Plastic Travel Containers Are Your Weight Loss Allies

Have you had serious issues trying to eat healthy lunches when you're away from home?

Maybe you have the unhealthy tendency to go to either a fast food spot or a restaurant when it's your lunch break and you end up eating a meal that is far to hefty in size and calories. 

If you want to have success changing your lunchtime eating habits in an effort to lose weight, one of your greatest allies in accomplishing this will be with plastic travel containers. You may not think much of these little marvels especially if you haven't used them much in the past, but once you see how helpful they can be hopefully you'll change your mind and stock your kitchen with a wide assortment of various sizes and shapes. Frequently eating out at fast food places or restaurants will present situations where far too much sustenance can potentially be eaten. 

This alone can be the number one contributor to substantial weight gain if this habit continually occurs on a regular basis. Changing this eating habit to one where meals are prepared at home you will have much more success controlling the amount of food placed on the plate in front of you. In addition to having much more control over your portion size, you will also be able to cook a bit extra to ensure you will have food left afterwards. 

This extra food will become the all-important meals for the future, and this is exactly where plastic travel containers come into play. Instead of simply covering the dish and placing the entire pan or pot into the refrigerator where it may or may not get used at a later date, get in the habit of portioning the leftover food into plastic travel containers. Once stored like this, you now have ready-to-go meals that can be used for any occasion. 

If you don't plan on eating the food within the next couple days, you also have the option to freeze the meal for up to three months. It helps immensely if you write the date and the food type on the lid or on a label so you know exactly when it was stored and what's inside. By having a few meals stored neatly away in the freezer, you will have emergency food ready for the days you don't feel like cooking or on the days when there's no leftovers from the previous night. 

This way you will not have to resort to going to a fast food spot, restaurant, or order pizza delivery which all offer way too large of portion sizes and in turn, calories. When you consistently have meals packed in plastic travel containers to take with you when away from home, you will be able to avoid the temptations to go out and buy a fattening fast food meal. Not only will you eat healthier but you will save a lot of money each and every month. With each fast food meal costing $8-$10 after tax, you can see how beneficial it can be not only for your stomach but your wallet as well. 

The next time you are at the market shopping for groceries, stop by the aisle with kitchen essentials and pick up a few packages of plastic travel containers in various sizes. You may also want to check your local dollar store (ie: 99 cent store, Dollar Tree) to see what they offer. 

You'll often find 3 containers with lids for only a dollar so you can get a variety of 15 containers for around $5. If you take care of your plastic travel containers and don't lose/damage the lids, they can easily last a year or two and truly become one of your strongest allies in your journey towards a healthy, fit life.  

The Doctor Said I Am Prediabetic, What Should I Do Now?

The Doctor Said I Am Prediabetic, What Should I Do Now?

"Prediabetes" described a condition wherein blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes outright.

Pre-diabetes puts person so diagnosed at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and associated complications.

The biochemical profile of the blood is with an A1C of 5.7% - 6.4%, a fasting blood glucose of 100 - 125 mg/dl and an OGTT [Oral Glucose Tolerance Test] 2 hour blood glucose of 140 mg/dl - 199 mg/dl. There are no clear symptoms of pre-diabetes, so, it is common to have it and not know it. 

Pre-diabetes is really an opportune time because it gives one a second chance to straighten out their diet and lifestyle. It is not panic time. A Chinese proverb often quoted goes like this: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 

Diabetes is a chronic disease; pre-diabetes is analogous to the beginning step of the chronic journey of type 2 diabetes. At this stage one has numerous options. The very first decision to make is not go any further than pre-diabetes in the diabetes journey. Learn all you can from your doctor. Research it on the internet in diabetes forums and blogs. Make friends with others who are pre-diabetic or diabetic and exchange experiences. 

Be entirely open-minded. There is more help out there than most realize. Analyze your food. Get a glucometer. Before any meal check your blood sugar and repeat 2 hours after meal. This is a simple way to determine which food gives you a higher glycemic response and build you self a list of foods to avoid. This is how you distinguish what your body is telling you versus what your taste buds are telling you.

Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

 Be diligent in doing this and respect the foods on you avoid list like a plague. No yea but. No rationalizations. Be blunt about not negotiating. This is a unique opportunity to prevent diabetes from gaining a foothold in your body. Learn about food. Search out nutritionists and dieticians and consult with them. They will introduce you to foods you don't know are good for you yet and ones you must begin to avoid. 

At the stage of pre-diabetes, you can arrest diabetes from blossoming. If you are overweight, this is a time to embark on shedding some pounds. Get involved with exercise. It does not have to be knockout drag out iron pumping exercise. We are talking simple things like swimming, walking around the block, taking the dog out, riding a bicycle, power walking, using the steps instead of the elevator, etc. 

When you go shopping, park the car a little farther away so you can put in some walking. It would not hurt to obtain a gym membership if only to use the very many equipment they have to achieve your exercise goals.