If you are looking for a detox and drink a concoction of seaweed, water, tomato juice and another random low calorie food for a week straight then this article is not for you. By altering a few of your eating habits or expanding your knowledge of eating right, you can significantly improve your all-around health.
There are a few small tricks that you can use to do this. Before reviewing ideas on making healthier meals, remember that it is important to space out your eating. A good rule I learned from my personal trainer is to eat a small meal or snack every three hours so that your eating schedule is: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and then finishing your day with dinner. To plan this out may be difficult for working professionals, but once you have set an eating schedule for yourself it will be easier.
Now let’s get you into shape!
Water is your best friend
There is never anything wrong with drinking water: it makes you healthier all around. And if you are looking to lose weight, this is the trick. More water means less of an appetite. One of the smartest things you can do to get leaner is to drink water if you are feeling hungry in between snacks and meals. You will have a smaller appetite and will eat less food. Less is probably the right amount that you need; rather than the common tendency to over-eat, especially when dining out.
Mornings
Breakfast is an important meal for many reasons. In my opinion, the most important reason to eat breakfast is so that your appetite is balanced throughout the day and you do not end up starving in six hours come lunch time. My recommended meal for breakfast is also a classic: eggs.
Here’s a health trick that will make your eggs even healthier: when making your eggs use two egg whites and one whole egg. The yolk holds all the proteins and nutrients but also has almost all the calories (60 compared to that of the 12 in egg whites). If you use this trick, you will have a breakfast containing all the nutrients of an egg but with fewer calories!
Lunch
In the middle of the day you can be lenient with your choice in calories – say, something like a bag of chips. Recommended foods for this meal include a grilled chicken sandwich or a bowl of wheat penne pasta.
Dinner
Dinner is the last meal of the day, so you need to eat lighter calories because you are most likely not going to burn these off before you go to sleep. When preparing dinner you are going to want to resort to making a salad. One suggestion for this is to use a balsamic vinaigrette dressing or olive oil as dressing to cut back on calories.
Snacks
In terms of your snacks in between meals, have a small and healthy snack that is around 200 calories. This will keep your appetite satiated so that you do not eat more than you should for your meals. Some good snacks are apples and peanut butter, broccoli and hummus, celery and carrots, or almonds.
Tips for eating out
There are tips that can help you dine out healthier as well. If you are ordering a salad because you are trying to keep it healthy, order the dressing on the side. All of the calories in your salad come from the dressing! When you get the salad, pour about a quarter to a half of the dressing on – if you need more than you can pour it on as you go.
If you are craving meat, skip the steak and get the salmon or chicken. You always want to eat lean meat as opposed to something heavy, like a steak. Also, remember the previous tip to always drink a glass of water before you eat your meal.
If you are a caffeine addict, remember that these drinks do not even compare to water. However, if your head is about to fall off and you need a little caffeine, remember that for each soda you order you need to drink double the amount of water.
In terms of food, you should definitely not eat at a restaurant. I have one word for you: pizza. I’m sorry, New Yorkers.
I know many of your hearts just broke, but there is another item that can also go: alcohol. If you are really serious about loosing some weight and becoming healthier then you should seriously consider cutting alcohol out of your life. Try just a weekend or two and see how you feel.
As for all the college kids, shots do not mean fewer calories. So do not look up the calorie count because it is shockingly large. What shocked me the most is that the calorie count from a beer or drink at the bar excludes the calories consumed during your late-night munchies feast, or your breakfast the morning after.
Make sure that you feel good about yourself and the way you look. If you are looking to hire a personal trainer, know that not a cent of your money will be wasted. Ask your trainer for more information not just on working out, but also on nutrition. I guarantee they will give you much more information that will help you.
Riali Austin | Elite.
