Fitness for Home Business Owners - 7 Strategies for Eating
Healthy
"Just tell me what to eat" is a phrase I've heard from many
clients during my 12 years as a fitness professional. They, like
many of you, don't have time to think about what to eat. You've
got fitness goals in mind that you'd like to achieve, but not a
lot of time to waste on experimenting with what works and what
doesn't. With 80% of your results coming from a commitment to
good nutrition, you'll definitely need to be eating the right
things.
What's one of the first things we turn to when beginning a
health and fitness program? That's right, a diet. The easiest
kind is just to cut out whole food groups (like carbohydrates)
or eliminate entire meals altogether. However, this is a very
short-term solution that is neither healthy nor long lasting.
Instead of going on a diet next time, try using the following
seven strategies for not only eating healthy, but for
accelerated fat loss, increased energy and overall wellness.
1. Cut Out Carbonation
If you drink soda pop or other carbonated beverages, you can see
and feel definite improvements by changing just this one habit.
The problems with it include high amounts of sugar, artificial
flavorings and caffeine. Even though these all compromise your
health, the largest problem is what it does to your digestion.
Carbonated drinks are quite acidic which changes the acid level
(pH) in the digestive system and causes your food to not be
digested as well. Drink more water instead of carbonated drinks.
2. Get Familiar with Labels
Knowing how to read labels can save you from making the mistake
of eating something that should have been left on the grocery
store shelf. The list of ingredients will give you a snapshot of
the overall quality of the food. Generally, the shorter the
list, the healthier it is for you because it's closer to its
natural state.
3. Eat More Raw Foods
A food that has not been cooked or processed will be healthier
for you because it contains a full range of nutrients and is
easier to digest. Heating food destroys many of its nutrients
like vitamins, minerals and enzymes plus places the full burden
of digestion on the body. This is why a food that is raw (like
an apple) will rot. It's a living food that contains enzymes to
help break it down. When we eat an apple the digestive system
has very little work to do except absorb the nutrients.
4. Reduce Sugars
Eating foods with too much sugar causes the body to release an
excess amount of insulin, which has a greater tendency to be
converted to fat. In addition to having an increased appetite,
food cravings, irritability and mood swings. Also be careful of
foods that have had sugar added to them, like ketchup. Natural
sweeteners such as raw honey or stevia do not have these
negative effects and will instead keep blood sugar levels more
stabilized.
5. Eat Small, Frequent Meals
This helps to keep hunger and food cravings in check while
making it easier on the digestive system. The standard three
meals a day often puts too many hours in between so hunger
levels can get elevated by the time you're ready for the next
meal. This means it becomes easier to over eat and fall victim
to the super size syndrome. Eating more frequently will also
help elevate the metabolism and keep your energy levels high.
6. Increase Your Amount of Healthy Fats
When it comes to fat, your goal should be to become
knowledgeable about the differences between the good fats (which
you need more of) and bad fats (which you should drastically
reduce). The target amount you should aim for is about 20% of
your total calories coming from fat. Just make as many as
possible come from the healthy fats like cold pressed oils, raw
nuts and seeds or avocados.
7. Avoid White Flour
During the refining process, many of the nutrients in wheat are
removed and discarded. Sure, a few are added back through
enriching or fortifying, but the bulk of the nutrients are still
missing like the wheat germ and wheat bran. When choosing flour
or any other food, remember to choose foods that are as close to
nature as possible. Doing so will give your body more nutrients
and better health.
Michael Cordon NSCA-CPT
Michael invites you to receive his FREE e-zine that gives "how
to" tips on becoming Healthy, Fit and Lean. A Free Report and
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Learn how to lose body fat, gain strength, eat right and look
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Copyright Michael Cordon 2005. You have free reprint rights to
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