Looking for something delicous to grill that won't derail your weight loss goals? Look no further than the produce section. Onions, bell peppers, eggplant, carrots, asparagas and zuccini are all great options to throw on the grill – and they can all be eaten guilt free.

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Tags: Weight loss

It's easy to get stuck in a rut when packing lunches. When we can't cook or even warm up our food, our options are somewhat limited. But the standard lunch meat and cheese on bread with potato chips doesn't do much for our health.

Sometimes we just need to think outside of the box (or in this case, the lunchbox). With some creativity, we can pack healthy lunches for ourselves and our kids. Here are a few suggestions:

Main Dishes:

* Make some pasta salad. You can find kits with everything you need in the grocery store, or you can make your own to suit your tastes. Include vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers and onions to add flavor and nutrition. For the kids, try using pasta in interesting shapes.

* Roll up a fajita. Use leftover meat from dinner the night before, and add lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and some of your favorite light dressing or sauce. These make a great change of pace for kids, too.

* Have a turkey bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. This is healthy and provides a nice change.

* Toss up a grilled chicken salad. Grill some organic chicken breasts the night before, slice them up, and add them to some salad greens. Add some shredded cheese and cherry tomatoes to make a nutritious and filling dish.

* Put some homemade soup or chili in a thermos. It's nice to have something warm for a change, especially in the winter.

* Make sandwiches with bagels instead of bread. Bagels are nutritious and filling, and they give you a break from plain old white or wheat bread.

Side Dishes:

* Pack some baby carrots, celery sticks or sliced cucumbers and a small container of hummus or vegetable dip.

* Send some yogurt with fruit and granola in your child's lunch. It will provide protein, carbohydrates and vitamins that your child needs.

* Keep fresh fruit on hand. When you're in a hurry, you can easily grab a piece and throw it in the lunchbox as a nutritious side dish.

* Whip up some fruit salad for an easy to make treat. Drain a can of fruit cocktail and add some chopped walnuts, marshmallows and sliced bananas soaked in lemon juice (to keep them from turning brown).

* Make your own trail mix. Mix your favorite kinds of nuts, raisins, dried bananas and cranberries, and granola.

Just because you eat your lunch out of a lunchbox, doesn't mean it has to be boring and lack nutritional value. Using leftovers creatively and putting a new twist on your sandwiches will help you and your kids get over the packed lunch doldrums.

Kristy Lee Wilson
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Tags: Healthy lunch boxes for kids, healthy lunch boxes for adults

Eating is a part of life. Your body gets its nutrients from food. Sometimes we can go overboard with our eating habits and it can result in gaining weight. One issue with food is emotional eating.

The problem of emotional eating may end with the scale but it begins in the mind. Stress takes its toll on your life. When your defenses are compromised your health takes a hit and so do your emotions.

Everyone has good days and bad days. How we deal with the bad ones brings emotional eating into play. You look for comfort for your hurts. People who turn to food for comfort find a coping mechanism that won't judge them, hurt them or tell them 'no.' To complicate the issue, eating pleasurable foods can stimulate the release of endorphins just like exercise. So, after you eat, you feel better.

Emotional eaters use food to relieve stress. They hide behind the food instead of seeking solutions to the problems. This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death.

But, how do you know you are using food in this way? The first sign is obvious. You will gain weight if you eat too much. In light of the weight gain, examine other areas of your life:

* Have you been under stress lately at work or at home?
* Has anything traumatic happened in the last year?
* Are you dealing with a problem but haven't found a solution?

Answering 'yes' to any of these questions could mean that you are an emotional eater. You eat but you are not necessarily hungry at the time. The foods that you choose are what we term 'comfort foods':

* High fat foods like French fries, fried foods
* High carb foods like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes
* Sugary foods like ice cream, donuts, cookies, cake

There is help for emotional eaters. The first step is recognizing that you have a problem. Youíll experience feelings of helplessness and guilt. The guilt is over potentially ruining your health and the helplessness lies in the fact that you donít see a way out.

Secondly, seek counseling. There are many types of counselors out there that can meet your need. Emotional eating has nothing to do with dieting or changing your eating habits but gaining control over your emotions.

A counselor might suggest things like visualization, practicing problem solving skills, relaxation techniques and family support. Visualization helps you to see your problems in a realistic way and not blown out of proportion. You will also learn to see food as nutrition for the body and not an emotional crutch.

Thirdly, your family can learn your triggers for stress and be on the lookout for changes in your eating habits. They can help you be aware of the foods you are eating, assist you in making healthy food choices and exercise along with you. Proper diet and exercise increases immunity, blood flow and positive thinking. Yoga enhances the mind/body connection so you don't eat when you aren't hungry.

Finding new ways to solve your problems and deal with stress will push food out of the equation. You'll feel good about finding solutions which will replace the dependence on food.

Kristy Lee Wilson
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Tags: Emotional Eating, Healthy Eating

Want to upgrade your FITNESS shopping trips? Here are 3 additional tips:

1. Don't go to the grocery store with an empty stomach. Your cart will mysteriously fill with extra, unnecessary foods that will end up crashing your good intentions.
2. Make a list before you go to the store. You'll be able to think rationally at home before you're surrounded by tasty, FITNESS destroying foods.
3. Plan out your meals for the week ahead of time, then shop specifically for those items. This will cut out the junk, and save you calories and money.

Kristy Lee Wilson
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Did you know that the grocery store is the source for most of your unwanted pounds?

Well, that and the fast food restaurants, but we'll leave that for another day.

If you're like most people then your shopping trips aren't exactly organized. In fact, your grocery cart is likely to be more fat than fit.

The good news is that with a few small modifications to your routine you'll be able to turn your grocery shopping trip into an easy opportunity to slim down.

I've broken down the process of healthy grocery store navigation with an easy-to-remember acronym - FITNESS.

Come, take a walk with me through your grocery store and we'll improve your shape and the shape of your family members.

F: First Veggies
Your mom always told you that you had to eat your veggies before dessert-so this will be an easy one to remember. When you start shopping, first go to the produce section. The bulk of your shopping should take place here. Fresh vegetables, lettuce for salads, and fruits are the best things to eat when you want to look and feel great.

Don't skimp on produce-aim to fill most of your cart here.

I: Is it Wheat?
When it comes to bread you only need to ask yourself one question. Is it wheat? White bread products have been processed and filled with simple carbohydrates – these will easily stick to your body as fat. Wheat breads, on the other hand, contain more fiber and are much healthier. Make it a policy to never purchase white bread, wheat bread is the right choice even for the little members of your family.

Always choose hearty wheat bread products-the more whole grain, the better.

T: Trim the Fat
In the meat section you are faced with a major decision. Do you go with your taste buds or do you go with your health conscious side? I urge you to stick with the latter. These days lean meats are more available than ever, and the benefits to going lean are numerous. When you choose lean meats you avoid extra saturated fat (your heart will thank you for this) and you also avoid the extra calories that come packed into each fat gram.

Want to be lean? Then eat lean meats.

N: Never enter the Junk Food Aisle
I have a simple policy that has saved me from thousands of unnecessary calories. I don't walk down the junk food aisle. You and I both know that it is nearly impossible to walk past rows of chips, candies and cookies without putting something into the cart. The bright packages stamped with mouthwatering images will give your will power a run for its money. My two cents? Avoid that row altogether and save yourself from the whole ordeal.

Nothing good ever came from walking down the junk food aisle-just say no.

E: Edge around the store
Here's a really easy trick for healthy shopping. Edge around the store, as in shop the perimeter and avoid the inner aisles. Think about it-the healthiest products are kept around the perimeter of the store: produce, meat, dairy. The inner aisles are where you run into trouble: processed food, baked goods, and sweets. Don't get me wrong, there are healthy products kept in the inner aisles too, but a majority of the items are waist-expanders.

Shop in a circle-stick to the perimeter of the store, do less shopping in the aisles.

S: Skinny Cow
The dairy section is filled with many healthy items; it is also filled with extremely high fat items. Your job is to pick out all those calcium-rich foods that you love in the low fat and non fat versions. I realize that many people have a prejudice against low milk or yogurt, simply because they've always eaten the full fat version. Making the switch to low fat is such a simple way to cut unnecessary fat and calories from your diet, while still getting all the benefits of dairy.

Fat free dairy products are the way to go-you'll only lose unwanted pounds.

S: Stick with Water
Warning: mini lecture to follow. I'll make it short and sweet. Drink more water-period. Sodas, sugary juices and calorie-laden alcoholic beverages are responsible for a large number of unnecessary calories in your diet. Don't fill your cart with these sneaky calories. Keep them out of your kitchen and out of your life.

Looking for a tasty beverage? Look no farther than crystal clear water.

There you have it-your FITNESS shopping plan that will take your cart from fat to fit. I suggest that you write down the FITNESS steps on a note card and take it to the store with you.

Are you ready to take your body from fat to fit? I've got what it takes to get you there! No guess work, no fad diets, and no super long workouts.

Contact me today to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Kristy Lee Wilson

Tags: Healthy grocery shopping

According to WebMD, people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for maintaining a healthy body.

Here are a few quick tips for getting eating more vegetables:

* Buy fresh vegetables in season. They cost less and taste better.
* Buy vegetables that are quick to prepare. Pick up pre-washed bags of salad greens and add baby carrots and grape tomatoes for a simple salad.
* Stock up on frozen vegetables for quick and easy cooking in the microwave.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson
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Tags: Healthy Diet

When you eat out, make it a habit to order the smallest portion available. We are programmed to eat whatever is in front of us, even though we'd feel just as full on less. And since portions have grown in recent years, the smallest size isn't very small at all.

Kristy Lee Wilson
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Tags: Eat small portions

This is the time of year when grocery stores put 'health' and 'diet' foods on display. Before you reach for that box of 'health bars' or '100 calorie packs' take a moment to actually read the nutrition label. Many of these items aren't healthy at all. They are simply cleverly disguised junk food that will actually promote weight gain rather than weight loss. Stick with items that are low in sugar and fat, and eat fresh produce often.

Get fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson
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Tags: 100 Calorie Packs, junk food