7 EASY STEPS TO EAT BETTER TODAY

Does the idea of eating healthier make you panic, your heart race and your eyes glaze over? Is your first thought that you need to buy special food and completely change your lifestyle? Does the idea of “eating better” tick you off even a little? Well, here are seven tips you can incorporate today, without even having to set foot in the grocery store or crack open a cookbook. How nice is that? Eating better is something EVERYONE can do to improve their health. And it doesn’t have to be time consuming, difficult, or stressful. Try these seven easy steps to improving your diet, right now:

1. Don’t skip meals! I don’t care if you are in a hurry, EAT BREAKFAST. Skipping meals is one of those dietary pitfalls most folks find themselves in. We don’t have time. We’re saving calories for dinner. We have a meeting. Stop making excuses for not taking care of yourself. Spreading your intake out over the course of the day will keep you properly fueled, prevent you from overindulging, and keep your metabolism working at peak form. Don’t make your body guess when you will feed it again. Regulate your energy by eating at regular intervals.

2. Eat your fruit; Don't drink it. Healthy fruit juice is a myth. Fruit is delicious but it’s high in natural sugar. It’s also high in vitamins and fiber when you eat it and don’t drink it! A serving of fruit can satiate your craving for sweets and fill you up but a serving of juice will spike your glucose level and make you hungrier so for Pete’s sake (and yours) put down the glass and wrap your hands around the firm flesh of a nice piece of fruit!

3. Plan ahead. Grab and go eating is the norm for most of us. And unless you plan ahead, you’ll end up grabbing processed snacks and prepared foods that are filling your body with unwanted sodium, chemicals, and garbage. So instead of reaching for what’s convenient, take ten minutes to jot out a game plan for the rest of your day and follow your playbook. A banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter will fuel you so much better than a bag of chips or a candy bar and you'll feel so much better. All you have to do is think ahead.

4. Use your hands.

I admit that measuring is a hassle but portion size is everything. Regardless of WHAT you eat, if you eat too much of it you won’t lose weight. Those are just the facts.

The easiest way to mind your portions is to serve your portions based on the size of your hands:

• protein = one palm

• fat = one thumb • veggies = one fist • carbs = one cupped hand

Honestly, hand size varies, so you may be tempted to pull out the measuring cups in the days ahead.

Don't do it! For now, this easy guesstimate method can save you from overeating and help you reign in your portion size without carrying any special tools or making a fuss. Easy is good!

5. Eat dessert once.

This sounds ridiculous but most of us have a sugar habit that makes dessert a day-

long investment in crap eating. We eat sugary cereal, fruity yogurt, white pancakes with whip cream and pastries with our flavored lattes in the morning and call it breakfast. We reach for candy at our desks. We have cookies after lunch and “treat ourselves” to ice

cream after dinner.

All those things really add up. Choose ONE time of day to indulge in something sweet. Limit yourself to 150 calories worth and call it done. You will be amazed at how much better you feel when you limit your sugar without denying yourself.

6. Opt for water instead of high calorie beverages.

Walk straight past the soda machine, skip the double mocha latte, frappuccino macchiato,

and head right to the water fountain. Water is your best friend. Drinking water is like showering your body from the inside out, rinsing away toxins, filling you up, hydrating your hair and skin, and yes decreasing your appetite. DRINK UP.

7. Slow it down.

Life is crazy, I get that. But eating is one of life’s essential pleasures. Don’t squander it by rushing through meals and snacks so quickly you can’t remember what you ate or what the heck it tasted like. Slow down! Savor every bite. Let your taste-buds celebrate what you are offering them. When you take the time to enjoy your meals you’ll make every mouthful count. Adjusting your pace and making mealtimes a “time out” will help you focus on quality over quantity.

Now, was that so hard? Every one of these seven tips is something you can try today without any extra preparation. Eating better doesn’t have to be painful. My whole weight loss and fitness philosophy is based on baby steps because making small changes really does pay off big time!

Are you ready to take action on living healthier and happier? Schedule your FREE Call Now!