Watching Those Triglycerides

Oh those Triglycerides.


Normal levels of them need to be 150 or lower.


Mine are 240, which are on the high side.


But the good news concerning them - they are the easiest to bring back under control.


It all has to do with the amount and type of calories that one consumes.


Triglycerides are what store the unused calories and when they are too high in the blood, it means one has been eating too many starchy and fatty foods.


So, by lowering those types of food, the triglycerides will come down on their own.


Now, I am not a big consumer of fatty foods, but those starches, well, we have way too cozy a relationship.


Pasta, rice, bread, I just love them all.


And I always thought the fiber they provided was of most importance, so eating them had to be all right.


I am going to have to pay close attention to how much of them I eat from now on - it certainly beats having to go on medication for something that is totally controllable.

Watching the Weight

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Slim-Fast for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It has been a life long thing, this battle with weight loss.

It's not that I am overly overweight, but if I were to loose about thirty pounds, I would be right on the mark according to the weight chart.

I have always kept up a good exercise routine, which is a good thing - I can only imagine how many more pounds I would be overweight if I didn't.

And of course, with the holidays here, a few extra pounds are sure to find their way onto the hips anyway.

Years ago, I tried a diet plan called Slim-Fast.

It was a very simple plan - all they offered were powered shakes, but it worked for what I needed it for.

They are still around after all these years, and they have made some major improvements.

They now have a Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Plan that includes shakes, snacks, and real food.

The plan involves eating three of the Slim-fast delicious snacks, and two of their new improved, already mixed shakes as meals during the day.  

One meal is a balanced 500 calorie one that is made with real food.

It sounds pretty easy to follow, and I am most anxious to try that Chewy Chocolate Crisp bar shown above.

My kind of diet - one that includes chocolate!

Check out the tips and stories about Slim-Fast on Facebook and give them a 'LIKE'.  

You can find the Slim-Fast products in department stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway, and Kroger, and online at Amazon and the Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Store on Facebook. 

Lipid Panel Test

It's been a few years since I had one done, so I went for a lipid panel blood test a couple of weeks ago.


Cholesterol is what this test is all about, and the numbers are now in.


It registered at 212.


It should be under 200, but other factors are also taken into account.


The HDL, which is the good cholesterol, and the LDL, the bad cholesterol.


My good was 49, and since it is supposed to be over 40, mine is a good number.


The LDL is a factored figure, which I will get into on my next post.


The prognosis: my levels are good, keep up with the low fat diet and exercise.


In my next post I will discuss the triglycerides and the part they play in figuring the bad cholesterol.

Holiday Frames

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zenni Optical for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I think I have seen just about everything now.

For those who like to really show off their holiday spirit, Zenni Optical makes eyeglasses that have frames designed for the holiday season.

And they are really cute - check out the colorful candy cane and Christmas trees ones shown above.

Now, most people spend so much on their glasses, that the thought of buying a pair to wear just during the Christmas season just isn't possible.

But those folks don't know about purchasing cheap eyeglasses online at Zenni.

They make such affordable glasses, that one can have a pair for every season.

And since it is Christmas time, the money saved by purchasing them online will come in real handy when shopping for all the people on your list.

You may even be able to get a few gifts you couldn't even consider because they were out of the budget range.

And if glasses are the Christmas gift, then head over to the Zenni website and check out what they have to offer.

Tons of stylish frames to choose from, and at their prices, picking up a spare pair would be a wise decision.

Leave me a comment to let me know which ones are your favorites.

Deciding isn't easy, but it is a lot of fun to browse through them all.

 

Applebee's Giftcard Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

For all the Applebee's fans out there - be sure to read this post .

You could be the lucky winner of a $25 Applebee's giftcard during this coming week of giveaways on Facebook.

Each day there will be a card given away during the week of 12/10 through 12/18.  

And how does one enter to win one of the card giveaways?

Well, that's the easy part.

All you have to do is like the Gift Card Weekend on Facebook.

And it doesn't stop there.

Each one of your friends can earn extra chances of winning by how much "like" they influence.

If you happen to be one of the lucky winners, the card can be redeemed during the Gift Card Weekend of January 6-8, 2012.

There are many featured offers available from these fine retailers also:

• JCPenny
• Regal Cinema
• Subway
• Sephora
• Applebee's
• Bass Pro Shops
• Adidas
• Buca di Beppo
• Lowes
• Spa Finder
• Marriott
• Giant Eagle

 

Be sure to come back and check the page each day - there are gift cards to be given away for the whole month to the best places to eat, shop, and pamper yourselves.

It's easy, it's fun, and best of all, it's free to enter to win!

 

Exercise Motivation

I was reading a fellow blogger's post today, and she asked at the end of her post:


What gets you motivated to keep up with an exercising routine?


I thought about that one for a bit, and the thing that keeps me going is that it feels so good after it is done.


There are some times when it just isn't happening, but for the most part, since I sit at a computer for much of my day, I know I have to have an exercise routine.


 It took me a long time to get my muscles built up to do the exercises, and I don't want to loose them.


My routine doesn't have me loosing any weight, but it keeps me moving.


 I try to do it at the same time everyday.


When I am short on time, I still try to get a few minutes in.


A few here and there adds up though the day when there is no chance for the whole routine.


The Yoga exercises that I have recently discovered add a whole new spin on the exercise routine.


I really miss them when I don't do them.


So, yes, my answer is, it feels so good after I do them that I don't want to miss doing them.


And who doesn't want to feel good?

Mediterranean Flatbread

We have a new recipe to add to our growing collection.


It is for Mediterranean Flatbread.


We tried this style of bread for the first time last week as there was a loaf on the markdown rack.


What a treat it was - especially when we warmed it up in the oven.


Crisp on the outside, yet so tender on the inside.


And the taste was oh so good.


We just had to find out how to make it ourselves.


We made a batch this afternoon, and we are so pleased with the results.


It was so easy to do, and I can see us using it in the future for pizza too, only we will spread it a bit thinner for the crust.


If you haven't tried this style of bread before, give it a try - warmed in the oven.


I think you will be pleased!