According to the American Dietetic Association “phytonutrients are bioactive compounds in food that promote your health by helping to slow the aging process.”  These phytonutrients are considered by some as the key to unlocking longevity and may protect against some cancers, high blood pressure, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Research shows that phytonutrients can be find in most fruits and vegetables. Daniel Nadeau, M.D., medical director of HealthReach Diabetes, Endocrine and Nutrition Center in Hampton, New Hampshire and co-author of The Color Code states “brightly colored fruits and vegetables naturally produce anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pigments for their own protection. When we consume these plant foods, we consume the protective compounds as well." And research suggests that the deeper the color, the more protective phytonutrients the foods contain.

If you would like some guidance on how to get more phytonutrients into your diet the following books will help.
 
What Color Is Your Diet? The 7 Colors of Health, by David Heber, Ph.D
The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health, by James Joseph, Ph.D., and Daniel Nadeau, M.D. (Hyperion, 2002), $22.95, hardcover

To manage our stress we need to recognize the stress triggers in our lives.
Stress triggers can be individualized.  While some enjoy public speaking it may bring terror to you! Here is a list of some common stress triggers:

• Change can be one of the biggest triggers of stress. Whether a positive or negative change, marriage, divorce, a birth or a death, getting a new job or being fired from one, change can be a significant stress trigger.
•  Work pressures, such as constant deadlines, an annoying co-worker, a promotion, or difficult boss.
• Financial problems, or spending beyond your means
• Family situations such as experiencing the empty-nest syndrome, caring for an ill parent or coping with an unruly adolescent.
• Abuse of alcohol, drugs, nicotine, caffeine
• Having to make important decisions 
• Physical taxation such as working long hours without sleep, depriving yourself of healthy food, or standing on your feet all day can be stress triggers

While some stress triggers can be removed such as improving your diet or reducing your caffeine intake many stress triggers can only be managed by learning coping skills.

Make a list, write them down. Identifying the stress triggers is an important start in stress management.

What have been your stress triggers? And how have you managed them?

Share your thoughts..

More and more popular fast food chains and restaurants are providing information that allow you to make smart choices in choosing the right foods to enjoy!Restaurants such as Chili’s, Denny’s, McDonalds and Wendys have Nutritional Guides posted on their websites to help you make healthy food selections and many have low fat items to choose from.

Using these guidelines you can create your own “customized” menus of items that you can select from before you go to the restaurant. Often times it’s a simple matter of choosing between two foods you already love ..only one choice has less fat, calories or sodium.

As an example, lets say you love soup. Either a warm bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup or New England Clam Chowder at Chili’s would equally satisfy. However, according to their Nutritional Guide, the Clam Chowder has 840 more calories and 63.5 more grams of fat than the Noodle Soup. Pick the Chicken Noodle!Or lets say the kids or grandkids insist on McDonalds. You can go. Have a Grilled Chicken Sandwich (10 grams of fat) or if its Taco Bell ..a Zesty Chicken Bowl (minus the dressing) is only 15 grams of fat.

The more you know, the wiser decisions you can make.

If you know that you should exercise but just don’t feel you have enough time or even the desire to join a gym, follow a video program, or buy exercise equipment, there is an alternative!

Redefine Exercise!

Exercise does not have to be defined as a planned exercise program. The benefits of exercise can be gained by just day-to-day physical activities you perform or enjoy. These activities can be household chores, yard work, sports or taking your dog for a walk. 

The important part of exercise is to counter balance the sedentary lifestyle so many of us face with the consistent, daily physical activities.

Think of your day. How many hours of the day are you sitting at a desk, behind the wheel of a car, at a restaurant, in front of the TV, reading a book, browsing the web, shopping online?

Your body needs to move! It benefits every part of it from your heart to your brain to your skin to your bones. Most studies have shown that significant health benefits can be gained by only 30 minutes of physical activity per day.  You can even break down the 30 minutes to two 15 minutes intervals if this helps with your time management.

Plan out your week with what physical activities you will do each day. Monday -walking, Tuesday -biking, Wednesday – walking , Thursday –cleaning, Friday- Gardening,  Saturday –Swimming, Sunday –Tennis. Try to incorporate as many activities that you enjoy doing. If you exercising to lose weight, you can determine how many calories you will be burning by using the “The Calorie Burner Counter” on the Youngertoday.com site.

Once this becomes a part of life you may even find yourself enjoying the idea of going to the gym or using that exercise equipment!

You have all see them. The dramatic before and after pictures of your favorite celebrities losing 20,50 or 100 lbs. That is Weight Loss!

But then a few months later, you see in the grocery store a picture of that famous star right back to the weight they had started at!  That is lack of weight control! Weight Control is the ability for a person to maintain their desired weight and not regain all the weight or even more than what was lost!

It really is as simple as this. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat must equal the energy you burn. (source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

A successfully weight control strategy can be as diverse as the diet programs available. But for the majority of us weight control is a life changing experience. After you have lost your desired weight you can not go back to the way things were. The way things were is how the weight gain happened to begin with. 

For some it just maybe cutting out the colas, switching your sugary treats to fruits or low-calorie treats and going for that 20 minute walk everyday.

For others a complete weight control program of maintaining journals, counting your in-take of calories and determining the calories burned daily will be the key to success.

At Youngertoday.com there is a convenient Calorie Burner Counter that can help you determine how many calories will be burned from common household activities such as cleaning or mowing the lawn, to hiking, swimming or walking!

There are also tools to calculate how many calories certain foods have. There are free online tools to convenient handheld calculators.

What has your Weight Control Strategy been? Is there a book or program that has been beneficial to you?

Let us know..share your thoughts! 

A popular diet review site lists over 300 diets available to choose from! So how can you possible know what diet is right for you?

The more you know about diets the better decisions you can make. Of course before selecting any diet plan, consult with your physician. Basically diets can be categorized in four groups

• Diet Supplements
• Calorie Counting Based Diets
• Meal Based Diets
• Life Style Based Diets
  

Diet Supplements
This is where a lot of the “miracle” diets appear. Swallow this pill and you will lose 10 lbs. Use caution if you decide to use diet supplements. There have been some successes for people in taking popular diet supplements such as Hoodia, Dexatrim, TrimSpa and Zantrex-3 but the only FDA approved Diet Supplement currently is Alli. Alli however is very careful to communicate that this over-the-counter weight loss pill will only work with the combination of meal planning, exercise and “a lifestyle commitment”!
Make sure you consult your doctor before taking any Diet Supplement.

Calorie Counting Based Diets
Weight Watchers and Biggest Loser are two of the most popular diet programs based on counting calories.
To determine your daily calories requirements, multiply the number of pounds of ideal weight by 12 to 15 calories. The number of calories per pound depends on gender, age, and activity levels. For instance, a 50-year old woman who wants to maintain a weight of 135 pounds and is mildly active might require only 12 calories per pound (1,620 calories a day). A 25-year old female athlete who wants to maintain the same weight might require 25 calories per pound 2,025 (calories a day).

Meal Based Diets:
Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig are well known meal based diets promoted by celebrities such as Dan Marino and Valeria Bertinelli .  Meal based diets can be a great way to lose weight while learning healthy eating habits you can use for life.
Eventually you must learn to maintain your weight without the aid of pre-packaged meals.
The Nutrisystem program includes the new Mindset Makeover™ behavior modification guide and an exercise DVD by fitness expert Leslie Sansone, or NFL star Vaughn Hebron. The guide and DVD are both included in the program to help get your mind and body in gear for weight loss while learning healthy eating habits you can use for life.

Life Style Based Diets
Two of the most popular Life Style diets are Oprah’s trainer Bob Greene’s The Best Life Diet and Jillian Michaels: Making the Cut.

Whatever diet you choose start with a new way of defining "dieting". Half the battle of dieting is how we define the experience. A negative definition leads to negative results. A positive definition can be the foundation for success!  Instead of dieting...think of it has learning to enjoy eating !!

Let us know what's worked for you!

Apparently it is not just me. According to various online surveys as high as 80% of participants felt a level of stress during this holiday season. One poll conducted by Dateline NBC and Prevention magazine find that 41% of people polled rated the holiday time as stressful as asking their boss for a raise.

One reason the stress levels can rise is that during the busy holiday season we often abandon the basic essentials of any stress-reduction program including:

- regular exercise,
- a diet rich in a variety of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and
- by avoiding excessive alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.

Another reason for the increased stress can be financial. This is the time of year that we tend to stretch our budgets to find that perfect gift for the children and grandchildren.

According to an article found at mayoclinic.com there are three main trigger points of holiday stress or depression: 

The article continues by listing 12 tips to prevent holiday stress and depression. To read these tips visit http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/MH00030

Most important don’t ignore your stress. Acknowledge how stressed and tired you are and make a plan to cope.

There are a few questions you may want to ask yourself when trying to identify ”Why do I feel tired all the time?”

Is it a medical condition?
There are common illnesses that can cause fatigue and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. Some of these conditions are:

• Hypothyroidism,
• Anemia
• Depression
• Restless Legs
• Sleep Apnea, and although more uncommon,
• Chronic Fatique Syndrome.

You can read more details about these illnesses in our Health Matters section.  
You should go to see your doctor who can check out whether you have any of these problems.

Are you eating a healthy diet?
Fried or fatty foods can make you feel sluggish.  The right combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat eaten at regular intervals will help keep energy levels high. 

Also, drinking plenty of water and avoiding dips in sugar levels can help you maintain your energy throughout the day.

For some practical diet guidelines visit
msnbc

Are you getting enough undisturbed Sleep?
In a major 2003 survey, a third of older adults woke up frequently during the night and about a quarter of them woke up too early and couldn't go back to sleep. In the same study, 33% of adults between 55 and 64 reported waking up feeling un-refreshed.

Are you getting enough exercise?
According to an article published in WebMD, exercise can fight fatique!
The article sites a study published in Psychological Bulletin, that showed over 90% of sedentary people  that did start an exercise program showed an increase in their energy over those that did not.
For more information visit webmd.com

Are there relationships, money or work-related situations that may be causing your energy to drain?
Unresolved issues can be the cause of stress and stress is a high level energy drainer. To help determine what may be the root-cause of your stress take an online quiz   “What’s Draining You” at: Oprah.com

Are there tips you have found to increase your energy level? Let us know!
 

A diet pill that works by blocking 25 percent of fat from being digested?? Sounds too good to be true!

Actual, this appears to be true. The FDA  issued its first ever approval for an over-the-counter diet pill – alli, the marketing name for the generic drug orlistat. It is a reduced strength version of the prescription drug Xenical.

Alli users take one pill with every meal. But there may be very notable side effects.  According to their website the side effects are listed as.

• gas with oily spotting
• loose stools
• more frequent stools that may be hard to control
  

"The drug’s maker, GlaxoSmithKline, has been up front about the pill’s side effects, suggesting that first timers wear dark pants or bring a change of clothes to work until they get used to the diets pill potentially yucky consequences."

According to the Website these effects can be minimized.

"Treatment effects are especially likely if you eat a meal with more than 15 grams of fat. On other weight loss programs, you may "save up" your fat allowances for the day and then splurge on a high-fat meal or dessert. alli is different.

If you don't stay within your fat-gram target when you take alli capsules, you may experience treatment effects. So make sure to distribute your fat grams evenly across your meals for the day.

That means you'll limit yourself to an average of 15 grams of fat for each meal, depending on your own fat intake goal."

It appears this diet pill may be a good "assistant" in the goal of losing weight. But again like all diet plans, the basics always remain, "eat right, exercise and Consult your Physician before starting any diet.

What do you think?

I recently participated in an online poll asking the question “How Many Diets Have you Tried?”. The results showed 63% of participants tried five or more diets!

The amount of diet plans, books, diet pills and advise on dieting seems to be growing everyday right along with the percentage of obesity in the United States! According to the NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics) 66.3% of adults, age 20 years and over, are overweight or obese.

So what’s the problem? Why, with so many diet options, are Americans losing the battle of maintaining a healthy weight?

There seems to be so many contributors to the weight problem today including stress, physical passive lifestyles (sitting at a desk by day, and a TV by night), fast food availability, or late night cravings. “A number of medical conditions may contribute to being overweight, but rarely are they a primary cause of obesity.”(content supplied by ADAM)

One factor that seems prominent is that weight loss has more to do with life style changes then any “quick fix” or “magic pill”. But life style changes are not easily made.

So where to begin?

First find out if you are indeed really overweight. There does seem to be an unhealthy obsession with being thin that has nothing to do with good health.

A good guideline to determine if you are overweight is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. If your results are over 25 it is an indicator that you are overweight. An obese person would have a BMI of 30 or greater.click here for BMI Calculator

BMI (Body Mass Index) Categories:
· Underweight = <18.5
· Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
· Overweight = 25-29.9
· Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

If you are overweight, take some time to do research on dieting and dieting plans. The American Dietetic Association offers a Consumer Diet and Lifestyle Book Reviews on some of the most popular plans. You can find this at http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/nutrition_8815_ENU_HTML.htm

Try if possible to diet with a friend or be part of a support group. If that’s not possible there are some online diet programs that offer support.

Of course, don’t forget exercise, exercise, exercise. It is so important for your health. Don’t forget to consult with your physician before starting any diet or exercise program.

What do you think?

Exercise – How can something so good for me be so hard to do?

We all know that exercise is so important for our health and overall well-being.

"Everyone's goal for a long and healthy life should include a healthy diet, regular exercise, and maintaining normal weight. The combination of inactivity and eating the wrong foods is the second most common underlying cause of death in the United States (smoking is the first). Although most evidence on the benefits of exercise focus on heart protection, studies now are reporting that fitness has a stronger benefit on mortality rates than even some heart risk factors. (The more fit the individual, the lower the risk.)"**

So why is it so hard to get going? A friend of mine suggested that exercise must involve some activity that I love to do. Somehow my love of reading didn’t seem to fit this suggestion.

But here are a few more suggestions that might help:

1. Walking is easy and a wonderful start! Find a friend, grab your partner or your dog and go for a walk. Its best if it can be for a 1/2 hour but start for just 10 minutes and build from there.

2. Find some simple exercise to do while your lying on the couch watching TV or reading a book! Simple breathing exercises, inhaling and expanding your abdomen and then exhale pushing out the air and contracting your abdomen muscles.

3. Try, try and keep trying. There are alot of exercises programs to try. Consult with your physician before trying an exercise program but go ahead and keep trying.

What do you think?

** content supplied by A.D.A.M