Breakfast Of Champions

Weight loss begins with breakfast. Nutrition is a key to weight loss and weight maintenance, so I will emphasize breakfast ideas that will help you achieve this health endeavor. Want to lose and maintain weight? Lets talk breakfast ideas to start your day.


Within a half hour from waking, you should consume your first meal. Meal of choice: yogurt! Plain yogurt to be exact. So by now many will be turned off by the plain yogurt, but ALL other yogurts will be high in dreaded sugars. Add a small amount of maple syrup to your yogurt and the sweetness becomes intense. Pure maple syrup is maintained energy rather than spiked energy that comes from refined sugars.


Within two hours of your first meal, will be your next meal. I suggest 3 alternatives. Cereal, Oatmeal, or Eggs are my favorites. Cereal of choice is Fiber One. Add blueberries and this cereal becomes a powerhouse of needed nutrients and antioxidants.


To turn oatmeal into a delicious healthy powerhouse, combine banana, powdered cacao and honey to it. Eggs can be hard boiled and added to avocado with sea salt, black pepper, sriracha sauce, lemon juice and hunger will elude you for a good part of the day.


Seeds, nuts and fruits are powerful snacks that can be used for weight loss. These should be consumed within two hours of your above meal. Your morning meals are effective when you start with a combination of protein and carbohydrates.

Nutrition-Main Factor To Weight Loss

The argument over whether nutrition or exercise is the main factor to losing weight has been debated for decades. The best conclusion I've heard about the topic is here. Through exercise alone it would take us hours of hard exercises to burn off our caloric intake.


Both, nutrition and exercise, are important to losing and maintaining weight, but nutrition is the key. If one is obese, it may be hard or dangerous to get up and start exercising. Exercise tones your outside while keeping things moving on the inside such as circulation and digestion, to name a couple.


The key factor that worked for me was to adjust my eating habits and eating healthier more satisfying foods. I needed to reprogram my body when it came to nutrition. Although I eat healthy, I reserve a couple of days when I'm allowed to have what I call "junk" foods. The key to doing the latter and making it work is to make sure you return to healthy regiment the next day.


A key to nutrition and weight loss is to begin the day with protein as the main source of your food. Yogurt with hemp seeds give you a quick 25 grams of protein. Protein is energy and takes longer to digest and keeps you fuller longer.


I pace my meals between 2 or 3 hours apart, they are smaller more filling meals. On days I workout, I usually have an egg after my workout. Mid morning is usually fruit of some kind and maybe some sort of vegetable. For lunch, I usually have an animal or vegetable or both protein source. My mid afternoon food is a source of whole wheat  such as pasta, quinoa, etc.


My final meal of the day is usually a salad or vegetable, and sometimes some cheese and whole wheat crackers. Of course there are exceptions to this schedule as things may change to add variety or because I occasionally indulge!


One little known secret to weight loss is that you have to let your food digest before you go to sleep. So I eat nothing at least 3 hours before going to sleep.


If you eat the right foods you will find that your energy level will increase and exercising will enter the weight loss equation naturally. Eat slowly and don't eat until your full, because once you feel full, you have actually over eaten.


Another thing I learned to do is cook my own meals and make even food that I find not very tasty, into a mouth watering meal. Avocados, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, etc., which I once couldn't stomach, I now eat in abundance. You have to experiment and find a way to make food tasty and healthy for yourself without using store bought dressings, syrups and other things that turn healthy into a dietary nightmare.

The Man Behind The Curtain

The Great and Powerful Oz turned out to be an ordinary man that used the power of illusion to make himself self seem more powerful than he really was. Over the years of watching Dr.Oz, it is time to give my opinion on his advice. I am in better health thanks to largely following Dr. Oz's advice on healthy living. I use his links often throughout my blog.


When it comes to healthy eating and fitness tips and most other healthy living tips, Dr. Oz is right on. I tried many of the supplements endorsed on the show, that weren't for weight loss and dieting, and I think I'm going to start researching them a bit more. I have used supplements that Dr. Oz mentioned as a "cure"(or something to that effect) and found them a waste of money.


The show is mostly geared toward women. It does offer great advice for the most part that everybody can use. In my opinion, the show has peaked and many have given up on Dr. Oz. I've been finding myself changing to other stations lately and not watching Dr. Oz.


Bottom line is that Dr. Oz has transformed many to live healthier and that is a big plus. Do your own research because Dr. Oz isn't the ultimate authority when it comes to health. Everyone is different and not everything works. Do your own homework!

The Secret To Weight Loss

Losing weight is probably the hardest thing to do when it comes to living healthy. It involves lifestyle, nutrition and exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Then there is always the dreaded 'keep it off' syndrome, where weight lost returns with extras.


Here is the way to lose weight and maintain your weight.

Foods For Life

Foods can help us find energy, weight loss, concentration and a host of other aspects of our lives. Energy and concentration seem to slow down as the day goes on. Here are 10 foods to help you maintain your focus when you need it most. We usually become sluggish and tired in the early afternoon.


Foods can help us shed pounds and keep the weight off. Try these foods to keep you from adding weight. Start your weight loss first thing with breakfast. Although I prefer alternatives, if you eat cereal, use the ones that help with weight loss.




Metabolism and lack of energy can be fixed with food. These foods will supercharge your metabolism.


Foods can cure cancer and other diseases. No small claim that comes from using the right foods for what ails you!

Health Journal 9

Now your healthy nutrition can be put on autopilot at Eat This Much. You just put how many calories you want to consume in how many meals and it will generate a variety of meal ideas. It can also take in account the various 'diets' that are out there.






A new study has found that you increase your cancer risk and shorten your lifespan if you get high animal protein during middle age. In your senior years, the opposite is true.




So how is that Daylight Saving Time/Spring Ahead going for you? It is funny how the hour-ahead time is increasing over time and nobody notices. It is all about time and making society more productive. Don't believe me? A few years back DST went from April to October. Now it's from March to November. Although I may be proven wrong on timelines, we have lost at least 40 hours of sleep per time change. But we are ever changing to suit our needs. Employers look at it like a weeks worth of work, and as warped as that sounds, it is a productivity issue. The only advantage of DST is that it stays 'lighter' longer in the evening. Still DST is a time to approach with caution since workplace injuries rise at this time.


Your weight loss attempts may be getting sabotaged by your coworkers and loved ones. As hard as it is to believe, your friends may be your enemies!

Troubleshooting For Your Health

When it comes to our overall health, if we are not reaching our goals, we are possibly doing something wrong. Sometimes we may think we are doing the right things, when in reality, we ourselves are sabotaging our efforts. If we think we are eating right, taking our medications, exercising, yet our cholesterol is still high, maybe we are doing something wrong. Get to know high cholesterol foods.

When it comes to losing weight, different things work for different people. The word "diet" should be used to mean our nutrition rather than being used to mean weight loss. Then there are things that work universally but you have to find your niche.

If you want to live long and healthy, there may be things beyond your control. There's a Longevity Checklist to see if there is anything you can change.

Trouble with your overall relationship with other folks? Maybe you should sharpen your people skills. If you're feeling down in the dumps, try these natural mood boosters.

Nothing can ruin a healthy lifestyle like losing sleep. If that sleeping pill isn't working, don't eat high fat foods before you take it. Ideally you should go to bed on an empty stomach.

Health Week Tips-Day 7(The End...for Now)

Beware of NUTITION Bars because they aren't as "Nutritious" as they would have you believe. Sugar and Trans Fat, well you get the picture. Eat a candy bar instead, if you must.

The healthiest salad dressing is simple...extra virgin olive oil and balsamic. red wine, apple cider, distilled, and any other vinegar. Adjust the taste by adding more vinegar or more EVOO-Extra Virgin Olive Oil. But if you have a problem, I think these salad dressings may help. A little secret....when it comes to commercial salad dressings, you want to enforce the portion size.

Start keeping track of the nutrients in your foods. You can make your own Nutrition Facts label by doing this and using this.

We are starting to change our views when it comes to weight loss. I have a BMI of 25, and feel I should drop more weight, but my doctor disagrees. He pointed out that I am muscular and muscle has weight to it. I may be considered overweight on the BMI scale, but I am in optimal health because most of my weight is muscle and not fat.

Peppers are always a Super Food. Hot ones, sweet ones, spicy ones, all good. When it comes to Bell peppers, the brighter the color the more beneficial. A secret to buying Bell peppers is to get the male rather than the female. The red, yellow, orange variety are the most expensive and usually sold by weight. Female peppers are loaded with more seeds inside. How can you tell a female from a male? Look at the bottom of the pepper. Three humps are male and four humps are female.

Start keeping track of your workouts with a workout log. Alternate or change your workouts and routines every three months to continue gaining muscle and losing weight.

Have I talked about cholesterol, yet? Not all cholesterol is bad. Unfortunately, although I eat as healthy as possible, I still need cholesterol controlling drug, possibly because mine is inherited. I'll give my words credibility!

You now can train yourself to be happier. Boost your health with good relationships. Also learn to conquer your everyday stressors.

Whew! I made it! The magnificent 7 days of tips on the healthy lifestyle. I know how you feel by getting bombarded by health advice, tips, resources, tools, and so on, but it is up to you to find what works. What works for me may, or may not work for you. I do believe that mind, body and mood are what makeup a healthy lifestyle. How you achieve it is your niche.

Nutrition Labels Don't Benefit Consumers

In case you haven't seen it yet, nutrition labels aren't actually in the consumer's favor. Manufacturers have found a way to use loopholes to hide their product's hidden "nutrients" that we don't want or need. You have to be a food lawyer to interpret what this label is really saying. I talked about this already.

The sad thing is that the nutrition label is suppose to help us achieve our nutritional goals. But it is very deceiving and has nothing to do with nutrition facts. And although many try, they miss that with a label you include ingredients, too.

I think we are misinterpreting the Sugars and giving them a bad rap. I also believe that a diet of 2000 calories as a model to our nutritional value is deceiving and flawed. When I wrote this I wanted to point out how deceptive labels are and how to cut to the chase.

Sugar isn't exactly a bad thing. Sure it adds to calories, but energy burns them and one can't deny that sugar is energy. Energy can be like a cheetah, quick bursts then drop. You see a cheetah may be the fastest animal on earth, but it can only achieve this for a short period of time. That is how bad sugar works. It peaks and drops quickly. In other words, your energy is short lived.


There are good sugars and bad sugars that supply the good and the bad energy. You want the sugars that run a marathon, meaning pure energy that burns itself out and burns calories. You also must know how to use them to your advantage. You should know your sugar daily requirement and more sugar facts.

Note a healthy sugar: Maple syrup. Don't forget honey. There is also stevia and monk fruit. Stevia may contain alcohol so look for the non-alcoholic variety. I tend to use maple syrup to sweeten certain food. I use about 1/10th of a serving because a little goes a long way.

Vegetables can be eaten in unlimited servings and weight gain is minimal. Legumes are filling and nutritious. Seeds are powerful and promote many aspects of a healthy lifestyle(energy, weight loss, sleep). Fruits are yet the other powerful group, most loaded with sugars that promote weight loss and energy. Calories of these foods usually burn themselves out. The nutrition you get from these foods actually feeds your body both on the outside and inside.

The foods at a farmer's market or produce aisle don't require a nutrition label, ever wonder why? Because you see the ingredient and most would make manufacturers rewrite the label. If the sugar content is high, it isn't a refined sugar. Although some fruits may cause havoc with your teeth, remember to brush afterwards.

Keep in mind that nutrition labels are just a guideline to nutrition. The only things that servings would be of importance is when it comes to fats and sodium, and I'll also include refined sugars. The ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance. So if the second or third ingredient is a sugar, especially a refined sugar, the servings should be enforced because too much can cause weight gain.

More about nutrition labels and how to get the most out of them will be discussed in the future, since data may be changing.

If I Were A Captain Of Industry

This is just my educated guess on the health benefits of the Nutrition Label. Keep in mind that science is ever changing and everything is a hypothesis.

My secret hypothesis of the food label.

Does your food label have a secret that tells you how to use food to your advantage? I'll discuss food labels and labeling throughout my blog. I believe the food label can tell us how to lose weight and how to gain energy. There it is staring us in the face but we just don't get it. I talked Trans Fats in foods and the loopholes involved. It pays to read the label as a whole, but it also serves you better if you know what to look for to benefit you.

To Lose Weight:

The label's secret to lose weight are Carbs and Sodium. There are minor influences that come from Cholesterol and Potassium.

There are good carbs and bad carbs. There are also not-so-bad carbs. If the Fiber is greater than the Sugars, that is a great product. Fiber is what moves the foods throughout  your body. I believe that you can never have too much fiber but people aren't getting enough fiber. That's why veggies are an essential. Their sugars are practically non-existent.

Signals' Rule 1 to losing weight....Get more fiber.

Sugars are a two-edged sword. There are bad sugars and there are bad sugars. White and brown sugars, hfcs, etc. BAD. Maple syrup, honey and most natural fruit sugars, GOOD.
Then you have your Cholesterol and Potassium. Cholesterol can be bad or good. Consider Potassium as the anti-Sodium.

Sodium is an enemy to weight and overall health. It makes food taste good and makes us consume multiple servings. In the meantime it raises our blood pressure and makes us prone to heart disease and stroke. We get an overabundance of sodium not only from our foods but also our environment.

Signals Rule 2 to losing weight....Get less salt.
             Rule 2a to lose weight...Increase Potassium and get more good cholesterol than bad.

There is your weight loss formula.

To Increase Energy:

Need more energy? Watch the Fats and the Protein. Protein is a  builder and a fuel for energy. Fats can either be a lubrication or sand for the gears. Good oils and protein, increased energy. Bad oils and protein, decreased energy and overall ones overall health through weight gain.

Read about good oils and bad oils here, here, and here.

Protein is your basic life energy. Be careful if meat is your main source of protein because it can raise your cholesterol. Too much protein can put a strain on the kidneys. Here is your daily requirement. It is a bit different for athletes. The other good benefit, among others, of protein is that it repairs and builds muscle.


Signals overall energy rule....know your good oils and protein and get the most out of them.
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This was a personal commentary by Signals. Signals has been blogging about health at other sites since 2002. Although this theory may eventually be proven wrong, I believe it's right based on my personal research and experiences.

7) The Importance Of Weight Loss And Weight Management

Walking should be a must do exercise for all people of all ages. The benefits can prevent anything from cancer to diabetes to depression, just to name a few. A walk after dinner may reduce your diabetes risk. Weight loss can also beat depression, and yes there is a link according to Dr. Michael Craig Miller, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He suggests to start small by walking 15 minutes a day.

You should invest in a pedometer and your goal should be 10000 steps a day which equals 5 miles. It's a small price to pay for your health, and can save you a gym membership. Future entries will tell you how to avoid the gym altogether.

The best nutrient for both weight loss and management is fiber. So here are some fiber rich foods. Here are either already mentioned or new high fiber foods. Knowledge is power and the more you know the better you can develop a plan that works for you.

Beer bellies are a myth since the calories come from the alcohol. Make no mistake, alcohol may contribute to the belly, but it's the caloric intake as a whole that gives the belly.

Get to know your BMI(Body Mass Index). Learn what your weight means and where you are. Obesity creates as many health problems as smoking.

On The Launchpad

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Each one of us is an individual and what works for one may not work for the other. The biggest obstacle is procrastination. Procrastination leads to excuses that lead to a defeatist attitude that keeps us in an unhealthy state.

Although diet and exercise play a big role in achieving a healthy lifestyle, they don't necessarily have to start at the same time. If the journey takes baby-steps it will take you longer, but you will get to  your thousand mile goal.

If you change your diet and start eating the right foods, they will eventually give you the kick start to want to move. Let me explain this, if you eat the proper foods, they will give you the energy to want to move. Move is a verb that implies exercise in my world.

You don't have to totally be a couch potato when you start eating the right foods. Get up and walk to destinations. Manually change channels. Take the stairs. Walk around the block. Walk around the block. These are all starts.

We must change the word DIET to mean the foods we eat and not associate it with weight loss. When it comes to diet as weight loss, many associate it both consciously and unconsciously, with a temporary solution. This is about a lifestyle and becoming as healthy as you can or want.

The foods that stimulate weight loss are rich in fiber. The foods that stimulate energy are rich in protein. If you can eat small meals every 2 or 3 hours apart, you will see overall health results rather than eating three big meals 4-6 hours apart. If your last meal of the day is 3 hours before bedtime, weight loss will be much easier for your overall health.

When it comes to health and changes, be prepared to fail, but eventually you will find your niche and find a lifestyle you can live with. This is just the beginning to of the journey and you decide how fast you will go and where you will end up. I will give thousands of pieces of advice, and if just one works for you, my mission is complete.

This is the Launchpad....prepare for take of to health!