Congratulations on embarking on an exciting journey to a healthier you! Set specific and attainable goals for your exercise program and healthy diet. Many people find exercising at home to be less intimidating than working out at a health club. Plus, when you exercise at home, you save the time it would have taken you to drive to and from your health club, and you save the money of a gym membership and child care. It’s important to lose weight in a healthy and safe manner. Crash dieting doesn’t work. Drastically lowering your daily caloric intake can cause headaches, fatigue, dizziness, low blood sugar, low blood pressure and may eventually lead to cardiovascular problems and diabetes. You want to approach your weight lose from an educated and balanced prospective.

Follow these simple diet tips:

a) Drink eight glasses of water a day. Make sure that you stay hydrated. Weight loss is often just temporary, caused by a loss of water in your body.

b) Minimize or eliminate alcohol from your diet. Alcohol can be high in fat and high in simple sugars. Alcohol interferes with your metabolism and your sleep cycles.

c) Minimize or eliminate caffeine from your diet. Caffeine is an addictive drug that gives us a false sense of mental alertness. Instead, increase your energy level and concentration level by doing simple cardiovascular exercise like walking, bicycling or hiking. Remember that caffeine is found in coffee, tea, energy drinks and chocolate.

d) Minimize or eliminate animal fats from your diet. Animal products contain a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol, in addition to growth hormones and chemicals. Try to eat a vegetarian diet at least one day a week, as low-fat vegetarian food is high in fiber and high in good-quality complex carbohydrates.

e) Increase the amount of fresh vegetables and fruit in your diet. Aim to eat seven to eight servings of fruit and vegetables per day if you are a woman and eight to ten servings of fruit and vegetables per day if you are a man. You may also include 100% natural fruit and vegetable juices that do not have any sugar added. You could also cook up frozen fruit and vegetables, especially during the winter months.

f) Minimize the amount of simple sugar in your diet. Try to stop eating cookies, donuts, ice cream, and sweets in general. Don’t be too stringent though, and allow yourself to have a little treat as a reward at the end of the week.

g) Try to avoid eating fried food and junk food. You are likely very busy with your career, education, marriage and children, but try to find the time to go grocery shopping for healthy food and minimize your visits to fast food restaurants.

h) Ensure that you are using a good-quality multi-vitamin/ multi-mineral every day. Consider purchasing a vitamin that is especially designed for men or women, depending on your gender.

i) Your brain and muscles require good-quality protein. Opt for healthier choices such as vegetarian sources of protein, including nuts, seeds, beans, tofu and multi-grains. If you must eat animal proteins, then select chicken, fish and turkey over beef and pork.

Exercise is vital to our physical and emotional health and well-being. Many busy adults, especially working professionals or parents with young children, find it very difficult to find time on a daily or even weekly basis to exercise. Save time and energy by exercising at home instead of at a health club. Since exercise is essential in the fight against heart disease, obesity, diabetes, anxiety and depression, follow these simple tips for making room in your schedule every day to exercise at home.

Maximize your down time.
While you are relaxing after work, watching several favorite television programs, instead of staying on the coach, consider getting up and exercising while watching your shows. Create an open space for exercising and do stretching, abdominal exercises, or low-impact aerobics while being entertained by your TV programs.

Try to replace your caffeine consumption with exercise.
Caffeine is a stimulant that makes your brain feel alert and awake. However, caffeine is still an addictive drug and can cause sleeping problems and withdrawal symptoms. Whenever you feel the urge to reach for some coffee, tea, soda or energy drink, opt instead to take a few minutes and exercise. Clear an area in your family room or basement for exercising. March or jog on the spot. Do shoulder, side and leg stretches. Remember, exercise is a natural, healthy stimulant for your brain and body.

Make exercise an integral part of your social life.
Instead of going on movie dates with your spouse or partner, choose instead to go hiking or skiing in a beautiful park. Instead of meeting friends at a coffee shop, arrange to get together to play tennis or badminton, or all go on a relaxing bicycle ride together.

Look at housework as productive opportunities to exercise.
Most men and women alike dread doing housework, but try to adjust your attitude by thinking of the unique opportunities to exercise that housework presents to you. Dust and vacuum your home with gusto, knowing you are getting in some much-needed exercise. Wash your dishes and clean your kitchen while listening to some invigorating music to motivate you to clean and move to the beat. Outdoor household tasks including raking the leaves, shoveling the snow, and mowing the lawn all provide fantastic cardiovascular workouts, while toning your arms and shoulders at the same time.

Invest time in cultivating an organic flower or vegetable garden.
Not only does gardening have many therapeutic benefits for your mental and emotional health, but it also provides constant sources for good cardiovascular and strengthening exercises. Weeding and planting provide excellent cardio exercise. Even watering your garden every day gives you some exercise. Make sure that do some full-body stretches before and after vigorous gardening to keep your muscles flexible and free from injury. If you grow vegetables or herbs, make sure that you use them in your cooking, and reap the health benefits of the “fruits” of your labor.