"What exercises can I do to ?? As fitness professional I hear these words often. It doesn't matter if the sentence ends with, "get bigger muscles", "firm up my butt" or "flatten my stomach". My initial response is always the same. "Well, what are you eating? In terms of physical fitness exercise is only part of the equation. Proper nutrition is vital regardless of the specific fitness goal.
If you want to maintain energy levels, achieve or maintain optimal weight and lower risk of disease, a healthy diet is imperative. It doesn't matter if your goal is fat loss, body shaping, mass building, improved athletic performance or just maintaining a healthy lifestyle; the following tips will help build healthy habits that will allow you to fine tune your body and feel great.
1. Eat 5 - 6 Smaller Meals a Day.
This practice will allow your body to utilize the food you eat more efficiently. More of your food will be used for providing energy, building muscle and maintaining healthy tissue, while less will be stored as fat. If your goal is weight loss, this is a great way to reduce calories without loosing energy or feeling hungry. If you are looking to gain lean muscle mass, eating more frequent meals will allow you to take in an increased number of calories without feeling stuffed. This will also insure that the vital muscle building nutrients will be available when your body needs them. Regardless of your fitness goal, eating 5 - 6 smaller meals a day will get your metabolism firing on all cylinders and give you the energy needed to reach your goals.
2. Do Not Skip Meals.
Skipping meals often leads to extreme hunger which can lead to "binge" type eating. The body can only process and utilize so much food at a time. It doesn't matter if you're only eating one or two meals a day. If you eat too much at any given meal, much of what the body doesn't use will be stored as fat. Here's another important reason not to skip meals. Depriving the body of vital nutrients often leaves one feeling tired and unmotivated (a real workout killer.)
3. Eat Real Food.
Our bodies are designed to metabolize food! Unfortunately the food industry has turned our bodies into chemical processing plants. Grocery store shelves are littered with food products containing non-food additives that are used to color, sweeten, stabilize, emulsify, bleach, flavor and preserve the food. The FDA lists approximately 2800 international food additives and about 3,000 chemicals, which are added to our food. Avoid foods that claim to be "enriched." The only reason processed foods are enriched in the first place is because their process has stripped them of virtually all their vital nutrients. Stick with whole foods including a good variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats.
4. Read Food Labels.
To be sure you're making good food choices, read food labels. Look at the ingredients, the main ingredients are listed first. If the first few ingredients on the label include processed sugar (i.e. high-fructose corn syrup.) or saturated fat or trans?fatty acids (coconut oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil, vegetable shortening), you may do well to make another food choice.
5. Pay Attention to Serving Sizes.
Pay attention to serving sizes, it's easy to over load. Weighing and measuring food is a good way to assure you are taking in the proper amount of calories and nutrients. This is especially important if you are on a weight loss or a weight gain program.
6. Eat Slowly and Chew Food Thoroughly.
Chewing food thoroughly aids in digestion, thus reducing the time it takes for vital nutrients to become available for use by your body. Eating slowly gives the stomach time it needs to tell the brain it's full. Taking your time to eat your meal is especially helpful if you are on a reduced calorie diet. It will allow you to eat less, yet still feel satiated.
7. Keep a Food Journal.
Write down everything you eat and drink. Initially include serving sizes along with the number of calories, as well as the amount of macronutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates). This will make you conscious of everything you eat while you become educated on the components of a healthy diet. If you are not making satisfactory progress towards your goals, your food journal can provide valuable information needed to make necessary adjustments.
Bill Scibetta, RN, NSCA-CPT
Bill is the founder and President of Precision Fitness ? Personal Training Centers in the Charlotte, NC area and co-author of the book Play Better Longer! ? Peak Performance and Injury Prevention for Golf. Bill is a licensed Registered Nurse as well as a National Strength and Conditioning Association ? Certified Personal Trainer. After spending years practicing in the specialty of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Bill has dedicated his career to helping individuals identify and overcome obstacles that stand in the way of optimal wellness and peak physical performance.
For more information visit http://www.lakenormanfitness.com
premium house cleaning Wilmette ..(Part 1 of a Special 5 Part Series on Body... Read More
Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Over... Read More
About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.1.1 million Americans... Read More
Apple cider vinegar is a product of apple juice fermentation.... Read More
The importance of protein in diet has been clearly established... Read More
Beverages - and not just alcohol - are a significant... Read More
Nutrition is extremely important for any young person, especially an... Read More
Mineral nutritionSearching for mineral nutrition information is much easier today... Read More
According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them... Read More
Americans are literally running out of time. Achieving a work-life... Read More
Before the thirties, people knew the importance of mineral. Their... Read More
Fats (triacylglycerols) ...Some basic terminology ...fat or fatty acid ...In... Read More
The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG... Read More
I don't understand people sometimes. You know, there is a... Read More
You may have heard that essential fats are an important... Read More
Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More
Vitamin EThere has been a lot of controversy about vitamin... Read More
What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
Do you want more energy? How about more of the... Read More
Unfortunately, it has been proved beyond doubt that a large... Read More
Eating orange mean absorbing vitamin C to our body, is... Read More
Since the beginning of time, everyday fruits have been known... Read More
For a natural and tasty way to improve your health... Read More
Much controversy and argument surrounds the idea that food may... Read More
personalized cleaning services Deerfield ..A beautiful smile and healthy mouth actually can come from... Read More
The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed,... Read More
The importance of protein in a healthy diet is well... Read More
Cholesterol has been around for thousands of years. It's a... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant... Read More
I would like to dispel some of the myths and... Read More
Eating orange mean absorbing vitamin C to our body, is... Read More
THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More
"What exercises can I do to ?? As fitness professional... Read More
"To eat an apple before going to bed will make... Read More
Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More
Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables... Read More
America's focus on nutritious eating began to receive national attention... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
Constipation is a condition whereby the fecal matter traveling through... Read More
As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and... Read More
You can eat whole flax seeds but you need to... Read More
When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts... Read More
A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements... Read More
If you want to lose weight, there is one thing... Read More
Bright white teeth and fresh breath does not necessarily... Read More
There are basically four major components, or essential molecular components... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is... Read More
Nutrition |