Is your Kitchen the culprit?

The best way to get off on the right foot when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle is to ensure your kitchen is stocked with healthy meals and snacks. This will keep you on track, even when late-night cravings strike. On the other hand, a kitchen filled with unhealthy snacks will derail your weight loss/management efforts.

So if you are truly committed to yourself and your healthy weight efforts, grab a garbage bag and dump the no no’s out!

Let’s first take a look in your fridge. If you have any of these items in it, go ahead and throw them out!:

Drinks with high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Drinking calories is one of the quickest ways to gain weight. Replace these with properly filtered water. This is the best drink to keep you hydrated and to keep you from gaining unnecessary weight!

Dairy products like high-fat cheese, milk and yogurt from your kitchen. Replace with almond milk and fresh veggies. For example, avocados are a great replacement for yogurt or sour cream. Veggies are crucial to a healthy lifestyle with all the fiber, vitamins and minerals they contain, there should be more veggies than anything else in the fridge!

Fatty meats. If you choose to eat meat, be very selective about it. Although chicken is a great source of protein but that does not mean fried chicken is okay. If you eat fried chicken the benefit of the protein will be lost in all the extra fat calories. Baked grain feed chicken or turkey on the other hand is a good source of protein. Legumes and other vegetarian forms of protein are also a great source.

Now, how about the freezer? What do you have in there? Let’s do the same and throw out the less favourable freezer items and replace them:

Ice cream. Get rid of your pint of ice cream and replace it with frozen fruit. Whether you pick them at the farm yourself and freeze them or just put a portion of your fruit in the freezer every week, freeze your favourites. Then when you are craving something cold and sweet, toss it into the blender and voila, you have yourself a smoothie!

Frozen Pizza. I know it’s easy to grab one out of the freezer and heat it up when your in a pinch for time but why not put tomato paste, low fat cheese and some veggies on a whole grain pita and heat it up for a home made version? It’s just as quick and easy to make, without the excess calories.

I’d also like to tackle the pantry with the garbage bag in hand. This is probably going to be the hardest one to do.

Cereal. If sugar or high fructose corn syrup are listed as ingredients on your cereal box, it's got to go. Unfortunately, some so called healthier cereals are just as bad so read the labels carefully. Whole grain rolled Oats are a good replacement but be sure to get the regular not quick cook version. The preservatives in the quick cook makes it a questionable option.

White Breads, Rice and Pastas. These highly processed products promote weight gain among other issues. Replace these with kamut, millet or spelt and wild or brown rice.

Crackers. Just like chips, crackers are not a good snack if you are health conscious. Replace this with almonds or seeds but never eat more than a palmful of nuts.

Cookies. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you these aren’t good for you unless of course it is home-made with oats, seeds and perhaps coconuts. If you really need something sweet, reach for fruit or make a fruit smoothie!

So I know this has been a difficult cleansing process but if you were there with me and you make the changes necessary, you can enjoy your food and not feel guilty about adding the inches and pounds on! And if you should fall off the wagon, do this exercise again to get yourself back on track. A tip for when you go grocery shopping, don’t go on an empty stomach. You’ll end up buying junk!

Of course, support is always important so enlist your family to participate in the same changes. DO NOT buy ice cream “for the kids” for example. Because if you are honest with yourself, you will likely end up indulging.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to stop eating all the foods you enjoy. I’m only suggesting that it should be removed from your home. You can always go out for an ice cream once in awhile but if it is stocked at home, chances are you will enjoy it more often.

Weight loss and healthy weight management comes from healthy eating habits and consistent exercise. If you need some help getting yourself on track, call or email us today.

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

http://healthyweightdancingfeet.com

The Hidden Dangers of Belly Fat

Having a wide girth unfortunately is more than uncomfortable and unsightly. A beer belly or an apple-shaped figure may mean you have large amounts of deep-hidden belly fat around your internal organs. This fat, also known as visceral fat, may in fact be the most dangerous fat you can have. It has been linked to high cholesterol, high insulin, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and other health problems. The more belly fat you have, the higher your risk is for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, or for having a stroke.

There's also new research indicating that having an apple-shaped figure may actually be more deadly. A study appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine reported some very disturbing news. Researchers followed about 360,000 Europeans who participated in one of the largest and longest health studies in the world. They found that people with the most belly fat had about double the risk of dying prematurely compared with people with the least amount of belly fat. Men and women with the largest waist circumference (more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women) had roughly double the risk of premature death as men and women with the smallest waist circumference (less than 34 inches for men and 28 for women). And with every 2-inch increase in waist circumference, there was an associated increase in mortality—17% in men and 13% in women.

What makes belly fat so dangerous? Well, it seems to be the type of fat that goes straight to the liver to be metabolized into cholesterol. LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood and contributes to the development of arterial plaque and narrowing of the arteries. Visceral fat also produces more inflammation in the body than fat found in other areas of the body. And inflammation is thought to play a key role in heart disease and a host of other chronic diseases. New research also suggests that the body's production of adiponectin, a hormone secreted by fat cells, decreases as we gain belly fat. This reduction in adiponectin production has been found to promote insulin resistance, a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and a potential precursor to type-2 diabetes. And finally, studies have shown that belly fat cells produce more fibrinogen and plasminogen, two chemicals in the body that promote blood clotting. Visceral fat also produces more angiotensin, a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict. Here again lies the connection between too much belly fat and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.

So if you or someone you know is carrying excess weight around the abdomen, losing that belly fat is important to a healthier, higher quality of life. The first all important step is to change your lifestyle. Start being more active in your daily activities. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator, whenever possible. Go for a walk or run during your lunch break. Another important lifestyle change is to change the way you eat - that is what you eat, how you eat it and when you eat! If you need additional support, there are many places to go for this but it's important to have support from your family. You cannot do this without them! Then if you still need additional support, Healthy Weight Dancing Feet (HWDF) offers a unique support system. Contact Nadia at HWDF to learn more.

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.com

Back to School Nutrition and Fitness

Did you know:

North American children obtain 50% of their calories from added fat and sugar?

Fewer than 15% of school children eat the recommended servings of fruit, less than 20% eat the recommended servings of vegetables and soda consumption has almost doubled in the last 20 years?

These poor nutritional habits combined with a decreased physical activity have led to a doubling of obesity rates among children and a tripling among adolescents in the past 20 years.

Poor nutrition and a lack of physical activity are not only the root of obesity, but they also play a role in lower academic achievement. Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle can cause problems with concentration, mood, energy and focus, which all can impact a child's ability to learn.

The good news is many studies have shown that when a child's basic nutrition and fitness needs are met they do much better in school, attaining higher academic achievement.

So start this school year off right. Help your child develop healthy eating and physical activity habits to not only optimize their nutritional status and fitness level but also their school performance.

• Start the day off right by making sure your child eats a healthy breakfast. Skipping breakfast has been shown to have a negative effect on cognitive performance, even among healthy well nourished children.

• Help keep your child's energy up with healthy snacks in their lunch box. Avoid snacks that are high in refined sugar and artificially coloured or flavoured foods. They may boost energy levels in the short term but can cause energy levels to crash leaving your child feeling sluggish later on in the day. Pack some trail mix, fresh fruit, carrot sticks, or other veggies.

• Become familiar with school lunch menus. Keep a copy of the current lunch menu in your kitchen. Ask the school food service director for nutrition information and be sure to go over the menu with your child and talk to them about making healthy choices. When school menus offer burgers, pizza or tacos, encourage your child to have a salad, yogurt, fruit or milk with them.

• Get your child involved in planning and preparing their lunches. When children are included in planning and preparing their own meals, they're more likely to eat their carrot sticks instead of trading them with someone for cookies.

• Encourage your kids to be active at school or after school. Participating in school physical activity programs and team sports, or other extracurricular activities are excellent ways to keep your child active and engaged in academics. Studies show that schools that offer intense physical activity programs see positive effects on academic achievement including increased concentration, improved mathematics, reading and writing test scores, as well as reduced disruptive behaviour even when time for P.E. classes reduces time for academics.

• Make physical activity a family affair. Be a good role model and engage the entire family in an active lifestyle. Walk the kids to school, teach kids to ride bicycles and ride together as a family, teach your children the skills they need to jump rope, throw or kick a ball, run and skate and even get involved in your community to increase access to parks, playgrounds, and organized sports.

Want to learn more about helping your kids have their best year ever?

What if our children could have perfect attendance in school this year?

What if they could get straight As?

What if learning could come more easily for them?

What if there was something we could do to help our kids have their best year

ever?

Healthy Weight Dancing Feet is hosting workshops on Children’s nutrition at

various locations throughout August and September. For detailed locations and

times, contact Nadia at 647-405-4471.

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

http://healthyweightdancingfeet.com

Take Fitness to a New Level!

Have you plateaued in your weight loss?

Are you feeling frustrated with your weight loss?

Well, did you know that some post-exercise protein can go a long way to improving your weight loss?

In fact a study published in the May 2008 issue of Fitness Management Magazine reinforced the importance of consuming protein meal replacement shakes immediately after weight training to maximize muscle mass gains and body fat loss.

This study examined the effects of a 23 week moderate exercise training program, with and without a supplemental protein meal replacement shake, on body composition in a group of adults.

Under close supervision, study participants exercised 2-3 days a week following an exercise protocol adapted from the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines which included standard use of 11 weight training machines with appropriate increases in exercise resistance and post-exercise stretches. Participants also performed 20 minutes of aerobic exercise as part of their workout.

Forty-six participants completed the 23-week program of which 24 participants consumed a protein meal replacement drink following their training session and 22 did not consume a shake, nor did they receive a placebo control. The protein meal replacement shakes were prepared by mixing 1.5 servings in water and provided approximately 270 calories, 4.5g fat, 35g carbohydrate, and 24g protein.

After 23 weeks, all 46 subjects showed significant improvements in body composition. However, the participants who ingested the post-exercise protein meal replacement shake increased their lean weight and decreased fat weight more than those who did not consume post-exercise protein meal replacement shakes. In fact, participants consuming the post-exercise protein meal replacement shake gained 25% more lean weight and lost 50% more fat, than participants who did not consume protein meal replacement shakes.

So take advantage of these study results to make the most of your fitness routine. Use a protein meal replacement shake as your post-exercise drink to improve your body composition and get more out of your workout!

Of course, there are many protein meal replacement shake options on the market today but our preferred brand is Shaklee and their CINCH protein shakes. They contain a proprietary/patented formulation of 8 essential amino acids, including Leucine.

Leucine has been shown to increase one’s long-term metabolism such that when you get to your ideal weight, you don’t need to be concerned about regaining all your released weight unless you completely abandon your lifestyle changes!

If you’re interested in trying this out, Shaklee also happens to be the only natural nutrition company in North America that offers an empty bottle money back guarantee. Just another reason I like recommending Shaklee.

To access the study publication visit www.fitnessmanagement.com and search archived articles for "protein and body composition".

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

http://healthyweightdancingfeet.com

Summer's Here! Time to Pack your Bags, Not the Pounds!

Summer is in full force and it’s a time of year many people take off with the family on vacation, including myself!

We all deserve some rest and relaxation but don’t let your vacation excuse you from maintaining your healthy exercise habits you’ve worked so hard to create! Staying active while on vacation is a great way to maintain the weight-and inch-loss you've worked so hard to achieve.

It's also a great opportunity to find new activities that you can enjoy—even when you're back at home. So take a fun and active vacation this summer by engaging in some of these activities:

Take a walk on the beach: Any walk is great exercise, but walking in soft sand burns more calories than walking on flat ground, and it's an excellent workout. If it's hot outside, be sure to wear shoes or sandals (to avoid scorched feet!) and start slow; try going for shorter walks first until you get used to soft terrain.

Carry your clubs: If you enjoy golf as my husband does, take them with you to your sunny destination and carry the clubs! If you carry your clubs and walk the entire course, you can burn 200–300 calories per hour, which is much more than the calories you burn from just playing and driving a cart around the course.

Tennis, anyone?: Like golf, tennis can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be. Make the most out of your tennis match by chasing the ball and hitting like a pro. A hard game of singles or doubles tennis will give you a great workout and can burn 500–600 calories per hour.

Sight-seeing by bike: A long, leisurely bike ride is a great way to see the local sights—and it's something your entire family can do together. In fact, bikes suitable for all ages are available for rent at many resorts. If you can, try to make it a day-long adventure to burn the most calories. Be sure to wear a helmet on your ride, and bring some water to keep you hydrated.

Surf's up! Ever wondered how a surfer got their muscular physique from? Well surfing is actually a rigourous exercise that will challenge every muscle in your body. Even if you only paddle out to the waves and fall off your board, you'll get a great workout! But surfing is not for everyone; some may wish to consider snorkelling or swimming as alternatives. They are a bit more leisurely, but still an excellent way to burn calories.

Move up a mountain: If you enjoy walking but want to try something a little more intense, go for a hike. When you climb a hill or mountain, the added elevation helps you burn more calories. And if you carry a backpack, you'll challenge yourself even more! When you arrive at your hotel, check with the concierge to see about nearby hiking adventures. If you are really feeling adventurous, visit Machu Picchu and hike the Inca trail. I promise you will have a vacation you will never forget, and an active one too!

Row, row, row your boat: Grab a paddle and try kayaking for a great cardio workout. It burns about the same amount of calories as moderate swimming or jogging (about 500 calories per hour), and it can be a full-body workout—with special emphasis on the upper body (upper back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms).

Wherever your vacation may take you, some advanced planning can help you stay on track with your weight-management efforts and exercise routine. If none of these ideas sparks your interest, don't forget about water skiing, sailing, rock climbing, bungee jumping, and sky diving! So pack your bags and get moving!

If you have any vacation ideas and/or exercising ideas while on vacation that you’ll like to share, please comment on this blog. I’d love to hear all about it.

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

http://healthyweightdancingfeet.com

Eating Tips and Recipes for a Healthier YOU!

Where shall I begin? This is a topic that I could talk about every week and give suggestions from different perspectives but I’ll keep it short and sweet!

First off, I’m a passionate environmentalist, as those who know me well can attest to. So, I would recommend a GREEN diet which is good for your body and for our planet’s sustainability. You’re probably asking yourself, “What does she mean by eating green?” Well, it all starts with the shopping. Here are some quick tips:

-Bring your list and your canvas bags. This will save you and the environment on plastic bags and the fuel of making additional trips to the store.

-Don’t buy bottled water! Not only does it cost over 500% more than filtered tap water but according to the Environmental Working Group investigation conducted in 2008, 10 of the most popular brands had 38 contaminants; not to mention 1.64 tons of packaging waste comes from bottled water each year!

-Buy local and organic. This will reduce your exposure to pesticides.

-Eat less meat and more vegetable based protein. When you do buy and eat meat, choose organically raised meat and poultry, it’s a healthier choice!

-Avoid processed foods as much as possible

Having said that, once you’ve got your shopping out of the way, let’s talk about how to cook healthy. Using lots of spices, particularly home grown, are a great addition to any meal. Lemon is a great addition to almost any meal as a salt replacement. If you prefer to use salt, use sea salt. When using oils in your cooking, there are many options, some of which are healthy and some of which are not so great. I could easily discuss oils as a topic all on it’s own. So I’ll keep it simple and say the easiest healthy choice is Cold or first pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Now for some eating tips:

-Only eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re comfortable.

-Eat slow. If you eat too fast, you won’t know that you’re full until you’ve overeaten.

-Don’t wait until you’re starving to eat. You’ll end up overeating again if you wait too long to eat.

-Savour your food! Don’t multi-task. Just sit down to eat and savour it. This way you don’t wind up eating too fast again.

-Select food satisfying for your body and your mind and eat them in moderation.

-Avoid fast food.

-Don’t eat after 8pm (or 2 hours before bed). If you get the late night munchies, eat negative calorie foods such as celery, cucumbers and much more. If you’re interested in a complete list, you can get in touch with me at 647-405-4471.

So I hope my tips have given you something to think about. I’m going to close with a recipe for Baked Portobella that I hope you’ll enjoy!:

INGREDIENTS:

1 t olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 large portobella mushrooms, cleaned. Lemon/ sea salt and pepper, to taste

4oz mozzarella cheese, sliced and shredded

5 fresh basil leaves

1 large, fresh tomato, sliced roasted, or grilled

DIRECTIONS:

Combine oil and garlic in small bowl and run mushrooms with mixture. Place mushroom cap side down on an oiled baking sheet. Season with lemon/salt and pepper and then arrange the cheese, basil and tomato slices in a circle on top of mushrooms. Bake at 450 degrees F until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.

Makes 2 servings.

Calories: 231/serving

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

18g protein

11g carbohydrate

14g fat

310mg sodium (if use salt)

31mg cholesterol

2g fiber

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.com

Your Transition to Wellness

I’m blogging to you today from HOT and SUNNY South Carolina. So I thought, what a better subject than to talk wellness success. Imagine this. You did it! You’ve lost those unwanted pounds and inches and can officially report that you now fit into your “bikini” or “swim trunks”. You can walk along the beach holding your head up high. Congratulations on a job well done!

But, before you throw all caution to the wind, keep in mind the commitment you made to lose the weight and inches in the first place. It will go along way towards keeping you on the road to success. Maybe it was the goal of fitting into your skinny jeans or simply to look great for your up and coming high school reunion.

But if your goal was to make an improvement in your overall health and well-being, you’re ahead of the game. Losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can significantly improve your health by helping to lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and the risk of joint problems like osteoarthritis.

To maintain your weight and transition to wellness, vigilance and a long term commitment are in order. Start by reassessing your calorie needs to maintain that weight. Your height, age, current weight, and activity level all need to be considered when determining your new calorie needs. I have some great tools that makes this simple to do. It also provides a variety of weight maintenance meal plans for you to choose from to better guide your food choices and track your calories burned through physical activity.

Then use these additional strategies to help turn your new and improved healthy eating and exercise habits into permanent lifestyle changes:

1. Regularly review the personal benefits of losing weight and getting fit that you first identified.This can keep you motivated and committed.
2. Continue making small, realistic steps in changing lifestyle patterns. Remember that even the smallest change makes a difference and helps you make the next small change easier. For instance, stop eating after 8pm and you will see your weight drop!
3. Acknowledge your accomplishments on a daily basis.
4. Reward yourself for the successful changes you make at any time.
5. Continue to actively problem-solve and contract with yourself for behaviour change.
6. Make a commitment to keep a food and exercise journal. People who do this regularly are most successful. This keeps you accountable to yourself!
7. Anticipate challenges before they occur and visualize how to deal with them in a healthy way.
8. Utilize Cinch™ Shakes, Meal-in-a-Bars, and Snack Bars as part of healthy diet. They are nutritious, delicious and convenient and should be used as needed.
9. Transition from Cinch 3-in-1 Boost™ to Shaklee Vitalizer™ as the foundation for a more comprehensive wellness program.
10. Remember that temporary setbacks are part of life. Live with them, learn from them, and then get right back on track. DO NOT DWELL ON THEM!

Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing on your journey to a lifelong healthier YOU!

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.com