Got water? Drink up! Water is our most important nutrient, and most of us don’t drink near the recommended six to eight glasses a day. Yet, this free, zero-calorie pick-me-up can be your diet’s best friend.  Water:

• Fills you up, especially before a meal.
• Gives you energy (dehydration causes fatigue).
• Can reduce your calorie intake (many people confuse hunger with thirst).
• Keeps all of your systems - from brain to digestion - functioning smoothly.
• Quenches your thirst (unlinke sugary drinks and soda).
• Reduces bloat due to water retention.

 Hot weather and exercise increase your need for water. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Head off heat illness and exhaustion by sipping water throughout the day. Cold tap water is all you need to keep your H2O-so-cool!

Summer is officially here, and here are some tips to help you stay slim this summer.

• Swim to success - if you have access to a pool, use it. Swimming and water workouts are easy on the joints and allow you to remain refreshed during the workout.
• Keep disposable cups/containers and plastic utensils in your desk at work - so you’ll always have containers ready to use (and you’ll eliminate an excuse for not following your meal plan).
• Reap the bounty of summer fruits and vegetables - enjoy the seasons best. Even better, get some added exercide and try growing your own!
• Enjoy easy-to-prepare cool treats - Freeze your Fruit Drink protein supplements in ice pop molds for a great “Popsicle”. Craving a frozen Three Musketeers Bar? Freeze a Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Cookies & Cream Protein Nutrition Bar instead.
• Grill, Grill, Grill! - Make the most of the opportunity to grill your meats, vegetables and seafood, and for added zest, try sprinkling them with a salt-free seasoning blend to add extra zip. (One important fact not to forget - you still need to weigh and measure your portions!)
• Feel better and look better in summertiime fashions - buy a new outfit in a smaller size at the start of your diet plan or program, and set a goal of fitting into it by the end of the summer.
• Your shakes can be extra refreshing on a hot day - blend a high protein diet shake, then pour over crushed ice and sip with a straw!
• It’s easier to avoid summer party pitfalls - Summertime holiday BBQ’s usually include healthier choices compared to winter holidays - veggies and dip, grilled chicken, corn on the cob and garden salads are common fare. You can eat wisely and stay on plan with choices like these. By taking along your own fat-free salad dressing and avoiding mayonnaise-based salads and chips, you can enjoy the party without feeling deprived.
• Vacations - just think, no work and plenty of time to enjoy physical activity!

If you dismiss gardening because you’ve got a brown thumb, you might want to reconsider. Gardening packs a 1-2-3 punch for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Take a look:

1. Stress reliever. Studies abound on the restorative benefits of connecting with nature. Some experts now believe that soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of nature can lower blood pressure, boost immune function and reduce stress.
2. Bone builder. A recent study at the University of Arkanasas found that women who gardened at least once a week achieved higher bone density scores that women who swam, walked, jogged and did aerobics.  Strength-training activities like digging, weeding and watering provide a “yard workout” that builds strong bones thanks to the resistance involved in pulling, carrying and shoveling.
3. Straight-from-the-vine snack provider. When you plant fruits and vegetables in your garden, you reap the nutritional benefits of homegrown snacks.

Lining up a support system at home can boost your chance for success when it comes to dieting to lose weight. What can family members do?

• Ask them to constructively point out your bad behaviors. If they see you mindlessly munching while watching TV, or they notice that you skip breakfast and overeat at lunch, give them permission to call you on it.
• Get active as a family. Instill a new family routine of taking a brisk walk together after dinner every night. Or go bike riding as a family every Saturday morning.
• Switch tasks. Do you tend to buy lots of junk food while grocery shopping? Do you tend to munch while putting left-overs away? Find your weak spot and ask your spouse to handle this chore. In exchange, you take over one of his/her undesirable chores.
• Be a cheerleader! When they see you falter, ask your family to provide you with “you-can-do-it” inspiration from the sidelines. When they see you succeed, ask them to give you a well-deserved pat on the back.

If you’re like most people, you list “healthy lifestyle” as a top priority. While it sounds good, and you may truly WANT to achieve a healthy lifestyle, do you really WORK at it every day? In other words, do you truly walk the talk or just give it lip service? Try this exercise to see if your top priorities match your daily activities. List the three or four most important things in your life. Then list the things you spend most of your time doing every day. For example:

My Top Priorities

Family
Health
Job

My Daily Activities

Work late to meet deadlines
Grab “junk” food on the run
Get stressed out at work
Talk on the phone
Watch TV

Do your two lists correspond with each other? If you are like the majority of people, probably not. Even though most people list “good health” as one of their top priorities, they don’t spend time improving their health on a day-to-day basis. The solution? Make healthy living a priority every day, through small, consistent actions. For a daily nudge, put it on your “to do” list…and make sure it gets done. Everyday!

Hitting the road for a vacation? Staying active and eating right while you’re away will help you enjoy the fun - and return home without extra pounds!

Here’s how:

• Snack Smart. Keep a stash of healthy, high-protein munchies like high protein nutrition bars, protein pretzels, crunch o’s or cheddar mix. Fresh fruit, pre-cut veggies and whole grain crackers can also help tame the road rumbles without rest-stop junk or fast food.
• Keep the Cardio. Move at least 30 minutes a day. Try a walking tour. Have the bus or cab drop you a half-mile BEFORE your destination. Don’t just sit there while waiting for a flight…walk the airport terminal during delays. Rained out? Climb the hotel stairs.
• Be a Gym Dandy. Get a hotel with a gym or pool, or see if your health club has reciprocal memberships near your destination. Many local YMCA’s offer drop-in deals.
• Carry On. Pack a resistance band for a portable workout. Want weights? try phone books, water jugs or canned goods!
• Nip That Skipping! Skipping meals is NO way to diet! Nintey percent of weight-loss winners eat breakfast! If you’re on the run, take a nutrition bar or meal replacement beverage to beat the heat and keep up your energy!

Feel Frazzled?
Here’s a surefire way to boost your own spirits! Do a good deed. It will help you put things in perspective and give you an emotional buzz. Reach out a helping hand, whether that means committing a random act of kindness (like paying a stranger’s toll on the freeway), volunteering at a local soup kitchen or rescuing a homeless animal. 

Food Shopping No-Nos…
Don’t go to the grocery store hungry. You’re more likely to make unhealthy impulse pruchases just to justify your growling stomach. Also, don’t go to the grocery store without a shopping list. You’re more likely to cave in to temptations, especially those “buy one get one free” sales on chocolate chip cookies.

Pause for a second and ask yourself “How will this food affect my weight?” before you make an impulse purchase of a fattening, unhealthy snack or food.

 Did You Know?
A study from Tufts University in Boston suggests that too many food choices may be a contributing factor to the obesity trend in the United States. As Americans, we eat as much as 350 more calories per day on average than we did just 15 years ago. Researchers say that the increased variety of food available today - especially unhealthy foods - may spur overeating. So, keep it simple and keep it healthy!

Why is water so important in a weight management program? We all know that it can fill you up between meals. But did you know that as fat breaks down, water provides the body with the fluids needed to help eliminate the resulting wastes? Water also helps control regularity, carry nutrients to where your body needs them and helps to regulate your body temperature. And that’s not all - water functions as a “joint lubricant” and a “cell shock absorber” too.

Water Facts:

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
• Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
• Dieters in the University of Washington study found that one glass of water shut down the midnight hunger pangs.
• In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

So, how can you squeeze in the recommended eight glasses of water a day? Begin with drinking plenty of water! But if that bores your taste buds, don’t worry, here are some great tasting water based drinks that are sure to satisfy you:

WonderSlim Protein Fruit Drinks (Flavors: Mixed Berry, Cranberry Grape, Strawberry Kiwi, Wildberry, Orange, Lemonade, Pineapple Apricot.)

ProtiDiet Fruit Drink Concentrates (Flavors: Tropical Fruits, Wildberry, Peach Mango, Grape, Orange.)

So don’t wait, DRINK UP!

Working to achieve or maintain a healthy goal weight can be a challenge for most dieters. Here are 10 helpful diet hints that may help.

1. Make permanent changes in your diet - making them gradually, but getting started immediately! Don’t WAIT until after the next holiday or special occasion.
2. Incorporate fruits, vegetables and whole grains into your daily eating routine. The more color, the more nutritious.
3. Stop eating when you feel full. Save the leftovers and save time preparing yet another meal.
4. Generally, no one needs seconds. Try to avoid all-you-can-eat buffets and fast food restaurants.
5. DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST! Make breakfast a healthy meal with a good balance of protein, carbs and fat. Studies show that skipping breakfast does not help you to lose weight…in fact, skipping breakfast can SLOW DOWN weight loss. Specially designed, portion-controlled breakfast diet foods can make it easy to begin your day with a healthy, high protein breakfast.
6. Avoid nibbling while cooking, and don’t nibble while cleaning up. Concentrate on just getting the job done quickly so you can do and enjoy other things.
7. Be considerate of the health of others. If you don’t think you should be eating a particular food, then don’t serve it to your children or guests either. Avoid temptation by REMOVING junk food from your home. Replace unhealthy junk snacks with healthy, high protein diet snacks.
8. Reach for a bottle of water as your main thirst quencher. You can consume as much as you like without any guilt.
9. Get a handle on PORTION CONTROL. People tend to eat whatever is on their plates, so consider using smaller ones. Additionally, you can use measuring cups for certain foods and beverages to become more familiar with correct portion sizes. Many people find that using portion-controlled diet foods can make proper portion control and weight loss easier.
10. Continue to maintain a healthy diet even if you mess up! Don’t wait until the next week to resume your diet; you should always have a plan to get back on track immediately!

Do you sometimes get stuck in a “diet rut” when it comes to creative meal planning when dieting to lose weight? If so, try this idea. Pretend you must incorporate a particular food into every meal and snack throughout the day. Then challenge yourself to find a variety of ways to prepare that food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

 For example, if you usually eat strawberries as a finger food, try something different. Toss a handful of strawberries in the blender with ice cubes, skim milk and WonderSlim smoothie mix to make a delicious high protein strawberry diet smoothie. Prepare chilled strawberry soup for lunch. Dice some strawberries and mix them into WonderSlim Strawberry, Chocolate or Vanilla Pudding/Shakes. Make a strawberry-poppy seed salad dressing and drizzle it over tossed greens.

Try the same idea with chicken, pasta or any food that has pulled you into a “diet rut”. Think outside the box to discover flavorful alternatives to the healthy foods you love.