Health Check by Licious Living – January 09 article

Healthy Dieting for Life

Most people have a negative association with the word 'diet' and think of it as 'a short term plan you follow to lose weight, involving calorie restriction and deprivation'.Not only does this attitude promote a lifelong struggle with unhealthy yo-yo dieting, it takes away from the real goals of being healthy and achieving long term results.

With the New Year underway, many of us will set the goal of 'eating well and trying to lose those extra pounds.Whether you are embarking on your first or hundredth diet, remember this key point:a healthy diet, or healthy eating plan, should be looked upon as a lifelong change that fits with your lifestyle, and not a short-term fix.

Five critical success factors that will help you start your new healthy eating program and achieve results:

1) Learn about the benefits of good nutrition:

Instead of 'demonizing' food, focus on why good nutrition is important-beyond maintaining a healthy body weight, for example, disease prevention, body strength and improving athletic performance. Understanding the role that nutrition plays in long term health serves as a strong motivator. Focus on which foods to choose more often. Turn attention to behaviour that will help improve your health, such as more exercise activity, less television. Healthy habits in younger years means fewer bad habits to break later in life, so encourage your kids to do the same.

2) What you Eat

Eat smarter.Not all calories are created equal.What you eat will have a big effect on how quickly you take off pounds, and more importantly, how long you keep those pounds off.Long term success in reaching and maintaining your ideal body weight can be achieved by choosing a sustainable, well balanced diet. Opt for nutritious foods to supply calories instead of high-fat or high-sugar items.

Follow these guidelines:

Ø Maintain a diet low in saturated fats and include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

Ø Minimize caffeine and alcohol consumption.

Ø Avoid trans fats, foods with high sugar and sodium contents.

Ø Avoid empty calorie starches such as white bread, rice and pasta. Opt for whole wheat and grain versions that contain fibre.

Ø Drink water. At least eight glasses a day will help your body digest and keep your internal system clean.

This doesn't mean banning all of your favourite indulgences, but eat them occasionally and in small portions.Once you experience the physical and mental benefits that good nutrition provides you will start to adopt permanent healthy habits.

3) Portioning:

Eating too much or too little can prevent you from achieving your weight loss and health goals.Follow these tips:

Ø Don't Skip Meals. Waiting more than 4 or 5 hours between meals slows your metabolism and causes your blood sugar to bottom out, leaving you weak, irritable, and tired.

Ø Keep a food diary of everything you eat and how much of each item, including drinks, for a few days. Calculate your total calories (online food counters* and handbooks make it easy). You might be surprised by how much you are actually consuming in a day. Adjust your intake according to your ideal calorie and nutritional requirements.

Ø Serve smaller portions.Start with servings that are one-half to two-thirds of your usual size. If you're still hungry thirty minutes after the meal, eat a little more.

Ø Fill your plate with vegetables and fruits. Protein is an important part of every meal but should be a moderate portion, not the bulk of the meal.

Ø Never Supersize. The reality is that supersizing your food portions will likely lead to a supersizing of your waist.Listen to your body - your meal portions should leave you satisfied, but never feeling 'stuffed'.

Ø Buy small packages of food. Bonus sizes may be a deal, but they encourage overeating. If you do shop in bulk, break jumbo packages into smaller, individual-sized portions so you are always aware of how much you are eating. Never snack out of the bag.

4) Set Yourself Up for Success

Avoid making bad food choices:

Ø Clear out your cupboards.If they're stocked with junk food, chances are you'll eat them. Keep refined carbohydrates, sugar and high fat snacks to a minimum.They should be occasional indulgences, not consumed everyday. “White-Out” is a great rule.

Ø Make sure you have quick healthy snack options on hand at home and at work to keep you from grabbing unhealthy quick-fixes.Choose snacks that have some protein and carbohydrate for longer lasting energy. Fruit and nuts, seeds and freshly chopped vegetables.

Ø Shopping: stick to the perimeter of the grocery store where more of the fresh and natural ingredient foods can be found.

Ø Dine Out Less: The lack of control you have over ingredient quality and portioning can make frequent restaurant eating a very unhealthy habit. Pack a lunch at least twice a week. You'll save money and eat less fat, salt and sugar!

5) Set Realistic Goals:

Slipping back to old bad habits often happens because goals are too high and people often take an 'all or nothing' approach.Bad eating habits don't develop overnight, so you can't expect that making a change to following a healthy diet will happen overnight.The key to long term success is being realistic with expectations and making changes a few at a time.

Nix the 50lbs in two weeks approach. The first step to achieving and maintaining your correct weight is setting a realistic goal. By using a BMI chart and consulting with your health care and fitness providers, you can determine what a healthy weight is for you. To reach your goal safely, plan to lose weight gradually. A weight loss of one to two pounds a week is usually safe.

The key to success with any lifestyle change is planning ahead and making it a part of your daily routine, not viewing it as a temporary change that you can let go of once your goals are achieved. If you don't break your bad habits and replace them with new good ones, you will inevitably end up back where you started.

Need help getting started?Licious Living's personal healthy meal delivery service takes the hard work out of eating healthy. *Or take advantage of five complimentary days of myLiciousLiving.com, their online wellness site. Visit liciousliving.com and myLiciousLiving.com for more information.

New Video: BOSU glute kick-back This month's exercise tones your butt, targets your core, strengthens your shoulder girdle, and promotes improved balance and stability! Select the image below to watch a demonstration Be the fittest in your office by Thomas Bok CK, CSCS, CEP It is easy to develop poor posture with an office job, but this does not have to be the case. With a few wise exercise choices you can reverse the negative effects of prolonged sitting. The following is the take home message for this article. Recite this to yourself every time you workout. "When working out, do the exact opposite of what you do at work" Along with that, here are 3 rules of thumb when planning your workout. 1. Ground based exercise You are already sitting in front of your desk for 8 hours, it makes no sense to sit even more at the gym. For strength training, substitute seated exercises with those that require you to stand. For example, do a body weight squat instead of leg press. The squat also has the added benefit of extending your back, which is usually hunched over at your desk. Finally, being a ground-based exercise, the squat is better at improving your balance, and this skill is more transferrable to your daily activities than the leg press. Although indoor cycling is an effective and fun way to challenge your aerobic system, it puts you in the exact same position as work, so minimize your time on the bike unless you are specifically training for cycling. You can still include indoor cycling as part of your workout routine, just be sure to mix it up with other forms of cardiovascular exercises, such as aerobic class, running and swimming. 2. Stretch a. Hip flexors b. Hamstrings c. Calves d. Pectoralis Major (Chest) e. Trapezius f. Entire back 3. Strengthen a. Rhomboids (muscle between the shoulder blades) b. Gluteals (buttocks) and Erector Spinae (lower back) c. Rotator cuff (in shoulder) d. Abdominal muscles There are many ways to stretch and strengthen these muscle groups. Ask a fitness or health professional to assess your situation and to show you which exercise is the most appropriate for you. By following these 3 steps you will be on your way to a better posture and to be the fittest person in your office! Thomas Bok Personal Trainer Fit Squad 647.284.4851		In this Month's Newsletter Fit Squad's new video release: Bosu glute kick-back Be the fittest in your office From Personal Trainer Thomas Bok Healthy Eating for Life by Licious Winter Recipe: Hearty Black Bean Soup Fit Squad Trainer Accomplishments Thomas Bok, now a C.O.R.E Cycling Certified Instructor Marco Ruederich, completed a 100km run in Belgium, August 2008 Thomas Bok will be competing in the Florida 70.3 (half Iron-man) on Victoria Weekend. Good Luck Thomas. Body Weight Squat Treadmill running Hip Flexor Stretch Core Strengthening
Health Check by Licious Living Healthy Eating for Life Most people have a negative association with the word 'diet' and think of it as 'a short term plan you follow to lose weight, involving calorie restriction and deprivation'. Not only does this attitude promote a lifelong struggle with unhealthy yo-yo dieting, it takes away from the real goals of being healthy and achieving long term results. With the New Year underway, many of us will set the goal of 'eating well and trying to lose those extra pounds. Whether you are embarking on your first or hundredth diet, remember this key point: a healthy diet, or healthy eating plan, should be looked upon as a lifelong change that fits with your lifestyle, and not a short-term fix. Five critical success factors that will help you start your new healthy eating program and achieve results: 1) Learn about the benefits of good nutrition: You'll be surprised by how many positive mental and physical benefits come with eating a healthy diet. Instead of 'demonizing' food, focus on why good nutrition is important-beyond maintaining a healthy body weight, for example, disease prevention, body strength and improving athletic performance. Understanding the role that nutrition plays in long term health serves as a strong motivator. Focus on which foods to choose more often. Turn attention to behaviour that will help improve your health, such as more exercise activity, less television. Healthy habits in younger years means fewer bad habits to break later in life, so encourage your kids to do the same. 2) What you Eat Eat smarter. Not all calories are created equal. What you eat will have a big effect on how quickly you take off pounds, and more importantly, how long you keep those pounds off. Long term success in reaching and maintaining your ideal body weight can be achieved by choosing a sustainable, well balanced diet. Opt for nutritious foods to supply calories instead of high-fat or high-sugar items. Follow these guidelines: Ø Maintain a diet low in saturated fats and include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Ø Minimize caffeine and alcohol consumption. Ø Avoid trans fats, foods with high sugar and sodium contents. Ø Avoid empty calorie starches such as white bread, rice and pasta. Opt for whole wheat and grain versions that contain fibre. Ø Drink water. At least eight glasses a day will help your body digest and keep your internal system clean. This doesn't mean banning all of your favourite indulgences, but eat them occasionally and in small portions. Once you experience the physical and mental benefits that good nutrition provides you will start to adopt permanent healthy habits. Licious Winter Recipe: HEARTY BLACK BEAN SOUP As the temperature dips, we crave more comfort foods to warm us up and keep us satisfied. Don't turn to packaged, processed foods to satisfy this urge. This easy recipe will provide you with six small servings. You can portion appropriately for your serving size and have on hand for dinner or a quick take-to-work lunch option. 3 cups Black Beans (if using canned, rinse and drain) 1 ½ cups low sodium Vegetable Broth 2 cups Chunky Salsa 12 oz. firm Tofu pieces 2 tsp. Cumin 1 cup cooked brown rice   Topping: 1 tbsp chopped Chives Place 2/3 of the beans and all other ingredients except rice in a blender and puree. Mix with cooked rice, adding the remaining 1/3 of the beans. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Garnish each portion when serving with sour cream and chives. Serve with a tossed mixed greens salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar Small serving (1/6th) 600 calories Protein: 30% Carbohydrate: 40% Fat: 30%