Top 10 Tips to a Healthier Lifestyle

1. If you are working out, try to drink 10 – 12 glasses of water a day.  
   When you are dropping body fat, you are releasing toxins that are held within the fat cells. To help flush out these toxins, you need to have lots of water. Remember, the more water you drink, the less your body will retain, making you look even leaner.
    
2. Prepare your meals in advance.
   Choose a day out of the week when you have a few hours and make all of your protein, vegetable and carbohydrate meals. Portion them out into proper serving sizes and put them in the fridge and freezer. This will stop you from grabbing unhealthy options on the run.
    
3. Do not cut out carbs!  
   I cannot stress this point enough. The media has given carbs a bad name. It’s not the carbs, it’s the type of carbs, and portion sizes that are the problem. The following are a list of good carbs that you should consume on a daily basis: whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice, all vegetables, fruit, whole oats (for oatmeal), beans, brown rice pasta, millet and bran buds. These are all very healthy and tasty food options that are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These foods should be included in every healthy eating plan.
    
4. Do not cut out fat!
   Fat is another nutrient that has been given a bad rap. Although I’m not saying you should go out and eat fat laden hamburgers every day, we do need essential fatty acids, (EFA’s) every day. The fat I’m talking about is not produced by the body but is needed by the body. These EFA’s are essential for the health of your hair, and skin, reducing blood pressure, improving memory and many other things. They can be found in things like: cold water fish, fish oils, flax seed oil, among other things.
    
5. Take your supplements.
   Unless you are perfect (which no one is) you may need to consider supplementing healthy eating with multi-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids from sources such as fish oil, protein powder to meet your protein needs to name a few.
      
6. You are what you eat. 
   What you eat has more to do with what your body will look like than how much you exercise. Many people fall into the trap of starting an exercise plan and compensating by eating more. These people then wonder why they are not losing weight. Weight still comes down to calories in/ calories out. What I’m saying is, no matter how much you exercise, if you are taking in more calories then you are burning, you will gain weight. Eat enough calories to maintain your lifestyle. If you are trying to lose weight, eat 500 calories less than you are using that day. A good dietitian can work this equation out for you. (Please never go lower than 1200 calories a day. Your body will think it’s starving, and it will hold on to those calories the best it can).
    
7. Fiber will help you lose weight.  
   Fiber helps to stabilize blood sugar, makes you feel full and helps carry toxins out of your system. It is a weight loss superhero! You can find fiber in foods like: whole grain cereals and flours, brown rice, bran, most fruit, dried prunes, nuts, seeds, lentils, peas, and vegetables. (Please note: when looking for bread with whole grains, make sure to read the food label a good source of fiber has 3 or more grams per serving.)
    
8. Cut out the sugar.
   Carbohydrates and fat are not the villains, sugar is. Sugar will cause your body to store fat. Sugar is not just found in cookies and candies but in white bread, white pasta and fruit. (Do not cut out the fruit.) While fruit does contain sugar (fructose), it also contains fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which can aid in weight loss. The only way to cure your sugar cravings is to give up sugar. (Funny huh!) You will see, the less you eat it, the less you will crave it. Give yourself two weeks of no sugar and you will see what I’m talking about.
    
9. Write it down.  
   Keep a diary of everything you are eating, when you’re eating, and how you feel before you eat. This is always an eye opening experience. You’ll be surprised by your findings. Use these findings to readjust your relationship with food. If you eat when you’re bored or sad, find a new way to react to these feelings.
    
10. Make it a lifestyle.
    To me, this is the most important thing. Eat healthy for life and exercise regularly. Yo-yo dieting can be worse for you than being overweight. Picking up the latest diet will only make you thin while you’re on it. Also, it may not have your health as the most important aspect. If you take your time and make being healthy a way of life, you will be less likely to obsess, more likely to succeed and guaranteed to feel better about yourself.

Dana Yarn, RDLD