The Power of 7

That is the number of meals/snacks that should be eaten in a day.  With that said let me quantify this statement with, these are smaller meals and healthy choices!  Eating crap food seven times a day is still crap!  You need to eat several meals throughout the day with the most important being Breakfast, do not skip this meal. 

When you wake up in the morning, first thing is to down a glass of water, not just eight ounces but sixteen or more and then get ready for the day and have/grab your breakfast before you go. 

I have mentioned things like avocado, tomato, and cucumber or grain cereal, that is not processed, like steel cut oats.  In a couple of hours you can have a snack like almonds, pecans, carrots, tomato, or bell pepper, just go with easy stuff. Enjoy your lunch, however do not be surprised if you have had a snack or two before lunch.  The mid day is usually a tough time so ensure you have healthy choices for snacking and avoid the vending machine, it is all poison!  Have a good snack and be flexible, if you have a long day get an extra snack in there so you can make it home for dinner and that your not starving for the commute where you might be tempted to stop for the all-to-easy fast-food!  Fast-food is of the devil!  It is poison, danger!  Look at a previous post about preparing snacks/meals in advance so you have the healthy choices at hand.

Alkaline Ionized water is the best water for you, more will follow about this phenomenal water and where you can get it, benefits to your body, and why you need it today!

Have you drank your gallon of water today?  Stay on track you can do it!

Nuts about nuts

I love to eat nuts and they are not always healthy for you if they are not the right ones!  So do I eat the healthy ones?  The answer would be most of the time, however I like to eat the mixed nuts from the can and that is not good because they have added sugar and salt.  Stay away from these as much as possible, realizing they are not good for you even if they are the healthier nuts.

Almonds are a nut I have mentioned before and here is why, 10-15 of these bad boys and you get 25% of the Magnesium your body needs in a day.  Calcium, vitamin E and selenium are also found in almonds as well as being a great source of fiber

Walnuts look like a brain for a reason, have you noticed that when you look at them?  Walnuts are packed full of ellagic acid and polyphenols!  Research has shown that consuming walnuts are related to heart health, increased cognitive functions and fighting disease through the polyphenols.

Pecans are another great nut to eat because they have 20 essential vitamins and minerals!  Pecans are also linked to reducing cholesterol!  If you want the true benefits of these nuts they should be eaten in their raw organic form and not from a can, roasted, honey glazed or any other type of processing, the process changes the chemical composition of the nuts and thus they are not as healthy or can even be worse for you because of the sugar and salt!

When enjoying your nuts always remember to drink your gallon of water!

Time crunch

We all have very busy lives, however with a little planning and forethought you can make a big difference in how you can be busy and still eat healthy.  Have you been at work and had to go out somewhere because you did not have time to get a meal together before going to work?  Have activities after work and may or may not get to go by your home before heading out?  How can you enjoy healthy eating when fast-food is not healthy?  Plan ahead and prepare meals and snacks ahead of time.  Saturday or Sunday take a few minutes to plan and then prepare food for the coming week.  Divide up carrots and celery sticks into individual bags so that you can snack on them at any time at work or on the run, just grab and go.  Keep an apple or banana at hand so that you can use it is a snack.  Prepare a couple of healthy meals and then put them into containers in the proper portions so at mealtime at work you do not have to think just pop it in the microwave and your ready to eat in minutes.  I have spoken of Almonds before as a great snack, just take 20-30 of them in a bag and keep them in a handy spot like a drawer at work or in your purse to use when your in a rush but need something healthy to eat.  Your busy, however make that work to your advantage and save some money from going out to eat!  Always remember to drink your gallon of water today!

Snacking Right

When you are between meals there are snacks that will help you and snacks that will hurt you.  Fruits and vegetables are a good choice for snacking and they are low calorie.  By eating vegetables or fruit you are adding to the servings you should take in each day in addition to your intake at meal time.  Eating fat-free is not a good idea for snaking.  Why is that?  Since fat-free foods were introduced people have been getting fatter.  Fat does not make you fat!  By processing fat or oil the composition of the food is changed chemically and your body does not know what to do with the food so it is stored as FAT!

There are nuts that are good for snacking on, preferably in the raw.  Almonds are great for a snack that includes protein and good fat.  Avoid the glazed, honey, or salty flavored nuts as they add sugar and flavoring that will negate the beneficial properties.  Make the right choice for your snacks and enjoy the benefit they can provide in helping you to attain your fat loss goals.  A bad choice today can result in additional work needed tomorrow to compensate.  Changing your lifestyle is about decisions made each day!