10 Super Health Foods

It is no secret, some foods are better for you than others are, but do you know which ones are the best?

Experts recommend some foods over all the others, keep reading to learn about ten super health foods that you must include in your diet to stay healthy.

10 Super Health Foods

10 Foods High in Protein

Items on the high protein foods list need to be a staple in your diet. In addition to being essential in helping bodybuilders to grow big and strong muscles, new research reports indicate that even the elderly need to be eating from the high protein foods list in order to preserve healthy muscle mass.

Many people are not aware of the leanest, healthiest or most delicious sources of protein. In fact, without referring to a quality high protein foods list, many do not know how to implement additional protein into their regular diets.

Foods High in Protein

Vegetables...Eww..(Actually They Aren't That Bad)

The first thing some people may do when they hear the word vegetable is think salads, or slightly throw up in their mouth. They really aren't that bad. As long as you eat a variety of them. The key is to eat plenty green leafy vegetables. These have more of the minerals and good stuff. But nothings wrong with some peppers and onions. Here are some sneaky and delicious ways to get in veggies....

1) LEMONS

Try squeezing a half of lemon on your vegetables and this will make a world of difference! (Plus lemons have specials acids that burn fat in your tummy).

2) Eat with something else

Try saving that daily slice of wheat bread and eating it with vegetables. I like to spread Apple Butter on my bread, (1 table spoon only 30 calories!) plus thats a fruit, its apple! Or try eating a few slices of turkey or ham with your usual bowl of broccoli. Or try slicing some peppers, onions, mushrooms to put in an egg omelet. Because, who eats just peppers or onions alone anyways??

3) Spinach Dip

So today I was eating some Ritz Crackers and spinach dip. I looked at the back of the jar and saw the ingredients, in this order- Water, Spinach...and I said to myself..hey, spinach, its a vegetable! So this is going to be my new little midnight snack, crackers and spinach dip!

4) Microwave-It

Lets be honest, who wants to sit down and cook and splice veggies before you eat them. Well you don't have to. Buy some already frozen brussel sprouts, broccoli, or try Giant Green- Sweet Corn, Vegetable Meddly, Broccoli & Alfredo, Broccoli & Patatoes. Make it quick and simple!

Ronald McDonald the Reason for Child Obesity...Really?? Yeah Right!!

I looked at the yahoo articles today. They got an article talkin about how the Ronald McDonald's mascot is the reason for child obesity. Are you serious??? If they wanna blame the mascot. Well then maybe McDonalds should not have been created in the first place. I mean its not even real food. I heard its all super processed fish and burgers. (Not to offend anyone that eats there, just saying). What do you think??

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100520/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mcdonald_s_ronald_mcdonald

The Exercise Demon ☠

☠ ----> The Exercise Demon

You may ask...what is the exercise demon??

Its that little voice that says, "Look how small she is, look at her shoulders, how did she get legs like that, look at those abs, I'll never get them...ect ect." Tell the exercise demon to shut up. You will see results!

How To Stay Motivated

So lets be real, some days you may not feel like exercising. Or maybe while exercising you may feel unmotivated. Here are some motivators.

1. Look At Pictures

Try this, works everytime. Go to Victoria's Secret.com and look through the website for about 10 min. Then watch Ciara's music Video "Ride" featuring Ludacris, watch Shakira's music video "She Wolf". After this you should probably start feeling like hitting the gym, the pool, do some pushups, jump rope, do something...In other words. GET JEALOUS. and turn that jealousy into motivation!!

2. Get Connected

If your working out at a gym, go to classes, and make friends. Make it a date to come to the same class next week. Or grab a buddy and go running at the park few times a week. Start a roller blading club (actually I'm gonna do that soon once I get blades). The bottom line- Once your connected and have a buddy to exercise with, you'll feel obligated to exercise, therefore making it harder to skip.

3. Look How Far You've Come, and How Far You Can Get

I'm proud to say I've never skipped a beat as far as going to the gym consistently each week for going on a year now...but somedays while I'm actually at the gym, I'm not in it yet. If you feel this way, and have made progress, think about how far you've gone. And also the fact that if you keep going, week after week, with time, you will surely see improvement. IT TAKES 6 WEEKS TO SEE AND FEEL A CHANGE.

Transitioning to the Healthy Eating Lifestyle...

Here are my biggest tips for those just starting to transform to a healthier lifestyle. PLEASE REMEMBER this is a process. Here I'll break it down...

When I was in high school I didn't really eat healthy, but had fruits here and there, and power bars. (I wasn't basing my food selection off the produce aisles and food pyramid) Freshman year of college I started eating bad...(From Aug-May) I think in March or April, a friend and I went to schnucks and bought a bunch of fruits, veggies, and whatever else we thought was healthy. (THIS WAS MY FIRST ATTEMPT TOWARD GOING BACK TO EATING RIGHT). I started a food diary, and was trying to make that transition. In the summer I was the food cater for a feature film and everything failed. I was at least adding an apple here and there, and i've always been a wheat bread eater.

BUT when school started back in August. I REALLY started getting serious because I knew with school and campus cafeteria things would get hectic, and I would get tempted. So starting August I was back on campus and working my work study job. Since I had a smaller meal plan and more excess money for groceries, in late August I started stocking my fridge with only low calorie foods. At first for me it was all about calories. And I mean from August 2009 to probably March 2010 it was all about calories. Just recently probably within the last few 2-3 months its been about the food pyramid. From August to December I went from 158-154. But a lot of loss was inches in the belly. Then i lost a few more pounds in April. I was finally in the 140's range. And you know why. I made a few changes- Instead of hot pockets and chicken pot pies, I got Giant Green Sweet Corn, and Giant Green Vegetable & Alfredo frozen veggies. They were cheap like 2/$5 or 2/$6 with like 2-3 servings a bag (from schnucks) and i was on a budget so i got them. Seemed like this one change really did me in- I replaced my usual hot pocket and lays baked chips (or something like that) lunch with a cup of veggies and slice of Sarah Lee wheat bread (2 slices for 90 calories) And my next weigh in was not 151, but 148.8.

(So I don't know if It was from March 2009-March 2010 that it took me to get eating right, or from August 2009-March 2010) ??? Comments please, what are your thoughts?

In conclusion. Its the small changes that matter. Start little.

HOW TO START...

1. Make a food diary

Carry around a little notebook and pen, or type it in your phone. Do this for 2-4 wks. (Im actually thinking about doing this again for 1 wk each month to stay on track)...anywhoo...Write down what you ate, when you ate, and how much. I mean EVERYTHING from the tiny pickles to the jelly spread. (This will help you at least be conscious of what you put in your mouth).

2. Makeover Your Pantry

For those really determined, just flat out throw the junk out your pantry, go on a grocery shopping spree for fruits, fish, veggies, wheat bread, lean turkey, roast beef, eggs ect.

3. Stop the Fast Food, Carry A Snack Instead

Fast food cost a lot after a while any how. But some cheese sticks, grapes, graham crackers and peanut butter, nuts...keep them in your car to snack on when you get the urge for fast food.

4. One thing at a time. . .

If those sound too dramatic, replace ONE thing at a time. Maybe replace soda with only green, black and oolong tea first. Or replace your desserts with fruits. Your burgers with veggie burgers. Drink more water. Start out the first week replacing one bad food item with a healthy non processed one. Then after a while your whole eating will be healthy and non processed.

5. 5-6 Small Meals

This should be first but this REALLY makes a difference. In fact, I feel (although i haven't seen it proven to be true) if you just start doing this, you may see some kind of difference 1/2 lb or something. Each meal should be 300-350 calories. I'm not an expert but I do know that it varies based on each persons' body weight, type, bmi ect.

BUT TIERRA, HOW LONG WILL ALL THIS TAKE...

The answer (drum roll please!!) I HAVE NO IDEA. Its different for each person. I do believe it will be a challenge for the first 2-3 months. BUT there are some people who just through out their pantry and started eating a healthy lifestyle that first month and NEVER looked back. It all depends on how determined you are. Do you want to see change soon? Do you want to look good before school start again, before your birthday, that wedding or school reunion this winter? Well It depends on where your motives are.

Drink First Then Eat

I heard about this tip whereas you drink first, then eat. Or at least drink more water throughout the day which I must admit is my weakness and something I'm trying to do better at. But I've been doing more this past week and it makes since to me. I'll gulp a whole bottle of water and I'm not that hungry anymore. The water will make your stomach feel full and not even want to eat something that will throw off your balanced day of eating. So I've made it a habit to carry around my Gold's Gym water bottle and sip some here and there.

Good Fats

The simple truth is that we need fat in our diet in order to stay healthy. Fats actually have important jobs all throughout the human body, including assisting with the absorption of nutrients, nerve transmissions, cell maintenance, etc.

Good Fats

Bad Fats

In this article, you are going to learn about the bad fats. It is important when selecting fats to include in your diet that you always choose good unsaturated fats over trans or saturated fats. Saturated and trans fats are the bad fats.

Bad Fats

Fruits for Weight Loss

 Fruit is one of the healthiest natural foods that you can find. Thousands of variations of fruits for weight loss are available that provide a number of healthy benefits.

Fruit has a high content of many naturally occurring plant phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins, which are all ideal additions to a regularly balanced diet.

Research indicates that eating fruits for weight loss, either whole fruit or juice, has greater health benefits than taking several different nutrient supplements.

The Best Fruits for Weight Loss

10 Foods High in Fiber

This list of natural fiber foods has been compiled to assist you with the implementation of more natural fiber foods in your regular diet. Many people do not realize just how important it is to get the right amount of fiber each and every day.

All too often people do not consume a sufficient amount of fiber and become stricken with constipation and poor bowel function.

The recommended daily amount of fiber is from twenty-five to thirty grams for the average adult. However, individuals typically only consume about eleven grams of fiber each day.

Foods High in Fiber

High Fiber Diet Foods

Most likely, you have heard it said more than once how important it is to get the proper amount of fiber in your diet.

Fiber is essentially to keep your bowel movements regular and to help your body fight off many diseases, especially colon cancer.

When you eat foods filled with fiber, you begin to feel fuller sooner. Unlike many of the other foods that we eat, such as junk food, fiber stays in the stomach longer so you have that full, satisfied feeling for an extended period of time.

High Fiber Diet Foods

The Truth About Abs!

Every girl I know is self conscious of their abs. Lots of people want them but don't put in the effort. Also eating correctly is a big part of it. I started doing abs 4-5 days a week 20 min p.day. My belly has shrunk significatly. Here are my tips for you.

1. Eat the right foods

Have you heard that lemons are an acid. If you include them in your food daily they can shrink belly fat? Also look up the apple cider diet. Drinking water with a few tablespoons of apple cider, honey, (and i forgot what other ingredient) each day has been proven to trim your belly! BUT...make sure your eating your fruits and vegies. I'm not expert but I believe foods with fiber (pears, whole grains, vegies) are good for that. Make sure your eating clean non processed foods and follow that food pyramid.

2. Form

So you've got all these amazing ab moves you looked up. And your sitting there about to crunch it out. Remember to keep your form right. First hold your belly in. Bellybutton to spine. When doing floor work on your back, make sure your lower back is pressed to the ground throughout the exercise. For planks, make sure your shoulders are above elbows and you are in a straight plank position. IF YOUR FORM IS WRONG, STOP AND RESET. THERE IS NO POINT IN DOING THE EXERCISE WITH THE WRONG FORM!

3. Don't JUST Do Crunches

Crunches are great, fast and slow. But you can't just work one part of your tummy. To get abs you must work obliques, lower abs, upper and transverse abdominals (the part that wraps all around your tummy). Ad a 5lb weight to your crunches, lift and alternate legs, switch it up. Go to an abs class, do a youtube and google search, make up ab moves. Do more than crunches to see the full results.

4. Switch it Up!

You'll want to switch out 4-5 moves every 2 weeks or do a new ab routine completely. Don't let your body get used to the same old ruetine.

5. Add Some Balance

You cant just get fully sculpted abs by using one tool. Try the swiss ball and do some jacknifes, pikes, swiss ball crunches, and russian twists. Adding the element of balance will help you have a strong core which is necessary for all exercises.

6. BREATH

Sounds easy, but please do this. Inhale on your rest, exhale on the exursion.

7. Consistant

You can work your abs everyday. I recommend beginning with 4-5 days a week for 10 min, then progress to 15, then 20min. I feel this is the most common mistake, not doing enough. You MUST feel a burn and feel you are working your core.

8. HAVE FUN

Abs can be tough, put on your ipod and go!

Dark Chocolate

I've decided to make a post all about dark chocolate because it really is amazing. No not milk chocolate, white chocolate. I'm talking about pure dark chocolate. Heres why...

1. I'm no expert but I do know dark chocolate contains antioxidants and if you eat a small piece everyday its good for your heart.

2. Curbs appetite. If its in the middle of the week, or on a day you get a craving for something sweet, eat some dark chocolate. The mall is the biggest temptation for me. When I brought of piece of dark chocolate with me to chew on, I didn't crave anything else, I was completely satisfied.

3. Makes you feel happy. Enough said. No really, I read scientists conducted some research and dark chocolate releases pleasure and happiness or something like that. Like I said, I'm not an expert. :D

NOTE: Read nutrition facts. Get the dark chocolate that is the most pure with lots of cocoa at least 70%. I highly reccomend Sugar Free Dark Chocolate from Trader Joes!

What Does A Day of Healthy Eating Look Like?

My typical day of eating, and reasons why...

1. Cereal & Milk, 2 Slices Whole Grain Wheat Bread with Peanut Butter, Grapes, Tea
2. Egg Omlet: Mozerella or Feta Cheese, Peppers, Onions, Turkey
3. Cup of Broccoli & Vegetables, Flavored with Lemon, Piece of Salmon Fish, Tea
4. Cup of Corn, Yogart, few slices of Mozerella Cheese
5. Cup of Oatmeal, Pear
6. All Bran Crackers, Salsa, Tea

1. Notice I’ve got the carbohydrate meal first. If you work out in the morning you’ll want to start your day with a small carbohydrate based meal to give you energy.

2. Eggs and Turkey have plenty of protein. These are foods I eat to replenish my body after an intense strength workout.

3. Lemons are fantastic ways to flavor foods such as vegetables or fish. Plus lemons promote weight loss by burning the acid in the stomach waistline.

4. The fourth mini meal includes yogart that is an excellent source of dairy. Activia yogart by Dannon is highly recommended and helps greatly with indigestion.

5. Pears are great sources of fiber, and so is oatmeal. (Don't add too much sugar and butter. Don't add any if at all possible).

6. All Bran Crackers by Kellogs are a great snack 18 crackers =only 120 calories, Salsa is only 10 calories for every 2 tablespoon. And remember to flavor your tea with lemon! Wow what a great midnight low calorie snack!

Types of Exercises and Their Benefits

When people begin exercising and want to loose weight they think CARDIO, CARDIO, CARDIO. Not necessarily true. Add some 5lb weights for resistance and this will burn weight as well as give you definition. Don't expect to get Michelle Obama arms by just running on tredmill or roller blading. Put some weights on your arms and pump it, and maybe you'll see some more definition. Heres a list of exercises, all of which I've tried. Which one is best for you?

Dancing- Fun aerobic exercise that can tone as well

Aerobics Classes- Great aerobic exercise which gets the heart pumping

Tredmills/Elypticals- Great cardio. Add weights for resistance and strength

Spinning- Excellent for leg sculpting. Great overall cardio, also will target waiste and arms for isometric movement of keeping arms on the bar

Swimming- Great low or high impact cardio. Although you may add foam weights for resistence and strength workout. Good for every muscle group. Swimming is fun and doesn't even feel like your working out!

Boxing- Ladies, this will make you feel tough and is a good cardio workout. Good for every muscle group. Let out some steam and burn off some calories.

Roller Blading/Ice Skating- Fun way to burn lots of calories, tone legs, outer AND inner thighs!

Pilates/Yoga- Promotes weight loss. Do not over look the benefits of pilates and yoga. Your body needs a good stretch! Pilates will make you grow 1 and 1/2 inch taller. These exercises will give you confidence, balance, and that tall lean look. Over time will help with flexability, and reduces stress!

Exercise-How much and what kind??

Exercising, where do I begin? This is a part people tend to hate. When people think of exercise they think bicep presses and squats. Not necessarily the only option. The important thing to do is first find something you LIKE TO DO, and make a sport out of it. There are so many options! Gyms are great because large ones have classes including aerobics, dancing, spinning, yoga/pilates, weight training, and more! Perhaps your not interested? Purchase roller blades, a bike, take swimming or dance lessons, join a boxing gym. Do what you can to keep you sweating. How much of exercising is dependent on your body type and goals. Someone beginning an exercise program should start of slow, then do more, then once you reach your goal even out the amount of exercise to maintain. I will explain in further details in the next few blogs!

Balance Is Key

Your day of eating should consist of 5-6 small meals including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish ect. (Look at the food pyramid as guide). The most important thing are vegetables. Besides sugar=belly fat, and ladies we don't want that! If you focus on the vegetables, you won't have room for the other stuff! So eat balanced meals! :)