Tips on Eating Healthy & Having a Workout Schedule

The goal of eating healthy and working out sounds wonderful. What is a little more difficult is instituting this goal into your life in a meaningful way. The best way to achieve a goal is to have a specific plan in place. Understanding what you are striving for will help you realize the goal and reward yourself when you have achieved it. You should, of course, consult with your personal health care professional before making any changes to your eating habits or before beginning a new fitness program.

Avoid Gimmicks and Shortcuts

• As tempting as miracle diet plans can seem, if they worked there would be far fewer unhealthy people in the world. Deep inside we all know that there is no lasting shortcut to getting healthy. Any health or weight problems you have did not appear overnight and you should not pressure yourself to resolve them overnight either. Resolve to make a change to your lifestyle rather than to adhere to a plan, program, or diet intended to last for a few days or weeks.

Increase Dietary Fiber

• Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk, and milk products are all rich in fiber. Fiber causes you to feel fuller with fewer calories. This, in turn, leads to fewer calories being consumed and helps with weight control. Items like low-sugar cereals, oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and beans are some examples of foods that give you the sensation of satiety without the calories and fat found in other choices.

Control Portions

• It is very easy to have healthy eating efforts sabotaged by the portions we consume. It is important to read product packaging to understand what the intended serving size is. This will help you end mindless snacking from a box or bag of snack foods. Other tips to control portions include serving meals at home on smaller plates in order to give the illusion of having had a bigger serving. When eating out, opt for the child-sized meals; these are often closer to an appropriate serving size and rate of calorie intake.

Increase Color

• By inserting plenty of fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables into your daily food menus, you will feel fuller and eat less undesirable food items. Fruits and vegetables can be prepared in a variety of ways, make complimentary side dishes to main courses and provide your body with important vitamins and nutrients.

Start Moving

• Depending on your present level of daily activity, even a small increase in activity can be beneficial for your body. Regular physical activity helps improve your overall health and fitness, and reduces your risk for many chronic diseases according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Look for ways to insert movement into your natural daily routine. Purposely park far away from your destinations and walk. Take stairs rather than the elevator or escalator; even if you only take one or two flights you will get your heart pumping and work your leg muscles. Go for a walk during your lunch or break periods at work. You can also go a few extra blocks when walking the dog. With some reflection and creativity, you can institute exercise into your day almost effortlessly.

Aerobic and Muscle Strengthening Exercise

• Adults need aerobic and muscle strengthening activities each week in order to improve health. This is according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Aerobic activity is defined as activity which increases your heart rate and gets you breathing harder. This does not have to be obtained through a structured aerobics class. You can get an aerobic workout while mowing the lawn, playing tag with your children, running in place or riding your bike to the supermarket. The important thing is to perform these movements at a moderate or vigorous intensity for at least ten minutes at a time. Muscle strengthening activities should address all of the major muscle groups: shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, legs, back and hips. Muscle strengthening can be achieved through weight lifting, yoga, using resistance bands or by performing exercises such as push ups and sit ups that use your own body weight for resistance. These should be performed at least two days a week.