| IMPACT Action 8 |
|
One small change every week for 8 weeks adds up to a healthier you By Allyson A. Johnson Welcome to our inaugural IMPACT 8 tips. If your goal is to be healthy, energetic and fit enough to pursue your athletic dreams, then following these steps will help get you there — if you put them into action! Take action on one new step each week for the 8 weeks until the next IMPACT is published. We’ll top up your health and fitness plan again in every issue.
1) EAT ONLY WHOLE FOODS: Eat foods that only come in Mother Nature’s packaging (i.e. a skin, peel, shell, husk or nothing at all). That means whole fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, grains, unprocessed meats, eggs and water. 2) REPLACE ALL BEVERAGES with WATER: No coffee, tea, pop, juices etc. Water, water and more water. So many empty calories in what we drink.* Take IMPACT Action: Cut the size of your beverage back to 1 cup serving size, gradually reducing the frequency. Replace each cup with water or green tea; and remove sugars and cream until you are at a maximum of two cups of coffee or tea per day, and two to three litres of water. Then decide, do you still need those two cups? Take IMPACT Action: Let the colour of food brighten your spirits, inspire your taste buds and add new nutrients to your body by trying new fruits and veggies in every colour. 4) SHARE: Share your food. Take IMPACT Action: At a restaurant, most servings are too big, so share plates with a friend, keeping serving size to about two handfuls. Share great recipes and food ideas to make eating healthy a great team sport. Finally, share cooking. Team up with friends and pick meals or days on which each of you will cook and share with frineds or family. 5) EAT FOR THE SEASON: Eat fruits and veggies as they come into season (they taste better and it’s cheaper). Take IMPACT Action: In the summer, add in-season veggies or fruit as a side to your main meals. In winter, eat hearty soups, stews and chilis. Pack these with root veggies such as squash. Puree them for thicker soups rather than using flour or cream. This will keep you warm and delivers nutrients without extra calories. 6) USE SPICES, HERBS TO SEASON: Instead of sauces, use traditional spices and natural ingredients. Take IMPACT Action: Seek ideas from other cultures. Use curry and turmeric from India, or lemongrass from Thailand. Instead of salt, use fresh dill or oregano. Instead of sugar, use honey, maple syrup, fresh vanilla or real cocoa to sweeten dishes. 7) EAT FOOD CONSCIOUSLY: This is huge! When we eat, and chew, and taste, and come to a point where we can describe how our food smells, looks and feels, we are eating consciously. At that stage, we eat to live, not live to eat! Take IMPACT Action: If you have a craving, indulge with the best you can get. Get the best gold label chocolate, go to a park or quiet area and indulge. Take in the entire experience guilt-free. 8) ALWAYS EAT BREAKFAST Take IMPACT action: Try this dynamic energy smoothie for breakfast, recovery after exercise or an afternoon snack. Dynamic Energy Smoothie Get on track to build each of these eight tips into your routine, and note how your lifestyle habits change. Allyson Johnson is a clinical nutritionist, lifestyle coach and personal trainer specializing in high-energy lifestyles in Calgary. January/February 2012 |
