[Full Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Propel® for the You.Propelled Program]

If I wasn’t in good enough shape to be able to hike and explore places like the one in this picture – Silver Creek Falls, Oregon – I don’t know what I would do. My vacation earlier this month to the Pacific Northwest reminded me why I choose to live a healthy lifestyle. Of course, it’s not always easy. It’s a constant effort – you have to keep exercising and eating a healthy diet. Forever. So what motivates me to do this?

Yep. I’ve got a thing for chocolate!

But besides that little obsession, my biggest motivator to try to be healthy is my genes. Heart disease runs in my family and I want to do what I can to avoid it. Both my parents had high blood pressure. My father has had a heart attack. My mom died of a stroke. I may not be able to control my family history, but I can control my lifestyle.

Another motivator comes from all the years I spent as a TV News Health Reporter. After covering so many health issues for 15 years and interviewing hundreds of doctors and patients, I learned that your odds of preventing serious illnesses are better if you take care of your health.  Of course, there’s still a chance you could get very sick. But if that happens, at least you’ll know you’ve done all you can.

This was one of my favorite moments on my vacation – watching the sun set on a beach along the Oregon coast. Hearing the waves crash is so peaceful. I took a little time to relax and really soak it all in… and I remembered how much easier it is to experience everything life has to offer when you have your health.

Taking the time to enjoy nature always enhances my life. What about you? How did you enhance your life today? There’s a new community waiting to hear your thoughts and inspire you to get where you want to be. And you could win some cash while you’re at it, so check it out! Chime in every day at You.Propelled on DivineCaroline for a chance to win $5,000 to pursue your dream. The more friends you bring, the better your chances of winning.

Related posts

• Will Obama help bring change to the obesity epidemic?
• News Nugget: Obamas start days with fitness
• News Nugget: More people exercise for health benefits than appearance
• News Nugget: Could e-mails help you eat better and move more?
• How to drop the baby weight and feel good again

Could we soon see traffic light nutrition labels on our favorite foods? New research shows shoppers are five times more likely to identify healthy food when they see color-coded nutrition labels than when the labels use numbers to show the same information. Traffic light labeling uses colors to rate the nutritional content of food according to how healthy it is. One version uses a panel with red, yellow, or green dots to rate the food’s salt, sugar, saturated fat and total fat content separately. Another uses just one colored dot to give an overall rating.

Here’s another idea on how to make nutrition labels easier to read.

Related posts

• New nutrition labels coming soon
• Would seeing calorie counts for restaurant menu items change your choices?
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Kath (KathEats.com)
• Top 10 healthy vending snacks
• Protein bar winner!

Do you check calories at fast food restaurants before you order? Most people don’t. New research shows out of 4,311 people buying food at McDonalds, Burger King, Au Bon Pain, or Starbucks, only six looked at the nutrition information the restaurants have – that’s one-tenth of one percent. Researchers say the best way to get the information out is to post it somewhere really visible, like on menu boards.

Want more News Nuggets? Follow me on Twitter!

Related posts

• Would seeing calorie counts for restaurant menu items change your choices?
• Taco Bell, KFC will post calories on menus
• News Nugget: L.A. may make restaurants post calories
• Calories now required on California menus
• Requiring calorie counts on menus could go national

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been trying to watch my wallet over the past few months, especially at the grocery store. So today’s guest post couldn’t have come at a better time. Registered dietitian, Heather K. Jones has some fantastic tips to help us all save a little cash – “Bargain Grocery Shopping” is from her eBook,
The Grocery Cart Makeover.

There’s no need to break a sweat at the grocery store checkout.  Adopting a healthy diet doesn’t have to mean taking out a second mortgage, and you don’t have to sacrifice good nutrition for a reasonable grocery bill, either.  I’ve collected a few smart strategies to help keep your receipt within reason.  Here’s how to beat inflation, one aisle at a time.

1. Wonders on the Web - Log into websites such as mygrocerydeals.com or your local grocery stores to find sales and coupons that you can use to plan your menu.

2. It’s Better in Bulk - From lean meat to whole grain cereal, buy larger portions of healthy foods on sale.  Portion it out when you get home, then freeze or store for later use. When is bulk buying not an economical choice?  There’s no savings in food that spoils before it is used.

3. Double Check Your Receipt - Grocery store workers are only human, and we all make mistakes. Before you leave the parking lot, look at your receipt to make sure you didn’t get overcharged or double charged for anything.  It happens more often than you’d think, and grocery store managers or customer service clerks are always happy to reimburse you.

4. Go Meatless - Sub beans, tofu, eggs, nuts, or peanut butter for meat 2-3 times a week, and you’ll likely see a downward trend in your grocery bill.  Meatless protein substitutes are often less expensive, and they’re good for your health, too.

5. Once and Done – Go more than once a week to the grocery store, and you’ll end up with expensive and empty-calorie extras you don’t need.  On the other hand, if you shop every other week, you won’t be able to stock up on healthy fresh foods like milk and produce.  Once a week is just right.

6. Go Alone - Whether it’s your sweetie or your toddler, bringing more people to the store makes it hard for you to stick to your list and can add up to extra bucks at checkout.

7.  Commit to the Basics - If you’re filling your cart with mostly processed, empty-calorie foods, your grocery bill will be outrageous.  Instead, commit to a cart full of healthy foods and leave the rest on the shelf—it’s a mindset that will save you money and keep your health on track.

8. Frrrrrrozen is Fabulous - When fresh produce isn’t in your budget, frozen fruit and vegetables are a great nutritious alternative.  Frozen produce is just as healthy, since the fruits and veggies are flash-frozen shortly after harvest, preserving the nutrients.  Same goes for canned vegetables without added salt, and fruit canned in their own juice.

9. Make a Menu - Build a weekly menu, then construct a grocery list based on the foods you need for your menu.  Shopping from a strategic list ensures avoiding extra trips to the store for forgotten items, and it also keeps your goals in clear view, cutting the temptation to buy extras not on your list.

10. Crazy for Coupons - Clipping coupons can add up to big savings.  A savings of $10 per week adds up to a savings of $80 over two months.  Just think what you can buy with your “found” $80!  Just be sure you need what you buy with coupons.  For double savings, pair your coupons with a weekly store sale and bag serious bargains.

11. Be Loyal - Most grocery stores have loyalty programs—join and receive personalized savings on the things you buy the most.  Some stores even offer discounts on gas, free movie tickets, airline miles, and beyond!

12. Plan for Leftovers - Leftovers that are planned can be recycled into another meal, saving you from purchasing ingredients for another menu.  For example, leftovers from tonight’s grilled chicken can top your salad tomorrow.

13. Be a Windowsill Gardener - Fresh herbs add flavor without fat and sodium, so use them generously. Buying fresh herbs in the grocery store can add up and tend to go bad faster than you can use them.  Why not buy a potted version and cultivate your own healthy garden?

14. Stock a Stash - When you have time, like on a weekend afternoon, cook up a batch of healthy soups, casseroles, or chili and load up your freezer.  Later, when you’re in a time pinch, you’ll avoid diet- and budget- busting convenience foods and have a homemade meal in minutes.

15.  Look High, Look Low - Some grocery stores stock their most expensive items at eye level, so scope the shelves up and down where you’re likely to find the less expensive store brands and sale items. Store brand secret:  Generic replicas are often made by the “name brand” companies.

Remember, what you put in your cart is like making a smart investment.  While junk food is risky, healthy foods are a safe bet for the long term (i.e. your life). That extra dollar you spend on good-for-you foods is money well spent.  In the end, filling your cart with healthy picks is a much better bargain then filling it with junk.

###

Anybody else have any money-saving tips?

Check out the Grocery Cart Makeover here.

Related posts

• New nutrition labels coming soon
• What motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle?
• News Nugget: Will Americans put on “recession pounds”?
• News Nugget: Those heavily in debt more likely to be overweight
• News Nugget: More people exercise for health benefits than appearance

I’m a firm believer that there’s not just one diet that works for everyone. So, here’s another one for you to chew on -  New research in the Journal of Nutrition shows a moderate-protein diet is better than a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet at helping overweight adults shed body fat. And the study finds the diet can boost “good” HDL cholesterol and lower triglycerides, a type of blood fat that contributes to clogged arteries.

Want more News Nuggets? Follow me on Twitter!

Related posts

• Do you have diet disconnect?
• Big, Fat Lie: Snacking equals diet disaster
• Would seeing calorie counts for restaurant menu items change your choices?
• What motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle?
• What do you count?

Last week, we showed you the latest about childhood obesity rates (they’re way up) and shared with you how experts say you should talk to your kids about diet, exercise, and their weight. Now, there’s another tool that can help your kids grow up healthy (and a super cute giveaway!!).

Gerber’s Start Healthy, Stay Healthy campaign wants to help you get your kids to eat better from birth to preschool. It features nutritional information based on the latest research, including great tips and tools to get you started.

And there’s a cool part where you can create a pledge to your kids. Tell them what’s in your heart, share a photo, even add music if you want.

Create your Start Healthy, Stay Healthy pledge here… then come back and share it with us in the comments. That’s all it takes to enter the drawing to win a diaper bag filled with a recipe tin and teddy bear, compliments of Gerber!

The Recipe Tin comes with these seven recipes: Peach Bars, Corn Bread, Apricot Marinade, Carrot Applesauce Cake, Peach Sorbet, Sippy Cup Smoothie, and Toddler Pot Pie. Plus there are additional recipe cards so you can add your own.

A few contest details – it runs through midnight EST this Friday, February 27, you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter… and a random number generator will pick the winners.

Related posts

• Protein bar winner!
• News Nugget: Top chains serving up childhood obesity, says CSPI
• News Nugget: Most kids’ foods poor in nutrition, despite health claims
• News Nugget: Most kids’ foods poor in nutrition, despite health claims
• How to build a protein bar – and win your very own 12-pack

Congrats to FatFighterTV member – angelace07 – for winning last week’s giveaway for the Element Bars 12-pack. Enjoy! And thanks, Element Bars!

Related posts

• How to build a protein bar – and win your very own 12-pack
• Gerber’s Start Healthy, Stay Healthy giveaway
• FREE Smashies!
• Would seeing calorie counts for restaurant menu items change your choices?
• What motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle?

[Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample of this product. I only post giveaways about products I honestly like, or those I think FatFighterTV members would enjoy.]

Did you know you can design your very own protein bar… then have someone else make it for you? Nice, huh? I just found out about this very cool website, ElementBars.com.

Not only do you get to pick what you want in your protein bar, you get to choose from all-natural ingredients – fruits, nuts, and sweets… then add a boost if you want – protein, fiber, or Omega-3. Make your bar chewy, crispy, oaty, or datey. Then give it a name!

Each bar is hand made and comes labeled with the custom name you choose along with the nutritional information.

I had a shot at this and it was really fun! The FatFighterTV bars I designed are chewy with chocolate chips, peanuts, flax seeds and soy protein. Very yummy! Only next time, I think I would go without the flax seeds – the taste was a little too strong for me.

Want to win your very own 12-pack of protein bars you design? Go to ElementBars’ Build-a-Bar section and pick your ingredients. Then leave a comment telling me what you would choose for your bar… and what you would name it.

A few contest details – it runs through midnight EST this Friday, February 20, you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter… and a random number generator will pick the winners.

Related posts

• Protein bar winner!
• Gerber’s Start Healthy, Stay Healthy giveaway
• FREE Smashies!
• Would seeing calorie counts for restaurant menu items change your choices?
• What motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle?

Meet: Kim Bensen

Age: 47

Occupation: Owner, Kim’s Light Bagels

Where she lives: Connecticut

Pounds Lost: 212

How long it took to lose the weight: 2 years

How long she has kept it off: 5 years

When I first read about how Kim lost 212 pounds, I wanted to know more! As we chatted, she told me the aging process seems to have started going in reverse for her – she feels better and better as she gets older, now that she doesn’t weigh 350 pounds. Keep on feeling younger, Kim – you definitely look younger! Here’s your Weight Loss WooHoo! – Just FatFighterTV’s fun way of celebrating healthy weight.

How Kim gained the weight:
“I was always a little bit chubby, but with activities and cheerleading I was able to keep my weight at a normal range in my young years. I started dieting and wanting to lose weight – just like that 10-15 pounds – in high school. That’s kind of where the yo-yo’ing started. In college, the spread of pounds grew to 30… then 40.”

“I was a really great dieter and I tried all the diets out there. And I was always able to get to a somewhat normal range before kind of feeling good enough and going back to my old way of eating.”

“Right after I got married (25 years ago) my weight got up over 200 and I couldn’t believe it! Basically for the first 10 years of my marriage I struggled in the 200 pound range, always increasing. Then for the second 10 years of my marriage – in the 300 pound range.”

Turning point:
“A lot of people think I was this strong woman and I was ready to do it again, and nothing could be farther from the truth. I was broken. I was eating myself to death and I knew it. I basically cried my heart out to God. And I was just begging him to save my life. And I really feel that in this brief moment of prayer one morning, God gave me the strength to try one more time. Two days later, I signed up for Weight Watchers.”

How she shed the pounds:
“I did Weight Watchers and I loved the program. But this time, I approached things completely differently. I put more time and more effort into what I was doing than ever before. A lot of people want to get out of the kitchen – they don’t want to think about food; they want to think about it less. What I found was the more I focused on it and put into it and planned and cooked and lightened things up, the better I did and the more excited I got about it, and that kept me motivated. I made it a priority in my life.”

Weekly workouts:
“Okay, you had to ask that, right? I’m still a work in progress. Exercise has really been hard for me. When I was a year into losing my weight I said, ‘Man, I gotta do something about these flabby arms.” And I got down on my knees and I tried to do a girly pushup and I fell on my face and I couldn’t get up again! So I tried and tried and I worked myself up to a little routine of 20 guy pushups and 100 crunches and I do that every morning. And I’ve added to it some walking. But I do great for a few months and then I blow it, so I’m still working on it.”

Diet Philosophy:
“Enjoy the journey. I learned to find the things that I liked that I really enjoyed. Because if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you will not live it and you’re going to yo-yo.”

Daily Challenge:
“Right now my weakness for food is in the evenings. So I’m having a cup of Chai tea latte and it’s almost like a dessert – it’s a new recipe I came up with that has really helped.”

Tips from Kim:
“The only way you’ll never lose weight is if you stop trying. So if you don’t succeed this time and you’ve kind of fallen off and you’re not liking it, the only thing you can’t do is give up. You’ve got to keep trying. If I hadn’t tried that last time I don’t know if I’d be here today. So keep trying!”

Favorite healthy recipes:
Cream of Broccoli soup

Cobb Family Cheese Cake

Kim’s Weight Loss WooHoo!:
“I can finally buckle up in a car, I can cross my legs, I can hop out of bed in the morning and my feet don’t hurt. I sleep through the night without sleep apnea and I don’t have nine sizes – one size clothing is the best! Out of all that, the biggest WooHoo would be – my husband can put his arms all the way around me.”

#####

Oh, that just gave me chills!

Now, remember how Kim said she’s all about lightening up recipes? She told me she’s always loved bagels but didn’t want to waste 300+ calories on one, so she came up with her own 110-calorie recipe. Her friends convinced her to market it and that’s how Kim’s Light Bagels came to be – find out how to win a bag of each of the six flavors here.

Want to see who else got a Weight Loss WooHoo!? Check out the Wall of Fame!

If you know of someone who deserves this honor, just let me know – send me an email at sahar [at] fatfightertv [dot] com

Related posts

• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Mark Salinas
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Kath (KathEats.com)
• What motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle?
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Tony (The Anti-Jared)
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to The Biggest Loser’s Ali Vincent

Meet: Mark Salinas (Mark Salinas, MN – Healthy Living Today)

Age: 40

Occupation: Project Manager

Where he lives: Minnesota

Pounds Lost: 55

How long it took to lose the weight: About a year

How long he has kept off the weight: 2 years

If you haven’t read Mark’s blog yet, you must get over there soon! Not only does he share his fitness journey, he gives you great information on nutrition and various exercises to try, along with just the right words to motivate and inspire you. As Mark’s journey continues, let’s give him a Weight Loss WooHoo! – Just FatFighterTV’s fun way of celebrating healthy weight.

How Mark gained the weight:
“I was in sports and I was real active. I could eat whatever, had a very fast metabolism, and I was always on the go. In my mid 20’s I got married and had a daughter. My daughter had febrile seizures – her temperature would go from 100 to 106 in a matter of seconds, so my energy started to focus on that. Being the worry wart that I am, I wouldn’t sleep. I would stand next to her crib with a cold rag and Tylenol and a thermometer. I was less active, I was more tired and one thing led to another and it just snowballed.”

Turning point:
“Finally I got to a point where I said, ‘Enough is enough.’ I’ve always known that a healthier me and a happier me is better for everybody that comes in contact with me. I just stopped making excuses and justifying my unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle.”

How he shed the pounds:
“Initially what I did was cut out sugar and fast food. I didn’t try to do anything else because I didn’t want to take too much on and get frustrated. I started a Boot Camp class and just pushed myself and kept burning it and burning it and burning it. Eventually, more unhealthy foods became less desirable and I wanted to eat less junk and just be healthier. I wanted to consume whole foods and healthier foods.”

Weekly workouts:
“I did Boot Camp for so long – that was five days a week. Then I switched to taking Total Conditioning classes three times a week and included some running and Kickboxing and Spinning classes. For the past few months I’ve been strictly doing running and yoga with a couple of Total Conditioning classes a week. I’m constantly trying to infuse the muscles. I don’t want to get too much into a routine. For me, I hit plateaus very quickly.”

Daily Diet & Philosophy:
“I eat a pretty heavy breakfast and then I just graze all day – [things like] almonds and string cheese and yogurt. I have a decent dinner and a snack after dinner. I’m not a big believer in diets. I just think – be wise and be moderate and go ahead and have a bowl of ice cream every once in awhile and enjoy life.”

Daily challenge:
“Getting more sleep. I always feel like I have to be doing something. I think anybody in the fitness arena knows that recovery and rest are so important. And that has been my biggest challenge. I’m getting better at it.”

Mark’s tips:
“Don’t stress out. Just stay active and take it in steps. Don’t try to do it all at once. It’ll come and it’ll be all good.”

Favorite healthy recipe:

Chicken and Rice – with a kick
The heat is balanced by the briny olives and the sweet raisins.

Prep: 25 minutes; Total: 45 minutes

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 2 pounds) Ground cloves

1 1/2 cups diced seeded red bell peppers
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted imported green olives
4 small bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek) or 1 small serrano chile, chopped
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice (9 to 10 ounces), rinsed, drained
2 to 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
Preparation
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper, then lightly with ground cloves. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Transfer chicken to plate.

Pour off all but 4 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add bell peppers, onion, raisins, olives, bay leaves, garlic, and chili paste to skillet. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Press chicken into rice. Add 2 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 20 minutes.
Nutritional Information

Per serving: 574calories, 18g fat, 2g saturated, 47mg cholesterol, 570mg sodium, 70g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 25g protein (nutritional analysis provided by Nutrition Data)

Mark’s Weight Loss WooHoo!:
“The energy and excitement that has come from losing all that weight. My outlook on life is so much more optimistic and positive.”

###

Your positive outlook is contagious. Thanks for always inspiring us, Mark!

Want to see who else got a Weight Loss WooHoo!? Check out the Wall of Fame!

If you know of someone who deserves this honor, just let me know – send me an email at sahar [at] fatfightertv [dot] com

Related posts

• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Kim Bensen
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Kath (KathEats.com)
• What motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle?
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Tony (The Anti-Jared)
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to The Biggest Loser’s Ali Vincent