How to lose weight naturally

 Eat right, keep moving.

You just have read all that you need to know about how to prevent being overweight. That simple set of instructions should be easy to follow, but not for 35% of Americans who are unable to prevent being overweight.

Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to trim down for a whole lot of reasons, some related to health, others, for an aesthetic. 

However, it is never too late to lose weight. But the fact is, it is a whole lot easier to prevent putting on pounds than to try losing them later on. And if there is one thing we all know, it is that weight gain is likely to happen if we do not have a plan.

Health experts say that most people who are on a journey to lose weight usually stray. They tend to go back to their old eating habits even after they learn to eat well according to their goals. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

Despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. And there are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess pounds, reasons that go beyond vanity or social acceptance. 

In fact, some health experts contend that the significance of excess weight is more than cosmetic. They say that it takes a huge toll on people’s physical health.

But first, you need a plan

The nuts and bolts of eating right and maintaining a healthy weight is not all that complicated. So, losing weight the natural way should not be a problem at all…when you have a plan.

Consequently, a reasonable approach for losing weight naturally is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

Most health experts say that dietary fat promotes weight gain because it is a very dense source of calories. Also, when you consume excess calories from dietary fat, you store those calories as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources.

On the other hand, it can also help you lose weight naturally if you don’t fall into the “fat-free” trap. Manufacturers keep introducing low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans still have trouble managing their weight.

One of the greatest delusions nowadays is that “no fat” means “non-fattening.” The truth is, you are often getting just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat. If you start to believe that you can eat unlimited amounts of ‘fat-free’ foods, then you may fall into this fat-free trap. 

Experts say it would be better to try eating every three to four hours. As a CNC, I tend to agree.

If you’re feeling a little peckish, try replacing sweet or salty treats with some healthy snacks between meals. Keep in mind, if you practice eating meals that are rich in fiber and lean protein and healthy fats, the need to snack between meals will lessen over time.

Remember, if you want to lose weight naturally, get into the habit of keeping a journal to track your meals and activities. 

Losing weight naturally is a process and not a fad. Embrace it! It’s going to take a lot of determination, self-control, and discipline to achieve your ideal weight. 

For a plan that can put your goals in motion, start here!

Don’t sleep on your protein

One of the best ways that a person can benefit from a healthy diet and exercise routine is adding extra protein to your diet. Protein is found naturally in many of the foods we eat. But a person who exercises often should get one gram of protein per pound of their body weight. At my last weigh in, that would mean 168 grams of protein a day for me. 😳 Here’s the problem. We don't always get the protein our body needs to benefit from our daily workouts. Having said that, we can get the protein we need from high quality protein supplements. 

Protein nutritional sports drinks and mixes can provide many benefits other than increasing muscle mass and body tone. Protein supplements can help your body repair damaged cells, such as repairing muscles and bones that may get damaged during a workout. Like carbohydrates, protein can give you energy throughout the day, but unlike carbohydrates, protein offers a lower level of energy but lasts much longer. Getting the right amount of protein, even through sports nutrition supplements, can help the body make essential amino acids as well. 

One type of protein supplement you may see in the market is one called whey protein. Whey comes from milk and is one of the highest quality forms of protein with a rich amount of amino acids. And unlike other forms of protein (red meat for example) whey offers protein in a low fat and low cholesterol form. Whether you just run every other day or you are a professional athlete, protein supplements can help increase your body's energy and strength. Most athletes consume a protein shake of some kind before and immediately after exercise to help repair and rebuild damaged muscles.

For the best results before, during and after a workout and for your overall health, consider introducing a protein supplement to your diet today. For some recommendations and some of my favorites, message me!

How to optimize your wellness when diet and exercise are not enough

Nutritional supplements can be utilized as a means of supporting an otherwise healthy eating and exercise program. In simple terms, nutritional supplements can be used to better your overall balanced diet plan on two fronts:

1. Nutritional supplements can be used to fill in some minor nutritional gaps in your overall healthy diet.

2. Nutritional supplements can be used to assist in boosting the effectiveness of your overall companion workout routine making it more effective.

By properly balancing your overall diet, your exercise routine and the proper utilization of nutritional supplements, you will be well on your way to establishing a complete plan for healthy living. Through a regimented and appropriately crafted program you will enjoy better health and you may be able to add years to your life.

While there are a number of different resources that you will want to consider when it comes to making decisions regarding overall health, your priority in your research should be seeking professional guidance from a doctor or nutrition specialist.

A lot of people start off the new year with plans of getting healthy in a natural way.  They get the gym membership and start buying healthy food. But a few weeks in, they hit a wall.  They give up because they are not getting the results they expected. That’s because they didn’t have a plan. A plan that would set them up for success. A plan that would include what a lot of people don’t think they need…protein supplementation.

5 Ways Nutritional Supplements Improve Your Health

Supplements have become more sophisticated over the years and are available in all sorts of pills, capsules, liquids and, of course, teas of every variety.

What are nutritional supplements? 

Nutritional supplements are used to add nutrients that fill gaps in our diets that we don’t get from the food we eat. They are available in pills, powders, capsules, liquids and teas. They can be synthetic or from natural sources. They will contain one or more of the following ingredients:

• Vitamins

• Minerals

• Herbs

• Amino acids

• Saccharides

Why do we need nutritional supplements? 

Keep in mind, supplements are not intended to replace all our meals but enhance our diets. There are several reasons that we would be taking them.

• Environment: our environment has deteriorated over the years, and we are now getting more toxins from the air, the water and even in the foods we eat, than ever before. Our bodies have to work more to protect and rid ourselves of these unwanted substances. Therefore, it is wise for us to take nutritional supplements to help our bodies to do this.

• Stress: Stress will cause your body to function less efficiently. This will put your body at risk for a number of things, especially low resistance for disease. Supplements, especially Glyconutrients will help your body's immune system get stronger and also help your body function better.

• Poor eating habits: Due to busy lifestyles, our ways of growing food and green harvests we are not getting the important nutrients our bodies need to keep us in good health. We often do not even stop to eat proper meals. This makes it necessary for us to take supplements to enhance our diets and add important nutrients to our diets.

• Athletic activities: when we exercise more than normal, our bodies need more nourishment. A professional athlete or even someone doing extra workouts needs more dense nutrition. Dietary supplements would include proteins, minerals, vitamins and saccharides (glyconutrients).

• Part of a weight loss plan: when you go on a diet to lose weight you will be eating less and running the risk of not getting enough of the essential nutrients in your diet that your body needs. Therefore, you should be taking some nutritional supplements. Some supplements even help you lose weight.

Consider taking nutritional supplements to help you to improve your health and enjoy your life to the fullest.

If you’re interested in eating a balanced diet to enjoy a healthy life, you may be thinking about adding vitamins or other supplements to your daily diet. There are some benefits that you can get from nutritional supplements. That being said, in order to make nutritional supplements an effective and appropriate part of an overall healthy living program, it is necessary to understand how supplements fit in your eating plan.

Lose weight and gain strength quickly with this simple method

There are a lot of people in the world who are trying to find ways to lose weight quickly. In this article I write about a simple method that worked for me.

I have always had an ongoing battle with my own weight, however a few years ago I managed to come up with a plan to lose those excess pounds.

I have always liked the wrong types of food and drinks (especially during pregnancy) and as a result have mostly been on the large side. I have to be very careful what I eat as I seem to gain weight very easily. In my life I have tried many weight loss programs or diets, however I have always looked for a way of losing weight without having to resort to starving myself or by having to do huge amounts of exercise.

I am not sure if you are like me, but I have always been annoyed and frustrated with people who seem to be able to eat seemingly huge amounts of food, without getting fat. I am sure I eat half as much as these people but am still twice their size, it is not fair! That was until a couple of years ago.

I decided I needed to find my own weight loss program. I had to be realistic, I was aware that I was limited in the amount of exercise I could do and that I liked all of the wrong types of food. I loved the taste of fast food but more importantly, due to my limited mobility, it was incredibly difficult to prepare meals at home. One of my biggest problems though was that I liked snack food, such as peanuts, chocolate and chips. 

I knew that most people would advise me to stop eating all of these fatty type foods, especially pizza and chips. They would also, no doubt, advise me to join a gym and to go jogging every morning. Get real! Those gyms are full of thin, judgmental people, and jogging was out of the question!

I decided that what I would do is to basically eat a healthy breakfast, which would be a superfood smoothie. I would have a moderate lunch, such as a sandwich with a piece of fruit or some veggies or a salad and keep my evening meal light. The most difficult to build discipline around would be the fact that I would no longer be snacking at night. The snacks had to go! I am not trying to say that this was easy to do, however I had a need and was determined to lose weight and gain my strength back.

For exercise I decided to focus on strength training at home. And no ladies…weight training does not bulk you up. In fact, it is THE ideal exercise routine, especially those of us of a certain age.  It is amazing how much weight you can lose by working with weights. You can turn your body into a fat burning machine and rev your metabolism to phenomenal levels the likes of which you cannot get by cardio training alone. As someone who cannot do much cardio (yet) and relied on diet and strength training as part of my plan to lose weight and gain strength but still lost 10lbs in 4 weeks is a testament to how powerful strength training is to your overall weight loss goals.

These things are helping me to lose weight, gain strength and return to the ME I once was and beyond!

Tips for a healthy gut.

There are many things to learn about when it comes to gut health. But the basic concept is “What goes in must come out.” Your body is like a machine: it takes what it needs from what you feed it and gets rid of the rest by urine and the bowels.

If you notice you have a problem with elimination, you should take it seriously. Many people have this problem. Don’t be uncomfortable unnecessarily. Irregularity can seriously impact your health.

The first step is finding out if there even is a problem. First, evaluate how often you "go". If you go at least once a day You may not have a problem. The more the better if you eat more often. However, if you find you are having one per week or 2 per month, then you have a serious problem.

For some people, they might say they don’t find the time to monitor their bowel movements. Besides, they would rather "go" at home rather than in a public bathroom. But let me tell you, you will keep your colon quite happy if you go several times for the day. In short, "go" when you gotta "go". If you are looking for a trick to making you bowel movements easier, eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables, steamed beets and using digestive enzymes with your meals. It's okay to start slow, but in the long run, you'll reap the benefits.

I have just lightly touched on the subject, but if you have a problem, irregularity could just be 1 symptom of an unhealthy gut. Try an elimination diet that can help you improve your diet specifically for your needs and make "going" easier for you. As always, consult a doctor before starting any new nutrition or exercise program. Take care of it today and look forward to tomorrow. May you live a healthy and prosper life.

Balance your diet, balance your life.

When it comes to healthy weight loss, one of the secrets of success is to eat a balanced diet. Balance here means eating the right amount of nutritious food. In our fast food, take-out world, it is easy to get the quantities wrong and also miss out on the quality as well. So eat when you are hungry but don’t overdo it. 

Getting back to the basics is important. Instead of snacking constantly during the day, do your best to eat three regular meals. Cook or have your food cooked using wholesome, natural ingredients and then eat with others in a relaxed manner. It is not only a question of what you eat, but how you eat that counts.

You may be surprised to know that in France, the land of fatty cheeses and gourmet foods, people in general stay slim. The reason is apparent if you go to a local outdoor market where large quantities of fresh vegetables are sold. The French prepare balanced meals and still manage to eat together more often than their counterparts in the USA.

So, sit down with your family and friends and eat nice meals together. If you are troubled by hunger during the day, eat a few pieces of fruit rather than a donut or any other fattening food.

While there are many fad diets (low fat, low carb, etc.) that are being promoted today, it is far better if you can settle into a way of life that you can easily and happily follow for the rest of your life. 

The traditional diet of yoga practitioners has been a vegetarian diet. The yoga diet consists of fruits, vegetables, grains and milk products. You can not only survive on such a diet, but you will thrive as well, and lose weight all at the same time.

Try it out. Substitute meat dishes with soy products (if you have no allergies), lentils and other legumes, and whole grains. You can get enough protein (especially if you also consume nuts and milk products) so you don’t have to worry about it.

You can also enjoy yourself in the process. Instead of an ice cream thick shake, blend together fruits, juice and yogurt and make a healthy smoothie. Losing weight does not require you to suffer; it is only a question of choosing your food well and balancing your lifestyle. 

If you want to lose weight on a long-term basis you have to change your diet and your exercise habits. Try out a balanced diet and if you find it helpful, then stick with it for the rest of your life.

Lose weight while you sleep

You probably didn't know it, but one of the best times to lose weight is while you sleep. That's because the human body is designed by nature to repair itself during the hours we are sleeping.

Our bodies use sleep to repair and strengthen our muscles, joints and other parts that get tired and damaged through use and exertion during waking hours.

This restorative process uses energy to rebuild lean muscle mass and to help rebuild other kinds of body tissue. That is worth repeating -- this rebuilding process uses energy -- and if the rebuilding process is running smoothly and efficiently, that energy comes from places in our body where energy is stored -- from fat.

In other words, the body rebuilds tissue, organs, bone, and lean muscle by burning fat.

Several things about this process are worth noting. They have an important bearing on how efficiently it works.

Collagen is very important to the body repair process

Collagen is the most common protein found in our bodies. It is the main component of our skin, nails, bones, cartilage, and connective tissue and is found in all of the body organs. Cartilage is the cushion and shock absorber between joints, and the reason we stay flexible and mobile. Healthy cartilage is constantly being regenerated by the body naturally and this process contributes to keeping us youthful and flexible.

As we age, our bodies lose the ability to produce collagen at sufficient levels needed to support the deep restorative sleep processes that our bodies are designed to perform. This can be a major contributor that leads to a premature aged appearance and can definitely affect our flexibility and mobility. It stands to reason that a collagen supplement combined with other natural ingredients can have a dramatic effect in better supporting the deep restorative sleep process. This in turn can allow the body to experience more energy, build more lean muscle, and burn more fat.

Amino acids enhance the regeneration process

The rebuilding process is also influenced by the efficiency of the amino acids normally used for this purpose. As part of the rebuilding process, amino acids help maintain lean muscle mass and allow the body to more readily consume fat for energy. This contributes to weight loss.

Again, as we age, our body's production of efficient amino acids is reduced. A supplement such as L-Carnitine is a special amino acid that enhances the body's normal function and helps your body convert excess fat into readily available fuel. During deep sleep, these special amino acids work like a natural "turbocharger" to help your body repair, preserve and build lean muscle while burning stored fat to supply the needed energy.

Not eating before sleeping is important

Since the body uses deep sleep for the restoration process, it is important when using a collagen supplement not to eat three hours before going asleep. This is because we don't want nutrient competition between undigested food and the collagen supplement special nutrient formula itself. If the body has to concern itself with digestion it will not absorb the collagen formula properly. Therefore, your body will not be performing its natural restorative process while you sleep, but rather will be concerned with undigested foods and will actually be storing fat from the continuing digestive process rather than burning fat as the energy for the deep sleep restorative process.

This tends to put us into a "diet circle of frustration". The less time your body spends in deep restful sleep (without competing digestion), the less time it has to restore its natural health, and the less fat that is burned in support of this natural rebuilding process. Now we understand the key connection between deep restorative sleep and weight loss many times goes hand in hand with our overall health.

Reducing or eliminating the intake of food three hours before bedtime allows the body to use its natural fat reserves for metabolic fuel during the deep restorative sleep cycle.

A well-rounded strength training program helps you burn calories while you sleep

Strength training, also known as resistance training, involves performing exercises that target specific muscle groups against resistance. This resistance can come from free weights, machines, or even your own body weight. When you engage in strength training, you create micro-tears in your muscle fibers. As your body repairs these tears, it expends energy, which in turn burns calories.

However, the calorie-burning effects of strength training don’t stop there. The process of muscle repair and growth requires ongoing energy, even during periods of rest and sleep. This phenomenon is known as the “afterburn effect” or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Essentially, your body’s metabolism remains elevated after a strength training session, causing it to continue burning calories for hours, and even overnight.

As you sleep, your body’s need for energy doesn’t disappear. It requires fuel to support essential functions like breathing, digestion, and repairing tissues. With an increased amount of muscle mass from strength training, your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is higher, resulting in a greater calorie burn while you slumber.

Creating an Effective Strength Training Routine

To maximize the nighttime calorie-burning effects of strength training, it’s essential to design a well-rounded workout routine. Here are some tips to consider:

• Include Compound Exercises: Compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, leading to more muscle activation and a higher overall calorie burn.

• Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight you lift over time. This challenges your muscles and promotes continued growth, which contributes to sustained calorie burn.

• Balanced Training: Target different muscle groups on different days to ensure adequate recovery. A balanced approach prevents overtraining and enhances overall muscle development.

• Rest and Recovery: Quality sleep is crucial for muscle repair and growth. Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night to support your fitness goals.

Strength training is a formidable ally in your journey toward a healthier body and enhanced metabolism. Beyond its immediate effects on muscle tone and strength, this type of exercise ignites a continuous calorie-burning process that persists while you sleep. By incorporating regular strength training sessions into your fitness routine, you’re not only building a stronger body but also fostering a more efficient metabolism that works for you day and night. So, the next time you hit the weights, remember that you’re not just lifting for the present – you’re investing in a metabolic fire that keeps burning, even in your dreams. For an effective strength training program with all 4 components noted above that you can do from home, check out some options here!