Denise's Daily Dozen (24 page)

I
often hear people say that eating healthy is too expensive, but I disagree. Sure, some fast food costs less than a dollar. But it’s not worth it to eat all that heart-clogging fat and high-calorie food, especially when there are some easy ways to make healthy foods fit your budget and watch your waistline and your wallet. Here, some of my favorite tips:

1.
Buy in bulk. I buy whole grains, nuts, dried beans, oats, dried fruits, and organic brown rice in bulk at places like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s. Because you’re not paying for extra packaging or marketing, your price per pound is a lot cheaper.

2.
Don’t buy small packages. It may be easier to buy portion-size packages of food, but those little bags are often more expensive. Instead, I suggest buying the large package—say, of crackers or pretzels—and then dividing it into small portions in individual plastic bags when you get home. (They even make hundred-calorie plastic bags, which make it a cinch to eat healthy on a dime!)

3.
Shop locally. I go to a store in my area called the Mediterranean Bakery because it’s a great bargain. I buy local produce and very reasonably priced olive oil there. I also go to my local farmer’s market on Saturday mornings. It’s fresh and wholesome, less expensive, and you’re supporting local farmers.

4.
Buy seasonally. I plan my recipes and weekly menus around what’s currently in season. These foods are lower in price and typically have much better flavor, too.

5.
Grow your own. Homegrown is always best. I have my own herb garden in my kitchen. I can take snips of what I need, like fresh basil, thyme, parsley, and rosemary, and it costs me just pennies.

6.
Cook yourself. Restaurant meals tend to be pricier than what you’d eat at home, plus you don’t know exactly what goes into them so it’s harder to track fat and calories. I love to cook at home because I can control exactly what ingredients are in my food—such as how much salt or oil is used—as well as portion size. I also know that there are no preservatives, something you can’t guarantee at fast-food or other restaurants.

7.
Pick inexpensive edibles. Foods that give you more nutritional bang for your buck include potatoes, beans, eggs, milk, and canned tuna and soups. These foods have low price tags but are high in vitamins, minerals, and other healthy compounds. Did you know an Idaho potato only costs about a quarter?

8.
Split costs with a friend. Sometimes the food at those warehouse stores
is
less expensive but comes in huge packages that you can’t possibly finish. Instead, find a friend to split some of these items with.

9.
Make restaurant meals more cost-efficient. Today’s restaurant meals are bigger than ever. Instead of eating too much and regretting it later or wasting food, have your waiter put half your entrée in a to-go box before he even brings it to the table. For one price, you get dinner today and another meal for tomorrow!

10.
Cook in bulk. Once you’re chopping, dicing, and cooking, why not make more than one meal at once and then freeze it or put it in the fridge for another day? This certainly saves time, but it also saves money since those veggies or other perishable items you bought to cook won’t go to waste.

11.
Brown-bag your lunch. Even if you do have a healthy place to buy food at work, it’s always cheaper to bring your own. This way, you’re not paying marked-up prices for something like a sandwich or salad that you could easily make yourself at home.

12.
Practice good food storage. There’s nothing worse than spending good money on healthy foods only to find yourself tossing rotten, unused items like fruits and veggies at the end of the week. Use your refrigerator’s crisper drawers for vegetables, and when you freeze foods make sure the containers you use are made for the freezer (this helps ward off freezer burn and loss of flavor).

TWELVE WAYS TO SPICE UP YOUR WATER

Plain H
₂
O can get boring, but drinking enough water is critical when you’re trying to lose weight. To make sure you drink a lot throughout the day, keep a full bottle with you at all times and sip often. You can also make it a bit more exciting and appetizing by adding one of the following to a big jug of water you keep in the fridge to sip throughout the day. I feel like I’m at a spa when I do this, and it makes it a lot easier to drink the required eight glasses of water a day.

1.
Slices of cucumber (I love the seedless ones!).

2.
Orange wedges.

3.
Shredded ginger.

4.
Mint leaves.

5.
Chopped strawberries.

6.
Two splashes of grapefruit juice.

7.
Lemon slices.

8.
A peppermint tea bag.

9.
Green tea drops (available at most health food stores).

10.
A teaspoon of cranberry juice.

11.
Celery sticks.

12.
Ice cubes made from orange juice.

Rhonda Duell,

37, assistant librarian, Shinglehouse, Pennsylvania

POUNDS LOST: 45

A
t 189 pounds, I was self-conscious, depressed, and uncomfortable in my body. So on my thirty-sixth birthday, I decided it was time for a change. I set a goal to enter my forties in better shape than I was in my thirties. I felt excited that I was going to take charge of my life, even if I was overwhelmed by the amount of weight I had to lose. One thing I knew for sure: This time I didn’t want to ‘diet’ in order to lose the weight. I had tried diets in my early thirties. They were great as long as I stuck to them, but when I’d lost what I wanted to lose and went off the diet, all the weight came back—and then some! This time I needed a lifestyle change, not a diet. That’s what I found with Denise’s plan.

“I used to drink soda all day long, but gave it up and now I drink mostly water, at least a hundred ounces a day. I also try to choose fruits and vegetable more often, instead of sweets. I exercise at least half an hour a day, six days a week, and make sure I change my exercise routine monthly. I have a lot of Denise’s exercise workouts on tape and DVD, and that gives me variety so I don’t get bored. So far, I have lost forty-five pounds! And my cholesterol has also come down from 268 to 167 so I no longer have to take the high blood pressure medicine I was on for thirteen years! I still have more weight to lose, but I know I’ll be able to do it. Thanks to Denise, I’m more confident and less self-conscious. I have so much more energy and I’m able to keep up with my five kids and a full-time job!”

You can get in shape at any age.

It’s never too late to start taking care of you!

Tuesday

W
elcome to Tuesday! Another day to get fit, feel terrific, and move closer to the shape and fitness level that you want to—and
can
—achieve. I’ve always liked the saying “You can do anything that you set your mind to,” and it’s certainly true when it comes to losing weight and shaping up. I’m a big believer in facing each day with a positive attitude, focusing on what you can do and what you can control, and moving forward from there. Remember that you deserve to be fit and feel great (and look good in your jeans, too!). Beyond that, you’re going to be healthier, and that’s worth every second that you exercise or seek out foods that are good for you. Keep focused on your goals, stay positive, and by this time next week you’ll start to notice big changes—be it pounds lost, looser-fitting clothes, increased energy, or all of the above.

Tuesday’s Daily Dozen workout focuses on your lower body and abs. These two areas tend to be trouble spots for a lot of people, so the twelve easy exercises are some of the most effective and efficient for targeting the hips, thighs, and buttocks. They’ll trim those saddlebags, lift your rear, tighten up those jiggling thighs, and whittle your middle. These are the exercises that I do to keep my own lower body in shape, so I know that they work. Today’s Daily Dozen includes lunges and squats, two moves that research has shown are the best ones to tone your rear—and they’re moves you can do almost anywhere. In fact, I often do them while brushing my teeth or standing at the stove (see
Twelve Favorite Fidget-cisers
). Also, like the majority of the exercises in the Daily Dozen, many of Tuesday’s moves do more than tone and firm your body. For example, the seated thigh toner strengthens the muscles in front of your thighs above the kneecap (called the quadriceps), which helps ward off very common—but painful—knee injuries. And the plank is a major multitasker because it simultaneously works your legs, butt, abs, and arms. And here’s more inspiring news for you: Tuesday’s Daily Dozen lower-body exercises can even help reduce the appearance of cellulite. (I thought that would get your attention.) But enough talking, let’s get going. Just grab your two sets of dumbbells and exercise mat and get ready to slim down below the waist.