Busy Woman's Simple, Health Tips

By Kristen Van Beaver

As women, we need to be healthy so we have the energy to help those around us, particularly our family, children, and friends. Yet, many women find it hard to eat healthy when they're so busy with life's tasks. Although eating healthy may take a little more thought and time at first, once you start it will become a habit and will become quite simple to do regularly. You'll feel so good that you'll want to continue eating well!

As women, we need particular vitamins more than men because of our unique bodies and our childbearing ability. We need calcium, folic acid, and iron as well as folate, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins (for handling stress), and of course omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. You can obtain all the vitamins you need by simply paying attention to what you eat. If you're on a diet, or just want to ensure that you get your 100% daily value, take a multi-vitamin.

Here are some ways to ensure that you're getting the vitamins and fiber you need in food. Also, learn some tips on how to eat healthy and lose weight.

• High fiber cereal. When grocery shopping, chose oatmeal or high fiber cereal with 7 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber helps you feel full, helps your body digest food regularly, and helps fight cancer.

• O.J. with added calcium. Choose orange juice or other drinks that are calcium-fortified. These will help your bones be strong to avoid osteoporosis and help you combat PMS symptoms. Plus, orange juice just tastes good in the morning!

• Happy berries. Throw in some blueberries on your yogurt, oatmeal, or cereal in the morning for a breakfast or snack with tons of antioxidants. The antioxidants in blueberries help slow down your aging clock. Or add strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries for more fiber and antioxidants to help your body fight off diseases!

• Apples and nuts. Try eating an apple and a few nuts for your afternoon snack. The protein from the nuts and low calorie fruit is the perfect snack to keep your metabolism up and your energy sustained throughout the day. Try making other snacks with protein and low amount of carbs, such as celery and peanut butter, whole-wheat crackers and hummus, or hard-boiled eggs and fruit. If you're an apple fanatic like me, try apple and peanut butter or apple and cheese.
• Dipped veggies. Eat low-calorie vegetables, like carrots, celery, and red and green onions in some ranch or cheese dip. Make your own for fewer calories.

• Whole grains. Buy whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and whole grain snacks. You'll add more fiber to your diet, which will help you feel fuller longer from the nutrients. Make sure that the first ingredient is not "enriched" flour but "ground whole wheat flour."

• Fish. Eating tuna or salmon once or twice a week is the perfect way to get your source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (better than buying a supplement). Whenever possible, try to choose wild fish because it has more omega-3 fats and more nutrients, plus it just tastes better fresh. Salmon can help with women problems, such as preventing PMS cramps, depression, and other health problems such as macular degeneration (a cause of blindness), fatal heart attacks, and possibly even breast cancer.

• Chocolate indulgence. Most women love chocolate, at least I do! Luckily for all us chocolate-lovers, dark chocolate and cocoa have less fat than milk chocolate and more antioxidant power than tea. The flavonoids in cocoa can keep blood platelets from clotting, which may prevent heart attacks. Plus, the milk in hot cocoa is perfect for getting your calcium intake and strengthening your bones. Get your daily chocolate indulgence and feel good about it!

For those of you looking to lose weight, follow the above advice and read on to learn a few more weight-friendly tips.

• Drink More Water. Drinking more water will aid your body in digestion, and you're your hair, skin, and nails beautiful. Not to mention that it helps you eat less, have more energy and is the perfect addition to a weight loss plan. Carry bottled water everywhere you go, and drink more when you exercise.

• Low-Fat? Rather than jumping on the fad diet train, and focusing on low-fat food, focus on eating healthy food. If you are eating higher fat or higher calorie food, enjoy them in the mornings. Don't eat something just because it's low-fat, chances are you're eating more sugar than you should be and still doing damage to your body.

• Exercise. Everyone knows that you have to exercise to lose weight. What you may not know is that it doesn't have to be agonizing or boring. Break your 30 minute exercise per day into 10 minute segments. Find something you enjoy, like dancing to your favorite music, walking to the park or around your neighborhood, swimming, biking, running, or anything else you enjoy. Make it fun, whether it's a kickboxing class with friends or a quick run around the block. Just get started!

• Take a weight loss supplement. Dieting is tough work, and many of us lose motivation fast. To increase your motivation, take a weight loss supplement like Akavar 20/50. It will help you eat less, and help you lose pounds faster which in turn will motivate you to keep going! When combined with a healthy diet and exercise, a weight loss supplement is a healthy way to lose weight.

• Keep track. Keep a food and exercise journal so you can track your progress. This will help you target why you have or have not lost weight and emphasize good behavior. It will also help you pinpoint overeating or emotional eating issues you may have. Make it fun and include your feelings or pictures to keep you motivated.

These tips will keep all you women healthy so you have enough energy to run around for the years ahead. Being healthy is all about moderation, and feeling good for yourself and life. When we're healthy, we have energy, more confidence, and we're happy!
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