Slim into Spring!

Here are three great strategies to help you "Slim Into Spring!"

1. Eat foods with high water contents. Think broth-based soups, apples and cucumbers.  You'll feel fuller and more energized on less calories and fat.
2. Increase protein and fiber intake.  Stick with lean options like chicken breast and whole grains.  Studies show your brain will be tricked into thinking you've eaten more than you have.
3. Stop nightly snacking.  A new study in the journal Obesity found that late-night munching packs on the pounds quicker than daytime treats. It is not burned off before bed and is more easily converted to fat.

Success Through your Beliefs

The number one predictor of your success in creating the body you deserve is not your age, your sex, your IQ or your heredity.  The number one predictor is your own belief that you will succeed!

Concentrate on these Beliefs until they become your own.

• I must do it! I must do it! I can do it!
• The past does not equal the future!
• I'm prepared! I have an effective strategy! What is your strategy?
• Becoming healthy & fit is a challenge!
• I concentrate my power on my challenges! What are your challenges?
• I have realistic goals!
• I'm going to enjoy the process!  Attitude means everything.

Age Successfully with Exercise

According to a study published in the Archives, Dr. Qi Sun, a researcher at Harvard School of Public Health, analyzed 13,000 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study and found that when it came to exercise, more was better.  Compared with women who jogged for 20 minutes a week, those who jogged three hours a week or walked briskly for 5 hours a week were 76% more likely to age successfully, free of chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, as well as mental and physical impairment.

What exercise activity will you do on a regular basis that will put you in the 76% bracket?

What is "Eating Clean?"

Eating Clean is not just a diet, it's a lifestyle. It's not about denying yourself or going hungry.  It's about eating with thought and planning.  Learn the rules of  Eating Clean and adopt them into your day like the other good habits you practice.

Eating Clean Principles

• Eat 5 or 6 small meals every day. (Fruit, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, whole grains)
• Eat every 2 to 3 hours.
• Combine lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal.
• Drink at least 2 liters, or 8 cups of water each day.
• Never miss a meal, especially breakfast.
• Carry a cooler loaded with Eat-Clean foods to get through the day.
• Avoid all over-processed, refined foods, especially white flour and sugar.
• Avoid saturated and trans fats.
• Avoid sugar-loaded colas and juices.
• Consume adequate healthy fats each day (olive oil, avocado,flax seed oil)
• Avoid alcohol, another form of sugar.
• Avoid all calorie-dense foods that contain little or no nutritional value.
• Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins and enzymes.
• Stick to proper portion sizes - give up the super-sizing!

Eating this way is NOT A DIET!  It is something we want to do for the rest of our lives, to be the healthiest we can be.  To stave off disease and obesity.  Read more about "Eating Clean" at: http://www.eatcleandiet.com/

Inflammation Curtailed by Weight Training

Researchers have been busy studying the effects of "inflammation" on disease noting "cytokines" (chemical markers) as being the substance present which indicates inflammation is evident.

In the latest issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, ("Resistance training at eight-repetition maximum reduces the inflammatory environment in elderly women," February 2010) researchers looked at whether weight lifting could decrease the cytokines associated with inflammation.  The study was conducted with the participants lifting for eight repetitions, for 3 sets, 3 times per week for 10 weeks.

At the end of the 10 weeks of weight training, the cytokines were significantly reduced in the exercising group.  The researchers noted that the cytokines were also reduced immediately following a single bout of weight lifting.

This study represents modern science at its best, with the take-home message being that weight lifting helps to keep us strong, fit and also disease free!

Eat Fruits, Veggies & Whole Grains

Consume fewer calories while enjoying a satisfying portion of food!

• If you maintain the usual volume of food you eat, yet lower the calories in each portion, you'll consume fewer calories and feel just as full.
• Foods can vary enormously in energy density.  for the same calories, you can eat 1/4 cup raisins or 1 2/3 cups grapes.  For the same calories, you can eat twenty times as much tomato by weight as pretzels!
• A high-fat diet promotes weight gain because it's high in energy density.  Just cutting fat won't help you lose weight, unless you also limit low-fat or fat-free foods that are high in energy density.
• Water that's incorporated into food plays a crucial role in controlling hunger.  To lower the energy density of your diet, eat more foods that are high in water, including cooked grains, fruits, vegetables, soups and stews.
• You don't have to change your entire diet.  By eating more meals and snacks that are lower in energy density, you can still enjoy reasonable portions of your favorite energy-dense foods while controlling calories.
• Lowering your diet's overall energy density, as part of an integrated program of exercise and behavioral management, can result in significant weight loss that is sustained over time.