Quick Health Tips:
1. Don't weigh yourself, but take your measurements and body fat if you have the ability. This is really the true test of fitness, how lean you are, not how much you weigh. Muscle is more compact than fat and takes up less space, but may not reflect on the scale. We are looking to be trim. Since our bodies are made up of over 50% water, many times the scale may go up after we eat a salty meal or we are dehydrated.
2. Eat more protein. An average person needs .05 grams of protein per pound. A 150 pound person would need 75 grams of protein a day. I eat protein with every meal and snack. It stabalizes my blood sugar and keeps cravings away. It also helps repair my muscles which are made of protein after a hard workout.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. The fiber in fruits and vegetables will flush out the toxins in your body daily and is a good antioxidant. This will also help our body be hydrated because fruits and vegetables have a lot of water in them.
4. Add lemons to your water. They will neutralize the acid in your body. Most Americans have a highly acidic diet, especially if they drink alcohol and eat a lot of processed foods. Lemons, although an acid, will neutralize the acid and bring your body into a more alkaline state. A body that is alkaline will not get disease. Diseases like cancer thrive in an acidic environment. The recommended daily amount of water is .05% per pound. A 150 pound person needs 75 oz. water a day.
5. Do cardiovascular activity daily. The new recommendation is 1 hour a day. Think about how much our ancestors walked a day before cars and tvs were invented. Remember anything is better than nothing if you are just starting. Our bodies were meant to move! A good saying to remember is: "Motion is lotion." We may feel achy and stiff, but moving our bodies helps with those aches and pains.
6. Eat real food. Our bodies have to work much harder to work off whole grains like oatmeal and cooked chicken and real fruits and vegetables than a meal from a fast food restaurant. When our bodies work harder, that is more calories burned and less weight around our bellies.
7. Reduce stress. When we are under stress, our bodies produce chemicals like cortisol which causes belly fat. It will do the same thing when we are sleep deprived. Our blood pressure and cholesterol can also go up under stress and can lead to heart trouble. Learn to breathe deeply and give yourself plenty of time between activities.
8. Get a trainer and learn how to lift weights properly. I did before I became one myself. It was one of the best investments I ever made. My bones as a small framed women are stronger than ever because of all the muscle surrounding them. I don't have to worry that my hip will fracture when walking or getting out of bed. There are many things in our control and getting fit is one of them!
Liz Reighard
Precision Personal Training
Results You Can Count On
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