Helpful Links
Are you ready for change? CaloriesCount.com, part of the Calorie Control Council, offers a great quiz to evaluate whether you are ready for an eating and exercise change. Over 50% of Americans are on a diet at any one time and make the attempt five times a year. Rather than getting frustrated with repeated attempts, check out whether you are ready at
5 Habits That Reduce Your Risk of Dementia
by Elise Sole’, Yahoo Shine Staff/Healthy Living 12/11/2013
Here's motivation to live a healthier lifestyle: Following a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a low body weight, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption can help reduce the odds of dementia, according to research published December 2013.
Researchers at Cardiff University in the UK studied 2,235 men found those who adopted all five, or even four, of these healthy behaviors experienced a 60 percent reduction in dementia and overall cognitive decline (with exercise being the strongest mitigating factor). Seventy percent fewer cases of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke were found in those men, compared to those who didn't practice any of these behaviors.
For the full press release click here.
Look up nutrition content of foods and track your nutrition intake and activities on the following two sites. NutritionData has the added bonus of charting and ranking foods that are the most filling for the calorie intake as well as additional qualities like fat content and glycemic load (the effect on blood sugar). Most interestingly, to me, are the anti-inflamatory foods. The second website, MyFitnessPal, helps count calories as well as calories burned in exercise.
What should I weigh? Start here. If you would like to take a look at alternative Body Mass Index information, charts or calculators just search for BMI info.
How many calories do I burn if I... There are many, many ways to track the calorie benefits of a particular activity.
Some you can wear on your wrist or keep in your pocket. Smartphones can track distance and steps, websites can give you an estimated calorie burn rate if you are walking the dog, gardening or even talking on the phone. One of the websites is NutriStrategy for details about how many calories you burn during a specific activity. Again, lots of choices.
Best diets -- U.S. News & World Report details the 35 most popular diets and explains how to pick the best diet for you. See the analysis on the Best diet website.
