by Lynn on January 11, 2010
One of my New Year’s resolutions this year of course is to improve my eating habits. Instead of making a drastic change or trying a drastic diet this year, I’m going to go for continuous improvement as my diet motto for the year.
I’ve been reading and studying healthy eating for several years, and I’ll do really great for a while, then I fall off the band wagon and beat myself up about it. For the new year this year I adopted a motto, ” continuous improvement” in all areas of my life.
Small changes can make a big difference and they can definitely add up after a while. The bonus is, it’s easier to stick to small changes in your diet or eating habits than it is to try to stick to a life altering diet and suddenly making the change within a day or two.
So stick with me this year while I work on making healthy changes to my own life, and sharing what I’ve learned with you.
Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!
Image: sxc.hu
by Lynn on February 9, 2009
One of my favorite things to do during the summer when the garden and orchard are in full swing is to freeze some of my berries, and peaches to use later in snacks and recipes.
Then in January and February when the snow’s flying I can pull them out of the freezer, and taste a little of summer’s sunshine in the middle of winter. It’s a great winter pick me up.
I love to pull out some strawberries, blueberries, or peaches and add them to a little plain or vanilla yogurt, then sprinkle on a little granola cereal for a home made fruit and yogurt parfait.
I don’t have a specific recipe. I usually throw in about a cup of fruit, about a half of cup of yogurt, and a sprinkle of granola for crunch.
Yum! It’s healthy and delicious.
by Lynn on January 16, 2009
It’s freezing here this weekend, -10` F, brrrr! I have some fun food links to help warm you up this weekend.
Chocolate Avocado Milkshakes~ A very unusual combination — are you brave enough to try it?
Turkey Goulash with Cavatappi~ Can you say comfort food? Delicious, fast turkey goulash with cavatappi pasta.
Chocolate Gadgets~ Who doesn’t love chocolate? Check out these 10 fun chocolate gadgets.
Are you a Nighttime Eater?~ If you or someone in your family is a nighttime nosher, come along with Jean as she explores the whys and what-to-dos.
Busy Family Meals brings us taco soup, a real kid-pleaser, is also a great Once-a-Month-Cooking recipe!
Turkey Goulash with Cavatappi~ Can you say comfort food? Delicious, fast turkey goulash with cavatappi pasta.
Valentine Day Cookies~ For a delicious Valentine’s Day gift, or a special treat.
15 Appetizers and Snack Foods For Your Superbowl Party~ If you’re planning a Superbowl party, or just hanging out at home here’s a list of fun easy recipes for the big game.
Have a great weekend, and stay warm!
by Lynn on January 14, 2009
Get $10 in valuable coupons when you subscribe to the Eat Healthy America newsletter. The coupon booklet also has helpful tips and favorite healthful recipes. Sounds like a win win to me.
by Lynn on January 12, 2009
What’s in your pantry, refrigerator, cabinets? What foods do you have stashed away so no one else sees you eating them? Guess what? Whether someone sees you eat the food or not, it will still show up on your hips, belly, and behind that you’ve been eating a little extra on the side. So your secret eating binges are not really so secret.
How can you prepare your pantry and fridge to help you in your weight loss goal, and not sabotage you every step of the way?
Here are a few tips to get your kitchen (and you) going in the right direction for the new year.
- If there’s something in your pantry that calls to you or tempts you every step of the way, get rid of it. Especially if its high in calories from sugar or fat without much to redeem itself in the way of vitamins and fiber.
- Plan ahead by chopping up your vegetables and fruits as soon as you get home from the market whenever possible. Bringing home that fresh pineapple, or stalk of celery does no good if it just sits in the fridge and turns to juice before you throw it out. If they’re chopped and ready to grab for a quick snack you’re more likely to eat them.
- When you’re cooking a healthy soup, or some chicken for supper, make a little extra for lunch the next day. That way you have something to grab and heat quick when you’re on the go, instead of heading for the nearest drive through. It’ll be cheaper and healthier.
- Fill your pantry and your fridge with natural foods, whole grains instead of white flour, look for foods that aren’t loaded with sugar, salt, and fillers. Buy products as close to how they were naturally produced as possible.
- Check the labels on foods before you purchase them, check the calories, fat grams, fiber, sugar, and nutrients. Make informed purchases at the grocery, then you’ll know what you’re grabbing from the pantry.
- Buy organic whenever your budget will allow. I know budgets are tight these days, but whenever you can afford the organic version, buy it. Even better grow your own garden and raise your own produce. There’s nothing better than a tomato straight from the garden in mid July.
- If you need sweeteners use honey, maple syrup, or pure cane sugar. You’ll use less and still feel satisfied.
What tips can you share to help prepare your kitchen for weight loss success?
Image via Stock.xchng
by Lynn on January 4, 2009
I got a new Wii Fit
right before Christmas. We’ve had a blast with it as a family. We all plugged in our info and created a Mii. We played right up until midnight on New Years Eve.
Do I think the Wii Fit can be part of an overall plan to lose weight and get healthy? You bet I do.
The Wii Fit has several great features to help map out your weight loss goals, and it can make moving and exercising fun.
We started by mapping out our fitness goals individually. I, of course, would like to lose a few pounds. So I set lose 10 pounds in 2 months as my goal.
The Wii Fit also tells you where you’re at on the BMI chart. You plug in your height and age, then step up on the balance board and it captures your weight.
If there are several family members using the Wii Fit you can password protect your information to keep it private if you don’t want everyone to see your weight information.
The Wii Fit games are varied, and fun. You can choose from balance games, aerobics, or have a personal trainer help you with yoga, or strength training.
My personal favorites are the step aerobics, the ski jump, and yoga poses.
Back to my original question, can you lose weight with the Wii Fit. My answer is yes, I think the Wii fit can definitely be a part of your overall weight loss tool arsenal.
Use it to chart your progress, and play a couple of the fun games every day you can to help kick up your movement and burn some calories. If I can make exercise fun, I’m more likely to do it.
Do I think the Wii Fit should be your only weight loss tool? Probably not. But you can add it as part of a healthy lifestyle, like healthy eating, and a regular exercise plan.
Do you have a Wii Fit? How effective do you think they are for weight loss?
Image via Amazon
by Lynn on January 2, 2009
At the end of the week I like to kick back and post a roundup of food links for you to browse through on the weekends.
This weekend if you’re like me you’re trying to dig yourself out from under all the food from the holidays and start eating healthy for the new year.
Here are a few fun weekend food links to help you achieve that goal.
Busy Family Meals~ If you’re going to eat meatloaf, make it count!
Cooking Gadgets~ Cyndi is wondering if there are any food trends that you’d like to see disappear in this coming year… Hmmmm…
Homemade Ranch Dip and Salad Dressing Mix~ A dry mix you can make ahead and add to light sour cream to make your own (lighter version) homemade ranch dip. For parties or anytime.
Make Your Favorite Recipes Healthier ~ What can you do with old family favorite recipes, those personal treats you grew up with but now avoid because they contain too much fat, cholesterol, whatever? Jean tells you how to create your own recipe swaps!
Have a wonderful first weekend of the new year. It’s back to a normal schedule on Monday here.
Image via Stock.xchng
by Lynn on January 1, 2009
I love Ranch salad dressing, and "Hidden Valley Ranch" mix for dips. My sister gave me a recipe to make my own.
I love to mix up my own, because I can use the low fat (or even fat free) sour cream, and low fat salad dressing., and I think the flavor’s better.
I make the mix ahead of time, and always have some on hand. Then when I need some Ranch dip for my baked chips, pretzels, carrot sticks, or celery, I just add the mix to some sour cream and I’m ready to snack.
Here’s the basic Ranch dry mix recipe:
- 5 Tablespoons of dried minced onion
- 7 teaspoons of dried parsley flakes
- 4 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
Combine all the dry ingredients above, and store the mixture in an airtight container.
To mix up some Ranch salad dressing combine 2 tablespoons of the dry mix with 1 cup of Mayonnaise/Salad dressing, and one cup of sour cream
To mix up some Ranch dip combine 2 tablespoons for the dry mix with 2 cups of sour cream.
by Lynn on January 1, 2009
Happy New Years Day! If you have a New Years resolution to lose weight, and get healthy you’re not alone. Losing weight is one of the most popular resolutions people make every year on New Years day.
How can you make your resolution a reality? Take it one small baby step at a time. Set small goals and work your way toward them.
Don’t set crazy goals to lose large amounts of weight, or totally overhaul your lifestyle. You’ll rebel! Set small goals, and set up small healthy changes in your life to work toward those goals. You’ll have a far greater chance of succeeding.
My resolution is to move more. I goal is to move 20-30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week. I’m already very close to that goal, so it’s not a major change.
My diet resolution is to eat more natural and filling foods, versus processed foods in 2009 to help me achieve my weight loss goals.
If you set a weight loss or healthy lifestyle New Years resolution, please share.
by Lynn on December 10, 2008
I’m on a twelve month quest to build healthy habits in my own life, and I want to share the journey with you.
I wanted to start the journey before the holidays, so I can prove to myself I can maintain control through all the holiday parties, Christmas gatherings, New Years brunches and candy that comes around this time of year.
If you’re on a healthy weight loss journey of your own, I’d love to hear from you.
I’m planning on sharing my exercise, diet, recipes, and weight loss info with you every step of the way.
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