Healthy Lifestyle – Seven Tips for Healthy Dieting

Every diet that comes along promises “quick weight loss” or “loose fat now”. And, no matter which diet you choose – in the short term, many of these diets can be successful at fulfilling their promises. But, maintaining healthy eating habits in our society is a life long challenge, not a three-month program. Its a challenge in which the payoffs are well worth the effort.

So, once you’ve started your diet and exercise program, how can you make sure that in the long run, you keep your weight down to where you want it? Well, here’s some simple tips to help you accomplish this!

1. Get organized. Plan snacks ahead so when the urge to eat hits you there is something "good and easy" to reach for.

- Peel carrots, cut celery or cucumbers ahead of time so they are handy.
- Place no more than 10 (50 calories) pretzels in a baggie for a snack.
- Drink water, ice tea, V-8 when you feel like snacking. Tell yourself if you're still hungry
when you finish the drink that you'll have a snack.
- When the urge to snack hits you, go out and walk around the house five times.

2. Get rid of all (or most) junk food in the house or ask a family member to hide it.

3. Don't let yourself use the old excuse at the grocery store, "The cookies are for the kids. They're not on a diet." Remember if they end up in the house, they will probably end up in your mouth.

4. If you blow it at lunch, don't write off the rest of the day.

5. Try to plan your meals at least one day ahead. The more decisions you leave to the last minute, the more chance you have of grabbing something quick and fat.

6. If you find yourself becoming very hungry mid-afternoon, or in the evening, eat a bit more nutritious food at mealtime, or anticipate the in-between-meal hunger and plan a nutritious snack.

7. Don't be too hard on yourself. Occasionally, feel free to reward your hard efforts with a treat once in awhile - one treat here or there won't be the end of you. Just be reasonable!

Healthy Living - Avoid Fast Food Dieting Problems!

Have you been trying to watch your diet, but seem to be having problems staying dedicated to it? We've all been there...when life gets crazy, and your running out of time, a quick stop at a fast food restaurant is convenient - especially when your tired! Yet, stopping by the local trive through burger joint for a quick burger and fries...is well known to be bad for a healthy diet - especially if you're trying to drop a few pounds!

Researchers at New York's Baruch College recently reported that having a bad nights sleep makes you much more prone to stopping by for a grease-burger during the day. Seems that one night of tossing and turning can make you crave fast food! When they reviewed the food and sleep journals of their study group's participants, those that had a hard time falling asleep (or staying asleep) had a much greater tendancy to eat fast food the next day.

Additionally, there is an additional reason for men to avoid shoveling down that order of fast food fries - greasy fries have been linked to an increased rate of prostate cancer!

Now, that doesn't seem like a big surprise. Nobody feels like cooking when they're irritable and tired. Yet, 60 percent of the US is overweight, and 30 percent is considered obese. So, the next time you're tempted to break your diet for just one night - keep in mind that men who have only two fast-food meals weekly gain an extra 10 pounds over 15 years, compared to those that went home to eat a healthy meal!

Healthy Lifestyle - Get Some Sleep!

We’ve all experienced it. Whether it’s due to a crazy schedule or too much stress, we don’t get enough sleep these days. Yet, by short-changing yourself by not getting enough sleep – you’re doing yourself more harm than good!

All those workouts you do aren’t what build muscle – those workouts actually break down muscle. That’s right – whether you’re at the gym, running at home on your treadmill, or doing that long bike ride outside, you’re tearing things down. Where you gain muscle and improve your muscle tone is when your body rebuilds the damage. And, your body does that during your rest periods – in other words, you break things down when you’re awake, and you rebuild when you sleep.

And, it doesn’t stop there. The stress on your body keeps building up when it doesn’t get rest. In a recent sleep study, researchers at the University of California at San Diego studied 135 men. When they collected and analyzed their blood, they found that those that suffered from interrupted sleep increased clot promoting proteins, which may increase the risk of heart attack.
So, how can you make sure this doesn’t happen? Simple - get some sleep! Make sure you make sleep a priority most nights of the week. Stay on a regular schedule wherever possible – and get those 8 hours. Also keep in mind that recent studies have shown that if you’re sleep deficient, getting an extra couple of hours on the weekend won’t make up for it. (Although, it might be good for your mental health!).

And, there are a few things you can do to make your sleep deeper. First is – keep up those workouts! When your muscles are tired, you’ll sleep deeper! Also, limit the amount of carbohydrates you eat before bedtime. Eating carbohydrates late in the day causes your blood sugar levels (and insulin levels) to drop dramatically at night, causing your body to wake up to seek more food.

So, avoid morning grogginess, feel healthier - and enjoy some sleep!