Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Finding time to Eat right is easy


healthy eating tips busy peopleHow often does this happened to you?

  • You're at work and have an unexpected meeting to attend right before your break?

  • You're in a meeting and its gone into overtime and you only have time to grab whatever is near by (donuts or bagels)?

  • You're running errands and lose track of time, and there's nowhere to get a good healthy meal?

  • You're too stressed, too tired, too overworked or just too (fill in the blank), to eat a good nutritious meal and end up eating junk food?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, take heart in knowing that you're not alone. Oftentimes, despite our best intentions to eat 4-6 small meals of good quality food every day, it doesn't always work out since life happens!

By now you've heard of the importance of eating small frequent meals: 4 to 6 small meals a day, every 2.5 to 3 hours apart. The reason behind this is because when you eat 4 to 6 small meals a day it can assist your metabolism by consistently burning calories, which can result in a quicker more constant level of weight loss. It also helps your hunger levels by being able to snack on different foods every few hours throughout the day. When you limit yourself to only 3 meals per day, you often end up eating much more due to hunger levels being heightened because of the extended amount of time without food. By choosing to increase your meals to 4-6, you are eating many times during the day which really helps your overall feeling of satiety.

healthy eating tips busy people

For those of you who may be thinking "how can I eat that much in a day?!" just remember that these are 4 to 6 SMALL meals a day, not a full course meal at each sitting.

If you're still not totally on board with this type of multiple meal eating plan, here are some additional reasons to eat in this way:

  • Increase your metabolism
  • Prevent overeating (especially at night)
  • Keep your blood sugar levels steady
  • Curb your appetite

But the hard part is how to get those 4 to 6 small meals in when you're so busy. The following are some tips for all you busy working people both in the office and at home.

Tip #1. Carry protein powder, protein bars, or a meal replacement product in your car. If you purchase your meal replacement or protein in powder form, grab a baggie or any type of plastic container and place 3 to 4 servings (scoops) in the container and leave it at work or even in your car. By doing this you'll always have a quick meal on hand which can really be handy on those days when you're not able to get in a good quality meal or you're on the road. I personally keep several servings in a dry plastic reusable container, and then all I have to do is simply add water and my healthy meal is served!

Tip #2. If you're going out to lunch then try to make the best nutritional choices in your meals. Do not order anything with extra sauce, butter, gravy, cheese or anything else that can add useless but very fattening calories to your body.

healthy eating tips busy peopleTip #3. Choose the leanest cuts of meat (chicken breast, turkey breast, ground turkey, tuna, leaner cuts of beef, etc.). If you prefer dark meat, just remove the skin and any excess fat that might still be on the poultry and enjoy!

Tip #4. Eat foods high in fiber such a fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and beans. Remember foods rich in fiber tend to keep you fuller longer.

Tip #5. Other lean sources of protein include yogurt, so have a serving along with some fresh fruit and add a little wheat germ or nuts to create a high protein meal.

Tip #6. Have several vegetables on hand for a quick, crunchy snack. Don't love raw veggies? Steaming or stir-frying your vegetables or bringing leftovers from the night before can also be great for a quick pick-me-up!

Tip #7. One way to curb your appetite and ensure that you don't over indulge is to grab a handful of Chia seeds, (yes.. the same seeds in a Chia Pet). The Chia seeds taste like whatever they are in, so you can eat them raw or add them to water. Drink quickly as the seeds will start to expand, increasing in both size and weight, but as its both a super food and very good for you, your body will think it's full without adding any additional calories. Yay Chia seed!

Tip #8. Pack several quick and nutritious meals such as chicken or turkey breast on whole wheat bread along with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and a slice of avocado.

Tip #9. If you need a sweet tooth fix then choose fresh fruit or frozen fruit that you can either buy or make at home yourself, which is a great option. You can also mix the above fruits in your yogurts or have them on the side with any of your meals.

Please keep in mind that these are just a few ideas but I hope they have helped to excite and inspire you to make good (or better) choices that can keep you full, without the extra calories and without any extra guilt!
David Knapp NCSF-MPT-CNS
www.PrincetonBootCamps.com
princetonbootcamps@yahoo.com
888-402-2267

diet and exercise,personal training, Health and wellness,fitness bootcamp, Healthy eating, education
 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

4 Ingredients to Boost Your Metabolism


Strategies to Boost Metabolism

Grazing

Forget what you’ve been taught. If you want to control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar level to stay energized and alert, and build lean muscle mass, you need to more often, not less. Aim for five to six small- to medium-size meals or snacks each day. That equates to eating, on average, every three hours. Think of yourself as “grazing” all day, instead of sitting down for three massive feedings.

It’s possible to fit in six meals a day regardless of your job or lifestyle. Remember that six “meals” should not be long, sit-down affairs. A few could be, but three of those meals should just be snacks; one or two of which might just be shakes before and after your workout. And since you’re eating more often, your traditional breakfasts, lunches and dinners probably will be lighter.

Benefits:

§  Controlling blood sugar levels improves concentration and helps regulate appetite. If you can do those two things, you’ll be in much better control of your body. After all, having consistent levels of blood sugar gives you consistent energy and makes you feel good, since you’re avoiding huge swings in hunger and mood.

§  Over the course of the day, your mood, concentration, and energy levels go up and down. Aside from the stresses of your day, this is partly a function of your blood sugar levels. When these levels go down there’s a tendency to grab the first food available, and that’s usually not something good for you.

§  Frequent eating is like constantly throwing wood on the fire. Digesting food cranks up your metabolism and burns more calories every time you eat. By not eating often, the fire smolders and dies. A hot fire, on the other hand, burns wood continuously. Those six smaller meals keep the fire hot. And since you know you’ll eat in a few hours, you’re less likely to overeat.

Eat Breakfast

When you wake up in the morning, your metabolism is running at the lowest metabolic rate of the entire day. Basically, your body is running on fumes. The second you eat something, your body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate. Your morning shower may wake up your mind, but breakfast wakes up your metabolism.

Build Muscle

Many people try to get thin by not eating. They deprive their bodies of nutrients, and while they might look healthy, they have dangerous blood profiles and a high ratio of fat to lean muscle. Their bodies are what we call “skinny fat”.

The last thing you want to do is lose lean mass. After all, you train hard to build muscle, which produces power, stabilizes joints, promotes movement, and is critical for optimal performance throughout life, not to mention on the athletic field. Moreover, the average person loses a pound of lean mass per year, so it’s imperative to take action to maintain your muscle.

What’s more, every pound of muscle you pack on requires approximately 20 additional calories. So add muscle and more of your food will go towards sustaining your physique.

If you don’t eat often, the most readily available substance for the body to consume is muscle. There’s a misconception that the body first eats away its fat. But the body is remarkably resistant to fat loss and will turn to its lean muscle first, a process known as catabolism, keeping stored body fat in reserve as long as necessary. In other words, eating less often can actually waste muscle.

Fuel with Protein

You should include a lean protein source with every meal. Protein has the highest “thermic effect” of all the macronutrients. To use the analogy that frequent eating is like throwing wood on a fire, when you eat protein, it is like throwing lighter fluid onto that fire. So include a lean protein source with every meal to get a little extra burst of metabolic Power
exercise,diet,health and wellness,education,fitness,personal training,group fitness training,
David Knapp NCSF-CPT,CNS