PRACTICAL HEALTH TIPS....

Everybody is an expert now-a-days! Especially when it comes to nutrition. People have been inundated with the "how to's" of nutrition and other sorts of expert advise. For my readers, I'm sure most of you eat a somewhat clean diet full of protein and vegetables and healthy sources of essential fats and so on, right? Riiiight! The reason you keep hearing people like me say eat this and eat that is because...YOU AREN'T DOING IT YET! At least the ones who should be aren't. So, with that said, hear this again for the 1st time!

My coach once told me that if I wanted C's all I had to do was go to class. If I wanted B's I would have to listen in class. And, if I wanted A's I'd have to apply myself beyond just being there and listening. Now we know that good grades aren't just handed out but they have to be earned. So coach's point was basically this. A little effort will get you mediocrity, a little more than that will get you average. But, it would take a lot of effort if you wanted to be great. Well the same holds true for our nutrition. The problem is that people get so infatuated with the end result they forget all the little things that help them get there. People start out and say " I want to lose 20lbs by next month". They begin this impossible dieting and psych themselves up to do something they know in their heart of hearts they aren't going to finish. Reason is because they have no plan. A diet is a lifestyle change, PERIOD. To be successful you must have a weekly goal, a short term goal (2-4 months) and a annual goal. These goals should be under constant evaluation to ensure their effectiveness. But before we can have the house we must lay the foundation. So for today's discussion we're going to start shooting for C's.

Here are some basic's of a well rounded diet and I hope they inspire you through common sense to take the challenge to get fit. The fact of the matter is we, as a country, are well below average health wise. So here it goes....listen up you just might hear something you've only heard 1,500 times before! Ha...

Step 1. Protein in King! It all begins here. You should shoot for approximately 20g per meal. If you are eating a clean diet that's loaded with protein and good vitamin sources then the "how many grams per meal" question will become clearer once weight starts going down. With protein we want to reduce craving for "bad" carbs, retain muscle and and recover after workouts. Lack in this area will lead to problems down the road, so eat up.
*Eating clean (staying away from bad fats and sugars & replacing them with quality proteins, carbs & fats) will help speed the metabolism causing you to become hungry faster. So that will explain why you're probably eating more. Embrace it! Bad food has a tendency to satiate you much more thus slowing down metabolism and increasing carbohydrate cravings.

Step 2. Eat more vegetables! This can't be any clearer. Vegetables can be eaten at any time and practically as much as you want. They will greatly increase your energy levels as they aid in vitamin regulation, supply good carbohydrates, are rich in minerals and enzymes & make you more alkaline. Eat them raw, cooked, organic and any other way you can think of. Eat green, red, yellow & purple. However, there are some you must avoid if you have thyroid issues. Check with your nutritionist for details.

"eat one of these a day"

Step 3. Take a multi-vitamin. Some vitamins are fat soluble and some are water soluble. In order to ensure you are getting the most from your body I recommend a good multi-vitamin (usually in liquid form) to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. 









Step 4. Increase essential fatty acids. Fats are good. Too many of the wrong type is bad. Essential fats like Omega-3 & 6 fish oil helps us increase our metabolism, control cravings and lose excess weight.



So, there is is. Simple right? If you begin to incorporate these simple techniques into your diet you will see great results and drop pounds like never before. Now I must say that results may vary. If you have medical considerations please seek professional help. Additionally, these factors are generalized techniques and are not intended to treat or cure anything. A workout routine is highly recommended and will greatly increase effectiveness.

We'll be back soon to discuss the way in which to apply these into your day.