With over 12 years experience in Personal Training, Kinesiology, Precision Nutrition and Athletics Coaching, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t when it comes to eating healthy. So here are my top 10 healthy eating tips — 10 strategies that will help you eat healthier and help you achieve your #fitnessgoals.
Sweat More
When you workout hard and spend lots of time at the gym you are more likely to eat healthy. One of the most common things I hear from my clients is “I just worked my butt off in the gym for hours, why would I want to eat crap now and cancel out all of my results.” That statement couldn’t be any more true. Why waste all of your hard earned sweat on a cheat food that you will probably regret afterwards? Most people find it isn't worth it.
The 10 Gulp Rule
I always suggest drinking a minimum of three to four litres of water a day. Staying hydrated can speed up your metabolism and rid your body of toxins. To that end, we often mistake thirst for hunger. So instead of reaching for a quick snack, grab a bottle of water first. But when you do, remember the 10 Gulp Rule: when you pick up your bottle always gulp down 10 times. This will help you get in all of that water I suggest you drink.
Keep A Food Journal
It doesn't matter if you use an organizer, food planner or even a notepad: track your food. Food journaling helps you realize the type of food you eat, how many calories you consume and where you can improve. It’s also a great way to see how your body reacts to certain foods.
Eat Slowly
Did you know that a lot of our digestion actually begins in the mouth? When you don't chew your food properly, you may be missing out on key nutrients that might not get extracted further on in your digestive system. It has also been proven that you are less likely to overeat when you eat slowly. A slow digestion period allows your body time to send the signal to your brain that you’re full. When you chomp down an entire meal quickly your stomach doesn't send the signal to the brain in time and by then you’ve already overeaten.
Sign Up For A Meal Delivery
You "don’t have time” is actually a legitimate excuse. I personally have a hard time between work, coaching, training and content creating to cook food so now I rely on a meal delivery service to help keep me on track. Not only is the food delicious, but it’s also customized and delivered fresh to my door. I currently use Fitorganix. If you are in Toronto I highly recommend them because their service is top notch and will help you stay on track.
Make Overnight Oats So That You Always Have Breakfast Available
A lot of my clients are in a rush for breakfast and often skip it so prepare your breakfast the night before. One of my favorite go-to breakfasts are overnight oats. Visit this site and check out some great recipe options from eatthis.com.
Eat Your Proper Serving Size
Without meaning to, we tend to undereat, overeat or binge. Precision Nutrition gives us a great guide to go by while we are on the go. The best part is that this measurement tool is in the palm of your hands—literally. The PN Guide has you using your hand to measure the amount of food you should be eating.
Make Mug Cake When You Are Craving Something Sweet
Curb your appetite with a protein mug microwave cake. I usually find my recipes on Pinterest but if you aren't a pinner you can get a lot of yummy mug cake recipes from dailyburn.com.
More Greens
Don’t be afraid to cozy up with salad. Not only do greens have loads of health benefits packed into them, they also take a lot of energy for your body to digest. It's basically a win from all angles. However if you simply can't chew down loads of leafs, supplements like Greens+make sure you are getting all of your servings that you should be having so that you can maximize the health benefits.
Have Protein In Your Gym Bag For A Post-Workout Shake
When I am on the go I always keep a plastic baggie with a scoop of my favorite protein with me. This way I can quickly mix it up with water and I don’t have to eat take out or even cheat on my healthy diet.
Make this the year that you eat healthy, stick to your plan and achieve your goals. I know that these tips will help you just as they have helped me and countless other clients.
Alicia Bell is a W Dish Creator. She is a personal trainer and former track and field athlete and coach who’s coached Team Canada at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
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