16 tips to feeling better - continued!

Holly Leonard, CFT Weight Loss and Fitness Expert BeFit Personal Training Studio Editor's Note: This month we complete the first article by PRIME's new fitness columnist, Holly Leonard. Here is the second installment eight more of the 16 simple and effective strategies that will allow you to achieve these important goals. Holly's tips for looking, feeling better 9. Exercise correctly. So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Get educated on how to exercise correctly. And the absolute best way to do that is to have a qualified fitness expert develop a program for you and then teach you what to do and how to do it right. Personal training does not have to be an ongoing process. You can hire a fitness expert for whatever length of time you need to learn the ropes. Statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly, get better, faster results. And that's what you want, right? Results! 10. Enjoy yourself. The most difficult thing is actually getting into your running shoes or going to the gym. But once you begin your work-out, relax and enjoy the process. Don't fight it. Make exercise your personal time. When you are exercising you can focus completely on yourself. Yes, exercising can and should be somewhat rigorous (depending on your level of fitness), but it is just that investment which makes it supremely rewarding. As with anything, if you are in the moment, you can fully appreciate the experience and truly enjoy the process. 11. Americans eat too many carbohydrates for our lifestyles. I'm not advocating the high protein, high saturated fat diet that you hear so much about (frankly, it's dangerous). But I am advocating minimizing your intake of refined carbohydrates such as: bread, pasta, rice, potato and of course, all sugary drinks. We are no longer an agrarian society participating in manual labor. Most of us are fairly sedentary throughout the day and therefore do not need the high levels of carbohydrates to sustain our energy. Additionally, carbohydrates are addictive. The more donuts you eat, the more you want. The bulk of your carbohydrates should come from vegetables and fruit. And those with high water content, such as cucumbers, grapefruit, tomatoes, cantaloupe, strawberries and even vegetable soups (watch out for high sodium), will fill you up nicely. By the way, numerous studies have conclusively proven that the quarter of the population eating the most vegetables get half the cancers of the quarter eating the least! 12. Deep-fried food has no nutritional value none! Almost every food, whether it's steak, chocolate or red wine, has some nutrients to contribute. But one thing is absolute: fried foods are garbage. Potato chips, French fries, onion rings, breaded chicken strips and all the rest of the deep-fried junk are pregnant with saturated fat and calories, and they contain almost zero nutritional value. If you're trying to lose weight and/or reduce fat, simply eliminate fried foods completely from your diet. Yikes! That stuff is scary. 13. Never, ever, skip breakfast. If you want to maximize your fitness results or fat-loss efforts, you've got to eat breakfast. Even if you don't exercise at all breakfast remains the most important meal of the day. Your breakfast should contain complete proteins and complex carbohydrates (if you're trying to lose weight, you should eat the bulk of your complex carbohydrates at breakfast and lunch and only have vegetable carbohydrates along with protein at dinner). A great breakfast is oatmeal (not the pre-packaged, pre-sweetened kind) with a little honey and banana and an egg white omelet. Or try scrambled egg whites with Healthy Choice turkey sausage and fresh vegetables. 14. Eat fat to lose fat. Healthy fats are necessary to your body for a bunch of reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, lubricating joints, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails and skin. The singular distinction you must be aware of is the difference between healthy "good" fats, and dangerous "bad" fats. Good fats are monounsaturated fats like olive, peanut and canola oil, avocados, all natural peanut butter and nuts; and omega-3 fats like salmon and mackerel and soy-based foods. Bad fats are saturated fats, partially hydrogenated fats (killers!), and Trans fats. To maximize your fitness success, your nutrition program must complement your exercise program. The proper nutrition will help you live longer, feel better and boost your immune system. The bottom line is that your body needs good fats and will revolt if you attempt to abstain from them and absolutely does not need bad fats. 15. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you've heard this over and over again. But there's a reason for that it's the gospel truth! The recommended amount is approximately eight glasses, or 64 ounces, of water every day. When you are exercising, you need to drink even more. Over 75 percent of your body is water (even bone is more than 20 percent water). When you don't drink enough water, and substitute diuretics like coffee, tea and caffeinated sodas, you dehydrate your body, your blood doesn't flow properly and your digestive system doesn't operate smoothly (among other problems). Even a small deficit of water can radically affect how your body performs. Here's a good rule of thumb: if you're urine is a dark yellow and/or has a strong odor, you're not drinking enough water. Drink up! 16. Eat regularly throughout the day. Fasting or overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight in the short run. However, the weight you lose is primarily water weight and lean muscle mass. But in the long-run, it has exactly the opposite effect you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it's being starved and shifts into a protective mode by storing fat. Energy expenditures are fueled by your lean muscles. Therefore your body fat remains essentially the same and you lose vital fluids and muscle instead. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism becomes, and the less fat you burn. You should be eating four-to-six supportive meals including a lean protein, complex carbohydrate, fibrous carbohydrate, and a small amount of healthy fat. This keeps your metabolic furnace stoked, so you burn more at a faster rate. I know, it's counter-intuitive, but it's the truth that will deliver the results you are looking for! There you have it. Combine the eight tips from the July article (available online at www.thereminder.con/primeonline) and this month's column and you have 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling better than you have in years maybe ever! Starting (or re-starting a productive and effective health and fitness program is not easy. I encourage you to seek out the help of a qualified fitness expert to design a program specific to your individual needs. If you would like to obtain more health and fitness advice from a certified expert, you can request a free subscription to Holly's newsletter via email by visiting my web site at: www.befitonline.net; or you can receive it via regular mail by calling her fitness studio at: 774-218-3819.