Drink Shakes. Lose Weight. Be Healthy

I, for one, am tired of all the hoopla about how to lose weight with this pill, that meal plan, these points, and those beach diets. After speaking with doctors and reading through medical journals and web sites, it seems that the best way to lose weight is to not even worry about the weight. Simply try to BE HEALTHY.

That involves, according to Dr. Elizabeth Ward at WebMD.com, "eating less and exercising more on a regular basis" (Ward, www.webmd.com). Once you start eating the right foods and exercising, you will start to slim down and feel better about yourself.

Don't throw away all of the food you love in your refrigerator just yet. If you deprive yourself, your healthy lifestyle will shake itself right out the window.

A great item to include when you change up your normal food routine is shakes. There are dairy shakes, protein shakes, smoothies, and more that can be a great snack or small meal. Diet shakes, however, should not be used as large meal replacements, as one cannot live on shakes alone.

You must eat a variety of healthy foods-meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy-to be well rounded and nourished. As a snack or small meal, shakes do provide some of the vitamins and minerals you need to get you on your way to feeling great and looking better!

Be creative in making your shakes. Try new vegetables and fruits that you don't normally eat. If you can't find fresh, you can always try your local grocers' frozen food section for 'fresh-frozen' fruits and vegetables that were flash-frozen right when they were picked.

Pick a couple of fruits or vegetables, add 1 cup of yogurt (flavored or plain) and some ice. This will give you a smooth, creamy shake that will make you feel like you're cheating! Personally, I like fresh-picked strawberries, Yoplait © Strawberry Fat Free Yogurt, and a few ice cubes. Yum!

Subin Han at TrimforLife3.com offers some shake recipes that sound too good to be true! Here's one that is sure to get you going.

Mocha Delight
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of coffee in ¼ cup of hot water.
Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa and 1 teaspoon of artificial sweetener.
Pour into a blender with 1 cup of skim milk and 4 ice cubes.

The web site states that this quick, easy recipe only has 105 calories and is a "great mid morning diet snack". Sounds like a great way to wake up in the morning! Check out the web site for more recipes.