Change Your Diet To Avoid Cancer

February is Cancer month, and the internet is full of articles about Cancer. I found this one the other day and it was worht a re-blog.

 Living longer, healthier and happier lives is a priority for millions of people — and avoiding cancer is a big part of the deal.

As millions of Americans observe National Cancer Month in February, it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest information on how to avoid the deadly disease. 

Cancer affects tens of millions of people and families around the world, especially in impoverished nations and communities that do not have funds for treatment.

In 2022, more than 1.9 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer, and over 600,000 people died of the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.

HOW SMALL CHANGES IN YOUR DIET CAN RESULT IN REALLY BIG HEALTH PAYOFFS

The deadliest form of the disease in 2022 was lung and bronchus cancer, which killed an estimated 130,000 individuals in the U.S. 

The second most deadly diagnosis was colorectal cancer, killing approximately 52,000 Americans in 2022. 

Prostate cancer was the leading diagnosis for men — while breast cancer was the most common form of cancer for women.

In an April 2022 interview with Fox News Digital, California-based nutritionist and health expert Susan Smith Jones, PhD, shared a few pointers about the foods we should add to our diets for the highest chance of dodging cancer. 

Here are a few cancer-preventing food options. 

Sprouts, Green vegetables, Tomatoes, Green tea, Nut

A cup and a half of broccoli sprouts per day can reduce the chances of cancer by 50%, advises Jones.

THIS DELICIOUS AND (EASY!) BRUSSEL SPROUTS RECIPE COULD ROCK YOUR WORLD

While growing a significant amount of sprouts takes a matter of mere days, growing an actual head of broccoli with less nutritional value takes about 77 days.

"There’s hardly a better food on earth than freshly harvested sprouts that cost pennies a batch and take two minutes a day to grow," Jones said.

2. Green vegetables 

All types of greens, such as spinach, kale, romaine, broccoli, turnips and collard greens, offer a bit of extra protection against cancer. 

Consuming more green also replaces sugar and other unhealthy items in a diet, and leads to beneficial results beyond cancer, including a lower risk of developing heart disease or obesity.

In lab experiments, substances released during either cutting or chewing cruciferous vegetables produced a cancer-killing effect. 

Swallowing them whole won’t do, by the way. 

The protective effect of cruciferous vegetables seems to occur when they are cut or chewed. They’re great in stir-fry, as side dishes or tossed into salads raw. Experiment with flavors like lemon or garlic.

THE BEST VEGETABLES FOR YOUR HEALTH, ACCORDING TO NUTRITIONISTS

A 2022 epidemiological study comprised of 206 other studies on humans revealed that the most cancer-protective, heart-healthy and obesity-preventative foods are greens, Jones told Fox News Digital.

"And yet [only] one in five Americans eats enough greens to get the benefits," she added.

3. Tomatoes

There’s no better fruit for men to eat than tomatoes in terms of preventing prostate cancer. 

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of the deadly disease, especially for millions of older men in the United States. A healthy diet that encompasses tomatoes may help individuals reduce the risk of developing the diagnosis later in life. en better option since much of the nutritional value is found in the skin.  

The nutrition lies in the tomato’s lycopene, which gives the fruit its red shade. For some individuals, fitting tomatoes into a daily diet can be difficult, but a variety of salads and soups makes it possible. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

You can also eat the plant by itself after slicing and adding some light seasoning and baking it in the oven. 

4. Green tea

Try changing out your morning cup of coffee for green tea for extra health benefits.

Your palate for tea may vary by season: Hot tea can be warming in the winter; ice tea offers cool refreshments in the summer. So enjoy tea year-round to boost cancer prevention.

Green Tea may not only help prevent cancer, but it also has antiviral and antibacterial properties, said Jones. 

It's also great for weight loss and immunity. Similar to many plant-based foods, tea contains flavonoids, known for their antioxidant effects. One flavonoid in particular, kaempferol, has shown protective effects against cancer. 

5. Nuts and seeds

Almonds are a great source of protein, fiber and vitamin E. 

Try soaking almonds in a bowl of water overnight to plump them up, soften their chew and boost their bio-availability, advised Jones.

Throw some soaked almonds in a blender with four cups of water for homemade almond milk. 

Flax seeds provide a plethora of nutrients to help prevent cancer, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

A few tablespoons of flaxseed at two meals per day can also promote glowing skin and high energy, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and aid in digestion.

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. 

Will Fruits And Vegetables Help Me Lost Weight?

 If you don’t reduce your calorie intake, you won’t slim down, researcher warns.

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is often recommended as a way to lose weight, but doing so may not help you shed excess pounds, according to researchers.

They reviewed data from more than seven studies that examined how increased fruit and vegetable consumption affected weight loss.

“Across the board, all studies we reviewed showed a near-zero effect on weight loss,” Kathryn Kaiser, an instructor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a university news release.

“I don’t think eating more [fruits and vegetables] alone is necessarily an effective approach for weight loss because just adding them on top of whatever foods a person may be eating is not likely to cause weight change,” she added.

“Overly simplified messages don’t seem to be very effective,” she added.
However, Kaiser and her colleagues also found that eating more fruit does not increase the risk of weight gain.

“It appears that an increase in servings does not increase weight, which is a good thing for getting more vitamins and fiber in one’s diet,” she said. The study, which involved 1,200 people in all, was published June 25 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Fruits and vegetables provide many health benefits, but people shouldn’t expect these foods to help them slim down, Kaiser said.

“In the overall context of a healthy diet, energy reduction is the way to help lose weight, so to reduce weight you have to reduce caloric intake,” she said.

“People make the assumption that higher-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables will displace the less healthy foods, and that’s a mechanism to lose weight; but our findings from the best available evidence show that effect doesn’t seem to be present among people simply instructed to increase fruit and vegetable intake,” Kaiser concluded.

Yes, the author has a point, if you continue to eat the same foods and then add fruits and vegetables, you’re adding calories and you won’t lose weight. But you’re supposed to substitute fruits and vegetables for the unhealthy foods you were eating and therefore eating fewer calories and you will lose weight. Stop eating processed foods and substitute with fruit and vegetables. Stop eating cakes, cookies, ice cream, and candy. Stop eating dessert and substitute with fruit. 

The mistake some of us make is the fruit or vegetable we are buying. Buy the fresh produce in the open bins at your grocer! Stay away from canned foods of any kind. Frozen can be okay but read the additives the company uses. Chemicals in food will not help you lose weight, even salt and sugar should be avoided. 

About half your daily intake should be good carbs like grains, fruits and vegetables. one quarter meat like poultry and seafood and one quarter good fats like olive oil, avocados, and the fats in seafood. Good fats are for your brain and your heart.

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. 

About Beer And Weight Loss

 I'll tell you the story in case you haven’t been following. A reader sent me a note asking if you can drink beer and still lose weight. And my response was “yes” with a but connected. Beer in itself doesn’t add fat to your body. Too Many calories add fat to your body.

When a heavy person in a restaurant or bar is sitting near you drinking beer you might immediately think that they must drink a lot of beer to have a beer belly like that. Not so. Calories are calories and many people overindulge which will cause a beer belly but it’s not always from drinking beer. I used to work with a guy who would drink 6 or 8 cokes every day. I never saw him drink water; he always drank coke.

You might not know it but the average American will drink half their daily calories. They might eat 1800 calories a day and think their cutting calories, but they consume another 1800 or so calories in drinks every day. Cokes, sweet tea, coffee with cream and sugar, and all those designer drinks at the coffee shop all adds up and then if you drink alcohol, you can double those drink calories. It’s no secret that most of us consume more calories per day from beverages than from food. Beer, wine, and soft drinks add the most calories.

Any trainer or weight consultant will always encourage a client to stop drinking calories and drink more water. That some of the best advice I can give anyone trying to lose weight.

I saw someone today running through the park for a workout, but he was seriously overweight. I thought to myself if I could stop the car and talk to him, I’d tell him not to run. First, you can’t run off fat when your too heavy to run. Yes, you can be too heavy to run. Being overweight puts stress on your hips and knees and running will only increase the pressure on those joints and can cause damage.

Walking is a better choice. One hour of extra walking every day will help you lose weight and make you a healthier person. Walking more will lower blood pressure, lower your resting heart rate, and help strengthen your joints.

But if you really want to get in shape you have to change your diet. Start counting calories and count carbs. Depending on your size, 1500 to 1800 calories a day is all you need and only half those calories should be from carbs and those carbs should be from fruits and vegetables and grains. The other half of your daily calories should be from protein and fats from plants. No calories from drinks or processed foods.

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. 

What Really Makes Us Fat?

Have you ever noticed that no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you exercise, or no matter how many calories you cut, you still can’t get rid of the extra fat? There could be another reason for your size.

My friend has a twin born at the same time but one guy’s bigger and still is 40 years later. The bigger brother is overweight and the smaller one is thin and fit. The overweight brother can’t seem to lose the extra fat. At a family gathering, they always eat the same amount of food but the smaller one never gains weight. So what’s going on is pretty normal for siblings. I’ve read a lot about families with some overweight members and some thin members. 

Research shows that we are all different even when we’re twins. So even if we look the same, we all process our food differently. It’s your DNA that’s different. DNA is in every gene you were born with, and siblings from the same parents won’t have the same DNA. So in that respect, we are all different. Science is working on this right now. If everyone at the family table eats exactly the same thing, for some of them, it’s too much and for some, it might not be enough, but it’s not just the quantity, because of different DNA each person processes that food differently. Maybe some people can’t eat starchy foods, for example, their system can’t process the starch and the body turns it into fat and stores it. 

That can happen with any food group, my wife can’t eat beef. She can’t digest it. Some people can’t eat dairy products, everyone’s different even though we all look the same or come from the same family. You can still overcome these differences by listening to your body and understanding your limitations. It will take some work on your part, but if you really want to slim down and get back to a healthy weight You must take your weight problem seriously and do the work, investigate your behavior, and find out what foods are causing your weight problem. I know guys that are seriously overweight and know that bread and other bakery goods are their problems, but they won’t stop. They won’t change, they are in denial.

 Guys are harder to convince that “they need to make the tough choices”. Generally, they won’t change until their Doctor has the big “come to Jesus” talk about their health. Personally, I think the overweight problem is mostly genetic. Because of your DNA maybe you who are African shouldn’t be eating Chinese or even Italian. Because of your ancestry, you should be eating more like Africans. Maybe the overweight problem in China is because of the recent prosperity and the introduction of food from different parts of the world. Even American fast food is becoming popular in China. Because of the DNA of different people and the relatively new craze of eating out and eating a big variety of different foods from different cultures, this may be causing the overweight problem. 

There’s another possibility, and this one your doctor can help you with. If you seriously want to stop the cravings you have to stop eating food or drinks that spike your blood sugar. Your blood sugar will normally increase when you eat, but you want the increase to be slow and gradual. We know that sweet foods or sweet drinks will spike your blood sugar, but now science says that wheat flour also will spike your sugar levels. And what’s so bad about that, you might ask. I’ll explain as if you’re looking at a graph. If normal blood sugar is below 5.6 and you eat ice cream and your blood sugar spike to 8, and your body is working normally, your blood sugar will drop rapidly to say 4 because the effects of the sugar won’t last very long, but now you are below your normal level and your body will trigger another craving to get you back up to your normal level of 5.6. Now, these numbers are just numbers, and if you are concerned about your level you want to see your doctor and get a blood test.

 When you're overweight it’s important to have regular checkups that include blood tests. High blood sugar levels are a serious problem. But let’s get back to cravings, people who snack a lot often don’t understand why, and snacks put on weight. It can be caused by your blood sugar or glucose levels spiking and dropping so that you keep creating cravings for more food. So we know sugary foods will spike glucose levels and now science thinks that wheat flour can do the same.

 Wheat flour is in almost any bakery goods. Bread, cakes, donuts anything that comes from a bakery. Now you might think because you don’t eat wheat bread that you're safe. All processed flour is made from wheat flour or partial wheat flour. It's the gluten in the wheat that makes the flour stick together. You want to start reading the labels and avoid foods with processed flour. Ever wonder why gluten-free is so popular now. Gluten-free means there’s no wheat flour or any wheat in that food. Read the label on gluten-free bread and you find it’s made of rice flour. Gluten-free products will help you control the spike in your blood sugar. You can buy gluten-free bagels, pasta, and bread at any of the major grocery chains. So gluten-free will help you control your weight and avoiding sugary foods and drinks will also help cut your calories.

To sum this up; What really makes us fat is consuming the wrong foods and drinks. Cutting calories is important but for example, if I eat one large pizza every day and decide to lose weight so from now on I'm buying a medium pizza every day will I lose weight? Probably not. You can't stop food cravings by cutting back on the same food. You have to eat healthier. Try chicken breast and vegetables twice a day. Eat a piece of fruit between meals and only drink water, tea, or coffee. Don't drink calories.

This is a low-carb, low-fat diet. Stay on this diet for two weeks and no cheating. No calories to count just stay with the plan. It will take your body a few days to adjust to your new diet. So be patient. To help you lose the fat quicker try walking more. An extra mile a day at first and then build up to 3 miles a day. If you see any results after 2 weeks stay on the diet. Talk to your doctor about your new eating plan if your taking prescription drugs, you might have to adjust the dosage or change medications. After a couple months, the belly will start to shrink.

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 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. 

Do I Have to Exercise to Lose Weight?

 This is a question people ask me almost every day. The answer is “no”. You can lose weight without exercise, but do you want to lose weight or lose body fat, there’s a difference. You can lose weight by changing things you’re doing. Changing bad habits you inherited during childhood or just bad eating habits you picked up in the school cafeteria or maybe habits you picked up from the friends you're eating with. Any way you can get serious about your weight and try to re-teach yourself the right way to eat.

Eating more vegetables is the first thing. Make three vegetables at dinner not just one. If you have choices, you’ll eat more. Eating more vegetables will increase the vitamins and minerals in your diet and give you more energy. You’ll also get more fiber.

Eat a broth-based soup like vegetable soup, minestrone or Chinese wonton before your entre. It has two purposes; first it slows down our meal and it’s filling. Eating fast is the easiest way to overeat. Try and fit in a salad after the soup; that gives you more vegetables and now go with a smaller entre. Meat portions should be small, 3 to 4 ounces at the most. Try and go meatless whenever possible. Fish is o.k. three times a week, but poultry only once and pork or beef only twice a month. If you're watching your cholesterol talk to your doctor about eating meat.

Getting more sleep will help you lose weight. Too much night-time TV will only tempt you in snacking more. Also, more sleep helps you reduce stress and that helps you lose weight.

Eat more whole grain, not whole wheat, there’s a difference. Today we can buy whole grain bread, pizza crust and anything else that comes from a bakery.  100% Whole grain give you more fiber and has no processed flour. Processed flours will immediately turn to fat. Never eat processed foods of any kind.

Skip the bacon for breakfast or on that sandwich, even the bacon bits on a salad. Animal fat only causes you to gain weight.

Eat at home or make your meals at home and pack them to go. When you really get serious about your weight remember that restaurant don’t make food that’s good for you, they make food that taste good. We’ve all heard about all the calories in restaurant food. Believe me, if it really tastes good it has too many calories.

Make Pizza at home, thin whole grain crust with marinara sauce, easy on the cheese and lots of vegetables. You’ve seen them in the restaurant, there easy to make. I add anchovies. Do a web search for recipes for a California pizza and you’ll be amazed what you can put on your pizza.

Cut back on the sugar. Most people get sugar from the drinks they buy. Juices have lots of sugar, other drinks contain things like “fructose corn syrup”, it’s a sugar substitute that’s worse than sugar. Store bought snacks and drinks will ruin your diet. Nuts and seeds are good snack food.

Limit your alcohol to one or two drinks twice a week at the most. If you like mixed drinks avoid the sweet soda you add. Use a diet seltzer, diet tonic or plain water.

Green tea after meals helps your metabolism process your meal so less turns into fat.

Walking 30 minutes after meals will burn an extra 100 calories. If you can take some advice and change your eating habits, the weight will start to come off. Most of us don’t realize what we do to ourselves by not eating the right way.

Losing body fat should be your goal. Read up on weight loss and losing body fat. It doesn’t cost money to lose fat. The internet is full of free information. 

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. 

Tips For Long-Term Weight Loss

When you get serious about losing weight you’ll realize that it’s not just weight you want to lose, it's body fat. And losing body fat is a long-term commitment to change the way you eat and even the way you live.

Long-Term Weight Loss: 5 Tips
In this article

1. Set the Right Goals
2. Know Your Triggers
3. Fill Up on Food
4. Reward Weight Loss Success (But Not With Food!)
5. Keep Track of Your Progress
You want to lose weight and keep it off for good. These five strategies will help you do just that.

1. Set the Right Goals

Most people trying to lose weight only focus on their ultimate goal: dropping pounds. But it’s important not to lose sight of the diet and exercise changes that will get you there.

Choose two or three diet and exercise goals at a time that you are willing to take on. And make sure they are specific and realistic.

For example, “exercise more” is a wonderful goal, but it’s not specific. “Walk 5 miles every day” is specific and measurable. But is it realistic if you’re just starting out?

“Walk 30 minutes extra every day” is better, but what happens if work or the weather interferes? “Walk 30 minutes extra, 5 days each week” is specific and realistic.

2. Know Your Triggers

Are there situations that make you want to eat more? Start noticing them. For example, you may learn that you’re more likely to overeat while you’re bored or stressed.

Then figure out ways to get around those triggers. Do something else to soothe your stress, for instance, take a walk, or do some housework, like cleaning, or laundry.

Also, you might want to put treats away. You’re more likely to eat them if they’re visible and easy to get to.

3. Fill Up on Food

That’s right: You should feel full. But how you do that might surprise you.

It’s mostly about time: 15 minutes, to be specific. You need at least that much time to feel full. So eat slower, giving your brain enough time to notice that you’ve eaten.

What you eat can also help. Think fiber (like fruits and veggies) to fill up.

Another trick is to use smaller plates so that small portions do not appear too small.

Also, changing your eating schedule can help you reach your goal, especially if you tend to skip or delay meals and overeat later.

4. Reward Weight Loss Success (But Not With Food!)

A good reward is something that is desirable, timely and depends on meeting your goal.

Rewards may include treating yourself to a movie or massage, shopping for clothes, taking an afternoon off from work, or giving an hour of time to yourself.

Keep in mind that many small rewards, given for meeting small goals, can work better than bigger rewards for long, difficult goals.

5. Keep Track of Your Progress

Jot down things like how much you exercise and what you eat. There are many apps that can help.

Doing this can really open your eyes to what you are doing and what you need to do to meet your weight loss goals.

Don’t get discouraged if you’re not losing enough. A small person, say under 140 pounds may only lose one pound a week. A 200-pound person can lose 2 pounds a week and keep that loss. When you try to lose too much too fast the weight will come back. Aim for small amounts and keep it off. It’s okay if you stop losing for a time but stick to the plan. Sometimes you can be stuck at the same weight for several months. The only plan you need is the “don’t give up” plan.

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 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 Salt Hurt Your Diet?

Yes, Salt is a seasoning that everyone uses whether you cook or just use a shaker at the table. In moderation, salt is an o.k. seasoning, but today we have salt added to almost everything we buy in the grocery. Salt is a preservative that’s been used for centuries, long before refrigeration, to keep food from spoiling.  You would think that after a couple thousand years science could come up with something better.

The health effects of salt are the conditions associated with the consumption of excessive or insufficient quantities of salt, a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl) which is used to add flavor to food. Chloride and sodium ions, the two major components of salt, are needed by all known living creatures in small quantities. Salt is involved in regulating the water content (fluid balance) of the body. The sodium ion itself is used for electrical signaling in the nervous system.

Salt consumption has increased during modern times and scientists have become aware of the health risks associated with high salt intake, including high blood pressure in sensitive individuals. Therefore, some health authorities have recommended limitations on dietary sodium, although others state the risk is minimal for typical western diets.[2][3][4][5][6] The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends that individuals consume no more than 1500–2300 mg of sodium, (3750–5750 mg of salt) per day depending on age. Sodium and salt are not the same. Sodium is a chemical substitute and like all chemical substitutes salt, 

I know that sounds like a lot of salt, but salt is used in all manufactured products like can goods, frozen foods, and boxed foods, even breakfast cereal.  And it will cause “high blood pressure” especially in older adults. The number of adults over 40 taking a prescription drug for high blood pressure is shockingly high. You can “Google” it. High Blood Pressure is a leading cause of Heart Disease.

I’ve written several posts about losing weight and the health problems that you can have when you are overweight. Several of the comments I get ask “How can I lose weight, I tried everything.”

A good place to start is your diet. Too many of us think of exercise as the answer. ” I should get a gym membership or a trainer.” Usually, that doesn’t work. Oh, it’s great for small amounts of temporary weight loss, but the weight comes back.

You have to tackle the diet first. And salt is a good place to start. Too much salt will cause you to retain fluids, which adds to your weight. So while you might be counting calories you might also keep track of your salt consumption. You might ask, “how do I do that?” Well, the sodium content is listed on all packaged foods. Fresh foods have no sodium content unless you add salt. 

If you read the paragraphs above there is recommended sodium per day and recommended salt per day. Use the recommended sodium per day, that’s what is used on labeling. For instance, one can of soup contains 480 mg of sodium, and other canned foods are about the same like beans. But a can of Chili has more than 1000 mg of sodium. a half of teaspoon of salt has 1200 mg of sodium, so one teaspoon of salt a day is the total amount you should be consuming a day. When you put it in that content, it’s a very small quantity. And with all the processed foods and restaurant food we eat in a day, I think we’re consuming 10 times the maximum amount.

I think no matter how much time you spend at the gym you are going to have trouble losing weight.

Now if you read my last post you’ll remember that processed sugar is our enemy. We get all the sugar we need from natural sources like fruits and vegetables. So if you are starting from scratch on a diet program or you're already dieting and not having much luck, the first thing you should think about is your salt intake and sugar consumption and how to reduce them to a much lower level. Low-fat foods are usually high in sugars to give them more flavor. Low fat does not mean low-calorie. And while you count mg of salt and sugar, don’t forget to count calories. You have to burn the calories you eat every day or your body will turn the extra ones into fat.

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 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.