If you’re considering moving to a vegetarian diet as an adult, you probably want to pass on this good nutrition and improved way of eating to your family as well. In fact, it’s your responsibility as a parent to nurture your children and help them develop physically, mentally and spiritually.

But that can be hard to do, especially in a culture where our children are bombarded with messages from fast food restaurants in the media. How do you teach kids to resist the siren song of Ronald McDonald? There isn’t a plate of vegetables on the planet that’s going to look as good to them as a Happy Meal!

You have to start slowly to change not only your own eating patterns, but your family’s as well. Like any other dietary endeavor, it starts at the grocery store. Begin stocking the refrigerator with healthy snacks like apples and carrots. Exchange good, chewy brown rice for white rice and processed side dishes, which are so high in fat and sodium. Make meat portions smaller and smaller and start incorporating more vegetables and grains in your family dinners.

Don’t make changes all at once. If you do give in and stop at a fast food restaurant, get fruit or yogurt in addition to or part of that meal. Make the changes so gradual that they’ll never notice their diets are changing. Kids are usually very sympathetic about animals, and it’s not too early to talk to them about eating in a way that isn’t cruel to animals.

You’ll be doing them a favor that will last them a lifetime. With childhood obesity at epidemic levels in the U.S., you will be setting up your children for lifelong eating habits that will help ensure a long and healthy life.

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Trying to lose weight can be difficult and following specific diets can be boring. Diet Shake recipes can help you to lose weight and they are delicious which makes it easier to stay on track with your weight loss journey.

Shakes and smoothies are a particularly good way to lose weight during the summer months when there are lots of fresh fruits available. You can still drink shakes during winter by substituting fresh fruit for frozen fruit and the results taste just as good. Some low fat yogurt added to a shake makes it even more delicious.

There are lots of different diet shake recipes that you can use when trying to lose weight. One of my own favorites is to use mango which is so refreshing on a hot day. I simply mix together some mango, mandarin, oranges and some ice, then add some low fat yogurt and blend together. Sometimes I will also add some protein powder to keep me feeling full longer.

A great shake for breakfast is a cranberry juice shake as this is an amazing tonic for your kidneys. Simply blend some cranberry juice with some apple juice, blueberries, strawberries and a banana and you have a nice, healthy breakfast shake. You can also add some low fat yogurt if you wish.

If you are a chocolate lover then try adding some unsweetened cocoa powder to your shake. When using diet shakes for losing weight you need to remember that a shake does not give you all your nutritional needs so you can’t live on shakes alone. To be really successful at losing weight, shakes can help, but you still need to have an overall healthy, nutritional diet and exercise regularly.

Have a really good look at your current diet and see what you are doing wrong. See what changes you can make that will help you to lose weight, such as reducing the amount of white break, pasta and rice in your diet. These foods contain hidden sources of sugar and so aren’t very good when trying to lose weight. Instead you can change them to brown rice, pasta and wholemeal bread. You may not like the taste of the brown variety if your tastebuds are use to the white variety so try swapping over gradually. Your taste buds will begin to get use to the new taste over time.

If you stick to one particular diet you can get bored eating the same boring foods over and over again. It helps to have a variety of foods in your diet as long as you are eating healthy foods and watching the number of calories you are consuming. Try to include lots of fruit and vegetables into your diet each day and perhaps experiment with different ways of cooking them. Small changes in your diet can go a long way to helping you reach a healthy weight.

It is very beneficial to eat foods that are high in soluble fiber as they have few calories but they make you feel full. Foods like mangoes, peas, brussel sprouts, spring greens, sprouts and dried apricots are a great source of fiber and can help you to feel fuller so you will eat less.

Diet shake recipes are very effective to help you to lose weight but you must remember to combine them with a nutritional diet and regular exercise to get the best weight loss results.

Tags: Apple Juice, Atkins, Blueberries, Brown Rice, Calories, Chocolate Lover, Cranberry Juice, Diet Recipes, Diet Shake, Eating Habits, Fresh Fruits, Frozen Fruit, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Diet, Hot Day, Kidneys, Losing Weight, Mandarin Oranges, Nutritional Diet, Protein Powder, Shake Recipes, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Weight Loss Journey, Yogurt —

It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense of healthy eating on vacation. Although you may strive for healthy eating, it’s easy to drift off and grab an ice cream cone here and there. There are however, ways to watch what you eat on
vacation.

It’s easier than ever these days to request a low fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights. If you choose to instead drive to your destination, the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more complicated.

Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler full of ice packs. Fruits and vegetables, crackers, yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with you on the road.

Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down – as this helps to avoid the temptation. If your hotel offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits, cereals, and proteins. If your hotel has a stove or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy food with you.

If you simply must eat out, do so only when you are hungry. Restaurants will usually serve large portions, so be careful. If you do go a bit over on a meal, simply cut back on the next.

If you find it hard to fit in three square meals a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks, as your body needs fuel every four hours or so. When you eat out, avoid appetizers. Whatever you do, do not miss any meals.

When it’s possible, you should avoid eating large meals at night. When your body gets ready for sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a much slower pace. Never eat bread before bed, and make sure to avoid the butter. Choose fish or poultry for your meal instead, and include vegetables as a side dish.

Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on vacation isn’t really that difficult. All you have to do is use a little will power, and pass up foods that you know aren’t good for you. This way, you’ll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle wherever you go.

The next time you go on a vacation, always remember that eating healthy is a way of life. You can afford to get something you crave, although you shouldn’t make a habit of it. One ice cream cone or a pizza isn’t going to matter – as long as you know when to stop.

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It’s kind of funny, in a sad sort of way, that the number of ineffective, short-lived fad diets continues to grow. And they grow despite the fact that they don’t work, at least not as a long-term solution to losing weight. So, what are you supposed to do if you want to lose weight? Eat better.

Yep. That’s it. Eat better.

Okay, seriously, it wouldn’t be much if that’s all I said. I believe we all know, deep down, that we need to eat better if we stand a chance of shedding those extra pounds. Don’t worry, this is going to be as common sense as it is easy to follow. No fad diet nonsense, just what works.

Food is nothing more than fuel for the body. It contains the vitamins, minerals and calories we need to survive. We only get in trouble when we eat too many calories without burning them off. Some foods are better than others, but nothing is forbidden. Here’s how you can use food to put the odds of weight loss in your favor.

Start the day with something to get the internal furnace started. That means eating breakfast. There is no reason to skip breakfast. It takes virtually no time at all to grab a piece of whole-wheat toast and spread some peanut butter on it, then wash it down with a glass of orange juice. Or boil up some eggs for the upcoming week. Then have an egg, a banana and a granola bar. Even a ready made breakfast shake is better than nothing. The trick is to get your body use to burning calories for the day.

Now that you have your metabolism fired up, you need to keep it going by snacking. A light snack every two hours is all it takes. A small handful of nuts, some carrot sticks with non-fat yogurt, or a protein bar, are good choices. Regular snacking will prevent you from experience mid-afternoon burn out, too.

So, now it’s lunchtime and you’re feeling great! You’re eating food you like and you’re not hungry. Let’s keep going with turkey breast on whole-grain bread, romaine lettuce, tomato and a smear of mustard. Add a veggie-rich salad and a small glass of juice or skim milk and you’re all set.

Don’t forget your two-hour snack break.

For supper try some baked salmon brushed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Include some fresh veggies of your choice (bake them with the salmon if you like), and a cup of homemade soup. Yummy!

Remember to eat your next snack.

As you can see, this is all reasonable, simple eating. Food is there to keep you going, and it needs to be tasty, too. Remember, nothing is off limits. If you must have some ice cream, just keep the portion under control. Make it a habit to increase the better foods, and eat less of the not-so-good ones and you lose weight fast. Faster than you may have thought possible.

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