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Ajima Jackson

Michaela lost 80 pounds

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Update: I was featured in May (about 3 months ago) and I just wanted to send in an update to let you know that I have lost an additional 21 pounds for a total of 101 pounds gone.

michaela weight loss update

 

May 2015: Weight Loss Story: Michaela lost 80 pounds in 8 months. After gaining a significant amount of baby weight and not having lost it year later, she decided that it was time to change for her own happiness.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

Michaela before and after

Hi, my name is Michaela. I gained 120 pounds during my pregnancy 5 years ago and I could never get the weight off.  That was until one day i looked in the mirror and realized that I had to look from within and be happy with what I saw before I could be happy with my body. My motivation and inspiration has been my son. I wanted to be able to keep up with him easily. He is very active. I’ve lost 80 pounds in 8 months and never felt better (height: 5’11”).

On my weight loss journey, I continued to eat all of my favorite foods, including fried chicken and pasta, but I learned that moderation is key. I cut my portion sizes in half and started filling up on veggies first at meal time.  In terms of exercise, I did a lot of cardio. I work security on a night shift, so I often ran while conducting tours, so I worked out for about 1 hour, 5 days a week. My advice to other people is to be realistic and follow an eating plan that you can stick to for more than a week. Don’t focus so much on a number, but focus on how you feel

Facebook: michaelakinard

Healthy Fats vs. Unhealthy Fats

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healthy fats vs unhealthy fatsIt’s unfortunate that the term fat is viewed as something negative or unhealthy most of the time. In reality, healthy fats are very important for our overall health and shouldn’t be viewed as something to avoid.

There are both healthy fats and unhealthy fats in food products. Sometimes these fats are found naturally in a variety of foods. They can also be produced through altering fats with heat and chemicals through a manufacturing process. Understanding the difference between these fats is important for your health, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

Types of Fats

Dietary fats are fats from plant or animal. These fats are actually an energy source for the body and many of them should be eaten for your overall health. For a healthy brain, liver and heart, understanding the role of fat and how much you should eat is key. Like many things in life however, moderation is important, as too much of a good thing can easily become harmful.

Here are 5 types of dietary fats you are going to encounter, some of which are healthier for you than others.

  • Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are those that primarily come from an animal. This includes all types of meats and dairy. It has long been believed that eating saturated fats will increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes. As high-meat diets like paleo become more popular however, studies are coming out that don’t support the theory that all saturated fats are bad. It is important to research this controversial fat yourself to come up with an educated opinion.

Here are a few sources with strong research contradicting the belief of saturated fats being dangerous:

The best way to come up with an educated opinion about saturated fats is seeing the studies for yourself and consulting with dieticians or doctors on both side of the argument. If you decide to change your diet and include saturated fats, keeping up with regular blood tests will show you if your bad cholesterol levels rise or not.

  • Trans Fats

Trans fats are another common type of fat that is also hotly debated in the health and fitness world. There are two types of trans fats: natural trans fats and artificial trans fats. Natural trans fats can be found in some animal products along with saturated fats. Similarly to saturated fats, people usually recommend you avoid natural trans fats totally or don’t worry about them. Most health experts will agree that artificial trans fats can be dangerous in terms of health.  Top sources of trans fats: Fast Food, Margarine and Baked Goods.

Artificial trans fats are created by combining hydrogen with vegetable oils in a specific manufacturing process. You will usually see these fats as partially hydrogenated oils in many common foods. These artificial trans fats are not natural and therefore already suspect when it comes to health. Studies also support than these artificial trans fats can increase the risk of heart disease. One such study can be found here by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition.

  • Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are found in different foods as well as oils. Doctors tend to agree that these fats, also referred to as MUFAs, are heart healthy and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. You can find a study on that subject done by the AHA Science Advisory here. It is also widely believed that MUFAs can help those with type 2 diabetes.  These fats can be found in healthy sources, like nuts, seeds, fish, avocado, olives, olive oil, sesame oil and peanut oil.

  • Polyunsaturated fats

Polyunsaturated fats, or PUFAs, are most common in oil and plants. Similarly to the above monounsaturated fats, PUFAs are believed to reduce heart disease and is especially helpful for those with type 2 diabetes. Fatty fish and flaxseed oil are great sources of this fat.

  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are often recognized as being a healthy fat that most people lack in their diet. Omega-3 fats are a type of PUFA and believed to be the healthiest type of PUFA fat. Doctors also suggest that these fats lower blood pressure as well. Omega-3 fatty acids primarily come from oily fish though there are some plant sources as well. The body uses these fats from fish most efficiently however.

How Fat Affects Cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterol: low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is considered to be the bad cholesterol since it takes cholesterol from the liver. HDL is considered the good cholesterol since it takes cholesterol away from the body and back to the liver. High LDL increases the risk of heart disease while high levels of HDL with decrease the risk. When it comes to fats it is commonly believed that saturated and trans fats will raise LDL. You can find an excellent resource on what cholesterol does on this CSU website.

The subject of fat can be very, very complicated, especially when looking into contradicting research. Striving to eat a healthy diet with whole foods is one of the best way to ensure you are getting the healthy fats you need. Make an extra effort to eat more fish and plant-based fat sources, like coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil for cooking, and that will further help ensure you are getting the right fats.  Each person’s needs are different, so keep your medical issues in mind and speak with your doctor if you are concerned about how fat can affect your heart, liver, cholesterol levels, etc.

5 Free Wellness Apps That Can Help You Reach Your Goals

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5 free wellness apps

The biggest struggles of weight loss and just improving your overall wellness involves a combination of remembering to write down what you eat, keeping track of your weight loss, calculating how far your run was and other such chores that can be easily forgotten.

Tracking your progress in the form of calories, miles ran and workout time is important for motivation and overall improvement of your health since it will allow you to see where you may be missing out. Since most people have a smartphone with them everywhere they go, mobile health and fitness apps have become quite popular.

Save yourself the time of searching for the best health and fitness app and download one of these 5 instead.

  1. MyFitnessPal

my fitness palIf you could only download one app, MyFitnessPal would be an ideal choice. This app allows you to keep a food journal, track your workouts and see your overall weight loss progress all in one spot. Some specific features include:

  • A huge 5 million food database
  • Add your own foods easily and quickly into your own personal database
  • Set very specific nutrition goals for any diet
  • Track water consumption
  • Set reminders for adding food and exercise progress
  • You can add a sync a step tracking device to the app
  • App syncs automatically on mobile and online
  • App is one of the easiest to use and set up beautifully

The app hits every single requirement of a good health and fitness app for weight loss. It is perfect for people brand new to using these types of apps and equally appealing to tech-junkies who crave a well-designed, quick to use app. You can also access your MFP information online. You will not be disappointed with this one.

  1. Fooducate

fooducateFooducate is an amazing app for those who don’t want to just count calories but really track the nutritional value of the foods they eat. This app uses a grading system to allow you to easily judge the quality of food you may buy. Being able to take our your phone right in the grocery store and scan a barcode means you’re more apt to do it.

Other features of the Fooducate app include:

  • A-D food grading system so you can judge the health at a glance
  • App will give you pros and cons of the food
  • Focus more on the quality of the food you eat rather than how many calories
  • Will show you hidden ingredients not easily deciphered from just reading the nutrition label
  • Add in your own food that you eat often to make using the app easier
  • Includes personalization for elimination diets like gluten-free
  • Takes health conditions like illness and pregnancy into consideration

You can also track exercise with Fooducate though it primarily focuses on diet. This app also connects to Apple’s Health app to make sync both apps seamless. If you really want to know what you are eating or are needing to carefully keep track of what you eat because of food allergies, this app should be on your phone.

  1. Lose It!

loseitappLose It! uses a combination of tried and true weight loss methods like calorie counting backed with friendly community of peers there to motivate you. This app has quite a few features and works well as a stand-alone app much like MyFitnessPal.

Here are a few of Lose It!’s features:

  • Allows you to set goals for weight, sleep, blood pressure and exercise
  • Track body measurements
  • Large food database with ability to add your own foods
  • Scan barcodes on food items to make tracking easier
  • You can be as open and social as you want with the community, or make it totally private
  • Set up community fitness and diet challenges

Lose It! is a really fun app and a great choice for people who really want a social experience when it comes to weight loss and overall health. This app is also available on more uncommon platforms like the Nook and Kindle.

  1. Noom Coach

Noom Coach is a solely mobile-based app that includes the ability to track diet and exercise for those who are striving for weight loss. This app is praised as being more than an app to count calories but rather an app made for the everyday person who is more concerned about health than numbers.

Here are a couple of Noom Coach’s features:

  • Color coded nutrition feedback
  • Built in barcode scanner
  • App memory for favorite foods
  • Syncs with its own pedometer
  • Offers health-related articles daily
  • Very supportive community and forum to answer your questions

Noom Coach also claims that 9 out of 10 users have lost weight, with 10 lbs in 2 months being the average.  The basic version is free.  Upgrade for more features, like support groups and coaching.

  1. Endomondo

Last but not least is the app Endomondo. Endomondo is all about exercise. This GPS-based exercise tracker focuses on distance exercises like walking, running, biking, kayaking and more. This app will be an invaluable tool for those who participants in these activities.

By using Endomondo you’ll be able to:

  • See a live map of your workout and distance ran
  • Sync a heartrate monitor to view your stats while exercising
  • Includes customized tracking for more than 40 sports
  • Syncs with the music on your phone so you can listen and run/walk/bike/etc
  • Set up challenges in the Endomondo community
  • Shows workout history and goals
  • Motivates you with audio tracks

Though Endomondo isn’t a standalone fitness app since it lacks the diet aspect and goal setting, it is still a must download for anyone exercising at distances, even if you just enjoy walking. This app will also be ideal for those who compete or plan to compete in distance events, like 5k runs.

Health and fitness apps can really be invaluable tools, especially if you are just starting a new lifestyle. They simplify the whole process of creating and scheduling workouts, food journaling and tracking progress. If you don’t already have these 5 apps, visit the iTunes or Google Play store to download them.

Honorable Mentions: I also have to mention FitBit’s online community and app, the MapMyFitness app and the FatSecret app.  These are solid choices as well.

Alexis lost 24 pounds

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Update 2017: Alexis wrote in to share how she’s kept the pounds off over the last 2 years. This busy teacher and mom of two is still making time to workout and eat clean.

Alexis before and after

I am currently weigh 145 pounds and the last 2 years have been about maintaining. Although, I am not as lean as I was when I was first featured back in 2015, I feel  just as strong… if not stronger. I’m satisfied with the progress I’ve made over these few years. I workout 6 days a week and eat clean about 80% of the time. When I started, this was all supposed to be a quick fix but 4 years later, I’ve made it a lifestyle. I work full time and have two young children, but I still make time for me.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned on this journey is that you have to love yourself at every stage of the journey. For me, that has been the hardest part. The advice that I would share about keeping the weight off: Make it a lifestyle, not just a season in your life. Being consistent is a big part of being successful. Don’t always use the scale as a tool to measure progress because sometimes it can be discouraging. Take pictures, measurements, or have goal outfits. Do the work and you will see the results.

Instagram: @lex_ercising

2015: Transformation of the Day: Alexis lost 24 pounds and lots of inches, going from a size 10/12 to a size 4/6.  This proud mom and educator embraced clean eating, running, weight training and interval training. She was inspired by the stories of others to start her journey and now she is an inspiration.  Here is what she shared with us…

alexis before and after

I’m a wife and mother of two. I work full-time as a high school math teacher. I started my weight loss/healthier lifestyle in July of 2013. I started by walking/jogging  3 miles everyday until I could run the full 3 miles. I trained for a half marathon, ran that and slowly started to incorporate other fitness routines into my daily life.  I’m very busy but I’ve found time for me. Overall, it’s been beneficial for my family as a whole, especially my children. Overall I’ve lost 24 pounds and countless inches. Thank you.

My motivation started as just simply wanting to lose weight because I was uncomfortable in my own skin. As time went on, I’d have to say my motivation was my children. I wanted to be healthy for them and also show them the importance of being healthy. Surprisingly,  I was inspired by the some of the instagram pages where I was seeing ordinary people/moms just like me who had transformed their lives and bodies just by eating healthy and exercising. I thought , if they could do it, so could I.

I started to track calories using the My Fitness Pal app. I eat clean about 80% of the time, meaning fruits, vegetables, and very little processed food. I bought the fitness blender meal plan 2 years ago which helped me stay on track and also gave me so many meal ideas that I still use till this day. In the beginning, I would do at least 3 miles a day running as long as I could and also walking. I did this until I could run a full 3 miles. Eventually, I trained and did a half marathon. I wasn’t  happy with the results I was getting from running so I started incorporating interval training and finally added in weight training. That’s when I got the real results. I do all of my workouts at home. In the two years that I’ve been doing this I have never been to a gym, used pills, wraps or shakes .

My starting weight in July of 2013 was 162 pounds and I currently weigh 138 pounds (I am 5’2″ tall). I started at a size 10/12 and can now wear 4/6.

My advice for others who want to lose weight is once you start be persistent and consistent. Workout even when you don’t want to. Know that, you may not see instant results but they are coming. Trust the process. If you put the work in you will see the pay off. Don’t starve or deprive yourself of foods you love. Moderation is key. If I can do it with two kids (3 and 5 years old), a husband, and a full time job, so can you. No excuses :).

Instagram: @pink_fitness3

alexis transformation story

Fay lost 50 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Fay lost 50.4 pounds. She lost 75 inches overall, 13.5 inches off her waist and dropped 6 dress sizes. Fay was extremely dedicated to her weight loss journey because her health was at stake. She had some great help on her journey as well.  Here is what she shared with us…

fay before and after

What was your motivation?
My name is Fay and I’m a mother of 3 children. In 2013, I had reached my highest weight of 233.4 lbs. I was feeling very unhealthy and at times I felt like I was going to have a stroke. I went to the doctor for a physical and my fears were confirmed my blood pressure was 150/100. He told me if I lost at least 10 lbs he thought my blood pressure would go down. Otherwise I would have to start taking medication to control it. My other motivation was my youngest son, I wanted to be able to run and play with him without feeling out of breath. At 233 pounds, it was a chore just to walk up the stairs. Now, everyday my son and I race from the parking lot to the school front door and it makes me feel great that I can keep up with him.

What inspired you?
For a few months prior to my doctors appointment I saw a page on Facebook called Fitness on Fire. It had videos and pictures of everyday people that were losing weight on this program and they all seemed so happy with their progress. I decided to give this program I try. I figured it was my last chance to get this right and I was determined that I would not fail.

How did you change your eating habits?
I followed the guidance of my online nutritionist, NutritionistGuru. She showed me how to eat the foods that I love but the healthy way. She taught about balance and also how to understand nutrition. She is on Facebook and is the nutritionist for Fitness on Fire Online Training. I stopped eating fast food, junk food and stopped choosing the wrong restaurants. I started to eat more protein, vegetables, fruits and drink lots of water

What did your workout routines look like?
I followed the plan designed for me by my online trainer. He had me doing a lot of endurance training while my nutritionist monitored what I ate. I got up every morning at 4:00 am for 6 days a week. My workouts consisted of cardio and weight training and following a plan designed to target problem areas, while focusing on endurance and strength training.

What was your starting weight?
233.4 pounds

What is your current weight?
183 pounds (height: 5’2″) My transformation took approximately 9 months.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
My advice is if you are looking to start your transformation journey or you are presently on your journey, don’t look at how far you have to go. Take it one day at a time and one pound at a time. My nutritionist always says it took time to put on the weight and you can’t expect the weight to come off overnight. Consistency and patience are the keys to this journey . No matter how small the change is that you see, it means that your are one step closer to your transformation.

Instagram: @brownsugar_ft

Fitness on Fire Training: www.facebook.com/fitnessonfirenewyork
Instagram: @king_of_the_fire @fitness_on_fire @NutritionistGuru

Barbara lost 44 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Barbara lost 44 pounds. She is the proud mom of Morgan, who’s story we featured last month. She credits prayer, walking for exercise and low carb eating as being key to her lifestyle change. At 54 years old, she’s living the healthy life and looks amazing! Check out what she shared with us about her journey…

barbara before and after

I’m 54 year old native of The Bahamas, and I currently live on the island of Nassau. I have two daughters that I wanted to be an example for. One of them was featured on your site in April, Morgan, who lost 53lbs.

What was your motivation?
I am only 5’4″ tall and had been near 200 or just over 200 lbs for closing in on ten years. I was afraid that my weight would continue to increase if I didn’t get a grip. My health was suffering (high blood pressure/diabetes) and I was feeling tired and listless all the time. I was also motivated by the prospect of finding someone to love. I wanted to present my best imagine, not just temporarily but for many years to barbara weddingcome. (Ironically I was got married in approx. one year after the weightloss! LOL) My starting weight was 214 pounds and my current weight is 170 pounds. My transformation took 8-9 months.

How did you change your eating habits? What did your workout routines look like?
MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING WAS PRAYER – Pray for discipline and guidance. TRUST ME, PRAYER WORKS!

1.Daily exercise. Nothing elaborate. I started by doing 30 mins of walking every morning on the treadmill, then 30 mins twice a day. Now, I do one hour of walking every morning. I walk between 3.5- 4 mph. THE KEY IS CONSISTENCY! Try not to miss a day.

Barbara's daughter Morgan lost 53 pounds.
Barbara’s daughter Morgan lost 53 pounds.

2. Drink lots of water!! (Up to 1/2 gallon/day). I drink lemon water upon arising. (1-2 lemons in 8 oz water. I usually drink this before my daily exercise) Try not to drink anything else but water. Sometimes I use low calorie soy or almond milk to mix a drink called GlucAffect up to three times a day, which is supposed to help regulate my blood sugar and help with weight loss. On rare occasions I drink 4-6 oz of juice, but no more than once daily.

3. Absolutely no added sugar, no bread, no rice, no potatoes and avoid all other starches. If you must eat starch do so in tiny amounts. Eat more protein to take away the hunger pangs. ie fish, chicken, turkey, beans, nut or other foods high in protein.

4. I ate ONLY fruit in the mornings, and a handful of almonds if hungry. (My fruit combo every morning is 1 grapefruit – 5-6 strawberries, 1 kiwi fruit, handful of blueberries.)

5. At lunchtime I ate a raw vegetable salad with protein (ie. tuna salad) or soup (lentil soup, split pea soup, black bean soup etc). NO crackers or bread. I only drank water with this meal.

6. Dinner – I tried not to eat anything at all after 6pm. If I did eat dinner, I ate a salad or soup again. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T SKIP MEALS! Skipping meals will only slow down the weight loss process. At the same time, do not overeat.

I also used a combination of black seed oil (1 tsp), cinnamon (1 tsp) and honey (1TBS) in a 1/4 glass of water 30 mins before eating anything in the morning and at nights before going to bed. Not sure if it works but its supposed to help with the weight loss process.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Pray for the motivation and the discipline. DO NOT give up if you fall back into old habits – get back up and try again! Remember that everything you do is a CHOICE! Do not let your body control your mind!

Check out Barbara’s Facebook group.
www.facebook.com/groups/myweightlosstips/

Nickey lost 60 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Nickey lost 60 pounds, going from a size 20 to a size 10/12.  Her motivation was wanting to be there for her children for the long haul.  She shared with us about how she released the weight..

nickey before and after

Over the past four years I had gained so much weight.  I weighed 230 pounds and I’m 5’4″ tall.  My children where my motivation because I wanted to be around to raise them, so I was on my way to loosing weight.

I kept telling myself you are getting too big and unhealthy.  I started suffering from high blood pressure and I noticed that I had gained over 50 lbs.  I knew that I needed to do something about this weight.  I started walking  four laps around the track three time a week. On days that I couldn’t go to the track, I walked around by blocks. I didn’t just stop eating. I changed how much I was eating by eating certain foods in moderation and changing my portion sizes.  I also stopped eating a lot of fried foods. Instead, I grilled, baked, and broiled what I ate.  I did this for about six months and I lost 60 lbs. Now I’m down to 170 pounds. I went from wearing a size 20 to wearing a size 10/12 and I no longer have to take blood pressure medicine.

Natalie lost 84 pounds with surgery.

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Natalie lost 84 pounds with weight loss surgery and portion control.  She was suffering with health issues, like sleep apnea, knee issues and diabetes.  Her health has improved and she’s feeling blessed.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

natalie before and after

I weighed about 320 pounds in February 2014. I cut back on my food portions and lost 10 lbs, but still had too much weight on me. I also had health problems, like sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, knee problem and others. I decided to have a weight loss surgery.

I lost another 20 lbs before having gastric bypass surgery on September 2014. After the surgery, my diabetes and sleep apnea improved. I lost 54.4 lbs in six months. I’ve lost a total of 84.4 lbs in 1 year (height: 5’2″). I feel and look so much better. I did this for me because I want to be around here for a long time. This has been a struggle but the results keep a smile on my face and the pounds keep melting away.

How did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating habits by cutting down on portions by using a child’s plate instead of a regular plate. I also started eating more fruits and vegetables and stopped eating sweets and drinking soda.

What did your workout routines look like?
Because of a previous knee replacement surgery, I work out in the pool exercising 3 days a week from 45 min to 1 ½ hour. I also have exercise programs, like Biggest Loser, that I do daily from 15 min to 30 min.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
I would advise others to start eating healthy and exercising daily to reduce excess fat.

Instagram: @MISSPASTOR

8 Benefits of Eating Locally and Organically

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eating local and organicOne of the most beneficial things you can do for your overall well-being and health is to eat locally grown foods, especially those that are organic, as much as possible.  There are many reasons why it is a good idea to eat organic foods from your local farmer’s market or foods that are sourced locally by grocery stores. Even non-organic local produce has benefits. Here are just a few benefits to consider.

  • Eating Locally Saves Money

Eating food grown locally is sometimes less expensive than conventionally grown foods at the grocery store. Since local growers don’t have to add delivery and storage expenses to their prices you can often save money. This is especially true in remote areas like Hawaii, Alaska or any place that has to import their groceries over sea.

  • Eating Organically Reduces Exposure to Pesticides

A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives shows that those who eat organically have lower levels DAPs, or dialkylphosphates, in their bodies. DAP’s coincide with levels of organophosphates in the body so the lower the DAPs, the fewer pesticides have been consumed.

  • Organic and Local Foods are More Flavorful

It’s not just hearsay that organic and locally grown foods just plain taste better than conventionally grown produce. Even dairy products and meats that were grown organically taste better to many people. Produce grown locally is typically fresher and often picked at ripening rather than picked early and ripened in box. Organic produce is free from many chemicals which improves flavor.  Look for food that is IN SEASON to get the best tasting food.

  • Local Foods Have More Nutrients

Locally grown produce is healthier and more nutritious, even compared to organic grocery store produce. As mentioned above about ripeness, locally grown foods don’t just taste better because they are ripe but this ripeness also contains more vitamins and minerals compared to food that has been shipped and sitting for a while. Also, when produce is picked or harvested before it’s ripe, it will still ripen but simply can’t contain the vitamins a naturally ripened fruit or vegetable does.

  • Organic Foods Don’t Contain Antibiotics

Similarly to pesticides in produce, conventional meat and dairy tends to also be exposed to  antibiotics. Many people feel that meat and dairy products that are organic often taste much better as well as being potentially healthier. The antibiotics used in non-organic dairy and beef cows can harm the healthy bacteria in our stomachs which in turn weakens our immune system. Many people wonder if antibiotic use in food is contributing to antibiotic resistance in terms of fighting illness.

  • Supporting Local Farms Improves Economy

Local farmers and gardeners often struggle with their way of life. In today’s world many people are becoming more conscious of where there money is spent and who their money supports. Choosing to give your money to local farmers in a win-win situation. You get a much higher quality food and help them continue to grow the produce they raise and that we need.

  • Organic Foods Have More Antioxidants

Many of the healthy antioxidants in produce is lost during conventional growing procedures. Organic food contains far more antioxidants which directly improve the health of your body. Organic food that has been grown in state or in a neighboring state will contain the most antioxidants.

  • Eating Locally Gives Opportunity to Experiment

This might seem like an odd benefit but when you create a relationship with local growers the way you eat can really improve. When you shop at a grocery store it is easy to get stuck in a rut of buying the same produce. This limits the variety of food you eat and the way you eat your food. As you start buying locally from different farmers you will often have opportunity to try produce you may never have bought normally. You also will learn to buy foods seasonally and may even get tips from the growers and fellow farmer’s market goers about new ways to prepare the produce.

A Word about the Organic Label

Just because a label says something is organic doesn’t necessarily mean it is completely organic. First off, the USDA only requires 95% of the ingredients in organic foods to be organic. Organic produce may still contain pesticides which have been carried in the wind from neighboring non-organic fields. You can’t control the bees and the wind.

Organic crops can even contain GMOs which migrated from neighboring crops, much like the pesticides can do. Also, locally grown food doesn’t mean it’s organic. Local farmers can and do use pesticides or possibly antibiotics in their animal products so always ask if this is a concern for you.

It’s generally agreed that organic food is healthier than non-organic and local foods are healthier than grocery store produce. Making an effort to eat more organic and locals foods is a great choice to improve your diet. If you aren’t able to go completely organic, check out this list of foods you should try to eat organically.

Doneshia lost 135 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Doneshia lost 135 pounds.  She didn’t let being picked on about her weight or facing a family history of illness stop her.  By changing her eating habits, exercising regularly and putting faith in God she was able to lose weight and change her life.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

doneshia before and after

My name is Doneshia. My weight loss journey thus far has been a road to travel! Just a walk down the road I have been. Lord what a long road it has been. 135 lbs and counting gone! PRAISE THE LORD! I thank God each and every day for giving me the power of mind to endure the tests and trials that I have been through. There have been so many days that I have wanted to quit and give up, but I didn’t. I knew my goals and I still know my goals.

I was picked on by people all my life for being overweight or just for being DIFFERENT! I’m still different now. I love the new skin I’m in. I am confident and walk with boldness. Living life like it’s golden…as my sister Jill Scott best says it! With CONSISTENCY, DEDICATION AND HARD WORK IT ALL PAYS OFF. Whatever you are going after in life, it pays off. Praises to GOD, not myself! I have done this with God giving me the strength, my own goals, personal training, and great support from family and true friends! PERSERVERENCE, PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE AND PROGRESS.

I started at 300LBS and I am down to 165LBS (height 5’4″) and counting…BOOM!!! My main inspiration for not giving up many times when I wanted to was the goal that I knew I had in mind. I knew that I wanted to love a healthy and happy lifestyle. I was thinking of all the health issues on both my mom and dad side. I was just truly blessed by God not to have had any problems. My mother was also a great inspiration for me. We worked out together and were one another’s accountability partner.

With my eating habits, I had to learn to bust a lot of vices. My problem was eating potato chips, sweets and eating late at night. I now “meal prep” and plan my meals for the week for the almost most part. Sometimes, I even do my own smoothies in the place of a meal. Portion control was another key!

My workouts varied and were different. However, when I first started working out I started with Shaun T’s workout videos because I LOVE to dance and move. Then, once I got my regimne and flow going, I started walking and eventually worked my way up to running. I’ve never been able to run until now. I do lots of cardio and then alternate with weight lifting as well. Love Jillian Michaels workouts, tennis and I also hula hoop for fitness.

I started my journey December of 2013. It took 8 months of consistent hard work and dedication to actually see the main results I wanted. I am still working out and keeping myself toned.

Instagram: @gods_fav1
MyFitnessPal: savednsuccessful