If you need help losing weight, organic foods can help. Many food ideas are fast and filling, so they can help you decrease portion size and calories. Here are some organic, healthy food ideas that are quick to prepare.

Smoothies

Smoothies are a great breakfast or afternoon treat. They are a combination of yogurt, ice, and fruit, and you can mix and match flavors according to preference or mood. If you add some organic peanut butter, smoothies can also provide you with protein and help you feel fuller longer. When you are creating smoothies, just be careful about calorie intake. Some fruits are high in calories and you may end up with a meal that isn’t as weight conscious as you’d intended. Bananas, mangoes, avocados, and papayas are examples of great-tasting fruits that are high in calories.

Salads

Salads for a lunch or dinner are another healthy organic meal that is quick to make. Depending on the ingredients you include, they are low in calories, but the vegetables are filling. If you add meat, seafood, or cheese to your salad, you have a complete meal that fulfills all of your food group requirements. When you are creating your salad, be mindful of the dressing you use. Salad dressings can add extra calories and fat, so you need to read the labels carefully.

Whole-Grain Pasta

Organic whole-grain pasta with sauce is another fast food idea that is healthy and organic. When you need help losing weight, you may think you have to avoid pasta because of the carbs. But whole-grain pasta is healthier and is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight. Add a salad and maybe some whole-grain rolls for a complete meal.

Avocado Burgers

A turkey and avocado burger is a satisfying meal that tastes great. Add a whole-grain roll, sweet potato fries, and a vegetable and this is a fantastic sit-down meal for the family that you can make quickly. Avocado is a filling food, but you do have to watch the calories so use them sparingly in recipes.

Soybean Tacos

Soybeans are filling, organic, and low in calories. Tacos are easy to prepare, and you can let people add their own toppings to make them fun. Soybean tacos don’t have to be a vegetarian meal. You can add regular hamburger or turkey burger to satisfy the meat lovers in your family.

When you stroll through your local health food store, you may see many different beans, vegetables, or fruits you may want to try. Don’t be afraid to experiment with some recipes of your own or ask the clerks at the store for ideas. They may be able to offer you more tips that can help you create healthy meals that are organic and quick to make.

Floor Work: Bridge

This classic is a surprisingly good workout for the glutes,as well as your hamstrings and hips.

How to do that: Begin on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart. Slowly peel your spine off the floor from the tailbone, one vertebra at a time, tightening the glutes and hamstrings. Pause when you create a diagonal line from shoulders to knees. Lower slowly, one vertebra at a time

Thanks to:webmd.com

Pat yourself on the back when you engage in any exercise.
Each activity whether light, moderate or high intensity expends energy
and is helpful for weight loss as well as a healthy lifestyle.

The more intense
and longer the activity
the greater the impact on weight loss.

A YES answer to any of the questions indicates your current level of intensity.

Light  Intensity: heart rate is 68-to-92 beats per minute.
I did not break a sweat
I was able to talk and sing while exercising
Examples include stretching and leisurely walking.

Moderate Intensity:  heart rate is 93-to-118 beats per minute.
Did you break a sweat after about 10 minutes of continuous exercise?
Did you breath more often and deeper while you were exercising?
I was able to talk but not sing during the exercise.
Examples:  walking at a fast pace or biking

High Intensity:  heart rate is more than 119 beats per minute
I broke into a sweat just a few moments of continuous exercise.
I was breathing more deeply and rapidly.
I was able to speak for a short time but not hold a long conversation.
Examples include jogging, running, competitive swimming, fast pace sports.

Whatever it takes to get us moving…..

The thought behind this old saying is that we should enjoy the biggest meal of the day in the morning since the food calories eaten early in the day are processed more efficiently than those eaten in the evening.
Benefit:  eating this way provides more energy for work or school and it also helps with weight loss.

Researchers at a University of Minnesota, in a study of 1,800 dieting adults, found that those who weighed themselves every day lost an average of 12 pounds over 2 years, while those who only weighed themselves once per week lost an over of 6 pounds

Turn your walking routine into a cardio workout.  Add intermittent bursts of fast walking. Walk at your usual speed for 3 minutes then add intermittent 1 minute speed bursts for one minute and repeat throughout your walk. Gradually increase the speed and decrease the usual intervals. Also, when possible include a hill or two into your walk as an added challenge.

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

WHAT AMERICANS SPENT ON CHOCOLATE CANDY IN 2011.

Source:  Candy Industy.com

‘Use it or lose it.  Strength and coordination decline with age and we’re not in our 20′s forever.  But you can keep yourself conditioned if you exercise regularly.”  James Borchers, MD

Trim Your Tummy

Incorporate working with the ball 2-3 times a week. Using a mat will make this more comfortable.  With the stability ball in your hands lie flat on your back with your arms raised above your head and your legs straight out.  Now bring the ball high above your chest, bring your legs to meet the ball and place it between your ankles.  End this exercise by holding the ball with your legs, bringing it down to the floor and extending your arms straight over your head.  This stretch feels sooo good!

Repetition:  Complete this exercise 10-12 time.
IMPORTANT:   Remember to keep your back pressed down like it is glued to the floor as you move to prevent injury as you move.