exploration for a healthier me

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...