HEALTHY EATING ON A BUDGET

DON’T LET TIME OR MONEY GET IN YOUR WAY OF HEALTHY LIVING

Most Americans live very hectic lives that can make it pretty hard to eat healthily. Working long hours, picking the kids up from school, taking them to practice, church meetings, family plans, etc. We live life in the fast lane, on the go so that’s how we eat “fast”. Why do you think fast food is so popular?

Now, as if it wasn’t difficult enough to make time to eat healthy now in this economy we have to worry about finances. Dollar Menus and $5 Value Meals sound like good deals but are they really??? I too fell victim to the dollar menu hype but then I realized I wasn’t really saving any money I was just gaining weight. Now with a little planning I’m actually eating right and saving money. Here are a few tips to help guide you:

1. Contrary to popular belief buying Organic is not super expensive. You can find organic products in your local health food stores. Safeway has an Organic Brand named O that cost about the same and in some cases are even less expensive than name brands and Giants has Nature’s Promise which is almost ALWAYS on sale.

2. Choose whole grains, beans, legumes and other fibrous food. When you eat foods high in fiber you’ll fill up faster and eat less therefore your meals will last longer. Saving you $$$ If you eat a bunch of junk food you end up hungry and have to buy more food.

3. Shop wisely. Stock up on sale items & buy your most eaten items in bulk. Buying store brand is also a good way to save a few dollars.

4. Believe it or not a home cooked meal is actually cheaper than fast food even the infamous “dollar menu”. A quick meal such as Spaghetti can be made in 20 minutes for less than $13.00. 1 box Safeway Organics whole grain pasta $1.89, 1.3lbs of Shadybrook Farms Ground Turkey 93% Lean is $4.49, Organic Spaghetti Sauce is $3.50, and a bag of Organic Frozen Veggies $3.00. Total Meal cost $12.88 for 8 or more plates. You can feed the family and still have leftovers for the week.  If you were to take that $12.88 to McDonalds you could opt for 2 value meals or 4 meals if you chose dollar menu items only. That’s less than half of the servings you would have if you cooked. Not to mention less nutrients and way more calories, sodium, and cholesterol.

5. Timing is everything! If you don’t have a lot of time to cook whenever you have some downtime cooks multiple meals at once so you have leftovers through the week.

6. Another problem my clients have is eating throughout the day. You have to constantly feed your body for energy and nutrients. When you skip meals your body goes into starvation mode and holds on to as many calories as it can to reserve for energy later. Also, when you skip meals you are more likely to overeat once you do eat. This soar in blood sugar can cause diabetes and weight gain. Pack your lunch including snacks: your lunch can be that left over spaghetti. Your snack can be fruit, Stoneyfield Organic Yogurt ($1.00 each), or even Nature’s Valley Bars $2.99 a box (it’s cheaper to buy the box than the individual bars)

7. Frozen Dinners are cheap & quick. Make sure that whatever frozen dinners you choose the daily value is less than 20% in sodium, cholesterol & fat. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Organics by Safeway, Morning Star and Kashi are good choices. If they are not filling enough add nuts, an additional vegetable or beans as a side.

8. Plan your meals around foods that you already have. For example, if you have a can of beans at home don’t go out and buy ground turkey for the night. Cook a quick beans & rice dish. You always want to make sure you use what you have before they expire. Throwing away food is like throwing away money.

9. If fresh veggies and fruits cost too much frozen is the next best option. It is cheap and doesn’t lose as much of its nutritional value or add as much sodium as canned veggies & fruit.

10. Prepare for the grocery store: First make sure that you eat before you go to the store. When you go to the grocery store hungry “everything looks good”. You’re more likely to buy foods on impulse. You also need to make sure you have a list ready. Check out the weekly specials and plan accordingly.

For Health, Fitness, & Weight Management programs please visit: 

www.TotalWellnessDC.com   

For Daily Fitness & Nutrition Tips & Specials:

Follow @KillaCandise on Twitter

Like us www.FaceBook.com/TotalWellnessLLC

5 Easy Steps to Boost Your Metabolism

Don’t you just hate those people who seem like they can eat ANY & EVERYTHING and never gain a pound. Some people are just lucky that way good genes= higher metabolism. Does this mean that people with slower metabolism are doomed Absolutely Not just means it will take a little more effort. There are several factors that affect our metabolism: age (as we age our metabolism naturally slows down), hormones, size, medications, sex (due to higher muscle mass men naturally have higher metabolism than women)

So what is the metabolism anyway? Simply put it’s the amount of energy (calories) our body needs to function daily. 70% of those calories are your Resting Metabolic Rate that’s the calories you burn during basic functions such as breathing. 20% of your daily calories burned is a combination of your physical activity (exercising, sports, walking, even maintaining your posture) & the last 10% goes to your digestive system it’s the amount of calories used to digest your foods. As long as your calories burned equals more than what you consume (eat) then you’ll lose weight. Other way around you’re going to gain!

So how do we make sure we’re eating less than we burn? Simple, GET TESTED!!!! Getting your metabolism tested is the best way to find out your specific caloric needs. In addition to learning how much energy your body burns at rest you find out how many calories is needed to nourish your body. In many cases it’s not that we eat too much that causes us to gain weight it is that we do not eat enough. When you do not properly nourish the body it goes into starvation mode and begins storing fat to conserve energy. There are several estimations online based on age, weight, height, but your metabolism is actually just as individual to you as your fingerprint. These estimations can be very inaccurate which can dramatically hinder your weight loss efforts.

To schedule your metabolism test visit: www.KillaCandiseWorkouts.com.

Now that you know your caloric needs how you boost your numbers?

1. EAT. Food is fuel! We need food for energy & the mere act of digestion burns calories. You should eat small meals throughout the day at least 6 times a day. 3 larger meals no more than 400 calories each and several small snacks averaging 250 calories or less each. Skipping meals is the #1 worst thing you can do. When you skip meals your body goes into defense mode and begins to store fat in order to conserve energy for later.

It’s True!!! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The hormone cortisol is at its highest in the mornings. When cortisol levels are too high for too long it can cause brain cell damage, oxidative stress, and the dreaded abdominal fat. By eating about an hour after waking you will decrease your cortisol levels & give your body the energy it needs to kickstart your day.

It is also best to choose foods that digest slowly such as lean proteins & high fiber foods which are great for sustained energy. Snack on healthy proteins such as low fat yogurt (preferably organic & soy), eat a handful of nuts daily when mixed with dried cranberries makes the perfect after workout snack.

Visit www.KillaCandiseWorkouts.com for an Excellent Weight Management Program

2. Get some rest. Sleep directly effects the balance between the hormone –leptin- which tells the body its full and –ghrelin-which signals hunger. When you are sleep deprived leptin levels are reduced and ghrelin levels increase therefore increasing your appetite.

An American Journal of Epidemiology study of over 68,000 women found that women who slept for less than 5 hours a night were 32% more likely to gain a significant amount of weight. The lowest risk factor was the group who slept 7-8hours per night.

You can also burn more calories at rest by doing some light –medium activity such as going for a walk or an hour of yoga before bed. Just make sure you do this at least 2-3hrs before bed so you don’t interrupt your rest.

3. Every little step counts. Move more=burn more. Burn more calories at your desk by sitting on a stability ball while at work, get up and stretch, walk around when on the phone, take the stairs, park further away so you have to walk further to get to work, and walk to your coworkers cubicle instead of calling.

4. Muscle Burns More Calories. 1lb of Muscle can burn up to 9times as many calories as 1lb of fat. Muscle is the hard worker and fat is the lazy cousin. So increase your muscle mass and boost your metabolism.

Many of my female clients are scared to lift weights for fear of bulking up but choosing lighter weights & doing more repetitions turns your body into a Toned & Lean Calorie Burning Machine.

Limit your cardio session to 30-45minutes. Doing long cardio routines will begin to use muscle as its main source of energy. You will burn more calories by doing short intervals such as varying hills & speed throughout the workout. You will burn more calories by splitting your routine into 2 20-30minute sessions which increases your EPOC (Excess-Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption) which is basically the calories you burn immediately following exercise. Your body must work hard to bring you back to homeostasis. The average person needs about 2-3hrs per week of strength training & 2-3 hrs of cardio.

Visit www.TotalWellnessDC.com to find a boot camp & strength training class or www.KillaCandiseWorkouts.com to get your personalized strength training program

5.

Check your meds. Several medications such as birth control & anti-depressants slows your metabolism and if that’s not enough they increase your appetite. So if you think your medication may be the cause of your scale tipping ask your doctor about alternative treatments.

Does Online Personal Training Really Work?

Let’s face it with the busy lives we lead today it has become close to impossible to work with a personal trainer. I have pretty much stopped working in person with clients due to both my & my clients busy schedules: school, kids, work, illness, family emergency, car troubles, traffic, travel etc. session after session would get cancelled, money gets wasted, and who wants to lose $$$?

Then I had an “aha” moment. Its 2011 and you can pretty do ANYTHING online… work, order food, shop, go to school, so why not workout with a personal trainer online also?

Not one of those cheesy, one size fits all computer generated sites that creates workouts based on minimal personal information and uses national standards. Choose an ACTUAL Certified Knowledgeable Instructor that takes into consideration YOUR TIME, YOUR ABILITY, YOUR GOALS, YOUR EQUIPMENT, YOUR TRAVEL, ETC. A real person to coach you through your workouts, monitors your food & workout logs, hold you accountable and push you towards your health & fitness goals.

You have to be careful because there are a lot of non certified trainers who not only pose as trainers but will recommend supplements & create nutrition plans without any formal training. It gives us passionate trainers a bad name 

So does online personal training really work?

THAT DEPENDS ON YOU!!! After completing a detailed fitness & nutrition assessment I personally create your individualized program. All workouts are Efficient using the Latest Scientifically Proven Methods to train your body. Now your job is to FOLLOW THE PROGRAM! Every time you log in a workout it comes straight to my phone so I’m always available to track your workouts, update your workouts, answer questions, etc. If you do not log in I will contact you to see what’s going on & to re-motivate you!!! I have seen EXCELLENT RESULTS!!!!

Is it safe?

Yes, the programs are just as safe as if you were home watching a fitness video. I’m not there to spot your form but you are provided with exercise demonstrations as well as detailed instructions & tips on performing each exercise. You can print the workouts and take it to the gym with you or even watch the routine from your Smartphone. The bonus here is the ONE ON ONE ATTENTION!!! If you have joint problems, limited equipment to no equipment, back problems, etc. I can create the workout for YOU!

What does your online personal training include?

Unlimited access to your My Active Profile, Interactive meal and workout plans that are developed specifically around your goals & schedule, recipes, grocery lists, over 2,000 exercise demonstrations, 1-on-1 messaging, community forums, support from your peers, mobile access & much more! All for as little as $7.50 a week.

Visit www.KillaCandiseWorkouts.com to SIGN UP NOW!!!!!