Lose My Belly |

Nothing beats waking up in the morning with the thought

of going to the gym to lift weights or jog on the

treadmill.  After a hard days work, the gym is one

place you don’t even want to think about.  Sometimes,

even the thought of exercising at home with your own

equipment can be less than desirable.  

Sometimes, just trying to get and stay motivated to

exercise on a regular basis can be a challenge.  No

matter how you look at it, exercise can be downright

boring and even tedious at times.

So, you may be wondering just how you can get the

motivation you need to exercise on a regular basis.

If you’ve been wondering what you can do to make

exercise more fun, you’ll find some ideas below that

just may help to make exercise more fun and a little

bit easier.

First things first, you should exercise with a friend.

You can challenge each other, help each other out,

keep each other motivated and on track, make each

other laugh or just make a game out of your exercise

programs.

You can also try something different.  If you go

to the gym each and every day and use the same 

piece of equipment or use the same piece of 

equipment at home, you should try mixing things up.

Reverse your routine or just change the order of

your exercises.  

Go to a city park that has playground equipment and

use the slide, climb on the monkey bars, do pull-

ups, hang from your knees, just let your imagination

guide you.  You don’t always need to follow a strict

routine, just get out there and have fun working

your muscles.

An outdoor circuit in the park is also something

you can try.  There are some parks that have circuit

courses set up with a planned course where all

you have to do is walk or jog to each station and

then follow the instructions. If there isn’t a 

planned course, then you should do a combination

of jogging and walking, picking a distance of a 

couple hundred feet.  Jog 100 feet then drop and

do a couple of pushups, walk the next 100 feet 

and then drop to do sit ups.

You can also ride a bike around your neighborhood

or hike on a hiking trail.  A walk in the park or

around your neighborhood is also a great way to

get some exercise.  Doing yoga in the park or on

a beach is also a nice and relaxing way to 

exercise both your body and your mind.

Playing a competitive sport is also something you

can try.  A lot of cities have team activities

such as softball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, 

and so on.  These types of activities will not 

only provide you with good exercise but they will

also help you to meet new people as well.

When you exercise, try to picture your muscles

getting bigger.  Research has shown that if you

focus all of your thoughts on the muscles that

you are working, they will respond better.  Try

to watch them work with each repetition as your

muscles contract and relax.

As you can tell, there are plenty of ways you can

make exercise more fun and interesting.  You don’t

need to follow the same routine day after day,

as you can do many other things to get in some

exercise.

The important thing is that you should always try

to incorporate exercise in any various form into

your everyday life and make these habits the kind

of habits that will last a lifetime.

For students, eating at college is an entire new

ball game, with late night pizza delivery and food

from buggies.  Even though some of these quick and

simple options taste great, they are probably 

not healthy for a student’s body.  

The food choices students make can affect whether

or not they are able to remain awake during class

and whether or not they will come down with 

mononucleosis when it hits campus.  The problem

is not only about eating junk food, it’s more 

about not getting the proper proteins, carbs, 

vitamins, and minerals that people need.

When it comes to defending against illnesses, 

vitamins and minerals are very important.  Just

because they are important, isn’t a reason for

students to run out and stock up on vitamins and

supplements.  It’s best for students to get their

nutrition from food.

You can find vitamin C in citric fruits, Vitamin

A in milk and diary products, and vitamin E in 

nuts, whole wheat products, and even green leafy

vegetables.  This is the ideal way to get 

nutrition, as your body relies on these vitamins

for many reasons.

When you eat on campus, skip on the soda’s and 

go right to the juice machines.  Explore the 

different entrees available and go to the salad

bar where there are fresh vegetables.  You can

also try putting some broccoli and cauliflower

in the microwave for steamed vegetables.  There

are always healthy cereals and plenty of fresh

fruit available in dining halls as well.

Always remember that eating healthy isn’t just

about avoiding greasy foods.  Eating healthy

involves getting a balanced diet and getting the

right nutrients and vitamins to keep your body

in peak performance - or at least awake during 

your classes.

It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense

of healthy eating on vacation.  Although you may

strive for healthy eating, it’s easy to drift off

and grab an ice cream cone here and there.  There

are however, ways to watch what you eat on 

vacation.

It’s easier than ever these days to request a low

fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights.  If 

you choose to instead drive to your destination, 

the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more

complicated.

Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for

nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler

full of ice packs.  Fruits and vegetables, crackers,

yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with 

you on the road.  

Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do 

yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down - as

this helps to avoid the temptation.  If your hotel

offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits,

cereals, and proteins.  If your hotel has a stove

or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy

food with you.

If you simply must eat out, do so only when you 

are hungry.  Restaurants will usually serve large

portions, so be careful.  If you do go a bit over

on a meal, simply cut back on the next.  

If you find it hard to fit in three square meals

a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks,

as your body needs fuel every four hours or so.

When you eat out, avoid appetizers.  Whatever you

do, do not miss any meals.

When it’s possible, you should avoid eating large

meals at night.  When your body gets ready for 

sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a

much slower pace.  Never eat bread before bed, and

make sure to avoid the butter.  Choose fish or

poultry for your meal instead, and include 

vegetables as a side dish.  

Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on

vacation isn’t really that difficult.  All you have

to do is use a little will power, and pass up

foods that you know aren’t good for you.  This

way, you’ll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy

lifestyle wherever you go.

The next time you go on a vacation, always remember

that eating healthy is a way of life.  You can 

afford to get something you crave, although you

shouldn’t make a habit of it.  One ice cream 

cone or a pizza isn’t going to matter - as long as

you know when to stop.

If you go out to a restaurant to eat, you probably

watch your calories very closely.  To assist you

with your calorie watching when dining out, these

tips will help you make the most of it.

-  Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side, 

as this way you have control over how much you add

to your meal.

-  When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you

should ask that the food be grilled without butter

or oil, or prepared with very little or either or.

-  Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout

for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based

sauces.  Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat

and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted

as a vegetable!

-  You should always try to drink water, diet soda, 

or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain 

alcohol.  

-  If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half 

of the dessert will equal half of the calories.

-  When you choose a soup, remember that cream 

based soups are higher in fat and calories than

other soups.  A soup can be a great appetizer, as

most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty

fast.

-  When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead

of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon.  Salsa

is very low in calories and provides a healthy

alternative with plenty of flavor and spice.

-  When you are full, stop eating.  Listen to your

body and what it tells you.

-  If you get full, take half of your meal home.  

The second portion of your meal can serve as a second

meal later.  This way, you get two meals for the

price of one.

-  If you’re looking to eat less, order two appetizers

or an appetizer and a salad as your meal.

-  If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked

potato or steamed vegetables instead of french 

fries.  

-  Always look for food on the menu that’s baked, 

grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed.  These types

of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and

are usually much lower in calories.

-  Plain bread or rolls are low in both fat and

calories.  When you add the butter and oil, you

increase the fat and calorie intake.

-  As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes

with fruits and vegetables.  Both fruits and 

vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as 

well as many vitamins and minerals.

-  Choose foods made with whole grains, such as 

whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice.

-  If you crave dessert, look for something with 

low fat, such as berries or fruit.

-  Always remember not to deprive yourself of the

foods you truly love.  All types of foods can fit

into a well balanced diet.

A lot of studies and research has shown that kids

who eat breakfast perform better in school and 

have a healthier diet.  Eating breakfast will help

promote the proper growth and maximize school 

performance as well.  

Breakfast is often times a victim of the morning 

time crunch.  Even though you may be tempted to 

skip breakfast, you can simplify your morning 

routine by following these 8 tips:

1.  Finish homework and pack school bags

at night.

2.  Decide on what your children will 

wear to school before you go to bed and locate 

lost shoes for the following day.

3.  In the morning, get up 15 minutes

earlier.

4.  Give up computer games and morning 

television.

5.  Have healthy foods on hand.  You 

should also shop for breakfast foods with your kids

and take into account their personal preferences.

6.  Set the cereal out the night before.

For younger children, fill a zippered plastic bag

with her portion, then add the milk in the

morning.

7.  Allow your children to use the 

microwave often, as most breakfast foods can be

prepared in under 5 minutes.

8.  Allow your kids to eat in the car or

on the way to school.

There are several foods that you can eat for 

breakfast, even leftovers from supper if they 

are sufficient.  You can eat bagels, pizza with

fruit juice, pretzels, or the normal bacon and

eggs that breakfast is known for.  Most foods are

a snap to prepare, and won’t take you but a 

few minutes.

The next time you are in a hurry in the morning, 

remember that you are probably about to skip the

most important meal of the day. If you follow the

tips above, you’ll find that you have plenty of 

time for breakfast.

This information is aimed at helping you to 

reduce your fat intake.  The average individual

eats too much fat, a factor that’s linked to

a variety of health problems, including cancer.

Diets that are high in fat are associated with

breast and colon cancer, with some studies 

linking high fat to prostate cancer as well.

A majority of people can bring their fat intakes

down to a healthy range by making a few adjustments

in the way they shop, cook, and prepare the foods

they eat.

Now days, it’s getting easier and easier to control

the amount of fat you consume.  The fat content of

foods are now available through the nutrition label

and through brochures distributed by food companies

and even fast food restaurants.

You can use this information on nutrition to choose

lower fat foods by comparing products and food 

brands.  Once you have a rough idea of what a healthy

intake of fat is, you’ll know what you can and what

you can’t have.

From day to day, the amount of fat you eat will

vary.  Some meals and some days will be higher in

fat than others.  Even high fat meals can be kept 

in line with healthy eating as long as you balance

those days accordingly.  The average fat intake over

the course of weeks and months is important, not the

fat intake of every meal and food you consume.

Younger adults and high active adults who have 

higher calorie needs can probably eat a little more

fat.  Older adults and those that aren’t very active

should aim for a lower fat intake.  This way, you

can control your fat intake and avoid the many 

problems that fat is associated with.

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, 

although it can be hard.  In order to eat healthy, you

must first make the right food choices.  Eating healthy

is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very

crucial to your results.

Grains

You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day.  To do this,

you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice,

crackers, or pasta.  You can get an ounce of grains in 

a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Vegetables

These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of

them each day.  You should start eating more of the dark

vegetables, such as broccili and spinach.  Carrots and

sweet potatoes are good as well.  You should also eat

more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney

beans.

Fruits

Fruits are very important.  You should try to eat 2 cups

of them each day.  Focus on eating a variety, such as 

fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit.  You can 

drink fruit juices as well, although you should use 

moderation when doing so.

Milk

Milk is your calcium rich friend.  For adults, 3 cups

is the ideal goal.  For kids 2 - 8, 2 cups is where you

want to be.  When choosing milk products or yogurt, you

should go for fat-free or low-fat.  Those of you who

don’t like milk or can’t have it, should go for lactose

free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified

foods and beverages.

Meat and beans

Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go

lean with your protein.  When eating meat, always bake it,

grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from 

adding to the equation.  You should vary your protein 

as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats

such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard.  These 

foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can 

also help raise your cholesterol as well.  Therefore, you

should try to add these foods and any foods that happen

to contain them.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low, 

you can check the nutrition facts label.  This label can 

be found on the food package and will tell you all the 

information you need to know about the food item.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat,

you’ll help control your lifestyle.  Exercise is great as 

well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating 

lifestyle.  No matter what your age may be, eating healthy

will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and 

years - even help you and your health in the long run

as well.

Grocery shopping is something we all have to do, even

though choosing the right foods can be very hard 

indeed.  To assist you with your healthy grocery

shopping, the tips below can indeed help make things

easier than ever before:

1.  Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

2.  Select canned fruits and tuna that are packed in

water, not oil or syrup.

3.  Look at the labels for the words “hydrogenated”

or “partially hydrogenated”.  The earlier you see

them appear on the list, the higher the amount of

unhealthy trans fatty acids the food will contain.

4.  Don’t buy turkey with the skin on it, and if 

you plan to buy chicken - buy a chicken breast

meal.

5.  When you select frozen dinners, select those 

that are not only low in fat, but low in sodium

and cholesterol as well.

6.  If you aren’t consuming enough dairy products,

go with calcium fortified orange juice instead.

7.  Go for whole grain breads, cereals, and rolls.

8.  Give cantaloupe a try.  With just 95 calories,

half of the melon will provide more than a day’s

supply of Vitamin C and beta carotene.

9.  Don’t be tricked into buying yogurt covered 

by nuts or raisins, as the coating is normally

made of sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

10.  Get some of the low fat treats, such as 

pretzels, ginger snaps, and angel food cake.

By following the above tips when grocery shopping,

you’ll avoid the bad foods and get those that you

need.  There are many different healthy foods at

the grocery store, all it takes is the will power

to go past the bad foods and on to the good ones.

If you’ve been looking for a way towards a high

octane diet, you’ll find fiber to be exactly what

you need.  Even though research has shown fiber to

be powerful, many people aren’t taking this nutrient

seriously.

To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are 

10 facts to help.

1.  Fiber fights diseases.  A diet high in fiber can 

help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease.  High

fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by 

binding it in the digestive tract.  For thousands of

years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.

2.  Fiber can actually help with overeating.  All high

fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest, 

making you feel satisfied longer

3.  Most popular foods don’t have enough fiber.  If

you like the more popular foods, you probably need

to increase your intake of fiber.

4.  Grains offer the most fiber.  Dietary fiber is

actually plant matter that we cannot digest.  The best

sources are whole grains and concentrated grain

products.  

5.  Kids need fiber as well.  Children that are older

than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of

fiber.  Kids are most receptive to fiber found in 

fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast 

cereals.  

6.  More fiber needs more water.  In order to keep

fiber moving through your digestive tract, you’ll 

need to consume a lot of water.  With your diet of

fiber, you’ll need eight or more glasses of water 

every day.

7.  Fiber cannot be cooked out.  When you cook

your fruits and vegetables, don’t worry about cooking

the fiber out, as it stays.  The fiber found in

fruits and vegetables aren’t just in the skin or

in the peel.

8.  You can get enough fiber.  If you eat more than

50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea 

and bloating, which can interfere with your body’s

absorption of other key minerals.

9.  Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet

doesn’t have to be hard.  Even though you may think

so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn’t very

hard to do.  All you have to do is eat the right 

foods and you’ll be well on your way to a fiber

rich lifestyle.

As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating, 

fiber is something you don’t want to skip.  Fiber can

serve many different purposes, which were covered

above.  If you aren’t getting enough fiber in your 

diet - you should do something about now instead

of waiting until it is too late.

The following is a list of the healthiest foods that

you can get.  This will help you get an idea as 

to what foods are the best for your body.

Fruits

Apricots

Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to 

prevent radical damage and also helps to protect

the eyes.  A single apricot contains 17 calories, 

0 fat, and one gram of fiber.  You can eat them

dried or soft.

Mango

A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C, 

which is nearly your entire daily dose.  This

antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also

boost your immune system.  

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes contain 117 GG of vitamin C, which is

almost twice the recommended dose.  Half a melon

contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly 

twice as much as a banana, which helps to lower

blood pressure.  Half a melon contains 97 calories, 

1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Tomato 

A tomato can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach,

and colon cancers in half if you eat one daily. 

A tomaton contains 26 calories, 0 fat, and only

1 gram of fiber.

Vegetables

Onions

An onion can help to protect against cancer.  A 

cup of onions offers 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3

grams of fiber.

Broccoli

Broccoli can help protect against breast cancer, 

and it also contains a lot of vitamin C and beta-

carotene.  One cup of chopped broccoli contains

25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Spinach

Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend

off macular degeneration, which is a major cause

of blindness in older people.  One cup contains 

7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Grains, beans, and nuts

Peanuts

Peanuts and other nuts can lower your risk of

heart disease by 20 percent.  One ounce contains

166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and over 2 grams of

fiber.  

Pinto beans

A half cut of pinto beans offers more than 25 

percent of your daily folate requirement, which 

protects you against heart disease.  Half a cup

contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams

of fiber.

Skim milk

Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for

good vision and along with Vitamin A could improve

allergies.  You also get calcium and vitamin D as

well.  One cup contains 86 calories, o fat, and 0

fiber.

Seafood

Salmon

All cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and 

tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids, 

which help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.

A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories,

4 grams of fat, and 0 fiber.

Crab

Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and immunity

boosting zinc.  A 3 ounce serving of crab offers 

84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fiber.