“It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.” – The NY times

I’m sedentary most of the time, but when I started standing most of my day my body is working better and my weight doesn’t creep up!

I got rid of the computer desk, and use the drawer instead. It works perfect, cables are hidden and I got some extra storage.

I love this food pyramid. What do you think of  it? I think this is what it should look like, exercise, weight, and water (active lifestyle) at the base.

Source: Jerk W. Langer/iform (swe)

Don’t wait until the new year to start your weight loss or other resolutions. I say, start it now! Don’t wait until the time is perfect, do realize that’s an excuse. Either you’ll do things to help you lose weight or not. But you think, “I want to enjoy the holidays and eat all the yummy food!” Well, You don’t have to go on a diet program to jump start your weight loss.

Here are 5 simple steps to build healthy habits to lose weight:

Step 1: Try adding positive habits before eliminating the bad habits.
At this point, don’t cut out soda pops and other unhealthy food yet. Start eating more of vegetables and fruits. We want this to become a habit. This will help your body to re-energize and get plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Step 2: Switch to an 8″ plate and eat less.
I used to eat like 2-3 big plates filled with food at one single meal. Now I’m only go for one plate.

Step 3: Learn about nutritions, what is healthy or what’s not.
For me, healthy food should have no more than 4g of fat and 4g of sugar per serving. I don’t take numbers dead seriously, so sometimes 6g is ok too. At this point, you should try to cut out some of the fatty food.

Step 4: Start being active and move yourself more.
I don’t mean doing hard exercise or intense workout. We want this to become a habit much like brushing the teeth. Why do we brush the teeth? We do it for the health. Same goes with the muscles. Start out at your own level. If you start out doing too much, chances are that you’ll be frustrated and give up. I prefer Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum, 30 minutes everyday and rest on the weekends. 80/20 is a good ratio. 80% should be focus on the healthy eating and 20% on exercise. That means I’m trying to eat healthy as much as I can but also enjoying the comfort food sometimes, and I don’t do any intense exercises yet. At this point, we want this to become a habit without getting too overwhelmed and stressed out.

Step 5: You don’t have to be doing things 100% perfect all the time.
It’s about making progress, and not about on or off the wagon. If you get off the track, turn your habits around within a week. Don’t wait until it goes too long time. Don’t focus on the past, what you did or didn’t do. Focus instead on today what actions you can take to help you to lose weight.

You’re the expert of your own body, start out at your own level and go from there. If you have anymore tips please add.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! :-h

This is a guest post by Lisa Nelson, RD, LN

I may have some good news for Starbucks lovers.

Normally, the high sugar, high fat, high calorie beverage and menu items offered by Starbucks were reasons to steer clear if you struggle to lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol, or shed extra pounds. Starbucks is typically not the best place to grab a quick breakfast with a Frappuccinno, while scanning the daily paper.

Simply selecting a Grande Frappuccino and Cranberry Orange Muffin would start your day with a whopping 850 calories and 30 grams of fat!

In the past Starbucks has not embraced the idea of offering more nutritious items. They did remove trans fats and started offering nonfat milk this past year, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The good news is Starbucks has decided to revamp their breakfast menu to offer six heart friendly breakfast options. The goal was a menu with fewer calories, more protein, more fiber, and more fruit.

New menu selections include:

Apple bran muffin – 330 calories, 8 grams of fat, 7 grams fiber
Baked berry stella – 280 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams fiber
Power Protein plate with peanut butter – 330 calories, 16 grams fat, 5 grams fiber
Chewy fruit and nut bar – 250 calories, 10 grams fat, 4 grams fiber
Perfect oatmeal – 140 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 4 grams fiber

These new options provide reduced calories and fat grams, while boosting dietary fiber content. All good moves if you are looking to be heart friendly.

You still need to use your head when choosing a beverage. Starbucks is not removing its’ high calorie, fat, and sugar beverage options. One of the best choices is a simple Caffe Americano (15 calories, 0 grams fat).

So, if you enjoy the Starbucks ambiance, you’ll now be able to enjoy a heart healthy breakfast, too. Hopefully, the taste of the new menu items lives up to the flavor of their coffee!

Do you want to receive regular heart health and weight loss tips? Dietitian Lisa Nelson publishes The Heart of Health ezine bi-weekly, providing heart health and weight loss tips. Go to http://www.eNutritionServices.com/f/The_Heart_of_Health.html to get your copy today!

This is a guest post by Lisa Nelson, RD, LN

If you have been following along, you know from the article “Get a Grip on Fatty Acids” that the right ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids promotes lower cholesterol.

The goal is not to cut omega 6 fatty acids (such as corn oil, beef, and chicken) completely from the diet, but to achieve a ratio of 4:1 or 1:1 omega 6 to omega 3. In order to attain this ratio you need to increase your omega 3 intake.

Your options for doing this:

1. Eat fish at least twice a week.

If you like fish, this would be my first choice. Fish contains DHA. Research is starting to indicate health benefits linked to DHA alone. Be aware of mercury content of fish, especially if you are pregnant.

2. Take a fish oil supplement.

Start with the smallest bottle you can find and make sure you do not have the unpleasant side effect of burping with a fishy aftertaste. Not everyone has this problem, so you may be fine. To decrease likelihood of this problem I recommend taking the supplement and then eating. That way, something is “on top” of the fish oil. Fish oil has a tendency to go rancid, so keep supplement refrigerated, especially if you buy a bottle of 250 or more.

3. Flaxseed.

You can buy flaxseed two different ways – whole seed or ground. In order for the body to utilize the omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed must be ground. If the flaxseed is not ground it passes straight through the body without being absorbed. Flaxseed is high in fiber, so by ingesting whole flaxseed you have increased your fiber intake, which is beneficial, but if you grind your flaxseed you will have the added benefit of increasing your omega-3 fatty acid intake and lowering cholesterol.

Using a coffee grinder is a simple way to grind your flaxseeds. Another option is to purchase flaxseed already ground. Flaxseed has a tendency to go rancid, for this reason keep ground seeds refrigerated. You can increase your intake by adding flaxseed to foods during preparation, such as spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, chili, hot cereal, muffins, pancakes, and yogurt.

4. Flaxseed oil supplement.

Provides the omega 3 fatty acid ALA in a simple supplement. Now, ALA is not as effective as DHA and EPA at lowering cholesterol, but still results in an improved ratio of omega 3 to omega 6. Again, may go rancid so refrigerate.

5. Add omega 3 nut and seed sources to your daily intake.

Especially walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, and sesame seeds. Nuts are high calorie, so watch your intake. If you gain weight, you are not doing your heart any favors!

Now, if you would like some one-on-one help to lower cholesterol, check out Lower Cholesterol Levels 2.0, offered by Lisa Nelson, registered dietitian.

A guest post from anti-aging straight talk

So many people are getting on board with the ideas I express in my Report – it’s fantastic that others are making the changes they need to feel younger and live a longer, healthier life. After all, what fun is it to live a long life if you’re uncomfortable and unhealthy?!

One of the biggest things you can do to reverse the effects of aging isn’t to pick the right face cream or go to the right plastic surgeon! Quite simply, it’s to eat the right things. Of course, it’s more complex than that – and you can get into as much detail as you want when reading my findings – but one of the most basic and healthy things to do is to look at what you’re eating. The bloggers over at BeautyEditorPost have this to say:

“Fruits, veggies, green tea along with foods that are loaded with anti-oxidants are a good bet. It has been suggested that eating small amounts 3 to 5 times a day is the best way to go.

Foods rich in anti-oxidants … neutralize the free radicals that are responsible age related troubles, such as memory loss, heart disease, cancer, and help win the battle against oxidative stress (too many free radicals) that are responsible for these conditions. ”

And keep in mind that your body needs 1 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight, and if you exercise – which you should be! – you may need to increase the amount of protein.

Additionally, drink lots of water each day. A good guide for this is to remember your body needs half your body weight in ounces of water each day. And no, these numbers don’t take into account the water in your coffee or tea!

If you’re looking for weight loss diet review, dietdebate UK is a good place to start. The website offer free and unbiased diet reviews, the benefits and disadvantes of each diet. It has also polls which allow visitors to rate the effectiveness of each diet. As for now, dietdebate UK has 18 diet reviews but that’s good enough to get you started.

You do want to do some research before venture out on any diet. I used to be one of people who don’t. Just because other succeed with certain diet, it doesn’t mean it’ll suit you too. Take Atkins diet for example. I know some people have great success with it, especially guys. But from my experience, it’s difficult to sustain and I needed to drink massive amount of water. If not careful, your health may be on the danger even before you’ve completed the diet program. Please, choose the plan wisely.

Do you want to see yourself slimmer? There is such a service listed on Dietdebate UK website. It’s a great motivational tool if you’ve never been thin in your whole life. You send in a picture of yourself and they’ll make you look slimmer! Dietdebate UK will be launching a diet forum soon. A meeting place where you can find support, help, and inspirations!

Don’t wait until you get sick until you do something about it.

What do you know about cancer?

Most of us probably don’t know much about it unless you’re sick or know someone who has cancer. We may associate cancer with the sun, smoking, and drinking habits. We read in the news that eating certain types of veggies and fruits will help prevent cancer and other diseases. All of this comes down to having a very good immune system. Such habits as drinking and smoking lower the immune system immensely.

How to boost your immune system

Stop thinking about food as just something delicious and start to understand that food is much more important than that. Fruits and veggies contains lots of anti oxidants which are good for your body. It help you to heal and repair damages, and fighting other bad cells. Some countries use a lot of herbs that are proven to be immune boosting. Herbs can protect and stop healthy cells to develop into cancer cells. Some of the powerful herbs are galangal root, lemongrass, cilantro, ginger, garlic, onions.

What can you do more?

There are other habits to prevent cancer. Some tips from healthmiracles.net:

• Throw out your microwave
• Stop wearing underwire bras

It may sound far fetched, but read this article habits to prevent cancer to understand it better. Of course, there are always research and studies that prove the microwave is harmless. Anyway, it doesn’t feel natural to use a microwave to prepare or heat the food and you really don’t need to use it either. Plus, some expert says heating/cooking your food in a microwave will decrease the nutrition value more.

Underwire bras can cut or prevent blood to flow nicely throughout your breast tissue. This makes me wonder why people in some country are more prone to breast cancer.

And last, don’t forget to exercise. Keep fit and healthy by getting some fresh air and going out for a walk daily.

This should not be about worrying or fear of getting cancer, but taking some control of your health and habits in order to stay healthy and minimize the chance of getting a disease.

Note: I’m not a doctor, so always consult your doctor first!

This is a guest post by Lisa Nelson, RD, LN

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard the term fatty acids. But, do you understand what they are and how the right ratio will improve your heart health? I intend to clear up the confusion.

Types of Fatty Acids

There are numerous types of fatty acids. I am focusing on omega 3 and omega 6.

Unsaturated Fats

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are both unsaturated fats. To improve cholesterol levels, you want to replace the saturated fats (i.e. lard, shortening, ice cream, cheese) in your diet with unsaturated fats.

What does “omega” mean?
Most of you are familiar with the saying “alpha to omega”, in other words, beginning to end. The “omega” indicates which carbon has the first double bond on the carbon chain when you start counting from the omega end. For omega 3, the first double bond is on the third carbon from the omega end of the carbon chain. I know you were wanting to review a little biochemistry today!

Essential Fatty Acids

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are also essential fatty acids.

Essential fatty acids are necessary for cardiovascular health, but our body cannot synthesize them. You can only obtain essential fatty acids through the foods you eat.

Omega 3 (Linolenic Acid)

To keep things simple, I am going to use the acronyms ALA, EPA, and DHA. These are all types of omega 3 fatty acids. If we consume a food containing the omega 3 fatty acid ALA, our body will convert it to EPA and DHA. Studies have shown a link between EPA, DHA, and heart disease. More studies are needed to understand ALA’s relationship.

Sources:

Oils – Canola oil, Soybean oil, Flaxseed oil (good source of ALA)

Seeds and nuts – flaxseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds

Vegetables – avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards)

Fish (good source of EPA and DHA) – salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring

Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid)

I am going to throw in more acronym’s – GLA and AA – omega 6 fatty acids. Linoleic acid is converted to GLA and on into AA by the body. Researchers are finding indications of a link between GLA and EPA, in relation to heart health and reduced blood pressure. High intake of sugars, alcohol, trans fats, and various other factors can inhibit the conversion from linoleic acid to GLA.

Sources:

Oils – Sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil

Seeds and nuts – flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts

Meat – chicken, beef

For optimum heart health, the ratio between omega 6 fatty acids and omega 3 should be between 1:1 and 4:1. A practical example of what a 1:1 ratio means, for every 3 ounces of beef you eat, you would need to eat 3 ounces of tuna (I do not mean in the same meal!). The ratio for the typical American diet is 11:1 to 30:1. This poor ratio is linked with heart disease, among several other health issues.

Bottom Line:

For heart health, increase your intake of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, while cutting back on omega-6 fatty acid sources. For example, switch from corn oil to canola oil, increase the number of meals you eat that contain fish each week, and grab walnuts instead of pistachios.

© 2008 eNutritionServices, All Rights Reserved. Tired of burning hard earned cash on fitness gadgets you don’t use? End the vicious “cycle” now! Get your FREE report: “Stop Wasting Money – Take Control of Your Health” at http://eNutritionServices.com

What does anti-aging means to you?

For most people it may means looking and feeling younger. Is it possible? What’s your view? For me it means longevity and age gracefully without disease and sickness. It’s a dream but I think it’s accomplishable. Just because many people grow old and get sick doesn’t mean we have too. I used to be like most people who have taken health for granted, but this year I’m trying my very best to be healthy. As we grow older, our health become deteriorate and the chance of getting sick is greater. I notice that my skin doesn’t heal as fast and as good as it use to.

I would say most people I know don’t do anything about their health until it’s too late. I’ve worked in a nursing home and seen a lot of sick people. Some of them were normal like you and me, but one day the sickness just strikes. There’s no more chance to live a normal life after that. There are things you can do to maximize your chance to not get sick as you grow older.

In Michael Moshier’s report on Anti-Aging Straight Talk, Mike talks about achieving optimal health and to be youthful both inside and outside. Mike has spent years researching, talking to many experts on anti aging subjects and personally has tested many anti-aging products. Mike shares in his report what he knows, what works and where to find more valuable information. The report is designed to help you gain information and think objectively on anti-aging. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive document on the subject. Mike doesn’t sells or endorses any products but he’ll share his favorite products with you. A note, I’m not making money on this either.

What is Anti-Aging Straight Talk?

Anti-Aging Straight Talk goes beyond aging gracefully without disease and sickness. It’s not a ”remedy” to growing old, but how you can achieve optimal health, like when you’re in your prime years. For example, when you make a visit to doctor office to find out your blood test results, you don’t want to see a normal range result. Because you don’t want to feel like an average normal person in your age range! Say if you’re 50 years old, it’s possible to have a body full of energy and vibrancy like a 20 years old. In the report you’ll learn how to collect and track important key data to determine your anti-aging baseline. Once you’ve the data then you can start your own anti-aging regime, and you’ll have a better understanding about major life-threatening risk factors and how to avoid them. Mike also offers his personal view on diet, super food, exercise, posture and stretching. Plus, he will share with you his anti-aging regime and the top ten supplements he takes to stay at optimal health!

The report is mainly for healthy young to middle- and past middle-aged women and men who who are interested in managing their aging and increasing their longevity. Stop buying miracle anti-wrinkle creams or worrying about getting bald. This would be a better investment both for your looks and health .

Do you want to manage your aging? Right now Anti-aging straight talk has limited time offer and sells on website for only $29.95 US.