Getting fit with a few small changes....

~Small Easy Changes To A Better Body~

Do feel anxiety when you think of losing weight or getting in better shape? It may seem impossible but you can get started today with just making minor adjustments to your everyday life.

CHEW
Remember when we were kids and we were told to chew 32 times or some crazy number? Well, we were told this so we wouldn't choke on our food as children. Our parents were onto something though. If you slow down your eating and chew until there is nothing left to chew you are gaining MANY more benefits than just not choking...

• The more you chew the less your stomach needs to work to digest what your taking in.
• You will automatically be eating slower causing you to get full faster. (Our bodies don't acknowledge what we eat for about 20 minutes. If you scarf down a giant meal and still feel hungry, that is because it hasn't settled yet.) Eating slower will take more time and you can gauge how much your putting in your body.
• By eating slower you can also take the time to really taste and appreciate what you are eating. So yummy that way!

Drink Lots of WATER!
What is this first thing you do when you wake up? It should be drink a big glass of water before anything else! Naturally our bodies become dehydrated while we sleep and that water will jump start your metabolism from the very start of your day.

• If you go for coffee first... BAD IDEA! You can of coarse have your coffee after but hitting your body when its fresh and clean with coffee or tea or even juice will send your stomach/blood sugar into a panic. You may not even realize it is happening but please just cleanse yourself with some water first.
• Drinking water throughout the day is very important too! Staying hydrated will keep you full longer as well- it is very often that we mistake thirst with hunger.
• Drink before your thirsty. If you wait till your thirsty that means you are already in dehydration mode.
• Drink a glass before a meal, in between bits, as well as after. This will also help  with digestion and filling you up.
• Water going through the body keeps everything moving and lubricated, it flushes sodium out of your blood and keeps your eyes bright!
• Lack of water can lead to sluggishness, over eating, and dark circles! Nothing is worse then having all that going on, what a confidence downer.
• If you replace sugary sodas, or Snapple, etc with water you will be cutting out huge amounts of unnecessary calories and sugar. Those drinks don't get you nourishment and they just go into your body messing with blood sugar levels and turning to fat.
• Watch out for drinks that look healthy, there are so many out there now that it is always smart to see what the contents are. If they are sweet, make sure that the sweetness always comes naturally from fruit, agave, coconut, Stevia, or honey.

Replace your sweeteners.
Whoever came up with Splenda should be in prison! Yeah its great, makes our drink taste good without the sugar and calories, but it is all chemical that is terrible for your body! The chemicals cause tooth and bone decay, as well as cancer and other harmful side effects.

• In order to steer clear of refined sugar you can use raw sugar which is unbleached and much better for you or you can use honey, agave, or my favorite STEVIA! Stevia is great because it comes in liquid and powder form, it is all natural without any calories or sugar.
• I suggest getting a box of packets to keep in your cabinet so you can always have a few in your bag. Next time you feel yourself reaching for Splenda grab your all natural Stevia and enjoy without the damage of chemical intake.

Take the stairs

Ever since technology came up with escalators we stopped working to get from place to place. Our bodies are made to be mobile. If we are always sitting or standing we become stiff like the Tin Man!

• We eat so that it can give us energy to move, so we should be moving as much as possible and push yourself to take the stairs as much as possible.
• Picking up the pace or climbing stairs will bring up your heart rate for a few seconds causing your body to have a burst of fresh blood flow through your veins energizing your body and burning calories. The calories keep burning for a while after as well!
• Stairs are great for a nice tush!
• Make a good example- If other people see you do it, they may rethink their step next time around.

Watch Out For TRAIL MIX

Yes this tasty snack is much healthier than cakes and candy, but they can easily be overdone.

• Calories and fat content in nuts are SUPER high. Yes the fat from nuts are good for you but only in moderation. In only 24Almonds/1 oz/small palm full has about 163 cal and 14 grams of fat! If you stick to only that much a day, GREAT! (I can easily eat an entire bag of nuts containing thousands of calories, I chose to either not buy them at all because I have little self control, or buy the smallest package and savor them.)
• Try to stay away from the salted nuts! The salt makes them even more addicting making it harder to resist just one more bite. Also salt will make you bloated and puffy.
• The dried fruit in Trail Mixes are so tasty, it seems too good to be true! Well, sorry but it is. Most of the fruit in these containers are saturated in oil, sugar, and preservatives. Try to go for the ones without all of that and are just naturally dried.
• Think about raisins, one small handful is high in calories and sugar and will not make you feel like you ate anything. Maybe just go for whole grapes next time- you can eat just as many but it will fill you up and have more fluids making your body digest it much easier. They are also super fun to eat as a frozen treat ;)
• Many of these mixes come with chocolate or yogurt in them as well. This can add even more to the delicious danger of Trail Mix. If you really want it, try to find the kind with dark chocolate or Carob instead of M&M's or milk chocolate.
• Please don't stop having this healthy snack if you love it. I personally couldn't live without it, but keep it slow and pace yourself.

Stop Eating After Dinner

Dinner should be the last meal of the day and shouldn't be too close to bed time. We eat for energy, but if your eating and going to sleep then all that food is just sitting in you not being used and becoming stored as fat.

• Dinner should also be the lightest meal, containing mostly proteins that are easy to digest. I love the Dinner for Breakfast and Breakfast for Dinner swap. The hearty dinner is best to burn off all day. You should eat eggs at night. They are so light and easily digested, also they are low in calories. (preferably egg whites and only have yolk once in a while.)
• If you feel you are starving right before bed, now is a good time to eat a hard boiled egg white, a COUPLE almonds, or a small piece of chicken. Our bodies are made of protein so if you have that, your not doing as much damage as you could be doing by going for the snacks.
• When you are tired is when you make mistakes. Your will power can be great all day and once you get tired or stressed our stomachs crave comfort making it harder to resist those late night binges.
• A great idea! After dinner BRUSH YOUR TEETH! If you do this you are less likely to eat anything after.
• Just get in bed with your glass of water, Kitchen is off limits before bed. Once your settled in you'll be so happy when you wake up and realize you didn't eat before bed and it will slowly become normal.
• We usually eat late out of Habit, breaking habits are hard but possible. It all has to do with recognizing it and taking that first step.

Don't munch in front of the TV or Computer!

I've made this mistake so many times. I finally made the change and it makes a huge difference.

• When you are snacking while consumed in something else, like watching a movie, or surfing the Internet, you are not aware of what you are eating. 
• You can go into a complete zombie mode where your hand just keeps going back for another grab at your snack. Before you know it you've eaten everything and most likely feeling bad about yourself and not even realizing how it was possible for you to consume everything.
• If your going to the movies BRING YOUR OWN FOOD, or just have water. If you feel you need to snack because it is tradition at the movies you can just bring something healthy. I like to bring carrots and celery. Sometimes I will buy popcorn that has no butter and is made Organic with light Sea Salt or Olive Oil. This snack is not bad and much better than butter smothered movie popcorn. (But they don't let you bring food in!) Oh yeah, well they do not offer a healthy alternative, so you can say you are very sorry but you have food allergies and can not eat anything they have to offer. They won't say anything to you then.
• I find it helps to have a variety of gum to chew during these activities, or sip on some flavored herbal tea.

FAST FOOD IS NEVER AN OPTION!

I won't even explain myself, you know why you shouldn't eat it. Case Closed!

Skip Processed Food

Companies that create processed food don't care about you, they care about their pockets! How can we make this food super cheap, super fast, and super addicting, so we can get super rich!? 

• Go for fresh, that's all. Before we had manufacturing companies, people ate everything fresh and home grown or cooked. Obesity has never been a problem until now!
• Preservatives cannot be digested and your body cannot get anything good out of the food you eat, creating empty calories that stick to your intestines causing obesity, diabetes, and disease.
• Government doesn't do anything about this because they make way too much money on medical bills!
• Don't let them win!
• If you don't no what is in it, or you couldn't make it in your own kitchen, then don't fuel your body with it!
• Remember: you are what you eat. And not to sound weird but the cleaner you are inside the better you smell/taste ;) Also your skin will thank you!

TRY SOMETHING NEW

You may be surprised. Our taste buds change and develop  every 7 years, give or take.

          This may seem like a lot to think about but it is actually very simple and just mainly common sense. We have been brainwashed to think eating healthy is being on a diet. Since when?! Eating crap was never normal, it was a once in a while thing, as kids we called it a treat. Be responsible and don't treat yourself to an unhealthy life. Treat yourself and your body how it deserves to be treated, and that is with the freshest foods, and an active lifestyle. Allow your self to rest, lack of sleep can mess up your metabolism. Make sure you never over do it, listen to your body. Rest when you need to. Allow yourself to have goodies once in a while. (There are healthier goodies as well like all natural sorbet or dark chocolate. I love a frozen banana!)  Take life one day at a time and be aware of your habits. I wish you the best of luck....be patient....before you know it you'll be noticing a difference in your energy and your appearance and your efforts can all become really GREAT HABITS!