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I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 can occur at any age, but usually apprears before the age of 30. 10% of Americans with diabetes have this unpreventable type. Type 2 is less serious, usually diagnosed after the age of 30, and is experienced by 90% of diabetics. Luckily, you can take steps to decrease your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. Today, incorporate one of these tips to decrease your risk:
- Turn off the TV. People with sedentary lifestyles who watch a lot of TV are at a higher risk of developing the disease.
- Walk briskly or engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day.
- Choose whole-grain breads and cereals instead of refined breads, cereals, and sugars.
- Eat at least five to nine servings of fruits and veggies other than white potatoes, corn, and peas.
- Reduce your total fat intake to less than 30 percent of total calories. Choose unsaturated over saturated.
- Enjoy coffee without sugar
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
Certain foods may help your body fight harmful free radicals and therefore preserve healthy cells. This reduces the risk of cancer, so today focus on getting some of these healthy foods into your diet:
Green Tea
Stewed Tomatoes
Foods with high concentrations of Vitamin C (citrus fruits, broccoli, papaya, mango, peppers, kiwi fruit)
Foods with high concentrations of Vitamin E (sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach)
Foods with high concentrations of beta-carotene (peppers, lettuce, kale, spinach, carrots, mustard greens)
Foods high in Selenium (brazil nuts – but only one per day!, wheat germ, tuna, lentils)
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
Water is the best way to hydrate for most athletes, but in some cases you may want to try a sports drink. Sports drinks like Gatorade, PowerAde, AllSport, Boost, etc. provide just enough electrolytes and carbohydrates to keep you moving in these instances:
- When continuous exercise lasts longer than 60 minutes
- When you’re exercising in extremely hot weather
Next time you fall into these categories, have a sports drink on hand to hydrate you during and after your workout. How does it make you feel that day?
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
You probably know that it’s important to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, especially to replace fluids lost through sweat.
Especially for athletes, the thirst mechanism is an unreliable indicator, so follow the guidelines below to ensure adequate hydration:
2 hours before exercise: consume 16 – 24 ounces of fluids
15 – 30 minutes before exercise: consume 8 – 16 ounces
Every 15 – 20 minutes during exercise: consume 4 – 12 ounces
After exercise: consume 16 -24 ounces for every pound lost (weigh yourself before and after)
Make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, too. The color of your urine is a great indicator of hydration, for athletes and non-athletes alike. If urine is voluminous and clear or pale yellow, you’re on the right track! If it is dark and concentrated, you better get you some water!
Today, practice monitoring the color of your urine and aim for a light pastel shade!
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
The point of a post-workout snack is to replenish lost nutrients, including glycogen stores, fluids, and potassium. It’s best to have a quick snack within 30 minutes post-workout to promote quick recovery. This is the best time of the day to enjoy some yummy natural sugars and starches, as they will be quickly absorbed into the muscles and will have little effect on blood sugar
Within 30 minutes of your next workout, consider a post-workout snack of some of these beauties:
- Plenty of fluids: water, fruit juice, soups, watery fruits and veggies (watermelon, grapes, oranges, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers)
- A lot of carbohydrate-rich foods including pasta, potatoes, rice, breads, fruits, yogurts, etc.
- Adequate lean protein
- Potassium-rich foods like potatoes, bananas, oranges, orange juice, and raisins.
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
It’s important to fuel your body properly for working out, especially if it’s going to be an intense one! Everyone is different, but I feel best when I plan my pre-meal accordingly. After months of experimentation, I came up with my own set of “rules.” And, whadayaknow, this book has had those same rules all along! Now you’ve got the easy way out, just give these a shot and see if you don’t have a great workout!!
- Have your large meal 3 – 4 hours before the event, and have a small snack within the two hours before.
- Choose carbohydrate-rich foods and moderate amounts of protein. Avoid foods high in fat.
- Avoid super-high-fiber foods and foods that make you gassy
- Lay off the salt, which may cause you to retain water and feel bloated and uncomfortable
- Don’t eat something completely new before an important event…test it during training beforehand
Next time you workout, put these tips into practice. How does this make you feel before, during, and after the workout?
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
In my P90x post, I promised you I’d tell you what I’ve been researching and learning about protein. Well, here’s a preview…
It’s a common misconception that athletes need higher amounts of protein in order to build muscle. This is true, but it’s not quite so high as many people think! Consider the following chart to determine how much protein you should aim for daily:
Exercise Category Recommended daily Protein (grams per pound)
Sedentary Folks .36
Moderate Exercisers .36 – .5
Endurance Athletes .5 – .8
Strength Athletes .6 – .8
Growing Teenage Athletes .6 – .9
(To determine how many grams of protein you need per day, you just multiply you weight in pounds by the number of grams to the right)
Today, tally up your protein to make sure you’re getting the right amount, but don’t consume more
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
Today’s Tip:
Occasionally you will want to indulge in a restaurant and order anything and everything you want (and that’s OK!), but develop a habit of making healthy choices in a majority of your outings. People eat out frequently nowadays, so don’t fall into the mindset of “eating out is a rare treat and I should eat whatever I want.” Next time you go out to eat, follow some of these tips to make a good choice:
Stick with meats that you already know are lean: poultry, fish, loin, round, and flank. Be aware that many restaurants melt butter over steaks to make them appear more tender. Ask the waiter to waive this practice.
Seek out dishes that are prepared in healthy ways: Grilled, baked, poached, roasted, boiled, blackened, steamed, etc. You can even ask your waiter to have your food prepared “dry,” without oil.
Opt for side dishes of vegetables or beans rather than white rice
Avoid creamy sauces like hollandaise, alfredo, butter, cheese, and cream sauces.
Balance out your meal: Order a pasta dish, but pass the bread; order grilled fish with veggies, then splurge on dessert; skip bread, choose fresh fruit for dessert, and indulge in a glass or two of wine.
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
Today’s Tip:
This book has a whole section on savvy food choices! Pretty nice….here is a list of the best choices to make while doing your grocery shopping (descending order). Print this out and take it with you to consult as you head down each aisle. Make good choices in the grocery and you will make good choices at home!
Fresh Vegetables
- All -
Fresh Fruits
- All -
Dairy
- Skim Milk
- Buttermilk
- Nonfat yogurt
- Low-fat varieties of cheese
- Reduced-fat cream cheese
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Reduced fat sour cream
- Low-fat/No-fat ice creams and sorbets
Whole Grains
- Whole wheat, multigrain, rye, millet, oat bran, oat, cracked wheat breads, pastas, flours, pita, English muffins, crackers, etc.
- “Wheat” is not the same as “whole wheat” and product labeling rules are lax. “Whole wheat” should be listed as the first ingredient or it does not count!
- Opt for items that contain 6 grams of sugar or less
- Opt for items that contain 2 grams of sugar or less
- Try any pasta/rice substitute that you’ve never had before: Bulgur, whole-grain couscous, barley, buckwheat, millet, wheat berries, quinoa, etc.
Meat
- Leanest beef choices include top round, tenderloin, lean t-bone, lean porterhouse, sirloin, eye of round, bottom round
- Leanest lamb and veal choices: Leg of lamb, foreshank, lean loin chop, veal loin chop, lamb roast, arm chop, veal cutlet
- Leanest pork choices include: tenderloin, center loin chops, lean ham, sirloin roast, top loin roast, canadian bacon, rib chops
- Leanest poultry choices: skinless chicken breast, skinless turkey breast, skinless cornish game hen, ground chicken or turkey breast (no skin), duck and pheasant (no skin)
- For fish and seafood, anything goes!
Eggs
- Eggs’ nutrition profile is excellent. The yolk contains a lot of cholesterol, so try using 1 egg white for every three or four eggs. You can also make eggs in most any way you like using just the whites.
Legumes
- These are great sources of protein that are less expensive than meat! Dried options are better than canned, but are more work. Either way, add these choices to your cart: baked beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, tofu, lima beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, great northern beans, black beans, split peas, lentils, cannelloni beans, white beans, hummus.
Frozen Meals, Canned Soups, and Sauces
- For full frozen meals, look for less than 400 total calories, 15 grams of fat, and 800 mg of sodium.
- Avoid creamy soups, and opt for “reduced-sodium,” “low-sodium,” or “no added salt.” Best selections are minestrone, garden vegetable, chicken noodle, split pea, tomato rice, Manhattan clam chowder, and lentil bean. You’ll find more and more varieties with whole grain pastas, those deserve a second look!
- Buy sauces that are tomato or vegetable based to cut fat. Choose those than contain 3 grams or less per serving
Snacks
Best options are:
- Plain popcorn kernals for air poppers
- Fruit and fig bars
- Lite or reduced fat microwave popcorn
- oat bran pretzels and baked chips
- Low-fat whole grain crackers
- Raisins and other dried fruit
Health-conscious condiments:
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Low-sugar fruit spreads
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Low-sodium Teriyaki Sauce
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Cider Vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Cocktail sauce
- Chutney
- Salsa
Fats, Spreads, and Dressings
- Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Low-fat dips, soft-tub margarines
- Butter substitutes
- Low-fat mayonnaise
- Natural peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Nonstick cooking sprays
- Fat-free and low-fat salad dressings
I borrowed The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Total Nutrition from my cousin, who told me that I could borrow it in exchange for a daily nutrition tip. From now until I finish the book, I’ll be posting short tips from the book on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ll find it useful too! Each day, I’ll try to include a challenge for you; either to skip something bad or try something healthy. Keep checking in with me if you’d like to follow along
Today’s Tip:
Some vitamin supplements don’t absorb into your body as well as others, and some will pass right through you undigested. When buying your next bottle, look for the USP stamp. U.S. Pharmacopeia is an independent non-profit testing organization and sets forth standards for identity, strength, quality, purity, packaging, and labeling of drug products. You can also try a quick test to see how well your vitamin supplement disintegrates in your system: just place one pill in a bowl or cup and add enough vinegar to cover it. Stir it up a bit, then let it sit for an hour. The vinegar should cloud up and the pill should fall into pieces or completely dissolve.
