Eating healthy and being physically active can be a fun part of parties and events. Great gatherings are easy to have when tasty, healthy foods from all the food groups are offered in a fun, active environment. Above all, focus on enjoying friends and family
An estimated 20 percent of overweight and obese Americans have lost weight and kept it off — which might make you feel alternately inspired and a little underwhelmed.
There are a lot of opinions about losing weight, but what many dieters learn firsthand is that it can be just as difficult, if not more so, to maintain that weight loss, and yet the discussion surrounding maintenance is noticeably quieter.
The National Weight Control Registry was founded in 1994 to try to further that discussion. The Registry’s goal is to identify successful weight loss maintainers and study the habits, behaviors, skills and attitudes they share. Currently, the Registry tracks more than 10,000 Americans over the age of 18 who have maintained at least a 30-pound weight loss for a year or longer.
Both men and women often experience the joy of shedding countless pounds of water weightduring first few weeks of their diet. As they step onto the scale, they are dazzled by losing a total of 10 pounds within just a few days.
Even though these numbers often fluctuate and do not equate to pure fat loss, getting rid of excess liquids can produce surprising changes! You will note a sleeker and much slimmer figure!
Although real fat loss requires time and persistence, a safe drop in excessive water weight can give you an excellent quick reward for your efforts! Just get rid of those extra pounds with following tips and make your abs more toned, and your hips and waistline slimmer!
The first way to get rid of excessive water weight is to start sweating! My most critical advice is to engage in cardiovascular exercise as this will boost your heart rate and metabolism.
Thanks to increased metabolic rate your body will burn not only fat but any residual toxins in your body that contribute to retaining excess liquids!
Exercise for 30 to 60 minutes, as exceeding this limit will raise your cortisol levels! If you do not know, higher cortisol levels will hinder your weight loss altogether!
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Water weight, often called water retention or edema, can be easier to lose than fat weight, and when you start a diet, it’s usually water weight you lose first. Your diet and lifestyle can have a negative impact on your weight by causing your body to retain water. However, making a few changes can help you lose that water weight fairly quickly.
Even though these numbers often fluctuate and do not equate to pure fat loss, getting rid of excess liquids can produce surprising changes! You will note a sleeker and much slimmer figure!
Although real fat loss requires time and persistence, a safe drop in excessive water weight can give you an excellent quick reward for your efforts! Just get rid of those extra pounds with following tips and make your abs more toned, and your hips and waistline slimmer!
If you can’t shed water weight after making changes, see your doctor right away because water retention can signal the presence of an underlying medical condition.
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Many people today are interested in food and fitness. In America are diets are very unhealthy and our lifestyles are overly sedentary. More and more people are overweight, out of shape, and in poor health, physically and emotionally (the two are connected!).
Consider these key Bible verses on food and fitness. (Originally posted by Bill Gaultiere)
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 1:2).
The Lord guides us into healthy living, watering our lives like a garden
“The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring” (Isaiah 58:11, NLT).
Our bodies are sacred temples for God’s Spirit
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
Honor your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
HEALTHY EATING HABITS
Using food for comfort isn’t helpful
“Food does not bring us near to God” (1 Corinthians 8:8a).
Think before you eat: What am I feeling? How much do I really need?
“When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners: Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full. And don’t stuff yourself; bridle your appetite” (Proverbs 23:1-3, MSG).
Bring your anxieties to God (not to food)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Worrying about food wastes time and life
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life” (Matthew 6:25-27).
When lonely look to God for “family” connections (not to food)
“God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6a).
Natural foods straight from the earth are healthiest
“The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness” (Psalm 24:1, NKJV).
To nourish your body and appearance eat vegetables and drink lots of water!
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way… ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food” (Daniel 1:8, 12,13,15).
EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL
Jesus and his disciples walked and talked often
“[Jesus and his disciples] went to another village. As they were walking along the road…” (Luke 9:56-57a).
Walking can open our eyes to God’s presence
“Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country” (Mark 16:12).
Physical training can positively relate to spiritual training
“Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT).
Physical exercise is good for us. Spiritual exercise is especially good for us!
“Exercise daily in God – no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8, MSG).
IT TAKES DISCIPLINE TO BE HEALTHY
Avoid compulsions (including with food) of all kinds to honor God
“‘Everything is permissible for me’ – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’ – but I will not be mastered by anything… Therefore, Honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:12, 20b).
Discipline is the road to the good life
“The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you’re lost for good” (Proverbs 10:17, MSG).
Hard work pays off; chasing fantasies doesn’t
“He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11).
We need to put good intentions into practice to profit
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23).
Moderation is the key
“Don’t drink too much wine and get drunk; don’t eat too much food and get fat. Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags” (Proverbs 23:20-21, MSG).
HEALTHY LIVING HAPPENS IN COMMUNITY
We need each other, especially to overcome our weaknesses
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
We need deep understanding from God (and the Body of Christ)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
If we confess our struggles to each other and pray together we’ll heal and grow
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV).
We need loving feedback from others in the body of Christ in order to grow
“Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
THE SPIRITUALITY OF HEALTHY LIVING
Healthy living begins with healthy thinking
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse” (Philippians 4:8, MSG).
More than anything else we’re hungry for God
“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat” Matthew 5:6, MSG).
We need to feed our souls with God’s Word
“People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God” (Matthew 4:4b, NLT).
Fasting helps you to focus on God (and it’s good for your physical health)
“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well” (Matthew 6:16-18, MSG).
WE GROW IN HEALTHY LIVING ONE STEP AT A TIME
We all need patience. We may also need warning, encouragement, or tender care.
“Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14, NLT).
Monitor your progress by comparing yourself to your past and not to others
“Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else” (Galatians 6:4).
Positive change occurs best with slow, steady progress
“A bonanza at the beginning is no guarantee of blessing at the end” (Proverbs 20:21, MSG).
Sometimes we need to wait to sense God’s presence and help!
“Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work” (James 5:7, MSG).
Article Source: Bill Gaultiere http://www.soulshepherding.org/
Chicken (without skin)
Turkey (without skin)
Lean cuts of beef
Lean cuts of pork
Lean cuts of lamb
Lean cuts of veal
Eggs
Egg whites
Tuna fish
Salmon
Shrimp
Lobster
Flounder
Sardines
Snapper
Swordfish
Trout
Crab
Clams
Scallops
Milk (2% or skim)
Cottage cheese (low fat/non fat)
Yogurt (low fat/non fat)
Tofu
Black beans
Garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Miso
Soybeans
Peanuts
Almonds
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Pistachio nuts
Natural peanut butter
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Protein powder, protein shakes and protein bars. (I explain the purpose and benefits of these supplements here: Protein Powder)
Brown Rice
100% whole wheat bread
100% whole wheat bagels
100% whole wheat pita bread
Whole wheat/whole grain pasta
Sweet potatoes
Yams
Oatmeal
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Bran cereals
Garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)
Kidney beans
Black beans
Lentils
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Lima Beans
Apple
Orange
Plum
Banana
Grapes
Strawberries
Peaches
Pears
Cantaloupe
Pineapple
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Asparagus
Spinach
Lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Avocado
Cucumber
Eggplant
Tomato
Cauliflower
Celery
Turnip
Bok choy
Mushrooms
Peppers
Green peas
Salmon
Mackerel
Herring
Anchovies
Sardines
Scallops
Halibut
Fish oil supplements (It’s one of the only supplements I use and fully recommend. I explain why here: Fish Oil Supplements.)
Peanuts
Almonds
Walnuts
Cashews
Natural peanut butter
Olive oil (extra-virgin)
Flax seeds
Flax seed oil
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Article Source: http://www.theloseweightdiet.com/
According to the MayoClinic.com website, edema is “swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body’s tissues.” This type of swelling can be caused by sitting in one position for too long, having high salt content in your diet, pregnancy, side effect medications or surgery or it can also be a symptom of a severe medical condition like kidney disease or heart failure. If you’re having sudden or severe water retention then seek medical attention immediately.
In cases where the swelling is mild and there is no underlying health condition, you may be able to reduce water retention with a few simple tricks.
Here are 6 tips to reduce water retention.
Salt is made of sodium and chloride.
Sodium binds to water in the body and helps maintain the balance of fluids both inside and outside of cells.
If you often eat meals that are high in salt, such as many processed foods, your body may retain water. These foods are actually the biggest dietary source of sodium.
The most common advice for reducing water retention is to decrease sodium intake. However, the evidence behind this is mixed.
Several studies have found that increased sodium intake leads to increased retention of fluid inside the body.
On the other hand, one study of healthy men found that increased sodium intake did not cause body fluid retention, so this may depend on the individual.
Magnesium is a very important mineral.
In fact, it is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions that keep the body functioning.
Moreover, increasing your magnesium intake may help reduce water retention.
One study found that 200 mg of magnesium per day reduced water retention in women with premenstrual symptoms (PMS).
Other studies of women with PMS have reported similar results.
Good sources of magnesium include nuts, whole grains, dark chocolate and leafy, green vegetables. It is also available as a supplement.
Vitamin B6 is a group of several related vitamins.
They are important for the formation of red blood cells, and they also serve many other functions in the body.
Vitamin B6 has been shown to reduce water retention in women with premenstrual syndrome.
Foods rich in vitamin B6 include bananas, potatoes, walnuts and meat.
Potassium is a mineral that serves several important functions.
For example, it helps send the electrical signals that keep the body running. It may also benefit heart health.
Potassium appears to help reduce water retention in two ways, by decreasing sodium levels and increasing urine production.
Bananas, avocados and tomatoes are examples of foods that are high in potassium.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is an herb that has been used as a natural diuretic in folk medicine for a long time.
Natural diuretics may help reduce water retention by making you pee more often.
In one study, 17 volunteers took three doses of dandelion leaf extract over a 24-hour period.
They monitored their fluid intake and output during the following days, and reported a significant increase in the amount of urine produced.
Although this was a small study with no control group, the results indicate that dandelion extract may be an effective diuretic.
Eating refined carbs leads to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels.
High insulin levels cause the body to retain more sodium by increasing re-absorption of sodium in the kidneys.
This leads to more fluid volume inside the body.
Examples of refined carbs include processed sugars and grains, such as table sugar and white flour.
Article Source: https://authoritynutrition.com
Creating a diet and workout plan is hard enough, but sticking to it is even harder. It’s true that it takes a lot of time and energy to adopt a new diet plan and to stick with it. So here are some common reasons why you might be tempted to quit your diet – and what you can do about it.
Snack time is important because it can satiate hunger between meals to prevent overeating and help you lose weight. Snacks can also be a way to get valuable nutrients you’re missing from meals alone. But not all snacks are good ones.
There are some strong opinions out there about whether it’s appropriate to include snacks into the daily meal plan. Although there are no set rules, for many, having a snack or two can help manage hunger levels and maintain blood sugar levels. Snacks can definitely be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle, but as with anything related to one’s “diet,” it depends on what and how much is being consumed.
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