Five Nutrition Beliefs Debunked

With so many myths circulating about good nutrition, it’s no wonder people find it so hard to follow a healthy lifestyle. Here’s an attempt to clear up a couple of those myths.

1. Detoxes are a useful way to cleanse your organs and body of the accumulated buildup of poisons and pollutants resulting from modern society.

• Your liver does not need to be detoxed.

• A detox is nothing but a quick fix. It does nothing towards learning the consistent nutritional habits that are necessary for continued progress. You wouldn’t decide to join the gym for just two weeks to undo a years worth of inactivity, so why would you eat detox style for two weeks to undo a years worth of poor eating?

2. Carbohydrates should not be eaten after 12pm, or 1pm, or 6 pm.

• This is one of the more popular myths around these days. But there can actually be an element of truth in it. Carbohydrates give you the fuel to exercise and are even more important for replacing fuel AFTER exercise. So if you are exercising at 6pm, then you need a carbohydrate rich meal to aid in recovery and repair of muscles and to replenish your glycogen (energy) stores. However, if you exercise in the morning and sit at a desk the rest of the day, then the first one or two meals after exercise should be emphasizing carbohydrates, but the rest of the day emphasizing vegetables, fruit and healthy fats. Note the word ‘emphasizing’ doesn’t mean you have to cut the carbs out completely, perhaps just decrease the portion of carbs and replace it with lots of vegetables. Or if you can’t handle a plate full of veg, then at least focus on high fiber, low GI carbs like brown rice, lentils and beans. And of course don’t forget to add lean protein to all these meals.

3. Low fat and ‘lite’ foods are good to eat to prevent fat gain.

• Unfortunately, clever marketing of foods has confused a lot of people out there. So many foods are now available in some form of ‘diet version’ with reduced fat, no fat, low fat or lite labels. The long and the short of it is, that most of these foods either had no fat in them anyway- marshmallows for example are made of pure sugar. So they have zero fat, but do you really think they are good for you? By simply adding the words low fat to the packet, consumers can feel justified in buying them.

• Other foods have had the fat reduced…..but the fat is simply replaced with sugar to ensure the product still tastes good. So again, no real improvement there.

4. Eat low fat to lose fat.

• This misconception is what has lead to the demand for the above mentioned lowfat foods. But in reality our bodies need about 25-30% of the total food energy to come from fat. Fat is important for the absorption and transport of certain vitamins and minerals around the body, it contributes to the construction of nerve cells, and is a powerful anti inflammatory agent. Cutting fat out of the diet too severely can lead to other problems such as??????? The average person needs between 50-80 grams of fat per day. This can easily be met with some olive oil on the salad, 1-2 handfuls of raw nuts, some avocado and a piece of fresh salmon.

5. Ricecakes and crackers are good for you.

• Well they are low in energy, which may be of benefit if you just have a few. But foods like these that don’t weigh much aren’t that satisfying and thus, more often than not, the entire packet gets consumed. Then there are the creamy dips that are eaten along with them. Also, highly processed foods like rice crackers have a high GI, which raises blood sugar levels rapidly, causing high insulin levels as well. High insulin leads to increased fat storage.

• Switch the rice crackers for vegetable sticks or wholegrain crackers. Try salsas and hummus instead of cheeses and creamy dips

Diet and Nutrition – What Will Work Best for You?

There is no certain 100% clear answer to the question that eludes us all. We can only what will work for some will not work for all. The answer we are perhaps looking for how can we lead a healthier life and live longer. A balanced diet is good start, together with healthy living. Everything in moderation and not excess.

Exercise

Keeping a eye on your weight is vital to a healthy body and longevity. Exercise is the other main criteria together if a balance is made that is what will work best for you. By understanding these two basic principals you will be helping you body and mind stay fit. Controlling the effects of disease and illness.

Diet & Nutrition

Dieting can be very confusing when there is so much online and off-line to choose from. If you have a problem you must recognize it and deal with it. If you are obese and want to seek help, that is the first step on the way to solving your problem. A doctor or health adviser will point you in the right direction enabling you to move forward and lead a healthier life through a better nutrition regime.

Eat Healthy

Good nutrition is vital to live a healthy long life. You must do what grandma used to say at the table ” eat your greens” Yes those leafy green vegetables , whole grain foods, lean protein and low fat diary products. If you imagine a colourful artist palette that is what you food choice should resemble, deep vibrant colours indicating the vitamins and minerals vital for good health.

Good Foods

The protein we talk about are the foods with lean meat, soy products and whole nuts. The carbohydrates are to be found in whole grain breads , potatoes, brown rice, pasta and low fat dairy products. The vitamin C is found in fruits. To be included in all this experts all agree that plenty or hydration’s necessary like eight glasses of water a day to flush away all the toxins and chemicals brought into our bodies. It also helps the metabolism and digestion plus reducing the appetite.

All in all there are so many ways of leading a healthy long life, but you have to take on the advise listen and learn and above all in moderation and not excess.

A Nutrition Program to Complement Your Workouts Using the KISS Principle – Keep It Super Simple

We want to create a simple nutrition program for you to help accelerate the gains you achieve with your workouts. The eating plan has to be simple enough to easily implement AND not be so drastic as to cause a major disruption of your normal eating patterns. We want everything possible to be in our favor to get the most efficient possible results, so I’ll offer some suggestions for you to work into your daily life over the course of several months.

Drastic or fad diets do not produce long-term results. Worse yet, yo-yo dieting, with your weight constantly fluctuating up-and-down, has been found to have a host of negative health consequences. It is terrible for you heart, among other things. We want to make lifestyle changes to your nutrition habits that will change your weight, appearance, and self-esteem for the rest of your life, not just lose ten pounds in 2 weeks only to have it reappear in another month’s time because the diet was impossible.

The first topic we will address is the number of times you are eating per day. Breakfast is an imperative. It gets your metabolism jump-started and helps you keep burning calories throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be anything complex. Oatmeal, nutrition bars, or meal replacement shakes are all good and fast alternatives if time as at a premium. The important part is getting something in your stomach to get your body up and burning calories as soon as possible each day.

You will want to have five to six smaller meals each day, quite different from the “Three Square Meals” idea most of us were raised to believe was best. The smaller meals can consist of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. The idea goes back to keeping your metabolism burning calories all day long. Once you are accustomed to eating this way, it quickly becomes a way-of-life. Your hunger pains between meals are gone and you actually eat less throughout the day. This style of nutrition is perfect for someone on an exercise program designed to shed pounds and, most importantly, keep them off for a lifetime.

Recent guidelines suggest a proper eating program should include 10-20% fat, 10-15% protein, and 60-85% complex carbohydrates. A healthy diet should contain few, if any, refined carbohydrates. Also, people on hi-intensity workout programs may require a slight adjustment upward in their protein intake to help muscle recovery. To get a specific and comprehensive meal program, visit a registered dietician. Also, before starting any new eating program it is a good idea to consult your physician.

A visit to a registered dietician to design an individual meal program is beyond the scope of most of my clients’ time or interest. They do not want to be that regimented in their dietary habits. I typically do not mention specific products or programs in my writing but a number of my clients have found Weight Watchers to be a simple and livable program and have achieved fantastic results. Weight Watchers can be done locally or online, depending on your schedule and needs. They provide multiple alternatives to solving your nutrition program and it’s easy to implement. Pay a visit to their website and see what you think. Did you notice the title of this article mentioned the K.I.S.S. principle but not the one most people are familiar with? Positive results are what we seek and we are not going to degrade anyone for trying to make constructive changes to their eating patterns or lifestyle. Your perception is your reality. Let’s make your life a place where the results and methods of achievement are encouraging and optimistic. You need to be your own biggest cheerleader!

Diabetes And Nutrition Go Hand In Hand

Food is an essential component of anyone’s life. The selection of foods becomes even more important for a good diabetes and nutrition program. In the North American culture, poor food choices have culminated in a population of obese individuals, many are pre-diabetic, others have type 2 diabetes and some have gestational diabetes. In all of these cases a proper diabetes and nutrition food management plan, can reduce weight by the recommended 5 to 7 percent. A diabetes and nutrition program can even help lower your blood sugar level and improve your general state of health.

It is not sufficient to simply rely on your insulin shots or medication prescribed by your doctor. They cannot do all the work. You will have to learn to regulate your food intake.

With the abundance of food available to us, sometimes it is not easy to choose wisely. That piece of chocolate cake can be much more tempting than having a small fruit salad in natural juices for dessert. A trip to your favorite fast food restaurant is more inviting than bothering to cook a meal on the evening that you come home tired from work. Perhaps all you want to do is curl up on the couch and not even bother to drag the family out for a meal. In this situation the idea of calling the restaurant to order that fried chicken or greasy hamburgers is oh so tempting.

However does it necessarily stop there? Do you limit eating out or ordering in to once a week, twice a week, or do you not even consider how many times you do this. What about breakfast, do you have a solid nutritious breakfast or do wake up already on the run, and grab a donut on your way out the door, or not even bother to eat breakfast at all? Yes we know, you are busy, busy, busy, but those calories are empty, empty, empty. There is very little nutritious value in much of the food choices you are presently making. Yet, these same foods are loaded in calories designed to keep the extra weight on. They are fatty and loaded with sugar.

Sometimes the idea of a diet scares people. They look at it as depriving themselves of the foods they love. A diet first of all is not a system of deprivation; it is a way of life. Do not look at it as depriving yourself of the foods you love, but rather look at it as giving yourself the healthy life style that you deserve. Do not look at is as losing anything, you are gaining a healthier you and in doing so, you are adding precious years to your life.

To start this journey to a healthier you, begin by learning how to make healthy food choices. A diabetes and nutrition program is designed to show you the proper foods to eat and then help you regulate the amount of food you eat in order to keep your blood sugar levels and weight in control and at normal levels. Included in this information you may also find good health smart recipes that are not only nutritious but delicious.

Once you learn the proper foods to eat you will also learn that you can extend your diabetes and nutrition management to outside the home. You will learn how to eat the proper foods when you are visiting friends and family, or going out to eat in restaurants. With a proper diabetes and nutrition and management program you can lead a normal life and enjoy much of the same foods you have always eaten; only now you will know how to do it the right way.

Improve Your Cardio, Improve Your Life.

Some of the best training you can do for your body is cardio workouts. We all know we should stay in shape, eat right, and work out, but just how often are we really able to do that? Our body and health is so important and taking the time to improve it should be one of our first priorities. First, you might be wondering what cardio training is. It is exercises such as walking, jogging, running, aerobics, cycling, tae bo, swimming, and rowing. These exercises go from one to the other and also increase your heart rate by about 75 percent faster than the normal rate.

There are many benefits to performing cardio training. The most obvious one is that you will have more energy and endurance. You will overall start feeling better physically. Do not forget that cardio workouts will help to prevent diseases. Some of the most prevalent are diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol by creating a stronger heart and lungs. Just by walking more will cut back on your chances of later developing one of these diseases. Let’s not forget that by doing some of the above exercises you will control your weight and even lose weight. Cardio exercises will burn calories and help you to shed excess fat. Not only that but instead of eating or just sitting around, doing some cardio exercises will make you feel better. You might feel like you accomplished something and got something done.

Furthermore, using cardio training is imperative when improving your health and /or weight training. For example, 30 to 45 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week will shed some weight and begin to increase your heart rate and gain some muscle. As you are improving your health, you must also begin to increase the intensity of your workout. You will begin to build up a resistance, so remember to get the most benefit slowly increase the exercises and the difficulty to keep improving yourself. Without an increase the workout will become repetitive and too easy and any improvements will stop. Also, if you are doing weight training then do the cardio first and follow up with the weights. The cardio will actually get your body ready for the more strenuous weight training. Try not to do any cardio training before bed, it will only keep you awake and make it difficult to sleep.

A few other tips is to eat before working out. About 30 minutes before you plan to start training have something to eat so that your muscles have fuel. You do not want to have a large meal though because you will be too full and it will make training difficult, you will feel sluggish. To mix things up try going outside to work out in the fresh air and always stick to your routine. The more regular you are, the better it will be for your body.

Using cardio training to improve your health, lose weight, and just feel better in general is worth the time and effort. It will take some time, but you will begin to see improvements and want to continue.

The Nutrition Pyramid – Gives Your Body What It Needs

As we grow older so it is important that we provide our bodies with sufficient amounts of minerals, vitamins and nutrients. One of the best way of ensuring that this is done is by using the nutrition pyramid.

This is a food plan which provides you with a list of foods that are not only considered to be healthy, but will also provide your body with what it needs in order for it to function. Below we take a look at the levels that make up the pyramid and the foods which come into each of these.

Pyramid Base – This is made up of foods such as cereal, grain, pasta and bread which contain complex carbohydrates in them. These are essential part of any diet as they will help to provide your body with energy that it needs to function on a day to day basis. These are even more essential for those people whose diets are very low in fat as they will help to protect the body as well. On average a person should be aiming to have between 6 and 11 servings of these each day.

Level 1 – This part of the pyramid is made up of fruit and vegetables and a person should be aiming to have between 3 and 5 servings of these particular foods each day. These foods are particular good as they contain essential vitamins such as A, C and D all of which are vital for our bodies to remain in good condition. A serving of these can be made up either of 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or an apple, banana or orange.

Level 2 – In this section of the pyramid this is where you will find the meat, dairy products, fish, beans and eggs. Where as with the first two levels you daily intake is quite high with this part of the pyramid it is recommended that you have only between 2 or 3 servings of these in a day. The meat that you eat should be lean and for all these foods you should aim to make up a serving of around 2 ounces of what ever one it is you have chosen to eat.

Level 3 – This part of the pyramid is made up of those foods which you not include within your diet very often. The main foods included within this group are fats, oils and those which are sweet. The only thing you are likely to be get from these is additional calories which your body will then have to burn off. When cooking try to avoid using any kind of fat including margarine or butter and cut back on the number of sodas that you drink. However, you don’t need to cut out these foods completely.

The reason why one should not cut out fat foods from their diet is that they actually protect the organs in the body by providing them with padding. Also these foods are essential at helping your skin and nails to remain healthy. The best kinds of oils to include within your diet if you need to use them are olive and canola ones.

If you keep in mind the recommendations made by the nutrition pyramid then you will find that your body will remain fit and healthy as you grow older. You may well discover that by incorporating this into your dietary requirements you will see some improvements in your energy levels and the way your body looks.

Detox Me!

Ever have those times when you feel sluggish or your body just does not feel right?  You might need to detox, it can be a bit disturbing while detoxing because there will be a lot of toxins that have built up and now they are being released from your body.  However, doing this will improve your overall health and fitness.

Some signs that your body may need a cleansing are aches and pains, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain, and unable to lose weight.  The toxins are usually in the fat cells in your body and can slow down the entire waste process that your body goes through.  The major organs that are extremely important to eliminating waste are:

  • Liver - it recycles unwanted chemicals and sorts out the toxins and sends them to be dispelled through circulation.  The other organs will back up the liver during this process.
  • Kidneys - they are the water managers.  They control and balance the blood alkaline by eliminating acid waste.  Drinking lots of water, the recommended amount is eight 8 ounce glasses a day.
  • Lungs - we all breathe and realize the lungs are important.  However, they do not just keep the air in us clean and purified.  The move oxygen through the body and make sure that our circulation is good and all parts of us are receiving the oxygen we need.  They also removes harmful gases and waste gas that we all contain.  Whenever you can find an oxygen rich area than do so, this is great for your lungs.
  • Lymph Glands - these may not sound important and are not talked about often, but they are just as important when getting rid of toxins.  There are tubes that bring the excess body waste of cells to the other organs that dispel them.  The parts of the lymph glands are the thymus, tonsils, and spleen.  These all contribute to the elimination process.
  • Colon - this is obviously the most important organ because it actually removes the waste permanently from the body.  If you are having colon problems you will need to go to a doctor.  These practitioners have found up to 80 pounds of waste in the their colon and digestive track.  This can lead to many other problems and diseases, having this cleansed either on your own or professionally is best.

Finally, deciding to find detoxing products that can help you move along the process will help all your organs function better.  They will not be weighted down by excess toxins that they cannot get rid of.  Increasing your walking and physical activity will help with detoxification also.  Using your body more gets all the organs working harder in a more positive way and then they can dispel the waste within you.  There are pills, liquids, and suppositories that can help you eliminate the waste in you.  These products should be taken carefully and with a doctor’s orders possibly.  Only take these if you are in good health and have no other health problems.  Once you have gone through a detoxification process your whole body will feel lighter and you will have more energy and stamina.  Detoxing once in a while is a good idea and is not painful, but you will definitely feel much better.

Nutritional Supplements Are NOT Substitutes for Proper Nutrition

Nutritional supplements are just that, they are to supplement proper nutrition. Supplements are not to be used as a substitute for proper nutrition. They work in conjunction with the food we eat. They act as an assistant to the food we eat. They also need food as an “assistor” to do what they do in the body. It is a mutual relationship.

Also keep in mind that the effect(s) of supplements only last as long as the supplement is taken. Stop taking the supplement and the effect(s) it has will stop, too. This is true for any nutritional supplement.

Please notice that the term “proper nutrition” is used. That’s because as the level of nutrition declines, so too does the effect(s) and utilization of the supplement by the body decline. Let me explain.

The body is an intelligent system. Food is fuel for the body. It “knows” what is fuel (good food, proper nutrition) and what is non-fuel (bad food/junk nutrition).

Good nutrition gets utilized by the body properly. Bad nutrition results in consequences for the body (clogged arteries, fat accumulates, diabetes, etc.) or gets eliminated by the body…and sometimes rather quickly. Also notice that digestion, breakdown and waste elimination of the food you eat all happens automatically.

Just how much of the food we eat and the supplements we take that can actually be utilized by the body is termed “bio-utilization”. This bio-utilization is directly linked to “bio-availability” or how much real fuel is actually in the food we eat. The body also “knows” how much of every type of fuel it needs and is going to utilize. Take in more than the body needs and it can result in consequences (again, a above) or it eliminates the surplus. This is to say that too much of a good thing is not really too good, or, more is not better. That goes for both food and supplements.

The bottom line is that supplements help to assist this bio-utilization of proper nutrition (fuel) for the body. But supplements also need good food to work properly themselves. If bio-availability of real fuel is low, the effects of the supplements will be low. The lock can’t be opened without the proper key and a key is of no use without the proper lock.

If you simply follow the Daily Value guidelines for properly taking nutritional supplements, and do it with proper nutrition as outlined by the New Food Pyramid (Harvard School of Public Health), you have yourself one part of the winning formula for beginning to go from fat -2- trim!

Diet, Nutrition, Health and Disease

The body digests, transforms food, nutrients into blood into structure into function, into health or disease.

There are only two kinds of food, nutrients that you can eat: building and cleansing.

Building nutrients, foods (protein, fat, meat, eggs, chicken, cheese, beans, etc.) build and fuel all structure and function.

Cleansing nutrients, foods (water, sugar, minerals, fruit, vegetables, grains, etc.) reduce, cleanse, cool and moistening.

The correct combination, balance of building and cleansing produces and maintain the correct amount of structure and function, where the body mind can thrive. Any amounts, greater or less, in the extreme, tend to weaken, sicken and pain via too much, overbuilt (high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, cirrhosis, gout, warts, tumors, thick, red and dry skin, itching, psoriasis, etc. ) or too little, under built (anemia, fatigue, pallor, thin, dry hair, skin, nails and bones, infertility, miscarriage, short term pregnancy, autoimmune illnesses, eczema, etc.) blood, structure and function.

Overbuilt diets tend to be high protein, fat (eggs, red meat, chicken, cheese, pizza, lasagna, fried foods, oil, etc.) and starch and low vegetables and fruit.

Under built, over cleansed diets tend to be high carbohydrate (grains, pasta, bread, salads, fruits, especially tropical, juices, shakes, smoothies, cold drinks, etc.) and low protein, low fat: milk, yogurt (any kind), beans, nuts and seeds.

The correct combination, daily diet is universal as there is only one body. A woman may menstruate but she still has to eat the same same blood building foods that a man does in order to rebuild her blood. She also has to eat more during the day than at night, as digestion and absorption are stronger during the day. You are not only what you eat but also what you digest, absorb.

The correct, daily diet, meal plan mirrors the body’s natural ratio of building to cleansing nutrients which is approximately 1/3 building (protein and fat) and 2/3 cleansing (water, sugar, minerals, etc.) just like the earth, which is approximately 1/3 land and 2/3 water.

A normal, balanced meal plan would be:

+/- 1/3 Protein and fat (meat, eggs, cheese, beans, seeds, etc.)

+/- 1/3 Grain (rice, barley, oats, bread, noodles, etc.)

+/- 1/3 Vegetables, cooked (3-5), fruit (1)

+/- Spices (cardamon, cumin, coriander, fennel, ginger, cayenne, turmeric, etc.)

+/- Soup and or tea

This diet can be cooked and served in 25 minutes or less. Many Asian restaurants serve this diet, regular or steamed with the sauce on the side.

Breakfast and lunch examples:

1. Vegetable (3-5) omelet (2 eggs), toast, jelly, fruit and or tea.

2. Chicken breast, white rice, 3-5 cooked vegetables, fruit and or tea.

3. Hamburger or hot dog, bread, 3-5 cooked vegetables, fruit and or tea.

4. Turkey, noodles, sesame seeds, 3-5 vegetables, fruit and or tea.

5. Tofu, walnuts, noodles, 3-5 cooked vegetables, fruit and or tea.

Condiments (spices, salt, soy sauce, mustard, oil, etc.) may be added for taste.

Breakfast and lunch are the best times to eat, as digestion and absorption are stronger, greater during the day and weaker, lesser at night. Protein and fat, especially animal food (includes chicken, fish, cheese) are more difficult to digest than fruit, vegetables and grains.

The digestive system, stomach, pancreas and small intestines are fully charged between the hours of 7 A.M. and 3 P.M. according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The body is also more upright and active during the day. The small intestines where the majority of digestion and absorption occur are 22 feet in length. Food must actively travel and spread out the full 22 feet to maximize digestion and absorption. During the night, most people tend to sit or lay down slowing the movement of food, decreasing absorption and elimination.

Digestion and absorption are weakest during the night. Whatever food or fluids not digested, absorbed become waste. If you eat it at night, after age thirty, you will most likely wear it in the morning, in your intestines, blood, arteries, veins, liver, arms, thighs, etc.

1/3 protein and fat, 1/3 grain, 1/3 cooked vegetables, 3-5, fruit (1), spices and or tea may seem boring, but what will not be boring will be taste, health and confidence.

This diet (includes herbs) can be adjusted to counter most disease.

For those that are deficient, cold and or damp (mucous, phlegm, snoring, sleep apnea, loose stools, edema, cellulite, etc.):

Increase protein and fat (meat, eggs, chicken, turkey, etc.), grains, cooked vegetables (cabbage, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, celery, carrots with tops, hard squash, buttercup, nut, etc.), spices (dry dampness), herbs (Siberian Ginseng, Evening Primrose Oil, etc.) while reducing milk, yogurt, salads, tropical fruits, sodas and cold drinks. Leafy greens (kale, collards, etc.), broccoli, cabbage, carrots with tops, etc. are not only high in fiber but also calcium, magnesium, enzymes, vitamins, etc.

For those that are overbuilt, too hot (high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, cirrhosis, gout, warts, tumors, psoriasis, etc.):

Decrease protein and fat (meat, eggs, chicken, cheese, oil, fried foods, etc.), alcohol, tobacco, coffee, etc. while increasing beans, nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables, fruit, and less eating (especially protein and fat) in general, including skipping and or spacing the meals.

The body is very simple. It is not a gourmet smorgasbord. Simple diet always works. It not only insures health but also enables you to party, eat more gourmet foods, drink alcohol, coffee, eat rich desserts, etc. on occasion, as long as the occasion is not daily occurrence. Some times, you need a little junk (junk food, alcohol, coffee, tobacco, etc.) to counter the junk of life.

How Important is Nutrition?

As a personal trainer, many of my clients notice that I often discuss their eating habits. Why? I mean, I’m a personal trainer-not the author of a dieting book. Why don’t I leave the diet talk for someone else and focus only on my true passion-exercise?

To be perfectly honest, I would love to discuss only exercise. To divulge how I can sculpt the human body into a finely tuned machine of strength and agility. However, it just wouldn’t be practical to ignore your diet.

Which leads us to the disturbing truth…

Your diet is ruining your body. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone had to say it. I can talk about exercise until I am blue in the face, but until you take charge of your diet, it would all be in vain.

Today’s statistics show that nearly 60% of the population is currently overweight or obese. While this is shocking, according to a new study reported by WebMD, three out of four US adults will be overweight or obese by the year 2015. That’s 75% of us.

Wow, those are some scary numbers. I certainly don’t want to become part of that statistic, and I know you don’t either.

So what’s the deal? Why are we getting fatter and fatter? It all comes back to that little word…diet. The diet of today’s adult is simply out of control. Here’s why:

Portions gone wild. It all started in the 1970′s. Restaurants began to increase their portions and as a result the unsuspecting public ate more. Since then portions have continued to grow and most people continue to clear their plates despite the extra calories.

  • Convenience food mayhem. Junk food used to be only found in vending machines-not so today. Have you ever noticed how the checkout line in the supermarket has changed in recent years? It used to be stocked with gum, mints and a few candy bars. Now everything from potato chips to cookies sit within arm’s reach. Very few people get through their day without consuming some kind of convenience food.
  • Fast food fallout. How many fast food restaurants do you pass on your way to work? Probably more than you can count. How many times do you stop in for a quick bite? Probably more times than you would like to admit. Fast food has never been more available than it is today-and it shows in the waistline.

Here’s something you may not know: If you were to exercise everyday of the week but failed to change your eating habits from those listed above, you wouldn’t see any visible results.

Now don’t get me wrong-exercise is a vital ingredient for improving your fitness level, health and the shape of your body. Exercise and good nutrition go hand-in-hand. You won’t make progress toward your goals without them both.

So where does this leave you? The way I see it, you are faced with an opportunity. With just a few small changes to your daily eating habits you could be well on your way to having an incredible body. Couple this with an exercise program and you will be unstoppable.

Keeping with my goal to give you practical tips to improve your health and fitness level, here are three ways to improve your diet.

  1. Slash your portions. Even though that mountain of pasta looks great, remind yourself that it is three or four times more than you really need to eat, and those extra calories are going to land right on your waist. Consciously make an effort to reduce your portions at each meal and watch how your weight shrinks and your energy soars.
  2. Pack your snacks. Instead of turning to a bag of chips or packaged cookies in mid afternoon, reach for a piece of fruit instead. It only takes a few minutes to pack healthy snacks for your day, and it will save you a boatload of extra calories. Convenience food is packed with sugar, fat and empty calories that will only leave you more sluggish and uncomfortable than you are today
  3. Cut out one fast food meal per week. If you currently eat 5 fast food meals each week then only eat four this week. Next week reduce that number down to three. And then two, and then one. Once fast food isn’t a regular part of your diet you should look at it as something to be had as a treat-not a dietary staple.

Now that you have three simple ways to drastically improve your eating habits, this brings us back to exercise. You need regular challenging exercise in order to achieve and maintain results. It’s as simple as that.