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Small Steps Make a Big Change! Get started with these healthy nutrition and diet tips. By small I mean the smallest things can start making a huge difference. It is hard for someone who is out of shape and been eating junk food all their life to all of a sudden turn it all around and be this fitness freak.
People give up most of the time because the changes they made are too drastic. They feel overwhelmed, deprived and over all that is not what fit and healthy should be about. You are a that person who is just starting out in caring for your self and wants to make a difference in their health.
I am not going to tell you, stop eating what you are eating and stop doing what you normally do. Instead, of illuminating things out of your nutrition (notice how I don’t like to use the word diet) and start working out like crazy, start substituting normal things you love, with things that are more healthy.
Don’t even try to start complaining about how healthy food is expensive, it is NOT, much more expensive that regular food. It is your health and your life, it is your life insurance! So here are a few nutritional changes you can make today.
We love apples here at PFC! Apples help to protect bone health, prevent asthma, heart disease and cancer. And it has tons of antioxidants. Apples also take more energy to digest than calories contained. It is great for loosing weight and making your skin look beautiful.
Many people fall for this trap. Fat free usually means more sugar, more sugar means insulin spikes, and that leads to fat storage. Also, fat free means that somehow the fat was chemically reduced, and that alone is something to think about. Next time your shopping and you see Fat Free run the other way.
Trade in your simple for more complex! This means white bread and pasta for multi grain bread and pasta. But one thing always to watch for, is grams of sugar per serving on your label. You don’t want it to contain more than 5 grams of sugar per serving, -preferably less! Substitute corn tortillas for multi-grain as well. Why- you ask? The reason is for their nutritional value.
Multigrain breads and pastas contain many ingredients that are beneficial to your nutrition, they are full of essential vitamins and minerals including copper, magnesium and iron. White breads and pastas that are just empty carbs. But always look at the labels, make sure that the flower has the word WHOLE in it. Rice, always pick the brown rice over white. Brown rice contains four times the fiber of white rice and great quantities of vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, colic acid, potassium, magnesium, iron and many more other nutrients. The high fiber content of whole grains can help a person feel more full with fewer calories and therefore, be beneficial in weight management.
If you really have to eat them, then pick the multigrain as well. If you are more into potatoes chips pick kettle made over the other kind. Because they are made in individual batches instead of a continuous flow machine. Also, give a try to sweet potatoes chips. One serving of sweet potatoes, contains 24 mg of sodium, 195 mg of potassium, 2 g of dietary fiber, also vitamin A and C. I’d prefer you to try and make Kale chips, with a teeny bit of olive oil and sea-salt. YUMM!
If you must have it, make it your self. Everything you see in a bottle has added sugar. Great way to satisfy your sugar drink craving, is to make a nice home made lemonade from, filtered water, lemon and stevia sweetener. Stevia has a negligent effect on your blood sugar and it is just as sweet and satisfying as sugar .
Cook at home, if you can. That way, you always know what the ingredient list is. If you don’t have a lot of time, cook for a week and freeze the other portions, you can throw them in the oven and be on the go.
Don’t skip out on your meals, that slows down your metabolism. Eat every 2 -3 hours at least 5 times a day. That means 3 complete meals, and at least 2 great satisfying snacks! I would love if you added in one more small snack to make it 6! Your snack should alway contain a protein and a carbohydrate. They are a Team for ENERGY and BUILDING BLOCKS. Many people have this idea that if they eat less, they will loose weight fast, but that is quite the opposite. Your body is a machine, when you starve it- it reaches into your muscle for the fuel, leaving the fat for the winter to keep you insulated (it’s pretty dang smart aye). LOL The more you don’t eat, the more fat your body will store.
Nuts are the power pack of important nutrients, proteins and mono-saturated fatty acids. Many scientific studies have proved that these monosaturated fatty acids can provide protection against coronary heart diseases. Also Vitamin E, which is richly found in many nuts is a powerful antioxidant that can protect one from the damaging effects of free radicals. So we can lower the risk of certain serious diseases like cancer and heart diseases!
They can also prevent excessive weight gain in spite of being rich in fats. The secret is because even though they are rich in fats, they also contain a large amount of protein and fiber. Both protein and fiber require more time to get digested than fat and carbohydrate and so, eating a few nuts can reduce hunger and excessive weight gain. Apart from these benefits, they contain many important minerals like magnesium, selenium, iron, phosphorus, etc. which play a significant role in many vital life processes.
Protein is one of the most important nutrients that our body needs. Protein builds muscles, which is why we see muscle builders particularly concerned about their protein consumption. When you lift weights to work out, your body makes tiny tears in the muscles. Proteins are then employed to fix these healthy tears, building the muscle somewhat bigger with every exercise. But even if you do not work out, your body’s muscle deteriorates as you require energy. Muscle supplies energy, just like fat.
Having protein in the body assists you to reconstruct any muscle that is lost. Proteins help your body build new cells, repair old cells, create hormones and enzymes, and keep your immune system healthy. Carbohydrates and Fats are also very important in your diet. Your body uses BOTH for energy, mainly the carbs are used first and when the souses are depleted your body reaches for the fat. If you don’t give your body fat, it will reach for your muscle for energy. Fat also helps some vitamins move through your body. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, which means they need some fat to be absorbed. All three are important they function together in synergy to keep your body working correctly.
Some people hate drinking water, but water is simply amazing for your health and body. Water Facts….Here is why:
– Our metabolism will slow if you are even slightly dehydrated!
– Lack of water is the #1 reason of daytime fatigue.
– Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
– One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger cravings.
– Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%,
– Plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and
– One is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
– Also water flushes out toxins out of your body, making your system work more functionally.
So here you have it, small changes you can make every day to jump start your way to become more healthy. At Premier Fitness Camp, Utah’s #1 Weight Loss Camp, we want to support you on your journey to a better healthier life! ~Leah
Leah Britt, holds a Bachelors Degree in Clinical Nutrition and Health Science from Southern Utah University where she was a collegiate athlete. She is certified by International Sports Science Association and The National Academy of Sports Medicine as Personal Trainer.
Leah uses an individual approach to achieving optimal wellness for each and every client. “We are all unique”- no two people have the same metabolism, biochemical make-up, health concerns, behavioral issues or nutritional needs. Failing to address these issues when designing a nutrition and fitness program can lead to poor results and frustration. Leah’s focus is on helping her clients set realistic goals and to achieve lifelong health and wellness.