Eating Healthy Foods

1. Plan meals in advance

It’s not easy, but it will be well worth it. When forget to take something out of the freezer in the morning, dinner turns into a fast food free-for-all. This kind of unhealthy eating can quickly become a habit.
On Sunday, decide on the weekly meals with your family. Write the daily menu. Take all of the meats out and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator. This step eliminates the need to figure out what to eat for dinner each morning. If you are too busy to cook a full meal every night, prepare the side dishes all at once for the week.

Eating healthier just got a lot easier. Plus, planning your meals saves you from those last minute trips to the fast food joints, which definitely add up in cost.

2. Visit the Market

Fresh varieties of fruits and vegetables maintain more of their nutritional value than canned or frozen vegetables and fruits. The place to find good quality fare is Market. The prices are reasonable and they offer a better selection than the grocery store. Fresh green beans and leafy greens can be cleaned and frozen at home for future meals.

3. Buy in bulk

Grocery store chains now provide at least one aisle dedicated to bulk food items. This is helpful for those who want to buy in bulk. The price decreases when you buy in bulk. For homes with children, buying large quantities will save costly trips to the grocery store in between the normal shopping times.

4. Leftovers, anyone?

If last night’s dinner was tasty, try it again for lunch. Now, busy lifestyles foster bad diet choices that ruin our bodies and our budgets. After dinner, divide up the leftovers into containers so that they can be easily grabbed in the morning and carried to work.

Healthy eating on a budget is possible but it takes the cooperation of the entire family to make it work. Sit down with each family member to discuss these and other simple tips.

Five Ways to Exercise Fifteen Minutes a Day

Exercise becomes an afterthought when our schedules get busy. Don’t fret though. You can still squeeze exercise into your day in small intervals. Once these tricks become an integral part of your day, you won’t even know that you’re doing them. Some you may already know and some may be new, but all of the activities are helpful in revving up the metabolism.

5. Park and walk

Everyone wants to park close to the grocery store or the mall entrance. To sneak in a little physical activity, the next time you visit one of these places, park as far away as you can. Carrying groceries or shopping bags to your car gives your arms a workout as well as your heart.

6. Take the stairs

Stair climbing strengthens the muscles of the legs and the derriere. At work or any place that has a flight of stairs, use them. Riding the escalator is cheating even if you walk the steps. When you have climbed the stairs on a regular basis it’s time for a challenge to the routine. Take the steps two at a time to lengthen your stride and stretch those legs. Only hold on to the railing for balance.

7.Aerobics

Sitting at your desk is no longer a passive thing. Your chair doubles as a piece of exercise equipment. To begin, practice perfect posture. Sit with your back straight away from the chair. Pull your abdominal muscles in. This is the posture you should maintain to avoid lower back strain and to strengthen the abdominal muscles. While you are typing on your keyboard, sit flush with the back of the chair for support. Take of your shoes and raise your legs in the bent position. At the same time, straighten both legs out until they are almost parallel with the desk. Do not lock your knees, but squeeze your quadriceps muscles as you raise and lower your legs back to the start position. This is a leg lift office- style. A few minutes a day and you’ll feel refreshed and energized in no time.

8. Put your back into it

Yes, here it is—housework. There is something we can do around the house every day to keep it looking presentable and us in shape. Sweeping the floors works the oblique abdominal muscles. Make sure you switch hands to work both sides of your body. Dusting all areas of your home, high and low, gives your back a good stretch. The best household chore is cleaning the bathrooms. Scrubbing works the shoulders and upper back. To get the maximum benefit from your household circuit routine do not rest between chores. The heart rate will stay elevated that way.

When a lengthy workout is not possible, smaller intervals of activity still produce healthy benefits. Combining all of these tips will provide you with that daily workout you thought you didn’t have time for. Even if you find a regular time to exercise keep up with these tricks for an extra shot of energy.

Five Ways to Cut Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle. All the foods we love have them. The list goes on. Too many carbohydrates lead to increased fat stores. Nobody wants that. Trying new ideas and food items can cut carbs, add flavor, and keep our sanity intact.

9. Wraps to the rescue

The idea of using lettuce to wrap my chicken salad is not appealing at all. Just about every grocery store now offer wraps—whole grain or flour tortillas and flatbreads that satisfy the carbohydrate craving without the extra carbohydrates. Wraps come in different flavors such as Italian herb and sun-dried tomato. These new tastes will give your sandwiches a zing. Yes, they do have carbs, but a lot less than a big slice of bread.

10. Specialty breads

Diet companies like Weight Watchers have come out with their own line of low-carb bread products for those who can’t bear to part with it. They offer sandwich bread, bagels, and English muffins that provide taste and satisfaction. That bagel and cream cheese in the morning is still possible.

11. Cut down on white potatoes

White potatoes should be eaten in moderation. For a flavorful change, add a baked sweet potato to your meal. Sweet potatoes are lower in calories than white potatoes and they provide a source of beta carotene and vitamin A. Sprinkle them with a teaspoon of cinnamon and sugar substitute to add flavor. Sweet potatoes can be sliced into fries or flat chips that can be seasoned, baked, and served up as healthy snacks or a side for a turkey burger.

12. An apple or a piece of celery?

A favorite snack treat is peanut butter on crackers. Crackers are like potato chips—they are small enough to be easily overeaten without realizing it. If you want the peanut butter, try an apple or a stick of celery as the base. The combination of a tart apple with the sweetness of the peanut butter makes a mouth tingle. Celery never tasted so good.

Carbs don’t have to be scary. After a few weeks of cutting back, your body won’t crave them like it used to. This will lessen the anxiety over them and you will have discovered new food choices in the process.

Five Ways to Cut Fat in your Diet without Feeling Deprived

We don’t want to eat foods that are not healthy but for some reason we are drawn to them. Why? The bottom line: fat tastes good. The more we eat it, the more we want of it. There are ways to tone down the fat content in our diets without feeling like we are on a diet.

13. Butter spray versus butter

When you order that stack of pancakes or that baked potato, what’s always sitting on top of it? Butter. Butter is used to add flavor to foods, but it is also full of fat and calories. One solution is butter spray. These spray products have all the taste of butter, but none of the fat. A couple of sprays will coat your pancakes or your baked potato. Spray butter on a non-stick skillet for sautéing foods.

14. Egg substitutes anytime

Eggs have been on the bad and the good side of a healthy diet. No one can decide quite where they belong. Egg substitutes are great for omelets in the mornings. Egg Beaters®, a popular brand of egg substitute, comes in several flavors: cheese and chives, Southwestern, and garden vegetable. Egg substitutes can be used in recipes that call for eggs. Make sure that you check the carton for the correct conversion amount.

15. Breaded instead of fried

My weakness is fried chicken. There is something about that crispy, golden brown poultry that I can’t resist. There is a way to capture the flavor of fried chicken without all the extra fat. Use bread crumbs to coat your favorite chicken pieces and bake them in the oven. Removing the skin prior to seasoning and coating will reduce the fat content of the meat even more. The bread crumbs also work for lean pork chops as well. The meat remains tender and juicy with proper cooking.

16. Go nuts

Instead of reaching for a bag of chips to snack on, grab a handful of your favorite nuts. Nuts are high in protein and fill you up. They contain good fats that the body needs for daily maintenance. An important part of cutting fat is getting rid of the bad types like saturated and trans fats. When you get that midmorning or evening craving, a handful of nuts are a tasty treat.

17. Slim down your milk

Milk provides the body with an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D. But, whole milk also provides too much fat. Babies need this extra fat when they are weaned off formula or breastfeeding. Adults do need the calcium, especially women, but other milk products with lower percentages of milk fats will provide that. If you’ve been drinking whole milk for a while, try a gradual step down process. Two percent tastes the most like whole milk. Try this for a month. Next, step down to one percent milk. The goal is to reach one percent or skim milk. I used the step down process and now my entire family drinks skim milk. Using skim milk in recipes in place of whole milk lowers the overall fat content of the meal.

Give it a try. Cutting fat doesn’t mean that you have to cut taste. Your favorite meals, with a few substitutions, can still satisfy your tongue as well as your tummy.

Five Ways to Cut Sugar in your Day

Pre-sweetened foods like cereals and packaged baked goods are loaded with sugar. Taking in large amounts of sugar at one time spike the body’s blood sugar levels. We experience a burst of energy followed by a rapid drop that has our butts dragging the floor thirty minutes later. To counteract this, more sugar is needed to raise the blood sugar levels. This cycle of spiking and plummeting causes people to overeat. By cutting out unnecessary sources of sugar, over time we can lose weight.

18. Sodas are taboo

Diet sodas are just as bad for you as regular ones. They are loaded with sugar. They may contain zero calories, but the sugars will turn to fat if the body doesn’t need it. Sugar makes you thirsty. Consuming more soda to quench the thirst only increases it. Pretty soon the kidneys are screaming because they need water. Many people who drink a lot of sodas complain of back pain. The problem really has to do with their kidneys, which lie against your back.

19. Eat fresh fruits daily

Drinking fruit juice to maintain the daily requirement of fruit is okay in a pinch, but not as the norm. Anything that we drink is absorbed faster than what we eat. Also, some fruit juices have extra sugar and calories. Try an apple or an orange. Fruit contains natural sugars that satisfy a sweet tooth without overdoing it. Eating a piece of fruit will fill you up and keep the hunger away longer than a glass of juice.

20. Start the day with oatmeal

Pre-sweetened cereal makes a quick and easy breakfast, but you’ll have to eat too much of it to fight off the munchies by midmorning. Choose oatmeal. I know, I know—that pasty gray stuff your mother used to fix is not exactly appetizing. These days, instant varieties eliminate the need for a saucepan. A bowl, one-half cup of hot water, and a packet of oatmeal are all you need to make a hearty hot breakfast. Oatmeal offers more fiber and protein than cold cereals which provides a steady level of energy and fullness to combat hunger.

21. Choose low calorie snacks

The best sugar buster I’ve found in recent years is the trend towards 100 calorie snack packs. These snacks take the extra sugar out of snacking. Our favorite cookies like Oreo® and Chips Ahoy! ® can now be enjoyed in moderation with the same satisfaction. Pop a pack in your lunch bag or keep them in the car to snack on anytime the sweet cravings strike.

22. Say “No” to office goodies

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you know that there is always at least one person with a jar of lollipops or a dish of chocolate candies on their desk. The boss may bring in donuts or other sweet treats on holidays or just to be nice. Avoid the office fat trap. These extra sweets add to the bottom line, literally. Eating breakfast at home can head off the need for a donut in the morning. Keep your own jar of healthy snacks on your desk so there is no need to indulge elsewhere.

Sugar is in everything we eat in some form. Consuming it is okay in moderation, but we usually overindulge. Decide today to search out those hidden sugar sources and eliminate them.

Five Ways to Drink Eight Glasses of Water Each Day

Our bodies are composed of ninety percent water. To keep our skin, hair, and nails healthy, we need to drink water everyday. The standard amount of water is eight glasses or sixty-four ounces. I love water but if you are like my sister, it’s hard to drink eight glasses because you don’t like the taste. Even if you aren’t used to drinking a lot of liquids and water in particular, this article will give you ideas about how to get in those eight glasses a day.

23. Flavored water

Manufacturers are adding flavors to their bottled water products. The flavoring only adds five calories but sweetens the taste so you don’t realize you are drinking water. Crystal Light makes “On the Go” drink mix packets in various flavors for bottled water. The mixes even come in orange juice flavor to drink at breakfast. Each mix is designed for a 16.9 ounce bottle. Drinking one sixteen ounce bottle equals two glasses of water.

24. Coffee or tea?

Water intake doesn’t have to be straight from the tap. Coffee and tea are made with water and also count towards your daily intake. Remember not to add calories to your coffee or tea by using milk or regular sugar to sweeten it. Sugar substitute and powdered non-dairy creamer will keep your hot beverage from going over the edge.

25. A glass before and a glass after

Water helps cut down on overeating at meals. Drinking a glass before each meal while your food is cooking will partially fill your stomach so you eat less. Drinking a glass of water after the meal will wash down your food. Doing this alone results in six glasses of water each day.

26. Invest in a large water bottle

Counting the cups of water you drink makes it that much harder for some people to drink it. If you are one of these people, there is a solution. Instead of eight individual glasses, start the day with all of your water in one container. A large water bottle can be kept with you throughout the day. Fill it up the night before and pop it in the refrigerator. Add ice cubes during the day if your water warms up. The water bottle takes the guesswork out of drinking the right amount of water. When the water bottle is empty, you are finished for the day.

27. Sweat

Nothing increases a healthy thirst like exercise. The water lost during a workout needs to be replenished. Water should be consumed before, during, and after a workout. The more you sweat, the more you thirst. I drink four cups or more during an hour workout. That’s at least thirty-two ounces of water. Daily workouts will take care of the problem of water consumption.

Water is important to cellular function. Our bodies actually work better when we take in enough of it. There are ways to get the water you need without stressing too much.

Five Ways to sneak more Vegetables into your Recipes

Vegetables are good for the body, but they don’t always taste so good going down. That is why some folks would rather leave them alone altogether. If your family has trouble eating their veggies, learn a few tips on how to add more of them to your recipes without sacrificing taste. Your family will be none the wiser.

28. Potpie or casserole extraordinaire

My family loves my homemade chicken potpie. My oldest son professes not to like many vegetables, but when I make potpie or casserole dishes he eats more vegetables than he realizes. These two types of dishes offer the perfect place to hide extra servings of vegetables. A small can of Veg-All canned vegetables would do for a potpie but I opt for the large can. Campbell’s® Fat Free Cream of Chicken soup coats and hides the extra vegetables in the pie. No one notices the veggies, just the great taste.

29. Homemade spaghetti sauce

I call it homemade because I add my own extras. Start with a flavorful sauce such as Garlic and Herb. Add whatever meat you desire to the sauce. Diced zucchini, onion, and skinless tomato pieces give the sauce a vegetable boost. After mixing all the ingredients together the vegetables blend evenly into the sauce. No one will suspect that the spaghetti dinner is actually good for them.

30. Add color to your rice

My family loves rice as a dinner side dish. To liven up that plain rice and add some color, mix in a few of their favorite vegetables. I like to add corn or cooked diced carrots. I flavor the rice by boiling it in chicken broth instead of water. When the rice is ready, I add a can or corn or carrots and toss well. The slightly sweet vegetables compliment the broth and make the rice taste very good. No one minds the vegetables because they are small.

31. Breakfast scramble

An interesting twist on breakfast is adding crumbled sausage or bacon and low-fat cheese to the scrambled egg mixture. This one dish meal is perfect for a busy Saturday or Sunday morning. While you are adding the other ingredients, sneak in a few minced red and green peppers for color and health value.

People need a way to eat more vegetables without having to eat them raw or cooked by themselves. Integrating vegetables into as many meals as possible will help your family reach their daily requirements with ease.