Did you want to start eating healthy this year, but you’re not sure where to start? We can help you. While some people love to dive right into a project and make all the changes at once, others like to dip their feet in the water and change a little at a time. We work with all types of people and understand that. For those that love doing everything at once, just check out our healthy menus on our Fit Meal Formula plan. If you want to start with tiny steps, here’s how you start.
Give up sugar and products with added sugar first.
There’s nothing like doing the hardest thing first and working from there. Giving up products with added sugar is definitely one of the toughest for many people. One of the reasons is that sugar is addictive. Not only does it affect the same receptors in the brain as cocaine, which bring you pleasure, but the more sugar you eat, the less sweet it tastes, so you have to eat more and more for the same enjoyment.
Find ways to add more vegetables to a meal.
Use vegetable noodles, like zucchini instead of lasagna noodles or enjoying the flavor of spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Make up vegetable soup to act as a meal starter or for a warming lunch. If you’re making a sauce, such as spaghetti sauce, add a few extra veggies, like some bell peppers or a little spinach. Add veggies to your smoothies or use a veggie and fruit smoothie for lunch. Roasted veggies or kabobs are delicious and can fill you up, not out. Increase the amount of vegetables you eat and you’ll reduce the amount of higher calorie foods.
Skip those processed foods and eat more whole foods.
All food is processed, since washing food is processing it. We’re talking about highly processed foods. Those types of food have additives, chemicals and often very little nutrition. If you want a snack, opt for fresh vegetables with dip or yogurt with fruit. In fact, you can make a delicious parfait by layering Greek yogurt, frozen cherries chopped in pieces and walnuts or sliced almonds.
- Make sure you have a healthy protein with your meal. Healthy protein can come from animals or plants. Fish, eggs, poultry, nuts, beans and lean beef are good examples. Protein leaves you feeling fuller longer, so you eat less.
- A simple way to ensure you get the maximum amount of your vitamins each day, make sure you have a rainbow plate of food at each meal. Choosing fruits and vegetables that have a wide variety of color means they offer a wide variety of nutrients and phytonutrients.
- Do you drink soft drinks? Change to water. Even diet cola can affect your waistline and put on visceral fat around your middle, according to recent studies. Visceral fat is the worst type of fat and hardest to lose.
- When you’re ready, we’ll be ready with healthy menus, shopping lists and an easy way to ensure you’re eating healthy every day. We make it easy for you to stick with healthy eating.
For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training