• blueberries
• tart cherries
• flax seed
• avocados
• oatmeal
• olive oil
• apples
• almonds
• spinach
• yogurt
• black beans
• dark chocolate

These are a few belly fighting foods, which are rich in good fats and help you reduce cholesterol which might help protect you from cancer and heart disease. These foods reduce the glycemic load found in most foods which will help you stay full longer and give you more appetite control. They are loaded with fiber and other ingredients which make your metabolism work harder to burn calories.

They don’t have many calories to begin with, but in turn make it easier for you to burn calories. Keep them around to snack on or mix them together to create your own healthy snack mix. Eating them daily, in moderation, along with exercise will help you attain that flat belly you’ve been wanting!

There’s so much material available through books, media, and the internet promising quick weight loss. Diet pills, slimming drinks, or fad diets might work for you, but once you’re done with the product and go back to your regular eating habits expect some weight gain.

In order to lose weight and maintain the weight off, you have to change your lifestyle.Going on a diet or not eating a certain food group for a while, might affect your metabolism and digestive system once you start eating those foods again. For example, completely cutting out carbohydrates for a few months might help you drop weight and speed up your metabolism, but if you bring carbs back your metabolism will get confused and store the carbs as sugar in case you decide to skimp on them again.

Would you like to lose 10 lbs in 2-3 weeks???

Many diets and supplements love promising rapid weight loss and they usually deliver if you stick to it. Many diets and supplements don’t like sharing that weight gain will occur once you eat more than cereal, or the damages they might cause to your organs and health.

Losing 10 lbs. in 2-3 weeks is not an unreachable task that can only be accomplished by starving yourself or surviving off an apple a day. The perfect word to describe living a healthy lifestyle is Balance. Realizing that food is not an enemy and you can eat everything and still be healthy as long as you have balance. Portion control is a great term. Look at the size of your fist, that’s the portion of protein that should be going on your plate. Take advantage of your sense of taste and eat the food you enjoy, just learn to control the amount you eat.

Staying active and hydrated is part of a healthy lifestyle. You will definitely benefit from working out at least 30 mins. a day 5 times a week and drinking a lot of water. Cardio workouts, like aerobics or running, get your heart pumping fast which in turn helps you burn calories and overtime speeds up your metabolism. Lifting weights won’t burn calories as fast as cardio, but you will keep burning calories after your workout is done, improve  elasticity and add muscle mass. A good routine is cardio 3-5 times a week and weight training 3 times a week.

The following meal plan is an *example  of a healthy, simple to make, and satisfying option for a 1200-1500 calorie day.

Breakfast-  1 hard boiled egg and bagel or  plain oatmeal topped w/ fruit or granola

snack- 100 calorie pack of your choice or granola bar & 1 fruit

Lunch-  1 cup of homemade chili or lentil soup and a mixed vegetable salad w/ crumbled cheese on top squeeze lemon over it  or 1-2 tbsp of dressing. Don’t ruin a healthy salad by drenching it with dressing, add pieces of grilled chicken or ham and more veggies instead.

snack- yogurt and a fruit/ homemade trail mix (almonds,raisins,chex cereal, pistachios,dried fruit…)

Dinner- Homemade lemon chicken stir fry <– (click link for these yummy, low-cal. meals.) w/ brown rice or whole-wheat spaghetti. Clean your palate with a white wine or strawberry frozen yogurt:)

snack- sugar free Jello or 2-3 spoon-fulls  of hummus and pita chips.

Remember not to eat 2-3 hours before laying down or going to sleep to give your body time for proper digestion.

*this example is my opinion on a pretty balanced plan  meant to keep your metabolism working all day, but should not be considered before visiting a physician!

Check out this previous post,  lose weight:tips & tricks for more advice to help keep you on track!

The more sugar-filled foods you put in your body, the harder it is to resist them, but there are a few things you can do to stop your sugar cravings.

photo credit: jonrawlinson

To stop first you must know why sugar cravings happen.

Two of the main reasons why you get sugar cravings are adrenaline which is pretty much when your body needs energy, and serotonin a feel good hormone which is released in short bursts by sugars. Usually sugar cravings are predominant when you’re distracted, stressed, or for some women before their period. Having some sugar in your diet isn’t bad. Your body needs some sugar to function, but most of the time we overdo it.

Sugar is found in lots of foods, here’s a few other names used to disguise it :

Brown sugar, corn syrup,demerara sugar,dextrose, free flowing brown sugars, fructose, galactose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup,invert sugar, lactose, malt, molasses, maple syrup, sucrose, and maltose.

Keep reading to learn a couple things you can do to stop your sugar cravings!

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…

-cut down your sugar intake over time don’t try going cold turkey. And if you do overindulge don’t beat yourself up for it, instead see why it happened and how you could change it. For instance, If your used to drinking a soda daily, try limiting to two sodas a week and keep cutting down as the weeks go by. Don’t try to live a sugar-free life we all need some sugar in our bodies. The key is portion control.

-drink more water. Drink at least eight glasses of water. Sometimes people mistake hunger for thirst, so before you go for that donut drink a glass of water! Keeping hydrated keeps you alert and prevents overindulging.

-exercise daily. Keep a balanced diet. Eat more veggies and fruits.This will help keep your body strong and healthy. Working out daily releases serotonin and prevents stress, which in turn will make it easy to prevent sugar cravings. Keeping a balanced diet and eating more veggies will keep you full longer and make it easier to skip that unnecessary sugary snack. Avoid processed foods. They are usually super high in sugar and salt.

-keep healthy snacks at hand. Such as sliced apples, baby carrots, nuts, dried fruits and berries. Avoid keeping too much junk food around. Instead of buying a gallon of ice cream and keeping it at home go out and buy a single serving when you want a sweet treat!

-get enough rest. If you skip your recommended eight hours a day you’re body will suffer overtime. You might experience health consequences Iike high blood pressure, trouble concentrating, and even high cholesterol. While you’re sleeping, you’re immune system and organs are working on cleansing and restoring.

-try to eat your meals at the same time everyday and don’t skip meals. This will help regulate your body and prevent eating when you’re not supposed to.

Hope you enjoyed and found these sugary tips useful. Are there any tips or tricks you use to fight sugar cravings? I’d love to hear them!

photo credit: Flóra