Choosing The Right Vitamin

Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining optimal health. Yet in today's society of convenience, stress and busy schedules, it's difficult to achieve proper nutrition. Yes, America has a problem with being overweight, but an abundance of food doesn't necessarily equal enough good nutrition. That's why most trainers and doctors as well as nutritionists suggest taking vitamin and/or mineral supplements. Vitamin supplements can fill the gap between diet and nutrition helping you to lose weight, feel better, fight flus and colds, achieve more energy, focus, lessen/eliminate aches and pains, sleep better, among many others. But have you ever really tried picking out a vitamin? The first time I walked into a vitamin store I was overwhelmed at the thousands of tiny bottles. Where does one begin? Take heart! It's not as confusing as it seems. It's really all a matter of preference. It's similar to buying clothes. You purchase what works for you. Some people prefer the latest fashion. Some prefer easy care, or comfort. Some are concerned about price. It's the exact same thing. So with that in mind, here's a breakdown to help you pick which is the right vitamin for you.

1)Tablets – They're hard and come in a variety of sizes. If you are looking for something that you only have to take once each day, this may be for you. Be sure to look for something that says “time release” or that says it is specifically made to be taken once. THE BAD: Chemicals are used in the formulation of all tablets. It's what makes them keep their shape. Many times, tablets are more difficult for the stomach to break down. Especially if taken on an empty stomach. This would cause pain in the stomach or discomfort.

2)Capsules – Much easier to digest and for the stomach to break down. This way, the body can get to the business of absorbing the nutrients. Capsules are my personal preference. THE BAD: If you are a vegetarian or vegan, it's important to know that the majority of capsules on the market are gelatin based. While I do my best to live vegan, this is one area where I am willing to sacrifice.

3)Powders/liquids- These are available at most vitamin stores. Powders can be mixed with water (check the label), juice or sprinkled on your breakfast. Liquids come in the form of juice like products or tinctures taken by spoonfuls. THE BAD: Tinctures taste horrible!

4)Greens - Many people prefer to keep their nutrition as natural as possible. Green vitamins are in either powder or capsule form and are usually made from green plants such as alfalfa, algae, broccoli, spinach etc. Since most of us know that green vegetables are excellent sources of nutrition, it goes without saying why green vitamins are healthy. The powders are mixed with water. Some people chug them, some sip. Again, it's a matter of preference. Many people report fast bursts of energy and increased focus after taking greens (liquid). The capsules have good effects too. THE BAD: Greens are an acquired taste. If you like the taste of grass.....well these may be for you.

5)Phytonutrients or phytochemicals – According to Wikipedia, These “are chemical compounds... that occur naturally in plants.” These are my personal choices in vitamins. Kind of like greens, only instead of broccoli, they've taken the nutrients from the broccoli. They are usually encapsulated. I feel my best when taking this form of vitamin/mineral supplement. THE BAD: Because they are water soluble, they pass through the system quickly and so must be taken throughout the day. So if you're not a pill taker or don't want to have to remember to take them 3x per day, these may not be for you.

6)Enteric Coated – This is a process usually found in fish oil softgels. Enteric coating is a harder to digest coating that does not break down until in the small intestine. This is done to avoid a fishy after burp common with taking fish oil or omega (from fish) softgels. I just take the lemon flavored fish oil liquid to avoid that extra chemical process.

Selecting the best vitamin for you really is a matter of preference and what works best for your lifestyle. If you are looking for brand recommendations, I suggest, New Chapter, Source Naturals, Solgar, The Vitamin Shoppe's store brand and Trump Network/Ideal Health trumpnetwork.com/lbcenterprises . They all are excellent products made with superior ingredients. I also do not recommend brands found in grocery stores. Most are of poor quality and may not absorb very easily. I have had a few clients claim that they have passed straight through! Ugh!

When it comes to vitamin supplements, you really do get what you pay for. Besides, your health is not something you want to be cheap about. The benefits of feeling better are worth it. And isn't that what it's all about? Feeling better to have a better quality of life? When your body is properly nourished, all the systems work efficiently. When that happens, you feel better.

Namaste & God Bless....

Water And Weight Loss

Most people understand that water is important for keeping the body healthy and hydrated. But can it actually help in losing weight? It seems so and for several reasons.

First of all, when you drink a little water before eating, say 8 oz, a feeling of fullness is created causing you to eat less. Of course eating less when combined with with exercise helps to burn excess calories which will result in weight loss. It also helps to eat foods that are higher in water content such as carrots, broccoli, grapefruit, yogurt and apples. These foods help to create a feeling of fullness in themselves while helping to keep you hydrated.

Water also help to keep the joints and muscles lubricated which is necessary to burn calories and help reduce stiffness of the joints and muscles after exercise. If your muscles are dehydrated they don't burn calories as efficiently. In fact, when the body is dehydrated, it goes into a “water starvation” mode, holding on to every bit of water that it can. It's called water retention and it's what gives you that puffy or swollen look. Once the body is receiving enough water, it knows that there is a plentiful supply and begins to function properly by flushing toxins through urine and sweat. Also the joints become lubricated which can help during your workout. It's not uncommon to lose five pounds the first week of drinking adequate amounts of water. Of course that weight is mostly water, but who wants to hold on to all those toxins?

How much water should we be taking in? For an average person, 8-9 8oz glasses of ice cold water is recommended in addition to the water that consumed through foods. This should be taken in throughout the day to keep a steady level of hydration. For athletes, those who have long workout routines or individuals who are very overweight, more is recommended. This is because it takes more to maintain a healthy level of hydration than an average person. It's also not a good idea not to wait until you are thirsty because by the time you feel thirsty, the body has already begun to dehydrate. This could mean that it would take more than a glass or two of water to get back to a healthy level of hydration.

There are a lot of people who do not like the taste of water. If that is the case, there are a couple things to try. First would be to try spring water. Since waters do indeed have different flavors, try several different types. I recommend ice cold spring water. If taste is still an issue, try squeezing a little lemon or lime juice to add a touch of flavor. When you think that you really are doing the best for your body, it becomes something you enjoy.

Skinny Eating.....My Answer To Surgery

Losing weight is an effort. There's no doubt about that. And it's no secret that eating less = weight loss (in addition to keeping active and eating properly). I mean when you think about it, most of the weight loss products out there are aimed at helping you eat less. There are diet pills that suppress appetites, surgeries that lessen the stomach's capacity, and other pills that puff up inside the stomach to give the illusion of being full. But are these really necessary? All we really need is determination and self discipline. Is it easy? Not always, but that doesn't mean it's overly difficult or cannot be done. Here's a nifty little trick I learned to shrinking the stomach's capacity. And it's free.

Have you ever noticed how the majority of Europeans are thinner than Americans? How can that be considering their diet is rich in carbs, cremes and sweets? Perhaps it's because in Europe the average dinner plate is 1-2 inches smaller than in the U.S. That means every day Americans are filling their plates with more food than their thinner European friends. I personally know several people who are very overweight and eat healthy. Yes, skinless chicken breast is good for you, but when you're eating 4 at a meal, it's no longer healthy. That's just plain gorging. Again, it's about the portions and self control. So if you want to lose weight, try switching your dinner plate to a salad plate. And don't pile it super high either. No more than 1 ½ inches. When our brain sees a full plate, then sees an empty plate, it registers that we have completed our meal. Many of us were taught as children to eat everything on our plates. I know I was. And there's something that just seems wrong about leaving food on the plate. Maybe it stems from our grandparents going through the depression and eating everything because they didn't know when they would eat again. I don't know, it's just my theory.

Now here's the key to not being hungry when you first switch to smaller plates. Eat slowly! It takes the brain 20 minutes to receive the message from the stomach that it has had enough to sustain the body or that it's full. This means it should take you at least 20 minutes to eat. Longer if you really want to be good to your body. It also takes about 10 minutes for tastebuds to fully open up. So when you sit down for a meal, start by drinking at least ½ glass of water. Then when you take your first few bites, let the morsel rest on your tongue for just a minute and allow your mouth to salivate. Notice which area of the tongue is responding, enjoy the flavor! Set your silverware down while you chew. Chew thoroughly. Then when you've swallowed your bite of food, pick up your fork/spoon and repeat. After your 3rd bite of food, drink ½ glass of water. When you've done this three times, stop eating. Converse if there are others at the table. If you're in a restaurant alone, read a page of a book or a short article. Wait 5 minutes. Then before picking up the silverware again, really evaluate whether or not you are genuinely hungry. Many times, people with the overweight mentality believe that if they aren't full then they are hungry. That simply is NOT true. You do not need to eat until you're full. You need to eat to sustain your body and your body will do just fine when the nutritional needs are met. So STOP. Evaluate, and IF you are still genuinely hungry, continue eating in the same manner only proceed with the awareness and understanding that you will stop right at the point of not being hungry any more. Don't tell yourself “another 3 bites then I'll evaluate”. Take a bite or two then drink a little water. Don't worry about what's left on your plate. If you still cannot bring yourself to throw it away, save it for later. I can't tell you how many times I saved one or two bites when I first started to re-learning how to eat. The first few days, I would save a little. Then after about a week or so, I was saving 3 or 4 bites, then I stopped filling up the salad plate. I “loosely” filled it, and the borders of the plate got wider and wider. Within 6 weeks, I had lost 15 lbs! Once you get used to it, eating slowly and eating smaller portions will become second nature. It takes about 3 weeks to settle into your “skinny eating” style but hopefully you'll feel proud of yourself like I did when I realized that all it took was being aware and controlling myself! You can do it too!

Namaste and God Bless

Caution: It is very easy to have a false sense of security when you start seeing the weight come off. You may think that it's okay to get “full” just this once, but what you will be doing is stretching your stomach again and setting yourself up to larger and larger portions. Don't get caught in that trap.

Well Hello and Welcome....!

And away we go! Here you will find tips, suggestions, stories, recipes and generally anything that has to do with becoming healthier. Notice I did not say "skinnier" although losing weight is very much a part of becoming healthier. We'll get to that later. Whether you want to lose 10 lbs, 110+ lbs, tone, define, build or just generally feel better this is the place to do it.

This is an extension of my website lbc-enterprises.com and Facebook page LBC Enterprises. Feel free to friends request me and/or become a fan of the page.

I found myself giving the same advice to my clients time and time again. So I figured it was time to just have a place for them (and anyone else) to get the answers they needed at their convenience.

I will say a couple of things to give you a head's up:

1)I have seen first hand the seriousness of poor health and obesity.

2)I have been in many of your shoes.

3)I have been successful and continue to work towards my own optimal health.

4)I am compassionate towards those who really do want to become healthier.

5)I am direct.

6)In addition to a nutritional approach to health, I take a spiritual approach as well.

While I try not to offend, my directness may be a bit offensive. I call things what they are, not to hurt anyone, but because I believe sugar coating unhealthy behaviors (no pun intended) has lulled society into accepting the unacceptable among other viewpoints. But we'll get to those later as well.

With my posts, I include pictures that hopefully you will appreciate as I do. What can I say? I try.