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Do You Know What You're Eating? |
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 The more you know about your own body, the way it works, what makes it feel good, and how it is a unique gift, the more empowered you will be in all areas of your life. This means you have to be keenly aware of what you put in your body and how nutrition is a key component to your health.
When I work with clients and have them keep daily food logs, not only to keep track of calories, but also to increase their awareness of how certain foods affect how they feel. It is exciting to realize that a simple food allergy may be the cause of your extra stomach bloating or a daily headache can be eliminating by avoiding certain foods or additives. I have learned from my clients and seen first hand how powerful simple changes can greatly improve well-being and weight loss.
We need to be conscious of how food affects us, the best way to figure out if you are having negative reactions to foods is to experiment and keep a log of how you feel if you eliminate certain foods and additives. For example, I was working with a woman who was motivated to lose weight for her wedding. She was experiencing terrible headaches every day, stress seemed to be a logical conclusion, but after looking at her food log I noticed that she was consuming over ten packets of artificial sweetener per day. She had never used artificial sweetener prior to her wedding weight loss program. I have always been an advocate of a clean, chemical free diet full of organic fruits and vegetables, so I recommend she eliminate the artificial sweeteners and in less than a week she was free of her headaches.
Your body is always talking to you so listen and observe how you feel after eating. You control what you put in your body and therefore you should take the time of knowing what you are ingesting. Many trainers will not go over this with you and some trainers even endorse diets products that are full of chemicals simply because they are low in calories. I will share information with you here that I have learned, but it is my hope that you learn more on your own and continue listening to your body.
What type of diet will give you the greatest amount of energy, health and help you maintain your ideal weight? The answer is different for each of us.
Each one of us needs to experiment to find the “right” diet. I’ve trained people who feel best on high protein diets others who swear by raw food diets and many who maintain their ideal weight by watching their portions while enjoying a variety of foods.
If you are open to trying new ways of eating, go for it! Try out a vegetarian (someone who eats no animals (no cows, pigs, chickens, fish, etc.), vegan (eats no animal products (no animals, dairy, eggs, etc.) or a raw foodist (who eats only raw foods,).
If you choose to experiment with a new way of eating pay close attention to how you feel, you may be surprised at an increase in your energy as you eliminate processed foods.
Follow these basic guidelines with any type of diet plan you choose:
- Eat a wide variety of whole foods. Foods that are in their natural form with the least possible processing.
- Eat sufficient, high quality low-fat proteins.
- Try to consume 1-cup fresh fruit and 4-6 cups fresh vegetables daily.
- Be moderate with your starch intake (carbohydrates) bread, rice, corn breads and pastas).
- Reduce animal fats and eliminate hydrogenated and processed oils. Eliminate processed snack foods (chips, cookies, crackers, cakes…)
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Ashley Marriott has been a professional in the field of fitness for more than 14 years. She is the creator of Burn ‘N Firm, a popular DVD full body cardio dance workout series. She is dedicated to using her experience and energy to educate and encourage people to reach their fitness goals. Her dedication to empower others through fitness led her to write the book, Dump Your Trainer.
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