10 Ways to Diet on a Budget

The economy is an issue being discussed by just about everyone these days. As bank after bank crashes through the market, families are counting pennies and trying to make the best financial forecast for themselves. We want you to know that while you might need to put your spending habits on a diet, you don’t have to sacrifice your own diet of healthy, nutritious food. We’ve put together 10 ways that you and your family can still support a healthy lifestyle, and not break your own piggy banks.

1. Plan Meals. Make a weekly menu of your family’s meals. Build your grocery list off of this, and then stick to it. Avoiding nightly trips to the grocery store, or even calling in delivery for dinner, will save time and money. You’ll be able to better stretch ingredients, too. The fresh spinach you bought for tonight’s salads can be used on lunch sandwiches all week.

2. Be Prepared. Leaving the house for a few hours, or going to work all day? Keep your purse or cubicle stocked with healthy snacks like granola bars, nuts and popcorn, toss a piece of fruit in your bag before you leave the house, or take fresh vegetables to work. When hunger strikes, you won’t feel the need to whip into the drive-thru for a pricey quick-fix.

3. No Impulse Purchases. Don’t grab things off the end-cap at the grocery store, don’t scrounge for change in your desk for the vending machine, and don’t buy the cookies from the kids in front of the mall because you’d feel guilty otherwise. It’s money you never intended to spend, and calories you never needed to consume.

4. Go Vegetarian. Even if it’s just one night a week, switching to a vegetarian diet will save money on costly meat, introduce some variety to your meals, and fill your family with wholesome nutrients.

5. Shop Local, Shop Seasonal. Buy produce that is grown within 30 or 40 miles or less from your home, and only buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. You’ll support the local economy and enjoy the freshest produce. It’s quite costly to ship fruits and vegetables across the country- and your wallet is directly impacted when you buy Florida oranges in Nebraska in December.

6. Freeze It. If you find a sale on the lean meats, chicken and fish or even produce you regularly buy, then stock up. Place a serving’s worth in a baggy and toss in the freezer. It will feel like an investment up front, but you won’t have to buy those items later on. Then, just pull out one serving the next time you need it. Also, plan to make too much lasagna, stew or grilled chicken; then freeze single servings for quick lunches.

7. Buy Generic. Store-label brands have gotten a bad rap for low quality. Compare the labels- you’d be surprised that often times the store brand has better ingredients and healthier nutrition stats than the name brand. And you’ll always save money.

8. Drink Water. You should be drinking as much as you can everyday anyway. Coffee and soda really add up in cost when you’re consuming them throughout the day. Find an affordable filter and take advantage of the stuff pouring right out of your tap. Then buy a reusable container- buying bottles adds up and they’re bad for the environment.

9. Homemade, Homegrown. Start a small garden in your backyard and stock it with the fruits, vegetables and even herbs that your family consumes the most. Bake your own bread, make your own popsicles with fresh fruit and do weekend pancakes from scratch. You’ll control the ingredients, meaning they won’t be laden with fat and sugar, and the fresh-tasting quality will surpass anything on the grocer’s shelf.

10. Visit DietsInReview.com. Check the Diet Blog daily and the newsletter for the latest health and fitness tips and guidance.

If your genetic cards are stacked up against you don’t give up hope. Intensive lifestyle changes may be able to influence your genetic predisposition. Dean Ornish M.D., president of Preventive Medicine Research, recently led a study investigating the impact of intensive lifestyle changes on men with low-risk prostate cancer.

The researchers compared gene expression of 30 male participants with prostate cancer before and after a vigorous 3-month program of dietary change, moderate exercise, stress management and group support. All participants refused surgery, hormone therapy and radiation; instead participating in the lifestyle program, which also tracked tumor growth.

The program participants followed a vegan diet, walked 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, and practiced stress management. Their diets were supplemented with soy, fish oil, vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin C. After 3 months, the researchers observed changes in gene expression that affected the tumors. Genes that promoted cancer were no longer active or were less active and genes that helped fight cancer were switched on.

Adherence to the lifestyle program made the difference in the positive outcome of this study. The findings suggest that it is never to late to make positive changes that can affect your health.

Nope, it’s not a time machine you need if you want to be a decade younger. It’s a treadmill. Or a bike. Or just a good pair of sneakers.

That’s right. The most physically active folks in a recent study showed signs of being as much as 10 years younger on a cellular level.

Go Long on Protection
How does exercise do that? By keeping your telomeres long and healthy. What on earth are those, you ask? Simple. They’re like the plastic tips on shoelaces. But in your body, they cap the ends of the DNA strands (chromosomes) in all your cells. Over time, your telomeres can shorten to the point where cells stop regenerating, and even die (think accelerated aging). Shortened telomeres also leave your chromosomes vulnerable to the kind of damage that may trigger diseases such as cancer. (Here’s a whole slew of ways to keep your telomeres from getting shorter.)

Running from Old Age
The fact that exercise keeps your cells renewing themselves and protects your DNA is good motivation to get out there. But if you need another push:

• Get comfy. Watch this video to find out how you can measure your arch for the perfect exercise-shoe fit.
• Consider a quickie workout. It’s good for you, too!
• Take breaks. Here’s why taking a break during your workout is actually best.
• Get more out of less by following these 10 easy guidelines on form.

Find out why it’s more important to exercise than to be thin.
RealAge Benefit: Exercising regularly can make your RealAge as much as 9 years younger.

ealth News

Aerobics Can Reverse Mental Decline in Older Adults

Review of studies shows workouts that leave a person breathless boost brain tissue volume

THURSDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) — Regular exercise can reverse age-related brain decline, according to a U.S. cognitive neuroscientist.

Prof. Art Kramer, of the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, says there’s substantial evidence showing the benefits of aerobic exercise and physical activity on such executive-control brain functions as task coordination, planning, goal maintenance, working memory and the ability to switch tasks.

As people age, a deterioration of white and gray matter in certain areas of the brain can cause cognitive decline, Kramer explained. He reviewed published research and found that several studies showed that regular moderate exercise that makes a person breathless increases the speed and sharpness of thought, the actual volume of brain tissue, and the way in which the brain functions.

These benefits have been noted in people with Alzheimer’s disease as well as in those with no signs of progressive brain disease, Kramer wrote in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Some studies found that six months of aerobic exercise reversed age-related decline and that older adults’ brains retained plasticity — the capacity to grow and develop. Other studies showed that adults with higher levels of physical fitness had less evidence of deterioration in gray matter (involved in thinking) than less fit peers.

In women going through menopause, a decline in levels of the female hormone estrogen is linked with poorer memory and declining brain power. But Kramer cited a study that found older women who were physically fit had more gray matter and did better on tests of executive control than less-fit women, irrespective of whether they had hormone replacement therapy.

There are still many unanswered questions, but, Kramer concluded, “we can safely argue that an active lifestyle with moderate amounts of aerobic activity will likely improve cognitive and brain function, and reverse the neural decay frequently observed in older adults.”

More information

The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging offers cognitive vitality tips for older adults.

Exercise is a valuable to a weight loss program, however exercise alone leads to modest weight loss and at a slower rate to calorie restriction. The best results are achieved when exercise and diet are combined. Once we achieve our desired goal, how do we maintain our weight goal?

Exercise is important for weight loss maintenance. Maintaining our current weight is much harder than losing weight. If exercise is included dietary changes need not be so drastic. Here is the math- to lose one pound of fat a week a 500 calorie/day deficit must be achieved( 3,500 cal/one pound of fat), 500 cal x 7 days =3,500 cal. By adding enough exercise to burn 250 cal/day and eating 250 cal/day less, a weight loss program can be very manageable.

The journal Obesity recently published a study stating that high level of exercise is not needed to maintain weight loss. Exercising at a moderate intensity for one hour most days of the week is recommended for weight loss maintenance.

A recent study from the University of Alabama suggests that high levels of exercise may not be the only way to maintain weight loss. The researchers found that participants who maintained their weight loss consumed 384 calories less per day than those who regained their weight. How, weight loss maintainers ate low-energy food choices such as fresh fruit and vegetables than the regainers. Exercise remained the same among the losers and gainers.

The Bottom Line: Exercise is necessary to maintain weight loss, however less may be needed if a low-calorie diet is practiced.

Physical activity guidelines were announced this month by the Department of Health and Human Services. The basic recommendations that Americans should accumulate 150 minutes of moderate activity per week have not really changed since the 1996 surgeon’s generals guidelines.

The message is simple, swim, bike, run, rake leaves do what you enjoy and do it everyday. Just keep moving. The difference is that the new guidelines include such activity as daily chores and there is no “one size fits all”. The recommendations are broken down into specific groups. Aerobics exercise remains to be the core of these recommendations but strength training and flexibility are also included.

Here are some ideas to help you incorporate physical activity into your day.

For The Time Crunched

Time-crunched, a little creativity will help. Instead of exercising five days a week try three days at a higher intensity. What works well is a Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday routine. Interval training can be done in such a way that you get a great workout in a short amount of time, warming up for five minutes, on a scale of 1-10 ( with one being easy and ten being all out effort) 6,7or 8 can be your higher intensity and 3,4 or 5 can be a recovery, followed by a cool down at 1 or 2.

Strength training should be done at a minimum of twice a week. My advice, train major muscles group to fatigue and move on. Body weight exercises can also be incorporated. Always remember to work on flexibility.

The Older Set

Older adults should try to accumulate 150 minutes of physical activity and at least two strength training sessions a week. Walking or joining an over 50 exercise class can help. Rubberized resistance can be used for strength. Strength training in a pool may be especially beneficial for those who may be arthritic or have a limited range of motion in certain muscle groups. Balance training should be incorporated and will be time well spent.

Children

The guidelines stipulate 60 minutes of moderate activity daily for ages 6 to 17. In today’s world with exercise competing with Xbox this can seem like a challenge. It is up to adults to create the opportunity, given the opportunity children will be active, play and let their imaginations run wild. Do not expect them to work out like adults do, they tend to rest and starting up again. Children should exercise the good old fashion way, play kick ball, hide and seek, climb monkey bars and walk to school.

Those Who Can’t Get Enough

In the past we may have cautioned about doing more than 150 minutes of exercise, now experts are finding that with 150 minutes of exercise a 25% health risk reduction can be achieved, exercise 300 minutes a week and 40% health risk reductions have been achieved. To avoid a overuse injury mix up your routine, do not increase your intensity by more than 10% and remember to stretch.

US Government Sets Physical Activity Guidelines

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) has just released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, a comprehensive set of recommendations for people of all ages and physical conditions to easily fit physical activity into their daily lives.

These new physical activity guidelines represent the first time that the Federal Government has issued comprehensive recommendations for the Nation. These recommendations are a basic foundation to healthier living and consumers will be looking to certified fitness professionals to design appropriate exercise programs to meet or exceed the general guidelines.

It’s important that the public understand that these recommendations do not necessarily mean stopping at the minimums, as research shows that adults can achieve greater health benefits by increasing their aerobic physical activity to five hours a week of moderate-intensity or two and one half hours a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. 

A preview of the guidelines include:

• Children and Adolescents — One hour or more of moderate or vigorous aerobic physical activity a day, including vigorous intensity physical activity at least three days a week.
• Adults — Adults gain substantial health benefits from two and one half hours a week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity.
• Older adults — Older adults should follow the guidelines for other adults when it is within their physical capacity. If a chronic condition prohibits their ability to follow those guidelines, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow.
• Women during pregnancy — Healthy women should get at least two and one half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week during pregnancy and the time after delivery, preferably spread through the week.
• Adults with disabilities — Those who are able should get at least two and one half hours of moderate aerobic activity a week, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week.
• People with chronic medical conditions — Adults with chronic conditions get important health benefits from regular physical activity. They should do so with the guidance of a health care provider.

As you know, widespread awareness of these guidelines could have a tremendously positive impact on public health. It’s important that we work together to share this message and continue to encourage healthier lifestyles.

For more information about the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, visit www.hhs.gov or www.health.gov/paguidelines.

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