. You are not dieting, you are designing how you will live for the rest of your life, it will take time and patience. Habits, especially "bad" habits are hard to break, so be gentle with yourself and if you have a bad day, then recommit the next day and just keep moving forward. That is how I am doing it myself. Over the years I have developed some bad habits, and like everyone else, I am now working to redirect my life to a more healthy one. Foods- remember, lots of fruit and vegetables in a wide variety of the colors of the rainbow. Get your protein, carbs (complex are best), and healthy fats. To lose weight, try do eat a few hundred calories a day less than you burn, but do not go below 1300 calories a day. We do not want your metabolic to slow down. Try to cut down or out refine...

the old saying, move it or lose it is so true. Eating is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but only a part. No one piece will give you the best health possible. So on to step two. Make sure that what ever you do as exercise, your body can handle it. I have made the mistakes in the past of wanting it all now and pushing to hard. If you do this, you might get results faster, but more than likely you will over tax your body causing injury, pain, and frustration. Take it slow and give your body a chance to grow and develop into a healthy fit body. If you have any questions on what you should do or where to start,  you might want to check with your doctor.  Remember for muscles and soft tissue to get stronger it takes a week to two, for your joints (tendon and ligaments) to get stronger it takes two to three weeks, for your bones to start to build it takes four weeks or more. This means that you need to be aware of you whole body, not just your muscles, heart, and lungs. ...

Since I previous said that I feel that eating 5 pr 6 times a day is a healthy way to go, at least for me. I figures putting in some snack options might might help and yet not overload you on calories. Here are a few 50 calorie snack options, this is my no means all to them:  1. 1 1/2 T Hummus ans 1/2 small red pepper sliced for dipping 2. 1 T soft goat cheese and one celery stalk 3. 10 baby carrots with 2T salsa for dipping 4.   1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt   5. 14 grapes 6. 3/4 C fresh raspberries 7. 12 cherries 8. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp lowfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon 9. 1⁄2 small banana 10. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon  11. 1 1⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn 12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt 13. 8 oz miso soup 14. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste 15.  1 1⁄2 cups sugar snap peas...

Well, I have promise something that easier to use so is here is part one. Many people feel it is hard, expensive, and time consuming to eat healthy. It does take some tie and effort, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Minimum Calorie Requirements. While survival may be possible on fewer  calories , women  should  eat at least 1,200  calories  per day, and men  should  eat at least 1,800  calories  a day, even when trying to lose weight, to avoid a metabolism slowdown   To maintain current body weights, women often require 1,600 to 2,400  calories  daily, while  many  adult men  need  2,000 to 3,000   a day, according to the publication "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010." these are just the general guide lines, but are quick and easy if you don't want to spend a lot of time and expense to find your personal levels. To help maintain a steady blood sugar level it is advised to ...

Okay this blog is full of information for reference if you want it and should be the last of the blogs that is so reference information dense.  But to boil it down A healthy diet needs to be a balance of protein, carbs, and fiber. I have chosen a  balance for myself which is about 65 grams a protein, 25 grams of fiber, and the rest in carbs. I  try to eat about 1300-1500 calories a day, and I try to get  about 500 calories of extra movement in a day. In the next blog I will give you some sample days meal plans and tips from easy ways to try and balance your diet to get the most out of your food. Protein: The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is  0.8  grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or  0.36  grams per pound for the average sedentary woman and up to to .6 grams for active women( doing some exercise, not a athlete). This is a fair general gauge for men too. This is the baseline I am using and I am aiming for 65 grams of protein for...