SkinnyTwinkie » diet

Twinkie’s Challenge: Obtain Vitamins and Minerals Naturally

Twinkie — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:48 +0000

Many of us take vitamin and mineral pills to ensure optimal health, but what if you could obtain those essential vitamins and minerals naturally, by the foods you eat?

Throughout the year, I am going to write a dedicated article each month about how you can obtain essential vitamin and minerals – naturally. I’ll even discuss why the vitamins and minerals are so important to your overall health.

As the year goes on, I will link the articles from here:

Vitamins

• Vitamin A

• B Vitamins

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin E

• Vitamin K

Minerals

• Calcium

• Chlorine

• Magnesium

• Phosphorus

• Potassium

• Sulfur

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5 Tips for Effective Weight Loss

Twinkie — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:00:33 +0000

If you are trying to lose weight, here are five weight loss tips that will help you get on the right track – and just as important -stay there.

1) Get enough sleep every night

A lot of people seem to think that sleep is just for babies and kids. As an adult, it is just as important to get the proper amount of sleep every night. I know life can be busy – trust me, I do! It’s important to make sleep a priority, since it allows you to get the energy you need for exercise. When you are sleeping, your body naturally creates a hormone that regulates your appetite for the next day. This means that if you have enough rest each night, you are less likely to crave and munch on unhealthy snacks.

Did you know? With the right type of exercise, such as Interval Training, you actually end up burning the most calories from fat when you are at a resting state, such as when you are sleeping. If that doesn’t convince you to get enough shut-eye, I don’t know what will!

Getting enough sleep each night is the first step to successful weight loss.

2) Replace all – or most – of your drinks with Water

Liquids are one of the easiest and fastest ways to down calories, and before you know it, you have over done it. It may not be easy at first, but if you are serious about your weight loss, you should swap the soda, coffee, alcohol, and sugary juices with water. Easier said than done, I know. What I also know is this: The healthy benefits of ditching the other drinks for more water is worth it.

If you are looking for more flavor than water, you can try herbal tea that has no caffeine in it. This is a great way to enjoy flavor, benefit from the healthy herbs, without any unnecessary calories. Herbal teas tend to be zero calories.

3) Make exercise a part of your regular routine

Exercising needs to be a part of your life. Something that you just “do” rather than continually think about doing. Doing and thinking about doing are two very different things!

If you make exercise a habit, or in other words, a part of your life, you will eventually lose the weight and keep it off. A big reason why people who lose weight and gain it all back is because they stop doing the healthy habits that got them there in the first place.

You shouldn’t wake up every morning asking yourself whether you should workout or not. Get in the mind set that exercise is just something you do every day (or on a regular basis), and it’s not a choice. Come up with an exercise schedule and stick to it, even after you have reached your weight loss goals. You may be able to turn the workout intensity down a notch or two, but exercise shouldn’t be completely eliminated once you are done losing weight.

Exercise should be enjoyable for you. If you hate running, you should consider swimming instead. If you like to dance, sign up at a dance studio and shake those hips! If you are hating the exercise you are doing, you need to find a new exercise that will be more enjoyable. Exercise may not be easy, but you shouldn’t hate it.

4) Fuel your body with healthy food

First of all, if you want to lose weight, you must eat. Don’t skip meals, and don’t starve yourself. That’s not the answer if you are trying to effectively lose weight and remain healthy. In fact, if you skip meals, your body tends to hold on to it’s fat reserves,where it will be almost impossible to lose your excess fat.

Here are some tips to eat healthy, and start losing weight:

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day. This is your new snack food, so ditch the Fiber One bars and start eating real food!

Eat healthy protein sources such as beans, fish, chicken, and raw nuts.

Start eating healthy carbohydrates, since this is a major source of fuel that your body with use for energy during your workouts. You can ditch the refined and processed breads, such as white bread, since it actually makes you gain fat – especially in the stomach area.

Stop baking or eating foods that contain processed sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. These types 0f processed sugars turns into fat and usually lands in the stomach area, just like processed breads. I know that this one if a major change for most people – myself included – but I believe the healthy benefits are well worth the effort to eat healthier. If it helps, remember that processed sugars turns into fat that ends up around the abdominals, which doesn’t help with your goal of flat abs, does it?

In addition to eating healthy food, find out how many calories you need every day, and how many you should eat for weight loss. If your body burns more calories than you consume in a single day, you will lose weight. If you aren’t eating enough calories though, you end up going into “starvation mode” and stop losing weight. It’s all about finding the right balance.

5) Don’t go on a “Diet”

There are more overweight and obese individuals now than ever before. Are we lacking in diets? There are thousands of diets out there for you to choose from! The reason why diets don’t work is because most people are looking at diets as a “get thin quick” scheme, and it just doesn’t work that way.

If you are looking to lose weight and actually keep it off, ditch the “diet” and adopt a healthy lifestyle that you will continue, even after you are done with your weight loss journey.

More than 5

You can definitely lose weight with more than just these five weight loss tips, but I thought I would narrow the list down to these very important five items. You have to start somewhere, right?

Some of these tips may have been a “duh” moment for you. I’ll let you in on a little secret. There is no secret to weight loss. Yes, there are certainly some strategies that are more effective than others, but for the most part, you know what you need to do to be healthier and lose weight, if needed.

Now that this was a nice little reminder on how to lose weight (or just be healthier!), it’s time you do something about it. Knowledge is useless without action.

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How Doutzen Kroes Shaped up after Baby

Twinkie — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:24 +0000

The Supermodel Doutzen Kroes just had her baby boy in January of 2011, and now just eight weeks later, she is back to work and even in a bikini at the beach. How does she do it?

I’ll give you a hint: It doesn’t happen by accident! Supermodels must sweat it out at the gym, too! When talking about her body, Doutzen says she has to work very hard for it.

Supermodel’s Workout

So what does a 5′ 9″ Supermodel do to keep her figure in check ?

“. . . I have to work hard, go to the gym, do boxing, jump rope, Pilates workouts . . . I do a mix of a lot of things because I think my body needs the workouts to stay lean.” – Doutzen Krous

In previous articles, Doutzen has shared that she also enjoys ice skating as a workout.

Doutzen has said that she will work with a Personal Trainer three times a week, and something that she has learned from her Personal trainer, is that it’s OK to use weights during workouts, since it tones and strengthens the muscles. It’s also important to know that the more lean muscle mass, the better, since it also allows you to burn more fat during your exercise and throughout the day.

Making of an Angel: Healthy eating habits

It’s not about being “perfect” with your eating habits, but it’s all about moderation for this beauty.

“I like to enjoy life. I am a totally healthy girl that eats but eats in moderation and I take care of myself.” – Doutzen Krous

In addition to eating healthy, Doutzen is breastfeeding, which helps a lot with weight loss after having a baby. Typically, breastfeeding moms will burn anywhere from 250 to 500 calories a day – just from breastfeeding! That’s burning as much calories as a workout or two. Imagine working out in addition to breastfeeding.

You can see why the weight came off for Doutzen Krous, but do you think that she started to exercise too soon after having her baby?

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Image Credit: Doutzen Kroez

Kelly Osbourne’s 50 Pound Weight loss

Twinkie — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:00:33 +0000

Kelly Osbourne lost 20 pounds while filming Dancing With The Stars, another 30 pounds after the show, making that a total of 50 pounds lost since her weight loss journey began.

Check out Kelly’s realistic approach to weight loss.

Emotional Eating

Kelly Osbourne faced drug addictions in the past, and when she cleaned up her life, she ended replacing drugs with food.

When people get upset or overly stressed, a common “solution” is eating. Emotional eating is a big reason why people gain weight, and once recognized, can be resolved.

When Kelly was on Dancing With The Stars, she realized she needed to change her diet so she can have the energy she needed to rehearse the dance moves for the show.

“The three things I did to really change my diet were: Start eating breakfast, drink water instead of soda, and always have a snack in the evening.” -Kelly Osbourne

Find the Exercises you enjoy

Just from making healthy changes to her diet mixed in with dancing, Kelly lost 20 pounds. So when the show was over, she knew she needed to do something to keep the momentum.

Kelly began taking long hikes several times a week, and soon started going to the gym. She found that she enjoys group exercise classes with her friends, and discovered Plyometrics. She says it’s a “killer” workout, but it’s worth it since she is seeing the results.

Since combining a healthier diet with her regular exercise, Kelly lost another 30 pounds, and is quite happy with her size 2 figure.

Weight loss: Permanent or Temporary?

When you lose weight, do you ever wonder if it is going to be permanent or temporary? You don’t have to wonder anymore!

Make sure that you maintain the healthy lifestyle you have created for yourself when you were trying to lose weight.

“It was never just about the weight loss.” – Kelly Osbourne

I love that Kelly Osbourne said that she isn’t dieting. She eats a healthy breakfasts, exercises daily, and avoids soda and candy. Kelly still allows herself to enjoy an occasional pizza or cookie, but doesn’t overdo it.

What do you think of Kelly’s weight loss success?

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Image Credits: exposay.com

Katy Perry preps for World Tour with Diet and Exercise

Twinkie — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 12:00:10 +0000

So how does one prepare for a World Tour? If you are Katy Perry, who is scheduled for her 95-date “California Dreams” tour, you prepare by starting on a strict diet and exercise routine.

Katy Perry’s Diet

Katy started a diet that consists of eating healthy meals – with the occasional splurge.

“I’m on a meal plan, which absolutely sucks — but on Sundays I get to have a cheat day where I go buck wild and eat In-N-Out Burger”.

Katy Perry’s Exercise

After Katy enjoys her weekly splurge, the 26 year old singer is making sure she doesn’t just stay still after enjoying a burger. Katy definitely keeps herself very busy, stating “I feel like I’m training for the Olympics!”. There’s a reason that weekly splurge isn’t effecting her too much…

“I’ll work out, go to a vocal lesson, run through the entire set at rehearsals, go to dance rehearsal until 10:00 p.m. and then go home and sort through e-mails concerning the production,” - Katy Perry

Diet and Exercise Health or Weight Loss?

Katy Perry doesn’t seem to be eating healthier or exercising for weight loss – it’s all about getting physically fit and ready for her 9 month long World Tour. It’s about taking care of your body and overall health, and creating the stamina required to be performing on stage almost every night in front of thousands of fans. Talk about motivation, right?!

Katy Perry’s preparations for her World Tour is a great example of how eating healthy (most of the time) and exercising is important, even if you don’t need to lose weight.

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Image Source: KatyPerry.com

Miranda Kerr’s Natural Birth

Twinkie — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:00:16 +0000

Let’s face it, celebrities aren’t always known for being the best role models…but Supermodel Miranda Kerr is an inspiration to all women when it comes to being a healthy new Mom.

Natural Birth

She may be known as being a petite supermodel, but I recently learned that Miranda Kerr is one tough woman! Miranda made the decision to have a natural birth, which means that she didn’t use any pain medication while she gave birth to her son, Flynn.

Miranda explains that she had a long and “difficult labour”, but with the help and encouragement from her supportive husband, Orlando Bloom, she was able to make it through the entire birthing process just fine. The happy couple welcomed their baby boy on January 6th 2011, who weighed a healthy 9 pounds and 12 ounces.

Wow! I just keep thinking that if this petite supermodel can do a natural birth to a 9 pound baby, we all can have a natural birth if we decide to have one!

Breastfeeding

The first photo released to the public of little Flynn is that of an intimate moment showing Miranda Kerr breastfeeding her newborn. When woman see celebrities like Miranda choose to breastfeed their own baby, it really helps other woman with breastfeeding awareness and helps to promote the many health benefits that come with it.

Healthy Living

As an expecting or new Mom, it’s all about eating healthy, exercising, and taking care of your body. Miranda Kerr is a supporter of eating healthy, including organic foods, which is not a surprise since she studied Nutrition and Health Psychology at the Academy of Natural Living before she became a professional model. Miranda really takes care of her body in a natural and healthy way, which is something we can all strive to do.

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Image Source: koraorganics.com

Benefits of Interval Training

Twinkie — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:00:59 +0000

We all know that exercise is essential for controlling blood sugar, normalizing insulin levels, and getting or staying in shape. There are different techniques that can help you exercise, and Interval Training is one of them.

What is Interval Training?

Rather than just doing cardiovascular exercise, Interval Training is a type of physical training which involves bursts of high intensity work and then followed by periods of lower intense workouts.

Interval Training can be used with different types of exercise methods, such as running, stair climbing or cycling.

Most adults should be able to handle this type of exercise, but if you have a known heart condition, you should see a doctor (cardiologist) first to give you the clear to start incorporating Interval Training into your exercise routine.

How to Incorporate Interval Training

During your Exercise:

1) Choose an exercise such as the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine.

2) Warm up.

3) Exercise: Workout at an intense pace for 30 seconds, then recover with a lower intensity for 90 seconds.

4) Rinse and repeat for 8 sets, for a total of 16 minutes.

5) Cool down.

Important: You can do Interval Training one or two times per week in replacement of your regular exercises during the week. You shouldn’t do Interval Training more than two times per week, due to the extreme intensity and strain that is placed on the body. As Interval Training can be very healthy for you, you don’t want to over train, since this increases your risk of injury.

Before/After your Exercise:

Sleep! You need to be well rested to maximize the benefits of your workout.

Drink plenty of Water . Don’t drink soda (especially diet), sugary juices, or vitamin water.

Eat a well-balanced diet, and be sure that you are consuming a proper amount of calories. It’s very important that you stop eating Junk Food and Candy! Proper nutrition is vital for exercise, especially when you perform an intense workout such as Interval Training. Sugar and grease are the last things your body needs.

What sets Interval Training Apart

Improves Aerobic Capacity – Helps to increase the length of workouts and at varying intensities.

Boosts Fat Burning – With the intense workouts mixed in with regular paced exercises, most people will notice a decrease in body fat.

Increases HGH – Interval Training helps to increase the Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which is a natural growth hormone which aides muscle strength.

Boosts Metabolism – Interval Training helps with burning fat throughout the day by increasing your metabolism.

Start seeing the results of a healthier lifestyle with Interval Training! Who’s ready to start?

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The Most Dangerous Diets

Twinkie — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:00:14 +0000

There are so many diets out there; it’s hard to choose which one is right for you. I’ve noticed that, in general, diets can be classified into “types”. I’ve listed a couple of these diet types to avoid. Why? They are among the most dangerous diets out there; and chances are, you are on one of them right now.

The Junk Food Diet

There are plenty of unhealthy ways to lose weight, and a Junk Food Diet is one of the worst ways you can lose weight. The concept is simple. As long as you consume fewer calories, you can eat unhealthy food and still lose weight.

A fairly new diet is the Ice Cream diet. The rationalization is that ice cream is a dairy product and has calcium in it. If you have enough calcium you won’t store extra fat. What the diet creator never tells you: ice cream is full of processed fats and sugar, which causes you to gain weight in all the wrong places.

Another common Junk Food diet is the Slim Fast Diet. Many people wouldn’t think that this a Junk Food, but when the first ingredient on the weight loss shake is “sugar”, I would consider this Junk Food. These shakes are basically a candy bar with a multi-vitamin injected into it.

Why it’s Dangerous: These diets consist of no nutritional value. Since the diet is based on few calories, you end up hungry most of the time and lack important nutrients that your body needs. This diet teaches us a very important principal: Not all calories are created equal.

The One Ingredient Diet

The concept for these types of diets is to pick one healthy food, and consume it morning, noon, and night. Ever heard of the Cabbage Diet? What about the Watermelon Diet? There is a saying, “too much of a good thing, is bad”. The types of diet that only consist of one ingredient prove this adage true.

Why it’s Dangerous: Even though you may be eating something healthy all day, there just isn’t one ingredient that has all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly.

An interesting side effect of too much of the same food – even if it is healthy – is that you can actually start to build an allergy to the food. Certain food allergies can result in some dangerous side effects.

The Low Fat Diet

The low fat diet craze began in the 1980’s, and the diet consists of banning foods that contain any fat – including the healthy fat that is good for you. The result of this diet was low fat foods were created that consist of replacing fat with loads of sugar or sodium. The result of too much sugar and sodium is weight gain. How ironic.

Why it’s Dangerous: Your body needs healthy fats to absorb nutrients in the body, protect vital organs, store energy and keep you healthy. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, healthy fats such as Omega-3 “helps fight and prevent heart disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, diabetes, hyperactivity, and many other diseases”. Simply put, low fat diets are not a healthy way to lose weight.

The Low Carb Diet

There are plenty of popular low carb diets out there, thanks to diets like The Atkins Diet and The South Beach Diet. However, just because these low carb diets are popular, does not mean that they are healthy for you or proven to keep the weight off.

Why it’s Dangerous: Short term, you may end up losing weight. Like most diets out there, this is not a long term solution to weight loss, and can really end up hurting you in the long run.

Your body needs healthy carbohydrates to function. The lack of carbohydrates causes you to become weak and lethargic. This results in losing your ability to exercise. If you really want to lose weight, exercise is key to your success.

The Too Extreme Diet

One of the extreme diets is the Tapeworm Diet. The concept of the diet is that you can eat anything you want, since the tapeworm inside your body eats most of the food. This is another extreme diet that encourages you to take desperate measures for you to continue to eat unhealthy, but still lose weight.

Another extreme diet is the HCG Diet. The diet consists of consuming the pregnancy hormone HCG while staying away from processed foods, sugar, carbohydrates and fat. On the diet, you are only allowed to consume 500 calories a day.

Why it’s Dangerous: The Tapeworm Diet is very dangerous because it can cause some very serious medical conditions. The tapeworm is a parasite that eats away at your food and even your essential organs. The diet has been known to cause nausea, fever, diarrhea, and even organ failure. No diet is worth destroying your own organs and landing you on an organ transplant waiting list.

While the HCG Diet’s weight loss results are astounding, there are dangerous side effects that come with consuming only 500 calories a day. There is no way for someone on the HCG diet to exercise, since they become extremely weak and lethargic. The HCG Diet can result in experiencing dizziness, passing out, and uncontrollable shaking. This is not a safe diet, and the only people that say it is safe, are the ones who are selling it.

Bottom Line: If you need to lose weight, don’t turn to dangerous diets. Eat a variety of healthy foods throughout the day, don’t starve yourself, and regularly exercise.

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Kim Kardashian loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks

Twinkie — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Kim Kardashian has put on some weight since she started to live in New York City a couple of months ago. According to the latest issue of Life & Style Magazine, Kim Kardashian was able to lose 10 lbs in just 2 weeks!

Kim Kardashian goes Old School

She was able to lose the extra weight by some good old fashioned exercise! She kicked up her routine by doing lots of cardio, weight lifting, and even an intense boot camp routine.

Kim Kardashian said “My mom always taught us, like, no matter if you’re skinny, no matter if you’re fit, you always need cardio. Go on walks. Walk on the treadmill. Run. You need stuff to get your heart healthy.”

I am proud of Kim for hitting the gym to shed her extra weight!

Kim Kardashian’s Diet

Kim is sticking to a strict diet from Sunfare, which is a food delivery service that provides portion controlled meals that are only 1,100 calories a day.

Kim said “It’s the only diet I can stick to”.

Pros: The concept of Sunfare is pretty nice; No thinking about what you are going to eat and no trips to the grocery store where you can get tempted to buy (and then later eat) unhealthy foods.

Cons: If you wanted to buy your 6 meals a day (3 meals and 3 snacks) from Sunfare, it would cost you $68.20 a day! This is an extremely expensive diet for prepackaged meals that aren’t as healthy as food you could be making yourself at home.

Solution: Come up with a healthy meal plan and stick to your list when you go grocery shopping. Instead of buying junk food for your snacks in-between meals, buy fruits and vegetables!

Tip: An organic apple or a little bag of organic baby carrots is a lot cheaper and healthier than any prepackaged snack.

Image Credit: WENN; Splash

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Dieting for the Royal Wedding

Twinkie — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:00:47 +0000

Getting Camera-Ready for the Royal Wedding

All of the buzz these days seem to be about the soon-to-be Princess Kate Middleton and her family. The questions from the public are “Who is she?” and “What’s her family like?”.

The newest question that everyone wants to know is how Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton, will get camera-ready for her daughter’s big Wedding day. According to People.com, Carol Middleton has been doing The Dukan Diet by Dr. Pierre Dukan.

The Dukan diet consists of four stages which dieters are able to select from a total of 100 foods; 72 foods which are high in protein, and the other 28 foods are different types of vegetables you can choose from.

The Dukan Diet’s Celeb Status

Carole Middleton is not the only one who is crediting the Dukan Diet to their weight loss. The Dukan Diet is becoming a bit of a celebrity itself as it becomes a bestseller in Britain in addition to selling more than 2 million copies in France. Who else has used The Dukan Diet for weight loss? Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Supermodel Gisele Bündchen have been on The Dukan Diet to help them lose weight.

Not sure if you have learned this yet, but not all Celebrity diets are healthy or even right for you. Before you jump on this new diet craze, let’s educate ourselves a little bit more about this diet.

Should you do The Dukan Diet?

Just because Kate Middleton’s Mom, Carole Middleton, is doing the Diet, should you too? Not surprisingly, a lot of woman will try the new diet out, just because of the Celebrities associated with the Diet. Of course, this is not a reason to try it out.

Here’s some facts about The Dukan Diet that you should take into consideration:

• Encourages very high protein intake, much more than the daily recommended amounts.

• In different stages of the diet, followers lack important nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Fiber, and even healthy fats. In other stages of the diet, followers are consuming too much of one nutrient, such as sodium. An excess of sodium can actually hurt a dieter’s plan to lose weight.

• According to researches at the Institut Pasteur in Lille France, the diet upsets the body’s natural metabolism which can lead to nutritional imbalances.

• Your body needs healthy carbohydrates to function. The lack of carbohydrates causes you to become weak and lethargic. This results in losing your ability to exercise. If you really want to lose weight, exercise is key to your success.

To do, or not to do The Dukan Diet?

Skip The Dukan Diet if you want to lose weight and actually keep it off. Nutritionally speaking, this diet is lacking in a lot of areas. Where it lacks in nutrition it tries to make up for with excessive amounts of protein and salt. While protein and salt is good for you, not in too excessive of amounts. I don’t believe in “no-carb” diets, since our bodies need healthy forms of carbohydrates. Diets like The Dukan Diet are known for temporary weight loss, and usually their followers regain their weight- and then some.

If you want to lose weight, eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly. Weight loss isn’t a temporary fix. It’s called a “Life Change” for a reason! It’s something you work on your entire life, but if you lose weight in a healthy way, it’s a lot easier to maintain your weight since you have changed your lifestyle. I have learned that temporary fixes mean temporary results.

Tell me in the comments: How did you reach (and maintain) your healthy weight?

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How you can prepare for Pregnancy

Twinkie — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:13 +0000

If you have the luxury of planning for your pregnancy, here are some helpful tips to get ready for pregnancy.

Visit your Doctor or Midwife

It’s a good idea to visit with your Doctor or midwife before you try to get pregnant to discuss relevant medical concerns, your pregnancy plan, and answer any questions you may have. If there is any health concerns, they will be able to help you prepare your body for Pregnancy.

Healthy eating habits

You shouldn’t be on a “diet” per se while you are pregnant, but before, during, and after your pregnancy you should have a healthy, balanced diet. If you are eating a lot of fried or sugary foods, you should start eliminating them out of your regular eating habits as soon as possible. You should focus on eating healthy food, not only fuel for your own body, but nutrients that will help develop a healthy baby too.

Prenatal Vitamins

During your pregnancy it’s crucial to have the right amount of vitamins and minerals in your body so that your baby gets the nutrients he/she needs in order to develop. Ideally, you should take Prenatal vitamins at least 6 weeks before you get pregnant. doing this, you will be able to build up what your own body may be lacking in vitamins and minerals, and may help prepare your body for your developing baby. Folic acid is one of the many nutrients you will need which is found in Prenatal vitamins, and is crucial to take – especially in the early stages of pregnancy – to prevent birth defects.

Work out

It’s healthy for you and for your baby to be fit before you get pregnant and to stay fit during your pregnancy. Of course, you will want to make sure you aren’t doing anything too intense while you are pregnant because you don’t want to compromise your baby’s health. It’s not a bad idea to speak with your Doctor or Midwife about what type of exercise is appropriate for you.

Quit those bad habits!

Before you even try to get pregnant, you should stop smoking and drinking alcohol. You don’t want to wait until you have a confirmation that you are pregnant because in most cases, you don’t know you are pregnant until you are 4 weeks along already. As you may already know, consuming alcohol and smoking are extremely harmful to your baby during pregnancy and even after they are born – ever heard of second-hand smoke? Don’t allow your baby to suffer from something they have no control over.

I know it will be hard to stop drinking alcohol and/or stop smoking…but it will benefit you and your family in the long run, and I promise that you won’t regret it when your healthy baby comes!

Labor and Delivery

It’s always good to start with a plan of how you are going to have your baby delivered. Educated yourself on what to expect, what your choices are, and what’s best for you and your baby. If you are planning to get pregnant, or are already pregnant, I recommend watching a documentary called “The Business of Being Born“. It’s controversial and I love it because it will at least give you the other side of the story when it comes to having a baby. I feel that all soon-to-be Moms should at least know about natural births and the benefit that comes from them.

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Get rid of Acne – Naturally!

Twinkie — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Acne is one of those horrible things that seems to haunt us during our teen years. Finally, here’s some information teens and adults can put to use for clear and healthy skin!

Get rid of Acne

What actually causes acne? This is a great debate, and you can have acne for several reasons. Here are some common causes of Acne, and how you can get rid of it.

•Wash your face before you go to bed – This seems like an obvious technique to prevent and get rid of acne, but it must be said! If you want to get rid of acne, you must wash your face before you go to bed, especially if you wear make-up. When you wash your face with your cleanser, rinse your face with warm water (this opens up your pores and gets rid of the make-up and dirt on your face), then splash your face again with cold water. You want to end with cold water since it will tighten your pores and prevent your pores from being exposed to dirt, make-up, and other bacteria – all which would cause breakouts.

•Stop touching your face – Whether you realize it or not, you are probably touching your face a lot throughout the day. First order of business here is to stop touching your face! Your hands are not as clean as you may think, and when you constantly touch your face to either ease a scratch or move your bangs out of your eyes – all of this causes pimples.

•Workout with shower afterwards – Working out is a great way to get rid of toxins in your body by sweating. This is something that can actually help you get rid of acne. The problem comes when you sweat and don’t shower afterwards. Be sure to take a shower afterwards rather than hitting the sofa for a quick snooze!

•It may be the make up – Not all make up is created equal. Depending on what type of foundation you are using, your acne might just be
from the make-up that you are using. Be sure to look for a foundation that is either “oil-free” or “non comedogenic”. If you are able to, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go a day or two without any foundation make-up at all. Perfect excuse to stay in on a Saturday and watch chick flicks with the girls. By doing this, you are giving your face a break from your make-up, which can help you clear up your skin.

•Don’t Stress! – I hear that many people link stressful situations with acne. Don’t stress about it, and stop worrying about it. It won’t make your acne go away. Focus on the positive, and imagine yourself with clear skin. Acne isn’t the end of the world, and there are natural ways to help you get rid of it. That’s why I am writing this post in the first place.

•Drink lots of water – Water is a natural, zero calorie way to cleanse your body. Be sure that you are drinking enough water every day. A habit that is good for you – inside and out!

•It’s your eating habits - This is the most understated cause for acne. A lot of people may feel that your eating habits have nothing to do with your acne, and unfortunately, they are just plain wrong!

“Diet plays a big part in your skin. Your skin is your biggest organ, so if you are polluting your body with bad food, your skin will be the representative of those bad habits” says Sabrina Lytle, Aesthetician and owner of Ambrosia Lashes.

Food has more to do with your acne than you realize. Avoid a diet that will increase the insulin levels in your body. Basically, avoid processed sugars and all grain carbohydrates (which just turn into sugar). Yes, if you want to get rid of your acne, you need to stop eating candy, chocolate, cereals, bread, pasta, corn, rice, and potatoes. Be sure to get carbohydrates through vegetables, since your body needs carbohydrates – now you will just have a healthier version of it. Once you have gotten rid of your acne, you can slowly incorporate those foods back into your diet, but in limited quantities. Always choose the healthier version, if there is one. Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate, or brown rice over white rice.

Do it Yourself

If you are looking for a quick, easy, and cheap at-home regimine for skin care, Sabrina Lytle says to “Mix salt and lemon juice and do a light skin scrub. Afterward, take RAW honey and put a light layer on your skin and leave on for about 20 minutes. Raw honey has many antioxidants and properties that are very helpful to use on skin that has acne or irritation caused from a sensitivity to products”.

What NOT to do!

•Antibiotics - This may get rid of the acne, but it also gets rid of a lot of healthy bacteria in your body too! Plus, once you stop taking the medication, your acne comes back. Isn’t it just better to get rid of the root cause in the first place?

•Birth Control Pills - Trying to get rid of acne isnt a reason to start taking birth control pills. Birth control pills have synthetic hormones, and the long term side effects aren’t worth the clear skin in the end.

•Salicylic Acid – This is the main ingredient in Aspirin. When did acne become so bad that you needed to take a drug to get rid of it? Yes, acne can get pretty bad, but there are natural, healthy solutions to solving this issue. Taking a drug isn’t one of them.

•Benzoyl Peroxide - Many people are tricked into believing that this is the miracle acne cure. Unfortunately, these “reputable” sources don’t tell you that it will dry out your skin, increase redness and irritation on your face, and won’t actually get rid of the problem. The company wants you to keep buying their product for more than just a one time use.

Good luck with your clear skin endeavors – remember to be patient (try!), and get rid of your acne – naturally! You will be happy you did!

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10 Reasons why you’re STILL overweight…

Twinkie — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:03 +0000

1) You think “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free” means that it is “Healthy”

Marketing campaigns know that we are all trying to be healthier, and they are doing everything they can to sell you their product in an angle that makes you think their product makes the cut. They aren’t trying to make their products healthier. What does this all boil down to? The companies just want to make money, and the only way to make money is if you buy their product –whether it’s good for you or not.

Read the labels and ingredients and start learning how to understand what they really mean. It’s almost guaranteed that if something it marketed as “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free”, they are using dangerous replacements which usually end up being worse for you than the actual fat or sugar.

Most people still buy into this marketing scam – don’t let it be you.

2) You don’t get enough sleep

Sleep is underrated – by far. You should get the recommended 8 hours each night, and you will notice some very positive effects from this. Your body will feel rested and better through out the day. You will be more likely to exercise (you have the energy to make it happen), and you have a better chance of overcoming any junk food cravings you may have during the day. When you are more tired, you are more likely to “give in” to temptations. A lack of sleep negatively effects your immune system, which can make you sick. When you are sick, the chances of you keeping up (or wanting to) your work out routine is unlikely. You should consider sleep as being mandatory.

3) You like to try new “Diets”

I have already said in previous posts why I don’t like to “Diet”, but I will briefly say it again here. “Diets” tend to be short term! Make your healthy eating habits a Life style change, and you will see lasting results, which is what you want anyways? No one wants to just gain it all back again and again…so don’t! Lose it and keep it off for good.

4) You think having the occasional treat doesn’t really add up

This one almost makes me laugh, but it’s a reality check for most of us. Just one Oreo cookie is about 60 calories.

And let’s be honest…who only has one Oreo cookie? In my not-so-healthy days, I remember easily eating 10 Oreo cookies (or more), which is half of my daily calorie count. What’s worst is that I find myself still craving more cookies, and I am still hungry!

Check the calories. If your little treat is high in calories and you won’t be able to stop at just one, move on. Find something that will satisfy your hunger. A great alternative is finding a Fruit or veggie that you love and won’t resent when it becomes snack time.

5) You think you are “Naturally this Big” or “Big Boned”

That’s what happened to me too. I thought I was naturally a size 10 or 12. According to all the “medical” and “scientific” charts out there that tell you what your healthy weight range is for your age and height, I was supposed to be around 170 pounds. I don’t know who made up that bull, but if I were 170 pounds, I would not be close to healthy unless I was some body builder. As we all know, most of us aren’t body builders, so I consider those little “healthy weight charts” a piece of trash.

Once I started to get my act together and start taking my health more seriously, and listening to my body’s needs, I got down to 130 pounds and fit nicely into my size 2 jeans. Find your true healthy weight.

6) You think Skinny people don’t need to exercise

This one gets me every time. I hate how I will mention that I went to the gym and someone has to make the statement “You’re skinny, you don’t need to go to the gym”. Yes, someone really did say that to me, and No, I did not listen to them!

Just because you are Skinny, doesn’t mean you are privileged and somehow don’t need to exercise. I don’t care what size you are – Skinny or Overweight, you can benefit from exercising on a regular basis, and quite frankly, your body needs it.

For those who think Skinny people don’t need to exercise: How do you think thin people got to be thin in the first place? The answer is that the thin people exercise and eat healthy regularly. I didn’t become a size 2 by accident and neither did they.

7) You are (still!) skipping Breakfast

Ok, so this one I still don’t get. We have all been told how Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and people are still skipping it! It may be for many reasons. You are “too busy”. Not a good enough excuse people! I wake up at 4:00 AM to go work out, make a healthy breakfast and lunch, work for 8 hours or more, make dinner, clean up, work some more, etc.

We all live a crazy and busy schedule. That’s life, and I get that. But there just isn’t an excuse anymore for skipping breakfast.

Be sure to eat something healthy – anything with processed sugar should be completely avoided.

8) You think you will reach your Goal Weight in 30 days or less

Guess what? You didn’t gain your weight overnight, and you won’t lose it all overnight either! Just because you aren’t seeing huge results your first month, doesn’t mean you should give up and say exercising and eating healthy doesn’t work. Just like you were consistently unhealthy and gained weight, you now need to work on consistently being healthy and exercising.

You will eventually lose the weight, and before you know it, you will be able to fit back into those skinny jeans!

9) You drink Energy Drinks and Sodas that are “0 Calorie” and think it’s a Healthy choice

Zero calories do not mean that the drink is Healthy. Energy Drinks and Sodas with Zero calories are another marketing tool to make these drinks seem “healthier” or “not as bad” for you. Reality is this: Energy Drinks and Sodas have zero nutrition, and there is absolutely nothing good in there for you. Nothing! Doesn’t matter if it has 300 or no calories, it’s just not good for you, regardless of the number of calories it says on the back. Your best bet is to just drink water.

10) You keep saying you are “Fat”

The way you feel about yourself plays a huge role in whether or not you will succeed with your weight loss and overall health goals. Ever heard of the popular Movie “The Secret”? Well, the Law of Attraction is real. Your mind is very advanced and sophisticated, and if you keep telling yourself that you are “fat” and “overweight”, then your brain keeps telling you to do things that will keep you in that state of being.

Start thinking “healthy” and “thin”, and your brain will start programming your thoughts and actions to lead you to a lifestyle that will help you become healthier.

It’s not all about wishful thinking, because action is involved. You need to do your part. Bottom line: Believe you will succeed and continue to exercise and eat healthy. Know that you will get there!

Good luck with your Health goals!

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Use the Law of Attraction to be Healthy!

Twinkie — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:26 +0000

What is the Law of Attraction?

The Law of Attraction is a Universal Law, where you create your Universe, or your Reality, with your Thoughts. Your thoughts and beliefs ultimately lead to your actions. You are a creator of your life, and you can control what happens in your life. You are attracting things into your life by your thoughts.

How can I apply the Law of Attraction for Health or Weight Loss?

There is so much hype about the Law of Attraction! It just seems that it is mostly being used for attracting Money and Wealth into your life. That is fine and dandy, but can we use the Law of Attraction to help us with our Health or even Weight Loss goals?

My answer is absolutely “YES!”

So many people keep saying to themselves comments like:

“I am fat”

“I am sick and tired”

“I have a bad back”

ETC…

These are all creation statements. Stop telling yourself that you are “fat” or “unhealthy”! You are talking negatively about yourself, and creating more of what you do not want. “I am” is a very powerful statement. You will see more of it in your life, whether you consciously want it or not. Your brain is very powerful, like a super computer, and if you keep telling yourself that you are “fat” or “unhealthy, you will stay that way.

Start creating more of what you want….and this is something that you can start Now. Tell yourself positive affirmations daily. You can say positive things that you want to become, such as:

“I am healthy and strong”

“I am in great shape”

“I am happy”

“I have control of what I eat”

“I eat healthy, and I am happy about it”

“I like to exercise”

When you hear yourself say these things, it might be hard to believe it at first. That’s OK. Focus on being healthy (tell yourself that you are!), believe it to be possible, you will start to create Healthy habits and make them part of your daily life and routines. It is a life style, and with time it will become natural for you to be Healthy.

Stay Healthy Long-Term

I like to focus more on being HEALTHY, rather than obtaining a particular size. I don’t necessarily feel like you have to tell yourself, “I am a size ___”, because once you reach your goal size, many tend to slip back into old (bad) habits. Just because you are a size 2 (for example), doesn’t mean you don’t have to work out or eat healthy anymore. You still will need to feed your body the nutrients that it needs. Drink plenty of water. Exercise on a regular basis. Remember, you aren’t on a “diet”, this is just how you eat! You aren’t just working out to lose weight, you are doing this to give yourself a caridovascular exercise, keep your muscles strong and healthy. It’s a lifestyle, not a fad.

Why do diets and exercise programs fail?

There can be a number of reasons diets and exercise programs fail.

With diets, people tend to become extremely strict, and expect to make a huge lifestyle change overnight. Because of this, they just quit because they feel like “It’s too hard”. With exercise programs, people sometimes work out way too much because they want to see results here and now. It takes time. You didn’t gain those 10 pounds overnight, and you won’t lose them overnight (or with one workout) either. Because people don’t see results as fast as they had hoped for, they give up feeling like it is hopeless.

What hurts you the most when you are on any healthy diet or exercise program? The two things I mentioned above are part of it, but a huge part of failing at your Health goals is just not believing in it, or not believing you can succeed. Many people while dieting and exercising tell themselves “I’m fat” and other negative and harsh words. Stop that now! You have to maintain a positive outlook on what you are doing, and keep telling yourself that you are Healthy, etc. and everything else will fall into place. Yes, it will probably not happen overnight, but that’s OK because this is long-term, remember? Not something you are doing just right before bikini season. You need to be healthy year-round, and it is a year-round effort.

It’s OK to Smile…

Tell yourself that you are “Healthy and fit”. Tell yourself that you are “Beautiful”, “Exercising is enjoyable”, “I eat Healthy foods that are good for my own body”. Tell yourself something positive! You are meant to be happy, including being happy about your own body.

Remember that it all starts with your thoughts, which leads to your actions. If you made bad choices in the past, it’s OK. It is in the past. You can make the decision NOW to be who you want to be, and focus on the end result. You ARE Healthy. Believe it. Feel it. Make it happen. Stay consistent.

Before you know it, you will be able to see the results you have been focusing on from the beginning. It’s OK to smile…you deserve it.

If you are interested in learning more about the Law of Attraction, click here to check out Carol Tuttle’s website, or you can click on the picture below:

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I hate “Diets”

Twinkie — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:56 +0000

I hate “Diets” because it just seems to imply that someone is only exercising or eating healthy for a short period of time. Once they lose weight and reach their goal, they go back to their old habits!

This type of thinking only turns “diets” into “yo-yo dieting”, which means after all that effort and time you too to lose weight and learn great eating and exercise habits, you just gained back all your weight…and then some.

If you know what I am talking about first hand, I am sure you hate dieting too. You are in luck though, because I have some good news and depending on how you look at it, maybe some bad news too.

Bad news first

I don’t think that it’s bad news, but for some it might be just that. The bad news is this: There is no magic diet pill or spell that will make your magically thin and healthy. Crazy, right? I feel like I might have just told someone that Candy Land doesn’t exist! hehe

You have to think of your eating habits and exercise routines as a part of your life. If what you are currently doing isn’t getting you to where you want to go, a temporary and short term fix won’t solve the problem for good. Maybe temporarily, but you don’t want a temporary fix because you will constantly have to worry about fixing a problem. You want to have a permanent fix. This involved a complete lifestyle adjustment and for some…and pretty big change in your life.

It may be a bit slower of a process to finally get to where you want to be. It may take time to find the healthy foods that you love to replace the old foods that didn’t do your body any good. It may take time to find and start a realistic workout routine you can keep up with and stay with (not the same machine, but the routine). By doing it this way, a lifestyle change, you will see long term results, which in the end, it’s something we are all after.

The Good news!

Your body will feel great! It’s amazing how much happier people seem to be when their body’s are functioning at their best because they are receiving the nutrients and exercise they need.

It’s not always about looking skinny/fit/slim…it’s all about being healthy and feeling good!

As always…it will be worth it. I’m here to cheer you on. You ready for this?

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Salad: Diet Friend or Foe?

Twinkie — Thu, 13 May 2010 12:00:21 +0000

When people first try to start a diet, they seem to run to the grocery store and plan on eating the healthiest thing they can think of. A Salad. Though a Salad can be quite healthy and nutritious, we are getting drenched in Calories and Fat by all of the things we are adding to the Salad- which in turn makes our Healthy intentions for Lunch and Dinner…well…not so healthy after all. So if you are going to eat a salad to be Healthy, do it the right way!

The Salad Trap

A lot of people will add on one thing after another to their salad for added color, flavor, or texture, and I will go over exactly what that meanswhen it comes to calories in your Salad bowl.

Bacon Bits – serving size is about 1 tablespoon, and it is anywhere from 25-35 calories per serving.

Craisins – serving size is 1/3 cup, and the calories is about 140 calories. Not only is this high in calories, but high in Sugar which is not a healthy thing!

Croutons – The average serving size is about 0.5 oz, and the Calories is about 50 Calories

Cheese – If you go with 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, you are looking at 240 calories. If you are trying to maintain a low calorie diet, Cheese is something you might want to try and avoid all together.

Salad Dressing – The average serving size is 1 tablespoon, and the calorie count is an average of 50 Calories. If you think about it, most people use way more than 1 tablespoon of dressing! Can you imagine how much you actually use, and how many calories you are putting on top of your Salad? It all adds up pretty quickly.

Healthy and Low Calorie Salad toppers

Carrots – 1/2 cup chopped carrots is 26 calories

Peas - 1/2 cup of peas is 56 calories

Tomatoes – 1 cup cherry tomatoes is 27 calories

Cucumbers – 1 slice ( about 7 g) is 1 calorie

Mushrooms – 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms is 22 calories

So next time you are headed over to the Salad Bar, be sure to watch out for the Salad Traps, and think about what you are adding to your Salad Bowl.

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Don’t buy Temptations!

Twinkie — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:28 +0000

There is a reason why you are healthy or unhealthy. Duh, right? Well…if it were all so easy, then everyone would be healthy and fit. Reality is most Americans are not healthy. Here are some tips on how you can make sure you are making the healthiest decisions while you are shopping at your local grocery store.

Plan Ahead

Be sure that you come up with a complete meal plan-even one with a little wiggle room! I have noticed that I am the healthiest when I come up with a plan- healthy snacks and all- before I head to the grocery store. Be sure to come up with a grocery list based on your eating habits for the upcoming week, and stick to it!

Buy Yummy foods!

Be sure you enjoy what you are eating! If you aren’t going to look forward to your lunch or your 3:00 snack…what makes you think you are going to stick to your healthy meal plan rather than hitting the vending machines to splurge on your latest craving? If you treat yourself with healthy foods that you love, you are more likely to stick to your planned food.

I love Strawberries. To me, they are a wonderful treat. A dessert! So when I know it’s going to be a tough day sticking to my healthy eating habits, I am sure to include a nice bowl of fresh strawberries in the mix. I have delicious food to look forward to; comes with everything healthy and won’t leave me with any type of regret when putting on my skinny jeans! Moral of the story? Just because you are on a “diet”, doesn’t mean you can’t be happy when it comes to what options you have to eat.

Don’t buy your biggest Temptation!

Be sure to set yourself up for success! When you are at the grocery store, be sure to only buy healthy foods that you will enjoy eating. If you buy chocolate, candy, cakes, cookies, etc and you may think “it’s just a little bit” or “it’s just one”, but you are setting yourself up for failure (aka “weight gain”). You may think your not chowing down on a lot of goodies, but more often than not, you are chowing down on more calories (the fat and sugar kind) than you realize, and they will add up faster than you can say “Skinny Twinkie”. If it’s not in your house, it’s not likely you will run to the store at 10:00 PM to pick up your craving food. If it is already available in your house, there is a good chance you will just eat it as you watch “The Biggest Loser”, which of course causes regret and unhappiness. Do yourself a favor. Don’t buy anything you know you can’t control yourself with.

Up, Up, and Away!

Are your jeans getting tighter and tighter every week? Don’t give in to the horrible temptation of going up a size. Ok, if you are in the 6th grade going through a growth spurt, that doesn’t count. But if you are a grown woman gaining weight that is just “fat” due to poor eating habits and lack of exercise…don’t just go up a size and forget the weight gain ever happened. If you go up a size…you will more likely go up another size…and another size… Do you see where this is going? One day you go to the Mall to just go home and realize you are a size 16 when you used to be a size 8. Ever heard of “letting yourself go”? This is how it happens. One French Fry at a time. Good news, there is hope! Don’t take that route again. Let’s start eating healthy NOW! Don’t wait until after the holidays…after your Birthday…or after this or that. Start an Exercise program NOW, or as soon as you speak with your Personal Trainer on what exercises you can begin with.

The choice starts now. Make the right one, please.

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