Trying to lose a few pounds? Aren’t we all! One of the techniques I’ve learned over the years in coaching my clients who have trouble with cravings and portion control is the “apple trick”. If you have a big restaurant meal coming up perhaps a party with tempting foods or a banquet where you have few healthy choices ,the best way to keep your appetite and your calories in check is to eat an apple before you go. The fiber and the pectin in the skin of the apple expand in your stomach and create a sense of fullness and satisfaction.

[The fruit pectin and fiber found in apples curb your appetite. Plus apples taste delicious. That saying might be true after all. "An apple a day..."]

Have You Seen Those Ads For The Diet Pills That Curb Your Appetite?

They contain fruit pectin and fiber. Save your money and eat apples – they’re much better for you and a lot cheaper. Other fruits like pears, grapefruit, plums, apricots and peaches have similar qualities.
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After a multivitamin FISH OILS are the most highly recommended supplement for overall good health and prevention of age related disease. Research studies show fish oil benefits are down right amazing. This should be included in the TOP FIVE imperatives for a good life (good food, daily exercise, sleep, sex and supplementation) Studies are published almost daily as the scientific community discovers more and more of the many benefits of Omega 3 fish oils. Here are the top 7 proven benefits of using fish oils:

[Just like exercise, Fish oil has been proven to be beneficial to the cardiovascular health.]

#1 – Less Pain And Inflammation

Omega 3 fatty acids particularly EPA, have a very positive effect on your inflammatory response. Through several mechanisms, they regulate your body’s inflammation cycle which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis, prostatitis, cyctitis, any most anything else ending in “itis”

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Yesterday I was doing my early morning treadmill intervals while watching CNN. I normally listen to music and occasionally glance at the TV to make sure I’m not missing anything. This morning Anderson Cooper was reporting on Greek Island where hearty and healthy 96 year old men were having robust sex with women half their age! This looked interesting – was this the island where the fountain of youth was discovered?

[The Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica is one of the Blue Zones - a real-life Fountain of Youth where people reach age 100 at rates significantly higher than the rest of us and on average live longer healthier lives.]

I plugged in and listened. The story was about the “Blue Zones” small geographic pockets inhabited by the world’s longest lived populations. Dan Buettner launched the Blue Zones Quests in 2005 to study and research these rare regions and to share what they can tell us about living longer and healthier lives.
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The average American adult gains one to two pounds each year. This is especially true if you are over 50! But new research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests a way to prevent this weight gain or even encourage weight loss-without dieting.

[Too good to be true, but it's a fact! Strawberries are delicious and help you lose weight.]

The Secret: Eat More Fiber

Researchers at Brigham Young university followed the eating habits of 252 middle aged women for nearly two years and found that those who increased their fiber intake lost the most weight. Those who decreased their fiber generally gained weight. The Scientists boiled down their findings into a single weight loss formula – boosting fiber by 8 grams for every 1000 calories consumed, results in losing about 5 pounds. This is without consciously counting calories or portions.
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Focus on health and fitness first and weight second. The healthier you are, the easier the weight loss becomes. If you lose weight at the expense of your health you are unlikely to keep it off.

[Is there really some mysterious secret to achieving your fitness goals?]

Set Realistic Goals

Say no to extreme diets, miracle fat loss pills, and magic food fads. Create sustainable habits that can last a lifetime. Start where you are and make gradual changes. Take pride in your progress, learn as you go and most important, take slip-ups and setbacks in stride. Every failure is a lesson and feedback in what doesn’t work for you. You cannot fail, you can only learn and grow.
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Tags: weight loss

You want to drop big weight? Forget about it. No, really- that’s the crucial tip. Put the end goal out of the picture and narrow your focus to the day at hand. Bob Harper, a trainer on the NBC TV show THE BIGGEST LOSER, says, “Ask yourself, Did I get my workout in today? Did I make good food choices? Then go through it again tomorrow, always with an eye on improving.” Here are Harper’s top five real world solutions. Becoming fat is a big piece of cake. Slimming down is not.

[Losing weight is a day to day battle. Just focus on the small steps, put one foot in front of the other and you will eventually succeed!]

Get Over Gym Intimidation

The muscle heads at the squat rack aren’t judging you. “If they see someone out of shape trying their hardest to change, they’ll do what they can to help you” says Harper. So don’t be afraid to ask for a spot or some guidance. Just because these guys are younger than you and in great shape, doesn’t mean they haven’t struggled with exercise and diets.
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Tags: weight loss motivation

The war on the waist won’t be won by exercise alone. You need to combine a fitness routine with with healthy eating in order to reach your ideal waist measurements. Only a combination of proper food choices and and sweat equity will help you succeed. Good food choices are especially important at midlife when our metabolism slows and our food intake increases. No one told us in our youth that we’d have to switch to half rations in our fifth decade, but it’s a strategy that will make long term fat loss easier as we age.

[Eating more salads (and vegetables in general) is a great way to reduce the amount of calories you consume while enjoying a delicious meal and feeling full.]

#1 – Forget Diets – They Don’t Work

Why do we gain weight? It all comes down to calories. It’s eating too much and not exercising that makes us fat. It’s intake equals output. Managing your weight and your health is easy if you decide to make it a lifelong commitment instead of a temporary crash diet.
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What is a midlife crisis? A midlife transition is a natural yet turbulent stage that happens to all of us between the ages of 40 and 60. Midlife transition can include:

• Discontentment or boredom with the lifestyle that previously provided fulfillment;
• Feeling restless and wanting to do something completely different
• Questioning decisions made years earlier about the meaning of life
• Confusion about who you are and where your life is going

[Middle age is a time in which adults take on new job responsibilities, re-asses where they are and make changes while they still have time.]

In his 1965 article from Journal of Psychoanalysis,Elliot Jaques coined the term “MIDLIFE CRISIS” referring to a time when adults realize their own mortality and how much time they may have left in their lives.

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Tags: midlife issues

If you are like me, you have told yourself numerous times “this is the last time I’ll… (just fill in your favorite resolution here). We like to make dramatic statements, after overindulging, breaking our promises to ourselves and feeling guilty about not having willpower. These grand sweeping statements that always start tomorrow or on Monday are usually short lived and unmanageable in our hectic work and obligation driven world. Instead of making grand pronouncements about creating a new life, just fit small changes into your current life, allowing time for adjustment and use of your energy. [The small changes can lead to long lasting habits that will carry you into a future of good health and lower body fat.]

Here are some ideas you can incorporate into your life to make the changes you need to get the body you want:
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Tags: fat loss

One of the problems when you decide to get serious and hire a trainer is knowing who will work best for your particular situation and who will be knowledgeable and know how to deal with the issues of an aging body while still getting the results you want. Here are 5 things you can do to make the selection process a lot easier:

1) Ask Your Friends Or Other Gym Members Of Your Age Who Are Currently Using Trainers About Their Experience

Has the trainer taken care to address orthopedic problems? Was their an initial interview session with medical questions, goal setting, exercise history and current diet habits? Do the workouts change frequently. How is progress measured? ( body measurements taken? regular weigh-ins?)

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Tags: over 50, personal trainer