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GOT CRAVINGS? Find out how to KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE

September 10, 2018 By Paula 2 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey
GOT CRAVINGS? You Can Banish Them!

It’s been a while since I posted. But I’m back on the wagon and it’s time to continue our journey into health and wellness. Thank you, for joining me as I reflect on the past weeks and explore the new! After my last post my laptop had to be repaired, then I went to my parents to visit, and before I knew it a month had slipped away from me. Last week we received Kiss Your Cravings Goodbye so this post is about how and why it works. Keep reading to learn more.

Also, if you’ve missed any of the posts in the recent weeks be sure to check them out. In the last few weeks, we’ve talked about how much food it takes to gain weight, how to overcome sugar cravings and got tips to fight obesity in children and teens. We’ve also learned how long it really takes to form a habit and how gut bacteria influences your weight and weight loss. As well as, the importance of hydration, where sugar is hiding in your food (aka sugar bombs), and looked at the benefits of shopping at farmer’s markets. In addition we’ve explored the importance of milestones, how to stay motivated, the smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, surviving the holidays while dieting, the benefits of a 5% weight loss, diabetes, the importance of exercise. We’ve started an exercise routine, learned some beginner exercises, and gotten safety tips for exercising in the summer heat. Since beginning my weight loss journey in January, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, the fourth of July, and Labor Day have come and gone.

KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE™

KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE is a revolutionary lip treatment that curbs cravings with its all-natural formula made from a blend of essential oils & rare plant extracts. Upon application, this formula induces thirst, redirecting your urge to snack to hydrating with water instead. Additionally, the physical activity of applying the lip gloss temporarily shifts focus away from snacking, helping to modify your behavior with consistent use. It is available on Amazon and directly on their website.

It is currently available in NO-SIN cinnamon™ (cinnamon flavor), they have introduced two new mint flavors, NO-DISCOURAGE mint™ (Peppermint), and NO-REGRET mint™ (Wintergreen). They sent us samples of all three to try!

Ready to break up with junk food?

Try lip sensation FOR TRICKING TEMPTATION.

This product works as a “Behave-Aid” to help you redirect your mind away from junk food, and focus instead on hydration.

HERE IS HOW KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE WORKS SO WELL:

This lip moisturizer was formulated with a proprietary blend of essential oils, rare plant extracts and lip-conditioning agents that simultaneously curb your lust for junk food and leave your lips feeling smooth & hydrated.
Using KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE changes the methodology of cravings by adding the physical activity of applying the lip moisturizer. This will temporarily shift focus away from snacking and help modify behavior by replacing the urge with a tangible action. Therefore, the more consistently you use it, the more effective it is.
Working the moment you apply it, the moisturizer hydrates your lips and makes you thirsty redirecting your impulse to drink water instead of reaching for junk food.

ORGANIC & NATURAL FLAVORS
INGREDIENTS: Natural Flavors, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Butter, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil. CONTAINS: Tree Nut Oil (Almonds).

KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE is a Behave-Aid® or a behavior modification tool. Using it changes the methodology of cravings by adding the physical activity of applying the lip moisturizer. This will temporarily shift focus away from snacking and help modify behavior by replacing the urge with a tangible action. Once KYCG is applied, the essential oils freshen your breath and moisten your lips, while slightly drying your mouth. This triggers thirst and your cravings are redirected to water.

I’ve been using the NO-SIN cinnamon since it arrived last week and am loving it! This product really does deliver what it promises. I am huge carb craver and had been working on modifying my behavior. Six months ago I went from eating huge amounts of carbs to eating them in moderation. However, I was still craving certain ones. Like, pasta dishes, artisan breads, and most of all sour candy. Since I’ve been using this lip moisturizer not only do my lips feel and look so much better but doing so has helped me get rehydrated. Even after a visit to the doctor and a concentrated effort to drink more water, I’ve had a long, hard struggle with dehydration this summer. I love having this great tool in my arsenal to battle both my cravings and dehydration.

KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE

Stop focusing on the scale! Our weight is just a number and it doesn’t define who we are. Rather than just focusing on our weight, we should be focusing on the bigger picture — on our general health and wellbeing.

Weight Watchers Freestyle Progam – Learn more.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

With preparations for Hurricane Florence in full swing, and me back on track I stepped on the scale to face the reality of my detour. Yes, it was only a detour because I’m back on the road to success. I was excited to see that I hadn’t done to much damage and can keep moving forward. Since I had gained two pounds, my goal of reaching 50 pounds lost before our trip to Richmond in September may not be in the cards but I’ll be there before and after Halloween. Now, that’s a holiday that diet nightmares are made of. Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

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We love hearing from our readers. Please share your thoughts, tips, and insights with us by leaving a comment below or on my Facebook fan page. Facebook fan page.

I am not a medical professional. The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

GOT CRAVINGS? Find out how to KISS YOUR CRAVINGS GOODBYE in this Weight Watchers' Freestyle Post #WWFreestyle #WeightWatchers #WeightLoss #Freestyle #Cravings #Tips #Review

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey – How Much Food It Takes To Gain Weight

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Discover How Gut Bacteria Influences Your Weight

July 9, 2018 By Paula 33 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey Week 23
How Gut Bacteria Influences Your Weight

It’s MONDAY and time to continue our journey into health and wellness. Thank you, for joining me as I reflect on the past week and explore the new! Like me, many people have trouble losing weight. For us, it comes off slowly or not at all. We often find ourselves blaming our lack of willpower, poor genes, age, or any number of other excuses in an effort to explain and accept why. One cause that I hadn’t considered until reflecting on a recent visit to the doctor was the health of my guts. You see, he stated that there are very few supplements that he recommends his patients take. And probiotics and fish oil are two of them. So I set out to discover if there was a correlation between gut health and weight loss.

Keep reading to see how gut bacteria affects your weight and learn what foods promote healthy gut bacteria growth. Also, if you’ve missed any of the posts in the recent weeks be sure to check them out. Last week, we talked about the importance of hydration. We’ve also uncovered where sugar is hiding in your food (aka sugar bombs) and looking at the benefits of shopping at farmer’s markets, in addition to learning the importance of milestones, how to stay motivated, the smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, surviving the holidays while dieting, the benefits of a 5% weight loss, diabetes, the importance of exercise, starting an exercise routine, beginner exercises, and exercising in the summer heat. Since beginning my weight loss journey in January, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and the fourth of July have come and gone.

How Gut Bacteria Influences Your Weight

Did you know that your body contains trillions of bacteria? It does and the majority of these bacteria are located in your intestines. So it’s no surprise that gut bacteria plays several important roles in your health. I00

They Affect How Your Food Is Digested

Since your gut bacteria line your intestines, they come into contact with the food you eat. This may affect what nutrients you absorb and how energy is stored in your body.

Humans can’t digest fiber but certain gut bacteria can. By digesting fiber, these gut bacteria produce a number of chemicals that benefit gut health and possibly promote weight loss. A number of studies have shown that people with a high fiber diet have a lower weight and a recent study found that the ratio of two types of bacteria in your intestines may determine how much weight you lose when given a particular diet. These two bacteria are Prevotella, which digests fiber and carbohydrates, and Bacteroidetes, which people who eat more animal protein and fat have more of.

Also, gut bacteria digest certain antioxidants known as flavonoids that are found in plants. Which may help prevent weight gain. Finally, your gut bacteria can influence how dietary fats are absorbed in the intestines, which may affect how fat is stored in the body.

Your gut bacteria play an important role in inflammation.

Inflammation not only occurs when your body activates your immune system to fight infection. It can also be caused by an unhealthy diet. A diet containing too much fat, sugar or calories can lead to elevated inflammatory chemicals in the bloodstream and fat tissue, which may contribute to weight gain. Some species of bacteria produce chemicals like lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which cause inflammation when they pass into the bloodstream. In fact a National Center for Biotechnology Information publication, Metabolic endotoxemia initiates obesity and insulin resistance, states that when mice are given LPS, they gain as much weight and have similar increases in blood sugar and insulin as mice fed a high-fat diet. Therefore, certain gut bacteria that produce LPS and cause inflammation may contribute to weight gain and even insulin resistance.

However, Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia are beneficial species of bacteria that help prevent inflammatory chemicals from passing from the gut into the bloodstream. Increasing these species of intestinal bacteria may reduce inflammation and prevent weight gain. They can be grown outside the body and then taken by mouth as medicine. Bifidobacteria belong to a group of bacteria called lactic acid bacteria. You can get these Lactic acid bacteria by eating fermented foods like live-cultured yogurt and cheese. In addition to taking a probiotic, Akkermansia can also be increased by consuming polyphenol-rich foods, such as pomegranate, grape polyphenols like grape seed extract, and cranberries.

Chemicals That Help You Feel Full

Your body produces hormones that affect your appetite, including leptin, ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY). Some studies have shown that different bacteria in the gut can affect how much of these hormones are produced and whether you feel hungry or full.

Short-chain fatty acids are chemicals that are produced when certain species of gut bacteria break down fiber. One of these is known as propionate. In one study it was found that taking propionate for 24 weeks significantly increased levels of the hormones PYY and GLP-1, both of which influence hunger. Other studies have shown that prebiotics supplements, which contain compounds that are fermented by gut bacteria, can have a similar effect on appetite.

Additionally, a study by the Louvain Drug Research Institute found that people who took 16 grams of prebiotics per day for two weeks had higher levels of hydrogen in their breath. This increase indicates gut bacterial fermentation, resulting in less hunger and higher levels of the hormones GLP-1 and PYY, which make you feel full.

Top 10 Probiotic Foods to Add to Your Diet

Live Cultured Yogurt. Look for brands made from goat’s milk which are particularly high in probiotics like thermophillus, bifudus, and bulgaricus. They can also be infused with extra forms of probiotics like lactobacillus or acidophilus.
Kefir. This fermented dairy product is similar to yogurt and is a combination of goat’s milk and fermented kefir grains.
Dark Chocolate. While chocolate itself doesn’t contain probiotics, it has been found to be a very effective carrier for probiotics. Yes, one more reason to eat chocolate!!!
Microalgae. While not a probiotic itself, microalgae can act as a prebiotic. This means that it feeds and nourishes the probiotics already in your gut.
Pickles. Most vegetables can be pickled and they are packed with prime probiotics.
Cultured Vegetables: Sauerkraut and Kimchi. Made from fermented cabbage, and sometimes other vegetables, sauerkraut is extremely rich in healthy live cultures. If you can handle the spice of an extremely spicy and sour fermented cabbage, kimchi is one of the best probiotic foods you can add to your diet.
Miso. Made from fermented rye, beans, rice or barley, miso is full of lactobacilli and bifidus bacteria. Add a tablespoon of miso to hot water for a quick, probiotic-rich soup.
Tempeh. Tempeh is a fermented, probiotic-rich grain made from soybeans. It is a great substitute for meat or tofu.
Raw Cheese. Goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, and A2 cow’s soft cheeses are particularly high in probiotics. Make sure that you buy raw and unpasteurized cheeses to receive any probiotics.
Kombucha Tea. This fermented tea contains high amounts of healthy gut bacteria. For centuries, this probiotic drink has been used to help increase energy and enhance well-being.

On the other hand, eating some foods in excess may harm your gut bacteria. These are:

Sugary foods. A diet high in sugar can stimulate the growth of certain unhealthy bacteria in the gut.
Artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin reduce beneficial bacteria in the intestines and may contribute to high blood sugar.
Unhealthy fats. While eating healthy fats such as omega-3s helps support beneficial bacteria in the intestines, eating too many saturated fats may contribute to the growth of disease-causing bacteria.
Fried and Processed Foods. Like sugar, they break down into components that feed the less hospitable bacteria in your gut
Gluten. Even if you’re not gluten-sensitive, eating gluten can have significant, long-term effects on your gut bacteria. Gluten is a type of protein that’s found in many grains, including wheat, rye, and barley.
Red Meat. While having the occasional steak isn’t likely to throw your whole system off, eating a diet that’s meat-heavy can be tough on your body. Research has shown that eating a lot of red meat affects your gut bacteria fast. Also, chances are that it’s got some antibiotics in it since 80% of antibiotics used in the U.S. are given to livestock!

Don’t worry that if you can’t avoid all of these things all the time. You’re not doomed to poor gut health. Do what you can to live a gut-healthy life by eating from the top ten list and giving your microbiome the support it needs to thrive by taking an effective probiotic to repopulate your beneficial gut bacteria. While we are just beginning to understand the role of gut bacteria in obesity and the science hasn’t led to treatments that will make it easier to lose weight, I believe that day is coming.

If our gut has more bad bacteria, it can be harder to lose weight.

When we eat food, our gut breaks it down into small pieces. Only the smallest pieces get absorbed into our blood. The rest is eliminated as waste material. In other words, not all of the calories in the food we eat get into our body and increase our weight. Some bacteria are better able to chop food into those smallest pieces that get digested, add calories to our body and thereby tend to increase our weight.

? SELF LOVE ?
Nothing can stop you from achieving your goal if you have the right mental attitude.

Believe in yourself, listen to your gut, and do what you love. -Dylan Lauren

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

This week was spent drinking water and eating foods with high water content, and drinking more water. In addition to spending some time working on our blog and tending the garden, I spent several days helping my aunt with her place. Marcus got into the pickles I made last Monday. He couldn’t wait the two weeks they needed to “mature.” Even with all the physical work at my aunt’s place, I continued to do my new exercise routine. With a busy week before I knew it it was time to step on the scale once again. This week even with all that water I drank, I lost two pounds. Hopefully, with continued hydration, I’ll keep seeing negative numbers. Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 22 – The Importance of Hydration When Dieting

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Hydration While Dieting. Understand how important it is to stay well hydrated and how much water it takes to stay that way.

July 2, 2018 By Paula 13 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey Week 22
The Importance of Hydration When Dieting

Yes, it’s MONDAY already and time to continue our journey into health and wellness. It’s also time once again to reflect on the past week! Hydration was a big issue this week. So this week I dive into the subject of staying hydrated. Learn how important it is to stay well hydrated and how much water it takes to stay that way.

If you’ve missed any of the posts in the recent weeks be sure to check them out. In addition to uncovering where sugar is hiding in your food (aka sugar bombs) and looking at the benefits of shopping at farmer’s markets, we’ve also covered the importance of milestones, how to stay motivated, the smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, surviving the holidays while dieting, the benefits of a 5% weight loss, diabetes, the importance of exercise, starting an exercise routine, beginner exercises, and exercising in the summer heat. Since beginning my weight loss journey in January, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and now the fourth of July have come and gone.

Hydration for Weight Loss

You would think that after everything I’ve written and learned about being healthy that I would know how important it is to stay hydrated. However, like many people, I didn’t understand how important it was to stay well hydrated and how much water it took to stay that way. That became evident when after several days of severe pain, I went to the clinic to get it checked out. Even with drinking 64 ounces of water daily plus all the water I get from the cornucopia of fruits and vegetables that I eat, I was severely dehydrated.

Why Water Is So Important

Almost two-thirds of the human body is made up of water. It regulates our temperature, cushions and protects our vital organs, aids digestion, transport nutrients to working muscles and organs, helps dispel waste and can help prevent us from over-eating.

Sometimes We Can Mistake Mild Dehydration For Hunger.

When we don’t drink enough fluids, our body gives us signals which resemble hunger pains. When this happens, many of us start eating unnecessary calories because we have misunderstood what our body is trying to tell us. Drink water whenever you are feeling thirsty or hungry.

A lack of water consumption can be detrimental to your body. If your hydration levels drop by only 2 percent, you may experience fuzzy thoughts, lack of concentration and difficulty focusing visually. It has also been linked to increased risk of cancer, premature aging, irritability, anxiety and numerous other ailments. There also has been a correlation made between chronic dehydration and obesity.

While a diet rich in fiber is essential for weight loss, fiber cannot do it alone. Water consumption is the other team member to a healthy gastrointestinal tract. Drinking a lot of water keeps the food flowing through your digestive tract and prevents constipation and bloating.

According to Revive Your Life, a study conducted at the University of Washington found that drinking one 8-ounce glass of water eliminated midnight hunger pangs in 98 percent of the subjects. Thereby decreasing caloric intake from midnight snacks.

One of the most important ways your level of hydration affects your caloric burn is in relation to your ability to perform physical activity. When you start to become dehydrated your muscle tissue starts to lose water and it makes it harder for that muscle to contract effectively, reducing your strength and endurance.

While water is world’s most effective, least expensive, and virtually side-effect free weight loss supplement, there are other ways to stay hydrated.

Water is best, but fruit and vegetables can be great sources of hydration. These water-rich foods tend to be lower in calories. While fat-rich foods, which have less water, are generally higher in calories. Fruits and vegetables not only have a high water content, but they also contain key vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Celery, for example, is 95% water and has only 6 calories per stalk. It is also a source of folate and vitamins A, C, and K.

Clear soups and broths can also help you feel full for very few calories, thus contributing to weight loss. Skim milk and low-fat, no-added-sugar yogurts and puddings also help hydration and nutrition without excessive calories. Drink your water and eat it, too.

Are you drinking enough water each day?

You can quickly check for dehydration at home with the tent test. Here’s how to do it. Pinch the skin over the back of the hand, on the abdomen, or over the front of the chest under the collarbone between two fingers so that it is tented up. Hold for a few seconds and release. This will show skin turgor. Skin turgor is the skin’s elasticity. It is the ability of skin to change shape and return to normal. Skin with normal turgor snaps rapidly back to its normal position. Mild dehydration will cause the skin to be slightly slow in its return to normal. Lack of skin turgor occurs with moderate to severe fluid loss.

Each day we exhale about two cups of water as water vapor. Normal daily perspiration causes about two cups of water to be lost. The intestines and kidneys utilize about six cups of water each day for normal functioning. That totals ten cups. When you add exercise to that, you increase the minimum amount of water you need just for daily functions. And for weight loss benefits, tack on a couple more cups to that total.

The amount of water you need to drink will depend on several factors, including your age, gender, activity level, weight, climate, and more. Most experts agree that drinking eight glasses of water, or 64 fluid ounces, is a sufficient amount for the average person to be properly hydrated.

However, here’s a good general guideline when it comes to recommended daily water intake for both health and weight loss benefits. To calculate how much water you should drink a day multiple your weight by 2/3 (or 67%) to determine how much water to drink daily. For example, if you weigh 175 pounds you would multiply 175 by .67 and learn you should be drinking about 117 ounces of water every day.

Since you are expelling additional water when you sweat, you should add 12 ounces of water to your daily total for every 30 minutes that you work out. This number also does not include additional water loss from sweating from being in a climate. Ask your healthcare provider or nutritionist for your body’s exact needs.

Drinking water during weight loss provides hydration without unwanted calories.

You burn roughly one calorie for every fluid ounce of water you drink, but this only true if the water is extremely cold. For example, if you drink a liter of ice cold water that is an extra 32 calories burned without doing any extra physical activity!

? SELF LOVE ?
Be there for others, but never leave yourself behind. ~Dodinsky

All we have of freedom, all we use or know —
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.
~Rudyard Kipling, The Old Issue, 1899

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

This week was a week of pain for me. Normally I’m driving other people to appointments and rarely have them for myself. However, this week I was in constant pain and every time I had the urge to urinate I was in extreme pain. To make matters worse on Tuesday we got stuck in traffic traveling less than a half mile in over an hour trying to get to Marcus’ appointment. The pain of holding it for so long had me thinking of climbing in the backseat and peeing in a bottle. After all, we weren’t moving. The problem was taller vehicles were all around us. So I held it and held it. Until we got to where I could pull in to a fast food restaurant. Not getting any better I went to the clinic Thursday morning. They checked for a UTI and did a few tests to rule out my appendix. When they did the tent test my skin just hung there. I was severely dehydrated! With orders to drink 128 ounces of water every day, I was on my way to do blood work. They only need two small tubes yet, I was so dehydrated that I left there with three new holes in me and they only got one and a tiny bit in the second.

After this the rest of week was spent drinking water, eating high water foods like watermelon and cucumbers, and drinking more water. I spent some time working on our blog and tending the garden. With temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes over 100, we are all losing more water than we are taking in. I picked some of my pickling cucumbers and will be making pickles today. I continue to do my new exercise routine. Even though I didn’t feel well most of the week, I pushed myself to do some and felt better for it. I’m not sure where the week went but before I knew it it was time to step on the scale once again. With all that water I drank this week and getting rehydrated, I gained a half pound. Hopefully, with continued hydration, I’ll be seeing better numbers in the weeks ahead. Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

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This year, the Fourth falls on a Hump Day. Deciding when to celebrate can be a bit tricky.
Will you celebrate the weekend before and then again on Wednesday, on Wednesday then back to work until the weekend after for more celebrating, on the 4th only, or do you go for it and celebrate all 10 days?
Whatever you decided, I hope you have a safe holiday and stayed hydrated.

Share your thoughts on the importance of drinking water and how you celebrated the 4th below or on my Facebook fan page.

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 21 – Eating Healthy On a Budget

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🍪 vs 🥗 Does it cost more to eat healthily? Read This Eating Healthy On a Budget Post To Find Out

June 25, 2018 By Paula 31 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 21

Eating Healthy On a Budget

Yes, it’s MONDAY already!!! It feels like I just shared about sugar bombs with you but its time once again to reflect on the past week! If you’ve missed any of the posts in the recent weeks be sure to check them out. In addition to uncovering where sugar is hiding in your food that we covered last week, we have looked at the benefits of shopping at farmer’s markets, milestones, how to stay motivated, the smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, surviving the holidays while dieting, the benefits of a 5% weight loss, diabetes, the importance of exercise, starting an exercise routine, beginner exercises, and exercising in the summer heat. Since beginning my weight loss journey in January, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Memorial Day have come and gone.

Eating Healthy vs. Unhealthy

Due to the incidental cost of having a poor diet we’ve been told that it’s cheaper to eat healthy than not. However, healthier fare, like fruits, veggies, and fish are more expensive than unhealthy foods like processed meals and snacks or refined grains. Swapping out some of the less expensive and less healthy foods, for fresher and more nutritious ones adds a few dollars more per day. While this might not be a problem for some, people with lower incomes or families may not be able to afford the added cost.

When you have five dollars in your pocket and a family of four to feed dinner, what do you buy? With a family of six and at times more mouths to feed, I’ve faced this dilemma many times. You look at the package of chicken breasts that’s large enough to feed everyone and it’s over $12! While the package of thighs that’s large enough is only $4. Yes, they have a lot of unhealthy fat but there’s no way you can afford the breasts. What can you do?

Getting the most nutrition for your money can be hard when you don’t have a lot of money for groceries, but it’s not impossible. Instead of meat, choose other lower cost sources of protein, add high fiber foods, and switch out low nutrition high-cost foods for nutritionally dense lower cost foods. Fiber is one of the best nutritional components that helps with satiety, the feeling of fullness. Compared to other proteins, meat is very expensive. Expand your protein repertoire to include legumes, quinoa, eggs, hemp, cottage cheese, canned tuna, and tofu.

One way to eat healthy on a budget is to cook from scratch. I’m old enough to remember when we cooked food from scratch. I often sat with my children around the table as we peeled potatoes, chopped carrots, and cut up a roast into the meat for a stew. We also shredded cheese, sliced veggies, and browned meat while we waited for the dough we made to rise. We didn’t buy a pizza or pre-prepared foods. We made them from scratch. Today many people don’t have the luxury of staying home and preparing meals each night. Many busy parents say that creating freezer meals on your day off is a great way to have healthy, low-cost meals prepared for the rest of the week when you’re busy and time is limited.

While long-term eating healthy saves you in health care, productivity, and quality and length of life doing so when you are struggling to make ends meet can seem impossible. There are some healthy alternatives that you can help you reduce the initial cost of eating healthy.

Brown rice. Skip the white rice. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are some of the benefits of brown rice. But one of the biggest pluses may be that the high amount of fiber in brown rice has as it helps slow digestion and fills you up for a long time.
Beans. Like many items at the grocery store, buying in bulk can save a lot of money. Dry beans can cost about $1 per pound and expand to three times their volume when cooked. Make them the star of the meal instead of costly meat.
Potatoes. With the added benefits they offer sweet potatoes are my favorite to use. From soups to casseroles these versatile vegetables can be used in a variety of ways. Containing 45 percent of the recommended daily nutritional intake of vitamin C, 18 percent of fiber, and 18 percent of potassium they’re just as nutritious as colored vegetables. Just be careful how you cook them. Frying a potato raises fat content from 0 to 8 grams!
Green vegetables. Any leafy greens, such as broccoli, spinach, and kale have lots of nutrients per calorie and also help protect against inflammation and disease. Pair them with carrots, beets, and other sweet vegetables.
Frozen vegetables. Buying fresh vegetables in season is the cost-effective way to get them, but frozen vegetables are a good option, too. They’re picked at the peak of their flavor and aren’t nutritionally inferior to fresh ones.
Peanut butter. This staple of our pantry is another economic source of protein. It is rich in healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, too.
Read Tips and tricks to save money on groceries.
Buy whole foods. They are often less expensive than their processed counterparts. You can also buy them in larger quantities. Items like block cheeses are cheaper than shredded cheese and canned beans are cheaper than refried ones. Also, whole grains, like brown rice and oats, are also cheaper per serving than most processed cereals. The less your food is handled before it reaches the store, the less expensive it will be.

Stop buying junk food. You would be surprised to see how much you may be spending on soda, crackers, cookies, prepackaged meals, and processed foods.
Buy from lower cost online retailers. There are several online retailers that offer healthy foods for up to 50% off and the products are delivered right to your door. Thrive Market is a very good online retailer that focuses exclusively on healthy and unprocessed foods.
Consider Price per Nutrient. Rather than focusing on how much food you get for the price, shift your thinking to how many nutrients you’re getting for your dollar. Deciding which ones are worth your dollars will make eating healthy on a budget a fun game of finding the most bang for your buck.
Top 10 Vegetables With the Most Nutritional Bang for Your Buck. When it comes to vegetables if you want the most nutrition for your money, go green – as in cabbage and leafy greens. They’ll bring the most nutrition for relatively little money.

Cabbage
Collard greens
Mustard greens
Turnip greens
Carrots
Cauliflower heads
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli florets
Spinach
Cauliflower florets

Top 10 Fruits With the Most Nutritional Bang for Your Buck. Outside of the top 5-7 fruits, the values are so close such that small variations in price would change the rankings. Apples are considered year-round fruits, strawberries are spring/summer, plums are summer, and oranges are winter/spring. Farmer’s markets are a great place to get seasonal fruits at a good price. Buy fresh produce when it’s in season and freeze it.

Oranges
Plums
Watermelon
Bananas
Apples
Kiwi
Strawberries
Grapefruit
Tangerines
Mangoes

Substitute Your Carbs. Instead of noodles, try sliced zucchini. My sister makes a delicious zucchini lasagna. It was weeks before anyone realized I had switched out half of their potatoes and substituted mashed cauliflower. The more versatile your cooking becomes, the more you’ll be able to opt for healthy, in-season foods that provide nutritional benefits and cost less.
Be prepared. Avoid the concession stands, middle aisles of the grocery store, and snacks at the convenience store counter. Instead, stash healthy low-cost grab-and-go items bag, desk, or car.
Read these dining out tips.
Shop several grocery stores. A little extra time spent grocery shopping can help stretch the budget. Some stores have cheap produce while others may offer cheaper dairy or meats. Knowing which stores have the cheapest options can save you lots of cash over time.
Shop at ethnic markets. Check out local ethnic markets. Not only are you likely to find a bargain on certain products, but you’ll also find some really interesting ingredients.

Be Adventurous – Try New Flavors
There is a world of flavor right in your pantry. Add new and exciting tastes to old standbys.

The best way to get the most nutritional foods for your buck is to buy fresh food that’s in season and switch to higher nutrition lower cost sources of protein and fiber. Stay away from junk food. Fast food may be quicker than preparing a meal at home, but it won’t beat buying fresh fruit and vegetables in taste or cost.

? SELF LOVE ?
You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens. – Louise L. Hay

Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you should buy it.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

This week was another quiet week. With just one appointment and shopping to do again this Friday the rest of week was spent working on our blog and tending the garden. We could use some of that rain we got last week as everything is so dry and hot. With temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes of 116, it was hard to pull weeds and keep the garden in order. We now have the heartbreak of tomato wilt. Thank goodness it has only affected one patch of tomato plants and not all of them. I have been watching my squash, peppers, beans, cucumbers for ripe produce. Finally! This week I got to pick some cucumbers and make a salad with them. It was so delicious, refreshing, and clean tasting.

I continued my new exercise routine. Even though I didn’t feel well several days, I pushed myself to do some and felt better for it. I’m not sure where the week went but before I knew it it was time to step on the scale once again. I was pleased that I had continued to lose this week. With another pound gone I am averaging 1.8 pounds a week. Just shy of my 2 pounds a week goal but still I am proud of my progress and the fact that I’ve stuck with it so long. Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 20 – Hidden Sugar Bombs Uncovered

Check out the entire series of Weight Watchers Inspirational Posts.

Find Out Where Sugar Is Hiding in Your Food 🍬 Sugar Bombs Uncovered

June 18, 2018 By Paula 16 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 20

Hidden Sugar Bombs Uncovered

Can you believe it’s MONDAY already and time once again to reflect on the past week?! In the recent weeks we have looked at the benefits of shopping at farmer’s markets, milestones, how to stay motivated, the smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, surviving the holidays while dieting, the benefits of a 5% weight loss, diabetes, the importance of exercise, starting an exercise routine, beginner exercises, and exercising in the summer heat. Since beginning my weight loss journey in January, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Memorial Day have come and gone. Did you know that ketchup, one of America’s favorite condiments, has as much as 6 grams of added sugar in a single ounce! I knew it had some but never dreamed that it had that much. After releasing how much sugar was in ketchup, I set out this week to find out where else sugar was hiding in other foods and drinks that my family consumed.

Uncovering Hidden Sugar Bombs

Hidden sugars are commonly disguised as other ingredients on food labels. Learning how to identify sources of hidden sugar can save you hundreds, even thousands of calories. Plus, consuming lots of added or hidden sugar has been associated with problems including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, and cognitive disorders, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Sugar is now even linked to cancer and many other conditions tied to impaired immune function.

First before uncovering the hidden/added sugars, I want to clarify what added sugar is: The U.S. Department of Agriculture states, “Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk and fruits.” There are at least 61 different names for sugar listed on food labels. These include common names, such as sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, as well as barley malt, dextrose, maltose and rice syrup, among others.

There’s even been parallels found between sugar overconsumption and drug abuse, indicating that sugar cravings work in similar ways to cravings for alcohol and other substances. You’ve probably noticed that the more sugar you have, the more you want. Just like cocaine, sugar is very habit-forming. It causes changes in our brains by releasing dopamine and other endorphins. Our brains have built-in, appetite-controlling mechanisms that let us know when we’ve had enough to eat and therefore should stop. This causes most foods to stop being appealing after some time. Sugar works differently, keeping us wanting more and more. Even when we’ve consumed lots of calories.

Added sugar is hiding in 74% of packaged foods. Studies and surveys have found that the major food and beverage sources of added sugars for Americans are drinks like regular soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, and sweetened teas, candy, dairy and non-dairy desserts like ice cream and pies, and refined carbohydrates like cakes and doughnuts. These sources of sugar might seem pretty obvious, but they aren’t the only foods responsible for our increased sugar consumption.

Cereals, both hot and cold (some have as much as 20 grams of sugar in just a 3/4 cup serving)
Packaged breads, including “whole grain” varieties (your sandwich could have 12 grams of sugar just in the bread)
Snack or granola bars (one breakfast bar made with “real fruit” and “whole grains” has 15 grams of sugar.)
Applesauce
Non-dairy milk (opt for the unsweetened ones)
“No Sugar Added” foods and drinks (many will use fruit juice from concentrate to sweeten them)
“Lower calorie” drinks, including coffees, energy drinks, blended juices and teas
Energy, Protein, and meal replacement bars (compare brands and make sure you get a low sugarone, many are just candy bars in disguise)
Protein powder (make sure the one you get is unsweetened and has zero grams of sugar per scoop)
Jerky (skip the bbq, teriakyi, or honey mustard flavors and opt for plain versions)
Sweetened yogurts and other dairy products (like flavored Greek and regular yogurts, one leading brand of yogurt contains 7 teaspoons of sugar per serving. )
Smoothies and alcohol mixers (a 12 oz margarita and even fruit and veggie only smoothie can have up to 60 grams of sugar)
Bottled flavored water (don’t be fooled by the images for fruit and coconuts on the label)
Tonic Water (so that Vodka Tonic has 8 teaspoons of sugar per 12-ounce serving)
Juice (opt for fresh fruit over this concentrated source of sugar)
Lemonade (with 40 grams of sugar per can this is no better for you than a soda)
Frozen waffles or pancakes
Crackers
Coleslaw
Nut butters (peanut, almond, and other nut butters have sweeteners added. Look for natural brands made with only nuts)
Jams and Jellies
Bottled sauces, dressings, condiments and marinades (like salad dressing, tomato sauce, ketchup, relish, or teriyaki)
Dried fruit and other fruit snacks (often they add sugar to dried fruit and one package of fruit snacks can have 25 grams of sugar, look at these as candy not produce)
Restaurant foods, where sugar is used in sauces, various desserts and dressings for extra flavor
Gummy Vitamins
Packaged Fruits (canned fruits like mandarin oranges in light syrup have about 39 grams of sugar per 1-cup serving, you can cut down on the sugar some by draining the liquid)

Not all sugar is inherently bad, and not all types of “sugar” are created equal.
Added sugar is the real problem, not sugar found naturally in things like fresh fruit, vegtables, and dairy. Fructose, the type of natural sugar found in modest amounts in real foods is generally not something to worry about when eaten as part of a balanced diet because it is metabolized differently than when ingest high amounts from processed foods.

American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 9 teaspoons (38 grams) of added sugar per day for men and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for women. The AHA limits for children vary depending on their age and caloric needs, but range between 3-6 teaspoons (12 – 25 grams) per day.

On average, Americans consume 66 pounds of added sugar each year!

? SELF LOVE ?
Loving yourself means stopping trying to become like others. Love youself for who you are, while still loving others for who they are.

Think about how would you support others, and give yourself the same advice.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

This week was pretty quiet on the homefront. With just one appointment and shopping to do on Friday the rest of week was spent catching up on things around the house and on our blog. The rain we had the first part of the week made it easy to pull weeds and get the garden in order. We continue to be vigilant about looking for tomato worms and powdery mildew on our plants, both of which are very likely to appear this time of year.

Last week, I also continued with my new exercise routine and continue to work on adding to the time and reps I do. This Sunday was Father’s Day so I went to visit my Dad and do some chores that he wanted to be done. I didn’t get home until nearly 9 pm as it was after 7 pm when I got the new sensors and cameras installed and their security system updated. They are now as secure as Fort Knox! However, before fixing a late dinner at home, I took the time to step on the scale and was pleased that I had lost almost three pounds this week for a 37 lbs total lost so far. My mom made it to forty pounds a few weeks ago and it’s within my grasp! Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

OnlinePlus – Put the power of Weight Watchers in the palm of your hand. Learn more.