A Change in Habits Can Result in Weight Change

Our actions make us - that includes the habits and routines that we continue to follow day after day. There are moments when we need to pause and reflect concerning changing those habits and routines.

There has been a recent change for me! I recently began distributing Herbalifenutrition products. Understandably, Herbalife and my distribution of their products impacts the way I look at nutrition - I see it through different glasses. Over the years, my 32 inch waist has crept up to a 38inch  waist. To compensate for this increase I have really tried to lose weight and reduce my size - by increasing the intensity of my workouts - fortunately, I enjoy working out. But it seemed I couldn't lose weight or the inches. And it didn't seem anyone was complaining (except me) about my slowly increasing breadth. So, I rationalized the situation - telling myself - "Oh, don't worry, these workouts are turning your flab/fat to muscle and muscle, after all, weights more than fat." Sounds like a plausible argument to me (of course, I am not a nutritionist or a Doctor).


But now, I have started replacing my normal breakfast meal with a Herbalife meal replacement shake along with taking a multivitamin and their Cell Activator product. The results? To date I have lost 10 lbs!  Wow! This is really surprising to me . I couldn't lose before, I decided to change my normal breakfast habit and surprise, surprise I have lost 10 lbs.

I am not finished - I still want to lose a little bit more weight, but more importantly, I have found a way to control my appetite and my weight. After all, I am the one responsible for the food and the amount of food that has been going into my mouth.

If you might be interested in following along with this idea - that is - replacing a meal or two with a delicious Meal replacement Shake, check out this site:  i Got Nutrition .com
Or, if you are interested in seeing and learning more about the products, check out i Got Nutrition Mall .com

May the Habits you and I choose to change add up to our success!

Components of Good Nutrition

We talked about bad nutrition, so it only makes sense that we also identify WHAT IS GOOD NUTRITION?

Good nutrition leads to good health, and may include a diet that contains vitamins, proteins, etc. 

Food items that are good for your health - Good Nutrition are: 

1. All vegetables (Except potatoes and sweet potatoes. They are good but only when consumed in small quantities) 
2. All fruits 
3. Groundnuts
4. Brown rice
5. Wheat
6. Milk
7. Soya beans
8. Eggs 
9. Fish
10. Meat - but not to excess. No more than 8oz per day. (Vitamin B12 is only found in animal sources).

Notice the Food Group Pyramid below. Following the pyramid as a suggestion for improved nutrition and good health, we need to consume more of the foods groups at the base of the pyramid and less of those at the top of the pyramid. Said another way, eat less of the food groups at the top of the pyramid and more as you progress to the bottom of the pyramid.

Okay, What does Bad Nutrition Look Like?

What are some of the components of Bad Nutrition?

Okay, we’ve all heard that we are what we eat. We talked about what nutrition is and we all seem to have a picture of what someone who eats nutritiously looks like. Well, just so it’s out there - what does bad nutrition look like? Below is a list what is bad - just to make us feel guilty if we go there.

1)  Oily Foods - Chips? Greasy Burgers? - “You’ve got to be kidding.”

2)  Fried Foods - Fried Chicken? French Fries? Come on...

3)  Butter, Gheet (butter) - “Just a pat on my too dry toast!”

     Okay, this is pure fat - we probably should not use too much.

4)  Raw Eggs - okay, that settles it, we need to take the time to cook our eggs.

5)  Unwashed raw vegetables and fruits - Okay, cleanliness is next to Godliness! So, this is simple, let’s rinse all the raw vegetables and fruits that we buy. For example, pull out the colander, put the veggies and  

fruit in it, allow water to run over them, and if necessary scrub them with a soft bristle brush and rinse  

again.

Surprise, Surprise, Bad Nutrition leads to Bad Health - (I’ll bet you didn’t see that coming!)

Side effects of bad nutrition include: 

• malnutrition; 
• deficiency diseases - like iron deficiency, vitamin deficiency, folic acid deficiency (a special concern to pregnant mothers)
• high cholesterol;
• weak bones;
• high blood pressure.

So, there you have it - some of the elements of bad nutrition. We can side step Bad Health if we incorporate Good Nutrition into our diets. So, next time I will look at what food items help us realize Good Nutrition.

NUTRITION / WEIGHT-LOSS / BALANCE

NUTRITION / WEIGHT-LOSS / BALANCE

I have always heard the word "nutrition" and thought I knew what it means - a branch of science dealing with the way the foods we eat and the associated chemicals effect our bodies. It seems to carry with it the idea that there are foods, and amounts of those foods that are good for us and there are those that are not good for us. You know, how when you were growing up your mom told you not to eat sweets or your desert first - because doing so would ruin your dinner. And back then it didn't seem that we had developed a taste for anything but sweets and our desserts. Then as you get older it seems the amount of sweets we consume seems to define our shape. And then we come to understand, though we may not implement the idea of seeking to achieve BALANCE in our diets.

                                                        A

                                                      L   N

                                                   A         C

                          __________  B                E  ___________

You know, a balance of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, and Water. These six are the elements of food.

Carbohydrates are simple sugars, or substances that can be reduced to simple sugars by hydrolysis. Carbohydrate's main function is to provide energy for the body. Some common foods high in carbohydrates include bread, cake, cookies, rice, potatoes and ordinary granulated sugar.

Proteins are primarily utilized in the building and repair of body tissues. They are also energy-providing. Eggs, fish, meat, milk, garbanzos, and soybeans are sources of food that are high in protein.

Fats. Of all the energy-giving substances, surprisingly fats provide the most energy. Fats are not only: a) energy-providing, they b) serve as padding around our internal organs, c) insulation for the body, and d) carriers of the fat-soluble vitamins and lubricants of the gastrointestinal tract. Fats also improve the palatability of the diet. Examples of foods with a high fat content include peanut butter, avocado, margarine, egg yolk, nuts, coconut, and chocolate.

Vitamins are a group of potent organic compounds which occur in small quantities in foods, and are necessary for growth and for the regulation of the body processes.

Minerals are elements needed by our bodies. They make up less than five percent of the body weight but they are indispensable to the body functions. Minerals serve as components of the bones and the teeth and they give rigidity to these hard tissues. They are components also of soft tissue like the muscles.

Minerals make possible the normal rhythm of the heartbeat and they are essential for blood clotting. Minerals help control the contraction of muscles, the irritability of nerves, and the water balance of the body. Some of the minerals that are needed by the body are sulfur, magnesium and manganese, chlorine, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iodine and iron.

Water ranks second to oxygen. Around 70 percent of our body weight is made of water. Water acts as a solvent for all the products of digestion. It is used as a building material, prevents friction between the moving parts of the body and it is the means by which food is carried to the cells and waste products are carried out. Water also helps regulate body temperature. Water passes out from the body by four avenues: the kidneys, skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract.

Nutrition is important. And we achieve "good nutrition" through a balance in our diets. Hence, there are times when we need to be careful of what we consume. Okay, this is a nice way of saying that we need to watch our diets. "If we don't watch what we eat, others won't watch us either." And while we intuitively know that its not all about us, we do care that others notice, hence we need to watch what we eat so that we present ourselves in a pleasant manner to capture the attention of others - because we care about our appearance and what others think of us.