PHYSICAL
¨Your greatest wealth is health¨
So aside from the obvious discussion that my entire website was built upon, which is the importance of being physically active, and moving your body, I want to take this section to discuss some of the ways I supplement my workouts and optimize my physical appearance with my diet and nutrition. I’m sure you all have heard the saying 80/20. It’s 80% your diet and what you are putting into your body, and 20% exercise. And while I’m here to help you all focus in on that 20%, I also want to help you with the best ways to fuel your body before our workouts. Here are a few things I do to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet.
1. Drink LOTS of water- Each morning the first thing you should do when you wake up, is drink at least 8oz of water. After having slept all night and going on an average of 7 hours of having zero water, your body needs to rehydrate. Consume water throughout the day. If you have trouble doing this, try and make it a point to drink at least 8oz every hour. Drinking water not only flushes out your system and is a natural way to detox your body, but also makes you feel full. Majority of the time when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just very thirsty. So drink your water kids! Hydration is key to maintaining a healthy inside and outside.
2. Begin each day with an apple cider vinegar shot- I’ve been practicing this health hack for years now. Apple Cider vinegar has been proven to aid in weight loss, speed up your metabolism, and provide your gut with healthy probiotics and bacteria. It’s important to make sure the Apple Cider Vinegar you are consuming is raw, unfiltered, and contains ‘the mother’. Do this first thing every morning after you’ve had your water and before you ingest anything. I dilute my shot with water, so the taste isn’t so unbearable.
3. Intermittent fast- Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone. I’m just here to tell you what works for me. Once we begin our training together, we will be able to customize a regimen and diet plan that best suits your body’s needs and is most appropriate for your lifestyle. I’ve personally been intermittent fasting for almost a year now and I love the results it’s given me. Not only physically, but mentally. The idea behind intermittent fasting is to pick a window or a timeframe in which you fast, and then designate the rest of the time in which you can eat. Typically for me, I’ll fast for 16 hours which sounds like a lot, but half of this time I’m sleeping anyways. I usually stop eating and consuming anything other than water around 8pm, and then I’ll wake up, have my water, apple cider vinegar, and coffee, and fast until noon. The way to achieve the best results from intermittent fasting, is to workout while you are fasting. This allows your body to go into ketosis, which in turn, uses your fat as fuel during your workout rather than just simply burning the calories you consumed in your last meal as an energy source. I’ve found that this method has worked great for me. It gives me mental clarity, more energy, and is a great way to speed up weight loss, but again, every person is different. What works for some, may not work for others. The most difficult part for me beginning this intermittent fasting journey was thinking about the fact that I had to give up breakfast which is my favorite meal of the day, but then it dawned on me, that I can just eat the same thing I’d be eating for breakfast later in the day. So after my fasted workout, my first meal will typically be eggs for protein, one slice of organic bread for my carbs, topped with smashed avocado for healthy fats, over a bed of organic spinach for my greens. I highly recommend experimenting with intermittent fasting and seeing if it is something that works for you.
4. Eat your greens every single day- This one is a given. No matter what, I make sure to incorporate greens into my daily diet. My favorite green in spinach. I love it because it has a very mild flavor and the benefits are amazing. If you’re not a big salad eater, then I suggest making a smoothie with some berries, almond butter, almond milk, protein powder, and throwing in a handful of spinach. You won’t even know it’s there and it’s a great way to get those greens in your body.
5. Avoid consuming processed sugar- This one is also a given. Sugar is the ultimate enemy when it comes to weight loss, feeling, and looking your best. If you have a sweet tooth like me, there are so many other alternatives to eating processed sugar. Fruit is a great way to feel like you’re treating yourself. It’s nature’s candy. And if you are in the mood for something a little more indulgent, try making things at home and substituting the typical white sugar for honey, maple syrup, or stevia. Whatever you do, avoid soda at all costs, and make sure to read the ingredient labels. Chances are, that if the ingredients have more than 3 words that you can’t pronounce, it’s probably not good for you.
6. Don’t eat late at night- A big mistake a lot of people tend to make, is eating late at night. It’s easy to want to snack while relaxing and watching a movie, and of course it’s fine to do every once in a while, but if you’re looking to lose weight, a great habit to start practicing is stopping all eating around 7 to 8pm. That way your body has time to digest and metabolize your food before you go and lay down for 7 plus hours.
7. Everything in moderation- I’m not here to be a drill sergeant when it comes to your diet. I’m here to be a drill sergeant when it comes to your workouts haha. All jokes aside, everything is okay in moderation. You have to live, enjoy life, and indulge once in a while. A rule that I’ve created for myself, and something I encourage my clients to do as well, is eat really clean during the week. Meaning lots of vegetables, healthy fats, good sourced carbs, lots of water, no processed sugar, and little alcohol. And then on the weekends, let yourself relax a little. This gives you something to look forward to, and allows you to live life in a realistic way. Some of my best memories and experiences have to do with dining at the best restaurants and indulging in a delicious dessert or an expensive bottle of wine, or cooking a great meal at home with my family and friends. Food is not supposed to be something to be afraid of. It is supposed to be looked at as a privilege and a source to fuel our bodies with the correct nutrients.
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