Think and Be Thin

Lose Weight and Cut Your Cancer Risk

2010-07-20T06:28:00.001-06:00

Cancer is a scary disease, but here;s a stat that should help give you some perspective: About 30 to 40 percent of cancers could be prevented by good eating and exercise habits. That's right, you do have some control over the disease. By eating a nutritious diet and working out regularly, you're reducing your risk for several forms of cancer, including colon and pancreatic cancer, according to two studies.

Scientists have long known that diet and exercise influence the risk for colon cancer, but a recent study looked at whether these healthy habits could help prevent a relapse of the disease. Researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston looked at more than 1,000 colon cancer survivors and found that those who ate a Western diet (comprised of refined grains, processed and red meat, desserts, high-fat dairy products and French fries) were 3.25 times more likely to have a recurrence of cancer five years after their initial diagnosis compared to those who ate a healthy diet (characterized by a high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, chicken and fish). Not surprisingly, those who followed the healthier diet exercised more and were thinner.

By eating well and working out, you're also protecting your pancreas. In fact, a study in the journal Cancer Research shows that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle double the risk for developing pancreatic cancer, a particularly deadly form of cancer.

So, keep getting in your regular sweat sessions and saying no to junk food (or enjoy a small amount of your favorite treats as part of your Anything Goes calories). Not only will these habits help you slim down, they could also help reduce your cancer risk.

Experts announce 8 new food “rules”

2010-06-25T07:35:00.001-06:00

We’ve summarized some of the experts’ main points here:

1. Eat fewer calories.
Do you have any idea how many calories you are eating? No, we guessed not. For most people it’s somewhere around 2,000 calories—to maintain their current weight.
Related Link: Find out how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain your weight or lose weight, and get delicious recipes to help you stick to your goals.

2. Get more of your food from plants.
This report emphasizes eating more vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Eating vegetarian isn’t so hard, we think, when you can make delicious

3. Eat more fish.
For a while now, most health experts have been recommending that people eat two servings of fish a week to get the heart-healthy omega-3 fats they provide, but this is the first time that the advice to increase intake of seafood has been made for the population as a whole. The previous recommendation in 2005 to eat more fish was specific for the population at risk—people with heart disease to reduce their risk of mortality.
Related Link: Find 6 of the healthiest fish to eat, and 6 to avoid.

4. Switch to low-fat dairy.
Full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat, which has been linked with health problems, including heart disease. Choose low- or nonfat dairy to limit intake of saturated fat. Including dairy in your diet is a great way to get calcium—a bone-strengthening mineral that most of us don’t get enough of. Plus, new research suggests that replacing full-fat dairy with low-fat dairy may also help lower blood pressure.

5. Eat only moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry and eggs.
Notice the focus on moderate amounts of lean meats—this is new. Previously the recommendation was to make choices that were lean, low-fat or fat-free. Now the recommendation takes it a step further and suggests cutting back on quantity.

6. Reduce intake of added sugars and solid fats.
Eat fewer foods containing added sugars and solid fats (e.g., butter), which contribute calories and few, if any, nutrients.

7. Reduce sodium and refined grains.
Their advice is to lower your consumption of sodium and refined grains (such as white breads, pasta, etc.), especially refined grains that are coupled with added sugar, solid fats and sodium.

8. Exercise!
Are you meeting the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which encourage all adults to do 2 1/2 hours a week of moderate-intensity or 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity or an equivalent combination? If not, the experts suggest you do. These guidelines also recommend muscle-strengthening exercises that are moderate or high intensity, and involve all major muscle groups, 2 or more days a week.

Starter Tips for Losing Weight

2010-05-08T09:11:00.002-06:00

There are few things in life more daunting and complicated than wading through the 10s of thousands of diet and weight loss programs on the market to try to choose one that meets your needs. The advice is contradictory, difficult and potentially dangerous. To add insult to injury, new evidence indicates that diets don't work and may, in fact, contribute to weight gain. If you're just starting out, circumvent the whole fad diet culture and make small changes based on the advice of respected experts. Even then, the lifestyle changes you make must fit with your lifestyle. Your own body is the best guide to creating a successful program.

Don't Diet
Even the federal government knows that diets don't work. In fact, in an article entitled "Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not the Answer," published by the American Psychological Association in 2007, the federal government acknowledges that as many as two-thirds of all dieters gain more weight in the long run than they lose. Why don't diets work? They're temporary, they're restrictive and they aren't a part of larger changes to your whole lifestyle. Rather than diet, focus on making small, gradual changes to your everyday routines, like increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains and decreasing processed foods, fast foods and saturated fats.

Go Straight to the Source
Eat primarily nutrient-rich foods. Changing the way you eat can change your waistline and your overall health with minimal effort on your part. The trick is to not rule over your kitchen with an iron fist. Eat a diet that consists mostly of plant-based foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Supplement those foods with lean meats, low-fat or fat-free dairy and healthy fats. Make these foods your basic arsenal of nutrition. This is the way of eating recommended by the American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, and most other impartial, research-based health organizations. Processed foods and fast foods are typically poor in nutrients, high in sodium and loaded with saturated fat, so reduce the amount of those in your diet. Note that foods like nuts and seeds are high in healthy fats, but also higher in calories, and some people who eat these foods abundantly experience weight gain.

Allow for Indulgences
When you establish a foundation of eating nutrient-dense foods on a regular basis, you have no reason to feel guilty about occasional indulgences. This feeling of guilt, deprivation and overindulgence is part of why diets don't work. If most food you're eating is healthful, that bowl of ice cream won't make an impact on your overall health and your weight loss efforts. Avoiding restrictions helps reduce food cravings, according to Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, registered dietitians and authors of "Intuitive Eating," a book that aims to get people off the diet cycle. The authors note that when you can eat anything in moderation, your strong desire to eat unhealthy foods eases because you know you can have them any time.

Move It to Lose It
The American heart Association recommends getting 30 minutes of physical activity as many as five days per week. Exercise helps you burn calories, but it also increases your body's ability to burn calories more effectively. Find activities you like doing, like taking long walks with your dogs, dancing in your living room, playing basketball with your kids or doing exercise DVDs in your den. The more you enjoy performing an activity, the more likely you are to do it.

Create small changes in your life daily to creat a healthier you.

3 Easy Tips To Lose Fat

2010-04-18T08:30:00.002-06:00

Fat loss does not have to be difficult, especially if you have a few tricks up your sleeve. By this I don't mean I would ever want you to take a dangerous, radical approach to your fat loss but only one that would be healthy and prove great results at the same time.

It will require a few dietary changes on your part, but the results are incredible. I have had hundreds of people use these tips with great success, easily losing their first 10-15lbs of unwanted fat.

Here are my 3 Simple and Easy Fat Loss Rules:

1. Don’t eat anything that is white. Name every single food that is white and chances are you shouldn’t be eating it: bread, pasta, crackers, most cereals, flour based products, white potatoes, white rice, and pasteurized dairy and cheese are all no-no's during this time. (Healthy foods like cauliflower, chicken, turkey, fish, white pork are all exceptions to this rule).

2. Only drink water, NOTHING else! How about coffee? Just to keep any possible withdrawal headaches at bay, one small cup of organic black coffee. Can you add half and half?…Well is it white? Drink a minimum of 1/2 of your bodyweight in ounces of water each day (ex. If you weigh 200 lbs, you need to drink 100 ounces) to really see the fat fall off.

3. Don’t eat anything with the word wheat in the ingredients list. What if it’s whole wheat? Look, if the word starts with W and ends in T and has the letters h e a in between, you can’t eat it. This includes bread, pasta, crackers and cereal. Many packaged snack foods also contain wheat so be sure to read the ingredients list carefully.

Are you up for this challenge? Apply these easy fat loss rules to your own eating plan for the next 2 weeks and I know you will be seeing some amazing fat loss results in no time.

8 Reasons to Kick Your Soda Habit for Good

2010-04-18T08:18:00.003-06:00

I know, you love your soda. And, yes, there are worse things in the world (cigarettes, for instance!). But, whenever someone asks me what they should do to get healthy, my first answer is always: stop drinking soda and drink more water, pretty please. Here are some important reasons why ...

*It's associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis
*It may lead to kidney stones
*It's addicting
*It wastes hundreds of dollars each year
*It can rot your teeth
*It can make you eat more (past studies have indicated that diet soda may actually trick your body into false hunger)
*It may contain fecal matter (from fountain drinks, really)
*It can lead to calcium deficiency

No thanks, right?

How much sugar is in one can of soda?

Ever bother to look at the back of a soda can? Maybe you've seen that a regular can of soda — 12 ounces — has about 150 calories. And that's where most people stop reading. There's no fat, and hardly any sodium. Nothing to see here. But there is some sugar. 40 grams.

Ok. 40 grams. That's not a really big number. Some people just like sweet drinks. There's people who order a small coffee — McDonalds serves a 12 ounce small coffee — and they put 5 or 6 sugar packets in it. Maybe they use sugar cubes. 1 sugar packet = 1 sugar cube.

So what?

Well, for one thing: if you're at risk for diabetes, lots of sugar doesn't help you at all. You probably know that when the body digests sugar, your pancreas releases insulin to help you use the sugar energy. Too much sugar, and you can wear out your pancreas.

Not to mention that sugar makes you fat. How fat? Well, let's pretend that you consume the exact number of calories needed to power your body, every single day, and no more. That's a pretty good diet. Now, to reward yourself, you enjoy a soda every day. Just one, you don't want to go overboard.

That one soda per day adds 150 calories every day. 150 calories * 365 days equals 54,750 calories each year. Since there's 3500 calories per pound, that one soda per day adds 15.64 pounds per year. If you weren't already fat, you will be soon.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?

New E commerce Store

2010-04-17T07:59:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone.

Just a quick message to let you know that I have just set up a brand new hypnosis E commerce site.

You will find free stuff as well as monthly deals on Self-hypnosis CDS and MP3’s.

First time buyers will get a additional 50% off there first order with coupon code TerranceB at the check out. Go to http://www.terrancebstore.com

Thanks so much for all your support and continued success

Terrance B

10,000 Steps a Day to lose weight

2010-04-17T07:34:00.004-06:00

Experts in fitness and weight management say that walking 10,000 steps per day, approximately five miles can provide enough physical activity to achieve average weight loss goals and increase fitness. Wearing a basic pedometer that tracks the number of steps taken can turn a normal day's activities into a regular workout.

An average person takes anywhere between 700 to 3,000 steps per day. By wearing a basic pedometer for a week, you can calculate the number of steps you take in an average day. From there, make conscious decisions to increase the number of steps that you take every day. Before you know it, you'll be at 10,000 steps."

It's important to work up to 10,000 steps gradually. Don't let the number 10,000 discourage you. Let your overall goal be working more steps into your day, and make the total number of steps you take secondary.

Aiming for 10,000 steps per day can bring unexpected benefits. Adding a short walk at lunchtime will add to the total and provide some fresh air, which can lead to a better night's sleep. Running errands on foot and leaving the car behind can make that expensive tank of gas last longer. Best of all, walking is a terrific stress management tool -- and with a clear mind, remembering all of those other vital numbers every day will be a snap

Pedometer available at www.terrancebstore.com

How Long and How Often to Walk for Weight Control

2010-04-10T16:24:00.005-06:00

Spring is here and April is walking month, so lets get outside and start walking off those lbs.

How Long is Enough?

30-60 minutes at 50-70% of your maximum heart rate is recommended.
Start with walking at an easy pace for 5-10 minutes.
Stop and do some stretches and flexibility exercises.
Walk at your target heart rate for 30-60 minutes.
Cool down at a slower pace for 5 minutes.
Finish with some gentle stretches.
For longer walks, walk 30-60 minutes at your target heart rate and slow a bit to complete 90 or 120 minutes at a comfortable pace.

How Often Should I Walk?

For weight loss, walk most days of the week.
Time spent walking per week should be 5-10 hours.
On your non-walking days, try some strength training exercises.
If you find yourself worn out, take a day off. But be sure to get back walking the following day.

Follow the 10,000 step day program to lose about 1lb a week

Mall Food - What you don't know

2010-04-07T11:58:00.002-06:00

Worst Mall Drink

Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo’d (22 oz)

770 calories

20 g fat (4.5 g saturated)

108 g sugars

The scary thing about this 22-ounce shake is that you can consume nearly half a day’s worth of calories in 3 minutes of spirited sipping, all under the pseudohealthy banner of the sacred smoothie. What’s even scarier is you’ll be slurping up the sugar equivalent of 6 packs of peanut M&M’s, all while thinking you’re doing your body a favor. While at Jamba, stick to their impressive list of smoothies in the All Fruit and Light categories.

Worst Slice of Pizza

Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza (1 slice)

890 calories

42 g fat

3,200 mg sodium

The architecture of this thing makes it less like a slice of pizza and more like a pizza-inspired Chipotle Burrito. It relies on an oversize shell of oily bread to hold together a gooey wad of cheese and pepperoni. The net result is a pizza pocket with two-thirds of your day’s fat and more than a day’s worth of sodium. And the traditional pizza slices aren’t much better; few fall below 600 calories. If you want to do well at Sbarro, think thin crust with nothing but produce on top.

Worst Chinese Meal

Panda Express Orange Chicken with Fried Rice

970 calories

38 g fat (7.5 g saturated)

1,540 mg sodium

It’s unfortunate that this dish happens to be one of the most popular on Panda’s menu. Consider the recipe: Battered and fried, then coated in a sugary syrup. It’s like Colonel Sanders meets Willy Wonka. Pair with a scoop of fried rice and you’ve got a dish with serious flab-enhancing potential. Here’s a better survival strategy: Skip the rice altogether and choose steamed veggies instead. Then pick any entrée besides orange chicken.

Worst Sandwich

Panera Bread Full Chipotle Chicken on Artisan French

990 calories

56 g fat (15 g saturated, 1 g trans)

2,370 mg sodium

Panera, home to soups, salads, and a general feeling of well-being (not to mention free Wi-Fi!), benefits from a beaming health halo—a perceived virtuousness that doesn’t necessarily play out in the hard realities of their nutritional stats. Yes, you can carefully construct a well-balanced 500-calorie meal, but you can also unknowingly consume 1,500 calories without breaking a sweat. Take this sandwich: It begins innocently enough (chicken and white bread), but is supported by a scurrilous cast of bacon strips, high-fat chipotle sauce, and a tarp of cheddar cheese, the most fattening of cheese choices.

The Worst Mall Food in America

Cinnabon Regular Caramel Pecanbun

1,100 calories

56 g fat (10 g saturated, 5 g trans)

47 g sugars

141 g carbohydrates

Cinnabon and malls are inseparable. Consider it a symbiotic relationship: Researchers have found that we're turned on by the smell of cinnamon rolls, and further studies have shown that we're more likely to spend money when we're thinking about sex. But just because Cinnabon might be good for Gap doesn’t mean it’s all good for you. This dangerously bloated bun contains nearly an ENTIRE day’s worth of fat, two and a half times the unhealthy trans fats you should get in a day, and more than half of your daily allotment of calories.

When going to the mall park as far as you can from the entrance to get those extra steps in.

Don't be fooled

2010-04-06T09:40:00.002-06:00

If you’re looking to eat healthfully at your favorite restaurant, don’t automatically turn to the salad menu. Turns out, restaurant salads can often be as bad as—or worse than—any burger or steak on the menu. Sure, salads may contain a fresh produce base, but those leafy greens are too often weighed down with cheese, deep fried croutons, and high-calorie dressings. In fact, one salad from a popular chain restaurant contains over 1,500 calories! Surprised?

Quizno’s Honey Mustard Chicken Regular Chopped Salad
920 calories 65 g fat (20 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,685 mg sodium

The secret to this salad’s salacious calorie count is in the sauce. A general rule of thumb when you eat at Quizno’s: Serving sizes are often not what they seem. This “Regular Chopped Salad” accounts for nearly half your day’s caloric allotment. Even most of the small chopped salads pack over 500 calories. Unless you order the Pan Asian small, consider a salad at Quizno’s a meal unto itself, not a side dish.

Chili’s Quesadilla Explosion Salad
1,400 calories
88 g fat (26 g saturated)
2,370 mg sodium

This salad is explosive all right. Here’s a tip: At most Mexican restaurants, the salads are actually the absolute worst items on the menu. For example, with burritos and tacos, the amount of high-fat, high-calorie fillers is limited to what will fit in the shells. But there’s no built-in portion control with salads. So it’s no surprise that this Quesadilla Explosion Salad contains a full day’s worth of salt and nearly three-quarters of your day’s calories (it’s the caloric equivalent of 172 Cheetos, in fact). Unfortunately, Chili’s offers only three salads with less than 500 calories. Stick with the Guiltless Grill options, or the salad mentioned below.

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad with Oriental Vinaigrette
1,430 calories

This salad starts out with a bed of “Fresh Asian greens,” according to the menu. Unfortunately, these greens serve as a bed for deep-fried chicken tenders and carbohydrate-heavy crispy noodles. Without dressing, this dish rings in at 840 calories—already more than in an Applebee’s hamburger. But factor in the super-heavy dressing and you’re adding another 590 calories to the mix. To put that in perspective, a lunch sandwich shouldn’t pack more than 500 calories, tops. At Applebee’s, the only salad that won’t sink your entire meal is the Paradise Chicken Salad, which cuts back on calories by using grilled chicken instead of fried and actual produce instead of noodles. (Note: Applebee's refuses to disclose their nutrition information, so you just might be consuming days' worth of sodium as well!)

Cheesecake Factory Caesar Salad with Chicken
1,513 calories
16 g saturated fat
1,481 mg sodium
23 g carbohydrates

The top three words you never want to see sharing a space with “salad” on a menu: tuna, taco, and yes, the mighty Caesar. Consider that tangle of romaine a hapless vehicle for the troubling trinity of croutons, Parmesan cheese, and viscous Caesar dressing. This Cheesecake Factory version is the worst; the elephantine portion yields a salad with more calories than 10 Twinkies! If you’re looking for a salad meal at Cheesecake Factory, choose from the Weight Management varieties—every other salad tops 500 calories.

California Pizza Kitchen Waldorf Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing (full)
1,570 calories
30 g saturated fat
2,082 mg sodium

CPK is no stranger to the title of “Worst Salad in America”—in fact, last year’s Thai Crunch Salad from California Pizza Kitchen won this dubious distinction for having over 2,000 calories. CPK has since downgraded the Asian-inspired leafy disaster (to a more modest 1,399 calories). Unfortunately, the rest of their salad lineup is still sorely lacking in smart options. This Waldorf Chicken Salad takes the title this year—the blue cheese dressing certainly doesn’t help, and neither does the oversized plate this salad is served on. Believe it or not, your best bet at CPK is to order two slices of thin-crust pizza with any toppings you want. But if you’re set on a salad, choose a half-size of the Moroccan Chicken, below.

Fast Food Secrets You Should Know

2010-03-10T07:57:00.003-07:00

Before you mindlessly chew your way through another value meal, take these mini-mysteries (conveniently solved below) into account. Sometimes the truth is tough to swallow.

What’s in a Chicken McNugget?

You’d think that a breaded lump of chicken would be pretty simple. Mostly, it would contain bread and chicken. But the McNugget and its peers at other fast-food restaurants are much more complicated creatures than that. The “meat” in the McNugget alone contains seven ingredients, some of which are made up of yet more ingredients. (Nope, it’s not just chicken. It’s also such nonchicken-related stuff as water, wheat starch, dextrose, safflower oil, and sodium phosphates.) The “meat” also contains something called “autolyzed yeast extract.” Then add another 20 ingredients that make up the breading, and you have the industrial chemical—I mean, fast-food meal—called the McNugget. Still, McDonald’s is practically all-natural compared to Wendy’s Chicken Nuggets, with 30 ingredients, and Burger King Chicken Fries, with a whopping 35 ingredients.

What’s in a Wendy’s Frosty?

Wendy’s Frosty requires 14 ingredients to create what traditional shakes achieve with only milk and ice cream. So what accounts for the double-digit ingredient list? Mostly a barrage of thickening agents that includes guar gum, cellulose gum, and carrageenan. And while that’s enough to disqualify it as a milk shake in our book, it’s nothing compared to the chemist’s list of ingredients in the restaurant’s new line of bulked-up Frankenfrosties.

Check out the Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty, for instance. It seems harmless enough; the only additions, after all, are “coffee syrup” and “coffee toffee pieces.” The problem is that those two additions collectively contain 25 extra ingredients, seven of which are sugars and three of which are oils. And get this: Rather than a classic syrup, the “coffee syrup” would more accurately be described as a blend of water, high-fructose corn syrup, and propylene glycol, a laxative chemical that’s used as an emulsifier in food and a filler in electronic cigarettes. Of all 10 ingredients it takes to make the syrup, coffee doesn’t show up until near the end, eight items down the list.

What’s in a Filet-O-Fish?

The world’s most famous fish sandwich begins as one of the ocean’s ugliest creatures. Filet-O-Fish, like many of the fish patties used by fast-food chains, is made predominantly from hoki, a gnarly, crazy-eyed fish found in the cold waters off the coast of New Zealand. In the past, McDonald’s has purchased up to 15 million pounds of hoki a year, each flaky fillet destined for a coat of batter, a bath of oil, a squirt of tartar, and a final resting place in a warm, squishy bun. But it seems the world’s appetite for this and other fried-fish sandwiches has proven too voracious, as New Zealand has been forced to cut the allowable catch over the years in order to keep the hoki population from collapsing. Don’t expect McDonald’s to scale down Filet-O-Fish output anytime soon, though; other whitefish like Alaskan pollock will likely fill in the gaps left by the hoki downturn. After all, once it’s battered and fried, do you really think you’ll know the difference?

Ready, Set, Lose Weight

2009-05-01T13:52:00.003-06:00

Losing weight — and keeping it off for good — requires both physical and mental preparation. You need to determine a weight-loss plan that you are able to stick with for the long haul. It's not easy, but there are steps you can take to stay motivated.

10 Ways to Get Psyched for Weight Loss

Commit. The first step is making a commitment to yourself. Make a commitment and then share that commitment with somebody else. This will make you more accountable to your diet, exercise plan, and weight-loss goals.
Make a plan. Think about you as a person, as a whole being, and come up with a plan that's going to be best for you. It should be a program that will help you lose weight, but also be easy to stick to. This goes for both diet and exercise.
Don't wait for the "right time." At one time or another, everyone has determined what they think is the perfect time to start a diet — after the holidays, after vacation, after tomorrow. Now is as good as any.
Get in the right mindset. Don't fall into an "all-or-nothing" way of thinking. You don't have to give up all decadent foods or exercise strenuously every day of the week. It's about small changes in your lifestyle that you can stick with and that will brings results overtime.
Be realistic. Think about how your life is right now, and what you can realistically achieve in terms of an exercise and eating plan. That means considering all aspects of your life, including work and family responsibilities. "If you will be traveling for business over the next two months, you probably need to think of a plan to eat in healthy restaurants instead of a stringent plan you would always need to modify.
Make time for exercise. Fitness is a key component of losing and keeping off weight. It's important to create an exercise plan that's realistic according to your schedule. Think about how much time you're going to have for exercise. Anything that gets you moving in the right direction is a good start. Decide to make physical activity part of every day. All those extra steps add up to pounds lost, and it's even easier when they're steps that you don't really consider exercise — like a walk during lunch hour or hiking in a park on the weekend.
Figure out what motivates you. Ask yourself questions to figure out what will help you meet your weight-loss goals. For example, "Do you need a workout buddy? A reward at certain goals? How can you incorporate healthy foods that you enjoy? What types of activity don't feel like work to you?" These answers will help you formulate a plan that you can stick with.
Don't think diet, think life change. Preparing to lose weight isn't about starting a diet, it's about "starting to make healthy adjustments that you're going to fit into your life. Being "on a diet" implies that it will end. To maintain a healthy weight, the diet and exercise changes you make in your life should be permanent.
Create a network for weight loss. "There's a social network that begins to develop as you start to attend fitness classes. Taking a yoga, aerobics, spinning, or kickboxing class gives you support. Make friends at the gym, or visit online community groups to find individuals with similar weight-loss goals. Not only will losing weight be more fun, but it will also be more effective.
Use outside resources. There is a wealth of information on the net, do some surfing.

It's not about preparing for a diet, but changing your life so that you don't need to diet. Eventually making healthy food choices and getting regular exercise will become a part of your day you don't even have to think about!

Getting Started / Get Moving

2009-04-16T09:14:00.003-06:00

Get in the Swim

As exercise goes, swimming offers its own unique set of benefits. Besides providing a good workout for your heart and lungs, water offers constant, gentle pressure on every part of the body, which, in turn, helps improve circulation from the outside in, eases joint and back pain, and increases flexibility and range of motion.

A 2002 study by the American College of Sports Medicine showed that water-based exercises are especially beneficial to those who find it difficult to exercise on land because of pain or physical disability.

Water offers 12 times the resistance of air, so it's an excellent medium for strength training, especially if you add water toys, such as barbells, kickboards, noodles and other equipment. Whether you're 6 months, 6 or 60 years old, swimming is a lifetime fitness activity.

Beginner's 30-minute workout

Like exercising on land, it's important to organize your water workout into three parts: a warm-up, the main set and a cool-down.

For the warm-up, plan to spend five minutes getting your body acclimated and ready by treading water, water jogging in the shallow end or stretching by the side of the pool. Then, swim a few easy laps.

Don't make your first lap your fastest. If you exhaust yourself in the beginning, you'll spend your entire workout catching up.

For your main set, spend 20 minutes doing laps. You can either mix your strokes or concentrate on one. A good stroke to master is the hand-over-hand crawl or freestyle stroke, in which you gently flutter kick and coordinate your hand-over-arm motion so you rhythmically breathe from one side when your head is turned and your opposite arm is forward. Your fastest lap should be toward the end of the main set.

6 Pointers to Lift a Bad Mood

2009-03-22T19:27:00.002-06:00

No one can live a long and healthy life without the will to go on; sometimes mood swings can make us feel that life is too much for us.

A bad mood not only gives you a gloomy outlook, it also lowers your immune function, leading the way to illness. Here are some suggestions to lift your mood, your spirit, and your health.

1. A Laughing Matter

"Laugh Therapy," pioneered by Norman Cousins, has turned out to have real substance. Research has discovered that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help defend the body from illness and cancer.

Laughter also increases the release of endorphins - compounds that give you a sense of well-being - in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives. So read your favorite comics, watch your favorite comedies, and laugh it up!

2. Hands-On Healing

Human touch increases the production of endorphins, growth hormone, and DHEA, all of which lengthen your life span and lower the negative impact of stress. Studies have found that patients who are regularly touched recover faster than those who are not touched. So give someone a hug and feel both of your moods improve.

3. Boost Your "Youth Hormones"

You don't need pills to flood your body with a rejuvenating flood of growth hormones. Research has found that doing squats and leg presses will greatly increase your natural production of the "youth hormone". Increased growth hormone translates to an elevated mood, among other physical benefits. Keep it up with weight training, knee bends, push-ups, and rowing.

4. Take a Bracing Breath

Breathing correctly is important for dispelling the toxins and wastes from your body; in fact, it is estimated that we expel only about 30 percent of toxins in our bodies through the bowels and bladder-the rest is all respiratory. Breathing is also a great way to clear your mind, boost your energy, and improve your mood. Practice deep, slow, rhythmic, breathing daily with mind-body disciplines such as tai chi, yoga, qigong, self hypnosis and meditation.

5. Smell the Joy

Research has shown that smell has a definite impact on our bodies and minds. When you stimulate the olfactory nerves inside your nose, you activate the limbic system of your brain, which is associated with moods and memory. This concept is instrumental to aromatherapy, a natural health tradition that makes use of the healing powers of plants with strong scents.

Aromatherapy recommends treating depression with jasmine, eucalyptus for exhilaration, and grapefruit to increase alertness and joy. Just put a dab of the essential oils from these plants on your temples, back of your neck, or acupressure points. Another option? Boil the herb in water and inhale the steam through your nose.

6. Feel Fine with Flowers

There is a reason that flowers are the traditional get-well gesture. Colorful flowers have a powerful influence on moods; they can uplift a patient's mood and even combat stress. One study found that during a five-minute typing assignment, people sitting next to a flowering bouquet were more relaxed than those who sat near foliage-only plants.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person

2009-03-21T08:45:00.004-06:00

Look at the small picture. Concentrate on just losing 5 pounds at a time. When you lose the first 5, celebrate, then decide if it’s reasonable to lose another 5, and so on. Focusing on a big number can be overwhelming; in bite-size chunks, it will seem more manageable.

Sack sabotaging thoughts. “It’s OK to eat this because I’m celebrating.” “I don’t have time to work out.” Sound familiar? These kind of thoughts can derail your best efforts. When you catch yourself making self-defeating excuses, shoot them down by saying, “If I want to be healthier, thinner, and more energetic, I have to follow my diet-and-exercise plan.”

Ditch that all-or-nothing mentality. Instead of scrapping your program when things get hectic, “Look over your upcoming week and plan how to fit everything in. And remember, five minutes of exercise is better than none.

Plan for curveballs. You’ll be stuck at work late one day and won’t have time to sear fresh fish and steam veggies. “Keep a stash of healthy convenience food so you can grab a protein bar or heat up a low-calorie frozen dinner for busy times.

Five Waist-Slimming Foods for Your Grocery Cart

2009-03-03T06:38:00.005-07:00

Rethink: Grapes
Reach for: Raspberries

Grapes are a staple in our house, and I often grab them by the handful, figuring I’m choosing a virtuous snack. While grapes are heart-healthy, I could be getting more nutritional (and hunger-stopping) bang with an equally sweet fruit. Grapes are very low in fiber and vitamins.

But raspberries are a great source of soluble fiber, which helps reduce bad cholesterol and makes you feel full faster—great news for your waistline. Plus, they’re high in antioxidants. When they’re out of season (read: pricey), buy frozen organic raspberries. Thaw them, and they’re perfect for popping in your mouth.

Rethink: Vanilla soy milk
Reach for: Skim milk

My wife turned me on to vanilla soy milk a few years ago, not because she is lactose-intolerant but because it’s divine with cereal. Little did I know, it’s mostly sugar.

Vanilla soy milk is more like a dessert than a substitute for milk or a good source of soy. If you’re not lactose-intolerant choose skim milk, which has a lot of calcium but no fat or sugar. (Even plain soy milk has a little more calories and fat than skim milk.)

If you just can’t break the vanilla-soy-milk habit, Slayton adds, use a little in your coffee rather than in a big bowl of cereal or a smoothie.

Rethink: Vitamin-fortified water
Reach for: Flavored seltzer

I’m not a huge fan of vitamin-fortified water. Vitamin-fortified waters get my award for fooling the most educated consumers. One bottle has more calories and sugar than a can of cola! And the vitamins are negligible, compared with the amount of sugar you’re getting. Replace it with flavored seltzer (zero calories) or a no-cal flavored water (like Hint) that contains no artificial sweeteners or added sugar.

Rethink: Ground turkey
Reach for: Extra-lean ground sirloin

Surprised, right? So was I. Ground turkey has become my go-to good-for-you alternative in meatloaf, meatballs, and burgers. But unless the label reads “lean ground turkey” or “turkey breast,” you’re actually getting a mix of white meat, dark meat, and even some skin, which all add up to 325 calories and 20 grams of fat for a 5-ounce serving.

Compare that to 95 percent lean ground beef, which has 240 calories and 10 grams of fat. Lean beef also supplies a good helping of iron—almost five times more than turkey.

Rethink: Banana chips
Reach for: Dried apricots

Talk about a food that only sounds healthy! I’d assumed that banana chips were virtually guilt-free. But then I found out that most of them are deep-fried, with 220 calories and 15 grams of fat per half-cup—yikes! The same amount of dried apricots, on the other hand, has about 150 calories and less than 1 gram of fat (plus loads of vitamin A). Buy organic and you’ll also avoid sulphites, which can trigger migraines and even disrupt sleep.

How to Make the Perfect Shopping List

Shop unscripted, and not only will you buy the same tired ingredients every week but your money will fly away—and your impulse control will, too. Try my pointers for making a convenient, life-lengthening list.

Make a meal plan
Pick out a few recipes, and you have an instant ingredient list that will rein in impulse buys.

Draw up a master list
Compiling your grocery receipts for four weeks will give you a master list that helps you avoid buying stuff you already have. Keep it on the fridge and mark down what you bought when.

Don’t shop hungry
You’ll eat your way through the store!

Organize aisle by aisle
This time-saver will keep you from zigzagging back and forth in the store.

Write down a rainbow
Choose different colors of fruits and vegetables to guarantee variety.

Stick to the list
Without a list, you’ll fork over 30% more on impulse items.

Smile and enjoy

2009-02-22T17:40:00.002-07:00

I got this email from one of my clients and would like to share it with you.

Importance of Walking

Walking 20 minutes can add to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking
five miles a day when he was 60..
Now he's 97 years old
and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking
is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what I'm doing..

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs,
but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, he looks good doesn't he.'

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years,......
just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older,
because there's a lot more information in our
heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour
and by the time I leave,
I look just fine.

You could run this over to your friends
But just e-mail it to them!

Help Stop Drinking and Driving Free MP3 Download

2009-02-16T06:18:00.003-07:00

Is it safe to operate a vehicle with any amount of alcohol in your system even if below the legal limits? No matter how small the amount of alcohol consumed, research has shown there are effects on the body. Don’t worry. I am not going to preach against drinking. Whether someone of legal age drinks or not is none of my business. I am going to talk about drinking and driving though because that might effect me or my family, friends and our community. And it is not just driving cars and motorcycles but also boats, jet skies, bicycles, anything that moves while you are driving under the influence of alcohol.

BECAUSE YOU CANNOT OPERATE EQUIPMENT SAFELY WHEN DRINKING, REGARDLESS OF HOW IT SEEMS AT THE TIME

But still, you might ask, what is wrong with a couple of drinks for the road? The answers may surprise you.

BECAUSE DRINKING AND DRIVING IS AGAINST THE LAW AND IT KILLS

Therefor I have created a FREE MP3 Download from my website, so if you know anyone that this CD may help please give them my link www.terranceb.ca and maybe we can save a life.

An afternoon pick me up

2009-02-11T14:07:00.002-07:00

No, its not coffee... In fact, there is no caffeine needed!

Goodbye caffeine…Hello natural pick me up

When your body wants to shut down in the afternoon I drink a large glass of water (dehydration can be a major culprit of lethargic behavior, my doctor recommended 14 glasses a day) and take a few minutes to do this “Afternoon Pick me Up” routine to get my blood pumping and create some natural energy. I finish it off with a healthy, well-balanced, power filled snack. Carrots, veggies juice, apples and peanut butter are some of my favorites.

Next time you’re feeling the energy zap courtesy of 3 p.m. try this upbeat and uplifting quickie workout.

Side to side
This is a great way to get eh heart rate up light cardio gives us a burst of energy. Get some good music on and step to it. Add arms to work upper and lower body.

Step-ups
Whether it is a curb or stairs or just marching, stepping is a great workout for your calves and glutes. When in public if it is one or two levels I always take the stairs. These are a great way to get low impact cardio and work your booty.

Squats
Mini squats warm up the glutes and hip flexors. Keeping our tummy tight will help with balance while working the core. Also a great time to add Kegels. Contract the pelvic floor each time you come up out f the squat, squeeze. If you need support hold on to something to assist with balance.

Side core crunch
Core core core. Every day we need to work the core. The core is the strong center of the body it helps us stay injury free, is beneficial in labor and delivery, and in getting a head start in getting back in shape. Laying down on your side extend legs and arms straight and pull elbow and knee toward each other. .

I also enjoy getting fresh air it is god for the body and brain to breath crisp fresh air. The afternoon is a great time to take five outside and take some deep breaths.

Writing things Down: the Secret to Achieving Anything you Want in your Life!

2009-01-29T05:58:00.003-07:00

There is something so powerful about writing things down. Once you write something down you are in control, you own it. The situations below are perfect examples of when you should start jotting!

When you have a jillion thoughts running through your mind

Do you ever have one of those days where you already have tons to do, but new things keep popping into your head anyway? You know what I mean, you are trying to meet deadlines, do laundry, and think three days ahead of time. You keep going and doing but no matter how much you get done you still have more. Then you keep thinking of everything else you need to be doing and it’s hard to complete a task without thinking of a new one to start.

When this starts happening take 3 minutes to chill out. Grab a notepad and a pen and start jotting every little task you can think of down. Even if it’s a small job, write it down. Once you have written something down, you aren’t as likely to keep having it pop into your mind while you are doing something else. You won’t be as overwhelmed or stressed because you know you won’t forget anything. Keep your notepad handy so that if something new comes to mind you can add it to the list. Now you can just concentrate on the task at hand and start checking things off your list.

When you have a specific goal

If you have a specific goal in mind then write that goal down. Also write down any tasks associated with achieving your goal and make them into steps. Now set dates for all your steps to be completed by. You are much more likely to get into action if you have written a plan than if you just had a goal in mind. This is a technique I use all the time. Once you write something down and break it into parts it doesn’t seem as scary as one big goal. You can easily see how tiny steps today lead to huge accomplishments tomorrow!

When you have no clue where to start

Have you ever been in a situation where you had no idea what to do? I know I have. Whenever you are facing a problem or task that you feel is out of your control sit down with whatever information you do know about the subject. For instance, if your finances are out of control and you don’t know where you stand on your bills and debts; sit down with your paperwork. Grab all of your bills, bank statements, and other financial records and list everything on a piece of paper. Even if you are in a pretty deep hole, you now know where you stand. You now have the power to do what you need to do to change your situation. This works for everything in your life: nutrition, fitness, dating, relationships, finances, organizing, career change, goal setting, etc.

Grab some paper and a pen and start taking control your life and changing it for the better!

Starting 2009 Right!

2009-01-01T14:18:00.003-07:00

Let’s face it. Now is the time of year that you want to kick that calorie burn into high gear. We are neck deep in the holiday festivities, so we are all looking to get our metabolisms roaring, right? So how do you know what exercises and activities are going to give you the biggest bang for your calorie-burn buck?

I have put together a list of various activities to give you an idea of how each affects your burn. Sitting still (aka at rest), most people expend roughly 1-2 calories per minute, depending on your body weight, sex, etc. I have included both activities that burn a lot of calories, and also a separate chart that shows activities that don’t burn very many.

Use these charts as references so that you can get moving this season and burn off those extra goodies here and there that you want to enjoy along the way.

Note: This chart is based on a 150-pound woman. Men and women weighing over 150 pounds will burn more calories during the same activities, and those that weigh less will burn less.

HIGH BURN ACTIVITIES CALS BURNED IN 30 MIN.

aerobics: low impact 170
aerobics: high impact 238
elliptical trainer: general 213
calisthenics: vigorous, jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, pullups 272
weight lifting: light/moderate 108
weight lifting: vigorous 207
running: 6.7 mph (9 min/mile) 374
walk: 4 mph (15 min/mi) 170
stretching: mild, hatha yoga 85
ice skating: moderate intensity 238
sledding, toboggan, bobsled 238
skiing/snowboarding: downhill, moderate effort 204
operating a snow blower: walking 153
shoveling snow: by hand 238
vacuuming 119
cleaning house: general, light 87
decorating Christmas tree 85
food shopping: with cart 78
christmas shopping 78
playing w/kids: moderate effort 153
baking and food preparation 136
Unloading car 102

LOW BURN ACTIVITIES CALS BURNED IN 30 MIN.

reading: sitting 44
standing in line: light, holding items 68
sitting, watching TV 34
writing Christmas cards 61
wrapping gifts 51
socializing, standing 61
playing cards 51

Source: http://www.caloriesperhour.com

Now do you see what a difference a little extra movement can make?

I hope this helps to give you the incentive to get out and move this holiday season. An exercise like this truly gives vacuuming or shoveling snow a whole new light, doesn’t it! Happy New Year

Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss For 2009

2008-12-27T08:23:00.003-07:00

The New Year is here. During the holidays you probably indulged in turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and many other tempting goodies. Now you step on the scale and much to your dismay, you've gained a few pounds in addition to the extra weight you may have already accumulated throughout the year. How can you make this the year to slim down and keep the weight off for good? Researchers say losing just five to 10 percent of your excess body weight can make a big difference in your health, including lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk for diabetes. So where do you start?Here are some common-sense strategies to lead you on the way to long-term weight loss.

Eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than a few big ones. The human body needs food about every three hours. So you should have a snack every two to three hours to ward off hunger. I recommend snacks that include a high-quality protein and carbohydrates, such as low-fat yogurt and fruit, a smoothie, or soy cheese and a pear.

Snacks are an important part of a healthful eating plan. A snack will help keep you from overeating [at mealtime], and it helps to curb your appetite. Other suggestions for snacks include graham crackers, low-fat popcorn, vegetables with low-fat dip, and whole-grain crackers.

Exercise regularly doing something you enjoy. In order to burn more than you take in, you need to exercise. It increases your metabolism so even when you're at rest, you'll be burning more calories. Regular aerobic physical activity (such as walking, biking or swimming) for at least 20-30 minutes a day, three to five times a week. If you're a beginner, you can start slowly, but the more you can add to the duration, the better. Ideally, you should try to exercise 30-45 minutes, five days a week.

In particular, walking may be a good choice. Buy a pedometer and keep track of the number of steps you take each day. Once you see how much you walk, try adding 1,000 steps each day, with an eventual goal of 10,000 steps or more.

Lose weight slowly (1-2 pounds per week). Slow weight loss is important. It will be easier to keep it off. Quick weight loss is more apt to come back on, leading to yo-yo dieting that has a negative impact on your long-term health.

Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes before your brain realizes it's full. That means the amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary a great deal depending on how quickly you eat. So eat slowly, savor your food [and] enjoy it.

Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day. Need i say more?

Common Pitfalls to Avoid...

Negative self-talk. Avoid negative thoughts and statements such as "I'm fat. I'll never be able to lose weight." Be positive. Affirm that you can change your lifestyle.

Emotional eating. Don't eat as a way to cope with stress or other negative emotions. "It's one of the biggest sources of overeating. Food never solves the problem, and usually it just contributes to a cycle of guilt, low self-esteem and overeating, Get to the root of the problem. Face the situation head on. Food is meant for physical nourishment, not for emotional comfort, reward or punishment.

Start the year of with a new positive outlook.

How Exactly Does Hypnosis For Weight Loss Work And Why Does It Work?

2008-12-21T23:07:00.003-07:00

Many overweight people try out various ways of losing weight – in most cases they just experience the yo-yo effect. When they then heard about weight loss in association with hypnosis they usually asked themselves “How exactly does hypnosis for weight loss work”? It’s no secret that many successful people such as top mangers or top athletes make use of this method in order to optimize their behavior. But does hypnosis for weight loss work equally well? Let us discuss the basics of hypnosis and see if it could also be helpful in terms of losing weight.

Hypnosis has long been a matter of debate. Some people believe in hypnosis, usually because they have read about this method or because they actively make use of it and obtain positive results. Other people are skeptical and don’t believe in hypnosis, mostly because they have not yet occupied themselves with the matter. Hypnosis has nothing to do with magic and simply works by conditioning your subconscious. By giving your subconscious instructions you can change your habits for the better. It’s not as complicated as most people think; you will just have to learn to communicate with your mind on a subliminal level. That’s it! Now that we have covered the functionality of hypnosis let us get more into detail about weight loss.

How exactly does hypnosis for weight loss work? Basically you will just have to apply hypnosis in the above-mentioned way by providing your subconscious with the desired instructions. First, you should analyze your weak spots when it comes to your eating habits. Let us assume that you drink a lot of lemonade which contains a lot of simple sugar. In order to avoid the increased intake of lemonade you will have to give your subconscious adequate instructions. This will help you to dramatically change your behavior for the better.

Does hypnosis for weight loss work in general? Hypnosis has been used as an effective method to modify peoples’ behavior and help them to manage their overweight status. Several studies demonstrate a significant effect of hypnosis on the management of weight loss. The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) is the largest U.S. organization dealing with health and mental health care. They make use of the art of clinical hypnosis and have carried out a nine-week program of hypnosis for weight loss purposes. The bottom line of this study was that people who had been hypnotized achieved better results than people who had not been hypnotized.

Another study showed other positive results of hypnosis. In this study 60 women were categorized into two different groups, a hypnosis-group and a non-hypnosis-group. The hypnosis-group with hypnosis achieved an average weight loss of 17 pounds compared to the non-hypnosis-group who only achieved a weight loss of 5 pounds. In this way they have proven the question does hypnosis for weight loss work in general beyond any doubt.

Hypnosis is definitely a very effective way to get rid of extra pounds. With the right how-to-do information you can be the one who can provide your subconscious with the adequate instructions and, thus, easily change your behavior for the better.

By using the Think and be Thin 3 cd program you can change the way you think and achive your goal.

Holiday Weight Management Survival Guide

2008-12-19T08:05:00.003-07:00

The average person gains about a pound or two over the holidays, a phenomenon that many of us are familiar with. While that doesn't sound like much, what we gain over the holidays tends to stick around long into the new year. Managing your weight can be tough unless you plan ahead and keep up with your workouts.

Don't Skip Your Cardio

Cardio is your first line of defense against extra pounds. If you're short on time, you can still burn calories by keeping your rate of perceived exertion between 6-10. Try to find 10 minutes once a day (more if you can) and keep it simple--walk the stairs, race walk around the office or turn on the radio and start moving. Need ideas? Here's a short, high intensity workout:

0-1 min: Warm up, brisk walk - RPE 5
1-2 min: Speedwalk - RPE 6-7
2-3 min: Run - RPE 8
3-4 min: Jumping Jacks - RPE 8
4-5 min: Speedwalk - RPE 8
5-6 min: Run - RPE 9
6-7 min: Jumping Jacks - RPE 9
7-8 min: Run - RPE 9
8-9 min: Jumping Jacks - RPE 9
9-10 min: Walk, cool down - RPE 3-5

Substitute any moves you like to fit your fitness level.

Eat, Drink & Be Merry - - Without Guilt

2008-12-18T15:48:00.002-07:00

Indulge without blowing it.

Look at any holiday buffet and you may actually feel your fat cells growing larger. There's so much temptation, you may think your only option is to either throw in the towel and eat yourself silly or go home and lock yourself inside until January.

You can enjoy yourself without blowing your healthy diet with the right attitude. It's OK to treat yourself and even cut down on exercise if you need to, but you'll enjoy yourself more if you don't eat yourself into a coma and completely ditch your workout routine. Use these strategies to avoid getting sucked into a holiday eating frenzy.

Don't let the buffet table win! To deal with the temptation of calorie-laden party foods, first give yourself free reign to choose from everything on the buffet table. When you restrict certain foods, you may find yourself fixated on them, which leads to overindulgence. Allowing plenty of options will help you make intelligent choices about what you'll actually eat, thus freeing you from worry, guilt and extra pounds. Prepare for holiday functions by:

* Eating something before the party so you're not starving
* Giving yourself time to peruse the buffet and have some water before you dig in
* Deciding what and how much you'll have before you fill your plate
* Choose things you can only get this time of year (i.e., you can always have potato chips -- why waste good calories on that?)
* Avoiding liquid calories by limiting the number of alcoholic drinks you have and by drinking a big glass of water between drinks.
* Enjoy every bite knowing you indulged yourself without going overboard

Happy Holidays!