I hope you’ll want to learn more and let me help you to get into the best shape of your life.
Here are common sense rules that can hopefully help you sort through the myths and help you to make healthier choices.
- Eat like a tourist in Greece. A plate of grilled fish and fresh vegetables and a glass of wine is as delicious in Athens, Greece as it is in any other city. A Mediterranean menu can help lower your risk for heart disease and keep you slim.
- If you can’t grow it, don’t eat it. A potato comes from the ground, an egg from a hen. But where did a Pop Tart come from? Unprocessed, whole foods will give you the most benefits. Processing takes out nutrients such as antioxidants and fiber, and even when chemists add them back, it’s not the same as what Mother Nature can do.
- Read the back of the box first. The front is all advertising, flip it around for the real story and list of ingredients. The more ingredients, the more likely it has visited a few processing plants where something artificial was mixed in.
- The crunchier, the better. Choose snacks that offer a big, satisfying crunch when you bite into them, like apples, celery, snap peas and nuts. Do not include chips and cheeses. Keep your mouth busy, the more you chew, the slower you eat and the more time your body has to register fullness.
- You can always have more. There is no food shortage. Anything you eat after you’re full doesn’t even taste as good. And no one loves feeling stuffed.
- A frozen berry beats a fresh doughnut. Purchasing organic local produce is better for both the environment and your health. Frozen, canned and fresh fruit all have comparable amounts of nutrients.
- You can’t replace real ice cream. When you’re craving Chunky Monkey, no amount of fat-free will make up for it. Diet foods leave you feeling hungry and cheated. Splurge on one scoop of the real deal and savor it. You’ll be satisfied physically and psychologically.
- There’s no fruit in “fruit flavor.” Seeing flavor on a label is a sign the food was stripped of its real taste and a fabricated one swapped in. Natural only means the additive came from a plant or an animal, which may not be as healthy as it sounds. Scientists create flavors using bacteria and call them natural.
- If it’s not around, you can’t eat it. If all you have to do is walk to your kitchen, you’ll grab a bag and attack it. But if you must put on your shoes, find your keys and drive to the store. Laziness will triumph. Your waistline will win the battle of laziness.
- Table your meals. As much sitting as you do, you also rarely stay put during dinner. On-the-go eaters consume more total fat, as well as more soda and fast food. The less distracted and stressed you are when you eat, the more efficiently your body absorbs nutrients. Turn off the T.V. and step away from your desk and park the car before you eat.
- Judge food by its cover. When you have to hack through layers of packaging and plastic to get to your dinner, it’s likely to be unhealthy. Research indicates that perfluorochemicals in food containers may lower fertility. Companies aren’t phasing out PFCs until 2015! So do it yourself now.
- Cake’s. Sugary carbs are bad, and they leave you unsatisfied, guilt-ridden and 10 pounds heavier. The solution is to snack on things like fruit, low-fat yogurt and honey.
- Don’t drink dessert. Brimming with vitamins! Bursting with energy! Store shelves are exploding with colorful, cleverly named drinks that sound healthy but are actually just sweetened water. Don’t let the labels fool you. If it’s not skim milk, plain H2O or regular coffee or tea, it’s a treat. For a healthier sip, try lemon or mint iced tea or sparkling water with a splash of juice.
- Make sure you can ID the animal. You don’t have to hunt and skin your supper, but if your chicken has been molded into a nugget, who knows what you’re really chewing? And when you choose meat that’s been processed into sausage, strips or slices, you’re downing sodium and preservatives instead of healthy nutrients. Stick to cuts straight from the butcher.
- Fuel up in the morning, not at night. A car needs gas when it’s hitting the road, not when it’s sitting in the garage, so why do you have your biggest meal when the only energy you will burn is watching TV. Aim for a 550-calorie breakfast, a 500-calorie lunch, a 450-calorie dinner and a 100-calorie snack. If you overeat at night, you’re less likely to burn off the calories.
- Don’t buy food where you buy tires. In our time-crunched life, it’s tempting to grab groceries at the pump or a convenient store. But for the healthiest food at the fairest price, visit your neighborhood grocery store. Convenience stores charge more than supermarkets do.
- Work for your dinner. For a healthy meal, you need to invest at least a few minutes in chopping, rinsing or grilling. The result is worth the effort. When you prepare dishes yourself, you can see exactly which ingredients are going into it and make conscious choices about what you are eating.
- Your hips are not a fridge. Once you slice and sauté your way to a fabulous feast, you don’t have to finish every bite. We’re conditioned to think that if we don’t devour everything on our plate, we are misbehaving. If you keep munching even after you’re full, you are using your body as a storage unit. If there’s enough left over for lunch tomorrow, pack it up and put it in the fridge.
- Watching Top Chef isn’t cooking. Food shows are popular but zoning out in front of the TV is making cooking a spectator sport. You don’t have to cook a seven-course meal, but you can pick up tips about combining flavors and using fresh ingredients.
- Give yourself a break. If you follow these rules most of the time but occasionally crave a fast-food fix, a slice of pizza or a brownie, go for it. You can happily resume your healthy plan once you satisfy your urge. If you want fried chicken now and then, enjoy it!
I know you want to get in shape and look great. Whatever your fitness goal…to slim down…gain muscle…tone your arms or flatten your tummy…I’m here to help you accomplish your goals and to improve your fitness level. If you have enjoyed this article and the many other free features on my site, and would like some more comprehensive information such as fitness books and CD’s to aid you in achieving your health and fitness goals, please visit my ONLINE STORE where you will find innovative natural health and beauty products to help you become the BEST YOU CAN BE !