Start Weight Loss Today: Add Negative Calorie Foods

Having trouble jump starting the weight loss? Start today by adding negative calorie fruits and vegetables to a balanced diet. By definition, no food is "negative" in calories completely; however, there are several tasty and healthy foods that provide seemingly less calories than is expended in breaking them down in digestion and absorption.

Eating these "negative calorie foods" listed below will help those wanting to lose weight to consume fewer calories and encourage healthy food choices. This will be the door to permanent weight loss.

All people need balance and a certain amount of calories and nutrients for a strong and healthy body. Use negative calorie foods to balance calorie intake to increase loss. Combining these food choices with good protein sources will help control appetite and increase metabolic burn. Loss of muscle is avoided by the amino acids found in protein. Also, due to the slow rate of digestion of proteins in the body, feelings of fullness are sustained thereby lowering food intake.

Vegetable Negative Calorie List

• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Fennel
• Leek
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Radish
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Turnip 

Fruit Negative Calorie List

• Apricot
• Blackberry
• Mandarin Orange
• Melon Cantaloupe
• Peaches
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Honeydew Melon
• Lemon
• Plums
• Raspberry
• Strawberry
• Tangerine
• Watermelon

From Cupboard to Cure

The health of America stands at a crossroad of decision. The “modern” path seems to be directing and leading us to crisis. Faster preparation, increased processing and more additives decrease the nutritional value of our daily food resulting in weight gain, declining immune systems and ever-increasing health issues of devastating consequence. These consequences are both physical and financial. We are crippling our lives individually and as a nation with a fork and a spoon.

I believe that nutrition plays the most crucial key in the future of America. We must change how we look at food and what we allow into our food, if we are to survive and thrive.  I believe that change comes on education. My vision is to educate and inform one person at a time to a greater understanding of our nutritional needs. I believe that the continuance of the species in health mandates that better choices must be made in food selection, food quality, portion control and balance. I believe that nutrition education must again return to the classroom in order to underscore the importance of proper nutritional needs.

For me, this is a journey of self-education. Having spent my life without this understanding, I desire that others not pass through the health issues that I have faced. Having survived a stroke and diagnosis of diabetes, I have learned that the human body will seek health when supplied with a balance of nutrients. By personal experience, I know restoration can be achieved; health can be reborn, with a personal commitment toward change. 

Teaching this concept, through classes, through individual counseling and through writing can start the journey toward wellness. Each person requires a unique individual presentation. I believe that with the quality of training and education offered by BlueSky Wellness Center and my 24+ years of classroom experience that programs can be developed to meet these individual needs.   

My vision is for the health of America through example, instruction and resource development. I believe that nutritional training and instruction is the first step in honoring the whole person. It is the building block that supports a firm foundation to face the future.

Reinvent Yourself and Your Future

  
               The power to reinvent yourself is within your grasp. The essence of a new you lies deep inside your being. The opportunity for a new beginning and a new future is already inside, waiting to emerge.

                 Parents often struggle with the memory of past parenting mistakes and the consequences they witness in their child’s behavior. The first key to reinventing yourself as a parent is to make the choice to change. It is human nature to resist change but it is, foremost, a choice. Look at your daily dealings with your child. Ask the question, “What are they learning?” As a witness to your decisions and attitudes, children are the re-creation of you. Give them values and decision-making skills that will carry them forward into their future with promise and peace.

                 The second key to reinvention is rescheduling overbooking. There are so many choices for activities today that they have clouded the parenting message. Overbooking yourself and your children can lead to fatigue and burnout. The risk of over-stimulation can alter the ability to find peace and calm in the push of society.  Reinvent the way your family spends their activity time. Schedule both rest and quiet time as a means of restoration.

                 A third consideration to reinventing yourself lies in the question, “Is your WHY strong enough?” As you change your actions and reactions, resistance to change rears it’s head again. Is your desire to change strong enough to resist habitual patterns?  Do you desire a different path for your family, even when it seems easier to go back to old ways? To quote Churchill, “Never give up!” It is the only way to win the war.

                 Remember to take the time to notice small successes. Small successes are still successes. Applaud yourself and your child for making change. Children are the unique extension that allows mortals to live forever. The words of Pablo Casals (1876-1973) reflect the reasons for our reinvention. May they inspire you and your children to move toward greatness.

                  “ Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?        
     We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you.
Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.”

            The power of reinvention is that the future is bright and full of possibilities once more. Pick the future you desire for yourself and your children and run quickly towards the promise of tomorrow.  

Sublime Sleep

In planning for a super night’s sleep, think about methods that are conducive to slumber. Examine the patterns you have already in place and determine areas for improvement. Some basic rules apply that enhance the journey to productive sleep.


Don't drink alcohol within four hours of bedtime because it will cause shallow sleep. Limit coffee or other caffeine-laden beverages from noon on. Your afternoon jolt may risk your evening rest: The stimulating effects of caffeine last up to 12 hours. Also, beware of pain medications that are caffeine based.

As evening approaches, lower lights (at least by 8PM) to inform your body that night approaches.

Limit exercising in the final three hours prior to your bedtime. Exercise can act as a stimulate to the body and interrupt sleep patterns.
After going to bed, don’t spend time watching the clock. Checking it every few minutes to see how little time you have left to sleep will only make you more anxious and increase alertness. If sleep does not come within a reasonable time frame, get up. Turn to a relaxing activity (reading, listening to music, warm bath) and return to bed later.
 
If sleep still seems impossible, remain horizonal and relax. Even reclining in a sleeping position can aide the body in it's restoration and repair. Happy dreams!

Natural Sleep Herbal Options

Herbal supplementation can aide in producing restful, restorative sleep. Choose options that offer best results for you. Check with your doctor before using supplements if you are taking other medications.

Kava Kava: Considered a natural tranquilizer that can reduce anxiety, thereby promoting sleep. Don't take with alcohol, tranquilizers or antidepressants.
Hops: may help relax the nervous system. Don’t use if pregnant; may cause upset stomach in some people.
Valerian Root: reliable treatment for nervousness and insomnia. Mildly unpleasant odor and taste; high doses can cause headaches and grogginess.
Chamomile: soothe nerves and promote relaxation. Beware, if you have hay-fever allergies, you may be allergic to chamomile as well.
Passionflower: calming effect on the central nervous system. Avoid if you are taking medication for hypertension.

Best Vitamins for Weight Loss

The body's weight-related functions - like appetite, hunger, metabolic rate, calorie-burning, metabolism of fats and sugars, - function more efficiently with an optimum intake of vitamins. All of these listed assist in maintaining optimum health and weight, and many operate together. The most important vitamins and minerals for weight loss are: Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Choline / Inositol (part of B-complex) and Vitamin C.
B2 (Riboflavin) for normal metabolism and thyroid function. Food sources: Milk, eggs, liver and kidney, almonds, hard cheese, wheat germ, and leafy green vegetables.

B3 (Niacin) is essential for normal thyroid hormone production and part of the glucose tolerance factor (GTF) which is released every time blood sugar rises. Food sources: Wheat bran, dried fruit, brown rice, liver, tuna, turkey, chicken, meat, eggs, mackerel, salmon, oats, barley, cheese.

Low levels of B5 (Pantothenic Acid) interfere with capacity to utilize fat and play an important role in energy production and assisting adrenal function. Food sources: eggs, molasses, oats, barley, beans, wholegrain bread, green vegetables, liver and kidney, meat, poultry, nuts, wheat bran, wheat germ.

B6 (Pyridoxine) regulates the production of thyroid hormone and metabolism. Food sources: brewer's yeast, wheat bran, wheat germ, oats, sardines, mackerel, poultry, beef, bananas, brown rice, cabbage, dried fruit, avocado, molasses, eggs.

Choline, produced in the liver, is not a real vitamin. It is needed for efficient fat metabolism. Deficiency leads to fats becoming trapped in the liver. Food sources: lecithin, wheat germ, cauliflower, cucumber, beef liver and heart, egg yolks, peanuts.

Inositol is also manufactured inside the body. Inositol combines with Choline to assist in fat metabolism. Food sources: lecithin, citrus fruits, whole grains, nuts, wheat germ, soy, beef heart, beef liver, eggs.

Vitamin C provides a variety of health benefits including energy in the cells to proper conversion of glucose. Food sources: blackcurrants, lemons, oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruits, broccoli, green peppers, Brussels Sprouts, cabbage.

Exercise for Weight Loss

Exercise is very useful for minimizing the 'plateau' or ‘brick wall’ effect of dieting, which occurs within a few weeks of starting a diet. This is the result of your body as it 'adjusts' to a lower calorie-intake.
Exercise is also necessary to decrease the effects of middle age spread in men and menopause & osteoporosis in women. Muscles and bones respond to activity, increasing agility and flexibility. This change in the body aids in reducing accidents and increases stability as well as increases calorie burn resulting in weight loss.
If you desire to start exercising, but don't know what to do, here are some simple tips:

• Talk to your physician and check your fitness level before beginning a new program. A well trained fitness trainer can assist you in understanding your fitness goals.
  
• Create an exercise plan to address your fitness goals. Again, check with a fitness trainer to correctly choose the program that targets your specific needs or trouble spots.
  
• Try to enlist your spouse, children or friend to become your exercise buddy. You can encourage each other to success.
  
• Schedule a regular time for exercise daily. A routine helps to reach success. Weigh at the same time each day to stimulate your determination to reach fitness.