Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C. It contains the antioxidant, lycopene to help combat free radicals that cause all sorts of cancer including those of the skin, pancreas, cervix and breast.

Watermelon contains beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, colon cancer and even helps to relieve complications of asthma.

Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. It is also a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium. Because of its high water content, it delivers more nutrients per calorie.

To choose the best tasting watermelon, examine the color of the fruit. It should be a deep color and not have any white streaks. If looking at a cut melon, the seeds should be a deep color.
Watermelon can be eaten any time you can find it in your grocer’s produce aisle. It is excellent as a side dish or mixed into a salad. You can cut it into cubes and refrigerate for a refreshing snack.
Watermelon mixed with thinly sliced red onion, salt and black pepper makes a great summer salad. Because the watermelon contains so much water, there is no need for a dressing, making this salad the perfect low calorie, low fat treat.
Watermelon, bananas, apple slices and orange slices make a wonderful fruit salad that contains a wealth of vitamins and nutrients And fruit salad can be made days ahead since cut fruit, if chilled, retains its nutrients for at least 6 days.

Especially if this is the first time that you have filled your pantry with healthy foods, you may need a course in Grocery Shopping 101 in order to beat back the temptations that food manufacturers have strategically placed in your path. {+}

Before leaving home, make a grocery list. But before you make a grocery list, make the upcoming week’s meal plan. Developing your meal plan doesn’t have to be difficult, but consider some of the foods that are already in your cupboard to make things easier and less expensive. Once you’ve got your meals planned out for the week, inventory the ingredients that you will need for each dish and notate the ones that you will need to purchase. After you have established what you need, make the grocery list, and list the food in order of the grocery store layout. This way you won’t go haphazardly down aisles that you don’t need to search.

Try to avoid the aisles with cookies and processed foods, such as sugary cereals. Many of these aisles are in the center of the grocery store, with the fresh items at each end of the store. Look for whole grains near the rice and pasta. Read labels to look for 100% whole-wheat to be sure you are getting whole grain products. Take some time to find the healthier foods rather than going straight for your old reliables.

Fresh vegetables and fruits should make up the largest part of your grocery list. I recommend that you eat at least seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Choose seasonal produce and get a variety, especially if you are feeding a family.

Proteins and meats should consist of mostly fish, poultry and lean meats. Eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes should be part of your list.

Beverages should be kept simple. Water, low-fat milk, juices and herbal teas are all good choices. If you opt for soft drinks, choose diet sodas and soft drinks to avoid extra sugar.

Choose low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese. Try soymilk or rice-milk for tasty alternatives to whole milk. Don’t forget, many fruits and vegetables are good sources of calcium like avocadoes for instance.

Take caution when buying dressings, cooking oils and condiments. They can be sneaky sources of refined sugars and high in fat and calories. Read labels to choose dressings made with healthy oils such as olive oil and canola oil.

Frozen vegetables are convenient and nutritious. If you are cooking for one, there are many single-serving frozen entrees that cook up in minutes. These make it easy to have a variety of vegetables, without having to throw any of it away. If you do have more than you can consume, consider saving your left over veggies to add to a soup for another meal.

Canned foods and foods in jars are very convenient. Make sure the soups and veggies that you choose are low in sodium. Avoid high-fat gravy and sauces like spaghetti and ravioli dishes.

Peanut butter sandwiches can be very healthy. Look for homemade peanut butter without added sugar.

Low-fat meats such as turkey slices, chicken or lean roast beef are better choices for sandwiches than processed lunchmeat.

Learn to Read the Food Labels
Every box of processed food includes a food label. Other foods include them too, but all processed foods are required to list the ingredients and the percentage of nutrition as compared to the RDA (Recommended Daily Requirement).

Looking at the food label above, you’ll notice the nutrition facts. Each serving size is described,
as one serving and the box contains six servings. There are 100 calories in each serving. Calories from fat are 30 calories, which is less than a third of the total calories in each serving.

Next we get the skinny on the fat content. Three grams of total fat with 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 1 gram of monounsaturated fat. This represents 8% of the recommended daily value. According to the food label, there are no trans fat and no cholesterol in this snack.

There is 120 mg of sodium in each serving, which makes up 5% of the daily requirements. Likewise the total carbohydrates are 16 grams, making it 5% of the daily requirements. 6 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein is included in each serving.

There are no significant traces of Vitamins A or C but each snack offers 4% of the daily-recommended amounts of iron.

According to this label, the Percent of Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on the amount of calories you consume in a day.

Quick Tips For Every Day Shopping
• Never go to the grocery store when you are hungry.
• Always eat a meal or light snack before heading to the store.
• Keep a cold bottle of water in your car, so you won’t be tempted to opt for a high calorie drink when you are thirsty.
• Bring a pen and check off everything on your grocery list.
• Forego the candy aisle and buy some scented candles or new kitchen gadget instead.
• Park your car further out in the parking lot, for more exercise coming in and going out.
• Don’t eat in your car. Not only will this keep your car much cleaner, it will keep you from mindlessly eating while driving down the road. We have a tendency to forget about the calories, sugar and fat that we consume when driving.
• If you will be out and about all day, bring a small cooler and stock it with fruit cups, fresh fruit, water and juice. This will give you plenty of healthy snacks and you won’t be tempted to stop at the fast food hangout.

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Perhaps you’ve tried diets and exercise before, only to find that they just didn’t work for you. Frustrated with this sense of failure, you may have given up and quit. Left with feelings of regret, you might even dread the thought of starting another program for fear that you will never succeed.

It’s time to throw off those feelings of defeat and embrace the winning spirit within you. If you are visiting this site and reading this blog, that’s proof positive that you have the desire to make a change in your life. That’s the way success begins…one little spark of curiosity, one thought, one idea and the desire to make it happen.

Are you feeling that spark today? Is there a slow fire burning inside you that’s begging you to make a change in your life? Are you ready to transform the way you look and feel?

It requires a commitment from you. That’s the secret ingredient to achieving your fit and healthy body. Making a promise to yourself and vowing to keep it, focusing on that commitment everyday will make your journey to success an easy one.

Now, I’m not discounting the challenges of exercising and staying on a diet. I know that this is easier for some people and more difficult for others. But I have also witnessed determined people lose 30 pounds while others who were less committed struggled to lose 10 pounds in the same length of time. That is the power of this secret tool.

To help boost your level of commitment, start each day with affirmations of praise and appreciation for all that you have achieved. Speak positive words of encouragement and keep a journal of everything you eat, drink, and all of your daily activities. Make a list of your goals and allow yourself time to meditate on them. You will come away feeling refreshed and ready to take your life to a new level.

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Stretching before exercising helps to warm your muscles and keeps them flexible throughout your workout.

When you exercise, your muscles naturally respond by tightening, causing your joints to feel stiff. Once the stiffness sets in, it becomes difficult to exercise or even move about. But don’t sit still and wait for the discomfort to go away. The secret is to stretch your muscles before and immediately after an exercise routine or activity.

Stretching after a workout helps to speed the removal of toxins and waste, reducing the muscle soreness that is sometimes experienced after exercising. It helps the blood flow through your muscles for better flexibility.

Relieve stress and alleviate back pain by gently stretching the muscles in your torso, neck and shoulders. Stretch the muscles in your feet prior to walking to reduce heel pain.

So, whether you need to relax, going for a power walk or just completed a resistance-training workout … be sure to stretch, stretch, stretch to provide flexibility and maintain healthy muscles and joints. I can’t say this enough. So please, stretch¬–I don’t want you to get hurt.

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1 spaghetti squash
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Boil squash in large pot for 30 minutes.
2. Allow to cool.
3. Cut squash in half.
4. With fork, separate and unthread the spaghetti pulp from the skin and place in serving dish.
5. Sprinkle with seasoning and oil, toss lightly.

Health Benefits
Low in fat and sodium, this vegetable dish is deliciously nutrient rich. An excellent source of carotenes that have been found to protect against certain cancers.

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The Diet Fibber
I knew a girl who always bragged about the incredibly low amount of calories that she consumed every day. I knew I had seen her snack on candy quite regularly and I wondered why she felt it necessary to fabricate the facts as they pertained to what she was eating. There are lots of people who aren’t completely truthful when it comes to what they eat or drink. It’s just peculiar that they choose to make up stories about strict calorie counting or over the top exercise routines or aerobic activities. I mean really, who cares?

There is no logical reason to lie about the food you eat or the activity that you do. If you are wise enough to keep a fitness journal then I sincerely hope that you keep your entries accurate and truthful. Lying to your journal only hurts you and makes it impossible to determine what works best for you.

The Truth About Journals
Fitness4Her is all about successful weight loss and fitness for life. It incorporates a sensible and balanced diet that you can stick to, an exercise plan that is fun and easy to follow and the recommendation of a journal to show your results. I urge you to keep track of everything you eat and drink and all the activity that you do for at least the first 90 days. That’s the secret to making it work. Stick to the program for 90 days and you’ll wonder why it took you so long to get started.

Some people start out keeping a journal but after a while they forget to bring it with them, don’t have time in the evening to write in it and before long, too many days have passed by. It does take discipline to maintain a journal, but it also takes discipline to stick to an exercise plan and a healthy diet.

The thing is…the journal can be the difference between a diet that works and one that doesn’t. You know this is true. You know that if you take the time to write down what you eat and then have to look at those words written there, it will make a big impact on the way that you eat. The same is true for the exercise, when you log in how far you walk and compare them to other days that you have walked, you’ll find yourself aiming for the longer distance. You’ll set the bar for yourself. But if you don’t keep records, it will be impossible to remember your distance over several days.

Achieve Goals with a Journal
Keeping the journal just makes everything so much easier. Although it will take getting used to, once you make a habit of writing in your journal, you’ll see the incredible difference.

You see, successful people go about achieving their goals in much the same way. Many of them use journals too. That’s because writing something on paper engages the brain to accept the idea and treat it as a command.

In earlier posts I talked about how the brain works to process information and to make and break habits. How it was influenced by the constant messages that your body sends to it. Therefore it is easy to control the way that you think and the urges and cravings that you have. It starts with affirmations and is cemented by the presence of the journal.

I can’t stress enough to you, how important I believe the journal is to ensuring a successful weight loss program. It is a wonderful tool that will offer insight into your eating habits including when and why you eat, in addition to what you eat.

When you begin keeping account of what you eat, be sure to include every drink that you consume. Lots of calories are in soft drinks and other processed drinks. You’ll need to monitor the number of teaspoons or sugar packets that you add to otherwise unsweetened drinks like tea. If you leave out this important information, you could sabotage your fitness program.

Accuracy and Accountability
A journal can only be as good as the information that you write in it. Be as accurate as possible, because the journal will be a valuable tool to help you now and well into the future. You’ll want to keep it close to you, so you can write down how you feel before each meal; what time of day you started feeling hungry; and how you felt after your meal.

I suggest eating five small meals instead of eating three larger meals. Food is easier to digest this way and the constant meals keep sugar levels from dropping, which can make you munchy for some junk food. You shouldn’t feel famished with this frequent five-meal plan.

That’s why I urge you to keep the journal close by. If you adapt to the five-meal per day plan, you’ll be writing in your journal more frequently. Keeping it in a convenient place so you can easily refer to it will make it much easier. Remember, it’s important that each snack be accounted for, just like your regular meals.

Journal Your Fitness Fun
We’ve talked a lot about writing everything you eat and drink, making sure to include all of your snacks too. But the other part of the equation to a successful weight loss program is the fitness and boy is my program fun! It consists of 30 minutes of exercise each day. Now, you can exercise longer if you like, some people like to go for 45 minutes to an hour, but you must engage in activity six out of the seven days of the week.

Three days of the week will be for resistance training and the journal will be a great place to record your reps and sets and to determine when you are ready to take the exercise to the next level. Every other day instead of resistance training, you get to play for 30 minutes a day. These play days are reserved for aerobic activities and I encourage you to mix them up for variety and vitality.

Your journal will make it easy to anticipate your aerobic fun day and your resistance-training day. Recording the intensity of the exercises, and how they affected you (exhausted, sore, painful, easy) will help train your body and your mind to make physical fitness a permanent part of your life for a healthier you.

So when you leave them wondering, “does she or doesn’t she,” the proof will lie in the journal.

Visit my Women’s Fitness Blog on top of this page for more on Journaling your way to success!

2 chili pepper, chopped
2 garlic clove, minced
Zest of 2 limes
16 oz skinless, boneless turkey breast filets

Salsa:
4 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
2 avocado, diced
4 Tbsp finely diced red onion
4 Tbsp diced tomato
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
Cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, optional to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl mix together chili, garlic and lime zest.
2. Pour mixture over turkey and let marinade in refrigerator for at least one hour. I suggest prepping this the night before or early in the morning for the evening’s dinner.
3. Mix salsa ingredients and set aside.
4. Grill turkey breast until done.
5. Spoon salsa over each breast or serve salsa on the side.
6. A great accompaniment to this dish is Spanish rice.
7. Enjoy!

Health Benefits:
A lean source of protein, turkey us also a good source of Vitamin B6, zinc and selenium. It’s low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol, low in sodium, low in sugar and low in calories. Avocado contains monounsaturated fatty acids that have been shown to reduce belly fat. Considered MUFA rich, a slice or two of avocado is a tasty treat that packs a bounty of benefits.

Eating steamed kale will help to lower cholesterol levels and many of the risks associated with at least 5 different cancers. These include breast, bladder, colon, ovary and prostate cancer. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale are responsible for all of these benefits including helping women detoxify their bodies.

Vitamins K, A, C, B2, B1, beta carotene, fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, protein, magnesium and other nutrients are all present in a 36 calorie serving. When chewed, the sulphorane in kale helps to generate enzymes from your liver that actually detoxify cancer-causing chemicals.

The following benefits can be attributed to steamed kale:

• Lowers cholesterol
• Protects from the risk of 5 different types of cancer
• Natural detoxification
• Antioxidant
• Anti-inflammatory

Now that you realize how beneficial this wonderful leafy vegetable is for your health. You might be interested in making some for yourself or your family.

To prepare steamed kale you will need:

11/2 pounds of kale
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ¼ lemon
½ cup of vegetable stock or water
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mince or chop garlic and set aside. You can remove the spines of the kale or leave intact. Chop coarsely into bite sized pieces. In a sauce pan, sauté garlic until tender, but before its color changes. Squeeze kale with lemon juice and add to sauce pan along with vegetable stock. Cover and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Serve with any main dish of chicken, beef, or pork. You can also use it in soups, salads or anything you like, just let your imagination soar.

1¾ cups of water
¾ cup brown rice, uncooked
¾ cup diced carrot
¼ lb snow peas
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup kernel corn
¼ cup sliced green onions
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add rice and bring to a boil again.
3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 35 minutes.
4. Add carrot, peas, corn, green onion and soy sauce.
5. Cook until thoroughly heated.

Health Benefits:
Low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol, low in sodium, low in calories, this brown rice dish is a good for you meal that won’t make you feel guilty. The veggies add vitamins and nutrients along with adding a rainbow of colors that will excite your tummy and your taste buds.

Your physician can order a bone density test, which will indicate early signs of osteoporosis. You usually have to go to a hospital or other imaging center to have the tests made. The test takes just a short amount of time and involves no pain.

The disease affects women twice as much as it affects men and it tends to affect Caucasian and Southeast Asian women more than any other race. Obviously the older you get or if you have a family history of osteoporosis in your family, you may have a greater chance of developing the disease. Even bad habits like smoking and caffeinated soda consumption have been linked as causes as well.

So considering these factors, it might be time to kick any bad habits you might have. Smoking and excess alcohol consumption can wear done your bones eventually. Too much caffeine can present problems with sleep and since it is a contributing factor to osteoporosis, then it should be limited as much as possible. Soft drinks are high in sugar, caffeine and empty calories and should be avoided, too.

Instead, eat dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. Drink low fat milk and eat low fat cheeses and yogurts. Any kind of canned fish like salmon and sardines will also help to protect your bones. Also add soy into your diet. The estrogens found in soy have been shown to help maintain bone density. Your doctor may even suggest a calcium supplement.

Another great deterrent to osteoporosis is exercise! Building up strong bones starts with a healthy women’s fitness program. Fitness4Her is a diet, exercise and journal program developed exclusively for women of all ages. Designed to enhance the beauty of the female body, Fitness4Her will help you find exercises that work for you and help you work toward your fitness goals.