8 Tips to Aid in Weight Loss: Recommendations to a Healthier Lifestyle

March 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Some people sit and wonder what they could do differently to help them lose weight or even maintain a healthy weight. Well There are some tips out there that make loosing weight and maintaining weight an cinch. The tips below are not in any specific order of importance but are rather of equal importance. For people who are just starting out, it is recommended to take one step at a time so ease into the change- as this is a lifestyle and not a fad diet.

1. Drink at least 8 glasses (8 oz) of water per day! And that is at the minimum. Most people don’t even drink 16 oz of water a day, nonetheless 8 full glasses. Drinking water keeps the body hydrated and nourished, as well as lubricated. Drinking water also keeps the skin and hair healthy and soft.

2. Get plenty of rest. A person needs at least 6.5 hours of sleep a day. It is best to get a full 8 hours of sleep a night, but sometimes that seems like an impossible feat. Try to get in a nap if you get less than 8 hours a night, as this is when the body heals and repairs itself.

3. Always eat breakfast... Always! Within 20 minutes of waking up you should have had a full glass of water and be about to eat breakfast. Some believe that breakfast should be your biggest meal, however this is not always the case. It depends on the person. If eating a large breakfast doesn’t work for the person, then eat a smaller breakfast; it’s as simple as that. It does not matter if you don't feel hungry or not. This is the one time you break the rule, even if you don't feel hungry you still need to eat, because you just went on a (mini) fast... hence why it is called Break-fast. Something as quick as steel cut oatmeal (prepared the night before), or eggs with spinach, will be enough for some people and others a bigger breakfast is needed. For some recipes and ideas visit the link at the bottom of this page.

4. Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. Each meal should preferably be in a range of 300 to 470 calories, while consuming, at minimum, 1500 calories a day, for women or 1800 calories for men. Also it is vital to never drop below that minimum by more than 75 to 150 calories for more than 2 consecutive days. It is okay to go over once in a while as long as the calories are healthy and can be worked off in a little light exercise.

5. Make every calorie count. People tend to drink their calories and this is a no-no. Especially if these drinks are soda pops, punches, or other high sugar drinks. Consume as calories that are from foods rich in minerals and vitamins as well as plant proteins. By eating rich, healthy calories it will become easier to loose and/or maintain a healthy weight.

6. Eat according to your nutrition type. If you don’t know what type you are, search the Internet for nutrition or metabolic type tests. Or listen to what your body is telling you. The best way to do this is to keep a food journal for a week and experiment what you eat. After a meal write down how you feel. It is best to try different eating patterns as well as foods. Try more meat protein one meal and more veggies the next. Also eat all your meat first one meal and veggies last. Mix it up. Try to get a good amount of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats (non fat foods are not always better either, as they are usually higher in sugar, which converts to fat in your body)
Good carbs are whole grains, legumes, beans, sweet potatoes cauliflower, etc.
Good proteins are leafy greens, sprouts, nuts, coconuts, beans, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and wild caught Alaskan Salmon.
Some good fats are nuts, avocados, olive oil, coconuts and coconut oil, mushrooms, chia seeds, raw milk cheese, and nut butters.
S more good foods in general, are potatoes, zucchini, squash, red fruits and veggies. But remember to eat as organic as possible or try to purchase what you consume the most of in organic form. So if you eat lots of nuts every day try to make them organic.
However there are also 21 foods you should only eat organic: Eggs, Meat, Poultry, butter and other diary products, carrots, corn, mushrooms, raspberries, peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes- especially those that are imported, pears, spinach, and potatoes (Baby food should also be organic.)

7. Avoid these ingredients:
Soy or at least soy protein isolate. Do not consume soy unless it is in small, occasional amounts and/or is fermented.
High fructose corn syrup and/or if you live in the USA you should just eat the least amount of corn if any at all. The reason being is that almost all corn, with the exception of organic corn, is in fact a pesticide made from a weed killer. Also avoid cottonseed oil, canola/rapeseed oil, Vegetable oils, artificial flavoring, food coloring ie yellow #5- it is made from aluminum, fluoride, hydrogenated oils, homogenized/ ultra pasteurized milk, Splenda/ Sucralose, aspartame/ Equal, Saccharine/ Sweet n’ Low, or any other artificial sweeteners, GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods, MSG (monosodium glutamate) which is also labeled as hydrolyzed proteins. And also, though not a food, avoid ingredients that end with ‘paraben’ (which means it may cause cancer) found in many toiletries.

8. And last, but not least, is purchase, and consume snacks that are healthy. Some great healthy snack are, (organic) raisins, bananas, dates, young coconut, dried apricots, salads with spinach, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, cucumber, and almonds. Also eliminate energy drinks and instead look for natural energy drinks like coconut water, or green tea. Reduce coffee consumption, as coffee is usually highly acidic, (or at least buy organic low acidic coffee or kombocha tea). An apple can also help boast energy levels, as well bananas. Bananas also make you feel happy.

We hope these tips help you out on your journey to a healthier you. If you like more information and recipes please visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eating-to-your-health/11009.... Another great source for healthy and even eco-friendly products visit http://www.ecohealthylivingshop.com. (Products include weight loss aids as well.) You can find some delicious and healthy snack bars at http://www.ecohealthylivingshop.com/goodonya-bar-sample-p...

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We are a Eco-friendly business specializing in Organic, Eco Friendly or natural products. Our products range from memory foam mattresses to bamboo bedding to Apparel and Health Supplements. Which include weight loss aids. We also carry household decor and cleaning products as well as bamboo clothing, healthy baby products, eco friendly gifts and pet supplies.