Stock Up On Healthy Foods

Fortunately my will to be healthy hasn’t taken a backseat to my busy lifestyle lately. I tend to eat often throughout the day (about once every 2-3 or my body scolds me for it), so I need to make sure that a) these are healthy calories for fuel, b) they will be burned efficiently, c) they will keep me fuller, longer, and d) I’m not breaking the bank by spending on fast food or other pricey convenience meals.

If you were to raid my fridge after grocery day, these are foods you could find:

Essential

The above foods I try to keep stocked at all times. They are high in protein and fiber and only contain natural sugars. They are also foods that take little time to prepare (ideal for a busy OR lazy lifestyle).

Eggs –I’ll cook them up in different ways depending on my mood. My favorite thing to do is boil at least a dozen eggs at night, peel them, and store them in baggies in the fridge to snack on over the next couple days. This is a great way to up your protein for the day. Out of 12 eggs I’ll eat maybe three yolks.

Oatmeal or cottage cheese – Oatmeal is the leaner choice, but both are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and nutrients.

Apples – Green apples satisfy a sweet tooth. These are also conveniently portable.

Strawberries & bananas – Mmm, smoothies (made with soy milk).

Frozen skinless chicken and fish – Quick, healthy dinners can be built around these meats. Healthy sides include steamed broccoli or asparagus, long grain or jasmine rice, and sweet potatoes. Ginger, pepper, and cayenne are my favorite spices.

Preferential

Gardenburger veggie burgers – These are my favorite brand of veggie burgers and they’re lower in calories than Boca veggie burgers. Pop them in the microwave for a minute and they’re done! These are high in protein and fiber and they’re very taste.

Amy’s Pizza – If you’re a pizza lover like I am but want to avoid traditional frozen pizzas that are high in preservatives and processed toppings, Amy’s Pizza is a great pick. They taste amazing and I don’t have to feel as guilty eating the whole pie!

Snacks

Mrs. May’s Cashew Crunch – These are so yummy! Each little block or ‘crunch’ is the perfect combo of sweet and salty with a wholesome nutty taste. They are flavored with sea salt and natural cane sugar so I feel good about treating myself to these every now and again.

Kashi GoLean Honey Almond Flax Bars – I cannot eat just one no matter how hard I try! Fortunately they are chock full of soy protein, flax seeds, almonds, fiber, and many more nutritious goodies.

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Fit & Fab: Mid-Week Fitness Tips

Still hungry/impatient after following Fit & Fab’s Fitness Goals for the week? Here are a few tips to burn some extra calories and keep you satiated until your next meal:

• Eat a high-protein breakfast. This keeps us full longer. The best breakfasts are those filled with protein and fiber and contain some good carbs to kick-start you with energy for the day. My personal favorite quickie breakfast is a piece of whole wheat bread topped with a tsp of lower calorie butter and two eggs. It tastes great and it contains fiber, protein, and good carbs altogether.
• If you must order that burger, try it without the bun. This easily knocks off 200 calories. Eating your burger with a fork/knife will help you eat slower and trick you into feeling full faster. If you braved the burger without the bun, try it without mayo next time. Then, with just lettuce and tomato. You’ll be knocking off calories all the way! Grilled chicken is still the best bet at restaurants that offer it.
  (Also, when I go to Chipotle, I order my burrito in a bowl – without the tortilla – for a fulfilling salad with fewer calories.)
• Chew sugarfree gum. Not only will this temporarily take your mind off food between meals, but studies show that gum-chewers burn an extra 35 calories per day.
• Take the stairs when you can. My friend/coworker and I take the stairs at work versus taking the elevator up three floors. She informed me that five minutes of stair climbing burns an extra 45 calories a day. After you get used to this habit, the initial exhaustion should turn into a nice burst of energy (and should make up for that mini Snickers bar you snuck in during the day – I’m guilty!)

Please share your personal fitness tips and results! We would love to hear them.

Fit & Fab: Weekly Goals

Let’s commit to be FIT & FAB starting this week with some healthy challenges:

• Drink 100 ounces of water everyday. This is feasible. Simply buy one 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina/Dasani/younameit, drink it down, then fill it up 4 more times throughout the day. You’ve got your 100 ounces! Then you’re on your way to alleviate excess water weight and clearing up your complexion. This works great. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, adding a packet of Crystal Light will do the trick.
• Eat a healthy, wholesome breakfast every morning with plenty of fiber and protein. This will give you lots of fuel to start off your day, and will keep you satisfied longer throughout the day (less snacking)! Some sample breakfasts include:
  • Strawberry banana protein smoothie (16 ounces)
  • A slice of whole wheat bread topped with a tsp of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light and two eggs
  • A cup of your favorite high-fiber cereal with skim or soy milk
  • get creative and stay healthy!
• Walk at least 30 minutes each day. Whether it be around your neighborhood or your basement, walking for at least 30 minutes a day builds muscle and burns calories (and keeps you sane). Walk for more than 30 minutes and you’re on a roll.
• Have healthy snacks around for when you get nagging cravings. If you need to satisfy a sweet tooth, I find that peaches do just the trick. You could also opt for berries or green apples. If you want a filling, high protein snack, beef jerky is my absolute favorite. I carry a stash of jerky around in my handbag and nibble on it when I’m hungry between meals. I’m a fanatic for Hal’s Beef Jerky – you can’t beat the authenticity (or the price).
• Take your vitamins. Even a simple multivitamin will do wonders for your health, mood, and even your weight. B vitamins especially aid in energy metabolism which enhances weight loss. I personally take a multivitamin, B-complex, and fish oil pills. I recommend all three.

We can do it!

How To Get Fit (and Stay That Way)

It’s a good idea to start by banning the word ‘diet’ from your perception about eating healthy. Diets usually do not work. Why? People eat healthy momentarily to drop a few pounds, then return to the junk that made them fat in the first place. It’s a vicious cycle! In order to lead a healthy life – and to look lean and fit and feel awesome as a result – a ‘diet’ should result in life change in how you eat.

Today, I’m going to expose some diet misconceptions that could help clear the air on why we’re not as fit as we could be.

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Peppered Beef Jerky Burns Fat?

I’m convinced. After spending a week eating peppered beef jerky for protein (about three times a day), I looked trimmer and did in fact shed a couple pounds. Of course there were other factors – I didn’t eat junk food during that week and I walked at least 30 minutes a day for exercise – but I’m convinced that peppered beef jerky played a factor in trimming my waist and providing energy throughout the day.

A bit of research on this theory shows that the high protein content in jerky feeds your muscles and in turn burns fat. Also, anything peppered or spicy really does speed up our metabolism (ay, mex food lovers)!

Either way, jerky tastes delicious! I was a bit disappointed however when I found that most grocery store versions contain loads of sodium, sugars, and even MSG (monosodium glutamate)!

Therefore, I buy Hal’s Homemade Jerky. Hal sells his delicious, MSG-and-sugar-free jerky locally in his Oklahoma town, but it is available to the masses via Ebay. Best part? He offers free shipping on all orders, and when I received my jerky  in the mail it was sealed fresh with mini packets of spicy pepper. Thanks, Hal!

Fitness Bit: Beverage Calorie Count

I can’t help but hear a dear friend’s calorie mantra chime in my head: “Never drink your calories!”

She essentially meant that we shouldn’t drink the bulk of our calories that are high in sugars and fats. Personally, I stick to water, diet sodas, tea, and the occasional lite latte or low-carb energy drink. However, when we’re out at restaurants or bars and we want our favorite mixed drink or beer, who’s to tell how many calories we’re actually drinking – on top of the rest of our food? Thanks to WebMD and some of my own research, we’ll now an idea:

For easy reference, copy and paste this table into your computer’s word processor then print, or take notes to store in your handbag.

Nifty!

Fitness Bit: Caffeinated Workouts

Did you know that incorporating a bit of caffeine into your pre-workout routine might just help you burn a few extra calories?

A small amount of caffeine – such as a cup of iced tea or your favorite diet caffeinated beverage – will help alleviate muscle aches and give you an added jolt of energy. Just what you need to keep you going longer and stronger at the gym! Don’t forget to hydrate during and post-workout with plain h2o – naturally.

Side note: Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not cause dehydration. According to FitSugar:

“Lawrence Armstrong, of the Human Performance Laboratory, concluded that moderate caffeine consumption (up to about 500 milligrams a day) did not adversely impact exercise. While caffeine is a mild diuretic, meaning it briefly increases urine production, moderate amounts are not enough to interfere with a workout by causing excessive fluid loss. Dehydration is about the balance of fluid intake and fluid loss.”

So skip the decaf before the gym and add a little pep to your step! My choice faves are Peach Ooh-La-Long Honest Tea (an organic lightly sweetened black tea) or a Diet Rockstar energy drink if I’m feeling sassy.