Tips to Get Past Weight Loss Plateau Point In Your Diet/Exercise Program To Help Achieve Your Goals

I just found this health related video on YouTube … and thought you might enjoy it!

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Hi everybody, in this video I give you helpful diet and exercise tips to get over the dreaded plateau when your body just doesn’t seem to want to lose more weight. This can be a difficult time for people who have been steadily losing weight and then stop seeing the scale move lower. It’s a point where people tend to give up and start gaining weight again because they feel they will never reach their goal weight loss. Well, this video is about conquering this situation head on and giving your body a little push to get you over the hump. Ihope you found this video helpful. Please subscribe because I have so much more to come; something helpful and of interest to everyone. Thanks so much for viewing! To purchase a YouTips4U custom-designed T-Shirt please click here: cgi.ebay.com To visit me at my blogspot, please click here: www.youtips4u.blogspot.com

Tell us what you think about this video in the comments below, or in the Battling For Health Community Forum!
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Great Grow Your Hair, Diet, Food, Exercise, Love and Luck Resolutions Tips

I just found this health related video on YouTube … and thought you might enjoy it!

youtube.com/watch?v=m-HkO9NmuaI%3Ff%3Dvideos%26app%3Dyoutube_gdata

Happy New Year Everyone! In this video I give you eight great new years resolution tips on diet, exercise, stress reduction, healthy foods, hair, and romance. I hope you enjoy this video and make some of these tips your new years change. I think youll be very happy if you do. Please subscribe because I have a lot more to come; something for everyone. Thanks so much for viewing! To purchase a YouTips4U custom-designed T-Shirt please click here: cgi.ebay.com To visit me at my blogspot, please click here: www.youtips4u.blogspot.com

Tell us what you think about this video in the comments below, or in the Battling For Health Community Forum!
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Healthy food for religious holidays

Certain holidays  are associated in certain types of food that we usually eat to celebrate these special occasions. However, there are also foods which are forbidden on certain holodays, at least for certain religions. I was brought up a catholic (though I have been an agnostic for years now), and during the Lenten season, my mom would strictly impose the no- meat policy on Fridays and the whole of the so-called Holy Week. Meat would only then be served on Easter Sunday, in celebration of the end of the fasting season.

The other day, one of my sons brought home the topic about the holy days and about why some of their friends wouldn’t eat meat on Fridays. During the discussion, his brother remained quiet, then eventually blurted out worriedly: “But I can’t imagine surviving a Friday without eating even just a slice of salami!”

This, of course, will become a family joke for years to come. However, I got to recall my mom’s no meat policy, which although unpopular, was nevertheless healthy. We were lucky to live close to the seacoast where fish and seafood are  easily avaialble. Fish as protein source is much healthier than meat – especially for our heart health.

A New York Times article recently featured star Chef Marshall Goldstein, of Toledo, Ohio who is the president of the Maumee Valley Chefs American Culinary Federation chapter, and executive chef/director of food services at The Heritage who talked about cooking during special occasions such as Easter and Passover – e.g “how to mix food and faith in a more health way.” The Chef a lot of questions from glazed hams to matzas, from leg of lamb to nut meringue. For me, the best part is the recipe for Pan Roasted Salmon which I will surely try this coming Good Friday. Here is Chef Goldstein’s recipe:

“How about something great and unusual…..Pan Roasted Salmon, with a citrus Balsamic vinegarette. Here is a great recipe:

Ingredients: 1/2 c balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp. finely minced onion, 2 tsp. coarsed chopped parsely, 2 tbsp. orange zest, 1/8 tsp salt, fresh ground black pepper(healthiest for you) 3/4 cup orange juice.

Put all the ingredients into a closable container, and shake, shake, shake!! Sear the Salmon in a skillet with a little olive oil, transfer the pan to a 350 degree oven and roast 10-15 minutes, you do not want over cooked salmon. Using the skillet, wipe clean and heat the sauce, spoon over the salmon. I like to serve redskin potatoes and a nice side salad with different types of dried fruits as a nice accompaniment.”

Hmmm… yummy! Any special holiday recipe you might want to share?

Some fish are good for the heart, some aren’t

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids

Fish is a good natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, the heart-friendly fats that according to the American Heart Association (AHA):

decrease risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death

decrease triglyceride levels

decrease growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque

lower blood pressure (slightly)

However, not all fish seems to be healthy. Some fish seem to contain high level of contaminants found in the environment, such as mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and dioxin. Some fish also contain the wrong type of fatty acids.

In this post, let’s take a look at the types of fish available and what to watch out.

Fish and mercury

AHA cites the following fish to potentially accumulate high levels of mercury:

• shark
• swordfish
• king mackerel
• tilefish (golden bass or golden snapper)

Fish less likely to be contaminated are:

• canned light tuna
• salmon
• pollock
• catfish

Contaminants are usually concentrated on the skin and the surface fat of the fish. By removing these before cooking, we reduce the risk of taking in the contaminants.

Fish and the wrong fatty acid ratios

A study published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association reports about “favorable and unfavorable polyunsaturated fatty acids found in commonly eaten fish.” The study looked at the 30 most common eaten fish in the US, both cultured fish and wild fish. In particular, they looked at the levels of 2 types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the n-3 PUFAs and the n-6 PUFAs. n-3 PUFAs are considered to be the healthy type of PUFAs.

Their results show that of the 4 most commonly eaten fish species, Atlantic salmon and trout contained more n-3 PUFAs (thus low n-6:n-3 PUFAs ratios). Tilapia and catfish, on the other hand, have much lower concentrations of n-3 PUFAs and very high ratios of n-6 to long chain n-3 PUFAs, indicating these fish as less healthy than the other two.

Fish in our diet

This doesn’t mean to say that we shouldn’t eat fish and seafood anymore. These should be a very important component of our diet. We should simply be more aware and discriminate of the type of fish we eat.

The American Heart Association recommends:

eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times a week. Fish is a good source of protein and doesn’t have the high saturated fat that fatty meat products do. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

My family and I love eating fish and seafood, particularly seawater fish. I grew up in an island in the Pacific where fresh fish was available on a daily basis. Now living in a small alpine country in the middle of continental Europe, I have to make do with freshwater fish and frozen fish from the seacoast. It doesn’t matter. My kids love eating fish in any form. The earlier we start them on the right diet, the better.

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Best Arthritis-Friendly Foods

If you dig into my old posts, I have always mentioned that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and non-fat dairy is good for people suffering from arthritis.

Once more from Reader’s Digest. But this time, a list of nutrient-rich food that is best for people with arthritis:

1. Salmon – one of the riches sources of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. I guess most fish will be good as well?

“…especially because it’s less likely than other cold-water fish to harbor high levels of toxic mercury. In addition to its fatty oils, salmon contains calcium, vitamin D, and folate.”

2. Bananas — though best known as a rich source of potassium, bananas also contain arthritis-fighting vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin C. The first thing that my doctor “prescribed” to me was eat lots of bananas. One good thing is that, you can prepare bananas in many different ways. You can eat the ripe ones as is, you can preserve it or put them into your salad. More so, you can blend it with other fruits such as berries or peaches to turn into into a nice fruit drink.

3. Sweet peppers – also rich sources of Vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folate.

4. Shrimp – I love shrimps. Thankfully it is rich in nutrients too! Too bad for people with shrimp allergies.

Taste and convenience make shrimp the most popular shellfish around. But shrimp also deserves acclaim as one of the few major dietary sources of vitamin D, with three ounces providing 30 percent of the recommended daily amount — more than a cup of fortified milk. Shrimp also contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, along with other nutrients essential for general health, including iron and vitamin B12.

5. Soy products – for somebody like me who isn’t very much a fan of dairy milk, I find this a good alternative. I need not even drink milk, I can just eat soy foods.

But soybeans also protect bones, thanks to compounds called isoflavones and significant amounts of both vitamin E and calcium. Long a staple of Asian diets, soy can also be found in soy milk — a boon for people who want to avoid lactose or cholesterol in regular milk.

6. Sweet Potatoes – as a child, this was one of my favorite snacks. Even just boiled, sweet potatoes are yummy already. I do not know anybody who never liked sweet potatoes. However, since maybe I feel that I had enough of sweet potatoes as a kid, that’s why I kinda ignored this in my adulthood. Maybe I should start eating sweet potatoes again?

These tropical root vegetables (which, technically, not related to white baking potatoes) are such a nutritional powerhouse, they once topped a list of vegetables ranked according to nutritional value by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Sweet potatoes are a rich source of vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, and dietary fiber, among other nutrients.

7. Cheese – my 5-year old son will never eat cheese. Anything with cheese, he will not touch. I often wondered why. Maybe he doesn’t like the taste of cheese? I don’t remember not liking cheese as a child, I often eat cheese still. Because I don’t drink milk, I find this a good substitute for my calcium needs.

Hard or soft, fresh or ripened, cheese in all its variety is an excellent source of calcium for bones, and protein for muscles and other joint-supporting tissues. Depending on type, cheeses (especially hard varieties such as cheddar and Colby) are also a good source of vitamin B6 and folate.

8. Lentils.

These dried legumes, with their rainbow of earthy colors, are prime sources of folate, with a single cup providing about 90 percent of your daily needs. But lentils also provide one of the richest plant-based sources of protein, contain large amounts of soluble dietary fiber, and hold significant stores of vitamin B6. These and other nutrients make lentils protect the body against heart disease and cancer in addition to arthritis.

9. Green tea! Which reminds me, I haven’t had green tea in the last two years. It isn’t my favorite, but it is okay for me to drink it. I guess I just think of its nutritional value. Otherwise, I won’t give green tea a second look.

This mild, slightly astringent tea contains hundreds of powerful antioxidant chemicals called polyphenols and has been cited for helping prevent problems ranging from cancer to heart disease. But studies also suggest green tea may help prevent or ease symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. In one study of induced arthritis in mice, green tea cut the disease onset rate almost in half, and follow-up studies by the same researchers, at Case Western Reserve University, in Ohio, show promise in humans.

So…do the above foods included in your diet? You might wanna include them already, especially of you have arthritis.

Don’t Eat Too Much Meat If You Got Arthritis

After months of being a lot better (read: less attack of osteoarthritis symptoms), the last three days found me on square one. Knees and thighs stiff again, trouble standing up again after a bit of inactivity (i.e. sitting down in front of my PC). This time was even worse because both my knees were swollen. I never had those before. 🙁

So I had to reflect on what I have been doing wrong. Alright, I do not have an exercise regime. Only leisurely walking around the house every now and then, if you can call that exercise. 😉 Just to stretch my legs and lessen the stiffness.

I am still on Vitamin B-complex and instead of arthritis pain reliever, I have been taking fish oil regularly in the last 6 months. Except for the 1 -2 days in the week I sometimes forget to take these two, I take them regularly. Regularly enough not to blame the lack of them in my recent mishap.

Yes, I haven’t been to the beach lately, but I still do have regular reflexology sessions which are really a LOT of help.

What’s the culprit then? MY. D I E T.

Unusually, I have recently been eating too much pork meat and pork meat products. 🙁 (I don’t eat beef so my meat is just left to pork!)

One of those things when you had too much fish and vegetables, you sort of crave for those that are not good for you! Hams, luncheon meat and sausages are what I have been feasting on recently. Like an alarm, arthritis had to remind me that I am not eating good.

Well, that’s just about the thing that I can blame the recent attack to. The bad diet I’ve been on recently. So I switched back to fish and veggie, later some chicken too.

I have been preaching too much in this blog that a proper diet plays a big role in managing one’s arthritis. I won’t be human if I don’t stray from that, from to time. But I do suffer the consequences. And that isn’t good, it hugely affects your quality of life.

If you do your own research, there is just too much on the proper diet good for arthritis. Diet that mostly consists of fish, fruits, vegetable and non-fat dairy. Just to show that I am NOT making this up. 😉

While I got back to my fish and veggie diet. I am still lacking in the exercise and fruits department!

So…what are your recent arthritis-related mishaps recently? How did you get about to “solving” it?

Let us know. 😉