Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

Trying to be healthy can be expensive, so how can you help your family be healthy on a budget?

-Protein is an important part of your diet but organic, free-range meats can be expensive. Fresh, organic, cage-free eggs can be a less expensive choice for organic protein.

-Grow your own fruits and vegetables! You’ll be in full control of how your plants are grown and save money.

-Shopping at your local farmer’s market can be a great way to get fresh, organic produce, often at reduced prices.

-Shop with a friend and buy in bulk. This allows you to share the cost on bigger items.

-Pay attention to to foods that are in and out of season. You will pay much more for foods that are out of season because they have higher shipping costs and demand. If you want a certain kind of food year-round, buy it in season and freeze it.

Check out more tips HERE!

Whether you have diabetes and must cut down your sugar intake out of necessity, or you’re just trying to eat healthier, there are simple changes you can make to cut the amount of sugar in your diet.

1. Make your own red sauce – many store-bought sauces for pizza and spaghetti add a surprising amount of sugar. Making your own by simmering canned, chopped tomatoes on the stove with herbs you like can significantly reduce the amount of sugar.

2. Move the candy jar – What can be a welcome sight to your office visitors can be an unnecessary temptation for you. One piece of candy can easily lead to two more. Removing the temptation entirely is the best thing to do.

3. Eat whole fruit – Trying to use fruit products like fruit leather and juice drinks can seem like a healthy option, but they still can’t hold a candle to eating a piece of real fruit. A serving of whole fruit can satisfy your craving and add other nutrients to your diet.

4. Make your own salad dressing – Bottle, store-bought dressings, like sauces, are high in sugar. Making your own gives you the power to control the ingredients and amounts.

Visit this Article for other ideas on how to limit your sugar intake and live healthier.

Is anyone else having a stressful week? This might be my most stressful week to date! So I thought it would be beneficial to share about how certain foods can actually help you reduce stress! Who knew?

A warm cup of tea can calm and soothe, and certain herbs like lavender and chamomile have been shown to have a relaxing effect.

Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and can reduce levels of stress hormones in the body, plus, the feeling of indulgence has a positive effect of its own.

Choose carbohydrates, which have been shown to increase levels of serotonin, a chemical that can boost your mood and reduce stress.

Avocados are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, known to reduce stress and anxiety, boost concentration and improve your mood.

Another good source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a benefit to cardiovascular health are fatty fish such as tuna, halibut, salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and lake trout.

Milk and other dairy foods with calcium and added vitamin D can help your muscles relax and also stabilize your mood. A mug of warm milk is great way to relax.

Nuts are packed with vitamins and fatty acids that can help to reduce stress. Studies have found that pistachios in particular can play a role in reducing stress levels.

Studies have found that high levels of vitamin C can reduce stress levels, so indulge in oranges, grapefruits and strawberries!

Get more information HERE

I think we can all admit that we have bad eating habits, whether it’s late-night snacking, junk-food binges or emotional eating. Breaking these habits can be a simple way to promote weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, so read on for some helpful tips!

Junk Food: There’s a reason you keep going back to the bag of potato chips or the package of cookies. Studies have found that high-fat and high-sugar foods can be addicting, actually triggering feelings of happiness in us.

The Fix: There’s no reason why you can enjoy your favorite junk food every once in a while. And completely eliminating them from your diet will only make you crave them more. So what’s the secret? MODERATION! Identify what you really want and indulge in it in moderation, a couple of times a week as opposed to every day.

Eating Too Quickly: Thanks to public schools, we’ve been trained to stuff our food down our gullet as quickly as possible, and whether it’s a snack or a full meal, it’s not healthy. Eating too quickly doesn’t give your brain time to catch up with your stomach and trigger the full feeling until you’ve already eaten too much.

The Fix: There are several things you can do to help slow down how quickly you eat your meals. Put your fork or spoon down on the table in between each bite. Take smaller bites, and be sure to chew each bite thoroughly. In addition, drinking water during the meal will help slow you down and fill you up.

Emotional Eating: Many of us use food as a coping mechanism. If we’re stressed at work, upset over a break up or whatever the case may be, we open up the pint of ice cream and eat, and eat, and eat. Both positive and negative emotions can cause people to eat more than they should.

The Fix: Find a new outlet for your emotions. If you’re stressed when you get home from work, take a walk or call an empathetic friend. Find a new way to vent, anything’s an option if it keeps you out of the kitchen!

Find more tips in this article!

Go ahead, add some color to your plate!

No really, it’s okay. Food doesn’t have to be boring and blah to be healthy. In fact, some of the healthiest foods out there are some of the most brightly colored! So go step by step through the rainbow and get a full range of vitamins and nutrients that look great and taste wonderful!

Red bell peppers, tomatoes, tart cherries, cranberries, raspberries, rhubarb, pomegranates or beets are all packed with anitoxidants, Vitamin C, manganese and fiber.

Butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, oranges, pumpkins, orange peppers, nectarines and peaches are loaded with anitoxidants Vitamin C, potassium, fiber and vitamin B6.

Spaghetti squash, summer squash, yellow bell peppers and bananas include manganese, potassium, vitamin A, fiber and magnesium.

Spinach, broccoli and asparagus and full of lutein and folate, but virtually all green vegetables are packed with nutrients and healthy qualities.

Blueberries are one of the most powerful anitoxidants.

Concord grapes, currants, plums, or any rich purple healthy fruits are full of antioxidants. And don't rule out raicchio, eggplant, purple cabbage, purple tomatoes and purple carrots, all rich in Vitamin A and flavonoids.

You can argue over whether it’s called soda, pop, or soda pop but no matter what it’s called, there’s no getting around the fact that it’s one of the worst things you can drink on a regular basis. Soda consumption has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes, as well as to rising rates of obesity (article).

Why not try something else in place of pop? I know, I know, crazy talk right? Just hear me out…

Add slices of your favorite fruits or veggies (strawberries, cucumbers or mint) to a pitcher of cold for a splash of refreshing flavor!

Studies of green tea have shown that it may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, heart disease, hypertension, kidney stones, and possibly even cavities. In addition to this, green tea is calorie-free (if you have it without milk or sugar) and naturally high in antioxidants

Vegetable juice offers a quick, low-calorie way to get all the benefits of veggies. It also contains much less natural sugar than fruit juices. But vegetable juice can be high in sodium, so opt for a low-sodium version whenever possible.

Check out this article for more ideas and suggestions for soda substitutions.

There’s a reason every fitness guru and physician will tell you drink water, and lot’s of it! “It aids every aspect of bodily function“ and though there seem to be general rules that people adhere to for consumption, there is not really a one-size-fits-all answer for how much you should drink, according to the article from Everyday Health.

It is generally recommended that men should consume 128 ounces of water per day and women should consume
88 ounces, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to drink that much water daily. The moisture content of your food contributes to that number as well as the liquids you actually drink.

There are factors that affect how much water you should consumer per day:

Exercise: Engaging in any activity that makes you sweat means you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluids lost.

Environment: Hot or humid weather increases the need to consumer more water to help lower your body temperature and replace the moisture you lose through sweating.

While it seems like a lot, there’s really no reason to NOT drink water during the day. It will only benefit you!

Congratulations to Activate Buffalo County, a coalition of Buffalo County Community Partners! They were awarded a $10,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska to put their “Join the Movement” campaign into action. This campaign, a partnership with Wellness Works of Kearney, the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Kearney Public Schools will take place over the course of a year and will be broken into four quarters, with a different focus for each quarter, encouraging people to eat healthier, be active, and unplug from technology. Stay tuned for more information as the campaign gets underway! Congratulations Activate Buffalo County and partners!

Although your productivity may be improved by spending hours at a time at your desk, it is definitely not good for you health. There is increasing research showing that the more time you spend sitting every day, the greater your risk is for heart disease, even if you exercise every day.

This ARTICLE emphasizes the importance of getting up and moving throughout the day, not just for an hour over lunch or after work. Here are some suggestions for protecting your health during the day:

1. Sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair, strengthening your core and improving your posture

2. Walk while talking on the phone

3. Set an alarm for once every hour to remind you to stand an stretch

4. Take the stairs whenever possible

5. Avoid the closest parking spot to the building

Try adding one or two of these changes into your daily routine and see the difference it makes in how you feel!