Tag Archives: Healthy Lifestyle

How to Have a Healthy Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving is typically called Black Friday by retailers – the day that many businesses use to pull themselves into “the black.” It is a day that many of us rise early, stand in long lines, and shop until we drop. We usually don’t get enough sleep, eat on the run and the only exercise that we experience is shoving past other shoppers to be the first to get a deeply discounted television set. How can we make sure that we don’t lose our healthy habits on this first and biggest official shopping day?

Make sure that you begin the day before, with Thanksgiving. Eat sensibly. After your big meal, engage in light exercise – maybe a walk with your family after dinner, or challenge your spouse to a Wii fitness show down. If you plan to rise before dawn to get the the shops early, be certain to plan for an earlier than normal bedtime. Count backwards to see when you need to go to sleep in order to obtain at least seven hours of sleep. Eat a healthy, low-fat breakfast – perhaps a bowl of oatmeal with dried fruits and nuts, or a fruit smoothie. (more…)

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Carmen

Turning 40 and What it Means for Fitness

Recently, I turned 40. It was a monumental event, heralded with much fanfare and celebration. (I may or may not have had a severe headache the next day. Ahem.) In talking with many of my friends about the big 4-0, all of them said the same thing. “Your body will never be the same,” one muttered darkly. When I asked why, she just sighed. “Remember how your body changed after you had a baby or two? It’s just like that, only worse, when you turn 40. It’s all downhill from here.”

I laughed it off, but wondered if there was any truth to the matter.

I may not be OLD yet, but I do know one truth – the older I get, the more work it takes to maintain where I am right now. In my 20s, and partly into my 30s, I could skip an exercise session (or two, or three) and have very little change to my body. I could eat what I wanted, when I wanted (hello, chocolate cake for breakfast, anyone?) and my jeans still fit. Well, starting in my mid-30s, I had to be more vigilant, and I think that this trend is just going to intensify as I get older. What do I plan to do to keep myself in shape and age gracefully? (more…)

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Carmen

Get a Grocery Makeover with the Healthy Family Grocery Shopping Guide

We all get into a grocery shopping rut. We walk through the store, either with or without a shopping list, and toss the same items into the cart each shopping trip. They may or may not be the best choices for our bodies. Recently, I agreed to share my grocery list with Amy Crews, Holistic Health Counselor and editor of the Natural Health Newsletter here at DietsInReview.com.

I provided my grocery list in six areas: Fruit/Veggie, Bread, Frozen, Dry Goods, Meat, and Cold items (like dairy). As you will see, the list of foods that I buy could stand some improvement. Why not use this list as a springboard to make over your own grocery list, keeping in mind that the most important changes to your shopping list need to be both manageable, sustainable and will help you to be as efficient and healthy as possible – always a bonus for all of us!

See our Healthy Family Grocery Guide now. Download, print, and use to inspire your own grocery makeover!

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Carmen

Top Three Ways to Prevent Diabetes

As I write this, some 54 million Americans are living with pre-diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and they may not even know it. November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. As the daughter of a type 2 diabetic, I know first-hand what it is like living with the disease. Between medications, finger sticks, foot checks, vision tests, and the daily grind of nutrition and exercise, it can be a lot for people to manage, especially after years of unhealthy habits.

So, wouldn’t it be great if you knew what you could do to control your diabetes, or better yet prevent diabetes, in the first place? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This blog post will describe the top three steps you can take to prevent or reverse type 2 diabetes. (more…)

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Rebecca

Announcing New Mom to Mom Newsletter

healthy mom We’re excited to announce that we’re introducing the Mom to Mom Newsletter this fall. Written by a mom for moms, the newsletter will focus on the four things a mom needs to live a healthy and balanced life: Food, Fitness, Family and Fun. Our Chief Mom, Carmen Staicer, will offer insights in these areas for balancing healthful living with real life; not only for yourself, but for your entire family.

As the mother of six children, and a weight loss success story herself, Carmen is all too familiar with managing a household, her health, and the needs of the other busy bodies in her home. She’s a real mom who gets it, who has figured out how to make it all work, and will help you find your way there, too.

Sign-up now, and then learn more about the Mom to Mom Newsletter.

Each month you can expect to see family-friendly recipes, ways to get fit together, and learn about activities that bring the family closer together. Proving good health depends on more than just what you’re eating, it’s about the happiness and well-being of the whole family.

Look for your first Mom to Mom Newsletter before Thanksgiving, as Carmen helps you prepare to celebrate and offer thanks in a more healthful way.

Posted on October 27, 2023 by Natalie K

10 Simple Ways to a Healthier You

Being healthy isn’t all about just hitting the gym and eating right, although it helps; there is much more involved in the health equation. It is recommended that you get at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day at least five days per week. I understand that exercising is a huge time commitment and that life is busy, but try to follow the recommendations the best you can.

Remember, if you are not breaking a sweat, you are not working hard enough!

So, putting exercise aside, being healthy mentally and physically requires a lot more than just getting the heart rate up. Below are 10 simple ways to a healthier you! Each of the following will help increase your energy levels and in turn, better workouts and more productive days will be the result. (more…)

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Matt

7 Things You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Day

Thanks to Cosmo Radio for inspiring this, as they offer the original 7 Things You Need to Know Before You Go every morning (but their version relates to fashion and celebrities. My version is diet, fitness, exercise and health related.)

These are the 7 things you need to know before you leave the house to have the most fit and healthy day possible.

1. How much sleep did you get the night before? Getting enough sleep is an important key to maintaining a healthy weight and having enough energy to get your exercise choices accomplished.

2. Nothing, eggs and bacon, or peanut butter toast? Studies have shown that a healthy breakfast helps jump start your metabolism, and the best choice is a complex carbohydrate and protein combination. Eggs and bacon might taste yummy, but it’s a higher fat choice.

3. Where’s your water bottle? Drinking enough water during the day keeps your body hydrated and helps you lose weight. Often, we reach for food when we are actually thirsty. To avoid a plethora of waste, buy a refillable bottle and then drain it every hour. If the idea of that much water makes you crazy, add in a flavored drink packet. (more…)

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Carmen

Make Fitness a Tax Deduction With the PHIT Act

The clever acronym PHIT stands for The Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2024. The PHIT Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last spring, and is intended to amend the IRS code to allow fitness-related tax deductions for up to $1,000 for individuals, or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly or heads of household.

But, only certain sports and fitness expenses qualify. The PHIT Act defines qualified activities as amounts paid for fitness center memberships, physical exercise programs, and exercise equipment.

Here are some of the expenses that are covered: (more…)

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Jason

Biggest Loser At Home: Changing Behaviors That Matter

It’s almost time for another season of The Biggest Loser. In anticipation, I am dedicating my blogs this week to tips for how you can get The Biggest Loser experience at home. As the experts behind the show explain, one of the reasons the people lose so much weight consistently is because of their new environment. But you can change your environment at home, too. Biggest Loser success is within everyone’s reach. Earlier this week, I blogged about how you can change your nutrition and exercise environments, today I’m going to review a series of important behavior changes that will help you lose weight with the contestants.

Since the first season, experts behind the scenes of the show found the contestants shared many characteristics, which I listed below along with tips for changes you can make along with the contestants: (more…)

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Rebecca

The Biggest Loser Diet at Home

It’s almost time for another season of The Biggest Loser. One of the things I think makes this show unique is that more people watch it for inspiration rather than entertainment. As a nutrition and fitness expert who tunes in religiously, I get tons of questions about my impressions of the show. My favorite is the epiphanies and “a-ha” moments people experience on camera. You can tell they’ve reached the point of no return. The new behaviors they pick up on the show help them add years to their life and life to their years. Could there be a better “prize” than that? (more…)

Posted on September 9, 2023 by Rebecca

Stress Hurts Weight Loss: 3 Ways to Avoid It

Between working, everyday life, random mishaps, and trying to find time to lose weight, stress is bound to happen. Well, Chill Out before you give yourself a coronary. Stress may be doing more than just making you feel bad, it can actually be stopping your weight loss, and may even promote weight gain! This problem isn’t just for adults, but for young people as well. According to new research, people are comfort eating more due to stress. Kids who are stressed are more likely to become overweight. Stress is also linked to water retention and that pesky belly fat that we are all trying to get rid of.

It seems to me, the stressors in our lives are affecting just about everything in our lives. If you’re like me, when you are stressed you put the gym on hold, or have a lack-luster workout. All that water retention combined with a bad workout really does not do wonders for the scale. (more…)

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Mike

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