3 colors you should be eating more of!

Check out this great article!


http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-3-colors-you-should-be-eating-more-of-2463885/

Q & A

If cooking vegetables lowers their nutritional value, should we only eat them raw?

Is it more beneficial to run on a treadmill or outside?

What types of chocolate is healthiest?

These questions could go on for days and I have the answers!

While boiling veggies for just five minutes may cause them to lose 50 percent of their essential vitamins, you do not necessarily have to eat them raw.  Try steaming them which won’t leach out all of their water soluble nutrients.

It is generally better to run or walk outside. Your body has to work harder to overcome wind resistance and you are more likely to come across uneven terrain.

The most nutritious chocolate is bittersweet, so choose a bar that’s at least 70 percent cacao. A 100-calorie serving (about a 2 inch square) a day can lower blood pressure and improve circulation!

  

Have a Question?

Juice it up!

Did you know that a glass of 100 percent fruit juice counts toward your RDA of two to four servings of fruit? And people who regularly drink pure fruit juice consume higher levels of several key nutrients that are vital to good health including: potassium, magnesium, folate, and iron than those who don't. Juice is high in sugar, so limit yourself to eight ounces a day!

Muscle Confusion!

Check out this article from Yahoo Health, Muscle Confusion. Enjoy!

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/healthieryou/star-body-secrets

Last minute tips...

As we come to an end of the jump start to a better self, here are some last tips on how to detox your mind, reshape your routine, and boost your mental energy!

·         Try to cut out some media time: Cut back on TV and surfing the web.

·         Move your sleep back ten minutes a night for 6 nights and you will have added a much needed hour of sleep to your schedule.

·         Avoid office gossip.

·         Spend time on activities that engage and de-stresses you.

·         When you get annoyed, focus on something you are grateful for.

·         Rethink your to-do list and spend more energy and attention to what matters most.

·         Visualize yourself doing what you love.

·         Set a date to spend time with a friend who energizes you.

·         At the end of the day, reflect on what you accomplished, not on what you should have done.

Hopefully you have enjoyed the journey to becoming a better you and take the time in actuality to attempt and accomplish some of these helpful tips.  Good Luck!

A New YOU!

Today is all about a new You! After going through detox, setting a foundation for good health and fitness and taking it to the next level, you probably feel pretty exceptional right now.  This part is all about the healthy habits that you are going to create for now and beyond.  You have cleansed and cut back and now your goal is to increase your plant to animal ratio, about eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  Things to avoid: Hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives, FOREVER!

For your diet:  Try adding more fish and veggies to your meals.  If you are going to make pasta, add things like almonds, parsley and lemon to spice it up.  Another great thing to do as we head into spring and summer is grilling.  Try grilling chicken or fish skewers and throw some mushrooms and zucchini on the grill.  Top it with some extra virgin oil and mint, all over a bed of brown rice and you have one complete meal all on the grill! 

For Fitness: Push yourself! Start to challenge yourself into full body work outs.  Also, intensify your walk and running routines.  Add more days, more time and more power!

Tomorrow is all about tips to detox your mind, reshape your routine, and boost your mental energy!  By the end of this week you will have: cut out processed foods, added an hour of sleep, completed a mind and body detox, transitioned a walk to a run, added healthy flavors to your meals, and re-energized yourself!  Talk to you soon!

Momentum...

Today is all about Momentum.  Now that you have detoxed and set a foundation for yourself, it’s time to take things up a notch.  Since you have changed your diet and removed all the junk out of your system, you are going to have much more energy than you think. This part is all about consistency. 

Start to intensify your workout.  Add in push ups and more weight training.  Add in squat jumps and squat twists.  For cardio, add intensity by doing jumping jacks, side shuffle and high knees through cones or even just in square.  Make it fun for yourself.  Set up circuits and spend about 1-2 minutes at each and then rotate.  For example, set up 4 stations: 1. Upper body can be as simple as push ups 2. Core can be plank or sit ups 3. Lower body can be lunges or squats 4. Can be cardio and you can jump rope or do jumping jack.  The beauty of this that you can add as many as you want, perform whatever exercises you feel a need for  and you can spend as much time at each station as you want. 

As for the nutrition, through the detox process you are focusing on restriction of what you can and cannot eat.  Now it is time to see what you can add in your diet.  If you make something as simple as a white fish, try adding spices and herbs to flavor it up.  Plus, most spices and herbs have health benefits that you won’t get from other foods.  For example, thyme stimulates your immune system and parsley can tame asthma.  The most important thing here is keeping the portion size in mind!  Try pouched eggs with roasted tomatoes on a whole wheat English muffin and add thyme, Very Yummy!

Good Luck!