Think About Protein Supplements For Weight Lose

I've posted a lot lately about the importance of protein in the diet. In my last post I talked about getting 60 grams minimum and that if your working out regularly you should probably up that to 80 or 90 grams a day. It's also recommended by trainers that you get as much protein as possible from the food you eat. I'm also going to add that most restaurant food might contain protein, but animal protein at restaurants may not be the healthiest way to get protein. Be careful what type of meat or fish you get at a restaurant. Grilled meat or fish salted is the best and safest way to eat animal protein in restaurants.  The only reason I'm even mentioning restaurants is because most of us eat out everyday, even if it's only one meal. Eating out also means it may be very hard to calculate your protein intake. If that's a problem you might want to think about protein supplements.

You might be thinking, "How would I know if I was getting enough?" Okay, If your working out and you're not getting better or increasing your routine (walking fast than before), and it seems like your aways soar, then you might need more protein. Protein helps your muscles build back take after your last workout. What does that mean, you might ask? When you workout your tearing down muscle tissue and before you can work that same muscle the tissue has to rebuild. This process makes the muscle stronger and it's the protein in your diet that rebuilds the muscle. Your muscle should be good to go in about 48 hours. If you're not getting enough protein it take longer to rebuild the muscle. Seniors can have this problem. Ordinarily seniors will try not to eat much animal protein because of the cholesterol, so plant protein becomes very important and that harder to get with your normal diet. 

I like protein shakes, especially for breakfast. You can use protein powders in your shake along with yogurt and fruit to make a healthy breakfast and most of the prep work can be done the night before so you can just turn on the blender, pour it and go; 5 minutes and your out the door. Read this next article from WebMD if your interested in giving it a try.

When it comes to protein, some of us don’t need supplemental help and can easily meet our needs from a well-balanced diet, but if you have above-average protein needs and have a hard time getting enough from your diet, supplementation may be appropriate. You can sneak in additional protein with whole foods but, from a lifestyle perspective, there are a few reasons why protein supplements, in bar or powder form, may make sense:

1. CONVENIENCE: Protein powder and bars can provide a high-quality snack with approximately 20-30 grams of protein for refueling after a tough workout, or eating on the go.

2. COST: Depending on the protein supplement you buy, it may actually be more cost effective to use a supplement than purchase more pricey foods like meat and fish. Whey protein powder is about $10-15/pound but also has a longer shelf life than fresh, protein-rich foods.

3. FEASIBILITY: Vegan diets rely on plant sources to supply protein and require eating a variety of foods since plant sources rarely contain all of the essential amino acids. For vegans who exercise intensely or strength train, protein supplements may be a useful.

PROTEIN POWDER BASICS

When it comes to protein, quality matters. This is why scientists came up with the “protein digestibility corrected amino acid score” (PDCAAS)–yes, it’s a mouthful! This score tells you protein quality as measured by: 1) how “complete” the protein is and, 2) how easily digestible it is.

The PDCAAS scores protein sources from 0-1 with 1 being the highest. A score of 1 is assigned to egg white, which contains all 9 essential amino acids and is easily digested and absorbed. Ideally, your protein powder supplement should score as close to 1 as possible, but this depends on the source of protein it’s made from. Here are the 3 most common sources of protein that powers your powder:

1. Whey and casein (PDCAAS=1) are proteins extracted from milk that are “complete” proteins, easily absorbed by the body and relatively inexpensive. Plus, these milk proteins contain branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) to encourage muscle building during strength training. The downside is that this protein source is unsuitable for vegans and people with lactose intolerance or milk protein allergies.

2. Soy protein (PDCAAS= 1) is plant-based, contains all 9 essential amino acids and is inexpensive. Soy protein powder is a great alternative for vegans who can’t take whey or casein, but wouldn’t be ideal for those with soy allergies.

3. Other plant-based proteins: Pea (PDCAAS=0.69), rice (PDCAAS=0.47) and hemp (PDCAAS= 0.46) proteins score low on the PDCAAS because they don’t provide all 9 essential amino acids when taken as a stand-alone source, and the rice and hemp proteins are not readily digestible. For this reason, they are usually found together in a plant-based protein powder supplement mix. While these mixes can be hypoallergenic, we’d still suggest whey, casein and soy if you can stomach them.

3 Tips for Fueling with Protein Powder

1. Choose whey when possible. If you’re considering a protein supplement to increase muscle size and strength, whey is the way to go–as long as you don’t have milk intolerance. It’s an inexpensive, high-quality protein that is quickly usable by your muscles.

2. Log your protein supplements. Don’t forget that supplements (and the milk you mix it with) have calories, too, and can contribute to excess weight gain if you aren’t mindful.

3. Supplement with exercise in mind. Consuming protein powder alone won’t get you a lean, mean physique–you’ll still need to shape up with some push-up, squatting, and burpie fun.

Tip2

PROTEIN BAR BASICS

Like protein powder, bar supplements use the same sources listed above to add protein into a portable snack. Unlike powder, bars generally contain more calories, carbs, fat, and sodium for any given amount of protein. However, this is because you’re expected to mix powder supplements with milk to add in more of the other macros.! Bars provide a quick,mindless, no-mix way of getting post-workout nutrition. This table will help you visualize the basic nutritional differences (but really read the label):

Cal Pro(g) Carb(g) Sugar(g) Fat(g)
Bars 200-300 15-30 15-40 5-20 5-10
Powder* 80-200 15-30 <10 1-5 <5
*Before mixing with milk.

3 Tips for Fueling with Protein Bars

1. Read the ingredients. This is usually not a pretty place, but if you’re going to eat it, then read it. Protein bars can hide processed fibers, sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners. Make sure you’re okay with these before biting.

2. Log your bar supplements. Some bars are meant to replace a whole meal, and they have the calories to do it. Logging bars helps you stay the course for your calorie goals.

3. Supplement with exercise in mind. Bars vary widely in the amount of carbs they contain. Choose higher-carb bars (20+ grams per serving) when you engaged in vigorous aerobic activities (running, swimming, biking), and lower-carb bars (<20 grams per serving) for non-aerobic activities.

No matter what source you choose to meet your protein goals, remember these 3 tips to help you get the most out of protein:

1. Spread protein out over all your meals. Protein-rich foods don’t come cheap, but you can maximize your body’s ability to digest, absorb and use protein by distributing it evenly throughout your meals and snacks. Just take the total grams of protein you need daily and divide it into the total number of meals and snacks you eat daily.

2. Eat protein immediately after a bout of exercise. Having a high-protein snack soon after exercise (ideally before the 1-hour mark) is best because this is when muscles are sensitive to nutrients that it can use to repair and grow.

3. Pair protein with carbs. This is especially important when you’re refueling after aerobic exercise (like running) since protein is needed for muscle repair and carbs are needed to restock your muscles’ energy stores. Remember, the macros like to work together.

Losing body fat should be your goal. Read up on weight loss and losing body fat. It doesn’t cost money to lose weightier fat. The internet is full of free information. But the quickest way and cheapest way is to buy an ebook online and get everything you need in one short read. I have two ebooks on Amazon:

How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight

Getting To A Healthy Weight

Check out one of them, I think you can find all the info you need and plenty of tips on how I lost my body fat. 

The Benefits of Losing Weight

I write posts about weight lose because so many people want to lose weight. Mostly because they want to look better and feel better. As a senior I want to tell you that until you’re over 50 your don’t realize how that extra weight affects you.

I lost most of my body fat after 50, but for a lot of people that’s almost to late. Today I have knee pain because I waited too long to lose weight. The damage was done. I had one operation on my left knee, but the truth about any joint surgery is that you never totally get rid of the pain. Oh, sure after the surgery you’ll feel great but as time goes by you start to feel the pain again. And after any joint damage you always end up with Arthritis. 

If I would have exercised  and watched my diet more and lost the weight before I had joint pain, maybe this won’t have happened. For most of us, gaining weight is no biggy. "Everyone gains weight when they get older, don’t they?”  No, the truth is that as you get older, life gets more complicated. We have less time and we spend less time taking care of ourselves. Hence, the older you get the more you go to the doctor. We are causing our own health problems. 

What you put on your plate might affect what you see in the mirror. But a few tweaks to your dining habits can go a long way to keeping your skin youthful and your body healthy.

The key approach? Eat better. "Poor-quality foods, like trans fats, cause inflammation -- and aging is basically a chronic inflammatory state," says Timothy Harlan, MD. 

And because of our busy lifestyle, we have less time to stay active. If you already have the extra pounds you need to change what you eat. That’s for sure, but you also need to add more activity to your daily schedule. Okay, I know we all don’t have time for the gym, but that’s not really necessary. Walking can provide the extra activity you need. I grew up with my parents and grandparents. During the 1940’s and 1950’s life was different. People didn’t have a lot of money and most people lived in apartments. If you wanted to own your own home or your parents didn’t have enough money to live alone, then families would go together and buy a home. 

The sandwich generation is nothing new. Families have had to do this for several generations. Anyway getting to the point, my grandparents never real watched TV. Oh sure, at night they would sit in-front of the TV with the rest of us, but they usually would fall asleep. What I do remember is that after dinner my grandparents would take a walk. My walked for about an hour and then usually when to bed. 

So what I’m getting at is that they were healthier people then my parents and my parents were probably healthier then people in my generation. Why, you might ask? When we were all living under the same roof our diets were all about the same. We all ate the same food, some ate more then others, but the food was all nutritious and we were all healthy. My dad was the heaviest, he had more body fat and he was less active. He had an office job, stayed at his desk and stayed on the phone most of the day. I would say it was probably his diet and his love of Golf that helped keep him healthy, in those days you walked the Golf Course.

Today life is much different. The average family eats out three or four times a day. Restaurant food will put weight on you. Most low price restaurant food has little nutrition and is basically comfort food that adds weight almost immediately. Plus the fact we are not as active as past generations, so it’s a combination of the food we eat today and the lack of exercise which is producing a generation of people with serious health problems. 

You can do something to break the cycle your in, by doing things today to take better care of yourself. To eat better, more quality food. and to get more exercise even if that means walking the dog. 

How Much Protein Do I Need? Part II

This is a follow-up of the article I posted yesterday. This was posted originally on "MyFitnessPal.com" and will explain the importance of protein in the diet and how much you need everyday. When I read between the lines I can see clearly how a person who is not getting enough protein in their diet, is continually letting their body go downhill. They're losing muscle mass and gaining body fat and losing energy, which will cause you to be less active, and losing their health in general. All of this happen over many years, so the average person doesn't realize what's taking place. But as you can see in this example, poor health began with a poor diet. Your body needs nutrition to lose body fat and just cutting back on your food might cut some calories but can you really get all the nutrition you need from the food your eating.

Our body changes every day as cells grow, divide and die—these processes depend on protein to supply vital building blocks to our cells. Because of this, you need to eat enough protein to maintain lean muscle mass and support other important body functions, which most people neglect to do. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) predicts how much protein you should eat daily to guard against lean muscle loss. The RDA for protein is 0.8 gram/kilogram of body weight, but this is a minimum for the average sedentary adult, a.k.a. “weekend warrior.” MyFitnessPal calculates protein intake to be 20% of your daily calories, which is likely more than enough to maintain muscle mass. If you want to check, here’s how to calculate the minimum amount of protein you should be eating:

Step 1: Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms.
Step 2: Multiply your weight in kilograms X 0.8 to get the amount (in grams) of protein you should be eating to maintain muscle mass.

Does this match your protein goal in the app? What they're talking about is the free phone App they offer on their website. There are dozens of Diet Apps on the internet that help you calculate calories, carbs and even grams of protein. If you're not using an App calculating and tracking your diet plan can be very complex.

hi-tech tip

If you exercise regularly—particularly if you log 1 hour or more of moderate to vigorous exercise several days per week—the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends more protein. Their recommendation for an active person is to eat 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight on the days that you exercise. You can use the same steps above to calculate the amount of protein (in grams) you’d need on the days when you exercise.

For endurance activities (think swimming, biking, running), stick to 1.2 to 1.4 gram/kilogram.

For strength activities (think weight lifting), go with 1.4 to 2 grams/kilogram.

I'll simplify the calculating a little by telling you that I weight 165 pounds and I should be eating 60 grams of protein a day to maintain my muscle mass. But on the days I workout and I either run, swim or bike, I should be consuming about 80 grams of protein. Now if you are a beginner  at exercise then I would stick to the 60 grams. When you feel that your muscles are sore for more than one day, then you need to increase the protein.

GETTING PROTEIN FROM WHOLE FOODS

If you’d rather reach for real food to meet your protein needs, we’re right there with you! Getting all your protein from food is super realistic. A sedentary woman weighing 127 pounds only needs a daily dose of about 46 grams of protein, which she can meet by eating 3 ounces of chicken breast, one large egg, a handful of almonds and a stick of string cheese.

You’re probably saying, “I can eat that!” For most people, this amount of food daily is no biggie. Your own needs might be different, of course, but to help you plan your protein, here’s a quick list of protein-rich foods you can reach for:

If you're having a problem understanding the list and what the numbers mean, I'll explain.

3 ounces of skinless chicken has 141 calories and 28 grams of protein. 1/2 cup of Pinto Beans has 197 calories and 11 grams of protein etc. When your eating foods on this list you don't have to worry about calories, eat all you want, just be careful how you prepare your food. That's how we add all the extra calories.

ANIMAL SOURCES PLANT SOURCES
Food (serving) Cal Pro (g) Food (serving) Cal Pro (g)
Skinless chicken (3 ounces) 141 28 Pinto beans (½ cup) 197 11
Steak (3 oz) 158 26 Lentils (½ cup) 101 9
Roasted turkey (3 oz) 135 25 Black beans (½ cup) 114 8
Lamb (3 oz) 172 23 Chickpeas (½ cup) 134 7
Pork (3 oz) 122 22 Black eyed peas (½ cup) 100 7
Salmon (3 oz) 155 22 Quinoa (½ cup) 111 4
Tuna (3 oz) 99 22 Green peas (½ cup) 59 4
Shrimp (3 oz) 101 20
Lobster (3 oz) 76 16
Scallops (3 oz) 75 14

EGG & DAIRY NUTS & SEEDS
Food (serving) Cal Pro (g) Food (serving) Cal Pro (g)
Greek yogurt (6 oz) 100 18 Peanuts (1 oz) 166 7
Cottage cheese, 1% fat (4 oz) 81 14 Peanut butter (1 oz) 188 7
Regular yogurt, nonfat (1 cup) 100 11 Almonds (1 oz) 163 6
Skim milk (1 cup) 86 8 Flax seeds (1 oz) 140 6
Mozzarella (1 oz) 72 7 Chia seeds (1 oz) 138 5
String cheese, non-fat (1 piece) 50 6 Walnuts (1 oz) 185 4
Large egg (1) 71 6

I wrote about this yesterday, that adults get too much of their protein from animals and that raises your cholesterol. Only 15 or 20 % of your protein should be animal protein and the rest plant protein. Now if you look through the list above you'll see many examples of plant protein and fish protein which I don't include in the animal protein class.

I think there's plenty of choices to get your protein without eating animal protein, but if you're still having trouble getting all your protein grams we'll address protein supplements next.

How Much Protein Do I Need?

"Too much animal protein tied to higher diabetes risk". That's a true statement. Doctors and Scientists have known for some time that Americans over-dose on animal protein, hence the over-weight population. One out of four over-weight seniors have diabetes. The problem with animal protein is that you have to take everything that goes with it. The animal protein in dairy has hormones and chemicals like fertilizer and pesticides from the grass. Animal protein from red meat has traces of the same chemicals and growth hormones and animal fat which your body can't process and will immediately turn it into fat around your waist, hips and thighs. Read this article from Reuters about the damaging effects of animal fat and what they recommend as a proper amount of protein.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who eat the most protein, especially from animal sources, are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to a study of European adults.

The new study did not randomly assign participants to eat different amounts of protein, which would have yielded the strongest evidence. Instead, it compared the diets of people who went on to develop diabetes and those who did not get the disease.
But the findings do align with other studies.
"Several previous studies have found that higher intake of total protein, especially animal protein, are associated with long-term risk of developing diabetes," said Dr. Frank Hu, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Hu, who was not involved in the new study, researches prevention of diabetes through diet and lifestyle.
"Substantial amounts of animal protein come from red meat and processed meat, which have been consistently associated with increased risk of diabetes," he told Reuters Health in an email.
For the new report, researchers examined data from a large previous study of adults in eight European countries spanning 12 years. The study collected data on participants' diet, physical activity, height, weight and waist circumference, then followed them to see who developed diabetes.
A team of researchers led by Monique van Nielen of Wageningen University in the Netherlands selected 11,000 people who developed type 2 diabetes from the data and 15,000 people without diabetes for comparison.
Overall, the adults in the study commonly ate about 90 grams of protein per day. Those who ate more tended to have a higher weight-to-height ratio and to eat more fiber and cholesterol than people who ate less protein.
After accounting for other diabetes risk factors, every additional 10 grams of protein people consumed each day was tied to a six percent higher chance that they would develop diabetes.
Dividing participants into five groups based on how much protein they ate, the researchers found those who ate the most, or around 111 grams per day, were 17 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those who ate the least, or around 72 grams per day.
Specifically, those who ate the most animal protein, or 78 grams per day, were 22 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than those who ate the least, around 36 grams per day, according to results published in Diabetes Care.
That's only a modest increase on an individual level, Hu said.
People who ate the most protein got about 15 percent of their calories from red meat, processed meat, poultry, fish and dairy, which appears to be too much, Hu said.
"More importantly, higher intake of animal protein often comes along with other undesirable nutrients such as saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium," he said.
The association between animal protein and diabetes risk appeared to be strongest among obese women.
Plant protein, on the other hand, was not linked to diabetes.
"In other studies, plant protein sources such as nuts, legumes and whole grains have been associated with lower risk of diabetes," Hu said. "Therefore, replacing red meat and processed meat with plant sources of protein is important for diabetes prevention."
Generally people associate high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets with diabetes risk, but this study underscores that protein is an important nutrient to consider as well, Paolo Magni said. Magni, from the Institute of Endocrinology at the University of Milan in Italy, was not involved in the new study.
"As a general rule, I would suggest to eat normal portions of red meat not more than two times per week, poultry and fish three to four times per week, skimmed milk or yogurt maybe not every day," Magni told Reuters Health in an email.
Cheese, preserved meats and cold cuts should be minimized, he said.
"Pay attention to both quantity and food sources of protein," Hu said. It's probably a good idea for people with a family history of diabetes to replace at least some red meat with nuts, legumes or whole grains, he said.

In general, a high-protein diet is good for weight loss, but most of your daily protein should be plant protein. If you have wondered why these protein powers have become so popular it's because most of them use plant protein like soy. Protein powers are the main ingredient in protein shakes which seems to be the new breakfast meal. If your serious about losing weight, I suggest you read up on plant protein and the sources. I'm not suggesting you become vegan or vegetarian but plant protein has no health downside.

The Simple Benefits of Walking

I got this article from a newsletter I subscribe to. It proves that any extra activity you do can improve your health and increase your life.

What's not to love about the single best thing you can do for your health? The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other makes you healthier, gives you more energy, and makes you younger. Plus, doing it lets you talk with friends, think through problems, and see what's new in the neighborhood. And if you happen to have some new walking gear, walking lets you show it off.

That's just the beginning. Check out a few other great things walking does for you:

1. Fends off the #1 killer: Regular walkers have fewer heart attacks and strokes, have lower blood pressure, and have higher levels of healthy HDL cholesterol than couch sitters do. In one study of women, a regular walking program did just as much in the heart-protection department as more vigorous exercise did.

2. Changes your RealAge -- pronto: As little as 90 days after starting a regular walking program, its age-reducing effects can be measured. Find out your RealAge now (RealAge.com).

3. Dims your chances of diabetes: Thirty minutes of walking a day makes your muscles more sensitive to insulin. That allows glucose to do its duty inside your cells rather than pile up in your bloodstream (that's what happens when you have diabetes) and cause other havoc.

4. Helps you kick the habit: Taking a daily 30-minute walk is one of the keys to the success of our YOU Can Quit plan. Even just a 5-minute walk cuts down on cigarette cravings -- it engages your brain's emotion centers, unleashing mood-enhancing hormones that decrease cravings and take your mind off that cigarette. And establishing a walking habit proves to you that you have the discipline to stick with your stop-smoking plan.

5. Slims you down: Burn more calories than you eat, and -- voila! You're wearing one-size-smaller clothes (find out just how many calories walking torches). Plus, walking can help squelch chocolate cravings and nix the stress and anxiety that often lead to overeating.

6. Keeps you sharp: Physical activity nourishes brain tissue and stimulates its production of neurons, synapses, and blood vessels. Some studies have found that walking can counter faltering memories in people over age 50.

7. Reduces stress: Anyone who has come back from a walk in a different frame of mind than they went out with can attest to this. Studies back up that walking benefits your mood -- and may even ward off depression and anxiety.

8. Revs up your energy: Not only can a walk perk you up when you need it, but also it helps improve the quality of your sleep, so you're more energetic all day long.

9. Boosts your immune system: Walking regularly can lower your risk of arthritis, macular degeneration, and even cancer by an astonishing 50% compared with people who don't exercise.

10. Keeps you going: Walking has the highest compliance rate of any exercise. Make your routine bulletproof: Get a buddy.

Dieting is Changing

The face of dieting is changing. For too many years we would diet, lose the weight, the weight would come back. Today diet company's and the diet guru's are taking a different approach. They have finally saw the light and they know the public doesn't believe the claims of quick weight loss and permanent weight loss any longer.

So now, the guru's are preaching reform. Change your life and be a healthier person. Live a healthy lifestyle and you'll lose weight. "Eat clean", that's the new catch phrase.

Sounds simple, ya. It's not that easy to forget everything you were taught as a child. To learn to like different foods. We are a product of our parents and other members of our family and if we have weight problems today it might be because of the way we grew up. So now as an adult, why is it that we are first realizing now at this stage of our lives, that we need to lose weight. Or maybe we knew about this problem earlier as a teen or even earlier in grade school.

You might know that today pre-school and even grade school kids are not as heavy as they were 10 years ago. Things are changing and young parents are making that change. Kids under 10 years are more physically fit. They are more active and I think that some are starting to eat better. So there is hope that our population will become healthier.

But for now we have to fix our own lives. If we truly want to be healthier we have to be more active and we have to eat better. Just going on another diet is probably not going to work. Oh sure, you might lose a few pounds but can you keep off the weight after you stop dieting. You see, there lies the problem. I'm one of those people who believe "diets don't work". It's a little like smoking because food can be additive with all the sugars, salt and other chemicals that manufactures use. Even when you buy produce or meat, chemicals are used to enrich the land where they grow the produce and chemical hormones are used in animals and poultry to stimulate growth. It's hard to get away from addictive food, but there's new foods coming out, like organic produce and free range poultry and hormone free dairy and beef.

I know what everyone is thinking, "those foods are expensive". Yes, I know, but eating healthy is more than just eating healthy foods, eating healthy also means that you have to cut back on the amount of food you eat. For families this won't be easy. Families have to agree that they want to eat healthier, and that means cutting out the snack food and the high-calorie drinks. After that's done the cost of the healthy foods won't change your food bill.

There's a lot of benefits to eating healthier, especially for kids. They won't be sick as much so they won't miss as many school days. They'll do better in school because they'll be more alert. And being more active in their lives will help them lose weight. For the adults, you will be more alert and sharper and being more active will help you lose weight. You'll be more productive at work and at home.  And being a good role model for your kids will get them motivated.

Start Adding Years To Your Life Today

We all talk about trying to get healthy, but most of us fail at the attempt. We think we know what we have to do, but we don’t seem to get it done. Maybe we don’t know how we just think we do. The way we use to lose weight in our younger days isn’t going to be the same and that’s why most of us fail.

Never give up trying though, any improvement you can make will add time to your life. Most of us want to be healthier and live longer and you think about all you could do with the extra years you could add to your life, but “how can I do it?”

The best way would be to totally start over. Start living your life like your young again. Start by changing your diet. Be careful what you’re buying at the store. If you remember to eat fresh, that’s the best way to remember what to buy. Cut out everything else. Lean meats and fish, half the meat should be fish. Easy on the dairy, no processed cheese, greek yogurt is okay. I like coconut milk or almond milk it has less fats and more calcium. Dairy can put on a lot of weight. Fruits and vegetables, nuts, dates and figs are all good. I like the diet of the Mediterranean people.  

There’s no calories to count. You make up your menu from the food pyramid. If you follow the pyramid you see that the bottom group of food you can eat every day, the middle section you can eat from once a week and the very top is meat (beef or pork) and only eat once a month. You can eat all you want but stick to the pyramid and don’t cheat. Physical activity is important everyday. and drink lots of water. You can have one glass of red wine with dinner.

This is not a quick weight loss plan, but you will become a healthier person and you will lose weight slowly. The more physical activity like walking the faster you’ll lose weight. Okay, this is step one to living longer.

Step two, is the physical activity. Yes the diet will make you a healthier person and losing body fat helps make you healthier, but the physical activity will strengthen your heart, strengthen muscles and give you better balance. Regular body strengthening exercise will get the blood pumping and keep it pumping. I understand that those of you that don’t exercise and don’t even know how and where to start, think that it’s too late for me. “I can’t do that, Yoga is for young people, I’ll break something if I try that.”

First of all, that’s not true. Anyone can do Yoga. There are poses for people of all sizes and all ages. Some seniors like to use a stationary bike. It’s simple to use and you will build up strength in your legs, work the joints in your feet, ankles, knees and hips. If it hurts at first, it’s because you’re not use to working those muscles. Start out slow for 10 minutes and add a few minutes a day and soon you’ll be walking around the block or walking through the mall like those young people. Retirement homes are teaching physical education and teaching seniors how to exercise. It’s never too late for anybody.

Step three for living longer is to keep your mind sharp. I know that this might seem crazy, but watching TV doesn’t stimulate your brain, it puts it to sleep. When you have leisure time you want to read. Do puzzles or learn a new language. I took a class at a community college a couple of years ago and I couldn’t believe all the seniors going to school. They take classes in everything. I want to take another class next semester, but you have to sign up early or the good ones are gone. I’ve been trying to get into a creative writing class for a couple of years, but the hours I want are always filled.

Writing is something else to do to stay active. Most people don’t know where to start, so I tell them to start anywhere. You don’t have to write a book, just write. Write about the last vacation you took or about your life growing up. You might not think that anyone is interested but now that I’m 60 something I wish I would have asked my grandparents and my parents more about their live. You can put your life on paper now, even if no one is asking. Generations from now they’ll want to know and you might not be here.

Those are the three steps to living longer and living healthier. Sometimes be spend too much time taking care of or worrying about other people and we don’t think about how important it is to take care of ourselves.