The Cleanse - Day 2

When I started blogging about the cleanse we are embarking on, I had intended to log what we were eating and list the herbs we were taking. I have however, listed the herbs and portions on the website (Click Here) and I will let that suffice for now. The food items we are eating will be listed as we go forward but for the most part they are listed on the website as well. (Click Here)

Day one involved a dose of the Cleanse and Gastro-Fiber capsules (7 to 3) three times a day on an empty stomach. One hour after before eating or two hours after eating. We had two of the fruit shakes with one scoop of Juassic Green and two scoops Complete powder per 1 pint serving. One in the morning and one in the evening. We ate the shake and two eggs for breakfast, a tossed salad for lunch and two small fish portions and sweet potato fries for supper.

Day two we had eggs for breakfast, salad and leftover fish for lunch. We dined out at a Chinese restaurant. I had a large tossed salad and the broccoli chicken stir-fry with brown rice. My wife ate sushi and vegetable fried rice with a veggie medley. The kids ate all the rich and fatty stuff, but they burn it off before they get up from the table. Seriously, they were telling us they were still hungry shortly after we got in the van to go to Walmart.


As we love Chinese food and there is a large selection available to us that fits with out eating plan, we will be coming back on occasion to give us a break from the things we prepare at home. There are plenty of other restaurants that serve healthy food items and they fit in our plan as well. We will suggest some of those as we go along the next few weeks.

After arriving home and relaxing we had some of our favorite snack food while watching a movie. If you don't know by now, my all time favorite snack food is popcorn. We prepare it with the approved eating plan oils and a touch of real butter as a topping. There are lots of alternates though. Check out the Popcorn snack recopies on the website. (Click Here)

So ends day 2 and my log for the day. More to come later as we enter day three.

The Cleanse - Day One

Starting the new year with determination to make change is a really good thing to do. You must put feet to those intentions though.

Remember being a teenager and revving the engine of your hot rod car? (Maybe it was your fathers "three on the tree" DeSoto) revving the engine made a lot of noise and it was impressive to the bystanders. The proof of what you had under the engine was what happened after you popped the clutch and raced down the road. Winning the race was what mattered.

So it is with a new years plan for healthier living. A new eating plan and exercise plan is only as good as your follow through. You must "pop the clutch" and start moving. Then you must finish the race.

We have put our plan together and collected our herbs, fruits and veggies. We have out route mapped out and we have studied the course. We are ready, set to go. We have revved our engines and we are off like a dirty shirt.

If you are interested in following our progress keep coming back for updates. If you are interested in starting the race to good health yourself, visit our website.

On you mark - Get set - Go!

Procrastination Leads to a Little Extra Work

This past year has been a great year in which to begin the Over 40 Fitness Tips web site and get the process of getting into shape started. As the year begins we are looking at where we are and what we need to do to further this adventure in healthy living.

Have you taken the Survey from the end of December? How did you score?

If you scored like me, you need to get some treadmill time under your belt, instead of an extra slice of bread or that extra helping of potatoes. Even though that slice of pizza looks tempting there is a better way of curbing your appetite than indulging in the obviously "not so good" foods we tend to lean towards for comfort.

Try drinking an extra glass of water or eat a pickle. Get up out of your seat. Take one step at a time and get your body moving forward. Keep that up for 15 minutes and do that three times a week to begin with. Next thing you know, you will be high stepping with the exercise pros.

There is a really good section on the website for motivation. That is the hardest part for me. It's just too warm and comfy at 6am in the morning to really be motivated to get out of bead and start working on those extra pounds that need to be shed.

Don't lose hope. There is a way out of all that holiday indulgence. Personally it's been a year since I did my cleanse and I am preparing to do another to get rid of those coffee, sugar and processed food toxins that have built up over the past year. In the cleanse, I will have a change in my eating and exercise habits that have been in a slump. Getting a regular diet of veggies and fruits plus cleaning out my system with the herbs and cleansers will help to put me on the track to performance and healthy habits.

As my wife and I embark on our cleanse we will keep you posted with the results. You can join us if you wish. Just send me an email and I will include you in on the updates and share any tips we have with you. It always nice to have someone else to share the struggles and victories with.

And The Survey Says?

Eating Plan Survey 2010

OK, Thanksgiving is over. Christmas is over. New Years is almost here. Let's see how you are doing on keeping up with your eating plan. (Notice I didn't say "diet"?) Here is a survey for you to take. Have fun with this one.

1. If you did not stray from the eating plan you are on, give yourself 5 points.

    If you strayed 1 time give your self 3 points. 

    If you strayed 2 times give your self 1 point.

    If you strayed 3 time give your self -2 points.

    If you strayed more than 3 times give your self -4 points.

2. If you used 1 of the Holiday Recipes we posted on the Over 40 Fitness Tips site, give yourself 1 points.

    If you used 2 of the Holiday Recipes give your self 3 points. 

    If you used 3 or more of the Holiday Recipes give your self 5 points.

    If you didn't used any of the Holiday Recipes give your self -1 points.

    If you used someones Holiday Recipes give your self -2 points

3. If you went out to eat and didn't stray from your eating plan, give yourself 5 points.

    If you strayed 1 time give your self 3 point. 

    If you strayed 2 times give your self 1 points.

    If you strayed 3 times give your self -2 points.

    If you strayed more than 3 times give your self -4 points

4. If you were offered a holiday treat and politely passed it by, give yourself 5 points.
    If you snatched just one item from the tray give your self 3 points.

    If you grabbed two or three goodies, give your self 1 point.

    If you indulged in more than three items, give your self -2 points.

    If you couldn't control yourself and gobbled treats while no one was looking, give your self -4 points.

5. If you drank eggnog with alcohol on a holiday festive occasion,give yourself -5 points
    If you drank diet eggnog without alcohol, give yourself -3 points.
    IF you drank milk with your cookies, give yourself -1 point.
    If you were a good boy or girl and resisted the milk and the cookies, give yourself 5 points.

6. If you ate talopia or white fish at your holiday meal, give yourself 5 points.
    If you ate lean white chicken or turkey meat at your holiday meal, give yourself 3 points.
    If you ate roast beef or ground beef at your holiday meal, give yourself 1 point.
    If you ate pork chops or ham at your holiday meal, give yourself -2 points.
    If you ate fast food burgers or pizza for your holiday meal, give yourself -5 points.

7. If you went for a short walk after your holiday meal, give yourself 1 point.
    If you played outside with your kids or relatives after your meal, give yourself 3 points.
    If you rode bicycle or ran more than 5 miles after your meal, give yourself 5 points.
    If you sat around and watched football or basketball on TV after your meal, give yourself -3 points.
    If you took a nap or drank alcohol after your meal, give yourself -5 points.

Add up all the points you now have from questions 1-7, subtract the number of pounds you gained and compare the resulting number with the following chart:


35 Points = You are a dedicated and determined participant in your bodies healthy living style. Good job! Keep up the great work.

25-34 Points = You did well for the holidays. You are in the above average group. You strayed a little with temptation but you were not overwhelmed. Good job! Work a little more on avoiding temptations.


15-24 Points = You are on the average with all of those who succumb to temptation and find the socializing effect of food consumption just a bit more than you can handle. You would do well to avoid the parties and crowds next year. Try baking some of those tasty treats that are low calorie and stay away from the sugar and flour. Keep working and get some exercise this next month.


0-14 Points = Well, well, we had a more difficult time of it this year, didn't we? It definitely is a hard time of the year for you and you will need to work extra hard to lose those extra pounds you  packed on this year. Hopefully, you haven't given up but you can get motivated and can spring back into a healthy diet and get back on your exercise program.


-1 and below = I guess there is no explanation for this other than you just didn't try at all. It may have been too much for you this year. Sometimes that happens and we go all out to enjoy ourselves with thoughts of jumping back into the healthy lifestyle afterwards. You may be able to do that and I hope you can, but it will take several months to shed those extra pounds and regain the ground you lost during the holidays. Next year plan on spending your holiday at a fitness resort or hiking in the mountains or surfing in the ocean. A more aggressive lifestyle will help to keep you from idly strolling through the pastries and rich, fatty foods. Time to get to work now. Go to our Over 40 Fitness Tips site and try our free exercise and diet plan.

39 Easy Diet Tips

I recently put up a list of 39 Easy Diet Tips on our new Over 40 Fitness Tips website. I wanted to give you just a sample of some of the great tips there. They have been collected from ladies that are in our community. Just imagine yourself looking for ways to stay on track with your eating and living a busy lifestyle. That's probably not too difficult to think that way, since most of us already do. The hard part is learning and doing the right thing when it comes to staying on the diet. Here are some tips to get you started.

Number 17: Go ahead and get that red bell pepper. It's really the ripe one. Did you know red bells are just ripe green bell peppers? It's true, if you leave them on the vine they turn red. Greens are fine too but I think the color and ripeness of the red ones make them worth buying. Watch for sales. Or better yet grow them! :-)

Number 22: Use fresh kiwi. A kiwi is higher in potassium than a banana. It's a great little green fruit. It makes a breakfast brighter, especially when coupled with some bright red strawberries.

 Number 33: When all else fails, eat a pickle!

These are just a few of the great tips you will find on the web page 39 Easy Diet Tips.

Check out the rest of the website while you are at it. Just click here for a quick link to it. Over 40 Fitness Tips

And did I mention that we have some Holiday Recipes also? You can find that page by clicking here. Holiday Recipes

One last thing. Have a very Merry Christmas. Don't forget to thank God for the greatest gift of all. His son Jesus. It's because of Him that we can be thankful for all other gifts and life itself. 

Holiday Hooligans and Food Shenanigans

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to all of you!

If you are anything like me you enjoy the holidays for many reasons, but mostly for the social aspect of it all. In saying that I refer to the social eating and snacking that goes as well, throughout the holiday season.

There are a host of goodies that we create and consume this time of year. Mostly with refined sugars, flour and all the heavy ingredients that cause us to gain weight. Everything from frosted sugar cookies (one of my favorites) to aunt Helen's baklava and uncle Fritz's egg-nog with rum. Cakes, pies, cookies, candy canes, taffy and "chocolate covered everythings" line our store shelves and find their way into our homes. Those of us who bake for the season add to that, our special family recipes of turkey, candied yams, puddings, pies and yummies for the kids.

I have a confession to make. I still think like a kid when it comes to the yummies and treats. My mind is filled with sugar plums dancing in my head. I love the vast array of colors, fragrances and tastes that tickle my sweet tooth. I tend to lose my mind when it comes to restraint from overeating. I actually found someone standing on my scale after Thanksgiving that was 5 pounds heavier than I would admit to being. That person developed out of a four-day weekend of heavy foods and snacks.

Yes, I am feeling guilty for allowing myself to do that but I am also resolved to shedding those pounds again. I have four weeks to work it off and hopefully not put more on at Christmas. But the odds are pretty good that I will do the same at Christmas time also. Why do we do this to ourselves? Do we need to worry about it or are we just being obsessive about our weight?

There are a couple things I try to think about this time of year. One is that this is only a short time of dieting difference. So why worry? Just work it off afterwards. The other is that there should be a greater importance placed upon the social aspect of the holidays and I don't need to be a scrooge about every food item on the table. Eating a few social cookies isn't going to kill me. Another is that I don't have to eat everything on the table either. I can exercise some restraint from over indulging and be reasonable about my confectionery affections. Just because it is on the candy tray doesn't mean I am not obligated to sample it.

I understand the twists of thinking that go with the holidays. It's a smorgasbord of delights and I am on a diet? What sense does that make? But then I am not just on a diet, I have changed my eating habits. I am no longer the person who is compulsory towards foods that are not healthy for me. I am free to eat the good and healthy things in life. I have made a choice to be healthy and fit in my later years. I want to feel good about my weight and keep my body in good health. It is a life choice and I want to enjoy living this life. My family wants to enjoy living with me too.

So, I need to exercise. Not just exercise my restraint from the heavier foods and over indulgence, but exercise my physical body. When I eat differently during the holidays, I need to mix that temporary change in my eating habits to compensate for those changes. I need to take a walk, run a little more, be more active and fight off the sluggishness that comes with that leftover turkey sandwich or helping of stuffing. I also need to drink enough water to offset the bulging that transpires around my belt. My body needs the extra fluid intake to process those heavier foods and sugars.

I hope you have a great holiday season and enjoy socializing with your friends and family. It's a good time to reconnect with them and catch up on the year. Make it a time to re-evaluate your progress on your eating and exercise changes you have begun this past year.

Maybe you can start a life change this new year if you have been thinking you need to do something different. We are here to help you and have a vast array of tips available on our website. Go ahead. Give it a look and see what we are talking about. Click here for a direct link to our site. You can also type into your browser address bar the following URL: http://www.over-40-fitness-tips.com/.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.

New Beginnings

I haven't written anything here for quite a while and it is because I am working on a new web site that centralizes on heath, nutrition and physical fitness. Shammah and I started working on it about the time I stopped posting things here and now we are getting to a place where I think I can start writing again.

I wanted to talk a little about new beginnings. There are lots of things written about spiritual beginnings and starting over with relationships and the like of various subjects, but this new beginning is one that deals with your attitude about your health. You see, you can have a new beginning there too. Just think about all the things you have put your body through in the past years of abuse.

You may not have abused your body like I did but then you may have not taken very good care of it either. I intentionally did things to my body I knew wasn't good for it. I didn't think I would suffer for it and I went into it with full disclosure. Now I have several ailments and disabilities throughout my body that causes me pain and physical difficulties. Now, I wished I hadn't done the things I did but there is hope of new beginnings even in the face of all that.

"How can that be?", you might ask. Well, the body has a way of healing itself when it gets the right nutrients and physical exercise. Believe it or not, the body can heal itself of many things. The process has to start with you deciding you are not going to continue to abuse it and you doing something positive about changing the way you are living.

Are you a smoker? Quit smoking. Are you a junk food junkie? Stop eating the garbage and get some wholesome food in that body. Do you sit around and watch TV every spare minute you have? Get up off you back side and start moving around. You are the answer to your problems and you have to do something about it or your body is going to rebel and fail on you. You will be looking at your loved ones from a hospital table gasping for air or wrenching in pain and finding out you could have prevented the terrible position you put yourself in, had you done something.

So today, right this minute, is your new beginning. Decide you are going to do something about your health and wellness. Take some time to look at where you are and how you got there. It will take some time to get out of that condition but you can do it. We can help you as well. So can your doctor or health professional. Just decide you are going to start over and do it.

Stay tuned for our new web site, especially if you are over 40 like we are. We will be bringing you lots of valuable information and lots of tips for getting healthy and staying that way.