Three Steps to a Healthier You in 2014

No, we aren’t saying you should revert back to being a finicky child with what you are willing to eat but instead, be choosy about what you allow to go onto your plate. The basic idea of ingesting fewer calories than your body can burn for weight loss applies here but you’ll need to be smart about that. Daily recommended calories vary around the world but a good standard rule is 2,500 for men and 2,000 calories daily for women. Sure, you could have a diet soda and a pack of crackers at every meal and stay well within the calorie count but your body will lack nutrients and you will only enjoy temporary satisfaction before being hungry 15 minutes later. If you choose to only follow a calorie count you may find yourself raiding the fridge late at night because you’ve not fully satisfied your system. Being a picky eater means choosing foods that are low in calories but high in nutrients while also helping you to feel satisfied. Health.com outlines 30 foods that have fewer than 40 calories per cup and that’s a great place to start. Brussels sprouts, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, arugula, lettuce, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, berries, radishes, and carrots are only a sample of the list. These foods provide vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants to keep your body functioning properly, give you a satisfied feeling after ingesting them, and are good for you. Where fad diets encourage you to limit your intake to a specific type of food, there’s something to be said for incorporating a variety of healthy foods into your diet and following that as your plan. You don’t have to eat less to lose weight, you just have to eat smarter! The average fast food value meal contains nearly 900 calories and zero nutritional value… yes that cheeseburger and soda may fill an empty spot and temporarily satisfy you but to burn it off you will need to use a stair climber for about an hour then complete two hours of back strokes. Hardly seems worth it to me! Be choosy with what you ingest and try to avoid foods that are fried, breaded, soaked in oil, sugary, or overly processed. Want the list of 30 foods under 40 calories? Find it here.

So you overdid it with the sweets, the drinks, and the making merry around the dinner table during the holidays, most of us did! There remains only one thing to do: put it behind you and get up and go. Go for a walk, go to the gym, go for a swim, a hike, play an aerobic game you love like basketball or tennis, find a yoga class to join or a cross fit facility in your area. Whatever you choose, just start. Statistics show that New Year’s resolutions to exercise are always at the top of the list yet are generally the first to be left behind. The reason may vary from person to person but at the core of it are unrealistic expectations. Yes it is difficult to go and work out, sweat your way through an hour a day of exercise, and be diligent for a week or maybe two but what’s even more difficult is doing so and not seeing immediate results. We’ve become a culture of “I want it now!” and often find ourselves let down when there are no immediate results from hard work. The key to step two is to go and KEEP going. You won’t work out on a Monday and be the picture of health by Tuesday, that’s an unfortunate fact of life. Find some patience, commit to the cause of your health and find activities you will enjoy doing each day that are helping you work towards the goal of weight loss, muscle tone, and cardiovascular health. Don’t apply the “I want it now” to your life and instead just tell yourself, Go!

Xs and Os, Sugar and Spice, Up and Down, Stop and Go… Diet and Exercise. In order to make the three easy steps of losing weight work for you, you’ve got to combine steps one and two. Sure, you can lose weight by strictly monitoring your calorie count but your body will lack the strength and tone that comes with exercising. You can work out every single day but eat only fast food or sweets and while your body will work to burn those calories, it will only work for so long due to a lack of vitamins and nutrients. Finding a balance in diet and exercise is easier than you may think but you must find what is right for you. We want to encourage you to make the best choices possible for what you choose to ingest (that’s the easiest part!) and consider the activities you already love to incorporate exercise into your life in a fun way. You don’t have to go to a gym to exercise, look around your home, get your friends and family involved and get active!

Resolving to lose weight and get healthy is a great resolution and one we hope will remain at the top of your list. Fad diets don’t work because they have no promise for long-term health and results, exercise without proper nutrition is a waste of your time, and calorie counting is an easy way to take the weight off now and put even more back on later. Instead of having visions of grandeur concerning chiseled abs and a bikini body after a week of working out, be realistic and know that as long as you are mindful of what goes on your plate and of getting up and doing something active every day, you will see results… easy as one, two, three.

If you’re looking for additional ways to encourage weight loss and a healthier you without diet pills and harmful side effects, consider these products designed for a properly functioning liver and a healthy gut. Our liver works overtime to filter out toxins and impurities in our bodies but did you know that it also helps to break down fats and, when it’s working as it should, is a key player in weight loss? Liver Formula combines Goldenrod, Goldenseal, and Cloves to promote healthy liver function, including fat metabolism! Healthy Gut is a combination of soothing and cooling herbs that address damages in the digestive tract. If your body is not digesting food properly and absorbing the nutrients from the things you eat, your goals for weight loss and the healthiest you possible could be nearly impossible to attain. The goal for a slimmer, fitter, healthier body is dependent on several factors, including the organs and digestive systems in our body that we can’t see. Keeping your good health in mind is important year round, not just as we welcome a new year and Liver Formula, Healthy Gut, and a proper diet and exercise routine can be a part of your daily steps to the healthiest you possible.