7 Secrets of Successful Healthy Habits . . .
By Sara Picken-Brown
INBA Figure Champion & Conditioning Coach, Sara Picken-Brown of Pocket Rocket Productions, outlines some helpful dietary hints to keep you from crying at you bathroom scales this winter.
Winter does not have to signal getting fat and feeling nasty. This is the best time of the year to work on that summer physique and boost your energy and motivation at the same time. Try these helpful hints and see how much better you feel:
TIPS
1. Include plenty of fresh and where possible, organic foods in your diet.
2. Ensure that you eat 6-8 moderate sized meals everyday. This will keep you satisfied and away from the feel good foods like chocolate and sweets.
3. Include Green Apples and Pears each day, these are a great way of boosting your metabolic rate, including fiber and aiding sluggish digestive tracts often made worse by stodgy winter food choices
4. Include plenty of antioxidant rich foods in your diet; all red berries and green tea are great for immune system support due to their rich antioxidant properties.
5. Drinking plenty of water during winter is critical. Many of us don’t realize how dehydrated we get in the winter months. This contributes to our feeling lack luster and de-motivated. Artificially heated offices and homes and the inclusion of more hot drinks like coffee and tea all take its toll.
6. Include plenty of green leafy veg into your diet; these boost the immune function, keep you lean, healthy and regular.
7. Avoid the artificial sweeteners present in many processed foods and avoid adding them to your tea and coffee. These ‘belly fat baddies’ trick your body into releasing insulin because it thinks you have just eaten sweet food. Insulin is a fat storage vehicle and it stops fat metabolization. Have your sugar, in moderation, if you must and avoid the insulin/fat storage trap.
TOP 8 ANTIOXIDANT FOODS
1. Berries
2. Tomatoes
3. Broccoli
4. Garlic
5. Spinach
6. Tea, especially Green Tea
7. Soy
8. Citrus Fruits (Vitamins C) and Avocados(Vitamin E)
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