Below are a few super-easy smoothie recipes to get you started: Good Old Fashioned Banana Smoothie - 1 banana, peeled - 1 1/2 cups skim milk - 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt - 1 tsp vanilla extract Blend until smooth and enjoy. Berry Yum Smoothie - 1 cup raspberries - 1 cup strawberries - 1 cup sparkling water or seltzer - 1 cup apple juice or orange juice - 1 tsp lemon juice Blend until smooth and enjoy. Banana...

You may be used to simple smoothies containing fruit, vegetables and juice or milk – but once you realize how many other ingredients you can use to spice them up you’ll be itching to experiment! Below are a few ideas to get you started: Yogurt Yogurt is a great ingredient to add to smoothies because it’s very creamy, which really complements the sweetness of the fruit. You can even...

If you’re not a big fan of vegetables and fruit but you are trying to stick to a weight loss plan, you’ll be glad to know that there are plenty of easy ways to “sneak” in your daily requirement of produce. One of these is by whipping up some liquid smoothies. A “smoothie” is simply a blended mix of liquid, fruit, and vegetables that you can drink. That may not...

When you’re trying to lose weight, every calorie counts. The problem is that sometimes it can be hard to reduce calories without sacrificing taste. Below are some great ideas for healthy substitutions that can help you reduce calories and fat but still enjoy great flavor: - Lowfat Milk Whole milk contains approximately 160 calories and up to 9 grams of fat per 8 ounce glass. Compare that to...

Instead of feeling tired all day, don’t you want foods that give you energy during the day? When losing weight, it’s important to consider the quality of the food you eat rather than going by calorie count alone. A 100 calorie cookie and a 100 calorie serving of antioxidant-rich berries are miles apart in quality. A cookie may help satisfy your craving for sweets but it’s not going...

You may not be aware of this, but greens can really help you lose weight as they are great natural diuretics. What this means is that they help to accelerate the flow of water out of your body preventing your from retaining water and creating that bloated look. Greens including spinach, kale, lettuce, parsley, beet greens and water sprouts are all rich in the mineral potassium which prevents water...

Shopping for healthy food is not as hard as you might imagine.  You may think that there are some health foods that are harder to uncover than others. However, this should not be a reason to give up. Part of the fun of being fit and healthy is to start enjoying being a ‘good food detective’ and sourcing the healthiest foods you can get your hands on. Here are some pointers to get you started: Start...

Almost all diets can be effective at losing weight. So choosing which the best one can be tricky. Some will certainly be more effective than others and it is only when trying them can you tell if they will work for you or not. The best diet to lose weight is the one that suits your own routine and fits into your schedule the easiest. Some diets can be notoriously tricky to follow and can be difficult...

Believing in yourself and the reasons as to why you want to lose weight is truly the first step you should be doing before starting a weight loss plan. When you decide to lose weight you will find lots of information about what works and what does not.  One program may say that you must eat only foods from their specific food-line and another program may recommend that you include supplements.  The...

You have heard it before and you will hear it again and again throughout your life time, not planning is planning to fail.  So when you decide to do anything at all that is worthwhile you should make a plan.  I am sure you do this for work related projects so why not do it for things that affect your life, I am suggesting that you have a plan for things like promoting your health and managing your...

In doing research for this article and other documents I frequently come across some interesting information.  I found studies and research that prove that fat cells never go away.  I know that is probably not what you were hoping to hear but facts are facts.  The good news is that fat cells can shrink so that the fat is not noticeable. Let me give you some details, but I warn you, this information...

Ephedra diet supplements are also known as ma huang. They are a strong stimulant found in popular “herbal phen-fen” weight loss products. Despite it’s widespread use in over-the-counter weight loss pills, there is only limited evidence that it promotes weight loss. However, some studies, as well as tens of thousands of satisfied ephedra users, claim they support its use. What is...

Does Pilates work, even if you’re terribly out of shape? Does it work if you’ve had an injury, or you have bad knees? Millions of people have discovered that Pilates seems to be good for whatever ails you. It may not be a miracle cure for every ailment, but ask anyone who’s been doing Pilates regularly, “Does Pilates work?” You’re bound to get a resounding,...

My wife called me on my cell phone the other day, and she seemed in a panic. It isn’t like her to get freaked out too easily, so I was surprised to hear that she was in such a frantic state. Clearly she must be experiencing some tremendous tragedy, and I was almost afraid to ask her just what was going on. I braced myself for bad news, expecting her to tell me the worst, but once she calmed down...

When it comes to fitness equipment, I think that most of us are probably looking for something that is simple and easy to set up and use, and something that doesn’t take a big chunk out of our wallets. With those criteria in mind, I did my research and learned that one of the most popular pieces of fitness equipment on the market today is the Creative Fitness Door Gym. If you’re like me...