There's No Place Like Home!

I want to begin by apologizing for the hiatus in my posting lately. We have FINALLY completed all of our traveling and are at long last HOME! It has been 8 ½ months of traveling and we are beyond overjoyed to finally be settling back into some semblance of normalcy again. It’s so good to be home on our little island and our work here and we’re looking forward to what God has planned for us in the coming months and years here in the south Pacific. Now that I am home, I hope to be more frequent with my posting here on this blog.

I had mentioned in a previous blog that on Mondays I would be posting weight loss tips. Well, I am a day behind this week but here are this week’s tips:

• Put the kettle on! “Drinking green tea (which is also known for its powerful cancer-fighting compounds) may help you burn more calories by inducing slight changes in metabolism”, according to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Just a note: I personally have found for me that drinking green tea on an empty stomach (i.e. first thing in the morning) can bring on some mild nausea. I used to think I was just weird but have recently heard from others that they experience the same effect. I found it to not be a problem if I eat something first or have my tea later in the day. I also take tea supplements which cause the same discomfort so I have started taking these in the afternoon instead of morning. (Though yes, I probably am still weird!)
• Change your morning routine! “Boston public relations executive Sherry Moskowitz, 24, switched from drinking a large coffee with cream every day to a large cup of tea without milk or cream. ‘I still treat myself to coffee on the weekends, but during the week I get the same amount of caffeine with tea, without the added fat or calories.’ Just by switching her morning beverage, she cut about 250 calories a week.” Wow, this one really got me thinking, ‘cuz, um, yeah, I love coffee! I have actually found I feel better overall when I’m not drinking coffee regularly, and when I really sat down and calculated how many calories I was consuming just from the “junk” I added to my coffee, I was shocked!
• Fill half of your dinner plate with vegetables. “You'll increase your vegetables (the lowest-calorie category) and decrease your calories. ‘Rather than just one, you may want to make two vegetables at every meal,’ recommends Cathy Nonas, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. ‘The other half of your plate could be equal parts protein and starch’.” Personal note: Make sure you include raw vegetables in your diet daily, not just cooked as the cooking process strips away so many of the nutrients. Also, your starch should be a healthy complex carbohydrate such as brown rice, a whole grain bread or pasta, or a sweet potato.

Experiment with some of the tips I give weekly and find what works best for you! Every little change added helps you on your journey to a healthier you! Have a great day and remember, you can email me at any time with questions, comments, advice, whatever. I’m here to help you and your health!