You are smart enough to know that your eating habits will contribute to your well being. Many of us lead busy lifestyles and as a result of which look for short cuts to health. This is understandable but not necessarily smart. You need to think outside the box a little, the box being your regular old habits.

When it comes to diet, nutrition is the key factor relative to healthy aging. Nutrients are critical to human health. You essentially need protein, carbs, minerals, oils, fats and vitamins.

When your diet consists of fruits, vegetables and whole grains you reduce the possibility of disease. Good eating habits also help control blood pressure and cholesterol levels. When all of this is in check you will feel and look better. Nutrition is one of the greatest resources we have to fight against disease.

Essentially nutrition is the study of everything related to food which covers anything from food preparation to its consumption. It also covers how the body handles food. This in effect teaches us how our health can be affected by food choices.

On the other hand wellness is not just about how you feel it’s more about how you function. Wellness is mainly considered as a holistic concept, holistic in the sense that it covers physical, spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual, and environmental dimensions.

As we know, eating nutritiously and exercising are necessary for a healthy lifestyle, but that is only part of the picture. Wellness therefore is largely determined by the decisions you make and how you live your life.

As a consequence wellness is about looking at the total picture such as blood pressure, body fat, exercise behavior or what you eat on a daily basis. Health and wellness is about balance.

Diet basically refers to what you eat. Often when we hear the term diet we tend to think weight loss, in other words eating less food in order to lose weight. Diet not only refers to food it also refers to liquid. Drinking water is part of your diet.

When it comes to altering your diet as in the amount you eat and what you eat it is always wise to make small incremental changes. This way your chance of success when making these changes is far greater. As we all know what you eat and how much you eat plays a significant role when it comes to weight loss.

Fitness also covers the subject of nutrition. When we refer to fitness it includes good nutrition, flexibility, relaxation, sleep, and more. Fitness is much more than cardio, it is also about strength and resistance training The combination of all of the above adds up to health and wellness because it is all relative and even when we talk about diet for weight loss those who exercise and eat healthy are more likely to succeed for obvious reasons.

The quinoa diet is getting more and more popular not only for vegetarians but for people who wanted to lose weight as well. I’m currently trying to shed off pounds and I was doing my research and I came across with quinoa and I’m really amazed with what I found. It is a staple among Incans and they eat it to regain stamina and strength. Vegetarians love it too because quinoa is packed with high-quality protein that you do not get from soy and beans. It’s one of the few foods that can provide “complete” protein.

The quinoa diet is great because unlike any other fad diets we have around, it will not starve you to death and you can be assured that you are getting the right amount of nutrients for every serving. If you want to lose weight, you do not have to necessarily eat the so-called “diet foods” because once you go back to eating regular food, you’ll start gaining again. What you need is consistency.

With the quinoa diet, you can prepare it with pretty much anything you want. You can either make it as the main course or a side dish. When you cook quinoa, it is given that you prepare it with other healthy foods. I’m sure you can’t afford to cook quinoa with deep fried chicken or dump cups of mozzarella cheese on it. You always mix it with lean meat, vegetables or fruits.

What I love about quinoa is the way it fills me up. I don’t get hungry as often unlike when I was still eating white rice. The seeds take a long time for your system to digest and because of its slow-releasing carbohydrate content, you stay full for a longer period of time.

Did I say carbohydrates? Yes I did! No you don’t have to be scared of carbohydrates because what quinoa contains is good carbs. You have more energy but at the same time, your cravings for sugary foods will be less. It reduces the hunger pangs that you always have to struggle with on a very low-calorie diet. I’ll say it again, this is the type of diet that will not starve you to death and it will give you energy every single day.

When it comes to fitness, there are several ways to describe this. The first common description to fitness is improving your body so that it can be healthier and perform at its maximum capacity. On the other hand, you can train your own body to exceed this maximum performance by building up your muscles and training harder than ever. This is known as body building. However, when it comes to building your muscles, there is a right way to accomplish this task and there is also a wrong way, much like anything else in this world. The first thing that you should learn when you are about to embark in your journey to enhance your own mass is to learn about the proper exercises that you should do. The second part of this routine is to learn the proper way to eat, or the proper muscle building diet.

Exercises vary when it comes to muscle building. The best way to attain this is to do some strength training in the gym, which means you have to lift weights. There are several exercises to target the different parts of the body so that you grow in proportion. For the upper body muscle groups, you should learn how to do the different dumbbell lifts such as dip, curls and overhead pumps. The different positions allow you to target the different muscle groups which include the triceps, the biceps, chest area and middle back. For the lower body, there are a variety of exercises as well. To target your quads, you should do squats. For the hamstrings, a dead lift leg curl is the best exercise you can do. Standing calf raises will target the calves. But, all this will be for nothing without muscle building diet.

But, what should a muscle building diet contain in the first place? The most important part of this diet is of course protein. Protein is the nutrient which will be responsible for making your muscles larger and stronger. At the same time, protein will maintain your muscles. This is because while you exercise, your muscles begin to tear little by little. These tears are repaired by protein by filling in the gap created by these tears. By doing so, the muscle becomes larger. Slowly but surely, your muscle groups becomes larger. Another important nutrient for your muscle building diet is calcium. Most people know that muscle weighs more than fat, and because you are increasing muscle mass you need to make sure that your bones can handle the weight by enriching it with calcium. Milk, cheese and other dairy products are great sources of calcium while the best source for protein is fish meat. Red meat and eggs can also be wonderful sources for calcium but they also contain cholesterol. It should also contain enough fuel for the body that comes from carbohydrates and sugar.

A muscle building diet should be carefully planned. You can also turn to pills and protein bars to help your body get the nutrients it needs so that it can grow big and powerful.

You are smart enough to know that your eating habits will contribute to your well being. Many of us lead busy lifestyles and as a result of which look for short cuts to health. This is understandable but not necessarily smart. You need to think outside the box a little, the box being your regular old habits.

When it comes to diet, nutrition is the key factor relative to healthy aging. Nutrients are critical to human health. You essentially need protein, carbs, minerals, oils, fats and vitamins.

When your diet consists of fruits, vegetables and whole grains you reduce the possibility of disease. Good eating habits also help control blood pressure and cholesterol levels. When all of this is in check you will feel and look better. Nutrition is one of the greatest resources we have to fight against disease.

Essentially nutrition is the study of everything related to food which covers anything from food preparation to its consumption. It also covers how the body handles food. This in effect teaches us how our health can be affected by food choices.

On the other hand wellness is not just about how you feel it’s more about how you function. Wellness is mainly considered as a holistic concept, holistic in the sense that it covers physical, spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual, and environmental dimensions.

As we know, eating nutritiously and exercising are necessary for a healthy lifestyle, but that is only part of the picture. Wellness therefore is largely determined by the decisions you make and how you live your life.

As a consequence wellness is about looking at the total picture such as blood pressure, body fat, exercise behavior or what you eat on a daily basis. Health and wellness is about balance.

Diet basically refers to what you eat. Often when we hear the term diet we tend to think weight loss, in other words eating less food in order to lose weight. Diet not only refers to food it also refers to liquid. Drinking water is part of your diet.

When it comes to altering your diet as in the amount you eat and what you eat it is always wise to make small incremental changes. This way your chance of success when making these changes is far greater. As we all know what you eat and how much you eat plays a significant role when it comes to weight loss.

Fitness also covers the subject of nutrition. When we refer to fitness it includes good nutrition, flexibility, relaxation, sleep, and more. Fitness is much more than cardio, it is also about strength and resistance training The combination of all of the above adds up to health and wellness because it is all relative and even when we talk about diet for weight loss those who exercise and eat healthy are more likely to succeed for obvious reasons.

Sports nutrition is a very important part of an athletes’ training regiment. Unfortunately most athletes, especially young athletes, think quantity is the answer to improving performance. So many athletes invest in their training by increasing calories (many unhealthy) while mortgaging their performance and long-term health (increasing their fat mass).

True, when an athlete trains there is a possible need for extra calories to help facilitate the effects from training. However most athletes go well beyond their caloric need and consume too many calories. More times than not, athletes consume foods from unhealthy source like fast food or take in large quantities of calories from protein supplements through shakes, pills and/or bars. Athletes consume these extra calories, thinking the added consumptions will increase strength and produce productive weight gains. Most of these extra calories are converted to fat – fat weight is not productive. Regardless of the form of food/substrate intake, if the calories go beyond that which is truly required by the body, those calories will be convert to triglycerides in the liver and stored as fat. This storage of non-productive mass takes away form athletic performance (especially in hockey, basketball, volleyball, track, and many positions in football) by causing premature fatigue and decreased acceleration/explosiveness.

There has been controversy over the years in the sports community on how much nutritional supplementation is needed to enhance athletic performance. Overwhelmingly, the answer keeps coming back as NOT MUCH, IF ANY. Because sport nutrition is such a comprehensive and complex area of study, and because it goes way beyond the scope this program, I am just going to lie out some very simple nutritional guidelines. These recommendations will be more than adequate in complimenting your conditioning program.

Since most of my career has been working in cardiology as therapist and lifestyle management counselor, I will recommend eating for your health!!! Heart disease is a condition that starts in early childhood, mainly because children learn sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. Getting young people into sports, of any kind, is very positive. The last thing a parent should do is teach and reinforce poor eating habits simply because they are under the false impression that a high calorie diet, usually coming from higher levels of fat, will help improve athletic performance. The pinnacle of human performance is athletic competition. Remember, when you eat for optimal health you’ll achieve optimal human performance for the hockey season and the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Food Components

Dietary breakdown comes in three general categories; macronutrients- carbohydrate, protein and fats; micronutrients – vitamins and minerals and water.

Macronutrients Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat

Carbohydrates are divided into three categories: Monosaccarides, oligosaccharides and Polysaccharides. Carbohydrates make up most of our diet and are the main energy fuel used by the body. Besides being the main energy sources, carbohydrates also function as a protein sparer, metabolic primer and provide fuel for the central nervous system. Carbohydrates are stored in the body in the form of blood glucose (15-30g), liver (90 -100g) and muscle glycogen (325g). In sports like hockey where an athlete works in very short durations at an extremely high intensity, almost 100 percent of his/her energy is derived from carbohydrates and 30-40% from blood glucose.

Most of our diet should come in the form of carbohydrate, (60%) with the majority coming in the complex variety. In the complex form, the fibrous portion has not been removed, providing numerous health benefits and better regulation of blood sugars. For an athlete, consuming simple sugars (candy, juice, soda) 30 minutes prior to an event can hinder athletic performance by dramatically lowering blood sugars and depleting glycogen stores. Water is the preferred intake just prior to the start of the event.

During a game, water is the most needed supplement. Dehydration will quickly dissolve performance and place and athlete at risk for a heat related injury. Certain carbohydrate drinks are recommended for athletic competition that is extremely intense (hockey, soccer or football) or long duration (marathon). Controversy exists regarding the amount of sugar concentration. Higher concentration can lead to a lower osmolality (the rate of water absorption), resulting in dehydration, cramping, and diarrhea. The timing of ingestion and the concentration of solution are key for any benefit. Following the first 30 minutes of activity a concentration up to 50% is recommended (70g/140ml) then 5% solution (24g/8 oz) over 30 minutes intervals. For younger children playing in games less than or up to one-hour actual time, cold water is best.

Following practice or game, an athlete should consume a more simple, yet healthy, carbohydrate within 2 hours of completion. A beverage like orange juice will provide replenishment of glycogen stores, electrolytes (potassium and calcium) and fluids. Sports drinks are not necessary and soda provides almost no benefit. Remember caffeine is a diuretic and found in most soft drink. This will increase dehydration and contribute to premature fatigue. This is very important during weekend tournaments when there are many games in a very short time span – even two games in one day.

Fat is categorized into two major groups, saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are further categorized into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Fats serve many important functions in the body. Like carbohydrates, fats are a protein sparer. Fat also is needed to protect organs, help with vitamin absorption, vitamin D synthesis, production of adrenal gland hormones like estrogen, androgen, progesterone – which are responsible for male and female secondary sex characteristics. Fats also play a role in bile formation for fat breakdown, thermal regulation in the cold, nerve sheath and other cellular membrane development and blood clotting. Besides Linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid (meaning it must be consumed in the diet because it can’t be produce in the body) we can produce all the fat needed for cellular function and life by consuming small amounts in the diet. A typical American’s diet consists of 45% fat, most in the form of saturated fat. This unfortunately leads to obesity, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, certain cancers, coronary heart disease and decreased human and athletic performance. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 30% of daily calories coming from fat; but for athletes like hockey players, that require a very lean body, 20% is ideal.

Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. They are well known for their function of muscle builders and tissue repair. Proteins also function as enzymes to help speed up chemical reactions, plasma protein for blood clotting, and hemoglobin for oxygen transport. Protein in the form of actin and myosin is what makes movement possible through muscle contraction. Protein can be used for energy, especially in the absences of adequate carbohydrate and in moderate to intense exercise. Most, if not all, people get more than enough protein in their diet. Therefore, supplementing protein is not always necessary. Not only is consuming more protein not necessary if your not and adolescence whom is working out or playing a high intensity sport, consuming the extra calories will result in increase fat mass. To add insult to injury, most forms of high quality protein come in the form of animal products. These products containing high quantities of saturated fat.

The proteins you do choose should be a selection of a variety of sources, particularly plant. Normally men should consume about.8 grams/kg of body weight. (Simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kg), women need.9g/kg. Some research suggested protein in certain athletes, especially those involved with high intensity sport like weight lifting, could increase the recommended amount up to 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg of body weight. However, because most American’s already consume more than the RDA suggest, the need for supplements still marginally exist. If extra protein is necessary, egg whites sit on top of the list for a high quality, low fat supplement. A recent Canadian research paper discovered that the body can only synthesize 20g of protein an hour and that this rate of synthesis could only be maintained for up to 4 hours. The source of protein showing the best results was skim milk. So I recommend my athletes’ drink 4, 12oz glasses of milk over four hours.

Summary of Macronutrients

When glycogen stores become depleted, fatigue sits in and technique and performance suffer. Through a well balanced diet and training, glycogen stores can increase 3 fold. Even with this increase, muscles do not have the luxury of borrowing glycogen from non-participating muscles. Only the liver can sacrifice its glycogen stores, which also has only limited storage. This too can deplete quickly and limit an athlete in times a great intensity or extended duration. However, stored fat in the body has more than twice the caloric value as stored carbohydrate and can be mobilized from other areas. When an athlete trains specifically for their sport, their body learns to become more efficient at preserving glycogen by tapping into the caloric dense fat stores. The more the athlete trains the faster and more efficient this changeover occurs. Not to seem contradicting to my earlier statement regarding fat, extra fat is not needed. 1 pound of fat can provide enough energy for a 35 miles walk. Fat-stores a lean athlete already possesses are adequate to sustain him in times of great energy demands.

Micronutrients

Vitamins and minerals are not considered as an energy source. Vitamins serve as an essential link in metabolic reactions, facilitate energy release, and are important in bone and teeth synthesis. Vitamins can be used repeatedly in the body so the need for supplement doesn’t exist.

Minerals are made up of 22 mostly metallic elements (about 4% body weight). Minerals regulate many functions in the body: Metabolism, anabolism, catabolism, structural (bones and teeth) and cellular activity and nerve impulses (sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium). Under normal condition a well balance diet will provide the RDA for minerals. During prolong and or high intensity activity, athletes can lose anywhere from 1 to 5 kg (3-12 pounds) of water as a result of sweating. This can lead to the loss on mineral salts, primarily sodium and some potassium chloride. This loss of water and electrolytes impairs heat tolerance and hinders exercise performance and can lead to severe dysfunction in the form of heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Water makes up 40-60% of a persons body weight. Water constitutes 65-75% of the weight of muscle and less than 25% of the weight in fat. Even though water does not contribute to nutritional value of foods, it is the way all nutrients, vitamins and minerals are transported in the body. The two main water compartments in the body are intracellular and extracellular fluids. These fluids serve as the body’s transport and active medium by bringing essential nutrient and gases to the cell while carrying away all waste byproducts for elimination. Each day a sedentary person will require 2.5 liters of water. This water requirement will be met through the ingestion of liquids, foods and during metabolism.

For athletes during an event, water’s main purpose is to replace the water lost in sweat. Water replacement allows the body’s thermal regulator to continue functioning normally. By maintaining hydration, athletes will be better able to perform and avoid the dangerous effects from increased core body temperature, which can lead to premature fatigue. The body will redirect blood to the skin surface and away from the working muscles – this results in dramatic drop in an athlete’s performance.

Recommendation for water ingestion 10 to 20 minutes prior to an athletic event should equal 400 to 600 ml. During the event, 250 ml at 10 to15 minute intervals is recommended. Athletes can loose up to 2 liters of water per hour in sweat, while only absorbing 800 ml per hour. Watching an athlete for symptoms during an event in hot, humid weather is very important. Young athletes have an immature thermal regulator and thus do not tolerate heat well. Keeping children well hydrated and under constant supervision and surveillance is a must.

Most nutritional needs can be met through a well balanced diet. Even with all the sports nutrition research, athletes still buy into the fast cash schemes claiming that athletic perfection will not be reach unless their product is used. It’s simply not true and not supported by current research.

Pre game/practice meals are as important as any other topic I have discussed. But again, no special plan or super dietary foods are needed. Hockey players are physically challenged every time they go on the ice; and because of this, a healthy carbohydrate laden diet needs to be the everyday staple.

On the day of a game, the heavy meal should come approximately 3 to 6 hours before game time. This should be filled with foods like whole grain pastas, vegetables, skim milk, whole grain breads, and fruit or fruit juice. If a heavy meal is eaten greater than 4 hours prior to the game, a lighter snack, like fruit juice or yogurt, is recommended 2-3 hours prior to game time. Remember, no simple carbohydrates 30 minutes – 1 hour prior to a game – only water!!

High fat and protein meals actually hinder performance (steak and other meats, and fast foods). These foods digest more slowly (meaning less available energy because undigested food can’t contribute), requires more energy to digest (taking away from energy that could be used in the game), increases metabolic heat (requiring the body to work harder to cool itself while putting an athlete at a great danger in high temperature, high humidity conditions), and depletes water stores – adding to heat stress (byproducts of amino acid (protein) break down demands water for urinary excretion).

Important

A pre game meal cannot correct deficiencies that result from weeks of inadequate nutrition. Eating healthy everyday will prevent deficiencies that could hinder performance.

Physical fitness and diet are two of the most important factors to maintaining your overall health. Unfortunately, most of us have a sedentary lifestyle which has caused an estimated 1 billion people worldwide to become over weight. But, when you know some insider secrets losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle is not that hard.

The first thing to understand is that most processed foods we buy are not that good for us. In fact, the most popular sweetener that is used nowadays actually makes us fatter. This is an ingredient called High Fructose Corn Syrup and it converts to fat faster than sucrose which it replaced as a sweetener simply because it is cheaper. My wife actually lost 25 pounds in a year just by eliminating soft drinks with this ingredient. When considering your diet stick to more natural options; eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean beef, chicken and fish.

When considering physical fitness the best exercises are ones that work a wider range of motion than a smaller one and ones that work multiple muscle groups at once. These exercises are referred to as compound or multi joint exercises and include this like the clean and jerk, the dumb bell snatch, dead lifts, squats, lunges and others.

These exercises will help you lose weight in two ways. First, they build muscle and because muscle weighs more than fat your body must work harder and, consequently, burn more fat. But also, they cause you to exert so much effort that your body actually goes into a state of metabolic shock so that you are burning calories at a higher rate for days after.

Are you looking information to start a new diet and lose weight quickly? It is believed that meat diet helps to get this goal. Like many other diet plans, meat diet has its pros and cons. Let’s see why and how this specific diet plan can help you to lose a few pounds within days.

Meat and Satiety

Various scientific studies have shown that a high-protein diet is able to reduce appetite and consequently to help someone lose weight. Scientists think that a high level of proteins in the blood would be able to prevent appetite-stimulating hormones from playing its role.

Meat and Metabolism

Meat is rich in vitamins B. Vitamins B and weight loss go hand in hand. Do you know why? Vitamins B are able to speed up the body’s metabolism. Meat such as lean beef, pork and chicken is an important dietary source of B-complex vitamins.

What’s the meat diet plan?

1) Eat much more meat. Your daily intake of proteins should make up 30% of the total amount of calories. White meat is preferable. Try to choose parts of meat poor in fat.

2) Eat 50 % less carbohydrate such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. Avoid eating white bread, white rice and pastries.

3) Reduce fat consumption to 20% of daily energy intake.

4) Eat smaller meals. It is allowed having snacks between the main meals when you feel a little bit hungry.

5) Exercise more!

Meat Diet Disadvantages

1) Meat is rich in lipids and especially in saturated fat acids and cholesterol. It is believed that foods containing a high proportion of saturated fat raise the level of cholesterol in the blood stream and cause heart disease.

2) High intake of meat causes excessive uric acid and could be responsible of various diseases such as gout, rheumatism and kidney stones.

3) Almost all commercial meat is contaminated in some way by toxins, bacteria and chemicals such as synthetic growth hormones and nitrates, that can affect deeply our health and well-being.

4) Some clinical studies have shown that people who regularly consume red meat have a higher risk of colon cancer.

5) The consumption of processed meats, such as pork, beef or lamb, may significantly increase rate of prostate cancer among men of various ages.

6) Scientists have also discovered that women whose diets were rich in meat such as beef or ham are more likely to develop endometriosis.

If you are looking to build muscle, or lose fat, you have undoubtedly heard about the benefits of protein. It seems that nearly everyone seems to think that more protein means faster muscle gains. I am going to give you the straight truth on protein intake as it relates to your muscle building nutrition plan.

As with nearly everything, there are individual differences that come into play when determining the correct protein intake for you. First and foremost is your lean muscle mass. Please notice that I did not say your “weight.”

Muscle is largely compromised of protein, while fat is not. As muscle breaks down and rebuilds it requires protein to do so. Fat does not. For this reason you need to look at your lean body mass (LBM), not your body weight, when determining your protein intake.

To determine your LBM you will need to have your body fat percentage tested. Let’s say we have a 200 pound man who has a body fat percentage of 15%. This would mean that he has a LBM of 170 pounds (200 * 85%).

A good guideline for most people who are lifting weights regularly is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of LBM. Exactly where you fall in that range will be determined by a variety of factors.

The first factor is your goals. If your goal is simply to maintain your lean muscle mass then you can move towards the lower end of the range, whereas someone trying to gain muscle would move towards the higher end.

Another factor is your hormonal profile. There are many hormones that will dictate the correct protein intake for you, but one of the most important is testosterone. Testosterone dictates how much protein can be utilized by your muscles. Someone with very high testosterone levels can utilize much more protein than someone with lower levels. This is why anabolic steroids (testosterone derivatives) are so effective (albeit dangerous).

While these factors are important in determining the correct protein intake for you, the main factor is the make-up of the rest of your diet. For example, someone consuming 3000 kcal from fats and carbs will need less protein than someone consuming 1500 kcal. So if you are on a hardcore muscle building nutrition plan where you are eating everything in sight, you will actually need less protein. Conversely, if you are on a low-calorie diet your protein requirements will be higher.

These are just some of the factors that go into determining your daily protein needs. Remember that proteins are just the building blocks for muscle. Without a well-designed training program you won’t be able to put these building blocks to good use.

There are times when even the most fitness and health conscious diner succumbs to the temptations of the buffet and calorific sweet meats. But is pigging out occasionally a harmless indulgence or a real health worry? Here are some fitness health nutrition tips to lose weight healthily.

Firstly we need to stay clued in. Knowledge is power. In other words, we have to arm ourselves with the facts about fitness, health and nutrition. For instance we need to know what a healthy diet is and ignore the fads. This way we are more likely to build confidence in our abilities and achieve our fitness goals. Long term weight control is about being realistic, and enjoying healthy eating and exercise habits for life and reaping all the benefits.

It is absolutely important to have clear motivation. It will be better to write down the reasons for wanting to achieve fitness by following a nutritious and healthy eating pattern .It definitely helps our feeling of commitment. We have to include reasons that are not just about appearance. For instance, will it help us feel fit enough to do more things that we want to do or will it cure the back pain etc.It can be a useful motivator if the going gets tough.

It helps us to become more aware of our eating habits and problem areas if we write down what we eat and drink. It is a powerful way to kick off planning and bringing changes to the diet and put us in control as it paves way to recognize what is going on and understand more about our self. Keeping a food diary helps to stay on track and see the great progress made.

Another important fitness health nutrition tip is to set realistic goals. Losing five to ten percent of the weight is an ideal target. Losing modest amounts of weight are not just easier to keep off but bring big health benefits. If the goals are realistic they are likely to be achieved and we stick with them and feel successful, which in turn boosts our self confidence.

We need to work out as to how to achieve the goals. Writing the goals and action plans helps enormously. Much of the eating we do when we are not hungry is a habit like response to a variety of triggers. We need to plan ways to avoid these triggers like keeping the binge foods out of the house or joining an evening class instead of watching TV etc.

One of the main fitness health nutrition tips is to be a conscious eater and make choices about what we eat. It will not only help us feel in control and achieve our goals, it will stop us from feeling deprived. If unwanted food cravings do strike, acknowledge them and distract oneself with a chore or a more involving task.

Finally eat regular meals, starting with the breakfast. It helps us to regulate how much we eat by stabilizing blood sugar levels and allowing us to recognize natural feelings of hunger and fullness. They also stop us from worrying about hunger as we know our next meal or snack is not far away.

All of the above fitness health nutrition tips are the latest tricks of the trade which helps one lose weight healthily. So get real and be specific, remember the first few days are always the hardest. But with perseverance, you can outwit your weight.

Women have a major influence on the overall health of all the members in a family. This is true whether the woman works inside or outside the home. In most households, women are the key decision makers when it comes to planning meals. They are usually the ones preparing food at home and planning grocery shopping lists. In general, women also tend to be more health conscious and care for other family members. Mothers can help get their children off to a healthy start by teaching healthy food and fitness habits at a very young age. Providing health and fitness tips to women helps the entire family.

A preventive strategy can help delay or reduce long term medical expenses associated with chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. Most homes have a television, computer, or video game system which promotes a sedentary lifestyle. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and weight management are crucial for heart disease prevention. Getting regular exercise has become an organized activity even for children. A busy lifestyle also means that we need to plan and schedule time for daily exercise whether it is walking, yoga, jogging, or weight training at the gym. Yes, weight training does not always mean big muscles; this is a common concern among women. Weight training helps tone the body, strengthens bones and boosts metabolism. Free fitness tips and instructional videos on weight training and yoga are available online to help educate the public. Online fitness trackers can calculate the calories you burn with different physical activities, a helpful tool if you are on a weight loss program.

Women can set an example for the entire family by eating healthy and exercising regularly. Fad diets that focus on single foods or nutrients are not healthy and result in short term weight loss. Most people regain the weight when they eventually revert to old eating habits. A healthy diet for women is well-balanced and rich in nutrients. It not only supports weight management but also includes nutrients for unique needs like pregnancy, breast feeding, bone health, and anemia (related to menstrual issues). Nutrition and diet are among the most popularly searched for topics on the internet. Use common sense and good judgment, check your online sources of information. Follow diet tips for weight loss offered by qualified professionals like registered dietitians and doctors. Beware of miraculous weight loss potions, pills and powders; remember that it takes time to gain weight and even more to lose it.