Healthy Eating...Is it Possible?

Choosing to eat healthy foods can be challenging for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes it is difficult to choose healthy foods because they don't taste like the processed diet we have become used to.  For some people, it seems very expensive to choose to eat fresh, healthy foods on a daily basis.  Other times we assume that healthy foods take too much time and preparation to suit our busy, on-the-go lifestyles; and besides, our kids won't eat vegetables anyway, right?  When we give reasons like this to explain our poor dietary choices, do we really understand what we imply by them?  We imply that our health is not nearly as important as spending money on other things, and that it is not worth a little extra time to maintain it, nor is it important enough for us to instill in our children that their health actually matters.  I say this knowing full well that I have used these same excuses at different times in my life...but let's call them what they are...excuses.

If most of us are completely honest with ourselves, we know we should be eating more fruits and veggies (7-11 servings, or thereabouts...), drinking more water, eating less refined sugar (i.e. white flour/sugar products...), and getting the proper amount of sleep, exercise, and time with our families on a daily basis.  We cannot move forward in pursuing good health until we come clean by identifying what we should be doing, and what we are doing - which are usually two very different things.  Once we realize that our eating habits are not what they should be, many of us tend to want to change things quickly, which often leads to crash dieting.

Please let me to be clear about this point...crash dieting sets us up for failure, absolute failure.  The ONLY way to improve our health is by eating macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) in their PROPER PROPORTION!!  A crash diet attempts to dramatically decrease one of these three macronutrient categories to give the illusion of weight loss and/or health, but they do not truly improve health or give lasting weight loss.  Health comes through the "old fashioned way" of eating right, something most of our parents attempted to instill in us from an early age, but many of us left those ideas behind us when our lives got busy as adults.

I want to give some suggestions to help realign our eating habits with what they should be.  These are things that have worked for me and my husband, and many of our friends.  See what will work for you and your family, but remember, sometimes it is just a hard choice of eating the right thing because you know it is good for you, while saying "no" to unhealthy foods because you know they are bad for you.

1. Buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables or plant a garden.  Yes, they do cost more than what you will buy in a boxed meal; however, they are more versatile for cooking, and great for snacking.  Also, remind yourself that eating fruits and veggies leads to better health, which means less money spent on over-the-counter and prescription medications, and trips to the doctor.  If you choose to plant a garden, it is alot of fun...and this is coming from a person who does NOT have a green thumb at all and had to plant all her veggies in pots!!

2. Cook at home and double up on meals.  When you prepare meals at home, double the recipe.  This way you can put half in the freezer and have it the next week.

3. Pack your own lunch.  Hmm...I can already hear the groans, but come on!  This takes all of 10 minutes before you go to be at night to prepare your lunch for work the next day!  And think of all those fresh fruits and veggies you bought that you can include in your lunch.

4. Plan your meals and cooking schedule a week in advance.  Plan your meals in advance and then work with your spouse or room mates to divide up which nights to cook meals.  This worked especially well for my family; I had a job where I worked 40++++++++ hours in a week and often on weekends, this saved us from eating out all the time.

5. Learn to really like your vegetables, or invest in a juicer, or products like Juice Plus.  If you don't like the taste of raw vegetables, you can buy a juicer and find some great recipes to juice your vegetables.  Juice Plus is another option where fruits and vegetables are juiced and dried at low temperatures to be taken as a capsule or chewable.  My family has chosen to do all three of these things because we have really learned to LOVE our fruits AND vegetables, and figure, the more we eat, the better!

6.  Teach your children the value of fruits, vegetables, and healthy eating in general.  Yes, I understand children are picky, I used to be one of them!  But fast food hasn't been around forever, right?  Kids haven't been picky and only able to eat fast food since the beginning of time because it didn't always exist.  You are your kids' best example for healthy living and eating; give them the opportunity to do what you say AND do what you do.

7. Give up prepackaged dinners and lunches.  Boxed meals are simply code for empty carbohydrates and lots of salt.  Who really wants high blood pressure in a box simply because it was easier than making a sandwich?

8. Keep track of your food categories.  Each day, 60% of our calories should come from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 20% from fat.  You want to stick with the healthy choices for these categories; for example:

• Good carbohydrate examples: things made with whole wheat grain, brown rice, fruits, vegetables (you want lots of your carbs coming from fruits and veggies!!)
• Good protein examples: lean meats, chicken, fish (much easier to cook than you might think; if I can cook fish, anyone can!)
• Good fat examples: different types of nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, avacadoes

9. Keep eating out to a minimum.  I recommend no more than once a week at most, but less than that if you can avoid it.  As you start eating healthier, your body develops a "taste" for healthy foods, and less of a "taste" for processed foods, so eating out less often becomes easier.

10. Give your groceries the budget they deserve. My philosophy is to pay whatever is necessary at the grocery store to eat healthy, and then the rest of my budget falls into place.  Prioritize your health over getting those new clothes, or new "               " (fill in the blank).  Your health is just more important than things, so treat it that way by buying what your body needs.

Make a commitment to be healthy inside and out.  Eating well is just as large a part of health as exercising and other things.  Bring your family along with you on the journey towards better health, it is always better to have company and accountability.  It is amazing how much better you feel when you have the right kind food in your body on a daily basis!

Incorporating Balance in Your Workout

Balance is a pivotal part of any workout routine, however, it is often overlooked and not included in general training.  As we get older, balance becomes increasingly important to incorporate because it is lost quickly once we reach adulthood.  Maintaining or improving balance pays off as we get older by reducing falls and joint fractures, which ultimately lead to needing joints surgically replaced.  Balance can be included separately in a workout routine, or it can be combined with other exercises for a greater challenge.  Below are some examples of including balance exercises  in combination with other exercises.

1. Bicep curl while standing on one foot. (Beginner)

 



A) Downward (beginning) phase
B) Upward (ending) phase

Keep those abs tight!





2. Bicep curl in Warrior 3 position. (Intermediate to Advanced)

Downward (beginning) phase




With this exercise, it is very important to squeeze the muscles in your rear end as well as your abs the whole time.

Upward (ending) phase







The first two examples can also substitute a different free weight exercise while holding the balance position.  For example, performing a tricep extension while balancing on one leg, or while standing in Warrior 3 position.

3. Single leg Squat. (Intermediate to Advanced)

 



Upward (beginning) phase - standing
Downward (ending) phase - bending the knee

As with any squat or lunge exercise, squeeze the muscles in your rear end and your abs.




4. Single leg Calf Raise. (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced)

Downward (beginning) phase - standing
Upward (ending) phase - raising up to the ball of the foot

Keep those abs tight!




Any of these first four examples can be made more advanced by adding free weights to the exercise.  For example, with the single leg calf raises, a shoulder raise could be incorporated; or with the single leg squat, the weights could be held by your side to add extra weight to the exercise. 

These next examples are all meant for those who are beginners to balance training, or for those who have poor balance.  If in doubt, start with the beginner exercises; you can always make your workout more challenging as you go along!

1. Standing with one foot raised for 30 seconds or more.

For this exercise, make sure you squeeze the muscles in your rear end, and your abs.





2. Standing with one foot balanced on an exercise ball rolling back and forth for 30 seconds or more.

Beginning phase - leg bent
Ending phase - leg extended

Again, make sure to squeeze the muscles in your rear end, and your abs.



3. Standing with one foot directly in front of the other for 30 seconds or more.

Okay, goofy picture, but effective!  For this exercise, you stand with one foot directly in front of the other (heel to toe) with arms by your sides or above your head for balance.  Just think of "walking the line" for an officer :)

Keep those abs tight!





You can make the beginner exercises more challenging at any time by adding free weights.  For example, doing a bicep curl while you roll the exercise ball back and forth; or performing an overhead press with free weights while standing with one foot directly in front of the other.

When you begin adding balance exercises to your workout routine, even the easiest ones can be challenging if you haven't done them before.  Keep with it, and remember to challenge yourself as they get easier so you continually improve your balance.  A little bit of balance work here and there can save you from hip replacement surgery later...seriously!!!

Why do you work out?

Why do you work out?  This is a valid question, especially since so many people struggle with getting up and getting active!  There are some general reasons that most people would list as to why they work out; mainly in regard to maintaining the health they currently have, or achieving a particular health goal.  I believe, however, that working out is an intensely personal endeavor, and must have a personal motivation to match.  You are probably the only person who understands what will perfectly motivate you and keep you on course to make exercise a lifetime achievement.

When you exercise without personal motivation, you have nothing that will make you “stay the course.”  Exercise isn’t just for the purpose of losing ten more pounds, or improving your 40yd sprint time; if your only motivation is performance, I’ve got news for you!  You won’t keep going forward once you’ve met your goal – I mean, why do you need to?  Your motivation was merely for better performance or to look a little bit better in that swimsuit; these types of goals will only carry you so far.

Motivation goes deeper than performance or appearance; you have to truly believe that what you’re doing has a point for the long haul or you won’t keep doing it.  Think about it – why do you continue to work a particular job? Why do you maintain good friendships?  Because there is something that intrinsically motivates you to keep doing these things whether or not a goal has been met in these areas.  They have purpose and meaning that you assign them.  Take some time to think about why you want to be healthy and how exercise can help you maintain or achieve health.  Think about what will motivate YOU to keep a work out schedule no matter what…something more powerful than excuses or easy outs that interfere with your commitment to health.

Perhaps sharing my reasons for exercise will help you identify your own.  So why do I work out?  I work out because I only have one body, and want to maintain it as best I know how – I don’t want to be someone who puts more time, money, and upkeep into my possessions than my body.  I want to be able to enjoy life and love with my family and not be hindered because I’ve made poor choices in regard to my health.  I want to go hiking just because I feel like it, when I feel like it, without having to consider how much more active I need to be to “make it through” a hike without keeling over!  I work out so I can go Salsa dancing and two-stepping with confidence that I won’t be exhausted after an hour of dancing.  But most of all, I exercise because it is some of the best quality time I get with my husband where we set goals together and help each other meet them; we have learned how to encourage and push each other in just the right way to help one another achieve ALL our goals.  Those things are very motivating for me and help me push through the days when I don’t really feel like working out.

So…why do YOU work out?  What makes exercise “worth it” to you?