You Can Start exercising At Any Age

This article "how simple it can be to get some extra exercise" is a post from WebMD and it primarily targets men but women will receive the same benefits. The statistics for women will be different.

HealthDay Report

Men who begin endurance exercise after age 40 may get similar long-term heart benefits as those who start training before age 30, new research finds.

The study included 40 healthy men, between the ages of 55 and 70, who had no heart disease risk factors. Ten of the men had never exercised for more than two hours a week. The remaining 30 had exercised for at least seven hours a week for more than five years, either beginning before age 30 or after age 40. Their regular exercise involved either cycling or running.

Men who began their "relatively intensive" endurance exercise before age 30 had been doing it for an average of 39 years (since the age of 22), while those who started after age 40 had been doing it for an average of 18 years (since age 48).

Resting heart rates were similar among men in both exercise groups (about 57 to 58 beats per minute), but were much higher among men who didn't exercise (nearly 70 beats per minute). The men in the two exercise groups also had much higher maximum oxygen uptake than those who didn't exercise.

Men in both exercise groups showed similar evidence of exercise-related improvements in heart structure and function, according to the study that was to be presented Friday at the EuroPRevent meeting, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

"Thus, despite biological changes with age, the heart still seems -- even at the age of 40 -- amenable to modification by endurance training. Starting at the age of 40 does not seem to impair the cardiac benefits," study author David Matelot, of the French Institute of Health and Medical Research, said in a European Society of Cardiology news release.

"However, endurance training is also beneficial for bone density, for muscle mass, for oxidative stress. And these benefits are known to be greater if the training was started early in life," he added.

While physical activity can't stop age-related declines in heart structure and function, it can slow them down, Matelot noted.

He said "it's never too late to change your way of life and get more physically active. This will always be beneficial for the heart and well-being. And there's no need for a high level of training for many hours a week. Using the stairs rather than the elevator, or gardening regularly can also be beneficial."

Just walking more, like 30 minutes a day more, can help anyone. Walking is hard on your joints? Use a stationary bike and watch TV or read at the same time.  There are two different types of bikes. The one I like allows you to sit normally like you sit in a chair. Use the stationary bike for long periods of time in the evening and it keeps you out of the kitchen. I have bad knees so I don't try to stress my legs. It's not necessary, I just pedal slow and steady. I take a break occasionally and then start again. 

WebMD News from HealthDay

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Can I Skip Breakfast And Lose Weight?

Is skipping breakfast really a big deal? What's the difference? 

The short answer is yes. I eat two meals a day about 6 hours apart and finish eating before 6 pm. Don't snack after 6 pm, and don't drink calories. You can move that 6 hour period earlier if you like but I like the lunch and dinner routine. 

If you're trying to lose weight, I think that breakfast is important. It all goes back to the basic reasons for eating. If you want to stay healthy, you eat for the sake of your body. In other words, I eat the first thing or the first hour I’m up to give my body the fuel I need to concentrate, to give me strength to work out or to get to work and to be productive.

When I was younger, I didn’t think about those things. When I was younger I still had the stored up nutrition that all of us are born with, but as you age you use up that nutrition and you start to lose your edge. You're not as sharp, you're not as quick. Some people think it's because they're getting older, but that's not it. It's because of the food you're eating. 

It happens over many years and most people don’t realize it until they’re in their 40’s. By that time, they caulk it up to aging or the fact that they're out of shape, but the truth is they have spent their adult life eating wrong and not replacing that nutrition (vitamins and minerals) that they use up every day. 

We get in the habit of eating when we’re hungry, instead of eating to avoid getting hungry. This is why I eat breakfast. Some people who aren't eating breakfast ate too much at night and the food is still sitting there like a lump in your stomach and you are full and can't think about eating. Don't eat the last 4 hours before bed. You want your food to digest before bed, give it some time. If you're hungry at night think about the food your eating for dinner and those snacks you ate in the afternoon. If you're filling up on carbs and not real food you'll get hungry quicker and want to eat more often. 

 I usually eat a large bowl of oatmeal with fruit or Greek Yogurt with berries if I’m in a rush. Greek Yogurt is my go-to snack when I need something small and filling. 

So after I changed the way I was eating, that’s when I started to make changes in my body. Now I eat to avoid hunger. Yes, you have to get custom to eating more often, but now when I eat a meal I fill up very quickly. I never eat those big meals anymore. And I don’t get hungry or have cravings. 

I got used to listening to my body. I only eat what my body needs. I don’t eat processed foods, I don’t eat food from a can, I don’t eat already prepared foods like carry-out. 

Of course, I eat in restaurants but during the months I was trying to lose body fat, I tried to avoid eating out and if I had to I only ate salads with olive oil and lemon juice that I added. 

You can bend the rules a little after you lose that fat, but you can never return to your old diet. The weight will come right back. 

When you eat several small meals a day, you want to space them about 3 hours apart. Remember to eat your first meal early, no matter how small, eat something nutritious. Something that will hold you for 3 hours. Your body needs some protein the first hour your up. 

Try never to eat empty calories. And at first, you’ll have to count your calories. When you're not used to eating like this it’s easy to overdo it. Even if you’re active, 1500 to 1800 calories a day is all you need. So be picky about the things you eat. 

When I first started to eat this way, I did some research, put on paper the things I wanted to eat and the number of calories, don’t forget to count the drinks, and I had all my choices of food and drink written down, in a small notebook that I kept with me. 

I basically ate the same things over and over until I had time to research more food choices. Over a period of weeks, my menu started to broaden.

The food pyramid will give you the choices you need. Stick to the pyramid; I did add black coffee and ice tea black in moderation. You can find examples of the "Food Pyramid" chart on the internet.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Partying And Drinking On A Diet

A great post, this is a popular question That comes to my inbox almost every week.   This post from "HealthNet" has good information and because we often part with friends, overeating is a problem and can ruin your diet. Hopefully, you can get some valuable tips.

I'm doing this one in a big rush before I hurry out the door; so excuse any mistakes I'm making. 

 How to Eat (and Drink) Smart

By Jay Williams, Ph.D.

The standard answer given to the age-old question of how to eat sensibly at parties is, “Eat before you go.” Really? Has that ever worked for anyone? Whenever I do it, I end up eating twice: once before I go and again after I get there. If we ate at parties only because we were hungry or the food was good, the tip might work -- but the majority of party calories are emotional or social (or both).

After years of trying, I've finally mastered the science of eating healthily at parties. Here are three levels of party-food mastery you can call upon at your next gathering. (Thanksgiving doesn’t count -- that’s your one Get Out of Jail Free card.)

Good: Scan The Buffet Before Getting In Line

Choose your top three picks and get through the buffet as quickly as possible. Pausing can easily add 500 to 1,000 calories to your plate. Line-cutting is allowed. Sit-down dinners are harder, especially with the hostess wondering why you didn't indulge in the deep-fried cheese balls. Solution: Leave the empty calories on your plate and claim lactose intolerance, or say you're highly allergic. Both of those white lies have worked for me in a pinch.

Better: Ask Before You Eat

If the server comes around with a tray of delicious-looking but unrecognizable appetizers, make sure to ask what they are before popping one into your mouth.

Best: Plan (Way) Ahead

The month before: If we're talking holiday party (Thanksgiving through New Year's), get down to your fighting weight so gaining one or two pounds won’t be a disaster and you'll still be able to zip up that sexy New Year's Eve dress. (By the way, this same tactic will work for a wedding, graduation, or family reunion during the year.) If it takes you four weeks to look your best, you probably won't want to undo all that work in a single weekend.

The week before: Announce that you're bringing your favorite dish. Don't ask, “What can I bring?” The answer to that question is always “Nothing” or “A bottle of wine.” Bring a healthy dish you love, and put that on your plate first.

The night before: Get enough sleep. This will help you make better food choices on the day of the party. Why? Because sleepiness affects our hormone levels -- including the hormones that control appetite. If you're tired, your body may start craving the sugary foods that will trigger an immediate release of serotonin and dopamine. And that will make the dessert table at the party very hard to ignore.

The day of the party: Decide in advance what you're going to drink. Consider not drinking alcohol at all -- it’s just empty calories, and you can have plenty of fun without it. (I do it all the time.) If you do want a cocktail, order a lower-calorie one. (Jack and Diet Coke, anyone?) After that switch to Club Soda with a twist (no calories).

The hour before the party: Make a pact with your partner or friend that neither of you will overindulge. That way, you can hold each other accountable and avoid making bad choices together. Knocking a chicken wing out of a friend’s hand is absolutely acceptable, and he or she will thank you for it later.

And here are a few final words of wisdom...

Do Not:

1. Skip breakfast thinking you will “save the calories.” Research has shown when you skip breakfast, you're likely to gorge at dinner.
2. Tell yourself (or the person standing next to you), “I only eat this way at parties.” Your body has no idea that this is a special food for a special occasion -- it only knows that it's fattening and will derail your diet.

Do:

1. Call your best friend for an immediate food intervention if you have to. Leave a message if you get a voicemail. Remember, it's your body -- not your host's -- and you’re not going to be smiling tomorrow if you overeat or drink tonight to make them happy.
2. Bring gum. It'll give you something to chew on instead of empty calories, and there will be nowhere to put the chewed gum when the appetizer tray comes around. (Your mouth will be in a bind!) Plus, you'll have minty-fresh breath for up-close conversations. The icing on the proverbial cake!

So enjoy! Socialize! After all, that’s what parties are really about. Focus on your friends, not the food. You'll be much happier tomorrow if you're not stuffed.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Only Doing Half A Diet Won't Work

Quit smoking. Lay off the junk food. Stop being a couch potato. Don’t stay up too late.

Sounds simple enough: If you have a bad habit, break it.

But “simple” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy.” You’ll need a good strategy.

I know with all the ads you hear it sounds easy to lose weight. "Just buy our food and you'll lose weight." It's maybe easy but not that easy. Gaining body fat starts with the bad habits you pick up over time.

You start a new job and meet new people and you want to be sociable, so you go out to lunch with the crowd, or have a drink after work or lattes at break time. After a few weeks, you're putting on weight. 

Swap Bad for Good

It’s important to add good habits to replace your bad ones. Otherwise, the stuff you want to stop doing will probably come back. For instance, you go to Starbucks in the morning to meet friends, that's not a bad habit, it's what you order that can make it a bad habit. You want to replace the Latte with something that doesn't have calories. Black coffee or tea with non-fat milk. You might not eat breakfast, but Latte's have lots of calories and they're empty calories.

If you smoked, people who quit smoking can replace it with eating too much. Packing healthy snacks can be a good replacement. Bring fruit or nuts with you to work, don't buy junk from the snack machine. 

It might be great that you turn off the computer in time to wind down and fall asleep, but if you replace that with looking at your phone or watching TV, that’s probably not going to help. Instead, try meditating, writing in a journal, or reading something on paper. (Light from a screen can keep you awake.) Use a book or something printed on paper to help you fall asleep.

Make sure you enjoy your new healthy habit. If you hate running on a treadmill, chances are you won’t stick with it. If you don’t like broccoli, there’s no point in loading your plate with it because you won’t enjoy it. When you're looking to replace a bad habit make sure this is something you like.

Change one habit at a time. Trying to do too much at once can be overwhelming. It can make you feel like you don’t know where to start, so you don’t start at all. As you meet each goal, try to add another one.

Don’t rush it. Chances are you didn’t develop the bad habit overnight, so give yourself the time to develop the new one. It can take 2 to 3 months for a habit to really take hold.

Track Your Progress

Keep a daily record of the changes you make. If you haven’t met your goals for the week, think about what went wrong, then adjust. If you’ve met your goals, give yourself a little reward. Seeing things add up -- like your workouts or the days since you’ve had a cigarette -- can motivate and encourage you.

Forgive Yourself

Setbacks are normal. Don’t beat yourself up. Think back to when you first started, look at your daily record, and remind yourself of how far you’ve come. One slip-up doesn’t wipe all of that out. Pick up where you left off.

Breaking a bad habit is about the journey, not the destination.

I wanted to change what I eat and I changed all at once to a fresh food diet. I wasn't going to buy anything anymore that had a label. Everything fresh. Meat, fruit, and vegetables, I even started to buy bread from a bakery fresh baked.

I found out that it takes a lot of willpower to change everything all at once. For most people, it might be too hard, but it worked for me. After you make the change, you can't look back. I know it might sound easy because there won't be any calories to count or special diets to follow. That's true, but that also means no canned or bottled drinks except for water. You can't drink anything with calories. 

Coffee and tea are fine but don't add calories. Don't make foods with gravies or sauces. Eat fresh means eating the food as close to its natural state as possible. Yes, you can season your food but use spices but no added sugar. 

The part that I found the hardest was "eating out". That can be challenging. For the longest time, I was eating dry salads with vinegar or lemon juice and a glass of water. You have to be careful ordering salads. Don't order a salad with cheese or meat. You can change a 300 calorie salad into an 800 calorie salad real quick. Chef salads and Taco salads are the worst. Some can be more than 1000 calories.

I know it sounds crazy to only eat salads when you're in a restaurant, but meats in restaurants are usually soared in marinates which is bad for your diet and sometimes bad for your health. Restaurant chains will use the marinade to tenderize the meat and add flavor and that's when it becomes a high-calorie dinner. Fish can be a better option if they will serve it without a sauce or any gravy.

I found that eating "fresh" meant a lot of home-cooked meals and that's the hardest part.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

f you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Getting Fit For Life

This should be everyone's objective. Being "fit" is being healthy which means you'll be more productive, better organized, more energized, and you'll feel younger longer. Some active people will be middle age clear into their 60's. You see them on the Golf Course, walking the course instead of using a golf cart. You see them jogging in the park and riding bikes in the long charity races. These people might not come in first anymore, but they still compete.

I found this post on WebMD and had to reblog it just to try and get more people motivated into exercise.

Why Exercise Matters

There are many reasons you should stay physically active, especially if you want to live a long life.

It can help:

Keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy
Lower your chances of things like diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporosis
Lower blood pressure
Manage stress and improve your mood
Ease symptoms of anxiety and depression
Lower your risk of heart disease
Manage chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes, by improving symptoms like stamina, joint swelling, pain, and muscle strength
With balance, so you're less likely to fall and fracture bones

Sometimes as you get older, you may be a bit fearful of exercise. Maybe you think you might hurt yourself. You may believe you have to join a gym. Or you may not be sure what exercises you should do.

The key thing isn't how or where you get active, it's just to start moving.

Healthy adults should shoot for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, aerobic activity every week. Sure, you can do that in exercise classes. But you can also get it by brisk walking. It's also important to do movements that work all your major muscles at least 2 days a week. Also, try to do flexibility exercises 2 or 3 days a week to improve your range of motion.

Though 150 minutes sounds like a lot, you don't have to get it in big chunks. You can take a 10-minute walk around the block or spend 10 minutes sweeping the porch. It all adds up.

Feeling really motivated? You'll get even more health benefits if you work up to 300 minutes or more of exercise a week.

But a simple goal is to try to get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days. You may be able to do that on some weeks and not others. Remember, it's a goal and not a rule. Do what works for you.

How to Get Moving

There are two ways to move: exercise and physical activity.

Exercise is planned activity like aerobics classes, tai chi, spin classes, or swimming. Physical activity is the way you "sneak" movement into your day, like walking the dog or gardening. Adding both to your routine will help you stay healthy and live longer.

Always check with your doctor before increasing your activity level.

Ready to move? You can go to the gym or community center and take water aerobics or dance classes and do strength-training exercises.

To get in motion in a less formal way, you can:

Take a brisk walk or jog
Ride a bike
Rake leaves or pushes a lawnmower
Sweep or dust
Play tennis
Walk up and downstairs
Carry groceries

You don't need fancy clothes or equipment to start. Just get moving. You should start to feel stronger and have more energy in just a few weeks. That's the key to a longer, happier life. Be more active every day and stop eating processed foods and your body will burn off the excess body fat that you're storing. Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

Finding The Best Weight Loss Program

Advertisers bombard you with weight loss advertising. It's a huge industry that's looking

for a piece of your money. Don't swallow everything you hear or read, most of it is just

Hype. Most weight loss plans give you quick results but when 100 dieters were

interviewed one year later, almost 90% had put the weight back on.

Finding a reliable weight loss program is important. More than a third of people in the U.S.

are considered obese. And it's not just adults. The CDC says 1 in 6 kids are dealing with

the condition, too. Weighing too much puts you at risk for many serious health problems,

including diabetes and heart disease.

"Eat less and exercise more" has always been the golden rule for dropping pounds. But how do you really accomplish that? Here are the five must-haves in a weight loss program, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins.

1) Plenty of interaction and support. You want ongoing contact with the program's support team. Researchers recommend at least 14 sessions over 6 months. This might be in person or by phone or by email. "Support is so critical in helping people through the weight loss process," Gudzune says.

2) Diet changes that are backed by science. "Things like the Paleo diet are very hot right now but haven't been studied with their effects on weight loss," Gudzune says. You want an approach that has solid evidence to support it works. This might be a low-calorie eating plan or meal replacements, or a well-studied diet for weight loss, like Atkins, she says.

3) Exercise encouragement. Opt for a program with some type of plan to get you moving more. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity (like walking) each week. You can divvy that up however you like. Keep in mind that exercise is key if you want to stay at your lighter weight once you've dropped pounds, but doctors say it's hard to lose weight with just exercise alone.

4) Behavior strategies. Your program should encourage things like weighing yourself, meal planning, or tracking your food or exercise.

5) Approved meds only. Steer clear of programs that push fat burners or other supplements that aren't FDA-approved for weight loss. The FDA offers a list of dangerous weight loss products. You can sign up for email alerts, too. 

Weight loss is about changing what you eat and less about how much you eat. If you eat fresh, healthy food I think you can eat all you want. Fresh, healthy food is not processed, it's fresh, not frozen vegetables, fruit, lean meat, mostly fish,  brown rice, and drink mostly water, tea, or coffee. Don't add anything with calories and avoid dairy.  

Follow a diet like this and don't go back to your old ways. Never cheat, no cheat days allowed, and increase the walking and you will lose fat. The more you walk the faster you'll lose fat. I believe the more a person walks the longer they will live.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

 

The DASH Diet Wins Again

The Dash Diet has been voted the best overall diet by all the diet publications for several years in a row. Your doctor will love you if you can stick to this diet.

One of the steps your doctor may recommend to lower your high blood pressure is to start using the DASH diet. Let's face it, if your overweight, you have high blood pressure. You might not even know it. You don't necessarily have to be overweight to have high blood pressure, but if you aren't following a healthy diet plan, you are probably consuming too much sodium and that will cause high blood pressure.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet is simple:

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods
• Cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats
• Eat more whole-grain foods, fish, poultry, and nuts
• Limit sodium, sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats

In research studies, people who were on the DASH diet lowered their blood pressure within 2 weeks.

Another diet -- DASH-Sodium -- calls for cutting back sodium to 1,500 milligrams a day (about 2/3 teaspoon). Studies of people on the DASH-Sodium plan lowered their blood pressure as well.

Starting the DASH Diet

The DASH diet calls for a certain number of servings daily from various food groups. The number of servings you require may vary, depending on how many calories you need per day.

You can make gradual changes. For instance, start by limiting yourself to 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day (about 1 teaspoon). Then, once your body has adjusted to the diet, cut back to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day (about 2/3 teaspoon). These amounts include all sodium eaten, including sodium in food products as well as in what you cook with or add to the table.

Dash Diet Tips

• Add a serving of vegetables at lunch and at dinner.
• Add a serving of fruit to your meals or as a snack. Canned and dried fruits are easy to use, but check that they don't have added sugar.
• Use only half your typical serving of butter, margarine, or salad dressing, and use low-sugar, low-fat or fat-free condiments.
• Drink low-fat or skim dairy products any time you would normally use full-fat or cream.
• Limit meat to 6 ounces a day. Make some meals vegetarian.
• Add more vegetables and dry beans to your diet.
• Instead of snacking on chips or sweets, eat unsalted pretzels or nuts, raisins, low-fat and fat-free yogurt, frozen yogurt, unsalted plain popcorn with no butter, and raw vegetables.
• Read food labels to choose products that are lower in sodium.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.