Healthy snacking helps you stay lean, curbs your cravings and you’ll get all your daily nutrients in mini meals.

Be smart when choosing your snacks, look for healthy nutrition that will keep your energy levels up, keeping you full until your next meal.

There’s something about a new year that drives us to wipe the slate clean, put our bad habits behind us, and start fresh. We look back at the resolutions we managed to keep and those that eluded us, and we make promises to take better care of ourselves in the upcoming year. I’m a big fan of resolutions – as long as they’re reasonable. Resolutions don’t do you much good if they’re abandoned before Valentine’s Day. You want to focus on the changes you can practice every day – since they’re more likely to stick with you – and also on the ones that give you the most bang for your buck. So here is my list of the top 10 best resolutions for a healthier 2012.

1. Eat breakfast. Breakfast eaters are more likely to maintain a healthy weight. And breakfast will also help keep you clear-headed all morning. Your brain needs fuel after an overnight fast.

2. Move more. Aside from your regular exercise, try to work more activity into your day. Take the stairs, walk or bike to run errands, pace the floor while you’re on the phone, and walk to a co-worker’s office instead of e-mailing.

3. Don’t eat in front of a screen. Whether it’s a computer, TV or movie screen, when you’re eating in front of it, you’re not focusing on your food – you’re likely to end up eating more, and enjoying it less.

4. Stop eating on the run. This means eating in the car, when you’re walking down the street running errands, or while you’re getting dressed in the morning. Take time to sit down, focus on your meal, and enjoy.

5. Watch the liquid calories. Unless your liquid is a meal in itself, fluids should be calorie-free as often as possible. Get most of your calories from foods, not beverages – it’s one of the easiest ways to cut out excess calories.

6. Stay hydrated. Many of the body’s processes rely on water, but plenty of people don’t drink enough. Keep water or tea near you and sip throughout the day.

7. Include protein every time you eat. Protein satisfies hunger better than fats or carbs. Have some at every meal, and grab foods like yogurt, nuts, high protein cereals, shakes, string cheese or single-serve cans of tuna for snacks.

8. Have a fruit or vegetable at every meal. Fruits and veggies give you the most nutrition for the fewest calories. And, they’re full of water and fiber, which means they fill you up – not out.

9. Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals rarely works as a calorie-control measure – you’ll just end up making up for it at the next meal. Eating small meals and snacks every few hours is a better strategy.

10. Pump some iron. Strength training exercise burns calories, can perk up your mood, and it helps to keep your bones strong. It also helps you build muscle mass which makes you stronger, and can ultimately increase your resting metabolic rate.

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.

With the manic holiday season over it’s time to start the new year the right way and treat yourself to a Wellness Evaluation. You’ll benefit from a full nutritional and diet analysis as well as a full body scan with the tanita body composition monitor (perfect for finding out your body fat percentages, metabolic rate, metabolic age, bone density and muscle mass). We will then guide you through any recommended changes to keep you feeling healthy and energised for the year ahead.

Most of us will struggle with low energy levels in winter and a Wellness Evaluation is a great way to find out how your body is coping with the stresses and strains of everyday life. 

What is Wellness ?

“ The condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise and habits.”–American Heritage Dictionary

“Wellness is about waking up every morning and having enough time, energy and freedom to live the life you want.”

 Keys to optimum wellness:

1 – Balance Your Diet

You need to get enough of the right foods including colourful fruits and vegetables, protein, good carbohydrates and just enough good fats for the taste you want. You also need vitamins, minerals and fibre from dietary supplements to provide the nutrition missing from your diet that your cells need for good health.

2 – Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise can help you feel and look your best. Exercise conditions your heart and relieves stress and makes it easier to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

3 – Drink Lots of Water

Your body is about two-thirds water. In an average day, you lose at least one pint of water even without excessive sweating. To feel your best, you should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. 

FUN video Wellness Evaluation – sometimes we don’t just realise how much we eat !!

Book your Wellness Evaluation by calling Jan on 01925 264383 (Herbalife Distributor/ Wellness Coach).  If not in Cheshire personalised programs can be emailed.  Alternatively buy Herbalife products from my Wellness Store.

The Herbalife solution for adding plant protein to your diet is by taking  Formula 1 Shakes and Formula 3 Personalised Protein Powder.

To buy any of the Herbalife products, click on “Wellness Products Store” and register.

If you want to lose weight for Christmas – approximately 7-10lbs, try the Herbalife Quick Start Programme. The Quick Start Programme contains protein, fibre and nutrients which are often found lacking in a typical diet. The natural vegetable protein found in the Herbalife Formula 1 Shake and the F3 Personalised Protein Powder will give you healthy protein without the additional fat and calories found in animal protein. It will also fill you up for longer so you are not inclined to snack in between meals.

**Top Tip – blend chocolate or cappuccino formula 1 with milk and then heat in microwave – it’s great this time of year !

New recipe “Pear and Cinnamon” – take 2 scoops of vanilla Formula 1, 150ml semi skimmed milk, 2 tablespoons of low fat yogurt, half a pear and 1 cinnamon stick, mix in blender and serve.

Get protein into every meal, avoid or limit carbohydrates i.e. crisps, biscuits, cereal bars, rice cakes, sugary chocolate bars etc. If you feel like a snack choose from the list below:

Protein Snacks

Low fat cheese, mozzarella or cottage cheese – 1oz – 70 calories – 8 grams of protein

Hard boiled egg – 1 egg – 80 calories – 14 grams of protein

Herbalife chocolate protein bar – 1 bar – 140 calories – 10 grams of protein

Herbalife Tomato Soup – 1 soup – 104 calories – 7 grams of protein

Soy crisps – 1oz about 17 crisps – 110 calories – 7 grams of protein

Low fat yogurt – 1 6oz carton – 100 calories – 5 grams of protein

Herbalife Chocolate Protein Bars - 140 calories max – 10 grams of protein

Other snacking ideas that won’t spoil your programme

Low fat latte made with semi-skimmed or soy milk

Mini pita bread with a quarter of avocado

Two rice cakes with a small portion of low fat cheese

One pudding – 100 calories

Half a cup of low fat cottage cheese with half a cup of blueberries

One individual pot of low fat yogurt with 1 tablespoon of raisins

One stick mozzarella cheese with one sesame breadstick

Three hard cooked egg whites mashed with a little Dijon mustard and a sliced tomato

15 baby carrots with 2 tablespoons of low fat dressing

12oz of tomato juice

10 soy crisps with a small peach

1 cup whole strawberries with 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup (sauce)

For extra energy take Herbalife Thermojetic Herbal Beverages known as thermos, these can be enjoyed hot or cold and they count towards your daily water allowance. We have a saying about these drinks “the more you drink the more you shrink” this is because thermos supports the metabolism and helps to burn up 80 calories per cup. It breaks down fat as a source of energy. Use instead of coffee or fizzy drinks. Look what a certain Hairdresser is saying about thermos.

Maintain your weight and stay in shape

Set a goal over Christmas so that you don’t undo the work that you’ve done already on the Quick Start Programme. Take a healthy shake a day for breakfast which will curb your appetite.

Be prepared when you go out for a celebration dinner – use the Herbalife Tomato Soup to switch off hunger signals to the brain.

You can also take Herbalife Fibrebond 30 minutes before a meal with water. Fibrebond helps with elimination of fat, it absorbs 30% of the saturated fat we’ve eaten and prevents it getting into the digestive tract. It only deals with the fat we are eating not what is stored already !

When eating out over Christmas select protein and vegetables on the menu, with a small amount of carbohydrates.

Drink plenty of thermos as this is a great for burning unwanted calories.

Keep a check on calories in alcholic drinks and lastly have a fantastic Christmas !

To buy any of the Herbalife products, click on “Wellness Products Store” and register.

Please note:

Here are some ideas on how to make a warming winter formula 1 diet shake.

Best practice is to heat the liquid first with all the ingredients, then add the diet shake mixture and blend. It’s a good idea to mix the Formula 1 (F1) and Formula 3 Protein Powder (if using) with a small amount of cold liquid first before blending into the hot liquid. You can use a microwave: 2 minutes on medium heat should be sufficient.

1) Soya milk blended with banana, microwave, – add F1 Chocolate.

2) Make a coffee and add F1 Cappuccino or Chocolate.

3) Soya milk blended with F1 Cookies & Cream, then microwave.

4) F1 (any flavour) mixed with heated porridge oats and Soya milk.

5) Batchelors (low fat) Asparagus Cuppa Soup with F1 Vanilla added, after it has cooled down a little.

6) F1 Chocolate or Cappuccino, 1 dessert spoon of fromage frais, 1 teaspoon of coffee, hot Soya milk.

7) F1 Chocolate, orange juice, dessert spoon of orange flavoured yoghurt, dessert spoon of low fat chocolate flavoured yoghurt or fromage frais.

Hot Nogg! F1 Vanilla, Soya milk, teaspoon of honey, ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

9) Get up and Go! F1 Chocolate, 3 prunes, 2 tablespoons Oat Bran, 250ml warmed Soya milk.

Tip: Do not use a shaker beaker for hot Formula 1 diet shakes, as the pressure caused by the hot liquid will force the lid off and you’ll get covered !

Why it’s so important to start your day with a Herbalife Formula 1 diet shake

Healthy Breakfast video

To buy any of the Herbalife products, click on “Wellness Products Store” and register.

You can order this delicious Christmas Formula 1 Protein shake by clicking on “Wellness Products Store”.  You will need to register first.   

Around the 25^th October each year women start dieting to lose weight for Christmas and to get into those little black dresses (LBD’s)  This gives two months to shed the pounds healthily. 

Everyone wants to look good for the party season so why not try Herbalife nutritious products?  

I am offering a free wellness evaluation if you live in the Stockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire area. 

With your wellness evaluation you’ll get: 

Regular weigh in and measurements
Advice on nutrition
Your own personal recommended program
Telephone support

If you do not live in the Cheshire area, you can always buy Herbalife products online by clicking on “Wellness Products Store”.  You will need to register first.   

Call Jan (Wellness Coach for Herbalife) on 01925 264383 

The UK Herbalife 24 Sports Nutrition Range currently comprises of 5 products, which are now available to buy.  All products can be customised to meet your training needs, whether you are a 24 Hour Athlete or someone who likes to keep fit by leading a healthy active lifestyle. All the products are scientifically proven and third party tested for banned substances, so you can take with confidence, knowing that whatever is stated on the label is exactly what you get in the product.

John Heiss, Ph.D., Director of Sports and Fitness at Herbalife talks about the Herbalife 24 sports nutrition product range.

Available now to buy from your Herbalife Distributor are: Herbalife 24 Formula 1 Sport, Herbalife 24 Hydrate, Herbalife 24 Prolong, Herbalife 24 Rebuild Endurance and Herbalife 24 Rebuild Strength.

More information on Herbalife 24

To Buy Herbalife 24 click on “Wellness Products Store” and register.

Daily exercise can boost your metablism – here is an article written by Dr Luigi Gratton – Vice President of Medical Affairs and Education at Herbalife

Maximize Your Metabolism

By Luigi Gratton, M.D., M.P.H.

Exercise training helps you burn more calories both during the day and at night.

Total Caloric Expenditure is simply the total amount of calories that your body burns in one day. The vast majority of calories expended are used for the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) or the “Resting Metabolism.” This BMR accounts for over 70% of an individual’s total calories used in one day. These are the calories your body uses to keep your engine running.

Your body is like your car. Think of turning your car engine on in the morning and just letting it run in the driveway. The car sitting in the driveway burning fuel is like your BMR. The bigger the car engine, the more fuel it uses. So a big truck burns lots of fuel and gets maybe eight miles to the gallon while an economy car uses little fuel and gets 40 miles to the gallon. If you pushed down on the gas pedal and revved the engine, you would be burning more fuel, which is basically what you do when you exercise.

The amount of muscle you have determines how many calories you burn everyday in a resting state. Each pound of muscle burns approximately 14 calories per day, so a big football player may burn over 3,000 calories/day at rest (BMR=3000). Meanwhile a tall and thin ballerina may burn only 1,200 calories/day at rest (BMR=1200).

When you exercise, you build more muscle mass and increase the size of your engine, which is a good thing. That means that even while you sleep you will be burning more calories because you have increased your BMR.

Imagine taking a small economy car and putting in a bigger engine that requires more fuel. That is the basic idea behind exercise training, fine-tuning your body’s engine into a high-performance machine.

Herbalife Inner Nutrition products help provide you with the best fuel for your high-performance engine. With a variety of delicious shakes, bars, soups and soy nuts, Herbalife offers a wide selection of fuel for your body. This healthy fuel will help keep your engine fine-tuned for maximum caloric expenditure–even while you sleep.

Tips for burning more calories:

• Exercise to increase muscle mass.
• Fuel up with Herbalife nutrition products.
• Rev up your workout routine to burn more calories.

 To buy Herbalife nutrition products online - just click on “Wellness Products Store” and register.