a few health tips

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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2010220478_takecontrolhealth07.html

This article is worth a read to get us on the right track ..... then you 'refine it' to ensure your own good health

 

Stop Drinking Soda

 

Soda and other caloric, sugar-sweetened beverages have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. But there's also evidence that drinking diet soda leads to weight gain. Researchers suspect that tricking the brain — getting sweetness without the calories — makes you crave more sugar than ever.

Your best bet is to stop drinking calories altogether, said obesity specialist Dr. Yoni Freedhoff. His most confused patients seem to be doing everything right but may have two glasses of milk, one glass of juice and one glass of wine a day. "That's roughly 40 pounds of liquid calories per year," he wrote on his blog, Weighty Matters. Freedhoff's advice: Don't rely on beverages for nourishment. "A well-balanced diet replete with fruits, vegetables and proteins should satisfy all of one's nutritional needs," he said. "Liquid calories are not satiating and in studies tend only to add calories to a meal," said Freedhoff, founder of Ottawa's Bariatric Medical Institute, a multidisciplinary weight-management center.!

 

Eat out less.

We often use restaurants in the same way our parents used supermarkets, one of the main reasons for the dramatic global rise in chronic diseases such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, said Freedhoff. "Nutrition and calories aren't intuitive," he said. "When restaurant salads can have more calories and fat than a Big Mac, you know you're putting your health at risk. You'll save more than your money by eating meals in. You might even save your life."

 

Eat Whole Foods

Whole foods — fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs and whole grains — are unprocessed and unrefined and typically don't have added sugar, salt or fat. They often have a low glycemic index, which means they don't raise blood sugar and insulin levels as quickly as processed foods. Choose a baked potato instead of French fries, eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread, or start the day with oatmeal, rather than a sugary breakfast cereal. "I eat as many fresh veggies and fruits as possible and stay away from anything in a bag, a box or a can," said Yvonne Conte of Syracuse, N.Y., the author of a guidebook to living a happier and healthier life. "When I started this, I lost 22 pounds. And it has stayed off. Best thing I ever did."