It’s all about simple addition.   Add up the money you spend on food or activities that have the potential to harm and you know what you might find hiding under that sum?  Your motivation !! 

The cost of a sugary drink, or drive by doughnut,  might add up to 50 dollars at the end of a month.  That could be the cost of a gym membership,  a new hairstyle (to boost your confidence level)  some new gear to keep you warm on a winter walk, a fun afternoon at the health food store, or 5 classes here at Marilu.com!!

The increased exercise, the healthy foods on your plate, and the new knowledge in your arsenal will equal more energy, and better health. 

Cutting back on your bar bill by interspersing your drinks with a glass of water will help keep you hydrated and save you even more money. 

Nicotine is clearly addictive AND expensive; a health robber in every sense of the word.  If you can find the most effective means to kick this one to the curb you will save BIG bucks.  New wardrobe bucks! Vacation bucks! 

Getting healthy can make you physically and FISCALLY fit !

If you’re reading this you have an interest in improving your health.  If you’re a smoker who is reading this then you’ve probably tried to quit at least once.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know that this is a harmful (and expensive) habit but also a very difficult one to break. 

Don’t despair.  There is help available.  Check out the internet for tips and tools.  Talk to your doctor.  Enlist friends for support.  Get involved in this on line community and be a part of one of the best support systems you’ll find. 

Additionally check out these sites to see if they can help you get started:

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/ss/slideshow-13-best-quit-smoking-tips-ever

http://whyquit.com/pr/100305.html

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/GuidetoQuittingSmoking/index

Worried about gaining weight?  Don’t be.   According to the CDC the average weight gain for people who stop smoking is only five pounds.  That small amount can be easily managed through careful diet and stress management.  In fact the CDC study even showed that there are a great many people who lose weight when they quit smoking.  This is especially true when it’s one in a series of decisions designed to better your overall health.

You can look better, feel better, smell better, and have more pocket change.  It’s not easy but it’s worth it.  YOU’RE worth it !

It’s no secret that caffeine is addictive and that it’s use can pose significant health risks.  What’s not as well known however is the fact that people who do not depend on caffeine for their energy can have higher energy levels without the peaks and valleys that are detemined by their coffee maker or their supply of caffeinated soft drinks. 

Caffeine intake can be assoicated with hypertension, abnormal heart rhythms, problems with pregnancy and birth, osteoporosis, ulcers, heartburn and anxiety attacks.

You can eliminate this health robber by going cold turkey (expect a headache and other withdrawal symptoms but know that they are temporary) or weaning yourself gradually.  Either way, eliminating this drug from your diet (and concentrating on lifestyle choices that are good for you health),  might be one of the best things you do in 2012.

What happens when you drink a soda?

In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor, allowing you to keep it down.

20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (And there’s plenty of that at this particular moment.)

40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate; your blood pressure rises; as a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked, preventing drowsiness.

45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.

> 60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.

> 60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolytes, and water.

> 60 minutes: As the rave inside you dies down, you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the soda. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like hydrating your system, or building strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.)

~ Wade Meredith

We suggest a nice glass of water instead.

1. My grandmother smoked until she was 90. * Some people are lucky, and she might have lived healthier and happier to 110.
2. I enjoy smoking. Why should I quit? * Your addiction has tricked your brain into believing you enjoy it.
3. You’ve gotta die of something. * Yeah – but why kill yourself?
4. This is a bad time to quit. I’m too stressed right now. * Pick a time in the near future when you won’t be so stressed. And stick to it. Or (who are you kidding?) admit that you’re never going to be free of stress, and just do it now.
5. I’m afraid I’ll gain weight if I quit. * Yeah, we addressed that already here and here.
6. I exercise every day and I’m in better shape than most non-smokers. * Your lungs aren’t in better shape.
7. Smoking is part of my persona and gives me character. * Nice try, Bette Davis! Wouldn’t it be cooler to have a healthy persona?
8. Smoking is like a good friend. * Good friends don’t age you, control you, and then kill you. Time to dump this “friend.”
9. I’m already getting lung pollution from smog and second-hand smoke. * That’s like saying, “I’ve already had a beer; I might as well have a six-pack!”
10. I only smoke occasionally. * Then why bother? Why risk so much for so little?

1. Quitting significantly decreases risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, and emphysema. No other reasons are necessary, but here are the rest anyway.
2. You’ll look and feel better with whiter teeth, fresher breath, and stronger lungs.
3. Freedom from addiction – no more being controlled by cravings.
4. Quitting decreases the risk of premature facial wrinkles. (We can tell you’re a smoker by the lines around your mouth.)
5. Quitting saves money – easily $2000 a year for a pack-a-day smoker.
6. You will no longer look and smell like a “loser.” Smoking is not cool.
7. Eventually you’ll have more energy. Try it and see!
8. You’ll no longer contribute to second-hand smoke illnesses and deaths. A non-smoker married to a smoker has 30% greater risk for smoke-related illness (and death) than if they were married to a non-smoker.
9. You’ll no longer have to hide it from some people (your boss, your kids, that cute guy you want to date, your clients…).
10. Smoking claims about 400,000 lives in the US every year. You don’t want to be one of them.

and a bonus…

11. Your house, car, and clothes won’t smell anymore. (Yes. They do.)

It really is possible to quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight. Here are some things you can do *

• One thing at a time * Quitting smoking is enough of a challenge. Don’t try to diet at the same time. Instead, choose healthy foods, and eat actual meals, and watch your portion size.
• Keep a food diary * Write down what you eat every day, when you eat it, and how much you eat. It will help you avoid over-eating.
• Reward yourself * Spend the money you’ve saved on cigarettes on something special for yourself – but not food. Jewelry, a massage, a new outfit, a magazine subscription you’ve been wanting, tickets to a play – anything (but food) that makes you feel special.
• Get moving * Yes, we say it a lot, but it helps with not smoking. Exercise increases your metabolic rate, too, helping with weight maintenance. And it’s really good for your heart and lungs as they start to repair from the damage of smoking.
• Nicotine replacement * Check with your health care provider to see whether replacement therapies might work for you. After ending these therapies, be prepared to focus more on weight management.
• Eat smart * When you feel the urge to smoke, it will probably be between meals. Choose foods that are low in calories and fat but high in density (fiber and complex carbs), so you feel full without eating too much. Fresh fruit, raw veggies, and popcorn all fit. Skip all the processed snack foods and chemical-laden beverages. Drink water.
• Skip alcohol * It’s full of calories, but contains no nutrients, so it’s not doing you any favors in the weight maintenance department. Most smokers associate drinking with smoking, so the desire to smoke may be higher. And finally, alcohol affects your decision-making ability – you may not be able to stick to your goals. Why put yourself in a situation where you’re likely to relapse?
• Stay busy * Changing the behaviors you associate with smoking can be really difficult. Don’t hang around the table after you eat – clean up the kitchen and then get started on a project. Find something you can do with your hands while you’re on the phone – like cleaning out the silverware drawer, or your inbox at work. Start knitting or woodworking or some other hobby that uses your hands. If they’re busy, they won’t be looking to hold a cigarette.

February is all about healthy hearts. If you’re a smoker, this is the perfect time to quit. Give yourself a big, healthy red heart of a valentine.

Several factors, ranging from chemical reactions in your body to unintentional (unconscious) shifts in behavior, can account for weight gain when you quit smoking. If you plan ahead, you can make conscious choices to prevent that, or to minimize it.

• When you stop smoking, food tastes and smells better. So you may want larger or more frequent portions. Or both.

  So pay attention to what you’re eating. Enjoy the smells and tastes, but switch to a smaller plate (studies have shown that using 9″ plate helps with weight loss), and make sure it’s at least half raw and/or steamed vegetables. Eat breakfast, and stop eating after dinner.

• If you smoked for boredom, you may find yourself eating because it’s something to do now that you’re not smoking.

  Get a hobby, or get back to a hobby – something that uses your hands is good – like playing the guitar or piano, or knitting or sewing, or painting or gardening. Take a walk or do some other form of exercise. Get outside.

• If you smoked for stress relief (and really – how is accelerating your own death any kind of stress relief? Sorry to sound harsh, just putting that thought into your mind), you may try to relieve stress with the repetitive action of snacking.

  Learn meditation or prayer practices. Practice yoga. Join a gym and work out, or take a fitness class. Journal. Call a (non-smoking) friend.

• When you stop smoking, you may unconsciously start eating more high-fat, sugary foods. Studies have shown that smokers who gain weight tend to eat those foods.

  Prepare fresh fruits and veggies for snacking, and keep them in your fridge. Challenge yourself to try a new whole food (food as it grows) every week.

Previous post here.

There’s not one good reason to smoke. Not one. It’s the single most preventable cause of death in America.

But people (and especially women) seem to believe that if they quit smoking, they’ll gain weight. Or if they start smoking, they’ll lose weight.

The correlation is not that simple, and it’s certainly not a given. Plenty of people quit smoking and don’t gain weight. And really, if you do gain a couple of pounds in the transition, you’re still better off NOT smoking! Tobacco use is responsible for one of every five deaths in the USA. Cigarette smoking is linked to 87 percent of all lung cancer deaths in the USA, and 29 percent of all deaths from coronary artery disease.

Think about it. What better gift to give your heart this month than quitting smoking?

There’s nothing worse than a low-energy day as we head into the holiday season – except maybe a string of low-energy days.

The best way to combat low-energy is by taking care of yourself. Caffeine and those chemical-laden energy drinks are a waste of money and dangerous for your health.

• Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Studies have shown that getting a couple of hours of sleep before midnight is especially helpful.
• Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Individual needs vary, but usually fall in this range.
• Drink water as your primary beverage. Cut out all sodas and caffeinated beverages. Limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks a day, and no more than five drinks a week. Drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume.
• Eat a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables a day, and make at least one of those leafy greens (spinach, kale, etc.).
• Cut out the sugar and sweeteners. They may give you a boost, but it’s only a temporary feeling before the crash.
• Exercise every day. Do something that makes you break a sweat, and then keep it up for 10 more minutes. Exercise helps you sleep better, metabolize food better, and helps reduce stress.
• Cut back on animal proteins. They take more energy to digest, and you want that energy for other tasks.