eat healthy = stay healthy + look great
Welcome to day 3 of #BikiniBodyRescue!
I hope you have enjoyed the Pilates Abs workout and you are already feeling its effects (click here to do the workout again.)
Staying physically active is just one part of getting swimsuit-ready. No matter how many laps you run or how many Pilates exercises you do you must pay attention to the most crucial component of looking and feeling great – your NUTRITION.
There are plenty of diets and nutrition plans to choose from these days. In fact, it is easy to get overwhelmed with all the options so I’ll keep it simple for you. During the next 3 weeks I encourage you to focus on eating whole nutrient-rich foods. Balanced and healthy nutrition doesn’t have to be limiting, costly or dull. There are thousands of different food choices that would satisfy any taste without breaking the bank. This nutrition plan will give you plenty of energy to stay active during the day, accomplish all your daily tasks and feel great.
For the next 3 weeks:
- Clean out. Go over your fridge and pantry and put away any groceries that have more than 3 lines of ingredients or that have ingredients that you can’t pronounce.
- Limit your refined sugars. We all know that eating too many sugary foods is bad for you but we still sometimes fall into the “sweet” trap when we think that we are buying healthier foods. Protein and granola bars are often loaded in sugars, low-fat and diet items usually have more sugar than regular items. Salad dressings are surprising high in sugars too (especially the reduced-fat versions.) (More sugar shockers on WebMd) Be smart and read your labels!
- Discover your food temptations. What cravings do you get when you are tired, frustrated or upset? I usually reach for a big bowl of ice-cream. How about you? Once you know your “enemy” try to eliminate it from your pantry and fridge or at least put a sticky note on it that says BIKINI BODY RESCUE in big bold letters. Let your conscience do the fighting after that 🙂
- Go with the natural choices. Whenever you have a choice always choose a more natural product. The less processing a food item has undergone the more nutrients it still has and the more filling it will be.
Examples:
If you need a power snack then grab a handful of unsalted nuts instead of a power bar.
Eat an apple instead of applesauce.
Go with baked no-nitrite turkey breast in you deli sandwich instead of bologna.
Think about it this way, the less amount of steps it takes for a food item to go from a farm/pasture to your plate the better it is for you. - Say NO to sodas and diet drinks. There is no nutritional value in these drinks, you know that already. Instead of reaching for your favorite soft drink grab a bottle of water or cold unsweetened tea rich in antioxidants (green tea or some herbal teas are the best.) If you are looking for something to excite your taste buds then pour some Tart Cherry or Pomegranate Juice over a big glass of crushed ice. These juices are rich in antioxidants and help to strengthen your immune system.
- Enjoy in moderation. Limiting all the foods that you love will only make you crave them more. Have some dark chocolate to satisfy your inner chocoholic (I love dark chocolate with hazelnuts, it’s absolutely delicious!)
Have a glass of wine or a beer with your meal if you had a rough day.
Enjoy your bacon and eggs instead of bird food for breakfast if that’s what you need to get going.
But be sensible with your choices and know your limits.
Train your “moderation muscle” by stopping about halfway before you feel that you will be satisfied.(e.g. have 1 scoop of ice cream instead of 1 bowl, have 1 piece of bacon with 2 eggs instead of a sausage, bacon and eggs special, have one beer instead of a round of Margaritas. You get the idea.)
I’ll be sharing my favorite recipes later this week with you but for the next couple of days focus on cleaning out your diet and making it as natural as possible.