healthy-living-for-moms.com

Selecting the right diet plan can be hard because there are so many to choose from. You don’t need to remove all “bad” foods from your diet. Just make sure it’s balanced by selecting the most filling and healthy foods from the food pyramid.

A sugar-free label doesn’t always mean that the food you are eating is low-calorie or calorie-free foods. If you prefer sugar-free products, read the labels. Sometimes sugar-free foods contain more fat and salt than regular foods in order to enhance flavor of the food.

If you want to lose weight fast, Read more

Many people believe cinnamon cures a variety of illnesses even though there’s little to no medical evidence to prove it. But historically, cinnamon has been used to treat diabetes, rheumatism, and as relief for digestive problems like gas and bloating. Can it also help control blood sugar and improve other, more devastating, health problems? Read more

Liquid weight loss supplements review for Advocare products Slim formula. This new weight loss product from Advocare contains a couple of trademarked ingredients called Svetol and Super Citramax. You can use this product along with their MNS line of weight loss products or it can be used as a stand alone supplement. It helps a lot of people who have trouble taking a lot of pills. Liquid supplements go down a lot easier! Read more

My Jenny Craig plan has me on a 1200 calorie diet because of how much I weigh right now and how much I need to lose. I started Jenny for the first time back in February or March, I think. But then I took a break and I started back again about 4 weeks ago.

I’ve been a little discouraged with the rate of my weight loss because Read more

It seems like my whole life of dieting, I’ve been struggling with emotional eating. No matter what program I am on or what my level of success has been, eating for emotional reasons has been the one thing that has stopped me from reaching my goals.

Sometimes, the emotions that make me eat aren’t even that bad yet I still eat. I think part of the problem is that I equate eating with Read more

Yesterday, I did the “20 minute hard” workout on my Wii Active and my thighs hurt because of the squats I did. Ouch! How long is this going to last?

I really like my Wii Active and I feel like I’m losing inches and getting very fit along with following the Jenny Craig diet.

Yes, I’m back on Jenny Craig. I’m going on my 4th week and I’m losing weight. I need to get creative with some of the dinners. If only I can find my recipe book that I had , I’ll be all set!

As far as exercise goes, I’m also walking with my dog for 30 minutes a day, every other day, and I think that’s really helping as well.

I’m losing an average of 1/2 a pound a week, which is pretty good for my age. I need to be happy with that because the weight didn’t come on overnight and it’s not going to come off that way, either!

Oh, and I think the “squats” setting on my Wii Active needs to be re-set!

Apparently, the ephedra ban was lifted in 2009 when a Utah judge ruled on a lawsuit against the FDA’s decision to take ephedra off the market in 2004.

If you love ephedra as a weight loss tool, don’t start celebrating yet. Weight loss pill companies are very slow to bring any new ephedra products to market since the FDA is still considering what it will do next in this legal battle.

In the meantime, there are many companies that are coming out with new diet pills that say they contain this controversial ingredient but consumers should be aware of a few facts to make sure they aren’t being ripped off when buying ephedra products.

The primary active ingredient in ephedra is known as “ma huang“, a Chinese herb that’s been used for hundreds of years to treat condtions such as asthma, colds and upper respiratory infections. It was used as a weight loss aid until 2004 when the FDA banned it, saying it was “implicated” in the death of a professional baseball player.

Even though the ban has been lifted, many companies are coming out with products that have ephedra extract, which is a derivative of ephedra alkaloids.

Apparently, the alkaloids are the illegal substance. They are also the effective ingredient in ephedra so without it, you won’t lose weight. Bottom line: if it lists ephedra extracts in the ingredient list, don’t waste your money.Look for products that include ma huang in the ingredient list.

I surprised myself recently when I purchased the Wii Fit Active program. I saw it advertised but didn’t really think about buying it because I was not very impressed with the original Wii Fit program .

However, the Wii Fit Active, created by EA Sports, is very cool and I am really excited about what it will do for my fitness level.

What made me buy it was when I went into a Game Stop with my daughters. They had this huge wall where you could access reviews of all the different games that were available. So I thought I’d look up Wii Fit  Active to see what people were saying about it.

Almost all of the reviews about the Wii Fit Active were favorable. The one thing they didn’t like was the resistance band. And I have to agree with them on that because it’s pretty lame. It’s basically a long thin piece of rubber strip that you tie to a set of handles. They don’t tell you how to attach the strip to the handles properly. It’s not too hard to figure out but it kept snapping off while I was exercising the first time because I didn’t tie it tight enough.I recommend you use your own resistance band or buy one separately.

Other than that, the equipment works really well and the workouts are hard. I have to qualify that, though, because I’ve only been able to do the first 20 minute “easy” workout and it’s not that easy!

The Wii Fit Active set comes with the resistance band and a leg strap that you use for the running. You don’t need the balance board for this, either.

You can choose which exercises you want to do within the preset routines they have and you can skip through the ones you don’t want to do.

They also have a 30 Day Challenge which I haven’t explored yet because  I am going on vacation soon and I won’t be able to bring the Wii along with me.

The one thing that looks really fun is that they have tennis and basketball on there! I love to play basketball and there’s no basketball hoops available in my neighborhood so I am looking forward to trying that out.

The one thing I found disappointing about the original Wii Fit is that you got really bored after awhile with the exercise that are available on there. But I can’t see anyone getting bored with the Wii Fit Active.

Overall, I recommend it.

I found an excellent resource that I’m giving away to women who desire to get back into shape but have no idea how to get started. This is ideal for someone who wants to try something different that will rev up their metabolism and help lose the weight faster.

All you need to do is go to the home page of Healthy Living for Moms and look for the box in the upper left hand corner where you can sign up for the newsletter. You’ll get the free report plus you’ll be signed up to receive a free newsletter that will bring you new diet and fitness tips on a regular basis.

So what’s in the free report?

It’s called “No Fail Fitness” and it’s written by fitness industry insider Darlene Nicholson. She shares 2 secrets that Madonna and Halle Berry already know must be in your workout for you to lose weight.

She also gives tips for your strength-training program and how to get back in a fitness routine if you’ve suffered an injury that’s stopped you from exercising.

She also tells you about some other exercise programs you should try that combines both cardio and strength-training, making the most of the time you have for working out.

Check it out…it’s free and you’ll learn how to work out right to achieve your fitness goals.

What are the benefits of organic food? Can eating organic food help you lose weight?Is it really more nutritious? What exactly does it mean when a food is labeled “organic”?

For Crops

When a food is labeled “certified organic”, it means that it passes governement standards for foods that are

1. grown without chemicals
2. processed without additives
3. no irradiation, biotechnology or sewer sludge

For Animals

1. All of the above
2. Reared without antibiotics or growth hormones

More and more, the scientific community is finding that organic food is healthier for you.

Risks of Eating Organic Food

But if contamination can harm the conventionally-farmed foods we eat, then there’s always the risk that it can happen to organic foods, too. It all depends on the farmer who’s taking care of the crops.

Organic farmers have to control the pests that come with crops. They rely on natural forms of pest control like microorganisms that come in and eat the pests and keep them under control.

They believe that healthy soil that’s free of pesticides and additives will provide the plants with whatever they need to grow and a natural defense mechanism from pests and harsh weather. But there is a health danger if they don’t balance the beneficial pests properly.

Another risk is that some organic farmers don’t properly harvest organic produce and this can sometimes cause food borne illnesses to happen.

Organic Foods - More Nutritious? Tastier?

People who believe in the benefits of organic food say that yes, it does taste better and is more nutritious. There was a study done in 2001 saying that organic apples tasted better than the conventionally grown apples.

In my personal experience, I buy organic milk for my family and everyone agrees that it tastes much better; like it was “straight from the cow”.

I also heard that hormones in milk can sometimes cause problems for developing girls so I feel good knowing my daughters are not being exposed to harmful hormones.

One thing I noticed after buying organic salad greens is that they last longer. I don’t understand how that can be right since it should be preservative free but maybe there is something else being added to the conventional salad greens that is causing it to go bad faster.

Can Organic Foods Help Me Lose Weight?

Whenever you eat a good diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you will have a better chance of losing weight. But you don’t necessarily have to buy organic fruits and vegetables to lose weight.

In my opinion, the benefits of organic foods outweigh the risks especially if you buy from an organic farmer or supermarket that you trust.

The best weight loss program is going to focus on your health first. Most of the weight loss programs that are advertised on TV and the internet focus on quick weight loss that is not going to last very long.

A good weight loss program is just a dimension of wellness that will focus on nutrition first because if you nourish your body with what it needs, weight loss will naturally follow. Read more

I tried slimquick for women to see if I could accelerate my fat loss and here’s my review of how it worked for me.

I tried the Slimquick powdered dietary supplement in the mixed berrie flavor. Frankly, it was tough to drink. It’s very sweet and difficult to get down after halfway through. I haven’t tried the lemonade flavor so it might be different.

It’s very convenient because you can carry it around with you and simply add to a bottle of water. But I would definitely add it to a big bottle of water to cut the sweetness of it.

It made me Read more

Women can fight belly fat effectively with a good strength-training program, a recent National Institutes of Health study revealed. The study focused on intra-abdominal fat, the kind that wraps itself around your internal organs and is almost impossible to lose for many women, especially as they age. It’s also dangerous, since Read more

Within the last 20 years, christian weight loss programs have become more and more popular as people have enjoyed some success with these unique diet plans.

Relying on God for help in overcoming the “pull of food” is the main focus of these programs but they all differ in their approach and resources.

I have only tried a few christian weight loss programs so here is my objective review of what to expect and how I did on the programs that I’ve tried. Read more

The best weight loss program in the world won’t work if you suffer from emotional eating. Food was designed to sustain us. It’s how we take in energy to function in our daily life. It is the vehicle that transports vitamins, minerals, and fiber into our bodies and ultimately nourish our cells. Food contains most of all the elements we need to be healthy.

Unfortunately, many people eat for the wrong reasons. They have a destructive habit of Read more

An automatic daily calorie counter would be a great tool to have in your weight loss program. You strap it on and it would help you count the calories you eat and burn. Right now, there’s an electronic daily calorie counter being used in many fitness centers around the United States.

This nifty weight loss tool helps people lose weight the healthy way by decreasing the calories you are consuming through your diet and increasing the calories you’re burning through exercise.

Calories In, Calories Out

The weight loss equation never changes. Nutritionists say that you must create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. Calories in have to be less than calories out.

Assuming you are in good health, to lose weight effectively, you need to track the calories you are taking in and taking out. But how do you do that? You can start by simply writing down what you eat and how many calories are in the food you eat. But writing all that down can become very time-consuming.

Keeping track of calories is what has made the weight watchers program so successful. But even using their points system can still be pretty tedious for some people.

Counting calories that you burn - the other side of the equation - can be just as hard to figure out. It’s easy enough to count how many calories you burn exercising but it’s the other calories you use through normal everyday activities like eating, sleeping and breathing that’s hard to figure out. (By the way, that’s called your BMR –basal metabolic rate.)

A tool like this sure would make weight loss a lot easier as long as you know how to do simple math.

The automatic daily calorie counter I’ve heard about is called a “body bug” that you strap on your arm and it monitors how many calories you take in through food and how many calories you use through daily activities. It’s very helpful but until recently, the only place you could get it is through fitness centers that provide it as part of a weight loss program.

Fat loss idiots are claiming that this new diet has helped them lose fat faster than any other diet they’ve tried. It’s been said that you lose weight on this diet without counting calories, carbs or watching your portions. But is it safe? Let’s take a look.

The idea behind the diet is Read more

Need diet therapy? Have you tried every single new diet program out there only to fail again and again at losing weight? My 4 Day Win diet book review may help you decide if this unique diet is right for you.

I have to admit that until I got in the right frame of mind to start eating right and losing weight, those healthy weight loss tips I used to read in women’s magazines would get me so frustrated. The advice consisted of telling me to eat less and move more and that I would lose weight. Somehow, that advice never seemed to work for me because I love to eat!

So when I heard about The 4 Day Win’s unique approach to weight loss, I had to find out what it was all about. Read more

Low calorie diets, including 1200 calorie diet menus, work better than exercise only diet programs for one simple reason. If you’re overweight, beyond what your body is designed to handle, you are putting excess stress on your body when you exercise. As a result, you get exhausted very easily when trying to start an exercise program. You’re more likely to give up but if you start to lose weight through your eating plan first, you set the stage for an exercise program that will accelerate your weight loss program. Read more

Everyone knows that when you dine out on a diet, you are in the danger zone! So much temptation, so little willpower! But, if you keep your goals in mind, you can eat a healthy meal and enjoy yourself when you go out to a restaurant to eat. Remember, it’s really not about what you’re eating but who you’re eating it with!

Making a plan in advance is the best way to approach eating out on a diet. First, decide where you’re going to eat and choose a restaurant with a healthy menu. That means lots of choices on the menu that will help you stay in control of your eating.

Remember to keep your portions small. One really good way to do this is to pack up half of your meal to go before you even start to eat it. That way, you’ll only eat what’s on your plate.

You can also make sure you’ve got vegetables on at least half of your plate and the rest will consist of your protein and starch. Your protein should only take up a quarter of your plate and the starch will take up the other quarter.

Make sure you choose items on the menu that are described as broiled, baked, steamed, grilled, blackened and poached.

Avoid code words for “fat” in foods described as alfredo, breaded, creamed, pesto, smothered,country, bacon, cheesy, crispy, bechamel, sauteed and old-fashioned.

It’s okay to splurge when you dine out on a diet but make sure you plan it, too. Limit yourself to 250 calories and don’t do it more than once a week. You can work off that splurge with a little extra exercise. Here are some examples of a 250 calorie splurge: a small, unfrosted brownie, a small order of french fries, a single scoop of ice cream on a cone.

Remember that eating good food is only half the fun of dining out. Getting to spend time with a family friend or loved one while someone else does the work of cooking and cleaning is the other half. Enjoy it!

Okay, I guess you could say I am a student of weight loss programs. I’ve tried just about every one out there and never lost more than 10 to 15 pounds except for the time I was taking a weight loss supplement that had ephedrine in it. That’ll work every time!

But it’s not healthy to take drugs to lose weight. So what’s the big secret I’ve been missing out on all this time? Read more

Enjoy these fast and healthy snack foods when you don’t have time to make a nutritious meal from scratch.  To see Part 1 of the Fast and Healthy Snack Foods list, click here. Read more

Fast and healthy snack food doesn’t have to be boring. Celery and low fat cream cheese used to be the only healthy snack food you could eat when what you really wanted was chips and cookies.

Now, both of those items can be included on your healthy menu.

Here’s  a list of healthy snack foods that you can find in your local grocery store or online. Read more

I had my first weigh in yesterday after my first week on Jenny Craig. I lost 4.2 pounds! Yippee! And I  had an epiphany about losing weight this way versus doing it myself.

Usually, at this point in any of the myriad diets I have tried in the past (Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, Metabolic Research Center, etc) - basically, any diet where I was deprived of a particular type of food - I was looking for a way to cheat. Some way to “beat the system” and yet, still lose the weight. Kind of prove the diet-makers wrong; that you can still lose weight when you eat stuff like chocolate cake, pasta, pancakes. Read more

This is Day 4 of my Jenny Craig diet and so far, I am likin’ it!

I don’t know if I’ve lost any weight yet although my clothes are feeling looser and I feel a little “lighter”. The food is pretty good although heating it up in the oven makes it a far cry better than using the microwave.

I have my favorites and I’m making a list of what to get next time and what to avoid. Like the Read more