The Secret to A Healthy Life..No Secret

There is no shortage of cooking shows. From Rachel Ray to Bobby Flay, I love them all, but recently one of my beloved cooks, Paula Deen announced that she has Type II Diabetes. Let's face it, a recipe for deep fried butter can not be a solution into what could be a spiraling addiction. As many can attest to, Americans lead some of the highest percentage of obesity rates in the world and not for good reason.

We all are accountable for what we do and that includes what we eat but can there be the slightest hope for change. For Paula and others in her current position, I'd like to think so. How does a person end up at risk? Many factors play a role:

• Hereditary-Meaning it could run in your family, mother or father had it and could mean higher risk for you.
• Age-While you can be at risk at any age, some studies show that higher percentages of developing diabetes can occur around 50 years of age.
• Poor Diet and Nutrition- Improper Diet and lack of fiber. Sugar-filled drinks are also not so subtle contributers to poor diet management.
• Sedentary Life Style-Little to no excercise increases the waistline and slows the metabolism.
• Stress-Emotional or physical stress can cause some chemical imbalances and may trigger diabetes type issues.

For any of these types of potential concerns it is always a good idea to speak with your health care provider but what also may prevent or at least reduce these risks is a proper diet. Create a healthy plan for eating and excercise. Look into your refrigerator and take an honest assessment. Know the good and bad fats for you and your family. Anything with saturated fats or trans fats are basic no-no's. Some fats listed as "good" are:

• Canola
• Olive
• Soy
• Corn
• Sunflower

You know what is coming next-the high risk culprits:

• Animal Fats, in particular: Red Meat
• Butter
• Cheese
• Cream

But who can resist the potato chip right?

Many cringe at the thought of a baked chip citing the lack of crispy crunch or flavor that they are used to. There are books and programs that focus on positive substitutes like the publications by David Zinczenko who continues to inspire good eating through his "Eat This Not That" books. Another really good site is www.everydayhealth.com which gives a balanced view of different lifestyle plans and a drop down menu of various health issues that describe conditions such as diabetes and offers identifiers or symptoms, where to seek help and diets structured for that particular condition or potential problem.

I have learned to scale down certain dishes that I love, especially dessert. I am a huge fan of sweet potato pie but did you know that you get on average an extra 110 calories and 7 grams of fat per slice of crusted pie? That is before you add up the calorie content of the filling. I now make my pies crustless and after seeing the weight come off as I have mentioned in my previous hub entitled, "How To Get Your Mind Right For Weight Loss" I showed you the path I took beforehand that led to my former obesity issues and what I had to do to gain success on my journey to better eating and wellness. Learn what your triggers are. Late night or stressed out "hunger pains" usually always lead to regret.

Try these snack substitutes that are good and good for you when you feel stressed and want to grab that bottle of pop and bag of chips:

• Cup of Green Tea: 0 calories and chock full of antioxidants.
• A 1/4 cup of seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower (roasted may be slightly higher depending on manufacturer) can start at around 120-140 or so calories per serving.
• Oatmeal-Some can be as low as 100 calories depending on sugar levels so check brands/labels.
• Bananas- A six inch banana may have about 75-100 calories but remember they do have a good amount of natural sugar in them-especially so if you allow it to over-ripen (which increases sugar levels in some cases to 100% when banana develops a lot of dark spots) so if trying to cut back on sweet, choose another fruit snack etc.
• Berries-depending on variety may not seem that sweet to you but may still pack a punch. Check your local produce charts and compare against what you want you sugar intake to be.

Do some research and if you have certain allergens or dislikes take some time to find low fat snacks that will curb the appetite until that next meal. Keep a diary of the foods you eat daily. I will cover the basics on how to get started with that on a future article. Most importantly though, if you feel that there are any health concerns always seek professional help and seek guidance on a diet regimen that will keep your own wellness in check.

Planning a new way of eating creates its own challenges but the benefits out way the cons as you too can see the calories and your waistline shrink and possibly reduce at risk factors. All the best to you on more conserted efforts to eating better and working on a "best practices" for life and all the best to you Paula on finding the strength and will power for a better and healthy outlook in 2012!