Wrapping Up 61 Days To Better Health

On November 1st we started 61 Days To Better Health, and today is our final post.  I’ve enjoyed taking this journey towards better health with you.  I hope you’ve found these posts helpful, and that you are on a road to better health.

Here is a look back at some of the issues we have addressed over the last 61 Days To Better Health…

Nutrition:

• Say “No” to empty calories.
• Don’t forget the salt, the pepper and the flaxseed.
• Are you drinking enough water?
• Eating Healthy, The Green Way
• You Are What You Eat
• Benefits of Peppermint
• Lemon water can increase your metabolism and help you lose weight.
• Eat soup and lose weight.
• Low glycemic diets.

Fitness:

• 5 Winter Workout Ideas
• Take a walk in the sun
• Green fitness
• Curb emotional eating with yoga.
• The health benefits of sex.

Lifestyle:

• Turn off the TV
• Laugh your way to better health.
• Tips for getting a better night sleep.
• Choose Happiness
• Buy Organic
• Lose weight with a friend.
• Have fun and enjoy life.

Thanks for joining me in 61 Days To Better Health…Tomorrow we begin our 2009 Good Health-a-Thon.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

What will you do with leftover holiday cookies and candy?

It’s time to stop eating holiday cookies and candy. Do you think you can do it? Probably not as long as they are still in your house.

If you have leftover holiday cookies or candy in your house, you need to get rid of them. It doesn’t matter how you get rid of them, just GET RID OF THEM.

You can throw them in the trash or give them to a neighbor, anything to avoid being tempted to eat them yourself.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

A Low Glycemic Index Diet (like the South Beach Diet) can increase energy and promote weight loss.

Did you know that choosing to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index can increase your energy level and also help you lose weight?

It’s true.

Foods that are high on the glycemic index (like bread and pasta) will give you a quick boost of energy, but very quickly your blood sugar will crash and you will become fatigued.  However, foods that are low on the glycemic index help you to sustain energy over time, and will help you lose weight.

From The Glycemic Index…

Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.

• Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
• Low GI diets increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin
• Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
• Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
• Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
• Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
• Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
• Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
• High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

Also See:

Kalyn’s Kitchen:  Easy South Beach Recipes

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Weight Loss Tip: Smart Snacking While Dieting

Weight Loss Tip: Smart Snacking While Dieting

One of the biggest problems we face when we are on a diet, is the feeling of deprivation. We feel deprived, and we want to eat the “junk” foods that aren’t part of our healthy diet. Believe it or not, the best way to stay on your diet at this point, is to give in to your desire to cheat.

The key to cheating on your diet, is to cheat using strict portion control. Have your cake. Have your cookies. Have your candy. Have your chips. You can have what you desire, but only one serving. I know it sounds hard, but if you get in the habit, it will become second nature.

Even though this is a total no-brainer, most of us (including myself) don’t actually do it.

Dawn from Life at the Moment…

Have you ever sat down to have a few chips and the next thing you know, the bag is 3/4 gone? Or started eating some Thin Mint cookies and ended up eating the whole role? No matter what you’re eating, look at the label first. Figure out how much equals 1 serving and how many calories are in 1 serving. Put 1 serving worth on a plate or in a bowl, seal the bag/box, and put it back in the cupboard. Stop after 1 serving. If you do this all the time, you’ll train yourself to eat more appropriate portions, and you’ll be more aware of how much you’re eating when you snack.

Also See:

• Overeating During The Holidays
• Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
• Believe In Yourself: Set Realistic Dieting & Fitness Goals

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes

My daughter is ready to start baking some holiday cookies…But I’m worried I’m gonna want to eat (too many of) them.   I never seem to be able to just eat one or two. So I thought a good idea would be to bake “healthy” holiday cookies.

Do you need to bake holiday cookies?  Are you interested in making healthier cookies?  If so, try some of these Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes…

• Angel Delights
• Nicki’s Healthy Cookie Recipe
• Healthy No Bake Cookie
• Double Dark Chocolate Biscotti
• Whole Grain (gluten free) Gingersnaps

Do you have a favorite healthy holiday cookie recipe?

Also See:

Heart Healthy Eggnog

Make Any Recipe More Healthy

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Fresh Vegetables: Pre-cut, cleaned, and in a stay fresh/microwavable bag.

A great way to get your fresh vegetables – Pre-cut and cleaned.

Do you find yourself wanting to eat healthier, but cleaning, cutting and preparing fresh vegetables isn’t working out for you?

I love vegetables but when I buy them fresh they often go bad before I even get a chance to eat them.  For that reason, I tend to buy most of my vegetables frozen.  But after my post on raw food diets, I really wanted to try and start eating some raw vegetables occasionally – and frozen really doesn’t cut it.

So…I was at the supermarket with my daughter yesterday and the bagged lettuce was on sale (when it’s on sale I usually get some, it just makes it a lot easier when we want a quick salad).  Anyway, I noticed they also had bags of pre-cut vegetables on sale too.  Knowing it would be much more likely that I would eat the pre-cut and cleaned vegetables, I decided to get a few bags.  They even had a stir-fry variety that had snow peas (I love snow peas), and I can’t even remember the last time I had the time or inclination to make a stir fry, so I decided to give it a try.

Well, I was not disappointed one bit. This is a product I will continue to buy (when they are on sale).

They were from a company called Eat Smart and they even come in special bags that you can use to steam the vegetables in the microwave.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Tips For Saving Money On Your Groceries While Still Eating Healthy

In order to eat healthy during our declining economy, we need to learn to take time to make the most of every dollar we spend on groceries. That can be easier said than done, but it can be done.  Taking time to plan is key to your success.

Here are a few tips to help you eat (and shop) healthy on a budget…

Tip #1 – Take the time to look for deals, use coupons and check sale fliers. The Internet has made this even easier, you can check sales and print coupons right from your computer.

Tip #2 – Plan your meals and create your shopping list around the ingredients you will need.

Tip #3 – Keep to your list at the grocery store and avoid impulse buying.

Tip #4 – Purchase fresh food items and avoid buying processed foods whenever possible.

Tip #5 – Avoid foods with labels making “special” health claims.  Often these are marketing techniques designed to get you to pay more money for something. Truly healthy foods do not need to be marketed as healthy…they just are.

These are just a few quick tips that can help you save money on groceries while still eating healthy.  If you have any tips that you use, please share them in comments.

Also See:

How You Can Save Money On Food and Still Eat Healthy

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Could A Raw Food Diet Help You Lose Weight?

Have you ever considered a raw food diet?  The idea of a raw food diet has never been very appealing to me.  It always conjures up images of sushi and steak tartar.  But recently I’ve come across some vegetable only raw food recipes, and they don’t look too bad.

I wouldn’t recommend anyone follow a strict raw food diet, mainly because it is too difficult to maintain proper nutrition with this type of diet.  However, eating raw vegetables is very healthy.  So, including raw food recipes in our diet can be extremely beneficial to good health and weight loss.

Benefits of a raw food diet…

Proponents of the raw diet believe that enzymes are the life force of a food and that every food contains its own perfect mix. These enzymes help us digest foods completely, without relying on our body to produce its own cocktail of digestive enzymes.

It is also thought that the cooking process destroys vitamins and minerals and that cooked foods not only take longer to digest, but they also allow partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to clog up our gut and arteries.

Now like I said, I’m not sold on sticking to a raw food diet long term.  But I think for a week or two as a way to “jump start” a weight loss program, could be beneficial.  And if a raw food diet seems way to radical for you…Maybe just try to incorporate some raw vegetables and raw food recipes into your non-raw food diet.

This is one recipe I am definitely going to try…

Guacamole

Do you have a favorite raw food recipe I should try?

I recently found a great product at my local supermarket – pre-cut fresh vegetables that are cleaned and in a stay fresh bag.  The cost is about the same as frozen vegetables, but this way you have the option of eating them either raw or cooked. 

Also See:

Cranky Fitness

Real Food Tulsa

Raw Vegan Foodie

Raw Food Divas Blog

Kalyn’s Kitchen

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope

Try This Heart Healthy Eggnog For Your Next Holiday Party

Do you love eggnog but hate all the extra fat and calories?  I found a great recipe for a low fat and low calorie substitute for eggnog.   Give it a try and let me know what you think.

From Perfect Entertaining…

1 quart skim milk
1 cup thawed fat free frozen egg substitute *
1/2 cup fat free instant vanilla pudding powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
Freshly grated nutmeg

Combine the milk, egg substitute, pudding, sugar, vanilla, and rum in a blender. Process until smooth. Chill for at least 3 hours. Stir or shake well before serving. Sprinkle the nutmeg on each serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes

*Make sure to use a frozen egg substitute rather than a powdered or other substitute as the results will not be the same. This eggnog is made using pasteurized eggs, so has the added advantage of being safe for the elderly, children, or those with compromised immunity with no danger of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs.

This eggnog stores well for up to 8 hours, but after that it starts to lose some of the thickness and body that makes for a great eggnog.

Papaya Is Good For Your Digestive Health – It can help prevent colds and flu too.

Papaya helps promote digestive health with natural enzymes.  And a body with strong digestion has a stronger immunity because of its ability to remove built up waste from the body.

Did you know that strong digestion increases your metabolism?   It’s true…And an increased metabolism can help promote weight loss.

Papaya is also great for the immune system. The vitamin C and A in papaya are both needed for proper function of a healthy immune system, making it helpful in the prevention of colds and flu.

From Worlds Healthiest Foods…

The nutrients in papaya have also been shown to be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer. Papaya’s fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papaya’s folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

These nutrients provide synergistic protection for colon cells from free radical damage to their DNA. Increasing your intake of these nutrients by enjoying papaya is an especially good idea for individuals at risk of colon cancer.

Prepare papaya…

Mix diced papaya, cilantro, jalapeno peppers and ginger together to make a unique salsa that goes great with shrimp, scallops and halibut.

Sprinkle papaya with fresh lime juice and enjoy as is.

Slice a small papaya lengthwise and fill with fruit salad.

In a blender, combine papaya, strawberries and yogurt for a cold soup treat.

What do you think of papaya? I love it.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan, Capessa Health, Women4Hope