My way…
I'm really complimented that Karen asked me to write this guest post - at first I thought - who me (!!!) give health advice? And then I thought about it. When it comes to diet and exercise I've been around the block and back - I could talk about what a healthy lifestyle is for me.
A bit of a disclaimer before I move on, I am not a medical or nutrition expert. I am not one of those extremely cut, healthy people you see working out in the windows of a gym. In fact, I would consider myself maybe on the other side of the health meter - somewhere between absolutely impossible and is that normal.
I believe that being healthy means such different things to so many different people. I don't think that anyone should believe in one "recipe for health" and assume that it's a cookie cutter solution. There is no cookie cutter. At the same time, try not to get caught in the "over healthy syndrome". This is the phenomena in which you go so crazy trying to determine a healthy lifestyle that you go to every type of medical you can think of, try every diet you can research and do every type of exercise you can discover.
Specifically target what you think is your health problem. If you are overweight, research diets and exercise that cut calories and build muscle quickly. If you want to target healthy living for a specific disease/health phenomena you are experiencing, research that disease, speak with a doctor, speak with a nutritionist (yes it is worth the money for an hour), start off slow and go for it. Make sure that once you have decided to live your healthy lifestyle that you are enjoying yourself - face it, if you don't enjoy it, you're not going to stick with it
Personally, I have to be very careful what I consume - I am gluten free, dairy free and allergic to all bumpy, hairy berries, ginseng and echinacea. I am also not currently practicing my "healthy lifestyle" because I'm up for some medical testing but I can tell you how I live when I am eating in a healthy manner and when I am following my exercise regiment, here goes...
I found that the best diet for me, that caters to all my allergies and all my health problems as well as helps me lose weight, is the protein rich diet. This, along with a good exercise plan (whatever you enjoy whether it be a gym, yoga, Pilates or just riding a bike in good weather) makes you lose weight and feel more energetic within a week. It is also easy to go dairy and gluten free with this diet. That's why it's correct for ME. I cannot guarantee that it is the perfect diet for YOU.
1) Portion control
Did you know that "According to a 2007 paper published in the Journal of Public Health Policy, portion sizes offered by fast food chains are two to five times larger than when first introduced." Take a step back and look at the size of the burger you are eating....and think waaay back when your Dad used to take you for burgers. What's the difference? Oh yeah, the ones your Dad took you for could actually fit in your mouth and you didn’t have to wait in between bites to digest a bit making room for the rest of the burger. It stares us in the face that this is one of the major causes for theobesity problem in America.
When I was on the Jenny Craig program, I found out that one of my biggest problems was (and still is) portion control. The world bombards you with so much food, and with our sedentary lifestyles today, there's no way we can work it off if we eat all of it. They advised me that instead of eating off of a full sized dinner plate at home, eat off of a salad plate (that's one plate size smaller than a dinner plate not the little bread plate that you get at the side of your meals in restaurants). When eating out, ask the wait staff to pack half the meal to go as you order, share your order with your eating partner or divide your plate in half and eat only one half of the food given to you.
2) Increase the amount of lean protein in your diet
I found the high protein diet helped me to feel healthier more quickly than other diets, helped me to build muscle faster and was the most convenient for my lifestyle. Please notice I said high protein not low or no carb (even though I did cut down on my carbs because it promotes belly fat). In this diet you gear all your meals towards the protein portion in your meal, be it meat or legumes. I admit, it was a little weird going to a restaurant and having my husband order the seafood alfredo linguini when I ordered a steak. Yes, we got a few looks from wait staff when they realized the "man food" was for me. Along with my meat, I include a variety of veggies – mostly iron rich ones like broccoli and baby spinach.
I drank protein shakes after working out and for my breakfast. These things pack as much calories as a meal, so go easy....but they work wonders after a good workout. They assist in building muscle faster and in the healing of the ripped muscle so you are not as sore the day after. They're generally whey-based (which is dairy) or soy-based. I usually make them into a smoothie with a banana (for nutrition benefits and for the thick texture of the drink in the end) and whatever frozen (or fresh if it's available) fruit I have on hand. I also make it with orange juice or rice milk (different flavours depending on the shake I'm making) instead of milk/yoghurt because I'm dairy free. They are so yummy and so filling that I do not feel as if I'm missing out. Oh, and just a note, no they are not epinephrine based nor are they steroidal nor will they make you look like a man....they're just protein.
3) Exercise Plan with lots and lots of cardio
I absolutely hate weight training, and because of my CTS I can't do it right now with my arms (yaaaay!) - What I do love is moving and dancing - so aerobics is my thing. I've been told I'm stressed by numerous friends, family, massage therapists, physiotherapists, doctors and my husband (maybe I should listen now that I've listed all the copious amounts of people who tell me), so I think I may try to take up yoga or Pilates since they are supposed to be relaxing. I found this great thing called SpyngaI've been wanting to try (a mixture of Spinning and Yoga)...but all in good time. |
| I do know however, that the most successful workout system I have done was the one I did right before my wedding when I wanted to lose a dress size (and lost two!!! A little panic on the wedding day...the dress was a bit too big). It consisted of lots and lots of cardio and weight training. I did cardio before my weight training starting off in fifteen minute intervals on the bike. When that got easy, I moved to the treadmill for fifteen minutes, then half hour or more (depending on my time). I then moved onto the elliptical in a similar manner. I have to tell you, I cannot do a Stairmaster, and I was advised to do the skiing machine, but that hurt my knees....so for me, the elliptical it is. I found that the elliptical helped me lose calories fastest and most comfortably out of all these machines. I did use the machines, but I used mainly my own body weight against myself with squats, lunges, pushups, sit ups and crunches. As my body weight went down, I slowly started adding weights to these exercises. And of course, after every workout I drank a protein shake with fruit. 4)Get enough sleep Yeah yeah, I’m busy too. This is extremely important though – get as much sleep as you need or at least try to. The human body works best on routine. I know that it’s been said that the best way to get your body on a healthy sleep routine, keep the time you wake up the same every day. Oh, and for all of you who sleep with your televisions on, the best sleep is a dark, cool room without distraction. So take it out of your room...or at the very least, turn it off before you sleep. 5) Drink as much water as you can You can’t avoid it, you need to drink it to survive and you need to drink it to be healthy. If you do not like the flavour, then try using slices of citrus in your water. At a spa in Ocho Rios, Jamaica (I was on holiday don’t get excited), they even put slices of melon, celery and cucumber in their water – that was amazing. Make your own flavoured water in a sealed container and drink from that. Buy a reusable water bottle and add some fruit to the bottom every day so that you get flavoured water. 6) Keep your eye on the goal and have a cheering squad Make sure you have a support system that will give you positive reinforcement when you need it. It's even better if you find a diet/exercise buddy with the same goals as you - that way you become more motivated. There will be times you feel as if you're all alone, so this is necessary if you can get it. If you can't, make sure you have a goal - an outfit you used to fit in, a photo of what you'd like to look like, a health goal you want to reach that is feasible. Put it somewhere conspicuous to you (on your mirror above your sink, on your fridge etc.) so that you have a daily reminder as to why you are doing this. You'll be surprised how easy it is to conveniently forget. 7) Be realistic No diet is going to be easy, so just make sure that if you decide to do it that you can stick to it. Pick a realistic diet for you - if it's a diet that requires you to only eat food you cook and you're a busy Mom or a busy career person, then obviously it's not going to work! If you pick a diet that has NO carbs, but you're low energy and you 're one of those people that HAVE to eat bread, pasta, potato or rice with every meal, of course you'll be challenged in so many ways that you're setting yourself up to fail. In the end the best diet is one you can sustain - and one that allows you a little of what you truly enjoy be it the fattiest salad dressing, roasted pork belly, alfredo pasta, cake, chocolate, taffy or ice cream. If you cut out everything you love, you will not succeed. That's just the reality. If you do eat these things – make sure they are in moderation and that you are aware of how much exercise you have to do to work it off. If you take anything from this blog today, I would like it to be this - make sure that you choose something that is geared towards you and your lifestyle. Make sure it is sustainable and that you will keep it up regardless of how much support you have. Keep your eye on the goal and if you when you get frustrated and need to vent about it, I don’t mind listening.... | |
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