The top 5 changes you can make to become healthier and look better!

These here guys are in my mind the top 5 things you can do to make changes to your lifestyle and get in shape today!  At least try just one* and you will be shocked how easy it is!


1) Cut out white sugars and gluten! These guys are everyones favorite foods, but they are what is ultimately making everyone fat.  Yes they are delicious but you have to stay away from things like these: (UNTIL CHEAT DAY <3 )

-Pops and Energy drinks (even diet pops aren't good for you)
-Gatorades and powerades other than post workout (to less of an extent G2). Gatorade is filled with sugars and is meant to be a sports drink to refill electrolytes not to be used as an every day drink!  G2 has half the carbs and can be drank a little more openly.
-Fruit Juices and to an extent fruits, don't over eat them
-White breads and pasta
-Candy
-A high percentage of foods with a sweet taste (label read)

2) Eat Breakfast!  By making sure you eat proteins and fats in the morning you help jump start your metabolism and trigger it to burn stored fats all day.  The longer you go in the day without eating the longer your body stays in something called ketosis.  Ketosis is when your body thinks it is being deprived of food and dying so it begins to slow down your metabolism.  Eating breakfast (especially 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up) can greatly jump start you on a healthy day full of energy! One thing, do not have simple sugars here, they will spike your insulin and lead you to an up and down energy balance all day!

3)Get moving no matter how little it is!  Most of the time subtle small changes can make drastic changes.  Something as easy as walking 20 minutes a day, or walking to work, can make huge caloric changes.  You ill ultimately start resetting your body and your metabolism!  Even better, a lot of times it is ends up in a snowfall affect where people often see results, and then do more, which intern yields more results, etc.  and eventually they are healthier all around!  This is even how I started! I cut out pop, and the next thing I knew I was revamping my whole lifestyle because the changes were so awesome!

4)Eat protein! Protein does so much for your body.  It is the very building blocks of our muscle tissue.  It is so so so so so important to get adequate amounts of protein in your diet.  Not only do you supply yourself with the supplies your body needs to grow and repair, it will result in setting your metabolism at an ideal rate.  Easy ways to accomplish this is by eating meat with one main meal a day or buying a protein powder and having a shake with breakfast! You wouldn't try to build a brick wall with no bricks would you? EAT PROTEIN

5) DON'T BE SCARED OF FATS!  Fats need to be consumed.  It is the transport system of many essential vitamins and nutrients, and is an awesome energy source!  Study after study has proven that low fat diets don't work.  That's because fat isn't the bad guy here, he just goes where he is told.  It is the two faced Mr. Carbs who is telling him to store as fat.  The easiest snacking idea that comes to mind here is nuts, just make sure you don't over indulge.
     One thing you do have to watch out for is trans fats!  These fats are man made and very difficult for our bodies to break down.  Without getting confusing lets just say it is because of the trans fats molecular shape.  These are the fats that need to be avoided!  Keep an eye out for hidden bad fats, and peanut butter is one great example.  The liquid texture of the natural peanut butter is real fat and healthy for you (if you don't over indulge) . You will notice normal peanut butter isn't and that is because they have sucked out the real fats and added some of their own.  Therefore, the fat in everyones normal kraft peanut butter isn't nearly as healthy for you.  In addition, watch out for fat free peanut butters, often times they pack them with icing sugar after they take out the fat!

There they are guys, easy changes.  With these subtle and small changes you can make drastic improvements to your health and look!  It's not hard to eat and feel healthy!  Just do some research and label reading.  Once you do your homework you can pick out the delicious and nutritious meals from the love that's on your handles!

Try them!


Ryan Trueman
Ryan.Trueman@dal.ca

 *Try anyone alone except the introduction of fats without the subtraction of carbs.  The carbs can ruin some health benefits and you will most likely gain weight.  All others can be done on their own!