Top 5 Ways to Lose Weight for summer, and keep it off year-round.
Losing those extra pounds can be challenging, but people who do get their weight under control have more energy, increased self esteem, and lower risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other conditions. Have a super slim and sunny summer!
1. Don't "diet"
95% of all diets fail. Why? When you go on a low-calorie diet, your body thinks it is being starved, so it slows down your metabolism. Dieting can actually train your body to store fat more efficiently! When you stop any drastic diet, your metabolism is now less efficient, so you will tend to gain the weight back even faster, even if you’re eating less than before. With a low-calorie diet you also lose muscle and fat in almost equal amounts, but your rebound weight gain is all fat, not muscle, and this will slow your metabolism even more. Rather than a specific diet, reduce portions, eat more fresh and green foods and make food and lifestyle changes you can stick with.
2. Understand insulin and glycemic index
When you eat carbohydrates they are converted into one thing by the body: glucose (blood sugar). A chocolate bar, a bowl of pasta, or a cup of broccoli—it’s all converted into glucose because this is the basic fuel source used by every cell in the body to produce energy. Your body must maintain balanced blood sugar levels to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).
Insulin is a hormone that responds to what you eat. It is responsible for the storage of the energy from all the foods we eat. When blood sugars rise suddenly, the pancreas releases insulin rapidly. You get a quick burst of energy, but most of what you’ve eaten will be stored as fat. When insulin levels are high, you store more fat; when insulin levels are low, you burn fat more efficiently. The insulin, trying to get blood sugar into a normal range rapidly, will cause sugars to be pushed into every cell, including fat cells. Some foods take longer to digest and allow blood sugar levels to rise more slowly, preventing insulin surges. Such foods are said to have a lower glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. Any food that produces a rapid rise in blood sugar is called a High GI food. If you eat mostly high GI foods, your body is producing higher levels of insulin than if you were eating lower GI foods. Low GI foods support weight management and healthy blood sugar levels. Soluble fibre, like PGX can virtually turn a High GI food into a Low GI food by slow its digestion. Make a list of low GI foods you love and keep them on hand.
3. Exercise.
Increase muscle and energy with cardio and strength training at least 3 times a week. Walking, swimming and cycling are excellent choices but don't exceed your body's abilities. Increase your activity on a gradient so you don't end up unable to exercise at all. Remember, muscle burns more calories than fat so the benefits of exercise are double. Enjoy an encouraging video by Dr. Mike Evans called 23 1/2 hours. It will inspire you with all the ways exercise supports your health.
4. Up the fibre.
PGX is a unique highly soluble polysaccharide (fibre) blend that supports healthy blood sugar levels and makes weight management safe and easy. Research shows that consuming PGX with or before meals creates a sense of fullness that effectively controls appetite for several hours, making it possible to decrease food intake without experiencing hunger. PGX can also reduce a meal’s glycemic index by up to 50% contributing to healthy blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity.
5. Increase your water intake.
Sometimes we eat when we are really thirsty. Stay hydrated. Most people who succeed at losing weight discover that having a good water bottle on the desk and in the car is the best way to remember to drink 8 or more glasses (or equivalent) per day.
A tasty recipe for homemade ravioli with garden fresh fillings! Yum!
Everything tastes better homemade! Try this recipe from BC Living and make it your own!
My mouth is now watering for pasta, especially for this homemade ravioli! There really is nothing better than homemade and made from scratch when it comes to food...in my opinion! And when one uses fresh-from-the-market ingredients? Even better!
Here's a lovely recipe from BC Living that combines all of those things! There are a lot of steps but this recipe also allows you to get creative and choose what you want to put in your ravioli!
I found this recipe on the weekend and had to share it with you! This is a super simple way to make a tasty guilt-free dessert and make use of plentiful pumpkins!
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, strained 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 PGX singles packet
I suggest adding some cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground ginger to taste if you lke it spicy!
Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl until completely combined. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker for a few minutes until it is a smooth, cool consistency. Don't have an ice cream maker? No problem! Just place the bowl in the freezer and stir mixture every half hour until it reaches desired consistency.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but skipping it could be inadvertently packing on the pounds! Does your morning meal include a cup of coffee with side order cream and sugar? A slice of toast as you rush out the door? Having breakfast is not only a great way to ease into the day but it's great for your digestive system and metabolism.
Here are the top 5 reasons you shouldn't skip breakfast:
1.Rev Up Your Metabolism: Skipping meals can cause your metabolism to slow down.
2. Energy Boost: Researchers found that people had more enegry throughout theday when they ate a high-fiber breakfast compared with people who ate a high-fat breakfast.
4. Eat Less: Those that ate breakfast were found to eat less later in the day according to researchers, compared with people who skip their morning meal.
5. Better Blood SugarLevels: Breakfast-eaters are more likely to have good blood sugar levels and have less sugar highs and lows later on in the day.
Share your favorite healthy breakfast in the comments below!
No matter how good the intentions, it can be difficult to curb cravings for sweet or salty foods. The occasional indulgence is no cause for concern but frequent cravings could be a sign of unbalanced blood sugar. Instead of reaching for a high-calorie sugary treat try these alternatives:
• Are you hungry or thirsty? Drink a big glass of water. Your body loves it.
• Too hungry, too often? Fill up on fibre! Soluble fibre fills you up and makes you feel fuller, longer.
• Sugar craving? Grab a piece of fresh fruit or blend a frozen fruit smoothie; naturally sweet nutrition.
Salt and crunch craving? Skip the chips! Crunch some celery or an apple slice. Sprinkle with salt if you like, or better yet dip it in natural peanut butter! You’ll get some crunch, some salt and some fat and protein too!
My mouth is now watering for pasta, especially for this homemade ravioli! There really is nothing better than homemade and made from scratch when it comes to food...in my opinion! And when one uses fresh-from-the-market ingredients? Even better!