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Title: Tips for Staying Physically Fit
Author: Paul T Sidney
Article:
Here are some helpful strategies for enjoying a healthy, active
lifestyle outdoors.
1.DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
When it comes to physical activity, don't forget the importance
of water. You've probably heard this a hundred times, but
there's a reason for it. Your body uses water in almost every
function, including the process of burning fat. Water helps
every cell and organ in your body work. It cushions your joints,
and helps keep your body cool. Water also helps flush toxins out
of your system and rehydrates the body. Plan ahead. Make sure to
carry a water bottle and hydrate with water or a fitness drink.
Drink before, during and after physical activity to replace the
water you lose when you sweat. Even a small water deficiency can
affect how you perform, so drink up! When you drink two glasses
of water before every meal, you'll become full more quickly
allowing you to reduce your caloric intake 70-100 calories.
2. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Keep a journal of your physical activity to chart your progress.
Whether you're interested in losing weight, building muscle or
just getting active again, keeping a log will help motivate you.
Record all the information for each workout, including time,
intensity and performance. It's a good idea to record your
baseline measurements and find out your body-fat percentage, so
you can set attainable weight-loss goals. You may not feel like
you're making progress, but when you look back at where you
started, you may be pleasantly surprised. Remember that small
steps matter. Tracking even a slight amount of improvement on
paper will inspire you to keep going with confidence.
3. PROTECT YOUR SKIN AND HAIR
Do you play sports or spend time working out at the beach? Being
outdoors means being exposed to the elements, such as sun, wind
and pollution. For example, it's a good idea to wear sunscreen
and a hat to protect your skin and hair. Use products that help
repair damage from daily environmental stresses and that can
help protect your skin and hair from the elements.
KEEP FITNESS ON TRACK
Chances are you or someone you know is resolving to lose weight
or get in shape. Part of what makes these such difficult
resolutions is that we expect to see results quickly, and when
we don't, we tend to give up. Getting in shape and becoming
healthier isn't a sprint; it's a marathon (but without all the
sweating and fatigue of an actual marathon). Staying active,
maintaining a healthy weight and eating the right foods are
lifelong activities. Here are some ideas to help you make living
fit a part of your life:
1. GET SPECIFIC The more detail you include in your plan, the
better your chances of success. If you've decided to simply
"exercise" and "eat better," you might not have the success
you'd hoped. That's because "exercise" isn't a specific plan.
Set aside 25 minutes each morning, say between 6:45 and 7:10, to
stretch, walk or jog around the block-whatever. Just be
specific. To eat better, schedule specific healthy meals and
snacks for specific times throughout the day.
2. MAKE IT A ROUTINE One effective way to introduce a new
behavior is to make it part of your day. For exercise, set up a
routine- maybe a walk around your neighborhood each morning. If
you've resolved to lose weight, replace lunch with a healthy
protein shake every day. The key is to establish a routine of
things you do at specific times. The sooner it becomes part of
your day, the sooner it will become part of your life.
3. CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES If you create specific plans for
exercise and healthier eating, and you make them part of your
daily routine, chances are you'll be seeing positive results.
Celebrate! You've earned it. Treat yourself to something you've
been wanting to do instead of splurging on unhealthy foods. And
a reward, like taking yourself out to a movie or pampering
yourself with a trip to a spa, is a great motivator to keep the
good results coming.
TIP THE SCALE IN YOUR FAVOR
Since restaurant portions are usually large, ask the server to
put half your meal in a "doggie bag" before it's served to you.
That way, you'll eat less, but still have the satisfaction of
cleaning your plate.
If after-dinner snacking is a problem for you, try brushing your
teeth after dinner. It works as a great signal to stop eating.If
your entrée at a restaurant is served with the typical "starch
and vegetable," ask to omit the starch and double the vegetables
instead. Vegetable side dishes are usually small, so this will
help to increase your day's intake.
Afternoon snacking is a tough time for people, but there often
is a long stretch between lunch and dinner, and so snacking may
be appropriate. Use this time to have a "second lunch", and have
something a little more substantial like a weight-loss shake, a
cup of cottage cheese with some fruit. Then do your cutting back
at dinner time.
Breakfast foods often include items that might be lacking the
rest of the day whole grains for fiber, dairy products for
calcium, and fruit. A healthy nutritional shake (made with
fruit) and a slice of whole-grain toast helps to meet a lot of
your nutritional needs and starts the day off right.
Coffeehouse fanatics beware some of those coffee drinks are low
in nutrition and high in calories. Try a nonfat latte, which
provides a full serving of dairy and about 10 grams of protein,
and couple it with a piece of fresh fruit for a quick,
nourishing breakfast.
Add fruits to your salad for a change. Try fresh orange or
tangerine sections, apples or kiwi. The sweet fruits go well
with tangy vinaigrette dressings. Use deep-green leafy
vegetables, too instead of iceberg lettuce for more nutrition.
Frozen vegetables and fruits can be just as nutritious as fresh,
may be less expensive, and allow you to eat foods that might not
be in season that time of the year. For example, loose-leaf
frozen spinach or chopped vegetables can easily be added to
soups and stews.
Try not to rely on fats, sugar and salt to flavor foods.
Instead, try grated lemon, lime or orange zest on fruits,
vegetables, fish or chicken, and experiment with herbs, spices,
onions and garlic in your dishes.
Calories in cold beverages like sodas, juices and juice drinks
can add up fast. Instead, try sparkling mineral water with a
slice of lemon or lime or a tiny splash of juice for flavor.
Tomato or mixed vegetable juices are filling, nutritious and low
calorie.
Find an exercise buddy to work out with and who will commit to a
regimen with you. If you walk together, for example, you and
your buddy can take each others shoes home with you. You'll be
obligated to show up for your next workout!
Regular exercise will induce better sleep at night. You'll get
into deeper sleep stages more quickly, so you feel more rested
in the morning. You might even be able to sleep a little less,
and use the extra time to work out.
Need more fiber? Load sandwiches up with lots of veggies,
including lettuce, tomato, cucumber and sprouts, and use 100
percent whole-grain bread.
Make a hummus spread in the blender with garbanzo beans and a
touch of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic and use
as a sandwich filling or a replacement for mayonnaise.
Try to balance animal protein with vegetarian protein sources.
Formula 1 contains healthy soy protein. Try marinating firm tofu
slices in teriyaki sauce and then roasting in the oven. The tofu
gets dense and meaty, and is great tossed into a salad, as a
sandwich filling in a whole-grain pita bread, or as an entrée
with brown rice and veggies.
It's true using smaller plates will help you to control
portions. Foods take up more room on smaller plates and will
make you think you have a larger portion than you actually do.
Another portion control tip: No matter what you are eating, put
it on a plate. Don't sit down with a bag of chips, a box of
crackers or a can of mixed nuts you're bound to overeat.
Determine ahead of time what your portion is going to be, then
put it on a plate or in a bowl.
Current recommendations for exercise are that we should
accumulate 30 minutes of activity per day. Don't have enough
time? Break it up into two or three shorter sessions. Take a
short walk at lunch, one at break time and another one after
dinner.
For a change from canned tuna, try canned salmon. It's wild not
farmed and makes a nice change for a sandwich. It makes a great
burger, too: Mix flaked canned salmon with some minced onions
and peppers, some bread crumbs and egg whites, shape into
patties and grill on both sides before placing on a whole-grain
bun.
Boost the nutritional value of canned soups by mixing with
nonfat milk or soy milk instead of water. As the soup is
heating, toss in some frozen mixed vegetables, or some
loose-packed spinach to add nutrition, flavor and bulk.
Try mixing canned tuna with mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise
for a tasty sandwich filling. Avocado has less fat per
tablespoon than mayo, and the fat it contains is heart healthy.
You can reduce the fat in homemade baked goods by replacing half
the fat in the recipe with applesauce, plain yogurt or baby food
peaches. Peaches match well with quick breads, and yogurt and
applesauce work well in spicy treats like coffeecakes.
Make it a goal to try new healthy foods on a regular basis.
Visit your local farmers' or ethnic markets to find new foods
such as different fruits, vegetables or whole-grain products.
Keeping your meals healthy and interesting will keep you on
track.
Read nutrition labels carefully. All the nutrition and calorie
information given is for one serving, not one package. Beverage
containers can have two to three servings; small bags of snack
foods are often several servings, too. That bag of pretzels you
thought had 140 calories could have closer to 500.
Stay hydrated throughout the day and pay particular attention to
fluid intake after exercising. Weigh yourself before and after a
workout. For every pound of weight lost, drink two to three cups
of water to replace the fluids you lost during activity.
Whole grains are important, but many side dishes require long
cooking times. So, try foods that take less time such as quick
brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat couscous.
You can eat healthy even if you're on the run. Try to steer away
from the fast-food burgers and more toward deli-style chains for
healthier, lighter sandwiches and wraps, or Mexican-style grills
for soft tacos, fajitas and salads.
Keeping a journal of your food intake and exercise is a great
tool. Even better, try to pre-plan your meals and exercise into
your daily journal you'll feel more committed that way.
Protein powders are great in protein shakes, but you can also
add them to other foods. For a high-protein breakfast
alternative, cook rolled oats in nonfat milk or soy milk, and
stir some vanilla-flavored protein powder into the cooked
cereal. The extra protein will provide staying power all the way
until lunch.
These helpful tips will help to shed all those unwanted pounds
quickly. Seek out support. Look to your friends and family for
encouragement. They may want to join you on the diet, but even
if they don't, they can offer inspiration and motivation as you
move toward your health and fitness goals. It has been proven
that people lose weight and keep it off three times more
successfully when they receive coaching vs. trying to do it on
their own with no help. If friends or family aren't available,
you can find a Health and Wellness Coach to assist you in
following the diet with you by logging on to:
http://topchoicehealthblog.com/ Not a member? Sign up for our
free Healthy Lifestyle Newsletter. To gain access click this
link: Healthy Lifestyle Newsletter It's always recommended to
discuss your health and weight loss plans with your physician
prior to starting a program. The more you learn about your
quality of health , the more confident and successful you'll
become in achieving a healthy lifestyle. http://bit.ly/c3khoR
About the author:
My name is Paul Sidney, Health Wellness Coach and I help people
improve their quality of life with weight loss and healthy
nutrition coaching. If you're considering plans for losing
weight, then I invite you to visit my blog to become more
acquainted and learn how your goal can be accomplished. For more
info: http://hubpages.com/t/17172b/ Sign up for my Healthy
Lifestyle Newsletter: http://topchoicehealthblog.com
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