"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
Wayne ohare limo service .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareWhat is your brain made ofOver 50% of your brain... Read More
In parts 1-6 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
When you take your food next time, take care of... Read More
It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
For most people, the concept of capsulized food? usually conjures... Read More
I'll preface this article by saying that it will help... Read More
Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More
Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer... Read More
Question from Jack:A question from Jack, one of the subscribers... Read More
I'm going to be a bit radical here, but know... Read More
We sometimes hear about ways that we can take care... Read More
Many people use sugar as medicine. Sugar tends to change... Read More
Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More
With new research, new products and new skin protection advice... Read More
The Immune System is probably the most important system in... Read More
In a new study published by the American Heart Association,... Read More
If you are like most people, you've tried dieting before.... Read More
In a world where heart disorders and diseases are becoming... Read More
In a study review conducted by David A. Geier, B.A.... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Through Eating?You get fat when you... Read More
America's focus on nutritious eating began to receive national attention... Read More
Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm... Read More
According to the renowned research scientist and inventor of the... Read More
The cry of "I have no willpower!" often emerges from... Read More
All carbohydrates are not the same. Generally it is assumed... Read More
Albany Chicago limo service ..What is the best protein powder to buy? I get... Read More
A hundred years ago, life was very different here on... Read More
What if there was a combination of foods that were... Read More
Fad diets have been around for more than 50 years... Read More
In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very... Read More
What if I told you tap water and homogenized milk... Read More
Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More
Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who developed South Beach Diet... Read More
Ambrotose? - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More
Recently I found the book : "Eating and health according... Read More
Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More
I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More
Sugar intake is a real concern for people who've had... Read More
Most recipes end with instructions to "serve immediately." You could... Read More
When you actually sit down and think about it, bottled... Read More
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you... Read More
Incorporating these fat loss tips will improve your nutrition program.... Read More
The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More
You may have heard of the "Portfolio Diet" wherein it... Read More
With new research, new products and new skin protection advice... Read More
When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts... Read More
For any kid who grew up eating doughy, thick Wonder... Read More
Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More
Images of "protein powder" containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their... Read More
In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately... Read More
Nutrition |