Tips galore!!!

These are tips that I got from a fellow sparker on spark people I am realising that there is so so much to learn when it comes to nutrition and how it affects our bodies. I hope that these tips can help someone else as they will be helping me too.

Nutrition.........

1.Eat Low Glycemic, low refined sugar meals.

2. "Everything done in moderation."

3. Every weekend is a cheat weekend. But Mon- Fri be strict with your nutrition.

4. Have a protein shake for breakfast

5. Be careful of high sugar content in canned foods

6. Flavor foods naturally

7. Fresh salsa is the best low fat food flavoring

8. Don't Skip meals. It puts your body into starvation mode and increases the chances that more of the calories from your next meal will be stored as fat.

9. Don't drink diet soda- it can trigger a craving for carbohydrates.

10. If you are eating out, start with the veggies portion of your meal, then move to meat, then finally the starches.

11. Eat "The Good", "The Bad", then "The Ugly" foods. The trick is to make yourself full on the GOOD foods so you will eat less of the UGLY foods. Working out....

12. "Crunches are a waste of time"

13. Lifting weights with exercises that target the big muscle groups (chest, back, legs, & butt) is the way to get better abs.

14. The only way to truly get shredded is to have a pretty balanced diet with a nice balance of cardio, but most importantly, weight lifting.

15. Cardio is over-rated -resistance training your big muscle groups is what speeds metabolism. 16. If you can't afford a personal trainer, educate yourself on fitness. Buy magazines, a book, dvd's, etc.

17. The plyometric jump squat and lunges are great for your butt.

18. Fitness is about the "Three F's"...Function, Form and Fatigue. It's about performing the right function back-to-back with perfect form to complete fatigue.

19. For great shoulders and arms.... Do the push-up/punch combo. Start by doing as many push-ups in a row as you can. Then stand up, grab a couple of soup cans and punch one arm out, then the other, for one minute.

20. It's not about how much time you spend in the gym. It's about getting the most bang for your buck.

21. Swimming is a great total body exercise.

22. Simplicity is key. Do not over-think your fitness routine or your diet.

23. Less Medication, More Motivation.

24. High intensity training can lessen the need for sleep aids and anit-depressants medications. Some quick tips that I use to eat healthier include:

*Eat out less (I try to keep it to once a week)

*Do your food shopping for the entire week on Sundays.

*Cook large meals on Sundays and Wednesdays to save time and have meals to eat all week. *Stock up on fruit to satisfy the sweet cravings .

*Completely cut out sugary drinks (soda, ice tea, etc.)