All You Need To Know

Changing your diet is one of the most difficult things you can do.   Do you give up carbs?  Animal products?  Or, as a new study indicates, are potatoes to blame for the increase in obesity in this country?  In truth, the human body is not all that complicated when it comes to weight-loss.  Once you determine how many calories you should eat each day to "maintain your weight", it is a matter of applying simple mathematics to be able to determine how much you need to eat to lose weight.  500 calorie-a-day reduction in caloric intake should result in the loss of a pound a week.  Add regular exercise to your regimen and you may be able to achieve the same results by cutting down less than that.   Last year, I posted several entries that, taken together, provide all you need to know to begin your journey to effectively lose weight.  In order they are:

January 23, 2011 - "How Many Calories Should You Eat Each Day?"
January 25, 2011 - "So, in Order to Lose a Pound a Week, I Have to Eat How Many Calories a Day?"
January 26, 2011 -  "Calculating Your Body Mass Index"
February 4, 2011 -  "Bet You Can't Guess What These Random Items Are For" (on serving sizes - a BIG issue for many of us)
February 20, 2011-  "Keep a Food Diary"

Since our bodies are complicated mechanisms that need specific nutrients to operate effectively, your diet should be balanced and the food you eat, healthy and pure.  Check out additional posts, such as "To Buy Organic or Not to Buy Organic", "I was Good and Ordered a Salad", "Good Fish, Bad Fish", "Fiber - the Next Piece of the Puzzle", "Calcium Demystified", and "Better Off Dead (or Time to Talk About Vegetables). 

If your New Years resolution is to eat healthier, let me help you to achieve that goal.  Your body will thank you.   In the future, I plan to post another "healthy" cookie review, a lot more about vegetarian cooking (Lent is approaching) and critiques of some of the latest diet-related news stories. 
Until next time, though, happy and healthy eating! 

The Show Must Go On!

Tomorrow, after an almost 2 week break, my youngest son goes back to school and my husband returns to work.  Sigh.   Another holiday season is over.  I am leaving the decorations out for another week or two (or three) and the outdoor lights will stay lit until the 6th of January.  But in all other respects, the holiday is over.  I'm not really into making "resolutions".  I don't believe in making promises I can't keep.  But I do have expectations for 2012. 

First of all, I want snow.  Lots of it.  2 years ago we had 38 inches.  A repeat of that performance would be nice.  Snow has a nice way of slowing down the pace of things and letting us catch our breath when things get too hectic. 

I plan to join our CSA again and hope that this year's crops will be at least as impressive as last year's.  Kale, Swiss Chard, and Collards will start off the season and I look forward to them in a way that surprises the heck out of me.  I will try new recipes and share them with you all.   

I hope to see Westfield's baseball team take States.  I hope this will be the best year yet for both my boys, with as few frustrations as possible and with lots of good news.  I wish my husband happy days at work, with much success in spite of the economy. 

And I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2012.