Live Healthier!
Living a healthy lifestyle is a holistic endeavor. Don’t get me wrong, I want to look my best, but there’s more to my health than what fits into my jeans. Everyday we make decisions based upon what we put into and onto our bodies. These have far reaching ramifications for you, your loved ones and the environment in which we live.
A question that I ask myself daily, is whether my actions contribute to the long-term health and resilience of my family, the community, the planet, or whatever it is that I am trying to sustain. We should all educate ourselves in order to make better decisions. Let’s first start with our own personal health and maybe we can look a little better in those jeans!
1. Eat for what you are going to be doing, not for what you have done. The majority of calories should be taken in during the active part of your day, so that your body has the fuel it needs through out the day. Most of us are active during the day, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
2. Drink plenty of water during the day. Buy a reusable water bottle to help keep track of how much you are consuming. Please keep in mind that 2.5 million plastic water bottles are thrown away every hour in the United States. It’s a huge waste problem that deepens our dependency on fossil fuels.
3. Stay away from zero carbohydrate fad diets. These types of diet can cause memory lapse, slow bowels, fatigue, and the loss of muscle, which is important in burning fat. Shoot for high fiber carbs with lots of nutritional value and minimally processed.
4. Do not skip meals when trying to lose weight. The body will begin to burn muscle for energy before it does fat. Muscle also burns more calories than fat, so you don’t want to lose those muscles that you’ve worked so hard to build.
5. Keep a nutritional calorie journal. By measuring your calorie intake, you will know whether to add or subtract calories from your meal plan.
6. Compare labels for nutritional information on products when grocery shopping. Look for foods that contain either small amounts or zero saturated fats and sodium. Most importantly you will want to make sure the product is made up of a short list of items to ensure that you are consuming more wholesome ingredients.
7. Eat four to five small meals a day instead of three large meals. The body will burn the calories more efficiently, and the craving for food will not be as great. Keep in mind that a meal or snack can be a rice cake with a tablespoon of peanut butter and an apple.
8. Never wait until you're starving before having a meal. You are most likely to over eat during that time. If you are on the run, grab a small snack like a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit to hold you over.
9. Feed your body quality nutrition. Proper nutrition accounts for 75% of who we are, and our aim should be - "you are what you eat." The body is on a quest, constantly generating new cells and tissue. That process is cut short; however, when empty and worthless calories are given to the body.
10. Perform consistent aerobic exercises 3-5 times a week. Once you are training regularly, continue to watch what you eat. Exercise is not a license to eat whatever you want. Before beginning any exercise regime, consult with your doctor. This is especially important if you're over 40, or have cardiovascular risk factors, such as: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.
Sage Hansen NSCA-CPT, RYT
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