Diet and exercise work together like your two hands. And so that nursery rhyme goes, “I have two hands, the left and the right…” They have to work together to keep you in tiptop shape.

First, let’s look into the diet part. There are foods you can eat to your satisfaction even while you're so ever watching that weight. Susan Woodward, a native Australian who moved to the United States, is the perfect example of a person who keeps healthy by employing a combination of diet and exercise. In her recent article at MSN's Health & Fitness department, she distils what clinical nutritionist and author of Dare to Lose, Shari Lieberman (Ph.D.) calls essential healthy foods for anyone who wants to lose weight. Here goes:

1. Yams and potatoes (great diet foods because they are especially low on the glycemic index)
2. Oranges, apples and grapefruit (contains high level the soluble fiber pectin which slows digestion)
3. Killer sandwiches (to lose 40 pounds in 21 weeks, Kristina relied heavily on sandwiches stacked with vegetables as well as deli meats "but always oven-roasted turkey over anything vacuum-packed")
4. Cereals (it's true, the good ones are hard to find, i.e., kind of like men; the Kashi brand is the best. Check it out!)
5. Salad (mind the dressing though, key is to stuff it with green leafy vegetables)
6. Quiche made with egg whites and just a couple of yolks
7. Yoghurt (make sure it's low-fat)
8. Almonds (omega-3 fatty acids galore)
9. Peanut butter (monounsaturated fats magnate, but this one is still eat-in-moderation)
10. Hummus (AKA pureed chickpeas, garlic and a little lemon juice, great with whole-wheat pita bread or organic corn chips)
11. Salsa (now what can possibly be unhealthy about tomato, onion, jalapeno and cilantro?)

Now let's leave the foods subject for the time being and take a look at little practical things you can do to take care of the exercise portion. In the film Point of No Return, Bridget Fonda looks herself in the mirror and says "I never really did mind about the little things!"

Well Bridget, it's time you did! Here's why: The little things are the real ones that you can really do. If you keep adding to the list, pretty soon you'll accumulate so much to seriously challenge those excess pounds (not talking to Bridget now, she has no weight problems, obviously). Think of them this way--they work like coupons and Air miles! Improve your treadmill routine. When walking on a treadmill, don't grip the rails--at least not all the time. Try increasing the incline as well. Your body exerts more effort when you're going uphill.

Shop 'til you drop...pounds! What do you think? You get to shop a lot when you walk a lot.
Walk an extra 100 steps at work by taking the stairs in lieu of the elevator, or parking further from the office building.
Be creative! Create your own Little Things List. This invaluable tip is courtesy of WeightWatchers.ca.

It’s time to incorporate diet and exercise into your Little Things List. A recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics concludes that seven of 10 adults don’t regularly exercise, and nearly four in 10 aren’t physically active. Lack of exercise can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. About 300,000 people in the U.S. die each year from diseases caused by lack of healthy diet and exercise.

Proper diet and exercise are the mainstays for a healthy lifestyle, although many Americans turn to costly fad diets and exercise programs that fail to provide weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. The basic tenets to gradual weight loss and good health include following a healthy diet and exercise--which increases daily physical activity.

Diet and Exercise

South Beach Diet
Lose fat not muscle on the Zone Diet Advantage!
The Slim Fast Plan - eDiets.com

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or dietitian. Information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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