2010 February | My Health Villa - Everything Health....all Under One Roof!

The #1 Reason why People don’t Lose Weight?

February 23, 2010 By kbuchanan 3 Comments

The title of this post is actually the title of a blogpost I saw on www.diet.com. It certainly caught my eye, so I had to find out what this #1 reason was.

The article at www.diet.com states that the #1 reason why people don’t lose weight is that they do strictly cardio workouts without doing any resistance or weight training. The article goes on to talk about reasons why, specifically, women do not do any weight training. Go ahead and have a read for yourself.

Weight training

I agree with the author that weight training is very important for your weight loss. This is for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, by getting your body toned up, gaining more muscle mass, you are actually causing your body to burn more calories at ALL times. Even when sleeping. That’s right. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so by putting some weight/resistance training into your fitness regime you are helping your body work to your advantage in your weight loss goals.

Secondly, by doing some weight training, you are working out different parts of your body. When people simply follow a cardio routine, they tend to do the same thing day after day. Some people like running. Some people like cycling. Some people like aerobics classes. Whatever it is, if that is all you do, your body does get used to it. That is not to say that you aren’t burning calories and doing a good thing for your body, but it is even better to have some weight training to keep it interesting for your muscles.

#1 Reason?

While I think that weight lifting is important for those trying to lose weight (and for those just trying to be healthy), I don’t think it is the #1 reason why people don’t lose weight. I believe that DIET is the #1 reason why people don’t lose weight. I think many individuals struggle with what the “right” things to eat are. And even when people think they know the “right” things to eat, they have a hard time changing their habits.

Their is so much conflicting information out there about how to lose weight – what the heck are you supposed to believe?

Well, I whole-heartedly believe in following a wholesome, natural diet. None of this low-fat stuff. None of this low-carb stuff. I like balanced eating.

If you are trying to get a kick-start on your weight loss and want some guidance on what to do, if you haven’t yet downloaded my free report on weight and fat loss, have a look at it now. There is a download option in the top right corner of this site. And feel free to send me questions if you want to know any specific information.

To your health,

Kimberly

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: Diet, health, Healthy, natural weight loss, weight loss

Is your Thyroid Working Properly?

February 17, 2010 By kbuchanan Leave a Comment

Do you suffer with any of these symptoms?

fatigue
weakness
weight gain
difficulty losing weight
coarse, dry hair,
dry skin
hair loss
cold intolerance (you can’t tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
constipation
depression
irritability
memory loss
abnormal menstrual cycles
decreased libido.

If so, you could potentially have a thyroid problem. Many people out there do, but don’t know it. And as discussed in another great Precision Nutrition article, there are many different problems all related to the thyroid, so how do you know if you are one of those people with one of those problems?

Read here. As I’ve said before, you do need to become a member of the Precision Nutrition site to view the article, but it’s free.

Enjoy!

To your health,

Kimberly

Filed Under: Wellness Tagged With: fatigue, health, thyroid, weight gain

Lentil and Rice Casserole Recipe

February 15, 2010 By kbuchanan Leave a Comment

My husband treated me to a surprise home cooked dinner over the weekend for Valentine’s Day. It was a recipe we had not tried before, but it was delicious! We found it in the Cookshelf Vegetarian book by Jenny Stacey, but changed it a little bit.

Lentil & Rice Casserole

225g red split lentils

50g brown rice

1 liter vegetable stock

100ml dry white wine

1 leek, cut into chunks

250g sweetcorn

100g green beans

50g broccoli florets

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp each of ground cumin, chili powder, garam masala

salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Put the lentils, rice, stock, and white wine in a casserole dish and cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes, stirring once in awhile.

2. Add all other ingredients, other than salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Vegetables should be tender, but not limp.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Protein

If you read my recent post about vegetarian/vegan sources of protein, you’ll notice that this recipe has lentils and brown rice in it. These are both good non-animal sources of protein. And the vegetables have some protein too. You could add peas or spinach to increase it even more.

To your health,

Kimberly

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: lentil and rice, lentil recipe, protein source, recipes, vegetarian

Top 10 sources of Protein for Vegans

February 11, 2010 By kbuchanan Leave a Comment

My husband and I have been talking about trying out the vegan lifestyle. He is already a vegetarian and I don’t eat much meat, but for various reasons we’ve considered going vegan – or at least doing it for a period of time.

So…I’ve been looking at what the top sources of protein are for non-animal/non-animal product eaters. For the most part they were pretty much what I would have expected, but a couple were a surprise.

Here are the Top 10 –

1. Tempeh (a soybean based food)

2. Seitan (wheat based, but not starchy, supposedly a good mock meat)

3. Soybeans

4. Other types of beans

5. Tofu

6. Quinoa (this is a grain, but when cooked has a similar consistency to rice or couscous)

7. Peas

8. Peanut butter/almond butter (or just the nuts themselves, seeds are good as well)

9. Brown rice

10. Spinach

I haven’t actually tried either of the first two on the list, but everything else I have. They all make for delicious meals or snacks.

One thing not to forget is that vegetables are a great source of protein. Peas and spinach (as listed above) are two of the most protein rich vegetables, but many other vegetables have protein as well. So, as a vegan (or vegetarian, or even a meat eater), just by including lots of vegetables in your diet, you ARE getting protein. It is easy to forget this.

I’ll be posting some great recipes using the above ingredients, so make sure to check back with us.

To your health

Kimberly

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: protein, vegan, vegan protein, vegetarian

An Easy Way to increase your Weight Loss and Improve your Health

February 8, 2010 By kbuchanan Leave a Comment

Quick and Easy

Nowadays a LOT of people are looking for the quick, easy way to lose weight. Every month, there is a new pill, celebrity diet, or other fad idea to help you get rid of your excess pounds. Why is it that so many people (in many countries, not just the USA) are still overweight? Well, these fads are not the solution for long-term weight loss and health.

Surround yourself with the Right people

One easy step you can take to start your healthy, natural weight and fat loss is by surrounding yourself with people who also want to live a healthy lifestyle. It is totally free! And natural!

When you hang out with people who like to be active, and people who have healthy eating habits, it is SO much easier to also have those habits. The peer “influence” in this case is a really positive thing. When you end up going to friends houses for dinner, or entertaining people in your own home, you can be more confident that the food choices will be in line with what you like to put in your mouth and that the people coming to see you will be happy with the healthy things you are making for them.

Additionally, when you say you’re going to go to the gym after work, or go for a jog on the weekend, your friends or colleagues will support you in that. They won’t try to steer you away from that because they understand the importance of exercise.

It is incredible what peer influence does to a person. We always think about it in terms of teenagers and smoking, drugs, drinking, or cutting classes. We often talk about kids and whether or not they are hanging with the “wrong crowd.” But, that mentality is much less often applied to adults.

But, that doesn’t mean that peer pressure ends when you become an adult. And health and wellness is a perfect example of this.

How to do this

If you already have lots of friends and family around you who have healthy lifestyle habits, then great. Let those people help influence the way you’re living your life. If they invite you to go for a hike, bike ride, jog, or tennis game, say yes. It is fun socially and also great for your health.

If you don’t already have people around you with good eating or exercise habits, then you need to do something about it. I’m not saying you should disown your current friends and family, but just try to meet some new people. There are lots of clubs out there for joggers, walkers, hikers, or just about anything fitness related. There are also group exercise classes at gyms. You can start attending something like that and meet new people that way.

Try to find a healthy cooking club somewhere in your area. That is also a fun way to meet new people with similar values. Or you can always just find an online forum about health and weight loss. This isn’t as effective as being with people face to face, but it’s a good first step.

Another really important thing to do is to talk to your current friends and family who don’t share your same desires to be healthy. Let them know that you would like their help and support in being a healthy person. Let them know that your goals are important to you. If they are true friends, they should respect that. Maybe some of them will even join you

Peer influence will always be a part of life, so why not make it a positive influence? Something to help you meet your weight loss and fitness goals.

To your health,

Kimberly

Filed Under: Wellness Tagged With: Diet, exercise, health, Healthy, weight loss

Why NOT to Skimp on your Hiking Gear

February 5, 2010 By kbuchanan Leave a Comment

For anyone out there who does a lot of walking, hiking, camping, or any other outdoor activities, you probably will laugh when you read this post, but for all the other people out there, who, like me, just take up these kinds of things once in awhile, read on…

Lake District

This article’s concept comes from my first hand experience doing some walking in the UK last year. I am a California girl truly, but have been living in England for over 5 years now. Everyone had said what a beautiful place the Lake District was, so my husband and I ventured up there last autumn. Outdoor stuff is such a great way to get some exercise.

Now, just to set the scene, I’m not a girly girl, but I’m also not a regular outdoorsy person. Or at least, I’m not an “I can deal with any kind of weather” kind of person. Remember, I grew up in southern California – I’ve been spoiled with year round mild temperatures, little rain, etc. So, I’ve done some camping, hiking, and rock climbing while growing up, but it was almost always sunny, warm conditions.

Needless to say, the UK’s climate is much different to what I’m used to.

Before we did any walking in the Lake District, my husband (who is English, and ex-Army, so knows about being prepared) insisted that I get some waterproof clothing, some appropriate walking boots, and even a waterproof cover for my daypack. I thought he was being ridiculous, but he wouldn’t let us go anywhere without these things!

My Bad Choice

Anyway, I had already purchased a waterproof jacket and boots in the end of summer sales, so I was content with those. But, then I had to look for some waterproof trousers. As I hate spending money on things like this (which I know I will only use a couple of times each year) I scrounged around for a bargain. Eventually I found this pair of waterproofs for £10 that were 100% polyester. I thought this was a great find and didn’t hesitate buying them!

Moving onto the use of these trousers – the first day we didn’t do a very high peak, so all the clothing was fine. But, when day two came around and we did a much higher, much steeper peak, things went wrong.

The Problem

Once we got to the second highest park of the walk, the fog came in really quickly, it started raining, and the wind was so strong that I literally went down on all fours because I felt like I was going to be blown away. (Not my normal California weather!) The problem with the trousers was not that they weren’t waterproof, but that they weren’t breathable.

What I mean by this is that my body heat and sweat were being held in by the waterproofs. So, my cotton trousers underneath the waterproof trousers were totally drenched. When you add this to the already cold and windy conditions, I was in bad shape. My body just couldn’t get warm and my clothes felt so uncomfortable. But, what do you do at the top of a mountain? You have to just grin and bear it..and get yourself down to the bottom.

The Moral

Clearly I survived the experience, but if I had to do it over, I would have bought different pants! That £10 I spent was a total waste, as I will never use those again. If you require waterproof clothing for something you’re planning, don’t make the same mistake that I made – don’t skimp on your gear.

Spend a little bit more and get something that will actually benefit you if the weather is different than what you anticipated. Many good quality hiking clothes are made of a special nylon that is quiet, so as not to annoy you (or wildlife) all day long. Nylon dries quickly and is lightweight.

Gore-Tex products are also a good buy. They have been innovators in the “outdoor gear” industry since the 1970′s. In fact, their website states that their mantra is dry=comfortable. I can verify the truth in that statement now that I’ve had my bad experience

Check out a few options here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unisex-Waterproof-Breathable-Trousers-XSmall/dp/B000VDNIZU/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1265539334&sr=1-16#moreAboutThisProduct

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berghaus-Deluge-Waterproof-Overtrouser-Medium/dp/B000PCVE30/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1265539622&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berghaus-Mens-Goretex-Paclite-Pants/dp/B000PCW8PI/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1265539522&sr=1-15

To your health (and staying dry!),

Kimberly

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: exercise, gore-tex, health, lake district, walking

Recipe for a vegetarian burger

February 3, 2010 By kbuchanan 1 Comment

Even for non-vegetarians, vegetarian burgers can be a delicious choice for a meal. I will almost always choose a veggie burger over a real one. Depending on what you put in your veggie burger, they can be a great thing to add to your diet if you’re trying to lose weight, consume more vegetables, or just be a healthier person.

I found a recipe for a vegan burger on http://www.simpleveganrecipes.co.uk, which I thought was worth sharing. The great thing about this recipe is that it uses no animal products and has beans in it for that extra protein and fibre content. And you can change up the spices a little bit to suit your preferences.

For you vegetarians out there who feel like you miss out on barbeque season, I would imagine you can take this same recipe and grill the burgers rather than frying them. I’m certainly going to try it…once some barbeque weather is here.

Butter Bean Burgers

1 onion, chopped finely

1 red or green pepper, chopped finely

1 carrot, grated

4 oz. (100g) breadcrumbs

1 tin butter beans

Ground cumin

Ground coriander

Chili powder

Soya flour

What to do

Fry onion, carrot and pepper for 5 minutes.

Place them in a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, 1 tsp. each of cumin, coriander and chilli. Add a little salt and pepper, 1 tbsp. soya flour. Mash the butter beans and add them. Mix well.

Form the mixture into 4 thick burgers and coat them with flour.

Fry the burgers for 20 minutes and serve with vegetables.

Serves 2-4

Enjoy – and let me know what you think about it or if you have some good variations.

To your health

Kimberly

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: bean burger, health, Lose Weight, recipes, vegan, vegetarian

The Importance of Walking

February 1, 2010 By kbuchanan Leave a Comment

Walking: Get Moving

I have written previously on this site about the importance of walking when it comes to weight loss, weight maintenance, and general health and wellness. But, I want to write about it again because I’m personally experiencing the effects of not walking as much.

For the last five years, I have walked at least a couple of miles 5 times a week. This was simply getting to and from the train station, then to and from my office building after getting off the train.

Without making many other changes in my life, this daily walking helped me lose almost fifteen pounds. Now, that was gradual weight loss, but it was without any effort, dieting, starvation, extreme fitness, or anything else. It was great!

For the past six months, I have been working three or four days a week at a different location…somewhere I can’t walk to. I haven’t replaced that walking with any other form of regular exercise, apart from the exercise I was doing before this change in job location. And now, finally, six months later I really feel the difference. I feel it mainly in the belly area and in my legs. It feels awful.

I’m telling you this for a couple of reasons.

Two lessons

Firstly, I want to stress the importance of consistent exercise, like walking. You don’t need to have a crazy fitness plan to get yourself in better shape. You just need to have some consistent level of fitness in your life. You need to get up and move. And if you can break it up into a couple of shorter sessions during the day, that is great . If you can do some or all of that activity first thing in the morning, before you eat breakfast, even better. I honestly believe that getting some exercise first thing in the morning, before you’ve consumed any calories, is the best way to start the day.

Secondly, I think it is interesting that it took a full six months of getting out of my walking routine before my body started putting weight on again. What this means to me is that once I get my body into good shape and do good things for it, it can hold those good results for a time without as much effort. (i.e. it is easier to maintain your weight than it is to lose weight)

What does this mean for you?

No matter what shape you are in, adding some walking to your daily routine can bring amazing benefits. My experience with walking has been mostly weight related, but walking is great for other things too. Walking keeps your joints more flexible. Walking keeps your digestive system working better. Walking is great for your heart. Etc.

If you can find a friend or a group of people to walk with, it makes it easy to make it part of your routine. Or just try to walk for twenty minutes in the morning before you go to work. Even substituting one of your drives during the day (say, to the supermarket), can be a good start. However you fit it in, just start walking. You will feel great and lose weight.

To your health,

Kimberly

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: Diet, health, walking, weight loss, Wellness