Diet Cliches

I sure you have your favorite diet cliche.  My favorite diet cliche is that you just have to have will power.

WILL POWER - what the heck is will power?

According to the lord's of Google, the definition of will power (from a bunch of different sites) is self control, the trait to resolutely controlling your behavior; the strength to carry out one's decision; the strength of will to carry out one's decision, wishes or plan (my personal favorite).

I hate when I hear 'you just have to have will power not to eat that cookie.'  Yeah, okay I get it.  I am responsible for what I put in my mouth.  However, we are set up at every turn to fail and over eat.
Been to a restaurant lately?  Look at the portions on the plate.  Most of us cannot eye what a proper serving size should look like so it you don't ask for a to go box right away, you will inevitably over eat.
Watch TV much?  There is a restaurant or processed food commercial in EVERY break.  When was the last time you saw a banana commercial (remember the old Chiquita banana lady commercials) or a commercial for squash?

Will power is not infinite.  Your ability to control yourself is determined by how you may be feeling that  day (emotions) or if you are tired (hard to say no when you want to sleep) or you are just hungry period.

You what can you do - I say do all you can to take will power out of the equation.  How do you do this?

Restaurants - review the menu for nutritional information when ever possible.  I have saved myself up to 400 calories just by reviewing an Applebee's menu before going out to eat. 

Always carry your own snacks - I carry individual prunes in my purse.  I also carry almonds and dried apricots in my work bag.  This way if I get hungry because a meeting goes over I won't reach for a candy bar.

Meal plan - I plan out meals for the next week on Friday of each week.  This way I know what I need to buy at the grocery store as well as what I will eat on each day so I don't end up standing at the refrigerator thinking I have nothing to eat and ordering a pizza.

Part of meal planning is making sure that you have nutritious snacks in your home.  You should also go through your cabinets and get rid of any snack that is not part of your nutrition plan.  If cookies your will power destroyer, then just don't buy the cookies.  Snacking is important.  Just make it a quality snack - air popped popcorn, dark chocolate or rice chips.  Just eat a serving size and enjoy. 

Tip of the Week:  Take will power out of the equation.  Make a plan for healthy eating that you can work with.

I got the idea for this blog from an article I read on health.com.  Read full article 5 Diet Cliches that Nutrionists Can't Stand.

Eating more fruits and vegetables

To make a change, you have to start at the beginning.  Last week, we discussed the importance of water.  This week I would like to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables.

The CDC has this handy calculator on how to calculate how much fruits and vegetables that you should be eating.  This calculator takes into account your age, sex and physical activity.  You can view this calculator by following this link Fruit and Vegetable Calculator.

According to this calculator, I should be eating 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day.  I probably eat this amount of fruit and vegetables during the week but I know that I don't eat the 'required' amount during the weekends.

I am sure that some of you are saying this is just too much work.  I get that. There is an easier way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake by incorporating fruits and vegetables into all your meals and snacks.

Here are some suggestions:

• Add a half an apple, 1 cup of berries or a banana onto your breakfast cereal or oatmeal
• Morning snack - small apple with some string cheese
• Afternoon snack - 5 dried apricots with 10 dry roasted, unsalted almonds
• Desert - 1 cup of strawberries with a piece of dark chocolate

Always add vegetables to your lunch and dinner meals.  By doing this you will be well on your way increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Remember it is the small changes in your diet that will make a lastly change in your health.

Tip of the Day:  Incorporate fruits and vegetables in every meal.

Journey with me for a Healthy Beginning

Starting at the Beginning

To make a change, you have to start at the beginning.  Over the course of this blog, I hope to examine ways you can implement a healthier lifestyle.  I hope to cover the whole gamut of lifestyle issues that are impacted from living a healthy life; no topic will be too big or small.

My goal for us is to break living healthy into small segments so that over time you will have a big change in your health.  Hopefully, you will be motivated and inspired to make better choices.  

Tip of the Week:  Try drinking an 8 ounce glass of water when you wake each morning. 

Most of us don’t drink enough water.   Hydration is very important in regulating our metabolism.   Most of us also have a difficult time discerning the difference between thirst and hunger.  When you are properly hydrated then those may be real hunger pangs and not pangs of thirst.  Try adding more water into your life with this one simple tip.