Diet Is The Best Source of Nutrients; Juice Plus+ Is Fruit And Vegetable Nutrients

Any nutritionist or dietician worth their weight, will tell you that the best source of nutrition comes from your diet - that is, what you eat. We recommend Juice Plus+® as a way to get added nutrients from fruits and vegetables because most people don't get enough.

The problem with most diet plans is that they don't include enough of the right foods. Not only that, but too many foods with little to no nutritional value. This is where we lack the vitamins and nutrients we need to maintain good health.

When considering those who want weight loss, and are trying to deal with the burdens of being overweight, we find that a poor diet is just the start of the problem. In fact, it's not the extra weight that really is the issue. In order to be 50 or 100 pounds overweight, you are not consuming too many calories from fruits and vegetables...not a chance. If you're carrying that much extra weight, there is a 99% chance that you are not getting anywhere close to the amount of good nutrition that your body needs to be healthy.

So being overweight is just another symptom of a poor diet. The real focus for an overweight person should be on getting healthy, and starting to make adjustments to a healthy diet. The weight loss will naturally happen as a "side-effect" of a healthy diet. The other changes may be a lowering of cholesterol, blood pressure, and even possibly less dependence on insulin if Type II Diabetes is present. Here's more on getting vitamins and nutrients from your diet --

With the jury still out on the benefits of vitamin and mineral supplements—including multivitamins—the mantra you'll most likely hear from doctors and nutritionists is to get your nutrients from food whenever possible. But that's not always easy, especially within a limited calorie budget. Harvard Women's Health Watch consulted two nutrition experts to find out if a supplement-free, nutrient-rich, low-calorie diet is possible to achieve. Their conclusion: yes, with the exception of vitamin D, which is tough to obtain through diet and sun exposure alone (unless you live in the southern latitudes and spend a lot of time outside).

Here's what the newsletter says a 1,200-calorie diet that satisfies the nutrient needs for women ages 51 to 70 might look like:

Breakfast: 8 oz. nonfat yogurt, ½ cup sliced papaya, ½ cup sliced kiwi, 1 oz. (14 halves) walnuts, 4 oz. skim milk.

Lunch: 1 small whole-wheat pita, green salad (1 cup dark green lettuce, 1 red or orange pepper, 1 cup grape tomatoes, ½ cup edamame beans, 1 tbsp. unsalted sunflower seeds, salad dressing made with 1 tbsp. olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pepper).

Dinner: 4 oz. broiled wild salmon with yogurt sauce (1 tbsp. Greek-style nonfat yogurt, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 clove chopped garlic), 1 cup steamed baby bok choy, ¼ cup cooked barley, and ¼ cup cooked lentils with spices to taste.

Read the HWHW article for the nutritional breakdown of this menu and for a list of nutrient-dense foods that its experts recommend form the core of your diet. And take a look at these diets that promote health and always have. Plus: here are 7 must-dos before you buy a functional food. (Source)

Comments: A healthy diet should be the focus for any person trying to lose weight or improve their health. A healthy weight will be arrived at when focusing on a healty lifestyle. Eating plenty of raw, whole food fruits and vegetables is the most important part of a healthy diet. That's where the best source of good nutrition comes from. And until you reach the minimum recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day, we recommend you add Juice Plus+® to your diet. Juice Plus+® contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, so it helps you get the nutrients that you are probably otherwise missing.

Every diet plan should start with ridding those sugary drinks and substituting water in their place. Most people are not getting enough water in their diet, and the body's signal that it needs water is often mistaken for hunger pangs. So, if you think you're hungry, try drinking 16 oz. of water first. This is one the easiest and most effective actions to improving your health.

Improve Your Health With Grapes And Berries, High In Antioxidants

We know that berries and grapes have a high level of antioxidants. Well, Juice Plus+® has a Berry Blend (aka Vineyard Blend) that contains the nutrients from 9 different grapes and berries. While many diabetics have to pass on many fruits with high sugar content, the Juice Plus+® Fruit Blend, Vegetable Blend, and Berry Blend all have no sugar, just the nutrients without the water and sugar. Here's a report on the strength of Berries for your health --

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, blueberries and blackberries are among the top ten healthiest foods and are both loaded with vitamins and antioxidant-rich nutrients that have been proven to fight and lower the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

How can berries benefit people with diabetes?

• Berries are all-natural and low in fat, carbohydrates and calories, but are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals - so they make a great low-sugar snack or addition to any diabetic meal!
• Blueberries contain myrtillin and pterostilbene, which help to control or lower elevated blood sugar levels. The leaves have an active ingredient with a remarkable ability to rid the body of excessive sugar in the blood. Dried blueberry leaf tea has been used historically for insulin regulation.
• Blueberries also promote healthy circulation, which can often be a problem for diabetics. Their antioxidants strengthen capillaries and blood vessels, and can improve your blood flow rate. Blueberries are also great for your eyes, memory and heart!
• The diabetic exchange for blackberries is a 3/4 cup serving, with only 75 calories, 18 grams of carbohydrate and 8 grams of fiber per cup. Blackberries also deliver 50% of your daily dose of vitamin C and are high in potassium which helps to control blood pressure. (Read on...)

Note: Diet and exercise can help reduce the risk of degenerative diseases like heart disease and stroke, diabetes and cancer. Fruits and vegetables are especially important in supporting good health and in the prevention of sickness and disease. If you aren't getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, learn more abou how you can benefit from adding Juice Plus+® to your diet. Adding the Juice Plus+® Berry Blend is also an option worth considering for getting more nutrients and antioxidants. But don't forget, avoiding fast foods and soft drinks and the unhealthy stuff, is just as important as being sure to get the minimum required amounts of the healthy foods you DO need.

Remember, there is no substitute for raw, whole food fruits and vegetables. But Juice Plus+® may just be the next best thing.

Diet And Good Nutrition - Start With One Change For Better Health

Juice Plus+® is a concentrate of fruit and vegetable nutrients, and is one easy change to your diet that can support your health.

Whether the health issues we are facing today are about access to health care, the budget for affordable health care, reversing the obesity epidemic, or improving the health of Americans... it all boils down to one simple thing: a healthy diet. This may sound oversimplified or too simple to be true, but it is the truth.

Take this scenario: everyone tomorrow starts eating a healthy diet that consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and water. While a healthy diet is followed, there is a shortage of people getting fast foods, soft drinks, and snack foods - all items that are either too high in salt, sugar, and/or fat. Now, the next thing realized by food makers after the initial shock, is some strain on the economy... initially. But there would be some serious corrections to the marketplace in a very short time.

Ok, enough about fantasy world because that isn't going to happen. We all have our habits, routines, and things that we just arent' willing to give up. In short, change is not easy, especially when we don't see any immediate gratification from it. Initially, we wouldn't either. In fact, we'd feel pain. The pain of withdrawal symptoms from lack of sugar or caffeine or salt...or whatever is put in those foods that makes them so addictive. Yes, we wouldn't be all full of excitement and joy over giving up the foods and drinks that have held our taste buds hostage for so long. But...there is hope.

If the long-term picture can be drawn clearly so that we have no doubt about what is in store for us when we complete the journey, there is much more pleasure on the other side than there is in the moment it takes to down a soft drink, or eat a hamburger. And really, it is only 3 weeks to reach that point of never turning back (someone once said). That is a heartbeat relative to a lifetime. Is it worth it? Absolutely. The key is to have that picture of your life so clear and so real that you won't think twice about moving toward it...everyday.

The future of our health rests on each of us making the effort to change. Not a lot, but starting with one simple change. Drinking water each day as 95% of our total beverage consumption and sticking with it for 3 weeks...that's a good start. If there was a surge of people who did this, then those who bring us bottled water would feel the pressure of bringing a higher quality product. Later, when you start adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet and a surge of people do the same, then farmers will start putting more emphasis on a better harvest, and in higher quantities.

This is how change must happen. Individually, we must decide and act. It's not the government or corporations that will do what needs to be done. Only you and me...and hopefully we become a bigger and bigger number with more and more influence to get everyone making the same healthy choices.

Will you start today?

Start with water. If you want to add a 2nd change, get more fruit and vegetable nutrients with Juice Plus+®. While you work on adding the minimum recommended fruits and vegetables to your diet, take Juice Plus+® until you get there.

A Healthy Diet Is The Best Health Care Plan Available

Since most people don't get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet, we recommend Juice Plus+®. Not just a few vitamins, Juice Plus+® is a concentrate of nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables.

If we can get more people discussing, touting, shouting, and screaming about the importance of a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, as the solution for our health care dilemma...then we might have a chance. A chance at saving our health, saving our strained national budget (is there a budget?), and reversing the impending doom that seems to be lurking over the future of our children's health. We don't need more money "thrown" at the 'problem'. The problem isn't a lack of access to health care, but is a lack of nutrition. Good nutrition.

We must take responsibility for our own health. We can't expect to continue on the path of unhealthy choices without suffering the consequences. Since makers of all the processed foods, fast foods, and soft drinks aren't going to stop anytime soon; and since so many unhealthy products are actually addictive, we have to take charge of our own health. And it starts by consuming more fruits and vegetables, busting our diet vices, and implementing a healthy weight loss plan. This author agrees that we need to do just that --

The new health care plan for Americans should include nutritious food from sources like the Denver garden. American couch potato life style is swiftly taking a toll on the health care system. As Americans consume more and more empty calories and less nutritious food, more health care is needed.

The new health care plan should include educating Americans as to their food choices. So many young people are growing up thinking that energy drinks and fast food are the best way to get through the day. Eating good, healthy , vitamin and nutrition packed foods from the garden should be part of every Americans new health care plan.

The new health care plan begs for an old theme. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, is the one that comes to mind. We are learning more every day about the way high antioxidant fruits and vegetables help in the fight against major illnesses, diseases and conditions. Is it any wonder why the top killers in this country are diet associated diseases? (Examiner.com Article)

Comments: It may be a stretch to think that we could undo the damage we have done to ourselves from our poor diet choices, but that is the only real solution...for the time being - promoting a healthy diet. Maybe research will uncover the gene that controls motivation for all things good and healthy, and we'll learn to 'switch it on' so that everyone will start eating (and enjoying!) raw, whole food fruits and vegetables, start exercising more, and be turned off by the unhealthy fast foods and soft drinks and processed foods that are contributing to the demise of our nation's and the world's health.

Get on the road to a healthy lifestyle and lose weight in the process. Check out The Vice Busting Diet Plans for the path to healthier living. Endorsed by Oprah's Dr. Mehmet Oz, these weight loss plans will wake you up to a healthier, more fit, happier, energetic YOU.

A Family Diet Together is A Family Healthy Together

Ok, maybe the title isn't exactly right, but the point is that studies have found that those families who eat together are showing to be healthier. While this obviously doesn't mean that if you all go to Pizza Hut and eat together everyday you're going to be healthier. A healthy diet is not just about eating together, but doing so at home is a good start. I'm sure it's good for a lot of things other than just a better chance of eating healthier. Since the childhood obesity epidemic is not slowing down, all families could certainly stand to come together and help make at least one meal a day a special time to be together and get healthy nutrients. Here's more about why it may be a better idea for your children and you to have your meals together --

Time spent with children - any time - has huge rewards for the family. But family mealtimes, in particular, are special. They should be cherished, fought for, held onto with fierce determination.

The bonding that takes place between children and their parents during meals may be the most important time families spend together.

In her book "Your Child's Weight: Helping Without Harming" (Kelcy Press, 2005), family nutrition expert Ellyn Satter describes the benefits of family meals.

"Time spent with families at meals is more related to the psychological and academic success of adolescents than time spent in school, studying, church, playing sports or doing art activities," she writes. "Teens who had regular meals with a parent were better adjusted emotionally and socially, had better grades and went further in school."

Satter goes on to describe the nutritional benefits of family meals.

"When teens ate dinner with their parents, they ate better - more fruits, vegetables and dairy foods."

Better food intake, in turn, leads to better nutrient intake. The Harvard University Nurse's Health Study showed students who ate dinner with their family consumed more folate, calcium, iron and vitamins B6, B12, C and E.

If this sounds familiar, it may be because you've read it previously in this column. It's so important that I think it bears repeating: The simple act of parents and children sharing meals may be the key to a lot more than just better nutrition. (Full story)

Comments: A healthy diet is important for any family. But family should be more important as a healthy diet. Together, they can be important for everyone and provide for a stable and happier existence. A healthy diet plan should be a part of a healthy family. Children today need to spend more time with their family, and maybe we can correct the obesity epidemic.

Diet and exercise can help reduce the risk of degenerative diseases like heart disease and stroke, diabetes and cancer. Learn why eating fruits and vegetables is especially important, and how you can benefit from adding Juice Plus+® to your diet.

If you are interested in a weight loss plan that will guide you to develop a healthy lifestyle while you lose weight in the process, check out The Vice Busting Diet Plans. Endorsed by Oprah's Dr. Mehmet Oz, these weight loss plans will have you looking and feeling great.

Obesity Rates Continues to Climb With Children

The one big factor that is consistent in those who are overweight or obese, whether adults or children, is a lack of adequate fruit and vegetable intake. Fruits and vegetables, when consumed daily at at least the minimum recommendation (or even close to it!) as part of a healthy diet, have been associated with good health and a normal, healthy weight. This isn't rocket science. If you consume enough fruits and vegetables each day, there is a 99% chance that you're filling up (satiated) on a healthy source of calories and nutrition, including the fiber and water present in those foods. The nutrients from those foods are an important part of maintaining good health, probably the most important part of good health. Because most people don't or won't get the minimum recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables in their diet, we recommend adding Juice Plus+®, which is a concentrate of whole food fruit and vegetable nutrients. Regardless, the obesity rates continue to climb with our children and it doesn't appear that a turnaround will happen anytime soon --

One in six children is clinically obese when they start primary school in parts of the UK, new figures show. Medical experts say there is growing evidence that parents are unable to distinguish between 'puppy fat' and the sort of obesity that puts their health at risk. Figures released by the Department of Health show one British child in 10 is obese at the age of five - while one in five children is obese at the time they start secondary school.

However, the statistics also show huge regional variations - and emergence of 'fat ghettos' in the poorest parts of the UK. In Stockton-on-Tees in north-East England, around one child in six starting primary school is so overweight that their health is at risk. That compares to the comparatively wealthy district of Adur in West Sussex, where one in 25 children is obese.

Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum charity said there was compelling evidence that childhood obesity laid down health problems later in life - and that the dangers began before children are able to walk and talk. 'There is a lot of literature now that confirms the first year of life is absolutely critical - and that fat children are in danger of staying fat for the rest of their lives,' he said.

'A huge number of women are going into pregnancy overweight and increasing the risks that their babies will also be obese. And once they are born fat it is difficult to get them down. 'In the first half year of life babies are naturally plump. But after that they should be starting to grow into their weight. There is a lot of evidence that shows parents don't recognise obesity in their own children 'Doctors have traditionally been trained to think that a huge bonny baby is a good thing but that's now been proven to be extremely bad advice. (Full Story)

Comments: This growing problem stems from just a few bad habits, believe it or not. The growing consumption of fast foods and soft drinks are the number 1 contributor to the obesity epidemic. 'Fast foods' are the foods that you normally think about when you hear the term, but also include most of the foods that you can buy in a quick shop or even a supermarket, that come in a bag and are ready to eat - those processed items that contain lots of sugar. If you had to point to the single item that is contained in those foods, it's sugar. But most people don't go to the store or restaurant and order sugar, so it's hard to say don't eat sugar. Although, if you could follow this advice and only get sugar from fruits and vegetables (although veggies usually have very little) then you would succeed with not only getting to a healthy weight, but being very healthy.

The next bad habit is not a habit at all, but should be. And that is adequate fruit and vegetable consumption. Filling up on raw, whole food fruits and vegetables is a sure way to good health, and in turn a healthy weight. The nutrients from those foods are important for the body's many functions, but the fiber and water and what provides that feeling of being satiated (full). So start adding more fruits and vegetables to your family's diet, and watch as your health, weight, attitude, energy, and stress levels all improve.

While fruits and vegetables are the most important source of a healthy diet, we recommend adding Juice Plus+® fruit and vegetable nutrients as a way to get more healthy nutrients into your system. Not a replacement for those raw, whole foods, Juice Plus+® does help with the amount of good nutrients you may be missing.

Need to lose weight and improve your life? Check out this weight loss plan.

Healthy living leads to a healthy end

Like everyone else, I am saddened by the loss of Micheal Jackson. I remember singing along with him into my hairbrush when I was a kid, having a big major crush on him and dreaming of growing up and being friends with him. I had a chance to meet him 20 years ago, I was his first class flight attendant on a TWA flight to Chicago. I was shocked to see him flying commercial but more shocked to see what a really sweet person he was. Like everyone says, he had a childlike innocence about him.

I think the lesson we need to all learn from his early death is that poor health knows no prejudice, it doesn´t matter if you are black or white, young  or old, fat or thin but rather if you do not live your life by the healthful guidelines necessary for proper care of the human body you are going to be digging an early grave.

Too many people confuse starvation with "dieting", not eating much with being healthy, and thnk that drugs and alcohol can mask our pain.

Pain is a part of life, a necessary part of life that allows us to learn and grow. It´s not a weakness to hurt,  but it´s a weakness  to hide from it by overeating, undereating and trying to chemically hide from life.

Life is great, but it´s only going to be as great as you choose to make it. I choose to make my life, and those of the ones that I love as healthful as possible. While on vacation recently, we all worked out together everyday as a family, we all ate healthful foods at every meal, avoided alcohol despite the waiter offering a drink every 5 minutes! and we did a lot of activities that required moving our bodies and being fit. We took our Juice Plus+® every day and do everything possible to ensure a healthy life and hopefully a death that won´t be too early from a preventable condition!

I urge you to eat 9 to 13 servings of raw fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, drink water and MOVE your body!
 Julia

The ONLY diet that works is a creating a healthy lifestyle!

Anyone exploring how to lose weight has already heard the story: "It's all about input vs. output, eating less calories and burning more calories."

However, many people still prefer going the diet route, searching for the illusive quick fix. They fail to realize that the fundamentals of nutrition are often compromised in favor of a "one size fits all" approach to weight loss. With more than 30,000 diet plans available nationally and $50-billion being spent annually on diet programs and products, it seems losing weight has become the great American obsession.

If you really want to lose weight, you need to recognize the difference between the temporary weight loss that can accompany diets and the permanent weight control that can come from a long-term commitment to changing lifestyle habits that have contributed to the weight problem. "There is no one size fits all approach to weight loss," says John Bagnule, nutritionist at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, Mass. "The reasons we carry excess weight depend upon our culture, our habits, our genes and our psyches. Only by examining both the physical and psychological reasons can you find what works for you".

Diets aren't the answer. The most effective "diet" in recent years is one that focuses on creating lasting lifestyle changes rather than a short term reduced caloric intake plan that most diet experts tout and that plan is The Vice Busting Diet .

You may be introduced to diets claiming you can lose 10 to 20 pounds in a week. Though you may temporarily lose weight on those extremely restrictive diets, the weight loss cannot be maintained. You may be surprised to learn that the weight you are losing is not so much excess fat as it is water, muscle mass and a little fat. And you don't want to lose muscle mass because that's what burns up the calories.

Research shows that 95 percent of people attempting to lose weight by dieting regain all or more of the lost weight within two to three years. The big threat to losing weight is not so much losing the pounds as it is keeping them off. Can you live on the diet for the rest of your life? If the answer is no, you can count on the lost weight returning.

If you want to lose the weight and keep it off for the rest of your life, you have to do it the right way, and that way is to use The Vice Busting Diet Plan

It's important for your health and fitness to retain healthy eating habits while you are trying to lose weight and that will require most people to make lifestyle behavior changes. It will take the average person at least six months to make a change in lifestyle habits that have contributed to the weight problem.

Metabolism matters

Your metabolism is constantly on the go, converting the food you eat into the energy you need to live. "Your metabolic rate depends on three things: your resting metabolic rate, how much you move and what and how often you eat," says Polly deMille, a registered nurse and exercise physiologist at the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Weill Cornell-affiliated Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. "To increase your metabolic rate, you have to move more, eat wisely and space your food appropriately."

Proper nutritional intake is also very important, if you are like the 95% of most Americans and do not eat 9-13 servings (1/2 Cup RAW) fresh fruits and vegetables, you really should consider adding Juice Plus+® to your daily regime. You will get the nutrients from 15 different fruits and vegetables in easy to swallow 4 capsules for only $1.40 a day!

Squat and Side Leg Lift: Works the lower body: gluteals, quadriceps (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs) and outer thighs. It also is a good balance exercise. Begin in a standing position with feet about shoulder-width apart. Holding weights in your hands with palms facing inward, bend knees while lowering your hips as if you were sitting in a chair, not allowing knees to go beyond toes. Straighten legs and slowly lift right leg to the side, pause, then lower leg as you bend knees into a squat. Repeat eight to 10 times, alternating legs. Tip: Contracting abdominals while lifting the leg helps in balance control.

Concentration Curl: Targets the biceps (front of upper arm). Sitting in a chair, with feet shoulder-width apart, hold one weight in your right hand. Place elbow on right thigh with lower arm extended downward. Keeping elbow on thigh, slowly bring lower arm toward opposite shoulder. Lower arm to original position and repeat eight to 10 times with each arm. Tip: Do not let wrist roll inward, and make the movement slow and controlled.

Abdominal Crunch: Strengthens the core. Lying on back with lower legs parallel to the floor, lightly place hands behind head with elbows slightly curved for neck support. While contracting abdominals, lift head, shoulders and upper back off the floor, hold for two slow counts, then lower for two counts. Repeat eight to 10 times. Tip: Never pull on the neck; feel the lifting from the abs not the neck. Do not allow chin to fall on neck.

Three common weight-loss myths

1 Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight. "When you become stressed or starve the body, you are setting yourself up to make poor food choices. You can't let the body get hypoglycemic by not eating when you're truly hungry. You need to eat small portions throughout the day so you do not make poor choices when you are starving for nutrition," says Dr. Eva Ritvo, a psychiatrist at the University of Miami's Mount Sinai Medical Center.

2 Carbs are a no-no if you want to lose weight. Carbohydrates do not make you fat. Excess calories from any food source will cause weight gain. Complex carbohydrates are low-fat foods our bodies need to fight off diseases. The fiber, antioxidants and isoflavones in them play an essential role in combating cancer, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and heart disease. The brain's primary source of fuel comes from carbohydrates that have been converted into glucose. Recent research shows that if the intake of carbs is reduced

too much it may reduce cognitive function, weakening the memory process. "To stay sharp, stick with healthy carbs such as whole grains and eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies," says Dr. James Joseph, a physiologist at the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.

3 Eating after 8 p.m. causes you to gain weight. It really does not matter what time of day you eat. Whether you gain, lose or maintain your weight is dependent upon what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do. Your body will store those extra calories as fat, regardless of the time you choose to eat.

Tips for weight-loss success

Change your psychological responses. The American Cancer Society says that "waiting out the urge to eat — usually just 10 to 15 minutes — can be a simple psychological change that makes a significant difference."

Slow weight loss. Gradual and slow is the way to go. It is recommended to only lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. Since 1 pound of fat contains 3,500 calories, reducing your daily intake of food by 500 calories for seven days will result in a 1-pound weight loss. If you were to lose 1 pound a week, you would losing 52 pounds a year. This may seem slow, but it is safe and much more effective than playing the on and off "diet game."

Read food labels. Reading the fine print can help you make better food choices. Check out the serving size and be aware that if you eat double the serving size, you need to double all the other food values. Our bodies need some fat but you need to be selective in the fats you choose. No more than 30 percent of daily calories should come from fat. Trans fats and saturated fats should be kept to a minimum as they are "bad fats" that clog arteries.

Write what you eat. Keep a record of your food patterns.

Get moving. An important key to weight loss is to move more, not necessarily faster or harder, three to five times a week, gradually building up to an hour a day five to six days a week. And be sure to include strength conditioning exercises, as they will help prevent the loss of muscle that is needed for burning calories.

Chat with a dietitian. A registered dietitian is a good contact for individualized weight loss.

ONE a day adds 15 pounds a year, will ruin your diet and is the biggest causes of Obesity?

Soft drinks; the silent and bubbly killer! The American Beverage Association's spin doctors will have us believe that "complete and total abstainence would have little to no impact on public health" but I for one beg to differ.

I have witnessed thousands of people who lose weight simply by giving up soft drinks--even the "diet" ones! There is no better beverage for your body than water. I don't think anyone would add 12 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 ounce glass of water, yet that is exactly what you get when you drink a can of soft drink. And if you drink the typical servings size 64 ounces (a standard 'Gulp" at 7-11) you are getting 1 CUP of sugar! see sugar in soft drinks stats NEVER would you put a CUP of sugar in a glass of water that size (or any size!) yet we think nothing of it when it's a seemingly innocent and oh-so refreshing soft drink.

If you are at all concerned with your health and your figure you HAVE to bust soft drinks out of your diet.

as reported in the Chicago Tribune

Soda is loaded with more calories, sugar and chemicals than many people realize. Here are nutritionists' tips for cutting it out - or at least down:

Get some perspective. Estimate how much soda you drink in a week (if you have no idea, keep a food diary for seven days). Then use a calculator to add up how many calories and sugar grams your habit costs you.

Give yourself time. Most people can't go cold turkey. One strategy is to cut back by 25 percent the first week, 50 percent the second week, and so on.

Find other fizz. Seltzer water, mineral water and club soda all have the same feel on your tongue as soda. Experiment by mixing them into small amounts of 100 percent fruit juices.

Find other sweets. When you crave a sugary taste, eat a piece of fruit or chew some sugarless gum.

Drink lots of water. Buy a refillable water cooler and keep it with you at home, at work and in the car.

Stock up on alternatives. Decaffeinated tea and flavored water are top choices for your refrigerator. Some 100 percent fruit juice also is good, but be aware that juices have calories and sugar too.

Switch to diet - maybe. Nutritionists are mixed on diet soda, which is calorie-free but still contains chemicals and may increase cravings for sweet foods. If you want to switch, try mixing some diet soda into regular, gradually increasing the ratio as your taste buds adjust. Note: some say diet soda from a fountain tastes better at first than drinking from cans or bottles.

Prepare yourself. You may be addicted not only to soda's taste but to the caffeine in some brands. Withdrawal symptoms may include fatigue and irritability.

and, I can add a much more healthful suggestion to do with the money that you will save by NOT purchasing/consuming soft drinks, spend the $1.40 per day you would WASTE on something that would only serve to harm your health and something that will help to ensure that you are getting the needed nutrients from fruits and vegetables that 95% of Americans DON'T get!! Take Juice Plus+!!

50 Diet secrets of the fittest

Secrets of the Fittest...can you keep a secret. Better yet, can you use hese secrets to change your life and your body for the better?! If you did othing else than incorporate these secrets into your daily life, over a ears time, they would amount to substantial change. Here is what a fit person does: 1. Always has a water bottle and drinks from it often...water is the drink f choice, not soft drinks. 2. Looks at exercise as a pleasure and privilege not a burden or chore. 3. Thinks twice before deciding what to eat and why...making sure that it is ealthy and will give their body good nutrition. 4. Measures intake based on their activity, not how they "feel", need andates intake, not mood. 5. Takes action to solve problems when things get emotional, instead of urning to food as a cure. 6. Starts the day with a well balanced meal. 7. Starts each day with positive input - from material that's listened to or ead, helping them to remain positive throughout the day. 8. Drink a minimum amount of caffeine - only in the form of coffee or tea. 9. Has long term goals and a plan of how to achieve them, leaves nothing to hance. 10. Focuses on short-term goals with emphasis on completing daily actions. 11. Lives with a purpose - wakes up each day knowing what they are working oward something greater than can be accomplished in a lifetime. 12. Has a daily planner with the day's actions written down in order to eep track of what needs to be done, what has been done, and what was not ccomplished. 13. Reviews each day at the end of the day to set tomorrow's actions and lan. 14. Always makes time for relaxing and rewards at scheduled times. 15. Never lives an unhealthy life when on vacation. 16. Sees health as a privilege, not something to take for granted. 17. Likes to contribute to the health of others by having a partner or riends to exercise with, as well as recruiting others who desire to get it. 18. Learns new ways and new techniques for exercising. 19. Avoids monotony by taking up new forms of exercising. 20. Subscribes to health magazines to keep focused on a healthy way of ife. 21. Invests in workout clothes, good tennis shoes, and other apparel. 22. Never takes their health for granted by taking a day off from a healthy ife. 23. Knows when too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing. 24. Keeps a sharp mind and a positive attitude with educational and otivational material. 25. Takes time to count the many blessings that are present in life each day. 26. Realizes that life and all things natural is a gift and should be taken care of and preserved for the health of all. 27. Brushes off criticism, and doesn't dwell on negative comments from others. 28. Attempts to bring calm and reasoning to a hostile or chaotic situation. 29. Responds to a challenge, not reacting to what difficulties may be present. 30. Knows that there is so much that is not known. 31. Understands that time is limited here on Earth . 32. Learns to live without regrets, and that life is the experiences that we choose. 33. Takes daily vitamin and mineral supplements that support a healthy balance. I recommend Juice Plus 34. Values organization so as not to have "clutter" in their life. 35. Values good hygiene inside - the mind and organs and muscles - as well as on the outside - skin, hair, and nails. 36. Seeks natural methods of health care - massage, chiropractic,naturopathic in addition to medical care. 37. Taking exercise to new levels. 38. Create a schedule for ultimate health and fitness. 39. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into fitness. 40. Strive to reach their dreams everyday. 41. Live each day to its fullest. 42. Do not get into "wacky" diets and eating plans. 43. Lives a balanced life - exercise, work, family, and GOD. 44. Gets adequate amounts of sleep. I recommend a good day of exercise, not Ambien! 45. Avoid medications and drugs of all sort unless absolutely necessary. (see above!) 46. Limits alcohol intake only for special occasions. 47. Does what other the average person doesn't want to do. 48. Exercises discipline by following a daily regimen. 49. Takes a vacation by doing activities - jet skiing, snow skiing,mountain biking, hiking in the outback, going to a getaway spa, .. 50. Knows that life is fulfilling with optimal health in the mind, spirit,and body! Are any of these qualities present in your life today? As you read them, did they seem too unrealistic to ever be part of your life? Trust me, in time they not only can be, they should be part of your life! When I was 290+ pounds, NONE of these qualities where present in my life and I would never have believed that they could be. 14 years later and 130 pounds lighter, I can assure you that each and every one of these traits are part of my life today. Make it fun and see how quickly you can begin to add each of these to your life...after all, what do you have to lose?! Julia Havey lost 130 pounds years ago, has successfully kept most of it off for 12+ years and now tries to help others join her on the path for improved health and fitness. www.JuliaHavey.com