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Two All Natural Breakfast Ideas.

Saturday, May 26th, 2007
For a few years, my kids had almost the same breakfast every morning - cheerios in soy milk, occasionally with a piece of fruit on the side. We didn’t do dairy and I didn’t want them to have sugar, so this seemed the best option to me at the time. They loved this breakfast.Awhile back, I was looking for a healthier option to this breakfast. I was reading some things about soy that concerned me, especially since my kids were having it every single day - and I was also looking for ways to increase their fruit and veggie intake.

So here are 2 ideas I eventually came up with and now they’re staples that my kids beg for in the morning! They haven’t asked for either cheerios or soy milk in quite awhile.

Idea 1:
Fruit smoothie - blend a few ripe bananas with water, add another fruit - strawberry, mango, date… the possibility is endless. A plain banana based smoothie is actually more delicious than one would think. You don’t *have* to add yogurt or soy or dairy or protein powders in there! It’s good all by itself. (I would argue, that it’s BETTER all by itself). :)

Idea 2:
Banana milk and fruit cereal bowl. Blend 2-3 bananas with enough water to make a milk-like consistency, pour into a bowl of diced fruit pieces and little berries. You can add a few nuts too if you want, but fruit alone digests better in your stomach. It looks VERY attractive because the banana milk is light yellow and the fruit pieces are very colorful! My kids’ favorite fruits to go in their cereal are the berries - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.

10 good and tested ways to lose weight

Wednesday, April 4th, 2007

The true mark of a good weight loss program is that you can stick to it for the rest of your life.

People who want to loose weight the quick and easy way end up regaining the lost weight slowly and steadily. Others try the latest fad diets to jump start weight loss then revert to unhealthy and restrictive diets that offer dramatic but temporary results. For most, maintaining the right body weight can be as difficult, if not more so as loosing unwanted pounds.

Weight control is a complex endeavor that involves more than just eating leaves and nuts and every person needs a program that counters the factors that make being in the right weight range elusive. While there is no one formula, there are many strategies that can help increase the ods of hitting your target. In truth, there is no quick and easy way to lose weight; the key is to make simple, practicle and sustainable in your lifestyle.

1.) Dont “diet” - Abandon the idea of dieting and everything associated with it, such as excluding a food group; extreme restrictions; complete abstinence from food that you love; and “magic” food, food group or food combinations. Instead, plan to eat healthy, balanced meals.

2.) Think healthy rather than think thin - Change your behaviour towards yourself and your relationship with food, and assess why you want to loose weight.

3.) Exercise - Although weight loss may be achieved through dieting alone, losses consist mostly water and muscle.

4.) Take your time eating - Put back the pleasure in dining. Enjoy the taste, texture and smell of your food.

5.) Watch your portions - Understand what “one serving” means. That super sized, side dish laden portion isn’t just one serving; there are more calories in there than what you think. You dont want the extra baggage.

6.) Set reasonable goals - Write it down and give yourself a deadline. Post your goals in a place you can see everyday.

7.) Make small changes - Reasonable alterations in lifestyle go a long, long way.

8.) Eat breakfast - The National Weight Control Registry of The United States shows that those who maintained a loss of atleast 30 pounds for atleast one year, 78 percent reported eating breakfst every day.

9.) Forgive yourself when you stumble - There can be days when you just cant help yourself. Forgive yourself and get back on track. Do not use a slip-up as reason to give up.

10.) Consult your doctor - No matter how old you are or how healthy you percieve yourself to be, consult your doctor before you begin a weight loss or exercise program.

Cheers :)

Secrets of the Stars Diet

Wednesday, January 24th, 2007

Ever thought why celebrities always look handsome and smarts. Whether appearing in television or films or strutting down the red carpet during movie premiers and awards, they never cease to fascinate us with their larger than life presence. Don’t think that their charisma is without any effort. The truth is, it takes a lot of effort to look the way they do, and being the public figures that they are, they cannot afford to slack off when it comes to taking care of their physical appearances. Their earning largely depends on how they look. Aside from the clothes, the hair and the makeup, celebrities have to take good care of their bodies.

So it is no surprise that these stars have their own secrets when it comes to staying fit and gorgeous. Their health agenda can range from extreme workouts to well-planned meals. Who doesn’t want to know their secrets in staying absolutely sexy? Here I am giving some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.

1. Jennifer Aniston
The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers. To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:

40% Low glycemic carbohydrates
-Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes

30% lean proteins
-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products

30% essential fats
-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils

It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.

2. Kate Hudson
The gorgeous daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.

3. Oprah Winfrey
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the threadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are lowfat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah’s, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.

5. Madonna
The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.

6. Claudia Schiffer
The bodacious German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.

7. Christie Brinkley
Long-time supermodel maintains her all-American good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.

Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They need to maintain their figures just like anyone else, and there is more pressure on their part since they are constantly in the public eye. Ordinary folks can have celebrity-like bodies, too, and by following these diet and fitness plans, they can also look like red-carpet worthy.

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Ideas on Healthy Breakfast

Friday, January 19th, 2007

Recent studies and research has shown that kids who eat breakfast have a healthier diet. and perform far better than those who do not take breakfast. Eating breakfast not only help in promoting the proper growth but also maximize school performance.

Kids avoid breakfast because of lack of time in morning. 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.