7 simple changes to help you lose weight...

Try these tips for small changes that can lead to very big weight-loss results. Beginning a weight-loss plan doesn't have to mean drastic changes. You don't need to live at the gym or subsist on crackers alone to get your eating and exercising on track. Instead, think of more realistic, sustainable changes you can make to your lifestyle. Sometimes small, simple adjustments can produce the biggest results. Consider these suggestions, and think about what other small changes might work for you.

Trim back your eating a bit here and there, not altogether. For example, sauté your broccoli with one teaspoon of oil instead of two.

• Make some wise food substitutions, like opting for low-fat cream cheese instead of regular.
  
  
• Kick it up a notch in the activity department by taking the stairs instead of the escalator.

All or Nothing
"People put too much pressure on themselves to change everything in their diets, which sets them up for failure," believes New York-based registered dietitian Shari Mermelstein. Her advice? Set your sights on making several small dietary and lifestyle changes, and you'll lose weight without really missing out.

Need some incentive? Try this on for size: Cut back 100 calories on a daily basis and you could lose about 10 1/2 pounds in a year. One hundred calories equals:

• 1 cup of regular soda
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 ounce of cheese

Skimming Off the Top
Here are seven simple slim-down ideas:

1. A spoonful of sugar can add up over the course of a year. Add one less teaspoon of sugar (15 calories) to your cup of morning and afternoon coffee each day and you'll save about 10,000 calories—the equivalent of about 3 pounds per year.
   
   
2. Slim down that bowl of cereal: Switch from 1 cup regular whole milk to 1% milk (about 50 calories less per cup) every day. Once your taste buds adjust, you'll be thrilled! That's a tad more than 5 pounds lost by this time next year.
   
   
3. Take the scenic route. Park your car as far as possible from the entrance to your office, the shopping mall or a restaurant and get those legs pumping. Ten minutes of daily moderate paced walking (five minutes each way burns about 20 calories) can take off over 4 pounds a year.*
   
   
4. Get your vitamin C boost with a whole orange (60 calories) instead of a cup of juice (110 calories) each day. Your 12-month weight loss: 5 1/4 pounds.
   
   
5. Go calorie-free by switching from regular to diet soda (150 versus 0 calories per can). If you drink one can per day, that's nearly 16 pounds lost in a year.
   
   
6. Flavor your sandwiches with very low-cal condiments like mustard or vinegar instead of calorie-packed mayo. Leave off 1 tablespoon (100 calories) every day and you're looking at close to 10 1/2 pounds a year.
   
   
7. Downsize, don't super-size, fast food meals. Opt for a small McDonald's French fries (250 calories) instead of a large order (570 calories) at your weekly fast-food meal. You'll enjoy the same great taste all year long but with an added bonus: almost 5 pounds lost.

Salt and hypertension!

Cooking for Someone With High Blood Pressure

Rather than focusing on what you can't eat, explore the new flavors of a low-sodium diet. You'll help control your high blood pressure — and enjoy delicious food.

People with hypertension or the people who care for them may jump to the conclusion that a diet geared toward reducing high blood pressure will be bland and boring. However, a low sodium diet can be a tasty, healthy option for everyone in the family.

Where to Start

The most important aspect of helping to change eating habits will be to limit salt, or sodium, intake because salt contributes to hypertension. A low-sodium diet will go a long way toward helping to control blood pressure levels.

But you won't have to invent a new eating plan: You can adopt the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet to combat high blood pressure. The DASH plan can be followed at two levels — a plan for sodium intake of 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day and another modified for eating 2,300 mg per day. Talk to the doctor for advice on which sodium level is most appropriate.

In addition to eating a low-sodium diet, people with high blood pressure will probably need to reduce his calorie intake and shed some pounds or carefully watch his weight — another factor that contributes to high blood pressure. DASH includes foods high in fiber and protein and rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium — all of the elements needed to help reduce high blood pressure.

Healthy Meal Preparation

If you get fresh ingredients but then fries them in grease, it defeats the purpose of buying healthy items in the first place. Ditch the deep fryer and try these simple, healthy steps to prepare food:

• Roast meats and chicken on racks so that fat can drip off.
• Use non-stick cookware and a little cooking spray to sauté foods.
• Stew or braise meats and poultry on the stove or in your oven. Then cool the food so that you can remove any congealed fat before reheating and serving.
• Poach fish and chicken in fat-free liquids.
• Broil or grill just about any meat, poultry, or vegetable and let the fat drip off.
• Steam all kinds of foods over boiling water.

Cooking Dos and Don’ts

Salt can be a hard habit to quit, but not impossible. Instead of relying on sodium, use the following seasonings to flavor food and avoid contributing to high blood pressure:

• Basil (fresh or dried) can be used with fish, lean meats, and in soups and sauces.
• Thyme gives an earthy taste to sauces and soups.
• Caraway seeds lend a nutty taste to breads, steamed cabbage, and noodles.
• Chives add bite to salads and vegetables.
• Rosemary works well in hearty dishes like meatloaf, potatoes, and beans.
• Cider vinegar provides tang to sauces and vegetables.
• Turmeric is great on rice with a flavor and color similar to saffron.
• Cinnamon is tasty on many fruits.
• Curry powder gives lean meats, particularly lamb, an exotic taste.
• Dill is great in sauces or tossed on just about any vegetable.
• Garlic adds another dimension of flavor to just about any savory food — be sure not to use garlic salt.
• Bay leaves work well with soups and stews.
• Lemon juice enhances the flavor of salads, vegetables, and fish.
• Paprika gives a spicy kick to roasted meats and vegetables.
• Sage can be a savory addition to stews, biscuits, and lean pork.
• Peppermint and other extracts lend extra flavor to fruit and pudding.

If you want to stick with a low-sodium diet:

• Don’t eat many packaged and processed foods.
• Don't use too many pickled, cured, brined, or smoked foods.
• Don’t cook with flavored pastas, rice (like Rice-a-Roni), or cereal mixes, because they're typically loaded with sodium — add your own flavorings to plain pasta and rice instead.
• Don’t choose salted nuts, chips, and crackers.

Rather than focusing on what your loved one can't eat, explore new options and flavors for a low-sodium diet that helps to get high blood pressure under control.