What am I supposed to Eat?

It can be so frustrating when you decide you are going to eat a healthier diet. What can I eat? Is is going to taste like leaves and grass? I can't do this. These were my initial thoughts when I changed my eating habits. I discovered it wasn't about bland. It was about eating food that wasn't made in laboratories. The food I ate had natural ingredients grown from the soil that our ancestors ate for thousands of years. I learned that saturated fat needed to be minimized not eliminated. I bought extra lean meats and ate smaller portions of that meat. I ended up baking my own cookies where I could control the amounts of fat, sugar and salt. I was now the scientist making the food that was best for me and not some corporation just looking for profits. I made my own chili, cakes, tacos, sandwiches and just about all the other things I ate before. The didn't taste the same but my taste buds adapted to the change and now the old frankenfood tasted too greasy and salty. The best part was that my stomach was telling me I was full and I wasn't constantly eating until I couldn't breathe. The weight all came off, the mood swings were gone and now I have so much energy. Give it a try!

5 Steps To Prevent A Heart Attack

The number one killer of American's is not being murdered, it's not sitting on a dirty toilet and it's not radiation from the microwave. Yet we spend more time worrying about dying from these types of rare death situations than the most likely cause of our deaths, a heart attack. If anything is going to kill you it will most likely be a heart attack or/and a stroke. Let's face it. We all our guilty of our love affair with junk food. It is the most widely accepted form of abusive behavior in our society. We wouldn't give our children alcohol to drink but we will feed them food made out of fatty deep fried lard and trans fats with enough sugar to get them hooked for life. Stop the madness now and follow these 5 steps to preventing a heart attack.

1. Don't smoke.
2. Exercise everyday.
3. Avoid Trans Fats and eat a diet low in Saturated Fat.
4. Maintain a healthy weight. Use a BMI Calculator to find your healthy weight range based on your height.
5. Check your cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes risk every year.

Exercise Routine - Weights and Elliptical Machine

I have a very consistent exercise routine. So far I have lost over 20 pounds in the past 4 months and have achieved my goal weight. I make it a point to never stray from daily exercise. I start my routine with a short walk with my dog for about 15 minutes. It's a great way to get some fresh air, see the outdoors and bond with my dog. The real exercise comes either in the afternoon or evening. I lay back on my declined weight bench and lift basic 15 lbs. dumbbells for 10 repetitions for 3 sets. Then I use the same weights doing butterfly curls for 10 reps for 3 sets. Next is sits ups and leg lifts for 20 reps for each position. So all that takes about 15 minutes to complete. Then it's 1 hour on the elliptical machine. I don't worry about intensity on the elliptical. Its about the walking and moving for an hour that raises my heartbeat level and gets my metabolism up. The decline bench helps to stretch my spine and improve blood flow. So that is my daily routine. Everyone has different needs so find a routine that works for your needs and make it a daily thing so you can keep your body strong.

Top 10 Health Problems And Most Are Diet Related

50% of the top 10 illnesses people die from are related to your diet. Change your diet and save your life.

1. Heart Disease - Diet related
2. Cancer - Diet related
3. Stroke - Diet related
4. Bronchitis and Emphysema
5. Car Accidents and Injuries
6. Type 2 Diabetes - Diet related
7. Alzheimer's Disease
8. Influenza
9. Kidney Disease - Diet related
10. Septicemia (Blood Poisoning)

Calories, Salts, Fats and Sugars

The American diet has been hijacked by processed foods designed to be cheap, salty, sweet, addictive, calorie dense and high in fats. The basic foundation for a healthy body comes from whole grain and plant based foods yet these don't exist anymore for most Americans. We have become addicted to deep fried, barbecued, donut, cheesy pizza and fatty meat that makes us drool yet slowly kills us. There are no pills that will save us from rotting from the inside out. Our only hope comes from educating ourselves on what we should be eating and how to make it. When was the last time you chopped a vegetable, steamed your food or prepared a meal from scratch? Take the time to use the fruits and vegetables you pass by every day at the grocery store and make a salad for lunch using a lowfat dressing. Make a spicy homemade chili with no meat or a create a vegetable soup. Grill some pineapple with some veggies. Look online for new ways to make great meals versus a box of instant food. You will be better for it.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Whenever I go to the grocery store I am amazed at how confusing it is to buy bread. There are more variations than just about any other food item. All I want is a healthy wheat bread. I want something that is tasty yet has a decent amount of fiber without all the artificial junk. The best one I have found is the Sarah Lee 100% Whole Wheat. Now don't get confused because even within a brand name there are variations but you are good as long as you look for the 100%. Why? Because the law states a product cannot put 100% whole wheat unless it is in fact ONE HUNDRED PERCENT whole wheat rather than some wheat with a lot of sugar and fillers and enriched yata yata. So give it a try and get the healthy bread your body needs.

Natural Foods

The best way to stay healthy is to eat foods from nature. This sounds boring at first until you realize that all great food comes from nature we have just gotten so used to everything being instant and easy. You can have cake and cookies but make them using a real recipe and choose your ingredients from natural sources. Use things like apple sauce and flour and nuts. You will find that your body will more easily digest these things and your energy level will skyrocket. My favorite snack foods are yogurt and nuts or whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter. Start buying fruits and vegetables. Turn fruit into jelly spreads and add those vegetables to a great tomato pasta sauce. The variations of what you can eat will begin to expand the moment you stock your fridge with these great things rather than the boxes of instant fake food. You will find a more balanced way of eating and the cravings and the binges will be less and less.