Fueling for your workout and following up with proper nutrition is key to optimal performance, recovery, and weight loss.  Pre-workout eating is important to give you the energy you need to perform.  Post-workout eating is important to replenish your glycogen stores, repair your damaged muscle tissues and replenish electrolyte losses.   But many people unknowingly skip this important aspect of training.   You may be unknowingly sabotaging the hard work you put in at the gym.  Use these tips to learn how to make sure you are properly fueling for your maximum output.

• If you exercise in the evening right after work or class make sure you pack a healthy snack to eat between lunch and your workout so you don’t arrive at the gym hungry.  A good pre-workout snack should be between 150 to 200 calories.  Some snack ideas include:
  • Cereal with skim milk
  • 1 slice of whole wheat bread and 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • A protein shake (milk or almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/2 banana, ice)
  • 1 cup low fat yogurt with 1/2 cup fruit
• If you are working out around a meal time try eating part of your meal before and part immediately after to avoid overeating.
• Experiment with the timing of your intake and the types of food you are eating until you find what works for your body.  Give yourself time to digest.  Some people can workout right after eating while others need at least an hour.  Some people do fine with fiber-rich foods while others need to keep it simple.  Pay attention to what works for you.
• If you are exercising longer than 1 hour you need to replenish your glucose stores with quick, simple carbohydrates.  Avid runners and cyclers have cited everything from energy chews to GU to jelly beans as their mid-workout pick-me-up.  Find what works for you to give you a quick shot of energy.  Remember that this  is only for people participating in endurance exercise longer than 1 hour.
• The best time to refuel after your workout to promote efficient replenishment of glycogen storage is no longer than 30 minutes post-exercise, but preferably even sooner.  Your post-workout fuel should be a combination of carbohydrates and protein (think chocolate milk- read more by clicking here).  Protein repairs your damaged muscles, reduces cortisol output, and works with the carbohydrates to increase glycogen replacement.  Remember they work synergistically so you need BOTH carbohydrates and protein for optimum recovery.
• Fueling after your workout is a delicate balance between proper recovery and over eating.  Working out before a meal so that your post-recovery refuel is actually your breakfast, lunch, or dinner can prevent the intake of additional calories from snacking.  Just make sure you have something before your workout too.

The average person needs at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight a day to maintain normal body functions (divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to convert to kilograms).  Skeletal muscle accounts for approximately 62% of protein found in the body but protein also plays an important role in such functions as creation of antibodies for immune responses, blood clotting factors, neurotransmitters, hormones and enzymes.  If a person does not take in enough protein through diet, muscle breakdown will occur in order for the body to compensate and continue these necessary processes.  However, protein malnutrition is seldom seen in the healthy American adult unless a person is in a disease state as the average American adult eats about 100- 125 g of protein daily.

The Sources

It’s easier than you may think to get enough protein through your diet alone.  Spreading your protein intake out throughout the day will also help keep you feeling satiated and less likely to overeat.  The following is a list of common sources of protein (a  3 ounce portion of meat is visually equivalent to the size of a deck of cards):

• Beef (6 oz.) – 54 grams
• Turkey, breast (6 oz.) – 51.4 grams
• Chicken, breast (6 oz.) – 37.8 grams
• Ham (6 oz.) – 35.4 grams
• Salmon (6 oz.) – 33.6 grams
• Kidney Beans (1 cup) – 13 grams
• White Beans (1 cup) – 19 grams
• Cottage cheese (1 cup) – 28.1 grams
• Yogurt, low fat (1 cup) – 10.7 grams
• Milk, non fat (1 cup) – 8 grams
• Tofu (6 oz.) – 13.8 grams
• Peanut Butter (2 Tbsp.) – 8.1 grams
• Almond Butter (2 Tbsp.) – 7 grams
• Quinoa (1 cup uncooked) = 24 grams

So How Much Do I Need If I’m Working Out?

Here is where things can get confusing.  The 0.8 g/kg recommendation increases for those who are endurance athletes or strength/power lifters.   This increased amount is due to the effects of muscle protein breakdown after a workout, as well as enhancing protein synthesis.  Endurance athletes may need 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg bodyweight and strength/power lifters can be up 1.4 to 1.75 g/kg bodyweight.

But before you increase your protein needs really ask yourself if you fall into the category of an “athlete”.   These are people who are heavy lifters and/or who participate in endurance events such as half-marathons, marathons, cycling races, or triathlons.  Although protein is necessary it also carries calories with it, and as you know after reading this post too many calories (even healthy calories) can sabotage your weight loss efforts.  If this sounds like you then 0.8 to 1.2 g/kg protein per day is likely sufficient for your needs.  For example, a 130 pound woman who attends spin classes twice a week, lifts weights twice a week, and runs on the treadmill or the elliptical for 30 minutes a few times a week needs approximately 60-70 grams of protein per day.   If she eats a six ounce turkey breast for dinner, 1/2 a cup of cottage cheese for a snack, and  1 cup of milk with breakfast she has already met her protein needs.

The Bottom Line

Regardless of how much protein you need, eating a meal that includes both carbohydrates and protein within 1 hour (timing is important to see maximum results) of endurance or resistance exercise is important for minimizing protein breakdown and maximizing protein synthesis in the muscles.  Not ready for a meal?  Believe it or not your best workout recovery drink is a glass of skim chocolate milk.  It has the perfect ratio of carbohydrates to protein and multiple scientific studies have shown that it is a highly effective recovery drink.

The holiday season is upon us, filled with temptations and opportunities to overeat and drink around every corner.  Before you cower in the corner, canceling all of your holiday plans in fear of sabotaging your healthy lifestyle, or worse throwing your hands up in defeat promising to start again in the New Year, ask yourself one thing.  What exactly is a healthy lifestyle?  A healthy lifestyle means knowing that it is possible to enjoy these special occasions AND remain healthy.  It’s about balancing the fun while taking care of yourself.  

Instead of telling you all the things you should NOT be doing this season, here are your 6 Do’s for the holiday season:

1. DO MOVE. Yes move.  It’s even harder now with the sun going down before you get home from work or school and the temperature dropping but make movement a priority.  If you know you are normally too exhausted at the end of the day to exercise then set your alarm and get up early.  Can’t make it to the gym?  You can now access all types of workouts via such sites as Netflix and Youtube.  Not a morning person but can’t seem to motivate in teh evening?  Then sign up for a class.  C24 is packed with classes from cycling, to kickboxin, to yoga and everything in between.  Don’t be shy – just walk in and introduce yourself to the instructor.
2. DO PLAN AHEAD. Make a grocery list and stick with it.  Walk into any grocery store right now and you are immediately bombarded with holiday displays filled with peppermint bark, hot chocolate, apple cider, fruit pies – you name it.  So having a plan before you walk into the store is key to reducing those impulse buys.  Over the weekend think about your week ahead – what nights will you be free to cook?  What nights are you busy?  Plan your meals around your personal timeline and make it realistic.  The internet is a huge asset for meal planning and recipe searching even if you are a novice in the kitchen.  Try www.cookinglight.com or www. eatingwell.com.
3. DO READ NUTRITION LABELS, especially on those holiday drinks.  Ahh Starbucks, the queen of holiday promotions with cute holiday cups, delicious sounding drinks, and cozy decorations.  But beware, the drinks are notoriously filled with excess calories and sugar.  For example, the Grande non-fat Pumpkin Spice Latte provides 260 calories and 48 g of sugar.  Luckily most coffee shops are very flexible when it comes to your drink order.  Love the flavored drinks?  Ask for 1/2 the pumps to reduce the sugar and the calories.  Try non-fat drinks.  And if you decide to go for the drink without making any changes, just make adjustments to the rest of your daily intake by cutting something else out.
4. DO ENJOY COMFORT FOOD- LIGHTENED.  When it’s cold, our bodies crave different food than when the temperature is warm.  If you are someone who craves “comfort” food, listen to your body but make some adjustments.  Try these recipes that have been made-over to be healthier versions.
5. DO ATTEND HOLIDAY PARTIES. Just follow these three basic rules: eat before you arrive, watch your alcohol intake (empty calories), and try to fill your plate with 3/4 vegetables and 1/4 treats.
6. DO MAKE YOURSELF A PRIORITY.  The mentality that you have to wait until the New Year to take care of yourself is old news.  Sure you probably aren’t going to cut out sweets two days before Christmas, but don’t throw your health out the window just because it is the holidays.  Have an especially indulgent evening?  Fine.  Just get right back on track the next day – drink a lot of water, eat whole foods and don’t beat yourself up with the all or nothing mentality.  Remember to enjoy yourself and also take care of yourself.

You’ve had a hard day at work.  It’s late and it’s starting to get dark earlier.  Your motivation for working out is barely there but somehow you drag yourself to the gym.  You aren’t feeling too motivated but feel proud of yourself for pushing it even when all you wanted to do  was go home and sit on the couch.  After a 30 minute jog on the treadmill plus an ab/stretch session for 15 minutes you are on your way home.

You make a healthy dinner, deciding to pour yourself a glass of wine or a beer.  After all, you had a long hard day AND your worked out so you deserve it.  One glass turns into two.  One plate of dinner turns into a second helping.  And those brownies that you made with your sister over the weekend are still sitting on the counter so you have one for dessert.  It’s ok, you worked out right?

Ok, let’s think about this in terms of numbers.  The average person will burn anywhere from approximately 250-450 kcals during the above mentioned workout (variations based on size, gender, weight, exertion etc).  Two glasses of wine equals approximately 200-250 kcal.    One brownie is approximately 250 kcals (depending on size, ingredients etc).  So the calories burned in your workout are already negated.  And we didn’t even count the second helping of dinner.

The “I worked out so I deserve the dessert/margarita/baked brie/half a pizza/fill-in-the-blank” mentality can get you into trouble when your goal is weight loss, or even weight maintenance.  A standard weight loss recommendation is to cut 500 calories a day through diet and exercise.  But notice the key words: diet AND exercise.

Last year TIME magazine published an article “Why Exercise Won’t Make you Thin” (check it out here) where they discuss this common problem.  The title of this article was a bit misleading, because exercise IS important for weight loss and associated health benefits, but many of us compensate for what we believed to be a high calorie burning workout, only to sabotage our weight loss efforts.

You can avoid this pitfall by taking into account the energy (food) you are putting into your body AND the energy you are expending through exercise.  If you are trying to lose weight aim for a 500 calorie deficit a day: reduce your calorie intake by 250 (decrease portion size, healthier snacks, no sodas/juices) and burn 250 calories through exercise.  Eat meals balanced with lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains.  Mix up your workouts with a variety of fat burning cardio and muscle building strength training.

And don’t take that additional helping  just because you exercised.

Photo credit Simon Howden

But I’ll tell you a secret: superfoods do not have to equal high prices.

Here are 5 foods that you should get into your kitchen now that won’t break the bank:

1.  Kale:  Virtually any nutrient you have ever heard on the news that may fight disease or keep you looking and feeling young can be found in kale.  Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals…the list goes on.

Easy way to use it:  Check out this recipe from “Eating Well”

2. Quinoa:  Unlike most grains, Quinoa is a complete protein (meaning you don’t have to combine it with a complimentary protein, such as beans, to get all  your essential amino acids).  It’s also filled with fiber to help reduce cholesterol and keep you fuller longer.  Even better, it cooks quickly making quinoa very simple to prepare.

Easy way to use it:  Combine 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ~ 15 minutes (or until water is gone.  Now chop up any vegetables you like: cucumber, bell pepper, red onions, avocado, tomato, mint, basil, scallion – anything!  Mix vegetables up with your quinoa, drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top and you have a delicious salad.

3.  Blueberries: One of the highest ranked foods with antioxidant power is the blueberry.  In addition to antioxidants, blueberries are packed with phytonutrients, are low in calories and high in fiber.  All of this makes these little berries a perfect snack.

Easy way to enjoy it: Wash and eat.  That’s all there is to it.  Blueberries can also be added to yogurt, cereals, smoothies, or salads to make a healthy addition to a meal.

4. Greek Yogurt: One of my absolute favorite, versatile foods is greek yogurt.  A few extra steps in processing makes this yogurt extra creamy and thick.  Plus it is higher in protein, and provides healthy probiotics.  Watch out though, the 2% is high in fat and calories so look for non-fat or 0%.

Easy way to enjoy it: There are so many things you can do with greek yogurt (aside from the obvious way of simply eating it straight out of the container).  Use plain greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream on tacos, soups, and chilis.  Mix it in with pasta to create a healthier version of a cream sauce.  Use it as a dip with veggies by adding curry powder or any of your favorite spices to it.  The possibilities are endless.

5.  Garlic: In my world, there is no such thing as too much garlic.  Garlic is a natural anti-inflammatory promoting heart health, a natural antibacterial, and filled with phytonutrients that have been studied for correlations with cancer prevention.  It is also filled with such antioxidants as vitamin C, selenium, and copper.

Easy way to enjoy it: Sautee it with onions and olive oil as the base to any stir fry, pasta sauce, or soup.  Top steamed vegetables with minced garlic and a pinch of parmesean.  Add it to oil and vinegar with a tsp of dijon mustard to make a healthy salad dressing.

This list only touches on the many natural healing properties of foods.  There is nothing better than eating something that not only tastes good, but that you know is good for your body too.  You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on bottled superfoods when you can buy these simple ingredients from the grocery store at half the price.

Photo credit: Suat Eman

There is nothing more appealing on a warm summer evening than finding a restaurant with outdoor seating where you can share delicious food and wine with friends.  Unfortunately eating out does not always equal healthy food choices.  But does this mean you can never go out to eat?  Absolutely not.

With these smart tips you can ALWAYS find a delicious, healthy option on any menu. Don’t be shy about asking questions about the menu, or making special requests.  As long as you are polite and appreciative a server will be happy to accommodate your needs.

1. If you choose meat, poultry, or seafood for an entrée, always look for the words “baked”, “steamed”, “grilled” or “roasted” in the description of the meal as these are healthier options.   Avoid “fried”, “sautéed”, “stuffed”, or “breaded”, “batter dipped” or “tempura” which are synonymous words for high fat and high calorie choices.
2. Salads can be a healthy choice for an appetizer or an entree, but can also hide hidden saturated fat and calories.  For example, if a salad is listed as a “crispy chicken” salad you are essentially ordering fried chicken over lettuce.  Pay attention to the description of the salad and watch out for salads that include cheese, bacon, eggs, sour cream, avocados, croutons which are all ingredients that add to the calories of the meal.  Choose grilled meats or beans over your salad for healthy protein.  If you just have to have cheese on the salad (who doesn’t love feta or goat cheese on a salad) then ask for half the amount, and avoid the other extras listed above.
3. Dressings are also sneaky ways of adding fat and calories to your meal.  Avoid cream based dressings such as bleu cheese or ranch, and look for oil and vinegar based vinaigrettes.  Even if your salad comes with a different dressing on the menu you can always substitute.  Ask for your dressing on the side so you can control the amount that goes on your salad.
4. There really is nothing better than warm crusty french bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  But warm crusty french bread adds a significant amount of calories to your meal (about 100 calories a slice).  If you could care less about bread before your meal just avoid it and save your calories for other treats such as an appetizer or a dessert.  However, if bread makes the meal for you then go for it, just limit your intake to 1 or 2 pieces and make it replace an appetizer, dessert, or beverage.  You have to pick your battles and decide what is more important to you.
5. Order your vegetables dry.  There is nothing worse than thinking you are getting a healthy side of veggies with your entrée only to discover they have been completely doused in butter or oil.  Most restaurants are happy to deliver them to you sans oil.
6. Replace sides such as french fries or mashed potatoes with salad or vegetables.
7. More often than not the portion sizes at most restaurants are much larger than necessary.  Appreciate each bite, take your time eating and listen to your appetite.  Stop eating before you get that “oh no I ate too much please roll me out the door” feeling, and instead bring part of your meal home.
8. Finally, be careful about your beverage choices.  Splitting a bottle of wine can significantly add calories to your meal (approximately 100 calories per glass of wine, 150-200 in beer) as well as decrease inhibitions when ordering the rest of your meal.

Eating out should be a pleasurable experience and these tips will help you enjoy your food and feeling healthier after you leave.  Remember it is all about balance and making smart choices.

It isn’t a surprise to anyone that soda is unhealthy.

Yet thousands of people drink sodas every day without a second thought. In fact, according to a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on sugary beverages and weight gain, “Consumption of (sodas) was shown to increase by 135% between 1977 and 2001″. (See study here)

While the list of reasons not to drink soda may well take up the pages of an entire novel, here are seven big reasons to stop drinking soda now:

1. The most obvious reason is the excess, empty calories that soda provides. According to the same study mentioned above, “In the United States, on average, a 12-oz serving [12 oz = 1 can of soda (or 1 soda) = 1 serving] of soda provides 150 kcal and 40–50 g sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup [(HFCS) is about 45% glucose and 55% fructose], which is equivalent to 10 teaspoons of table sugar. If these calories are added to the typical US diet without reducing intake from other sources, 1 soda/d could lead to a weight gain of 15 lb or 6.75 kg in 1 y” It’s seldom that we drink just 12-oz with all the available supersized soda options. Add another 10-20 ounces and hmmm, wonder why we have an obesity epidemic.

2. In addition to empty calories, sugar has been linked to such diseases as Type II Diabetes. Type II diabetes is not inherited at birth, but instead develops over time due to lifestyle and diet. It used to be called adult onset diabetes, but with our childhood obesity epidemic, the number of children acquiring the disease began to grow, and thus we had to change the name. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to spike. At normal levels, your body has the ability to use the sugar it needs and store the excess as energy reserves. The problem is that many people don’t know what a “normal” amount of sugar is.  Chugging down a big gulp (in addition to other extra simple carbs like white bread, french fries, or other simple starches) on a regular basis makes your body work extra hard to process this excess overload of sugar. Eventually it gets tired, and stops working efficiently until the sugar just stays in the blood and the your cells never get fed.
   

3. More recent research is placing sugar as a potential contributor to Alzheimer’s.  While conclusions are preliminary, it’s worth taking into consideration considering our spike in sugar consumption AND increases in diagnosed Alzheimer’s cases.

4. Your dentist will always tell you to avoid sugary sodas for the aesthetics and health of your teeth. But the latest reports will also tell you that oral health is a key indicator to your heart health.  While many factors can lead to poor oral heath, sugary sodas lead the pack, and those who drink soda often have other unhealthy nutrition habits that can lead to heart related health issues.

5. Soda consumption has been linked to increased risks of fractures and osteoporosis. (See additional info here). This may be because sugary drinks are taking the place of calcium rich milk as a popular beverage, or because those who drink soda are less likely to be active exercisers. Or, it may be a mechanism in which the cola leads to decreased mineral density in the bone. Whatever the case may be, there appears to be a strong correlation between bone strength and soda intake.

6. A controversial issue today is the addition of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in soda, which some experts will say has had a large impact on the obesity epidemic ever since its entry into the food industry in the 70′s. It has been suggested that because fructose has a different entry point in the body’s metabolic cycle it is not as highly regulated as the other monosaccharides that make up sucrose (table sugar) and therefore is not cycled through the body efficiently, leading to more weight gain.  This is still a subject for debate (is it the excess soda intake OR the excess HFCS?) but worth paying attention to.

7. Other soda options can be just as bad. Diet soda has its own set of problems, including a wide array of chemical additives as well as links to increase in weight gain (article here). And don’t fall victim to promises of “all natural” or “organic” sodas.  Sure they may not be made with high fructose corn syrup, and may include unprocessed sugar, but sugar is still sugar. An “all natural” can of Hansen’s Ginger Ale has 44 g of sugar!

This list only touches on some of the issues associated with soda. Your best bet is to cut them out of your diet. You will save calories, your brain, your teeth, and your waistline. Think about getting in the habit of drinking something else. Try cutting up orange slices or lemons and let them soak in cold water in the fridge, or low sodium mineral water.

Your body will thank you for it.

Memorial Day weekend finally brought sunshine to San Luis Obispo.  Along with long weekends and sunshine comes barbeques and outdoor happy hours.  In fact, a research paper published in the Obesity Journal in 2008, “Influence of Weekend Lifestyle Patterns on Body Weight” found that participants in a weight loss study consistently gained weight on weekends, both due to higher dietary intake and lower physical activity. After a long weekend of too much food and alcohol, not enough water or sleep, and a lot of sitting around and relaxing in the sunshine you may be thinking to yourself, “My body needs a detox”.

But what exactly is a detox?  This is a buzz word that is routinely thrown around the nutrition and health world, also known as a “cleanse”.   A detox or a cleanse is advertised as a way to purge toxins from your body. While in the most extreme sense of the word, detoxification is for removal of the toxins associated with heavy drug and alcohol use, for those in the health world “cleanse” can translate to a way to rid the body of impurities and reduce cravings.  Sometimes cleanses are even advertised as a way to lose weight.

There are many popular cleanses  that you may have heard of, one of the oldest being the “Master Cleanse” consisting of fasting on mixtures of cayenne pepper, lemon, maple syrup, and water; or juicing cleanses where nothing is ingested except for fresh vegetable and fruit juices.  There are even really expensive kits you can pick up at any health food store that claim to use natural supplements and herbs to detox your body.

What is important to remember before you shell out a lot of money for a fancy detox program, or even begin the path to a 14 day cleanse where you will live off nothing but spicy lemonade is that your body naturally knows how to detoxify itself.  Your liver is an amazing organ that has the capabilities of naturally removing any toxic build up in your body. Unless your liver is in a diseased condition, the detoxification process in is constantly occurring.   While some people swear by occasional cleanses, saying that they reduce their cravings, and help them to feel better, there is no published evidence that these cleanses are anything more than another diet fad.  Does that mean that cleanses don’t work?  Maybe not, but there is a better way.

If you are feeling like you may have gone a little over the top over a long weekend with too much food or alcohol, or just not eating well in general there is a way to detox and cleanse your body without extreme measures.  You can do this by eating nothing but whole foods.  Nothing packaged, nothing overly- processed (ie: dairy is processed but ok unless you have a reaction to it, and even brown rice is actually processed to an extent), nothing that can be popped in a microwave and cooked in two minutes. Eat real food, avoid white flour foods, avoid added sugar, and drink a lot of water.

Some ideas include:

• Breakfast: oatmeal with fruit; eggs and whole wheat toast; fruit and yogurt smoothies; fruit, cottage cheese, and natural granola parfaits.
• Lunch: Big salads with light olive oil based dressings.  Fill up your salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, black beans.  Add strawberries, peaches, basil for fun ingredients.  You can add tofu or grilled chicken to add protein, or even add some raw almonds or walnuts too.
• Dinner: Grilled or baked chicken or fish;  steamed or lightly sautéed vegetables (you can substitute chicken or vegetable broth for some of the oil when sautéing vegetables); healthy stir fries with tofu or shrimp, broccoli, bell peppers, bok choy; powerful greens such as kale, swiss chard, or spinach; protein packed grains such as quinoa.

Relying on fresh, minimally processed, whole foods is the best way to detox.  You will feel better and healthier and still have the energy to exercise.  One of the best ways to ensure you will follow through is to plan ahead.  If you spend a little time at the beginning of the week, it will save you time down the road.  Make a meal plan and a grocery list and purchase only those things on your list.  Pack your lunch and snacks the night before and put them in the fridge to grab on your way out the door.  Make extra food at night so you can eat leftovers for lunch the next da

Here are a few links to some of my favorite web resources for healthy recipes:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus

http://www.whfoods.com/recipestoc.php

Stay with it and your detox will become a lifelong habit.

I can let you in on the secret to weight management. Are you ready for it?

It’s moderation.

I know you were expecting something a bit more exciting. In fact you are probably sick of hearing that phrase. So what does moderation actually mean in terms of your everyday diet?

Moderation is just about being smart. The hard part is breaking old habits and getting into the new habit of making those smart choices. If you are used to eating a king sized candy bar everyday after work, then yes it can feel difficult to break the habit. But difficult does not mean impossible.

Moderation, and not major restriction is the key to making changes in your diet. Telling yourself you will never eat sweets again, or swearing off carbs  is not going to work for the rest of your life. You are trying to make lasting changes, and not temporary fixes.

There are several ways to work towards breaking food habits.

1. Pay attention and don’t mindlessly eat. Sitting in front of a computer at work and popping Hershey kisses into your mouth all day (or chips if salt is your weakness) is not a good plan. The treats may seem small in individual portions, but eating 25 a day will add up. We have a problem with this, eating in front of the TV, computer, in the car and we barely pay attention to what we are doing. Connecting your head with your stomach is key to watching your portions, as well as actually enjoying your food. Move the bowl of candy away from where you are sitting. Chances are you won’t even really want the treat if you actually have to get up and walk to get it.

2. If you start craving something in particular, have a conversation with your stomach. Are you feeling hungry, is it a meal time? Not-so-healthy food often starts sounding really good when you are starving. This is why grocery shopping on an empty stomach is never a good idea. Have your meal first, or a healthy snack, and then see if you still are craving the candy bar/ice cream/bag of chips.

3. If you’ve been paying attention to your stomach, you have eaten a healthy lunch/dinner, and you just can’t stop thinking about something sweet, then have it.  Telling yourself you can never, ever have something will just make you crave it even more. That’s why most successful health plans offer “cheat” days. Just don’t make a large bowl of ice cream an everyday habit.  If you have a sweet tooth but want to try lower sugar options, here are some of the things you can try:

• Your local health food store will carry Fage 0% Greek Yogurt (or some similar greek style yogurt), which is fat free, provides 13 grams of protein, and only 80 calories in one of its small containers (5.3 oz.) It’s deliciously creamy, and mixing in a few drops of vanilla extract while topping with your favorite fruit (peaches, strawberries, blueberries) makes an excellent healthy option for dessert.

• “No Pudge Brownies” are a great choice for chocolate lovers. They have no fat, they are low in calories, and they actually taste gooey like a full fat brownie. You add yogurt or applesauce to the mix, and the directions even offer single serving size recipes for those of us who may not be so disciplined with the portion control aspect of eating. Click here for the No Pudge website.

• Sometimes you want something besides tap water with a meal, but an easy way to add a bunch of sugar and calories to a meal is to drink soda or sweetened juice. Drinking sparkling water (not artifically flavored, and low sodium) dresses up the flavor of water a little bit without adding a bunch of calories and sugar. (Click here for calorie content in common beverages)

Moderation may seem like a boring answer to the weight loss mystery, but it works. Most of the (legitimate) diet plans available today are designed to teach you to naturally make smart choices. We are creatures of habit, sometimes we just need a little retraining.

We all know that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is good for our health, but it’s easy to get into a routine eating the same thing every week. As much as I love broccoli, if all I eat is steamed broccoli every week, I get bored.  Most of us would.  And since diet and exercise are equally important in maintaining your weight goals, keeping variety and motivation in your kitchen can translate into continual motivation at the gym.  If one starts to slip, the other is likely to follow.  Healthy eating means more energy, strength, and endurance in your workouts.

So think of spring as the perfect time to experiment with different types of produce. Every veggie or fruit has a little something special to offer for your health, whether it is a cancer fighting anti-oxidant, a cell supporting vitamin or mineral, or the all important weight loss supporting  fiber.   Eating a wide variety of flavors, colors, and textures will not only provide an abundance of health benefits, but your taste buds will also thank you for the variety of flavors.

Luckily, we live on the Central Coast, an area filled with opportunities to eat fresh, local fruits and vegetables.   Eating local produce is wonderful for a variety of reasons, not just for your health and waistline. By purchasing foods from Central Coast farms you are supporting the local farmers who work hard to compete with the large scale farm production companies.  You are eating foods that are actually in season, something many of us seldom do anymore because of the mass availability of food from all over the world. Fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables also have a taste that far surpasses any food that you buy that is normally not in season.  Also, because you are eating food locally and seasonally, it is not picked several weeks in advance before it is ripe in anticipation of the jet/truck/train/plane trip that will take it to its final destination, and therefore tastes much better.

Further, you are contributing to the eco-friendly movement by limiting the fuel costs associated with food transport.  Think of how much fuel it takes to ship those peaches from chili in the middle of the winter? Now, more than ever we should be thinking on ways to conserve both our fuel, and our money.

And you yourself may save money.  It costs only about $25-$35 a week for a CSA share depending on the farm you subscribe to, and many farms provide you with a newsletter filled with recipes for your produce so you can plan your meals for the week around the foods your receive.  I’ve tried several CSA’s in town and have never been disappointed.  Last week my share (from www.sloveg.com) included: artichoke, asparagus, strawberries, oranges, beets, spring salad mix, avocado, celery, cucumbers, spring onion, and butternut squash.  All for $26.

So what are you waiting for?  Support your health and the SLO community by adding more fruits and veggies into your diet. Many in San Luis Obispo know about Thursday night Farmer’s Market downtown, but did you know that there are weekly markets all over the county?  Find the one that works for you here: http://www.slocountyfarmers.org/.  Feeling too busy to visit a Farmer’s Market?  Not to worry.  You can join a CSA (community supported agriculture).  Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) allows you to literally subscribe to the farm, and by paying a certain amount as determined by the farm, you can pick up a box of fresh food each week, harvested straight from that farm.