Fitness & Wellness

Most of the time, the only way to have healthy snacks at work is to keep healthy snacks your desk. A healthy eating plan should include healthy snacks for mid morning and mid afternoon. In fact, snacks round out a healthy eating plan and provide additional nutrients to ensure you get all the nutrients you need throughout the day. Eating healthy, lower calorie snacks also help ensure you don’t overeat or ravage the candy counter in the grocery or gas station on your way home from work. You’ll avoid the urge to raid the vending machine and save money in the process when you have healthy snacks.

Fresh fruit can be easy to store in your desk.

If you’re an on the go person, carrying an apple, orange or banana with you makes snacking super easy. If you work where there’s a refrigerator available, fresh vegetables and cantaloupe or watermelons cut into bite size pieces can be added to your snacking. In fact, I highly recommend that people cut up melons the minute they get home and wash cherries and berries, so they’re ready to eat. A tablespoon of nut butter and a half apple make a great snack. Nut butter has a shelf life of two or three months. If you don’t eat it often, either buy a small jar or store your jar in the refrigerator at home and take a small amount to work in a small container.

A bag of air popped popcorn or your make-it-yourself microwave popcorn from is a tasty snack.

Air popped popcorn is the best, but if you don’t have an air popper, making your own microwave popcorn can be a great alternative and far cheaper than those bags of microwave popcorn you buy at the store. You need small paper lunch sacks, 1/4 cup popcorn kernels and a microwave. Pour the popcorn in the bag, loosely fold the top so you don’t have kernels spilling out and pop approximately 2 to 21/2 minutes, when there are more than three seconds between pops. Remove and season. One tablespoon of Parmesan Cheese as a topper is only 22 calories.

Create your own trail mix or baggies of mixed nuts.

The other day, I was running late and absolutely starved. I was near a grocery and decided to run inside and grab some trail mix to replenish myself and my stash at home. I couldn’t believe it! Every bag of trail mix had M&Ms. I’ve always made my own, so you can imagine my surprise. Instead, I bought some raw almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and craisins. The basic recipe is mixing two parts of nuts to one part of seeds and one part a mixture of dried fruit, popcorn, dark chocolate chips and other healthy items. I actually don’t add dark chocolate, but it is healthy enough in tiny amounts.

• Snacks for work should be prepackaged in single serving sizes so you aren’t tempted to eat more than the single serving size. A handful of nuts, one ounce, is an excellent snack. A pound of almonds isn’t.
• A half apple and a tablespoon of butter has approximately 135 to 150 calories. It provides healthy fat, protein, fiber and other nutrients.
• Take an avocado and cut it in half and add some hot sauce on top for a tasty treat. Leave the pit in the remaining half and cover it for later use. Avocados turn dark quickly so putting the cut side on onions or sprinkled with lemon juice will keep it fresh longer.
• We have some great ideas for at work snacks that are low in carbs and calories but high in nutrition. There’s a dip from pureed beets that I love and makes even the blandest vegetables taste good.

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Great bodies are created in the kitchen and the gym just does the fine tuning. What you eat determines not only your health, but also how well you build muscle tissue and your workout endurance. You shouldn’t leave that important job to anyone else, particularly a fast food restaurant. That’s why it’s important to know that fit men cook.

You won’t build big muscles or even be healthy unless you eat a wholesome well balanced diet.

What you eat can even help you build muscle tissue faster. If you’re grabbing your meals out of the freezer section or even at fast food restaurants, it’s time to make changes. The closer you eat foods to their natural state, the more nutrient packed it will be. You can get as fancy as you want, creating sauces and using fresh herbs with a meal that takes longer to prepare or just keep it simple, grilling vegetables and meat or fish and serving them with pasta rice or a salad. You might actually find you love cooking especially when the results taste so good and are healthy.

Don’t forget to include snacks to your list of foods to make.

Snacks are an important part of your diet. They should be high in protein and essential amino acids to supply the building blocks for muscle tissue and keep you feeling full longer. If you’re building muscle tissue, you also need adequate calories, but not so many calories that you fail to burn fat. Even though real men cook, that doesn’t mean the recipes can’t be simple. (Women love this type of recipe, too!) Want a summer treat that’s ready when you are? Blend together either a cup of blueberries or strawberries or a frozen banana with 3 1/3 tablespoons of cottage cheese, 2 tsp of whey protein and ½ tsp milk. Pour in a container and freeze for at least 30 minutes. It’s loaded with protein, plus healthy carbs to provide the energy to keep you going.

Lots of times, healthy cooking requires a good recipe and lots of chopping.

Many healthy recipes are simple, yet pack the most power for the punch. It should have a source of high quality protein, like skinless baked chicken (26 grams) or 1 cup of cooked lentils 18 grams. You need carbohydrates for fuel for your muscles. Whole grain breads, fruits and vegetables are good sources. Add in some healthy fat, like an avocado or some nuts and you have a diet that’s ready to help you build muscle tissue fast, while keeping you healthier.

• Finely chop 1 ½ C cooked skinless chicken. Add ¼ C toasted chopped pecans and chopped apple and 1 Tbsp. dried cranberries. Mix in a tablespoon plain Greek yogurt and drizzle with ¼ to ½ C balsamic vinaigrette and toss. Salt and pepper to taste and chill. It makes two servings to top Romaine or spinach or serve on whole grain bread.
• Salads take on a new twist when you top them with grilled vegetables and grilled shrimp or chicken. Chop up some avocado and add some herbs like cilantro and you’ll be congratulating yourself on being a chef with a focus on good health.
• Make your breakfast filled with more than just a bowl of oatmeal. If you have leftover vegetables and some mushrooms from the grill, toss them in the pan and then crack a few eggs for a scramble that boosts your health.
• For a delicious, nutritious meal, top two cups of pasta, or spaghetti squash if you’re trying to lose weight, with 6-8 ounces of ground beef fried with broccoli, onions and mushrooms. Add a side of salad and some fruit for dessert.

If you live in Florida, you know that the clothing is often casual and skimpy….particularly in the hot summer months. Those revealing clothes are a huge incentive to lose mommy belly. If you’ve had a child, you know exactly what that means. Right after delivery, you look down and what was once a bump is now flat again, at least until you stand up. That’s when you suddenly see a ball of belly drop! The muscles are stretched and they take time to help you get back into shape. Hanging belly is made worse by extra pounds. Most women gain a few extra pounds when they’re pregnant, so losing that weight is necessary, too.

Start by eating healthier.

You’re a new mom, so expect to be tired and not quite ready to put hours into meal prep. Don’t worry, some of the best ways to shed pounds and eat healthy is to eat whole foods that are closest to their natural state. Don’t skip meals, you need your energy. Make sure you have healthy snacks available. Eating five or six times a day is better for reducing belly fat than eating three big meals. Enjoy your meal. Take time to savor the flavor. You’ll be tempted to eat on the run…but don’t! Get plenty of fiber and drink at least twelve cups of water a day. Cut out sweets and use fruit and nuts or other healthy food as a treat.

Start your exercise program when your doctor gives you the okay!

I know a woman who thought she’d start her workout program immediately after childbirth. While it wasn’t a good decision, luckily for her she had been quite active before delivery, so it didn’t cause a problem. Most doctors recommend waiting to start a rigorous exercise program for six to eight weeks. You don’t have to sit idly by during that time. Take baby for walks and get active or go to the pool and walk in the water.

Start working out slowly.

When you and your doctor feel that it’s time for a formal workout program, start slowly. While you need to do abdominal exercises and those to strengthen the pelvic girdle, total body fitness is the way to go. Strength building exercises can burn tons of calories, plus build you up to carry baby as he or she grows. HIIT workouts allow you to set your own pace and can provide strength, flexibility and aerobic workouts all in one.

• Get adequate sleep. That may sound tough when you first deliver, babies don’t keep your schedule! Take frequent naps to help your body get back into shape and keep your hunger hormones in check.
• Do isometric exercises, such as tightening and relaxing stomach muscles. Blow all the air out of your lungs, pull your stomach in and hold as you breathe in slowly.
• Don’t skip meals. Eating healthy foods throughout the day can keep your metabolism at top speed and help you shed those baby pounds.
• Don’t expect overnight miracles. It may take six to twelve months to get your body back to normal. If you’re having trouble losing baby belly after a year, it may be time to get help from a trainer.

Yes, you can burn fat while sleeping. Your body is constantly burning calories, even when you sleep. There are ways to boost that number, too. However, burning calories isn’t the only way sleep helps you. Besides benefiting your body and keeping you alert, it helps you stay thin in another way. No matter how many calories you burn, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. When lack sleep, it causes your hunger hormones to increase and those that make you feel full to be limited. Lack of sleep causes overeating!

Studies show that lack of sleep causes weight gain.

If you sleep less, you might find that you gain weight easier. One review found that the potential for obesity increased by 55 percent in adults and a whopping 89 percent in children who lacked adequate sleep. The Nurses study that tracked the sleep habits of 60 thousand nurses who weren’t obese for sixteen years found that those who slept just five hours or less were fifteen percent more likely to be obese than those who slept seven or more hours. One small study showed that cutting back sleep for a group of adults to five hours for just five nights showed a weight gain of almost two pounds!

When you get adequate sleep, it keeps your metabolism at full throttle.

Not only will you have more energy to workout when you get adequate sleep, you’ll be more resolved to stick with your workout program. Keeping your metabolism running at full force is important to weight loss. If you want to boost belly blasting, keep your room cooler. Studies show that keeping the temperature in the room at 66 degrees doubled the amount of belly fat lost compared to those who slept in 75 and 81 degree rooms.

Try some protein at bedtime.

Casein protein, such as that found in cottage cheese, can actually boost the amount of calories you burn as you sleep. It takes a long time to digest, approximately seven hours, which means it keeps your metabolism going strong throughout the night. It also helps prevent early morning hunger, which is good if you workout first thing in the morning. One study showed that consuming the protein casein before bed helped improve muscle repair and strength, while burning an extra 30 to 35 calories. Not only does cottage cheese contain casein, it also contains tryptophan that improves your sleep.

• Do strength training resistance exercises after work. Strength building exercises boost your metabolism for up to 16 hours, which means you’ll be burning more calories as you sleep.
• Turn out the lights and all technology to get the best possible sleep.
• If you use the snooze, you don’t lose. Rather than setting your alarm for an hour early and allow yourself to hit the snooze, set it for the time you intend to get up. You’ll get better sleep that helps keep pounds off when you don’t interrupt it every 15 minutes to hit the snooze button.
• Establish a bed time and wake up time and stick with it, even on weekends. It helps you get better REM sleep that affects the number of calories you burn. This deep sleep state is when you burn the most.

You may have heard of the book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which helps identify the habits, so the reader can do them and become highly effective. It’s no different from learning the habits of healthy people. Once you know them, you can develop them and become healthier for life. One of the habits most people recognize is that healthy people are active people. That doesn’t mean they’re working 24/7, but that they take time to play and get plenty of healthy exercise. Even if you do physical work throughout the week, it often means repeated motions and focus on endurance or strength building. Taking free time to balance the workout and even enjoy the time is important.

Healthy people eat healthier.

If you’re a junk food junkie, you’re probably not the healthiest person you know. Eating healthy means eating more whole foods and far less processed food or even cutting out processed foods completely. Healthy people often make meals over the weekend so all they have to do is warm them and assemble them during the week, which is a lot easier than standing in line at a take out restaurant and often tastes far better, too. Learn to plan menus, shop and prepare foods ahead and you’ll ensure healthier eating.

Healthy people understand portion control and also know that sometimes a bit of cake doesn’t hurt.

While you might eat healthy most of the time, sometimes, you can indulge in some less than stellar selections occasionally. Healthy people don’t want to be those people that require specific food at parties or turn down a dinner invitation with friends because it’s not the type of food they eat. Eating the occasional quickie burger and fries isn’t a great choice, but as long as it’s occasional, it’s not a problem. One thing you’ll probably find after eating healthy for a while is that even your favorite cake or pie will taste far too sweet and nothing like you remember. Those fries you’ve coveted since you started healthy eating, won’t taste nearly as good as you thought. Occasionally eating less than healthy food will actually eliminate most of your cravings.

Healthy people hang out with other healthy people.

If you’re an active person, you’ll be more likely to have friends that are active, too. Once people get on the healthy lifestyle track, they often find that they add friends to their circle of friends that enjoy a healthy lifestyle. That doesn’t mean you desert old friends in favor of new ones. In fact, it actually could mean you introduce your old friends to some of the fun you have with your new lifestyle or invite them for healthy meals.

• Healthy people smile more. Studies show that people who smile more tend to live longer. Other studies show that laughter really is good for your health. Being optimistic is a direct road to good health.
• Healthy people drink plenty of water throughout the day. In fact, water is often the drink of choice for healthy people. If you’re drinking eight glasses a day, you’re on the road to a healthy habit.
• Healthy people take time to rest mentally and wind down throughout the day. Whether it’s just taking a few alone minutes or practicing meditation, healthy people take time to defuse throughout the day to reduce stress and tension.
• Don’t forget to get eight hours of sleep. The average person needs seven to nine hours of sleep to function their best. Healthy people get that sleep in a dark room, without any interference from electronic devices like TVs or computers.