How to Acheive a Healthy Weight & Lifestyle!!!

It is possible to be healthy at a variety of different shapes and sizes.

Weight and Health are two different things

Just be sure to focus on eating well and being physically active. Trust your body to find the right weight for you. Don't waste your time on "diets" it doesn't always lead to weight loss, and may actually make you heavier in the long run. Just take note of your daily diet for a week and see where you need to cut back on certain types of foods, as well as portion sizes. Wouldn't that be easier than stressing over that diet??? Increase your daily activity (people are soooooooooo lazy these days) Some thing as simple as playing a game of catch with a couple of gloves and a ball, walking around the block, even an hour of housework counts. The more you can fit in daily the better.

What are you doing to reduce your risk of Heart Disease????

It's so simple to adjust a few parts of your daily routine to include at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. As well as cutting back on those fatty foods. (that don't make us feel very good after we eat them anyway,) and focusing on those Heart friendly fatty acids. Extra virgin olive oils, canola oils, soy, sunflower oils, poly saturates (in moderation of course), mono saturates. Eat nuts !!!! They're so good for you and they taste great !! Everybody likes at least one kind of nut. (unless of course you are allergic) But toasted soy nuts are great too !! I eat them myself !! 5 large studies have reported that people who eat nuts several time a week reduce their risk of heart disease by 25-50%, they live longer free of heart disease, and have lower cholesterol. Try to aim for 1/4cup (1 handful) of nuts 5 times a week. Seems like a lot but you could eat a handful of trail mix every night as part of your evening snack before bed. Trail mix rocks !!

Try reducing your intake of

Saturated Fats: Animal fats and trope oils (they increase cholesterol levels)
Trans Fats: When liquid vegetable oil is hydrogenated and made into a solid or semi solid fat.(Sunflower oil that has been turned into margarine or shortening) when choosing margarine choose soft non-hydrogenated. Canola oil These fats will raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease.

My father is a BIG fan of these fatty things, and he ended up having a triple by pass 5 years ago. It's tough to watch someone so that to them selves. Although he eats oatmeal every morning for breakfast and also eats lots of fish, he is a sucker for that fat, lol. He has managed to keep his cholesterol levels down over the last few years, with his love of Quaker Oatmeal !!!

Get on the move

I have always been a petite woman. 4" 11 and a half, lol. Before I became pregnant with my son I was weighing in at 135lbs.(my usual weight was between 105-115lbs) I had put on 20lbs in a year drinking too much beer and over eating on a regular basis. For 6 months before I became pregnant, I was doing everything I could to loose the extra pounds. I walked every night with my boyfriend we'd have a light dinner. I packed a great bunch of healthy snacks to munch on until I got home for lunch. I ate so many fruits and veggies, I was getting at least 2 litres of water a day. (I really like to drink water, lol) I was exercising with a ridiculous routine, first thing in the morning and then again at lunch time. I have never had a problem loosing weight before. I was even using a great online program called "Spark People" it gave me great meal plans to follow, also made it easy to track EVERYTHING I was doing to help loose weight. It even tells you how many calories you burn during an hour of house work, lol. Nothing helped !!!! 

Then in May 2006 I became pregnant !!! It took a long time before I started to gain any weight. The way I looked at it, the baby was taking all of the extra from me, and doing just fine. In the end when I was almost ready to "POP" I was very swollen, and weighing in at 170lbs, on Feb12/07. All I kept thinking was " I'll never get rid of this weight, I'll never be back to my 110lbs again."

I was released from the hospital 2 days after my son was born. We went home to our apartment. Well the next morning I was out of Ibuprofen, and in a truck load of pain. I am a single mom and it being a week day all of my family was at work. So I bundled up my boy, carried that monster stroller and his 20lb car seat down 2 flights of stairs, walked 15 minutes up the road to Sobeys on the snowy sidewalks.I realized that day that I am the only one there is to get things done. So ever since that day we've been on the move. I've never felt better!!!!

Fun Food Fact: Apricots Are Great For Eyesight And Allergies.... Read More!

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