5 Tips in Weight Lose

Everyone knows the keys to losing weight: Eat less and exercise more. Sounds simple enough, but in the context of real life and its demands, it can be anything but simple. So how do successful losers do it?

1. Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. So you can end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is really what you need.

If you don't like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew infused teas like mango or peach, which have lots of flavor but no calories.

2. Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away.

Start by focusing on getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

It sounds like a lot, but it is well worth it, because at the same time you are meeting your fiber goals and feeling more satisfied from the volume of food.

You're also less likely to overeat because fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet. And that's not to mention the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. More than 200 studies have documented the disease-preventing qualities of phytochemicals found in produce.

I love to take seasonal vegetables and make stir-fries, frittatas, risotto, pilafs, soups, or layer on sandwiches. It is so easy to buy a variety of vegetables and incorporate them into dishes.

3. Consider whether you're really hungry.

Whenever you feel like eating, look for physical signs of hunger.

Hunger is your body's way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it.

When you're done eating, you should feel better -- not stuffed, bloated, or tired.

Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably.

Keeping your portions reasonable will help you get more in touch with your feelings of hunger and fullness.

4. Be choosy about nighttime snacks.

Mindless eating occurs most frequently after dinner, when you finally sit down and relax.

Sitting down with a bag of chips or cookies in front of the television is an example of eating amnesia, where you mindlessly eat without being hungry, but out of habit.

Either close down the kitchen after a certain hour, or allow yourself a low-calorie snack, like a 100-calorie pack of cookies or a half-cup scoop of low-fat ice cream. Once you find that you're usually satisfied with the low-cal snack, try a cup of zero-calorie tea.

5. Enjoy your favorite foods.

I think putting your favorite foods off limits leads to weight gain because it triggers 'rebound' overeating.

Instead of cutting out your favorite foods altogether, be a slim shopper. Buy one fresh bakery cookie instead of a box, or a small portion of candy from the bulk bins instead of a whole bag.

You can enjoy your favorite foods, but you must do so in moderation.

If you truly want to lose that weight then the tips above could put success on your weight lose.

5 Ways to Protect Yourself from Flu

The season is changing and we have finally arrived at that bittersweet time of Daylight Savings.  I always feel like this simple one-hour time change throws me into a pretty significant physiological shift.  For me, it also marks the beginning of the flu and cold season.  
 
Ever wonder why the winter months are when we get sick the most? While many experts have their myriad reasons, the culprit is not as simple as "it's cold outside."
 
There are few steps that you can take to protect yourself and your family from what seems to be the inevitable flu. The guardian of the health of our body is the immune system.  While intangible and challenging to identify, the immune system has very specific signs and symptoms.
 
For a moment, put aside the traditional considerations for assessing your child’s health.  Instead, I’d like you to consider some new approaches and angles that will provide you with insight into the likelihood that your child will stay healthy or get sick this winter season.

1. Sugar and processed foods impact the immune system.

Studies have shown that through a complex system of chemical processes sugar and processed foods depress the immune system. There exists a direct link between the amount of these foods that your child consumes and his/her health.  
 
Obvious foods such as sodas, candy, cookies, ice cream, and potato chips are the big guns that should be kept concealed.
 
Even more disturbing are the foods that you think are healthy for your child that hide sugar and many refined ingredients: yogurt, and yogurt drinks and “pops;”most cereals; juices; fruit roll ups and “leathers;” “healthy” cookies and treats, soy ice cream and frozen treats. While being marketed as healthy choices, these foods aren’t much better than the obvious poor choices. Work hard during flu season to keep these foods away from your children.  Read ingredient labels and watch out for:  corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup or “HFCS,” brown rice syrup, fructose, sucrose, barleymalt and the obvious, sugar.

2. Fresh foods offer the highest quality vitamins.

It’s shocking to me how often I see people turn to orange juice for vitamin C in an effort to fight off a cold or flu.
 
It is important to understand that the majority of vitamin C in orange juice is added after processing. Vitamin C and others like zinc, vitamin E, and magnesium help to support the immune system and are a great defense during flu season.  
 
Choose better by having kids eat fresh whole foods such as cherries, berries, and apples, and vegetables such as spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes.  
 
I know you probably hear this suggestion all the time, but it can’t be stressed enough. It is imperative to find creative ways to prepare vegetables so that kids will actually eat them.  Sautee, roast or grill vegetables with olive oil or real butter, add some fresh sea salt or sprinkle with organic low fat cheese and kids will be more likely to eat.

3. Sleep will boost the immune system.

At night while we rest, the body is working to rebuild the immune system.  Deep sleep allows a complex set of hormonal changes that recharge the body so that it’s resilient the next day.  Be diligent and ensure that kids get a full night sleep of 8-10 hours.
 
Mandate bedtime despite protests and stick to a regular schedule. These are the times that mom and dad really need to be the boss. Resist the temptation to allow your child to stay up late and watch his or her favorite show. At the end of the day when you are tired as well, it’s easy to give in to your child’s vigilant campaign.  
 
Remember: Would you rather avoid the confrontation tonight? Or deal with a sick kid tomorrow?

4. Fatigue is the first sign of a distressed immune system.

As already stated, the immune system desperately needs sleep to keep the body healthy.  When the immune system is fighting to keep your child healthy, it requests that the body get extra rest to help in the fight.  
 
If your child seems more fatigued than usual, it could be a very strong signal that your child is on the brink of getting sick.
 
The best way to fight off a cold or flu is to act immediately and get extra rest. Pay attention to the health of others around you such as those at work or your child’s school.  If you hear of a bug “going around” and you notice that your child is tired, there’s a good chance that extra sleep will ward off the cold or flu.  This is the time to allow extra television and require a mid-day nap.

5. Wash hands frequently, but avoid antibacterial products.

This seems counterintuitive, but the best way to kill environmental germs is to use soap and hot water and scrub hands thoroughly. Bacteria live all around us.  They are on every surface we touch and in every breath we take. Without bacteria, our immune system wouldn’t learn to be strong.  
 
Our internal bacterial system fights off invaders and thereby gets more effective at winning the battle.  It’s just like working out:  In order to become stronger, you must work hard in the gym.  Your child’s body is a bacterial gym.  Again, this comes back to the immune system. If you foster a strong immune system, your child’s body will fight off invaders and therefore become more resilient to future battles. While it is imperative to wash hands frequently during flu season, remember that the hands are only one very small way that germs enter your child’s system. Killing off the germs on hands with antibacterial products is futile and weakens your child’s- and the world’s- future ability to confront germs.

How to Give Up Soda

I’ve been soda free since November of 2007 (almost a whole year!), and it’s one of the smartest things I’ve done for my health.

Anyway, here’s a guide on how to give up soda, and this guide is for everyone, and I’ll explain how you can give it up temporarily or how to kick the habit for good.

Whether you call it Soda, pop, soda pop, Coke, something else – excessive consumption of soda can is not a healthy habit to get into but it’s one that many people in America have. Studies have shown that we now drink an average of 42.2 gallons of the bubbly beverage every year – more than 1 can everyday.

But once you’re in the habit of having something cold and bubbly when you’re thirsty, it can be tough to quit drinking it.

I know that I grew up drinking soda. If I was thirsty, I’d grab a Coke, not water, milk, or anything else – it was almost always a soda. While heavily consuming soda didn’t lead to me becoming overweight as a child (fortunately, I had a high metabolism) it certainly helped me have a lot of cavities.

As an adult, however, my consumption of soda actually increased, and as a result, so did my weight. I could go for days drinking nothing but Coke - as much as 8 cans/day!

I was drinking more than my share of that 42.2 gallons/year.

Why Soda Is Bad

So why would you want to give up soda anyway? It does taste good, but that’s about the only good thing it has going for it.

It’s pretty much just sugar water with caffeine and other chemicals mixed in. Drinking simple sugars like high fructose corn syrup (the sweetener used in soda) can lead to obesity. For example, a 12 oz can of Coke has 140 calories. Drink a single can of Coke every day and that’s an extra 980 calories/week. To burn off those calories you’d have to walk an extra 2 hours per week or do an hour of high intensity running.

And since most people don’t have just one, those calories add up in a hurry adding unwanted pounds in no time.

But its contribution to obesity isn’t the only problem with soda. Dentists have known for years that it’s bad for teeth, and if you have a lot of cavities the first thing they’re likely to ask you is how much soda you drink and if you do drink a lot, they’ll tell you to cut way back. And if you think that switching over to diet will help, keep in mind that even diet soda can damage tooth enamel.

Of course it’s not just bad for teeth. It’s also dehydrating. Stop drinking soda and start drinking water and you’ll be amazed how just that one little thing can make a big difference in your endurance.

Want more? Soda also contributes to developing type II diabetes and some studies have even linked the drinking of soda to cancer. I’ve become quite convinced that drinking soda, much like smoking, takes years off your lifespan.

How to give it up

Now that I’ve made my case for why you’d want to, let’s cover how you actually go about giving the stuff up. And once you get started you may find it easier than you thought it was going to be.

1) Get it out of the house

Having soda in your house is only going to make this whole process harder. If you want a soda and there isn’t one handy, you’ll be far more likely to drink something else (like some good ol’ water) when you’re thirsty.

2) Drink water

Here’s the amazing thing about water. Unlike soda, it actually quenches your thirst. And while it may not be sugary and sweet, it tastes good and your body needs the stuff. Try to drink at least 8 glasses a day (64oz), but feel free to drink more. I usually drink about 96 oz a day. Your body will appreciate the water, trust me.

3) Go cold turkey

Some people think you should wean yourself off of soda slowly so you don’t go through caffeine withdrawal. I think you should go off soda cold turkey. If you’re going through major caffeine withdrawal, try having a cup of tea instead. Tea actually has some health benefits.

4) Try a 30 day challenge

The 30 day challenge isn’t something new. It’s been around in many forms for years (and if you think about the 40 day Lent thing, this has been around for hundreds of years). And I got this idea from self help guru Steve Pavlina. But here’s the idea. You get rid of it completely for 30 days – no cheating. If after 30 days you decide you want soda back, you can. That’s the nice thing about the 30 day challenge; it’s not a life long commitment, just 30 days. If after 30 days you can’t decide if you want it to be permanent, then just try it for another 30 days.

For me I did it for 30 days in March 2007, then in April I had some again. However, 7 days later I decided I was going to give up for longer this time, and I’ve been without soda ever since.

5) Relapses

You may be at a party where you really want a soda. If you do decide to indulge, don’t sweat it. There’s no need to beat yourself up over it. The next day just hop back on the wagon again, okay?

6) Permanent or temporary

So do you need to permanently give up soda? Well, that’s up to you.

But I can tell you that since I’ve stopped drinking soda, I’ve lost weight, and I’ve got in a lot better shape. I don’t want to go back to being fat and out of shape, so if that means I can’t have soda anymore, then so be it – soda just isn’t worth it to me anymore. I’ve really lost my taste for it. I used to really enjoy smelling it even if I knew I couldn’t have it but now it smells overly sweet and not very appealing.

So there you go. If you’re addicted to soda like I was, then give it a try – you just might like the results.

Four Tips for Saving Money on Health Care Next Year

Yes, health costs are rising and employers keep shifting the financial burden to workers. But even if your company is sticking it to you, there are steps you can take to save a few bucks on your health spending next year. The catch is that you have to plan ahead.

We’re entering the open enrollment season, when employees have a couple of weeks to check out their health insurance options for next year and decide what plan to sign up for, among other things. So the Health Blog spoke with Karen Frost, who heads the health benefits outsourcing group at Hewitt Associates. Here are a few tips she suggested:

Don’t stick your head in the sand. (That’s our phrase, not hers.) Lots of people just ignore open enrollment, and get stuck into whatever plan the company assigns them. Sometimes this means you’ll be re-enrolled in your current plan, even if another one could wind up saving you money. But in other cases, a company assumes people who ignore open enrollment don’t want insurance — which means you could suddenly find yourself uninsured come Jan. 1.

Consider a higher copay. If you don’t go to see the doctor that often, a plan with a higher copay and a lower premium could make sense. “When my kids were really young it was worth it for us to have a low copay because we were at the doctor all the time,” Frost said. “But as they got older and went to the doctor less, switching from a $10 copay to a $25 copay saved us a lot of money in premiums.”

Sign up for a flexible spending account. These accounts, typically capped at a few thousand dollars, allow you to use pre-tax dollars for healthcare. Example: If you’re paying a tax rate of 25%, setting aside $2,000 in an FSA will save you $500. What’s more, you can use FSAs not only for obvious stuff like copays and dental work, but also for routine purchases like contact lens solution and over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines. There’s one catch: You have to specify in advance how much you want to set aside for the whole year. If you don’t use it, you lose it. So don’t set aside too much.

See if your company offers incentives for wellness or prevention programs. Between 30% and 40% of the companies Hewitt works with offer incentives such as premium discounts for filling out basic health questionnaires, Frost said. The company uses employees’ answers to recommend things they can do to lower health risks. Some companies are giving additional incentives to workers who follow through and actually try to lower their risk factors. A lot of companies give employees an incentive to fill out the questionnaire every year.

Five Tips for Helping a Family Member in the Hospital

Family members, long relegated to visiting hours and waiting rooms, are increasingly getting to see behind the curtain at hospitals.

Many facilities are giving patients’ families better access to the patient’s room, and some are even involving family members by having nurses ask for their observations and give them end-of-shift updates, the WSJ reports.

Here are a few tips for taking care of a loved one in the hospital:

• Ask everyone if they’ve washed their hands.
• Ask nurses to read drug orders out loud and confirm that they match the patient’s ID bracelet. If it’s a new medication, ask what it’s for and what to expect.
• During long stays, be alert for bedsores. Make sure the patient is moved often, and lifted rather than slid.
• Don’t try and help the patient into or out of bed by yourself.
• Don’t give the patient medications on your own.

In general, try to take a balanced approach. On the one hand, it’s good to stay informed about what’s happening and speak up if you think something is wrong. On the other hand, as WSJ columnist Dr. Ben Brewer recently noted, overly confrontational family members can wind up goading staff into unnecessary treatments, which can mean “extra doses of radiation from scans, the extra medication [the patient] might be allergic to, and the extra procedures the specialist is likely to recommend.”