…could just be one giant leap for your new life.  3 minutes…check it out.

So when I was interviewed by FOX news there were many things I told them that did not make the clip. So I figured I’d circle back around and just reiterate what my top three things to keep in mind when trying to lower your weight and keep it that way….here goes.

1. Start drinking water. This will eliminate a good portion of your hunger, start pushing unhealthy beverages out of your diet, give you more energy if you’re dehydrated and make your entire body function better giving you a far better chance of recovery. Try 8 cups/day to start.

2. Get plenty of sleep. So many of us walk around sleep deprived. It is next to impossible to release weight long term if you’re not giving your body the down time it needs. Try 7-9 hours a day. Four…just won’t cut it.

3. Add don’t take away. Add healthy things, don’t worry about taking away the unhealthy when you start. Doing so can lead to deprivation which is what most diets really are and eventually your body will reject the radical change.

There’s more…much more, but I would say those three are some of my top picks.

For more help with your health goals and reaching your ideal weight, check out my new coaching program.

Be well,

Nealon Hightower

The power of thrust

Taking a walk

Ok, so the holidays are among us, the food is everywhere. I can still remember the feeling of eating so much food that I felt like I was going to pop and then feeling bad about it afterwards. I can also remember years where I promised myself I was going to do better and not eat too much and basically dieted my way through the holidays…that was no fun either. These days, I’ve found some much better approaches to maintaining my weight, which I’ve done for several years now with no struggle at all. These days I have learned (more…)

A new study was just released from our friends at the USDA. Interestingly enough, it turns out that raising the prices of unhealthy foods (such as soda) actually did have an effect of decreasing a child's body mass index. Even more interesting was that lowering the cost of healthy foods (more...)

Times, they are a-changin.

Well, over the years the food pyramid has taken it’s fair share of scrutiny, revisions and old fashioned beatings, but all that is over now. (more…)

Ever wondered what the connection was between your child’s behavior and what they ate? Want to know what you can do to help lessen, even reverse the effects of serious mental and emotional issues of your children? (more…)

Joe...have you seen my pork fried rice??

Ok, so we’ve all heard claims about how different additives in our food can have undesired effects on our body, some of which have been blamed for making us softer in the middle than we’d like to be.  I was always curious about MSG, monosodium glutamate which I was alarmed to find out that it goes by about 15 other common names and is hiding in many things that we eat and has been outright admittedly used by the food industry to make the food we eat more addictive. That couldn’t be….could it? (more…)

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of the green tea. I drank 2-3 cups per day, and still do, all throughout my weight release transformation as I mention in my book. Of course there are many ways to enjoy it, not all steaming hot and there are more than a couple unexpected benefits from drinking green tea. (more…)

Can pumpkins help you lose weight?  Well, I’ve never eaten enough of them to know what the effect is and I’m not sure I really want to know what would happen, however, I do have a great tip for you that will help you with hunger control over the holiday season or anytime for that matter.

Try eating a small handful of raw pumpkin seeds, as a healthy snack, about 20 minutes before you are getting ready to eat.  The fat in the seeds (which is good for you) will send the message to your brain that high quality sustenance is in your system and it will turn down your hunger signals.  Pumpkin seeds work well for several reasons; they’re inexpensive, they don’t have salt and they aren’t nearly as addictive as your run of the mill honey roasted variety of peanuts, cashews or any of those other delicious nuts I just can’t seem to put down once I open the container.  I usually get mine at the local DeKalb Farmers Market where I live and a big bag is only a couple of bucks.

To learn how to roast your own, click here and to learn more of the health benefits of pumpkin seeds, click here.

Pumpkin seeds, they’re not just for digging out of your jack-o-lantern, making a mess and throwing away anymore…try it out and let me know what you think.

Keep checking back in and I’ll cover a bunch of useful tips and strategies for not only getting through the holidays but actually enjoying them and your food too.

Leave a comment below and let me know what some of your favorite strategies are.

Be well,

Nealon Hightower, on facebook

author, Six Simple Truths to Fat Release; How I Let Go of Over 100lbs the Easy Way

What to do when turkey’s attack

Isn’t it nice to come back home after traveling and being away. I mean its always great to visit new places, meet new people and expand your horizons but nothing beats sleeping in your own bed and having access to your regular food and exercise routine.

I’ve been off for the last several weeks promoting my new book, Six Simple Truths to Fat Release which will be coming out within the next two weeks and I met so many wonderful people in the book industry including Cheryl Richardson author of The Art of Extreme Self Care of  Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul and Reid Tracey, CEO of Hay House Publishing. One thing I realized was the importance of being mindful of what your eating and your activity levels. It’s so easy to get knocked off course when your away. So, I spoke with many different people over the last two weeks and gathered some of the best ideas on how to stay fit while you travel…here we go

1. Remember your trip starts at home.

I always find it helpful to really try to make a conscious effort the week or two before I leave for a trip to get all my exercise in and eat extra healthy.  This puts me in the right frame of mind when I hit the road so all hell doesn’t break loose at the first sign of a Philly cheese steak (more on this later).

2. Don’t forget to drink your water.

Not getting enough water is just as bad for you on vacation as it is at home and it’s easy enough to remedy. Although they will not let you bring a full container of liquids on the plane, you can still bring your water bottle and fill it up at the first opportunity beyond the security checkpoint…not to mention save yourself $4.00 for a 12 once bottle of water, or worse, drink soda or something else because it’s more convenient. This one is really a no brainer and will save you time, money and calories.

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